Adapted from a Dissertation Defense presented to the Hamilton Institute of Exopaleontology
Summary, stage 1
The starship USS Kearsarge, a year into its extended journey beyond known space into the depths of the beta quadrant, has responded to a general distress call and arrived at the humanoid-inhabited world that the Dejanit had designated Ipter III (the star Ipter being visible in the sky of the Dejanit homeworld). The civilization turned out to be early-industrial, pre-atomic, non-spacefaring culture who had until recently been fragmented into many nations. They were using a subspace transmitter captured from the Eiodar. The Eiodar empire (encountered earlier by the Kearsarge) had sent a cruiser to explore Ipter III and the ship had conquered the world after destroying five national capital cities from space. The Eiodar ship left an occupation force to organize the collaborating puppet governments in the extraction of resources, but a widespread revolt overthrew the force in defiance of threats of annihilation. A sixth city was destroyed by the last Eiodar occupiers. For eight years the natives tried (and failed) to adapt captured technology and prepare defenses. Their desperate messages into space were based on the hope that there were many other worlds, some of whom were presumably outside of Eiodar control. The Kearsarge, drawn to the system, was detected and contacted. The euphoria of the population was tempered by the explanation that this was a lone explorer ship far from its base and unable to give advanced weapons technology. The early detection of an incoming Eiodar fleet of ten ships prompted the Starfleet vessel to stay and attempt to set up negotiations, although the Eiodar and the population of Ipter III both concluded that the annihilation of the planet's habitable surface and the Kearsarge with it was the only possible outcome.
The USS Kearsarge, Federation Steamrunner class cruiser
The Eiodar open fire, but the USS Kearsarge, ready for the "surprise" assault, maneuvers to distribute the enemy fire evenly across her shields and returns fire, at first only targeting the enemy ships' weapons and propulsion to minimize Eiodar casualties. One Eiodar frigate is badly damaged and a cruiser's propulsion is disabled by phaser and torpedo fire as the Kearsarge's veteran helmsbeing maneuvers expertly through the Eiodar formation.
Below, the population of Ipter III huddle in the bunkers and fallout shelters they had built after the previous Eiodar invasion. They are elated that the strangers from the Federation stayed to try and negotiate with the Eiodar (and now are fighting their hated enemy), dismayed by the ten-to-one odds that face the Kearsarge, and most of all ashamed that they are not able to fight side by side with their new friends and heroes. Billions of prayers to the Infinite Gods pass the mouths of the shivering masses as they watch the broadcasts of the telescopes' images and the frightening civil-defense warning messages put out by their governments.
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