FAR TREK: PalmCon 2022 part 2

 Here is the write-up for the second session we played at PalmCon 2022.

Session 2: First Contacts - Order One

 Our Players :

Captain James Gideon - played by Kevin

Dr. Katz - a Caitian played by Adam

Chief Engineer Lt. Jerry Riggs - played by Greg

Lt. Junior Grade Albert, Navigator - an Edoan played by Scott

Lt. Junior Grade Aisha Louvre, Helm - played by Selina

Bridge of the Valiant

Captain' Log, star date date 2022.17. we have been tasked with updating Federation records on the intelligent civilization of the Gastrode star system. Cultural Sciences are monitoring this alien race as they are on the verge of creating warp technology, and it is anticipated they are within a century of doing so. However the close proximity to the Romulan border leaves this system in a precarious place, and we must tread carefully. 

The crew decide to take up orbit around the moon of Gastrode prime and conduct their scans from there. A course is plotted and helm engages, as Dr. Katz relates to the Captain his interest in the biology of this alien species. As the Valiant moves into position scanners detect a small craft moving in an erratic fashion and increasing speed to Warp 1!

the small craft!

The craft zips past the moon and curves back around on an intercept course with the Valiant. The Captain orders a Yellow Alert and raising of the shields. Scans determine that the craft has only one Gastrodian life-form aboard and it's power systems seem to acting erratically! Chief Riggs determines that the craft is indeed a warp capable ship, but something is terribly wrong.

The crew are all puzzled at how the Gastrodians could already be using warp tech so soon, but they feel that they should help as the craft is in obvious distress!

Just then the small ship collides with the port shield and careens off in a spin towards deep space! 

Riggs & Katz beaming over!

"That pilot will be killed for sure if we don't help Jim!" exclaims Dr. Katz.

The Captain orders Helm to match speed with the craft and to get a tractor beam on it as well.

Chief Riggs looks up from his scanner, "Their warp drive is overloading, I could shut it down if I were on board."

Captain Gideon turns to the Doctor, "Alright Katz looks like you get your chance to learn more about Gastrodian biology. I want you and Riggs to beam onto that ship now!"

Seconds later the Chief Engineer and Doctor find themselves on board the cramped ship with a seemingly unconscious pilot. They are able to get the ship under control and stabilize the small alien. Once impulse power is engaged the ship is brought in to the hangar bay on the Valiant. Dr. Katz helps the groggy pilot off his ship while Chief Riggs give the engines and warp core a good looking at. He feels something familiar, but cannot quite determine what it is. The Captain arrives in the hangar and suggests the Doctor take their new friend to sick bay, and he will meet him there shortly. Gideon then joins Riggs on the craft and asks the chief for an update.

Riggs relates his suspicion that there is more here than meets the eye. The Captain agrees and leaves the engineer to it as he turns to head for sick bay.

making a friend

Meanwhile on the bridge, Lt. Louvre has the Conn. and has put the Valiant back on scan mode of Gastrode Prime. The science officer alerts her to a strange reading they picked up in orbit of the planet. "It was there, then it was gone... it could be a sensor ghost as the planet has many small satellites in geosynchronus orbit. I'll run diagnostic to check."

In Sick bay the Captain and Dr. Katz are shocked to learn that the Gastrodian pilot is not only excited to meet aliens but he communicates in Federation standard. He introduces himself as Melonn, and thanks them for saving him and his experimental craft.

The Captain and Doctor are perplexed and ask Melonn a few questions, but the intercomm beeps and summons Gideon to the Bridge. "Keep an eye on our little friend Doctor."

Back in the alien craft, Chief Riggs has removed the warp manifold and made a shocking discovery!

"Good heavens! No wonder this tech seemed familiar!" Leaping to his feet the engineer races to the turbolift.

On the Bridge the Captain learns of the "sensor ghost" and the crew begin to suspect that something is surely going on here. "Have we picked up anything odd from Gastrode Prime?" inquires Capt. Gideon.

"This small installation on the coast of the main continent, is the only place with tech that matches the ship we have in our hangar. Otherwise everything else is where we expected them to be technologically." reports LT. Louvre.

Comms reports that the installation is broadcasting a signal seeking a confirmation of success from the small craft. "Should we reply sir?"

"Not just yet, there's something bothering me..." Gideon stares at the view screen.

The turbolift doors open and Riggs blurts out, "Captain, the gastrodian warp core! It has romulan technology in its design!"

Que dramatic music!!!

a plan is devised

The Captain calls for a conference with his crew, and they all work out a plan of action. There is no doubt that the Romulans are involved here, but how and to what extent is still unclear. They all decide that being open and honest with the Gastrodians is the best course. So Riggs will co-pilot the ship home with Melonn and the rest of them will form a Diplomatic party and beam down to the Launch center on Gastrode Prime.

Contact is made with the Gastrodian Launch center and co-ordinates for the landing party are confirmed. Melonn is overjoyed to have Riggs join him for the flight home and he looks forward to the crew meeting their leader and scientific genius Silgorn.

"Silgorn is singlehandedly responsible for developing our space-drive and as Technocrat of the Science Council they implemented the teaching of  your standard language to all our people in anticipation of meeting intelligent aliens such as yourselves." relays Melonn to the crew of the Valiant.

Once planetside, the crew are greeted by Silgorn the Gastrodian Technocrat. He is accompanied by a brutish looking gastrodian with a large sidearm. Though he is pleased the crew have returned both Melonn and the craft safely home, he seems quite uneasy about them staying for any extended time. During the conversation, Dr. Katz rather ineptly takes a bio-scan of the large gastrodian guard and makes another discovery! Silgorn is notably furious with the action of the Medical officer and demands the party cease what they are doing. The Doctor shows the scan to the party and they all see the guard is actually an altered Romulan!

meeting Silgorn

This information is relayed to Silgorn who does not seem surprised in the least, however Melonn is greatly confused and begs his leader to expalin. Before anything else can happen a female Romulan Commander reveals herself and claims dominion over the Gastrodian people in the name of the Star Empire! 

Commander Kul

Commander Kul's plot to usurp the first contact of the Gastrodians from the Federation by advancing their tech and education just enough to make them useful to the empire is figured out by the crew! the romulans activate a jamming screen over the Launch center so the landing party are unable to communicate or be beamed out by the Valiant. Commander Kul says her ship will destroy the Valiant for the glory of her empire!

Silgorn objects and wants a private meeting with Kul to decide the fate of the federation crew. They leave Melonn and the landing party under the guard of the altered gastrodian guard and go inside the Launch station.

The crew wastes no time springing into action, first taking out the guard in hand to hand combat and then splitting up to handle their situation. Albert and Riggs head into the station to deactivate the jammers and get in contact with the Valiant, while the Captain, Dr. katz, and Louvre go to face Silgorn and Commnder Kul!!

Romulan sentries were battled, equipment was deactivated! A phaser vs. disruptor battle was had in the command center! Just when the crew thought they had her Commander Kul was beamed out of their grasp and back to her own ship! 

Romulan D-7

From her ship Commander Kul threatened the Valiant with swift destruction at the hands of her crew, but Captain Gideon called her bluff and sent the furious Romulan packing! Her last words were "We shall meet again Gideon!"

THE END

Session 2 players

Stay tuned for more FAR TREK action!!

FAR TREK: PalmCon 2022 part 1

 PalmCon was back this year at the Palm Beach Convention center and so was FAR TREK!!!! I was invited to run games again at our local convention and was very excited to introduce the game to some new players.

I had 2 sessions that each ran about two and a half hours. I will now give you a highlight reel of both games. The Missions I used were pulled from the Star Trek Adventures Briefs: First Contacts PDF. This item is a free download from Modiphius Games, if interested the link is listed below.

https://modiphius.us/collections/star-trek-adventures-tabletop-rpg/products/star-trek-adventures-briefs-pdf-007-first-contacts-free-pdf

Session 1: First Contact - "Inner Workings"

The Starship Excalibur NCC-1705 finds itself in orbit around a Class L planet, where the crew are determining the viability of setting up a permanent mining facility. However the landing party have just made a remarkable discovery of ancient alien ruins that may be a clue to the planet being inhabited long ago.

Our Cast:

the ruins

Mara, Andorian 1st Officer - played by Camille

Dr. Jeffrey Cole "Doc" - played by Greg

Lt. Turnover, Andorian Helmsman - played Joe

Ensign Ivor, Edoan Security - played by Jessy

As the landing party investigated the ancient alien ruins they were able to determine that similar ruins have been found in nearby star systems. Speculating these lost people were a star faring race, and hoping to discover more Commander Mara orders the party to scan the area for more remnants of the alien culture. Soon the area is rocked by seismic activity that is so intense the ground opens up and swallows the crew whole!!!

Some time later Mara regains consciousness and discovers she is trapped alone in a small cavern. Her communicator signal is being jammed by the high concentration of minerals in the rock. Meanwhile "Doc" has organized Ivor and Turnover and they set about searching for the Commander. The three crewmen find themselves in a larger natural cavern dimly lit by phosphorescent geodes.  Using his tri-corder the Doctor discovers they are not alone in the cavern as multiple life forms are detected!!

trapped underground

The commander gives up on her communicator and starts banging a rock in an SOS pattern in hopes that her crewmates will detect this and dig her out. Light tremors shake the cavern and remind the landing party that they are in a precarious situation. Within minutes the crew locate a tumble of rubble from which the clack-clack-clack of rock on rock is heard. The use of phasers is deemed to dangerous here and physical activity is used to begin digging the trapped commander out instead. It is of course at this time that the life forms reveal themselves!!! 

A two meter long worm-like creature with lashing feelers that score rock slides from the darkness, and Lt. Turnover uses his phaser in an attempt to drive the thing off! However it takes multiple shots from both him and Ensign Ivor to make the creature retreat. At this same moment Mara comes face to face with another of the worms as it tunnels into the area where she is trapped, she uses her phaser as well but the tough crystal-like carapace of the creature seems to absorb the stunning blast. The worm lashes out with its feelers and tears into the flesh of the andorian officer. 

Ivor finally moves a large rock and clears room enough to drag the commander out the crevice in which she was trapped, and Lt. Turnover fires a blast that disintegrates the rampaging creature at the order of Mara.

A quick scan and a Hypo-shot from the doctor gets the Commander back in action, and she asks for a status report. The party are currently trapped an unknown distance below the planets surface in a series of natural caverns. They are surrounded by roaming worm-like creatures that are very resistant to stun settings, but can be driven off by them if hit with concentrated fire. The composition of the glowing geodes combined with other ionic minerals naturally present in the area are making full use of the communicators and tri-corders sketchy at best. Turnover relates that he was able to get a lock on a nearby energy source of artificial origin to the north of their current position underground.

With little else to go the party begin to navigate the underground caverns heading for the energy source and avoiding any more worms!

It's not long before the party hear the sound of lasers being fired and the sounds of someone in distress. Hurrying along the tunnel they party come upon a pair of alien humanoids under attck by a trio of the worms! Setting phasers for heavy stun Ivor, Turnover and Mara are able to drive the creatures off and Dr. Cole administers first aid to the wounded and scared aliens.

meeting new friends

Using their communicators and Tri-corder as a makeshift translator, the party are able to communicate with the aliens in very loose and broad terms. It seems the pair are headed to the "energy source" as well, and they seem to think the crew are members from other "Nodes" on a similar journey to make a request of the "Guardian" at the "Temple" to stop the tremors.

The group then travels the rest of the way together and soon they reach the source of the energy reading Lt. Turnover discovered earlier. The crew realize this is more than just a temple, it's a high tech geo-thermal power plant! Suddenly a figure emerges and the aliens drop to their knees and call out "Zakhus, Zakhus".

Zakhus reveals all.

Communication is tough going but the party determine that Zakhus is a caretaker/priest of the "Temple" as was the guardian before him etc. The party come to realize that over generations the knowledge to actually run and maintain the power plant has been replaced by a rote system of cleaning and verbal praise. The power plant is in dire need of physical maintenance and resetting of its systems, the tremors are a direct result of the systems being on the verge of failure!! Just then a horde of worms bursts on the scene heading for the plant and the alien pilgrims aided by Ivor and turnover must hold them off! Inside Mara and the Dr. Cole are faced with the task of convincing Zakhus they are not committing sacrilege by attempting to reset the systems of the power plant before a diverted magma vent backs up in a catastrophic eruption destroying everything in a thousand kilometer radius!!!

In the end the crew was successful in saving the everyone, and convincing Zakhus that they were "Guardians" from a different "Node" and showed him old and forgotten tasks to better care for his "Temple". They were soon able to locate a tunnel to the surface and be beamed back aboard the USS Excalibur.

The Landing Party, Session 1.

Next Post is Session 2 of FAR TREK at PalmCon 2022.