Let's start with the first third of the default year - 2371. First is an overview of the situation along the Cardassian border. Following that are entries on noteworthy events in 2371 from a tabletop gaming perspective. Each entry starts with a rough estimate of when an event takes place. Stardates are provided when available. Information that the player characters would have access to makes up the main body of each entry. The last part of each entry are notes for the gamemaster in italics.
The State of the Cardassian Border in the Beginning of 2371
The upper echelons of the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet Command regard the situation on the Cardassian border as a soup sandwich. The peace treaty with the Cardassians was supposed to deescalate tensions and make the area more defensible. The Demilitarized Zone established a buffer between the Federation and the Cardassian Union. The treaty also reduced the number of Federation colonies that Starfleet would have to defend in the event of renewed hostilities. This should have allowed Starfleet to scale back its commitments in the area and redeploy its starships elsewhere. The discovery of the Bajoran wormhole, internal conflicts in the Cardassian Union, the rise of the Maquis, and the growing threat of the Dominion all combined to throw those plans right out the airlock.
The planned draw down of Starfleet assets in the area was been reversed. Deep Space Nine's current arsenal isn't enough to defend the wormhole from either the Cardassians (who attacked the station literally the same day that the wormhole was discovered) or the Dominion (who exterminated the New Bajor colony and destroyed USS Odyssey in what amounted to a border dispute). Assigning USS Defiant to serve as DS9's garrison ship is purely a stopgap measure until the station's defenses can be upgraded. Additionally, the Maquis are becoming more aggressive thanks to experienced leadership provided by defecting Starfleet officers. Starfleet is deploying more starships to the area in response, including the brand-new USS Voyager.
The state of affairs has resulted in a shake up in the chain of command controlling operations in the area. Admiral Nechayev's plan to infiltrate the Maquis in late 2370 backfired when her chosen operative - Ro Laren - ended up joining the Maquis instead. Starfleet has not reassigned Admiral Nechayev from her leadership role along the border, but some have expressed doubts about her ability to control the situation. With Admiral Nechayev's reputation and influence damaged, Admiral Toddman of Starfleet Security is taking a larger role in day-to-day operations in the area. Meanwhile, other flag officers like Admiral Paris and Admiral Patterson see nothing wrong with Admiral Nechayev's ideas. They have authorized Captain Janeway of the soon-to-be-launched USS Voyager to use a similar plan to infiltrate a Maquis cell, but with a more reliable agent to improve the chances of success.
In this environment, Starfleet officers with commands along the border may find themselves receiving orders from different admirals depending on the nature of the assignment. Many field commanders are becoming adept at navigating the politics of higher command as they campaign for support for their plans. Commander Sisko used this approach to get command of USS Defiant and move up plans to upgrade DS9's defenses. Captain Janeway also used her influence with like-minded admirals to advance her plan to infiltrate the Maquis.
Much of this was extrapolated to explain why multiple flag officers were overseeing events involving the Bajor sector. Who Sisko was reporting to and taking orders from changed multiple times in DS9's third season. Any of the admirals mentioned could become patrons or obstacles for player characters serving in the area. The conflict in Starfleet between those advocating covert actions and those preferring a more straightforward approach could play a major role for players interested in political maneuvering or be kept in the background for those who wish to keep it there.
Noteworthy Events
Uniform Change
Some point before Jan 2371.
Starfleet changes its combadge design from a silver arrowhead backed with a gold oval to a silver arrowhead backed by a hollow gold rectangle.
This minor change might trip up Maquis infiltrators or spies from other governments disguised as Starfleet personnel.
USS Equinox Lost
Jan-Feb 2371, before stardate 48315.6 ("Caretaker" - VOY).
USS Equinox disappears during a survey mission along the Cardassian border. Search operations fail to locate the ship or any signs of its fate.
I couldn't find a reference to the exact date that USS Equinox was pulled into the Delta Quadrant, but it had to happen before the events of Voyager's pilot. USS Equinox's disappearance could simply be presented as a background event to reinforce Star Trek canon in a campaign. Alternately, the player characters could be involved with search operations in the area as the lead up to another adventure.
Formal First Contact with the Dominion
Jan-Feb 2371, stardates 48213.1 ("The Search, Part I" - DS9) and 48217.7 ("The Search, Part II" - DS9).
USS Defiant contacts the leaders of the Dominion. The Federation gains an understanding of the Dominion's internal structure - the Founders as distant rulers, the Vorta running day-to-day operations, the Jem'Hadar as an expansionist military force, and everyone else doing what the Vorta tells them out of fear of the Jem'Hadar.
The player characters will only have a basic understanding of the Dominion at this time. Details like the importance of ketracel-white to the Jem'Hadar or the fact that Vorta are clones are presented later in canon.
Starfleet Reopens Traffic Through the Bajoran Wormhole
Feb-Mar 2371, prior to stardate 48301.1 ("The Abandoned" - DS9)
Starfleet bows to pressure from the Bajoran Provisional Government, those within the Federation advocating for further exploration of the Gamma Quadrant, and various commercial interests to resume traffic through the wormhole.
Traffic through the wormhole was suspended in late 2370 ("The Jem'Hadar" - DS9), but has to resume before "The Abandoned" for the plot of that episode to work. Starfleet's caution is justified - the destruction of New Bajor and every ship from the Alpha Quadrant (except for DS9's runabouts) during the events of "The Jem'Hadar" sent a clear message. Starfleet may send a starship through the wormhole to satisfy concerns about the safety of ships going into the Gamma Quadrant. Such a starship may also be charged with the grim task of verifying the fates of New Bajor, USS Odyssey, and the other ships from the Alpha Quadrant.
Jem'Hadar Child Incident
Mar 2371, stardate 48301.1 ("The Abandoned" - DS9)
A shipment of salvage from the Gamma Quadrant turns up a Jem'Hadar infant within a stasis chamber. The Jem'Hadar develops from an infant to a young adult in days. New data on the Jem'Hadar is gathered, but some in Starfleet express disappointment at the missed opportunity to learn more after the Jem'Hadar is released in the Gamma Quadrant.
The basics of Jem'Hadar biology - the fact that they are genetically engineered, their baked-in loyalty to the Founders, and their dependence on ketracel-white - becomes known to the Federation.
Val Jean Lost
Mar 2371, prior to stardate 48315.6 ("Caretaker" - VOY).
The Cardassian warship Vetar, under the command of Gul Evek, pursues the Maquis raider Val Jean, under the command of former Starfleet officer Chakotay, into the Badlands. Vetar is damaged by a plasma storm and breaks off pursuit. Gul Evek provides the last known position of Val Jean to Starfleet. Val Jean never returns to base. Attempts by the Maquis to search for the ship and its crew are hampered by conditions in the Badlands and patrols maintained by Starfleet and the Cardassian military.
Gul Evek makes an interesting foil for Starfleet characters - a little more nuanced and much less slimy than Dukat. He is presented on page 102 of the Alpha Quadrant Sourcebook. The player characters may run into Maquis search efforts while patrolling the area. The Maquis may launch attacks on the Cardassians to avenge the loss of Val Jean. A longer term concern for the Maquis is the loss of an experienced leader, his ship, and his cell. They may step up recruiting and procurement to make up for the loss. An established Starfleet NPC might decide to defect or just quietly slide some equipment and supplies over to the Maquis.
USS Voyager Lost
Mar 2371, stardate 48315.6 ("Caretaker" - VOY).
USS Voyager disappears while on a mission to capture Chakotay and his Maquis cell. Search operations are hampered by conditions in and near the Badlands. Starfleet eventually calls off active searches, but does not declare USS Voyager lost at this time.
As with USS Equinox, the disappearance of USS Voyager could simply be mentioned to tie the campaign into the Star Trek setting. Participating in search operations near the Badlands carries considerable risks. Conditions are likely to result in mounting damage to searching starships. Worse, both the Cardassians and Maquis are looking to settle scores - the Cardassians because of the damage to Vetar and the Maquis due to the loss of Val Jean. Federation starships looking for USS Voyager may find themselves caught in the middle as the Cardassians and Maquis clash right in the middle of the search area. Longer term, the disappearances of two late-model starships may raise concerns within Starfleet about the prudence of operating near the Badlands.
The next part of this series finishes up with 2371.
The upper echelons of the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet Command regard the situation on the Cardassian border as a soup sandwich. The peace treaty with the Cardassians was supposed to deescalate tensions and make the area more defensible. The Demilitarized Zone established a buffer between the Federation and the Cardassian Union. The treaty also reduced the number of Federation colonies that Starfleet would have to defend in the event of renewed hostilities. This should have allowed Starfleet to scale back its commitments in the area and redeploy its starships elsewhere. The discovery of the Bajoran wormhole, internal conflicts in the Cardassian Union, the rise of the Maquis, and the growing threat of the Dominion all combined to throw those plans right out the airlock.
The planned draw down of Starfleet assets in the area was been reversed. Deep Space Nine's current arsenal isn't enough to defend the wormhole from either the Cardassians (who attacked the station literally the same day that the wormhole was discovered) or the Dominion (who exterminated the New Bajor colony and destroyed USS Odyssey in what amounted to a border dispute). Assigning USS Defiant to serve as DS9's garrison ship is purely a stopgap measure until the station's defenses can be upgraded. Additionally, the Maquis are becoming more aggressive thanks to experienced leadership provided by defecting Starfleet officers. Starfleet is deploying more starships to the area in response, including the brand-new USS Voyager.
The state of affairs has resulted in a shake up in the chain of command controlling operations in the area. Admiral Nechayev's plan to infiltrate the Maquis in late 2370 backfired when her chosen operative - Ro Laren - ended up joining the Maquis instead. Starfleet has not reassigned Admiral Nechayev from her leadership role along the border, but some have expressed doubts about her ability to control the situation. With Admiral Nechayev's reputation and influence damaged, Admiral Toddman of Starfleet Security is taking a larger role in day-to-day operations in the area. Meanwhile, other flag officers like Admiral Paris and Admiral Patterson see nothing wrong with Admiral Nechayev's ideas. They have authorized Captain Janeway of the soon-to-be-launched USS Voyager to use a similar plan to infiltrate a Maquis cell, but with a more reliable agent to improve the chances of success.
In this environment, Starfleet officers with commands along the border may find themselves receiving orders from different admirals depending on the nature of the assignment. Many field commanders are becoming adept at navigating the politics of higher command as they campaign for support for their plans. Commander Sisko used this approach to get command of USS Defiant and move up plans to upgrade DS9's defenses. Captain Janeway also used her influence with like-minded admirals to advance her plan to infiltrate the Maquis.
Much of this was extrapolated to explain why multiple flag officers were overseeing events involving the Bajor sector. Who Sisko was reporting to and taking orders from changed multiple times in DS9's third season. Any of the admirals mentioned could become patrons or obstacles for player characters serving in the area. The conflict in Starfleet between those advocating covert actions and those preferring a more straightforward approach could play a major role for players interested in political maneuvering or be kept in the background for those who wish to keep it there.
Noteworthy Events
Uniform Change
Some point before Jan 2371.
Starfleet changes its combadge design from a silver arrowhead backed with a gold oval to a silver arrowhead backed by a hollow gold rectangle.
This minor change might trip up Maquis infiltrators or spies from other governments disguised as Starfleet personnel.
USS Equinox Lost
Jan-Feb 2371, before stardate 48315.6 ("Caretaker" - VOY).
USS Equinox disappears during a survey mission along the Cardassian border. Search operations fail to locate the ship or any signs of its fate.
I couldn't find a reference to the exact date that USS Equinox was pulled into the Delta Quadrant, but it had to happen before the events of Voyager's pilot. USS Equinox's disappearance could simply be presented as a background event to reinforce Star Trek canon in a campaign. Alternately, the player characters could be involved with search operations in the area as the lead up to another adventure.
Formal First Contact with the Dominion
Jan-Feb 2371, stardates 48213.1 ("The Search, Part I" - DS9) and 48217.7 ("The Search, Part II" - DS9).
USS Defiant contacts the leaders of the Dominion. The Federation gains an understanding of the Dominion's internal structure - the Founders as distant rulers, the Vorta running day-to-day operations, the Jem'Hadar as an expansionist military force, and everyone else doing what the Vorta tells them out of fear of the Jem'Hadar.
The player characters will only have a basic understanding of the Dominion at this time. Details like the importance of ketracel-white to the Jem'Hadar or the fact that Vorta are clones are presented later in canon.
Starfleet Reopens Traffic Through the Bajoran Wormhole
Feb-Mar 2371, prior to stardate 48301.1 ("The Abandoned" - DS9)
Starfleet bows to pressure from the Bajoran Provisional Government, those within the Federation advocating for further exploration of the Gamma Quadrant, and various commercial interests to resume traffic through the wormhole.
Traffic through the wormhole was suspended in late 2370 ("The Jem'Hadar" - DS9), but has to resume before "The Abandoned" for the plot of that episode to work. Starfleet's caution is justified - the destruction of New Bajor and every ship from the Alpha Quadrant (except for DS9's runabouts) during the events of "The Jem'Hadar" sent a clear message. Starfleet may send a starship through the wormhole to satisfy concerns about the safety of ships going into the Gamma Quadrant. Such a starship may also be charged with the grim task of verifying the fates of New Bajor, USS Odyssey, and the other ships from the Alpha Quadrant.
Jem'Hadar Child Incident
Mar 2371, stardate 48301.1 ("The Abandoned" - DS9)
A shipment of salvage from the Gamma Quadrant turns up a Jem'Hadar infant within a stasis chamber. The Jem'Hadar develops from an infant to a young adult in days. New data on the Jem'Hadar is gathered, but some in Starfleet express disappointment at the missed opportunity to learn more after the Jem'Hadar is released in the Gamma Quadrant.
The basics of Jem'Hadar biology - the fact that they are genetically engineered, their baked-in loyalty to the Founders, and their dependence on ketracel-white - becomes known to the Federation.
Val Jean Lost
Mar 2371, prior to stardate 48315.6 ("Caretaker" - VOY).
The Cardassian warship Vetar, under the command of Gul Evek, pursues the Maquis raider Val Jean, under the command of former Starfleet officer Chakotay, into the Badlands. Vetar is damaged by a plasma storm and breaks off pursuit. Gul Evek provides the last known position of Val Jean to Starfleet. Val Jean never returns to base. Attempts by the Maquis to search for the ship and its crew are hampered by conditions in the Badlands and patrols maintained by Starfleet and the Cardassian military.
Gul Evek makes an interesting foil for Starfleet characters - a little more nuanced and much less slimy than Dukat. He is presented on page 102 of the Alpha Quadrant Sourcebook. The player characters may run into Maquis search efforts while patrolling the area. The Maquis may launch attacks on the Cardassians to avenge the loss of Val Jean. A longer term concern for the Maquis is the loss of an experienced leader, his ship, and his cell. They may step up recruiting and procurement to make up for the loss. An established Starfleet NPC might decide to defect or just quietly slide some equipment and supplies over to the Maquis.
USS Voyager Lost
Mar 2371, stardate 48315.6 ("Caretaker" - VOY).
USS Voyager disappears while on a mission to capture Chakotay and his Maquis cell. Search operations are hampered by conditions in and near the Badlands. Starfleet eventually calls off active searches, but does not declare USS Voyager lost at this time.
As with USS Equinox, the disappearance of USS Voyager could simply be mentioned to tie the campaign into the Star Trek setting. Participating in search operations near the Badlands carries considerable risks. Conditions are likely to result in mounting damage to searching starships. Worse, both the Cardassians and Maquis are looking to settle scores - the Cardassians because of the damage to Vetar and the Maquis due to the loss of Val Jean. Federation starships looking for USS Voyager may find themselves caught in the middle as the Cardassians and Maquis clash right in the middle of the search area. Longer term, the disappearances of two late-model starships may raise concerns within Starfleet about the prudence of operating near the Badlands.
The next part of this series finishes up with 2371.
Good summary. Very useful for gaming Star Trek.
ReplyDeleteThis confirms my instinct to start circa 2370 and disregard events of 2371 and later as not having happened as the Dominion story is where Star Trek went off the rails for me.
Thank you! I'm glad you found it useful.
DeleteGul Evek and the Vetar appears to have been assigned to anti-maquis duties, as it was also the ship that the maquis were fighting in 2370 ("Preemptive Strike"- TNG)
ReplyDeleteprior to that he appeared during the events on Dorvan V ("journey's End" -TNG) earlier in 2370, one of the events that actually caused the creation of the Maquis in the first place. Presumably Gul Evek and the Vetar were assigned to general peacekeeping duties in the new cardassian holdings within the DMZ, and as the maquis grew, found himself assigned to rootign them out.