Hm... perhaps Magellan isn't a bad choice after all. :pQuote:
Originally posted by Lt Cmdr Matt
For the first mission the crew will head straight for the Galactic Rim...
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Hm... perhaps Magellan isn't a bad choice after all. :pQuote:
Originally posted by Lt Cmdr Matt
For the first mission the crew will head straight for the Galactic Rim...
The name is set, how about comments for the mission?
Sounds like a nice little setup, somewhat reminiscent of some of the Excalibur novels. Sorry about the length here, but I wanted to do a good job with my reply.
There are several questions, though, which will determine the direction the series will likely take:
What REALLY happened to the Arin president's ship? Did the Frenta survive to report her side of the incident?
Did the Scott survive the second incident? Was she attacked, and therefore forced to defend herself?
Is the Arin military gearing up for a coup? Are they blowing up their own vessels in order to eliminate political rivals, then blaming Star Fleet to enflame their own populations with the threat of the Terran boogeyman?
Arin starships seem to blow up whenever an Earth vessel is nearby. Is this because of sabotage? Poor design? Are Star Fleet personnel acting irresponsibly (ala Captain Maxwell of the Pheonix)? Is there something about Terran starships which cause Arin ships to explode (envy?, incompatable emmissions of some sort?)
Is Star Fleet gearing up for war (after the losses of the Frenta and Scott)? Are the PCs the last olive branch before the hammer comes down? Are their elements of Star Fleet (ala Douglas MacCarthur) who want war at any cost?
There are a lot of alleys you can travel down with this setup- it's just so very broad. Answering these questions will definitely provide a better starting point for missions.
If neither side knows what's going on, you can run this as a whodunit, with the PCs trying to clear Star Fleet's good name and convince the mistrustful Arin.
If some element of Star Fleet is guilty (but the PCs are not), then the PCs will probably wind up going renegade at some point to put a stop to the conspiracy. This avenue would unfold a lot like the plot of The Undiscovered Country.
If a third party or a faction of the Arin are guilty, then the PCs must work to expose the threat before the provocations become insurmountable. They will have to convince the mistrustful Arin that Star Fleet is innocent, THEN expose the real conspirators. This avenue can open up all kinds of spy vs. spy, smuggling, and similar adventures.
If the explosions are accidental, being caused by a design flaw or the emmissions of Star Fleet vessels, the PCs must still clear Star Fleet's good name. A third party might or might not be exploiting the incidents for political gain (but stopping short of actual treason). You could then run the conspiracy plots above as a red herring for your crew.
(Wouldn't it be grand for the PCs to accuse the Lord High Chancellor of treason on the floor of Arin Parliament just before the NPC Science Officer rushes in to explain that it was the Tertiary Quantum Flux doohicky igniting the Captain's orange juice that caused the ship to explode?)
What if Star Fleet just wants to brush over the previous incidents and "start with a clean slate"?
What if a player character or NPC is either part of the conspiracy to provoke war, or simply wants to avenge a relative or significant other who was lost with Frenta or the Scott....A PC in that situation should be entrusted only to an EXPERIENCED player (neophytes generally lack the ability to carry it off without betraying themselves in the first three minutes before the commerical break). ;)
Do you think that this point of time in the Trek universe that Starfleet might have some trading missions?
I think Endeavour.
Or hell...what about the USS James Cook - he was one of the greatest explorers in history.