The Lesser Evil

With the USS Starfire recalled to starbase for problems with the last series of Defiant-class ships build at sector 6309 shipyard, and tragic faith of the USS Soval crew during a mission on Anohsia, the two crew are merged under the command of Captain Syuvik. With two crews and one ship, two group identity exist that need to be broken into a single crew. The [USS Soval]] 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 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
The USS Soval is given the mission to lead an undercover investigation of the explosion that lead to the almost annihilation of the Quezalth people. However, what they find on the planet is a population suspicious of Starfleet and unwilling to cooperate, as it is slowly discovered and believed a group of military extremist Quezalth are progressively assuming leadership on the planet, perhaps manipulated by the outside (by the Romulans?). To complicate things even more, rumors circulate in the quadrant that Starfleet could have been responsible for the genocide, causing many Federation members to question their membership. As the president of the Federation is pressured to accept a neutral investigation into the matter, Starfleet/the USS Soval crew realized they are running against the clock to prove Starfleet has nothing to do with the explosion, and to find who or what is responsible for it before they are recalled by the President. As they reach the reactor which caused the chain reaction and inspect it, both the away team and the Soval camp are attacked. Something is definitely going on...but what? That's why the crew try to find out but the data and evidences they have gathered so far might not give the results they anticipated.""

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.

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 start questioning their membership. As they do not trust a Starfleet investigation, pressure is 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 their re-election could be in play if they wait too long. Aware of the political situation, Starfleet admirals are adamant they have to find out the truth before the President must give-in. The USS Soval crew are running against the clock to find out the truth before it is too late.

Around the same time, the away team finally return to the Soval installations without incident and hand-in all the data gathered. 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

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.