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Post by norcaler on Sept 26, 2013 1:38:31 GMT
"Captain's Log: Supplemental
"The Avalon located a large, nebula-like anomaly at the coordinates specified by Starfleet Command. Our investigations revealed that it was the site of a centuries-old battle between the Hydran Kingdom and the Lyran Star Empire, a wrecked dreadnaught from the former sitting at the center of the cloud. A probe sent into the wreck of the Paladin-class vessel revealed she was the victim of an enemy boarding action and was lost with all hands. I've recommended that the Federation Diplomatic Corps contact the Hydrans to arrange joint operations to recover the vessel and their dead, though there's been little contact from the minor powers of the pre-Khitomer Accords era. Perhaps the Avalon will be tasked with renewing old acquaintances.
"After leaving a marker buoy, the Avalon is now on course back to Federation space..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 1, 2013 1:30:18 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89747.8
"Helmsman Mexis Xivix has applied for a transfer, thus elevating Ensign Callista Stevens to his position upon the completion of her forthcoming honeymoon. Mexis was one of the Avalon's original senior officers and he'll be missed. In the meantime, the Avalon's departed Starbase 146 to continue our various duties as per Starfleet Command's orders..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 2, 2013 23:00:43 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89753.0
"The Avalon is presently patrolling along the Klingon Neutral Zone. Although hostilities have diminished over the past two years, the Federation and the Empire are still technically at war..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 3, 2013 1:46:57 GMT
"Captain's Log: Supplemental
"The Avalon encountered a heavily damaged Bortasqu'-class dreadnaught hijacked by Tholians who were after a mysterious artifact in its cargo hold. Faced with an armed warship with disruptors locked on my ship and the possibility that the Tholians might use this artifact against the Federation, I elected to open fire and retrieve the artifact. With the Bortasqu' crippled and the Tholian boarders deceased, the Avalon has withdrawn to Deep Space K-7 where an analysis of the artifact is underway. For their part, the Klingon Empire was quick to disavow that one of their flagships was stolen. Experience tells me that there's another Great House about to be disbanded by the Klingon High Council..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 9, 2013 23:09:35 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89772.1
"The Avalon has been tasked with assisting in the final shakedown cruise of the starship Avenger, the lead ship in a new class of Federation battle cruiser. I look forward to seeing what the latest in Starfleet design can do against a proven flagship..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 10, 2013 1:48:51 GMT
"Captain's Log: Supplemental
"During our simulated combat exercise against the Avenger, the Avalon proved herself quite capable. However, when the Avenger launched her V.A.T.A. weapons, their guidance system was remotely hacked so that their warhead yield and tetryon weapons were at full combat level. The Avalon survived the attack and tracked the culprit, which was a warbird belonging to General Solius' group that self-destructed rather than risk capture. As a precaution against further acts of sabotage, Captain Blott ordered the Avenger's systems to be put into full stand-by and the ship is presently being towed back to Earth Spacedock by the starship Iliad.
"While the motives for Solius' actions remain a total mystery, the Avalon has resumed her patrol mission..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 10, 2013 20:31:56 GMT
"Captain's Personal Log: Stardate 89774.6
"I've been ordered to Earth to be debriefed on the incident with the Avenger and Solius' forces a day ago. There goes my weekend..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 14, 2013 5:40:36 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89783.8
"I've concluded a weekend-long debrief with Starfleet Command in regards to the incident with Solius and the Avenger only to be briefed on what could be a remarkable discovery. As Starfleet informed me, the MIDAS array a few weeks ago detected a massive blank spot in space along the border of the Beta and Delta Quadrants, an area of distortion that could only be caused by a massive gravitic displacement akin to the Jenolen Dyson Sphere. After consultation with the SCE at the Jenolen Sphere and after cross referencing these readings with the Romulan Republic, whose long range subspace telescope in the Tau Dewa Sector Block corroborated the scans of the MIDAS array, Starfleet has reason to believe that there's a second Dyson Sphere out there.
"This obviously is a remarkable find, if it's true. The Jenolen Sphere's interior surface area is equal to 250 million M-Class planets, however due to the instability of the star at the center of it, the sphere cannot support humanoid life due to the radiation its sun puts out. If there is another Dyson Sphere out there and it is capable of supporting life as we know it, well...
"...Starfleet has tasked the Avalon to take the lead in investigating this possible Sphere and has tasked me with taking any ships in our fleet capable of faster-than-warp travel as part of a task force to secure this new find for the Federation. The Avalon was recently out in that area and I'm sure ships like the Exodus, Iliad, and Illustrious are more than capable of establishing a foothold for further study of whatever we'll find out there. However, from what Admiral Chakotay of Starfleet Intelligence told me, word of this find may have already leaked to the Klingon Empire via their allies in the Romulan Republic. There may be upwards of 250 million strange new worlds sitting out there and we could be looking at the biggest land grab in the history of sentient civilization.
"The Avalon is currently en route back to Starbase 146, both to organize our expedition to the Delta Quadrant border and to participate in potential war games. I find myself hoping the latter won't one day be applicable to the former..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 15, 2013 1:53:17 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89786.1
"The Avalon participated in the war games scenario at Starbase 146 and while we were successful in sealing a subspace rift that the hostiles were using to penetrate the base's outer defenses, the Avalon was declared disabled during the exercise and the starbase was deemed a total loss int he aftermath. The important thing is that this was a simulation and we must all take the lessons learned from this and apply them for the real thing..."
***
"Captain's Personal Log: Supplemental
"I should be really upset right now at how we did. I should be feeling the urge to throttle Admiral Cai'lyn for throwing a Kobayashi Maru at the fleet and for a moment I did. I could tell Commander Maus felt the same way when the simulated shooting stopped; she almost looked like she was about to blush as red as my uniform. But then I realized that not every hostile encounter deals with known quantities. Our mandate is to explore the unknown, with all the risks and rewards that come with it. And soon, the Avalon and other vessels of this fleet will encounter a very big unknown, in both the literal and metaphorical sense. Perhaps Korzan's little exercise is most applicable to whatever we may be facing when we reach our destination..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 16, 2013 23:01:33 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89791.3
"The Avalon has been tasked with a patrol of the Cardassian border. Although the crew is excited for our extended voyage in a few weeks, certain tasks still need to be performed in the interim..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 17, 2013 1:55:29 GMT
"Captain's Log: Supplemental
"The Avalon was intercepted by the heavily damaged USS Defiant, whose captain, James Kurland, warned of a pending True Way attack on the Cardassian farming colony of Rakal. We proceeded to Rakal calling for mutual aide from the 90th Special Operations Fleet and the aggressor squadron from the war games scenario two days ago. With further help from the Cardassian Civil Defense Force, we successfully disabled all attackers, including the Hutet-class dreadnaught Dukat, and saved the colony from invasion. The Avalon has since resumed her patrol with only minor damage..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 23, 2013 3:29:15 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89808.2
"While at Starbase 146, the Avalon responded to a distress signal from the Romulan vessel Eclipse and towed her to the station's shipyard for repairs. While Fleet Captain Starsinger wasn't fully satisfied with its Captain Leeanna's explanation as to how she ended up in her predicament or what her true role in the Romulan Republic is, I managed to broker a deal where she'd exchange intel for current and future repairs.
"And unfortunately, I'm running out of reasons to allow the Exodus to take part in the forthcoming deep space expedition to the Delta Quadrant border. I relayed my concerns to Captain Starsinger and SI operative Kayla Black and the more we talked, the less inclined I am to let Captain RasTalon accompany the task force. We're going a long ways away from any reinforcements, we need to rely on the other ships in the task force for help and possibly to save our lives in a crunch. I'm not sure if I believe Tiana is capable of that anymore..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 23, 2013 22:59:33 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89810.4
"The Avalon is presently heading towards the last known border of the Hydran Kingdom in an attempt to make contact regarding the wreck of the dreadnaught we discovered last month..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 24, 2013 1:33:54 GMT
"Captain's Log: Supplemental
"The Avalon made contact with a Lyran battle cruiser in a system formerly held by the Hydran Kingdom. According to its captain, after the Khitomer Accords were signed, the Lyran Mountain Watcher Clan assumed control of the empire and launched a preemptive war against the Hydrans. The Lyrans were pushed back all the way to their homeworld, however for whatever reason, the Hydrans withdrew to their core home sector, abandoning entire sectors and star systems. Based on what the Lyran captain explained, the Hydrans have turned insular and warned that any violation of their border would be greeted with force.
"What could have happened back then? We know the Hydrans are a very religious people, with complicated lines of succession to the throne and powerful merchant guilds. Whatever the case may be, the FDC's job just got a lot more complicated in trying to reestablish contact with the Hydran Kingdom.
"The Avalon also received word from Starfleet Command that due to developments in the Romulan Republic, developments they didn't elaborate on, the expedition to the Delta Quadrant is on hold pending further news. Once again I find myself left with a lot of questions due to today's events and with no answers forthcoming on either front...
"At least there's some good news. The Avalon's advanced comm array is waiting for us at Starbase 146, over a week too late to do any good during the war games or during our encounter with the True Way dreadnaught Dukat..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 25, 2013 1:43:29 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89813.4
"The Avalon has just finished having her advanced communications array installed at Starbase 146 and will soon be fully operational. In addition, the Romulan Republic has announced their intention to activate the Iconian gateway discovered in the ruins of the ancient Dewan civilization last year and have invited delegates from the Federation and Klingon Empire to witness the occasion next week. The Avalon and her crew just happen to be some of those delegates. Here's hoping this goes better than when the Dewans tried to turn it on.
"And why do I have the urge to hit a golf ball through the gate if it works?"
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Post by norcaler on Oct 28, 2013 5:51:06 GMT
"Captain's Personal Log: Stardate 89822.0
"The new advanced hand-to-hand combat training holodeck program has proven quite useful in venting my frustrations, though I keep wondering why a clown in a purple suit keeps showing up, taunting me as if he was S'Harien or Solius. At any rate, it's been a useful distraction from the pending activation of the Iconian gate on New Romulus and the related hold on our task force to the alleged Dyson Sphere near the Delta Quadrant border. I've been wondering if Starfleet Command jumped the gun on this task force; that by being eager to rush where angels fear to tread, they set up false expectations that were dashed the second they put the brakes on. From Captain Southpaws of the Virginia looking to explore strange new worlds exclusively (and yes I envy her that but I can't help but think exploration will be for her a pastime not a vocation in this day and age) to Captain RasTalon still looking to prove herself, we have a lot of people chomping at the bit in the 146th.
"Frankly, so is my crew. With the comm array upgrades on top of the earlier neutronium armor plating and RCS thruster enhancements, the Avalon's more than ready to lead a foray of exploration into the heart of the unknown. I'll admit that if the Republic can successfully activate the Iconian gateway, it'll be the greatest achievement in faster-than-warp propulsion since the first tranwarp gate was constructed. And yet...planets look better when you fly down to them in a shuttle than beaming down via a transporter..."
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Post by norcaler on Oct 31, 2013 1:50:34 GMT
*Spoiler warning for "Sphere of Influence"*
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89829.8
"I had the...pleasure of being a visiting dignitary to the testing of the Iconian Gateway on New Romulus, along with the likes of Captain Shon of the Enterprise, Captain Koren of the Klingon flagship Bortasqu', and none other than Ambassador Worf. As many of us feared, there was an accident that caused planet-wide seismic activity and those of us in attendance were forced to flee through the gateway, finding ourselves in a mysterious installation.
"We split up to explore the installation, with myself and the ambassador on the same team. Shon and Koren's team were abducted by the mysterious inhabitants of the facility, whom Worf recognized as aliens from a parallel subspace domain he encountered during his days aboard the Enterprise-D. After rescuing the survivors, we proceeded further into the base, discovering a planetarium and the shocking truth: these solanagen-based aliens and the Elachi were servants of the Iconians...and that they appear to be covertly surveying Earth, Qo'Nos, New Romulus, and countless worlds around the galaxy. Our only means of escape and only means of saving New Romulus from another cataclysm laid in resetting the network of Iconian gateways. After triggering the reset and downloading what we could from the base's computers, the survivors and I secured the use of a vessel docked nearby and we escaped through a gateway to the Jouret System in the Tau Dewa Sector Block.
"But while our reactivating the gateway network saved New Romulus and got us out of there, there was an unintended consequence. Elachi ships started pouring through the Jouret gate; the Avalon, Bortasqu', and Enterprise arrived with reinforcements and we successfully defeated them. Scans by the Enterprise and Avalon revealed that the Jouret gateway is locked towards one destination...and what little we know about what's on the other side is as great a danger as the Iconians and Elachi combined.
"Chief Engineer Fearos is leading a prize crew to our mystery carrier and we're rigging to tow her back to Starbase 146 for further study. She's one of the most advanced vessels I've ever seen, with a warp core more advanced than any quantum slipstream drive we have on record and perhaps the control mechanism needed to shut down other Iconian gates to thwart the Elachi or God knows who else could come through them. Maybe reverse engineering and utilizing both is what's needed to succeed in the days to come.
"...on a personal note, I have to admit that despite the losses we suffered today and the looming dangers on the horizon, I got a kick out of riding shotgun with a man who shaped so much of the history of the past four decades..."
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Post by norcaler on Nov 1, 2013 5:45:35 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89833.0
"The Avalon has returned to Starbase 146 with the mysterious carrier dubbed Obelisk 1 in tow and now secured at the base's shipyard. I can already sense the vultures circling and for the time being I've issued orders to Chief Engineer Fearos to bar access to the ship to only those I authorize. I realize that every facet of Starfleet will want a crack at the Obelisk, but in my opinion, she needs to be looked over by qualified xenotechnolgy experts, Fearos being the best the Federation has to offer. The priority should be figuring out to harness the Obelisk's slipstream warp core in ships like the Avalon and finding out how the Obelisk can control the Iconian gateways. And in my view, so-called secret squirrels aren't the people who can do the job that Fearos can do in his sleep..."
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Post by norcaler on Nov 1, 2013 21:03:20 GMT
"Captain's Log: Stardate 89834.7
"Reports continue to stream in from across the quadrant of incursions by the Elachi through Iconian gateways, gateways that we didn't know existed until two days ago. Of course, the gates are also attracting the attention of all sorts who wouldn't mind exploiting Iconian gateway technology for their own gain. And if the Borg take an interest in any of them, god forbid the one in the Jouret system, then it could be a disaster for everyone. Throw in the mysterious disappearance of the Jenolen Dyson Sphere and our attempt to save New Romulus from destruction is still having ripple effects throughout the galaxy.
"Speaking of the Jouret gate, I'm told President Okeg, Chancellor J'mpok, and Proconsul D'Tan are still trying to decide what to do with it. Obviously the signals we picked up on the other end should be investigated and I only hope that all three governments are in agreement on how to...handle it. Work on the Obelisk proceeds slowly. According to the files recovered from the solanagen-based aliens' base, the ship was built by a species called the Solanae and are apparently servants of the Iconians like the Elachi. Fearos also notes there's some commonality between the Obelisk's technology and the Elachi, which I suppose makes sense. Still no word on the gateway control mechanism or if we can make her warp core work on the Avalon...or of an army of brass looking to steal her out from under the 146th..."
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Post by norcaler on Nov 2, 2013 6:29:25 GMT
"Captain's Personal Log: Supplemental
"Pandora. That's what I'm being called behind my back in light of the actions Ambassador Worf and I took to save New Romulus. By saving the new homeworld of the Romulan people, we...I have unleashed the Elachi against the galaxy, allowing them to strike against targets they might not have before. Before two days ago, the Elachi were primarily focused on the Romulan Republic, now we're receiving reports that they're invading Federation and Klingon territory. I keep trying to tell myself that the actions Worf and I took saved New Romulus, but I'm conscious of the fact that while thousands of Romulan lives were saved, many more may now be in jeopardy. I've faced the grim calculus in war more times than I care to; I just hope that eventually the scales will be balanced. Worf may think that to face the enemy in a stand-up fight is preferable to letting the Iconians' plan for New Romulus succeed, but that's the warrior's mentality. I'm a soldier, charged with defending lives who'd seek to do them harm, usually against warriors..."
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