The Divine Mudd

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Treymiar
Chief Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer
Posts: 240
Joined: Sun Aug 04, 2013 2:15 am

The Divine Mudd

Post by Treymiar » Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:21 am

The Divine Mudd

{This was a mission planned for USS Leyte Gulf back in 2012 that never came to pass. It would be a darn fun mission for a ship in the right Trek era! :) }

Called a 'Polynesian planet', Lenuvana is very much like the South Pacific islands. It is inhabited by the tribal Kuvati, a people gifted with powerful vocal mesmerism. (There was more than audio component. Recorded playbacks didn't have the same effect.)

There are no other habitable planets in its solar system. Three moons orbit the planet, one large and two small. They are much more settled in their orbits than Earth's moon, resulting in relatively gentle oceanic tides. Although 'rare earths' can be found, there are no minerals in the solar system to warrant a mining operation.

The first Federation citizen to discover the planet was Captain Leo Walsh, better known under his real name, Harcourt Fenton Mudd. His schooner broke down, and he was forced to make a landing along with his charming wife Stella. Through accident and a little bit of flimflam, Harry Mudd became the tribal god and enjoyed that position for some time.

His ambition brought his illustrious reign to and end, however. When the first Federation starship to explore the system arrived, Harry used the Kuvati mesmerism to take over the crew. After all, a starship could not only defend his planet, it could also fetch exotic imports from all over the known galaxy.

Between the tribal mesmerism and plain old fashioned partying, things got out of hand. A joyride by crew and natives around the solar system ended up 'plinking' asteroids with phasers and torpedoes. It made for a spectacular fireworks show which was a big hit for the party. As things got carried away, certain officers swept up with delusions of grandeur decided that Starfleet needed to be notified. They were desperately outnumbered by an enemy fleet, but would fight to the last torpedo.

Of course, these highly dramatic dispatches were heard by Klingons and Starfleet alike. The Klingons believed it and pulled back their fleet. They had been preparing for a full scale assault into Federation space. Starfleet's Commodore Wesley scrambled to assemble a task force around his USS Lexington to "save" the "besieged" starship. Upon arrival, he was utterly shocked to find a costumed (those who were wearing clothes, that is), inebriated bridge crew deeply grateful for torpedo donations.

Correctly surmising the situation, the task force successfully retook the hedonistic vessel. Immunity to the pleasant vocal mesmerism came through an injection which induced temporary deafness. After the body count was successfully sober-ized (and dressed), the commodore firmly explained that Nobody has Ever gone joy riding in a starship like that. All agreed, the official log read that Starfleet was aware of the pending Klingon invasion and created a ruse to trick them into pulling back. The Klingons themselves began to suspect that there had not been a real battle, but their fleet commanders couldn't pursue the matter without exposing themselves to humiliation.

In the end, Starfleet couldn't press charges against Harry Mudd. If they did, then he'd be entitled to a trial where the truth would come out. In addition, Harry couldn't be blamed for his schooner breaking down, and the man hadn't imparted any meaningful technology to the Kuvati. In an illiterate culture which passed knowledge via oral tradition, his story would quickly become the stuff of local mythology.

A poetic justice was served, however. That was one of the reasons that the 'The Divine Mudd' was allowed to go. They repaired his schooner and sent him on his way. His wife Stella, that magnificent shrew, wouldn't be forgiving Harry any time soon. During his reign, he had commanded his faithful tribesmen keep her sedated with their mesmerism. It had brought him a peaceful smile every day to see her sitting quietly, not harping at him.
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"Sometimes, people become enemies because they don't understand each other.
Other times, they become enemies because they do."

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