New Darwin History

The New Darwin Colony is in the Gamma Sagittarii System, a solar system originally explored and inhabited by the Klingon Empire. During the late 2140's the Klingon Empire established two outposts. One outpost was on a moon of Gamma Sagittarii VI that had the most easily mined Di-Lithium deposits. The second outpost was a mostly agricultural and light manufacturing complex on Gamma Sagittarii II to produce food and bulky equipment for the workers in the Di-Lithium Mines. There was also a small mining setup established on Gamma Sagittarii II digging for precious and useful metals. In essence both were work colonies for aliens from within the more established systems of the Klingon Empire. People enslaved to work whilst the Klingon's reaped the rewards of the rich resources.

In the Gamma Sagittarii system the workforce of forced labourers were a race called the Daliwakan that natively inhabit another planet deep within the Klingon Empire known as Daliwaka. The first labourers where transported to the Klingon Gamma Sagittarii outposts in 2146 when there was just a small group of Klingon overseers. In 2156 there were approximately 400 Daliwakan workers split between the two outposts, the agricultural and manufacturing complex on Gamma Sagittarii II and working in the Di-Lithium Mines. The Klingons set up a group of Daliwakans loyal to them calling themselves
 

the Archonate. The Archonate was a body of Daliwakan elders, a form of ruling body, all of which were in the Klingon’s pocket. The elders were greedy, living off the blood and sweat of their people, doing anything K’taroq told them to do only to keep their privileges. Whenever the Klingons needed an unpopular law or edict enacted, the Archonate rubber-stamped it. Though essentially, most Daliwakans saw through this guise.

In 2156, increasing tension between Earth and the Klingon Empire led to the establishment of a Starfleet blockade along the sectors controlled by Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, Denobula and Tellar bordering the Klingon Empire. The Starfleet blockade was led by the ESS Yorktown accompanied by a number of other vessels including the ESS Apollo SCL-09 and ESS Garuda SCL-05, two Sol-class ships, and the ESS Challenger. The Task Group Commander, reporting directly to Captain Rokossovsky of the Yorktown, was Commander Bill Garrett aboard the Apollo. During this period the Klingon Empire decided to withdraw from the Gamma Sagittarii System to focus their available Fleet and Forces against a threat unknown to Starfleet.

Jares Pleshtak a Daliwakan slave dispatched a distress call which was recieved by Starfleet and the arrival of the ESS Challenger, Yorktown, Apollo and Garuda in the System prompted some of the Daliwakan labourers on Gamma Sagittarii II to revolt against their Klingon overseers. The Klingon's stood and fought for a while destroying parts of the colony, particularly the Klingon headquarters and the mines. But their bombardment of the settlement on Gamma Sagittarii II was cut short as they were driven off by the ESS Yorktown and Garuda.

Elsewhere they attempted to destroy the Di-Lithium mine to prevent it falling into another race's hands. They evacuated their Klingon overseers, but abandoned the forced labourers prior to bombarding the mine from space. There was a sharp engagement with losses on both sides before they finally departed the system without completing the destruction of the outpost on Gamma Sagittarii VI. The ESS Apollo away team lead by Cmdr Garrett and including Lieutenants Sam Fisher and Jamie Haydon, investigated the ruins of the Di-Lithium Mine on the moon of Gamma Sagittarii VI and rescued Daliwakan labourers, who managed to survive in the abandoned mine shafts until found. Amongst whom was Kareem Morotai, a Daliwakan slave who had been working to create better conditions for the Daliwakans and improve relations with the Klingon overseers. With no better option due to continued tension between Starfleet and the Klingon Empire, they transported the liberated slave to Gamma Sagittarii II and made contact with the Daliwakan labourers there.


 
Meanwhile the ESS Challenger concentrated on the outpost on Gamma Sagittarii II and confirming the status of Daliwakan's trapped in the mines there.

Of the 413 surviving Daliwakans 183 wanted to risk returning to their home world whilst the 230 others wanted to stay on the outpost on Gamma Sagitarri II, now named Oonah Lotmah (Daliwakan for New Hope), and rebuild in honor of those that had died there. Some felt returning home was too dangerous and were happier to settle across the stars. An agreement was established with Starfleet to build an outpost to protect them, an Earth Trading Station to build an economy for their new

home. The ESS Challenger was tasked with returning the Daliwakan's who wanted to leave to their home. The ESS Apollo was re-assigned to patrol the Gamma Sagittarii sector and the ESS Valiant drawn in as a support vessel to the new colony.

The Gamma Sagittarii System will provide an excellent listening post into Klingon Territory. The addition of a lucrative world completely open to colonization and rich in resources provided the extra incentive to the UEG Presidential Council to approve the expenditure by Starfleet to build a permanent base on Gamma Sagittarii II under the command of Captain Julie McKenzie.

A Daliwakan council was set up which included Kareem Morotai, Jonas Gresham and Kaeidi Arrawah. Though shortly after a number of Daliwakans, including Jonas were influenced by the spores of a hallucinogenic nature which nearly lead to them attacking Humans. It was cured and they returned to normal.

Accommodation, farming, storage and production buildings were either repaired or newly constructed ensuring the colony could become self sufficient again. The former slaves now free to work for their own benefit. A Command Centre and Medical Centre were established on the colony in December 2157 giving the colony its eyes and ears to the outside world. At this time a memorial place was set up in the colony centre - to remember those lost and look to the future. The follow inscription was written in many languages:

"From deep within the darkness that once engulfed this world, a light of Hope now shines. It radiates from the hearts of all those who lived and died, imprisoned far from the lands of their birth and the arms of their own people. Such distance and suffering did not extinguish the light of their lives, neither did death rob us all of the brilliance that now swells, illuminating the path of freedom and unity ahead. Earth and the Children of Daliwaka will long remember and tell the stories of those fallen here. We are united by the bonds of friendship and stand for universal freedom. We now move toward future prosperity and have a new hope as fellow citizens of New Darwin."

In early 2158 Captain McKenzie was badly injured in a Naussican attack whilst returning from Earth. The New Darwin crew on the ESS Valiant rescued her and defeated the Naussicans but the Captain was sent back to Earth to recover. The Lake near to the colony was renamed Lake McKenzie in her honour. Kareem Morotai was appointed commanding officer by Admiral Batenburg.

In February 2158 plans were put in place for the construction of an Academy campus by Cmdr Akhemd Ji-Ribala. Other colony developments also continued under the guidance of Lt. Jamie Haydon. In April 2158 the ESS Valiant began a survey mission to detail the rest of the Gamma Sagittarii system's resources with a view to setting up future mining facilities and discovered Orions had entered the system undetected and began mining on GSVI. Further investigations revealed they were using Daliwakan slaves, left over from the original Klingon occupation. At the time they had been trapped and undetected by Starfleet.