PROLOGUE - HOME, FINALLY
Following the Shengen events, the USS Swiftsure shoreleaves briefly at >> Carthage Colony. An Awards and Promotions ceremony to remember is held in a saloon of Canyon City. The crew bids goodbye to one of its longest standing members: Lt Commander Ethan Spencer, Second Officer and Chief Operations is finally given his chance at command and transfered to an XO position.
Bolian Conn officer Rella Rann builds on the surprising friendship started at >> Sixth Fleet Academy with scientist T'Lailara. Several romances bloom among the crew, most noticeably between Lt(jg) Geooffrey Ashton, Asst Chief of Operations and Caitian Yeoman V'Zara. Captain Paula Chapman and Marine DC Major Aloysius Stark find they form quite a good match themselves.
After
a few days, the crew starts on the last stretch of the journey towards
her new Area of Operations: >>Starbase
123 situated in an isolated portion of the Federation beyond
the corridor between the Romulan and Klingon Empire. Several new crewmembers
are assigned among which Security Officer Miho Okawa, Engineer ElsarraChar
sh’Shran and Doctor Cevik McCloud.
PART 1 - ALL I NEED IS A TALL SHIP... BUT DOES IT HAVE TO BE THAT ONE?
Arrival at SB 123 holds some surprises for the crew. Captain Paula Chapman takes part is a Sector Tactical Briefing for the week. Meanwhile Lt Commander Durek, acting XO is tasked with taking command of a ship called SS Ulante. The cargo ship was stopped by Starfleet while transporting cargo stolen from the Klingons. A rendez vous in space has been organized to hand back the ship and its important cargo.
For this mission, Durek selects a crew among the Senior Staff and Swiftsure officers and enlisted. Their first ship is to try and bring the SS Ulante up to space flight standards but as the rendez vous with the Klingons is moved up, they have no choice and leave the starbase before repairs are fully completed. Lt Commander Durek's first stint at command starts under less than favourable auspices.
PART 2 - THE WILD RIDE
Following several mishaps and a navigational computer failre, the SS
Ulante finds herself off course and going circles. As the malfunctions
spread through the computer core, the Ferengi CO is forced to make route
towards the nearest solar system with an M class planet in case they had
to make an emergency landing. Instead of an emergency landing, the SS
Ulante crashes for good in the middle of a swampy territory.
With communications down and supplies limited, the crew can only hope
that help won't be too long in coming. The Klingons however start looking
for them in the wrong place while the SS Ulante couldn't be in a worst
one: the local wildlife is entirely too interested n the visitors.
PART 3 - A TASTE OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT
To complicate matters, just as the crew organizes the wait, a container
full of chemical ruptures and forces them to evacuate the ship. The Marines
face down the local apex predator which turns out to be one part dinosaur,
four parts teeth and a whole lot determned unimpressed by these exotic
preys. After Major Stark kills one to save his life, Lt Commander Durek
decides enough is enough. Holes are blown in the ship's hull to vent the
chemicals and give the crew some shelter as they head back inside.
The Klingons make a timely arrival and take the crew back to SB 123 aboard
two Birds of Prey. More of an interesting time ensues for the SS Ulante
crew as they learn to make friends the Klingon way!
Ferengi Acting XO Lt Commander Durek finds upon arrival at the Starbase
that contrarily to his beliefs, his 'failed' mission proved to be enough
of a success in the eye of Starfleet to be deemed a successful conclusion
to his command training and internship. He is now a Command graduate slated
to receive a Captain's Star award on top.
The crew, some of which had arrived just in time for the SS Ulante adventure,
relaxes and mingles. Captain Chapman has to announce Major Stark that
his father died in a shuttle accident that he believes to be murder organized
as a revenge from his old foe Kurg. When Aloysius Stark sets out to avenge
his father's murder, he is shadowed by Paula Chapman, determined to protect
him no matter the cost with help from Counsellor Alejandro Mateo. While
Stark locks in combat with Kurg, Chapman storms the facility and liberates
Jeremiah Stark who turns out to be still alive. All make a narrow escape
during which Kurg is killed and his ship the Targ's Tooth is destroyed.
The Klingon Empire is relieved to be rid of a dishonourable Klingon but
SB 123's CO, Commodore Brandon Farrell is less than enthused by Chapman
playing commando off the records.
Far from the adventurous assignments the crew was hoping for in this area of space, the USS Swiftsure leaves dock with a mission to spend the next few months charting and exploring uninhabited solar systems for their mining potential.
