Game was 4/2/20, and once again due to COVID-19, Alec, Jeremy, and Heidi & Daniel Skyped in. Since I could see Jeremy this time and the connection was much more stable, I felt a bit more confident in GMing.

Jessa’s hallucinations morph into tiny cartoon versions of the others in the away team while the aphrodisiac hits Ssleestak and he starts bobbing his head and lifts his tail higher. As both officers try to keep things under control, K'tral notices the physiological changes in her friend and sidles over to him. She whispers, “Are you in distress?” He smiles widely and replies, “I’m cool! I feel great!” K’tral backs away to the furthest point from the Gorn, while Fal quietly scans everything he can with his tricorder. Phillip keeps his distance while Shan’taar and Threy’shaan hover protectively near the captain. Unfortunately for poor Zug, Thal’tirian pounces and starts asking rapid-fire questions about the Tizit and Kordikar. She gets mostly monosyllabic replies, but that doesn’t deter her. The only polysyllabic answer is to her question, “What do the Tizit wear at birthday parties?” Zug replies, “Nothing.” Armina lurks near the Andorian historian to glean what cultural information she can.

The ride takes about twenty minutes and then the monorail glides to a stop at a station at the outskirts of the mansion. The Starfleet officers disembark and follow Zug, but they notice the station is entirely shades of blue. Assuming the Tizit evolved on a planet perpetually swathed in darkness and their tapered ears offer them a form of echolocation, they hypothesize that the Tizit favor bold, primary colors either in defiance of their lowlight homeworld, or they can only see bright shades. ¹⁾. They follow Zug up the stairs to a manicured lawn with flowerbeds. Although at first glance this outdoor scene could be on Earth or Trill or Betazed, they quickly realize everything is a shade brighter than standard.

Zug leads them across the lawn to a set of double doors that appears like red mahogany. These double doors are a side entrance, and lead right into a large, airy, circular room. The Starfleet officers immediately realize this is a pleasure room, as the center of the room is a cushioned pit maybe a meter deep, and around the pit are backless benches. Ssleestak starts jiving along as he realizes the purpose of the room, while Jessa’s hallucinogenic cartoon charters climb into the pit and start bouncing. They try to entice Jessa into joining them, except for cartoon-Philip, who just glowers silently as he bounces. Shan’taar snaps his fingers in Jessa’s face to get her attention and then asks her, “Are you alright?” She nods as she tries to ignore cartoon-Mel’s creepy voice.

Zug again asks if they have any sexual needs that require fulfilling, but they politely refuse him a second time. They can smell evidence of the previous occupants, and Ssleestak activates a blacklight on his tricorder and pans the room to reveal stains on every surface – even the ceiling, which is three meters above their heads! He cheerfully announces, “There is a multitude of differing protein stains. Mammalian sex is so messy.” Zug snorts derisively and retorts, “I’ve seen plenty of reptilian beings making as much of a mess in here, trust me.” That catches Ssleestak’s attention while the others shudder.

Since no one is interested in the pleasure pit, Zug leads them around it and to another set of double doors, also resembling red mahogany. He pushes them open to reveal another large, circular room, but this one contains a low table and cushions for seating, as well as more benches, chairs, divans, and even beanbags. Bookshelves line every available centimeter of wall space, and they are groaning under the weight of their contents. Books are stuffed into the shelves seeming haphazardly, and in places some books are compressed by the weight of other tomes. On every shelf there is at least one part where the books threaten to fall onto the floor, and Fal spots one bookshelf that if it topples, it could seriously injure people. All the books’ spines show the same unfamiliar script, which Fal assumes is Tizit. He scans a few of the shelves to record the language.

A few moments after arriving, another set of doors opens and Zivan sweeps into the room. She brightens when she sees Mel and heads her way. Once she reaches Mel, she reaches out and grabs Mel’s upper arms and gushes, “Welcome to Kordikar, Captain Deline, where all gods, and goods, are welcome. I must insist, however, that at some point before your departure, you simply must enjoy the attentions of my son. He’s very skilled in the carnal arts.” Mel replies simply, “He has been very attentive, thank you.” She notes Zivan’s long hair that cascades down her back and almost to the floor and wonders why every other Tizit is bald.²⁾ Zivan smiles widely and leads Mel to the low table. This table is essentially set up in a Japanese fashion, with cushions to kneel on. The table is a wide oval and can easily fit twenty beings; Zivan takes one of the heads of the table so Mel takes the other. The other Starfleet officers settle in, although there is noticeable ‘Gorn-spreading.’ Jessa settles into her cushion and announces, “These are comfy.”

Zivan explains, “In honor of your visit, my chefs have prepared some Earth dishes, gleaned from our contact with Federation Secundus, but made with local ingredients.” Mel nods, repressing her concern, but then another male servant comes out carrying a cheese board. He places it on the table and withdraws, and the officers see a literal rainbow; these cheeses come in many different vibrant colors and have been arranged artfully. Jessa samples a pinkish-yellow cheese and finds it very creamy and smooth. Fal tries a bright yellow cheese and finds it very sharp, as a Bajoran he approves. Mel chooses a bright orange cheese, secretly hoping it’s cheddar, but it turns out to be some clone of mozzarella.

Ssleestak, Phillip, and K’tral abstain while the other officers choose colors and sample the cheeses. Some are very close to the standard Earth flavors, even if their coloration is completely off. Others resemble nothing found in the Federation. As they snack on the cheese, Zivan asks a few questions about their homeworlds, their travels, and the like. Although she’s not pushing, it is pretty obvious she’s fishing for as much information as she can get. Mel answers as honestly as she can, while the others do chip in here and there. The second Tizit male reappears and takes the board when they finish the cheese. Jessa realizes this servant resembles Zug and wonders if he is Zug’s brother.

The servant brings out the second course, a bowl of Terran salad with small cups of various salad dressings along the rim. The Starfleet officers examine the salad, but other than the vibrant colors, the vegetables look Earth-accurate. Phillip once again abstains, and Ssleestak looks disappointed there’s no meat in the salad. The others try the salad, including K’tral. Surprisingly, the salad tastes perfectly normal. K’tral ignores the salad dressings, but Zivan gestures to Fal and says, “You seem to enjoy spicier fare. I’d recommend the purple sauce.” Curious, Fal complies, and nearly gags on the searing heat! This level of spiciness even exceeds Bajoran standard, and Mel mutters, “If a human tried that, they’d die.”

Although beads of sweat are pouring down Fal’s forehead, he immediately asks for a sample of this delicious sauce. The servant appears silently at his elbow and places a generous container by Fal’s elbow. Fal brightens and thanks him. The servant slips away and returns shortly with the next course: soup. The soup is a vibrant red and comes in a divided bowl. One half has chunks of meat bobbing in it, while the other is strictly vegetarian. Phillip abstains once again, while the others try the soup. It has a citrus spicy flavor, which is a bit much for some of them, but Fal enjoys it greatly. Ssleestak samples the meaty version and finds the meat to be more mill-worms, but without any aphrodisiacs, leading him to assume the sauce contained the drug. Ssleestak looks down at one point to find his sample of the appetizer has doubled in size, leading him to wonder if the worms are reproducing.³⁾

The main course appears next, a large dish of Terran lasagna! Again, the colors are brighter than they should be, but otherwise it looks and smells like the real thing. They see a miniaturized forcefield separating the two halves, and one of the halves has more forcefields separating that half into neat lines of lasagna. Zivan explains that the half without the forcefields is vegetarian, while the other half has meat and varying levels of spice, starting with the first row as the weakest and the eighth row as the hottest. Jessa immediately reaches for a piece, and squeals in delight when a miniaturized tractor beam lifts a square out of the main dish and on to her plate!

Fal methodically samples the lasagna from weakest to strongest but hits his limit at the seventh row. Phillip continues to abstain, but the others tuck in and find the lasagna to be utterly accurate in taste, as if the Tizit had an Italian grandmother in the back.⁴⁾ Fal wonders aloud who can tolerate the eighth row and Zivan replies, “The N’Dari. They’re a reptilian race a little bigger than your green friend.” Ssleestak perks up at that, but Zivan doesn’t elaborate. Her tone shifts as she starts talking business, which is apparently the custom on Tizit worlds: the main course means it’s time to talk seriously. Zivan bluntly asks Mel, “Why is the Federation expanding into this region of space?”

Mel explains that the United Federation of Planets is primarily a peaceful alliance of worlds that simply wants to explore. Zivan asks, “And how do you profit from these journeys?” Mel considers the question and replies, “Social compensation.” Zivan stares at her as if she’s grown a second head, but Ssleestak rumbles, “It’s a weird kink of theirs, this passion for knowledge and exploration.” Mel explains the Federation is not motivated by monetary profit but does conduct extensive trade, and Armina interjects, “Just so we are clear, there are private companies within the Federation.”

Zivan leans back to try and make sense of these bizarre aliens at her table, but Fal asks, “May we ask you some questions?” Zivan nods, so Fal asks, “What is your relationship with the Dominion? Is this your planet of origin? How do you feel about Klingons, Cardassian, Vulcans?” He rattles the name of many other species off as well, before lapsing into silence. Zivan replies wryly, “In reverse order, I’ve never even heard of the last thirty-six species⁵⁾ you mentioned, so ‘no opinion.’” Fal nods and Zivan says, “I’ve only ever heard the name Cardassian from the Klingons, but they did not have a high opinion of them.” Fal snorts in agreement.

Zivan continues, “As for the Klingons, they seem… bombastic. They go on excessively about their honor and how the Klingon Empire exiled them despite their birthright to lead the High Council as granted by the House of Duras, or something. To be honest, it all seemed like a crock of fecal matter.” Mel nods and briefly explains how the House of Duras tried to usurp the Klingon Empire, and how multiple generations of the House have betrayed the High Council. Zivan demands, “Then why are they still alive? You don’t keep poison, you remove it!” Mel agrees, but replies, “From a Klingon perspective, allowing them to live in shame is the greatest dishonor, the greatest punishment in their culture. Dead, they could be martyred.” Zivan closes her eyes and grumbles, “That makes no sense whatsoever.” Zug interjects, "One Klingon attempted a mating ritual with a female N'Dari. She ripped him in half."

Zivan sighs and reopens her eyes. She states, “As for your second question, this is not our planet of origin. Do you have a calendar and timekeeping records I could peruse?” Mel nods and pulls up the requested information on a padd and hands it to Zivan; luckily the Solstice’s padds have Dai’Loq as one of the text choices. Zivan skims the information quickly and performs some impressive mental calculations in only a few seconds. She replies, “Our basic ‘minute’ is called a ‘drach’ and it’s roughly ninety seconds. A ‘dro’ is our hour marker, and since it’s forty drachs it actually lines up with your timekeeping. A 'dern’ is twenty-five dro, so that’s a twenty-five-hour day by your reckoning.”

The Starfleet officers nod, so Zivan continues, “The Tizit Consortium arrived here about 1910 by your calendar. Let me back up first, however. We achieved warp travel in 1770, and by 1820 had an economic alliance with twelve other species. At that point in our history, we felt that military expenditures were a waste of resources. By 1865 it was sixty-five worlds. 1856-1937 was essentially our ‘Golden Age,’ captain. We reached Kordikar in 1910 and the native species was hostile if we tried to land, but didn’t seem to care if we stayed in the floating cities we constructed. Unfortunately, in 1937 we expanded into the territory of the greatest regional power, the Wabai Unity.

“They watched us for a few months and then invaded on multiple fronts. We couldn’t stop them. They had superior weaponry and our alliance was economic, not military. Worlds were abandoned and fell, one by one. By 1939, the Wabai had reached our home system, and then detonated an isolytic subspace weapon to prove their power. The Tizit Consortium surrendered immediately, and our worlds were annexed by the Wabai. A little over forty years later, in 1980 by your calendar, the regional calculus shifted as the Dai’Loq suddenly returned.⁶⁾ They didn’t have warp drive then and used sleeper ships in their expansion. Despite that limitation, when the Dai’Loq reached a Wabai world, they attacked, and this time it was the Wabai with inferior weaponry.

“This state of affairs continued until… I think 2043 by your calendar. Then the Dai’Loq broke the warp barrier, but only at the speed of light. Their expansions steadily increased, and the Wabai took the brunt of it. The Unity fell back repeatedly until… 2163 by your calendar, I think. Then, all of a sudden, the Dai’Loq possessed far more powerful warp engines, capable of multitudes of the speed of light. Supposedly, this was a gift from the Angels, or something equally ridiculous.” Mel nods, but as she listens, she’s putting the pieces together and realizes the sudden increase in warp engines likely came after they discovered and plundered the NX-07 Solstice in 2158.

Zivan continues, “In 2163, the Dai’Loq invasion increased exponentially and the Wabai Unity lost a lot more than their outer colonies. This is where the Sundered Ones came from, captain. The Dai’Loq reached the Tizit homeworld in 2203 and we allied with them against the Wabai. We pushed the Wabai back to the core of their territories by 2245, but then the military government of the Dai’Loq was overthrown by religious hardliners, and the first Theárch came to power. The Dai’Loq abandoned the advance and returned to their original territory circa 1980. However, by then Tizit space was almost empty of invaders for the first time in just over three centuries. We launched many attacks to push the Wabai back, and by 2250 they fell back to their inner core and sealed their borders with those cloaked minefields.

“We had thirteen years to rebuild the Consortium and our worlds, forming an actual military alliance, until 2263. Then the First Theárch died, and the Second Theárch, the Mad Theárch, came to power. She vowed to reclaim all the territories her predecessor had abandoned, and she wasn’t exaggerating. For thirty years they attacked us and the Wabai Unity. We lost worlds to invaders again. So did the Wabai. On a side note, we made first contact with Federation Secundus almost immediately after they officially formed in 2290. We saw them, the Vorr, destroy a Dai’Loq fleet in ten minutes. Eight drachs! This was 2292 by your calendar, and that defeat hastened the fall of the Mad Theárch the following year. And once again, the Dai’Loq fell back to their original territory, no explanations, no threats, nothing.

“We took to rebuilding again and kept the Wabai contained in their pathetic remnant. They lost about 80% of their territory, all told. This was the situation for decades, until about 2366, five or six of your years ago. Then the Dai’Loq entered the Third Expansion, and every local power went to battle-ready status, but so far this time things have been a lot slower.” Mel nods as she realizes the Third Expansion was likely triggered by the arrival of the Federation and the construction of Starbase 212.

Fal asks about the Ra’vin’ka, and Zivan frowns and replies, “The Holy Ra’vin’ka Imperium? We know about them, but we’ve never done business with them. They seem like unstable zealots.” Mel shakes her head and clarifies, “No, the original Ra’vin’ka. The Imperium is a group of religious fanatics that broke off or were exiled.” Zivan looks confused, so Mel briefly runs down what Ra’vin’ka history she knows, culminating with the destruction of the planet – and the Wabai involvement. Zivan swears and grumbles about the Wabai Intelligence Bureau.

Fal then asks about the artificial fourth planet; Zivan replies, “We don’t control it. It was here when we arrived back in 1910. As far as we can tell, it’s ancient, on the order of hundreds of thousands of years. Some people, like my son, believe it is sentient and influences the gravimetric eddies at a whim, but I believe it’s simply so old that parts of it have succumbed to entropy. Unfortunately, every attempt to send in a team to investigate ends in utter failure when the scientists never emerge.”

Zivan then changes the subject and asks shrewdly, “Overseer Zil reported his first contact with you, and your interest in the System of the Old Ones. We believe one of those planets is a replica of Dai’Loq Prime, their homeworld at the heart of their star-chamber. Do you know anything about the other two worlds?” Mel admits, “Yes. The bluer planet is a replica of my homeworld, Earth. The other is a replica of Vulcan, Lieutenant K’tral’s homeworld.” Zivan is stunned and tries to process this information, while the Starfleet officers are all taking notes on their padds.

Zivan suddenly snaps her fingers three times, and the servant appears with a cup of a clear liquid. Zivan takes the cup and then hands it to Jessa, saying, “Drink this. It will help with the hallucinations.” Mel asks sharply, “Hallucinations?” Jessa takes a tentative sip, but Zivan shakes her head and says, “It’s better to just gulp it down, to be honest.” Jessa complies, and gags on the sour taste. She experiences a brief moment of intense vertigo, and then the hallucinations vanish as her balance returns. She smiles and announces, “All better, thank you.”

The discussion shifts to the Federation and ship naming conventions. Mel reveals the Enterprise is the Federation flagship; Zivan brightens at the name, as to her it means business enterprises. Mel admits the Dai’Loq got functional warp engines from their predecessor ship, the NX-07 Solstice, back when it crashed in 2158. She also says that United Earth was at war with the Romulan Star Empire at the time, and no one knew if the NX-07 Solstice was lost to enemy action, or a random wormhole or other stellar phenomenon. Zivan commiserates, as the Tizit Consortium has also lost ships without explanation. She admits, “My grandsire served on a ship that vanished without a trace.”

Zivan is clearly unhappy that the Dai’Loq plundered Starfleet technology, but she doesn’t blame Mel. Conversation turns to Federation Secundus. Zivan reveals Federation Secundus was formed from the work of thirty males, likely survivors of the NX-07. Ten males were unaccounted for. Mel reveals they rescued one, Phillip Skemp, and he’s currently serving as a cultural liaison with Federation Secundus. Mel adds, “My mission to bring him there was when we ran into Marat’teer, actually." Zivan smiles coldly and asks, “Did Marat’teer suffer?” Mel grunts, “No, it was pretty instantaneous. He blew himself up. We just… helped.” Jessa adds, “For what it’s worth, I’m pretty sure his last thought was, ‘Oh, fuck.’

Zivan sniggers at that, and Jessa plows forward and asks, “Is the other servant also your son?” Zivan nods as Ssleestak leans over to Fal and whispers, “Should we warn them about the changeling?” Fal frowns but leans over to Mel and whispers, “Should we tell them about the changeling? Ssleestak thought it might be a good idea.” Before Mel can reply, Zivan asks bluntly, “What’s a changeling?”⁷⁾ Mel sighs and circles back to the Dominion. Zivan reveals, “They arrived here maybe three weeks ago, fleeing from the Dai’Loq.” Mel immediately leans forward and asks for more details, so Zivan elaborates, “From what we’ve been able to ascertain, the original Dominion fleet strength was three battlecruisers and four wings of… attack ships?”

Mel calculates the strength that fleet could project as she nods, and Zivan continues, “Unfortunately, they made a crucial mistake. They approached the Dai’Loq first, citing their mutual distrust of your Federation. Then they offered their protection and started spouting off about their gods. They were completely unprepared when the Dai’Loq opened fire. We have video of the battle, but in ten minutes' time the Dai’Loq destroyed all three cruisers and one wing of attack ships. The Dominion tried to withdraw and lost two more wings of attack ships. This wing was the only one that survived. The Dai’Loq did kill something gold and… gelatinous?”

Mel realizes this Founder was not the Orta-Founder and quickly explains the Dominion, how they come from the Gamma Quadrant through the Bajoran wormhole, how they are ruled by shapeshifting changelings, and how the Vorta and the Jem’Hadar are genetically modified lifeforms. Ssleestak adds, “The Founders are perfect shapeshifters, they can become a person, a rock, or even the chair you’re sitting on. They can alter their mass along with their appearance.” Zivan is aghast at the thought, and Ssleestak adds, “They’re in the top five douchebag empires.” Fal mutters, “Like the Cardassians?” Mel snaps, “Fal!” Zivan asks, “What’s a douchebag?”

Jessa replies, “A personal hygiene product that became an insult on Earth.” Mel nods and admits, “Our people have a lot of idioms.” The non-human Starfleet officers all nod knowingly, and Zivan asks, “So they’re… assholes?” Mel snorts but agrees, and Zivan admits some human idioms have spread in this region thanks to the humans from Federation Secundus. The conversation veers to the Dai’Loq and their star-chamber, Zivan insists this thing encases an entire solar system, providing the Dai’Loq with a massive population in the trillions, and unmatched manufacturing capacity. She warns, “Do not underestimate them. I’ve never seen this star-chamber myself, but I have trusted agents who have. Their territory maybe small, but their power and population far exceed anyone else in this region.”

Mel admits, “We know. We believe you about the star-chamber. We call them Dyson Spheres, and the Federation found a different one three years ago.” Zivan nods, mollified, and then asks, “So who are the other douchebag empires?” Ssleestak immediately replies, “The Dominion, and the Cardassian Union. The Borg, definitely. I’d throw in the Romulan Star Empire as well.” Zivan frowns and says, “We’ve heard of the Romulans. The Klingons spoke warmly of them.” Mel interjects, “Trust me, that is not an opinion shared by most of the Klingon Empire.” Phillip speaks up for the first time and says, “Don’t forget the Kinshaya.” Zivan replies, “I thought that was a Klingon profanity?” Mel nods and says, “Yes, but they’re an actual race. And they’ve earned their place as Klingon profanity.”

Zivan nods as she memorizes their words. She asks, “What is the Borg? We’ve never heard of them.” The mood in the room immediately sours and Mel says grimly, “Pray you never do. They’re a cybernetic race from the Delta Quadrant, but they’ve spread throughout the galaxy like a virus. They’re a hive mind, and they assimilate people and technology. People assimilated become drones, every ounce of individuality stripped away. They are vastly powerful; one Borg cube attacked the Federation in late 2366. There was a battle, the Battle of Wolf 359. We lost in under six minutes, and the bulk of the first fleet was utterly destroyed. We managed to stop them, but it cost us dearly.” Zivan listens carefully and then muses, “Interesting. The Dai’Loq have myths about soul devourers, a race that comes from deepest space and sweeps through like a plague, draining people’s souls and turning them into soulless monsters. I wonder if they mean the Borg?”⁸⁾

Zivan considers everything the Starfleet officers have told her and then announces, “I am Chief Purveyor of Kordikar, in large part thanks to you, captain. As such, this position gives me a great deal of power within the Consortium. Hence, I am formally asking to open diplomatic relations with the… Federation Primus?” Mel replies, “The ‘Federation’ is fine, and I will report your request to my superiors as soon as I can.”

Zivan nods and says, “Excellent. We would like to pursue a military alliance, against the Dominion, the Dai’Loq, and the Wabai Unity.” Mel winces and repeats, “I’ll pass that up to my superiors as well.” Seeking to defuse the sudden tension, Jessa jokingly asks Zivan, “So tell us the truth, when you learned of Marat’teer’s untimely demise, how did you react? An interpretive dance?” Mel groans but Zivan snickers. Mel then realizes her junior counselor’s ploy and tells Zivan, “I will inform my superiors of your requests, but the primary aim of the Federation is to sow peace.” Zivan retorts, “But you’re heavily armed.” Mel shrugs and says, “Not everyone shares our beliefs.” Ssleestak adds, “And not all Federation ships are this heavily armed.”

Zivan looks away for a minute, and then admits, “There’s something else. Another reason we seek an alliance. Something’s coming, captain. Something bad. I’ve heard from good authority that the vanguard of a massive swarm of ships is bearing down on us, and these monsters will swoop into a system, take what they want, burn everything else, and rape, kill, and eat whoever they can find – and not necessarily in that order. The N’Dari were an advanced civilization on the other side of the Dai’Loq Sphere. Twelve years ago, these ravagers swarmed their space and destroyed everything. The lucky few who escaped fled into the Dai’Loq Sphere for protection, which was granted per their Rite of Compassion.”

Mel nods as she recalls the Mother-Confessor’s warning from two months ago. Zivan admits, “The Dai’Loq destroyed the vanguard, but it cost them dearly. The N’Dari have enclaves within the Dai’Loq Sphere, but several came here.” Ssleestak pulls up several primers the Federation prepared for first contact situations, he motions to Mel and rumbles, “Alright if I share these?” Mel nods and Ssleestak uploads them into a nearby computer. In return, Zivan offers the footage of the Dai’Loq Sphere’s victory over the Dominion and jokes, “Do you want it set to music or no?”