When You Wish Upon a Star - Claimed

[Solluk]

Mission Title: When You Wish Upon a Star

Synopsis:The Yourship is dispatched on a scientific outreach mission to the Fritek system, a Klingon-owned system whose star has been gradually shifting its energy output to an increase of ionizing radiation.   This has put the citizens of Fritek Prime at risk, as the ionozing radiation will eventually become so strong that the ecosystem will be destroyed and no life can prosper there.  This would force the evacuation of the Klingon colony, and the loss of a staggering investment.

The Yourship picks up a renowned Stellar Physicist who has developed a new procedure he has tested on other stars exhibiting this unusual behavior.  The Physicist has managed to reverse the problem in three other cases.  The Federation is offering this Physicist's expertise to the Klingons in the interests of fostering improved relations by reversing the current trend of stellar output, saving the Klingon colony.

The Klingon government is skeptical of Federation trustworthiness, and assigns a Vor'Cha class cruiser to escort Yourship and monitor the procedure.  Subspace echoes suggest that this Vor'Cha cruiser is not alone, and that it may be escorted by cloaked Birds of Prey.  This is to be expected.  But when Yourship is about to begin the process of phase-shifting the star with a specially prepared torpedo, the Science Officer aboard discovers something startling that could scuttle the mission and revive the animus of the Klingons.

Starting Point: The Yourship is assigned to meet with the Federation Courier ship USS Cher Ami, where they are to pick up Doctor Phineas Mason, a Stellar Physicist, and take him into Klingon Space where he will conduct an experimental procedure on the Fritek star.

End Goal: Yourship successfully fights off the Klingons and rescues the Plasmotic Life Forms infecting the Fritek star, which causes the star to immediately return to safe radiation levels.

Story points that must be passed?:

I) The Yourship is assigned to rendezvous with the Federation Courier ship USS Cher Ami, where they are to pick up Doctor Phineas Mason, a Stellar Physicist, and take him into Klingon Space where he will conduct an experimental procedure on the Fritek star.

II) At the Klingon border, the Vor'Cha class cruiser IKS K'mpoga meets Yourship and its Captain Kargh says he will escort you to the Fritek system and monitor your mission.

III) Astute officers may note that there are subspace echoes suggesting additional cloaked ships, most likely birds of prey.  Meanwhile, the Yourship holds a reception dinner for Doctor Phineas Mason, attended by Captain Kargh, where Mason discusses his procedure of using Soliton Reflex Torpedoes to shift the plasma state of stars.  He has performed this procedure on three other occasions.  It is not known why stars sometimes shift their radiation output, but he is confident his procedure will work at restoring proper balance.

IV) Yourship arrives at Fritek and makes extensive scans of the star, so that Doctor Phineas Mason can calibrate his torpedo device.  During these scans, the Science Officer makes the startling discovery that a previously unknown type of Plasmotic life form is living within the star.  It seems to be this life form that has shifted the radiation output of the star, apparently as some kind of 'terraforming' process by which the star becomes a better habitat for the plasmotic life form.  Further, the Soliton Reflex Torpedoes probably 'solve' the problem by killing the life form.

V) There is a senior staff conference on Yourship where Doctor Mason is initially resistant to this idea, but eventually is convinced and becomes horrified that he has been killing life-forms in the past.  The mission is scrubbed until more can be learned about the Plasmotic life forms, and someone has to explain this to the Klingons.

VI) The Science Officer continues to study the plasmotic life-form, realizing that they are intelligent and use a form of communication that the computer may be able to decipher via the Universal Translator.  Meanwhile, Captain Kargh is enraged that the Federation will not live up to their promises.  He thinks that withholding the torpedo merely to save the life of some kind of infesting vermin is ludicrous.  He gives Yourship one hour to reconsider.  If Yourship does not launch the Soliton Reflex Torpedo by then, he vows to attack your ship and take the torpedo by force.

VII) Communication is established with the Plasmotic life forms, who call themselves The Brightness.  They apologize for causing harm, as they did not realize organic life forms could be sentient.  They agree to depart the star, and suggest that they can be carried in Yourship's nacelle warp plasma and deposited in a different star in a lifeless system, which they can then inhabit and 'terraform' to their heart's content.

VIII) Before Yourship can transfer The Brightness from the Fritek star, Captain Kargh attacks, along with two Birds of Prey that have previously been cloaked.  A terrible battle ensues, including Klingons boarding the ship during shield interruptions with the intent of stealing the Soliton Reflex Torpedo.

IX) Yourship manages to disable the Klingon ships with the help of The Brightness, who issue a Mass Stellar Ejection from the Fritek star during a critical moment, turning the tide against the Klingon ships, who are severely damaged but not destroyed.

X) Yourship becomes a host for The Brightness, as the aliens occupy Yourship's warp plasma in the nacelles.  The Fritek star returns to its previous (safe) radiation profile.   Captain Kargh is honorable enough to admit that Yourship was correct, and apologizes (though it seems to cause him physical pain to do such a thing.)  Yourship departs to find a safe star for The Brightness to inhabit, secure in the knowledge that the mission was a success, and relations with the Klingons may have been improved.

XI) In a touching final moment, Doctor Mason visits the nacelle monitoring room, apologizing to The Brightness for massacering their people in the past with his Soliton Reflex technology.  The Brightness meanwhile apologizes for threatening the worlds of organic life forms by altering their suns, and they pledge that their people will never do so again.

Departments: (To make sure everyone has something to do.)
- Flight: There is a big space battle set-piece which will involve fun flying.

- Engineering: There will be damage to repair, and possibly Engineering will have to do something to make the warp plasma ready to receive The Brightness.

- Operations: Power Transfers!  Damage Control Teams!  Thrilling Heroics!

- Security and tactical: There is a thrilling space battle, and also Security teams must repel boarding Klingons.

- Medical:  Injuries are liable to be numerous during the space battle.  Medical might work with Science to better understand the Plasmotic Life forms known as The Brightness.

- Science: This is really a Science mission first and foremost.  Science will detect the life form and be the ones to facilitate first contact.

NOTE:  This is a classic Scientific/First contact Trek episode with some action sprinkled in at the end.  If you are tired of mindless combat, here is some mindful combat with a hefty main dish of traditional Trek themes.

[William Waring]

Claimed for the new ship!