Bacchus' Irresistible Call (STA)
Any one of those three tasks would be enough to keep a commander on edge. Having all three problems present themselves simultaneously worries me greatly. My crew is undoubtedly ready for any challenge. All long-range probes sent to the Bacchus system stopped sending back data immediately after entering the system, so we are not sure what we are going to find there.
Bacchus IV contains the remnants of an ancient, technologically advanced civilization. This civilization no longer inhabits this universe, but they are not technically extinct either. They have a method of subtly influencing people across the galaxy, driving them through delicate nudges to find and use their old technology.
Arriving at Bacchus IV, the Lexington becomes disabled: the crew finds an energy beam from the planet has knocked everything offline. They can see from their vessel, however, artificial structures visible on the planet’s surface with the naked eye. The crew must first stabilize the ship in a race against time to keep it from burning up in the planet’s atmosphere.
After the crew ensures the safety of the ship, the beam of energy transports some of the crew down to the planet. On the planet, the landing party must deal with Klingons searching for their brethren who have fallen under the sway of this ancient civilization, navigate strange mechanical traps among the ancient ruins, and find the people who have come here (who turn out to be a mix of various races from throughout the galaxy). After learning more about the ancient technology, the crew must work with the Klingons to escape the planet with the gathered information intact.
After accessing the ancient technology, the crew is unexpectedly transported back to the Klingon ship. After dealing with a ship full of hostile Klingons, the Characters learn this vessel arrived while they were on the planet. The Klingon ship’s warp core is about to go critical and needs to be ejected—however, the clamps to release it are jammed. The Lexington crew must work with the Klingons to keep the vessel from exploding, which would lead to the destruction of both ships. This includes a tense space-walk on the exterior of the bird-of-prey to repair damage.
When the mission is resolved, a Starfleet admiral collects the data taken from the planet, quarantines it and the crew, and orders them to not speak of what they saw here. Unknown to the crew, the admiral is secretly influenced by these ancient creators of the powerful technology. Some of the information gathered includes a map to worlds within what will, a century hence, become known as the Shackleton Expanse.
