Star Trek - Deep Space 12

The fickleness of players strike again. After 4 sessions of Star Wars, they decide that they want to go back to playing Star Trek after all. So here's the Series Profile (with background notes) for my new campaign. Its actually a sequel to my last campaign, as two characters are making the jump to the new series.

SERIES PROFILE

SETTING

ERA: 24th Century (2780 onwards)
REGION: Alpha Quadrant (Demilitarized Zone)
TRAVELLING: Starship, shuttles and transporters

CREW

ORGANIZATION: Mixed (Starfleet primary)
MISSION: Varied (Diplomatic and Defence primary)
COMPOSITION: Multi-species

BASE OF OPERATIONS:

BASE TYPE: Stationary/mobile; Starfleet Mobile Operations Base Deep Space 12 and ships of Patrol Squadron 01 and the USS Odyssey

TECHNOLOGY

ERA TECHNOLOGY: 24th Century
AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY: Starfleet technology, experimental transwarp drive

ADVERSITY

THREAT AND OPPOSITION: Nationalist movements; Cardassian renegades; Romulan agent provocateurs; and others

CRISIS AND DISASTER: Peacekeeping amidst growing tensions between former colony worlds.

FEEL

Dark and gritty but with an air of hope



BACKGROUND

After the end of the Dominion War, both the Federation and the Cardassian Union had left the former Demilitarized Zone to its own devices. The Federation continued to respect the treaty which kept them out of the area and the Cardassian Union was too weak and unstable to do anything about the DMZ.

The worlds in the DMZ had been badly devastated by the Dominion War having been a major battle area and the task of rebuilding would take many years without external help.

Some of those worlds found help, the Ferengi were the first to arrive, smelly an easy profit. But the colony worlds in the DMZ were too poor to pay for Ferengi assistance, so the Ferengi scaled down their operations.

But slowly the DMZ worlds began to find their feet but new socio-political ideologies begin to take root. Many of them nationalistic and in some parts xenophobic which threatened to spill over into ethnic cleansing. Renegades from all quarters began to flee into the DMZ hoping to find sanctuary on worlds devastated by the Dominion and their allies. Pirates also began to operate in the area mostly independents but there are hints that there is someone behind all the pirate activity.

This dangerous mix threatened to erupt into open warfare within the DMZ. With the Cardassian Union too weak to do anything, the Federation Council reluctantly approved Starfleet to intervene to maintain peace and security within the DMZ. The idea is for Starfleet to keep the hot heads in line allowing tempers to cool so that a lasting settlement can be reached.

Under Operation Enduring Peace, Starfleet activates Task Force 121 (“Peacekeepers”) for operations in the DMZ. The core of the Federation’s operations would be their new Mobile Operations Base, call sign Deep Space 12, designed during the Dominion War as a rapidly deployable base. The base could be set up quickly and although not as tough as a normal space station, it would be adequate for the current mission. The base consists of a central core with eight booms connecting the core to eight mission pods. The central core contains the base’s ops centre, crew quarters and primary shuttle bays to carry its complement of shuttles, shuttle pods, work bees and three Danube-class runabouts. Three mission pods are configured for maintenance and support of the Scott-class scout/escorts (see below), one as a support landing bay for strike/recon fighters, three configured as docking arms to hard dock for starships and the eighth bay is currently designed as a service/support module to contain ad hoc facilities and services as required by the station commander.

To give the station some teeth, Starfleet deployed Patrol Squadron 01, three brand new Scott-class scout/escort ships. The Scott-class was a development of the successful Defiant-class. Although not as tough and powerful as the Defiant, the Scott-class seemed adequate to tackle the small pirate raiders that had been operating in the DMZ.

A single starship, the USS Durandel, a Sabre-class light cruiser was added to the station’s TOE. The range and endurance of the Scott-class was limited, so the Durandel would provide the additional endurance for medium term missions. Durandel is fated to be destroyed in the pilot and replaced by the USS Odyssey, an experimental development of the Intrepid-class with (semi-functional) transwarp drive capability.

A squadron of 6 strike/recon fighters was added to the TOE after the pilot to give the commander some additional eyes and ears closer to home and some additional tactical flexibility.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

This morning as I took a shower to get ready for work (always my best thinking place) I found myself thinking that I should really call my new campaign Deep Space 12. I thought it worked nicely as 12 is the last single sylable number.

Then I saw this.

Dag nabbit!

Well I think I will keep it nonetheless ;)

That said, let's look at the idea.

Seems good thus far.

I don't know how big a fan I am of the whole "mobile" starbase, but that is a minor thing really.

Sounds like a bare bones idea thus far.

I like what I see overall.

I want to know more.

I want to know about the aliens.

Who might be behind the whole piracy thing.

etc :)

Quote:

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Originally posted by AslanC
This morning as I took a shower to get ready for work (always my best thinking place) I found myself thinking that I should really call my new campaign Deep Space 12. I thought it worked nicely as 12 is the last single sylable number.

Then I saw this.

Dag nabbit!

Well I think I will keep it nonetheless ;)

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Now now, no name calling please.

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I don't know how big a fan I am of the whole "mobile" starbase, but that is a minor thing really.

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Its not really that mobile, just that Starfleet can dismantle and move it to its new operating location pretty quickly. There's no time to build a full size starbase in the DMZ and Starfleet will probably have to withdraw once the crisis is past so they can just pack up and go home.

Quote:

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I want to know about the aliens.

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Haven't worked out all the details of the aliens in the DMZ yet. For the most part the worlds are populated by various Federation races and Cardassians.

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Who might be behind the whole piracy thing.

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That's part of the mystery. I'm thinking its either an Orion trying to making himself a pirate king or a Section 31 op...who knows...

How about the Ferengi, who figure they have to make some money out of this?

Name calling, I said you were Magnificant :(

The pirates are not just in it for the cash. There is a far greater plan which involves an Orion shipping magnate who wants to destroy all semblence of government, shipping and communication within the DMZ making the locals dependant on his ships and services to continue to exist. He has only two real opponents, the Cardassians who are too weak and the Federation. All he has to do is turn the entire thing into a internal political matter which would mean that the Federation and Starfleet cannot intervene without violating the Prime Directive. So do i still have it or not. :)

Oh and sorry, missing the magnificent - but then I am aren't I :D

Don't get ahead of yourself. :p

How do they make it an internal matter? Have some planets given them letters of marque?

I may be a bit dense on this one.

Simple really. The pirates remember have a legitimate front, a front with offices on every world in the DMZ. Well once you're in the business community and an important part of the community, you're a short hop from political influence and of course political appointment - who knows even election to high office.

Plus if you have a band of ex-Obsidian Order and ex-Maquis pulling dirty tricks you can soon create a socio-political disaster that would catapult you into office.

Once the "pirates" get control of the planet, then any problems becomes an "internal issue" which according to the Prime Directive, the Federation cannot get involved. Hows that, aren't I magnificient. :)

Here is some maquis info, including planets in the DMZ. Remember Empok Nor is also considered in the DMZ.

http://www.angelfire.com/fl/switala/maquis/maquis.html

Sounds like a plan:)

However, depending how you use info from the novels etc Empok Nor have been towed to the Bajor system for spare parts.

I have a a bit of a nit. Why would Starfleet send an experimental vessel to be attached to DS 12. Starfleet IMHO may send an Intrepid or the like, but not their beloved transwarp prototype.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Captain Leana Craig
Sounds like a plan:)

However, depending how you use info from the novels etc Empok Nor have been towed to the Bajor system for spare parts.

I have a a bit of a nit. Why would Starfleet send an experimental vessel to be attached to DS 12. Starfleet IMHO may send an Intrepid or the like, but not their beloved transwarp prototype.

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Starfleet didn't send it, well not exactly. The CO took it upon himself to use the transwarp drive to reach DS12 in time to prevent it from being destroyed, it was the first operational use of the transwarp drive (done without orders or authorization) and after the battle, the CO of the Task Force and the Odyssey pulled some strings to have the Odyssey remain at DS12 'temporarily'. But of course that soon turned into a 'permanent' assignment.

Ghosty you have me rethinking my own St: Genesis (DS12) game now :p

Seriously though, this one sounds good, real good.

My problem is I jsut want to use Empok Nor :(

When does the campaign start?

Not too long from now. This weekend to be precise.

The introductory scenario is basic, just to get the PCs to know the equipment and the theater of operations.

Once they find their feet, I plan to threaten the station with the attack of a classic Trek 'space monster' the space ameoba (remember that?) anyhow the ameoba nukes the Durandel and the CO of the Odyssey uses his ship's experimental transwarp drive to ride to the resuce. For the record, the Task Force CO is the old CO from my Wayfarer days and her loverboy XO is the CO of the Odyssey. So there is a little method to my madness.:)

The next episode, Infestation features a Borg nanovirus that was accidentally inserted into Odyssey's transwarp drive. The virus begins to spread throughout Odyssey, upgrading her systems in new and funky ways. I was thinking of using the virus to update the Odyssey's computer until it becomes sentient like the computer on the Andromeda...well just have to wait and see...any input on this latest curve ball.

Ohhhh I am so stealing the giant space creature for my guys as well! :)

As for the BOrg virus, sounds interesting, but Borg has been doen to death. Why no a temporal dislocation? Or something unexpected?

Ah, that sounds much more probable:)

I have to agree that the Borg have been done to death at the moment.

How about during her flight through transwarp, Odessey is abducted to another V'ger type entity. The transwarp drive interacts with its dimention/universe/buzz word of the week. This machine seeds the germ of its sentience in the computers, as its "life is coming to an end in its dimention etc.

Now the crew were rendered unconsious by this transition so they won't know about this side trip. The crew may wonder at the half an hour extra on travel time or what ever. but hey what do you expect with an untried propulsion system.

Of course this once in an episode:D occurance will not happen again.

Is that any better.

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Originally posted by AslanC
...sounds interesting, but Borg has been doen to death. Why no a temporal dislocation?...

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Why not both? a temporal dislocation...to the time and place when the Borg first BECAME the Borg? Either when they first started integrating technology into themselves or when they first started assimilating other cultures?

Although I'm not sure if that would fit into this series...