BAJOR — Officers from Starbase 118 Ops end shore leave escorting the SS Belladonna to Bajor and find themselves involved in a poaching problem.
Ops crew boarded the USS Narendra and flew as an escort besides the SS Belladonna to ensure the safety of the ship as it made its way to its next port of call at Bajor. There, the crew were invited to take part in festivities surrounding Bajor’s 11th anniversary as a Federation member.
Members enjoyed the chance to represent the United Federation of Planets by visiting a newly constructed temple that celebrated the unity between Bajor and other cultures of the galaxy, visiting a colony on the other side of the wormhole to taste Bajoran kanar and Cardassian springwine, as well as learn more about local agriculture with the cultivation of cela-leaf tea and how Cardassians voles became a protected species.
“For a long time, the Cardassian vole was considered vermin,” One monk who declined to give his name explained. “Until we discovered its droppings are so nutrient rich that they could aid tremendously in reclaiming the previously nutrient-depleted soil. Nowadays, there are even farms specialized in maximizing this effect.”
Three days of festivities ended in a splendid gala at the Akoram hall, named after Bajor’s most famous poet. There, officers, Bajorans, and visitors enjoyed food and fellowship. Sources say the Bajoran ambassador to Cardassia and her Cardassian husband were present at the event and spoke with the Cardassian ambassador to Ops and his fiance, Lt. Trovek Arys. However, all eyes turned to a new officer, Ens. Ray Sutter, as he gave an impromptu speech honouring Cmdre. Sal Taybrim.
“I wasn’t 100% sure if the toast tradition was a setup,” Ens. Sutter commented on the speech, “but either way, I was going to go big and own it.”
The night turned more serious, however, as word came that a local endangered species, the Pachitrod, has lately suffered losses from poaching. The animal has helped to find a cure for a dangerous mutated version of Craat’s disease, but doctors have yet to synthesise it and negate the need for the creature. Loss of the animals deals a sharp blow to medicine and the local ecosystem, and Doctor Zumagi Ivin, the lead researcher on the cure, asked Starfleet for assistance.
“Losing these animals deals not only a devastating blow to the Bajoran people,” Zumagi explained, “but to the planet of Bajor as well. The sooner we get this done, the better.”
Written by Alora DeVeau
