Amargosa Observatory

Overview   Type Space observatory Classification Research facility Affiliation United Federation of Planets Status Destroyed   Position   Galaxy Milky Way Quadrant Beta System   Amargosa system        Structure Dimensions Unknown Mass Unknown Structure Round main section with large sensor dish and three long girders. Main facilities Observatory Scientific laboratories Solar research laboratory Other facilities Storage rooms      Ausstattung   Energieversorgung Fusionsreaktor Technische Ausstattung Isolinearer Zentralcomputer Subraumtranceiver Subraum- und Standardsensorenphalanx Verteidigungssysteme keine   Personal   Crew 19 Scientific staff Dr. Tolian Soran       -2371 Stellar physicist    Log   2371    August Dr. Tolian Soran, a solar scientist who works in the observatory and has studied the Amargosa sun for several years with the secret goal of finding a way to destroy stars, commissions the outlawed Duras sisters Lursa and B'Etor to supply him with the illegal and unstable substance trilithium. He has found to method to stabilize the experimental substance, requiring it for the contruction of a destructive solar probe which is capable of stopping the nuclear reactions in a star. Undiscovered from his colleagues, he constructs this probe in the secret solar research laboratory in the observatory.    Stardate 48632 The Amargosa Observatory is attacked by an Romulan warbird which searches for their missing trilithium that has been stolen by the Duras sisters. The Romulans could pursue the trace to the obervatory, but they can't find the trilithium even after an extensive search through the heavily damaged station including all storage rooms as well as the central computer, since it is hidden in the secret solar research lab, which is surrounded by a damping field and therefore is undetectable from outside. Finally, the Romulans have to retreat, since they risk to be discovered due to the distress call transmitted by the station crew at the beginning of the attack. Only 5 of 19 crew members survive the incident, among them Dr. Tolian Soran, the only one who knows of the reason for the attack. Because of the desperate defense of the crew, however, also two of the invaders have been killed. Shortly after the retreat of the Romulans, the USS Enterprise-D arrives, only finding a devastated observatory with few survivors. An away team can salvage them and beam them to the Enterprise, where they have to stay until the investigation, which finally identifies the mysterious attackers as Romulans, is finished. Dr. Tolian Soran, who is under pressure, ignores this order and goes to the solar research lab to prepare the launch of the solar probe. There, he meets Lt. Cmd. Data and Lt. Cmd. Geordi LaForge, who, in the course of the investigation, have discovered the secret facility as well as the stolen trilithium. Soran succeeds in taking Geordi LaForge hostage, launching his probe and beaming himself and LaForge to the cloaked Klingon vessel of the Duras sisters during the battle with the away team of the Enterprise. The Bird of Prey immediately leaves the system. The solar probe initiates a quantum implosion within the Amargosa sun, all fusion processes come to an end. The resulting level 12 shock wave destroys the Amargosa Observatory as well as the other parts of the system. The Enterprise can beam the away team aboard and leave the system in the nick of time.