S01E01: Welcome to Lyseria VII¶
The crew, having just awakened aboard Vesh Loqar's Bird of Prey, discovers they’ve unknowingly lost two days and are now being hunted by Starfleet under a high-level alert involving Androni’s mother, Admiral Sugan. They travel to Lyseria VII, a harsh mining outpost in perpetual twilight, where they seek Dr. Merik’s help to restore their original appearances.
Blocked by a Tellarite named Grell and his Nausicaan guards demanding latinum, the crew forcibly storms the clinic, subduing the guards and securing the rooms. In the process of reverting to their true forms, several revelations emerge: Bum carries seemingly noble Nausicaan genetic markers shared by another individual on the station; Androni suffers neural fluctuations from a minor procedural complication; Klix uncovers unauthorized Trill joining research; and Narik learns of sophisticated tampering in his memory that Dr. Merik could possibly restore.
With their physical identities reclaimed, the crew settles into temporary lodgings on Lyseria VII, aware that their presence—and the discoveries made—are already entangling them further in the station’s undercurrents.
Session Log¶
Disoriented Departure¶
The crew awakened in their guest quarters aboard Vesh Loqar's Bird of Prey to the sound of their door sliding open. A Bolian named Drak stepped inside without ceremony. "Ten minutes," Drak announced curtly. "Gather your belongings. We're leaving."
As they quickly gathered their possessions, Androni's founds 4 bars of latinum - probably a reward for their successful heist at the Xunil Science Station. While nearing the shuttle bay, Androni experienced a faint psychic impression—a familiar presence aboard the ship they were leaving. Someone he couldn't quite identify, but someone known to him recently.
As Androni adjusted his unfamiliar Andorian features in a reflective surface, he remarked about looking forward to regaining his "proper skin"—a comment met with visible disapproval from the others, especially Nela.
During the shuttle journey toward Lyseria VII, Nela tossed a PADD toward them with unexpected casualness. "You might want to see this," she said, her antennae twitching with what might have been amusement or concern.
The device displayed a Starfleet Security transmission. Priority Alpha. Level 9 alert. Special Investigation Task Force formation under Commodore T'Relaan with strategic advisory from Admiral Sugan—Androni's mother. The transmission included facial recognition imagery of their Starfleet maintenance crew identities.
The crew also realized that their supposed "night of celebration" had actually consumed nearly three days—time they couldn't account for.
Welcome to Lyseria VII¶
The shuttle descended through the perpetual twilight cast by the looming gas giant overhead. Lyseria VII emerged as a stark industrial mining colony nestled within a massive moon crater. The settlement was a patchwork of utilitarian structures, devoid of aesthetic considerations, and offered minimal comforts. The absence of other vessels on the landing pads provided a small measure of relief, suggesting no immediate Starfleet presence awaited them.
As Drak led the crew toward the settlement, Nela remained behind at the shuttle, prepared to lift off and rejoin Vesh's ship. Her departure carried an unspoken message—they were on their own now.
At the checkpoint, a disinterested Bajoran security guard barely acknowledged their presence. The scanning equipment, clearly non-functional for some time, stood as a testament to the colony's neglect. The crew passed through without incident, their anonymity preserved.
Inside the settlement, the Bolian quartermaster assigned them two rooms for three days with little more than a cursory glance. No questions were asked, and none were offered. It was clear that in this remote outpost, the currency of discretion held significant value. 2-week supply ship, next turn on next tuesday (1 week after arrival).
The colony itself existed in a state of perpetual dusk. Harsh artificial lighting illuminated the settlement, casting stark shadows that only deepened the oppressive atmosphere. The air carried the faint tang of industrial solvents, mingling with the ever-present hum of machinery. Lyseria VII was a place where survival took precedence over comfort, and the crew could feel the weight of its desolation pressing down on them.
Unexpected Complications¶
When they approached Dr. Merik's clinic, their path was blocked by a Tellarite with two imposing Nausicaan guards. The Tellarite—Grell—smirked as Drak approached.
"The doctor has no appointment available today," Grell said, his tone dismissive.
Drak's facial cartilage darkened with anger. "Our arrangement was confirmed three days ago. The doctor is expecting us."
When Drak mentioned that Vesh Loqar would not be pleased, Grell merely shrugged. "He's not here though, is he?" The crew exchanged glances, recognizing that Grell likely answered to someone who didn't fear Vesh Loqar's reputation—someone potentially even more powerful.
Grell demanded two bars of latinum for immediate access. The crew retreated to their quarters to strategize, ultimately leading to a more direct approach than diplomacy.
The Hard Way¶
Returning to the clinic, the crew attempted to negotiate a split payment: one bar now, one after treatment. When Grell refused, Androni made the decision that would define their approach to Lyseria VII. He fired his phaser on wide dispersal with the others quickly joining, stunning the Tellarite and Nausicaans where they stood.
With Klix and Narik preparing to breach the clinic entrance, Androni delivered a meticulously detailed tactical plan, assigning each crew member specific roles with military precision. Klix bypassed the door mechanism while Narik and ??? deployed stun grenades, and they stormed the facility with practiced efficiency.
Inside, they encountered a Rigelian doctor and his young Trill assistant, both visibly startled by the sudden intrusion. The clinic's interior was a stark contrast to the colony's industrial, rust-streaked aesthetic. Gleaming medical equipment, far more advanced than one would expect in such a remote and desolate location, filled the small room. The sheer volume of devices was overwhelming—far too much for the limited space. Machines were stacked precariously on top of one another, leaving only narrow pathways to navigate. It was as if someone had crammed an entire Federation starbase's medical bay into the confines of an abandoned storage facility. The air hummed faintly with the sound of active machinery, and the sterile smell of disinfectant clashed with the gritty atmosphere of the colony outside.
The crew methodically cleared the facility's three adjoining rooms—a lavatory, a pristine laboratory, and a storage room containing biological samples of questionable origin. They secured the unconscious Tellarite and Nausicaans with restraints, and the doctor administered a hypospray to ensure they remained sedated through the procedures.
Their decisive action yielded unexpected resources: one security access card, two ceremonial Nausicaan knives, three disruptors, and thirteen slips of latinum.
The Procedure¶
Dr. Merik, though initially alarmed by their entrance, quickly adapted to the situation with the pragmatism of someone accustomed to working with criminals. His hands moved with unnatural precision as he calibrated bio-morphic field emitters and explained the procedure—a complex process involving quantum-resolution dermal mapping and chroniton-stabilized DNA restructuring.
Schnick-Schnack-Schnuck to determine order. During the procedure, Dr. Merik made a discovery of significant interest: "These genetic markers are remarkably pure—suggesting noble heritage. The distinctive pattern is rarely seen outside ancient Nausicaan houses." More intriguingly, he noted that another Nausicaan on the station carried nearly identical genetic markers.
When Androni's turn came, the procedure encountered a minor complication. The doctor explained that he would experience Nervous System Fluctuation for approximately three days— leading to unpredictable sensory sensitivity.
Klix's procedure proceeded with exceptional results. After examining his scans, the doctor's young Trill assistant Lera showed particular interest in Klix. More significantly, Klix discovered a PADD containing research notes about unauthorized Trill joining procedures being conducted on "Subject KL-47". Lera seems to share the same wish like Klix - to join a symbiont.
For Narik, the procedure revealed something unexpected. Dr. Merik discovered evidence of sophisticated memory tampering: "Someone has partitioned your memory engrams with remarkable skill. I could potentially restore some of these memories, though the procedure would carry significant risks." Narik's response was measured: "Prepare for it. Create a plan."
Epilogue¶
With their original appearances restored—albeit with Androni experiencing occasional neural fluctuations—the crew returned to their temporary lodgings. The mining colony's perpetual twilight seemed fitting for their situation: not fully in darkness, but far from the light of Federation territory.
They had achieved their primary objective, but in doing so had made choices that would shape their path forward. The discovery of Bum's genetic connection to someone on the station, Klix's exposure to unauthorized Trill research, and the revelation of Narik's manipulated memories all promised future opportunities and challenges.
As they settled into their quarters, they knew the task of laying low had paradoxically raised their profile in ways they hadn't anticipated. Lyseria VII was meant to be a temporary refuge, but the connections they'd already begun to forge suggested it might become something more significant in their journey.