The Flying Dutchman
Captains Log 5442.3: The Lexington has been tasked to investigate a series of starships lost in the Packard Sector. In the past six months a total of nine vessels have been lost with all hands. To date no survivors or wreckage has been found. Three of the vessels broadcast a report that they were answering a distress call prior to their disappearance. We are too far from Orion space for the Syndicate to be responsible and the Klingons are on the other side of an impenetrable region of space, however at this stage I’m ruling nothing out.
Scenario:
The Packard Sector marks the boundary between the Federation and an unexplored region of space. There are no Federation worlds there but there are some outposts and independent colonies. The border with the Klingon Empire runs adjacent to the sector but the Empire has made no claims over it and indeed Klingon vessels seem to shun the region. Some colonists have speculated that the area is haunted.
Nine ships have been lost recently;
Six months ago -
SS Kryczek – Tellarite Salvage ship. Ships complement 25. Reported missing after responding to a distress call somewhere in the Olson system.
Five months ago-
SS Vigo – Andorian free trader. Ships complement 14. Lost while running supplies to mining colony on Epsilon Gamma II.
SS Ceres – Independent mining vessel. Ships complement 36. Last known contact made while surveying asteroids on the edge of the Van Der Haal Cluster.
Four months ago-
SS Herald of the Dawn – Independent merchant vessel. Ships complement 12. Last seen leaving colony on Gamma Eris Prime.
SS Monaco – Daystrom Institute supply vessel. Ships complement 17. Lost after making supply run to the Daystrom Deep Space Observatory.
This month -
SS Stella Maris – Deep Space Rescue Vessel. Ships complement 19. Lost after responding to distress call in the Krekto Nebula.
SS Greenacre – Independent Cargo vessel. Ships complement 14. Last seen running medical supplies to Epsilon Gamma II.
SS Canterbury – Independent bulk ore carrier. Ships complement 26. Lost after collecting load of unrefined mineral ore from mining colony on Epsilon Gamma II.
SS T’Abron – Vulcan passenger vessel bound for monastery on Omicron Tau V. Ships complement 236 passengers and crew. Lost responding to a distress call in the vicinity of the Krekto Nebula.
Places of Note:
Gamma Eris Prime – Independent colony of around 300,000 beings from across the Federation who have renounced Federation membership in favour of a peaceful agrarian lifestyle. Gamma Eris Prime is a class L world with no remarkable mineral wealth. The colony’s focus is on agriculture and livestock which it trades with other colonies for terraforming technology. The colony’s Committee is led by Chairman Keva Black, a pleasant human colonist who will welcome the crew with open arms.
Olson System – A white dwarf star system with five unremarkable class D planets.
Van Der Haal Cluster – A vast stellar nursery of some seventeen thousand new stars which straddles the border of the Klingon Empire. A region of space impossible to navigate safely. The region is uncharted with no safe path through currently documented. Starships which venture into this region of space tend to suffer from gravimetric shear, extreme fluctuations in radiation of various types and distortions of space/time. All starship tasks at +4 difficulty. No subspace communication is possible while within the cluster itself.
On the edge of this region sits the Daystrom Institute Deep Space Observatory. Established 2 years ago on the edge of the cluster, it was built primarily for scientific research into the cluster itself but the observatory also assists with mapping the surrounding region. It should be noted that the observatory subspace sensors could be recalibrated by an enthusiastic engineer to search for vessels. While it will not be able to give clear readings the sensor array will provide sufficient positional information to locate a starship.
The Observatory is under the command of Professor Asema Gall a Trill scientist. She is grateful for Starfleet’s attention but wary of how the Klingons will perceive the arrival of the Lexington. She will report unusual readings coming from within the heart of the cluster that she is unable to fathom.
Krekto Nebula –A gaseous anomaly spanning a massive area. The nebula is somewhat of a navigational hazard with all starship tasks at +1 difficulty, all sensor tasks at +2 difficulty and deflector shield efficiency reduced by 50%.
Epsilon Gamma II –Fiercely independent mining colony on a class K world with a population of 120,000 from across the Alpha and Beta quadrants. Living in harsh conditions the population defend their claims vigorously. They welcome visits from Ore freighters and supply ships but tend to discourage any Federation attention. The colony is run by the recently re-elected Faldor Maz a particularly argumentative Tellarite.
Omicron Tau V – A Vulcan monastery on a class L world. A pilgrimage retreat for 45,000 students seeking to master the Kolinahr discipline.
Sources of Information:
Although no one has survived from the lost ships to tell the tale, plenty of people across the sector have opinions. They will range from the plausible (it’s just space pirates) to the speculative (it’s a Giant Space Beastie or GSB) to the ridiculous (it’s the “Flying Dutchman” here to take the souls of lost travellers to the afterlife).
The general consensus among the population will be that the area is troubled by some kind of phenomena the exact nature of which cannot be agreed upon. In fact the more people the players ask the more they will be confused. Given the amount of lives lost recently, even the loudest opponents of Starfleet and the Federation will insist that the players take some kind of action.
“Enterprising” players may endeavour to use the Daystrom Observatory to scan the region. The area concerned however is truly vast and a complete scan to the resolution they require would take decades. Should they identify a specific area to monitor the subspace array could conceivably be used to gather real time data on any non-planetary bodies which are moving within a specific system. This will not allow them to identify the anomaly from afar but will give them a rough position of it.
The Vulcan monastery on Omicron Tau V is run by the high priestess T’Lar. She will graciously accommodate any Starfleet visitors especially if they have a Vulcan officer aboard. She will however insist that no contact is made with the acolytes in residence. One of the players may recognise a Vulcan friend or former colleague as being among their number. They will appear unsettled but forbidden to discuss the matter.
T’Lar will be vague about her knowledge of the disappearances and although unable to lie she will be diplomatically obscure. The Vulcan monks have sensed a “great presence” traversing the region. Their attempts to make contact have been in vain so far. Their most recent effort at contact involved a large group of monks. The attempt went badly wrong and caused a massive burst of psychic feedback which disrupted the normal calm of the students causing many to have “emotional outbursts”. In the last week, 14 of the order have been killed by fellow students entering a murderous frenzy. Those responsible have been segregated for their own safety. Of the 60 or so who participated in the attempted contact, 40 are in a comatose state caused by overwhelming psychic trauma. The remainder can recall feeling “great pain and loss” coupled with “primal anger”.
Complications:
Unknown to the inhabitants of the Packard Sector, the Klingons are also interested in the ship disappearances as they have lost two ships of their own most notably the D7 cruiser Balor under the command of Klor of House Duras. The Klingons also have deep misgivings about this sector of space. The Klingon rumour mill is no less active than that of their neighbours concerning the region, just a lot more lurid and grotesque. As the region has little strategic or any other kind of value the hated crew of the QuvHa’ were ideal for the job.
The Klingon Scout ship QuvHa'(The Dishonoured) has been dispatched to patrol the area and identify the cause. Its patrol area will overlap into the Packard Sector. They are especially suspicious of the Federation listening post (Daystrom Observatory) on the edge of the Van Der Haal Cluster. The captain of the QuvHa’ believes that the lost Klingon ships were destroyed by a Federation task force massing in the Van Der Haal Cluster preparing to invade.
As you can tell by the name the QuvHa’ is crewed by a bunch of despicable misfits and malcontents from across the Empire.
The captain is Commander Kanoz son of Vak of the House of Kren’Ar. His family lost favour with many in the High Council after he refused to fire on a convoy of Entaakian refugees fleeing the battle of Entaak Core a year ago. He denied cowardice and won a duel to protect his honour, killing a minor noble of the House of Duras in the process. Due to the sway they hold over the High Council he was stripped of his lands and titles as retribution. Rather than choose exile and see his loved ones enslaved, Kanoz chose to accept the command of this ship of outcasts and perform dangerous missions for the Empire until he either dies like a Klingon or find a way of restoring his family honour.
Unfortunately for him, the High Command has seen fit to despatch him to a backwater patrol with simple orders, “Protect the Empire”. With this mission however, he can foresee a chance for glory.
“The Flying Dutchman”:
As with all good rumours there is an element of truth in there somewhere.
The cause of all this consternation is a large space dwelling inter dimensional pseudo organism which calls itself “The Seeker of Distant Suns”. This creature is truly massive, being roughly a thousand times the mass of a Constitution Class starship. In appearance it resembles a roughly cylindrical vessel covered with various protrusions of unknown purpose. Its biomechanical construction will be tricky to decipher via sensors (+2 difficulty) and may appear as a colossal starship.
It arrived in this universe through a tear in space/time about six months prior finding itself in the Van Der Haal Cluster. The creature suffered horrendous injuries in the harsh and unpredictable environment of the stellar nursery and barely escaped alive after sustaining severe damage to a vital bio neural node which forms part of its brain. Since then it has wandered the sector, confused and in pain.
The creature has since journeyed across the Klingon border where it fed for a while before encountering a gravitic minefield placed by the Klingons decades ago which drove it back across the border.
In order for it to survive it requires to consume minerals and rare metals from asteroids to allow it to sustain itself and to heal its damage body. It’s cognitive functions however while require external intervention.
The creature can propel itself to full impulse speed and can travel between systems by using a form of quantum slipstream drive.
Unfortunately for passing starships, Dilithium and other rare minerals are a key ingredient in its diet. Upon entering a system, the creature senses the raw materials and is drawn toward them where it generates a powerful subspace disruption beam to smash the asteroid or moon prior to consumption. Elements of this subspace beam resemble a distress call. This has caused some of the lost ships to seek out the creature and ultimately meet their doom.
Ordinarily, the creature is vastly intelligent and compassionate. In its current state of mind however it has reverted to instinct alone. It needs, so it takes. The creature has no idea that it is destroying countless numbers of sentient beings. Its mental anguish is being felt across the sector as any telepathic/empathic species are picking up on these overwhelming emotional broadcasts. This has caused the issues at Omicron Tau V.
Should the Lexington bring its sensors to bear a successful scan will reveal a large piece of metallic stellar debris (about 60 meters in length weighing about 700 tonnes) lodged in a bio neural node interfering with the creatures cognitive functions.
At present it is travelling back and forth between the dead planets of the Olson system and the Krekto Nebula seeking nourishment and respite from the pain.
Scene one: “Hearts and Minds”.
Upon arrival in the Packard Sector the players have several options. Chances are they willing to visit one of the populated colonies and try to investigate the disappearances in a logical manner.
By all means encourage the players to “fly the flag” and visit all the locations mentioned.
(a)If they visit the monastery they will hopefully be able to offer medical assistance to the troubled souls there although some diplomacy will be required. If they can overcome the reticence of the high priestess to deal with non-Vulcans she will divulge the telepathic contact that has seared the minds of her brethren.
(b)Another possibility is a visit to the mining colony on Epsilon Gamma II. Yet another unfriendly welcome for the crew of the Lexington. The miners will be of the opinion that the Lexington is somehow blockading the colony in an attempt to strong arm them and their mineral wealth into the arms (and taxes) of the Federation. Some pretty fast talking will have to be done in order to prevent civil unrest. Perhaps a show of goodwill, like repairing a broken ore processor (a difficulty 3 Reason + Engineering task) or offering to replace the lost medical supplies may help. Should the players manage to get the miners support they will reveal that the last cargo that was collected by the SS Canterbury included a large shipment of Cavorite which is used in artificial gravity systems. This mineral has a distinctive radioactive signature which can be scanned for over great distance.
(c)The Daystrom Observatory is another likely port of call.
Upon arrival at the observatory Professor Gall will be in the middle of a massive recalibration of the sensor array. (No small task.) This is due to anomalous readings the array has been providing of the Van Der Haal Cluster.
A massive rift in space/time appeared about 6 months ago, although due to interference from other stellar phenomena it took the observatory staff weeks to discover this. Unknown to her or her staff, the subspace breach that brought the creature to this universe has affected the stellar nursery also. The breach has temporarily altered the fabric of space in the region, causing a reduction in the navigational hazards that, up till now had made it impenetrable. Due to confusing data and the unprecedented nature of recent events, the Professor is unaware of this.
In essence there is now a path to the Klingon Empire.
This path is not obvious to external observation and is not without it’s dangers and numerous dead ends but a brave crew could cross the region and enter a lightly defended region of the Empire.
(d)Should the players visit the colony on Gamma Eris Prime they will find Captain DelRay the owner operator of the free trader SS Hera’s Pride offloading his cargo. DelRay has in fact seen the creature and lived to tell the tale. He will gladly share the limited sensor data he has (Reason+Science difficulty 3 to decipher the poor resolution scan which reveals a large dark sensor image of staggering mass with a strong energy signal emanating from within). Most revealing is his account of the event. He will make the most of the audience and subtly mention his cup is dry.
Should his cup be filled with ale of his choosing he will carry on. He will relate the story of how he answered the same distress call as the SS Kryczek and headed for the source on the edge of the Olson system. He tells of being struck with a tractor beam that began to drain energy from his systems which burnt out half of his plasma relays and fried his sensor antenna. He drunkenly salutes the Crew of the Kryczek who fired on the attacker to draw it away from him allowing him time to escape. He will shudder as he remembers the sight of the doomed vessel being consumed in it’s “Cavernous jaws that opened like the gates of Hades itself!” DelRay feels no shame at admitting that he turned his ship and warped away in fear for his life. Today marks the first time in months he has mustered the courage to venture back into the sector. It was he who dubbed the object ”The Flying Dutchman”.
(e)A random visit to the Van Der Haal Cluster at this stage should be discouraged as a bad idea.
From here on is merely a suggestion for the run of play. Experience has taught me that players can always find a new path through a scenario I hadn’t previously thought of. If they decide to take another route encourage it as long as it is valid of course. There is after all more than one way to skin a Targ.
Scene two: “The Games Afoot!”
Following the bread crumb trail of the missing Cavorite will lead the players to the Olson system where they encounter survivors for the first time.
By this scene, the Klingons will have managed to safely navigate the Van Der Haal Cluster following the trail of the Dutchman. Upon arrival in the Packard Sector however the trail went cold. They will have noted the arrival of the USS Lexington in the area and will follow on with cloak engaged. The very presence of Starfleet will be seen as evidence of preparation for war.
Following the Cavorite trail through the Olson system should present no significant problem for the Lexington’s long range sensors. Even without the clue from the miners the trail will be an obvious anomaly.
At this point on the outskirts of the Olson system the Lexington will encounter a damaged log buoy left by the SS Canterbury. If analysed the log will show the Canterbury changing course in response to a broken subspace distress call. Closer analysis of the distress call will reveal that it is in fact a subspace echo of another greater signal. The echo is of the weapon the creature is using to destroy ships and asteroids alike.
The Cavorite trail will end on the edge of the Olson system with a smattering of debris. Similar in composition to the missing ship but somehow altered. A successful Reason + Science difficulty 2 task will reveal that the debris has been “digested” and stripped of certain elements including Dilithium. Not even trace amounts remain. A bioorganic residue is present which will vibrate at a different frequency to this universe indicating an exotic origin.
Prior to leaving the system the Lexington will receive a faint distress call from the SS Canterbury. Further investigation will reveal the battered ship hiding in an asteroid field nearby on the edge of the system.
Captain Tova Bardon a rather rotund human male will report that after following an apparent distress call he encountered a “massive starship” which attacked his ship almost straight away. A powerful tractor beam took hold of his vessel. Captain Bardon managed to drop his cargo section and escape with his life and his crew. The ship’s warp drive went offline along with comms during the encounter. The Canterbury’s sensor logs were corrupted during the attack, however the Captain will report that the enemy ship loitered long enough to tractor the ore shipment aboard then warped away. Unable to repair his engines the captain chose to hide in case the “pirates” returned.
His crew will be tired, hungry and damned close to mutiny before the Lexington showed up. The warp drive can be restored with a difficulty 3 Reason + Engineering task which will take about 6 hours and some replicated spares from the Lexington.
Scanning will reveal no warp signature as such but will reveal (after an Insight/Reason + Science difficulty 2 task) that the creatures quantum slipstream method of travel has left a detectable signature that the Lexington’s sensors can be reconfigured to follow.
Scene Three: “The Lion’s Den”.
The slipstream trail leads the Lexington to the edge of the Krekto Nebula. Here they will encounter the Dutchman for the first time. As the USS Lexington is a Starfleet vessel she stands a better chance of survival than a civilian however any attempt at a stand up fight will be incredibly dangerous. (Use the stats for a Borg vessel.)
Following the trail of the quantum slipstream drive the players will eventually arrive on the edge of the Krekto Nebula. After navigating through an asteroid field (Difficulty 2 Control + Conn task) the players find them selves confronted by an imposing sight. A huge cylindrical structure with a bewildering array of lights and protusions and vanes of unknown purpose running the length of its 300km hull. Partly organic and partly mechanical the vessel appears to have an opening at the “bow” and what appears to be a drive system of unknown design at the “stern”. It is simply drifting between asteroids. Smaller vessels can be seen moving back and forth across the thing’s surface.
The Dutchman is in a dormant state digesting the remains of a comet and trying to heal. It’s automated systems will be using worker drone biomechanical creatures about the size of shuttlecraft to repair and replace damaged areas along the length of its 300 km hull. They can be seen to process material brought from within the creature’s hull to effect repairs. Their movements may seem uncoordinated and haphazard due to the damaged neural node.
Passive scans will not waken the creature however a full sensor sweep will. Players may opt to launch a probe or even launch a shuttlecraft to investigate. The probe will gather relevant information about the creature but it may be perceived as an attack.
Scanning the creature will reveal its true nature and the damage it has sustained. (Any momentum generated by scanning the creature could be used to detect trace elements of all the missing vessels incorporated into sections of it’s hull.) A medical view of the damage or an engineering viewpoint will reach an interesting conclusion. A Difficulty 3 Insight/Reason + Medicine/Engineering roll will diagnose the stellar fragment as the most likely cause of the creature’s uncoordinated behaviour.
The stellar debris has to be removed as its radiogenic properties (from a universe foreign to the creature) are interfering with the creature’s metabolism and hampering its ability to think.
A tractor beam could accomplish given the opportunity. (Drawing the thorn from the lion’s paw as it were.)
Although dormant the Dutchman can still sense anything approaching and will react accordingly. The Lexington would indeed be a tasty morsel for the Dutchman.
Any attempts at hailing the Dutchman will prompt a brief garbled audio only response. A Difficulty 2 Reason + Engineering task assisted by the ships Communication + Engineering will decode the message fragment as “*****NEED TO FEED TO ****DAMAGE TO*****RETURN HOME ****SEEKER****”.
Those foolhardy enough to try and fly a shuttle close to the Dutchman will gather fantastic amount of data but will have to make several pilot rolls to avoid the creatures automated repair systems using it for spares!
Perhaps see it as an extended task to approach, scan and escape from the Dutchman’s vicinity.
Magnitude :3, Progress: 12 and Resistance Soak: 1.
Someone will of course wish to try a mind meld with the Dutchman. If this is attempted prior to removing the stellar fragment the attempt will kill the player without any need for a die roll. Merely being in the same system will make any telepath/empath extremely uncomfortable. Consider having any such players make a Difficulty 3 Control/Command roll to maintain their composure. Such NPCs may require to be sedated/confined due to the creature’s psychic torment.
If the players awaken the Dutchman, it will try to batter down their shields and consume the ship. In that case their best chance for survival is the Krekto Nebula. A skilled pilot would be able to use the nebula as cover buying them time to formulate a plan.
Should the players establish the stellar fragment as the source of the Dutchman’s condition and form a plan to remove it, that is when the Klingons (remember them?) will make their presence felt.
Scene Four: “Too Many Cooks”.
The players will now have to contend with another unexpected threat. Klingons!
By now the players should have established the following:
•\tThe Dutchman is a living sentient spaceborne organism with unheard of technology and colossal power.
•\tThe Dutchman has arrived in the Packard Sector from another universe via a breach in space/time situated in the heart of the Van Der Haal Cluster.
•\tIt has sustained a grievous injury which is causing it great pain which is radiating in waves across the sector and impairing it’s ability to reason.
•\tIt has consumed the missing vessels in an attempt to gather raw materials and is drawn to concentrations of the materials it requires.
•\tRemoving the stellar fragment piercing it’s neural node and supplying the creature with raw materials will allow it to restore itself.
In the finest Starfleet traditions the players should be able to figure out a method of assisting the Dutchman without getting themselves killed.
Whether they are hiding in the nebula or watching the Dutchman from a safe distance, this is the point where the Klingons will hail the Lexington and demand they surrender the “Federation weapon” that they believe the Dutchman to be.
From his cloaked Bird of Prey, Commander Kanoz will inform the players that he has watched their movements and have (in his mind) incontrovertible proof of a Federation plot to attack the Empire.
He will cite covert construction of a pathway through the Van Der Haal Cluster and the lost ships across the Klingon border (which will be news to the players of course) as proof.
At this point the GM has various options. My preferred one is for the players to try and exercise some famous “Cowboy Diplomacy” and share data with the Klingons and try to save the creature.
It is entirely possible however that it will dissolve in a three way fight between the Lexington the QuvHa’ and the Dutchman. Removal of the fragment will be impossible during combat.
Should that occur I suggest the following strategy for the GM.
Allow the Lexington Science officer to attempt a Magnitude :4, Progress: 12 and Resistance Soak: 1 extended task during combat to analyse the gathered sensor data, theorise a weakness of the Dutchman and implement an alteration to the navigational deflector to generate a directed Polaron pulse. This will allow the Lexington to stun the creature long enough to escape. The downside to this plan is that it will temporarily put the navigational deflector offline pending repairs. (No warp travel till these are complete) Difficulty 2 Reason + Engineering to reroute power and replace burnt out relays. The nearby Krekto Nebula will afford a good place to hide meantime.
Now is the best chance for the players to reason with the Klingons and win their trust. Placing themselves in harms way to save the QuvHa’ and her crew during the battle could be seen as an honourable act. Depending on how its played they may even consider themselves in blood debt to the Captain of the Lexington.
Should they fail to impress Commander Kanoz he will pursue the Dutchman and continue to attack.
Scene Five: ”The Trials of Androcles”.
The players formulate a plan to help the creature and return it home. Ideally with the support of the QuvHa’ and her crew.
The players receive a hail from the Daystrom Observatory, Professor Gall informs them that the rift in the cluster is fluctuating which she believes means that it is likely to close within a matter of hours.
Once repaired and under way once more the players will be able to pick up the Dutchman’s slipstream signature again.
This time however it’s course is heading toward a populated system, Epsilon Gamma II.
At this point the Science Officer will report that if the creature makes it to the mining colony it will destroy the facility in it’s feeding on the planets mineral wealth. It will stand in orbit and carve out chunks of the surface with energy beams and tractor them to it for consumption.
By pushing the engines the Lexington can arrive first (Difficulty 4 Reason + Engineering task).
The creature can be distracted from the colony by either using a starship as a lure or by tractoring a suitable asteroid or passing comet into its path.
Once the Dutchman is distracted it will fixate on whatever lure is offered and follow it regardless. If the creature is baited for too long it will either alter heading to Epsilon Gamma II or make an unexpected burst of speed to attack the target.
Should the players wish to attempt the Polaron beam tactic again inform them that such an attempt would completely destroy the deflector and strand them in space.
Should the Dutchman be allowed to feed it will return to the asteroid field near the Krekto Nebula to process its meal. Given no further stimuli the Dutchman will become dormant again. This should provide an opportunity to extract the stellar fragment and restore cognitive function to normal. Using the tractor beam is a difficulty 2 Control + Security assisted by the ships Weapons + Security task.
Removing the fragment will allow the repair drones to re-establish normal neural node function and restore the Dutchman’s consciousness. Gradually the creature will awaken and take stock of its surroundings. The psychic shockwave will be silenced and the creature will hail the Lexington on audio only and in a relaxing calm almost melodic voice introduce itself as “The Seeker of Distant Suns” and thank the players for their assistance. The Seeker will express deep regret at the destroying starships indiscriminately but will inform the players that the ships crews were in fact not harmed. The Seekers mission is that of peaceful exploration with weapons only for defence.
The Seeker will go on to explain that any biological matter taken aboard during the feeding process was catalogued and placed in “storage”. The Seeker will then invite the players to scan a portion of the ventral hull were multiple faint lifesigns can be found. It is a simple matter for the missing personnel to be beamed aboard fresh from cryo sleep with no discernable ill effects and no memory of their ordeal. This will of course include some very irate Klingons including Klor of the House of Duras.
The Seeker will then head for the Van Der Haal Cluster and the breach to return to its home universe but not before despatching a repair drone to the Lexington which not only repairs but upgrades the ships Power by one and Shields by two. Should the Klingons be part of this effort they will receive the same bonus.
Now returned to full faculties the Seeker can navigate the Cluster with ease, leading the QuvHa’ through the safe path. From the Federation side the players can witness the Van Der Haal Cluster returning to normal as the breach closes behind the Seeker.
Apart from the free upgrade, Commander Kanoz will be delighted to return the missing presumed members of the Black Fleet Klingon crew to Kronos especially Klor of Duras. Not so much for the honour but more for the humiliation of Klor. For this Kanoz will be grateful to the brave crew of the USS Lexington.
Captains Log 5442.3: The Lexington has been tasked to investigate a series of starships lost in the Packard Sector. In the past six months a total of nine vessels have been lost with all hands. To date no survivors or wreckage has been found. Three of the vessels broadcast a report that they were answering a distress call prior to their disappearance. We are too far from Orion space for the Syndicate to be responsible and the Klingons are on the other side of an impenetrable region of space, however at this stage I’m ruling nothing out.
Scenario:
The Packard Sector marks the boundary between the Federation and an unexplored region of space. There are no Federation worlds there but there are some outposts and independent colonies. The border with the Klingon Empire runs adjacent to the sector but the Empire has made no claims over it and indeed Klingon vessels seem to shun the region. Some colonists have speculated that the area is haunted.
Nine ships have been lost recently;
Six months ago -
SS Kryczek – Tellarite Salvage ship. Ships complement 25. Reported missing after responding to a distress call somewhere in the Olson system.
Five months ago-
SS Vigo – Andorian free trader. Ships complement 14. Lost while running supplies to mining colony on Epsilon Gamma II.
SS Ceres – Independent mining vessel. Ships complement 36. Last known contact made while surveying asteroids on the edge of the Van Der Haal Cluster.
Four months ago-
SS Herald of the Dawn – Independent merchant vessel. Ships complement 12. Last seen leaving colony on Gamma Eris Prime.
SS Monaco – Daystrom Institute supply vessel. Ships complement 17. Lost after making supply run to the Daystrom Deep Space Observatory.
This month -
SS Stella Maris – Deep Space Rescue Vessel. Ships complement 19. Lost after responding to distress call in the Krekto Nebula.
SS Greenacre – Independent Cargo vessel. Ships complement 14. Last seen running medical supplies to Epsilon Gamma II.
SS Canterbury – Independent bulk ore carrier. Ships complement 26. Lost after collecting load of unrefined mineral ore from mining colony on Epsilon Gamma II.
SS T’Abron – Vulcan passenger vessel bound for monastery on Omicron Tau V. Ships complement 236 passengers and crew. Lost responding to a distress call in the vicinity of the Krekto Nebula.
Places of Note:
Gamma Eris Prime – Independent colony of around 300,000 beings from across the Federation who have renounced Federation membership in favour of a peaceful agrarian lifestyle. Gamma Eris Prime is a class L world with no remarkable mineral wealth. The colony’s focus is on agriculture and livestock which it trades with other colonies for terraforming technology. The colony’s Committee is led by Chairman Keva Black, a pleasant human colonist who will welcome the crew with open arms.
Olson System – A white dwarf star system with five unremarkable class D planets.
Van Der Haal Cluster – A vast stellar nursery of some seventeen thousand new stars which straddles the border of the Klingon Empire. A region of space impossible to navigate safely. The region is uncharted with no safe path through currently documented. Starships which venture into this region of space tend to suffer from gravimetric shear, extreme fluctuations in radiation of various types and distortions of space/time. All starship tasks at +4 difficulty. No subspace communication is possible while within the cluster itself.
On the edge of this region sits the Daystrom Institute Deep Space Observatory. Established 2 years ago on the edge of the cluster, it was built primarily for scientific research into the cluster itself but the observatory also assists with mapping the surrounding region. It should be noted that the observatory subspace sensors could be recalibrated by an enthusiastic engineer to search for vessels. While it will not be able to give clear readings the sensor array will provide sufficient positional information to locate a starship.
The Observatory is under the command of Professor Asema Gall a Trill scientist. She is grateful for Starfleet’s attention but wary of how the Klingons will perceive the arrival of the Lexington. She will report unusual readings coming from within the heart of the cluster that she is unable to fathom.
Krekto Nebula –A gaseous anomaly spanning a massive area. The nebula is somewhat of a navigational hazard with all starship tasks at +1 difficulty, all sensor tasks at +2 difficulty and deflector shield efficiency reduced by 50%.
Epsilon Gamma II –Fiercely independent mining colony on a class K world with a population of 120,000 from across the Alpha and Beta quadrants. Living in harsh conditions the population defend their claims vigorously. They welcome visits from Ore freighters and supply ships but tend to discourage any Federation attention. The colony is run by the recently re-elected Faldor Maz a particularly argumentative Tellarite.
Omicron Tau V – A Vulcan monastery on a class L world. A pilgrimage retreat for 45,000 students seeking to master the Kolinahr discipline.
Sources of Information:
Although no one has survived from the lost ships to tell the tale, plenty of people across the sector have opinions. They will range from the plausible (it’s just space pirates) to the speculative (it’s a Giant Space Beastie or GSB) to the ridiculous (it’s the “Flying Dutchman” here to take the souls of lost travellers to the afterlife).
The general consensus among the population will be that the area is troubled by some kind of phenomena the exact nature of which cannot be agreed upon. In fact the more people the players ask the more they will be confused. Given the amount of lives lost recently, even the loudest opponents of Starfleet and the Federation will insist that the players take some kind of action.
“Enterprising” players may endeavour to use the Daystrom Observatory to scan the region. The area concerned however is truly vast and a complete scan to the resolution they require would take decades. Should they identify a specific area to monitor the subspace array could conceivably be used to gather real time data on any non-planetary bodies which are moving within a specific system. This will not allow them to identify the anomaly from afar but will give them a rough position of it.
The Vulcan monastery on Omicron Tau V is run by the high priestess T’Lar. She will graciously accommodate any Starfleet visitors especially if they have a Vulcan officer aboard. She will however insist that no contact is made with the acolytes in residence. One of the players may recognise a Vulcan friend or former colleague as being among their number. They will appear unsettled but forbidden to discuss the matter.
T’Lar will be vague about her knowledge of the disappearances and although unable to lie she will be diplomatically obscure. The Vulcan monks have sensed a “great presence” traversing the region. Their attempts to make contact have been in vain so far. Their most recent effort at contact involved a large group of monks. The attempt went badly wrong and caused a massive burst of psychic feedback which disrupted the normal calm of the students causing many to have “emotional outbursts”. In the last week, 14 of the order have been killed by fellow students entering a murderous frenzy. Those responsible have been segregated for their own safety. Of the 60 or so who participated in the attempted contact, 40 are in a comatose state caused by overwhelming psychic trauma. The remainder can recall feeling “great pain and loss” coupled with “primal anger”.
Complications:
Unknown to the inhabitants of the Packard Sector, the Klingons are also interested in the ship disappearances as they have lost two ships of their own most notably the D7 cruiser Balor under the command of Klor of House Duras. The Klingons also have deep misgivings about this sector of space. The Klingon rumour mill is no less active than that of their neighbours concerning the region, just a lot more lurid and grotesque. As the region has little strategic or any other kind of value the hated crew of the QuvHa’ were ideal for the job.
The Klingon Scout ship QuvHa'(The Dishonoured) has been dispatched to patrol the area and identify the cause. Its patrol area will overlap into the Packard Sector. They are especially suspicious of the Federation listening post (Daystrom Observatory) on the edge of the Van Der Haal Cluster. The captain of the QuvHa’ believes that the lost Klingon ships were destroyed by a Federation task force massing in the Van Der Haal Cluster preparing to invade.
As you can tell by the name the QuvHa’ is crewed by a bunch of despicable misfits and malcontents from across the Empire.
The captain is Commander Kanoz son of Vak of the House of Kren’Ar. His family lost favour with many in the High Council after he refused to fire on a convoy of Entaakian refugees fleeing the battle of Entaak Core a year ago. He denied cowardice and won a duel to protect his honour, killing a minor noble of the House of Duras in the process. Due to the sway they hold over the High Council he was stripped of his lands and titles as retribution. Rather than choose exile and see his loved ones enslaved, Kanoz chose to accept the command of this ship of outcasts and perform dangerous missions for the Empire until he either dies like a Klingon or find a way of restoring his family honour.
Unfortunately for him, the High Command has seen fit to despatch him to a backwater patrol with simple orders, “Protect the Empire”. With this mission however, he can foresee a chance for glory.
“The Flying Dutchman”:
As with all good rumours there is an element of truth in there somewhere.
The cause of all this consternation is a large space dwelling inter dimensional pseudo organism which calls itself “The Seeker of Distant Suns”. This creature is truly massive, being roughly a thousand times the mass of a Constitution Class starship. In appearance it resembles a roughly cylindrical vessel covered with various protrusions of unknown purpose. Its biomechanical construction will be tricky to decipher via sensors (+2 difficulty) and may appear as a colossal starship.
It arrived in this universe through a tear in space/time about six months prior finding itself in the Van Der Haal Cluster. The creature suffered horrendous injuries in the harsh and unpredictable environment of the stellar nursery and barely escaped alive after sustaining severe damage to a vital bio neural node which forms part of its brain. Since then it has wandered the sector, confused and in pain.
The creature has since journeyed across the Klingon border where it fed for a while before encountering a gravitic minefield placed by the Klingons decades ago which drove it back across the border.
In order for it to survive it requires to consume minerals and rare metals from asteroids to allow it to sustain itself and to heal its damage body. It’s cognitive functions however while require external intervention.
The creature can propel itself to full impulse speed and can travel between systems by using a form of quantum slipstream drive.
Unfortunately for passing starships, Dilithium and other rare minerals are a key ingredient in its diet. Upon entering a system, the creature senses the raw materials and is drawn toward them where it generates a powerful subspace disruption beam to smash the asteroid or moon prior to consumption. Elements of this subspace beam resemble a distress call. This has caused some of the lost ships to seek out the creature and ultimately meet their doom.
Ordinarily, the creature is vastly intelligent and compassionate. In its current state of mind however it has reverted to instinct alone. It needs, so it takes. The creature has no idea that it is destroying countless numbers of sentient beings. Its mental anguish is being felt across the sector as any telepathic/empathic species are picking up on these overwhelming emotional broadcasts. This has caused the issues at Omicron Tau V.
Should the Lexington bring its sensors to bear a successful scan will reveal a large piece of metallic stellar debris (about 60 meters in length weighing about 700 tonnes) lodged in a bio neural node interfering with the creatures cognitive functions.
At present it is travelling back and forth between the dead planets of the Olson system and the Krekto Nebula seeking nourishment and respite from the pain.
Scene one: “Hearts and Minds”.
Upon arrival in the Packard Sector the players have several options. Chances are they willing to visit one of the populated colonies and try to investigate the disappearances in a logical manner.
By all means encourage the players to “fly the flag” and visit all the locations mentioned.
(a)If they visit the monastery they will hopefully be able to offer medical assistance to the troubled souls there although some diplomacy will be required. If they can overcome the reticence of the high priestess to deal with non-Vulcans she will divulge the telepathic contact that has seared the minds of her brethren.
(b)Another possibility is a visit to the mining colony on Epsilon Gamma II. Yet another unfriendly welcome for the crew of the Lexington. The miners will be of the opinion that the Lexington is somehow blockading the colony in an attempt to strong arm them and their mineral wealth into the arms (and taxes) of the Federation. Some pretty fast talking will have to be done in order to prevent civil unrest. Perhaps a show of goodwill, like repairing a broken ore processor (a difficulty 3 Reason + Engineering task) or offering to replace the lost medical supplies may help. Should the players manage to get the miners support they will reveal that the last cargo that was collected by the SS Canterbury included a large shipment of Cavorite which is used in artificial gravity systems. This mineral has a distinctive radioactive signature which can be scanned for over great distance.
(c)The Daystrom Observatory is another likely port of call.
Upon arrival at the observatory Professor Gall will be in the middle of a massive recalibration of the sensor array. (No small task.) This is due to anomalous readings the array has been providing of the Van Der Haal Cluster.
A massive rift in space/time appeared about 6 months ago, although due to interference from other stellar phenomena it took the observatory staff weeks to discover this. Unknown to her or her staff, the subspace breach that brought the creature to this universe has affected the stellar nursery also. The breach has temporarily altered the fabric of space in the region, causing a reduction in the navigational hazards that, up till now had made it impenetrable. Due to confusing data and the unprecedented nature of recent events, the Professor is unaware of this.
In essence there is now a path to the Klingon Empire.
This path is not obvious to external observation and is not without it’s dangers and numerous dead ends but a brave crew could cross the region and enter a lightly defended region of the Empire.
(d)Should the players visit the colony on Gamma Eris Prime they will find Captain DelRay the owner operator of the free trader SS Hera’s Pride offloading his cargo. DelRay has in fact seen the creature and lived to tell the tale. He will gladly share the limited sensor data he has (Reason+Science difficulty 3 to decipher the poor resolution scan which reveals a large dark sensor image of staggering mass with a strong energy signal emanating from within). Most revealing is his account of the event. He will make the most of the audience and subtly mention his cup is dry.
Should his cup be filled with ale of his choosing he will carry on. He will relate the story of how he answered the same distress call as the SS Kryczek and headed for the source on the edge of the Olson system. He tells of being struck with a tractor beam that began to drain energy from his systems which burnt out half of his plasma relays and fried his sensor antenna. He drunkenly salutes the Crew of the Kryczek who fired on the attacker to draw it away from him allowing him time to escape. He will shudder as he remembers the sight of the doomed vessel being consumed in it’s “Cavernous jaws that opened like the gates of Hades itself!” DelRay feels no shame at admitting that he turned his ship and warped away in fear for his life. Today marks the first time in months he has mustered the courage to venture back into the sector. It was he who dubbed the object ”The Flying Dutchman”.
(e)A random visit to the Van Der Haal Cluster at this stage should be discouraged as a bad idea.
From here on is merely a suggestion for the run of play. Experience has taught me that players can always find a new path through a scenario I hadn’t previously thought of. If they decide to take another route encourage it as long as it is valid of course. There is after all more than one way to skin a Targ.
Scene two: “The Games Afoot!”
Following the bread crumb trail of the missing Cavorite will lead the players to the Olson system where they encounter survivors for the first time.
By this scene, the Klingons will have managed to safely navigate the Van Der Haal Cluster following the trail of the Dutchman. Upon arrival in the Packard Sector however the trail went cold. They will have noted the arrival of the USS Lexington in the area and will follow on with cloak engaged. The very presence of Starfleet will be seen as evidence of preparation for war.
Following the Cavorite trail through the Olson system should present no significant problem for the Lexington’s long range sensors. Even without the clue from the miners the trail will be an obvious anomaly.
At this point on the outskirts of the Olson system the Lexington will encounter a damaged log buoy left by the SS Canterbury. If analysed the log will show the Canterbury changing course in response to a broken subspace distress call. Closer analysis of the distress call will reveal that it is in fact a subspace echo of another greater signal. The echo is of the weapon the creature is using to destroy ships and asteroids alike.
The Cavorite trail will end on the edge of the Olson system with a smattering of debris. Similar in composition to the missing ship but somehow altered. A successful Reason + Science difficulty 2 task will reveal that the debris has been “digested” and stripped of certain elements including Dilithium. Not even trace amounts remain. A bioorganic residue is present which will vibrate at a different frequency to this universe indicating an exotic origin.
Prior to leaving the system the Lexington will receive a faint distress call from the SS Canterbury. Further investigation will reveal the battered ship hiding in an asteroid field nearby on the edge of the system.
Captain Tova Bardon a rather rotund human male will report that after following an apparent distress call he encountered a “massive starship” which attacked his ship almost straight away. A powerful tractor beam took hold of his vessel. Captain Bardon managed to drop his cargo section and escape with his life and his crew. The ship’s warp drive went offline along with comms during the encounter. The Canterbury’s sensor logs were corrupted during the attack, however the Captain will report that the enemy ship loitered long enough to tractor the ore shipment aboard then warped away. Unable to repair his engines the captain chose to hide in case the “pirates” returned.
His crew will be tired, hungry and damned close to mutiny before the Lexington showed up. The warp drive can be restored with a difficulty 3 Reason + Engineering task which will take about 6 hours and some replicated spares from the Lexington.
Scanning will reveal no warp signature as such but will reveal (after an Insight/Reason + Science difficulty 2 task) that the creatures quantum slipstream method of travel has left a detectable signature that the Lexington’s sensors can be reconfigured to follow.
Scene Three: “The Lion’s Den”.
The slipstream trail leads the Lexington to the edge of the Krekto Nebula. Here they will encounter the Dutchman for the first time. As the USS Lexington is a Starfleet vessel she stands a better chance of survival than a civilian however any attempt at a stand up fight will be incredibly dangerous. (Use the stats for a Borg vessel.)
Following the trail of the quantum slipstream drive the players will eventually arrive on the edge of the Krekto Nebula. After navigating through an asteroid field (Difficulty 2 Control + Conn task) the players find them selves confronted by an imposing sight. A huge cylindrical structure with a bewildering array of lights and protusions and vanes of unknown purpose running the length of its 300km hull. Partly organic and partly mechanical the vessel appears to have an opening at the “bow” and what appears to be a drive system of unknown design at the “stern”. It is simply drifting between asteroids. Smaller vessels can be seen moving back and forth across the thing’s surface.
The Dutchman is in a dormant state digesting the remains of a comet and trying to heal. It’s automated systems will be using worker drone biomechanical creatures about the size of shuttlecraft to repair and replace damaged areas along the length of its 300 km hull. They can be seen to process material brought from within the creature’s hull to effect repairs. Their movements may seem uncoordinated and haphazard due to the damaged neural node.
Passive scans will not waken the creature however a full sensor sweep will. Players may opt to launch a probe or even launch a shuttlecraft to investigate. The probe will gather relevant information about the creature but it may be perceived as an attack.
Scanning the creature will reveal its true nature and the damage it has sustained. (Any momentum generated by scanning the creature could be used to detect trace elements of all the missing vessels incorporated into sections of it’s hull.) A medical view of the damage or an engineering viewpoint will reach an interesting conclusion. A Difficulty 3 Insight/Reason + Medicine/Engineering roll will diagnose the stellar fragment as the most likely cause of the creature’s uncoordinated behaviour.
The stellar debris has to be removed as its radiogenic properties (from a universe foreign to the creature) are interfering with the creature’s metabolism and hampering its ability to think.
A tractor beam could accomplish given the opportunity. (Drawing the thorn from the lion’s paw as it were.)
Although dormant the Dutchman can still sense anything approaching and will react accordingly. The Lexington would indeed be a tasty morsel for the Dutchman.
Any attempts at hailing the Dutchman will prompt a brief garbled audio only response. A Difficulty 2 Reason + Engineering task assisted by the ships Communication + Engineering will decode the message fragment as “*****NEED TO FEED TO ****DAMAGE TO*****RETURN HOME ****SEEKER****”.
Those foolhardy enough to try and fly a shuttle close to the Dutchman will gather fantastic amount of data but will have to make several pilot rolls to avoid the creatures automated repair systems using it for spares!
Perhaps see it as an extended task to approach, scan and escape from the Dutchman’s vicinity.
Magnitude :3, Progress: 12 and Resistance Soak: 1.
Someone will of course wish to try a mind meld with the Dutchman. If this is attempted prior to removing the stellar fragment the attempt will kill the player without any need for a die roll. Merely being in the same system will make any telepath/empath extremely uncomfortable. Consider having any such players make a Difficulty 3 Control/Command roll to maintain their composure. Such NPCs may require to be sedated/confined due to the creature’s psychic torment.
If the players awaken the Dutchman, it will try to batter down their shields and consume the ship. In that case their best chance for survival is the Krekto Nebula. A skilled pilot would be able to use the nebula as cover buying them time to formulate a plan.
Should the players establish the stellar fragment as the source of the Dutchman’s condition and form a plan to remove it, that is when the Klingons (remember them?) will make their presence felt.
Scene Four: “Too Many Cooks”.
The players will now have to contend with another unexpected threat. Klingons!
By now the players should have established the following:
•\tThe Dutchman is a living sentient spaceborne organism with unheard of technology and colossal power.
•\tThe Dutchman has arrived in the Packard Sector from another universe via a breach in space/time situated in the heart of the Van Der Haal Cluster.
•\tIt has sustained a grievous injury which is causing it great pain which is radiating in waves across the sector and impairing it’s ability to reason.
•\tIt has consumed the missing vessels in an attempt to gather raw materials and is drawn to concentrations of the materials it requires.
•\tRemoving the stellar fragment piercing it’s neural node and supplying the creature with raw materials will allow it to restore itself.
In the finest Starfleet traditions the players should be able to figure out a method of assisting the Dutchman without getting themselves killed.
Whether they are hiding in the nebula or watching the Dutchman from a safe distance, this is the point where the Klingons will hail the Lexington and demand they surrender the “Federation weapon” that they believe the Dutchman to be.
From his cloaked Bird of Prey, Commander Kanoz will inform the players that he has watched their movements and have (in his mind) incontrovertible proof of a Federation plot to attack the Empire.
He will cite covert construction of a pathway through the Van Der Haal Cluster and the lost ships across the Klingon border (which will be news to the players of course) as proof.
At this point the GM has various options. My preferred one is for the players to try and exercise some famous “Cowboy Diplomacy” and share data with the Klingons and try to save the creature.
It is entirely possible however that it will dissolve in a three way fight between the Lexington the QuvHa’ and the Dutchman. Removal of the fragment will be impossible during combat.
Should that occur I suggest the following strategy for the GM.
Allow the Lexington Science officer to attempt a Magnitude :4, Progress: 12 and Resistance Soak: 1 extended task during combat to analyse the gathered sensor data, theorise a weakness of the Dutchman and implement an alteration to the navigational deflector to generate a directed Polaron pulse. This will allow the Lexington to stun the creature long enough to escape. The downside to this plan is that it will temporarily put the navigational deflector offline pending repairs. (No warp travel till these are complete) Difficulty 2 Reason + Engineering to reroute power and replace burnt out relays. The nearby Krekto Nebula will afford a good place to hide meantime.
Now is the best chance for the players to reason with the Klingons and win their trust. Placing themselves in harms way to save the QuvHa’ and her crew during the battle could be seen as an honourable act. Depending on how its played they may even consider themselves in blood debt to the Captain of the Lexington.
Should they fail to impress Commander Kanoz he will pursue the Dutchman and continue to attack.
Scene Five: ”The Trials of Androcles”.
The players formulate a plan to help the creature and return it home. Ideally with the support of the QuvHa’ and her crew.
The players receive a hail from the Daystrom Observatory, Professor Gall informs them that the rift in the cluster is fluctuating which she believes means that it is likely to close within a matter of hours.
Once repaired and under way once more the players will be able to pick up the Dutchman’s slipstream signature again.
This time however it’s course is heading toward a populated system, Epsilon Gamma II.
At this point the Science Officer will report that if the creature makes it to the mining colony it will destroy the facility in it’s feeding on the planets mineral wealth. It will stand in orbit and carve out chunks of the surface with energy beams and tractor them to it for consumption.
By pushing the engines the Lexington can arrive first (Difficulty 4 Reason + Engineering task).
The creature can be distracted from the colony by either using a starship as a lure or by tractoring a suitable asteroid or passing comet into its path.
Once the Dutchman is distracted it will fixate on whatever lure is offered and follow it regardless. If the creature is baited for too long it will either alter heading to Epsilon Gamma II or make an unexpected burst of speed to attack the target.
Should the players wish to attempt the Polaron beam tactic again inform them that such an attempt would completely destroy the deflector and strand them in space.
Should the Dutchman be allowed to feed it will return to the asteroid field near the Krekto Nebula to process its meal. Given no further stimuli the Dutchman will become dormant again. This should provide an opportunity to extract the stellar fragment and restore cognitive function to normal. Using the tractor beam is a difficulty 2 Control + Security assisted by the ships Weapons + Security task.
Removing the fragment will allow the repair drones to re-establish normal neural node function and restore the Dutchman’s consciousness. Gradually the creature will awaken and take stock of its surroundings. The psychic shockwave will be silenced and the creature will hail the Lexington on audio only and in a relaxing calm almost melodic voice introduce itself as “The Seeker of Distant Suns” and thank the players for their assistance. The Seeker will express deep regret at the destroying starships indiscriminately but will inform the players that the ships crews were in fact not harmed. The Seekers mission is that of peaceful exploration with weapons only for defence.
The Seeker will go on to explain that any biological matter taken aboard during the feeding process was catalogued and placed in “storage”. The Seeker will then invite the players to scan a portion of the ventral hull were multiple faint lifesigns can be found. It is a simple matter for the missing personnel to be beamed aboard fresh from cryo sleep with no discernable ill effects and no memory of their ordeal. This will of course include some very irate Klingons including Klor of the House of Duras.
The Seeker will then head for the Van Der Haal Cluster and the breach to return to its home universe but not before despatching a repair drone to the Lexington which not only repairs but upgrades the ships Power by one and Shields by two. Should the Klingons be part of this effort they will receive the same bonus.
Now returned to full faculties the Seeker can navigate the Cluster with ease, leading the QuvHa’ through the safe path. From the Federation side the players can witness the Van Der Haal Cluster returning to normal as the breach closes behind the Seeker.
Apart from the free upgrade, Commander Kanoz will be delighted to return the missing presumed members of the Black Fleet Klingon crew to Kronos especially Klor of Duras. Not so much for the honour but more for the humiliation of Klor. For this Kanoz will be grateful to the brave crew of the USS Lexington.
| lostships.mp3 |
