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Thread: Very rough series idea

  1. #1

    Very rough series idea

    I'm looking to do a look at the Star Trek universe from a different angle. I'm interested in the politics (loved what little I saw of DS9), and would like to do some big things politically. I'm thinking post-Dominion War.

    OTOH, I'd also like to run this story from the perspective of the little guy - a small (crew complement of 30 or less) independently owned starship whose crew somehow ends up caught up in the aforementioned big events. No Starfleet personnel (except for one or two retired officers), no pseudo-"military code of conduct", etc. How do normal Federation (etc.) citizens interact with the universe?

    The trick is in tying these two things together - I need a reason why a group of non-government people end up being critical to major developments in the setting.

    One thought that I've been toying with is to give the crew of the ship a unique alien artifact which gives them an edge - say, a device which allows them to sense and access a previously unknown "jump point" network (akin to wormholes - but more common and harder to detect and access), granting them a monopoly on unprecedented mobility.

  2. #2
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    strange idea

    Well I suddenly had an idea while reading your post, why your characters might want to work together.
    If they are very diferent, it would be fun if they were the heirs of somebody who has stated in the last will, he wants the characters to live on that ship together for one year before they get this heritage - maybe this heritage has even to do with your political components.
    We came in peace, for all mankind - Apollo 11

  3. #3
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    You could have these people accidently uncover evidence of some conspiracy, and then they suddenly find themselves on the run in a beat-up starship. Of course, being beat-up, it can blend in to the background, so they won't always be in imminent danger.
    "That might have been the biggest mistake of my life..."

    "It is unlikely. I predict there is scope for even greater mistakes in the future given your obvious talent for them."

    Vila and Orac, Blake's Seven

  4. #4
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    Do the merchant thing, but on the border with the Cardies post-DS9. A plot line: salvaging war surplus; they'd have tons of competition -- Ferengi, Orion, and otherwise.

    The big issues would matter to them, so the interest in the politics. With peace talks ongoing, both sides are scrambling to snatch up systems and space before a solid deal on the borders, etc. comes into play. There will be forces trying to protect military secrets by trying to get to the surplus first. The worlds they are operating out of will possibly be changing hands as negotiations for the border deal are crystalizing. Legality of some of the stuff their collecting might change, or access to areas might become restricted.

    All sorts of stuff where the big issues could interfere with their day-to-day operations.
    "War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

    John Stuart Mill

  5. #5
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    Another thought would be that they have been together awhile, and know each other. they have been friends a while the ship is an inheritance of one of the characters. The items is a device in the hold of the ship that the dead relative warns is a piece of space debrie that may come in handy. till one of the pc's being inquisitive connects test leads to it. receiving a warning about a wormhole forming nearby. hence they have a clear indidcation of the items abilities.
    May your worlds be at peace. Never assume, that the pointy eared first officer is Vulcan.

  6. #6
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    This may not be what you are looking for...

    I am unsure if this is what you want but here is my 2 cents worth.

    Your crew is Federation, but they decided they don't like all the rules and ranks and other things like that. They still a Danube class runabout. They can either, Modify the ship to make is look like it is not Federation and masking the exhaust, or they could just go around the Galaxy in the Runabout. I believe that this fits almost perfectly with what you are doing. The Danube is small and you don't need any NPC's. If you want some it would be a more intimant feel to it.

    If you want to make them criminals have them steal a ship from Utopia Planitia. Mayeb an older ship that is going into the trash. A shuttle of some sort, or runabout.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    --That's my 2 cents

  7. #7
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    Why not have the crew get on of the aging and now decomissioned Oberth-Class vessels. Stripped of all sensitive data it could still be host to some fancy tech which was ignored in spacedock.

    It would allow the crew to keep contact with Starfleet and would still have a small crew (due to less equipment on board). You may allow them to have some info on the Genesis project or some sort of other `doomsday`weapon. Everyone in the galaxy would be interested.
    "The misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all."
    -Joan Robinson, economist

  8. #8
    You're right; it's not quite what I'm looking for. One of my premises is that "Federation" != "Starfleet"; the crew is Federation, primarily; but if there's anyone related to Starfleet in the crew, they're the exception. Think more in terms of heroic versions of Harry Mudd, with missions that go beyond trade issues (at the very least, to include exploration missions).

  9. #9
    Maybe independant scientists like Seven of Nine's parents? I don't think they were Starfleet. Maybe they invented/discovered something that makes them of interest to others? Perhaps they are developing some new kind of engine?

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