Background

The Atakcians are a peaceful race of aliens that have been living on Earth for the last 125 years.  The Earth government and Atakcia enjoy a long-standing diplomatic alliance, which involves free trade and unrestricted travel for all citizens between our two worlds.  When the Atakcians made first contact with Earth in the year 2063, they provided cures for many Earth diseases, and shared their technology for interstellar travel, as well as many other industrial and scientific technologies.  The Atakcians were drawn to Earth’s cultural diversity, and have adopted many cultural and social practices from Earth.

In the year 2097, Earth began it’s own independent interstellar space exploration program.  A government agency called Star Force Command (SFC) was founded to run the program.  It is both governmentally and privately funded.  The tenants of the SFC are to open diplomatic ties to other races, defend Earth from potential extraterrestrial threats, and defend undeveloped alien species from hostile invaders.

Over the years, SFC has made contact with several alien cultures.  Earth shares non-aggression treaties with most of them, but not all.  The SFC also has several undeveloped alien cultures under its protection.

The current year is 2193.

The Story So Far

The Atakcian’s primary source of energy is Refined Luminite.  It is produced by mining Hotep™, a mineral found on many planets (although not on Earth).  It is refined by a moderately expensive process where the mineral is vaporized.  The vapor is then distilled into a liquid that produces great amounts of energy per cubic centimeter.  The use of Refined Luminite on Earth has replaced electricity, natural gas, and all other fossil fuels.  Earth currently purchases most of its Refined Luminite from the Atakcian Mining Consortium.  Over the last 15 years a few small Earth corporations have started their own Luminite mining and refining operations, but have not been very successful in producing a substantial amount of the resource.

Recently, an Atakcian exploration team discovered a species of worm that could digest raw Hotep™.  The exploration team analyzed the excrement of the worms and found a form of Luminite residue.  This residue proved unusable to produce Refined Luminite, but it was so close that it gave the researchers an idea.

The Atakcian researchers took DNA samples of the worms to ExoFaun, Inc., an Earth exobiology laboratory, for genetic engineering.  A special team at ExoFaun, led by top geneticist Miles O’Bennet, was able to genetically engineer a new species of worm that can not only digest the Hotep™ mineral, but excrete a sludge that is almost pure Refined Luminite.  This excrement can be easily collected from the worm’s tunnels and further refined into the necessary liquid form.  This new refining process will cost one tenth of the old process.

Under the terms of the Earth-Atakcian trade agreements, Earth and Atakcia have joint rights to this new technology, “Luminite Worms.”  Both worlds may use this technology without license from the other, and neither world may impede the use of this technology by the other.

Luminite Worms grow up to 120m long, and adults are about 3m in diameter.  They are very fearsome creatures.  They reproduce via larva laid by a queen worm, who is pregnant at birth.

One month ago, using a newly developed scanning technology, the Atakcian Mining Consortium found a new planet with extremely rich deposits of Hotep™ buried deep within the planet’s mantle.  This planet happens to be one of the planets visited by the SFC.  The planet’s SFC designation is EG9-571.  Planet EG9-571 is home to an undeveloped culture of approximately 271,000 persons that is under the protection of the SFC.

Three hours ago, the Atakcian Mining Consortium launched an unmanned space probe for EG9-571, containing a small number of the Luminite Worms, including a queen.  It is due to reach the planet in 1 day.  The Atakcian Mining Consortium plans for this planet to be the first test of the new Luminite “Worm-Refining” process.

The SFC has been informed of this plan through un-official channels, and has relayed the information to SF-1, the special task force team currently stationed on EG9-571.  This team consists of the leader, Colonel Jack Nelson, scientist Major Samantha Cartman, renowned archeologist and anthropologist Dr. Daniel Johnson, and N’Vek, an alien warrior who joined the SFC when team SF-1 visited his planet some years ago.

The SFC is concerned that the worm-mining operation will disrupt the culture on EG9-571, and possibly make the planet too dangerous for its people, considering how ferocious the worms can be.

How the story ends is up to you.....