1.4 Incident at Ivex (mission)

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## Mission

The *Tempest* is ordered to the Ivex system, in neutral space between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, where both a Federation and Klingon mining operation have been set up on neighboring planets. The crew must make sure the Klingons don't pose a threat to the Federation facility and that the Federation operation manager is satisfied that his crew and operation are safe.

## Summary

### Cold Open

On the surface of a rocky planet, a Federation construction team is in the final stage of setting up a large and elaborate dilithium mining operation. As the project supervisor, a human man named Norris Lee, manages the operation with a datapad when he looks up into the sky and notices the distant flashes of ships arriving in orbit. At the same moment, the Andorian chief of security comes bounding down towards the supervisor, shouting that the new arrivals are Klingon ships. The supervisor drops what he's doing and runs back towards the headquarters building himself.

### Part 1

The *Tempest* arrives to the Ivex system and is quickly contacted by Lee. He demands that the crew to take whatever action is necessary to get the Klingons to withdraw immediately, feeling certain that they intend to attack his facility as soon as it is finished being set up, likely killing everyone in the process as well. Maddox sends down a security detail to both appease Lee but also to make sure he doesn't do anything rash without the crew knowing about it. Lee relents temporarily but insists that if he has to, he will take matters into his own hands.

### Part 2

Maddox tries to arrange a social meal between the *Tempest* and mining operation crews, though Lee is unenthusiastic, considering it a waste of time and an unnecessary delay in what he is sure will ultimately have to be done anyway - using force to drive off the Klingons. The *Tempest* crew beam down to the facility on Ivex III anyway and try to learn more about the situation, while the *Tempest* passively scans the Klingon operation for any signs of aggression, of which they find none. In conversation with Lee, he admits that as part of another mining operation - one which he was not in charge of - renegade Klingons attacked and killed several miners in the process, and that he is determined to avoid a similar fate for this operation that he is in charge of. Maddox bluffs Lee by agreeing with his anti-Klingon bias, convincing him that they feel similarly and that Lee, at least for now, does not need to take matters into his own hands.

The crew return to the *Tempest* and move to Ivex II where the Klingon operation is located. As the ship approaches, the crew detects strange quasi-lifelike readings from multiple locations on Ivex II, but they are quickly confronted by a bird of prey in orbit of the planet and its blustering young captain, Klotha. Maddox tries to match his confrontational bearing but can tell that though he may be willing if necessary, Klotha does not actually want to fight. The crew are then contacted by the Klingon mining operation supervisor, Boq who introduces himself and is much friendlier and less confrontational than Klotha.

Boq invites the crew to the planet to tour the Klingon operation, which Maddox accepts. But the crew attempt to follow up on the strange readings they detected on approach but are unable to get a clear idea of what they are. Maddox, Goodspeed, Holden, and Teal beam down to the planet and meet Boq in person, where he explains that his only interest is doing the job he was sent here to do and has no intention of picking a fight with the Federation operation. But he also warns that he is still a Klingon and that if he is threatened or challenged, he will respond in kind with notorious Klingon ferocity.

Boq then proceeds to give the away team a brief tour of the facility, which is much smaller and less impressive than its Federation counterpart, before arriving at the mouth of a nearby cave that was one of the sources of the strange life readings. He explains that the readings belong to lifeforms native to the planet that have been causing problems for his operation and that they are planning to wipe them out. The crew decides their next priority is to investigate the life forms, though still aware that Lee's impatience means their time is limited.

### Part 3

The crew are concerned the alien life forms may be sentient, which would mean the Federation may want to get involved and complicate the goal of keeping the peace with the Klingons. Maddox sends Holden and Goodspeed back to Ivex III to guard Lee while Maddox, Teal, and Panther beam back down to the planet to investigate the creatures - approaching them through a cave system on the far side of the planet from the Klingon mine.

Aboard the *Tempest*, Goodspeed hails Lee and tries to convince him that Maddox is destroying the Klingons' food source but Lee is not fooled by the bluff and abruptly cuts off communications. Meanwhile on Ivex II, the away team enters the cave system, zeroing in on the source of the life sign readings. Eventually they reach a large chamber that is otherwise a dead end when translucent viscous liquid starts to seep from the cracks in the rock wall. The different clumps of liquid drop to the cave floor and then come together into one creature, shimmering with lights and colors. Teal attempts to read the creature telepathically and senses distress and a call for help coming from the creature, confirming that it is sentient and self aware.

The creature starts to move towards Teal and latches onto her hand before beginning to slowly envelop her arm. Panther moves to fire on the creature but Maddox orders him to hold his fire. Teal struggles to get free but can't do so, with the creature also enveloping her feet and legs and starting to crawl slowly up her body. Panther moves to fire again but Maddox again orders him to hold his fire, firing on the creature himself. The creature recoils and frees Teal in the process, prompting Maddox to order her and Panther to run while he stands his ground in front of the creature. The creature latches onto Maddox and envelops him in a similar fashion as Teal, but in contrast Maddox does not resist. The creature fully envelops Maddox and before they reach the cave entrance, Teal and Panther hear a distorted version of Maddox's voice crying out to them, telling them to wait, stop, come back, and help.

Teal and Panther return to find Maddox fully enveloped and taken over by the creature. The creature speaks through Maddox, asking the crew for their help in stopping the Klingons from exterminating them and their home. Teal agrees that they will help if they let Maddox go and they comply. The *Tempest* returns to Ivex II and the away team returns to the ship to debate their next course of action. They know Boq will be unsympathetic to the alien's plight and that the only other source of dilithium rich enough to sustain the aliens is on Ivex III - at the Federation mining operation. They also know that the Federation will not allow the Klingons to use their facility, since it contains technology that the Federation does not want the Klingons to have access to. Finally, they settle on transplanting the creatures from Ivex II to Ivex III, which Boq is willing to let them do, but also necessitates shutting down the Federation facility before it can even begin operations. As a result and on the crew's recommendation, Lee is moved out of the field and back to a desk job. The crew has successfully kept the peace for today, though the loss of the mining facility may have long term repercussions that they will have to contend with down the road.

## Elements

* Characters
	+ NPCs
		- Norris Lee
		- Ch'vhialnek
		- Klotha
		- Boq
		- Ivexian
	+ Supporting Characters
		- Lt. Eele Notus
* Ships
	+ IKS Tong Vey
* Items
* Locations
	+ Ivex II
		- Klingon Mining Camp
		- Cavern System
	+ Ivex III
		- Mining Facility Alpha

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