Let The Games Begin
Up Phoenix Rising Pandemic Intruder Alert! Enya By Starlight Black Ice The HanI’Rhy Mystery Passion Fruit The Object Tombstone Trek City Under Glass The Witch Hunt Spindizzy Turn Off the Lights Trekkin' Flying Cloud What The Hell's... Survival Of The Fittest On The Edge Candescium Blindsided Shore Leave Melissa Wells The Listening Post Nostalgia The Artifact The Darkness Within Let The Games Begin Enemy Action Here's Mud In Your Eye

 

Table Of Contents

Mission 27 : LET THE GAMES BEGIN

 

The contents of the Ship Logs are considered to be a "compilation" under the provisions of Title 17, U.S. Code (known as the Copyright Act): that is, "A work formed by the collection and assembling of preexisting materials or of data that is selected, coordinated or arranged in such a way that the resulting work as a whole constitutes an original work of authorship." As such, it is the property of the ship’s Captain; however, automatic transfer of ownership to STARSHIPS OF THE THIRD FLEET is effected upon publication of this mission by the ship’s Captain ipso facto.

As outlined in Circular 1 (Copyrighted Basics, Library of Congress, Washington DC, USGPO 1989-262-309/12), "copyrighted in each separate contribution to a periodical or other collective work is distinct from the copyright in the collective work as a whole and vests initially with the author of the contribution."

This mission may not be reproduced in any form without the express, written authorization of STARSHIPS OF THE THIRD FLEET.

Prologue

Rigel VII had been chosen many years earlier to host the games of the 103rd Olympiad, now an interstellar competition encompassing hundreds of worlds (both members and non-members of the Federation, and some that were downright hostile). The Olympic Games, which used to have a separate winter and summer session, had long since been combined into one competition every five years, and expanded to include dozens of games from a myriad of Federation worlds which would provide the greatest athletic challenge.

Now, for the first time ever, Klingons and Romulans were also invited to participate in the games. While outwardly hostile towards the Federation, neither empire was currently at war with the UFP. With sufficient pressure from Romulus and the Klingon home world, Olympic officials finally caved in and allowed them to compete.

Captain Tanya E. Lawrence had been told it was an honor for the USS PHOENIX to represent the Federation as the official flagship of the games. What worried T.E. the most was the Klingon/Romulan presence.

For security reasons, the Klingon and Romulan contingents were allowed one transport vessel and one unarmed escort. To further keep a close reign on their comings and goings, a Federation destroyer has been assigned escort duty from the time the ships crossed their respective neutral zones until the completion of the Olympics and then back to their own space.


The PHOENIX has dwindled down to a skeleton crew. Many of the security officers has volunteered to serve as staff security for the games while the majority of the crew had taken a much needed R&R to observe the events which would cover a three week period spanning one planet, two moons and an asteroid field not far from Rigel.


Captain Lawrence was slightly fatigued as she sat in the center seat. Her bridge crew appeared to be in similar spirits. They would all get their turn on Rigel… T.E. would see to that. She had hoped to take in the zero-grav equestrian events and the asteroid slalom next week. But right now her focus was on the PHOENIX and exactly why she had been assigned this duty. Did Starfleet expect something major to happen? In the past, only frigates and scout-class vessels had been chosen for patrol duty at the games. Now two destroyers, the USS AL MAHDI and USS JENGHIZ, orbited Rigel. The Olympics had a historical reputation for defections. Was Federation intelligence aware of an attempt by one of the Klingons or Romulans to defect?

Lawrence decided to cross those bridges when and if she came to them. For now she thought of her crew on Rigel VII, having the time of their lives at the greatest sporting event in the universe.