The Orion Syndicate (Columbia)
| USS Columbia | ||
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 INACTIVE STATUS | ||
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The Orion Syndicate
Stardates: 238112.04-238203.16
After returning from a delicate first Contact mission to the planet Valoria in which paranioa and ignorance of different cultures nearly proved the failure of the Columbia crews mission as well as the ships destruction. A weary but statified crew returned to the USS Columbia having began new steps towards welcoming a new member into the Federation family. Along with the crewm, two new crew members joined; Ensign Tash Zubowskivich and Ensign T'lea both security officers. Ensign T'Lea was soon promoted to Chief Science Officer, and Ensign Zubowskivich was promoted to Chief Tactical Officer.
Hoping for some much needed shore leave the crew were looking forward to the return to Star Base 118, but the plans were cut short when Admiral Egan contacted Captain Avatar to inform him that the USS Greenwood and her crew along with Admiral Laura Anderson, the Chief Engineer of the Columbia, Lt. Shawn Andersons grandmother were missing.
The USS Greenwood had been embarking on delicate research and testing mission into creating an artificial wormhole. Starfleet believed that the Orion Sydicate were involved in the Greewood's disapperance. Thus the mission began. During this time another new crewmember arrived onboard the Columbia Ensign Kwame Alexander a security officer and Lt. Cmdr Devana Franks departed on a much needed shoreleave back to earth.
Embarking on the mission it started becoming evident that the Orion syndicate were defiantly behind the Greenwoods disappearance. A mole began to rear its ugly head in the midst of the Columbia crew and the first signs of internal sabotage become evident when a bomb exploded in Ten Forward injuring a number of crewmembers inculding the barman Java. It is soon evident that a matter dubbed, exotic matter which is not only a component of the artificial wormholes is also being used in the creation of the bombs. The substance making them particulary volatile. Ensign T'Lea soon discovered a second bomb in the Arboretum. Ensign Alexander and Lt. Cmdr Bishop made there way to secure the area, Ensign T'Lea and Captain made there way to the Arboretum. Ensign T'Lea in a brave move disarms the second bomb. Soon the crew of the Columbia are thrown into a race to protect the crew of the Columbia from a very evident threat, the Orion Syndicate and a unknown mole.
Soon a third bomb detonates on the bridge, injuring a number of crewmen. A badly damaged bridge prepairs to enter a artificial wormhole much against the advice of the Chief Science officer and Cheif Engineer. Ordering a lockdown of the Columbia's crew confining everyone to there current positions the Columbia holds it's breath.
Powering down the Columbia in order to remove more bombs proves to be a almost fatal mistake as the Orion sydicate appear seemingly from now were and fire on the now defeseless Columbia, a boaring party arrives on the bridge and in the ensuing fire fight Captain Avatar is killed (or is he;) ) Meanwhile back on Starbase 118, the still vacationing Lt. Cmdr Franks is recruited by mysteriouse woman only known as M who works for Starfleet Intel. She informs the commander that the Columbia is in danger and that her source on the Columbia has not contacted her in a while.
The two woman embark to help the Columbia on the USS Patriot. Arriving in what seems to be the nick of time two Orion ships already surrounded the Columbia. Audio Communications to the bridge are down and the Patriot recieves a texted message informing them that Captain Avatar is dead. Being the most senior officer Lt. Cmdr Franks temporarily takes over the role of Captain. Contacing the Cheif of Engineering she devises a plan to get on board. Beaming over with a small team they quickly make there way to engineering were a group of remaining engineers franctically work to get power back. From no where a band of Orions appeared and captured the crew members. Currently the crew members are in the ships brig and devising a plan of taking back the Columbia.
Both Captain Avatar and Lieutenant Commander Franks were killed in action during a raid by Orion pirates. During the raid, which was subsequently thwarted by Lieutenant Anderson and his exo-comps, it was uncovered that a mole had been working with the Orions. That mole turned out to be the Columbia's bartender who was enlisted by the Orions in exchange for her life.
The Orions had been experimenting with a substance known as exotic matter, which can be used to create stable, artificial wormholes. Exotic matter is also a vital component of the Bajoran wormhole. Just as there are entities that exist within the Bajoran wormhole, there are entities that exist in an exotic matter plane of existence. Avatar and Franks were taken to this place.
Once the Columbia was secured by Anderson and his fellow officers, Ensign T'Lea was successful in retrieving Avatar and Franks. While in the exotic matter plane of existence, Avatar learned over the damage caused by the Orion use of exotic matter to the galaxy. It was decided to launch an attack against the Orions to cease these operations as well as rescue Admiral Baker, which remained a primary mission objective.
The Columbia, along with the repaired Greenwood and Patriot launched an attack on the Orion ship Julupa. While the attack was underway, Commander Franks lead a strike team onto the Julupa via shuttlecraft. As the battle was taking place, Ensign Zubowskivich reasoned that another bomb could still be on the Columbia. Captain Avatar was able to coax the information out of Java and Anderson removed the final explosive through the aid of an exo-comp.
Meanwhile, Franks and her strike team located Admiral Baker and were able to beam her to safety before the Julupa self destructed. Ensign T'Lea was also able to pull data concerning the exotic matter from the Orion computer.