Episode 1: Fading Sun

Stardate 48515.52
Scientific Research Station, Epsilon 19, Deep in the Shackleton Expanse.

Your ship, the U.S.S. Venture, was assigned to deliver important scientific equipment to Epsilon 19, a newly constructed research station deep in the Shackleton Expanse. The station was built to study the sun of the Osarin system, which is decaying at an incredibly accelerated rate. Possibly even stranger, the sun has also begun emitting high levels of triolic radiation for unknown reasons.

Upon arrival, Tactical noted that an unarmed merchant vessel was also orbiting the station. The station was too small for the Venture to dock, so you beamed over to the station. The Venture departed the station to conduct more detailed scans of the system’s sun.

You have now off-loaded the equipment, and just received a dinner invitation from the station commander, Commander Erich Johansson.

It would be most logical for us to meet with Commander Johansson. The Venture is not due back for some time and they would hail us if they needed us. Commander Reiter, please make the necessary arrangements. Sumek said, words carefully measured as always.

"Absolutely, Captain. A little R&R for the command crew sounds just like what the doctor ordered."

Reiter taps his commbadge, "Reiter to the base commander's office." He assumes this will direct him to an attache of the base commander rather than interrupting the CO during his busy day.

The comlink activates and a junior officer responds. "Commander Reiter, this is Ops for Commander Johannson."

Reiter accepts the invite, you are expected in the captains ready-room in about 30 minutes.

Codral will bring a tricorder. He can't go 5 seconds without scanning something. Until then, he'll read up on the properties of triolic radiation.

Can he tie into the station's sensors to keep tabs on the Venture and the developments with the odd emissions from the star?

"I'll try to keep it holstered. But if a reading really goes off the scale..."

You make yourself presentable, and take the turbolift to the commander's ready-room. As you enter, you are surprised to see not only the Commander and the head scientist, a Bolian woman named Lenana Mosa, but also an Orion trader captain and her crew of two Nausicaans.

"Ah, welcome Captain Sumek, may I introduce you to Captain Paja Tajenko." He gestures to the Orion trader, who smiles at Sumek, then at Reiter. The Nausicaans stay in the background.

"A pleasure to meet you, Captain, Commander. Erich here was just telling me about you, a Galaxy Class starship, most impressive. We are but simple traders, and most in awe of such a powerful ship. Our ship just had a bit of a problem after running into an ion storm, so Eric is letting us stay here a bit to make our repairs. It's so nice to have such a friendly and helpful station commander in the area." Commander Johansson seems enthralled when Paja speaks, she in turn divides her attention between him and Reiter. She makes a gesture to the Nausicaans, who sets a small crate on the table and opens it before withdrawing to the side of the room.

Again smiling, she walks up to the crate and takes out several items. "Of course, as a good guest, I brought something for the host. First, something from Earth, I got these nice French wines from Chateau Picard. I've heard they are delightful. Also, some Delvan fluff pastries for dessert, and a Triaxian silk robe for you, Eric. I'm sure you'll look lovely in this!

Sabin eyes the Orion captain and her gifts suspiciously and pulls out his tricorder to scan the gifts for any toxins, drugs, or anything else out of the ordinary. He will also use his Betazoid Telepathy to sense the Orion captain's surface thoughts and determine if she has any malicious intent.

Paja puts up a show of being affronted by the lack of trust. "Oh surely that isn't neccesary. I'm no danger to you, am I Erich?" She brushes Commander Johansson' chin as she walks by him, then turns dramatically to Sabin. "Oh, take a look if you must. You won't find anything!"

The scan does not find any traces of lethal or otherwise harmful substances (other than tha alcohol in the wine, and the pastries are very fatty and sugary).

Seemingly bored by the drama, the bolian scientist turns to Cordal. "You're Lieutenant Nosim, aren't you? I'm Leana, head of the science team here. We're extatic you got us those sensor arrays, we've been waiting on those for months. Once we get them online we should get a much better idea of what's happening to the star. This is such an exiting and rare oppurtunity to study a dying star. And the rate at which it is declining! It's absolutely remarkable, I've never heard of such a case before." She becomes enthusiastic as she talks about the potential of scientific discoveries, seemingly forgetting the other conversation in the room.

Sabin glares at the Orion captain sternly and does not break eye contact with her as he puts away his tricorder and reports his findings.

The gifts are clean, sir.

His intense dark eyes stay fixed on hers a few moments longer as if to show he can see right through her.

Captain, it is a pleasure to meet you. Surely you take logical precautions with gifts offered you as well? As for Commander Johansson, having a friendly station commander would be most beneficial to traders. He nods his head slightly, intent on maintaining a diplomatic tone.

Although the Orion is certainly attractive, Reiter finds her shade of green a little off-putting. Perhaps too close to the lima beans he really couldn't stomach as a child despite his mother's fondness of replicating them and putting them in seemingly everything. "A please to meet you, Captain Tajenko. How long have you known Commander Johansson?"

His attentison still mainly on Paja, Cmnd. Johansson tries to take on on a cordial tone to smooth over Paja's somewhat confrontive stature. "Ah, yes. Keeping up diplomatic relations here out on the fronteer is one of my foremost priorities, after the scientific research we do of course. After all, we can't all be drifting around in galaxy class starships." He looks to Captain Sumek now. "Oh, congratulations on your new ship, Captain. You're lucky to get such a prominent position so early in your career, I must say I was suprised when I heard. Of course, I've got my hands full here with the station and all."

He pauses a bit before looking over the gifts, his attention once more on Captain Paja. "Oh, you're most kind, Paja. These gifts are most generous, and would be a welcome addition to our plesant dinner."

Gesturing to the set table, he again adresses you all. "Now, please sit down everyone. To begin with we have a most plesant Bolian Tomato Soup, a family recipe of Dr. Mosa here. Then we have a Luhvian quail for the main dish. I'm sure Paja's Delvan fluff pastries will be a nice finish to a plesant meal."

He smiles at you, then Paja, before walking over to the table and sittingdown, folding a napkin in his lap.