In Sickness and in Death (Andaris Task Force)

			Prologue, Episode 3

Andaris Task Force
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Key Locations: Par'tha Expanse Deep Space 26 Major Players: The Consortium the Valcarians Starfleet Assets: Key Personnel Support Team USS Blackwell USS Darwin-A USS El Corazón Essential Resources: ATF Officer's Manual Current Events Historical Archives Crew Awards Crew History Player Spotlight Gallery IC Mailing List ATF Forums Mission Submittal Form Par'tha Expanse Edit this nav

Another shore leave had come to an end. And with that ending came with it ceremony, with awards and promotions. This one was no Different. RAdml Renos had called together the senior staff of both ships and his station together. There was Fleet Captain Nicholotti, Captain Zaekia, Commanders Varaan, Brell, Thomas, Rhyn, and R’Ven, Lieutenants Shayne, E’riQ, Cook, Pond, and Jora, Ensigns Kaidun, G’Renn, Logan and the new reporter Miss Eberhart all assembled around a rather large table.

However, the first thing announced was a few temporary reassignments due to computer problems aboard the Atlantis. Pond, Kaidun, and Jora would be posted to the station and everyone else would be on board the Blackwell. Then came then came the Promotion of Shayne from Lieutenant to Lt. Commander. From there Zaekia, Thomas, R’Ven, E’riQ, Cook, Jora, G’Renn and Kaidun were awarded the Maiden Voyage Ribbon. Not be left out the senior staff of the Atlantis: Rhyn, Brell, Shayne, Pond and Logan were awarded the Legacy Ribbon. And last but not least R’Ven and Pond were awarded the Trauma Support Advocate Ribbon, for their support and care during his ongoing rehabilitation of his arm. All of which was heavily applauded!

Once the promotions were over Zaekia quickly got his ship underway to Debin VII a small mining outpost run by one of the Freeworlds Mining Companies - Tinaldax Heavy Industries. The colony was under quarantine by the Freeworlds Navy due to an outbreak of an unknown plague. Attempts to break orbit by miners who claim to be unaffected by the plague and efforts to mine illegally were slowing efforts to find a cure. Meanwhile the Navy is preparing to destroy the planetoid to contain the outbreak and now their ship was not responding to hails and its orbit was beginning to decay. They miners asked the federation for help.

Quickly Zaekia deployed his people. Teams will be boarding the ship. Thomas, Logan and E'riQ were assigned to assess damage and restore the ship’s orbit while Zaekia, Brell, Varaan, and the newly arrived Ensign Thoran, were to deal with the crew. Meanwhile, Shayne, R’Ven and Doctors Cook and G’Renn were to beam down to the surface and look for clues as to the origin of the virus and find a cure.

Meanwhile back on Starbase 26 something very different was in the offing. A violent murder had taken place! The victim was a male Caraadian, called Bennan Matius who was married to a prominent Caraadian diplomat, Daedra Matius. Renos assigned Nicholotti, Eberhart, Kaidun, Pond and Kalis to investigate.

Mister Matius physically mutilated, his face slashed in a distinctive pattern and certain organs were removed. Adding to that is that no sign of how the killer or killers got in or out of the Matius residence can be discerned. The guards saw nothing, sensors around the residence recorded no heat signatures, life signs, or transporter signatures. On top of that the wife was clearly not there when it happened. It was truly a whodunit indeed!

Back in orbit of Debin VII, the crew aboard Blackwell had made progress in the plans to board the Caraadian ship. While brainstorming suggestions, Commander Brell suggested that causing a probe to collide with the damaged ship’s shields might grant insight into their shield frequency. This plan was successful, and both teams were beamed aboard the Caraadian ship. Unfortunately, neither group arrived at their exact destination. Commander Thomas’ team, joined by the new Ensign Kell, materialized in the mess hall instead of Engineering, finding the first casualty a short distance away. Captain Zaekia’s team, as opposed to arriving on the bridge, found themselves inside some kind of storage chamber.

Down below on the planet’s surface, Lieutenant Commander Shayne’s team had donned their EVA suits and beamed down to the temporary Starfleet base assembled near the first mine to be struck by the plague. During an initial scan of the area around their shelter R’Ven made the discovery that the local insect populations were the only life forms in the area unaffected by the illness. With this clue and the medical files from the facility in hand, the team decided on a division of labor. Shayne and G’Renn would go search for clues as to the nature of the virus outside, while R’Ven and Cook would continue their work inside the shelter.

On Deep Space 26, the investigation into Bennan Matius’ murder had begun. Deciding to pursue the autopsy later, the Starfleet officers on the case decided to check the crime scene first. An analysis of the scene initially yielded nothing to report until traces of soil were found by Dr. Pond. While Pond, Jora and Kaidun were searching the suite, FNS reporter Eberhart decided to pay a visit to Daedra Matius, the widow of the murder victim.

The investigation continued, but was soon interrupted by the arrival of Freeworlds Security Bureau Investigator Surrel and a question of jurisdiction. While the Starfleet team was first getting acquainted with the new investigator, Eberhart brought Ambassador Matius to the crime scene. She discussed recent events with Dr. Pond and Surrel as Dr. Jora and Kaidun saw to getting the autopsy underway. The discussion with the ambassador began to reveal the truth regarding certain unusual behaviors she had noticed in her husband shortly before the murder, and created even more questions to answer.

Meanwhile, the search for the cure on the planet was starting to take shape. On the surface, Shayne and G’Renn entered the mine and began looking for any source of answers regarding the plague, at first only finding one solitary corpse and several beetles living in the walls of the mine. Back in the research tent, R’Ven and Cook were working on answering the important questions about the plague and its spread, what is it, why is it spreading so quickly, and how? Dr. Cook determined that the bodies of most of the infected had been cremated. He also uncovered records of a miner with unusually severe symptoms, whose body had been “put on ice” and requested that Dr. G’Renn acquire samples from the body. Shortly after this order came through, G’Renn and Shayne were separated by a rockslide while hunting for a possible survivor. Shayne continued is search while G’Renn was sent to collect the requested samples.

In orbit, both teams were making progress in reaching their destinations. The team led by Commander Thomas moved on from the deceased crewmember they had found and were met with their next obstacle, a force field. They also worried about the possibility that the vessel’s crew might decide to initiate the vessel’s self-destruct to get rid of any traces of the plague. The only way to be sure would be to gain access to Engineering. At the same time, the bridge team became down a member when Captain Zaekia’s suit proved to have a faulty environmental seal. The captain was beamed back to the Blackwell and nothing to worry about was found by Cadet Morin. While the Captain was being examined, the remaining team members cut their way out of the storage room and, after a short stop to investigate some distractionary screaming, reached the bridge and saved the acting captain from the rather awkward fate of being locked in her own ready room.

MSNPCs

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Image	Name	Position	Notes
	Daedra Matius	Caraadian Diplomat from Aelann	Played by Merrick R'Ven
	Sub-Lieutenant Para Nalai	Engineering Officer, CNS Burracanthris	Played by Isabel Pond
	Commander Hycelia Gullide	First Officer, CNS Burracanthris	Played by Kael Thomas
	Mihai Bratic	Caraadian Miner	Played by Graeme Cook
	Inspector Valara Surrel	Freeworlds Security Bureau	Played by Emery Rhyn
	Lieutenant Corys Albanesser Brint	Operations Manager, CNS Burracanthris	Played by Merrick R'Ven
	Carim Dalek	Caraadian Mechanic	Played by E'riQ
	Dabor Andula	Weapons and Tactics Specialist, CNS Burracanthris	Played by Renos

			REV SD 239408.14