Welcome to a continuing examination of Star Trek canon for plot hooks to use in Star Trek Adventures. The previous post kicked things off with an overview of the situation on the Cardassian border and events in early 2371. This post covers the rest of 2371. Each entry begins with a rough time frame for the event. A stardate is listed, if available. The main body of each entry presents an overview of the event. The last portion - in italics - are notes for the gamemaster.
I spend more time and words on the events of two DS9 episodes - "Defiant" and "The Die is Cast" - than the others. "Defiant" offers a good look at the inside of a major Maquis operation and Thomas Riker has too much potential not to explore. "The Die is Cast" presents significant changes to the setting.
 |
| The Romulans are kinda busy in 2371, for some reason. |
Maquis Attack on Orias System
April-May 2371, stardate 48467.3 ("Defiant" - DS9).
Thomas Riker, a transporter duplicate of William Riker who had defected to the Maquis, leads an attack into Cardassian space after capturing USS Defiant. Thomas Riker had received an intelligence report revealing the secret construction of Cardassian warships in the Orias system without the knowledge of Central Command. The complex operation that he commands is characterized by meticulous planning, careful coordination of separate Maquis forces, and sheer audacity. USS Defiant destroys Cardassian Outpost 47 and damages two Keldon-class warships that emerge from the Orias. This verifies the presence of Cardassian warships belonging to the Obsidian Order in the "uninhabited" system. In a deal brokered by Commander Sisko and Gul Dukat, Thomas Riker agrees to surrender himself to the Cardassian military in exchange for USS Defiant and his Maquis crew being turned over to the Federation. USS Defiant's scans of the Orias system - containing data on what the Obsidian Order was doing there - is turned over to the Cardassian military as part of the deal.
It will take awhile for the border to settle down in the aftermath of these events. Maquis Squadron Baker is on its way back to base after attacking Cardassian Outpost 61 in a diversionary attack in support of Thomas Riker's operation. Starfleet or the Cardassian military could attempt to intercept the squadron as it returns to the Badlands. The destruction of Outpost 47 has left a hole in Cardassian defenses in the Almatha Sector. The Maquis and smugglers making runs through Cardassian space will likely make the most of the opportunity. Other interstellar polities may take an interest in the Orias system, slipping a probe or cloaked ship through the gap in Cardassian defenses.
The Obsidian Order fleet at the Orias system will eventually be used to attack the Founders in the Gamma Quadrant. However, nobody outside of the Obsidian Order and Tal Shiar knows anything about it at this time.
The "intelligence report" that Thomas Riker mentions as sparking this whole affair off is interesting. Where did it come from? Does the Maquis have its own intelligence agency or did it leak from Starfleet Intelligence? If it was a leak, was it from a lone sympathizer or does it imply a connection between the two groups? Or did it get leaked by a third party that would have access to Starfleet Intelligence reports - an official in the Federation government, a senior Starfleet officer, or Section 31?
Thomas Riker's backstory for this episode provides a good example of how somebody goes from Starfleet officer to Maquis leader. He had expressed sympathies for the Maquis' cause while serving on USS Gandhi in 2370. His dissatisfaction with life in Starfleet also contributed to his defection. An NPC serving with the player characters could follow a similar pattern - speaking out against Federation policy only to get shut down, growing disillusioned with their duties, and eventually giving up their career for a chance to make a difference with a band of plucky outlaws. There could be signs prior to the actual defection - covert attempts to contact the Maquis, efforts to reach out to other potential defectors among the crew, supplies disappearing into the hands of the Maquis. The defection itself could be anything from quietly leaving the ship for leave and never coming back to a loud get-away from a sabotaged starship with a shuttle full of stolen supplies.
Thomas Riker fate in canon is unknown at the time of this writing. Escaping from a Cardassian prison would be challenging, but not impossible for him. The Maquis may attempt to free him - he is valuable enough to justify the effort. He could be turned by the Cardassians as suggested on page 113 of the Alpha Quadrant Sourcebook, where his stats are presented. Other groups that might be interested in recruiting Thomas Riker are the rebellion launched by Damar late in the Dominion War and, of course, Section 31.
Ambassador Troi Arrives on Deep Space Nine
May 2371, no stardate available ("Fascination" - DS9).
Lwaxana Troi attends the Bajoran Gratitude Festival on Deep Space Nine.
This places Ambassador Troi in the Bajor Sector at this time.
Bajoran-Cardassian Peace Treaty
June 2371, stardate 48498.4 ("Life Support" - DS9)
The Bajoran Provisional Government and the Cardassian Union sign a formal peace treaty. This resolves issues lingering since the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor. Other interstellar polities are caught off guard by the surprise announcement.
While the announcement is a shock, few major interstellar polities are adversely effected by peace breaking out between the Bajorans and Cardassians. The Federation and the Ferengi welcome anything promising increased stability in the Bajoran Sector - it aligns with Federation values and improves trade. The Romulans are too far away to care. And nobody really knows what the Breen and Tholians are thinking.
The Klingons are the exception. They are outwardly supportive of their Bajoran allies, but some within the Empire are concerned with these uncharacteristic moves by the Cardassians. Might they be signs of influence or infiltration from the Gamma Quadrant? Prudence demands that more information be gathered via cloaked ships and the agents of Klingon Intelligence.
Wormhole Comm Relay Project
June-July 2371, stardate 48543.2 ("Destiny" - DS9).
The new peace treaty bears fruit in the form of a Federation-Bajoran-Cardassian effort to establish a communications and early warning capability in the Gamma Quadrant. After initial difficulties, an uncrewed platform is deployed in the Gamma Quadrant that serves as a communications array through the Bajoran Wormhole. The platform is equipped with sensors to give Deep Space Nine early warning of Dominion forces approaching the Gamma Quadrant terminus of the wormhole.
The success of the Wormhole Comm Relay Project allows ships in the Gamma Quadrant to communicate with Deep Space Nine. This gives player characters exploring the Gamma Quadrant the ability to stay in contact with Starfleet and the Federation.
Orb of Wisdom Recovered
June-July 2371, no stardate available ("Prophet Motive" - DS9).
The Bajoran Provisional Government purchases the Orb of Wisdom from Grand Nagus Zek. The Orb had previously been on Cardassia III, where Zek acquired it.
First contact between the Prophets and the Ferengi. Neither party is particularly interested in further contact.
The Bajoran government may request Starfleet's assistance in recovering the other Orbs lost to the Cardassians. The Bajoran-Cardassian Peace Treaty likely addresses the return of all Orbs in Cardassian possession. However, the process is slow, prone to outside intervention, and complicated by the number of fake Orbs that have appeared over the years. By 2374, only four of the original nine Orbs are accounted for in canon, with a previously unknown Orb appearing in 2375.
Romulan Attack on Deep Space Nine Averted
July 2371, stardate 48576.2 ("Visionary" - DS9).
A Romulan delegation arrives on Deep Space Nine. They demand all of the intelligence that Starfleet has collected about the Dominion, including classified reports and interviews with Starfleet and Bajoran Militia personnel. This is permitted under the agreement that resulted in the loan of a cloaking device to be used on USS Defiant.
The Romulan investigation is part of a larger operation to eliminate the threat of the Dominion to the Alpha Quadrant. A cloaked warbird is detected near Deep Space Nine after a time traveling Chief Miles O'Brien reveals that the Romulans will launch a surprise attack in a few hours. The Romulan plan is to gather as much intelligence as possible about the Dominion, destroy the wormhole, and eliminate any witnesses by destroying Deep Space Nine. As the plan relies on attacking an unprepared station, the Romulans abandon it after being confronted and withdraw. The alternate timeline where Deep Space Nine and the wormhole are destroyed by the Romulans is averted.
Meanwhile, the Klingon High Council deploys three members of a covert strike force to Deep Space Nine to monitor the Romulan delegation. They are arrested by Constable Odo and held in custody until the Romulans leave.
Starfleet will likely want a starship to escort that particular warbird out of the Bajoran Sector and back to the Romulan Star Empire.
These events demonstrate the amount of reach the Romulans possess. A cloaked warbird could appear anywhere their interests are threatened. This makes them a good wild card for gamemasters to throw into an adventure.
Klingon Intelligence is established as operating in the Bajoran Sector and is familiar enough with Deep Space Nine's systems to modify them for their own needs. They may expand operations closer to the end of the year to collect intelligence on Cardassian defenses. These could take the form of single operatives, small teams, or cloaked ships.
Battle of the Omarion Nebula
August-September 2371, no stardate available ("The Die is Cast" - DS9).
A joint Tal Shiar/Obsidian Order task force of twenty ships - five D'deridex-class Warbirds and fifteen upgraded Keldon-class warships - decloaks near Deep Space Nine and transits the Bajoran Wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant. Their plan - authored by Enabran Tain, who is also leading the operation - is to make a stealthy approach to the Founder's homeworld, achieve tactical surprise, bombard the planet down to its mantle before the Jem'Hadar can respond, and evade reprisal by returning to the Alpha Quadrant under the cover of their cloaking devices. It turns out to be an ambush carefully laid down by the Dominion. The planet is already evacuated and the task force is surprised by one hundred and fifty Jem'Hadar attack ships hidden in the nebula. The only known survivors are two residents of Deep Space Nine and the crew of USS Defiant, which participated in the battle just long enough to rescue the pair.
The Cardassians and Romulans pay a high price for Enabran Tain's attempt to emerge from retirement. The annihilation of the Obsidian Order leads to drastic changes in the Cardassian Union. The weakened Tal Shiar takes years to fully recover, likely contributing to the success of Shinzon's coup after the Dominion War. And the failed attack ends any notion of taking the fight against the Dominion into the Gamma Quadrant.
Enabran Tain's actions effectively destroy the Obsidian Order. A Keldon-class warship carries a crew of ~500. The loss of fifteen of them represents a huge personnel loss for the Order. Worse, Tain eliminated his former inner circle while preparing for the attack - individuals who might otherwise be tapped to use their experience and skills to rebuild the Order. The Order's remaining operatives have no friends in the Cardassian Union. The Central Command sees this as an opportunity to rid themselves of the Order. The resulting struggle presents an opening for the civilian government and dissident movement to seize power. These internal struggles and the eventual change in government have major repercussions for 2372.
Some remnants of the Obsidian Order may linger for awhile. The player characters may be surprised to find an Obsidian Order adversary from a previous mission reaching out to them. The former operative is on the run and wants to make a deal - a new identity and a safe place far from Cardassia in exchange for some of the Order's secrets. Unfortunately, there are many from the Cardassian Union filled with a burning desire to either get at any secrets the operative may know or silence the operative forever.
Starfleet Security and Starfleet Intelligence might be tempted to slip some agents into the Cardassian Union. The Obsidian Order is gone, but their facilities and records remain. The growing unrest provides good cover for trying to gain access to the fallen Order's secrets.
The loss of five D'deridex-class warbirds, each carrying a crew of ~1500, makes the Tal Shiar's personnel losses roughly equivalent to those suffered by the Obsidian Order. However, the two organizations are not the same. The Tal Shiar is larger, spread over a wider area, and regularly engages in military operations. This makes them better prepared to suffer unexpected losses. The real damage is the news that they were infiltrated by a Founder impersonating one of their highest ranking officers. The resulting efforts to clean house will take awhile. Worse is the blow to the Tal Shiar's reputation. Losing a fleet to an ambush is a serious blunder - perhaps the Tal Shiar isn't as all-seeing and all-knowing as they say they are? The Tal Shiar might be looking for ways to recover from their loss of face at the expense of the Romulan Star Empire's enemies.
Battle of Veridian III, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) Destroyed, Captain Kirk Dies
August-September 2371, stardate 48632.4 ("Star Trek Generations").
USS Enterprise investigates a Romulan attack on the Amargosa observatory and the destruction of the Amargosa star. This eventually leads to a battle over Veridian III with a Klingon Bird-of-Prey commanded by Lursa and B'Etor. The Bird-of-Prey is destroyed, but the damage to USS Enterprise triggers a warp core breech. The crew is able to evacuate to the saucer section and separate the ship. The explosion of the stardrive section disables the saucer section and pushes it into Veridian III's atmosphere. The crew survives the resulting crash, but the saucer section is a total loss.
Captain James Kirk, having traveled forward in time and space through the Nexus, dies on Veridian III. Captain Jean-Luc Picard buries Kirk's body on Veridian III.
On stardate 48650.1, three starships - led by USS Farragut - arrive in orbit of Veridian III. Rescue and salvage operations begin immediately.
The loss of the flagship is likely to be big news in Starfleet. The reappearance and death of Captain Kirk is a little weird, but weird is what Starfleet does.
Somebody's gonna have to clean up after the party. The remains of the saucer section and any debris in orbit need to be removed before the inhabitants of Veridian IV develop the means to discover them. A California-class starship would seem to be a good choice for such a mission. The player characters could be directly involved or respond when the clean up operation gets into trouble. The saucer section of a Galaxy-class starship is a tempting target for scavengers.
Emergency Elections for Bajoran First Minister
October 2371, no stardate available ("Shakaar" - DS9).
Kalem Apren dies of a heart attack while sleeping, leaving the office of First Minister of Bajor open. Shakaar Edon enters the resulting election with the support of the Militia. He quickly gains a clear lead after Kai Winn Adami withdraws from the race.
Neighboring interstellar governments are likely to be concerned with Bajor's sudden change in government. They may ask to send observers to monitor the election process. Outside groups, such as the Maquis, may see this as an opportunity to draw attention to their own cause.
Founder Infiltrator Discovered Aboard USS Defiant
December 2371, stardate 48959.1 ("The Adversary" - DS9).
A Founder, posing as Federation Ambassador Krajensky, attempts to commandeer USS Defiant and attack a Tzenkethi settlement on M'kemas III. The Founder is killed through the actions of Constable Odo. The Founder's dying words are: "You're too late. We're everywhere."
The real Ambassador Krajensky disappeared on his way to Risa.
The Founders are established as operating covertly in the Alpha Quadrant and existing Starfleet security measures are of limited effectiveness. Their actions are aimed at destabilizing the Alpha Quadrant politically and weakening resistance to any future invasion by the Dominion. Every Alpha Quadrant polity reacts to the threat with varying levels of paranoia.
Hunting down and stopping a Founder is an extreme challenge for any starship crew. Alternatively, the player characters may find themselves helping to stop a Founder who has infiltrated another polity's ship.
No comments:
Post a Comment