By Brox Brott and Juan Diego Ordóñez
PRA GRAV, Arsakon VII (FNN) — At the request of the Detapa Council, Starfleet’s Office of Strategic Operations (OSO) has diverted the Luna-class USS Triton to Cardassian space to investigate an ongoing tachyon-based temporal phenomenon that is causing widespread devastation across Arsakon VII, the Cardassian Union’s leading exporter of kanar.
Commodity prices for kanar have already fallen over 30% in the last three months alone based on production loss and supply concerns threatening Cardassian contracts in the Gamma quadrant. Kanar is considered one of the long-standing mainstays for commodity investment in the Union, leading economic experts to warn that the price drop could have far-reaching effects. Already the instability in pricing has sent ripples through commodities markets, threatening to destabilize portions of the Cardassian economy and reverse gains made in postwar economic recovery.
The Arsakon mission will be the first for the Triton after undergoing a refit at the new Bajor shipyards and calibration of its scientific sensor pod at Starbase 50 following an incident in the Rolor Nebula, where its scientific expedition was ambushed by Breen fighters. Its newest commanding officer, Soraya Rezvani, has a controversial track-record in the fleet, but OSO Director-General Rear Admiral Daniel Ngabo expressed his confidence in her command.
“Commander Rezvani has more than a decade of dedicated service to science operations within Starfleet, not to mention her experience dealing with some of the most challenging issues to face someone in the center seat,” Admiral Ngabo said. “She and her crew are capable of addressing the scientific issues at play in the Arsakon system in total alignment with the Federation’s diplomatic commitments to the Cardassian Union.”
Cardassian investigation of the temporal phenomenon has been limited by the lack of available personnel and equipment due in no small part to the purges of suspected dissident elements that took place during the Dominion occupation. However, preliminary investigation shows that the phenomenon rapidly advances the aging of matter in affected areas. This has resulted in several dozen deaths and devastated the planet’s jora berry crop, the primary ingredient in kanar. Local infrastructure has suffered as well, threatening both the colony’s water and power supplies.
Brott reported from Cardassia Prime, and Ordóñez from San Francisco, Earth. Federation News Network journalists contributed to this story in association with their partners at Lakarian News.
For more information on the story visit the USS Triton mission guide or its public information portal.