This post continues a look at established canon for Star Trek Adventures mission ideas. The previous posts, covering 2371, can be found here and here. This post examines early 2372. An estimated date range is provided and a stardate is listed, if one is available. The main body of each entry is an overview of the event and the last part - in italics - are notes for the gamemaster. Mid- and late-2372 will be examined in follow up posts.
The Klingon Empire Invades the Cardassian Union, the Federation-Klingon Alliance Collapses
January 2372, stardate 49011.4 ("Way of the Warrior" - DS9).
The Klingon Empire invades the Cardassian Union using the possibility that Founders have infiltrated the Detapa Council as a pretext. The Federation Council condemns the invasion. In response, the Klingon Empire withdraws from the Khitomer Accords, dissolving both the Federation-Klingon alliance and the peace treaty between the two polities. All Federation citizens are expelled from the Klingon Empire. Chancellor Gowron cuts off diplomatic relations and recalls the Klingon Empire's ambassadors from the Federation.
USS Defiant intervenes by evacuating the Detapa Council to Deep Space Nine. In route, Starfleet medical personnel verify that no Detapa Council members have been replaced by Founders. Chancellor Gowron approaches Deep Space Nine with a fleet of roughly fifty warships, including the Klingon flagship IKS Negh'Var, and demands the surrender of the Detapa Council. Captain Benjamin Sisko refuses. The resulting battle is indecisive. Several Klingon warships are destroyed, more are damaged, and losses to the warriors sent to board the starbase are heavy. Deep Space Nine is damaged and several Starfleet and Bajoran Militia personnel are killed during the boarding action. Chancellor Gowron chooses to cut his losses and withdraw.
Relations between the Federation and Klingon Empire change from a political and military alliance to a low-level conflict virtually overnight. Both Starfleet and the Klingon Defense Force scramble to redeploy their ships and reactivate defenses neglected for decades along now-hostile borders. Open warfare won't break out until late in the year, but tensions are high. The player characters could be assigned to restore old defenses, patrol the borders, or reassure nervous third parties once again caught between two hostile superpowers. Enterprising gamemasters could borrow adventure ideas from the 23rd century Federation-Klingon cold war and update them for a new generation.
A Rogue Jem'Hadar Unit Captures USS Rubicon
January-February 2372, stardate 49066.5 ("Hippocratic Oath" - DS9).
USS Rubicon, a runabout assigned to Deep Space Nine, completes a bio-survey of Merik III. On its way back to the Bajoran wormhole, the runabout is brought down on Bopak III by a subspace magneton pulse. The crew - Doctor Julian Bashir and Chief Miles O'Brien - are captured by a group of rogue Jem'Hadar. The Jem'Hadar's commander - Goran'Agar - explains that he is not dependent on ketracel-white and wants the same for this soldiers. Doctor Bashir's research on the matter is ultimately unsuccessful and Goran'Agar allows USS Rubicon to leave the planet.
Deep Space Nine - and, by extension, Starfleet - continues exploration of the Gamma Quadrant despite the threat posed by the Dominion and the breakdown of relations with the Klingon Empire.
Starfleet obtains more information about the Jem'Hadar, their place within the Dominion, and ketracel-white. Meaning that the player characters can now act on that knowledge.
Figuring out how Goran'Agar can survive without an external supply of ketacel-white might be a valuable way to turn the Jem'Hadar against the Dominion. This information would be of interest to the various dirty tricks squads of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. It also makes Goran'Agar a priority target for the Dominion. A clandestine mission into the Gamma Quadrant is possible, but runs into the problem of finding a rogue Jem'Hadar who can shroud himself to avoid detection.
Artificial Wormhole Experiment Conducted Aboard USS Defiant
February 2372, stardate 49195.5 ("Rejoined" - DS9)
A Trill science team conducts an experiment to create an artificial wormhole aboard USS Defiant. Initial results are promising, but the wormhole collapses when a probe attempts transit. Further efforts are called off due to damage to USS Defiant.
The Federation ultimately fails to find a viable warp drive replacement for FTL travel - not for a lack of trying. The player characters could be involved with an artificial wormhole project building on this experimentation. It could even lead to the Pathfinder Project's success in creating short-lived micro-wormholes for FTL communications with USS Voyager starting in 2376.
Federation-Karemma Trade Negotiations Attacked by the Dominion
February-March 2372, stardate 49263.5 ("Starship Down" - DS9).
Negotiations between representatives of the United Federation of Planets, the Ferengi Alliance, and the Karemma Commerce Ministry are disrupted by a Jem'Hadar attack on the host starship, USS Defiant. The Jem'Hadar force is destroyed and the Karemma Commerce Ministry's concerns about continued trade with the Federation are addressed.
Trade between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants continues even in the face of opposition from the Dominion. In this case, the Ferengi were used as intermediaries to avoid provoking the Dominion by directly involving the Federation. The player characters could become involved with ongoing trade efforts. This involvement could range from protecting trade routes from Dominion attack to making sure the Ferengi aren't cooking the books - again.
The First Ferengi Enters Starfleet Academy
February-March 2372, no stardate given ("Little Green Men" - DS9).
Nog, a long time resident of Terok Nor/Deep Space Nine, reports to Starfleet Academy after applying the previous year with the sponsorship of Captain Benjamin Sisko. In the next few years, Nog will progress rapidly through Academy training and his early career would be fast tracked due to Starfleet's pressing need for officers during the Dominion War. Much later, an Eisenberg-class starship would be named in honor of the first Ferengi to serve in Starfleet.
How a non-Federation citizen joins Starfleet is established - they need a "Command-level officer" to sponsor them. Exactly what that means is unclear. Is it "an officer in the Command Division" or "an officer responsible for an independent command" like a starship or station? In any event, a sponsoring officer would explain who a non-Federation citizen got into Starfleet and could be an important part of a player character's background.
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