Captain's Log Issue 2 (Magazine)
Refiner's Fire
SL25.0 Refiner's Fire
This scenario recreates the final action of the story presented in this issue.
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| Astrometrics | |
| Chronology | |
| Culture | |
| Education | |
| Food | |
| People | |
| Politics | |
| Science & Technology | |
| Ships & Vehicles | |
| Xenology | |
| Miscellaneous |
SL26.0 Mutiny on the Demonslayer
by Douglas Jew
In Y175, the Klingon D-7C command cruiser Demonslayer mutinied. This time, however, the mutineers were Klingons! Commodore Jark Valgan had attempted to gain his promotion to admiral, which he considered to be long overdue, by assassinating his commander. When the plot failed, Valgan fled for his life toward Kzinti space. His officers had been deeply involved in the plot, and most supported his decision to flee. The crew, who knew that whatever happened they were along for the ride, did not oppose Valgan's action at first, but later were incited to mutiny (ironically, a mutiny in support of the empire!) by loyal crewmen.
Demonslayer roared for the border, but found its way blocked by a squadron of frigates. Valgan had already contacted the Kzinti, who were sending their nearest ship to help.
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SL27.0 Merchant, Pirate, Soldier, Spy
Wars tend to be confusing times, and not everything is as it seems. Take the case of a starship commander, patrolling a distant portion of the frontier, out of immediate contact with his superiors, who comes upon a pirate ship molesting a convoy. As he approaches, one freighter lashes out with sudden fury at the pirate. "Q-ship!" the commander gloats, "We've got the pirate now!" Before he can reach battle range, however, the sub-space communication system comes alive with claims and accusations.
"This is Fleet Captain Andros in the pirate vessel. We are not pirates but a naval unit on a secret naval mission. Security idenfication X3-54G. What appears to be one of our Q-ships is, in fact, a pirate marauder. We lured him here for a rendezvous. Please render assistance in capturing him."
"This is Captain Gran in the Q-ship. We are a naval unit on a secret mission. Security identification Y7-23T. The pirate ship is an enemy spy, not a pirate. Please render assistance in capturing him."
"Dammit, he's the spy, not me. Don't you remember me from the Academy? We used to go to the beer gardens together!"
"Don't fall for that! He may have been a spy even then!"
"Convoy leader, can you confirm the identity of the Q-ship?"
"Negative. He joined us after we cleared port. None of us have been on board his ship."
"This is the Q-ship. What would you expect from a secret naval mission?"
"Or from a pirate!"
The commander was perplexed, to say the least. Both identification codes were valid; both ships claimed to be clandestine units of his own navy. Either might be a pirate, spy, or friend. Worse, they might both be enemies, or they might both be friends!
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SL28.0 Landing Party
by Graeme Cree
In Y155, as tensions grew between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, the Federation accelerated its efforts to survey planets in the neutral zone. The Klingons considered these surveys to be a "provocation," and used them to create incidents.
On one such mission, the light cruiser Texas, under Commander Nita Howell, was making a standard survey of Vanecek VI when cosmic radiation from a solar flare forced the Texas to withdraw for 31.8 hours. A landing party had been previously transported to the surface, and remained behind (protected by the atmosphere) to complete the survey. When the Texas returned to the system, however, it found that a Klingon battlecruiser had entered the system and was blocking the way.
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SL29.0 A Question of Franchise
The Orion pirates operated on two levels. Clan overlords "controlled" all pirate activity in huge territories. Ships, some of which were "owned" by the clans and some of which were "independent" of all clans, were assigned areas (known as "franchises") in which they could operate. Most of the larger groups of pirate ships were operated by these clans, and these claimed the more lucrative franchises. In theory, no two pirates were assigned the same area.
This was not always the case, however. Sometimes, two clan overlords both claimed the right to lease a certain area. Sometimes the pirate assigned a given franchise would fall behind in his lease payments, or otherwise disappoint the overlord, and his area would be assigned to another ship. Sometimes a pirate in pursuit of quarry would follow it into another franchise territory. All of these circumstances were likely to create trouble, and a question of franchise.
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SL30.0 Practice, Practice, and Then What?
by Frank Crull
In Y171, the Federation and the Gorn were conducting a series of wargames in a special training zone. The exercises were necessary to give Federation captains experience in dealing with the Romulan Sparrowhawk and its three plasma torpedo launchers. These games used computer-generated battle damage simulations. As each ship scored "damage" (using weapons set on 1/1000th power) on the other, the computer analyzed the attack and "turned off" certain systems to simulate the damage.
The system worked well enough for training, but on one memorable occasion a Romulan Sparrowhawk arrived in the training area to find two "badly damaged" ships that were not expecting to conduct actual combat.
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SL31.0 The Federation Exchange
Even during wartime, the Orions managed to maintain trade across the Federation-Klingon border. In one case, the Federation captured a freighter under Orion control and, after some fast plea-bargaining, obtained the coordinates for a planned rendezvous with the Klingons. The Federation was able to substitute a Q-ship for the captured freighter, giving the Klingons a considerable surprise.
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SL32.0 Negotiate!
In Y165, the Tholians had begun deploying larger ship classes. In an effort to gain more information, several Federation scouts were assigned to patrol the border, scanning Tholian territory with long-range sensors.
The scout Bowie, in a carefully planned clandestine operation, actually penetrated Tholian territory. Due to a misjudgment of Tholian deployments, the Bowie was trapped. Federation officials immediately began negotiating with the Tholians, patiently explaining that it was a navigational error, not an intentional border violation. As part of the negotiations, Captain Phil Kosnett and his command cruiser Kongo were dispatched to the scene as a show of force. Kosnett was given authority to act on his own judgment, and did so.
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SL33.0 The Dilithium Crystal Asteroid
by (John Aitken
In a far corner of the galaxy, an asteroid is discovered that has thousands of dilithium crystals just waiting for someone to take them. Several races dispatch "research fleets" to the scene.
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SL34.0 Diplomatic Disaster
In Y165, a group of Federation officials was on a tour of the frontier worlds near the Romulan border. The Romulans attempted to assassinate the diplomats by sending a force of ships into Federation space. A Romulan spy, disguised as a Federation officer, set off a bomb in the tug's left engine, disabling its warp drive.
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SL35.0 Ambush!
Not all pirates were Klingon allies. In Y163, the Orion clan operating in Klingon territory planned to destroy the battlecruiser Conquest, which was patrolling a remote sector. With the Conquest gone, the Orions would have several weeks of free rein in the territory, allowing easier access to certain shipping routes. The usual phony distress call was sufficient to lure the Conquest into a "kill-zone" surrounded by captor mines.
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SL36.0 A Pirate's Surprise
by Ian Roy
In Y162, a critical Kzinti convoy of badly needed raw materials was attacked by pirates. The pirates were surprised to discover Q-ships in the heavily defended convoy, but had provided a surprise of their own.
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SL37.0 Frontier Patrol
The border areas of major empires are always active, even more so in wartime. Standard procedure was to send fighters, and later fast patrol ships, to investigate any interesting ships moving on the other side of the border.
This incident, in Y180, was typical of the more interesting such interceptions.
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SL38.0 The Rain of Terror
by John Byrne
In Y116 the Kzinti Duke known to history as "the Usurper" was waging civil war against the Patriarch. (See scenarios SL11-SL14 in Captain's Log #1.) Part of this war involved punitive attacks on Barons who had remained loyal to the throne. During one such attack, the Patriarch had learned of the raid in time to send a few ships from his loyal Home Fleet to support the Baron.
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SL39.0 Mercy Mission
by Don Jacques
In Y164, the Federation tug al Rashid was routinely carrying personnel and cargo to a Federation base station near the point where the Federation bordered the Kzinti and Klingon Empires. Tragedy struck unexpectedly. The tug's APR leaked, spreading deadly fumes throughout the ship and the pods it was carrying. Many crewmembers became ill; some died. The ship's warp engine controls locked, sending the ship on an uncontrolled plunge into the neutral zone. Eventually, the controls were unlocked with explosive charges, stopping the ship, but leaving the left warp engine out of commission and the ship incapable of movement.
No Federation ships were nearby, but two Kzinti ships arrived and offered to tow the al Rashid toward the Federation border, expecting to rendezvous with a Federation squadron dispatched to the rescue. Before the ships could proceed, however, two Klingon ships arrived. The Klingon commander offered to "rescue" the tug from the "Kzinti pirates" and tow it to a convenient Klingon base, and he wouldn't take "no" for an answer.
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SL40.0 Operation Cutthroat
A revolt in a prison colony results in a number of criminals escaping to join the local Orion pirate clan. The pirates now have everything they need for their long-planned "Operation Cutthroat:" a Q-ship and a Human crew to run it . The Q-ship is slipped into a convoy, where it remains undetected because routine contact with other ships is conducted by the Human "front men" while the Orions remain hidden.
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SL41.0 Rescue
by Rob Milcik
A lone Federation freighter, operating in the neutral zone, wanders into a minefield and is badly damaged. Crippled, it drifts into Klingon territory. The Klingons, who carefully monitor the freighter to make sure the crew is safe, set a trap for the inevitable rescue ship.
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SL42.0 Strike at Rigel IV
by Duff Johnson
In Y177, the Romulans mounted a particularly disruptive raid deep into Federation territory. Under cover of their cloaking devices, a powerful Romulan task force made its way to Rigel IV, the home planet of the Rigelians. Since the Rigelians were one of the primary races of the Federation, destroying their home planet would have a profound effect on Federation morale and industry. The miniscule Federation peace-at-all-costs/pacifist movement would swell as genuinely terrified people suddenly started asking embarrassing questions about how the war started and what the Federation goals really were.
The Romulans knew that a successful attack on Rigel IV would have other effects. The civilian politicians on other Federation home worlds would demand that battle squadrons be permanently garrisoned in their systems; this would tie down the Star Fleet and reduce pressure on the border. Worlds on the periphery of the Federation would also receive a clear message: If the Federation cannot protect its home worlds from the Romulans, how can you expect them to protect you? Why continue paying taxes to them? Join the Romulan Star Empire, the most powerful in the galaxy!
The Romulan plan failed on one point: the one-in-a-thousand chance that a Federation battle squadron would arrive at Rigel lV for reasons unconnected with their raid.
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SL43.0 Supply Fleet
Intelligence reports that enemy forces are massing on their border. This may be a show of force, preparations for a short incident, or the opening stages of a major war. As part of your fleet's preparations for whatever is to come, important supplies (including fuel, provisions, spare parts, and crated fighters) must reach one of your border outposts before hostilities begin. An enemy raiding force attacks the convoy, attempting to destroy it.
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SL44.0 The Derelict
In Y163, Star Fleet Command received a distress call from the U.S.S. Marco Polo, a Galactic Survey Cruiser conducting a survey near the Romulan border. The ship was under attack by an unknown entity.
The heavy cruiser Hood, under command of Captain Hue T'Lara, was dispatched to the scene. On arrival, the Marco Polo was found floating as a derelict, her entire crew killed by an unknown virus. A small team was placed aboard, which quickly identified the virus, sterilized the ship, and immunized the crew of the Hood. Since analysis showed that Romulans were immune, T'Lara suspected, but could not prove, that the Romulans had caused the infection.
Unexpectedly, Romulan forces arrived on the scene. T'Lara found the situation desperate, since the small team she had sent could not control the Marco Polo.
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SL45.0 Flank Attack
During the opening stages of the campaign that led to Operation Remus, a small Romulan squad struck at the flank of the main Gorn fleet. Driving into the rear areas, the squad was hunted down by the support group of the Gorn fleet.
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SL46.0 An Eventful Return
After a long patrol on the border, perhaps to intercept an unknown ship or strike at an enemy convoy, a flotilla of fast patrol ships returns to its base. The tired crews and spent ships look forward to rest and overhaul. This time, however, they discover that before they can rest they must fight again. An enemy force is attacking their base!
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SL47.0 Yank's Hole
by Paul White
During a major operation against the Hydrans in Y183, the combined Klingon-Lyran invasion force was dependant on a long and tenuous supply line. The weak link in that chain was a base station commanded by Commander Tal Yankovnim, known to intelligence as " Yank." The station was known to both Klingons, Hydrans, and the Federation as "Yank's Hole."
Hydran fast patrol ships, operating from two tenders, struck at the base.
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SL48.0 Yank's Hole II
by Stephen V. Cole (as "Ardak Kumerian")
A patrolling Klingon cruiser, the D-5 class Raver, stumbled upon the two Hydran PF Tenders and attempted to destroy them. (The report by the Klingon area commander stated this a bit differently: "Reacting swiftly to the cowardly approach of the Snakes, the swift and deadly cruiser Raver closed in on their unprotected transport and dealt them a crushing defeat.")
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SL49.0 The Combining of Arastoz
by Brian Weese
Critical equipment must be delivered to two colony planets, but the supply ship and its escort are intercepted by the Arastoz Monster.
