B-4 AND AFTER

"Commander, come took at this." Ensign Galien calls out.

"Have you found something ensign?" Lieutenant Commander B-4 responds.

The young Ensign has a look of excitement and shock on her face. The two have been assigned to the planet Retoor after its invasion to learn more about the language culture of its inhabitants. Or rather former inhabitants. "Yes commander, but I'm not sure what."

B-4 walks up to the ensign and observes her finding. It is what appears to be the upper left corner of a very large metal wall.

"The metal wall seems to be made of Palaneite. A Damascus version of the metal found on ships capable of intergalactic travel. Fascinating" B-4 proclaimed.

"Commander" Galien asks. "Do you think this is what we've been looking for?". B-4 looks at her with a the usual lack of emotion on his face and says "I am uncertain, however I remain optimistic at the possibility that this might be some kind of Ret Magna Charta".

The ensign responds sarcastically," That's pretty optimistic sir".

B-4 just looks at her and says thank you then hits his Com-Badge. "B-4 to Capitan Picard" . Capitan Picard responds "Go ahead Dat…B-4." (from time to time Capitan Picard calls B-4, Data). "Sir, Ensign Galien has found a large wall buried under the surface that may be of interest to study. May we procure an excavating team with their equipment?"

Capitan Picard responds "Certainly, the men and equipment will be beamed down immediately".

"The excavation lasted longer than expected commander" an engineer said. "The wall is more extensive than the Tricorder initially indicated because portions of the wall are split some fifty meters apart."

"There are more walls?" B-4 asked in amazement. "continue the excavation". The engineers continued to uncover the unusual metal walls from the ground until finally they get to what appears to be a floor.

Ensign Galien and Lieutenant Commander B-4 gaze at their wondrous finding. Four massive concave walls that come together in a circle. The wall sparkled with the passing sunlight. The sunlight also reveal words. "I am attempting to decipher the text. It should only take a second" B-4 assures the ensign. B-4's eyes start to move his eyes from left to right indicating that he is computing information. He stands there for about twelve minutes then comes to.

"Fascinating" B-4 unexpectedly says. Startled, Galien asks him "what is fascinating?". B-4 answers. " The text on these wall are a recount of Retoor life before and after the Federation invaded." confused Galien asks,

"but how is that possible?"

"Apparently this monument was buried just before the Federation arrived."

Galien asks "well what does it say sir".

Vaguely he responds "a lot".

B-4 began to translate the text. The wall tells of a great war between the two dominant species of this planet. The Ipikuli and the Paoat. The war was savage and violent and lasted for centuries. The war eventually ended with the extinction of the Paoat. The Ipikuli were the sole dominant species of this planet.

Data pauses for a moment. "I assume that the name Retip is a culmination of Ret and Ipikuli."

The text continued with recounts an invasion that happened only a few hundred years ago, when a group of alien pirates called Urkits appeared with technology and poisioned the Retip's way of life. After another war for dominance the Retip were able to exterminate the pirates. The Urkit left there technology and culture behind. The Retip studied it carefully and in only a few decades the Retip were able to explore the galaxy themselves.

The text continues with the creation of the Retoor (the Ret stellar navy), Whos mission was to find the Urkit and destroy them. The Retoor fleets split in to several directions in search of the Urkit. One of those fleets manage to find a worm hole that led to the outer edges of the Alpha and Beta quadrants. The fleet started to gather intelligence. Capturing ships, and interrogating their crews. They were so sure that they had found the Urkit home worlds that they decided to attack.

The wall then indicated that just before the Federation reached Ret, this monument was buried so that later generations would find it after the war.

With this new revelation. The Federation would have to agree that the invasion must not continue and a peaceful resolution with the Ret must be established. There attempts fall on deaf ears. The Ret as a whole are notoriously territorial and do not believe in peace. They believe that only one species should be allowed to dominate. They and there counterparts throughout the Maolous galaxy will not stop until the Federation ceases to exist.

The Ret have new allies, called the Quii and the Mulot. As well, they are beginning an alliance with another species that the wall does not indicate the name of. The ret are serious and if we attempt to retreat, they can easily pour through the worm hole and eradicate the milky way galaxy. This war is not over. This war will never end.

B-4 and Galien leave the planet with the knowledge that there first encounter with a species outside of there own galaxy will end with death and destruction. it was unsettling knowledge.

"Sir" Ensign Galien nervously and sarcastically asks. "Do you think your optimism will get us out of this mess some day?"

B-4 turns to her and replies "hopefully".