USS Skytoucher - Mission 4 : The Loxian Peace Treaty

[Roland Burma]

And especially with our guest onboard,

Alright Lt. Mason, try to make a course correction and move out full impulse, once we clear the strange signal go to warp 8

Mason: Aye sir, warp 8.

Burma: with this correction, what is our new ETA?

Mason: well with the speed increase, we should get to Avalon in 29 hours

Burma: Lt. Robinson, watch your sensors closely.
Burma: Very well.

[Vorak]

OFF: the idea is that the Skytoucher doesnt pursue the matters for now (I mean, by following the Gallifreyan ship), but continues on her way to station Avalon. There, they will report this unusual event, and you will be given a new mission, to return and investigate this more thoroughly. This way, that new mission can start in a new topic too once the ship departs from station Avalon again. Also, captain McKinley has not responded to my emails, so we assume he is still sick and must be transferred to the station's sickbay. That will go together with a promotion for Burma to captain, on the station http://expansionfleet.sparks.priorweb.be/ikonboard/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[Vorak]

Admiral Vorak and the new captain of the USS Skytoucher went into the ship's ready room.

"Captain," he said as he sat down, "there are some important matters to discuss.
Some time ago, our other ship, the USS Evolution, has done some star mapping in a region called the 'Dark Passage'. This 'passage' is a small doorway, with on the left a huge asteroid field, and on the right a quantum singularity network. Inside this Dark Passage they discovered Vontak Nor, a Cardassian station, but one with friendly intentions.
But it is not about the Cardassians I speak.

This asteroid field is made very unsafe by Loxian raiders. Loxian encounters have thus far always been very hostile and aggressive. They usually do not listen to reason, and only know firepower to discuss things.

The USS Evolution has had a second contact with them, when one of their planets, north-west of the Dark Passage, appeared to be threathened by Species 8472 attacks. The USS Evolution has sealed the fluidic gate there, and the Loxians there can live at peace now.

This last event may very well be what has caused their latest decision. They have send a subspace transmission in where they officially state they wish to open peace negotiations.  They no longer want hostilities to continue between Starfleet and the Loxian government, and they wish us to become allies instead of foes.

We know virtually nothing of this species, since we have never had the ability to actually talk with them, or visit their planets.  Their technology and firepower is about as advanced as ours, and that has enabled them to keep us at arm's length.

Captain, I am sending you on this mission to the Loxian homeworld, so that you may open negotiations with this species. I am aware that this mission is not without danger, and that you will have to use all your diplomatic skills to avoid any negative confrontation, but I believe that with goodwill on both sides, peace can be possible.
I am deliberately sending you, and not the USS Evolution, because a ship they have fought before, might cause more of a stir than a ship they see for the first time. And this way we honour them by sending our flagship to them, showing that we are serious with our good intentions too.

Do you have any questions, captain?"

OFF: you may want to have a look at the stellar maps. Go to www.expansionfleet.com and to "databases" where you'll find them.

[Steve McKinley]

He Thinks For A Moment

"It is great that I have Met You, Because your going to help me with the Loxians, thats if you want to. We can both use our diplimatic skills to do that. What do you say?"

[Skon]

Indeed, Mr. Niles. I would have to say that Mr. Kor's Raktajino is exemplary.

[Steve McKinley]

OFF: This course of action is not approved yet, just wait a little while.

[Marotek]

=^= Engineering here, everything looks to be ok=^=

[Seldana Zax]

   Sel, still down in sickbay, was unaware of the distress signal.  She was busy testing the EMH's alternative medicine database.  She wanted to make sure that the holodoc was prepared for quite literally anything, especially in the case of an allergic reaction to standard hypomeds.  

   Her symb was moving inside its pouch in the slowly twisting manner of anxiety.  Sel stopped testing the EMH.  She knew that whenever her symb acted that way, the least she could do is wait for the symb to "flash" its message to her mind.

   The "flash" came soon enough.  A "slide"--like an ancient form of Terran entertainment--showed unidentifiable beings running, screaming, and falling.  There were bloodied bodies--some still moving, some still as death--all over.  

   Sel shuddered.  Her hand shook as she tapped her commbadge: "To anyone on the Bridge, this is CMO Seldana Zax.   Do you need my help up there?"  

   The young, lovely female adult Joined Beta Trill waited anxiously, her commbadge still on, to see if anyone would reply.

[Skon]

Confirming Mr. Robinson's scans, sir. Two Loxian cruisers incoming. They appear to be positioning themselves between us and the Tazay. If I were to hazard a guess, I would suggest that they don't want us to approach the damaged ship.

OFF: Made it through the hurricane. Lost power and water for a few days, but nothing major. Plenty of people I work with still don't have power, so I guess I got lucky...

(Edited by Skon at 10:59 pm on Sep. 22, 2003)

[Loxians]

OFF: as captain McKinley still hasn't posted, I will make replies in his name so that the story can continue.

Meanwhile, on the Loxian exile vessel Tazay...

McKinley:
"What you ask me, Mr. Zentox, is not an easy matter. I am a Starfleet officer, working for the United Federation of Planets, and we have to abide to the Prime Directive, which states that we should not involve ourselves in such matters."

Zentox sighs.
"So your Federation thinks it is right that we should get hunted all our lives, or get killed if we are unfortunate?"

McKinley:
"Mr. Zentox, I didn't say that. It's not because we have the Prime Directive, that there's nothing we can do. But right now, there's nothing that I can do myself. After all, this is an internal Loxian conflict, and I'm not authorized to participate in it. But what I can do for you, however, is make a whole report on the matter, and send it to Starfleet for review. Perhaps then, they will consider to give you aid. But it's not my decision, and I can't make any promises. If you send me back to my ship, I can explain my crew about the situation at hand, and contact Starfleet at once."

Zentox sighed again and leaned back in his chair.
"I promised that you would be returned to your ship when our conversation was over, captain McKinley, but there's a slight problem."

Captain McKinley looks suspicious at Zentox, who then continues to speak.

"At this moment, we have a distortion field surrounding our ship. It is taking the last of our resources to keep it up, and it is what prevents your crew and the Loxians from beaming you out, or all of us for that part. To beam you back, means we have to deactivate the distortion field, and that means lowering the last shield of defense we have. Once we beam you back, the Loxian government will have no reason to hold back their firepower and destroy us. And believe me, they WILL destroy us as soon as they get that opportunity. After all, our ship is dead in the water and our weapons are useless right now."

McKinley:
"So what you are saying is, that in fact I AM a prisoner on your ship right now? Or perhaps a hostage?" The captain felt anger surge up.

Zentox:
"No, no... please do not take it wrong. You are not our prisoner and hostage, and certainly we do not intend to do your harm. The Goddess Tazay knows, you are our last hope for survival! But another ship of our clan is on its way here now, to render us help. When that ship arrives, we can beam you back and get to safety ourselves. The problem is, we don't know WHEN this ship should arrive, but it should not take long any more for them to reach us."

OFF: this second Loxian vessel is going to arrive soon, so please dont beam the captain back until then, you will get an opportunity http://expansionfleet.sparks.priorweb.be/ikonboard/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

[Loxians]

Zentox sighs. He knows that Robinson is right - taking their captain away from their ship without prior consent wasnt the right way to go to begin with, but what else could he do? He faced the Starfleet officer again.

"I apologize for that. I knew from the beginning that you would not have liked that, but we are only trying to survive, and waiting too long for something could get us killed. If your captain hadn't been on board our ship, those Loxian government vessels would already have blown us to pieces faster than you can say your own name. And besides, what else could we do?"

[Will Robinson]

Will takes over Tactical

"Shields up Captain. We took damage to are secondary hull, at least one dead. The hull was breached, but the emergency forcefields are holding."

[Skon]

Skon's board blinks off and on and off

Commander, my sensors have been heavily damaged, but just before they went offline, I believe I detected an unidentified warp signature in the asteroid field. Attempting repairs.

[Rasmain]

*Rasmain could here his console. After tying one of the Loxian soldiers up, he ran over to the console*

"Captain, we have a problem on our hands. Several armed Loxian forces have just beamed over. They are heading to Engineering, the bridge and the weaponslocker on deck 6."

*Tries to remember why they would find weaponslocker 6 so valuable*

[Roland Burma]

yes Lieutenant, all stop.

Lt. Robinson are you reading the same thing?

I want to know if we should steer clear of this signature.