So Bright It's Burning: A Star Trek AU Quest 2.0

[RighteousRancor]

Introduction (0-1)

New Year's, 2329. Ishrasis Th'achaalrit adjusts the collar of his tunic, admiring the new fourth pip on the strap resting on his shoulder. The Andorian Captain tightens his belt and fixes his comms badge, taking one last moment to indulge his vanity as he checks his reflection. Today, he will be accepting command of the newest ship in the entire fleet and he wants to look the part – a new Captain tempered by years of experience with the finest ship of yesteryear, only slightly undercut by the shaving nick on his chin.

Speaking of reflections, you take a small trip down memory lane. How did you come to join Starfleet?

[] Life was tough on the streets of Andoria, but the birth of the Federation brought relief and injected new life into the Imperial capital. I had to lie about my age at the Starfleet enlistment office, but once my former Captain helped me get my paperwork in order, I was allowed to apply at the Academy and earn my spot on a ship's bridge. Now, I fight to ensure everyone else in the Federation gets the same support that lifted me out of destitution and poverty.

(Gain Trait: Underworld Expert)

[] Both of my parents were in Starfleet my entire life; I've been running supplies to outposts on the Frontier and escorting diplomats essentially my entire life. I've seen my fair share of loss and struggle, but it's all been worth it in the name of my family's legacy and honor. I accept my new commission with equal parts humility and pride.

(Gain Trait: Starfleet Veteran)

[] I grew up on an Andorian border colony at the end of the Cold War. Our people know just how fragile peace can be, but how much richer life becomes when you don't have a sword dangling over your head. I enlisted in Starfleet to help preserve that peace and learn more about our Vulcan neighbors; the Empire's propaganda never sat right with me.

(Gain Trait: Vulcan Cultural Expert)

You're shaken from your recollections by a chime at the door. You swiftly straighten and turn, barking a quick "Enter" before relaxing as your former first officer steps into your temporary quarters aboard Starbase 1. "Commander T'herres," you smile as you step over and clasp her hand, "I was going to stop by before – "

"Your explanation is unnecessary, Captain." She gives your hand a firm shake before letting go and leaning against the desk next to the door. "I decided to come by before we left. The Rhodes' departure has been rescheduled; we're heading out for Starbase 210 in an hour."

You frown. "Starbase 210?"

[] "Another stand-off with the Cardassians? Weren't the border disputes already settled?"

[] "Does Command want another ship patrolling the Tholian border? I thought they already had a full task force."

[] "Flying the flag for the summit with the Klingons? Do they really think they'll need the extra security?"

(Whichever power you choose here will start the new year as the Federation's rival. Pick your rival carefully, as you'll almost certainly have to confront them before the year's end…)

She nods. "We won't be leading the response, but Command wants some padding for the task force. We know the Rhodes flies well enough, but it is an… apprehensive first assignment."

You rest a hand on her shoulder. "I trust you'll do just fine, T'herres."

[] "Remember that skirmish with the Cardassians? If we could hold off an entire squadron of ships for a day, imagine how much better you'll do with an entire fleet at your side."

(Gain Trait: Cardassian Ship Expert. A new Character is created in the galaxy.)

[] "Remember our stand-off with House Mo'qai? If we could convince a Klingon captain to back down from the brink of war, I don't think there's anything you won't be able to handle."

(Gain Trait: Klingon Political Specialist. A new Character is created in the galaxy.)

[] "Remember when we were abducted by the Tholians? If we could worm our way out of a Tholian web with nothing but a pair of cargo shuttles, I don't think there's any force in the quadrant that'll be able to hold you down."

(Gain Trait: Experimental Engineer. A new Character is created in the galaxy.)

She sighs. "I can see your logic." A small smile crosses her face. "I'll make sure our ship brings the Federation's finest to bear." You grab your suitcase from where it rests next to the door and walk out of the quarters with her. "Best of luck with your meeting with the Admiral."

You sigh. "Don't remind me. It's always something with Command, isn't it?"

As you both reach the end of the corridor, she turns back to you one last time. "That's the job, Captain. It's always something." She raises a V-shaped salute which you return. "Live long and prosper, Ishrasis."

"Live long and prosper, T'herres." You part ways, the Commander heading for the Rhodes and you for Admiral Caldwell's office. Though your service together has come to an end, you stand at the brink of an exciting new adventure – you just have to overcome the politics of Starfleet first.

---

Welcome to So Bright It's Burning: A Star Trek AU Quest, 2.0! In this quest, you will be playing as Captain Ishrasis Th'achaalrit, commanding officer of the UFS Peafowl as you assemble a crew and take on the myriad dangers and mysteries of the Alpha Quadrant! This is an AU inspired heavily by TOS, the Lost Era, and Deep Space 9, so expect new challenges, new characters, and new horizons!

Mechanics will be explained as they come up, but any returning faces should be familiar with the most basic mechanics – dice rolls are done with a pool of 2d48 and every character has a list of traits that add situational bonuses to those rolls! (The character sheet will be presented at the end of Adventure 0, and you'll get to choose some of your traits as we get there!) Whenever presented with a multi-part task, you'll have a certain number of actions you can use to delegate tasks to different members of your crew, all of whom will come with their own bonuses! Plan voting is allowed but never required and, whenever write-ins are open, there'll be a brief moratorium for discussing your options and proposing plans of action!

No write-ins, so no moratorium! Voting will close when I have Part 0-2 ready to post, so hopefully by tomorrow. Happy Questing!

 

[RighteousRancor]

Meeting with the Admiral (0-2)

- Both of my parents were in Starfleet my entire life; I've been running supplies to outposts on the Frontier and escorting diplomats essentially my entire life. I've seen my fair share of loss and struggle, but it's all been worth it in the name of my family's legacy and honor. I accept my new commission with equal parts humility and pride.

- "Another stand-off with the Cardassians? Weren't the border disputes already settled?"

- "Remember when we were abducted by the Tholians? If we could worm our way out of a Tholian web with nothing but a pair of cargo shuttles, I don't think there's any force in the quadrant that'll be able to hold you down."

TRAITS GAINED: Starfleet Veteran, Experimental Engineer.

---

Admiral Caldwell glances up from the datapad in his hands as you enter his office, giving you a smile and gesturing over to one of the seats in front of his desk. He's an older Black man with receding salt-and-pepper hair, freshly-pressed red jacket, and a desk littered with datapads. "Captain! It is a pleasure to finally meet you, I've been excited to see this project come together."

You take your seat and glance at the dozen or so datapads in front of you. "Likewise, Admiral. It is an honor to take command of one of these vessels."

"Oh, she's a hell of a ship. Until the rest of the first-gen get back from their voyages, she's going to be the only second-gen Connie in the fleet, which means you have the distinct privilege," he smirks as he passes you the datapad in his hand, "of ironing out the kinks. We'll keep your first few assignments simple and close to home, just in case, but we've spent the past five years working on this design, so we're reasonably confident she'll do just fine."

You take the datapad and look at the blueprint of the Constitution-refit, taking in the windswept form. "Shouldn't be too much to handle. What are the changes?"

The admiral already has another datapad in hand. "Well, we've completely overhauled the nacelles, reinforced the hull plating around the hangar, diversified the available environmental settings, tinkered with the deflector…" He trails off. "And, given your background, I elected to request an additional modification. Keeping pace with our captain's requests is one thing, but what good are these refits if we aren't pushing the envelope?"

You swipe through the datapads display, looking over the various modifications and new systems installed aboard the ship, before coming to the final tab displaying the new experimental system. What has Starfleet burdened us with this time?

[] "Seeing as you aren't exactly gonna be out on the frontier, we've considered making the Connie more of a fleet tender. By adding a spare antimatter tank to the bottom of the hull and some refinements to your Bussard collectors, you should be able to conduct refueling operations without returning to a Starbase, which will be a big help if you ever need to lead a squadron out to the border."

(Gain Ship Trait: Antimatter Storage. Can extend another ship's range by 33% twice before needing to return to a Starbase to refuel.)

[] "So, while the hangar has been… somewhat notoriously fragile, I'm confident that the reinforcements we've made to the hull should allow for the old flight deck plans to still work. Sure, the transporters are all the rage, but when you need to move dozens of crates fast or evacuate a station, you're gonna wish you had the extra shuttle!"

(Gain Ship Trait: Flight Deck Hangar. +2 Shuttles, Flight Deck Chief elevated to Senior Staff)

[] "Now, I know the Sally Ride incident gave the gimmick a bad name, but I'm still a believer in saucer separation. The impulse engines are mounted perfectly for the system, you should have enough supplies to hold out for a couple months with the new replicators, and you have the perfect background to handle the project!"

(Gain Ship Trait: Saucer Separation. Saucer can be jettisoned to be retrieved at a later time.)

You take a moment to consider the design before nodding. "We can make this work, Admiral. I have confidence that my crew will be up to the challenge."

Admiral Caldwell hums. "I sure hope so! We need to make sure the design works before we start refitting the rest of the fleet. Speaking of which," he pauses before grabbing a new datapad and pulling up a personnel file. "About your choice for chief engineer. You're sure they're gonna be up to the task of maintaining all these new systems?"

[] "Lieutentant Hide Igarashi. Served on the Duvauc for several years, and any Human who can wrap her head around the pre-Federation Vulcan ships is an excellent engineer in my book. I wouldn't want anyone else keeping my ship up and running."

[] "Master Chief Li Hovath. Served in the private sector for years, helped evacuate hundreds of refugees, before pivoting to Starfleet; he's held together decades-old Bajoran ships with duct tape and prayer. That sort of experience should transfer well to our experimental refits."

[] "Lieutenant Orraka. The first Lurian to serve in Starfleet, and a damn good example at that! Given his service during the Shewirrash Skirmish, he's well on his way to being an Operations Chief someday, and I need a Chief Engineer who's good in a crisis."

The Admiral nodded. "Very well. If you're willing to vouch for them, I'm willing to vouch for them! The rest of your senior staff looks just fine, though… between you and me, Starfleet Command might push for a Strategic Ops. officer; we'll have to see if the peace holds." He reaches out and you hand the datapad back. "I won't keep you any longer, Captain. Anything else to handle before you depart?"

"Just meeting my executive officer before we assume command, Admiral. Thank you," you shake his free hand before rising. "I'm confident the Peafowl's gonna work miracles, just you wait."

He grins. "That's the spirit, Captain! I'll see you again once the shakedown's over." You grab your luggage and leave the Admiral to his work, heading off for the main mess hall to see if you can't find your First Officer.

No write-ins, no moratorium!