After narrowly avoiding an armed conflict with the Hydran cruiser Hammer of Progress due to the prejudices and Hawk attitudes of Admiral Olivia Proctor, the USS Galaxy continues on her milk run to deliver the Admiral to Deep Space 5 to relieve the current command staff.

Situated in unclaimed territory not far from the Hydran border, Deep Space 5 is the lone sentinel on the frontlines. When the Galaxy arrives, a great mystery looms upon the crew as they discover not all is the norm with the Station.

Mysteries beckon, loyalties are examined, a spectre from the past returns, and more questions then answers are revealed as the crew of the USS Galaxy face the greatest threat to the Federation yet... themselves.

Written by Ian Dickson, writer of Kylar Curran.

The USS Galaxy is completing final upgrades, testing, and repairs to Deep Space 5 and its own systems that had been wiped clean by Captain M'Kantu's 'clear coffee' order. After five months of patrolling the sector while Deep Space 5 is sterilized and repaired, the station is now under defense of the Federation Border Patrol, who have had over 60% of their fleet assigned to the area so that the Galaxy-class starship can move on to its next assignment at Starbase Atlantis.

Captain M'Kantu is recalled to the station to attend hearings on the events that occurred at Deep Space 5. In the meantime, the Galaxy's next assignment to Starbase Atlantis is delayed. While awaiting the final report, a small team of personnel are sent on a deep cover operation into Hydran space to extract a lost operative. While this is underway, the Galaxy itself is pulled into another mystery of substantial political import. A thriving civilization is found in a most unlikely place, and the crew are pulled into the middle of an internal struggle which will challenge their ethical and moral nature.

The blue week of logs in the archives below signified a 'free write' week over the holidays. The episode picked up where it left off prior to this free write on the 1st. The free write spans only two days in the game - Christmas and New Years Eve.

The USS Galaxy has just exited the nebulous cloud in which they encountered the Jem’Hadar colony of Tru’Haran. Tension among the crew is high. They are faced with the dual shock of going about their duties while living in close quarters with their Dominion War enemies and the fallout from Lieutenant Commander O’Shea’s sudden betrayal.

Meanwhile, Captain Henderson is faced with the dilemma of what to do with Goran’Agar and the refugees from the violent revolution at Tru’Haran. Procedure demands that he deliver them to Deep Space Five and the custody of Admiral Proctor, his direct superior officer. Henderson, a moderate, finds the likely result objectionable, and begins looking for alternatives.

But all of these concerns must be put aside when a message comes from the Federation Security Advisor. The USS Galaxy is to make for ch'Rihan, the mysterious capital world of the Rihannsu Star Empire, bearing the murdered body of the Proconsul's son home for a state funeral. Honored to be the first starship to formally visit ch'Rihan since the USS Titan, the Galaxy is soon caught up in a series of events that threaten to destabilize the Federation's relationship with the unstable Hitan Government, masterminded by a villain from among the Galaxy's own.

As the USS Galaxy remains in orbit over ch'Rihan purging its systems of sabotage left behind by the clone O'Shea, the Rihannsu government calls upon the crew of the starship to assist in the first joint Romulan/Reman effort to excavate the ruins of the fabled central battlefield of the First Romulan/Federation War on Cheron. The Rihannsu government offers the use of one of their remaining Warbirds to transport to the site, and take up the position of impartial observer - as the Klingons have done for the Remans - and determine who, or what, is commiting acts of violence upon the colonists on the desolate planet.

The Romulan government, still fighting for stability since Shinzon's eradication of the Senate, is at an apex. Tal'Aura's departure and the rise of the Romulan Naval Intelligence has caused shifting alliances to further entrench the various political entities into securing their control over various aspects of Romulan society.

They are at their least effective while progressing towards a new government when outside forces take the most interest in this once-powerful Empire and its inability to function cohesively. Rebellions on outer worlds, treachery in the ranks, and banded enemies advance on the homeworld for retribution. The 2nd Galae, Romulus' greatest fleet, is destroyed to a man by a new and terrifying weapon while defending against the advance.

Romulus appeals to Starfleet and the Federation for assistance, and they respond by assembling a task force of over a dozen of their most powerful ships, consisting of the starships Miranda, Galaxy, Arizona, Concorde, Typhon, Texas, Mukaikubo, Icarus, Thunderchild, Akira, Hood, Vigilant and Sao Paolo.

Will it be enough to stave off one of the largest invasion forces since the Dominion War? And what kind of future does it hold for Romulus?