Captain’s Log Part One — Sudden Subspace Eruptions
Personal log, supplemental. After some delays, I’m finally on my way to my new posting, the USS Ottawa, NCC 61325. She’s a Cheyenne-class starship usually assigned to rapid-response crisis situations, but for the next two months, she’s on an exploration mission in a sector “above” current Federation space. Myself and two other new members of Ottawa’s crew are arriving via one of the runabouts also newly assigned to Ottawa.
You’re taking the USS Rideau—a Danube-class runabout—to meet up with your starship, the USS Ottawa in a sector on a relative “higher Z” on the galactic plane above Federation space, which Ensign Jenna Stiles tells you many of the crew have jokingly begun referring to as “Up North.”
Like a lot of shuttle trips, it’s mostly been made up of a whole lot of nothing, but the Rideau at least has a comfortable seating area to pass the time when you’re not taking a turn at the helm.
Ensign Stiles stands up from the table where you’ve been seated for the last half-hour. It’s Stiles’s turn to take the helm from Ensign T’Rin, though Stiles doesn’t look particularly excited.
“Shuttle runs are never particularly interesting, are they?” she says.
Which is, of course, when something slams at the shuttle—hard.
The two of you join T’Rin in Rideau’s cockpit and watch as the Vulcan ensign shifts the runabout’s path around jagged, dark-red eruptions of some sort of energy ahead of you. Apparently, whatever those are, you already hit one, and are no longer at warp. The damaging, angular strands are in motion, and you appear to be in the midst of a snarl of them.
Multiple warning lights report damage across multiple systems.
“Well, that’s not great,” Stiles says.
“Indeed,” T’Rin says.
Friday—Test One: Some Daring ManeuversIt’s clear those “twists” are bad for the runabout, so as you see it, you’ve got two choices: some daring maneuvers to get out of the patch of whatever-they-are (DARING + CONN; Potential Focuses: Helm Operations, Small Craft), or doing what you can to modulate and reinforce the shields so any further impacts don’t further damage Rideau (CONTROL + SECURITY; Potential Focuses: Shield Modulation, Small Craft).
If you choose the daring maneuvers route, you need to make a DARING + CONN test. Take your Daring Attribute score and your Conn Discipline score and add them together, creating your Target Number. Roll two twenty-sided dice (2d20) and compare them to the Target Number. You’re trying to roll a number equal to or lower than the Target Number on at least one of the twenty sided dice.
If one of your rolls is below the Target Number, read Test One: Daring Maneuvers Success! below. If both of your rolls are below the Target Number, read Test One: Daring Maneuvers Momentum!below. If neither of your rolls were below the Target Number, read Test One: Daring Maneuvers Failure! below.
Test One: Daring Maneuvers Success!
Thanks to some clever flying at low-impulse alongside thrusters, Rideau bobs and weaves its way through the crackling, jagged bursts of destructive energy with only one more glancing impact—though even that sends Ensign Stiles tumbling off her feet behind you. Eventually, the dull red glow that filled the cockpit of the runabout fades, and you’ve put some real distance between the runabout and the strands of twisting energy.
Your quick reaction has definitely saved Rideau from taking too much further damage. Now you have some time to really take stock of the situation. The alerts continue to sound on the display between the two front consoles. Those two impacts already did some real damage, and it’s time to assess the situation.
o[Mark down a checkmark in Box 1 on your Mission Tracker to note your first success! If you also have the Helm Operations or Small Craft Focus, and your roll was equal to or less than your Conn Discipline, read Runabout Sensor Logs below. Otherwise, when you’re ready, you can move on to Part Two.]
Test One: Daring Maneuvers Momentum!
Some people are born to fly. Doing so at low-impulse, alongside some perhaps-not-entirely-by-the-book utilization of the thrusters, Rideau bobs, zags, and weaves its way through the crackling, jagged bursts of destructive energy without another impact—though even that sends Ensign Stiles tumbling off her feet behind you. Eventually, the dull red glow that filled the cockpit of the runabout fades, and you’ve put some real distance between the runabout and the strands of twisting energy.
Your skill and quick reaction has definitely saved Rideau from taking further damage. Now you have some time to really take stock of the situation. The alerts continue to sound on the display between the two front consoles. That initial impact already did some real damage, and it’s time to assess the situation.
[Mark down a checkmark in Box 1 on your Mission Tracker to note your first success, and then put a checkmark in the Momentum Box! During a future test, you can erase your Momentum checkmark to re-roll one of your dice. If you also have the Helm Operations or Small Craft Focus, and your roll was equal to or less than your Conn Discipline, read Runabout Sensor Logs below. Otherwise, when you’re ready, you can move on to Part Two.]
Runabout Sensor Logs
Despite the situation, you are a Starfleet Officer and you take a moment to have Ensign T’Rin download all the sensor logs from the impact with the distortion, backing them up onto to a PADD, given the damage the runabout has taken. The Vulcan officer transfers the data just a moment before the sensor logs suffer a system failure.
“Your instinct was correct,” T’Rin says.
[Mark a checkmark by Runabout Sensor Logs under Advantages. When you’re ready, you can move on to Part Two.]
Test One: Daring Maneuvers Failure!
The jagged shards of energy seem drawn to Rideau, and despite some inspired flying at low-impulse and some perhaps not-entirely-by-the-book use of thrusters, Rideau takes a few more strikes of the twists, each one harder than the last. Ensigns T’Rin and Stiles both bounce around inside the cockpit, though you manage to hold onto your station.
Eventually, the dull red glow that filled the cockpit of the runabout fades, and you’ve put some real distance between the runabout and the strands of twisting energy.
Rideau made it through. Now you have some time to really take stock of the situation. The alerts continue to sound on the display between the two front consoles. Those impacts did some real damage, and it’s time to assess just how bad the situation is.
[Mark an X in Box 1 on your Mission Tracker to note a failure. When you’re ready, you can move on to Part Two.]
Friday—Test One: Modulate and Reinforce ShieldsIf you choose the modulating and reinforcing shields route, you need to make a CONTROL + SECURITY test. Take your Control Attribute score and your Security Discipline score and add them together, creating your Target Number. Roll two twenty-sided dice (2d20) and compare them to the Target Number. You’re trying to roll a number equal to or lower than the Target Number on at least one of the twenty sided dice.
If one of your rolls is below the Target Number, read Test One: Modulate Shields Success! below. If both of your rolls are below the Target Number, read Test One: Modulate Shields Momentum!below. If neither of your rolls were below the Target Number, read Test One: Modulate Shields Failure! below.
Test One: Modulate Shields Success!
Despite two more glancing impacts from the crackling, jagged bursts of destructive energy, Rideaumanages to make its way through, though one hit is rough enough it sends Ensign Stiles tumbling off her feet behind you. Eventually, the dull red glow that filled the cockpit of the runabout fades, and you’ve put some real distance between the runabout and the strands of twisting energy.
Your quick thinking definitely saved Rideau from taking too much further damage—though even with all the fine-tuning, the shields are almost gone. Now you have some time to really take stock of the situation. The alerts continue to sound on the display between the two front consoles. That first impact—and the ones you managed to mostly deflect—still did some real damage, and it’s time to assess the situation.
[Mark down a checkmark in Box 1 on your Mission Tracker to note your first success! If you also have the Shield Modulation or Small Craft Focus, and your roll was equal to or less than your Security Discipline, read Runabout Sensor Logs below. Otherwise, when you’re ready, you can move on to Part Two.]
Test One: Modulate Shields Momentum!
As fast as the twists of energy lash past the hull of Rideau, you manage to redirect more power into the shields and shift the modulation to create what you believe will be more protection for the runabout. One of the glancing impacts from the crackling, jagged burst of destructive energy is rough enough it sends Ensign Stiles tumbling off her feet behind you, but eventually, the dull red glow that filled the cockpit of the runabout fades, and you’ve put some real distance between the runabout and the strands of twisting energy.
Your quick thinking definitely saved Rideau from taking much in the way of further damage—though even with all the fine-tuning, the shields are barely above half-power. Now you have some time to really take stock of the situation. The alerts continue to sound on the display between the two front consoles. That first impact still did some real damage, and it’s time to assess the situation.
[Mark down a checkmark in Box 1 on your Mission Tracker to note your first success, and then put a checkmark in the Momentum Box! During a future test, you can erase your Momentum checkmark to re-roll one of your dice. If you also have the Shield Modulation or Small Craft Focus, and your roll was equal to or less than your Security Discipline, read Runabout Sensor Logs below. Otherwise, when you’re ready, you can move on to Part Two.]
Runabout Sensor Logs
Despite the situation, you are a Starfleet Officer and you take a moment to have Ensign T’Rin download all the sensor logs from the impact with the distortion, backing them up onto to a PADD, given the damage the runabout has taken. The Vulcan officer transfers the data just a moment before the sensor logs suffer a system failure.
“Your instinct was correct,” T’Rin says.
[Mark a checkmark by Runabout Sensor Logs under Advantages. When you’re ready, you can move on to Part Two.]
Test One: Modulate Shields Failure!
The jagged shards of energy seem drawn to Rideau, and despite your best efforts to keep the shields powered and modulated to take the brunt of the discharges, Rideau takes a few more strikes of the twists, each one harder than the last. Ensigns T’Rin and Stiles both bounce around inside the cockpit, though you manage to hold onto your station.
Eventually, the dull red glow that filled the cockpit of the runabout fades, and you’ve put some real distance between the runabout and the strands of twisting energy.
Rideau made it through—though her shields are completely gone. Now you have some time to really take stock of the situation. The alerts continue to sound on the display between the two front consoles. Those impacts did some real damage, and it’s time to assess just how bad the situation is.
[Mark an X in Box 1 on your Mission Tracker to note a failure. When you’re ready, you can move on to Part Two.]
