GRUS BETA THREE, ALPHA ISLES — Responding to distress call, the USS Ronin evacuates the colony while investigating the strange wildfires.
Being diverted to assist a non-Federation world with an evacuation, the USS Ronin arrived at Grus Beta Three to find a ravenous and massive wildfire hundreds of metres tall that threatened the colonists. Many of said colonists are former Maquis, or otherwise have no love for the Federation. The Ronin’s entire assemblage of support craft were in use to facilitate both the evacuation and communications, as the interference also blocked reliable transporter use. The planet, whose magnetosphere naturally interferes with communications and sensors, was exacerbated by the massive ash clouds caused by the encroaching wall of fire. To the point that several Valkyries were required to act as messengers, dropping into the atmosphere to relay messages and orders.
While Cmdr. Niac coordinated the evacuation on the surface, in the main colony hub referred to as Landing City, LtCmdr. Alieth led an away team positioned as close to the encroaching firewall as possible to investigate the appearance of the firestorm as well as why all means of suppressing or fighting it thus far had failed. The fires were so intense their heat could be felt several kilometers away, so much so that LtCmdr. Alieth was noted as saying, “The situation, at first glance, is worse than we expected, so we may have to use the EVAs at some point”
The ship’s First Officer, LtCmdr. Toryn Raga commanded the Ronin from orbit, both coordinating the relief and evacuation efforts while a similar attempt to fight and investigate the fires below. This culminated in the creation of a considerable fire break on the planet’s surface ahead of the storm using the ship’s phasers. The complications in the atmosphere however meant the Ronin had to be flown into the atmosphere, below the ash cloud and at low altitude. Something the Akira class is not designed for.
Tensions on the surface reached a head as part of Niac’s away team took fire from one of the locals, while there were no casualties the incident did risk many present due to the presence of maleconite, a volatile, radioactive and poisonous mineral apparently being mined on the planet. While the local colony leader incited the populace with a rousing speech full of slander towards the Starfleet crew. In Administrator Emzai’s words, “I suggest you unhand our people” As she addressed the crowd. “ Starfleet has come here, under the guise of peace. Desperate, on our knees, and they came like they did before, and they brought with them phasers and a battleship. They can’t heal our world, or our people. Instead they fired weapons from the skies, they destroyed several of our homes! They brought the fire so they could reclaim our world in their war! They have done it before.”
The Ronin is now back in orbit after a display of exceptional piloting by the helmsman, Ens. Ian O’Connor. And the recovery of Cmdr. Niac and LtCmdr. Alieth’s away team, following their rescue by the ship’s CO. They returned with a lone casualty, newly promoted Lt. JG Luxa Lorana who was exposed to maleconite ore. Despite a safe landing of the runabout Rhine, it erupted into flames seemingly carried with it from the planet, thus furthering the notion that the firestorm was artificial in nature.
As the ship and crew regroups in orbit to continue the evacuation of the planet and the investigation, which included an analysis of an encrypted and hidden communication detected within the ash cloud during their descent. Counselor Dekas, who deciphered the message, relayed it to the bridge crew. “It says, Scourge. Delayed. Arrange location for further further deployment and extraction. Seeding has nearly reached terminal vector.” After a brief pause he went on to say, ”I’m not sure what seeding means, but I have a feeling it is absolutely related. These fires definitely aren’t natural. And… I don’t think we’re alone out here.”
Is the firestorm the result of the Lattice Alliance’s interference? Are they testing a new weapon of mass destruction? Will the damaged Ronin be able to save the colonists and stop the ravenous firestorm raging below as well as the Alliance’s plans in the system?
If there’s any chance they can, the Ronin’s crew will do all they can. Or as Ens. O’Connor put it, “No matter how bad the music, we dance together, Commander. Ronin strong.”
Written by Toryn Raga
