BACKGROUND:
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Star Trek: Endeavor is set in early 2155 during Enterprise's last season. Earth is still recovering from the Xindi Attack from one year earlier. Xenophobic groups have sprung up across Earth and across the solar system.
Name these groups, and their goals. If they don't need names, what purpose are they serving in the plot?
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Starfleet is finally free from the watchful eye of the Vulcan High Command, and operating as an independent organization.
So are there any advisors? Perhaps put one of these in touch with the crew?
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On the diplomatic front, relations between Vulcan and Andoria have improved, but tensions between the two races still remain high.
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Starfleet ship construction techniques and ship yards around Earth and in the Solar System have increased, with star ships scheduled to come off the yards at a much faster rate.
Seems like this would be Luna and/or an early Utopia planetia, utilizing minerals from either, or both, or the asteroids, to avoid the boosting to earth orbit cost/problems. Though since there are decent non-rocket engines, maybe not so much of a problem, any more. I would name these, though.
The NX-O3 Challenger is a byproduct of this new construction method.
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Episode Title: Inception, Part I
Captain’s StarLog, January 12, 2155,
The Vulcan-Andorian diplomatic delegation failed to arrive at a peace summit at Earth yesterday. With Enterprise and Columbia away on other missions, Starfleet authorized the launch of Challenger, NX-03, to assist in the search effort. A grid search pattern has been established based on the delegations last known transmission. Working in accordance with Vulcan and Andorian authorities, we have been assigned the task of searching the Typhon sector.
I'd change this to be orders from an Admiral, or the vulcan high command, either way, not to go find the blown-up ships, but to rendezvous with the delegation, and make the commanding officer responsible to escort them. Otherwise it is a straightforward, linear story, where "Oh well, these guys are blown up. Not our fault."
I would also choose one race to be escorted, not both, depending on the spin you want for the scenario, unless the course plot of the diplomatic ship is coming from andor, stopping at vulcan, and then going to earth. Since you say there are still tensions, this means that such a scenario is not likely to happen on one ship, or if so, it might be the vulcan ship, placating the andorians as best they can.
I would also generate up coordinates where the crew is to meet this ship, for example in the Typhon sector. Give the Commanding officer the coordinates, and the arrival time he has to be there, in days, or hours. This way, the captain chooses how fast to go.. safe route, and take time, leaving less to rescue the people in trouble or faster, dangerous route through the metals-rich area (see suggestions on that, too), where they might have more time. Also, I suggest that if the Typhon Sector has already been partially explored already or been mapped already, let the crew know ahead of time that sensor scans will be difficult, but, because of the urgency of this mission, and or short distance, that's where they are assigned to do the meet.
Additionally, set up the captain of the vessel that they are meeting, such that you can use them as an NPC later, to personify the race that they will be escorting.
Entering the Typhon Sector
Objective: Meet and Escor the Diplomats
Players involved: Science officer, Comms, and Helm
Upon entering the Typhon Sector, a System Operations (Sensors) TN 5 from the Science Officer will confirm other cartographic survey reports that the area is extraordinarily rich in heavy metals, in the form of dust, the ancient remnant of a long-ago nova in this sector.
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A further Systems Ops (Sensors) TN 10 will show these minerals will interfere with long range sensors.
Don't do this. Any competent science officer would realize this immediately.
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800 cubic light years with 8 star systems
Regions has scattered Ion Storms
Asteroids debris
The previuous information should also likely have been mapped and charted before, with data already present in the ship's computer. Otherwise you have a split theme of rescue/escort AND Exploration/Mapping. Also my first response on reading "debris," was that I had read ship debris. Just a personal thing. Could be rogue comets, or something, thus the captain and crew suspects, perhaps a diplomatic ship somehow managed to get hit by a comet.
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A TN 15 Systems Operations (flight Control) is required to navigate the storms and debris;
Is this already a function of the metals? If so, then I'd use that. or get rid of the metals, and make it just ion storm, for clarity.
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A marginal or complete success will allow the vessel to proceed at warp 2; a superior success will allow the movement at warp 3; and an extraordinary success will allow warp 4.
Does the speed really matter? Seems like you just go at whatever speed the captain orders, and have the difficulty be TN 5 X Desired Warp speed, or something. Likely I am nitpicking, but I'd make the success based on choice of speed, not how luck can we get, to see how fast we can go. Also, perhaps assess if the ship goes too fast, pts of damage from hull friction off of the metal particles or something. Seems like half sublight (or less) might really be in order, of there is all that heavy metal around, since K = 1/2 M V^2.
It also comes to mind to be clear that the aforesaid metal is definitely not parts of blown-up ships, but are clearly stellar novae remnants. Most crews I know would immediately think that.
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As the ship progresses through the sector the TN for finding the Vulcan-Andorian delegation will drop in Sensor Tests:
Round 1: TN 25
Round 2: TN 20
Round 3: TN 15
Round 4: TN 10
Round 5: TN 05
I would also at this point introduce the plot twist:
Hailing the Ships, or meeting the ships.
- No response to hails.
- No sight of the ships.
- Metals interfering with long range communications also (but seems like short range should be fine, make that clear), so thay can't ask Starfleet or the UNESPA for help, thus the captain has to take command and have Him/her order the search pattern, based on the crew's input.
Thus the pattern used is up to the crew, giving them effective story choices, not spoon fed from starfleet.
Effective patterns would be spiral, back and forth, or perhaps lengthwise to either side of the projected course track of the diplo ship, perhaps to pick up an exhaust trail.
Comms to the ship...
Would not the crew hail the diplo ship? In the later plot you have a vulcan survivor, is his comms destroyed, so that he isn't leaving a distress call? Marker/dead in space emergency beacon?
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Discovering the Delgation Ships
Objective: Board and discover what information you can about what happened.
Players involved: Security, medical, science, engineer.
Challenger will discover the wreckage of the Vulcan-Andorian delegation. A System Ops (Sensors) TN 10 will determine that one vessel is intact enough to house survivors.
I'd suggest you have them discover the ship, and then scan to determine that is the ship, damaged. Maybe you have implied that.
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An additional Sensors test (TN 5) will determine the ship was destroyed by a beam-type weapon.
I can see that, but just include the next line following, other wise it is redundant... we roll TN5 for a beam type weapon of unknown type. Now we got to roll TN 25 to determine it is unknown type? I mean, okay I see you are ruling out all known weapons, but with the difficulty that high, you might as well say "TN5, unknown beam weapon." and be done with it.
At this point, they might use sensors to scan for life-forms. then they find the guy. Perhaps they try to hail again, and fail (due to his blown up comms, etc.)
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The crew should mount a rescue away team to board the damaged vessel. The crew may attemp to transport over or take a shuttle craft.
One point here also. If they clearly see the ship of the diplomats was attacked by unknown beam weapons, they might go all hairy scary and since they might have scanned that there is a vulcan alive, they might go shields up and park, and move slowly toward the vulcan ship. So that in thinking about it, I would add that the vulcan ship is perhaps also streaming atmosphere, to give them time pressure to go aid him. otherwise they might park and look for romulans, who knows what, while the vulcan guy sits. With air streaming, they got to again, make choices.
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The away team should attempt to download information from the computers.
The crew will also discover a Vulcan survivor from the attack.
If he's alive, and talking, he'll be able to give them more information faster than the computers will. Unless he's not from the bridge crew. You might set it up that he's also one of the diplomats, allowing for partial success, if the ship's doc can heal him up, perhps he's bleeding, perhaps pinned in the wreckage in a room that is slowly leaking air, or on fire. This would allow engineering crews to get into play, pulling him out with the 22nd century jaws of life, or whatever, and maybe a fire-fighting crew. something more than oh hell Vulcan guy, nice to see you made it and the rest of the crew got toasted. They might thus wrongly suspect him to be a spy/saboteur.
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Information obtained from the computer will show that escape pods were launched but headings are unknown.
I would think that they would head to the nearest known class M planets, under computer control unless the onboard survivor ovveriddes it. This begs the question, how come the vulcan survivor is not in a pod?
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A Computer (retrieve) will show there are two possible systems the survivors may have gone to: The Gramelaic System and the Barnar System.
This is all good info.
I wouls also add in that a smart science guy can think to track pod engine trails (or you can prompt him) with a very difficult roll. This leads to the trails just STOPPING (where they were picked up aboard the alien ship) and perhaps a less difficult bigger ship trail leads off to Barnar, (circling it for a bit, the aliens wanted to make sure no one escaped) and then, Ultimately to Gramelaic.
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The players may go to each of these systems as a team or split up.
I suggest putting these planets in a line, with one a bit more distant than the other, (with the bit more distant Gramelaic as Class M, and the closer one an arctic world or desert, something not as good, so that the captain/crew again chooses or tries to guess the pod pilots thinking.) rather than encouraging a split team scenario.
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The Barnar System
Objective: Search for Escape Pods.
As foreseen/suggested, this planet is barely habitable. But it is a lot closer and so worth a look. At this point, I suggest that you have:
"Pissed off Admiral demands answers"
Somehow, some way, Starfleet manages to get through for a brief message, that is all static-filled and breaking up. "Captain, where is the delegation? you missed your rendezvous check in..."
Etc. Basically this is to add more pressure on to the crew. Perhaps play it up as "Captain, I can't believe you allowed this incident to happen on your watch....I have a meeting with the (some high level person or council or something) in 10 minutes! Carreers are on the line, etc etc." Just when they are about to report thier status, or ask for more ships or aid, the signal breaks off, fading into the ether, due to "ion storm interference."
The Gramelaic System
Objective: Search for Escape Pods.
Still working on the specifics on this section, but the players will encounter a prison-camp here with the surviors AND the Aliens responsible for the delegations destruction.
I would think then, that this is a new race, set on conquering the Typhon Sector.
Maybe have the ship come in, and due to some long range sensors trickery the crew determines a few lighter ships defending / patrolling this planet.
Thus they have to determine what to do:
1) Bluff and say the whole fleet is here, hand over the diplos...
2) Sneak in via low powered shuttle slow using the planet to hide, and try a covert ops rescue of the diplos
3) Sail up and act like nothing is unusual, stalling for time talking on channel with the aliens, while an away team does option # 2 unawares, using the talk as a distraction.
4) Find out that hold the phone, this is not a prison camp, etc etc. The vulcan survivor comes to, and the computer tapes are deciphered....The beam weapon damage was in fact a hi speed meteorite hit, or a stray piece of anti-matter, or dark matter or something.
These "Aliens" discovered the crew, and are actually saving them. Of course this would require careful spin on what all has gone before, so that it could go both ways, or is not entirely certain.
Thus, in the last seconds of this sort of commando raid setup maybe they luckily hail the planet, only to find they are talking to a Vulcan diplomat, happy to talk to them, expecting pickup immediately "As they are already nearly too late."
Then a hi speed dangerous race through the metal-ion fields, perhaps a breakdown, letting the miracle working engineer save the day by fixing damage and overpowering the warp engines at the captain's command. again a CHOICE.
Safety of the ship and crew and diplomats, or risk it all to make it to meet the Andorians (or vulcans) in time.
Anyway, I really liked the idea of this as you laid it out. I'll definitely borrow some of this down the road for my own games.
