We just arrived at the edge of Breen and Deferan space in the Aspet system, a place if you had inquired with me just days ago I’d have stated was an otherwise dead system in a rather devoid sector of space that most would never venture. And I would have been seemingly quite wrong, along with many others. An archaeological site of great importance to the Deferans, focused on the study of the ancient civilization known as the Preservers, was robbed of artifacts.
As is somewhat common knowledge at this point, most significant, known Preserver facilities, such as the Archive on Lae’nas III, were decimated by the Heralds in the Iconian War. That fact makes those that remain and any new discoveries of particular importance to the Deferi.
The Aspet system, and Aspet I itself, are uninhabited. The planet long thought to be a lifeless sphere. The Deferan (accidental) discovery of a Preserver site on the world forced some scrutiny to challenge those beliefs. A Deferi vessel caught up in some skirmish with a Breen raider was forced off the well-traveled space lanes of the region and sought refuge to repair on Aspet I. That circumstance resulted in quite the discovery… the aforementioned Preserver site.
Various forms of data collected by the Deferans at present seems to indicate this world was victim to a catastrophe well after the Preservers ceased to actively occupy the world. The prevailing theory, based on the geological data, is that some sort of rogue cluster of asteroids - perhaps even a larger comet that somehow broke up into several smaller but distinct pieces - bombarded the world and caused not only an extinction level event for plant and animal life on the planet, but triggered massive volcanic and seismic events that ‘erased’ any real signs of Preserver civilization from the surface. In fact, the archaeological site in question was underground: A massive chamber with a ceiling of rock that was once some active lava flow in the distant past. A Preserver shield likely protected the facility from the lava flows, instead causing the facility to be buried… and it would have remained that way if the Deferan vessel had not landed in a way that disturbed the relatively thin layer of volcanic rock and revealed what was below.
I digress, though. While that is all in itself fascinating, what we are here for amounts to what seems to be little more than petty theft… at least to me. Our investigations are still underway to try and determine who the responsible party may be. Initial suspicions of Breen involvement that prompted a vessel of the Serona’s size to respond have so far seemed unfounded, at least in that we’ve seen no evidence to confirm or deny their responsibility for the incident.
More information will undoubtedly be uncovered. As I record this message, I prepare to embark in an environmental suit to the surface with an away team for continued investigation.
