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, a people that 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 : There Is Always Someone Worse Off Than You
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 Steve Wade Matrix organize a senior staff meeting to explain what is going to be done on the surface during the first few days.
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.
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.
