~\\_
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`\\\\\ -----------------------------------------
|\\\\\ Starfleet Command, Eighth Fleet (OOC)
\\\\\|__.-~~\
_--~ ~~/ Defenders Task Group 85.3, "Whitestone"
/~ _-~~~' Embarked on U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901
('-//////-// Rear Admiral Tebrun Lora Kor, Commanding
////// }}-) -----------------------------------------
/////~ Simulation Report
_///~ Stardate 240210.14
`
_______________________________________________________________________
/ Simulation Teaser |
/ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
For civilians, the return of sound is usually the first indication
that a long space voyage is over. Spacecraft with military
applications often don't bother with soundproofing. Not only does
it add mass, but military officers in particular like to hear their
engines... can sometimes detect problems before they became serious
simply from a change in the engine's tone.
Civilian spacecraft have different priorities.
While it is impossible to completely mute the basso profundo rumble
of a ship's antimatter core, judicious use of vacuum in the
firewalls surrounding the engineering spaces can dramatically reduce
it. The rumble and vibration have only a few selected points of
escape -- usually hatches and doorways.
As a result, when that barely-heard undertone began to increase in
volume, Dalton knew the trip was over and Whitestone Enterprises
transport ship Opal had reached Reorsa. He turned the PADD he was
reading off and set it on the table nearby. The Ullian then
finished his drink, and standing, put the cup into the replicator
and hit the recycle tab. He then left his stateroom and proceeded
forward. As he walked, the rumble became a low roar. Opal was not
a large ship, and it didn't take him long to reach the cockpit. He
thumbed the door open, and passing a bulkhead, entered the cockpit
proper.
"Opal, clear to land, Andalee platform 21-right. Your vector is
262. Squawk 3216 and contact approach control on reaching 8,000
meters MSL," a voice said on the overhead speakers as Dalton
entered. Like the transport itself, Opal's cockpit was a small one,
two consoles facing forward and one facing starboard. Currently,
only the left seat was occupied. Presumably, Tebrun had the flight
engineer's console on automatic; the Trill hardly needed a
copilot... he didn't seem to need sleep when he was flying. Out the
forward viewscreen, Dalton could see only a faint flicker of reddish
gold as Opal raced down into Reor's atmosphere, producing the low
roar of wind aboard that had announced journey's end. The glow
outside and the glow from the consoles produced the only
illumination in the small space. Tebrun liked to fly in a darkened
cockpit.
"Andalee?" Dalton sniffed. "Couldn't we get a platform in Fisher's
Landing, at least?" he asked. Andalee was on the extreme southern
tip of the island. He continued moving forward, waiting for his
eyes to completely adjust to the dark.
Tebrun Lora Kor didn't turn, but Dalton could hear the smile in the
Trill's voice. "Lots of ships coming down today, most of them a lot
more important than us," he said. "All the platforms within 20
clicks of Fisher's Landing are booked, and off-limits to civilian
traffic besides."
Dalton sniffed again, expressing his opinion of that. He settled
down into the right-hand seat, but ignored the co-pilot's console.
Ahead, a bright gold curving line announced that Opal was flying
into the dawn, arcing down and east as the ship's operational aspect
went from in-space to in-atmosphere. "With all that we've done for
the war effort, you'd think they'd give us some kind of priority
clearance," he said.
Tebrun shrugged marginally; Dalton could now just make him out in
the increasing glow. "We didn't do anything for the war that we
weren't well-paid to do," he said. He barely seemed to touch the
controls. Dalton knew the Cabrio class was fairly easy to fly for
a transport, but Tebrun made it seem effortless; he'd had lots of
practice. Opal slowed through Mach 10 down to Mach 5, seemingly of
its own accord; ahead, the sharp line of dawn grew and the Reor star
appeared, then climbed swiftly as Opal continued to rocket east.
The noise level dropped once the reentry was complete.
Dalton frowned, very slightly. Tebrun hadn't seemed very worried
about it, but Dalton knew that Whitestone was going to be hit, and
probably hit hard by the end of the war. While the two of them had
been invited to the signing ceremony for the Articles of Alliance,
Dalton knew that it was a courtesy. With the war over, Whitestone
was going to have to reinvent itself in a hurry as a prime supplier
of non-combat space- and aircraft. It wouldn't be easy or fun;
profit margins were much better for military hardware. "War is good
for business," he offered, curious to see how Tebrun would reply.
The Trill didn't look over. But he did respond. "Peace is good for
business," he said, completing the Ferengi catchetism. His voice
was completely without emotion.
"Not our business," Dalton snapped, then almost growled. "What is
wrong with you lately, Tebrun? The last couple of months, you've
been walking around like a zombie!"
Opal vibrated a bit as she raced into dark grey cloud cover;
apparently it was raining over the island. Dalton's guess was soon
confirmed as fat raindrops began splattering against the transport's
skinfield and hull. Tebrun still didn't look over, but at least he
answered. Sometimes these days, if he didn't like the question, he
ignored it. "I'm not sure," he said, voice a little quieter than
Dalton liked. "I've been feeling a little... disconnected, lately,"
he said.
"Is it Andrea?" Dalton asked. "Because if that's the problem, you
don't have to see her. I can send someone to pick up Donal and
bring him to the office. You can visit with him there." Andrea,
Tebrun's ex-wife, still blamed him for bringing her to what she
termed a "God-forsaken swamp of a planet!", blamed him for the
hypergate being one way only, blamed him for the rationing on
Reorsa... probably blamed her ex-husband for the war.
"It's not Andrea," Tebrun said. At that moment, Opal shot out of
the clouds and for a moment, the island appeared far below before
the transport shot into another cloud bank and it disappeared. Lora
Kor glanced at the comm system, "Andalee approach control, Opal on
final, vector 262, confirming clearance." He then glanced back at
Dalton. "I don't know... I just feel like... something's missing.
This...," he said, seemingly indicating the cockpit, the ship, maybe
the entire planet, "just seems a little... small for me lately.
Boring. Safe. Don't you ever feel that way?" he asked.
"Opal, clearance confirmed, proceed with landing, platform
21-right," a voice from the speaker said. Tebrun nodded, though the
voice couldn't possibly see him and clicked a confirm.
"No, I don't," Dalton said, meanwhile, voice firm. "Listen, if you
want excitement, get married again... have another kid!" Tebrun
snorted laughter. "But whatever your problem is, snap out of it!
You're not much fun to be around lately."
Tebrun smirked, but didn't look over. "I'll go get drunk, just for
you," he said, voice light, but forced.
"I wish you would," Dalton replied. Tebrun smirked even more. The
ship again vibrated a bit as Opal pierced the lower cloud layer, and
the ground, the water, and the island again appeared below, much
closer now. The rain continued, if anything, becoming heavier. The
ride should have been much more turbulent, but Lora Kor was a
magician when it came to this sort of thing... Dalton had to admit
he was a truly gifted pilot.
Shaking off the thought, Dalton turned his attention back to the
ground below. He noted that construction was proceeding apace...
virtually all of Fisher Island would soon be covered by the growing
cityscape. Even Andalee, which had once been a tiny commercial
community that prided itself on its annual yacht race, was becoming
a metropolis. Opal swung down and to the right, toward the
spaceport, only a few hundred meters over the ground now. A few
minutes later, Tebrun gently set the transport down on the platform
and started powering down.
Dalton stood up, preparing to head back to his stateroom to gather
the things they'd need for the short stay on Reorsa when Tebrun's
voice stopped him.
"Only 70 or 80 more designs... only 20 more routine ship sales...
only 500 more routine landings and I can retire... my life will be
complete," he said. It should have been a joke, but Dalton could
hear it in Tebrun's voice, and the Trill wasn't joking. He
sounded... resigned.
----------
Welcome to the alternate universe. :) In a few minutes, you'll be
receiving a few paragraphs detailing your character's alternate
history in this new reality. However, there's a goodly stock of
information that is common to EVERY character. I've included it
below. Where I don't give you good detail on what your character is
doing during this time, feel free to fill in. In general, the
people in M64 in this alternate timeline are much more practical
than in the "real" timeline, with very much of a "if it works, do
it!" attitude. The Prime Directive is extremely relaxed (almost
non-existent) and the war... well, I'll let the timeline explain. ;)
In general, though, the "flow" of the two timelines is VERY similar.
The same sorts of events happen, but might happen to slightly
different people, or at slightly different times. In particular,
Coronado arrives in M64 in this timeline six years before she did in
"our" timeline. So, keep that in mind while playing your
characters. Like John Travolta's character in Pulp Fiction says,
"they got the same stuff there that we got here... but there, it's
just a little different." ;)
The Flow of History
April 2395
In this timeline, the FKR War begins six years before it began in
"our" timeline and was much bloodier, longer, and more ferocious on
all sides. In April 2395, Coronado and the rest of Task Group 5.4
are trapped in the Hayashi system by a Romulan Hunter group,
escaping into M64.
Summer 2395
Coronado makes contact with U.S.S. Churchill and lands on the
hillside overlooking Churchill Downs. First contact with the Pfhor
Hegemony. Contact with the Traxati worldlife. In this timeline,
Coronado is NOT critically damaged that fall. In addition, in this
timeline, the Churchill Downs natives have only intermittent contact
with the Taeren. There are therefore NO ansibles in the alternate
timeline, nor real-time reconnaissance from Taeren Kamis. As a
result, the Pfhor either never learn of the existence of the Taer or
never take an interest in them in this timeline.
Winter 2395
Starfleet acquires false matter technology, and shares it with its
allies, which at this time are the Reorsans, braids, Camelynians,
Apori, Boratis, and the natives of Micropolis, a canine species.
The Kioth declare themselves neutral in what they see as a swiftly
approaching fight. The Micropolis natives are saved from an
invasion of Pfhor forces and the allies make unintentional first
contact with them through the telepathic XO of U.S.S. Renegade,
which handles the Micropolis situation. Presented with a fait
accompli and under pressure from their Reorsan, Camelynian, and
Boratis allies, the Starfleet personnel relent and make formal
contact with the Micropolis natives, despite the Prime Directive
violation. When the Ji'sa are later visited, much the same
situation occurs there, further weakening the Defender's use of the
Prime Directive. By the following summer, the Ji'sa are full
allies.
Spring 2396
U.S.S. Stirling, Gryphon, Renegade, and several other Starfleet and
Camelynian ships are destroyed in what eventually becomes a badly-
failed defense of the Reor, Meyer, and Artemis systems. The Pfhor
overrun all three systems. The allies fall back to Boratis to the
west and Pitstop to the south. Destiny never begins construction
in this timeline. Avenger, Vanquish, Terror, and Reaver are
operational by April 2396 and eventually become the core of a 12-
ship Defiant squadron by winter.
Autumn 2396
The allies score their first major victory with a successful defense
of the Pitstop system. First contact with the Huunda and Maron
species, both of which eventually become full members of the
alliance. The King Lan DuLac battle group enters M64 seeking
Camelyn's rightful King. The allies barely manage to make contact
with them and soon the new Camelynian group is in the thick of the
fighting.
Winter 2396
The first allied offensive is successful, and the allies take
control of the Tarndare system and mining station. This system
eventually becomes the center of allied fleet construction and
becomes the most heavily defended system in the area. First contact
with the Loktai.
Summer 2397
The Loktai become full members of the alliance, and allow the
Defenders to make first contact with two other nearby species, the
Sĉvoy and the Tsien. The Defenders successfully repulse a major
assault on the Tarndare system, taking control of four Pfhor
destroyers and a Pfhor cruiser. Within a year, these ships are on
the Defender lines.
Autumn 2397
Liberation of the Meyer colonies. A second Camelynian Quest fleet
arrives from the Milky Way and is soon put to work. The Camelynians
take charge of the defense of the Meyer and Boratis regions of
space, and have soon liberated the Artemis system.
Spring 2398
A massive Pfhor assault fleet retakes Meyer and makes a serious run
at the Boratis systems and Artemis. Crystal Palace, King Lan DuLac,
and Queen Monique Lehman DuLac are destroyed over the course of four
battles in three weeks. A combined Camelynian/Loktai/Sĉvoy counter-
assault drives the Pfhor attack back to Meyer, which remains in
Pfhor hands. The Pfhor consolidate on Reor and Meyer before
launching a second assault on Pitstop. This too is repelled (by the
Apori and Starfleet working together this time), and the war settles
into a long, bloody stalemate.
Winter 2398
First contact with the Taer. By this time, the Defenders are made
up of 22 distinct species or groups, of which Starfleet is only one.
All of Starfleet's original M64 group has been destroyed by this
time except Coronado, Blackrazor, Schweitzer, Pearl, and Thonus.
However, 26 Defiant II class destroyer escorts are operational by
January 1, 2399, as well as fourteen squadrons of Wraiths.
Discovery of Xanadu.
Summer 2399
The "year of Hell" as the alliance is forced into hiding, counter-
attacks, and is again forced into hiding. No significant advances
are made on either side through the whole year, and well into 2400.
Over 18 million allied personnel have been killed in battle by this
time, more than 550 ships of patrol craft size or larger lost.
Meanwhile, in the Milky Way, the truce ending the FKR War is signed.
Fully one-sixth of Federation space has been annexed by the Klingon
and Romulan governments by this time. In particular, Vulcan is made
a Romulan protectorate.
Summer 2400
Generally regarded as the turning point in the war against the
Hegemony, researchers in Xanadu's second chamber manage to reverse-
engineer a Jjaro weapons emplacement, allowing for full-scale
production of anti-proton-based phasing energy weapons. Still
called phasers, the new weapons are an order of magnitude more
powerful, giving the Defenders a beam weapon that is a match for the
Pfhor energy weapons. The "Defiant Fleet" is quickly retrofitted
with the new weapons, and is the spearhead for a combined assault on
Reorsa and Meyer which is launched on 4 June 2399, five years to the
day after Coronado landed on Reorsa. The combined assault liberates
Reorsa four days later on 8 June. Capture of S'buuth.
Winter 2400
Throughout autumn and into the winter, the alliance launches assault
after assault as more and more of the anti-proton-armed ships come
on-line. By August, Reor, Meyer, Artemis, and Tarndare have all
been liberated and secured. The alliance begins a push into Pfhor-
controlled territories, and by January 1, 2401, liberate the planets
of two Pfhor subject races. Meanwhile, the Camelynians in the Milky
Way determine that the Hayashi hypergate is a one-way portal to a
far-away galaxy. Though there is no way to communicate back and
forth, and no way back, thousands of Camelynians and Federation
members begin making the trek through the gate, assuming that
wherever the hypergate leads, it must be better than the war-ravaged
Milky Way. It doesn't exactly turn out the way these refugees
expect, but most of the groups are met and taken to Reor, Meyer,
Tarndare, or Artemis. By late 2401, the population of Reorsa is
more than two million Federation members.
Spring 2401
The Pfhor prepare a massive counter-offensive centered around no
fewer than four of their nearly-unstoppable battleships. By April,
the Pfhor assault seems poised to assault Tarndare, by now the
alliance's major shipyard. S'buuth reveals the existence of
S'pht'kr, the home of the legendary "missing tribe" of S'pht.
S'buuth indicates that the S'pht'kr would certainly be enraged at
the enslavement of their brethren and might be capable of releasing
every S'pht from Pfhor bondage... all at once.
Summer 2401
Eight months of continuous work finally reveals a chink in the
firewalls defending the Jjaro data on Xanadu and two incredible
pieces of information are discovered in the database: the location
of S'pht'kr, and the method to control the "Catapult." The
Catapult, sitting between the singularities in Xanadu's second
chamber, allows the creation of a gateway to any location in the
universe. The Taer reveal the secret of the ansible to the
Defenders, giving them instantaneous communication across any
distance in M64.
Autumn 2401
A small group of ships, including U.S.S. Coronado, is prepared for a
run through the Catapult to S'pht'kr. Meanwhile, the Pfhor launch
their assault on Tarndare and Reorsa. Coronado and the other ships
through the gate are intercepted by a small Pfhor battle group
guarding S'pht'kr, but eventually manage to contact and release the
"lost tribe of the S'pht." The lost tribe proceeds to use
Coronado's ansible technology to contact S'pht throughout Pfhor
space and release them from their bonds. The Pfhor almost instantly
lose control of their systems and technology. The Pfhor assault
into allied space fails miserably. Coronado returns to allied space
through the Catapult, but the device only has sufficient power for
one use. Technicians begin the work of determining how to
reactivate it.
Winter 2401
The Defenders drive the Pfhor far back into their space, liberating
hundreds of worlds in the process. Not so much a surrender as a
complete retreat, the Pfhor are, for the moment at least, not a
threat. That year's Party on Reorsa is something to remember. ;)
Spring 2402
By April 2402, the allies are in contact with more than 40 separate
groups or species, and negotiations begin to formalize the Alliance.
October 10, 2402
Representatives of 47 member races or groups gather on Reor'sa to
sign the Articles of Alliance, formalizing a multi-system government
in the M64 galaxy, with the Defenders as its defensive and
exploration arm. That, coincidentally, is where the sim opens. ;)
\_______________________________________________________________________
\ End Simulation Teaser |
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
Defenders Task Group 85.3, "Whitestone" Staff:
Commanding, TG 85.3: RADM Tebrun Lora Kor (Jester)
S-1, Group Adjutant: Cmdr. Sieven Drexler (Brad)
S-2, Group Intelligence: LCdr. Kariasa Ma'Aru (Kari)
S-3, Group Logistics: Cmdr. Savant (Savant)
U.S.S. Coronado Crew Roster:
Commanding Officer: Capt. William Daren (Daren)
Executive Officer: Cmdr. Darek Smith (Aggie)
Marine Commandant: Col. Jeremy Ironside (Fraser)
Raptors Squadron Leader: Lt. Colonel Thomas Wayne (Masters)
Chief Tactical Officer: LCdr. Kyle Marcy (Marcy)
Assistant Tactical: Ens. Tamarith (Tamarith)
Chief Flight Operations: Cdt. Maiko D'Rall (Farrell)
Chief Science Officer: LCdr. Isamu Dyson (Isamu)
Assistant Science: Ens. Veyla Anari (Vaath)
Company Commander: Maj. Jacob Prescot (Shadow-FjP)
Flight Leader: 2Lt. Mikhail Petkovic (Archyyt)
Chief Engineer: Cmdr. Zunite Oswald (Sonya)
Assistant Engineer: LCdr. Jack C. Farley (CCC)
Assistant Engineer: Lt. Aramis Skylooker (LewisSharp)
Chief Medical Officer: Lt. (JG) Jason Vogel (Thompson)
Assistant Medical: Lt. Lauren Dyson (Natty)
Civilian Liaison: S'buuth (rev)
On Extended Leave of Absence:
None!
Positions Available:
Flight Leader: (---)
------
Jester
Rear Admiral Tebrun Lora Kor
Commanding, Defenders Task Group 85.3, "Whitestone"
embarked on U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901
http://www.jestertrek.com/coro2400/