S01E01 - Masquerades

# **“Masquerades”**

  It is appropriate that this new USS Horizon’s maiden voyage will take her to the very cusp of the Federation’s future. In a few hours, we will depart the Sol system along with the USS Liberty, USS Ottawa, and our sister ship the USS Pompeii to escort the Romulan warbird Apnex home to Chaltok IV, whereupon the final formalities will be observed, and Chaltok will officially join the Federation. While any new member in the Federation is cause for celebration, Chaltok represents a move forward I truly never would have thought possible – it’s a Romulan world, situated well inside the former Neutral Zone, which has operated independently since the supernova of 2387 led to the collapse of the Romulan Star Empire. I can remember hearing about the Tomed Incident as a child, and how it had been Earth’s war against the Romulans in the 2150s that led to the birth of the Federation in the first place. Now, over four million Romulans are about to become Federation citizens.
   It should be noted that not everyone is as pleased about the course of history as I am. The Romulan Free State has been making their opposition to Chaltok’s membership exceptionally clear, and while they do represent the largest and most cohesive of the various successor states that have arisen from the Empire’s ashes, they’ve never claimed Chaltok as part of their territory nor participated in its governance. The fact that the Free State has the backing of the Tal Shiar only heightens the risks of admitting Chaltok over their objections, but multiple referenda have confirmed this as the choice of the people of Chaltok themselves, and I believe the Federation Council’s decision to proceed is the right one.
   Due to the Romulan Free State’s opposition to Chaltok’s admission, and specifically due to intelligence that suggests the Tal Shiar may have compromised the IRW Apnex during this mission, a small delegation of Romulan dignitaries and officials will be beaming aboard the Horizon shortly. They will travel with us, in secret, as a safeguard against the Tal Shiar sabotaging the completion of the admission process. I will be informing my senior staff shortly. While I understand the need for secrecy in this matter, I still strongly feel that this delegation should be welcomed and treated to as much hospitality as we can muster. I intend to have Commander Corlan take point as our liaison to them. I doubt even Romulan bureaucrats will prove immune to his charm.

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#### *Captain’s Log, Stardate 79155.2*

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  It is my regrettable duty to officially attest that Commander Arleth Corlan of Betazed, my first officer and a young man I considered a good friend and an outstanding officer, has been killed. His body was found early this morning on Holodeck 2, along with High Magistrate Velorus of the Romulan delegation. Our investigation has begun, but I simply do not know what effect this will have on finalizing Chaltok IV’s admission to the Federation. Both the government of Chaltok and Starfleet Command have been apprised of the situation. In a short time the fleet will drop out of warp and Admiral Clark will be coming aboard from the Liberty to observe the investigation himself. For the time being, I have promoted Security Chief Stryker to acting First Officer. He will be leading the investigation “on the ground” as it were.

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#### *Captain’s Log, Supplemental*

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  Dr. Saunders has just informed me that the bodies recovered in Holodeck 2 are NOT those of Commander Corlan and High Magistrate Velorus. Rates of cellular decay and molecular evidence indicate that these are, in fact, recently-grown clones of those two men. According to the doctor, there’s no indication that these bodies were ever truly awake or conscious, and that the men we all saw leaving the luau last night are in fact unaccounted for. Chief Engineer McBride has confirmed that two people entered the holodeck at approximately 0200 hours, a program was initiated, and then left running. The door remained closed until an ensign arrived at 0700 for her morning jog and discovered the bodies. Transporter traces indicate two dematerializations and two rematerializations in rapid succession. Our current theory is that Corlan and Velorus were beamed out and then the cloned bodies beamed in. We have not yet discovered the source of those transporter beams. Whether this means Corlan and Velorus are still alive is also unknown.

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*Addendum:*
    As if things weren’t complicated enough. We’ve just received a broadcast from General Nedar of the Tal Shiar – previously known to myself and many others as Commodore Oh, the former Chief of Starfleet Security. She declared that she and her fleet have formed a blockade around Chaltok IV and that it would henceforth be the territory of the Romulan Free State. She further insisted that the warbird Apnex and all Chaltok officials and dignitaries traveling with the Federation fleet be turned over to her. Finally she claimed that any ship attempting to run or bypass the blockade would be destroyed and risk war. I don’t know how, but I am certain she is somehow involved in the apparent murders aboard the Horizon. The layers of deception and misdirection are classic Tal Shiar tactics. If she’s got Velorus and Corlan…

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#### *Captain’s Log, Stardate 79158.6*

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  The Horizon is assisting in the recovery of personnel and escape pods from the USS Pompeii, which was destroyed after a devastating systems failure cascade triggered by a virus buried deep in her systems. While there are numerous injuries, so far the only confirmed fatality was the Pompeii’s captain, who remained behind to pilot the ship away from the rest of the convoy before she lost antimatter containment. Dr. Saunders and Commander Stryker are overseeing relief efforts, including turning our main cargo bay into a makeshift camp. The Ottawa and the Liberty have both taken on members of Pompeii's crew as well.
   I am tremendously disappointed to report that Pompeii’s destruction seems to have been triggered by none other than Commander Corlan, whom we had originally believed dead. Thanks to an engineering team discovering Romulan blood in Cargo Bay 3, and Commander McBride’s deep distrust of the personal transporter devices the Romulan delegation brought aboard, we were able to locate a small ship – about the size of a runabout, cloaked and attached directly to our hull near the starboard nacelle pylon. McBride repolarized the hull, which decloaked the vessel. It immediately moved off and went to warp. A moment later, Corlan hailed us – very much alive and now wearing the insignia of the Tal Shiar. While he engaged Commander Stryker in a petty round of taunts, he transmitted a second signal to a pre-programmed terminal in his quarters, which in turn transmitted that signal to the Pompeii. It was just one word – Vesuvius. Corlan didn’t say much of substance to explain himself, but he did say that he had Magistrate Velorus with him and that he was on his way to deliver him to “the General” – no doubt General Nedar. Damn her. Damn them both.

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#### *Captain’s Log, Supplemental*

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  High Magistrate Velorus is back aboard the Horizon, and I must commend my officers Commander Stryker, Commander McBride, and Dr. Saunders for an ingenious plan to locate and recover him. With the loan of the Apnex’s cloaking device, we were able to catch and overtake Corlan’s small ship without him detecting we were coming. Stryker, McBride, and Saunders beamed over and rescued the magistrate and apprehended Corlan, who at this moment is sitting in the brig. I haven’t decided if I can stomach going to speak to him or if I’ll simply content myself with turning him over to the Liberty to be taken back to headquarters for court-martial. His ship unfortunately self-destructed before we could take it in tow. Magistrate Velorus was injured, and apparently suffered substantial blood loss, but Dr. Saunders assures me he will fully recover, and be able to participate in the Charter Signing ceremony on Chaltok IV. Although understandably, he may not be feeling up to giving that speech.
   We’re awaiting the rest of the fleet to join us at our current location before continuing on to Chaltok. We’ve had word from the planet that there is no blockade, nor have they had any communication with either the Tal Shiar or the Romulan Free State. Looks like Oh…err Nedar… was bluffing us. Just another layer of lies.  As our mission will lead us further into the former territory of the Romulan Empire, I can only assume we haven’t seen the last of General Nedar.

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