[snip]

Glen asked the Operations Manager =/\= Chatel, can you defend yourselves? I believe the ships that have just arrived will attempt to take your Creator Stone by force. I will need to withdraw because our two ships are no match for eight of them out in the open. =/\=

=/\= We are detecting them as well, our scans of their mental and physical make up shows they are quite different then your own selves. =/\= Chatel said. =/\= As for defense measures these facilities have numerous small scale defensive measures from unwanted intruders into our stations. However, external defenses beyond our shielding is not viable anymore due to age, Captain =/\= they explained further.

=/\= Understood =/\= replied Glen

A hail from the lead ship also came on on all channels =/\= This is Th’anos Dione of the Eternal–Deviant. By my order I claim this system in the name of the Orion people! All Federation ships present will retreat to a 5 light year radius or we WILL open fire. =/\= The deep baritone male voice spoke through an audio link.

“Replay a copy of that static back to him,” Glen told the comms officer. “That should give us a few extra minutes.”

Glen then made to Tinga =/\= Time’s up! The Orions just arrived in considerable force =/\=

On scans the Avenger had come about taking a protective posture near the comet covered station Rogers and his team were on. Raising shields and priming weapons. Also on scans the station Roger’s was on had shown a marked increase in power generation for some reason the comet coming alight with a silvery toned hue as some sort of energy source powered up, though what it powered was anyone’s guess beyond perhaps Chatels

=/\= Most curious one of the members aboard the memorial station has accessed it’s deflector systems. This could be a dangerous operation as the station’s Orb system could foresee it as a combative intrusion. =/\= Chatel said over the open comms.

This was quickly matched by one from Roger’s who seemed unaware of Chatel’s presence/talk with the Merrimack. =/\= Captain Glen, it seems our time is running short to find the Finite Stone…or Creator Stone as your team calls it from that Orb thing. My chief engineer has gotten what he thinks is access to this station’s deflector array, he is going to try to initiate a pulse through the system when the Orion’s get close to overload their shield systems. Any news on where the Stone is yet? =/\= he asked.

=/\= Belay that pulse, Captain. We are in contact with the system and that wouldn’t be a good idea. The defence system may take it as an attempted attack and retaliate. This channel could also be monitored by the Orions, so I won’t answer you other question over open comms. =/\=

There was a pause in the line before Roger’s replied =/\= Understood Captain =/\= A moment later the Avenger for Roger’s replied again on an encoded frequency. =/\= Channel encoded, alright Captain, Lt Stark my engineer says he could get control of the defensive measures and initiate the pulse without endangering us. Surely we can’t abandon this system to the Orions without a fight. Think of the security of the Federation if we do, much less our own reality as these Creators put it. =/\= He said.

Glen turned to his first officer. “Kord, given everything we now know, I think the Creator Stone may be better left here as it is, and this system placed under a Starfleet General Order that no vessels under any condition, emergency or otherwise, are to visit. I feel we have only scratched the surface of the defensive capabilities protecting this facility and I’d like to stay on it’s list of friends. However, I was kind of hoping that Chatel could keep the Orion ships at bay and now it looks like time has worn out components. We might be able to fix up those external defences once we have got rid of this present threat, if we can see them off. As for Captain Rogers, he’s is a loose canon and dangerous. I didn’t like him right from the start of this enterprise and I have my doubts that he will go along with my idea. In addition, the Klingons and Romulans might arrive yet, so my plan is sketchy at best. Do you have any ideas?”

-Glen, CO

While Glen waited for Kord’s reply Th’anos Dione replied again as the 8 Orion frigates were now entering the system holding station 10,000 meters off the bow of the Avenger. =/\= Federation ships I warn you again leave this system or face an attack. I would prefer our expansion be without a battle but I will defend what is ours by ancient right! =/\= he said. Perhaps Glen and/or Rogers could try to talk to Th’anos and buy time for a plan to form.

GM CockRoach