Episode 4: Ancient Claim

2267.186.75: Captain’s Log
Solace has been ordered to investigate the Federation’s colony on Cestus III. Last communication with them detailed an attack by unknown assailants. We will rendezvous with Dayan, a Larson-class Destroyer, and proceed in system. Who are the attackers? What purpose did this attack serve? The Federation is loathe to commit to another war, so we have been ordered to defend the colony, but diligently work to open dialogue to ascertain cause and motivation.

Rendezvous with Captain Enkav and the Dayan occur without incident and the pair travel onward to the Cestus system. Upon arrival, a large, alien vessel is detected in Cestus III's outer orbit and Dayan engages with Solace providing assistance.

The alien vessel proves to be heavily shielded, well-armed, and certainly a match for the two Federation starships. Due to skill and tactics, the two Starfleet ships force the alien one to withdraw, enabling the beaming of away teams.

Planetside, the teams find Travers' Colony to be razed; structures have taken heavy disruptor and photonic mortor fire, crumbling most into ruin. Over one hundred survivor lifesigns are discovered, however, and the away teams begin rescue operations.

The aliens resume a simultaneous assault, with their ground forces bombarding the rescuers with artillery barrages while the alien vessel returns, resuming combat with the damage Dayan and the supporting Solace. The aggressor's return cuts off reinforcements from the Starfleet vessels, forcing the away teams to act on their own.

Despite the heavy artillery fire, the away teams manage to round up the survivors, as well as three, large mining flatbed tractors (and a mining laser that Soong and Dole modified for heavy weapons' use). Still under fire, the away teams then led their small caravan to the nearby torpaline mines.

At the mines, the away teams discovered a holographic back wall, behind which was a wending, and deepening passage. Following it, the group came upon a massive cavern filled with crystals that glowed when approached, as well as tall, quartz-like structures that contained silhoutted forms. Collapsed portions of the ceiling, resulting in falling rock, had smashed several of these crystals, revealing skeletal, reptillian corpses. Clearly, the mining efforts of Travers' Colony were dangerously close to a massive burial chamber.

With this information, Mirenne telepathically contacted the reptile alien's ground forces' commander and informed them of their desire to talk. Relayed and agreed upon, all forces stood down and talks began.

Captains Pike and Enkav welcomed the Gorn (as the species identified themselves) aboard Solace where official First Contact took place. There, the Gorn revealed that they had been invaded before by the "scale-less", described as broad-shouldered, brown-skinned, with ridged foreheads and highly aggressive behavior. The Federation identified these invaders as Klingons. To facilitate their growing relations, the Gorn permitted the Federation to re-establish their colony on Cestus III, which would now be a joint operation between the United Federation of Planets and the Gorn Hegemony.