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Cythereal posted:And for those curious, that battleship at the end being the USS Saratoga was made up by me to continue the trend of Starfleet ships with that name coming to bad ends.  No matter the series or timeline, the USS Saratoga just can't catch a break. Edit: Klingon update in the previous page
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Feb 3, 2019 22:07
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Cythereal posted:STO has decided otherwise. There are MACOs in a later STO mission and they've popped up in some of the Cryptic short stories. They are also featured in the STO book.
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Feb 3, 2019 23:50
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Coq au Nandos posted:They are also featured in the STO book. I'm just gonna headcanon that they renamed Elite Force teams into MACOs for some reason.
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Feb 3, 2019 23:55
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A shot in the dark, but I tried recording the next Klingon episode (the mission's actual name is Manhunt) while I have time tonight and been encountering a weird ?glitch?. It's a one-boff mission, and for some reason the game overwrites the shoulders, gauntlets, and boots of whatever boff I bring with me in favor of big, fancy crap I don't want them wearing. It's happening with any boff I bring. Anyone heard of a glitch like this and how to fix it?
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Feb 4, 2019 01:45
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Cythereal posted:Anyone heard of a glitch like this and how to fix it? Take the Korvat option: make fun of the offender for donning their ceremonial best for what is clearly not a situation calling for that amount of respect?
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Feb 4, 2019 01:47
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PoptartsNinja posted:Take the Korvat option: make fun of the offender for donning their ceremonial best for what is clearly not a situation calling for that amount of respect? Someone in the regular MMO HMO thread confirmed that it's deliberate for that mission. What's broken is that it's supposed to give the PC the same outfit. Sad part is, it actually makes sense for the mission. I'd just assumed that it was a glitch. Which... may or may not say something about this game.
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Feb 4, 2019 02:07
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   : Computer, begin recording message to Lieutenant (j.g.) T’Vrell, USS Belfast.: “Hey girl! Got your message the other day; congrats on the promotion! I think that makes you the first of our class to get a non-battlefield promotion. Don’t point that out to Nyroh, I’m sure she’s jealous!”: ”Speaking of our mutual friend, it’s a good thing I didn’t have a chance to record this message 12 hours ago, or I would have just ranted about how she was being a massive bitch …” : C’mon, Nyroh! It was just a harmless joke! : No, it wasn’t.: He’s blowing this way out of proportion.: Did you or did you not ask Ensign Benson what his orientation was?: Yes!: And, when he replied that he was asexual, did you or did you not laugh, and say, and I quote, “so you reproduce by budding?”: It was a science joke! He’s a scientist, he should have gotten it!: That’s not the point and you know it! You laughed at a crewmember’s sexual orientation.: Nobody on Earth makes such a big deal of this sort of stuff anymore. You and I used to crack jokes about the drama in that poly group at the Academy all the time. And they joked about it back with us!: That’s true. On Earth. But Benson wasn’t raised on Earth. He was basically raised by himself on a freighter. He’s from a different culture, for all intents and purposes.: Nyroh, come on …: Ensign, when we are on duty I would prefer that you not refer to me by my first name. : Oh, aye aye, captain.:  Look, there’s no reason why a sincere apology from you won’t smooth all this over. But you’re my first officer; you’re the conduit between myself and the rest of the crew. If any member of the crew feels they can’t trust you to have their best interests at heart …  : Gor to Captain Izlim. You have an incoming transmission from Admiral Quinn.: Acknowledged. Please think about what I said, Ensign. Dismissed. : ”I’m not going to lie, T’Vrell, I was pretty god damned pissed at her right then. After all we’d been through together, she suddenly has this stick up her rear end about protocol and proper forms of address? Of course, she was completely correct. As usual. Fortunately for me we got real busy right about then.”  : Good morning, lieutenant.: Admiral.: Is everything alright? You seem on edge.: Nothing I can’t handle, sir. What can the Endeavour do for you today?: Starfleet has lost contact with the Federation science station in the Kassae system. Because all communications from Kassae II must be boosted by a satellite that compensates for metreon isotopes prevalent in the system, it may be that the communications array is in need of repair. Please make the necessary repairs to the communications array and re-establish contact with the science station.: Understood, admiral. We’ll head there immediately.  : Sir, I am detecting Gorn ships in range of the communications array. I recommend we deal with them before we assess the damage to the array.: Red alert! All hands to battlestations. Analysis?: Three light raiders, captain. Nothing we can’t handle.   : The remaining Gorn vessels are fleeing, captain.: Excellent work, people. Benson, scan the satellite. I have a feeling I know why the research team is out of contact. : Captain, readings are showing that the communications array has been heavily damaged by the Gorn. At this range, we should be able to contact the research station on Kassae II. However, the station is not responding to our hails, and our scans are detecting signs of multiple fires on the station.: Yep, that figures. Away team, report to the transporter room. And Grey … bring your big gun; I have a feeling we’ll need it. : Aye, captain. I never leave home without it!   : The Gorn … they just stormed in and started shooting!: Who are you?: Doctor Shian, head researcher.: Lieutenant Nyroh Izlim, of the Federation starship Endeavour. Tell us what happened.: The first sign of trouble was when we lost contact with the communications array. The Gorn beamed in and started shooting. They destroyed our computer core and took thousands of artifacts that we’ve spent years collecting. Then, as if destroying decades of archaeological research weren’t enough, they started setting fires.: What are you researching here?: Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Stargazer discovered ruins from an unknown civilization here almost sixty years ago. The Federation Science Council has been researching this site ever since. It’s a fascinating find … there are more than 40 kilometers of catacombs under this facility! We’ve barely managed to explore a quarter of what we think is here! Two years ago, we found a star chart in the catacombs that indicated that this civilization had contact with interstellar travelers more than 15,000 years ago. The chart led us to another site on Kassae IV, where we found the most extraordinary artifacts! If we’re correct, people who once lived here may have been an advanced proto-reptilian species! : Why would the Gorn attack here?: The Gorn have extremely long memories, lieutenant. Thousands of years ago, the Gorn Hegemony rules this entire sector. In their minds, that means these planets are still theirs. The alliance with the Klingons has inspired the Gorn to start rebuilding their empire. Every planet from here to Cestus III is in danger.: Did everyone escape the fire?: Not everyone. There are several members of our team still unaccounted for. Please, you must find them! The Gorn destroyed our automated fire suppression systems in the initial attack. You will find fire suppression devices on the walls that you can use to fight the fires.: You’ll be safe on the Endeavour. I’ll find your team: I’m coming with you, lieutenant! There’s too much at stake and I know this project.: Just … keep your head down. I would recommend staying behind the lady with the giant phaser cannon. : Let’s get some of these fires under control. [I’m going to pause for a moment to discuss the humble fire extinguisher. It’s actually a unique item that you get in this mission, and can equip and use to spray whenever. This is the only mission in which it is ever used. However, it is extremely useful for irritating people trying to RP in public areas. And boy howdy do some of them get pissed when you interrupt their “my character sits in the corner, takes a drink, and surveys the room.” There’s a certain space station that we’ll get to later that was rife with this, until the goon fleet took it upon themselves to clear it out. Like so:]  [Good times. Anyway, back to the story.]   : You’re safe now. We’ll get you out. : The Klingon invasion was a blow to Gorn self-determination and identity. These kind of raids are the Gorn attempt to reclaim their territory through their history.: We still need to stop them, doctor.: I know. It’s just … sad, in a way. That inability to move forward, or change.  : Look at all this damage! We’d have helped if the Gorn had just asked.  : The big one’s not going down!: Is that a piece of the floor it’s got!?: Stand back, I’ve got this. : Jesus, Grey.: I think I’m going to be sick.: All in a day’s work for Marybeth Grey!: I’m not reading any more lifesigns, captain, Gorn or otherwise.: There’s another research team on Kassae IV, involved in a dig at a promising site. Given what the Gorn have done here, I’d imagine that team is in trouble! Lieutenant, we have to check on them. If the Gorn have taken over the dig site, the researchers could be captives … or worse.   : Report.: I’ve located the dig site on the surface, captain, but there is a high-intensity energy field surrounding it that our sensors cannot penetrate. I can beam an away team to a location outside the field.: Back to the transporter room, everybody. Doctor, we could use your help again.: Of course. : This is the dig site that our team was working on … they set up several shield generators to help protect the most important artifacts from further damage. There’s a small encampment under the shield dome. The Gorn probably came in and took over everything. If we disable the shield generators, we may be able to get inside and rescue the other archeologists! : Chief?: On it!  : I’m feeling a bit unnecessary here.: Don’t worry, Gor, Grey is the cudgel and you’re the scalpel.: So … cool …: There, this shield generator is down. Let’s move on to the next one. : The team here found remnants of a precursor civilization that may be a relative of the Gorn. The Gorn territorial claims aren’t entirely without merit, but they would displace billions of people. A diplomatic solution could help to save the Gorn heritage without disrupting Federation colonies.  : That should do it, captain.: Be ready, people. They probably have hostages.  : Attention, Gorn crew! You are trespassing on a Federation world and have attacked a Federation research station. Come out with your claws in the air and oh they’re shooting.   : Back to the ship! We shall deal with these Federation grave robbers there! : There’s no sign of the other team. The Gorn must be holding them captive somewhere.: The Endeavour has detected a Gorn starship approaching from the far side of the planet! If they kidnapped the archaeologists, they should be aboard that ship.: Captain, if you don’t mind I’m going to stay here and start putting this place back in order. I’m sure I’ll be much more useful here than on your bridge.: Thank you, doctor. Izlim to transporter room; five to beam up.  : Hail them, Ensign. : You are meddling in affairs you do not understand, Starfleet! This system was the home of our ancestors. It belongs to the Gorn by ties of blood and conquest! We will not allow grave robbers and thieves to desecrate hallowed ground without punishment. Prepare for death!: So much for talking him down. Flores, can you disable that ship without causing too much damage?: That’s not exactly an easy task, captain, especially on a ship we don’t know a lot about. If I’m off by half a meter that could mean the difference between hitting a weapons port or a warp reactor. I ..: Elisa, please. Those people need our help.: ... And I will do my damndest to get them out safely, captain.:    : Almost … : Almost … got ‘em! : Their shields and main power are down … I have a lock on all non-Gorn life signs. They are in a cargo hold in the aft of the ship and appear unharmed! She did it!: Good job, Ensign Flores, everyone. Get them out of there.: Aye, captain. : ”After that, it was just a matter of clean up. We let the Gorn ship limp away with their tail … heh … between their legs. Nyroh put me in charge of getting the researchers back down to the planet and providing any help they needed getting the site back in order while she reported in to Starfleet Command.”  : If the archaeological sites in the Kassae system really are from a proto-Gorn culture, we will have to weigh carefully the knowledge we gain versus the Gorn claim to their own history. The Federation Science Council has a lot to consider, lieutenant. For now, though, I’m glad the researchers are safe. Good work.: ”We’re going to stay in the area for another day and Starfleet’s going to dispatch a security detachment to make sure this doesn’t happen again. And, of course, tomorrow I’m going to meet with Ensign Benson and apologize for my behavior. A real apology, from the heart. Because like I said: Nyroh was completely right. As usual.” : ”You should have seen her, T’Vrell. Calm, collected, while things are exploding around her. No sign of that Andorian temper that used to get us in all kinds of trouble. At least not when she’s in the chair. She may continue to insist that all she ever really wanted to be was a security officer, but I think you and I both know the truth.” : ”She was born for this.” : ”Hey, I always wondered something: did you and her ever hook up? Because you two totally had a whole ‘fire and ice’ thing going that I always thought … bah, I know you wouldn’t answer that. Just like you would be bored to Vulcan tears about any of this. But thanks, T’Vrell … you always were a good listener.”: Computer, delete that entire message. Begin new message, same recipient. “Hello, T’Vrell. Thank you for your message, and congratulations on your promotion. I am well, as is our mutual friend. Please do keep in touch; it is always agreeable to hear from you. Your friend, Elisa.”
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Feb 4, 2019 13:06
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Ah, this mission. The last time I played STO, this was pretty much the first, last, and only time you ever hear from the Gorn. I wish more came of it.
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Feb 4, 2019 13:35
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Elisa is cool and good. I like her. Never seen the a crew quarters bedroom before. That is super plush. Also it is very, very unfair the Klingons get to have kaiju on their away teams.
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Feb 4, 2019 14:31
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Do we know that Benson doesn't reproduce via budding? It's still rude to ask, but...
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Feb 4, 2019 15:16
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Poor horny Flores. Stuck on a spaceship, her only available options are the Ace, her Best Friend/Boss, the terrifying Ex-Borg, the Liberated Ferangi, or a horde of nameless red-shirts with a life expectancy measured in portions of episodes. Accidentally mistyped "Liberated Ferangi" as "Loberated Ferangi" while typing up this post. Now that's funny.
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Feb 4, 2019 15:48
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RickVoid posted:Poor horny Flores. Stuck on a spaceship, her only available options are the Ace, her Best Friend/Boss, the terrifying Ex-Borg, the Liberated Ferangi, or a horde of nameless red-shirts with a life expectancy measured in portions of episodes. "Delete the wife."
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Feb 4, 2019 15:53
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Cythereal posted:"Delete the wife." Ahahahaha I forgot that episode
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Feb 4, 2019 16:30
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RickVoid posted:Poor horny Flores. Stuck on a spaceship, her only available options are the Ace, her Best Friend/Boss, the terrifying Ex-Borg, the Liberated Ferangi, or a horde of nameless red-shirts with a life expectancy measured in portions of episodes. Not exactly "Moonlighting," is it?
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Feb 4, 2019 17:56
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Moon Slayer posted:There’s a certain space station that we’ll get to later that was rife with this, until the goon fleet took it upon themselves to clear it out. Like so:] Was that sort of RP causing issues with gameplay on said space station? Was there a valid reason for Goon Fleet to clear it out the way they did? Moon Slayer posted:
This reminds me of one of my favorite DS9 epsiodes, the one where Sisko engineers the Cardassians and Romulans going to war via a fake holo-recording. "In The Pale Moonlight"
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Feb 5, 2019 00:29
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CourValant posted:Was that sort of RP causing issues with gameplay on said space station? Weird sex stuff. quote:Was there a valid reason for Goon Fleet to clear it out the way they did? God yes.
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Feb 5, 2019 00:30
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CourValant posted:Was there a valid reason for Goon Fleet to clear it out the way they did? 
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Feb 5, 2019 00:53
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Coq au Nandos posted:Weird sex stuff. I didn't realize that was the place of said scum and villainy. I retract my question.
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Feb 5, 2019 00:54
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MMOs of many types and genres have this issue. Cryptic simply found itself at the crossroads of a MMO and an IP that has handled sex awkwardly both in official material and what its fanbase came up with. It got weird.
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Feb 5, 2019 01:21
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Bootcha posted:MMOs of many types and genres have this issue. Cryptic simply found itself at the crossroads of a MMO and an IP that has handled sex awkwardly both in official material and what its fanbase came up with. To add a bit of context, that stuff had always been around in the background but once the game went free to play it attracted an influx of new players and the problem got a lot worse. Drozana Station was one of the worst areas for it (the other is/was Quark’s Bar on DS9) but it’s improved by leaps and bounds since then.
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Feb 5, 2019 02:20
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HOBO, the main guild of whiteskinned Orion (child) prostitutes, was destroyed by goons instituting a kind and benevolent postscarcity space society.
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Feb 5, 2019 03:01
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Tunicate posted:HOBO, the main guild of whiteskinned Orion (child) prostitutes, was destroyed by goons instituting a kind and benevolent postscarcity space society. Once I am done throwing up in my mouth, I would like to hear this story.
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Feb 5, 2019 03:10
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I don't know the details of that particular incident, but Starfleet Dental, the goon fleet, has a reputation of giving away lots and lots of item worth billions of in-game money. This makes lots of other "serious" players very mad because they do not understand the message of Star Trek.
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Feb 5, 2019 03:27
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Fleets are the STO version of MMO guilds. Back in the day, the best equipment could only be purchased at vendors in high-level fleet starbases. Building and levelling up a fleet starbase cost a shitload of dil, doffs, and other resources, so these were few and far between (Starfleet Dental, the first and finest fleet in the game, was the first one to max out the fleet starbase). In a fit of :cryptic: coding, it turns out that if you get invited to a different fleet, you can use their high-level vendors, even if you're in a small fleet that doesn't have them. One of the worst ERP groups used their deep pockets to get a high level starbase as well. This group was the biggest klingon fleet in the game, HOBO (House of Beautiful Orions). It had an insane leader who micromanaged the guild's characters (including their boob sliders), and charged the general public 10-20 million EC for a station invite to be able to buy the good equipment. Goons decided that this shouldn't be allowed. We set up Nerds of Prey Public Service (NoP is the klingon goon guild), a channel devoted to giving free fleet invites (and free ships and other things) to the general public. In the first day we gave away over a hundred invites, draining more than a billion EC away from HOBO's income. Here's a forum post from when it was happening. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2886637&pagenumber=344&perpage=40#post417376402 This act of selfless charity, succeeded beyond our wildest expectations, and pissed off the paranoid HOBO leader so much that within two weeks he had self-destructed the guild, dropping it from 500 players down to 40 (including all his alts). NoPPS is still a very active channel to this day, with pubbies helping each other with invitations to all of the various fleet starbases, colonies, asteroid mines, et cetera. And Nerds of Prey and Starfleet Dental ended up with polar opposite reputations, and even to this day some pubbies refuse to believe that we're the same people. Tunicate fucked around with this message at 08:16 on Feb 5, 2019 |
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Feb 5, 2019 04:48
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Best Served Cold  Midshipman Toran reporting for watch. I think. Ow. So, I take it you and T'Kara have gotten acquainted? I expected a brawl or two when I requested assignment to the Qu'Thoq, but your captain is something else. She's only half-Klingon, Midshipman. I was transferred to the Qu'Thoq just a few months after she was, and for a while she was fighting challenges almost every day. Yourself included? Only because Jurlek insisted. She is very fond of aiming for the genitals. I noticed. Hmph. I thought Chancellor Martok's order that all officers should be treated equally regardless of species and social class was still in effect. It is, but we're still soldiers of the Klingon Defense Force. There's even Cardassian cadets at the Academy now. From worlds the Empire annexed during the Dominion War, I'm told. Good! They'll have to fight twice as hard as any Klingon to prove they have a right to be here. Like the Captain. Speaking of which, where is she? It's not like her to be late. She was going to the head to piss some blood last I saw her. The Captain's physiology is a certified mess of two very different species' biology, but she still has that Klingon organ that links into the circulation and endocrine systems as an extra layer of astonishingly efficient filtering and purging. It's what makes Klingons resistant to a lot of poisons, but jab hard enough in just the right spot...  We've identified the Federation prisoner you've been chasing. His name is Franklin Drake. Some of our sources say he's a Starfleet Intelligence agent, but there are hints that he's much more. From what I can tell, he's not a part of the normal chain of command. Not the first time the Empire's encountered something like this from the Federation, if I remember my history courses right. Previously we didn't have any images or genetic samples or quantum signatures in case of stranger things from him, which is why he was so hard to identify. Now we'll be on him immediately if he dares show his face again. We already have a lead for you to follow. The Qu'Thoq is ready to serve, Warden. Records indicate a Klingon shuttle entered the space above the Rura Penthe Penal Colony. That system is restricted, and there was no traffic scheduled for today. You are authorized by the High Council to approach the system and determine if Drake is there. Bring him back alive if you can. Understood. I'll set a course immediately. Tala Penthe. Pretty. Not what I expected from the planet hosting a penal colony on its moon. Appearances are deceiving. Tala Penthe has a chlorine-based atmosphere and ecosystem. Even a Klingon would die in a matter of seconds, and it's highly corrosive to, say, ship hulls and environmental suits. You know a lot about this place, Valyra. I'm an Orion. A lot of my people have been sent to Rura Penthe and were never heard from again. Rura Penthe is in a distant elliptical orbit around the planet. We should be in range, hail the warden. You dare speak to representatives of the High Council this way? This is K'Gan, first officer of the IKS Qu'Thoq, and we will do as we wish, 'eDjen. My apologies, qaleghqa'neS. I am honored to meet you. What do representatives of the High Council seek at Rura Penthe? We seek a Federation fugitive. There are no Federation qoH on Rura Penthe. As you should be aware, enemies of the Empire should be killed, not fed and coddled like infants. You would do well to check your security logs. We have tracked the Federation spy to this system. He is here, hiding like a nuch under your nose. Our security logs are checked every quarter hour per regulations. There have been no transfers in or out of the colony within the last day. Only two ships have entered the system today, yours and a Klingon shuttle. The shuttle left the system hours ago. You are still here. You incompetent to'ba! The fugitive has deceived you! There are still prisoners in the prison, I hope? Or have they all walked away while you weren't looking? Our logs clearly indicate the shuttle left the system hours ago, and there have been no transfers. All prisoners in this colony are either dead or accounted for. Your trail has gone cold. You're mistaken. I'm beaming down. Ready to beam down on your command. There's a jamming field covering the entire colony to prevent escape via transporter. You'll have to beam down at the edge of the field and make your way on foot. Understood. Midshipman Toran, you're coming with me. Sir? This prisoner has consistently been tricky beyond belief, and a science officer would seem to be called for in addition to potential need for your medical skills in a prison. Sir! Rura Penthe... the Aliens' Graveyard. A lot of Orions have died on this world. Never thought I'd see it as an official visitor. I grabbed some extra tribble furs to stay warm. Sure you're okay with the temperature? I'll be fine, Midshipman. Looks like a guard has come to meet us.  You may have crossed the jamming field, but your visit is unannounced and you will follow protocol. No one simply wanders around this prison. I will escort you to the warden. Lead on, guard. Your presence here is unnecessary. The only Federation prisoners on Rura Penthe are frozen into the ice. But don't let me dissuade you from your manhunt, lieutenant. Order your guards to search for the fugitive. Human male, distinctive scar on his face, hair cut almost bald. His name, or at least his current one, is Franklin Drake. My guards will stay where they are. If there was a breach, it would have tripped the alarms. Our security is quite advanced, as befits the Empire's most infamous prison. But please, examine the security system for yourself - if you refuse to accept the word of the prison's warden, of course. Funny how people keep offering me their word like it means something. Drake is here, and we will find him. You dare to question the honor of a warrior of the House of Torg? You may be representatives of J'mpok, but you'll taste my blade if you insult me again. Go. See for yourself. You'll find only the petaQ dumped here to rot. And if you do enter the prison, set your weapons to kill. Your foolishness will not endanger this prison. Your incompetence will speak for itself. Everything looks to be in order with the security system. Nothing interesting has happened today except a meteor strike on the surface not far from the prison. A meteor strike would be no surprise in this system, but also a good cover for a shuttle landing. Lead on. Just a moment. Who's a good boy! You! Yes you are!(The dog will follow you around if you pet it)  Just about every species in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, but in retrospect coming here in uniform was a bad idea. No one's talking to me, either. Except... We are being followed. My name is K'mtar. None of these prisoners will help you. They can sense danger far better than you can, and they know the risks of getting involved in a fight that's not theirs. How do you know this? Because I'm not a petaQ like the warden and his cousin Rodek. Have you asked yourself why a human would come to Rura Penthe? He's after something, or more likely someone. The human is here to extract a prisoner. There are no alternatives. If he was coming to kill someone, then he's a qoH! All he needed to do was wait. Everyone sent to this hole dies. Most die in less than a year. You are well informed, for a prisoner. Are you questioning my honor? If you think you're safe because you hold a weapon, you're mistaken. The only thing standing between you and a cold grave is my patience. Brave words. Empty, but brave. Someday I'll teach you a lesson for questioning my resolve. The human is here, but it's a complicated situation. You must do exactly what I say. We are surrounded by enemies and you will need my help to survive. Why should I trust a criminal? The only crime I've committed is thinking there could be peace between the Great Houses. And all you need to know is that I'm a Klingon warrior with the information you need. Show me where he is.  There you are. I was wondering if I'd lost you, Lieutenant. You're a fool to have come here. Don't play coy with us. You have the subterfuge skills of a wounded targ. Did you think no one here would notice a new prisoner? Or that no one would notice when you tampered with the air exchangers? What are you after, Drake? I see you found a new friend, Lieutenant T'Kara. Look, if I had the time to explain, I would. But I'm on a tight schedule and you took your time getting here. If you want to know what's really going on, you'll have to ask your new friend. I need to be going. What? You are definitely part Vulcan. Or maybe Ferengi. My alteration to the air circulation system has melted a tunnel to the surface. (Suddenly, prison riot!)  (Doggy helps in combat! There's also an achievement for ending the riot by killing all the prisoners)  Surface access, sir, and K'mtar. The worm has slithered to the surface. We need to stop him before he can reach the edge of the jamming field. I promise that I'll explain everything once we track him down. I'll hold you to that. We need to make this fast. K'mtar and I won't last for too long in these conditions. The human is trying to cross the ice. We need to hurry before he reaches the edge of the jamming field. He has a shuttle, and he'll be hard to track in these conditions. Fortunately, my new friend can track him. I ripped away a handful of his jacket before he ran away. I thought he might try something like this. (You follow the dog around the surface for a bit, interrupted by a couple packs of wild dogs that attack. It's mainly an excuse for K'mtar to chat) K'mtar, you said you'd explain why you were imprisoned. I'm a diplomat. My peaceful words were called treason. How can there be peace? We are at war! You've clearly never read the works of Chancellor Gorkon. Now let me ask you a question: How can we win a war if we can't stop fighting each other? Honor must be upheld! The words of a warrior. Still, killing one another for 'Honor' blinds us to greater threats. Killing each other? My captain was a traitor, nothing more. Or is there something going on that I haven't heard about? Sir, there have been... rumors, among the Syndicate, that not all the Houses are united behind Chancellor J'mpok... Impressive. Your determination is admirable. You can't escape, Drake. Lieutenant T'Kara, there is more at stake than dealing with a lone human on a mission of mercy. In fact, our intelligence says you have very little time left to act. Would somebody explain what's going on here? Our friend here discovered that one of the Great Houses is plotting against the Empire. He's correct, but his curiosity cost him. Now you and Alexander - I'm sorry, K'mtar - will both have a chance for glory. K'mtar, your father still has friends in the Federation. They believe he's in great danger. I recommend a trip to the Vor system. There you'll find out just how big a mess you're in - and find the proof that Worf will want. K'mtar, how do you know this human? I don't. Still, as I told you, the situation is... complicated. What you need to know is that he speaks the truth. There is a plot against the Empire, and it is not the Federation's doing. Our true enemies are closer than we realize. If we want to protect our people, we must go to the Vor system and see what is there. Why should I trust either of you? I don't care if you trust me. K'mtar, tell your father that obligations have been met. Only you can decide how you'll deal with the greater threat. What is the greater threat? The only threat you should be worried about is me! You're a miserable korut! Not only have you broken penal colony protocol, but you've meddled in the affairs of the House of Torg! I don't care if K'mtar is innocent. We were paid a great deal of latinum to keep that baktag locked up. He's not leaving here, and neither are you! You're a corrupt petaQ! (Drake gets in the shuttle and flies away during the fight. We'll never see him again in Klingon content) There will be more coming. Can your ship get us out of here? We're still in the jamming field, so we can't beam out. Toran, tell them to come down to pick us up personally. Let's head to that hilltop to make it easier for them to find us. And once we are aboard, K'mtar - or Alexander - we will discuss the Vor system.(Someone waiting on the hilltop)  You dishonorable dog! When the High Council hears what J'mpok's representatives have done here today, they'll order your immediate execution! How much were you paid to hold an innocent man? Enough to keep us warm long after you're dead! We get paid whether K'mtar lives or dies. So before I kill you, I'll offer you the coward's choice of surrender. I think you're forgetting something. What am I forgetting, toDSaH? My starship.    Good shooting, K'Gan! We're ready for pickup. I don't suppose we have a warp trail for Drake's shuttle? No, sir. The sensors on a B'Rel aren't designed to work in the middle of blizzards. The repair team should have the sensors cleaned off and working at full capacity in an hour or so. K'Gan, set course for the Vor system. I'll be in my ready room until then. I freed a prisoner from Rura Penthe, failed to capture a Starfleet spy who was apparently somehow trying to save the Empire for who knows what reason, killed scions of a Great House, generally made a mess of Rura Penthe, and found circumstantial evidence suggesting a Great House is plotting against the Empire. I will inform High Command myself. Sir, if you'd prefer- I am not in the habit of repeating myself, lieutenant! Inform me when we've reached the Vor system.
Cythereal fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Mar 3, 2020 |
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Feb 5, 2019 14:47
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Man, you wouldn't think the friggin Warrior Space Orc race would be the one with political intrigue.
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Feb 5, 2019 15:31
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It's much more accurate to call the Klingons space samurai, and feudal Japan had plenty of plotting and intrigue.
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Feb 5, 2019 15:50
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Siegkrow posted:Man, you wouldn't think the friggin Warrior Space Orc race would be the one with political intrigue. If you hadn't said much earlier that you knew nothing about Star Trek, I would have figured it out when you posted this. About half of all Klingon-centric episodes of Star Trek focus on the Empire's perpetual internal power struggles, intrigue, and occasional outright civil war. Worf takes Klingon honor far more seriously than almost everyone who actually lives in the Empire. More than one character cites that as a reason why the Klingon Empire is probably doomed in the long run. The Klingons keep a lid on it better than the Romulans, but they are so prone to plotting and infighting that it's severely limited them as a galactic power. That being said, it's a consistent thing that on the rare occasion when the Empire truly gets united behind a strong and popular leader with full buy-in from all levels of Klingon society, somebody in the Milky Way is about to have a very bad day.
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Feb 5, 2019 15:56
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Here's the trick to the Klingons - it's not so much 'honor' as 'the appearance of honor.' Those that actually go the honor route are pretty rare (the most notable example being Worf, who tellingly didn't even grow up in the Empire).
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Feb 5, 2019 16:54
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Cythereal posted:
So, where is Dad? Isn't he some big time ambassador? Or, is he too busy NOT killing yet another chancellor? (To yet again save the Empire from itself). Dawgstar posted:Here's the trick to the Klingons - it's not so much 'honor' as 'the appearance of honor.' Those that actually go the honor route are pretty rare (the most notable example being Worf, who tellingly didn't even grow up in the Empire). That's pretty much all 'idealized' power structures and or governing bodies throughout history. People are rarely 'the thing we hold up as the thing we should all aspire to be', not the Klingons, not the Feddies, not Bushido, not any of our current day nations and or societies. Politicking will always exist as long as you need others to enact your will, and the Klingons are the worst hypocrites of the bunch, interpreting their 'honor rules' however way they want to get their way.
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Feb 6, 2019 00:08
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CourValant posted:So, where is Dad? Isn't he some big time ambassador? Or, is he too busy NOT killing yet another chancellor? (To yet again save the Empire from itself). He'll be in the next episode, but in short he's back in the Klingon Empire. In the STO-verse, he agreed with the Klingons about the need to hunt down the Undine infiltrators and severed all his ties with Starfleet. He really hates J'mpok for killing Martok (because Cryptic couldn't afford Hetzler at the game's start). Dawgstar posted:Here's the trick to the Klingons - it's not so much 'honor' as 'the appearance of honor.' Those that actually go the honor route are pretty rare (the most notable example being Worf, who tellingly didn't even grow up in the Empire). The next episode will go into T'Kara's feelings on the matter. The chance to explore this sort of thing is one of the main reasons why I introduced Valyra as a bridge officer - the actual boff awarded from the Boreth mission is a Gorn, but Gorn are pretty warrior-ish and I wanted someone who the Klingon gang would have to explain things to now and then that would be self-evident to them.
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Feb 6, 2019 00:31
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Tunicate posted:NoPPS is still a very active channel to this day, with pubbies helping each other with invitations to all of the various fleet starbases, colonies, asteroid mines, et cetera. And Nerds of Prey and Starfleet Dental ended up with polar opposite reputations, and even to this day some pubbies refuse to believe that we're the same people. Thanks for posting all that, by the by. It was also delightful to read on the next page or so over about the guy who made an effortpost about having "gone digging" into the goon fleets and discovered shocking links to North Korea.
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Feb 6, 2019 00:57
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'eDjen: an arrogant or haughty person. There's a pun in that "Ed" is a famous horse from TV, and "jen" is Klingon for "be high", so an 'eDjen is on a high horse. qaleghqa'neS: I see you again honorably, roughly "It's good to see you again" nuch: a coward korut: apparently a vague insult, invented for a DS9 episode toDSaH: an exclamatory epithet HomestarCanter fucked around with this message at 03:42 on Feb 6, 2019 |
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Feb 6, 2019 03:26
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Dawgstar posted:Here's the trick to the Klingons - it's not so much 'honor' as 'the appearance of honor.' Those that actually go the honor route are pretty rare (the most notable example being Worf, who tellingly didn't even grow up in the Empire). When you're raised in a hidebound honor-based society, the question isn't "what is the honorable thing to do?" but "what can I get away with while still maintaining the appearance of honor?" Riker understood this, which is why he made a good Klingon. Worf doesn't, which is why Gowron makes fun of him.
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Feb 6, 2019 03:33
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To the Klingons, the appearance of honor is honor. Their honor is about how the world sees you act, not about how or why you really act. Worf spends too much time worrying about how to feel good about himself, which hamstrings him, but he's got the grit to back it up, which very briefly makes him the most powerful person in the Empire.
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Feb 6, 2019 04:41
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I do think it's important that, for all that they are Russians in Space, the Klingons and Romulans are also very much the Imperial Japanese. Gene Roddenberry flew B-17s against the Japanese in WWII. I'm willing to be that honor only having value if the individual isn't just paying lip service to the concept is the lesson. It's right there in the first season of TNG. I think I only remember that episode exists because it's the first one I ever saw.
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Feb 6, 2019 04:57
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Dawgstar posted:Thanks for posting all that, by the by. It was also delightful to read on the next page or so over about the guy who made an effortpost about having "gone digging" into the goon fleets and discovered shocking links to North Korea. Oh those links are very, very, real. Dental gets a sizeable stipend every month from Dear Leader. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwjj4e1VRfc
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Feb 6, 2019 05:24
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Tunicate posted:Dental gets a sizeable stipend every month from Dear Leader. So, why Starfleet Dental exactly? What's in the name??
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Feb 6, 2019 05:55
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Starfleet Medical is a thing, Space Dentists are funny, and it irritates people who take their fictional universes too seriously.
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Feb 6, 2019 06:02
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PoptartsNinja posted:Starfleet Medical is a thing, Space Dentists are funny, and it irritates people who take their fictional universes too seriously. I see. I get it, I get jokes. Although, I would prefer to play off barbers, as in Starfleet Barbers. I recall there was a dedicated barber guy on TNG, and he was a funny sorta fellow.
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Feb 6, 2019 06:50
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