S03Ep01 Paradox

"We will be fortunate if peace between our government can be attempted again in another four hundred years."

-Ambassador Talla Vreenak to Commander Owen Scott. S03Ep01 Paradox

S03Ep01 Paradox is the first episode of Star Trek Eternity's Season 3 and started on November 24, 2014 and saw conclusion on February 3, 2015. It sees the crew of Eternity and Hope 6 years after they have returned to the Alpha Quadrant, the purposed End, never coming true. It also marks a boom in space exploration and a Golden Age for Starfleet and technology design, having unlocked the potential after re-engineering the technology brought back from the Delta Quadrant in STEternity's Season 2. It also tells the events that lead to another war against the Federation and Romulan Star Empire.

Prologue
"Seems like a damn peculiar coincidence, at best. Or something much messier."

-Agent Henry Okafor to Aegis Executive Benoit. S03Ep01 Paradox

Six years to the day of Hope it's crew's return, a new Eternity Class exits Asgard, a Starfleet R&D development lap. Under command of Admiral Benjamin Rannoch, the crew of the new Eternity, under guidance with the Maelstrom and the Tempest began its shakedown cruise. With the Maelstrom and the Tempest already waiting at the testing grounds, Admiral Rannoch orders the Eternity to warp wherein it disappears and is never heard from. It's crew and the ship disappearing off sensor scans of Listening Post 221; the Maelstrom and the Tempest reporting that the Eternity never made it to the testing grounds  This leads to Starfleet Admiral Winfield Graves to hire out Aegis Group, a investigation and insurance company, to look in on the disappearance of the Eternity crew and ship. Henry Okafor, fresh off assignment with the abduction and reclamation of a Sydney Lydon of Lydon Spaceframe Dynamics is assigned to lead the search. To this, Okafor, with Aegis backing, travels to Listening Post 221 wherein it's discovered, though faintly, a ship, later identified as one of the ships that returned to the Alpha Quadrant six years ago along with the Eternity and Hope, the Crimson Knife. This thread leads Agent Okafor to Saturn, Titan's Moon where former Commanding Officer of Hope and lead Starfleet R&D Personnel Richard Barlow teaches at Rector Institute of Engineering as a theorist behind Quantium Mechanics and Engineering living with his wife Amelia Barlow and 6 year old daughter Madelynn Barlow.

New Romulan Empire, New Hope
"The uniform you wore yesterday. Romulan and StarFleet insignia.  That makes a statement."

- Andrea Morgan to Marisol Vreenak. S03Ep01 Paradox

In the six years passed since returning to the Alpha Quadrant, the harsh Machine Wars of the Delta Quadrant behind them, the former crews of Eternity and Hope find somewhat celebrity status, their fame in defeating the Borg, bringing back ships and people left after the war with Sion "Xatrix" Logan. The Resistance, the Syndicate, a fleet of refugees whose numbers swelled well above thousands sought asylum with the Federation under Hope's banner initiation a Golden Era in starship design and space travel nearly overnight. While Federation territory expanded into the new frontier of the Delta Quadrant, ships of the line coming off refit with transwarp drive capabilities, the former crew of the dismantled Eternity found their niche in life's river.

Talla Vreenak, who always wanted to see the Romulan Empire rebuilt after the destruction of Romulus and Remus, sought to field his celebrity status as an Ambassador, his talk of experiencing service onboard a Starfleet vessel; and even the marriage between himself and his wife, Marisol Vreenak showcasing that despite their disagreements that each would benefit from each other's strengths. Though certain sects of the Empire, the Tal Shiar being primary, are in disagreement, the level of transparency needed to be met as the Federation continued to grow from their Golden Era, expanding beyond simply being, "enemies at the gate," lends Vreenak to continue his efforts in sponsoring cooperation and alliance between the Federation as a means to protect and see the Empire lasts.

In assistance to this effort, Marisol, Captain and Commanding Officer of the recently refit U.S.S. Hope is assigned as a liaison between the two governments, answering to both the Starfleet Command and Romulan Fleet Commander Tomalak of whom she's garnered some repore with despite her being human. After a brief stint and rather large purchase in partnership with her friend and former Repulse crewmate Andrea Morgan, Captain Vreenak and Hope return to the Ildius System along the way dealing with a Klingon smuggler Kall'orgh. At arrival at Ildius Prime, the new home system and location of the Romulan Senate, Captain Vreenak is surprised to find a Sabre Class vessel, the Erika Hernandez, named after the first Captain of the first Starfleet ship destroyed during the Earth-Romulan War (a suppose joke by Starfleet though one not shared in humor by Ambassador Vreenak). At request to dock, Marisol is further surprised to see the ship skippered by Commander Owen Scott, who last, Marisol heard, had garnered a high level teaching post and living with the love of his life and family. It's expressed that the Hernandez was at the Romulan people's disposal, acting as a measure of shoring up the efforts of rebuilding the Empire. Scott further explains that his specific presences was that of continued teaching, to field knowledge to the Romulans about working with Starfleet special ops. Vreenak furthers the discussion Scott's mission, expressing the delicate nature of the political balance that he's sought to maintain to see the Empire's growth and that sharing anything sensitive would be, no doubt, picked up by the Tal Shair. With mention of a Romulan handler, or adjunt, Owen simply recounts that he was, "thrown in," to the assignment, barely having enough time to pack though, keeping Yeoman Gabriella Adelaide, eyes off, he slides a Padd towards Captain Vreenak verifying that his mission is of Starfleet Intelligence Orders. The conversation rolls into the optimization and crew compliment of the Hernandez. As seem to smooth over however, Commander Scott returning to the Hernandez, warning alarms flair to life onboard Hope as a sudden However that conversation is cut as warning alarms flare to life with the sudden arrival of Lieutenant Oscar Blackthorne, a Sensor Officer of the U.S.S. Peacekepper, a man from another time that had crossed thresholds of realities and arrived on Hope via the Guardian of Forever.

Coup d'etat
"There are certain details that have come to light..., plans are in offing. When a Senator asks for my loyalty, I am placed in a dangerous position...,"

-Fleet Commander Tomalak to Captain Marisol Vreenak. S03Ep01 Paradox

With the incident smoothed over with Hope's newest arrival, Captain Marisol Vreenak is soon accosted by Fleet Commander Tomalak who, in quiet company, tells Marisol of vibrations within the Senate of a coup d'etat. That details had come to light and soon those plans would be carried out. Whether or not this boded will for him or Hope remained uncertain, but, for the safty of his daughter, Tomalak insists that Captain Vreenak take them onboard Hope and set course to Subura after releaving the Romulan crew and filling the holes left with those from the Hernandez until such time Marisol hears word back from Tomalak. Unsettled by this news, Marisol visits with her husband briefly at their estate on Ildius, telling him of her new assignment in a not so descriptive or elaborative way. According to Tomalak, Ambassador Vreenak would be needed as the Romulan Empire would need him more than ever. Hope eventually leaves dock, initiating warp towards the Subura system.

In the Sol System, near the space around Saturn's moon, Titan, Henry Okafor is greeted on the steps leading to the Barlow's estate by Rick, the two shaking hands briefly before the former Captain ushers the man inside and into his office. Questions are passed back and forth, Rick, as a former Captain and R&D Researcher expresses that the Crimson Knife belongs, or rather, had belonged to Gerrick and if the Knife had been involved more than likely Gerrick would be behind the theft of the Eternity. There are a few implications made by Henry Okafor as he outlines what he knows, all of which seeming coincidental but, towards his instincts, seeming a bit more than mere coincident. With the Eternity theft, the situation in the Ildius system and the involvement in Rick Barlow's former crew, it seemed to Henry that more was at play here.

With in the Romulan Senate, a band of radicals seize the capitol building, backed by elements of military, ordering the dissolution of the Senate in a declaration of Martial Law. In the succession, the Romulan Praetor moves into hiding along with pro-unity members of the government attempting to restablish control and calls for assistance to put down the radicals. Nearly in coinsicing the overthrow of the Senate, Ambassaor Vreenak, having found Owen Scott on the surface, subsequently processing an assignment and letter from Starfleet Intelligence agent Lucas Kilkenny whose intelligence outlined three main factions that would see to or go against the resurgence of the Romulan Empire; but putting on the "tourist face," regardless. When word takes hold that the Senate has fallen into dissolution and the chaos affording the capitol begins to to show it's first desperate signs, Vreenak and Owen Scott move to a undisclosed location, a hiding spot the Ambassador had seen to establish ahead of time; their shuttle flying through and weaving around the buildings of the Romulan Capital. Sighting a shuttle in pursuit, the Ambassador loses them and goes underground with Scott, the base a housing nexus for satellite strongholds of which the Ambassor coordinates with to learn more.

News of the Romulan Senate's dissolution and the declaration of Marital Law travels fast to Captain Marisol Vreenak and the crew of Hope. The standing order being to maintain the current mission status awaiting pending new orders from Fleet Command. In this instance, Marisol takes the civilian crew and transfers them over the the passing Ticondroga. In the intention of defying orders, both from Tomalak, turning tail and running, and the official doctrine, to remain on mission until further orders; Marisol is clear on her resolve that once the civilians are transported to the Ticondroga, that her intention was to return to Ildius. In the midst of having her orders carried out, the Captain of Hope recieves a encrypted transmission, a communicate from Calmest insisting on the need to "talk."

Meanwhile in the space around Ildius, Starfleet forces enter the system, belittling and complicating matters. Whether guided under false intelligence, or in responds to the Romulan Senate's dissolution and fearing another Fringe War they settle in orbit of Ildius Prime, the Mayflower and the Normandy setting up in stationary orbit above the Romulan Capitol, while Fleet Commander Tomalak and his mobilized fleet move into the system. Three Romulan ships, two D'deridexes open fire on the Normandy while the third, a Mogi Class, fires on the Mayflower causing the ship to go critical, it's debris falling towards the Romulan city. Through his intelligence gathering, Ambassador Vreenak learns of these events, and despite his shouts of protest for Starfleet to leave the system and for the unknown Romulan ships to seize fire, the fog of war and the confusion of open battle has already made the situation founded in intensity, to explode in a series of battles as Starfleet and Romulan ships trade fire. The Ambassador, frustrated by the sheer massive idocracy throws away his resolve to aid the Empire, simply noting that there wouldn't be any possibility for peace after the day's events. There wouldn't be any recovery.

The events in the Ildius System splash into public broadcast as news outlets find coverage. Henry Okafor's questions are haulted as Rick Barlow watches these feeds until, in interruption, Rick receives communication from Admiral Winfield Graves. Through talk traded back and forth isn't as civil as one would imagine it to be, the information and evidence of video transmission captured by the Normandy of the Mogi Class vessel that had opened up with the first shots stings Rick who notices that the ship, while decloaking, has NanoFibril hull, a technology only shared by one ship, the Eternity. With the augmentation of the weapons wielded by the Mogi and it's easiment of causing the destruction of the Mayflower, Barlow puts two and two together realising that somehow the Romulan hardliners had gotten their hands on Eternity technology. Barlow is eventually reinstated by blackmail as a Captain and charged with joining Henry Okafor in the investigation of the missing ship.

Epilogue
While in leave of his safe house, Ambassador Vreenak and Commander Owen Scott are taken from the planet's surface in the confusion of the battle overhead and the alarms blaring across the city at the Mayflower debris falling. They are shot with darts, homing beacons connected to isolinear chips. They are beamed over to the Mogi Class and, under cloak, it and it's two D'deridexes leave the system, letting the firestorm continue. In and out of consciousness, Scott witnesses their kidnappers, though previously masked in hiding of their identity, he catches glimpse of implants and biomechanical augmentation, summarizing that their kidnappers were not Romulan hardliners but rather Borg.

Transcript
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