Looking Deeper

Posted on Sun Aug 17th, 2025 @ 10:30am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Senior Chief Petty Officer Ronson Mitchell & Commander Jenna Ramthorne & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & Lieutenant JG Ngaza & Ensign Kitiuas Thenis ie-Jia'anKahr & Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell

1,730 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: For Bajor!
Location: DS9
Tags: For Bajor!, help, drought, DS9

Personal Log:
Looking Deeper

Entry 14.382.99.76
From my quarters, Bajor presents a problem more complex than I first surmised. The drought, as it appears on the surface, is a lie. My deeper analyses of the planet's energy signatures reveal a meteorological pattern that is almost too normal. The atmospheric currents, the planetary pressure systems, they are all in a state of unnatural harmony, a forced stillness that prohibits the formation of rain. This is not a natural entropy; this is an imposed will.

As I sat here, contemplating this quiet deception, the wormhole shimmered open in a brilliant flash of light. The event, so common in this sector, was an unexpected jolt to my ancient mind. It brought to mind the entities Starfleet calls the "wormhole aliens," a term I detest for its crude simplicity. To me, they were the original Bajorans, those who chose to transcend physical form and ascend to something more.
This thought, in turn, brought forth another, darker possibility: the Pah-wraith.

Most species, with their fleeting lives and limited perspective, would brand them as evil. But I have seen true evil. If their young minds truly understood the vastness of that term, they would not consider the Pah-wraith a suitable subject for it. There are things in the void that would make the Pah-wraith's influence seem like a child's tantrum. I recall the Vezda…

The nebulous silver swirl in my metallic eye stopped momentarily, a physical sign of an intrusive thought. It is an unwanted memory, a residual resonance of a long-ago horror. I shook my head, clearing the intrusive thoughts from my consciousness. This line of thinking is not constructive. It is a distraction born of ancient grief.

A beep from my console brought me back to the present. The probes I deployed have returned. The information they carry should tell me exactly what I have to work with. The veil of deception will be lifted.

Bridge

On the bridge, Savar studied Bajor as it filled the main viewscreen. For several seconds he was silent before he turned to address Rhenora. "Most unusual captain, The weather patterns are in a state of near perfect harmony yet there is no rain. that is not normal or logical."

"You've got the intel then?" Captain Kaylen Rhenora quips as she strides onto the bridge. She had sent the XO the communication from Zio for his opinion. They needed a plan that would remove the need for the Sunfire to be there.

"This is a routine weather survey, we have 4 hours before the Sunfire needs to be docked at DS9 for repairs and resupply. The Admiralty didn't give me much this time" she said ruefully as she sat in the centre chair he had just vacated. "What happens after we dock as the starbase will need to be off the books. We're on leave for a week, so we have a week to solve this. Convene the senior staff if you could please Mr Savar."

“Sounds like I’m just in time then” Aurora smiled as she walked into the bridge just as Rhenora gave her orders. “I’ll set up the briefing room.” With that she headed straight there to set up ready for the rest of the senior staff.

"I did get the intel." Svar replied not missing a beat and continuing, "Of course Captain." Savar replied tapping his combadge as he did. "All senior staff report to the briefing room. Again all senior staff report to the briefing room."

Rhenora strode towards thr briefing room, mind already going over the information she would be passing on to her crew and what she would be asking them to do. This was a strong coffee kind of meeting.

Savar turned and followed Rhenora toward the briefing room. His mind already going over the information it had and what possible actions the captain would wish to have them consider and act upon.

The Captain took her seat at the head of the table, Ronson arriving a moment later with a strong coffee. She smiled gratefully and set it on the table, the bitter aroma tickling her ridged nose with its heady scent. They had a communique from a new officer sent to assist with the situation who would be meeting them at DS9. Until then they had 4 hours in orbit around Bajor before Command pulled them out again. The crew began to file in.

Jenna had just finished a round of anbo-jyutsu in the gym and was packing up her gear when the call came in. The bruising around her eye was now minimal even as her brow furrowed at the call. They were supposed to be on leave, what could possibly warrant a call to the Bosses table now, she wondered. No time to freshen up, she slipped her over shirt on over her workout gear, tossed her bag over her should and made her way to the bridge.

Minutes later she entered the conference room and nodded to the Captain, "Sorry for the lack of uniform. I came straight from the gym." She admitted before plopping herself into a nearby seat hoping no one would notice the smell of her sweat.

Also expecting to be on leave, Bonnie had already started making plans to catch a shuttle to Risa for some artifact digging, when her communicator chirped and Savar's voice ordered the Officers to the conference room. Despite Bonnie not really believing she was 'Senior' staff, more a minor background person, she also knew better. Her place was on the bridge as she had been told many times.

A few minutes after Jenna arrived, Bonnie followed suit. For once she appeared to be mostly early instead of running behind. The early wake up call probably was a factor in that. She slid in silently, avoiding eye contact as much as possible and quietly slipped into her seat before nodding to the Captain and then Commander Savar.

Savar sat in his customary spot to the right of Rhenora. He took a sip of his cup of tea Ronson had provided and nodded to Bonnie has she entered and then slipped into her chair.

Kit had just finished changing Astraea and was getting ready to put her down for her nap when she heard Kasso standing in the doorway. "Hey sis, thought the ship and crew were supposed to be going on leave? Heard your combadge go off; said for all senior staff to report to the briefing room." Kit sighed and turned around, "Duty calls, ensure Astraea gets to sleep." Kasso spoke up "Ahh sis, you going to this meeting wearing that?" Kit looked down at her outfit; a pale blue Orion Flounce Mini Halter Dress. Typical of Orion clothing it accentuated her feminity. "No time to change. " She replied and left to get to the meeting.

Kitiuas arrived to the meeting, with a flare, in typical Orion fashion.

After the senior staff settled themselves at the table, the Captain looked a moment to study the waves around her. They were tired, but still ready, ans it hurt her heart to ask them to forgo leave for a personal request.

"I understand we are all supposed to be on leave, but what happens next stays in the room." She prefaced, having already disabled the recording devices. "Bajor is on the brink of a starvation crisis, and the Federation have pulled the 'we're busy rebuilding other worlds' card." She started, pulling up a 10 year rainfall average. "A drought has been in effect for the past 2 years. People are starving and the population is desperate. Martial Law is in effect in most provinces, food rationing has been exhausted and there are no crops to harvest. "

“That’s awful” Aurora shook her head. “How can people be left like that?”

Jenna sat forward, her interests piqued, "Has Starfleet expressly forbidden us from intervening?" Immediate red flags sparked in her mind. Bajor wasn't a Federation member yet, maybe one day, but for now they would be on their own. At least unless someone volunteered to come to their aid.

Bonnie stayed reserved in her judgement of the situation. She felt small in comparison to a planet wide drought. What could one starship do for millions of hungry Bajorans?

Kit sat quietly listening to the conversation going on. When she heard Lieutenant Commander Auroraa question she chuckled and stated out loud, "A cluros move by someone in the Federation Diplomatic corps. Force Bajor to decide on whether to join the F'deraxt'la and receive help or go it alone and suffer. Definitely a cluros move on someone's part." Kit suddenly realized she had spoken a few Orion terms, strange she usually didn't do that.

"Cluros?'" Rhenora asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering if the universal translator was functioning properly.

"Sorry captain. Cluros is an Orion code of conduct, close definition 'cold' or 'coolness'. In this case it means someone in the Federation Diplomatic corps is extremely cold in their dealings."


"Hrmmm...we have 4 hours for some scans, then we need to be at DS9. Im asking for volunteers to come back to Bajor and find out what's really going on" the Captain finished.

“Count me in Captain” Aurora smiled warmly. “I want to help.”

Kit replied to the captain's request "I am in my Elt. Just allow me to let my sister know she is on extended babysitting duties and not to party to hard." Kit again subconsciously used an Orion word for captain.

"If we can solve this issue, we will all party hard with you Kit" The Captain smiled warmly as she took a sip of the coffee. "Now the time is ticking, we need to get as much intel as we can."

Savar nodded at Aurora and then turned to Rhenora, "I too will be glad to help the Bajorians in this utmost time of need."


"We need to keep this classified, we will be returning to Bajor to celebrate our daughters 1st birthday with friends, in case anyone asks. We need to get these scans done find out as much as we can, then be at DS9 on time so to not arouse suspicion. After that, meet us at the cottage." The Captain rose, her expression thankful to her crew. "Bajor needs you, and I thank you" and with that she turned and headed back to the bridge.

 

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