1. Home
  2. Starboard Watch

Starboard Watch Member

Jolly Tar

Avatar of Starboard Watch
  • Last Seen: 5 mos ago
  • Joined: 6 yrs ago
  • Posts: 204 (0.09 / day)
  • VMs: 0
  • Username history
    1. Starboard Watch 6 yrs ago
  • Latest 10 profile visitors:

Status

Recent Statuses

6 yrs ago
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
7 likes
6 yrs ago
O hear us when we cry to Thee for those in peril on the sea.
5 likes

Bio

User has no bio, yet

Most Recent Posts

In Star Trek: The New Order → 6 yrs ago Forum: The Gallery
CHARACTERS


COMMANDING OFFICER, CAPTAIN STRENN

EXECUTIVE OFFICER, COMMANDER UDRUS AHRUME

COMMAND MASTER CHIEF, COMMAND MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER BYN CH'OVIAVAL


CHIEF ENGINEER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HORST MEYER

CHIEF OF OPERATIONS, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ANCELIN TREMBLAY


CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROKUUA


CHIEF TACTICS OFFICER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER CONAAR VUVIAS


CHIER SCIENCE OFFICER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER PADRAIG O'SULLIVAN


CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER REXA AVUREM


COMMANDER OF ALPHA COMPANY, 1/7TH MARINES, MAJOR IMPISI GWALA

In Star Trek: The New Order → 6 yrs ago Forum: The Gallery
FACT FILES

More will be posted as I write them.

















In Star Trek: The New Order → 6 yrs ago Forum: The Gallery

THE STATE OF EMPIRE, 2387


STAR TREK: THE NEW ORDER

DISCORD


Peace reigns in the Quadrant. A triumphant Federation has destroyed the mortal enemy of Freedom, the Dominion, and sent it back across the wormhole from where it came, and now stands as the predominant power in the region. Their century-long enemy, the hardfought foe of Cardassia, has been brought to heel and, with an allied - cynics might say puppet - government, they are no longer a thorn on the side of Starfleet. Relations with the Klingon Empire, disregarding the usual border disputes and brazen acts of individual privateers, have never been higher. Even the Romulan Empire, shrouded behind the veil of the Neutral Zone, has been making overtures of peace and reconciliation. Optimistic scholars say that reunification with Vulcan is possible within a generation. And all of this is to the direct benefit of the Federation, which in the wake of the Dominion War has swelled to a size never seen before. In other words, the Federation stands unchallenged in its corner of the Galaxy. It seems that the Eternal Peace, which billions of men and women gave their lives for in dozens of star systems and fleet actions, was a dream that was worth fighting for. It is now not only a dream, but a reality made possible by their sacrifice. Post-War prosperity rings in good times throughout the Federation, as Starfleet returns to its normal mission of exploration after being on war footing for almost ten years. It seems that life, after such chaos and destruction, is finally returning to normal.

But it is soon all about to change.

Disjointed and oft contradictory reports begin flooding the listening posts along the Neutral Zone, the officers manning the post not used to such activity from the usually secretive and paranoid Empire. Not much is able to be made out of the chaotic transmissions, except visions of an Apocalypse drawing near. As more reports fly in, the picture comes into focus. The worst fears of Starfleet are confirmed when a Romulan Warbird decloaks on the Federation side of the Neutral Zone, asking for asylum for their crew:

Romulus has been destroyed, and the Romulan Empire is disintegrating by the minute.

The various client states and slave races once kept in check by the military might of the Emperor are unleashed upon the dying Empire. The Remans, not having tasted independence since Man discovered fire on Earth, raise up the standards of their ancient Kingdom. But there are many claimants to the Obsidian Throne, each with their own men to draw upon. The Nausicaans, the Vronnuks, the Troknai, and the thousand other slave races once subject to oppressive Romulan rule too raise their banners in rebellion, but only time will tell if their struggle for independence will succeed.

The Romulan Government, having been decapitated by the loss of Romulus, scrambles to find itself in the swirling mess of the Empire. A Provisional Council, set up along Federation ideals of representative democracy - or at least a Romulan conception of it - is formed and quickly finds itself in contact with the Federation, seeking aid in the coming civil strife. Elsewhere, warlords with their squadrons roam the Empire, a headless army without a leader or a mission. They tear through star systems, looking for purpose but finding only loot and bloodshed. Rumors roll throughout the remnants of the Romulan Star Navy that, somewhere deep in Imperial space, the Empire continues on with a relative of the last Emperor on the throne, and is preparing itself for the restoration of the Empire.

It is clear to all the powers in the region that the vacuum caused by the destabilization of the Empire can only mean one thing. War is coming. The Klingons mobilize their military forces and begin sending punitive expeditions into the fractured and weakened Imperium, exacting revenge for crimes done onto their people. Squadrons of birds-of-prey and cruisers fly from their bases, bloodlust in their eyes as they descend upon the defenseless Romulan colonies.

Frantically, the 12th Fleet - normally kept in reserve for anti-piracy operations, is deployed to the Neutral Zone to deal with the incoming refugee crisis and, ostensibly, to keep the peace. One of these ships, practically rushed out of the drydock, is the USS Vigilance, an aged Ambassador-class starship in drydock for extended repairs. The crew is picked from those on temporary duty assignment and those awaiting transfer orders and, with a brief shakedown cruise to the Neutral Zone the only thing to prepare them, are sent out to enforce the Federation's ideals of Freedom, Democracy, and Liberty.

Or, at least, that is what they believe. For the dawn of a New Galactic Order is peaking over the Milky Way Horizon, and it can be stopped by no man.

Setting the Stage


This story begins roughly a few weeks after the destruction of Romulus, as depicted in the first reboot Star Trek movie. The Federation is the dominant power, by a significant margin, in the wake of its dual victory over the Dominion and Cardassia. Much has changed in the culture of Starfleet and the Federation due to the wars of chaotic war and strife, but things are beginning to look bright until this terrible tragedy occurs that, for better and for worse, totally reorients the balance of power in this troubled region of space.

This story will follow the Command Staff - the Ship's Company - of the USS Vigilance, which I will detail its service record in its own "character sheet" below. She is an older class ship, rushed out of the drydocks to take part in this operation. This will be the first time these characters will have served together, and it will be the first time they are ever aboard this vessel. The Vigilance is being deployed on a peacekeeping mission in Romulan space closest to the Federation and Klingon border zones. Most of this region of space is uncharted by the Federation and thus this story will feature both the exploration part of Star Trek, and greater political overtones as well.

I am changing a lot of things in this story in regards to Starfleet's structure as a military organization. For the sake of the RP, pretend as though this was always the case, and that Starfleet always had enlisted personnel and such. I suppose it is my biggest gripe and I intend to totally change it up. Under the hider below is the rank structure of Starfleet personnel E-1 through E-9:



Another thing that I will be altering is the uniforms. We can pretend as though Starfleet, true to its traditions rooted in the United States Navy, is altering its uniforms again for all servicemen. This time it's a total shuffle in regards to learning lessons in the Dominion War. In the hiders below, I will link these uniforms and their intended usage. This is mainly for your own visualization and to ease my discomfort on the idea of Starfleet personnel working pretty much their entire time in service uniforms. I mean, who does maintenance in a service uniform?


In addition to this, I will be introducing the Starfleet Marine Corps. I will detail their history and such in the Fact Files post below, but for now I will post the ship's compliment of Marines, their uniforms, and weapons


A final piece of the puzzle is the main character of this story, the ship herself. Below, in the hider, I've taken the liberty of writing up a partial story of our faithful old ship:

In Star Trek: The New Order → 6 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
@Gunther Sounds good to me. I cleaned up some things edit-wise (removing the last bits of the Borg) and made it fit the rest of the system, and posted it with the rest of the characters. I actually posted your Marine contingent (my only edits being HM instead of HC for the Corpsman because it triggered me, and adding a surname to the Romulan to fit my RP convention. nothing else changed tho) Major Gwala was meant to be more as an outline for you follow rather than a replacement character.

As a note to everyone else, make sure to note that some of your characters are "colonials" and from the outer frontier in some cases. I'll leave it up to the player to determine whether or not your colonial characters are from long-settled worlds now considered "core worlds" or from relatively-recent frontier colonies. Keep this in mind as we progress. It'll be important to the plot for sure.
In Star Trek: The New Order → 6 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay

I heard my country calling, away across the sea,
Across the waste of waters, she calls and calls to me.
Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head,
And around her feet are lying the dying and the dead;
I hear the noise of battle, the thunder of the guns;
I haste to thee, my mother, a son among thy sons.


CHAPTER ONE: THE ROMULAN CRISIS


Somewhere near the Neutral Zone
USS VIGILANCE
STARDATE 64607

"-Romulan refugee ships have begun to filter across the Neutral Zone. Starfleet ships have been dispatched to assist in aid operations, which is becoming the greatest humanitarian crisis of the Alpha Quadrant's history. Here with us is-"

"-Defense Minister Thuzok Rossah has announced that the joint Klingon-Federation task force has entered Romulan space and is proceeding to make contact with the Romulan Provisional Government in the Hasseleh system. The Romulan Provisional Government consists of former sen-"

"-in soccer , Vulcan has beat Earth 5-4 in the third round of the Federation Cup. They will proceed onto play the Saurians in the next match tomorrow. We'll now take it to T'Pra for the latest stock exchan-"

Captain Strenn switched off the newsreader. It was all too much. He sat in silence in his ready room, the stars streaming past the large window above the settee. A cup of herbal tea, made from leaves grown in the arid deserts of the Forge, was slowly losing its warmth on the table before him. The Vulcan Captain's mind was racing, far faster than he could handle with his nearly five decades of carefully constructed mental walls. His father would be utterly ashamed that his eldest son could not keep his emotions in check, but how could he? Strenn had been aboard the T'Kumbra, in fact had been her Executive Officer, when it was destroyed on that fateful day above Cardassia. Captain Solok, that brave officer, went down with the ship and with most of the crew. Strenn, for his bravery, was promoted to Captain and awarded the highest award the Federation can bestow. Strenn, however, considered it an insult, even contemplated on resigning his commission. But that would not logical, since Starfleet needed experienced officers now more than ever.

And so that's what brought him to this lofty position as a Commanding Officer of a cruiser, no matter how aged she might be. It was a high responsibility to be a starship captain, and he felt the pressure sit heavily upon his shoulders now that he was sitting in the central seat. But the question "What would Solok do?" raged in his mind every time he made a decision, even if it was 'Boats, ahead warp five.' Solok was a true Starfleet officer, and more, he was a true Vulcan. Strenn, on the other hand, was only a fair facsimile.

The great pressure of being a starship captain weighed even more knowing that the Vigilance would be a high-profile ship, certainly subjected to scrutiny from the highest levels of Starfleet. The actions that the 12th Fleet, now temporarily renamed the Joint Federation-Klingon Peacekeeping Task Force for the Romulan Empire - or simply the Joint Task Force, would take - or not take - would be analyzed from every angle. The stakes were incredibly high, and for Strenn, it seemed too much.

Why had he come back to Starfleet at all? The Vulcan Diplomatic Institute had even offered him a tenured teaching position, disregarding his youthful rejection of the stuffy university for the future in the stars that Starfleet promised. It certainly wasn't the money, for he had enough of that, and it wasn't because he enjoyed space, because he had seen enough of it. He found it difficult to isolate exactly why, in the churning waters of his mind. The storm continued to rage and send electric bolts flying every-which-way in his brain, with no end in sight.

The door buzzed, breaking through the clouded thoughts of the Vulcan captain.

"Enter."

***


Commander Udrus Ahrume, Executive Officer of USS Vigilance, entered into the ready room of his Commanding Officer. It would be his first time meeting face-to-face with Captain Strenn, who had suspiciously secluded himself in the two weeks that they had been on the ship, getting the heavy cruiser shook down in preparation for what the papers were now calling "Operation Vanguard," the largest peacekeeping mission in known history. It sounded like horse-shit to him, but what did he know?

"Good afternoon, sir," Commander Udrus stood at attention as he entered into the cramped ready room, which was little more than an office desk, a settee with a coffee table, and a replicator mounted to a wall. Nothing adorned those walls, typically spartan as most Vulcans tended to be. Udrus made notes of his surroundings as he stood in those brief seconds before reporting, and did a glance down upon his own uniform. His Service Uniform was immaculate, pressed with no lint or dust hairs, and his shoes were so polished you could see the streaking stars on the toes. Not that if mattered if he was unsat, since he couldn't change it by then anyway, "We've crossed the Neutral Zone, and entered Romulan Space."

The Vulcan looked up from his gaze, firmly locked on the tea cup sitting on the table, and locked eyes with his First Officer. Commander Udrus, though no telepath, knew the thoughts running through that analytical Vulcan's mind. He would, by now, be recalling that this Bajoran Rebel-turned-Starfleet Officer had a track record the size of some small holonovels, most of all that damned business on the Albatross with that Cardie frigate.

If the Vulcan asked for an explanation, he mused to himself, then he would simply tell him that he only regretted that he did not kill the lot of them when he had the chance.

But instead of demanding that he explained in detail why he hated the Cardassian Race so much, the Vulcan simply rose to his feet and spoke one word, "Good...." and without further discussion led the way back onto the bridge. Udrus noted, in the back of his mind, that this Vulcan was perhaps the most peculiar he had ever known. Even more strange than that bastard Stavath.

One thing was certain, Vulcans were hard to get along with, and even harder to understand.

***


Of all the things he would wish to deal with, a Disciplinary Review Board was certainly not one of them. The CMC hated those, even more so than when he was a junior sailor. Now on the inside looking out, it was such a tedious process and almost wholly unnecessary. A show of theatrics that younger chiefs and senior chiefs indulged in, that he found no similar need to do.

The latest was that of Yeoman, Third Class Daniel Joachimshalter. The recently-frocked Petty Officer made a fool of himself while on duty, sneaking off to his berthing and nipping at some smuggled whiskey he brought aboard. When assuming his watch station, the sailor he was relieving immediately smelled the alcohol on his breath and reported it to their LPO, who escalated the situation to necessitate a DRB. Ultimately, and all but assured, YN3 Joachimshalter was recommended for an XOI board, where CMC Ch'oviaval would have to see his face again. And surely after that, he would see him once more at Captain's Mast, when that same Third Class would get placed on liberty restriction, half months' pay, and the host of other punishments that could be meted out.

As the CMC made his way up from the Third Deck, where the DRB had taken place, to the Bridge, he thought about some of the more unusual punishments he had seen given to sailors while in Starfleet. There was that one time on the Idaho, when his LPO, BM1 Conta, had been caught running a gambling ring in his berthing. Instead of giving him the normal restriction, half months' pay, and Extra Military Instruction, BM1 Conta had his designated replicator meals restricted to bread and water only for a month.

CMC Ch'oviaval smiled to himself, remembering those bygone times with some fondness. Whatever happened to that old Tellarite anyway? Surely, he was either a CMC like Byn or out of Starfleet entirely by now. Perhaps, though, he was one of the untold billions who did not survive the Dominion onslaught which claimed so many.

The CMC entered the Bridge just as the official hand-off of the Watch from the Officer of the Deck to Captain Strenn was concluded, so his entrance was unnoticed except by the glances of some of the petty officers manning their stations. Certainly none of the junior - or for that matter senior - officers noticed the Command Master Chief enter. Not that he minded much anyway.

Captain Strenn, standing to the right of the Captain's chair but for some reason refusing to take a seat, turned towards the Communications Station, where Chief Operations Specialist Kernaghan was awaiting his orders, "Chief, put Courageous through."

"Aye, aye, sir." OSC Kernaghan replied simply and obediently, and with a slight move of hand, the viewscreen that once showed stars was replaced with the bridge of the Sovereign-class starship, the flagship of the Task Force. At the center of the screen was Commodore Doma, a grizzled Bolian and a veteran of the War. Vigilance must have been the last to connect, for shortly after he was put on the viewscreen the Commodore began his speech.

"All Starfleet and Federation vessels, we are about to undertake a mission unlike any other in the Alpha Quadrant's history. The eyes of thousands of species are upon you today, the hopes and dreams of billions of souls depending upon your adherence to duty. I expect every sailor in my task force to be model Starfleet servicemembers, and to act in accordance with the Starfleet Creed. We represent the Federation, and we cannot let these people down. Captains, you will receive a coded transmission detailing your specific operational goals." The Commodore paused, "I wish you all the best of luck. Godspeed!"

The screen was replaced by the eternal starscape of deep space, displaying a region of space that had not been traveled by Starfleet since the days of the Earth-Romulan War. "I'll be in my ready room. Commander, you have the bridge." Strenn rose, and without doing the formal trade-off of the Watch with the Executive Officer, disappeared into his ready room as quickly as he had come onto the bridge. The bridge staff was stupefied by the quick disappearance of their Captain into the ready room, none moreso than Ch'oviaval, who had been used to ostentatious and eccentric Captains using every opportunity to "show their feathers."

The strangeness of the incident, however, was quickly lost as the bridge staff returned to duty. Except the CMC, who locked eyes with the XO as both seemed unsure of what to do next.
In Star Trek: The New Order → 6 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no questions, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.


Presidential Mansion
Lake Victoria, African Region
Earth, Sol System, Sector 001
United Federation of Planets

The halls of the Presidential Mansion rung with the thousand frantic calls of what had happened across the Neutral Zone, the President insisting on status updates every fifteen minutes. He summoned the Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, and the Chief of Starfleet Operations. All the communiques which filtered out of from the Neutral Zone confirmed the same thing.

Romulus was no more.

President James Aquilina, elected as a reformer who would move the Federation out from the shadow of the Dominion War, with all its chaos and strife, and into a new age of prosperity and peace, could only thing of one thing. How much it would affect him on the polls. A refugee crisis? Destabilization of the Quadrant? The end of the Congress of Bajor? That all meant he would be confirmed to a single, terrible term. History would forget him, lost in a sea of Presidents, nameless to all except a few studious bookworms.

He, his ministers, the CSO, and the Klingon Ambassador - brought to the Mansion by the CSO’s insistence - gathered in the war room at his mansion overlooking the grand Lake Victoria. The view, which commanded a stunning view of the Alexandra Nile as it flowed into the illustrious lake, was Aquilina’s favorite, and he wondered how much longer he would be able to enjoy this sight.

“We must send some kind of force into the Romulan Star Empire, or what remains of it, before it falls into total and complete anarchy. That will not be good for anyone, not us, not the Klingon Empire, and certainly not the Romulan people. A whole stretch of space, fallen to piracy and warlords! We cannot allow that!” Grand Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, Chief of Starfleet Operations, declared. It had been eight years since the event on the Enterprise-E, deep in Romulan space, brought him from the captain’s chair to an admiral’s desk, “Ambassador Torak, surely the Klingon Empire agrees?”

“The Klingon Empire must not have chaos on her borders! If the Federation is willing to enforce order, then we likewise will send our own force into Romulan space,” Torak concurred with Picard’s view, even if they had a different outlook on what that intervention force would be doing, “Is Starfleet up to the challenge, Picard? To fight these Romulan petaQs as they are pushed against a wall? Is today a good day to die?”

“Ambassador, if the Federation does get involved, it will be for humanitarian aid and peacekeeping only,” Foreign Minister Ramadhani Shamasdin spoke up, after deliberating his words carefully, “the Federation will not take part in a campaign of retribution and conquest of what remains of the Romulan Empire.”

Ambassador Torak simply scoffed and sipped at his glass of water, turning his gaze towards the Lake and refusing to answer. Picard looked over and, seeing the President looking disinterestedly in the same direction, began to speak towards him, “Mr. President, I must ask you to forget your notions of retaining power. Right now, it is the time to act, a time to step up to what your office stands for. You represent the United Federation of Planets, the greatest force for good the Galaxy has ever seen, and you must not allow billions of lifeforms to be swept into civil war and chaos.”

“Admiral Picard, if I may interject….” Defense Minister Thuzok Rossah butted in, “I don’t believe we have the resources to commit to another full-scale conflict, which this will surely spiral into. Who knows what’s beyond Romulan space! Or what’s in it, for that matter! They’ve never let us know the true number of client races within their Empire. We have no reason to do anything except increase security along the Neutral Zone.”

“And if we do that, Mr. Rossah, we’ll only be delaying the inevitable flood of refugees. It will be like the Hunnic hordes storming across the Rhine and into Rome. Do you wish to be the one who causes that, Defense Minister?” Picard looked from the Defense Minister and turned his gaze towards the President, “Or you, Mr. President? If not, you must act decisively and you must act now.”

“Alright, Jean-Luc…” Aquilina murmured, after spending what seemed like an eternity in silent thought, “You always are a bully when it comes to getting what you want, but you always have a point…” He chuckled dryly, “you’ll get your task force, Picard. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me…” Aquilina gestured to his two ministers, “we have a press conference to prepare for. FBN is going to tear us to shreds…”

As the President and his ministers left, Picard walked over towards the large panoramic windows, admiring the still relatively untouched beauty of Africa. A flock of white-bellied storks flew in the distance, gliding over the waters of Lake Victoria, “Admiral Picard, you have great honor. Your reputation is well-known throughout the Empire,” Torak spoke from behind Picard, still nursing his glass of water, “it is a privilege to meet you.”

“As you, Ambassador,” Picard nodded, turning around to face the Klingon, “your fleet action at Ioya V during the War was astounding. I remember reading the after-action reports and…”

“Enough of my track record, Admiral,” Torak smiled, cutting off Picard with a wave of his hand, “We have a problem, that only men who have tasted combat will ever see…” He had Picard’s attention, “The Romulan space must be absorbed into our states. There is no other option. It is a simple fact, that no one wants to come out and say! Oh, how you Federation types love your word games. Whatever we do, peacekeeping and securing space, just delays when we must face up to that fact.”

“They will be admitted into the Federation if they so choose, Ambassador…” Picard spoke, but he knew the Klingon spoke wisdom.

“As your War Advisor pointed out, there is much out there that we do not know of.” Torak paused, and then turned his gaze towards the lake, “This view reminds me of my home. Except there, it is much more beautiful.”
In Star Trek: The New Order → 6 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
CHARACTERS


COMMAND STAFF: @Starboard Watch
COMMANDING OFFICER, CAPTAIN STRENN

EXECUTIVE OFFICER, COMMANDER UDRUS AHRUME

COMMAND MASTER CHIEF, COMMAND MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER BYN CH'OVIAVAL


SHIP'S OPERATIONS: @CaptainBritton
CHIEF ENGINEER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HORST MEYER

CHIEF OF OPERATIONS, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ANCELIN TREMBLAY


COMBAT SYSTEMS: @Ruby
CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROKUUA


CHIEF TACTICS OFFICER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER CONAAR VUVIAS


SCIENCES: @ReedeThe23rd
CHIER SCIENCE OFFICER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER PADRAIG O'SULLIVAN


CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER REXA AVUREM


MARINE CONTINGENT: @Gunther
COMMANDER OF ALPHA COMPANY, 1/1ST MARINES, MAJOR KURT WATKINS

In Star Trek: The New Order → 6 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
FACT FILES

More will be posted as I write them.

















In Star Trek: The New Order → 6 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay

THE STATE OF EMPIRE, 2387


STAR TREK: THE NEW ORDER

DISCORD


Peace reigns in the Quadrant. A triumphant Federation has destroyed the mortal enemy of Freedom, the Dominion, and sent it back across the wormhole from where it came, and now stands as the predominant power in the region. Their century-long enemy, the hardfought foe of Cardassia, has been brought to heel and, with an allied - cynics might say puppet - government, they are no longer a thorn on the side of Starfleet. Relations with the Klingon Empire, disregarding the usual border disputes and brazen acts of individual privateers, have never been higher. Even the Romulan Empire, shrouded behind the veil of the Neutral Zone, has been making overtures of peace and reconciliation. Optimistic scholars say that reunification with Vulcan is possible within a generation. And all of this is to the direct benefit of the Federation, which in the wake of the Dominion War has swelled to a size never seen before. In other words, the Federation stands unchallenged in its corner of the Galaxy. It seems that the Eternal Peace, which billions of men and women gave their lives for in dozens of star systems and fleet actions, was a dream that was worth fighting for. It is now not only a dream, but a reality made possible by their sacrifice. Post-War prosperity rings in good times throughout the Federation, as Starfleet returns to its normal mission of exploration after being on war footing for almost ten years. It seems that life, after such chaos and destruction, is finally returning to normal.

But it is soon all about to change.

Disjointed and oft contradictory reports begin flooding the listening posts along the Neutral Zone, the officers manning the post not used to such activity from the usually secretive and paranoid Empire. Not much is able to be made out of the chaotic transmissions, except visions of an Apocalypse drawing near. As more reports fly in, the picture comes into focus. The worst fears of Starfleet are confirmed when a Romulan Warbird decloaks on the Federation side of the Neutral Zone, asking for asylum for their crew:

Romulus has been destroyed, and the Romulan Empire is disintegrating by the minute.

The various client states and slave races once kept in check by the military might of the Emperor are unleashed upon the dying Empire. The Remans, not having tasted independence since Man discovered fire on Earth, raise up the standards of their ancient Kingdom. But there are many claimants to the Obsidian Throne, each with their own men to draw upon. The Nausicaans, the Vronnuks, the Troknai, and the thousand other slave races once subject to oppressive Romulan rule too raise their banners in rebellion, but only time will tell if their struggle for independence will succeed.

The Romulan Government, having been decapitated by the loss of Romulus, scrambles to find itself in the swirling mess of the Empire. A Provisional Council, set up along Federation ideals of representative democracy - or at least a Romulan conception of it - is formed and quickly finds itself in contact with the Federation, seeking aid in the coming civil strife. Elsewhere, warlords with their squadrons roam the Empire, a headless army without a leader or a mission. They tear through star systems, looking for purpose but finding only loot and bloodshed. Rumors roll throughout the remnants of the Romulan Star Navy that, somewhere deep in Imperial space, the Empire continues on with a relative of the last Emperor on the throne, and is preparing itself for the restoration of the Empire.

It is clear to all the powers in the region that the vacuum caused by the destabilization of the Empire can only mean one thing. War is coming. The Klingons mobilize their military forces and begin sending punitive expeditions into the fractured and weakened Imperium, exacting revenge for crimes done onto their people. Squadrons of birds-of-prey and cruisers fly from their bases, bloodlust in their eyes as they descend upon the defenseless Romulan colonies.

Frantically, the 12th Fleet - normally kept in reserve for anti-piracy operations, is deployed to the Neutral Zone to deal with the incoming refugee crisis and, ostensibly, to keep the peace. One of these ships, practically rushed out of the drydock, is the USS Vigilance, an aged Ambassador-class starship in drydock for extended repairs. The crew is picked from those on temporary duty assignment and those awaiting transfer orders and, with a brief shakedown cruise to the Neutral Zone the only thing to prepare them, are sent out to enforce the Federation's ideals of Freedom, Democracy, and Liberty.

Or, at least, that is what they believe. For the dawn of a New Galactic Order is peaking over the Milky Way Horizon, and it can be stopped by no man.

House Rules



  • All normal rules apply. Should be pretty obvious.
  • No godmodding. If you need to control a character for whatever reason, pass it by the roleplayer before you do so.
  • No perfect characters. Make them actual people.
  • Posts should be done within a good timeframe. I realize that we're all probably busy IRL (I know I am) but make sure you can keep up with the whole thing.
  • Posts should be at least two paragraphs in length, and contain a good amount of detail for other players to work with. I'm not concerned with the length so much as the quality. Consider this RP a "Low Advanced."
  • Please contribute as much to the plot as you want to. I have a general concept of where I want the plot to go, but I am always game for RPers to add to the direction - or to totally change it. This story, while pointing to a direction, is kind of like a "pick your own course" book. Nothing is set in stone.


Setting the Stage


This roleplay begins roughly a few weeks after the destruction of Romulus, as depicted in the first reboot Star Trek movie. The Federation is the dominant power, by a significant margin, in the wake of its dual victory over the Dominion and Cardassia. Much has changed in the culture of Starfleet and the Federation due to the wars of chaotic war and strife, but things are beginning to look bright until this terrible tragedy occurs that, for better and for worse, totally reorients the balance of power in this troubled region of space.

We are the Command Staff - the Ship's Company - of the USS Vigilance, which I will detail its service record in its own "character sheet" below. She is an older class ship, rushed out of the drydocks to take part in this operation. This will be the first time these characters will have served together, and it will be the first time they are ever aboard this vessel. The Vigilance is being deployed on a peacekeeping mission in Romulan space closest to the Federation and Klingon border zones. Most of this region of space is uncharted by the Federation and thus this roleplay will feature both the exploration part of Star Trek, and greater political overtones as well.

I am changing a lot of things in this roleplay in regards to Starfleet's structure as a military organization. For the sake of the RP, pretend as though this was always the case, and that Starfleet always had enlisted personnel and such. I suppose it is my biggest gripe and I intend to totally change it up. Under the hider below is the rank structure of Starfleet personnel E-1 through E-9:



Another thing that I will be altering is the uniforms. We can pretend as though Starfleet, true to its traditions rooted in the United States Navy, is altering its uniforms again for all servicemen. This time it's a total shuffle in regards to learning lessons in the Dominion War. In the hiders below, I will link these uniforms and their intended usage. This is mainly for your own visualization and to ease my discomfort on the idea of Starfleet personnel working pretty much their entire time in service uniforms. I mean, who does maintenance in a service uniform?


In addition to this, I will be introducing the Starfleet Marine Corps. I will detail their history and such in the Fact Files post below, but for now I will post the ship's compliment of Marines, their uniforms, and weapons


A final piece of the puzzle is the main character of this story, the ship herself. Below, in the hider, I've taken the liberty of writing up a partial story of our faithful old ship:



I know that was probably a lot of information for you guys but it's all in the interest of world building, so one can better acclimate to the idea that Starfleet is indeed a military organization. Other than that, I suppose my main break from the normal Trek story-telling will be the tone. This will be a bit darker, while still perhaps optimistic. I simply intend to tell a realistic tale here, and hope that you can all join in.
In Star Trek: The New Order → 6 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Interest Checks
I've got @Gunther for the Marine contingent, @CaptainBritton for Ship's Operations, and @ReedeThe23rd for Sciences. Just need one more!
© 2007-2026
BBCode Cheatsheet