We are about to embark, or at least when Liz gives the thumbs up, upon Chapter 4 of this ongoing tale. What has happened in the previous chapters is set out below in a very brief brief; this is enough to give the idea of what has happened and give everyone a recollection of what has been and what is to come. Below the brief is a list of what is outstanding and where the Apollo and crew will be looking into once the sim gets going. Right now in the interrim we have graduations, farewells and some repairs and fallout from the last sim to work through. When the sim gets back going we will take off from where we left off - that is following the Orion ships back to Outpost IV and back into the orders of getting into it and finding out what the Orions are doing.

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The Apollo has saved the old freighter Alexandra from a fire that threatened the ship and a communications hub known as the Kingston Array. In its wake many questions were unresolved and needed answering. What of the deaths? What of the damage to the Array? How did this happen? To attempt to solve this mystery the civilian authorities enlisted an independent group to investigate this. An aging Andorian known as Inspector Chen came aboard to question the crew and investigate the event from the witnesses involved. Through questioning and carefully looking at the visions that the unknown Vulcan had inadvertently shared the place of question was Janus VI.

On arriving at Janus VI it was found that Orions were using the old mining colony as a resource to mine paralithium. Through a series of adventures the Away Team quickened the Orions’ departure from the place, barely escaping themselves with the information. The Orions warped out, though left a trail of breadcrumbs behind to follow. The Vulcan, known as Serel, confessed to having sabotaged the Alexandra though for a cause. He pursued a renegade agent known as the Handler who was working for someone named ‘Prince’. The information shared was that they were constructing a bomb that may be sufficient to shatter real and subspace over a sector making warp travel virtually impossible.

Now these answers are in yet where were the Orions going? They had loaded paralithium onto their vessel. Was that sufficient for their plans to succeed? Was this all to their plans? Was it simple terrorism? Or was there more to it than that? The search for answers was still on, and the orders that come down the pipe were to learn more. The probe stopped at the location of an old neutral zone listening post: Outpost 4. It had been destroyed back in Kirk’s era by a plasma weapon devised by the Romulans. Now there was what the probe picked up as a globe of phased tachyonic interference surrounding the whole planetoid. The Apollo, most familiar with the situation, would be sent to further investigate the matter.

While probing the sphere, aided by another Discovery Class vessel, the Thames, two Orion vessels emerged from the sphere where a focused neutrino beam had dissolved temporarily a section of the sphere around Outpost IV. They departed and were followed closely by the Apollo. The two Orion ships stopped temporarily in the system called Mudd; the destroyer engaged the Apollo and the freighter went on to the planet in the system. After a battle the Orion destroyer was damaged and retreated with the freighter – what they did was unknown, though sensors did log a transport activity from the freighter. They set course and returned to the Outpost. The Apollo, however, was unable to catch them from damage incurred in the battle, and followed at a slower pace and rendezvousing with the Thames. While all of this was going on a dramatic pursuit of an unstable crewman was going on ending in James Atkins being taken into custody.

This is a copy of the original orders for the Apollo which is still the current orders for the crew to accomplish:

The image of a man that might surprise Toryn came on the screen. Were it not for the admiral's uniform it might look like an error. Admiral Lewis was young - appearing only in his 30's, or at least that was his appearance. A boyish set of rosy cheeks on a pale complexion and curly blond hair completed the picture of a youth. His voice did nothing to dispel that image. At least it had a sense of authority in it.

=^= Captain. My congratulations on your detective work and scaring off the Orions from Janus VI. We're sending a team there to assess damage there and to help discern what has been going on there. However, that is not your agenda. The probe that was sent out has come to an end of its line. I'm transmitting the sensor packet now to you. Over a century ago back in the Romulan Cold War there were a series of outposts that guarded the Neutral Zone. The probe stopped at Outpost 4, destroyed by the Romulans in a surprise attack. The Enterprise later engaged and halted the Romulan ship. Outpost 4 was reported destroyed. Yet this is what the probe picked up. The image of the 'outpost' came on the screen showing a silver shimmering globe. =^= The place where the Outpost was is at least in theory within this globe of phased tachyonic interference. The probe's sensors cannot penetrate it. =^=

=^= Captain, I know you have a crew of graduated Cadets on their practicum. I know otherwise you have a seasoned crew behind them. You've been in the thick of this since this mystery came about which is why I am wanting to send the Apollo to find out what is going on in there and what the Orions are doing - and if it involves a weapon of mass destruction and if the opportunity arises: stop them. I am sending along the Thames to rendezvous with you at Outpost 4. Captain Gallagher will assist you. As you are most experienced in this you will be in charge. The Thames is Discovery Class as well. I know we have not yet talked about this, though the Federation Council feels that time is of the essence given the theft of paralithium. While we are not in the Fleet in the habit of sending Academy ships to a front line mission, we feel an exception is in order. Unless you have objections, Captain, as you are closer to the situation. =^=

-- Gene/GM