The Brave Ferengi (Juneau)
| USS Juneau | ||
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 NPC STATUS VESSEL | ||
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As Captain Oddas finishes her speech at Juneau's Award Ceremony, taking place on Lightside Station, she receives an urgent call from Bekanar’Klan.
After Juneau saved him and the rest of the Jem'Hadar from their Breen oppressors (Mission: Cloak and Dagger), Bekanar’Klan and his people found a new world to settle on, called Aturn VII. The planet however is also being claimed by a Ferengi DaiMon called Kaybay.
Realizing a battle against the Ferengi could draw unwanted attention to his people and their colony, he reaches out to the only Starfleet officer he knows he can trust - Captain Oddas Aria - hoping she will be able to mediate a peaceful compromise between them and the Ferengi.
Plot Summary
Part 1
After a well-deserved shore leave, the crew of the Juneau resume their daily routine on board the ship.
As the bridge crew gets acquainted with their new first officer, Lieutenant-Commander Cassian Iovianus, the Captain orders the Helm to set course for the planet Aturn VII. After giving the crew a brief summary of their next mission, she tasks the various departments with making the necessary evaluations and preparations.
During the mission briefing in the Observation Lounge, the crew discusses their findings on Aturn VII and the Jem’Hadar, yet they are still in the dark on the exact motivations of the Ferengi DaiMon Kaybay. As Bekanar’Klan explicitly demanded for Captain Oddas’ help, she informs the crew she’ll be heading the Away Team down to the planet leaving Commander Iovianus in charge of the ship.
Part 2
As the Away Team beams down, they are greeted by Bekanar’Klan and his Second, Osasad'Mon, at the outskirts of their new home deep inside the jungle in the equatorial region of the planet Aturn VII.
Soon after both parties formally introduce themselves to eachother, it becomes quite clear to the Captain and the rest of her team that their presence on the planet isn’t welcomed by all of the Jem’Hadar.
Meanwhile on the Juneau, the bridge is alerted when a D’Kora class marauder enters the system. As they try to hail the Ferengi, all they receive as a response from their DaiMon Kaybay is a deed to the planet, claiming ownership of Aturn VII.
Unimpressed by this Ferengi tactic, Lieutenant-Commander Iovianus orders OPS to repeat their hailing on all frequencies every 30 seconds, in attempt to overload their comm systems and force a reply.
At the Jem’Hadar compound, First Bekanar’Klan explains to the Captain why he contacted her. Apparently DaiMon Kaybay was willing to let them stay on the planet, but in return the Jem’Hadar had to volunteer for his personal army. Tired of having overlords pulling their strings, they refused his offer.
Having finished his scans of the Juneau and realizing his vessel is no match for this mighty starship in battle, DaiMon Kaybay decides to answer Juneau’s hails. An awkward situation unfolds as it appears the DaiMon mistakenly assumed Starfleet had sent out a vessel to wipe out the Jem’Hadar in the Aavaro Wilds. As First Officer Iovianus informs him about their true mission on Aturn VII, the DaiMon cuts off the transmission spouting the Federation should honor Ferengi ownership of the planet.
Part 3
Down on the planet, Captain Oddas decides to split up the Away Team in two groups. One (Major Han and Ensign Kendrick) in charge of checking out the defense perimeter, together with Osasad'Mon, while the other group (Lieutenant-Commander T’Lea and Ensign Dekas) are ordered to survey the surrounding area.
After being abruptly cut off by the DaiMon, Iovianus understands that if they want their mission to succeed, he has to beat the Ferengi at their own game. He orders doctor Indobri, Lieutenant Commander Fiorr and Ensign Rytkönen to the Observation Lounge to sift through the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition, hoping they’ll find something that can end the stalemate in their favor. At the same time he orders Lieutenant JG Silveira and Ensign R’Kala to set up an evidentiary chain of four probes, monitoring and recording the activities down on the planet.
Meanwhile at the Jem’Hadar compound, Lieutenant-Commander T’Lea and Major Han manage to avoid a potential scuffle between Osasad'Mon and Ensign Kendrick as the young and inexperienced Security Officer felt it necessary to address the Jem’Hadar’s hostile attitude towards Starfleet’s presence on the planet. Ensign Kendrick is ordered by Major Han - who was also recently promoted to Juneau’s Second Officer - to switch places with Ensign Dekas.
As the Away Team re-arranges its composition, the Captain and doctor Rel discover a new piece of the puzzle as Bekanar’Klan reveals DaiMon Kaybay has had his own share of troubles, dealing with a Vulcan named Strapek.
When Major Han and Commander T’Lea and their respective teams are about to start their work, they are startled by gigantic furry creatures moving around in the jungle. Other than they are herbivores, the Jem’Hadar have little or no information on this indigenous species.
Part 4
Doctor Rel joins Commander T’Lea and Ensign Kendrick as they beam over to the entrance of the North Tunnel located in DaiMon Kaybay’s mining camp. Avoiding detection by Ferengi guards, they enter the tunnel.
Meanwhile the Captain contacts her XO aboard the Juneau to start digging up information on the Vulcan named Strapek, feeling he could have something to do with the DaiMon's eagerness to enlist the Jem’Hadar into his private little army.
As Major Han and Ensign Dekas inspect the colony’s defense perimeter, they decide to rig up some deterrents on the less likely paths into the Jem'Hadar colony.
Inside the tunnel Ensign Kendrick is bitten in the back of his neck by an alien tick-like creature. As he feels no immediate side effects, the Away Team decides to carry on with their mission when suddenly Kendrick notices Vulcan symbols written on the walls and ceiling of the tunnel.
As they go further down the tunnel, they notice a bright light ahead of them. Doctor Rel detects a humanoid lifeform. Before they’re able to track the lifeform down, Kendrick starts to feel unwell. The bite wound in his neck starts to grow until it bursts open and hundreds of little alien ticks dart away in the dark. Moments later he drops unconscious.