The Enemy of My Enemy

[Dan Stack]

The valiant crew of the Icarus has succesfully dealt with the menace of the Jellyfish-like Iyteans (adventure writeup coming soon to my website...)

This same valiant crew shouldn't read any further since I'm pondering your next adventure.....







Though I have a few adventures in my back pocket in case of mental lock, one of my players has a pretty neat concept for his character - a character with a background similar to Saavik's, being a Vulcan/Romulan who escaped to Federation space at the age of about 11 or 12. Though not fully trusted when he applied for the Academy, he was admitted due to the wealth of information he had about the Romulans and their criminal underworld, which he exploited to escape (any large govermnent will have its criminals...) This character, in addition to being chief of security, is also an agent of Starfleet Intelligence.

I'd like to use this for my next adventure. What I have is visions of a world occupied by the Klingons or the Romulans (though I like the idea of Romulans a bit more, this may wind up a bit more of a Klingon adventure - oh it should be noted it is the late 2270's, between ST:TMP and ST:II). This world has its factions which like membership in the occupying government, but a large component wants to be free. And hence Starfleet has been indirectly helping them - arranging for arms shipments, intelligence reports, etc.

What I'm trying to figure out is a way for the crew of Icarus to visit this world - though not the ship herself. I have visions of sneaking to the planet on a smuggling ship or a stealth shuttle. As for the reason they go there and what they do... Well that's where I'm in the brainstorming stage... Some options...

• They must retrieve some evidence that has fallen in the hands of the planetary goverment but not yet the Romulans/Klingons which proves Starfleet involvement
• They must rescue a captured opposition leader who can unite the various factions
• They must extract a Starfleet Intelligence agent from captivity in a local jail before it is discovered he works for Starfleet

An important feature of the adventure will be the need for self-reliance - no big ship, no transporters, and in hostile territory. Looking for something with a nice Cold War feel, with some twists that have even Starfleet being used by the natives, who aren't really the nicest of people...

Suggestions as always appreciated. (And welcome to the creative process of my mind as you see the way I write an adventure... )

[kimq]

Originally posted by Dan Stack

• They must extract a Starfleet Intelligence agent from captivity in a local jail before it is discovered he works for Starfleet

I'd vote for this option. If you want a Cold War feeling, imagine a city similar to East/West Berlin where two factions (both unfriendly to the Federation) control the area. Of course, you could also have an open conflict between two sides like in "Enemy at the Gates" and the PCs have to get in and out of the war-torn city with the SI officer.

[Dan Stack]

I'm leaning towards that option as well, as it does give something of a "personal" stake in the outcome.

I've been debating the Berlin-like option. I love the idea (currently reading The Spy Who Came in From the Cold) but it doesn't quite feel right for my vision of the frontier. Set in the classic era, I want to try to avoid big "urban" areas to preserve that frontier feel. Kinda like the CS Forester novel Beat to Quarters where Hornblower is required to help a rebel against the Spanish - it dealt with European politics while at the same time being on the frontier.

I might plop a DS9-like station in the middle of the Organian Treaty Zone, run by Orions. Hmmm.... That could become the only large neutral port in the area, making it popular with merchants, spies, and the like. That could give something of that 1950's and 60's Cold War feel. No wall though.