[DCE] Tadresta Star System

[Planet of Hats]

SUBMITTED: Stardate: 98574.35

FILED BY: CAPT Jadrys Itana

SECURITY: Level 1 - Open

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LOCATION: Tadresta System
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MISSION: Continuing Deep Copernicus Expedition initiative.
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OUTCOME: Successful first contact with the Drastani; detection of nearby anomaly.
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KEY PERSONNEL:

CAPT Jadrys Itana
LCDR Rena Fox
LT Hussein ibn al-Qasim al-Absi
LT Elyxia Sudet

​NARRATIVE: Our continued survey of Centaurus took us along the noted boundary of the Ustavan Starleague to Psi Centauri. This is an unpopulated system, and our survey confirmed long-range readings of a binary star system consisting of two young A-type white stars, with some evidence of protoplanetary mining operations conducted by the Ustavans. We did not remain in the system long before continuing on coreward towards the HD 125510 star system.

This system lies outside the charted bounds of Ustavan space and consists of a hierarchical trinary star system. The primary, HD 125510, is a K0V-type orange dwarf similar to Sigma Draconis, orbited closely by a smaller orange dwarf star (HD 125510 A) and with a third star, a red dwarf (HD 125510 B), orbiting well into the outer system. In that respect it resembles Alpha Centauri in an orange dwarf form.

Upon entering the system, we quickly picked up evidence of outlying sensor beacons of designs dissimilar to those we observed in Ustavan space. Further exploration revealed energy readings originating from a planet orbiting within the habitable zone of HD 125510 A, an M-class planet of approximately 1.13 standard Minsharan planetary masses. Long-range scans of the planet revealed high levels of activity, warp traceries consistent with speeds in the range of Warp 1.5 to Warp 2, a developed orbital network with evidence of lunar outposts, and extensive physical infrastructure on the planet itself, along with lifesigns numbering approximately 9.4 billion.

As we approached the two central stars, we broadcasted a standard greeting towards the planet, correctly judging that we had encountered an early warp-capable civilization. Our initial hails received no immediate response but prompted a significant increase in comm traffic centred on a highly-inhabited area of the main continent, but within 25 minutes we received a voice-only broadcast from an individual identifying herself as Amdin N'Seta, with the title of Lead Coordinator of an agency identified as the Xenological Observation and Contact Readiness Administration of the Consular Confederation of Tadresta. From the conversation and from background noise, we were able to identify the voices of approximately a dozen additional individuals, suggesting we had reached this planet's equivalent of a SETI observatory monitored by a number of sensor analysts.

Our exchange of greetings with Coordinator N'Seta was polite and positive, reflecting surprise on their part giving way to interest in our arrival. We learned the following from our conversation:

* The planet we detected - HD 125510 A II - is known locally as Tadresta and inhabited by the Drastani. They are a humanoid race at an early warp phase of development and are physiologically distinguished by subtly sandy-tinged skin and a pair of shallow ridges tracing from just ahead of the sphenoid region of the skull up along the edges of the frontal plate.
* Tadresta's predominant climate is somewhat Mediterranean, with regional variation gradiating to colder areas around the poles and tropical oceanic islands around parts of the equatorial region. Approximately 68% of the planetary surface is water. We identified four primary continental masses as well as at least seven inhabited orbital facilities of modest size (the largest at approx. 50 inhabitants).
* Coordinator N'Seta informed us that the Drastani have been contacted by three other known races: The Ustavans, the Yedbak and the Klyzheerians, the latter of whom the Copernicus has yet to encounter.
* The government of Tadresta is a one-world government operating on a democratic federal model. While there are approximately 120 extant sub-states, they share governance through the Consular Confederation, to which each sub-state sends a proportional number of elected Consuls to sit on a global council. It is the Consular Confederation that jointly administers space exploration and military adventures.
* Our arrival in-system was initially identified by the Drastani as a potential Ustavan ship. One of the XOCRA coordinators explained that, while the Ustavans had been cordial to the Drastani, a representative of the Klyzheerians had warned of an alleged Ustavan tendency to demand mining rights to outlying worlds.

We were ultimately invited to enter orbit of Tadresta. Following a series of conversations, we were invited to land at a government starport in Nementosa, the central city of the Consular Confederation. Myself, Coun. Sudet and a security detail made landfall via Type 8 shuttle and undertook a meeting with several Consuls and officials in an informal first contact ceremony, during which we conducted greetings and overtures on behalf of the Federation in line with standard protocol.

We opted to remain in orbit of Tadresta for approximately three days in order to conduct diplomacy and cultural exchange. During this time, however, the Copernicus crew reported unusual subspace signals originating from within the interstellar medium. LT Al-Absi and LCDR Fox were able to narrow down the signals to an area en route to our next benchmark star, the G-type star HD 126061. Further long-range scans revealed energy readings consistent with a subspace anomaly.

Following our successful first contact with the Drastani, including attendance at nine official functions and visits with key regional leaders, we returned to the Copernicus with intentions of exploring the detected anomalies. For the moment, it appears that the Drastani are an open-minded and democratic species with potential to continue fruitful and cooperative relations with the Federation and the Alliance.
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RECOMMENDATION: Dispatch a full diplomatic team to Tadresta.
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OOC: