In Pale Moonlight Part2...

[Polanski]

In Pale Moonlight Part2...
Season Idea...

Players of my campaign (Line in the Stars), stay out...



I will admit the two facts willingly. First I belive that in Pale Moonlight DS9 episode is one of the best ever made and second... well I just love to put my players and their characters in the situations where their entire set of values and believes is being questioned.

So lets just say that after the Dominion War is over, someone finds out what Sisko and others did in order to get the Romulans to join the war. That someone is on the way to Romulan Empire/Federation Council to tell the story and he/she has a proof.

Delivery of such proof spells the following...

It creates a great political danger zone. Certain members of Federation hate the idea that we have done a dirty thing like that (and since the war is over they have already forgotten how desperate we were) it creates tensions within the Federation Council. Maybe even gets close to the vote of no confidence.

Romulans, well they are out for blood, striking accross Neutral Zone in something that may be discribed as undeclared war, war that started with Federation assasinating one of its senators and plunging their mighty empire into a war that was not in their interest.

Klingons cry foul play, lack of honour and cowardish behaviour on the side of the Federation and quickly end their alliance with UFP, starting yet another arms race and a cold war.

The Federation, divided within, with its political reputation forever tarnished is surrounded by enemies and no-good wishers and most of all ... the UFP stands alone.



Stopping the courier carrying the message that may expose the entire event may be more costly that one can imagine...

So we have two directions this could go. One the crew needs to stop the courier at "all cost" and that cost is very high (maybe romantic interests die, friends are lost, golden rules are broken, people are murdered... all for the sake of the future).

Or the courier gets through ... sparking the biggest political turmoil in the history of the quadrant.


Your thoughts?

Kind Regards
Daniel

[Phoenix]

Allow me to disagree a little here, I don't think the Klingons would care one way or the other, gile is also a weapon.

The Romulans might have a some issue with the trick, but they might also say "Ah, their learning" or "it's about time" for the most part I don't see this as a preamble to another long, ugly war. War charges against Sisco, I could see.

The Federation would be the most up-set by the actions taken by Sisco - a'la "one of our fine upstanding officers did this,..." and such.

On the other hand, if your PC's are pessimistic about the situation, or the person running 'to tell all' is that self-centered and willing to throw the whole region in to another full scale war, regardless. You might have a conspiracy on your hands.


Things to think about,
How do the characters feel about what Sisco and Garic did, agree, or disagree with the plot? In my game there are a few characters that would have supported the lie whole heartedly. Others would arrest Sisco on the spot for treason.

In a battle for survival, people and governments are willing to do things they would never do other wise, things they are not proud of, things they know are completely wrong and unacceptable.

[Polanski]

Thanks for the suggestions ... but:

I assume that it is not a 'general' knowledge what Sisko and others did during the war (especially in that scenario). So the players may only have a here-say to go on, and if the hear-say is 'dirty' enought things could go many ways.

Garic would make a run for it, while Sisko is still 'unavailable' (since I only consider DS9 episodes as the canon related to him).

Saying that any person who would posses such information and was willing to make it public would by default be a type of person you are reffering to.

Also when it comes to Klingons, you might be right, except that there would be a more honourable part of their Council that would condem the act and maybe force the Chancellor into some sort of approch to it that would not fully agree with the Federation.

(If you are familiar with David Weber & Steve White's "Crusade" I would believe the situation could be familiar to the one offered by Orions in it)

Lastly since Romulans are looking to hit the Federation, get the Vulcan for themselves and so forth I do strongly believe they would jump on the oportunity to do some harm to UFP...

Anyway, looking forward to more comments...

Kind Regards
Daniel

[Capt. K. Vaughn]

I really cannot see it blowing up to this degree. Yes, tensions would increase for a bit but Starfleet could easily brand Sisko as something of a rogue officer acting on his own without the support or knowledge of Starfleet.

They may have to pay some form of reparation to settle things down again and given the shake-up within Romulan space after Nemesis and their own losses during the DW, I cannot see them having the organization or the economic and military strength to go to war.

Throw the Taurhai on the other side of their claimed space and the best I can see the Empire getting is a decent reparation.

Regards,
CKV.

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

I ran an adventure somewhat along these lines some time ago. Basically, a senior officer in Starfleet Intelligence (who was also a Section 31 operative) got wind that someone in the Romulan Military was about to discover the truth about Sisko's actions. This Romulan was working to locate proof about the events.

The Starfleet Officer sent one of his junior officers to direct our PCs into beating the Romulan to the evidence. While he briefed his representative, the PCs were not briefed, and the player who was the representative from StarfleetIntellignce refused to brief them.

They evenutally located the evidence in a crashed ship, and the PCs, having finally discovered the truth freely offered it to the Romulan Officer when he arrived. The Romulan thanked them for their honesty, and said he would not blame the Federation for the desperate actions of one mad dog. Since the PCs had acted honourably, the Romulan agreed to destroy the evidence and remain silent, to preserve the peace.

The Admiral from Starfleet Intelligence was exposed and disappeared. His representative from Starfleet Intelligence was court-martialed certain dubious actions he committed during the adventure, but escaped with a reprimand, since he had been following orders.

Yet despite the Romulan Officer's equanimity, somewhere out there, the truth is still waiting to be discovered.

[Capt. K. Vaughn]

Daniel, that scenario sounds really familiar. Did you share it at one point on another thread?

Regards,
CKV.

[Polanski]

Which Daniel?
There are two of them in here

[Capt. K. Vaughn]

Daniel Hunter's Section 31 Scenario.

Regards,
CKV.

[Cptn. Taggart]

What exactly happened in the episode in question? Due to personal obligations my trek viewing during most of the DW was almost completely curtailed. Sisko and Garik wacked a Romulan Senator to draw the Rommies into the war? What was the guys name?

The Rommies wouldn't go to war, though they may wish to, due to their political and possibly economic stability at the current time. The losses during the war, the current political unrest after the Nemesis incident and the Taurhai knocking on their back door would preclude them taking hostile action.

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

Actually, I'm a Nick. Daniel is just my Trek RPG character

I'm not sure, I may have posted it before, since I did post a few adventure plots and 'after action' reports. Though I doubt I'm the only one to have such an idea here, so it could be someone else has posted a similar plot.

[Polanski]

A lot of events based from such situation would be developing according to the Narrator's point of view on the political, social and economical situation in the galaxy.

One cannot argue the canon (such as events in the Romulan senate during Nemesis) but since the role playing by nature is not canon one can make adjustments or even rewrite the events... remember my friends there are some things that just do not make sense (regardless how much we love a particular movie, show, subject)...

As such I would believe that Romulans would seek some sort of vengenace for the death and subsequential betrayal done to them by the Starfleet.

An eye for an eye for example, you took out or senator we take out one of your fleet admirals, and that is when they might take out a wrong admiral and create future escallation to the events.

I have a lovely plot which I am hoping to use, and would be interested in posting it in here once it has been placed in motion.
There is a reason why the season three of my campaign is titled "The Price of Freedom"

However as always your point of views are welcomed ...

Kind Regards
Daniel

[Capt. K. Vaughn]

Originally posted by Capt Daniel Hunter
Actually, I'm a Nick. Daniel is just my Trek RPG character

I'm not sure, I may have posted it before, since I did post a few adventure plots and 'after action' reports. Though I doubt I'm the only one to have such an idea here, so it could be someone else has posted a similar plot.

Well I do tend to respond by one's handles here as I rarely know the person's actual name. Nice to meet you Nick, I'm a Bruce myself.

I'm pretty sure you did post it at some point in the past as I recall pretty much that same idea and I am almost sure your name was on it. *shrug* Who knows maybe I am traveling through time.

Regards,
CKV.

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

Nice to meet ya Bruce

[pesterfield]

An eye for an eye for example, you took out or senator we take out one of your fleet admirals

Wouldn't an eye for an eye mean they should assasinate a Federation Council member? And for a bonus make it the Vulcan represenative.

[Antonsb214]

I suppose the whole vengeance idea would depend on how popular Senator Vreenak was, he was the secretary of the War Plans Council and vice chairman of the Tal Shiar and was also on the the Proconsul Neral's most trusted advisors. He was also very pro-Dominion. He didn't seem like a very likable guy. But it would seem to me that the Romulans, if they did find out the truth behind his demise, would seek out the one responsible for his death, maybe even his family. If Vreenak's family finds out, or the Tal Shiar, then you may have to adjust the level of ruthlessness. Or the Romulans might just say that the Federation has finally learned how to "play the game."