[Phase 2]: Horizon

Starfleet ships are dispatched to hunt down information on the Tkon – and with the Omega Directive activated, all manner of new avenues are open to them. Worlds to which access was once restricted by the Prime Directive must now be visited. Systems in foreign territory must be reached, either by subtle infiltration or desperate negotiation. Information on the Tkon in non-Federation hands must be acquired, and for once Starfleet may beg, borrow, or steal for it to be done. Whether a starship conducts a detailed study of a lost Tkon facility, a swift scan of Tkon technology, or acquires an incomplete databank from foreign hands, every tiny detail might be necessary to save the galaxy.

Write about your ship’s acquisition of information on the Tkon. This can be reaching their goal itself, or how they learn of their particular ‘Holy Grail’. It might be the moment they uncover Tkon ruins to be explored, the uncovering of archives which show them the way, or the terse negotiation with a cut-throat enemy for an ancient Tkon databank once destined for a wealthy private collector. While Starfleet will hardly endorse any action, and captains will be expected to account for violations of principles and regulations, the activation of the Omega Directive requires desperate measures.

This is an opportunity for a ‘treasure hunt’ story; the emphasis of this Phase and this Fiction should be about acquiring the knowledge, rather than the details of the knowledge itself.

Your story might address one or several of the following questions:
– The Omega Directive may permit the violation of the Prime Directive, but will the captain feel they should try to avoid, or at least minimise, interference with another culture?
– Some Tkon worlds may have been long-known to be in foreign borders, considered beyond Federation reach. What will Starfleet now give to secure access?
– All manner of enemies of the Federation may control a Tkon world or possess Tkon technology or databanks. Will Starfleet negotiate with enemies, or can they justify taking what they need by force?

Criteria

• Your story should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words in length (Google Docs, not BFMS, will be used to determine word count)
• Submitted stories should have a single author.
• The entry should be written in the Phase 2: Horizon Fleet-Wide Mission, and linked to in the submission. While we allow and encourage you to choose a Story from your ongoing Fleet Action fiction, only the single submitted Story will be graded and judged.
• Stories will be graded on 1: Originality within the bounds of the brief; 2: How compelling characters’ reactions are to the crisis and its tensions; 3: How engaging the prose is, including compelling, clear, and evocative writing and accurate grammar and spelling, 4: Adherence to Star Trek and Fleet canon.