NOTE: This Duty Log by LtCmdr. Adonudo T'lanuwa serves as an Introduction and de facto Mission Briefing for the upcoming story arc for the Penumbra.
Duty Log, SD 2022-06-30; LtCmdr. Adonudo T'lanuwa
The USS Waterford, the mobile spacedock ship sent by Starfleet Corps of Engineers to make the repairs to the Penumbra, arrived at Dorvan V several days ahead of the Penumbra, since they had less distance to travel, and weren’t currently missing three of their lower decks!
Adon had insisted he be among the first to beam down to the planet after the Waterford made orbit. Captain Reynolds agreed, since Adon was a native of the planet and was also a former member of the legislature, an Honored Elder of the Tribal Council. He tasked Adon with coordinating their efforts here, and arranging for various shore leaves and other planet-side activities for the crew of the Waterford during the several weeks they’d be working on the Penumbra.
Dorvan V was nominally under the jurisdiction of the Cardassian Republic, ceded from the Federation to the Cardassians as part of the negotiations at the end of the Federation-Cardassian War. During the Dominion War, when the Cardassians were part of the Dominion, Dorvan V had been mostly ignored. It had no actual native intelligent life-forms, only the Native Americans that had settled there forty years ago, and then the Cardassians who claimed it after they’d been given it. While it had vast forests and wide plains, and many rivers and lakes, any other resources the Dominion might have had interest in were difficult to access. The Dorvans had dug no mines by the time the Cardassians arrived, and even though the Cardassians did find some useful metals and minerals and begun mining, the Founders (and their Jem-Hadar and Vorta) had no interest in the effort it would take to harvest these resources when there were other locations much easier.
At the end of the Dominion War, the Cardassian Union had been decimated, but had legally retained the rights to the planet. When finally their Republic had recovered enough to claim those rights, they found the planet’s local Native American population well in charge of their dozen or so scattered villages but with virtually no presence in the places the Cardassians actually preferred, the mountainous regions in the higher latitudes.
So, the Cardassians "permitted" the Dorvans to continue their tribal government but installed a Cardassian Overseer who seldom interfered with the Dorvans except to make "inspection tours" a few times a year.
The Dorvans preferred a more "primitive" lifestyle, keeping their society tied to the "ancient ways" of living in harmony with the land in small villages. They possessed advanced technology, and made use of it freely, but kept such things "in the background". As such, the "capital" of the Dorvan Native Americans was simply the largest, and most centrally located, village, located in the plains and called Fairwinds because of the fair breezes that always blew across the grassy plains from the west.
Each village was headed by an elected "chief" (a mayor for practical purposes) and a "tribal council" (the town council). Each village sent representatives to the "capital" for any larger concerns and the federation of villages was headed by a Council of Elders, a Tribunal of Justices, and a Principal Chief. Adon had been one of those Elders, elected ten years ago and serving for three years before the tragedy of the earthquake that took his wife and daughter. He’d never actually officially resigned, but had left then. His term would have expired a few years later anyway.
Now, Adon approached the village center where stood the Chief and several of the Elders, waiting for him. Of course, people from the ship had already called ahead and spoken with various people over the comm-line, but this was the first face-to-face between the arriving Federation officers and the local leaders, and it had to be done correctly.
Adon stepped to within appropriate speaking distance, stopped and gave a short bow. "Unalihelitsi, atsiluquodiyu uguwiyuhi. Unalihelitsi, atsiluquodiyu utusonu. Ahtayohiha Unetlanuwi ayohisdi nuwatohiyadu!" What he’d said translated as "Greetings, Honored Chief. Greetings, Honored Elders. May the Great Spirit bring you peace!"
The Chief answered, "Unalihelitsi, Didanawisgi. Unetlanuwi adadoligi nasgi." Which is to say, "Greetings, Medicine Man. The Great Spirit’s blessings upon you."
Adon reached into a bag he carried slung over his shoulder and produced a case about the length of his forearm, half as wide, and as deep as his hand was long. He held it out in front of him and lifted the latch to open it, revealing inside several vials of liquid.
The Chief eyed the vials somewhat appraisingly, then gave a curt nod of acceptance. Adon closed the case and handed it to a younger man who rushed forward to receive it. The case held two dozen samples of a variety of medicines, the number, type, and quantity of which had been pre-arranged. A gift offered by a visitor was a common custom, and the acceptance by the Chief was a good sign.
With the formalities over, they could revert to Federation Standard. Adon smiled and extended his hand, "It is good to see you, Koga! I am pleased to see you are now Principal Chief." The Chief’s full name was Dalidegu Koga, or "Hopping Crow", with Koga, "crow", for short. He and Adon had been friends as well as colleagues when Adon was on the Council.
"It’s been too long you’ve been away, Adon! Come, eat, and we will catch up." The older man wrapped an arm around Adon’s shoulder and escorted him to his home.
Later, as they sat around inside Koga’s house, his wife and children, even a couple of grandchildren, and a few other guests were sitting around the house. Koga said, "I’d like your advice, Adon, on a delicate matter of local politics."
Adon raised an eyebrow, "I’ve been out of the local politics for a while, Koga."
Koga waved his hand dismissively, "Nah, I know that, but you’ve always given wise counsel, and I could use some wisdom on this. But, come, let’s take it outside, no need to bring politics into a lively family conversation!"
They stepped outside and Koga produced a pipe from somewhere, filled it with some tobacco and lit it, sending some smoke up to the Above Beings before offering it to Adon. Adon puffed, did the same, then took a puff for himself and passed it back. Koga puffed a time or two, then eyed Adon a moment.
Adon said, "You brought me out here for a reason, Koga, out with it."
Koga sighed and began, "There have been some young men that are not happy with the Cardassians and their mines." He handed Adon the pipe.
Adon puffed and waited. Koga continued, "Some of them raided one of the Cardassian supply trains recently, stealing supplies and damaging some equipment. Most of it is reasonably harmless vandalism and petty theft, but ...," he accepted the pipe back from Adon and puffed a moment.
Adon spoke, "I’m guessing the Cardassians do not agree it was harmless or petty."
"No," Koga said, shaking his head. "They responded by rolling into the village of Three Fishes, you know, the one up the river at the foot of the mountains? That’s where the raiders were from, and it’s the village closest to the Cardassian mine. They claim they arrested insurgents, Adon! Eight boys and two girls, all between the ages of 17 and 21 years. And ...," he paused, turned to look directly at Adon, and added, "the son of a Starfleet officer is amongst them."
"A Starfleet kid? But, aren’t all the Starfleet officers assigned here to Fairwinds?"
"Indeed they are, but apparently this young man was seeing one of the girls from Three Fishes. He’d gone up to visit her just before the Cardassians made their arrest."
Adon thought for a moment. "This is bad news, Koga. The Cardassians have rights to this planet. The Dorvan government is subservient. I ... I have to bring this to my superior officers if a Starfleet officer is involved. I don’t know what advice to give you!"
Koga gave a half smile and tapped out the pipe. "You can see why I needed wisdom, then!"