Mining strike halts border world dilithium production

VERONA III – The small border mining colony world of Verona III has officially halted its mining operations after workers went on strike.

“We will no longer tolerate being exposed to toxic elements due to broken and malfunctioning equipment the Veronans hand us,” declared Verona Mining Union (VMU) President Jerdax Aeunu. “We will no longer tolerate their imperialism and totalitarian clamp, as the Veronans dictate where, when, and who benefits from our hard labor on the production of dilithium, making cuts to our standard of living!”

The Verona Government issued a statement denying all of the allegations, including any plans to reduce standard of living.

“This is nothing but an attempt to discredit the government, which has always supported our mining operations with a proper standard of living and safety first, above all else,” said Verona Governor Darby Schroeder. “This strike is unwarranted and only delays the production schedule of our dilithium deposits. Mr. Aeunu would be wise to stop fabricating non-existent evidence and get us back on schedule.”

The tension between the union and the Veronan Government has steadily risen over the past few months after several closed door meetings, leading to a sharp decline in dilithium production.

Outside experts and Federation observers were stunned by such an action.

“Verona is a rich and environmentally conscious planet,” said Trill observer Mira’Vax. “In some ways, it boasts better living conditions than most mining colony worlds.”

A Ferengi observer, Gorish, however, corroborated the concerns of the miners.

“I’ve seen first-hand Verona’s mines, which are structurally unsafe,” he said. “There are points where gas leaks are clearly visible. Their environmental suits are old, outdated, and are not equipped to filter the fumes.”

Dr. Elivil Shagrar, of the Tri-Planetary Academy offered additional details on Governor Darby Schroeder and VMU President Jerdax Aeunu.

“With the history of the two men–Jerdax Aeunu, an Andorian who immigrated twenty years ago after being cleared at a corruption trial after providing critical evidence leading to the conviction of Ferengi mogel Kordagg, and Darby Schroeder, a human who was one of the founding colonists fifty years ago and started as a miner himself before later becoming governor–I suspect this is more of an internal power struggle than anything else,” he said.

“Still, it’s a dangerous one. The Federation has already been forced to reduce the dilithium amount available to civilians, and even though the Federation Explorer Corps is always looking for more dilithium-rich planets, it’ll take time to bring the amount back up to normal levels if this strike is not resolved.”

Immediately following the announcement of the strike, another mining border world near Klingon space, Oscillo IV, attempted to bolster its production of dilithium and accidentally caused a primary power meltdown of their mining facilities. Martian Governor Lars Durnsdale is also reportedly exploring if Mars’ dilithium production can be safely increased, although he has yet to issue a statement on the matter.

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About Jacob Deitz

Jacob Deitz is an investigative reporter for the Federation News Service. Born in New York City, Earth, Deitz worked at the Federation Star before joining the FNS, where he continues to investigate both political and criminal affairs.

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