CAPTAIN'S LOG:
A Joint RPG Newsletter of the Star Trek Universe
CAPTAIN'S LOG:
A Joint RPG
Newsletter of the Star Trek Universe
"Let men speak well or
ill of our nation, our literature, our language: they are ours,
they are ourselves, and let that be enough."
~J.G. Herder
Issue 5: December 1998 - http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3200/index.html - [email protected]
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
The CO's Guide to Aliens:
Amarokians
Andrew Brack,
Gamma Fleet, USC, ISS Rockestro
Have you ever been stuck trying to think of an alien race who can fit the criteria that you have established for your mission? Are you stuck fighting the Jem Hadar mission in, mission out? Well, this column introduces to you some of the lesser known aliens featured in Star Trek and gives you a few hints on how to use them effectively. This month the article is about the Amarokians, a race which I created for Gamma Fleet, and whom I mentioned regularly until Admiral Bills became sick of them! They're my creation and thus non-canon, but I think that I should mention races specific to RPGs as well as cannon. If any other RPG has a race that they want covered, please send me a fair bit of material on them (and pictures, if necessary) and I'll write something up about them...
CHARACTERISTICS
Name: Amarokians
Planet: Amarokia VII - Class K Planet (NOTE:
They are a Dominion race!)
Appearances: Amarokians have long black hair and
long, thin faces. They are a single sex species and are muscular.
They are almost always 6 foot 2 or taller. They wear Titanium
battle armour and iron masks. Their skin is ridged and bumpy and
they have six fingers. They appear to have very good reflexes and
they are supposed to have very good eyesight. They do not treat
scars or wounds, allowing them to remain as a sort of status
symbol. On their backs they carry weaponry of various designs and
attached to their mask is a communications device. After thirty
'kills', an Amarokian is allowed to retire from front line combat
and become a starship officer. Their armour is then decorated and
they dispense with the masks.
Attitudes: The Amarokians are far more violent
than the Klingons and often make suicide runs. Due to their
dwindling population they are held in reserve for full-scale
attacks and are genetically engineered by the Dominion. The
'young' are produced in test tubes but this is a time consuming
process and if a batch are contaminated then an entire generation
can be lost. The Amarokians have no known government system and
thus are disorganised. Many have been told the stories of when
the Amarokians 'trod through space - ruling over all' - they long
for these days again like the Klingons long for the days of the
'great empire'.
Culture: Like the Vorta, the Amarokians have no
'real' culture. They only tell each other stories passed on from
generation to generation in order to inspire them.
First Encountered By: The Federation Starship,
the USS Apocalypse (NOTE: Warship destroyed by them).
Episodes They Appear In: None
HOW AND WHY SHOULD I USE THEM?
Amarokians are good enemies. They
are like the Jem Ha'Dar, but are interesting in that they are far
less common. Their ships are large and powerful, although they do
have their own weak spots -- you just have to find them. The
ships are run using an artifical quantum singularity, like
Romulan ships.
Amarokians, like the Hirogen, live for the kill. They spend their
entire lives hunting down the Dominion's enemies. They are on the
outer edge of Dominion territory -- by the time they get to the
wormhole most have died of old age. Because of this, they are
trained off-world. They breathe Hydrogen and require two hours a
day of 'quiet time' in which they regenerate in both mind
and body.
When fighting them it is interesting to note that they go in for
blunt, short weapons, and dislike weapons which make their prey
explode. Many Amarokians will put poison on their weapons, to
cause their prey immense pain. The 'young ones' start off with a
disruptive-energy weapon. These are considered to be the easiest
weapons to handle.
Amarokians should probably not be met in hand to hand combat at
first -- you won't survive. They are very resiliant and
determined, and will fight until they draw their terminal breath.
Diplomacy with them won't work -- but don't tell your crew that!
Let them try to talk their way out of a fight. Enjoy yourselves,
possibly pitting them against a brand new alien to see what they
do. Trust me -- it's fun!
Enjoy yourselves!
Andrew Brack
I.n T.he O.pen: Special Cooperative
Effort
News Letter
Editing Staff
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Most of you know me. My name is Mike Bremer, FAdm. Bremer,
the CO of Bravo Fleet. After all of the BS that's been going on
in the Bravo Fleet message board, and before that the 7th Fleet's
message board, I thought it would be best if we started an open
dialog, not spam eachother's boards.
Some of my officers and I got to talking. People like
'Jeff' do nothing but cause troubles, make some player want to
quit, and give RPGs in general a black eye. We've all had players
in our groups that have done nothing but cause troubles. In Bravo
Fleet, we have what we call the 'Bad Boy List'. This is a list of
email addresses of banned players from the RPG. Also on the list
are what these people did to be placed on there.
To date, Bravo Fleet, Alpha Fleet, and Tango Fleet have
shared information like this, warning eachother about possible
trouble makers. It's worked great. What we are proposing is
simple. Share that information with everyone, between our groups.
This might stop the next 'Jeff' before he starts.
To date, Mr. Rawlens, Myself, and a CO in both Bravo and
Alpha Fleets have had people pose as them in message boards,
guest books, email, and newsgroups. This is just childish.
Perhaps, if we share information between groups, and work
together ( instead of against eachother ), we cannot only limit
the harassment from 'Jeff's, but catch the ones that do cause
troubles, and stop them from causing havoc in other groups.
Please let me know if you are interested and I'll set us
up with a mailing list and tell you who we in Bravo Fleet have
had problems with. I have sent this message to the Fleet COs of
Bravo Fleet, Tango Fleet, Alpha Fleet, Gamma Fleet, and the 7th
Fleet, as well as the JAG officers of Bravo and Alpha Fleets and
a few others in the groups. Please be assured, this isn't a spam
letter.
Thank you for your time,
Fleet Admiral Mike K'Wor Bremer-Bravo Fleet CO/GM
Subscribing Fleet News
Newsletter
Consulting Staff
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: If you are a subscribing member and did not get your RPG news included in this month's issue, please send us a brief summary of important events that you would like to see posted in the December issue by the regular deadline for article submissions. If anything major happens after that point you can contact us and we will try to add it to the newsletter as events happen. I look forward to getting news from more fleets for next month!
Amy Lindeman
Co-Editor in Chief
Captain's Log News
Gabriel Fleet: The Gabriel Fleet has recently launched a ship, the USS Mystic. The CO is Captain Stecia Peer, and the XO is Johnny O'Gallagher. The launch of the second ship, the USS Exploring Star, will occur as soon as suffucient crew has been found to staff it.
- Stecia Peer, USS Mystic, Gabriel Fleet
Gamma Fleet: Gamma Fleet is doing pretty well at present. Crew sizes are good on most ships in the fleet, with the exception of the USS Camelot which is going through some recruiting problems. Gamma Fleet is set to expand in the next month or so. The Gamma Fleet HQ website is currently being re-designed, and in the near future we will hope to see the creation of the Gamma Fleet Command School, along with a new sim group within the Fleet called the Gamma Fleet Engineering Corp and Amulon Shipyards. This new group will be a branch of the Star Fleet Engineering Corp, and will be where all Gamma Fleet RPG and NP ships will be created. It will be up and recruiting shortly, so watch this space. Sadly this month we have seen the loss of one of Gamma Fleet's best posting players, on November 11, Sherri Drinkmar, who has served as everything from Stellar Cartographist on the USS Endeavour (BF) to the XO of the Excalibur (GF), resigned because of time conflicts. As her exit, Sherri was given command of an experimental explorer-class starship launched to explore the Delta Quadrant, a fitting end for the scientist Drinkmar. On a more positive note, Rear Admiral Marcus Rawlens has recently been promoted to Vice Admiral, and Commander Conner Seiron has been given command of the USS Lancelot and promoted to Captain. We wish him the best of luck in his new position.
- Will Haywood, Gamma Fleet Consultant
Holoworld Cocoon Fleet: The Holoworld Cocoon Fleet (alt.holoworld.rpg.startrek) has recently held its democratic council session, as it does every three months. The Fleet CO, Gretchen Shapiro, was nominated and elected for a second 6-month term, which will taker her to 1 years service as the groups cheif administrator. Several proposals were approved for the continuing improvement of RPG quality. The Fleet's experimental 'Viper Training Program' for potential Commanding Officers was modified for more flexibility. Although it had been operating succesfully since June, the delay in filling open fleet CO positions was a problem; the existing rules failed to take in to account a player's overall experience in a specific admin position (GM, FO etc.). A proposal on copyright was also introduced, clearly defining the rights of the players and the club to material created for the Holoworld Cocoon Fleet. This follows the withdrawal of consent by a player to use certain information created by said player, forcing the re-writing of approx. 20,000 words of information. Future repeats of this will be avoided thanks to this proposal. The web page (http://www.scars.demon.co.uk/hwr/hwfleet.html) is being updated with the re-written documentation as it becomes available. The new newsgroup, alt.holoworld.rpg.startrek, seems to have propogated well around the globe; hopefully raising awareness to the club. The previous group, alt.holoworld.rpg, remains for the Babylon 5 RPG and the Fantasy role-play games. A new ship has been launched. The USS YEAGER, a Feynman-class Explorer, under the command of Cmdr Thesonik, played by Karl Wyant - who has also been nominated for the position of Fleet Ombudsman. This is the third ship to be launched since the recent 'Battle for the Cocoon', against renegade Klingon Houses. The USS GRYPHON will soon be setting up a scientific Outpost on M'Sagro III, a desert planet near Deep Space 101 within the Cocoon. At present the GRYPHON crew are dealing with a Virus that is threatening all human life on the planet; it's origin one of the Ex-Maquis colonists. It is hoped that the addition of the YEAGER and Outpost 108 on M'Sagro III will create more role-play opportunities to those who prefer more detailed techy descriptive missions, rather than those missions served by the existing Modular vessels. Hopefully the missions available will provide everybody with the 'flavour' they desire.
- Commodore Yaardack Stanfelth, Fleet Executive, Cocoon Fleet
Tango Fleet: This month Tango Fleet has seen the loss of many valued officers, most prominantly, Vice Admiral Michael Todd, after his resignation from both his administrative position and from his Captain position on the USS Saturn, due to real life concerns. Mike has stayed with the fleet since day one, and we are all sorry to see him go, however, at the same time, we have taken the rapid change in command structure to make an adjustment which we have been working towards for quite some time. Doing away with our Executive Council, Tango Fleet is now governed by an Administrative Board consisting of Andrew Grimm, Liesel Gresham, and Amy Lindeman, and a Command Council, consisiting of all our ship command officers and department directors. This month, Tango Fleet also welcomes to our Command Council a new Director of Engineering, Director of Science, Director of Medicine, and Director of Cultural Affairs, as well as the new Captain of the USS Saturn, Commander Nine of Eleven, and several new executive officers. Congratulations to everyone, you continue to serve us proudly! Finally, in preperation for our anniversary celebrations, Tango Fleet is planning two new ships to be launched on January 6th along with other festivities. More information can be found on our webpages.
- Admrial Amy Lindeman, Commander of Operations, Tango Fleet
The Spotlight: Star Trek Creative
Amy Lindeman,
Co-Editor in Chief
The Star Trek Creative Role Playing Group is an association of experience role players who recently left Starfleet Repulse: Interactive to forge their own name in the role playing world. Their pages are very streamlined and easy to read, presenting an overall professional and clean appareance. This group currently has only two ships in operation, however, both ships appear to be well established and well layed out.
One interesting thing which I discovered when browsing through this groups' webpages, is that they provide copies of every post since their ships were commisioned for visitors to read online. This is a very commendable effort, and something that takes a lot of effort to maintain, I am sure, but is in my opinion well worth the work! Their posting method seems to be a standard dialouge format, and is very easy to read.
Overall, Star Trek Creative left a very good impression on me, as they seemed organized, professional, and well run, as well as looking to be very enjoyable and well thought out ships and crews to serve with. My only complaint is that a couple of the links in going through the individual ships' homepages did not work, but, overall, an excellent RPG!
If you wish to visit Star Trek Creative for yourself, you can find them at http://come.to/star-trek-creative, however, be aware that you must be an experienced role player in order to join this group.
Meet the Members: Sarah's Little
Interviews
Amy Lindeman,
Co-editor in Chief
Well, gee, how to start? Hello everybody, and welcome to Sarah's Little Interviews! And no, my name is not Sarah. Sarah was unable to write her interview for this month, and so I volunteered to fill in. I hope that I can do the column justice, but I know that you will all probably be eager to get rid of me next month when you get Sarah back! *laugh* In the meantime, I have interviewed a lady who has always managed to amaze me with the amount of energy she constantly contributes to the many rpgs which she is a part of. So, with no further ado, let's hear from Lt. Commander Shark! (Note: I'm the one called deLancie, that is my chat name where I interviewed the commander).
Galactic Gaming: Star Fleet
Intelligence
Ginger Aldrich, Starfleet Intelligence RPG
Starfleet Intelligence, RPG is a
role-playing game set in the Star Trek world. So what makes
it different from other RPG's? First, Starfleet
Intelligence is based in the Intelligence community -- the
positions are completely different than on a space station or
starship. Right now, because it is just beginning,
Starfleet Intelligence only runs special teams. The special
teams are 6-8 members and they perform intelligence
missions. In effect, these are missions that deal with
foreign governments or missions that security would not be able
to handle because of unforeseen circumstances.
Secondly, Starfleet Intelligence is currently serving as a liason
RPG to at least one other RPG. As such, it trains all new
members
wishing to be intelligence officers on a special team for at
least one mission. These officers must go through a
security clearance process, allowing them to access the secure
database. The security clearance procedure is for two
reasons. First, it keeps a certain level of
authenticity. Higher clearances are given based on whether
the officer will be commanding missions and the updating of their
profile. Second, clearances allow Starfleet Intelligence to
keep tabs on its members whether they are in another RPG or only
in Starfleet Intelligence.
As members are granted access to higher levels of files, they
will find more information on the Starfleet world for their use
in RPG's. The secure database also provides a list of
technology that has been cleared for all members to use.
This way, players cannot simply make up their own technology or
save every scenario. They are forced to work within the bounds of
the Startrek universe, while being a specialized player.
For Special-Agents-In-Charge (Captains), the database also has a
list of scenarios that have been left open-ended (foreign spies
whose condition is unknown, etc.) so that other crews can
continue storylines and Captains can get plot ideas.
Other RPG's have their captains put in requests for Intelligence
officers, and they also send players for training. After
these players have been trained in Starfleet Intelligence, they
are reassigned to their original RPG with continued access to the
secure database. However, Starfleet Intelligence specifies
that ~all~ liason players must go through their home academy
(preferabley freestyle, like SI itself). Most players have
very little idea of what real Intelligence work entails, and this
is one RPG's attempt to rectify this while creating a closer bond
between RPG's and a similiar plot thread, if only in one area.
The idea of inter-linking RPG's is not easy because it requires a
lot of work. However, the end result, when smoothly
working, is quite worth it.
Ginger Aldrich
Starfleet Intelligence RPG
[email protected]
ICQ#=22440645
Neophite News: The Academy Question
... To Be or Not To Be?
Kiara Priest, Tango Fleet
 |
Are role playing academies a thing of the past, or are they still useful in today's role playing community? Unfortunately, many people may answer with the former, however, I disagree. Although it is true that statistically more new members enter RPGs when they are not recquired to take some kind of training prior to joining, I would contend that when this becomes the rule rather than the exception, the quality of the games will go down immensley. |
Those of you who remember the advent of Star Trek RPGs (specifically PBEMs) on the net will probably disregard me as spouting false information, afterall, we didn't go through the academy, did we? In fact, I would venture to guess that over 50% of the highest ranking RPG players currently in the circuit probably haven't attended the academy, but to them, all I say, is that they were the minority that made it through, only because of their greater dedication to the RPG system that is already evidenced in the fact that they do hold such high ranks.
For the majority of players, however, who don't have the time to muddle through post after post of unrecognizable game jargon and the occasional technobabble, entering an RPG without even a small amount of training can turn into a rather daunting experience very quickly. The way around this? Don't let yourself be thrown in with the sharks! If the RPG organization you belong to offers an academy or training session, take it! If they don't offer a training section because they are too small, then contact the Commanding Officer of the ship and ask questions, ask for examples, make sure that you understand what you're doing before you try doing it.
In my opinion, an RPG with an academy curriculum will probably end up with more players in the long run, because although they don't loose the large amounts of applicants who don't make it through the academy right away, most of those people, if they are not interested enough to go through a short training session prior to beginning, won't last long in the actual game either. On the other hand, in the games where uninterested players are weeded out before they even join a ship, the drop out rate seems to be much lower.
And so, here is my recommendation. To those of you more experienced officers, you've already done the hard part, you've gotten started, but if you feel you need more training, get it, because knowing more can _never_ hurt. More importantly, however, to you novices who are considering whether or not you should attend an academy, my recommendation is definitely to go! Granted, I did not attend an academy when I started out in RPGs, however, when I researched different training material to start Tango Fleet's academy sometime back, I learned a lot of new and interesting things that I never knew, and that helped to increase my confidence in the posts that I wrote.
Besides, once you get through it, you can tell people "Gee, I had to do _all_ that work to get where I am!" *big grin* Good luck everyone, and I'll see you ... out there!
Christmas Chuckles: Star Trek
Parodies
http://www.bham.net/users/jbishop/trekxmas.html
To all those die-hard Star Trek fans out there, ENJOY this Christmas gift! -Jonathan Nelson
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the ship Not a circuit was buzzing, not one microchip; the phasers were hung in the armourery securely, In hope that no alien would get up that early. The crewmen were nestled, all snug in their bunks (Except for the few who were partying drunks) And Picard in his nightshirt, and Bev in her lace, Had just settled down for a neat face to face...
When out in the hall there arose such a racket, That we leapt from our beds, pulling on pant and jacket. Away to the lifts we all shot like a gun, leapt into the turbos and shouted "Deck One!" The bridge red-alert lights, which flashed through the din, Gave a luster of Hades to objects within. When, what on the viewscreen, our eyes should behold, but a weird kind of sleigh, and some guy who looked old.
But the glint in his eyes was so strange and askew, That we knew in a moment it had to be Q. His sleigh grew much larger as closer he came. Then he zapped on the bridge and addressed us by name: "It's Riker, It's Data, It's Worf and Jean-Luc! It's Geordi and Wesley, the genetic fluke! To the top of the bridge, to the top of the hall! Now float away! Float away! Float away all!"
As leaves in the autumn are whisked off the street, So the floor of the bridge came away from our feet, and up to the ceiling, our bodies they flew, as the captain called out,"What the Hell is this, Q?!" The prankster just laughed and expanded his grin, and, snapping his fingers, he vanished again. As we took in our plight, and were looking around, The spell was removed, and we crashed to the ground. Then Q, dressed in fur from his head to his toe, appeared once again, to continue the show.
"That's enough!" cried the captain, "You'll stop this at once!" And Riker said, "Worf, take aim at this dunce!"
"I'm deeply offended, Jean-Luc" replied Q, "I just wanted to celebrate Christmas with you."
As we scoffed at his words, he produced a large sack. He dumped out the contents and took a step back. "I've brought gifts," he said, "Just to show I'm sincere. There's something delightful for everyone here." He sat on the floor and dug into the pile, and handed out gifts with his most charming smile:
"For Consouler Troi, there's no need to explain. Here's Tylenol-Beta for all of your pain. For Worf I've some mints, as his breath's not too great, and for Geordi LaForge, an inflatable date. For Wesley, some hormones, and Clearasil-plus; for Data, a joke book, for Riker a truss. For Beverly Crusher, there's sleek lingerie, and for Jean-Luc, the thrill of just seeing her that way." And he sprang to his feet with that grin on his face and, clapping his hands, disappeared into space.
But we heard him exclaim, as he dwindled from sight, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good flight!"
STAR TREK CHRISTMAS CAROLS
This Yule Trek carol is sung to the tune of "Winter Wonderland" Klaxons ring, are ya listenin'? Out in space, stars are glistnin' A beautiful sight, as we're on our flight, flyin' on the Starship Enterprise. Gone away, is our space nerd, In his place, I see a warbird, He thinks he's so strong, He won't think so long! Flyin' on the Starship Enterprise. In the brig we've got ourselves a Romulan, Say's he thinks the we are quite the clowns! We'll have lots of fun with Mr. Romulan Until our Klingon comes to knock him down! Late tonight, We'll conspire, by a holo- graphic fire, and face undismayed, the enemies we've made, flyin' on the Starship Enterprise!
 |
From:
Jean-Luc Picard (to the tune of "Let It Snow") |
From: William Riker (to the tune of "Deck the Halls") Here's a vexing Christmas riddle: (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la) Why must I play second fiddle? (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la) How can I impress Deanna (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la) When I'm number two banana? (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la)
From: Wesley Crusher, Starfleet Cadet (to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen") I'm at Starfleet Academy, And I'd just like to say I miss the opportunity To weekly save the day- To make things worse, I have to be- In some dumb Christmas play! Yes, I'm bright, thought I'm just a teenaged boy, Only a boy, And the Enterprise was my most favorite toy!
From: Data Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way! Oh, what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh-- or so I am reliably informed; lacking a subjective and intuitively perceived referent for the term "fun" I am able only to report the phenomenon as experienced by others, whose individual perceptions somewhat color the- yes, sir.
Worf E-mailed two different greetings. The first appears to be to the tune of "White Christmas"
I'm dreaming of a dead Pakled
Just like the one in Rec Deck Eight.
They all think they've hidden,
But this one didn't,
And I'm using him as bait.
I'm dreaming of a dead Pakled--
Their mental skills are rather lame.
May your foes die sonless, in shame--
And I hope you're wishing me the same!
The second is most easily sung to the tune of "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire")
Phasers flashing in the depths of space, Ripping up an airtight hull;
Signs of fear on your enemy's face,
And life-support signs reading null!
Ev'rybody knows a Romulan's a spineless foe Who lacks the Klingon will to fight!
Phaser beams set his torso aglow--
He'll find it hard to breathe tonight!
He knows that Worf is on his way!
And soon he'll be the object of the verb "to slay"!
And ev'ry slinking Rom and Pakled spy
Will soon become the subject of the verb "to die"!
And so I'm offering this simple threat
To Roms, and all Ferengi, too:
You'll be as dead as a life-form can get-- Merry Christmas to you!
Evidence suggests that these last two greetings are samples from a proposed anthology entitled "Klingon Krristmas Karols",
published by the Federation as an attempt to translate certain aspects of Terran culture into Klingon terms; further examples
from this festive book of holiday glee would be (to coin a term) fascinating to contemplate.
Counselor Troi's Yule Tide Lament (To the tune of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas")
I get no surprises out of Christmas-- Presents leave me blue-- I know what they're giving me Before they do. Who wants to be Betazoid at Christmas? I read Jean-Luc's mind: "What's the cheapest gift for Troi that I can find?" Geordi thinks I'm a "Beta-bore"-- Worf likes Data more--by far. Wes to Mom takes his whinin', or, Sobs to Guinan o'er the bar. In Will's dreams I'm in a reindeer costume Bare at breasts and thighs-- He as Santa merrily His whips applies. Oh, Christmas is no fun aboards the Enterprise.
Star Trek Trivia
Stacey Lauer,
Trivia Guru and Photographer
Here are the answers to last
months' questions:
1. What is Keiko O'Brien's maiden name? ISHIKAWA
2. In "Imaginary Friend", Guinan
suggests that papalla juice always be served with extra ________
? BUBBLES
3. What is Quark's brother's name? ROM
4. This ship was commissioned with an all-Vulcan
complement that later died when it exploded; Sergei Roschenko,
Worf's adoptive father served as warp field specialist on a later
ship of the same name. What was the name of the ship(s)? USS
INTREPID
5. Who played Jennifer Sisko? FELICIA M
BELL
6. In the recent Voyager episode
"Drone", where Seven's nanoprobes assimilate the
Doctor's holo-emitter and create a 29th century Borg, what is the
designation that she gives him? ONE
7. Who played Dr. Noonien Soong? BRENT
SPINER
8. Fal-tor-pan was first seen or heard about in
ST:III. What is it? THE REFUSION OF A DISASSOCIATED
KATRA WITH ITS BODY
9. When Q came to Voyager the second time, to
what Terran historical event did he compare the war the Continuum
was fighting? CIVIL WAR
10. And for those wonderful New Frontier fans
out there...Lieutenant Zak Kebron has an intense dislike for one
of the 'passengers' that the Excalibur picked up. Which one
of the central characters was it? AMBASSADOR SI CWAN
And the December set:
1. In "Crossfire", Kira tells
Odo that she liked a certain article of clothing that he used to
wear, but didn't anymore. What article of clothing was
this?
2. Spock once said, "______ is the
beginning of wisdom, not the end." What is the missing word
in this quote?
3. Who was the first captain of the
Enterprise?
4. What was the name of the woman who
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy met in "The City on the Edge of
Forever"?
5. What is Commander William Riker's
martial arts style of choice?
6. (nice easy one for you) Who plays
Guinan?
7. What TV movie based on a classic novel did
Patrick Stewart star in this year?
8. What is the name of the lovable lounge
lizard that inhabits Quark's holosuites?
9. To whom did Captain Janeway say,
"I dread the day when everyone on this ship agrees with
me." ?
10. From the New Frontier series, which
characters went to the Academy with Worf?
Armada: Starfleet at War (Role Playing During the
Dominion War, Part II)
Craig Pichach,
Co-Editor in Chief
State of
the Dominion War and Second Borg Invasion
Report
to the Federation Council as of Stardate 5432.32
Filed by
Commander in
Chief, Star Fleet Command Fleet Admiral Saavick
Compiled by Admiral Necheyev, Captain Jean Luc Picard and Admiral
Nakamora
| Since the Federation declaration of war nine
months ago, the war against the Dominion continues to
rage across known space affecting the entire quadrant. At
this moment, the combined Federation-Klingon and Romulan
fleets continue to face that of the Dominion with their
Cardassian allies. Casualties currently range around 1.1
million people on both sides (400000 Cardassian Union,
200000 Federation, 300000 Klingon, 200000 Dominion)
including military and civilian personnel. At this point
in time the war hangs in the balance. During the escalation of this conflict the Borg Collective launched it's second assault into Federation territory narrowly assimilating Earth before being defeated at the hands of Star Fleet forces. |
| FIRST CONTACT: The first encounter
with the Dominion came in 2372 with the apparent
destruction of the New Bajor colony and the disappearance
of various merchant vessels registered with the
Federation in the Gamma Quadrant which had utilized the
newly discovered Bajorian wormhole. Apparently the
Dominion wished to curb Alpha Quadrant culture expansion
in what it considered it's territory. It would later be
revealed that the Dominion had already begun a campaign
to infiltrate the major powers in the Alpha Quadrant and
begin plans for destabilization and eventual Dominion
domination. Confirmed reports of Dominion Changling
activity have been reported throughout the Federation,
Klingon, Romulan Empires as well as in the majority of
major races. Their intentions apparently were to
initially weaken the Alpha quadrant and then act as
intelligence assets once the war begins. When an attempt
to establish communication were horribly wrong and
Federation hostages taken, the Galaxy class USS Odyssey
("it's origin and purpose, still a mystery")
was dispatched to the Gamma Quadrant. Federation
technology at the time was totally unprepared, as
shielding was rendered ineffective and the fleet swarmed
by both smaller fighter craft and a larger `battleship'
class. The Odyssey was lost with all hands (although
civilians had been offloaded at Starbase DS9. The rescue
mission however was a success and the Odyssey's historic
sacrifice will not be forgotten. Immediately attempts to
establish dialogue began even while Dominion assets began
a plan for the destabilization and eventual conquest of
the Alpha Quadrant. |
| INITIAL CONFLICT: The period
following this incident was filled with numerous
small-scale skirmishes and border clashes. The Federation
Council declared the Gamma Quadrant an off-limits area to
civilian traffic, while evacuation of colonies became a
reality. Attempts to negotiate remained a failure while
extra assets were deployed to defend the wormhole
gateway. The Dominion plan for destabilization continued
unchecked. THE ROMULAN-CARDASSIAN RESPONSE: Unknown to most of the Alpha Quadrant the intelligence services of both the Romulan Tal'Shier and the Cardassian Obsidian Order had set the stage for a planned strike against the Dominion in an attempt to destroy the Founders. A contingent of 25 Romulan War Birds and 25 Galor class warships was assembled and immediately proceeded covertly towards the Worm Hole. Soon afterwards the fleet traveled to the Gamma Quadrant were it entered orbit of the Changelings apparent home world and commenced bombardment. All of this however was in fact a trap. Changling agents had infiltrated the Romulan command structure while the 50 starships were unprepared for an assault of over a thousand Jem'Hadar fighters. The fleet was annihilated and Starfleet's monitoring assets in the area had narrowly enough time to escape themselves. This ambush crippled the security intelligence services of both the Romulan Star Empire and that of the Cardassian Union in a carefully planned plot to further weaken the Alpha Quadrant. |
| THE FEDERATION INTERNAL INSTABLITIY
CRISIS: A short time following that incident, the
Federation-Bajoran outpost DS9 along the wormhole
discovered that the wormhole had been opening and closing
multiple times, evidence of Dominion activity.
Immediately the Federation Council was called into an
emergency briefing regarding possible Dominion changling
infiltration of the Star Fleet. The Commander in chief
called for immediate war measures including martial law
across the Federation in a hard-liner stance. The C in C
had unfortunately been head of a new conspiracy to bring
about a more hard-line government to fight the Dominion.
On one-occasion starships USS Defiant and USS Lakota were
actively engaging each other. The conspiracy was later
uncovered and the martial law order revoked. THE SECOND BORG INVASION: Shortly after this incident, a Borg cube vessel with the intent of assimilating Earth launched an invasion, breaching Federation defenses and destroying 23 starships in the process. Immediately, starfleet assets were withdrawn to sector 001 for an epic battle. There over 45 starships were lost, including the flagship. Under the command of the Enterprise-E however, the Borg cube was destroyed while entering Earth orbit by the Star Fleet flotilla. The Borg then attempted to travel back in time in an effort to prevent first contact, an effort blocked by the Enterprise-E. The second Borg invasion, far more frightening then the first, ended once again with a Federation victory. |
| THE KLINGON WAR: With Starfleet
crippled by the Borg invasion, intelligence assets were
unable to gain information regarding a civilian overthrow
successfully implemented on Cardassia. Power in the
Cardassian Union shifted from the High Command to the
Dekapa Council for the first time in over a hundred
years. The Klingon Empire meanwhile believed this to be
the work of the Dominion, unable to believe that the
civilian uprising could be successful. Gowron then
launched a massive invasion against Cardassian space, a
move discouraged by the Federation Council. Starfleet
assets then rescued the Dukapa Council and identified
each member as non-Dominion. By this time however, the
Klingon invasion was well in progress. When the
Federation Council renounced the invasion, the Klingon
Empire then revoked the Khitomer Accords bringing about a
time of skirmishes between Klingon and Federation
starships. It was later learned that this was due to the
interference of a Changling agent taking the place of
General Martok. This conflict lasted for six
months, leading to increased casualties and the loss of
twelve starships on either side, further weakening the
Alpha Quadrant. THE RESOLUTION: Starfleet operatives later uncovered the existence of the Dominion Changling by rescuing the real General Martok and immediately informing Chancellor Gowron. The Klingon Empire then reinstated the Khitomer Accords, ended the invasion of Cardassian space and called for unity in the midst of a Dominion invasion. Klingon and Federation starships then began joint operations. The Romulans remained neutral. RED STORM RISING: The Cardassian Union meanwhile, descrased by the need for Federation aid in rebuilding after the Klingon invasion and fighting the Maquis, entered secret talks with the Dominion. Later, the Cardassian Union joined the Dominion, giving them a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant sending tremors throughout the interstellar community. Many of the major races of the Alpha Quadrant then sign non-aggression pacts including the Tholians, Romulans, Bajorians and the Breen. The Dominion meanwhile began large scale efforts to move forces into Cardassian space. |
Classifieds Column
Captain's Log
Editing Staff
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USS Avenger: "Infiltration" Part
I
Sean Berg,
Fiction Editor
BIOGRAPHY:
Sinclair, Doctor Aaron James
(rank Commander)
Position: Chief Medical Officer
Age: 49
Born: March 10, 2324
Birthplace:
Bristol, Great Britain, Earth
Parents:
Admiral Colin and Patricia Sinclair
Physical Attributes: Human, male, Caucasian
Height: 5'7" Mass: 87.6
kg Hair: Blond/gray Eyes:
Gray
Graduated from Starfleet Academy Medical with degrees in
neurology, exobiology, and a masters degree in medicine.
Served aboard USS Hood, becoming CMO. Transferred to USS
Los Angeles, where he served until the ship was badly
damaged by the Borg at Wolf 359, and the crew reassigned to other
duties. Became Assistant Director of Starfleet Medical,
until requesting transfer to starship duty, and assigned to USS
Avenger. A widower, his wife, the science officer of the Los
Angeles, was killed at Wolf 359. Has no children.
Stiles, Lieutenant Commander
Richard William
Position: Chief of security/tactical; Second
Officer
Age: 31
Born: February 9, 2342
Birthplace:
New Brittain Colony, Carna Epsilon Three
Parents:
John and Caroline Stiles
Physical Attributes: Human, male, Caucasian
Height: 6'3" Mass:
97.6 kg Hair: Blond Eyes:
Blue
A member of the same graduating class as Commander Ariel Sanders,
finishing seventh overall. Has served with excellence as a
security officer in Starfleet, onboard USS Lexington
until transferred to USS Avenger. Has training in
advanced hand-to-hand combat techniques and tactical
skills. No immediate family.
STORY:
Author's note:
The adventures of the USS Avenger were initially divided into
serial comic-book style 'episodes' that ran approximately fifteen
pages (single spaced) each. They were 'published', in a sense,
locally as fan fiction on a computer bulletin board system that
myself and Craig Pichach, (co-founding editor of CL) ran. Until
the middle of 1997, eighteen episodes were written, and a
nineteenth was begun, but never completed. As such, the first
three episodes and some background were incorporated into the
last few issues of Captain's Log detailing the first complete
adventure of the ship, several years ago. The next several issues
will incorporate elements of episodes 14-18, the longest running
(and most popular) story arc, originally entitled
"Infiltration." Infiltration is set not long after the
Borg invasion in First Contact, just prior to the outbreak of war
between the Federation and the Dominion, and is almost long
enough to constitute a novella in and of itself. I hope you enjoy
it.
-Sean Berg
USS Avenger Mission #2
"Infiltration"
By Sean Berg
Captain's personal log, Stardate 50468.3
The Avenger remains in spacedock, our repairs from the recent
battle with the Borg and overdue system refits complete. The crew
is using the delay in our reassignment to visit home and they
have all been granted extended shore leave rights. I'm glad for
the R&R time, and most especially the opportunity to visit
home again. What concerns me is that nobody seems to have any
inkling as to what our next assignment will entail, and I often
find myself wondering if I will have a job on the ship whenever I
get back to her. But for now, I'm just going to force myself to
relax. We don't get back to Earth very often, after all.
The crisp and crystalline air
frosted Captain Michael Jeffries' lungs as he inhaled and gazed
at the not-so distant Castle Mountain. The snow crunched beneath
his feet, the brilliant blue sky was filled with the even
brighter sun, and a faint breeze ruffled the tufts of brown and
grey hair that protruded from his toque. He sighed in
contentment, and lofted his ski poles once more. He loved shore
leave, especially back home. Beside him, decked out in a
similarly fashioned silver-grey ski suit and black accessories
was a far less contented Gary Chan, who was leaning against a
nearby Douglas fir tree trying to get back his breath. The
droplets of sweat that were running down his face were almost
starting to freeze, and Gary's busy eyebrows were painted white
from the frost.
Laughing at his friend's sudden grimace, Michael shook his head
in amusement. "Is there some problem?" he asked.
Gary responded with a contrived
look of ice almost as cold as the wintry air, which quickly
dissolved into his usual good-humoured expression. "Don't
you ever quit? We've been at this for hours! Can't we go home
now? I'd forgotten how hard cross-country skiing was, Mike, and
we haven't gone down this trail for years! I've about had
it!"
Michael appraised his friend again, then reluctantly skewered his
ski poles into a nearby snow bank and lifted the tinted goggles
to reveal his misty grey eyes. "Oh, come on, are you really
that soft? My grandfather and I used to ski these trails through
the Rockies once a week when I was growing up, and he was an
81-year-old man!"
"Yeah, well, I'm starting to feel like I'm that old. Lets
just call it a day, please? Besides, your grandmother had told us
to be back in time for dinner. I wouldn't want to disappoint my
stomach."
Michael had to laugh at that. "All right, you win. Just
don't get too spoiled. My grandmother made me pancakes with real
maple syrup and bacon and eggs and sausages every morning. The
first time I left Montreal to go to the Mars colonies with my
parents when my mother had shore leave, it was like going to
another dimension. It took me days to get used to foreign
food."
Gary, meanwhile, had already taken his skis off and lofted them
up into the air, over his shoulder. "OK, sure… let's
just leave, please?"
The captain unzipped a small pocked in the front of his suit and
pulled out the Starfleet communicator inside, activating it.
"Montreal Transport Control Seven, this is Captain Jeffries
of Starfleet. Two to transport immediately, as soon as it's
convenient."
After a few moments, a heavily-accented French-Canadian on the
other end replied, "Identity confirmed. Transporting two
immediately."
"Acknowledged. Jeffries out."
Several seconds later, a standard civilian transporter, not as
powerful or as long-ranged as a Starfleet transporter but just as
functional, gripped the duo and whisked them out of the snowy
Kananaskis into the sterile transporter room in a building in the
outer suburbs of the City of Montreal. Not seconds later,
Jeffries communicator chirped again, and an unfamiliar voice
stated, "Avenger to Captain Jeffries."
Startled, he tapped the small pin as he pulled off his toque and
gloves with the other hand. "Captain Jeffries here."
"Sir, this is Yeoman Somerville. I've been ordered to inform
the crew that shore leave is being cut short. You're being
re-called to active duty. I also have a communiqué for you from
Vice Admiral Nechayev. You're to report to her office at
Starfleet Headquarters ASAP."
The captain glanced at Gary, who merely shrugged as he started to
remove the heavy clothing. "Acknowledged, Yeoman. Any
explanation as to why?"
"I believe that the admiral will be covering that part, sir.
Avenger out."
"It looks like we're going to miss out on your grandma's
dinner, Mike."
"I'll have to send her my apologies." The captain
turned to the transporter operator. "Can you put us back
down in San Francisco, at Starfleet Headquarters?"
The until-now inconspicuous man raised his eyebrows.
"Dressed like that?"
Suddenly remembering the skiing gear, Jeffries sighed.
"Never mind. We'll have to put this stuff in storage. Come
on, Gary, let's go."
The operator watched as the two Starfleet officers tromped
noisily out of the transporter room with amusement.
***
Vice Admiral Nechayev’s office was located on the twelfth floor of the main SF HQ complex in San Francisco, complete with a view that overlooked the bay. The Golden Gate Bridge was visible in the distance, and the silence of the corridor that Captain Jeffries sat in, waiting, was occasionally interrupted by the thrumming whoosh of a speeder or shuttle as it flew overhead. Now in full uniform, which had again been updated to the contemporary black on grey jacket with maroon shirt beneath, Jeffries stared out the glossy window and down into the tranquil waters below. It was the most beautiful day that San Francisco had seen in three months, yet not a soul was able to enjoy it.
As he had made his way through the complex to the administrative wing, Jeffries had passed through the main command center for all of Starfleet Operations. Mapped and noted on a huge holographic display was an intricate map charting the known position and activity of every single Federation starship, space station, outpost, starbase, and even transport vessel. Also present were schematic displays of known hostile vessel movements and activity summaries for everything from the Klingon and Romulan Empires to the most recent reports from long-range listening posts along the frontiers. As he had passed, Jeffries watched the eerie patterns with concern. There were still visible elements of the Borg attack on the screen, a battle which the Avenger itself had participated in.
Through the battle, the ship had remained relatively undamaged, as the fleet valiantly tried to ward off the invading dreadnought. When the Lexington, the fleet flagship lost shields, Jeffries had ordered a warp burst into the path of the Borg’s fire in an attempt to protect them, but they had failed by a narrow margin, and the Lexington was destroyed. Unfortunately, they took a direct hit to the impulse engines, and were left behind. Watching hopelessly, they had seen the battle descend into a rout in the distance, the Federation defenders losing ground without leadership. Then, at the last moment, the Enterprise came roaring in at maximum speed, and led the fleet to victory. Following this, they had followed a smaller Borg ship through a temporal rift, where they succeeded in preventing the destruction of Earth’s past and then returned to the present.
As Jeffries had continued through the busy command center, he kept overhearing tidbits of conversation about a possible Dominion invasion and the Fleet’s scramble to move into a defensive posture and fortify Federation space. Thus, the captain’s mood had gradually shifted from his carefree relaxation of earlier in the day into a brooding sense of worry. Something was definitely wrong if he had not been informed of these activities in the first place, and secondly, that the Avenger had not already been reassigned following their refit. The ship was sitting useless in spacedock at the moment, all repairs and crew rotation completed a week ago. He had considered it a small bit of luck to have been given an extra week of shore leave, but now that he knew the whole story, he was growing suspicious. If Starfleet found his record while in command of the Avenger unsatisfactory, they had had plenty of opportunities up to now to relieve him of duty and assign the ship to someone else. The fact that they hadn’t suggested that something unusual was afoot.
Before he could continue his analysis of the situation, one of Admiral Nechayev’s aides, a young, fresh-faced yeoman by the name of Fletcher, approached him from within the admiral’s office, and gestured for him to enter. Nodding curtly, Captain Jeffries stood up and marched into the office, first passing through an active scanner, followed by a phaser sweep of the small briefcase he was carrying. He had already been through a short blood screening at the entrance to the complex, so he was admitted into the inner office without any further delays.
The decorum of the office sharply took away from whatever impressions of the admiral that Jeffries had held mere seconds before entering. As opposed to the sterile, business-like environment that he had anticipated, the room was actually rather cozy, reflecting a study, complete with book shelves, carpeting, and a large, genuine oak desk in the center of the room, with several comfortable-looking chairs around it. The admiral herself, on the other hand, stuck strictly to the guidelines that Jeffries’ mind had set out, thus relieving him of the shock that the room had presented to him. Gesturing for him to sit down as she sipped a mug of what smelled looked like tea, Admiral Nechayev’s severe features managed to twist themselves into a half-smile.
"Captain. It’s good to see you again."
"Thank-you, Admiral. So, if you don’t mind me asking, was there something specific that you wanted to see me about?" Jeffries replied smoothly.
"Straight and to the point, as usual." Pausing to take another sip of her mystery beverage, the admiral continued. "I didn’t ask you here to speak to you about your ship’s performance record, if that’s what you’re worried about. For instance, you currently hold the record for the most number of hostile confrontations in the shortest period of time."
"With all due respect, ma’am, the run-ins that we’ve had of late haven’t exactly been easily preventable…" Jeffries interjected.
The admiral dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand. "That is understandable, Captain. However, I would appreciate it if you kept in mind Starfleet regulations and adhered to them a little more closely in the future, understood?"
"Yes, Admiral."
"Now, to get down to business. It looks like we’re going to be in for a rough ride. Between the recently ended war with the Klingon Empire, the Borg invasion, and the continuing threat of Dominion interference, I don’t need to tell you that our resources have been stretched a little bit thin. Those ships still in active service have been redistributed to provide maximum protection and optimize crisis response times for fleet operations, but at we’d be left short-handed in certain areas if a major conflict or incident erupted. As it stands, we are undergoing a massive refurbishment and construction endeavor. More than a third of the Starfleet is currently undergoing refits and a large contingent of ships remain under construction and are useless to us at this time."
"So, in other words, we have to concentrate on maintaining stability for as long as possible so that Starfleet can have time enough to ready our defenses."
"Precisely, Captain."
Jeffries raised his eyebrows. "It would seem to me that at the moment, you can use every ship that you have, then."
"That is the reason I wanted to talk to you. Something very strange is going on along the frontier of the Demilitarized Zone on the Cardassian border. The problem is that one of our outposts along the frontier has just lost contact with a scoutship, the USS Monaco."
"I’m afraid I don’t understand, Admiral. Surely you have some other ship that you could dispatch in the vicinity," Jeffries commented with some confusion.
"Two weeks ago, the USS Independence was dispatched to that area to begin extensive reconnaissance patrols. When the Monaco vanished, we sent a signal to the Independence to initiate search and rescue, but they haven’t reported back since. The Monaco was last reported in the vicinity of a very dense particle cloud, the Bengali Nebula, that has remained largely unexplored. Our concern is that the Dominion/Cardassian alliance may hiding in the nebula for a possible strike. Since the Avenger is on detached duty, we’d like you to investigate," the admiral explained. "You are thereby ordered to depart as quickly as is feasible to conduct your mission." Jeffries nodded and stood up to leave. "Oh, and one more thing, Captain. Good luck."
"Thank-you, Admiral. We’re probably going to need it," he replied.
She nodded curtly. "I’m sure that you will. Dismissed."
***
Counsellor Marista Seed was alone in the empty and silent Space Central lounge at the forward end of deck 10. She stared out the window at the ship’s dock-mate, the even larger and more impressive Sovereign class Starship Enterprise, still undergoing repairs and systems refits following its harrowing misadventure in the twenty-first century. The lieutenant’s exotic features were hushed and darkened by the dimmed lighting, her reflection staring back into her on the cold and smooth transparent aluminum view ports. The night-black irises of her eyes were almost as dark as her pupils, and they hid a remarkable talent that few could understand or explain. Stretching out with this sporadic telepathic ability, she was able to catch tidbits of conversations, thoughts, ideas, and images. Somewhere on the neighboring starship, a crew member was looking for his trombone in his quarters. Farther away in the massive starbase facility, a young woman was busy hammering out a fuel efficiency report at a computer station. Countless others mingled, their minds bringing life to the darkness that surrounded the counsellor.
Her tour of duty had been interrupted by the death of her mother. However, having arrived home, she received word that her older brother, the captain of a starship, had been killed in a border skirmish. The crew of his ship was bringing him home for a traditional burial. She had decided to take a leave of absence from Starfleet, until recalled to active duty by Starfleet Command when the ship finally reached home. However, the pain of her losses was still with her. And another concern was pressing on her mind. As the ship’s counsellor, she dealt with the crew’s problems on a daily basis. She could not afford her own feelings to get into the way of her duties. And yet, as difficult as it was for her to admit it to herself, she knew that she was beginning to get very close to Gary Chan, the chief engineer. And there really wasn’t a damn thing that she could do about any of it.
Marista sighed wistfully, and was about to turn and go, when she ran headlong into Gary. Startled, she stumbled backwards, bumping against a table leg and sinking into a chair. She looked into his face wide-eyed, and stammered, "Oh, h-hello, Gary. I didn’t hear you come in…"
The enigmatic Gary smiled broadly and offered her a small box from behind his back. "Open it," he whispered.
"That’s odd… why can’t I feel you at all? It’s like… like you aren’t r-really there." She reached for the small jeweled mahogany box, her eyes flitting back up to meet Gary’s. "What’s in it?"
Gary kept smiling. "Trade secret."
Marista laughed and then opened the present … and immediately was seized with terror, and scrambled backward, dropping the package. Its contents scurried after her, and she stumbled over the cluttered furniture as she ran for the door, finally collapsing painfully to the carpeted deck. There was a sharp sting at the base of her neck, and she mercifully lost consciousness.
(To be Continued...)
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