ALPHA ISLES – In the course of assisting a Federation relief freighter which was seized by the Sheliak, the USS Arrow discovered evidence of Starfleet prisoners held in a nearby system and is now in the midst of a full-scale rescue operation.
The independent freighter known as the Sabrina’s Delight, owned and operated by Captain Gaudemus Bail, was under contract with Starfleet to deliver needed humanitarian supplies to a number of colonies in the Alpha Isles that have been cut off from normal trade routes since the collapse of the Sheliak Corporate and the subsequent dramatic increase in piracy.
Speaking to us after returning to the safe harbour of Federation station Raft One, Capt. Bail provided us with dramatic details of the conflict.
“There I was, proudly standing on the bridge of my ship as the Sheliak closed in on us. There were weapons firing everywhere, and my crew were screaming but, of course, I, Captain Gaudemus Bail, single-handedly deescalated the situation and convinced the Sheliak that they should capture my ship instead of destroying it, buying precious time for Starfleet! I don’t like to throw the term ‘hero’ around a lot but I think my actions were the very height of herois….”
Capt. Bail was cut off at this point by one of his crewmembers, an Andorian mate named Sm’uf, who threw a large beverage at his head before storming away in disgust.
Meanwhile, a Starfleet distress signal detected during the battle lead the Arrow to an adjacent system where a Sheliak mining camp has been discovered, hidden deep within the system’s Oort cloud. Unconfirmed reports suggest this signal may have been sent by Starfleet prisoners of war, possibly from the Dominion War itself. Additionally, there is evidence which suggests some of these prisoners may have been members of the Arrow’s original crew complement who famously went missing without a trace in the late 2370s. This revelation has added a very personal motivation for the entire crew as the mystery surrounding the Arrow has weighed heavily on the current crew.
“Indications are not conclusive at this time, but if there’s even a chance that there are Arrow crewmembers… or anyone… being held in that facility, doing anything but breaking them out would be unthinkable”, said Capt. Shayne.
At present, the Arrow is a holding station in the Oort cloud while rescue teams are infiltrating the mining facility via shuttlecraft. Reports that a ship has been detected heading towards the mining facility are unconfirmed at this time. More on this story as it develops.
Written by Karrod Niac
