Welcome to the Jungle

[Chirakis 1]

Welcome to the Jungle
Chirakis Kirel

Welcome to the jungle
We take it day by day
If you want it you’re gonna bleed
But it’s the price to pay.
~Guns & Roses

Kirel sat at her desk, flipping her stylus repeatedly and occasionally bouncing it off the wall. Whether or not her hits were heard outside her office did not matter.  What did matter was the station and its inhabitants.

She was approaching the fourth year since setting foot on Aegis, ordered to be “the eyes and ears” for that area of space, according to SI5 Director Torak. 

The stylus ricocheted off the wall and into her open palm, unscathed.

The rest of her team—Staff Sergeant Resssk, Lieutenant t’Pak, and First Lieutenant Sonny Lucas—was scattered, reason unknown.

But there is always a reason...flip

As a starbase located in neutral space between former Breen space and the Joint Allied Powers,* innumerable situations arose.  The Deosi escaped from the Breen, the Breen drew themselves into subspace never to be seen again, an exploding star forced the evacuation of  ch’Rihan, and…

...the Argesil conspiracy erupted...flip.  None of which she wanted to remember.

Named for the location of the first evidence of high Federation officials' questionable practices, Argesil became the Federation’s Watergate.  To counteract suspicious activity, Rendezvous October, a covert operation center located just outside Ferengi space, was activated.  It brought together operatives from Federation Security, Starfleet Intelligence Division 5, Starfleet Intelligence Division 6, and the Tal Shiar, among others.  To this day, Rendezvous October remains a covert operations center.

Argesil’s supposed conspiracy slowly passed, and now we deal with the Alien Alliance. 

A cadre of freed Breen slaves became mercenaries, pirates, and marauders, preparing to take over the Joint Allied Powers.

A string of nebulae runs from former Breen space through Allied Powers space.  The Alien Alliance is establishing stations throughout the nebula string, taking over planetoids and large asteroids in strategic positions and forming a cordon around the Joint Allied Powers.  To protect and defend the Joint Allied Powers, four polished Federation Akira Class Starships were built for frontier patrol.  Task Forces USS Missouri, USS Iowa, USS Calgary, and USS Toronto continually patrol our borders and monitor the Alien Alliance. 

Unfortunately, as a new, securely established space station,  Sky Harbor Aegis is the perfect location to establish Alien Alliance headquarters…

...which brings us to the present. 

Putting the silus aside, Kirel rocked back in her chair to contemplate.

Security details found a cluster of small, simple, curious, and trusting aliens living below decks, working for a person or persons unknown. After adopting a simple way of communication, they were taken into protective custody and eventually found a colony that would take them in.  These so-called gremlins could easily have been the first of many innocent species to be manipulated by the Alien Alliance.

A few days ago a strange and possibly dangerous plant was sold on the commerce deck.  Lt Dran’s testing revealed that one species of the plant could not be killed, but a subspecies could contain narcotic and/or metagenetic enzymes. One plant is in quarantine in the science laboratory, the other is in the medical complex with the Pakleds, who were eating it.  It is possible that they could have brought it aboard.  Until the situation is resolved, quarantine is in effect.

“Lieutenant Garcia to Captain Chirakis.”

Apparently she had been absorbed by recent situations.  “Enter.”

A young, fairly new security guard stepped through the opening door and came to attention. “Your presence is required in CnC, ma’am.”

“At ease, Lieutenant.  Is something wrong with the communication system?”

“Only in certain areas, ma’am.”

After a moment of thought, she replied, “Very well,” and entered CnC, wondering what would happen next.

Welcome to the jungle, where anything can happen anywhere, any time, for no apparent reason.
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*Joint Allied Powers  Bajora, Ferengi Alliance, Klingon Empire, Romulan Star Empire, the United Federation of Planets.