Ends and Means (STA)
Action, diplomacy and adventure on a world riven by factional strife
Stardate 48326.3: Our mission is to proceed to the Federation protectorate world of Tolen IV to help mediate a disagreement between two rival factions.
The government of Tolen IV wishes to remain under the Federation’s protection, with the hopes of joining as a member world later. Their opposition wishes for Tolen IV to withdraw itself from Federation protection to take its place in the galactic community on its own terms. Tolen IV is located near the Romulan Neutral Zone and, thus, is in a strategic location for Starfleet to monitor Romulan activity and is also rich in dilithium, tritanium, and trellium-D, so the mining rights of the planet’s surface are of great interest to the Tolen people and to their more powerful neighbors.
This will require all my crew's skills of tact, diplomacy and negotiation, if we're to come to a peaceful resolution which satisfies both factions, as well as the interests of Starfleet.
A Starfleet vessel is dispatched to the Federation protectorate world of Tolen IV to help mediate a disagreement between two factions. The government of Tolen IV wishes to remain under the Federation’s protection, with the hopes of joining as a member world later. The second faction wishes for Tolen IV to withdraw itself from Federation protection to take its place in the galactic community on its own terms. Tolen IV is located near the Romulan Neutral Zone and, thus, is in a strategic location for Starfleet to monitor Romulan activity. Tolen IV is also rich in dilithium, tritanium, and trellium-D, so the mining rights of the planet’s surface are of great interest to the Tolen people and to their more powerful neighbors.
A reception for all involved parties is given on board the ship. The crew will have the opportunity to discuss the upcoming negotiations with Verens Joffies, the Tolen head of state, as well as Halan Rizel, the separatist representative and a former legislator in the planetary government. Along with several other negotiators and dignitaries from Tolen IV is a Ferengi businessman, Pala Teik, who has managed much of Tolen IV's off-world trade with the Federation and nearby independent systems.
The crew will then travel planetside, where the negotiations will be held in a large convention center in Tolen IV’s capital city of Trejhet. During the conference an attempt will be made to kill the delegates. Once the immediate threat has been dealt with, the crew will be able to investigate the immediate area for clues as to who the would-be assassin is and what his or her motivations may be. The evidence points to Avard Chevis, an aide to Verens Joffies. This revelation causes Halan Rizel to leave in protest; but her aide, Calrin Fess, remains behind to help with the ongoing investigation, along with governmental investigator, Rowl Bozik. As the characters leave the conference center, they are accosted by a group claiming to be separatist sympathizers. Calrin Fess attempts to talk them down; but the group attacks, forcing the officers to defend themselves. Once the attackers are no longer a threat, Fess recognizes one of the attackers as a page for one of the government’s key senators, and accuses Bozik of orchestrating the attacks to marginalize the separatist movement. Her argument ends quickly as the ship identifies the other attackers as members of a radical separatist group. It is clear there is a conspiracy to derail the peace conference; but who and why is still a mystery.
The crew's investigations point to Pala Teik as having paid a large sum of latinum to both the radicals and to Avard Chevis' family. The radicals have been using the latinum to buy weapons and explosives for the civil war they are hoping to foster. Depending on who the characters investigate and where, they may encounter more radicals that want to silence the officers, or even some of Pala Teik’s thugs wanting to dissuade the officers from following up on their boss’ involvement in the whole affair. The characters enter Pala Teik’s estate and either intimidate the guards or fight their way past them until they can confront Pala Teik with the evidence they have gathered, which the Ferengi agrees is all true and accurate. “Rule of Acquisition 34: ‘War is good for business.’ Who am I to argue with the Rules?” he tells them before the Tolens lead him away. The characters can investigate Pala Teik further, possibly uncovering a thread that leads to the other side of the Neutral Zone; but the contact has already vanished and the lead is a dead end.
System Design
Nathan Dowdell
Line Development
Sam Webb
Line Editor
Jim Johnson
Writing
Troy Mepyans
Editing
Jim Johnson
Proofreading
Aric Wieder and Jim Johnson
Cover Design
Richard L. Gale
Graphic Design
Matthew Comben
Layout
Thomas Deeny
Produced by
Chris Birch
Operations Manager
Garry Harper
Production Manager
Steve Daldry
Community Support
Lloyd Gyan
Publishing Asssistant
Salwa Azar
For CBS Studios
Bill Burke, John van Citters, Marian Cordry, Veronica Hart, Brian Lady and Keith Lowenadler
