CAPTAIN'S LOG:
A Joint RPG Newsletter of the Star Trek Universe

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
~ Judge Aaron Satie, as quoted by Captain Picard in "The Drumhead"

Issue 2: September 1998 - http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3200/index.html - [email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. Medical Alert: Phasers, They Don't Just Knock a Person Unconcious
2. I.n T.he O.pen
3. Subscribing Fleet News
4. The Spotlight: Klingon Imperial Simming Organization
5. Meet the Members: Sarah's Little Interviews
6. Galactic Gossip: Star Trek The Experience
7. Oldies But Goodies: "The Measure of a Man"
8. Star Trek Trivia and Answers
9. Ask the Admirals: An RPG Help Column
10. Classifieds Column
11. Fan Fiction: The Journeys of the USS Avenger

Medical Alert: Phasers, They Don't Just Knock a Person Unconcious
Michael "Curdy" McCurdy, UFPI Consultant

All of us have used phasers in out RPG from time to time, regardless of whether you play a Security officer or the barber. With the joy of this comes a certain responsibility to know the medical ramifications behind the tech of a phaser.

First we will start off by explaining the most often used personal phasers within Trek. We have Type I and II personal, and the Type III rifle. Each one has a certain use within the course of a mission and are an asset to a successful away team mission on a hostile planet.

All three types of phasers follow the same physics to make them work. (Consult your tech manuals if you don't believe me). But each one has a higher and higher energy output. Type I phasers only go up to level eight, (only you say, yes eight). At level eight you can vaporize any humanoid in the path of the beam. Type II personal and Type III rifles have an additional eight settings, the difference between the II and III is that the power reserve is greater on the III. At level sixteen you could start breaking down the shields on a shuttle.

As not to get distracted by the technobabble we will concentrate on the first four levels because they are the settings where the damage that you do is not immediately noticeable.

At all levels the recipient of your blast gets knocked unconscious, the time just increases the higher you go, so when you hit someone at level three, most people should be in la la land for an hour or so.

Lets examine a level one shot, your assailant is out for about five minutes because a shot is calibrated to effect the Central Nervous system(CNS). Compare a phaser blast to an x-ray in our day and age. Used appropriately x-rays are useful tools to diagnose many problems. But used carelessly, they can become dangerous to the recipient. This is the reason your physician keeps track of how many x-rays you have had to a certain area and what level of radiation was used to obtain said x-rays. This same reason is why pregnant women do not get x-rays. Even regular x-rays, in concert with a lead shield, can do damage to the unborn fetus.

OK, back to the Trek times, we just replace a phaser blast with the x-ray example and over time the phaser blast will have harmful effects on the CNS even at level one. Now this may take years to show up but with the life-span of a humanoid in the Trek era it could be horrible to the person when they turn 50. Keep in mind the effects to the CNS do not wear off, the damage is permanent and builds on itself over time. Also, there is no technology in Trek to totally replace/cure a damaged CNS.

With level two and three settings on a phaser the time to final onset is shortened exponentially because your CNS gets damaged more with the increasing power. A level four setting is where damage is done immediately to the recipient, extensive CNS damage and skin trauma (phaser burns).

Why don't the creators and writers of Trek address this issue. With an educated guess I can only say that it would put a damper on the characters life span in the world of Trek. Imagine the disgust in having to remove Worf from a show/movie because he hit the maximum allowed phaser blasts for an officer in the United Federation of Planets. We all know there are people, or may be one, that would keep track of how many times someone was hit and at what setting and cry foul if the limit was passed. So, the creators/writers don't address it, but do mention it in the
technical specs for phasers.

With these facts in mind, this can be a good thread to RPG against. Most of our characters have some type of ailment we have given them that pops up from time to time to keep them from doing their duties correctly, use the Phaser Blast Syndrome as the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome of Trek.

So the next time you increase the settings to three on your phaser to stun a crazed fellow crew member, remember, you may be doing more harm than good. Pick up a hypo and inject them with a sedative instead of blasting them in the chest. They may thank you for it.

I.n T.he O.pen
News Letter Editing Staff

Often times rumors will escalate to a status where they will pit different role playing organizations against each other because of one fundamental lie that was started by an unknown prankster. In an effort to prevent this kind of thing from happening, we have established ITO as a way of getting these things out in the open so that everyone is aware of potential disturbances, and can thereby prevent anything from every coming of it. If you know somebody who has been disruptive to your RPG group, or perhaps an anonymous person who has been spamming your ship, things like that, please e-mail these reports to [email protected] and we will be happy to post such reports in the ITO section of next month's newsletter! All that we ask is that you please do not abuse this column as a way of getting back at people you don't like.

Caught impersonating an Admiral from another fleet in a letter reporting "spies"
[email protected]

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 October 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. Thanks!

Amy Lindeman
Co-Editor in Chief
Captain's Log News

Beta Fleet: Beta Fleet is proud to announce the beginnings of our Sister Fleet, The Omega Sector.  Beta Fleet has also had cause for rejoicing, due to the commisioning of the U.S.S. Triumph, our new Defiant-Class Escort.  Beta Fleet would also like to congratulate Captain, or should I say, Rear Admiral Jared Belmont of the U.S.S. Calydon on his promotion.  He is now acting CO of the Fleet while Admiral Jay Bess is on leave.  With Lieutenant Amy Skoraski as Acting XO of the Fleet, and Chief Advisor to the Admiral himself.  Beta Fleet has had it's ups and downs this past year and a half, with ships leaving to form their own fleets, but we now have fine three ships to be proud of.  If any RPG would like a joint mission please don't hesitate to contact our CO's on the subject.  Have fun out there!!

Delta Fleet 4: Delta Fleet 4 is a new RPG with few characters, but a lot of work. It is stationed at the far side of the Beta Quadrant. Our mission is to map the area, and counterattack any Borg movement in the area. Founded just over a month ago we have continued to grow and expand our role playing group and hope to continue with this process in the future.

Tango Fleet: This has been an exciting and prosperous month for Tango Fleet! We have been gifted by the Chief of Security on the USS Avatar, Kal'Ven, with our very own domain, so you may now find the Tango Fleet webpages at www.tangofleet.com and for this we are extremely grateful! We have also seen the promotion of several of our fine officers, such as LCDR Sharpe and CDR Cody Barnes, to higher positions of command in the fleet. Congratulations Commander! And finally, we have developed a comprehensive system of commendation medals to award to outstanding officers, which can be seen from our fleet pages. Sadly, however, Tango Fleet has also seen the retirement of the USS Masada's captain, Admiral Kiara Priest, as well as the IKC Sang and her crew. They will all be missed, and their loss deeply felt in the fleet.

The Spotlight: The Klingon Imperial Simming Organization
Andrew Grimm, Associate Editor

This month I am writing about the KISO, or Klingon Imperial Simming Organization. This is one of the best looking Klingon Simming organizations I have seen on the internet. The KISO offers two types of simming, IRC simming and Play-by-email simming. You get the choice of being in one, or both of these types. The KISO's web pages are very well designed and very informative. Their site includes an excellent page which lists many Klingon rituals, and their descriptions. In addition, you can visit KISO's Internet Real Chat chat room on the mIRC, DalNet server at #Klingonempire and chat with some of their members themselves. They are a really interesting bunch when you catch a couple people online, and it is definitley worth the effort to stop by and chat. So, if you're looking for a good Klingon sim to join, I would recommend KISO!

Visit the Klingon Imperial Simming Organization at: http://members.xoom.com/kiso/

Meet the Members: Sarah's Little Interviews
Sarah Wohlmuth, Interview Coordinator

Welcome to the second installment of  "Sarah's Little Interviews". This month we turn our eyes toward the call of the warrior….the glory of battle. That's right I get to go after the Klingons! So today we sit down to talk with Jon Thomas <[email protected]>, who is head of the Klingon Imperial Simming Organization. For those of you that do not know, the KISO, participates in player by e-mail sims as well as IRC simulations.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Since Sarah's interview Temok is no longer head of KISO, but still heads a Klingon Simming Organization, to the best of my knowledge.

Sarah: Jon, before we get started talking about KISO, tell us a little about yourself.

Jon: Well, I'm still in high school (I'm a sophmore next year).  I have many interests stemming off of Star Trek and RPGing; including biking, hiking, and reading.  I read everything from science fiction (of course!) to "modern classics" (one of my favorites being Lord of the Flies), to Stephen Hawking, to the newspaper (specifically, the International News section)!

Sarah: So what got you interested in RPGing, and are there any other RPG organizations that you participate in?

Jon:  Believe it or not, surprisingly, the first sim group I joined was KISO.  I had been a Klingon fan for awhile and I, like so many other Trekkies, was eager to be a part of the Star Trek universe.  Taking a part in the Empire sounded great so I joined right away!  Since KISO, I've joined many other RPGs and most of them have been well worth it.

Sarah: Jon, I was looking for my next victim for the Captain's Log, and  your group stood out the most to me, mainly due to the fact that most all Star Trek RPG organizations listed take a "Star Fleet" perspective. What made you decide to heed the call of the Klingon warrior?

Jon: KISO has long since been the only independent Klingon sim group on  DALnet so it was a matter of need.  Simmers like me, who love the Klingon way, were thrilled when its founder (now the commander of our flagship) opened the group up.  When it came under my administration, one of the first things I did was to establish the e-mail sim.  They're usually accredited for two specific things: allowing more characterization and permitting simmers with little time to still participate.  That and my general curiosity about a Klingon e-mail sim led to my decision.  It's a decision I'm very glad I made considering its success.

Sarah: I visited the main headquarters and found, to my surprise that you have a wealth of information regarding Klingon customs and rituals, organized in an encyclopedic format. I personally think that this is a great reference for those of us who may be a little rusty on Klingon culture. How did you find all of the information? (http://members.xoom.com/kiso/culture.htm)

Jon: The page with the rituals and other aspects of Klingon culture is actually from another Klingon site (our webmaster forgets which), but I can tell you such a project would not have been easy.  Even with such valuable resources as the Star Trek Encyclopedia, there is so much information about Klingon society.  It's exactly for this reason we haven't compiled a source ourselves (although we do have a brief guide to rituals that we use during our sims).

Sarah: Jon, with such vast possibilities that your group could contribute to other fleets,  have you ever thought of opening up the lines of communications with other fleets to join them on joint missions?

Jon: I'm very interested in simming with Starfleet groups, but the problem is that KISO follows the timeline set by Deep Space Nine.  We establish very much "in between episodes" but still adhere to the general plot.  This makes us incompatible with virtually every sim group, since so many use their own plots, often set in the future of current Star Trek.  However, I would participate in a joint sim and just not "count" it should the opportunity ever come along and we create an enjoyable mission for it.

Sarah:  For the most part we all start somewhere, I know that I am rather new to the entire RPG world, as a seasoned veteran, what advice could you give to any newcomers who may be looking to enhance their experience in RPGs, especially IRC simms?

Jon: I once read an article in another RPG newsletter about giving tips for the group's new cadets and ensigns.  I was surprised how it perfectly met by own expectations for simmers.  Since then, I've realized tips for IRC simming (as well as other types) are universal, whether the group is Starfleet, Klingon, or something else. When something happens in an IRC sim, report it to your CO!  There's nothing worse than the CO not knowing about an enemy ship decloaking, simply because the Tactical or Weapons officer didn't report it!  Following this tip is the simple one of following your CO's orders without delay.  So don't wander away from the computer or work on something else; pay attention to the sim! Just don't "pay attention" either, but emerse yourself in what is happening, make it feel real for yourself and it'll feel real for the others.  If you react to what happens, when it happens, as they would on  Star Trek, the quality of the sim will be better for everyone.

My thanks go to Jon Thomas of the Klingon Imperial Simming organization. If your blood heats at the sound of battle, grab your Bat'elth and heed the call of the warrior -- visit the KISO headquarters and join a Sim. Until next month, "Qa'pla!"

Visit the Klingon Imperial Simming Organization at: http://members.xoom.com/kiso/

Would you like to give your RPG some exposure? E-mail me at [email protected] to become my next lucky victim.

Galactic Gossip: Star Trek The Experience
Amy Lindeman, Co-Editor in Chief

This summer, before school started, I had the chance to visit Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was quite impressed by what I saw. For those of you who are interested in this attraction at the Las Vegas Hilton, you can find a whole webpage full of information on it at http://www.startrekexp.com/news/, however, the information which I found most helpful in getting an idea of what this was going to be like, was by talking with my friends who had already been there themselves, and so, I am going to attempt to give all of you an idea of what my experience was like when I went.

First of all, you have to understand that I had been wanting to go to Las Vegas to see this attraction for almost a year before my mother finally took me, so I had my standards set so high that I was ready for a large disappointment when we arrived. However, that was not the case. In fact, I had a wonderful time, and it actually turned out to be better than I had expected in many respects. For one thing, if you have heard anything about this attraction, you have probably associated it with the increasingly common "motion ride" which you can find at nearly every theme park, and at many different locations in Las Vegas itself. However, Star Trek: The Experience is actually much more than a simple motion ride, and rather consists of an actual emmersion into Star Trek culture.

When you first enter the attraction, you are allowed to walk through a vast museum of different Star Trek memorabilia, ranging from Original Series phasers to a replica of a Bajorn Orb from Deep Space Nine. While I found this part interesting, I will have to admit, that I am not so much a Star Trek bluff as to have been totally captivated by it. (The fact that my mom was along and didn't understand much of it also added to my less than ecstatic reception of this part of the tour), however, our opinions were quickly changed as we were ushered into an extremley accurate replica of the Main Bridge on the Enterprise-D, and we actually became a part of the ship's mission. After that we were taken down a corridor to the Shuttle Bay where we began the motion ride, which was also a lot of fun, if you enjoy those kinds of rides.

I won't ruin the plot of this mission for those of you who are planning on visiting the Las Vegas Hilton yourselves in the near future, but let me just say that it was definitley worth the trip! After you ride all of the visitors are able to exit out onto the Deep Space Nine promenade, where there are several shops with Star Trek collectible merchandise -- not a huge selection, but certainly larger than any I have ever seen in one place before -- and my personal favorite, was eating at Quark's Place!

All in all it was a very enjoyable experience, with reasonably priced tickets, and tons of other fun things to do in Las Vegas after you've visited The Experience, I would recommend it to die-hard and minor Trekkers alike!

Oldies But Goodies: "The Measure of a Man"
Joshua Guzman, Staff Writer

"The Measure of a Man"
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Episode: 35 Air Date: February 11, 1989
Stardate: 42523.7 Season: 2nd
Writer: Melinda M. Snodgrass

While the USS Enterprise is docked at Starbase 173 for crew rotation, Picard encounters Captain Phillipa Louvois and Commander Bruce Maddox.  Captain Louvois had previously been a prosecutor during the Stargazer court martial trial of Captain Picard.  While at Starbase 173 she is working for the Judge Advocate General's office for that sector.  Commander Maddox is an expert in cybernetics who has spent a good deal of time trying to re-create the works of Dr. Noonian Soongh.  When the Enterprise comes in, he tries to take advantage of the situation by asking if Data would remain with him, to be dismantled and researched.  However, Picard declines his "offer", saying that Data is a valuable member of the Enterprise crew.

When Picard declines though, Cmdr Maddox goes to Captain Louvois and obtains orders for Data's transfer to his command.  Picard goes to Captain Louvois and attemps to nullify the orders, however she will not.  The only other option for Data, it seems, is to resign.  And he does.  As Data is packing his belongings, Maddox comes in and says that Data cannot resign, because he is the property of Starfleet.  Data responds that he must, to protect Soongh's dream.

Cmdr Maddox takes his arguement to Captain Louvois.  While Louvois is looking into this, the Enterprise crew members throw Data a goodbye party, and wish him luck in what he chooses to do.  After the party however, Louvois tells Picard and Riker that due to the Acts of Cumberland, Data is indeed the property of Starfleet and cannot resign or even refuse to cooperate with Dr Maddox.  Furthermore, if a hearing is held to challenge this ruling, since Phillipa has no staff, Enterprise officers must serve as counsel, with Picard defending and Riker prosecuting.

Picard accepts this and a hearing begins to determine if Data meets the definitions of a person.  Maddox gives three attributes that make an organism a person -- intelligence, self-awareness, and consciousness.  The prosecution presents a strong case, with Riker turning Data off while talking about cutting Pinocchio's strings.  Dismayed, Picard requests a
recess and goes to talk to Guinan.

Guinan tells Picard about how Data is a person, and how if they were to re-create a legion of Datas as disposable people, it would be worse than slavery.  Picard, now encouraged, presents some new arguements when he returns to the hearing.  He brings in three items that Data had packed to take with him, as evidence of Data being a person.  These included: a set of commendation medals, a book that had been given to him by Picard, and a holo image of Lt. Natasha Yar.  Picard proceeds to ask Data why he had taken these items.  Data responds that they remind him of important things, and surprises Captain Louvois by saying that he had been "intimate" with Tasha Yar.  Finally, Picard points out that the possibility of thousands of Datas would constitute a race, and claims that, "Starfleet was founded to seek out new life, well there it sits!"

Captain Louvois accepts these arguements, and eventually declares that Data is NOT property, but in fact a sentient being who has the right to make his own decisions.  Cmdr Maddox is dismayed, but accepts this ruling.  Data then refuses to accept Maddox's research proposal, and Maddox cancels the transfer order.  Data afterwards tells Riker that he will not forget how Riker injured himself by prosecuting in the hearing.

Star Trek Trivia
Stacey Lauer, Trivia Guru

Greetings.  This is your friendly neighborhood trivia buff, bringing you the latest in trivia fun and entertainment. Answers for past trivia:

(1) In "All Good Things" who interrupted Worf and Troi as they leaned close to kiss? C - PICARD
(2) Name the life form of unknown origin from TREK classic who many fans have speculated was related to Q. TRELANE
(3) Who has the coldest hands in Starfleet? DAX
(4) How many orbs have appeared in the Bajoran sky? NINE
(5) Who are George and Gracie?  THE WHALES FROM ST:4 THE VOYAGE HOME
(6) What species was introduced in TOS's "The Devil in the Dark"? THE HORTA
(7) Who does Louise Fletcher play on DS9?  KAI (or VEDEK) WINN
(8) In the TOS episode, "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield", what does Bele call humans?  MONOCHROMES
(9) Who said, "Vulcans are the worst patients"? THE DOC (EMH ON VOYAGER)
(10) Mark Lenard died on November 22nd, what else happened on that day to make this an ironic piece of Star Trek history? STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT FIRST AIRED IN THE US

********NEW TRIVIA QUESTIONS********

(1)  What is a Feinberger?
(2)  Tony Todd has played Worf's brother, Kurn, on DS9 and TNG, the elderly Jake Sisko in the DS9 episode "The Visitor", and another role, this one on Voyager.  What was the species of the character he played?
(3)  In "Captain's Holiday", what was the name of the jewel called?
(4)  According to Pavel Chekov, what was 'inwented by a little old lady from Leningrad'?
(5)  What was Seven of Nine's name before she was assimilated by the Borg?
(6)  Who said in the DS9 episode "The Maquis", "When I kiss a man goodnight, I like to know where I'm kissing him."?
(7) Who said," Vulcans are a species that appreciates good ears."?
(8)  In the TNG episode "The Next Phase", who said 'I'm dead, you can't hear me, and I'm still intimidated by you.'?
(9)  How many children does Tuvok have?
(10)  What is Uhura's first name, and what episode was it first used in?

Ask The Admirals: An RPG Help Column
Andrew Grimm, Associate Editor
Amy Lindeman, Co-Editor in Chief

Greetings oh wonderful people! Seeing as how there were no questions submitted for this month's newsletter, I will take this time to tell you about Andy and I! The authors of this column. If you do not wish to endure this torture again next month, please, write to us, and give us something to do! :-) Okay, now, where to start?

Andrew Grimm: He's the Associate Editor of our Newsletter, which basically means that he helps out when Craig and I need an extra hand, additionally, however, he is the Game Manager of the Tango Fleet RPG. Andy has been rpging for as long as I've known him, which I guess would amount to just a little over two years. He taught me just about everything I know about role playing, and running an rpg, so I guess you can take that anyway you want, but _I_ think it's a good thing. :-) Andy is a really nice guy, and will answer your questions the best that he can, if you ask them sincerely.

Amy Lindeman: That would be me. I could talk for hours on end on this subject, but I will try to contain myself to one paragraph. Basically, I have been rpging for a couple of months less then Andy, but I was a junior officer for nearly a year of that time. After becoming a Captain though, (and even before that really), I quickly became involved in the administration of the Tango Fleet RPG as well, and now I am the Assistant Game Manager of that RPG. My point? Well, basically, I have become the devil advocate of nearly everything Andy says. We are rather like night and day in respect to the majority of our opinions, but don't let that stop you from allowing us the chance to argue something out! :-)

If you have a question about Star Trek, Role Playing, or anything else even vaugley related to those topics, e-mail us at [email protected], [email protected],or [email protected] and we will do our best to answer them in our next issue of Captain's Log. Or you can just click on the link below...

Click above to Email the Admirals!

Classifieds Column
Captain's Log Editing Staff

CONSULTANTS NEEDED: Dear readers, in order for us to better service you, we need consultants from our subscribing RPG groups that can supply information and news on your RPG group to be added to the upcoming issues of Captain's Log! If you think you would be interested in this position, or know somebody else who would be, please talk to your fleet commanders about it and if they agree, check out the Captain's Log Staff page to see if the consulting position for YOUR fleet is open, and if it is, email us at [email protected] and let us know what you would like to do!!

SUBSCRIBE YOUR RPG: In our effort to include as much of the Trek RPGing community as possible, Captain's Log is continuing to accept subscriptions for Trek RPG Groups that are interested in being listed as Subscribing members of this newsletter! We are no longer accepting charter members, however, anyone who wishes to subscribe their RPG group is ALWAYS welcome to do so! Just email us at [email protected] or see our webpage at: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3200/fleets.html for more information!

WRITERS NEEDED: As always, anyone interested in writing a column for Captain's Log, submitting a piece of fan fiction, or even submitting an article describing something that you would like to share with your fellow Trek/RPG community, we would LOVE to hear from you! Drop us a line at [email protected] and let us know!!! Deadline for all submissions to be placed in the September Issue will be Friday, August 28th.

ARCHIVE HELP NEEDED: I need something that can be used to change the emails into HTML documents to be placed on a permanent archive for all of my RPG's posts.  You folks know of anything like that?  We could also use a more reliable home for the web pages and the archives that will one day be associated with them.  Anyone who can offer help or advice is encouraged to e-mail Jeff Mulled at [email protected].

PLACE YOUR ADD HERE: Is there something you're dying to share with the rest of our readers? Submit your classified add to [email protected] and we will add it to this column in next month's issue, as long as it follows all of the submission guidelines listed at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3200/rules.html

Fan Fiction: The Journeys of the USS Avenger
Sean Berg, Fiction Editor

BIOGRAPHY:
Jeffries, Captain Michael Edward
Position: Commanding Officer, USS Avenger
Age: 37 Born: March 10, 2336
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada, Earth
Parents: Doctor Paul and Commander Karen Jeffries
Physical Attributes: Human, male, caucasian,
Height: 6'2" Mass: 89.4 kg Hair: Brown Eyes: Grey
Graduated second in his class at Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, where he later served as an instructor in advanced tactics. Former first officer of USS Excalibur; took an extended leave of absence to deal with aftermath of a disaster which took the lives of his comrades. Became an academy instructor upon returning to active duty, later assigned command of USS Avenger in 2372. Awarded on numerous occasions for courage under fire and excellence in duty. Has no immediate family.

STORY: (Continued from August 1998)

Captain Michael Jeffries tugged at his tunic distractedly, and looked down at his misty gray eyes framed by a weathered face, on the polished surface of his desk. Good heavens, he thought, suddenly startled by his own appearance. Only 37, and I look 50. He looked back up at Nechayev uncomfortably. "Admiral, I want to know why I was specifically chosen to command the Avenger on this mission. Other commanders would jump at the chance to have this ship. Why did you pick me?"

"We chose you because you have demonstrated solid decision making. You follow orders, and you aren’t afraid to give someone a bloody nose to get them to listen. For example, the Ferengi pirate ship that you blew out of the sky when they wouldn’t listen to you."

"But, sir, I..."

"I’m not picking on you Jeffries. In fact, I like your style of command. I personally chose you for this mission because you have demonstrated your ability to get the point across. That’s exactly what we need."

Admiral Nechayev’s dirty blonde hair was tied in a severe bun, and her fiery eyes added to the effect. Jeffries was beginning to feel like he was being spoken to by a school teacher, and he was a naughty student. He had joined the ever-increasing number of starship captains that firmly believed that if she were to loosen all the knots in her hair, the Admiral might be more easy to deal with. The fact that she was complimenting him was almost as worrisome as if she had been criticizing. "Thank you, sir. But, what is this all about?"

"Have you ever heard of Iconia, Captain?"

"I believe so, yes. Didn’t the Enterprise discover an ancient artifact there?"

"That’s correct. On Stardate 42609.1, the USS Yamato discovered that the ruins of Iconia were inside the Neutral Zone. A probe from the surface of the planet infected the Yamato’s computer with a mysterious program. When the Enterprise investigated the Yamato’s so-called disappearance, they discovered that the captain of the Yamato had been worried that the Romulans might gain control of ancient devices left on Iconia. What they found was a functioning inter-dimensional gateway that had allowed the Iconians to escape extinction. When entering the gateway, the person would land instantaneously somewhere else in the galaxy. The mysterious program in the Yamato’s computers found its way to the Enterprise as well, but they headed to investigate Iconia anyway when that program resulted in the destruction of the Yamato. Captain Picard destroyed the facility and the gateway, and they found a way to remove the computer virus just in time."

"Yes, but that happened years ago, and the recent cooperation with the Romulans has significantly reduced the threat that they pose to us."

Admiral Nechayev looked at Jeffries for a moment before continuing. "We believe that the Romulans may have found evidence of another, similar site deep within previously unexplored space. An operative in the Romulan government has informed us that the possible find was discovered by a science vessel on its way back home from an extended mapping mission. The Empire dispatched a warbird to investigate, but it has mysteriously disappeared."

Jeffries tried to assimilate all this. "So, why is a missing Romulan ship our concern? Aside from that, this Iconian ruin is likely to be just another rumor anyways."

"Let me finish, Captain. There has been recent unrest in the upper echelons of the Romulan military. The belief there is that a group of rebels, displeased with the peaceful cooperation of the Federation and the Romulan Empire, have seized control of the missing ship, and stolen several others. If this is true, it becomes very much our concern. The last thing we need is to have a group of bloodthirsty Romulans, with delusions of grandeur seizing control of some ancient Iconian superweapon." The Admiral’s gaze seemed to penetrate Jeffries along with the bulkhead behind him. "That is why the Avenger has been chosen to investigate."

"And then what? We get out there, all on our own, and we just start looking? "

"The Avenger will head to these coordinates," she said as she handed him a small isolinear data chip. "That information is classified, Captain. As a cover for this mission, you will ‘officially’ be on an exploratory mission to expand our knowledge of that area. Once the threat of the Romulan rebels has been taken care of, you will report back to Starbase 469 for a debriefingt. You will then continue with your primary mission."

"With all due respect, Admiral, I think that this Romulan nonsense is a waste of time. In fact, the exploratory trip seems more valid."

"Look, Captain, I’ll be frank. You are here because we need you. If we believed that there wasn’t any true danger, we’d send out a smaller, more scientific expedition. The Renaissance could be sent just as easily as the Avenger. Your primary mission of exploration is still intact. You’re just going to take a little detour on the way. You have your orders. I will depart immediately and you will continue to Sector 98216 to carry out your investigation."

Admiral Nechayev turned and headed for the bridge, and Jeffries followed. As they entered, it seemed as though a rather jovial conversation between the other members of the senior staff was cut short. Nechayev turned and surveyed the bridge with her icy gaze. "The best of luck, Captain."

"Thank you, sir."

The Admiral turned, and entered the near turbolift. As the doors hissed shut, he could have sworn that Sanders muttered "good riddance." At that, the Captain smiled.

***

Seventeen hours later....

Captain’s log, supplemental. The ship has been traveling at warp seven for the last seventeen hours. As yet, we have found no trace of recent activity in this area. I am still convinced that this mission is a waste of our time.

***

Lieutenant Commander Stiles stepped onto the bridge, and blinked tiredly several times. The Captain turned and looked at him. "Mister Stiles, I expect that the Chief of Security will arrive on time for duty from now on."

Stiles blanched and looked at him apologetically, but said nothing. There was no need to. Instead, he turned his attention to his duties. Jeffries knew the feeling; he hadn’t slept much, thinking about the assignment at hand. Somehow, he doubted that Romulan rebels were the real reason that they had been sent on this mission. Sanders had taken her seat next to him, and they were carrying on a quiet conversation about the nature of the mission. It wasn’t as if the crew was completely uninformed of the mission, however, as he had made a public announcement of the overall objectives once they had left Federation space.

Lieutenant Frambert’s console made a loud bleep, and he looked at it non-chalantly. "Still no signs of any engine signatures. And I find it difficult to believe that the Romulans would bother cloaking this far into unexplored space."

Ensign Sarrell turned in her chair away from the helm console to face Jeffries. "Sir, if I may inquire, what is our destination? We have been traveling at warp seven along a set of coordinates that leads nowhere. The nearest known star system along this trajectory is approximately 527 light years away, and that system is home to a dangerous pulsar." She cocked an eyebrow. "Is it logical to assume that we are waiting for the Romulans to come to us, rather than vice versa?"

Jeffries looked in the direction of the ensign. "I’m not supposed to say this, but at this point it seems academic. Our destination is Sector 98216. According to information supplied by Admiral Nechayev, it should be the location of a planet of some kind."

"We are now entering that sector. There are several stars present, but only three planetary systems. One is very close to our present position."

"Slow us to warp three once we’re within a few hundred astronomical units of it. I want to take a scan of this solar system as we pass it."

"Aye, sir."

The intercom beeped. "Chan to bridge."

Sanders tapped a control. "Bridge here. What’s up, Gary?"

"Tell Mister Frambert to scan a few million kilometres behind us with a passive beam. There seem to be an unusual number of tetrion particles in that area."

Frambert frowned, and his antennae twitched slightly. "Confirmed."

Chan continued. "At first, I thought that it was an engine or sensor malfunction, causing an excess of subspace particles to be given off by the ship, but..."

Jeffries snapped to attention. "Yellow alert."

Stiles looked up. "Sir?"

"That’s probably a Romulan warbird, following us at a discreet distance." Jeffries thought for a long moment. "I don’t think that they really know where the supposed artifact is. They’re following us, hoping we’ll know," said Jeffries.

"How can we prove that, though?" asked Sanders. She ran a hand through her shock of red hair.

Sarrell answered her. "We might try to change course. It may force them into...what is the expression? Playing their trump card?"

Stiles piped up, "Why don’t we just throw a torpedo back there and see what happens?"

Jeffries stood up, and paced forward. "Ensign, alter course , rapidly. Let’s give it a try."

The Avenger shot though space, arcing back upon itself, and turning rapidly back the way it came in a graceful turn. Stiles suddenly cried out, "Three warbirds, decloaking!!!"

Sanders was on her feet seconds later. "Maximum power to shields!!! Ready all weapons!"

"Full stop. Hail them, Mister Stiles," said the Captain, in a calm, almost poisonous voice.

"No response, sir... No. Wait. A fourth ship is decloaking. We’re being hailed."

"On screen."

The sharply angled face of an aging Romulan commander suddenly appeared on the screen. "I am Terstok. You will surrender to us immediately, Captain."

Jeffries took another step forward "I am Captain Michael Jeffries of the Federation Starship Avenger. And, I don’t take lightly to threats from Romulan criminals, Commander."

Terstok glared viciously. "I am not a common thief, Captain. I am here because the bureaucrats on Romulus have failed to see this opportunity to conquer our foes." The contemptuous look on the Commander’s face oozed malice and distaste. "This small fleet of ships has been commandeered by me for the pride and glory of the Romulan Star Empire! You will suffer greatly for insulting my honor as such, Captain. However, now that we know where you were headed, I have more pressing matters to attend to. It’s a pity I cannot stay to watch you die."

The face blanked out of existence on the screen Jeffries turned to Stiles. "Battle stations, Mister Stiles." The lighting dimmed as the ship armed itself for battle. The deck suddenly rocked with disruption, sending Jeffries back to his chair. Klaxons wailed, and crimson lights flooded the bridge. "Evasive pattern Omega Three! Lock phasers onto the lead ship!"

"Terstok’s ship is recloaking...." called out Frambert.

"Fire!" said Jeffries.

"Direct hit... they have lost cloaking ability...but they are fleeing, sir," replied Stiles.

"Shields at 80% and weakening.... The warbirds are splitting up..." reported Sanders.

The shields rocked again. "Full impulse power! Fire all phasers!" Jeffries gripped the arms of his chair. Several beams of blood red strock out, pummeling the shields of the lead warbird into nothingness. The other two swooped across the dorsal side of the Avenger like falcons diving for the kill. Bolts of green disruptor and torpedo fire splattered across the upper shields.

The aft consoles sparked and blew away a crewman at the damaged control station. Sanders leapt forward and took over control. "Upper shields failing! Direct phaser hit on deck nine! Hull breaches on decks six through ten!"

Stiles punched in commands furiously. "The lead ship has lost main engines, the other two are starting to loose shield integrity." A large explosion rocked the deck. "Sir! Losing main shields! Supplementing with available auxiliary power!"

Jeffries gripped his chair even tighter. "Roll hard to port and cut all drive power. Lock quantam torpedoes and fire! Use our inertia to swing about!"

Twelve bluish-white stars appeared from within the Avenger and streaked out, just as the remaining two warbirds passed out from under the ship. They leapt forward, blasting hull plates and shielding away. The first warbird lost altitude control and spun away. The second suffered a direct hit to the nacelle, and the twin hulls of the ship were ripped apart in a fiery green plasma cloud, sending shrapnel and pieces of bodies flying. The Avenger swung about suddenly, and twinned phaser beams strock out from the aft, striking the third warbird directly on the forward tower, vaporizing the lower crew decks. The warbird’s fury answered, and the Avenger was pierced by several blasts of vivid green.

Frambert cocked his head as the bridge exploded with sounds as the powerful blast hit the main engineering section. "One of the warbirds has been destroyed, the other two seriously damaged. One is retreating at high warp speed."

Chan’s voice came over the intercom laced with static. "Captain! Shields are failing! Main warp drive is off-line! We have serious structural damage to the lower aft decks, and the forward edge of the Saucer section has been punctured repeatedly with minor hull breaches!"

Jeffries smiled grimly. "Get the shields back up, Mister Chan."

"I can give you 20% power temporarily!"

Sanders spit blood out of her mouth. The aft starboard area of the bridge had collapsed, catching her in the blast. "Sir! Recommend we withdraw!"

Jeffries ignored her. "Lock aft torpedoes, 35 degree spread. Take that ship out of the sky!"

Stiles complied. The ship shuddered slightly as the torpedoes cleared the aft bay, and consumed the last warbird in a wash of white fire. "Brace for impact!"

The ship rocked again, and the wave of fire swept over them, destroying shield circuits and control lines with it. The shock wave reached the bridge, and a panel blew out, sending bits of debris flying. The lifeless form of an unfortunate crewman draped over his shorted out console on the port deck. Sarrell pulled the ship away from the fire zone, ducking out of the debris field. A small, jagged cut had appeared on her right temple and green blood oozed down her narrow face. The bridge was in ruins, and the ship was finished. It seemed all too familiar to Jeffries.

"Damage report!" yelled Sanders.

Chan began to explain just how bad their situation truly was… He also pointed out that they had no remaining defensive capabilities. "Sir, we’re talking 30 hours of repair work here, double shifts." Jeffries could tell that all the smile had gone out of his voice.

"Do it, then, Mister Chan. Jeffries out."

Sarrell piloted the ship on impulse power towards the nearest planetary body. "Sir, I believe we can hide in this nearby solar system and effect repairs."

"OK. Do it."

The intercom chimed again. "Bridge, this is Doctor Sinclair, in Sickbay."

Jeffries realized that he had not yet met the new Chief Medial Officer. From the thickness of his Gaelic accent at this moment, however, Jeffries could tell that he wasn’t very happy. "Bridge here, Doctor."

"What in the name of Saint Michael is going on up there?! We have thirteen dead, and reports of casualties and serious radiation burns all over the ship!"

"We were attacked by a group of Romulan battle ships, doctor."

The voice sounded even more flustered. "I know that, sir! I mean that.... well, you had better get down here very fast, Captain. You need to see something. Now."

Jeffries eyed Sanders for a moment, who looked as though she had been hit by a grenade. "Very well, Doctor. We have some casualties up here, as well."

"Fine, whatever, I’ll send some medics up there. But, you need to get down here, sir."

Shaking his head in frustration, Jeffries walked up the ramp, and headed for the turbolift. "Stand down from Red Alert. And get a repair team up here. I’ll be in Sickbay. Commander, you're with me." He gestured to Sanders. "Mister Stiles, you have the bridge… or what’s left of it at any rate."

As the two of them entered the lift car, Sanders looked at him, her face drained of almost all emotion. "I have a very bad feeling about this, sir."

"The feeling is mutual, Sanders."

Jeffries emerged from the turbolift onto Deck 12, Sanders in tow. Doctor Sinclair had seemed genuinely agitated about something, and not the just the sudden influx of emergency patients into his medical ward, either. Whatever it was, Jeffries mused to himself, it was sufficient to have the Commanding Officer of the ship leave his bridge in the middle of an emergency situation. The lights of the passageway flickered, the secondary power system suffering from intermittent disruptions after the damage inflicted on the ship. Still, they had done exceptionally well. The Avenger had single-handedly destroyed two state-of-the-art Romulan warbirds, and seriously damaged another. Their first test under fire could have conceivably been less violent and senseless, though. A self-righteous Romulan commander was hard enough to deal with; the fact that this one was a self-proclaimed terrorist fully prepared to use the destructive powers of his warships for exceptional violence certainly hadn’t helped any.

Sanders looked at Jeffries with a quiet, intense expression. He turned to face her. "Something wrong, Commander?"

"Only the entire situation, sir," Sanders spat sarcastically. "We get reassigned to go chasing after some bizarre ‘holy grail’ instead of our actual exploratory mission, and then we get ambushed by a bunch of Romulan terrorists that shoot first and ask questions later. And then we take our self-righteous Federation Starship and use it to blow them out of space. And when that’s all done, we still haven’t accomplished anything useful other than get a few good people and a few hundred bad people killed."

Jeffries smiled sympathetically. "I know. I didn’t join Starfleet to wipe the galaxy with the atoms of destroyed starships either. But, it wasn’t our choice. The very reason that the Avenger was refitted was that Starfleet has been getting called on to get the ball back into our court. I’m pretty sure that the destruction of the Odyssey and the Enterprise sealed it. Starfleet’s tired of getting punched in the nose. They finally decided that starships are going to have to be able to pick a fight with the local bullies and win. And don’t mistake me, Sanders. If this ship is threatened again, I fully intend to throw the first punch. Holier-than-thou platitudes like the Prime Directive are nice in theory. But, we need to be able to defend those ideals with every ounce of force we can muster. Otherwise, justice and freedom for all the innocent people out there, regardless of who they are, goes right out the airlock."

Sanders was somewhat taken aback at the forceful and passionate way that the captain had spoken. "Have you ever met Benjamin Sisko, sir?"

"Can’t say that I have."

"After he took command of DS9, he changed a little too. I think he secretly likes to play the part of the avenging angel, the superhero."

Jeffries grinned. "Cowboy diplomacy, I believe that is what Ambassador Spock once said? Jean-Luc Picard told me that story. I ran into him at Starfleet Command one day when I was still an Academy Instructor. I like to think of it as justice with teeth. It seems that we’re the only people in the galaxy interested in peace and stability. Everyone else is so caught up in their own selfish interests that Starfleet has turned into the sheriff, with the rest of the world as the bad and the ugly."

"You mean, we’re like the Lone Ranger."

"That about sums it up, Sanders."

The two of them entered the sickbay with a hiss as the automatic doors slid away, to reveal the brightly lit interior. Patients lay on biobeds, suffering from all manner of afflictions, from cuts and bruises to severe plasma burns. Sinclair, a short, staunch, man of Gaelic descent stood in the doorway impatiently. "Captain, it’s about bloody time." The man’s wispy white hair gave him almost a comical appearance, but the prune-red flush to his cheeks and his sharp glare indicated he was in no laughing mood.

"Well, what is it I so urgently needed to see, Doctor?"

"One of my patients.... well, isn’t on the crew manifest. And you’ll see why." Sinclair turned, and his square shoulders moved, to reveal a bloodied Romulan centurion lying on the main biobed, clearly in extreme pain. "He’s dying, and there’s nothing that I can do about it. He has been exposed to severe gamma radiation. He was probably near the engine section when his ship exploded. He was found on Deck 9 by a damage control team. The only way that he could have gotten aboard is if he beamed through our temporarily disabled shields."

Jeffries tapped his lapel pin, and called out tersely, "Jeffries to Lieutenant Frambert. I want a review of the sensor records. Did they detect any transporter activity during the battle?"

There was a pause. Then the Andorian hesitantly replied, "Yes sir. One of the ships which we destroyed had a beam-out at the last second. It was just close enough that we were in range."

"Thank you, Mister Frambert. Jeffries out." He turned to the comatose Romulan. "Doctor, he came here for a reason. I want to know what that reason was before he dies of his injuries."

"Waking him might kill him now, sir.... But it’s your decision."

"Do it."

Sinclair left for a moment and then returned with a hypospray. There was a sharp hiss and the Romulan’s eyes fluttered open. He looked at Jeffries for a moment, and then spoke, straining. "I am Jo’rok. I am an operative for Starfleet Intelligence in the Romulan military. I was the one who told Admiral.... Nechayev of the traitors in our government. The knowledge of the location of the artifact died with the commander of the ship that Terstok has commandeered for himself. The rebels hoped that you knew the location because of my assistance, and when they saw the system that you were headed for, they prepared to attack. The fact that you detected one of Terstok’s ships threw them, and they decided to launch a preemptive strike."

Sanders shook her head. "And, we’re just supposed to trust you?"

The Romulan regarded her, and then cocked an eyebrow in a very Vulcan manner. "Why would I be lying, Commander? Why would I have gone to the extreme effort of coming aboard your ship? I should have died with my misguided comrades... Instead, I came here to help you."

Sanders was unimpressed. "Yes, but, you are a traitor. You said so yourself. You might just be working to better yourself."

"I am not a traitor, Commander." Jo’rok looked downright insulted by the remark. "I am just someone that can see that the Romulan Empire cannot survive by wasting such valuable resources on senseless missions of conquest. And the Federation is the one group of people that actually agrees that useless and futile military campaigns and plots are doomed to failure."

Jeffries motioned Sanders aside. He turned the Romulan, who seemed to be failing fast. "Where is the Iconian artifact?"

"I do not know the precise location, but the ruins house some still functioning machinery, and there may be a gateway among them. The ruins give off....(cough, cough) they... give off an unusual neutrino signature that is visible on a short-range scan. I....ahghagkg! Captain......" Jo’rok’s face twisted in pain, and then found sudden release. His weak grip tugged the captain towards him, and he whispered intensely into Jeffries concerned face. "Do not allow those rebels to gain control of the devices there. They.... will....be..the end of...us all! Fare-....well," he breathed. The light in his eyes vanished, and a flatline tone emitted from the biomonitor.

Sinclair stepped in with his tricorder. "He’s dead, sir." he commented, almost needlessly.

Jeffries stared into the face of the dead centurion for a moment, and then faced Sanders. "Have Frambert begin a sensor sweep of this system for unusual particle emissions, specifically neutrinos."

She nodded silently, and then stepped out into the corridor. Jeffries idly wondered how many more people would die before this mission was over.

(To be continued...)