S01 E10: USS Intrigue Footfall, Part 1: And Hell Followed with Him
S01 E10: USS Intrigue
Footfall, Part 1: And Hell Followed with
Him
First Officer’s Log. Stardate 45137.1.
Commander Nyri Elatrai of the USS Intrigue reporting. The planet Ashgrave IV is considered a holy place. It is
purported to have a religious aura, and many religious pilgrims have travelled
there to examine that aura. The planet is within Federation space, but has been
declared a neutral space. That way, everyone is free to visit. Due to the
planet’s reputation, I’ve already noticed an increase in religious activity on
the ship.
The planet’s governor is a Starfleet
officer, Commander Indra Chahal. The religious tranquility of the planet has
been upset by a new militant group that has committed acts of vandalism. The
USS Intrigue has been sent to find this new militant group and put a stop to
it. If we are lucky, the presence of a starship will remind this militant group
that they need to calm down. I hope the rumors that the place inspires calm and
tranquility are not unfounded.
Cadet Camsol handed a vial of a
green liquid to Commander Elatrai. “What is it?” the commander asked. “It’s
called molmade,” Camsol said. “You add it to your morning beverage. It will
give you energy and clarity for the day. I’m giving it to all my friends.”
“I see,” Elatrai said as she held it
up to the light. The liquid was cloudy, not that that mattered to her. “And why
are you giving these out?”
“The Tesselian spirit god Trurn says
that whenever we go to a holy place, like Ashgrave IV, we are supposed to drink
the molmade so that nothing can distract us from the sacred grounds. I’m sharing
my beliefs as a friendly gesture. It really is tasty too!” And Camsol was off
to visit his next friend.
Lt. Orga, head of stellar
cartography, knocked on the captain’s door. “Come,” said Captain Sekoba. Orga
walked in. “Hello,” he said. “I’m building a collection for the Chezuno ritual.
Do you have any of these items? A wooden statue, a round piece of metal, three
identical coins, or yellow cloth?” Captain Sekoba had heard from several of her
crew that Orga, a Kellerun, was on this “scavenger hunt”, and that he would
probably be coming by her quarters. It was to honor the Kellerun hero, Losi
Ganto, who--one thousand years ago--performed a miracle that freed a group of
slaves that became the what is now the dominant nation of the Kellerun planet.
Orga went on to say that he would
return the items once he had completed his ritual with them. Sekoba said she
would loan him her statue of K’Unar’ita. He thanked her.
Dr. Norjelan sat in her quarters.
She had just been visited by Cadet Camsol, who gave her a coffee flavor as part
of his religion. Then she was visited by Lt. Orga, who was on a scavenger hunt
as part of his religion. Interesting contrast, she thought. One person was
giving something away. The other person was asking for things to be given to
him. Her religion was different. It didn’t involve her crewmates. She had set
the temperature in her quarters to four degrees Centigrade. Not that the
Lanthanite was cold-blooded. It was part of the Pior Comet Observance. The Pior
Comet passes her planet every one hundred fifty-seven years. For a long-lived
race like the Lanthanites, they see the comet several times in a lifetime.
During the observance, they lower the temperature inside their homes, and assemble
a Piorillia puzzle. That was a one thousand-piece three-dimensional puzzle made
from rocks. Everyone in a Lanthanite household would work on the puzzle
together. They had two hours to complete the puzzle. If the puzzle was
completed in time, it was said the universe was in tune with you. You would
make the right decisions. You would be happy. Norjelan worked on the puzzle by
herself. She wasn’t likely to finish on time, but she felt the effort counted
for something. Her people were very spiritual, though they no longer worshipped
gods.
The away team beamed down a few meters
away from an open plaza in the center of the only colony on the planet. They
could see many merchants in their booths and people walking around shopping or
just soaking up the ambience. Commander
Elatrai, the telepathic Betazoid leader of the away team, could feel that most
people of the planet were generally content. She could feel a few other random
thoughts and emotions. It was all a jumbled mix, which was usual for such a
large crowd. There were many different species in the village. Ashgrave IV was
known for having many travelers.
Lt. Murray Chevalier, the Intrigue’s
human diplomatic officer, mentioned the planet’s barren landscape with its
beautiful huge clear sky and its wide-open canyons in the distance. Yes, not
just Chevalier, but all the away team could feel the planet’s beauty. As if it
called to them. In fact, Elatrai could almost swear the planet itself was
telling her how beautiful it was. Strange. It was the first time her Betazoid
telepathy could sense a planet itself speaking to her. She thought she must be picking
up the collective minds of everyone on the planet.
Then someone in a Starfleet uniform
greeted them and led them to the administrative building. They continued to
admire the natural scenery as they walked to the building. They passed a small
group of people doing what looked like an anointing ceremony. Some people
didn’t mind practicing their religion in public. Elatrai saw a man in a grey
suit pour oil on a kneeling man’s head. It reminded her of her old mentor, Arampal.
She had been Nyri Elatrai’s “shontey” instructor. The best translation of
“shontey” would be “ladies’ social skills.” Because Nyri was a daughter of one
of the noble houses of Betazed, her mother had hired her shontey instructor
when she turned eight years old, and Arampal remained her mentor/instructor
until she turned seventeen. Arampal was over fifty years old at that time Nyri
met her, which was considered very old to a young Nyri. But she was friendly
and very charming and very good with children. Nyri came to love her as much as
family.
Arampal was a practitioner of the
old Betazed religion called “Orrakei”. She hadn’t told Nyri about it at first,
because it wasn’t part of the shontey training. There were only a few Betazoids
who still followed Orrakei, and they were mostly elders. It was a dying
religion, like most religions on technologically advanced Federation worlds.
When Nyri learned that her mentor was Orrakei, she wanted to learn more about
it. Arampal showed her some of her religious trinkets and told her some of the
customs. When Nyri turned seventeen and finished her shontey training, she had
told Arampal she wanted to be anointed like an Orrakei. The anointing was to
mark a young Orrakei’s rite of passage into adulthood. Though Nyri didn’t
practice the religion, the regular practitioners said anyone could be anointed
with the sacred oils. It was an ancient custom that used to be performed for everyone
when they reached adulthood, and the Orrakei elders were thrilled when Nyri
showed her enthusiasm. It also made Arampal very happy.
Nyri remembered that day of her
anointment with fondness. But then, three years ago, Arampal was killed when
the Jem’Hadar raided one of the Orrakei temples. Nyri was devastated when she
had gotten the news. She still had her Orrakei cup that Arampal (or “Ara”, as
she had called her) had given her. The cup was to symbolize their friendship. When
the friend dies, the one remaining is supposed to bury the cup in sacred sands.
Nyri had never buried the cup. For that would have meant Ara was really gone.
She still felt guilty for holding on to the cup. But she had cherished it. And
it was a symbol of something Ara had loved. But she knew Ara would want her to
bury it. And she would. Some day. All of those memories and emotions came
flooding back to her now as she was walking on this so-called religious planet.
But she was a Starfleet officer in charge of a mission. She would keep her
composure. Then she remembered how her current commanding officer, a Vulcan,
had expressed concern at their first meeting that she wouldn’t be able to
contain her emotions when appropriate. Nyri had vowed to herself to show her
captain she was as emotionally stable as any Vulcan. She was still determined.
Then Commander Elatrai, Lt. Chevalier,
and Lt. Smeets of security were introduced to the governor, Commander Chahal.
She was the first person they had seen on the planet without a look of serenity
on her face. The away team sat down in front of Chahal’s desk. The governor
showed them security footage of a group of people from varying species, running
through the main street at night. They had used bats and tools to break the
windows of most of the shops. They did not hurt any of the innocent people they
encountered. Chahal said the leader of the group was a human woman named
Annalisa Duval. The group had started as a small commune outside the colony,
but were now calling themselves “The Voice of Purity” and were insisting
everyone on the planet bring their beliefs in line with theirs. They claim “the
creator wills it so” and that all the different faiths on the planet must
“become pure”.
Chahal said that Annalisa’s group,
before they became violent, had set up a commune several kilometers outside the
colony. They had now abandoned that commune. She believed the group was now hiding
in the caves a few kilometers from their old commune. Commander Elatrai called
the Intrigue and had them scan the nearby caves. The ship did detect some
lifesigns in the caves. However, the mineral deposits in the rocks, and the
small size of the militant group, made it hard to accurately determine their
location.
Commander Nyri Elatrai ordered more
crew members to accompany them on a hike to the caves to find the Voice of
Purity group. Elatrai, Smeets, and Chevalier were met outside the
administrative building by Ensign J’Datek (Klingon science officer), Kalta
Neved (Barzan civilian anthropologist), and Dr. Norjelan (Lanthanite chief
medical officer). They all walked in the direction of the caves.
Anthropologist Kalta said, “I’ve always
wanted to see this planet. It has been said that even non-religious people get
a religious ‘feeling’ when they come here. I can see that now. I have had an
overall sense of calmness since I beamed down. It’s like the planet has a way
of taking away all your stress. And the administration here tries to filter the
religious people who come. It has to be innocuous religions. No sentient
sacrificial killings or whippings or things like that.”
Ensign J’Datek answered, “Klingon
warriors only feel stress-free when they are on Q’onoS with their families. But
I am a scientist, not a warrior. I too feel the calmness here. But the calmness
itself causes tension in me. It is too calm and serene. We know that violence
has been committed in the colony. It could happen again. It’s like what humans
call ‘the calm before the storm’.” Kalta thought it was so like a Klingon to
feel calm, but then really not being able to feel calm. Even a Klingon who is
not a warrior has to be suspicious when he is calm.
Kalta said, “Science and religion
are not always counterpoints. Many religious societies have developed advanced
technologies. And there are so many known religions. A religion is a system of
beliefs. It isn’t always about worship of a deity. Sometimes it’s about deeply
held rituals or customs of a society. It provides structure for a society.
People need something to believe in. Sure, for a more primitive culture it can
be a way to explain things they don’t understand, but more often it has a
purpose of setting a moral code or being a way to unify a people. And a belief
in something higher than themselves gives people comfort. For instance,
believing in an afterlife where they will be eternally happy and without pain
or sorrow.”
Dr. Norjelan said, “My people
believe there is some place in the universe where you can be serene. Where a
divine being can touch you and make your problems go away. Not a place in the
afterlife like some humans believe, but a place you can find among the living. Where
you can feel the presence of goodness in a divinity.”
“My people believe,” said J’Datek,
“that such feelings can never last. There are always figurative demons of
madness that come along and interrupt serenity. Fortunately for us, we don’t
have gods any more. We slew them all because they were too demanding.”
“Betazoids have a god of serenity,”
said Commander Elatrai. “Even though we don’t worship gods anymore, as a rule,
the traditions still remain. The ancients used to pay homage to the god of
serenity by lighting a candle before bedtime. It was said the spirit from the
candle would help you sleep well. Some Betazoids still sleep with a lit candle
by their bed.” She did not feel like sharing that the serenity god was one of
the Orrekai gods and that she herself slept with a candle.
Lt. Rita Smeets said the human
colony she was from, Zeta Orvio, had a mostly faith-based religion called Cithanrian.
They believed in one all-powerful god that no one had ever seen. “I left the
religion when I was eighteen,” she said. “Or rather, that was when I told my
parents I wasn’t a believer. I had really stopped believing when I was much
younger. They were devastated. To them, their religious beliefs were all they
had to keep them sane. It’s what their whole lives had been base on. I told
them I was too logical to have faith in a being I couldn’t see or feel. I
embraced atheism. I never looked back.”
“What I would like to know more
about,” said Kalta, bringing the conversation back to the present, “are the
religious experiences that so many have claimed to have on this planet. Going
back to the 21st century when this planet was first discovered by
explorers from earth. It inspired many of them to become religious who weren’t
before. Then when other species heard about it and came here, they also had
religious experiences. It’s like it’s in the air.”
J’Datek turned his tricorder back
on. “Well, I’m not getting anything unusual in the air here. Tricorder says
regular class-M atmosphere. Too bad spirits and religions and feelings can’t be
picked up by tricorders.”
“J’Datek,” said Kalta, “You’re a
science officer. True. But don’t you feel a sense of wonder, a curiosity?”
“Of course I do!” J’Datek answered
back. “But scientists have to go by facts. I’m just stating the facts. But
there will always be the unknown. That’s why I became a scientist. To seek out
the unknown and learn. I know that Starfleet has never truly studied why this
planet inspires a religious feeling, because the inhabitants have always
resisted studying it. They feel it’s a matter of faith and shouldn’t be
codified.”
“Meanwhile,” Kalta continued the history
lesson, “the religious community was quick to form their own
multidenominational opinion. It is generally believed that the ‘aura’ of the
planet is due to the past presence of the creator of the universe. When the
creator crafted the universe, it took physical form to truly see it in all its
glory. This planet is the place where it chose to stand, and to this day, it
remains marked by this divine footfall. That’s why this planet was nicknamed
‘Footfall’.”
“But why has no particular religion
laid claim here?” asked Dr. Norjelan.
“To avoid any land claims by any
particular group. No one is allowed to build any place of worship for any
particular denomination. Any form of farming or mining is also prohibited and
the planet is considered a heritage site. That’s why there is one main colony
town and a series of small nondenominational shrines scattered across the
planet.” Kalta had studied the planet in detail. It was her job as an
anthropologist, but she also found it fascinating. “The main colony contains
around five hundred residents who mainly work in the service trades (hotels,
shopkeepers, restaurants) for the approximately two thousand pilgrims that
might visit at any time. Around a thousand or so religious residents live
outside the colony but most prefer to visit rather than live on this barren
planet. The right to visit or to become a resident is restricted to those with
a special visa granted by the Federation. They keep numbers low to maintain the
peace, but there is constant pressure to increase the amount of visas year by
year as the planet becomes more and more popular.”
“Do you think it has become more
popular,” asked Elatrai, “as a result of the Dominion War and other political
fallouts? As if people are looking for a respite from the horrors of reality?”
The
others probably thought, Nyri Elatrai said to herself, that she was perhaps
speaking of her own people, who had been conquered during the Dominion War.
They were now free, but they were a long way from rebuilding their world and
their spiritual well-being. Well, if they thought that’s why she mentioned it,
they would be right.
“That could be,” said Kalta. “They
just want to go to a place where they can FEEL better.”
“But the FEELING,” said J’Datek,
“doesn’t necessarily mean that this planet is holy. There could still be a
scientific explanation, instead of some god having been here.”
“There are so many different
religions represented here,” said Chevalier. “What if this Voice of Purity
group is right? What if the religious aura of this planet is trying to unite
the people into one religion? I mean, J’Datek just said it. Peace and
tranquility aren’t the ways of every religion. But it seems to be what everyone
wants when they come here. At least until now.”
“Who’s to say what everyone really
wants? And how could a planet’s aura want something?” Kalta said.
“And committing vandalism certainly
isn’t the way to peace and tranquility,” said Elatrai.
As they were getting closer to the
caves, J’Datek said he was getting unusual energy readings on his tricorder. He
said it was not coming from the caves. It seemed to be coming from all around
them. Smeets and Elatrai also turned on their tricorders. They picked up energy
readings, then suddenly, the readings disappeared. No. Not disappeared. Instead
of energy, they were now picking up lifesigns. The energy readings had
coalesced into six lifesign readings.
The away team suddenly saw something
running towards them from different directions. It was red animals. Or red
humanoids. They had horns on their foreheads like demons. Commander Elatrai
yelled, “Run!” They ran for cover behind some rocks. Ensign J’Datek drew his
phaser. Though he wasn’t a warrior, he was a Klingon who wasn’t afraid of
battle. He didn’t have time to fire before one of the red animals pounced and
knocked him down. He grabbed the beast by the throat. It gnarled and showed its
teeth. Commander Elatrai fired a phaser from behind a large rock. She hit one
of the red demons. It disintegrated. Lt. Smeets disintegrated two more of them.
Elatrai ran to help J’Datek. She ran from behind the rock while Smeets covered
her. The red beast had its mouth firmly on J’Datek’s arm; its large teeth
bearing down. Elatrai did a running jump and grabbed the beast’s head as she
was moving sideways, taking the beast with her. Then it wrangled free of her
grip. J’Datek was able to fire on it and disintegrate it.
Elatrai saw more people arrive. She
looked around for the demons. She saw the two that were left were running away.
Dr. Norjelan ran to J’Datek to check on his bleeding arm. The rest of the away
team, seeing that it was safe, came from behind the rocks as the newcomers
approached. There were three of them. They said they were members of the Voice
of Purity. One man introduced himself as Herod. Elatrai introduced her team.
Herod said they were out scouting the area when they heard sounds of battle. He
offered to take them to their hideout in the caves. He also said they had
medical supplies if anyone was hurt. J’Datek said his arm was fine after Dr.
Norjelan had just treated it with supplies from her med kit. They all followed
Herod and his people to a cave entrance.
The people’s hideout was a series of
caves, furnished simply with blankets and cots, but with a portable replicator
to provide food and supplies. Herod introduced them to their leader, Annalisa
Duval. The leader offered all of them food and drink and a place to sit and
rest. They all sat around a table and accepted cups of water. Commander Elatrai
was taken aback at how friendly Annalisa seemed. Elatrai’s Betazoid telepathy
picked up stray thoughts from several of the Voice of Purity members, as though
they all had a high telepathic index, including Annalisa.
The leader, recognizing the uniforms
that some of them were wearing, said, “So Starfleet is finally taking us
seriously.”
Commander Elatrai said, “Starfleet sent
us because your group vandalized some shops. This has always been a very
peaceful planet.”
Annalisa looked disappointed when she
realized that they had been sent to stop her. She said that she and her people
recently came to understand that the different faiths on this planet were
causing the “creator” great pain. The “true message” had become diluted and
corrupted. She had tried to explain this to the governor, Commander Chahal, but
became frustrated as Chahal refused to prioritize the claims of any one faith
over the others.
Elatrai wanted Annalisa to explain
several things. First of all, who was this “creator”?
Annalisa started to explain her own
journey of faith. She was from a wealthy merchant family on an earth colony. She
said she had never been religious. She had studied the old religions of earth.
Her great-grandmother, whom she had loved and cherished, had been a devout Cithanrian.
Her parents had taught her to respect all beliefs, even though they were
atheists. She came to Footfall as a tourist, mostly out of curiosity. As soon
as she saw the beauty and awe of Footfall, she became a believer in the creator.
For who else but a divine being could have created such an awe-inspiring
planet?
“The myth about this planet is true,”
said Annalisa. “There was a great being who created this planet. ‘He’, as we
refer to him, wants everyone to follow him and only him. His is the only true
way. The red beasts that attacked you were his demons. They have appeared
within the colony. They haven’t hurt any of the colonists. You people are the
first to be attacked by them. It was the creator trying to protect us.”
Chevalier said, “We have not heard
anything about demons before we were attacked by them. You’re saying this isn’t
the first time they have appeared? Why weren’t we told about them?”
“Obviously Chahal is keeping things from
you,” said Annalisa.
Elatrai had not sensed any deception
from Chahal, but it was possible that Chahal had kept some things from her. The
commander assured Annalisa that she was willing to listen to her and her
people. They all seemed to think they needed to be heard and that the planet’s
authorities would not listen to them. They said the vandalism was a desperate
plea to be heard. Annalisa seemed pleased that someone was giving her a chance
to be heard. All of the away team seemed to be surprised that the Voice of
Purity did not seem violent or antagonistic at all.
“This planet has always been a safe
haven for many different religions,” said Kalta Neved. “Please help us
understand how you know yours is the one true way.”
“Because,” Annalisa said dryly, “An
angel told me.”
Commander Elatrai and her whole team
looked at Annalisa in disbelief. “An angel?” Kalta said. “You saw this angel?”
“Not only that,” said Annalisa. “I can
introduce you.”
First Officer’s log. Supplemental. It is
easy to see how this planet has affected so many people; there is something
about the place. I’ve had more requests for shore leave than I had since we
were last at Risa. I think it is some kind of telepathic influence that
stretches as far as our ship in orbit. With acts of vandalism, it seems
unlikely that the crew would be safe on Footfall. Therefore, I have denied all
shore leave requests. The captain agrees with my assessment. We have made
contact with the Voice of Purity. In polite conversation, they seem as peaceful
as they profess to be, but remain dedicated to their cause despite our
diplomatic efforts. Thankfully, the attention they believe they are receiving
from Starfleet is keeping them appeased for now. I sensed a strong telepathic
energy among the group. I think all of them are strong telepaths. That could be
relevant somehow.
Since we have been on Footfall, we have
been attacked by the stereotypical religious figures commonly referred to as
“demons”. And now, thanks to the Voice of Purity, we are about to meet another
stereotypical religious figure known as an “angel.”
“You can let us speak to this angel?”
asked Commander Elatrai.
“Most certainly,” said Annalisa. She had
hoped that Starfleet would speak to the angel, thinking it would convince them
to join her cause, which she genuinely believed would benefit everyone. Elatrai
could sense that Annalisa was pleased she asked to speak to the angel.
The religious leader gathered four of
her followers and asked Elatrai’s team to follow her out of the caves. They
went to a small mountain pass overlooking another beautiful arid vista of the
planet. Elatrai watched as the religious group knelt and began a quiet prayer
in front of a large oval-shaped rock. The rock seemed to have rough edges that
gave it an unusual look. The edges seemed to be naturally worn, but they were
almost perfectly symmetrical. Elatrai
and Lt. Smeets pulled out their tricorders and scanned the area. They got
nothing strange from the rock. But they both picked up a strange energy reading
surrounding them.
Suddenly, a ball of light appeared above
the ground. The ball of light slowly took the form of a humanoid being with
flaming wings. It bathed the area in a soft glow. It was so bright that it took
everyone a few seconds for their eyes to adjust. They all had a sense of awe.
They recognized its appearance as a typical angel from many humanoid
mythologies.
The angel spoke in a soft voice that was
neither male nor female. “I am the creator’s messenger. The creator’s
followers, The Voice of Purity, will bring the creator’s word to the universe.
The universe must come together as one faith. The creator will purge the
universe of those who do not comply.”
Annalisa and her people raised their
heads as the angel spoke. Elatrai knelt beside Annalisa and asked if she could
speak to the angel. Annalisa said yes, but to please be respectful.
Commander Elatrai looked up to the angel
and spoke. “I am Commander Nyri Elatrai of the USS Intrigue from the United
Federation of Planets. We great you with open arms.”
The angel replied, “I am the creator’s
messenger. I welcome you to the creator’s land.”
“I am honored,” Elatrai said. “May I ask
a question?”
“Speak,” said the angel.
“You have told your followers, the Voice
of Purity, that the creator wants everyone unified under one religion. After so
many years, why? This planet has had multiple religions for two hundred years.”
“It is not for me to say why. I am but a
messenger.”
Well that was no help at all, thought
Elatrai.
Lt. Rita Smeets scanned the angel. It was
made of a strange type of energy that was unrecognized. But she did notice the
energy had an organic pattern, and that it generated a low-level telepathic
field.
Commander Elatrai could sense telepathic
energy coming from the angel. She tried to reach out to it telepathically. She
could sense a vast and powerful psychic force coming from this one angel.
Strange that she did not feel the force until she willfully opened her mind to
it. The force seemed powerful enough to control where it directed its psychic
energy, only making itself known to those who searched for it. Elatrai could
psychically hear hundreds of different voices calling out in confusion. The
voices were asking What is god? What is faith? So it was not just this one
angel that she sensed, but many minds. She tried to focus on just one mind, but
she could not. The minds were too alien to make that kind of connection. But
all of the minds had the same wavelength. Her tricorder showed only one source
of energy. Then she realized she could quite possibly be touching only one mind
expressing many conflicting thoughts. She had touched minds before that could
think more than one thought at a time. But hundreds of thoughts at a time, all
thinking the same, but different? All conflicting, yet asking many forms of the
same question: What is god? Strange. The “angel” itself is demanding
unification under one god, but it is struggling to define what god is.
Before Elatrai could speak again, the
angel said, “I warn you all that a storm is coming. One that is only a taste of
what is to come if the faith cannot be unified.” And with that, the angel
vanished. Smeets told the commander what she saw on her tricorder: telepathic
energy. Elatrai was not surprised. She felt the angel was made of telepathic
energy but she was beginning to think it was not a sentient being.
Just then, Elatrai’s comm badge beeped.
It was the captain letting her know that ship’s sensors showed an energy storm
was brewing. It appeared to be very large; large enough to destroy the colony.
It was moving towards the colony at an unnatural speed. Annalisa said it was
the vengeance of the creator for the nonunified religions of the planet.
Lt. Chevalier said, “The angel spoke of
a storm, and now a storm is coming. It can’t be a coincidence.”
Ensign J’Datek, ever the scientist,
said, “If the angel read as energy and the storm is energy, then the two must
have come from the same source, whatever that is.”
Elatrai said, “No time for theories now.
We have to make sure the colonists are safe. Annalisa, your people will be safe
back in your caves, if you don’t want to come with us to save the colony.”
Annalisa replied with, “the only way the
colonists will be safe is to join our cause. Anything else would be futile.”
Elatrai instructed Annalisa and her people to leave; she had no time to argue
with them.
Then Elatrai and her team headed back to
the colony. Elatrai called Commander Chahal so she could let her know a storm
was coming and that Starfleet would be there to provide assistance. Chahal said
her people had also detected the oncoming storm. She said she would send out a
city-wide alert. Many colonists had a cellar in their homes. But the majority
of people were religious visitors staying at hotels. Many of them, when they
heard the alert, would to go temples to pray. Elatrai said they could save as
many as possible by beaming them up to the Intrigue, but once the storm hit,
the massive energy would inhibit the transporters. Chahal did not think the
transporters were necessary. They had dealt with storms before, though storms
were rather rare on this planet. And none had been as big as this one.
Most of the colonists had time to get
inside a building before the storm came full force. Captain Sekoba had also
beamed down a security team to help as many colonists as possible find safety.
Elatrai ordered Kalta Neved, the one civilian member of her away team, to beam
back up to the ship. She did not like putting civilians in danger if she could
avoid it.
When the storm came, Elatrai ordered her
team to spread out and help anyone who needed it. Elatrai spotted a Klingon
colonist in the middle of a street holding a bat’leth. She told the Klingon he
must find shelter. The Klingon stood proud and said Kahless would protect him
because his heart was pure. She saw more red demons, just like the ones the
away team had faced before. She realized the demons were pure energy, just like
before, and that they were part of the storm. The storm also brought a hard
wind, much like a tornado.
The Klingon confronted one of the demons
with his bat’leth. He swung the bat’leth. It seemed to go right through the
demon. The demon raised one of its forearms and struck the Klingon in the
chest, knocking him down. Commander Elatrai knew the battle for the purity of
Footfall had begun.
To Be Continued
-by the
Honorable Kavura
Thank you for reading my Star Trek
Adventures: Captain’s Log mission report. Captain’s Log is a solo role-playing
game by Modiphius Entertainment.
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