USS HORIZON NCC-825002
SD 10.0801 to 11.01XX
"Mission Of Mercy?"
Senior Staff
CO: Captain Asa Garn
FO: Lieutenant-Commander Tergin
OPS/2O: Lieutenant Jason Munro
CMO: Lieutenant-Commander Kieran Joram
CSO: Lieutenant Kuvak
CEO: Lieutenant Sancho Valderez
CSciO: Lieutenant JG Theophrastus Hamelin
CNS: Lieutenant JG Pol Canon
FCO: Ensign Jarek Malaar
Bartender: Cyrix Brakos (civilian)
Orders
To: Captain Asa Garn, CO, USS Horizon
From: Commodore Yaardack Stanfelth, Fleet XO, Cocoon Fleet
SD: 10.0801
Captain,
I understand you were hoping for a shakedown cruise for the USS Horizon, unfortunately circumstances prevent this and testing must be done en route to the destination specified in the following orders...
The USS Horizon is ordered to the Irimida sector to a Na'Chem colony on the 3rd planet in the Stalus system. Your mission is to transport vital medical supplies and resources, to relieve the suffering of the colonists.
Like many Na'Chem colonies, those of the Stalus system have survived on the bare minimum for many years, they supported themselves through the 'pirate' activities of the Na'Chem, their plight unnoticed thanks to the Juun.
Since the original Horizon discovered the mass atrocities commited by the Juun upon the Na'Chem, a cease-fire has been established between the Federation and the majority of the Na'Chem factions. Therefore the Horizon's mission is not only one of mercy, but of good will, in the hopes of developing stability within the Portal regions of the Cocoon. Whilst Starfleet anticipates little difficulty in this mission, I advise you and your crew to remain on guard. It has been rumoured that a minority of the Na'Chem factions have refused to acknowledge the cease-fire - these groups are calling themselves, collectively, the Na'stiu. Whether they will cause any complications to a mission of mercy is uncertain - their nature has yet to be determined.
The Juun also remain strangely silent in response to the Horizon's discovery of their actions against the Na'Chem. Whilst they have cleared the ranks of those directly involved with the 'conspiracy' to a point that satisfies requirements of their membership in the Federation, Starfleet Security has its doubts. It supsects that the Juun have been looking for scapegoats and SFSec sources indicate that many Juun officials feel a bitterness towards the Federation and Starfleet. They may feel threatened by peaceful relations between the Federation and the Na'Chem, if this is the case some Juun may wish to sabotage the Horizon's mission - not least because of the Horizon's role in exposing the genocide commited by the Juun against the Na'Chem.
Remember that primarily your mission is one of mercy. Na'Chem colonists, civilians, are dieing of preventable diseases and starvations. I must also stress that both our relationships with the Juun (Federation members) and the Na'Chem are vital for the Federation's continued presence within the Cocoon. With the losses of our recent war with the Klingons, trade with the Juun and the Na'Chem could determine how soon the Cocoon Fleet secures what we have achieved over the past three years.
My hopes are with you Captain,
Commodore Yaardack Stanfelth
Cocoon Fleet Executive Officer
Summary
After the battle for Cocoon the crew are enjoying shore leave on Starbase Omega while awaiting a new Horizon or reassignment to a new unit. Suddenly the crew are ordered to beam to a set of coordinates, awaiting them is the new USS Horizon (registry NCC-825002), a Tryfan class.
Hoping for a shakedown cruise the crew organize a part in the new ship's lounge. The former CEO Cyrix Brakos resigns his commission due to 'emotional trauma' following the conflict with the Klingons, he agrees however to stay onboard as bartender. His true nature though, is yet to emerge as another Cyrix Brakos arrives onboard. At the party, the crew receives their new orders: a mission of mercy on Stallus III, along with this news comes the announcement that the USS Horizon is now the Cocoon Fleet's flagship.
As the crew bond at the party the Cyrixs meet and decide to recombine themselves using a transporter. Investigation by Dr. Kieran, Lt<jg> Hamelin and the science section reveals a mystery over the DNA of the new Cyrix. It turns out that the bartender was in fact a clone of the escaped Cyrix, put together by a shady alliance between SF Intelligence and the Romulan Talshiar. The combined entity's DNA reveals a good deal of genetic conditioning which may have been carried forward into the new recombined Brakos.
While the scientists come to grips with the new Brakos a message comes in from Outpost 721, it appears that the super cruiser Canarven was destroyed by Na'Chem ships. The Horizon is asked to intervene. Upon being contacted by what appears to be a Na'Chem escort, warning of the conditions on Stallus III the decision is made to separate the ship. The Saucer section commanded by Lt.Com Tergin is to investigate the destruction of the Canarven while the Stardrive section and its precious medical mission pack will continue on to the Na'Chem colony. Little do the crew of the Horizon realise the trap which they have just wandered into, unknown to them the Na'Chem colony is in fact a world controlled by the Juun dissidents the Horizon foiled previously. This time they have allied themselves with elements in the Romulan Talshiar in an attempt to destroy the Cocoon fleet's Flagship and draw the Federation into a war with the Na'Chem.
In attempting to recapture the clone planted onboard the Horizon the Juun kidnap Lt<jg> Canon the Horizon's Counsellor. While the medical teams work on the surface, totally oblivious to the Romulan and Juun presence in the area, an away team commanded by Lt. Munro and featuring Lt<jg> Hamelin and Ens. Malaar take a runabout to liberate the counsellor from a nearby moon base. The away team arrive to find a deserted base set to self destruct. Somehow knowing of the danger the away team are in, Brakos steals a runabout and grapples the away team's runabout allowing them to jump to low warp. The crew return safely with Canon but the acceleration without inertial dampeners leaves them injured.
Meanwhile, the saucer section stumbles into a Juun force bent on destroying them, managing to survive in the face of superior odds thanks to the intervention of corvettes from OP721, the opposing fleets try to exchange knockout blows in what rapidly becomes a bloody conflict. The stardrive section fares no better as the Juun forces on the planet grow restless, attacking and killing the Federation medics on the planet surface, they attempt to make it look as though the Na'Chem colonists attacked the Federation officers without provocation or reason. Hearing of the fate of the saucer section, Captain Garn decides to take the stardrive out of orbit and go to its aid. However, hearing of what happened on the surface a set of security teams commanded by Lt. Munro and featuring the counsellor are sent down to the surface.
As the stardrive section arrives it finds the saucer section heavily damaged, its bridge and bridge crew almost vaporized by a saboteur's bomb. Following the presence of Juun soldiers onboard the saucer section the crew of the stardrive have to discover the new command codes in order to link the two parts up again. The race is on not only to link up and save the saucer section, but to save the critically injured first officer as well. Meanwhile the away teams on Stallus III begin to doubt that this was an armed uprising by the placid and suffering Na'Chem. Before they can alert the Horizon as to what is happening, Juun soldiers appear ready to make an example out of them. It is only by the timely intervention of Elizabeth Davis, former CO of the USS Heracles, that they were able to survive the ambush. A curious party from the Horizon wander into some caverns which they discover to be containing artefacts which would seem to support the theory that the Juun are originally from Bajor, however, this important archeological discovery is marred by the discovery that the caverns are also home to a number of Romulans.
On the saucer section an attempt is made to mind meld with the now unconscious officer who changed the command codes, the attempt fails but reveals a set of files where several possible command codes are kept. By luck and careful deduction the chief science officer, Lt<jg> Hamelin, discovers the correct codes and orders the linkup. Meanwhile, the Juun boarding party are attempting to take control of the saucer section, their forces severely curtailed by security teams commanded by the Horizon's chief of security, Lt. Kuvak. He forces their hand, the remaining Juun soldiers steal a photon torpedo and rig it to explode if their demands are not met. Clever use of the transporter quickly foils their plans though as the bomb is beamed into space and the Juuns are beamed to the brig.
On Stallus III, the Romulans under the command of a Proconsul from the Talshiar learn of the failure of the Juun forces and decide to evacuate their base to their Warbird and scoutship cloaked in orbit, but not before playing their last card. In the caverns beneath the Na'Chem refugee camps sit vats of biogenic matter which, if used, could wipe out the entire ecosystem of Stallus III. As the Proconsul leaves, he sets them to self destruct in an attempt to make the Federation believe that the Na'Chem were preparing biogenic weapons. The away teams from the Horizon commanded by Munro, but spurred on by the Romulan hating Davis, explore the caverns, they meet little Romulan resistance before reaching the control center.
In orbit around Stallus III are two ships, the Warbird Tar and a scoutship commanded by Commander P'Ghal, a family man recently transferred from the Romulan navy, he is disgusted by what the Talshiar does in the name of his Empire. Their alliance with the genocidal Juun forces is hard for him to tolerate. Dispatching his FO, he takes the ship out of orbit and heads towards the Horizon, as the ship arrives he uses his knowledge of the Horizon's systems gained through the Brakos project to beam his crew onto the Horizon. Ramming his scoutship into the remaining Juun vessels and finishing the bloody battle. The Commander quickly takes over a deck and demands asylum from Captain Garn. Though reticent, she agrees to give it when P'Ghal informs her of the Romulan and Juun alliance and what they are doing on Stallus III. The order goes out to return as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the Federation away teams have discovered the biogenic matter, Lt Munro and Counsellor Canon work to try and abort the self destruct to no avail as the Horizon arrives in orbit armed with the command codes for the Warbird Tar. As the vats explode the Horizon beams the matter onto the Tar, the results of a last chance attempt at rendering the matter inert is unknown as the Tar's systems fail massively. Allowing the Horizon to capture it and discover that it is filled with inert biogenic matter.
The Talshiar-Juun plot to destroy the Horizon foiled all that is left is to heal the sick. As work on the surface continues, Dr. Kieran joins Captain Garn and Lt<jg> Canon in telepathically entering the mind of the critical LtCmdr. Tergin. By interacting with elements of Tergin's damaged mind in the dreamscape they are able to heal the listener and the Horizon returns to SB Omega.
Promotions
Lieutenant JG Theophrastus Hamelin: promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant JG Cyrix Brakos Brakos: promotion offered to Lieutenant (declined)
Ensign Jarek Malaar: promoted to Lieutenant JG
Awards received
Distinguished Service Medal: Lieutenant JG Pol Canon
Golden Nebula Award: Lieutenant-Commander Tergin
Classified addendum
During the journey to Stallus III, Jarek Malaar was formally reprimanded for stealing a shuttlecraft. It transpired that the crime was committed under the influence of a race known simply as the 'Custodians'. Their advanced technology became evident as they began to communicate, on the return to SB Omega, with Ens. Malaar via dreams. Upon waking the Ensign would discover that he had been copying down plans and instructions which would allow the construction of a hyperspace or transdimensional drive.
The Custodians' purposes were unclear but Malaar believed the gift to be related to the Kraa-Kree, a malevolent race who had captured Malaar in the past and had attacked a settlement on his homeworld causing his stepfather to flee for his life to the Horizon. Captain Garn, sensitive to what appeared to be at risk and the scientific discovery which was a transdimensional drive ordered the craft to be constructed in the utmost secrecy. The result was the USS Threin.
When the time came a crew featuring the newly promoted Lt<jg> Malaar, Lt. Hamelin and the emergency holographic engineering program who became known as HoloCyrix set forth on the Threin's maiden flight. What exactly occured is open to much stipulation though the crew managed to save Lt<jg> Malaar's twin brother from a Kraa-Kree ship before the Custodian ship appeared allowing the Federation ship to escape.
Upon returning to SB Omega, the Threin caused quite a stir. Commander P'Ghal, the Romulan defector, decided to put pressure on the people at Starfleet Intelligence involved in the Brakos project. The Threin proved to be the perfect cover as elements from SFInt, the Talshiar and the Soong institute (who designed the Brakos clone) were able to investigate the crew of the Horizon under the auspices of SF Engineering and SF Security.
As the crew of the Horizon partied in the Mystery Bar, the Soong institute and SFInt tried to recapture the rogue Brakos. Replacing Brakos with a crudely constructed clone did not fool Tergin. His timely intervention stopped SFInt from capturing Brakos but, sadly, in the firefight which ensued Lt<jg> Brakos lost his life. P'Ghal meanwhile had stolen the plans of the Threin making the crew and Starfleet believe that the Custodians had somehow erased the information. Confronted by a Talshiar agent, the Commander attempted to exchange the information he had stolen for protection from the Horizon's chief science officer, Lt. Hamelin. At a meeting in the crowded Mystery Bar, the negotiations were interrupted by a well organised SFSec intervention, in the mayhem SFInt hoped to execute the dissident Romulan before he could be debriefed by the Cocoon security agents. They failed, P'Ghal escaped into the crowd, the onlty victim was the data crystal containing the schematics of the Threin's transdimensional drive.