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Transcript
Panel 1:
Lieutenant Commander Natashia Starrat: So, as most of you are aware, we are currently en route to Sping-Spang-Spoogie.
Panel 2:
Andre Peters: Wait... I thought that was a typo. It's actually called that? *Snrk*
Natashia: Lieutenant LeRoux has already hammered the name to death. Let's move on.
The system is named for the gods Sping and Spang. Brothers who, according to Spoogian theology, created the world and the Spoogians themselves from the void, and
subsequently defended them from harm.
The word "Spoogian," in their language, meaning "the protected people."
Panel 3:
Yeoman Bridget Janson: See, it's important to be respectful! No matter how oddly other cultures pronounce words!
Commander Dale Zurkett (aside): And also why we should leave Zack on the ship for this.
Panel 4:
Natashia: In any case... the planet has something of a storied history. It was peripherally involved in the Earth-Romulan war of the 22nd Century.
Dale: That's why it's in the Neutral Zone?
Natashia: Yes. Spoogie was a medieval society at the time. During the war, though, multiple ships from both sides crashed on the planet.
The survivors were held up as near deities by the locals due to their advanced technology. Due to disputes, they were stuck there for years.
Until late in the 23rd century, in fact.
Panel 5:
Major Ulbek: They shared technology with a medieval society? Quite the Prime Directive violation.
Panel 6:
Ensign Hylia: The Prime Directive had not been instituted yet. The war was pre-Federation.
Natashia: That's right. Actually, the tech is how they were found. You see, Sping-Spang-Spoogie is really the name of their entire system:
Panel 7:
Natashia: Their sun is Sping. The gas giant Spang, and their world is a moon: Spoogie.
It periodically passes through Spang's ring sytem, which causes sudden and deadly particle showers.
Thus, the Spoogians mostly lived underground until the "outsiders" came. The advanced survivors built defensive systems to protect surface settlements from bombardment.
Panel 8:
Natashia: Anyway, one of our patrol vessels detected the particle defense system during a routine scan. It didn't take long after that for the Federation Council to figure
out that the tech wasn't invented locally.
The Human and Romulan descendants were both removed by Federation starships.
The two factions had become... friendly over the years. Most of the expatriated Romulans requested leave to remain in Federation space rather than return to the
Empire.
Doctor T'Zel: I'm familiar with this... most of them relocated to Vulcan, correct? Until the war with Nero destroyed the planet?
Natashia: Yes, that's right.
Ulbek: And where are the descendants now?
Natashia: Unknown. Possibly deceased. Most records were lost when Vulcan was destroyed.
Panel 9:
Ulbek: Unfortunate.
Bridget: Yes, all those people...
Ulbek (aside): Oh, yes. Them too.
Commodore Jeffrey Bannister: Okay, but Vulcan aside... the current problem is on Sping-Spang-Spoogie, right?
The Romulans are occupying it.
Natashia: And that's our biggest problem.
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