Cptn_Giovanni

"Aftermath" Log entry 50: 25 April, 2161 Sergio watched as the Challenger drifted helplessly in space next to the McKinely Station. By the skin of their teeth, they had sucessfully managed to fend off the Romulans and once again, save Earth fron a major threat from an alien race. But at what cost? His ship was severely crippled, adrift and still leaking plasma, Westler was dead, killed in action when a bulkhead fell on him, and his XO Commander DeGenza was fighting for his life in another explosion that rocked the Challenger before the Surak beamed them out. The Vulcan captain ordered his helmsman to move closer to the stricken ship. A bright light emenated from the ship as the Surak's tractor beams grabbed hold of the Challenger. The ship was towed to Mars where grappling hooks from the spacedock facility orbitting the planet took it from the Surak after she dropped her tractor beam. That done, Sergio turned to thank the Vulcans. "Thanks awfully for all your help in assisting us against the Romulans" "No problem, Captain" replied the Vulcan captain. "And might I say. You and your crew performed quite admirably out there. You have my respect" the Vulcan nodded and gave Sergio a salute. Sergio manipulated his fingers to return the salute. It hurt, but managed to pull it off. "Live long, and prosper" he said uneasily, hoping that was the correct line. It was, and the Vulcans nodded. "Live long and prosper, Captain Giovanni" replied his Vulcan counterpart. Just then, the Sir Edmond Hilary pulled along side the Surak. Sergio was once again enveloped in a transporter beam and transported to the Hilary. "Welcome aboard, Captain" replied a Lieutenant at his side. "We're under orders to take you and your crew back to Earth" Sergio joined some of the other Challenger crewmembers that the Hilary beamed from the Surak and other ships. In relative silence, they made the short trip to Earth. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ONE WEEK LATER Sergio walked down the corridors of the medical facility. He finally saw an information booth which was currently manned by a nurse. "is the Commander in here?" he asked. The nurse glaced up at the Captain. "Yes, he is" she said simply. Sergio thanked her and walked in. beyond closed curtains and security barriers, was the large metal stasis pod which contained Commander DeGenza. It wasn't the first stasis pod he saw, Captain Neptune briefly inhabited one, the reason why he took command of the Challenger in the first place four years ago. DeGenza was unconscious in the pod, as life support machines flashed and beeped in the background. "Well, you did it" Sergio said. "I gotta hand it to you. Stayed at your post til the end. I've already lost alot of crew, but I hope you can pull out of this eventually. Thanks for everything" he said quietly. He felt a pang of guilt inside him. He wished he could have done more, but there wasn't anything he could've done. He didn't need no fancy psyciatrist to tell him that. "I'm not sure what's going to happen next. Challenger's pretty beat up, and I don't know if Starfleet will decide to repair her or not. But I guess we'll see. Did great out there, and come out of this, eh?" Another nurse came in and told him that visiting hours were over. He nodded and walked out of the room, glancing at DeGenza's pod once again.

Romulans vs. Earth & Allies. In this high stakes final mission for the Challenger NX-05, the future of the Earth is in the line! Challenger is taking heavy damages and heavy casualties along with with the Earth fleet. But Romulan numbers are dwindling. Will the Earth allied vessels get the upper-hand and defend Earth? Challenger_200108.txt

"Breach" Log entry 44: 15 April, 2161 ECS Promise -- Somewhere near the Earth/Romulan Border The freighter vessel Promise slowly plied alone in a desolate area of space at low warp. It was a routine run of assorted crap to some colony in the middle of nowhere. But, travelling in this unimpressive stretch of space does save a few days off the journey, and this was the last of the shipments to be sent to the colony. The crew of the Promise was looking forward to some much needed rest and relaxation after this run. Lord knows they need it, after all the hassles in getting this stuff here. Captain Mike Sanderson took a sip of his tea as he looked out into the dark expanse of space. "Just another couple of days, guys. Then it's sun, surf and sand over at Theta III." he said. A surprising beeping sound suddenly disrupted the festivities. "What the hell is that?" asked Sanderson to the man at the Sensor console. "I don't know. Sensors are detecting a disturbance not too far from us" replied the man at Tac. "Can you identify it?" asked the captain. "I'm doing so now" said the Tac. The officer's face turned serious. Concerned, Sanderson asked what he saw. "I.. I don't know how to explain this" replied the officer. "But, it looks like there's more than a dozen large energy signatures heading on a course straight for Earth" "Well, maybe it's a fleet our vessels heading home?" suggested Sanderson. But it was shot down by the Tactical officer. "Nah. The shape's all wrong, as is the propulsion trail it's leaving" "Whatever it is, I've never seen it before" continued the Tactical Officer. "Huh" Sanderson scoffed. He turned to O'Grady, over at Communications. "Sean, see if you can get on the horn with Starfleet Command and see what we're dealing with" O'Grady swivelled around in his seat. "Aye. I'll get right on it" he replied in his thick Irish accent. ONE WEEK LATER Starfleet Command, San Francisco, California The three men looked at the three glowing lights on the display screen. A fourth light blinked thrice before staying solid. "That's the fourth one in a week spotted by passing vessels. This further confirms the hail we received from the freighter Promise last week. They're definitely headed our way" Admiral Gardner frowned. "At their current rate, what's their ETA to Earth?" The young Lieutenant checked his records. "Well, sir. If they keep their speed, they're due to arrive in about a week and a half" The other two high ranking officers mulled at this silently. Apparently, the unknown signatures the Promise detected was indeed something to worry about. Nobody expected it from them, but it seemed that the Romulan Empire had sent a fleet of vessels on its way to Earth, and by a chance of luck, the passing freighter accidentally picked it up halfway there. "What's their current location?" Gardner asked, breaking the silence. The Lieutenant quickly typed some commands into the display screen. The image zoomed in an isolated section of space. A bright orange circle representing the Romulan fleet. "What's the nearest vessel to that location?" replied the second admiral. "That would be the Challenger, sir" Gardner nodded. "Contact Captain Giovanni to investigate. And start preparations to form up some kind of back up against this armada of Romulan ships" "I shall get on that right away, sir" replied the Lieutenant.

As you may have read on the front page, the Challenger NX-05 will be changing its simming format to a Post TOS era sim on 10 February, 2008. The Challenger NX-05 would then be effectively be known as the "USS Challenger". Since our conception on 12 September, 2004, we have been simming as an NX-Class Enterprise era ship (set in the mid 22nd century)with great success and lots of fun. However, Commander De Genza and I have decided that a change towards a format that offers more flexibility and creativity is just what the sim needs to grow even further. Our new setting will be in the year 2294; a year after the historic signing of the Khitomer Peace Accords which brought an end to nearly a century of warfare between the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets. But it's also an era not generally covered too much in Star Trek canon. (Aside from the afforementioned Star Trek VI and Generations and the Voyager episode 'Flashback' where Janeway and Tuvok revisit the Excelsior). Unlike most other sim formats, this gives us alot more room for creativity and more chances to make Star Trek history in this important but uncovered part of the UFP's history. The new format is set 133 years after our current year of 2161, roughly 25 years after Captain Kirk's five year mission on Star Trek: The Original Series (as well as STSF's own TOS sim, the USS Hood) and about one year after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and soon after the launch of the Enterprise-B in Star Trek: Generations. With the war over, the Federation and the Klingon Empire now share an uneasy relationship. Peace is finally restored to the galaxy, but only just. UFP/Klingon relations is still very strained, and the slightest spark can bring the two superpowers to intergalactic war once again. And, to make matters worse, the Klingons now have new vessels with the capability to open fire whilst still cloaked. To counter these new vessels, Starfleet has commissioned the Excelsior Refit Class (Enterprise-B subtype)-- Starfleet's new advanced state-of-the-art vessels designed to counter these vessels. Equipped with special "wake homing" torpedoes, the Excelsior Refit is Starfleet's defense against these new unseen Klingon predators. The UFP may be at peace with the Klingon Empire, but as the old adage goes: 'It's better to be safe, than sorry.' One of these vessels, is the USS Challenger (NCC-2457), commanded by Captain Rolf Seiben (Hood Seiben's younger brother) and Commander Saul De Genza. On the 10th of February 2008 at our usual time at 11:00 pm ET, the Challenger will once again relaunch and start a new chapter in its mission of preserving intergalactic peace. This era of Star Trek history marked an important milestone in the beginnings of peace and alliance with the Klingon Empire. (More info on our launch sim will be provided as 10 Feb draws closer) Starting Wednesday 9 January, 2008, we will begin the first chapter of the history of the USS Challenger. We are inviting all forum members, from cadets right up to GMs to participate in a forum-wide community build up of the new Challenger at Utopia Planetia. Veteran members may recall that we did this before prior to the launch of the NX-05 Challenger. We felt that the forum wide project was so successful that we decided to do it again! On the 9th, a section called 'USS Challenger Construction' will be created in the Challenger, NX-05 sub-forum. To participate, create a bio for your character teling us who they are, what their role on the Challenger project is, and their abilities and such. Then, simply log your character beginning their work. I'll start the project with a few posts sometime after the sections are made, and we'll go from there. Thank you for your interest in the Challenger. And, if you wish to join the USS Challenger when it launches (in our new format), please apply to the Personnel Manager after Sunday 27 January, 2008. Please also feel free to contact myself or Commander DeGenza or reply to this thread if you have any questions or comments. Thank you, Captain Sergio Giovanni

"Trophy Winning" Log entry 43: 2X December, 2157 RES Invincible - Somewhere in Romulan Space 2X December, 2157 "How very unfortunate" Daise'Khre'Riov K'Oral S'Bien looked blankly at the screen. For the past half hour, he'd been listening to the constant babbling of base commander tr'Uro and his explanation of how he could let Lloahhn'na prisoners escape from his outpost so easily, "They just came out of nowhere and overwhelmed us. We tried out best, but there was nothing we could do to stop them" explained tr'Uro. "I see" S'Bien replied as he twirled a glass of ale in his hand. tr'Uro bowed his head respectively. "I'm sorry for my incompetence, rekkhai. It shall not happen again" said he. S'Bien sipped his ale. "Oh, I believe it won't" S'Bien nodded once ever so slightly. Three guards suddenly stepped out of nowhere and came up behind tr'Uro. Before the surprised tr'Uro could respond, the guards opened fire with their disruptors. S'Bien cut the transmission. He didn't tolerate failure just as much as his other counterparts did in the Galae. Finishing his drink down in one shot, S'Bien left his chambers and entered the oira. He took his place on the centre chair. As one of the Empire's newest and most technologically advanced and state-of-the-art vessels, the Invincible was the perfect choice as the Daise'Khre'Riov's flagship. With rank, came privilege and the vessel was soon assigned to him by the higher ups. The large vessel gracefully traversed the space, before eventually dropping out of warp and coming to a slow stop. "We're arriving at our destination now" replied the officer at helm. S'Bien looked up at the view screen. Pictured was a vessel in dry dock, swarming with shuttles all around it. S'Bien smiled at the image of the captured Pathfinder. "Menkha. Prepare to beam me and my team there, post haste" Without waiting for an acknowledgement, S'Bien made his way to the transporter bay. The Invincible came within transporter range, and minutes later, S'Bien and his team beamed onto the Pathfinder. The lead technician in charge, greeted him. "Welcome aboard the Pathfinder, rekkhai" he said. S'Bien smiled and looked around the Lloahn'na ship. The layout was quite interesting. S'Bien and the technician toured every aspect of the ship, emphasising their tour at the Bridge and in Engineering. "We had managed to extract a lot of information on this vessel from our prisoners as well as the ship's computers, And my men are currently tearing the ship apart to analyse every aspect of the ship" replied the technician. Indeed, S'Bien could see the swarms of Engineers pulling out every console, and looking it over with precise detail. "So au have learned a lot about this ship, then" he asked. "Oh, ie. Very much so. Not only on this ship, but of the NX class range as a whole" "That'll prove to be beneficial of the future" S'Bien replied. The two men looked around the bridge. Like Engineering, scores of technicians were going over every square inch of the bridge. The Daise'Khre'Riov smiled. "I've also heard from the Preator himself. And he is pleased about your progress. Unsurprisingly, he is most happy about the capture of the Pathfinder and hopes that we can get as much out of it as we can" "Of course, rekkhai. We won't let au or the Preator down" S'Bien nodded his head ever so slightly and smiled. "Menkha" he said simply. Sure, he was still angry that tr'Uro was stupid enough to let the prisoners escape, but he felt that he'd gotten enough out of them anyway. But what mattered most was that they still had Pathfinder; one of the Lloahn'nas most powerful and advanced ships in their fleet. Romulan ----> English RES ...............Romulan Empire Ship Daise'Khre'Riov...Admiral Au.................. You Galae............... Romulan equivilent to Starfleet Oira ................ Bridge Menkha ............ Good/Excellent Lloahn'na .......... Human Rekkhai .............Sir Preator.............. Emperor of the Romulan Empire

"I'll be home for Christmas" Log entry 42: 26 December, 2157 24 December, 2157 -- 2100 hours Travelling at warp five, Challenger was now about a day away from Earth. Tricia O'Connor was seated on a stool in the galley across from the ship's chef. Kimiko and Ensign Kas were unavailable to look after her, so the five-year-old girl was placed under the Chef's care. It wasn't in his job description, and he never really dealt with kids much, but he, like everyone else on the Challenger was growing to like Tricia. Being on the ship now for more than two weeks, she was starting to become an unofficial mascot character for the Challenger. Her charming and bubbly personality really did help to win a lot of people over. She was watching the chef make a turkey for the Challenger's Christmas dinner tomorrow. "Is that enough for everybody?" she asked curiously. "There's lots of people on the ship, and they eat a lot when Kimiko and Kas take me to the mess hall" "Oh, don't worry about that" chef replied. "This is the biggest turkey available and should be more than enough for everybody. But I'm making one more just in case" he winked. "Oooh" Tricia looked at the bird as the chef injected it with flavouring. "Looks good, eh? Say, would you like to help me mash these potatoes? All you need to do is smash them up until they're all squished" She had never smashed any potatoes before. But she did like the idea of smashing things. She nodded and the chef gave her a square grated instrument to do the job. Tricia looked at it curiously. She ran her finger along the grating. "It's the mash the potatoes with. Easier than using a fork" Tricia looked at the chef and the square instrument. With a hard thrust, she smashed the device into the bowl of potatoes. Then again, and again, until she was resembling the shower scene in Psycho. "Not bad.. but it might be better if you do it slower" The chef took the instrument from Tricia and shower her the proper technique. He slowly twisted his wrist and let the tool mash the potatoes. "It's much more easier this way. And you won't use as much effort. It's also cleaner too" he said, looking at Tricia's shirt, hands and arms, now stained with smashed potatoes. A quick learner, Tricia mastered the instrument a few seconds later. She was happy at how much more easier it was to smash the potatoes. "There you go. You're a pro at this now" Tricia smiled at the chef's compliment and busily continued her task, whilst the chef added the stuffing to the turkey. At the moment, Tricia was enjoying herself and was already starting to forget her traumatising experience on the Carnival Grandeur. But the fact of the matter was, that Challenger is currently at war with the Romulans and Tricia can't stay here forever. Everybody on the ship knew that. They were lucky Tricia wasn't hurt when the Romulans attacked Challenger on their last rescue mission. It was a not so subtle reminder that a starship at war was definitely no safe place for a five-year-old girl. But still, everyone felt sad knowing that her days here were numbered. After their mission was over, Captain Giovanni ordered that her next of kin be found by the time they make it back to Earth. The Operations Officer worked tirelessly contacting Starfleet and researching her family's history. Safely back in United Earth space, Tricia had announced that she had finished smashing her potatoes. The chef checked her work appreciatively. "Nice job, Tricia. And so quickly too" Tricia smiled her thanks. Just then, a young woman Tricia didn't recognise entered the kitchen. Chef and Tricia looked up. "Hello Chef, Tricia" she smiled at both. "I have you at a disadvantage" the woman said in an Australian accent. "My name is Kelly Smith. It's nice to meet you" Smith extended her hand which Tricia shook. "Listen, I know were still a long way from Earth, but I have someone who wants to talk with you" Smith looked over at the chef. "Do you mind if I borrow Tricia for a few minutes?" The chef looked up from the turkey. "Oh, no. Go ahead... see you later, Tricia" he said, then resumed stuffing the stuffing into the turkey. Smith took Tricia by the hand and took her to a console in the mess hall. It wasn't lunch or dinner yet, so no one else was here. Smith and Tricia sat down at a console, which Smith proceeded to activate. Smith pressed a few buttons and soon, an older middle-aged looking couple appeared on screen. "Hello, Tricia darling!" the woman on the screen said. "Grandma, Gram pa!" Tricia said excitedly. "It's good to see you again too. We've missed you" the man said. "Are you enjoying your time with these nice people on the Challenger?" he asked. "Yes!" Tricia replied and told them about her adventures on the bridge, arboretum and various other places on the ship. "Sounds like you're really enjoying yourself" the grandfather said. "Yeah, I am. I learnt to make ice cream and smashed potatoes" "Ooh, that's nice honey. We'll be sure to make some for you when you come back" Tricia smiled. She may have been only five, but she knew that she would soon have to leave the Challenger. Kimiko and Kas told her that they were now going home to Earth. They would drop her off there, but she knew that they wouldn't stay for long. They would soon leave for another mission somewhere far, far away -- without her. The captain told her that it wasn't safe for her to be here too long, and 'plus your family would miss you very much', as the captain said. Tricia did miss her grandpa and grandma very much, as well as her older sister and big brother. Lt. Smith left Tricia alone to talk with her grandparents. She walked over to the chef who was now putting the turkey into the oven. "So, they've found her family? I know it's for the better, but I must admit, I'll miss the little squirt" he said as he set the turkey into the bottom rack. "Yeah, so will I. She's a nice kid and went through a lot. She's a tough cookie and would make a great officer one day" "No doubt" the chef replied. "But to answer your question, after a bit of research, we found her grandparents. They've been on vacation to Alpha Centauri for the past month, which is why it took so long to get a hold of them. Obviously, they were devastated to learn the news, but they said they will take her under their care. They live in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada which is where Tricia will be dropped off at when we get to Earth" "And the rest of her family?" asked the chef. "In addition to aunts and uncles in various parts of Earth, she also has an older sister studying at Oxford University and an older brother who serves on the Armstrong" Chef nodded. "Nice to know she still has a lot of people to care for her. It's hard losing your parents, and she seems to be taking it very well" Smith smiled. "As I said, she's a tough girl. She seems to get over things quickly" A few minutes later, Tricia ended her conversation with her grandparents. Lt. Smith came over and brought her back to the kitchen. "Did you like talking with your grandparents?" asked the chef. Tricia nodded. "That's great" the chef replied. "Anyway, the turkey is cooking and should be ready for tomorrow" Tricia smiled. "We're still a day away from Earth though and Captain Giovanni told me to ask if you wanted to be our guest of honour" "I would like that!" Tricia said. "He'll be happy to know that, I'm sure. Some of the crew also have some presents for you for Christmas as well. So, we can open under the tree in the morning. Tricia smiled excitedly at the prospect. While she couldn't wait to see her grandparents in Victoria, it was nice for Tricia to know that she was so well loved here as well. Due to the time differences of the Challenger and Victoria, Tricia would actually have two Christmases. For someone who went through so much, though, it seems only fitting.

"A funny feeling" Log entry 41: 25 December, 2157 23 December, 2157 Like a bat out of hell, Challenger and her support fleet warped as far away from Romulan space as fast as their engines could take them. Sergio knew that they're uninvited intrusion into their space would definitely have riled up the higher ups in Romulan Command. The captain relaxed in his seat, relieved at the fact that the Challenger fleet managed to fend off six birds of prey to make their escape, and he knew that more were on their way. Sergio grabbed his cup of coffee rested on his armrest and walked over to the Operations console. "Ensign" he asked of the young man at the station "What's the status of the rescued crew members of the Pathfinder?" He gave the man a few moments to check on his console. "I've received word from the Upholder and Hornet's Medical Staff; where 2/3 of the crew have been beamed to and they tell me that they have undergone treatment. They tell me at that most of them have suffered moderate to major injuries, but will recover fully" "The remaining 1/3 on various corvettes and frigates are also doing fine as well" Sergio nodded. "Are they well enough to communicate? I know I'd like to know if they've seen the Romulans in person" the Captain added. "Some of them are. Captain Chapman of the Lotus says that he's going to talk with the Chief Science Officer of the Pathfinder. She is currently the highest ranking officer of the Pathfinder well enough to talk to him" Sergio mulled at this a little bit. "Ensign, prepare a shuttle pod for me and contact Captain Chapman. I'd like to be there when he chats with the Science Officer" The Operations officer looked up at the captain and nodded. "Aye sir. Shuttle Pod 1 is ready for use, and Captain Chapman is now awaiting your arrival" he said one minute later. "Thank you" Sergio said and nodded back and walked off the bridge. Ten minutes later. Sergio and a few security and MACO officers boarded the shuttle pod. Its engines already at idle, Sergio settled into his seat as the pilot went through her preflight checks. Once they were done, she requested launch clearance. A few seconds later, it was granted. It was a short trip to the Iroquois, as the fleet was still flying together. Soon, Pod 1 was grabbed by Lotus' grappling hook and reeled inside. Awaiting him was Captain Colin Chapman. A young man, not much older than Sergio. "Sergio! It's been too long. Welcome aboard the Lotus" Sergio smiled. "Thanks, Colin. Though I wish it was under better circumstances" Chapman nodded back. "Don't we all. Anyway, Pathfinder's Chief Science Officer, is resting in sickbay. She's still in serious condition, but she has agreed to speak with us about her stay at the Romulan outpost" A few decks up, was the sickbay. Sergio and Chapman stepped off the left and entered. Aesthetically, Lotus' sickbay was similar to Challenger's albeit in a smaller scale. Inside, all of Lotus' biobeds were full of crewmen in various stages of conditions. All looked to be resting comfortably. In the far fight corner, was a bed occupied by a female Vulcan. Her face was bruised and had a bluish-green tint that looked pretty unnatural. She was hooked up to a breathing apparatus, but her eyes were open and she looked alert. "Commander Polara, I assume?" asked Sergio tentatively. The Vulcan looked up at Sergio and nodded. "Yes sir. That is I. Might I take this opportunity to thank you and your crew for your role in our rescue on behalf of the rest of my crew" Sergio nodded humbly. "None needed. It's all part of our job. But I'm glad to see that so many of you are now safe and sound" "Indeed. And those who weren't as lucky are undoubtedly now in a better place" Polara said blankly. "I'm sure of it" replied Sergio. "As am I. Now.. getting to business, the reason why we are here is to ask you about your stay with the Romulans" Captain Chapman said. Polara nodded and told them she would answer their questions to the best of her ability. "First of all" Chapman continued, "what kind of information did they try to get out of you?" "They wanted to know why we violated their space As well as the UESN's activities at the Earth/Romulan space border. We were truthful and told them that we did not violate their space. In fact, they had violated our space themselves, as well as the fact that our activities along the border were routine space exploration and freight missions and posed no threat to the Romulan government, sadly they had chosen not to believe us" "What did they sound like? Did you ever get a chance to see them in person?" asked Sergio curiously. Polara shifted in her bed. "We were not able to see their true faces. They were wearing grey uniforms and their heads were covered by a round helmet to prevent identification. Additionally, their voices sounded.. tinny.. as you humans put it. Their translation software seemed quite crude making it difficult to understand their questions" "They also seemed to be very ... pushy... and harsh on the crew. Especially when they did not comply with their instructions" she added. "And did you manage to overhear anything from them that might be considered of value?" asked Chapman. "No... from what I can tell, the outpost we were in was considered too far off. Plus, the guards put us in sound proof cells, and overhearing their conversations were hard" "Drat.." Chapman said quietly. "I wonder.." Chapman suddenly said. "What do you know about the Romulans? Does the Vulcan Government have any additional information on them that could be of benefit?" Polara answered quickly. "I'm afraid that I do not know much about the Romulans and the Vulcan Government about the same as yours does. The Romulans are just as mysterious to us, as they are to you" Sergio listened quietly. Something didn't seem right inside him when Polara answered Chapman. But he didn't know what. He chose to remain quiet though and listened on. The interrogation went on for another half hour, before the doctors told her to rest. Polara seemed to feel more exhausted and was still weak and the doctors told them that she needed to sleep. Sergio and Chapman left Sickbay and Polara in peace to rest. Outside of sickbay, Chapman escorted Sergio back to the shuttle bay. "Was it just me, or did you get a weird feeling inside you when Polara told you that her government knew nothing about the Romulans?" Chapman sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah. I wasn't just you, but I wouldn't be surprised really. I don't think the Vulcans still trust us completely even after all these years. I wouldn't hold it past them, really" Sergio rolled his eyes in agreement. The two Captains stepped off the lift and Sergio soon stepped back into his pod. They said their goodbyes and soon Pod 1 started up and left the Lotus. On his way back to Challenger, Sergio got to thinking. Perhaps he's probably right about the Vulcans, Sergio thought to himself. The same uneasy feeling still lingered inside him; and so far, this funny feeling was never wrong.

A reminder that Challenger, NX-05 will not be simming next Sunday (30 December), due to the holidays. We will resume the Sunday following, 6 January, 2008. We would like to wish you a Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Years.

The Challenger continues its mission to find the missing Pathfinder... 161207.txt

The crew of the Challenger continue to explore the Pathfinder's escape pod. An unnamed officer found something interesting in the logs. A crew meeting in the observation lounge was called prior to pausing. TBS will be 30 minutes, and crew are expected to attend. Sun_12_02_07.txt

Challenger, NX-05 will be simming as scheduled this Sunday. If there's enough people we'll continue on plot as usual, or have some kind of unofficial sim. Attendance Sunday is optional.

Enclosed are the chatlogs of the last two weeks of the Challenger. Sorry I haven't been posting them up lately. Been a bit busy in RL. 10202007.txt 101407.txt

With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday in Canada, attendance will not be mandatory or counted tommorow. If we have enough players to sim, then we will continue the plot as usual, otherwise, we may do something off-plot or cancel alltogether depending on the number of players attended. The Challenger Command Team wishes its Canadian players a very happy Thanksgiving holiday, and a very happy Columbus Day to our American contingient. (Even if I'm not exactly sure what one does on Columbus Day).

"The Darkness Calls" Log entry 40: 29 September, 2157 LOCATION UNKNOWN A sudden jolt awakens the man from his cold, uncomfortable sleep. Unshaven and dishevelled, he is rather violently pushed forward and out of his dark, grey and dank holding cell. Disoriented, he stumbles for a few steps before being jolted again. "Come on! Get a move on, human!" shouts the tinny voice of his persecutor. The hot searing pain of 5000 volts of electricity surges through his body. Damn, that's something he's still not used to. Even though it's routine now, ever since he wound up here. Where? It was certainly beyond him. Every day, every hours or so, they'd wake him. And prod him with the taser, directing him forward, like a cow to the slaughter. They seem to know to come just as he's about to get comfortable and fall asleep -- something he hadn't had the pleasure of experiencing in so long. How long? He didn't know. A week? A month? Years? All sense of time was lost on him by now. But then, beating tased, beaten and damn nearly killed and left to die on more occasions than one can count does that to a person. And the interrogations.... they'd drone out for hours asking every little thing. No lenience at all with these lot. Every time, he'd come out with more bruises and cuts on his body. Sometimes he'd wish they'd just kill him and get it over with. But there's one thing that prevents Captain Joseph St. Lawrence from giving up the ghost so easily. His crew. Somewhere, they are also in this god-forsaken hell hole, going through the same routine as he was. The Romulans don't really let him see any of them. Well, unless they drag the dead body of one of his crewmen past his cell. So far, he counted 9. Mostly low-ranking people who were of no use to them, but there were also those who stood their ground and refused to cooperate. Stubborn, but very brave at the same time. Like his Chief Engineer, Commander Brady. He wasn't recognisable as a human once the Rommies were done with him. Which is why, he was surprised to see his Chief Science and Executive Officer Commander Polara in the Interrogation Centre shackled to a chair in front of him. The Vulcan looked up. "It is most agreeable to see you Captain" she said, still displaying a calm, cool demeanour. You really gotta hand it to these Vulcans. Thought St. Lawrence. She was pretty banged up as well, by the looks of it as well. St. Lawrence was shoved onto a seat next to Polara and shackled. A short and stout Romulan walked in and sat in front of them. "Both of us this time, eh? You guys must be pretty desperate for information" replied the captain. "Sorry, but I think you squeezed us dry already" The fat Romulan sneered. "Silence! I'll let you know when you are squeezed dry" he stormed. "I'm you will" muttered St. Lawrence under his breath. The fat Romulan chose to ignore that remark for now. Two more Romulan guards walked in, clad in their dark grey and black uniforms, and pointed a strange alien weapon at them. "Now, about these recent increased activities along the Neutral Zone..." the fat Romulan inched closer to the two Pathfinder crew, as one of the guards closed the door... To be continued....

Congratulations to: Dave Grey on his promotion to Lieutenant Commander from Lieutenant Senior Grade, Jas McFellan on her promotion to Lieutenant Senior Grade from Lieutenant and Mark Davis and Doug on their promotions from Ensign to Lieutenant Junior Grade. We wish you all the best as you handle the new found responsibilities your new ranks entails. EDIT: Congrats to Kimiko Johnson as well for her promotion from 2nd Lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant as well. I forgot to add it to the list, because I'm stupid. :)

Enclosed is the chatlog of this week's sim. This week, we continue our journey back to Omega 3 and hit a little turbulence along the way, whilst Kimiko looks after Tricia. We also welcome Ensign Gregory McNear in Helm (Navigation) and Ens. Kas who will be joining us soon in Engineering. And we congraulate Grey, Kimiko, Jas, Doug and Davis on their promotions tonight. Challenger.txt

Enclosed chat log of the UES Challenger. chatlog2007_09_02.txt

Brief: Last week, we found an escape pod and reeled it into our launch bay. It turns out the sole occupant is a five-year-old girl from the Carnival Grandeur. I made a little log on her history and such. We ended as Kimiko was just about to get to her. Summary: Kimiko sucessfully gets the little girl out. Turns out that she was trapped inside the pod for a week and a half after the Grandeur exploded. Weak and hungry, Kimiko took her to the sickbay for treatment, and the messhall for something to eat. But as it turns out, she'd seen quite a bit during her extended stay in the escape pod... chatlog2007_08_19.txt

"Alone" Log entry 39: 19 August, 2157 The little girl scurried to the back of the pod as light suddenly penetrated the vessel and blinded her. She didn't particularly like the light after being in the dark for so long. The bright white light blinded her. Just out of the light's range, she stayed where just as suddenly as the mysterious light came, a pair of hands and a strange voice called out to her. This was the first time she heard another's voice in such a long time. The voice called out to her again, but the girl refused to move. For someone so young and tender, who had been through so much, one could blame her for freezing in her place. ONE AND A HALF WEEKS AGO.... Five-year-old Tricia O'Connor was having the time of her life on board the Carnival Grandeur. It was her first time in space, and just a few days ago, she celebrated her fifth birthday in the Grand Restaurant with her parents. She loved the big chocolate ice cream cake and the presents she got, most especially the giant teddy bear from mum and dad, and the stunning views from nebullans were nice too. It was the family's first vacation in years, and they were enjoying every minute of it. It was also a mile stone for the average family from Aurora, Ontario, Canada, as it was their first time ever in outer space. Tricia liked being on the ship, it was fun and had all sorts of activities and amenities to keep her entertained. But all of this changed when the weird grey fish bowl men came onto the ship. They were scary and came onto the ship and started shooting people. Nobody knew why they came on board, but they said nothing and continued their onslaught for hours. There weren't many places people could hide from them as they swarmed over every part of the ship. But somehow, Tricia and her parents escaped death. Just as suddenly as the mysterious invaders appeared; they left just as quickly. Emerging from their hiding place, they could see that nobody was left alive. Bodies lie everywhere and they had to step over them carefully to move through the ship. "Don't worry dear. Every thing's al right now" reassured her mother. They wandered around the ship for about half an hour looking for more survivors. Someone from the crew that managed to survive and give them help. They called out, but were answered by an eerie silence. They walked along like this for a few more minutes before the ship shook violently. This was accompanied by another shake, then another, then another and so on. Bulkheads and ceiling panels fell around them as they ran for safety. Fires erupted around them as the Grandeur shook and suddenly started to pitch heavily to her port. Clutching her daughter in her arms, Tricia's mother Connie and her father James found what could be their last resort; the ship's escape pods at the end of the deck. For safety and emergencies, the Carnival Grandeur came equipped with escape pods located in every deck of the ship. It was designed so that there were enough pods for everybody on the ship. Prior to launching, the O'Connor's and the rest of the passengers were briefed on their locations and instructions on how to use them. With the ship around them falling apart, James and Connie quickly stuffed Tricia into the escape pod. Just as they themselves were about to step in, a massive explosion rocked the ship again, causing debris to fall around the pod, blocking access into the entrance. Miraculously, the debris the pod, but sadly, caused a debris to dislodge and fall on the father and mother. Unable to move or to get the debris out of the way, the doomed couple committed their last act of parental love and devotion for Tricia. With the last of her strength, Connie reached out and just pressed the launch button. Just before blacking out, James and Connie saw their daughter's escape pod shoot out of the ship and into the stars. The couple lost consciousness shortly after that. Minutes later, the Grandeur exploded in a huge ball of fire. The explosion sent a shock wave that pushed the escape pod. The pod surged forward like a canon from the momentum of the shock wave. From inside of the pod, Tricia could see debris and a bright orange light. It engulfed a few other escape pods, which incinerated them instantly. Somehow, her pod was spared, and soon all she could see was dark space. TODAY It's been over a week since Tricia was in the escape pod -- not that she knew that. She was well beyond scared by now, being all by herself for so long. Luckily she had her Teddy to keep her company all this time, but she wanted to see her mummy and daddy again. She was also hungry and thirsty. The food and drinks in the escape pod ran out two days ago and there was nothing left. As the days past, Tricia grew more weak and lethargic in the dark and cramped escape pod. The pod creaked and groaned around her in the bright red nebula. Tears formed in her eyes as she fearfully clutched her bear. Inside, through the window, she could see a ship inside. It wasn't as big as the Grandeur , but it looked to be strong until she saw that the ship was broken and in many little pieces. She whimpered softly as her stomach twisted. But there was nothing left to quell this feeling. With considerable energy from her diminishing strength, Tricia moved to the other side of the pod, wondering if her mummy or daddy would come get her. She was just about to fall asleep when she felt her pod shake. The escape pod was only designed for a few days in space and drifting in the nebula with its crushing pressure and electrical surges was starting to have an effect on its structural integrity, it would only be a matter of time before it gets crushed like a pop can from the outer pressure. CHALLENGER LAUNCH BAY, PRESENT TIME As her eyes started to become used to the light again, Tricia could see the strange lady looking back at her on top of the pod. She looked up curiously at the lady who was calling out to her. She didn't really know what to do. Her daddy always told her not to talk to strangers. Her stomach rumbled a bit as the lady was seemingly getting closer to her. Tired and hungry though, Tricia brushed aside some of her dirty blonde hair that was once bright and shiny, and formed no resistance to the fast approaching hands other than move slowly farther back of the escape pod. Soon, she could move no farther. Tricia's bright blue eyes looked at the hands of the closely approaching lady still calling out to her, but she did nothing. At least her voice sounded reassuring and somewhat comforting...

Tonight, the Challenger continues its rescue mission in the nebula, where a small spherical object was detected on long range scanners. After a bit of a bumpy ride, the Challenger reaches the object, later identified as an escape pod from the Carnival Grandeur, which was allegedly destroyed by the Romulans over a week ago. Inside, was a little human girl about 4 or 5 years in age. We end as MACO Johnson starts to fish out the little girl. Challenger.txt

Enclosed is the chatlog for last Sunday's game... 280707.txt

Enclosed is this week's chat log of the UES Challenger sim. chatlog.txt

"Rihan Resurgence" Part IV Log entry 38: 20 July, 2157 Two days ago Starbase Omega 3 was Starfleet's answer to the growing Romulan threat. Commissioned just six months ago, Omega 3 orbits a small planet in the Nimbus system, which borders the Neutral Zone. As a temporary precaution, Starfleet assigned the NX Class Pathfinder as the station's primary means of defense against hostile attacks. Having just settled into his captain's seat, Captain Joseph St. Laurence ordered Pathfinder out of its port to lead the effort in the search for survivors of the Carnival Grandeur which was destroyed by Romulan warbirds, several days ago. So far, their searches proved unsuccessful. This made St. Laurence more angrier as the days passed. "Lousy murderers" he would say. Stewing in his seat. "Destroying of all things, a harmless passenger liner. I'd sure love to get my hands on them!" he said venomously. "An illogical move, sir" replied the voice of Savvis, the Pathfinder's Chief Science Officer. " Engaging in such activities against the Romulans is ill-advised as they are much more powerful than we are" she explained with trademark emotionlessness. "That never stopped us before" retorted St. Laurence. "Indeed" said Savvis in response. "It truly perplexes my mind how you humans are able to survive like this" St. Laurence smirked. "Well, that goes to show, that you shouldn't under-estimate us or our abilities for that matter" Savvis said nothing, but raised her brow curiously. "We're arriving at the Grandeur's explosion point" interrupted Ensign Sean Fitzpatrick, in a thick Irish accent. "Slow to impulse" replied Jennifer Collins the ship's Executive Officer. "Aye ma'am" Fitzpatrick replied and slowed the Pathfinder to impulse speed. "Now" St. Laurence said, turning to Savvis "begin your long range scans" The Vulcan nodded and began her scans in a wide arching motion. But as the days passed, the crew grew less and less discouraged regarding their chances of actually finding any survivors. All they'd found so far was a few pieces of debris. Nevertheless, they continued to scour the area for anything they could find. But soon, several hours have passed and the Pathfinder grew were again growing discouraged and were started to feel fatigued. St. Laurence sighed heavily at the lack of results. He slouched at his seat and rubbed his temples. "I don't think we're going to find anything out here. Quite frankly, I don't think anyone survived. We should have been able to find something by now" Many of the bridge crew were starting to share in the Captain's opinion. "Sean, lay in a course back to base. We'll continue our scans in the morning" but just then Savvis interjected. "Sir! I found something on long range" she said. "Roughly 500,000km away" St. Laurence looked up. "What is it? Any life signs?" he asked. "Yes sir" replied Savvis. "It is a small object, cylindrical in shape, roughly 3 metres by 3 metres in diameter. I am detecting three life signs on board, humanoid. It is traveling at approximately 1000 km/h. Unfortunately..." her voice trailed "It is heading towards that large nebula straight ahead" "It must be one of the Grandeur's escape pods" muttered St. Laurence. "Quickly now, lay in an intercept course at best possible speed" he ordered Fitzpatrick. "Aye, aye sir" responded Fitzpatrick and laid in the course. The Pathfinder rushed to the scene and came within range of the object ten minutes later. "The nebula is quite unstable and very dangerous, sir. Severe caution is advised" said Savvis. "Well, it's a risk we're going to have to take" responded St. Laurence. "That pod won't survive a minute in there" The escape pod was now getting dangerous close to the nebula and already it began to shake and fly erratically. "We shall have to enter the nebula and cut it off" said St. Laurence. The Pathfinder increased in speed and soon entered the nebula as it braved ion disturbances and spacial radiation in its gallant rescue efforts. They weren't even in the nebula for five minutes, when sensors and some key systems started to feel the effects of the nebula. As far as nebulae go, this particular one was fairly large and considered quite dangerous. Vessels tended to avoid it, except for the very brave, or the very stupid. Once the pod was acquired by the Pathfinder's targeting computers, St. Laurence gave the order to extend the grappling arm. "Hurry! I don't want to be here any longer than we have to" As the arm extended, the Pathfinder shuddered violently as it was hit by an electrical jolt. "The hell was that?" cried out St. Laurence as he nearly fell off his chair. "I don't know, sir" replied the tactical officer. "It was probably a bolt of lightning from an ion storm" St. Laurence sighed. "How much longer until the arm reaches the pod?" "About five minutes, sir" the captain shifted in his chair uncomfortably. "But we might not have five minutes. Can't that arm extend any faster?" he asked. "No sir" the tactical officer replied. "It's extending as fast it can now. It might break off f it extends any faster in this nebula " St. Laurence rubbed his temples. "Alright. Let's just get that pod in and get it over with" Slowly the arm continued to extend, but again, the Pathfinder was hit by another jolt. This jolt was more powerful than the last and caused some of the bridge staff to fall from their seats, as they were showered by hot sparks from the ceiling. "We almost have them!" cried out the tactical officer. "Just a few more..." Another huge jolt rocked the Pathfinder. More sparks showered down to the bridge from exploding consoles. One of the main bulkheads fell just missing the captain's chair within inches. "Damn" the captain said. "What happened?" before anyone could answer, another jolt hit the ship's bow. The portion of the Pathfinder's hull exploded, severing the grappling arm. Small fires began to engulf the bridge. St. Laurence looked around to see the tactical officer slumped at his console, his face covered with blood. He walked over to him, but saw that he could do nothing for the young tactical officer. The smoke cleared just a bit in time to see the Pathfinder's grappling arm drifting aimlessly in space. The nebula's gravity caused it to spin end over end. The 20 metre long arm headed straight for the escape pod it was trying to rescue. St. Laurence watched helplessly as the arm struck the escape pod. The sharp hooks in the end of the arm cut through the metal of the escape pod like a hot knife through butter. The pod exploded a fraction of a second later, incinerating the three people inside. St. Laurence didn't have time to mourn their deaths. Another jolt hit the ship hard, engulfing the ship in a large ball of light. The hit caused power to cut out, plunging the Pathfinder into complete darkness. Once the ball of light diminished, there was no sign of the Pathfinder or her crew and continuous hails from Omega 3 went unanswered for hours. Back on Omega 3, the commanding officer and bridge staff grew concerned. Not only for the Pathfinder and lives of her crew, but also of the fact that the Pathfinder was the station's primary means of defense against an enemy attack. With the recent events with the Romulan Empire, their increased activity in this area, as well as their close proximity to the Neutral Zone, such a scenario was not at all unlikely. STARFLEET COMMAND HEADQUARTERS – SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 24 hours ago... Around the clock, Starfleet Command and Omega 3 continued to try to hail the Pathfinder. But all they got back was static. Shuttle pods and runabouts were sent from the station to search for them. But, like the hails, the searches proved fruitless. They also searched for debris from the Pathfinder, but also couldn't find any, which was quite unusual since the Pathfinder was a very large ship. Michael Patterson, Omega 3's Commanding Officer grew concerned and feared the worst. So did much of the admiralty at Starfleet Command. Admiral Gardner was in his office with his aide, Yeoman Lohan. "Yeoman. Which ship is closest to Omega 3?" he asked. The aide checked her console. "The Challenger, sir. They're still orbiting Lycria" "That's right. They're overseeing the transport of power of the Lycrian Government. Get Captain Giovanni on the comm for me please" he said. "Aye sir" Yeoman Lohan said. She tapped her console again, and a few minutes later, Admiral Gardner found himself face to face with the young Captain. "Sergio. Congratulations on your quick solution to the Lycrian conflict. I knew we could count on you on that" he said firstly. Giovanni smiled back at him. "Thank you Admiral. But I think most of that credit goes to Commander DeGenza and the rest of the away team" replied Giovanni. "Indeed. Send them my compliments of a job well done" said Gardner. "Thank you, sir. I will" was Giovanni's response. Admiral Gardner then got onto business. "Captain, there has been recent events in the Neutral Zone that require your attention. As you may be aware, Romulan activity in the Neutral Zone has increased significantly over the past two weeks. It started with the destruction of the civilian liner Carnival Grandeur, that accidentally strayed into Romulan space not long ago. "And to make matters worse, the UES Pathfinder has gone missing in a nebula in the Nimbus system which borders the Neutral Zone" said Gardner. Giovanni frowned. "Do we think the Romulans have something to do with it?" asked Giovanni. "No" replied Admiral Gardner. "Starbase Omega 3 didn't detect any Romulan presence in that area. We think they got caught in an ion storm, but they haven't been able to find any debris to back this up" Sergio rubbed his chin. "I want you to proceed to the Nimbus system. Captain Fuller and the Cyclops will take over for you there at Lycria. I'm sending you your new orders now via subspace. You'll find more detailed information in there. It's imperative that you rendezvous at Omega 3 as soon as possible. Gardner out" Sergio nodded at the Admiral as the screen went blank. His console beeped again, informing Giovanni that the orders have arrived. He pressed the read button and opened it up: SUBSPACE TRANSMISSION TO: CAPTAIN GIOVANNI & COMMANDER DEGENZA UES CHALLENGER (NX-05) FROM: ADMIRAL GARDNER STARFLEET COMMAND SAN FRANCISCO, CALI SUBJ: NEW ORDERS *** CLASSIFIED INFORMATION – TOP SECRET *** 20 JULY 2157, 2100 Challenger is to proceed immediately to the Nimbus System and rendezvous with Starbase Omega 3. Upon arrival, Challenger is to assist in the search of UES Pathfinder (NX-03) and the survivors and/or debris from Carnival Grandeur. Also of importance is the formation of a security force for the defense of Omega 3. Challenger is to lead security efforts for the station. Because of recent events, I have ordered nearby ships to the station to assist in searching for Pathfinder and survivors and protecting the station. The first of the ships should arrive within the next couple of days. END OF MESSAGE Giovanni got up from his seat and walked back onto the bridge. "Our next destination is Starbase Omega 3 in the Nimbus System" he said to the rest of the crew in the bridge " Helm, lay in a course to Omega 3. Warp 4.5" he ordered. Giovanni took a seat as the Challenger turned around and jumped to warp.

“Rihan Resurgence” Part III Log entry 37: 20 July, 2157 Glossary of terms to follow. A few days ago. Somewhere in Romulus The personal office of Deihu K'Oral S'Bien commanded an impressive view of the spectacular mountain range just outside the city, separated by a crystal clear lake, that reflected the mountains in its calm, tranquil waters. It was easily the most largest room in his personal, private estate in a small, but wealthy suburb of the capitol city. The home spanned over 50 acres and over 20 bedrooms, and 15 baths and had been in his family for generations. S'Bien liked to gaze out at the large window and walk out into the veranda that led from a fine latinum door from his office for some cool, fresh mountain air. It helped him clear his mind, and relieve stress and also helped him think away from the hassled pace of the Senate Compound. S'Bien reached over and poured himself a glass of ale as he glanced at some reports concerning the attack of a civilian l'loahhna passenger transport vessel. “Now, explain to me..” trailed S'Bien looking at his guest Khre'Riov tr'Amin who sat across from him. “Why exactly did our forces destroy that civilian ship?” “What do you mean why? It violated our space and had to be dealt with” replied tr'Amin. “Could you not have hailed it first or use less.. aggressive means to shoo it away?” asked S'Bien with a brow raised. “No. As you well know any violation of our space must be dealt with accordingly. Or did you forget that?” asked tr'Amin with a raised brow of his own. “Perhaps” continued tr'Amin “that you have gone soft in your years in the Senate” he sneered. “Maybe that is why your house is not as powerful as it could be” S'Bien shot an angry glare towards tr'Amin as he walked towards him. The Deihu quickly unsheathed his kaleh and brought it straight up to within an inch from tr'Amin's eyeball. “I don't appreciate being spoken to in such a matter in my own home. If you want to live, you will not forget your place again. Don't forget that I still outrank you” S'Bien said harshly. It was indeed true that the House of S'Bien, though well respected within the Empire, held relatively less influence and power than some of his more bolder colleagues in the Senate. Unlike them, S'Bien much preferred being a behind the scenes sort of fellow. Planning out and strategically organising them out from behind the scenes, and out of the spot light so to speak. Despite this though, S'Bien who for decades served the Galae and remained one of the finest Enarrains of his time. Almost fifteen years ago, S'Bien gave this up to serve the Empire as a Deihu for the Internal Security Division, even though he still held the rank of Daise'KhreRiov and remained an active officer in the Galae rota. S'Bien sighed and released his grip on tr'Amin and placed his kaleh back in its sheath. “Never mind. What's done can't be undone” he said, his calm demeanour returning as fast as it left him. “But I imagine the L'loahhnas will be sending another fleet of ships. They are very sentimental when it comes to loss of their ships. Especially civilian ones” mused S'Bien. “Quite” tr'Amin replied bluntly. “But we'll be ready with our welcome wagon when they arrive” smiled tr'Amin. S'Bien nodded. “I wouldn't have it any other way” TO BE CONTINUED... GLOSSARY ROMULAN -----> ENGLISH Deihu..................... Senator Khre'Riov................Romulan rank equivalent to Rear Admiral kaleh........................A type of Romulan Dagger Daise'KhreRiov........Romulan rank equivalent to Admiral Galae.........................Romulan Empire organisation equivalent to Starfleet. L'loahhna..................Human/Starfleet person House........................A family or clan

“Rihan Resurgence” Part II Log entry 36: 19 July, 2157 A few days later: IMPERIAL SENATE COMPOUND, CAPITOL CITY, ROMULUS “This is totally unacceptable!” shouted out the frustrated voice of Defense Minister tr'Koss. The others seated murmured in agreement. “Out numbered two to one, yet they still manage to find a way to defeat our forces and destroy a valuable outpost. Perhaps we are not taking the L'loahhnas as seriously as should be” he mused to the rest of the senate. “They will definitely see this as a victory and possible increase their presence around the Out marches, and get bolder in their offenses against our interests” he predicted. “Therefore, we should act quickly in retaliation. As they say, 'An eye for eye and a tooth for a tooth'” sneered tr'Koss. Again, the rest of the Senate murmured their agreements. “Let us act quickly then exacting vengeance” agreed the Preator. “Co-operate with whomever you deem necessary” tr'Koss bowed humbly. “Shall be done” he said and left quietly left the Senate Compound. Stepping into his shuttle, tr'Koss smiled eerily and tented his fingers together and began to plan out their next course of action. One week ago: JUST OUTSIDE THE NEUTRAL ZONE The Carnival Grandeur effortlessly continued forward, passing by a nebula giving off a brilliant spectrum of lights and colour. Launched just a few years ago, the Grandeur remains the largest star cruiser in the Carnival fleet. A true pride of the fleet, the sleek and beautiful ship, lived up to its name, both inside and out. The Grandeur boasted the finest and most luxurious amenities and the latest state-of-the-art technology, along with the most experienced captain in the Carnival roster. As most of the passengers settled down for dinner in the ship's three five-star restaurants, all was calm in the bridge as well. For Captain James Harrison, Grandeur's commanding officer, this was a journey he had made countless times. “This ion storm is getting a little worse” said Harrison to his First Officer. “Aye sir” replied First Officer Phil Bullock. “These clouds and lightning are getting closer. We should dock at the next port and wait out the rest of this storm” recommended Bullock. “I think you're right, Phil. This storm is only going to get worse” But, before they could do anything, something hit the ship, causing the giant vessel to shudder ever so slightly. Tables rattled and the lights flickered as the passengers all started to ask what had happened. “We're passing through an ion storm now, and are seeking a safe port. We must've been hit by an ion charge. Nothing to worry about” said the ship's purser in a reassuring voice over the comm. But on the bridge, such did not appear to be the case. Whatever hit them began to cause the Grandeur to veer – ever so slightly to port. “I think we're going to call for help” said Captain Harrison. Turning to the communications officer, he ordered him to make out a general distress call to their next port of call six hours away. The crew on the bridge scrambled to repair the faulty navigation system. Nobody seemed to realise that the Grandeur was continuing to list to port and was soon finding itself inside of the Neutral Zone, drifting ever closer into Romulan Space. Until it was too late. By the time the Engineer found and corrected the problem, the Carnival Grandeur found herself well into the Romulan side of the Neutral Zone. “Hurry and get us back to the other side before the damn Romulans find us here!” barked the Captain. Nodding, the helmsman pushed the great vessel for all she was worth in a desperate break back into friendly space and safety. Before the Grandeur was halfway out though, the inevitable happened. Three Romulan warbirds decloaked off the Grandeur's port, stern as well as directly above and behind it. Captain Harrison swore under his breath and hailed the Romulans. “We're a civilian passenger vessel! We've accidentally went adrift into your space. We're of no threat to you. We only have limited weaponry. Please let us proceed back to our space” he implored. But the Romulans did not listen. Acting in unison, the trio of warbirds fired a volley of torpedoes into the Grandeur's side. People inside now started to scream and panic. The scene was chaotic and didn't look out of place in many disaster movies of old. Scrambling for the escape pods, passenger and crew alike tried desperately to get to safety. The Romulan attack continued as the Grandeur slowly continued her way back to the Neutral Zone. As the passengers and crew made their ways across the elegant corridors, they were horrified to see dozens of grey suited men in weird helmets materialise in front of them. These helmeted men pointed their disruptors and soon let out a barrage of fire, attacking their unarmed targets without mercy. While this was going on, Captain Harrison and crew continued to relay distress messages to anyone in the area. But it was in vain. A shot from a warbird struck the Grandeur a fatal blow as it hit the warp drive, causing a breach in the core. Immediately, the Romulans disappeared as quickly as they had arrived. Large explosions rocked the stricken vessel just as it reached the Neutral Zone. Like a dying swan, the Carnival Grandeur tilted slowly to the side. The explosions grew larger until finally what remained of the once proud vessel broke apart and blew into millions of tiny pieces. The escape pods that successfully launched soon became engulfed in the flames and shock wave of the exploding vessel. By the time a vessel did come to the Grandeur's call two hours later, there was nothing left by tiny pieces of debris and absolutely no survivors of the 2687 passengers and crew flying aboard the Grandeur. TO BE CONTINUED... *Deihu – Emperor of the Romulan Empire