The Lesser Evil

(Stardate 2414.11.23) With the USS Starfire recalled to Starbase 989 for problems with the last series of Defiant-class ships build at that shipyard, and with the tragic faith of the USS Dakota crew during a mission on Anohesia, Starfleet Command has decided to merge the two crews under the command of newly appointed Captain Syuvik. With two crews and one ship, two group identity exist that need to be broken into a single crew. The USS Dakota has lost many senior officers during the last mission, but there are still more than 400 crew members and officers healthy and alive. The small crew complement of the USS Starfire can't compare in numbers, but they do compare in quality with all the senior officers alive. Syuvik is therefore forced to name most of the senior officers from the USS Starfire to senior positions on the ship he has renamed the USS Soval.

Hoping to use their recent experience as a constructive situation, Commodore Larsson, the new commander of Starbase 989 and admiral in command of the task force which the USS Soval is part, request the ship service for a mission on Quezal, where the Quezalth just lived a tragedy, going from millions to only a few hundred thousands after an explosion ravaged the entire planet.

Act I : Misery Loves Company

Part I : The Engulfment

 

Summary
Because of the presence of the extremely rare mineral Aeghon on the planet, in the last year, Quezal has become a strategic location and challenged territory for both the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire. So when the explosion occured, almost destroying the entire planet, not long after the Quezalth Government decided not to join the Federation and to cease all commercial activities with them, all evidences points towards a Genocide committed by the Federation to prevent Aeghon to go in Romulan's hands. 'The newly formed USS Soval is given the mission to lead an undercover investigation of the explosion that led to the almost annihilation of the Quezalth people. Their mission, to find out the truth about the explosion, which is believed to be a tragedy caused by lack of proper maintenance. However, what they discover is very far from that. Not only do they discovers it wasn't an accident, but a Genocide, but they also discover their own DNA trace at the site of the explosion. Starfleet believes they are now mass murderer. As they realize they have been framed (but by whom?), Starfleet security is already there to arrest them. With no way to prove their innocence, they panic and flee, with Starfleet in pursuit. But will they find a way to prove their innocence before it is too late?""

Quezal

Quezal Underground Access

(PS: It is recommended to read the page on Quezalth before reading this).

Arriving in orbit of the planet, the senior staff is invited to visit the installation within the Medical Station in orbit of Quezal. They experience first hand the suffering and despair of the Quezalth survivors. A once proud and very resourceful specie has become almost extinct and on the verge of total collapse.

While their CO, Captain Syuvik is in a briefing with the admiralty, the First Officer, Commander Steven Wade Matrix organize a senior staff meeting to explain what is going to be done on the surface during the first few days.

As Syuvik returns and reveal to the selected few attending the meeting, they now understand the real issue behind this mission : they are in fact here to investigate the explosion. Indeed, some Quezalth leaders among the survivors are leading groups that accuse the Federation of being behind the explosion. The accusation has already spread into the Alpha and Beta quadrant. As a result, the reputation of the Federation is in jeopardy, with several complaints or threat of leaving the Federation made by different species and huge pressure on the Federation Council to make a public and neutral investigation related to the Quezalth allegations. As the crew of the USS Soval just learned, while the Quezalth had welcomed the Federation help after the explosion, collaboration since has progressively diminished and reached a critical point where there is even the risk they are expelled, once more. The Quezalth now refuse both an independent investigation or a Federation-Quezalth joined investigation. According to Vice-Admiral Thinn, a specialist of Romulan from Starfleet Intelligence in charge of the current mission on Quezal, the Romulan could have returned to Quezal (after having left following the explosion that destroyed the only motive of their presence : Aeghon) and be behind the false accusation, seeing it as a great way to irremediably damage the Federation's reputation in the quadrants. Considering what is at stake, the absence of any further collaboration from the Quezalth, and not willing to risk Romulan dictating the outcome, Vice-Admiral Thinn order Syuvik and his crew to lead a secret investigation to discover what caused the explosion, and potentially the Romulan involvement in the matter. As the Federation cannot bear such atrocity, it is revealed that if the Soval crew are discovered, they will be on their own as Starfleet will deny having given them such mission, mission which only a selected few actually know, the other believing the "covert story" of being there for the relief effort as being the real reason of their presence.

The next day, several teams (medical, engineering, security, tactical, science) are dispatched. Since most of the Quezal population were living in underground cities, the crew are sent in shuttles through underground tunnels to the capital city. In the capital, their task is to help remove all the rocks and debris that has collapsed on the underground city, as well as to help find dead or miraculous survivors. They also have to insure the integrity of the upper part of the underground city by using forcefields. Since it is anticipated the mission will last a very long time, the engineering team also has to work on the installations of temporary facilities (command, medical and security).

On the ground, the situation is as terrible as anticipated. While a path was liberated giving underground access to the capital, the city has not only exploded, but it is also buried under rocks which had fallen from the top of the huge cavern where the city was built.

One of the few buildings in the capital which have survived both the explosion and the cavern collapse

The (only) gate entrance to the government building area giving access to the industrial sector and the antimatter reactor that triggered the explosion

After several days, much progress are made. The facilities and forcefields are operational and the crew has succeeded in removing the rocks from most of the residential areas and government building area. The medical staff are working hard gathering the remains of the millions of Quezalth whose bodied are buried everywhere in the capital city. As they continue their "covert" story of helping the Quezalth, the investigation team try to reach the antimatter reactor without luck. Once the government buildings had been cleared, a group of Quezalth policemen have moved toward the only point of entrance giving access to the government building and industrial area, and are refusing to let in any Starfleet officers. The diplomats of the USS Soval try their best, but with no result... the collaboration between the Federation and the Quezalth are almost inexistent. Following this refusal, the investigation team meet in private to discuss how they are going to solve this issue.

After several ideas are proposed, the away team led by Commander Steven Wade Matrix agree to a 'Trojan Horse' subterfuge. Thanks to her very small stature, Ensign Jessica Signos is hidden within a crate filled with medical supplies and rations. As soon as she gets in and there is no one around, Jessica leave the crate and try to open the Gate. With too many guards to handle, she is forced to use diversion, blowing up a container, and stunning the last guard. While the away team finally get in, the Quezalth are now alerted of their presence. The investigation of the Warp Reactor goes well, but as the away return with the evidence, they are cornered by Quezalth soldiers and outnumbered with no way to escape. A brief crossfire start until, almost miraculously and suspiciously to beautiful to be true, the guards withdraw despite their superiority.

Meanwhile, Captain Syuvik welcome his new chief of security, Lieutenant Tujav Vlaklor and receive a very strange visit, Dr. Katherine Knight. She reveals hard to believe information on Jessica Signos past and dangerous secret of Lily. She also informs him of the danger that awaits him...and how little he knows his crew. Realizing she knew too much not to be a threat to him and Starfleet, Syuvik tried to get our talking while security install security measure to capture her. But despite all the time spent at talking and all the security measure, Katherine Knight is gone.

Part II : A Way Out?

Meanwhile, more and more rumors some based on true information, but most being pure speculations suggest Starfleet could be responsible for the explosion. As those information circulate in the quadrant, several members of the

The Federation council deliberating

Federation has started questioning their membership. With the Civil War still fresh in the people's mind, it would not be the first time Starfleet orchestrated a genocide. As the Federation member do not trust a Starfleet investigation, pressure has been put on the President to recall all Starfleet personnel from the planet and create an independent and neutral investigation. However, with all the mystery about who is actually pulling the strings and causing those false rumors, giving up to a neutral investigation could be worst. The President and the Federation Council are trying to buy time for Starfleet to complete their investigation, but they also know the longer they wait, the more it would look like a cover-up. It was one thing for the population to mistrust Starfleet, but it they were also to start mistrusting the Federation Offices as well, it could be the beginning of a slippery slope that would be harder and harder to stop. The President is walking on thin ice and the pressure is increasing.

For Starfleet Command, they are well aware they are now fighting their own past. It had been very hard to win back the trust they had lost, and that trust was now at risk to be gone again. Distrust of a military organization like Starfleet was huge, they had no room for mistakes. The mission on Quezal was like walking in a minefield. You never knew when one would blow up to your face. Yet, they had to complete it. They had to prove Starfleet was not behind it. It was the only way to put a stop to these doubts and restore the faith the Federation people had in Starfleet. They had recruited one of the best crew for this kind of mission : the USS Soval. But was it enough? Would they succeed now that time was running short and they had found little evidence so far. Could they fail one of the most important mission in the last few years? Would Starfleet Command put all its eggs in the same basket?

Around the same time, the away team of the USS Soval have completed their investigation and finally returns to the Soval installations without much incident. At least, they thought. But they had only arrived when a small but violent explosion damage the east side of the Soval Mobile Headquarter and other adjacent building. A few people are killed in the explosion, with both the FO and 2O injured.

USS Soval engineers analyzing data from the reactor

The Quezalth had learned Starfleet had infiltrated their facility, neutralized a few guards and accidently caused the death of Quezalth engineer. The USS Soval crew had now the data, but they only started to realize at what cost it came. Using those incidents as propaganda, the Quezalth group opposed to Starfleet presence had grown considerably in size and are now taking more radical actions to force Starfleet to leave. The attack against the Soval camp could well be only the sign of worst things to come.

As the security and tactical teams secure the area and break the attack, an engineering team head to the USS Soval to make more thorough analysis and scans of the data and evidences collected. Their discoveries are unexpected. Not only do they discover the reactor they were investigating had been tempered with to give false information, but it is also discovered they don't even have the right reactor. The reactor they had investigated was part of the chain reaction, but not the origin. A smaller fusion reactor is discovered to be the source meaning they have to start their investigation from square 1. The time is running out to find out who or what is responsible...and not finding out would be catastrophic for the Federation and Starfleet. Captain Syuvik order a senior staff meeting to discuss their next and perhaps final move. Failure is not an option, but it does seem inevitable.

The Senior Staff Meeting gives its results. They all agree on a diversion in the way of resuming the mission of investigating the ruins to collect more bodies in the hope to lure away the attention as First Officer Matrix team, composed of Lieutenant Commander Steven Wade Matrix, Lieutenant Vlaklor, Lieutenant Jennifer Bates, Lieutenant S'yes, Ensign Jessica Signos, Ensign Daniel Joseph Brown, Ensign Ailyn Andersen try to reach the fusion reactor without incident. Lieutenant Commander Noah is tasked to mount a team of medics and security to serve as the diversion. Ensign Tholax, Ensign Michael Altus O'Donovan, Petty Officer Tesha are among the list of officers part of his team. At the camp Lieutenant Commander Tom Jackson, the second officer, is given command of the officers and troops on the ground and must monitor each team progress and intervene if necessary. Meanwhile, on the ship, the data collected at the first site reveal a tempering which need to be investigated further. Lieutenant Wade Corey, Ensign Signar, MCPO M'Epak are tasked to continue the investigation started by Commander Steven Wade Matrix and Ensign Daniel Joseph Brown.

Part III : On The Run

One of the security teams sent by Vice-Admiral Thinn

On the surface, Lieutenant-Commander Jackson notice many security teams not belonging to the USS Soval coming down on the surface, armed, and deploying in the camp and in the capital, compromising their objectives. They had been told to keep it quiet and use force as little as possible in order not to make it look like Starfleet was invading or covering up, yet that exactly how it looked now.

The fusion reactor site giving very few hopes of escape

As Matrix team finally access the site of the fusion reactor, their analysis cut their breathing completely. They discover DNA sample all over the sites belonging to Commander Matrix, Ensign Signos, Lieutenant Vlaklor, Lieutenant Jennifer Bates [...] dating from six months ago, i.e. the moment of the explosion occurred. As they realize they have been framed, the away team hears footstep and human voices. As they realize they have no way to prove they are innocent, they are forced to flee. They are now considered by Starfleet as criminals on the run. What will they do?

Meanwhile, on the USS Soval, Captain Syuvik is informed by Commodore Larsson about the evidence found at the site and how incriminating it is for his crew. Despite they believe only members of the USS Starfire or USS Rosenante are involved, the entire crew of the USS Soval will be put under arrest pending an investigation to prove each officer innocence. Syuvik is asked not to reveal they are under arrest, yet to collaborate fully.

Matrix team are trapped with Quezalth security on one side and Starfleet security on the other, leaving them no way of escape...until the two encounter each other. As they take a defensive position, Matrix team is able to escape only to be trapped once more. But when hope was starting to fade, they find an abandonned shuttle with an unexpected passenger : Director Hopjip, director of the Quezalth Capital Industrial Sector and Power sources. Convinced they have saved his specie from extinction, the Director help them escape the planet.

The Romulan fleet uncloak

In orbit, the situation has changed drastically. A fleet of Romulan warships uncloak in the sector. Unsure of their intention, Starfleet send their own fleet to intercept. Commodore Larsson is chosen to play the diplomat and discuss with the Romulan about the reason of their presence. Unable to trust fully the crew of the USS Soval, the Commodore order the USS Soval to remain behind, escorted by two Luna-class ships.

On the USS Soval, captain Syuvik is uneasy with the situation. Despite the USS Soval crew is under investigation, ordering two ships to escort them instead of joining the fleet could give the Romulan an advantage. Moreover, a shuttle is discovered where it is believed Matrix and his team are hiding. As the other ships are all busy with the fleet, Syuvik convince his escort that his crew members are his responsibility he should be the one being given the task to apprehend them. As Matrix try to escape, the USS Soval finally catch them up in a nebula nearby. Opening a communication with his former FO, they are convinced to surrender and be put into custody until the investigation. But while they are here, and with so many questions marks, Syuvik doesn't intend to wait for the trial to have answers. He encounters one by one the members of his crew suspected of being involved in the genocide.

But, as the ship goes to warp to exit the nebula and bring the prisonners to their court-martial, the Soval sensors are going crazy. In front of the ship, an anomaly is forming, leaving no chance for the USS Soval to escape.

Act II - Stepping Out in/of Faith

Part I - The Crossroad

 

Act II - Summary
With the USS Soval traveling back in time to only a few days before the Quezal explosion, and with the knowledge they had found their own self dead at the site of the reactor that exploded, the crew come to realize the dice are already rolled : they will play a role in preventing or causing the explosion that almost destroyed the Quezalth homeworld. For once, they know the consequences of their decisions (their future) before they even made them. And yet, it comes back once again to a simple problem : choice. What must they do?

The Spacetime anomaly

As the crew members watch, powerless, the ship get engulfed in what could be their end, the ship is violently shaken. Inertial dampeners are offline and the crews projected on the floor. As they try to stand up, alarms are ringing. In engineering, it suddenly become a crisis. Structural integrity is weakening, and the warpcore is about to overload and it won't jettison. There is no time left to react. The question on their minds is no more what to do, but if they will die vacuated in space or burned alive...as they get their answer with the sound and feel of the explosion. As they are still alive and verify what happened, they realize an explosion caused a rupture in one of the main power conduits, causing the plasmas to vent out which was just enough to prevent a complete overload. Many circuits are fried and engineering is a mess, but at least they are alive...miraculously.

Meanwhile, on the bridge, the science staff discover the USS Soval has travelled back in times, a little more than 6 months. They are only a few days before the actual Quezal explosion. A coincidence or faith? But as they try to replace everything in perspective of this new event, the anomally has more effect than anticipated. The captain and many other crew members have disappeared, leaving the crew to wonder what happened.

With their bodies having taken their strole of fear, stress and exhaustion, the damage to the ship, the missing crew members and the travel back in time make for a hell of a day. In a context of low crew moral, taking over command, Commander Matrix order the ship to leave the anomally and start preparing plan to find and rescue their crew members.

Meanwhile, Capitain Syuvik found himself in the future, talking to someone declaring himself to be a Temporal Agent. He explains the USS Soval is caught in a Temporal Crossroad. They are in a point in time and space where many possible futures can results from what happen during those few days. Like a river about to flood out of its river bed, they are unsuccessful in keeping the timeline in its normal time bed, and rather each intervention, rather than bring the river back to its bed, made it flood yet another unexpected region...their interventions so far have had the undesired effects and collateral damages that are as worst and inacceptable as the 'statut quo'. As the Temporal commission had been unsuccessful, they have come to accept that only a direct approach of someone with his faith in his hands can perhaps see clarity where none of them had and help restore the timeline. This is why they have brought Captain Syuvik to their Temporal Observatory to inform him of the situation. But all they told him is they are in a temporal crossroad and every decision they are going to make could have huge impact on the future. But with no knowledge of the future and what is the right actions or the right chains of events, Syuvik is returned back to the USS Soval with mostly only question and no answer...and learning he had been gone for days.

With the Captain back, a senior staff meeting is held where the situation is explained. However, timetravelling being so rare, no crewmember has any knowledge of what must be done or what can happen. Are they in a temporal loop? What is the right chains of events... they are left in the dark with the burden of knowing they could change everything (for the better or the worst?). The only knowledge they have is the fact in their own timeline, they had found their own bodies at the site of the explosion, suggesting that in the right chains of events, they are going to die in the vicinity of a reactor that exploded and killed millions of Quezalth. But the real question is, what where they doing there? They have no idea, but it would suggest they were meant to be in the past and they will have to play a role on Quezal.

While they prepare to return to Quezal, Syuvik ordered the USS Soval back in the vicinity of the anomaly. They needed to better understand the anomaly, what could have caused the disappearance of their crew members and, hopefully, find their missings crew members. But as they returns, surprise is once more at the rendez-vous. This time, new crew members appears on the ship, including the USS Dakota previous Chief Engineer and First Officer who died in the USS Dakota last missions. Other crew members such as Ensign Yeates have lost all memories of the event between their time on Quezalth and now. As they come to realize, the Temporal Agent didn't say everything. The Crossroad is not just about the possibility to change the future. It seems also to be a crossroads between realities.

As the USS Soval Senior Staff assess the story and 'threat level' of every new appearance, one such appearance reveals to be not quite what was expected. Unbedknowns to the crew, a Section 31 agent, Ensign Ansia Rozen, managed to infiltrate the ship just prior it left the system to hide in the anomaly. Caught in the "investigation" of the appearing crew members, she becomes a 'mistery' as her quantum signature contradict her 'appearance'. Fortunately, after learning what Section 31 was planning to do (genocide), Ensign Ansia Rozen has a change of heart (has she?) and reveals her identity to the captain.

Captain Syuvik soon realize, with such interest Section 31 has for the USS Soval and Quezal, there is approximately 90% probabilty they are behind the explosion. The problem is, how to find them and what are they supposed to do? They cannot change the timeline and they know the explosion succeeded, yet they also know they are probably in a causality loop and there are 'temporal footprint' indicating they are to unsuccessfully try to prevent a genocide.

With little time left to act and no clue as to where Section 31 operatives are, the command officers are left with a difficult dilemma. Should they rely on the only two crew members who actually have a very good knowledge of Section 31, i.e. the two Section 31 operatives they have aboard their crew. The risk they are actually those who will carry the genocide is non negligible, but the probability they find the operatives without them is close to none. They will have to risk it. Nevertheless, to minimize the risk, a second away team will be sent, unbeknownst to the first, so that if they two operatives are indeed traitors, they still have a chance to succeed in their mission.

Part II - Forth into the past

Chirurgically altered to look and be scanned as Quezalth, the two separate away teams arrived on the surface to identify and locate the Section 31 operatives. The first away team decided to head to the Government Area, while the second to the Federation Embassy.

At the Federation Embassy, the team found a Starfleet slicer Brigid Fallon. With some coercition, she agreed to help out the team stop Section 31 from completing their plan.

Meanwhile, the other team headed to the reactor. With danger expected, Ensign Hartmann and Ensign Morris from the second team decided to head to the reactor too. But with a Betazoid in the other team, their presence was easily discovered. But it mattered little as danger they indeed met. Not only were Section 31 presents, but the Romulan as well.

Both taking cover and trying to help each other out, a firefight started between the four groups. Time was running out and the team realized they were outnumbered. To hope to survive the firefight, they had to remain in cover, making it impossible to press forward.

Luckily, Commander Matrix having stayed behind with Lieutenant Brown, Lieutenant Bates, Lieutenant Commander Noah and others, had also decided to head to the reactor. While it covered most of the reactor entrance, there were a small clear path available. This opened an opportunity for the team to head deep into the reactor towards the reactor chambers. The unintentionnal cover provided by Hartmann, Morris, Signos, Rosen and all provided efficient and soon, the opposition left.

Or so they thought? Before they could barely see who hit them, they were all down unconscious with, as last memory, the sour image of betrayal. With no more cover, an invisible enemy coming from behind, an enemy forward and time running out, Commander Matrix team had no choice but to press forward, trying to chase away the Section 31 operatives who had installed the bomb and install themselves a kind of jamming technology which would save Quezal from a certain destruction.