Providence (Amity)

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• Episode: S1E2 (2398)
• Stardate 239810-239812

Thirty years after Voyager’s return, quantum slipstream drive technology has allowed for the development of a new Federation Diplomatic Corps installation on the edge of the Delta Quadrant, in close proximity to a nebula rich in benamite crystals (a necessity for quantum slipstream).

In their first Diplomatic Mission, the crew of Amity Outpost, under the direction of Chief of Mission Rivi Vataix, made contact with The Hawlat. A nomadic culture, who travel the stars following a large herd of space-borne creatures they refer to as “Angels”, the Hawlat are deeply religious and devoted to the creatures. Following some run-ins with local mining operations, safety concerns are raised for both the creatures and for the miners that threaten to spiral into a diplomatic situation.

Act I

Following complaints of interference by manatee-like spaceborne creatures from the benamite miners on Barossa Sector Asteroid 6585 Poseidon, Amity’s senior staff was assembled to begin looking into the matter. Considering the necessity of benamite mining to the Federation’s interests in the Delta Quadrant, and the Outpost’s continued operation, high priority was placed on resolving the ongoing interruptions.

Lt. Commander Wil Ukinix, Lieutenant Ceciri Ariadust, Lieutenant JG Scotty Reade, and Ensign Bec Iko were assigned to rendezvous with Michael Rubio, a representative from the miners to directly assess the situation aboard the Defiance Class USS-Independence B. According to Rubio, the miners colloquially refer to the difficult-to-detect nuisance animals as space cows or mo-mo’s. Evidently, the creatures enjoyed playing around and impacting against equipment and ships, as well as ingesting vented plasmas. Arriving aboard the Poseidon Mining Rig, the crew began talks with the miners in order to learn how the creatures’ might be peaceably dissuaded or distracted from interfering with the miners’ operations.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Rivi Vataix, Lt. Commander John Carter, and Amity’s Chief of Mining Operations, Evelyn McLaren, met to discuss the creatures’ impacts on mining operations and potential solutions. The meeting was swiftly interrupted by Luminary Prarim, a religious leader and representative for a nomadic people called the Hawlat, who claimed the creatures were culturally significant to the Hawlat, referring to them as “Angels”.

Carter, recently assigned to Amity Outpost, was tasked with leading mediation efforts between the Federation, local Miners, and the Hawlat delegation. Joining Carter were Deputy Chief of Mission Envoy Jansen Orrey, First Secretary Carter Daniels, and civilian geologist Dr. Kamoyo Aleksandrov. McLaren was included to represent the interests of the miners and Prarim, along with religious Acolyte, Taven, the Hawlat.

According to Prarim, the “Angels” served as spiritual guides for the Hawlat, leading them through the stars “from pasture to pasture”. Evidently, centuries earlier, the Hawlat’s homeworld experienced some sort of devastation that led them off-world, following the “Angels”. As such, they would tolerate no disrespect to the creatures, viewing the deployment of the Independence as a potential provocation, and the suggestion of relocating the creatures shocking. In order to determine whether the Federation’s intentions could be trusted, Luminary Prarim invoked a traditional ceremony called “The Ritual of Trust”. Carter was quick to volunteer to partake in the ritual, which involved consuming a hallucinogenic substance the Hawlat referred to as “Angel’s Milk”19.

Additional support was brought in to resolve the tense diplomatic situation, with the station’s Chief Medical Officer, newly-promoted Lieutenant Ikaia Wong, leading a multidisciplinary team to investigate the biology and cultural significance of the “Angels”, consisting of Dr. Falina Suribana, Ensign Kivik, First Secretary Keehani Ukinix, and a Hawlat Pilgrim named Sahim.

The team began by inquiring about the Hawlat’s own knowledge of the creatures and their history, with Sahim able to provide some knowledge of their biology and behaviour as well as recommendations for respectfully studying the creatures. Following that, discussion turned to culturally sensitive options for mitigating the creatures’ interference in local operations. Eventually, it was determined that a field-study of the “Angels” was in order and Wong’s team was assigned the shuttlecraft USS Yosemite to get a closer look at the creatures. During their study, they determined that the creatures ingested gasses and plasmas from the surrounding nebula and incorporated them into their carapaces, explaining why they were hard to detect on ordinary scans,. Lieutenant Wong filed an initial report on their discoveries.

As these initial forays came to a close, Amity’s resident journalists, Arthur Summerside and Kiyaini Ri’zella, each published articles concerning the ongoing predicament. Ri’zella’s article for the Federation News Service (FNS) was titled “Amity Tested As Mining Operations Grind To A Halt” and Summerside’s, for the Briori Sun, was titled “Federation’s Benamite Mines - Touched By An Angel?”.

With the immediate diplomatic situation seemingly under control, and with initial information gathering efforts proving fruitful, Ambassador Vataix called for a general regrouping of the various teams to determine the necessary next steps.

Act II

With the Independence-B and Yosemite both returned, Ambassador Vataix summoned senior staff to discuss their findings and work on appropriate next steps towards a mutually-acceptable resolution. During the meeting, a new scientific designation for the creatures was proposed by Wil Ukinix: Stellaesirenia Amicus, in reference to their resemblance to Earth’s manatees and Amity’s latin etymology. The name stuck as a more generally-acceptable uniform term for the creatures and the contraction “Stellae” began circulating. Following some discussion, it was generally agreed that a technological solution which encouraged the Stellae to avoid the mining operations would be the most appropriate response.

Meanwhile, a secondary team was set to work designing and building a prototype drone that might be used to distract the Stellae from vulnerable equipment. Suggested by Lt. Ariadust, the project team also included Reade, Kivik, and Iko. The group met in Amity’s Science and Research Center (colloquially known as “The Basement”) and began working on designs for a drone that could generate both Stellae-attracting vibrations and vented plasmas. Dubbed Project KIRA, an amalgam of its designer’s initials, the drone proved extremely attractive to Stellae in holodeck simulations.

While the Federation teams worked to determine how best to resolve the ongoing zoological and diplomatic problems, the three Hawlat representatives also met to discuss their perspective and determine who should participate in the Ritual of Trust,. Concurrently, Keehani Ukinix, Orrey, and Daniels met to discuss the Federation perspective and how best to relate to the Hawlat. Eventually, the Hawlat rejoined their Federation counterparts to begin preparations for the Ritual.

One element of contention, however, was Carter’s participation in the Hawlat Ritual of Trust ceremony and the required imbibement of the unfamiliar “Angel’s Milk”. Having run an analysis of the substance, Wong disagreed with his commanding officer’s decision on medical grounds,, eventually leading to an outright verbal conflict between the two, in which Carter pulled rank,.

As plans began to take shape, Wil Ukinix, Dr. Aleksandrov, and Amity’s Chief of Security, Casian Iovianus, met in Astrometrics to begin working on a solution to prevent the Outpost itself from becoming overrun with Stellae,,. During this time, A new junior Operations Officer, Ensign Paarus Zalbac, arrived on the station and quickly found himself swept up in the situation with the Hawlat following a brief meeting with Ambassador Vataix. As the Stellae began to ‘swarm’ the station, bumping into the glass dome covering the Mezzanine, a plan took shape to lure the creatures away using modified Work Bee craft.

Simultaneously, civilians Evelyn McLaren and Arthur Summerside met in the station’s Observation Deck and, amidst pleasantries, discussed the current situation with the Hawlat,. As their conversation moved to the Mezzanine, both were startled by the sudden swarm of Stellae knocking into the station and offered to help Iovianus with evacuation efforts.

Unbeknownst, at first, to anyone aboard Amity, the crew of the Poseidon Mining Rig discovered that a wandering juvenile Stellae had found its way into the rig itself, blocking a cargo transfer conduit. Concerned over potential damage to the rig, the miners contacted Amity Outpost for immediate assistance, prompting a sudden halt to the Ritual of Trust proceedings as the Hawlat asserted the miners had imprisoned one of their “Angels”. The team developing Project KIRA answered the call for help and, along with Lieutenant Wong, quickly made their way to the asteroid aboard the Yosemite to help. There, they rendezvoused with miners Jones and Thompkins, who would help navigate the conduit in Work Bees.

Due to interference from the nebula and the discovery that the juvenile Stellae had enwrapped itself in cabling, the team determined that it would be necessary to transport into the conduit in EV suits and free the creature manually before beaming it out to safety. Despite several team members’ fears, Wong, Kivik, and Iko exited the craft and set to work trying to free the entangled Stellae. As Iko comforted the creature, Kivik set up transport pattern enhancers and Wong worked to cut the cabling that ensnared it. Aboard the Yosemite, Ariadust and Reade prepared to transport the Stellae to safety while also piloting the KIRA drone in order to calm the creature. Unfortunately, as the final cable was cut, it ricocheted into Jones’ work bee, seriously injuring him, and the Stellae escaped further into the conduit.

Act III

With the diplomatic situation tenser than ever, a swarm of Stellae bombarding Amity Outpost, a panicked juvenile lost in the Mining Rig, and a serious medical emergency underway, things were looking dire.

Wong, somewhat shaken following an impact with the juvenile Stellae as it escaped deeper into the conduit, assessed Jones’ injuries and determined that an emergency beam out was necessary. Iko, rattled by the experience, beamed back aboard the shuttle with Reade and Ariadust to assist in stabilizing Jones and taking him back to Amity Outpost for treatment. Meanwhile, Wong, Kivik, and Thompkins would proceed into the conduit with a KIRA drone in order to locate the panicked juvenile and attempt a second rescue.

Back on Amity Outpost, an effort was underway to lure the Stellae swarm away and avoid damage to the station or the creatures. Wil Ukinix, Aleksandrov, Paarus, and Counselor Katy Toliver all participated in the operation, piloting Work Bees whilst the others coordinated the deployment of a protective ‘fence’ around Amity from inside the station, and monitored from aboard the Independence-B. The work proved challenging and dangerous, given the number of Stellae and their propensity to ‘ram’ into vessels for fun – however, the plan to lure the creatures away from Amity began to work.

Ariadust, Reade, and Iko attempted to stabilize the injured Jones aboard the Yosemite whilst they reduced their distance from the station in order to safely transport through significant interference from the Stellae swarm. Following some fancy flying by Lt. Ariadust, the shuttle made it within range to transport Jones aboard Amity for treatment.

Within the Posiedon Mining Rig conduit, Wong, Kivik, and Thompkins were able to follow the trail of damage left by the panicking juvenile. Given the interference, they developed a plan to ‘hold’ the Stellae in place while deploying transport pattern enhancers – however, this plan was not without risk, as it would require ‘trapping themselves’ in a confined space with the distressed creature. With a great deal of difficulty, and Kivik taking a head-on collision with the wall of the conduit after being struck by the Stellae, they managed to distract the Stellae long enough to free it. The trio managed to escape into a crawlway while the Stellae thrashed until Ariadust, Reade, and Iko were able to beam it back into space with its herd.

Meanwhile, the Hawlat contacted their small ‘fleet’ of vessels to come and observe the operation to ensure no harm came to the “Angels”. Carter, Orrey, and Daniels brought their Hawlat guests to the Operations Center in order for them to view the ongoing mission outside and demonstrate the Federation’s commitments. As the Stellae began to follow the Work Bees away from the station, they began to engage in unfamiliar and unusual behaviour, encircling some of the small vessels and seeming to ‘escort’ them through the Nebula. Prarim, moved by the sudden change in behaviour, believed that it was a sign of ‘Welcome’ from the “Angels” and declared Wil Ukinix as an Emissary of the Hawlat people who could commune with the Stellae.

Conclusion

In the following days, with the Stellae swarm moved safely away from Amity and the mining operations, the Hawlat Ritual of Trust was set to conclude the diplomatic incident peacefully. The injured miner, Jones, recovered thanks to the quick work of the Yosemite crew. Ikaia Wong and Kivik also sustained minor injuries but recovered with treatment post-mission.

Prarim guided the Federation’s representatives, Carter and Wong, along with the Hawlat participants, Taven and Sahim, through the rite under the watchful eye of Ambassador Vataix and the newly-designated ‘Emissary’ Ukinix,. While the “Angel’s Milk” appeared to have no harmful effect on any involved, all the participants did experience unusual communal visions which led them to believe they could intimately trust one another,,.

Following the mission, Summerside published a second Briori Sun article covering the events, titled, “Amity’s Act of Good Faith Eases Tensions”.

First Appearances

• Lt. Commander John Carter, SD 239810.28
• First Secretary Carter Daniels, SD 239810.28
• Ensign Paarus Zalbac, SD 239811.24
• Hawlat (Sentient Species)
• Stellae (Species)