#starfleet command ii: empires at war

[grayrazor]

When I was a kid, my parents bought me Starfleet Command II in a big box from Sam’s Club.

The game had a bad CD key and was unplayable. The dev had just gone defunct, so there was nobody to reach out to for support.

However, that game had a standalone expansion, so we ended up playing that instead.

A game company’s crappy anti-piracy measure drove me to play the pirate game instead.

[the-last-dillpickle]

DS9 trivia from IMDB - Part 4

- Military ranks used in Star Trek are all based upon actual military ranks. Starfleet ranks are those of the US Navy: Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Commodore, Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, and Admiral. Bajoran ranks are the same as those used in the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marines: Lieutenant, Major, Lieutenant Colonel (or, as the Bajorans call it, "Field Colonel"), Colonel, and General. (Kira, after her promotion, was referred to simply as "Colonel", but she was promoted two steps in rank at once.) Klingon ranks are "bekk" (an enlisted rating), Ensign, Lieutenant, Commander, Captain, Colonel, Brigadier, General, and Admiral. Cardassian ranks are based on those of the ancient Roman Empire: Gil (equivalent to a Starfleet/U.S. Naval Lieutenant), Glinn (Commander), Gul (Captain), and Legate (Admiral).

- The Maquis was the name of the French resistance fighters during World War II.

- Lit Star Trek model kit parts can be seen as medical instruments throughout the series. In one episode, Dr. Bashir uses a part that makes up a Romulan Warbird engine nacelle to scan or heal.

- As he had on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), Q was intended to make semi-regular appearances on this show, but appeared only in season one, episode seven, "Q-Less". Q instead would come to continue his appearances on Star Trek: Voyager (1995). In addition, producers announced Whoopi Goldberg would reprise her role as Guinan in a guest appearance or two, and intended to have Leonard Nimoy appear as Spock, but the plans never materialized. Some other recurring characters from The Next Generation would wind up making appearances on this show, however, including Vash (Jennifer Hetrick), Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett), Gowron (Robert O'Reilly), Worf's brother Kurn (Tony Todd) and the Duras Sisters (Barbara March and Gwynyth Walsh).

- The design of Ops incorporates ideas that were considered, but dropped for The Bridge on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), such as the upper level office, the briefing table in the center of the room, and the transporter being built into the set.

- Quark and Odo were intended to be the 'Bones and Spock' of Deep Space Nine, the two crew members who were always at odds with each other. However, because Armin Shimerman and Rene Auberjonois spent so many hours together in make-up, they became such good friends that Shimerman felt that their fondness for each other seeped through in the later seasons, despite their best efforts.

- The uniforms initially worn on this show were designed to look different from those worn on its parent show, Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), with a colored shoulder and a gray undershirt. Beginning with the movie Star Trek: Generations (1994), however, these new uniforms were adopted by Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) crew, and Starfleet as a whole. This change was made when a new style of uniform designed for Star Trek: Generations (1994) was rejected. From the mid fifth season of this show and Star Trek: First Contact (1996) another type of uniform was issued by Starfleet (now with gray shoulders and colored undershirt), while Star Trek: Voyager (1995) (having no way of knowing about the change) retained the earlier version, distinguishing the two series from each other again. It is also worth mentioning that the DS9-style uniforms are very similar to the ones worn by Starfleet cadets in The Next Generation, most notably in season five, episode nineteen, "The First Duty".

- The square glasses used in Quark's bar are actually candle holders turned upside down.

- The character that eventually became Vic Fontaine was written for Frank Sinatra Jr. in season four. Sinatra, despite being a fan of the show, turned it down, declaring that he only wanted to play an alien. After meeting with Robert Goulet, and attempting to get Steve Lawrence, Tom Jones, and Jerry Vale, the producers eventually considered James Darren for season six, and invited him to audition. However, Darren wasn't interested in a singing role, so he didn't read the script sent to him. On the day of auditions, producer Ira Steven Behr was discussing Darren with a few crew members, sharing his doubts whether Darren would actually show up. One of those crew members happened to be Christian Darren, James' son, who told Behr that his father was actually coming over that afternoon: James' wife had convinced him to at least go to the audition. Darren eventually accepted the role, and appeared in eight episodes.

- Buck Bokai's baseball card, a collectable featured on Benjamin Sisko's desk, had Keone Young on the front, in character, but showed "Trek" model maker  Gregory Jein, who invented the "history" of the character, on the back. The pair bore an uncanny resemblance to each other.

[allstartrekgames]

Star Trek: Starfleet Command II: Empires at War

Original Release: 2000

Developer: Taldren

Publisher: Interplay

Platform: PC

Version played: Orion Pirates v2.564

In order to get this to work, I had to play a version of the standalone expansion Orion Pirates, released in 2001. This version has all the content from the base game added, but also some graphical enhancements – but the important thing is that it’s still the original gameplay.

For the most part, it’s the same game as the first. People who know the game extremely well will probably notice various balance changes and additional features, but the game is so in depth that it’s still beyond my understanding. The second game does introduce some new races (including one originally created for the Star Fleet Battles board game) and a new campaign mode.

In the campaign mode, you explore hex tiles until you encounter missions, some are optional while others you must play before moving on. It all looks very impressive, with different hubs for your race and other races, ships moving around and races that are allied with you, but almost all of this is fluff to make it appear interesting and doesn’t impact the game: you just move around and encounter random missions.

For people who like the depth of the combat in this, this version is definitely a really good version to play. You can pick scenarios, modify them or accept the campaign for what it is and have fun with the random missions.

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Manx Class Patrol Ship by AJsRealms

[thelordofdarkreunion]

A List of Things the Scoundrels Are No Longer Allowed to Do

So, I have recently read “A List of Things Skippy Isn’t Allowed to Do in the Army” and “A List of Things Dr. Bright isn’t allowed to do at the SCP Foundation”, and I decided to do a version of my own.  Some of these are taken from these other two lists.  If anyone who reads this you has any ideas for the list, feel free to add them.  

The group known as the Magnificent Scoundrels has gotten a bit out of hand.  This list was compiled by Admiral Hackett of the Systems Alliance, Admiral Kelly of the GA, Fleet Admiral Hood of the UNSC, Inquisitor Vail of the Holy Inquisition, Commander Briggs of the Frontier Militia, Princess Leia of the New Republic, and Director Fury of SHIELD in order to curb the Scoundrels’ more dangerous or inappropriate behaviors.  These rules apply to all Scoundrels and their teams/crews.  

1.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to call SPARTAN super soldiers “big boys”.

2.  The Better Business Bureau is not the correct agency for handling people who smuggle Sith holocrons.

3.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to say the phrase “I am in need of a new host body” within earshot of Imperial Inquisitors.

4.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to bargain personnel for their “souls”.  Even if they say they can get you a good deal.

5.  Government equipment is not to be used to bootleg pornography.  

6.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to cite Kevin McCallister from Home Alone as a credible source for anti-personnel tactics in official documents.

7.  The rumor that Adam Vir wears heelies while in official dress uniform is a blatant lie.

8.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to send spam emails to Ceberus.  Even if it is funny.

9.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to apply mind control devices to major political figures.

10.  Thomas Drake is no longer allowed to use time travel devices.  Especially if his reasoning is to “screw with those history nerds.”

11.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use telepaths to alter or affect the outcomes of reality based television shows.

12.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to trade government property for liquor.

13.  “I was bored” is not a valid excuse.

14.  The Scoundrels are not allowed to begin a crusade without the written permission of the Imperial Inquisition.

15. Thanos is not to be referred to as “Biggy T”.

16.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use fan conventions as recruitment drives.

17.  Any proposal which includes the phrase “metric fuck load” is to be denied.

18.  The video game Doom is not a credible source.

19.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to allow Starfleet red shirts to be possessed by daemons or ancient Sith Lords.

20.  When researching time travel, please refer to the work of the IMC’s ARES Division or the Starfleet, not Doctor Who, Back to the Future, or Call of Duty Zombies.

21.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to to accept or use any of the following as currency:

           Your soul

           Anyone else’s soul

           Firstborn children

           Memories

           Memes

           Blood

           Organs

           Virginity

           Ponies

           Eldritch Artifacts

22.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to join any communist party for any reason.  (Note from Thomas Drake- Hell yeah.  Those guys suck.)

23.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to join any fascist party for any reason. (Note from Thomas Drake- Hell yeah.  Those guys suck too.)

24.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to join the Imperial Cult, unless they are an already practicing member.  (Note from Thomas Drake- LONG LIVE OUR GLORIOUS LEADER THE GOD-EMPEROR OF MAN AND IF YOU ARE AN INQUISITOR PLEASE NOTE I HAVE NEVER SAID ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THE EMPEROR EVER.)

25.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to taunt the Asari about how bad they are at fighting wars.

26.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to chew gum during staff meetings, unless they brought enough for everybody.

27.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to chew gum during staff meetings, even if they did bring enough for everyone.

28.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use Volus’s as bowling pins or bowling balls.

29.  While we do not have jurisdiction over him and thus cannot prevent their sale, none of the other Scoundrels are to purchase or proquire experimental drugs from Thomas Drake.  

30.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to imply that their superior officers served in World War II.  They aren’t that old.

31.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use military vehicles to “squish” things.

32.  Surprisingly enough, or, perhaps not, considering what’s on there, downloading the entirety of 4chan into a Geth Colossus did, in fact, shut it down.  

33.  Loudspeaker systems are not to be used to broadcast the soundtracks of porno movies.

34.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to drink copious amounts of food coloring before urine tests.

35.  When operating military vehicles, the Scoundrels are no longer allowed to attempt “something I saw in a cartoon”.

36.  Do not dare SERE graduates to eat bugs.  They will always do it.

37.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to make s’mores while on guard duty.

38.  The Illuminati are not a part of the chain of command.

39.  Pants are not optional parts of a dress uniform.

40.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to trade military equipment for “magic beans”.  (Note from Peter Quill- They were pretty cool though.)

41.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to call medics “Dr. Feelgood” unless Feelgood is the medic’s actual last name.

42.  The God-Emperor of Mankind is not to be referred to as “Big Daddy E” or “The Lord of Bling”.

43.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to take the batteries from other peoples alarm clocks.

44.  Unless you are a certified Titan Pilot, you are not allowed to pilot a Titan.

45.  Camouflage body paint is not a uniform.

46.  “Challenge accepted” is not a valid excuse for anything.

47.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to claim that they are reincarnations of famous historical figures without proof.

48.  Thomas Drake is a human mercenary.  He does not possess any of the following:

          Laser eyes

          Laser nostrils

          Laser [CENSORED]

          An adamantium skeleton

          A map leading to “all of the Nazi gold”

          Mjolnir

          The Kronorium

          The Necronomicon

          The Book of Magnus

          “The touch”

          “The power”

          “The secret”

          “The 6th sense”

          The ability to distinguish between butter and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

49.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to start theological debates between members of the Imperial Cult and the Covenant.

50.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to mock Stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire over how bad their aim is.  Even if their aim is bad.

51.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to hold “Jamaican vacation giveaways”. 

52.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to sell counterfeit Infinity Stones.

53.  Pictures of other Scoundrels in compromising positions are not to be put on the internet.  Or the extra- or holo- net.

54.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to “water” Vrul.  While they do get their energy from photosynthesis, they are not plants.

55.  The Scoundrels are not “the final bosses” of anything.

56.  The Scoundrels must try not to antagonize SPECTREs, Inquisitors, or ODSTs.

57.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to purchase anyone’s soul on government time.

58.  There are no evil clowns living under your bed.

59.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to form press gangs.

60.  The Scoundrels are not the kings or queens of cheese.

61.  If the thought of something makes you giggle for more than 15 seconds, you are to assume you aren’t allowed to do it.

62.  Crucifixes do not ward off superior officers, and you should not test that.  

63.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to mount bayonets on heavy machine guns.

64.  Try and keep all mockery of the press at an appropriate minimum.  

65.  You cannot imply your CO is possessed by anything.

66.  You cannot trade your CO to the Covenant.

67.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use government resources to waterproof dirty magazines.

68.  Radioactive material should not be stored in the barracks.

69.  Two drink limit does not mean first and last.

70.  “I was drunk” is not a valid or appropriate excuse.

71.  Mandalorian armor is not part of any of our governments’ full dress uniforms.

72.  You should not yell “Kobe!” when blowing up enemy starships.  

73.  The “revolution” is not now.

74.  Unless you are in extremely dire circumstances, you are not allowed to eat your uniform.

75.  Body checking General officers is not a good idea.

76.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to tell police officers that belt-fed machine guns are “medicinal”.

77.  If you check the box marked “Other” on official documents, you have to fill it out.

78.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to fill prescription drug bottles with M&M’s or Mike and Ike’s.

79.  None of the Scoundrels possesses a name that, when spoken aloud, can kill.

80.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to challenge anyone to a duel.

81.  The proper response to a briefing is not “that’s what you think”.

82.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to end official reports with Sabaton lyrics.  Or lyrics from any metal band, for that matter.

83.  The phrase “to conquer the Earth with an army of flying monkeys” is not to be said.

84.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to appeal to humanity’s baser instincts on recruitment posters.

85.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to refer to N7’s Iron Eye Soldiers Space Marines janitors anyone as “the cool kids”.

86.  None of the Scoundrels have “won the internet” and are not authorized to declare that they or any other individual or individuals have done so.  

87.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use redacted data in official reports as “mad-libs”.

88.  The following are not appropriate sources for new crew members:

          Temp agencies

          Reality show talent pools

          “Orphans”

          “Urchins”

          “Ragmuffins”

          “Those sons of bitches who I know had a stacked deck”

          Ex-girlfriends

          Ex-boyfriends

          Ex-partners of any variation whatsoever

          Forum trolls

          “Angsty teens”

89.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to sneak links to Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up into official reports.

90.  None of the Scoundrels possess “voodoo powers”.

91.  “Why not?” is not a valid excuse.

92.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to make masturbation jokes when in the presence of official dignitaries.

93.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to play the song Thriller when in the presence of anything that could be considered a zombie, which includes but is not limited to Curse of Unbelief victims, Vrul Zombies, and Reaper Husks.

94.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to say the phrase “elephant sauce”.

95.  “No shirt, no shoes, no service” does not imply that undergarments are unnecessary.

96.  The following words and phrases may not be used in marching cadence:

           Budding sexuality

           Necrophilia

           I hate everyone in this formation and wish they were dead

           Lubrication

           Your mama

           All Marines are latent homosexuals

          Tantric yoga

          Gotterdammerung

          We’ve all got jackboots now

          Any references to squid

97.  You can’t have flashbacks to wars you weren’t in.

98.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to ask for the day off due to religious purposes, on the basis the world is going to end, more than once.

99.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to take or place bets on what would happen if the Tyranids fought the Flood.

100.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use the Enterprise’s transporters to steal things.

101.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use the phrase “We fight for Mother Russia!”

102.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to sing the National Anthem of the Soviet Union when entering or exiting buildings.

103.  Adam Vir is no longer allowed to claim that “PTSD is just spicy nostalgia.”

104.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to try and get kidnapped by the Dark Eldar.

105.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to try to figure out a way to bring back the Protheans and the Forerunners so they can fight each other.

106.  Drax the Destroyer is no longer allowed to claim that he can become invisible just by standing still.

107.  Please do not confuse the primarchs of the Turian Hierarchy with the Primarchs of the Imperium of Man.

108.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to refer to Admiral Ackbar or any other member of the Mon Calamari race as “those calamari boys”.

109.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to address their superior officers as “bro”.

110.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to try and sell major political figures to Trazyn the Infinite.

111.  Peter Quill is not a god.

112.  Please refrain from using nicknames when referring to the Avengers, which includes but is not limited to calling Captain America “the spangly dude”, Thor “sparky guy”, Iron Man “my homie”, and Captain Marvel “Her”.

113.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use Titans as personal valets.

114.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to attempt to contact the Shadow Realm.

115.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to to steal artifacts from any of the following:

          Luke Skywalker

          Shadow Revenant

          The Collector

          Trazyn the Infinite

          General Marder

          The Adeptus Mechanicus

116.  Thomas Drake is not allowed to be near any weapon capable of producing an explosive force greater than ten megatonnes.

117.  Do not ever challenge a Klingon to a duel.

118.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to flip off Force ghosts.

119.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use the phrase “It’s boogaloo time!”

120.  The Scoundrels are to stop introducing A.I.’s to the teachings of the Cult Mechanicus.

121.  The Scoundrels are to stop referring to Thomas Drake as “Our Glorious Overlord.”

122.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to send porn to the Shadow Broker.  This is the ninth hit on you guys we’ve had to stop.

123.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to refer to the crewmates or superiors of any of the other Scoundrels as “extremely hot”.  Even if they are.

124.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to say that they are “super gay for Loki”.

125.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to pit a biotic, psyker, and Force-sensitive against each other just to “see what happens”.

126.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use this list as a resume.

127.  The Scoundrels shall not may not begin their sentences with “thou shalt not”.

128.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to send videos of “the sax guy” to the Borg.

129.  Jack Cooper does not have “tons of gold” hidden somewhere on the destroyed planet of Typhon.

130.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to tell Jedi or Astra Telepathica recruits “You’re a wizard, Harry”.

131.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to stand in the corner and twiddle their thumbs.

132.  “YOLO” is not a valid excuse for anything.

133.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use this list as a to-do list.

134.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to attempt to replicate the experiments of Edward Richtofen from Call of Duty Zombies.  Or the experiments of any other insane fictional doctor.

135.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to throw themselves through windows “to prove that the glass is unbreakable” for any reason whatsoever.  

136.  “Because reasons” is not a viable excuse.

137.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to refer to anyone else as “peasant” or “plebeian”.

138.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to tell new personnel fictional horror stories involving their families.

140.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to tell new personnel factual horror stories involving their families.

141.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to taunt eldritch beings imprisoned within artifacts.

142.  Speedos are not part of formal attire.

143.  If Ciaphas Cain is telling you a story about his exploits, he is exaggerating what he did, downplaying what he did, outrageously lying about what he did, and telling the complete truth about what he did all at the same time.

144.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to attempt to sell fictional stocks to the Tesraki or Ferengi.

145.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to attempt to defraud the stock exchange.

146.  No religious deity is allowed to contradict orders from a superior officer.

147.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to dress up as each other.

148.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to make pin-up calendars.  Especially of each other.

149.  Vulcan nerve pinches do not work on Chaos Space Marines.

150.  Shepard and Agent Coulson are not allowed to form a “Technically Undead Club”.

151.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to attempt to unmask members of the Mandalorian extremist cult known as ‘The Watch’.

152.  Unless you want to lose nine months pay in twenty minutes, do not play cards with Han Solo, Ciaphas Cain, John Shepard, or Thomas Drake.

153.  At all times, you should try and stay away from Revenant, Loki, and Cypher.

154.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to re-create scenes from Pulp Fiction.  

155.  Do not fake heart attacks around Dr. Krill.  The poor guy is stressed enough as is.  

156.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to challenge Thomas Drake and Liara T’Soni to a “who knows more secrets” game.  Lord Inquisitor Hector Rex was very displeased when Drake stole the Grimoire of True Names.  (Note from Amberley Vail-  How the hell did he manage to get his hands on that?)

157.  Thomas Drake is no longer allowed to steal things from the Imperium of Man or the Jedi Order, considering the consequences of such artifacts being in the wrong hands.  (Note from Thomas Drake-  Of course.  I would never…)

158.  It is not a good idea to piss off any Scoundrel that considers themselves an information broker.

159.  Introducing the Black Templars to heavy metal was, in retrospect, a bad idea.  

160.  Any ancient alien technology should be submitted to the proper authorities, not sold on Ebay.

161.  Challenging a Klingon, Sangheili, or Drev to a duel is a horrible idea.  As already mentioned.  However, challenging a Custodian to a duel is suicidal.  

162.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use Tony Stark’s nicknames for anyone.

163.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use telepaths in casinos.  

164.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to start “prank wars”.

165.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to sell themselves or any part of themselves to Trazyn the Infinite.  

166.  Be warned.  If you challenge any of the Scoundrels to do something sexual, they will most likely do it.  

167.  Do not challenge John-117 or John Shepard to a drinking game.  They cannot get drunk.  You will die of alcohol poisoning before they’re even a little tipsy.  

168.  While several of the Scoundrels are members of highly elite military forces, none of them are members of any of the following:

          The Swiss Guard

          The 101st Airborne Division

          The Winged Hussars

          The Immortals

          Napoleon’s Imperial Guard

          The SAS

          The 62nd Red Army

           Spetznaz

          The CIA

          The KGB

169.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to kidnap penguins.

170.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to mount bayonets on bayonets.

171.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to hand over annoying journalists to the Borg.

172.  Do not ever say the phrase “What’s the worst that could happen?”

173.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to hold contests to see who can cause more of these rules to be created.

174.  Adam Vir is to stop bringing new alien species onboard the Omen as pets.

175.  The Scoundrels are surprisingly creative when it comes to revenge. Don’t piss them off.  

176.  Unless you are a Space Marine or Sister of Battle, “Deus Vult” is not a valid excuse.

177.  If you need upgrades to your weapons and gear, please use the engineers on your team or other government approved individuals. 

178.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to host their own version of the Hunger Games.

179.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to quote Monty Python.

180.  No matter how good they are with technology, the Scoundrels are no longer allowed to get any members of the following species to upgrade their gear:

          Protheans

          Forerunners

          Necrons

          Eldar

          Rakata

181.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to attempt to summon any of the following beings to the material universe or into space ruled by any of our governments:

          The Nightbringer

           Darth Nihilus

           Lord Vitiate

           The Old Ones

           The Kwa

           The Reapers

           Deus

           The Dominion

           Any C’tan

           Any individual or entity associated with the Ruinous Powers

           Shadow Revenant

182.  If you ask them to, most of the Scoundrels will, in fact, “draw you like one of their French girls”.

183.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to bring members of extremely logical-minded species to modern art museums.  

184.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to seduce diplomats.

185.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to yell “Ramming speed!” when at the controls of their starships.

186.  There is only one God-Emperor of Mankind, and none of the Scoundrels are it.

187.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use Batarian soldiers as target practice.

188.  The Imperial Inquisition encourages the Scoundrels to use heretics as target practice.  

189.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to initiate random fire drills.

190.  Shepard is no longer allowed to lord his SPECTRE status over Alliance enlisted personnel or other “lesser beings”.

191.  Adam Vir is not allowed to tell fictional horror stories about Operation Steel Eye.

192.  Adam Vir is not allowed to tell factual horror stories about Operation Steel Eye.  

193.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to say the phrase “We ride at dawn!”.

194.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to pool their resources to buy any starship over a kilometer long.

195.  THE SCOUNDRELS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO STEAL STAR DESTROYERS OR ANY OTHER STARSHIP OVER A KILOMETER IN LENGTH.

196.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to make clones of each other.

197.  None of the Scoundrels have holidays named after them.  (Addendum: Cain does, on the planet of Perelia.)  

198.  The Scoundrels are encouraged to stay away from the planet Perelia.

199.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to refer to their crew as “my glorious minions”.

200.  John-117 is no longer allowed to attempt orbital reentry with nothing but his suit of armor.

201.  Do not imply that Caiphas Cain and Amberley Vail are in a relationship, because, no matter how probable it may seem, Amberley will kill you.

202.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to sell toasters to the Adeptus Mechanicus.  

203.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to hold “Casual Fridays”.

204.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to use jetpacks.

205.  Don’t try to blackmail Drake. The last time someone tried to do this, it was with his sexual history. He laughed in their face and personally published the video on the internet.  His public approval rating then went up 30%.  

206.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to attempt to replicate the experiments of the Vault-Tech Corporation from the Fallout video game series.

207.  The Scoundrels are no longer allowed to play Triumphal March whenever they enter or exit a room.  

208.  None of the Scoundrels are to be allowed anywhere near a lightsaber.  

209.  None of the Scoundrels are allowed or authorized to knight anyone. 

210.  None of the Scoundrels are allowed to edit this list.  

[defconprime]

Cover for Star Trek videogame "Starfleet Command Volume II: Empires at War," 2000.

[aion-rsa]

Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 2 Easter Eggs & References

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This Star Trek: Lower Decks article contains spoilers for Episode 2.

With its second episode, Star Trek: Lower Decks has shown no sign of slowing down on the endless supply of Easter eggs and deep cuts. Just like with Episode 1, catching everything in an episode of Lower Decks might require you to have the ability to slow down time, just like the Scalosian in the TOS episode, “Wink of an Eye.” But, we don’t have that ability, so we have to rely on our memories and ugly bags of mostly water human bodies which happen to contain the wetware of our brains. In other words, we don’t have Rutherford’s cyber enhancement to help us out.

In Lower Decks episode 2, “Envoys,” Mariner and Boimler go on a hilarious mission together while Rutherford tries to figure out his true purpose in life. Along the way, some of the most famous aliens in all of Trek are referenced, and at least one alien you haven’t thought of in a long time. From a hilarious Wrath of Khan reference to a tour of Klingon cuisine to a very deep cut from one episode of TNG, here are all the Easter eggs and Trekkie references we caught in “Envoys.”

Transdimensional energy creatures 

In the very first scene, Mariner and Tendi are accosted by a mouthy orb of pure energy. Mariner is excited about meeting “one of those transdimensional energy creatures,” and when it starts issuing demands, she knows just what to do with it. This kind of “energy ball” alien could reference a similar type of lifeform from the TOS episode “Day of the Dove.” The creature also mentions that it will “feed on fear,” which seems to reference a similar non-corporal lifeform from the TOS episode “Wolf in the Fold.” 

Discovery Spore Alien reference

After Mariner shirks the alien down to size, it seems to get itself embedded in the uniform of Captain Freeman. This could reference a small spore alien that was embedded in Tilly’s uniform in Discovery season 1, only to remerge in season 2, pretending to be Tilly’s old junior high friend, May.

“It’s warp time!” 

Captain Freeman mentions she wants a cool catchphrase to signal when the Cerritos goes into warp. Obviously, Picard’s catchphrase “Engage,” is the most famous of these kinds of things, even if it was first uttered by Captain Pike in “The Cage.” In Trek 2009 Pike said “Punch It” before going into warp, in a kind of overt Han Solo/Lando Calrissian reference. In Discovery, Pike says “Hit It.” 

Castro on the Enterprise 

The Lower Decks gang briefly talks about someone named Castro who apparently served on the Enterprise for “like a minute.” Relevantly, at this time, in 2380, Picard is still in command of the Enterprise-E albeit without Riker and Troi. As far as we can tell, “Castro” has never been mentioned or seen in TNG or any of the films before now.

“All Klingon names have an apostrophe for some reason”

This observation about Klingon names is obviously not entirely true. In fact, most of the early Klingons — Kor, Koloth, Kang or even Worf — do not have apostrophes in their names. The preponderance of apostrophes in Klingon names likely begins with the TNG episode “Heart of Glory,” in which we learn there is  K’Tinga class Klingon ship, and met a Klingon named K’Nera.

Getting married in a dress uniform

Mariner gives Boimler grief about the fact that he’s wearing a more formal dress uniform by saying, “Nice dress uniform. You getting married after this.” In TNG and Voyager, a dress uniform often appeared in wedding episodes, notably in “Data’s Day.” The dress uniform in Lower Decks is seeming incongruous with the mostly white dress uniforms worn by the Enterprise crew in Nemesis, just a year prior in 2379. That said, the uniforms of the Cerritos already represent a throwback vibe to the TNG uniforms than anything seen in the TNG films.

Blast shield 

The shuttlecraft Yosemite has a blast shield. We know it goes up and it goes down. We don’t really know what it does. However, like the sand joke in episode 1, this might be another moment where Lower Decks is throwing in a Star Wars reference. The phrase “Blast shield” is used to describe the part of Luke Skywalker’s helmet that obscures his vision in A New Hope. 

Mariner is dreaming about Khan

While Mariner is napping on the shuttle, we catch her murmuring “Buried alive, marooned for eternity.” When she wakes up she says, “I keep having this awesome dream!” She is dreaming about Khan’s famous speech in The Wrath of Khan when he tells Kirk, “I shall leave you as you left me..marooned for all eternity at the center of a dead planet…buried alive…buried alive!” This speech, naturally, is followed by Kirk bellowing “KHAAAAN!!!”

Blood wine, Gagh and Raktajino

This episode makes quick references to Bloodwine (which Mariner and the Klingon envoy drink), Gagh (when Mariner says “the man wants hot worms!”) and Klingon coffee, better known as Raktajino. Gagh originates in the TNG episode “A Matter of Honor,” in which Riker has to eat the still-live serpent worms to prove he’s a badass. Bloodwine also originates in “A Matter of Honor,” though throughout the entire franchise it’s still never been made clear if there is actual blood in the Bloodwine. The most recent reference to Bloodwine was in Discovery Season 2 when Jet Reno referred to the Klingons as “The guys who drink Bloodwine.” Raktajino, meanwhile, originates on DS9, starting with the episode “Dax.”

“Little Qo’nos”

When translated into English, one of the signs (written in Klingon) actually reads “Little Qo’nos,” which makes sense since Mariner called this area of the planet “the Klingon district.” Qo’nos is the homeworld of the Klingon Empire, though the name wasn’t actually revealed until Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. It is sometimes spelled “Kronos.”

Court Martialed 

Boimler worries that he and Mariner will be court-martialed for losing track of the shuttlecraft, to which Mariner replies, “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.” The formal process of court-martial does not necessarily mean one will get kicked out of Starfleet. Both Kirk and Spock were court-martialed in TOS, in the episodes “Court Martial,” and “The Menagerie,” respectively. Apparently, Mariner has been court-martialed, too. This gives her something else in common with TNG favorite, Ensign Ro.  

The Khitomer Accords

Boimler is also worried that he and Mariner are “violating the Kitohmer Accords.” This references the general peace treaties between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. These peace talks began in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, roughly in the year 2293. However, because the Enterprise-C was destroyed near Khitomer in 2344, there seems to have been more than one incarnation of the Khitomer Accords.

Section 31 power walk

Boimler mentions Section 31 as he performs his absurd energy-conserving speed- walk. Because Boimler is only an Ensign, this makes it seem like Section 31 is common knowledge in 2380. In the DS9 era (mostly 2370s) Section, 31 was still top-secret.

Klingon food cart owner has a Mek’Leth

When Mariner and Boimler ask the Klingon who runs a food kiosk about the location of the general, she pulls a Mek’Leth on them. This small, curved Klingon blade was introduced as Worf’s second weapon of choice in the DS9 episode “The Way of the Warrior.” That said, it is most remembered for Worf using it on Borg in zero gravity in the film First Contact. 

Kaelon II aliens from TNG’s “Half a Life”

If the distinctive blue and black jumpsuits, combined with veiny foreheads seemed vaguely familiar, that’s because these aliens were seen in exactly one episode of TNG. Mariner mentions that the stares from these aliens make it seem like they’ve never seen a Starfleet uniform. Boimler responds, “Well, they are Kaelons and Kaelons are notoriously isolationist.” In the TNG episode “Half a Life,” we learn that part of the reason why the Kaelons are so closed off from the rest of the galaxy is that they force people over 50 to commit ritual suicide. In “Half a Life,” Lwaxana Troi falls in love with a Kaelon man, only to realize that he’ll be dead very soon.

Retro Klingon disruptors

In a glass case in the Klingon marketplace, there are several old school Klingon disruptors, seemingly for sale. These are straight from TOS, specifically the kind seen in “Errand of Mercy.”

“Warm hot joystick in your hand”

Commander Ransom mentions a “warm hot joystick,” in reference to being on the bridge. This seems like he’s talking about the “manual steering column,” which Riker used to fly the Enterprise in Star Trek: Insurrection. Relative to Lower Decks, that tech is probably fairly new.

Janeway protocol

When Ransom mentions using the “Janeway protocol,” he acts like Rutherford should know what he’s talking about. In truth, we have no idea what the Janeway protocol is other than it references Captain Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager. However, because this holodeck simulation involved temporal rift, it seems possible Ransom is suggesting Rutherford should have tried to use time travel to reset everything. (Janeway does this in both “Year of Hell” and “Endgame.”) That said, Ransom shouldn’t know Janeway used time travel to reset everything, so maybe that’s not it. Chronologically, at this point, Janeway is an Admiral at Starfleet. Or, at least she was the year prior, in Star Trek: Nemesis.

Risa references

One district Mariner and Boimler find themselves in seems to be a knock-off the planet Risa. There’s a giant statue of a horga’hn, and when Boimler is flirted-with, the term “jamaharon” is mentioned. All of this originates in the TNG episode “Captain’s Holiday.” In that episode, Picard vacations on Risa and learns that displaying a statue of a horga’hn means you seek “jamaharon,” which basically just means you want sex.

“I am for you”

The alien woman who tries to plant her eggs in Boimler also seems to read his thoughts and essentially, become what he needs in order to lure him to his doom. This could reference the TOS episode “That Which Survives,” in which Losira (Lee Meriweather) says “I am for you, James T. Kirk” before she kills whoever’s name she has just said.

“In the name of the Prophets!”

Lt. Shaxs is a Bajoran, so when he says “In the name of the Prophets!” it seems to indicate he’s a religious Bajoran. Lower Decks takes place after the finale of DS9, so it seems possible that Bajorians in Starfeelt are even more devout, specifically because their Messiah — Ben Sisko — not only helped end the Dominion War, but also, went to live with the literal Prophets.

A Simulation to learn about defeat 

Shaxs tells Rutherford that the “Shmorgishborg” simulation was designed to be unwinnable and to teach people about defeat. This references the idea of The Kobayashi Maru—”the No Win Scenario”—in The Wrath of Khan. 

“Shmorgishborg” 

The joke “Shmorgishborg” is a play on the word “smorgasbord,” which usually refers to a fancy buffet. The word derives from the Swedish word “smörgåsbord.” In First Contact, when Picard first tells 21st-century resident Lily about the Borg, she replies, “Sounds Swedish.”

Founding members of the Federation

Mariner tries to give Boimler some advice about Andorians, and he replies, “Andorians were a founding member of the Federation, you want to tell me about Tellarties too!” This references the idea that Anodrians and Tellarites are some of the earliest of Trek’s alien species. Both races were first introduced in “Journey To Babel,” and later in the Enterprise episode “United,” the 22nd-century origins of the Human-Tellarite-Anodrian alliances are made clear.

Vendorian shapeshifter

Without a doubt, the deepest cut in the episode. Boimler and Mariner briefly encounter a tentacled Vendorian, a shapeshifting alien that was first seen in a 1973 episode of The Animated Series called “The Survivor.” In that episode, the Vendorian ended-up being helpful and saving the crew. In this case, not so much. 

Ferengi throwback

Although the Ferengi who confronts Boimler and Mariner is eventually revealed to be a pretty nice guy, the overt reference here is to the over-the-top way the Ferengi behaved in their very first appearance in the TNG episode “The Last Outpost.” From the fur outfit to the “hand thing,” this Ferengi is designed to evoke our 1987 memory of how absurd these guys first looked. When Mariner says she thinks he’s a Bolian, it’s an obvious tip to the audience that she’s lying. Boilans are the blue-skinned folks who, are perhaps best represented by Mr. Mot, the barber on the Enterprise-D in TNG.

But. In terms of this portrayal of the Ferengi. Go back to “The Last Outpost,” and look for the “hand thing.” The recreation here is spot-on.

The post Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 2 Easter Eggs & References appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[jimintomystery]

TNG: “Unification II”

Captain Picard and Lt. Commander Data learn that Ambassador Spock came to Romulus to guage the potential for a Vulcan-Romulan reunification.  Meanwhile, the Enterprise pursues its leads on the materiel stolen from Qualor II.  When Spock deduces a connection between these matters, he uncovers a Romulan plot.  Commander Sela captures Spock, Picard, and Data before stepping up the timetable for a Romulan invasion of Vulcan.

Since the Cold War greatly influenced Star Trek’s approach to depicting the Federation’s relationship with rival powers, the end of the Cold War had a massive impact on the franchise’s 25th anniversary events.  Star Trek VI depicted the Klingons being unable to afford continued hostilities with the Federation, forcing old soldiers to confront the sudden end of a seemingly eternal conflict that had defined their lives.  This episode, on the other hand, alludes to uprisings in Eastern Europe in 1989, and the reunification of NATO’s West Germany and the Warsaw Pact’s East Germany a year later.

The German reunification metaphor is a bit shaky, though, since Vulcan is a founding member of the Federation and Romulus is the seat of power for its own empire.  Spock doesn’t address whether the policy he’s pursuing would have Vulcan exit the Federation to cogovern the Romulan Star Empire, or if Romulus would abandon its imperial possessions to become a Federation member.  For all I know we’re supposed to think Vulcan-Romulan reunification is effectively synonymous with the a union between the whole Federation and the entire Romulan state.  The questions of sovereignty make this far more complicated than, for example, a bilateral non-aggression treaty, which makes it pretty illogical for Spock to seriously believe Proconsul Neral would greenlight it this afternoon.

Since I previously mentioned my confusion about the “missing Vulcan ship” angle, let’s go over how it fits into the Romulans’ plan.  The Romulans want to send 2,000 troops to Vulcan, posing as a peace envoy.  To that end they try to convince Spock to endorse a peace initiative, and they need to steal three Vulcan transport ships.  One of those ships, the T’Pau, is procured from the smuggling ring at Qualor II.  But the Romulans don’t get the T’Pau’s navigational deflector, which was apparently fenced off to a completely different party, and went down with a Ferengi cargo ship.  I find it odd that the Romulans would leave that loose end for Starfleet to find, especially since the T’Pau is pretty useless without a deflector. 

For that matter, I find it strange that the Romulans expect to send three Vulcan ships across the Neutral Zone without raising a lot of red flags.  The Vulcans may not know what Spock is up to, but they sure know they didn’t give him three ships to do it.  Even if Spock pulled some “cowboy diplomacy” and “borrowed” the ships, he’d have no motive to make them unidentifiable upon their return.  So a lot of this plan really hinges on Sela’s remark that she just needs to keep everybody confused until the invasion force lands on Vulcan.  In effect, the excuse for every plot hole here is that the Romulans are very, very sloppy.  Then again, that would also account for how quickly Spock and Data hack their intelligence network and effortlessly pwn them at every turn.

This episode is the final appearance of Spock until the 2009 film Star Trek, in which he disappears into the alternate timeline of that movie and its sequels.  (His death is reported in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond.)  His last official act in this timeline, then, was a 2387 attempt to prevent the Romulan sun from exploding.  I always liked that detail, because it played into his dedication to the Romulans as established here.  And now, thanks to Star Trek: Picard, we know Spock wasn’t the only good dude from this episode looking out for the Romulans in that crisis, which also seems fitting.

[kjaneway115]

Star Trek Voyager: The Killing Game, Part II

Episode 4.19 “The Killing Game, Part II” Stardate 51715.2

Janeway and Seven know who they are and they are both in their “Maquis” black, on Voyager, looking for help to deactivate the neural interfaces.

Meanwhile, Chakotay, Tuvok, Tom and B’Elanna still believe they are their characters in the simulation, believing they are trying to destroy Nazi headquarters.  Chakotay immediately takes command.  Tom and B’Elanna have their usual banter, even as their holodeck characters.  It begs the question of whether the Hirogen knew about Tom and B’Elanna’s relationship when they created and assigned the characters, or if there was some other way that they adopted those characters and relationships.  Same thing is true with Janeway and Chakotay.  Janeway and Seven make it back to the holodeck, and Janeway convinces everyone to go along with her plan to destroy the “Nazi compound.” She insists on going alone to destroy it; Chakotay insists on going with her.  

Harry runs into Tom, and even though Tom doesn’t recognize him, they have their usual friendship.

Chakotay tells Janeway she’s a “gung-ho kind of gal,” and that he’s not used to that.  He tells her not a day goes by that he doesn’t want to get his men home, even if he dies trying.  She recognizes the irony and says she knows the feeling. Even when Chakotay is not himself, he and Kathryn trust each other. Neelix is in the Klingon simulation, and Janeway takes Chakotay there to recruit the Klingons to their cause.  The Klingon Neelix insists that they prove their fortitude by drinking.  Chakotay offers his hand to Kathryn to help her down from the rock.  Janeway calls the Doctor to the holodeck to get him in on the plan.  Chakotay builds an explosive which they set under sickbay, and Janeway and Chakotay break into sickbay together.  Janeway manages to disable the forcefield but is shot in the leg.  Everyone remembers who they are.

Tuvok, Seven, B’Elanna and Tom are taken prisoner by the Hirogen.  Tom, the Earth history aficionado, is the only one who knows about the Nazis and World War II.  The holographic Nazi who was with B’Elanna slaps her, and Tom tries to protect her.

The Hirogen leader tells Janeway that they need to repair Voyager.  He explains to her that he’s trying to build a future for his people, that the holodeck technology would offer a new way of life.  Janeway, still wounded, talks with him.  The Hirogen leader tells Janeway that humans recognize the need for change.  He tells her he admires their cunning.  Janeway says if he gives her her ship back, she’ll call a cease fire and give the Hirogen the holodeck technology.  The Hirogen leader agrees.

Back on the holodeck, the Hirogen second-in-command is becoming dissatisfied with his orders not to kill his prey.  He orders Seven to sing.  She declines.  Tuvok tells her that it would be logical to do what he asks since he is holding a gun to her.  Seven replies that logic is irrelevant and tells the Hirogen that one day his species will be assimilated by the Borg.  At that moment, the Hirogen leader calls the holodeck and tells  them about the cease fire. However, the holographic Nazi convinces the Hirogen second-in-command that they need to continue to fight.

The Doc is monitoring the simulations.  He tells Neelix he has to convince the Klingons to fight with the Nazis.  “They’re Klingons, not kittens,” the Doc reminds Neelix.  Janeway is in engineering with the Hirogen leader.  She tells Harry they have to overload the holoemitter network to shut down the holodeck simulations.  The second in command enters engineering and kills his superior. He tells Janeway she is now his prey and orders her to run.  She, still wounded in the leg, has no choice but to do as he asks.

Back on the holodeck, Chakotay checks in with his troops who are being badly beaten by the Nazis.

Harry initiates the holo-emitter overload.  

Seven creates a device that will disrupt holographic activity, but she is shot before she can throw it at the Nazis.  Chakotay is forced to surrender.

Janeway feigns weakness to lure her Hirogen hunter into a trap.  Then he becomes the hunted.  Chakotay and the others are lined up for a firing squad when the Klingons enter the battle and give Chakotay the advantage.  Janeway tells the Hirogen to tell his hunters to stand down; he refuses and she kills him. The holoemitters overload and all the characters disappear.

In her log, Janeway says that there have been heavy casualties on both sides and that Voyager has taken heavy damage.  They finally negotiate a cease fire. Janeway gives the holodeck technology to the Hirogen as she had promised their leader she would. 

Original Airdate: March 4, 1998

Production Number: 187

Episode Tags: P/T, J/C

Meanwhile, back in the Alpha Quadrant...

Sisko posts the list of Starfleet casualties in every week on Friday. He has been posting the list for the last 3 months.  The Romulans have a non-aggression pact with the Dominion.  Sisko decides he wants to bring the Romulans into the war.  Sisko is convinced that the Romulans are going to want proof that the Dominion is not a trustworthy ally.  Sisko asks Garak to find this proof on Cardassia.  Garak warns Sisko that it's going to be messy.  Sisko replies he's prepared to do whatever it takes to bring the Romulans into the war.  Garak agrees.  The Dominion invades Betazed.  Garak tells Sisko that all of his former colleagues on Cardassia were killed within a day of speaking with him.  Garak convinces Sisko that they should manufacture the evidence themselves.  Sisko meets with a Romulan.  Dominion shipyards are operating at full capacity while the Federation is still rebuilding theirs.  The Romulan senator realizes that the data is a fake.  The Romulan senator who Sisko spoke with is killed on his way home by the Dominion.  Sisko realizes that this was Garak's plan all along.  The Romulan Empire declares war against the Dominion and strike 15 posts immediately.  Only Sisko and Garak know the full story.

[mateushonrado]

Actors who appeared in both Star Trek and Star Wars – VIII of X

Status Post #8678: Grey Griffin

Star Trek – Various voice roles (represented by female characters in TOS) in Star Trek: Starfleet Command II - Empires at War (2000)

Media: Star Trek: Starfleet Command II - Empires at War (2000)

Star Wars – Naare in The Freemaker Chronicles (2016)

Media: Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Chronicles (2016)

[oldpcgads]

Star Trek: Starfleet Command Volume II - Empires at War

[writewegrowbeyond]

1. Introduction: Project Akira

After the abortive Borg Invasion of 2366, the Advanced Starship Design Bureau, at the behest of Starfleet Command and the Federation Security Council, fast-tracked development of Project Akira. The initial design brief for Project Akira had been to develop and launch a new multi-purpose heavy cruiser which could replace Starfleet’s ageing Excelsior- and Miranda-class fleets. However, changed astropolitical circumstances meant changed design priorities.

2. Competing Concepts (2366-2368)

The first-generation Akira-class starship was to become a combat-oriented heavy cruiser. Though it would maintain cutting-edge research facilities, the planned class’ operation brief was revised to maximise fleet-support, border defence and fast-strike capacity. The first wave of Akira spaceframes were already under construction at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Mars, and the Starbase 134 Integration Facility, Rigel VI, and early systems integration and tests would continue as the design teams at the ASDB reconceptualised the class.

The catamaran secondary hull was retained, though the engineering hull beneath the forward command section was shortened, limiting the design’s Y-axis profile. The planned research pod, located between the catamaran hulls, was repurposed as a “battle pod”, to be filled with multiple torpedo launchers and a significant arsenal. Furthermore, all phaser arrays were to be of Type-X, class 2, featuring three times as many emitters as the standard design. The primary hull would be largely given over to fighter bays, marine support and command and control technologies.

To this end, the new class would require miniaturised versions of power plant technology being developed for Project Sovereign in order to meet expected power demands and would feature significantly fewer amenities for embarked crew. Families and attached civilian personnel would not be allowed aboard, and the class’ range would be lower than a standard Starfleet explorer or heavy cruiser, largely limiting the Akira-class starship to operations within Federation space or a fleet context.

However, elements of the design team were not happy with this reconceptualisation. Starfleet’s focus on border-defence and deep-space exploration since the Khitomer Accords in 2293 had seen first the Ambassador-class starship and then the Galaxy-class starship, as well as related designs such as the Nebula-class and the New Orleans-class, take pride of place, while internal Federation operations, including survey, patrol, colony support and resupply missions, were increasingly shifted to an ageing fleet of so-called “workhorses”, including Excelsior- and Miranda-class vessels which were almost a century old.

These designers saw replacing these ships as a vital matter of security for the Federation, as the enormous interstellar state could see its internal supply and communication lines easily disrupted if these older ships were targeted. Supported by some admirals at Starfleet Command and Vulcan’s Federation Councillor, T’Latrek, a number of designers launched a parallel project with Project Akira, codenamed Project Next Step, aiming to make the Akira-class a reasonable stepping point between the Project Sovereign-era development scheme and Starfleet’s long-term plans, including the Project Luna deep-space explorer and the next-generation Project Vesta.

As a result of these changed circumstances, the projected launch date for the class was moved up from 2370 to 2368, with the prototype’s shakedown cruise to be completed by 2369 and the first generation of thirty-six spaceframes to be launched between 2369 and 2371. By 2367 the design was finalised, and systems integration was completed in February 2368. A second generation of sixty spaceframes was tentatively planned for a rolling launch between 2373 and 2378. Project Next Step aimed to have its designs incorporated in this second generation.

3. Launch and Shakedown (2368-2371)

The first starship of the class, U.S.S. Akira NX-62497, was launched in March 2368. The miniaturised Project Sovereign power plant worked well, and in war games and combat trials the starship met or exceeded expectations. However, during the shakedown period it became clear that a combat-focused starship was not conducive to long-term billets, and Starfleet Command implemented a high-changeover roster system, swapping crew out after six- or twelve-month tours of duty. With her shakedown period concluded, Akira returned to Rigel VI for minor refits, before she was officially commissioned and launched in April 2369.

The thirty-six spaceframe first generation of Akira-class starships was launched in three waves of twelve across three years [see appendix A].

The class performed well in the missions to which it was assigned, primarily combat support and patrol along the Cardassian, Tholian, Breen, Tzenkethi and Romulan borders. Still, with no further sign of Borg intervention in Federation affairs, Project Next Step’s work was continued, and the next generation of spaceframes was divided into two new sub-classes: the James T. Kirk-subclass of exploration-focused starships, incorporating Project Next Step’s innovations, and the Akira II-subclass of combat-oriented vessels.

However, there was significant resistance from some in Starfleet Command to this, and it was decided that a testbed vessel would be outfitted to the specifications of Project Next Step before the James T. Kirk-subclass was to be granted final approval for construction. As there were no new spaceframes which could accommodate the testbed due to be launched until 2373, this effectively delayed the launch of the sub-class until 2375, by which time Project Luna and Project Vesta were expected to have entered their final design phases. The delay would therefore render Project Next Step moot.

4. Project Next Step Finds a Home (2371-2373)

In November 2370, while patrolling the Lorenze Cluster, the U.S.S. Trinity was struck by a cloaked radiation mine. Most of the crew was killed, and the ship was badly damaged. Towed back to port, it became clear that the vessel would require a full refit. Due to the influence of Councillor T’Latrek, it was decided that Trinity would become Project Next Step’s testbed. Trinity was diverted to Utopia Planitia, and over the course of 2371 was completely redesigned and rebuilt.

The battle pod was repurposed once again, this time for science and exploration. The sensor technologies developed for Project Sovereign were incorporated into the design, and the ship’s tactical suite was significantly altered. The X-2 phasers were replaced with Type-XII phasers, the ship’s torpedo launcher count was reduced from fifteen to three, and the majority of space given over to fighter bays, marine support and command and control systems were replaced by expanded laboratory facilities, a hospital-grade medical facility and crew amenities.

Crew families and civilians would once again be welcome aboard, and a variable life support system would aim to make the ship welcoming for all of the Federation’s member species. Trinity and the rest of the James T. Kirk-subclass were to have the most diverse crews in Starfleet history, as a pathfinder for the similar goals of Project Luna. To help support this, the ship’s power plant was replaced with the full Project Sovereign design, altered to suit the new multi-mission parameters of the sub-class.

The abrogation of the Khitomer Accords by the Klingon Empire at the beginning of 2372 made many in Starfleet Command hesitant about going ahead with Project Next Step, but the successful launch of Trinity early that year, and her performance meeting or exceeding all expectations during the first months of her mission to the disputed Nikiian Sector along the Klingon border, convinced Command to sign off on the launch of the first wave of the Kirk-subclass: five vessels, alongside five Akira II-subclass counterparts.

5. Trial by Fire: The Dominion War (2373-2375)

These first waves were due for launch in 2373. The performance of the U.S.S. Thunderchild during the Borg attack on Earth during that year led to the renaming of the Akira II-subclass to the Thunderchild-subclass, and the performance of Trinity during that same battle assuaged any lingering fears about the inability of the explorer design to meet combat expectations.

The U.S.S. James T. Kirk herself was refit at Utopia Planitia and launched in June 2373, the de facto lead ship of the new subclass. The first five of the subclass’ spaceframes were named for former captains of Federation starships named Enterprise, and all were in service before the end of 2373. Likewise for the first five Thunderchild vessels, named for the five outer planets of the Sol system.

The outbreak of war with the Cardassian Union and the Dominion at the end of 2373 halted launch of the next planned waves of Kirk-subclass vessels, with the spaceframes earmarked for launch in those years instead fitted out as Thunderchild ships. The planned names of the Kirk-subclass vessels were held over. The 2374 wave of Thunderchild ships was named for significant naval battles in Earth’s history, while the 2375 wave was named for battles of the Earth-Romulan War during the twenty-second century.

The seven launched Kirk-subclass vessels performed admirably during the war, with no losses. While the original Akira-class vessels and the new Thunderchild-subclass ships suffered heavy losses during the war, the large-scale fleet conflicts that characterised many of the war’s largest battles proved perfect for the design and the losses were attributed to merely how often these ships were deployed in heavy combat rather than any inadequacies in design.

At the conclusion of the war, three further waves of both Thunderchild- and Kirk-subclass vessels were confirmed, while the remaining original Akira-class vessels were to be refit to Thunderchild specifications. The 2376 wave consisted of Kirk vessels named for famed Starfleet captains of the twenty-second century, while the 2377 wave was named for twenty-third century captains and the 2378 wave for captains of the twenty-fourth century [see appendix B and appendix C].

6. Victorious in War, Glorious in Peace (2375-2379)

The heavy losses suffered by Starfleet during the war and the demands of reconstruction during peacetime saw many of the Thunderchild vessels serve in support capacities throughout Federation space while the Kirk ships took on exploratory missions as many Nebula-, Galaxy- and Sovereign-class starships were reassigned to peace-keeping or diplomatic efforts. No special naming scheme for further Thunderchild commissions was announced.

There was very little difference between the baseline Akira design and the Thunderchild design, to the extent that it was officially designated Mark 1a. The Thunderchild featured updated systems and elements of the internal layout and power distribution system were altered for greater efficiency, and it was to these specifications that the original Akira-class vessels were upgraded at the end of the Dominion War. Though the original plan had been for thirty Kirk-subclass vessels and thirty Thunderchild-subclass vessels, the reality of war meant that only twenty of the planned Kirk ships were built while forty Thunderchild ships had been launched by the end of 2378.

Ultimately, the original Akira design, the James T. Kirk redesign and the Thunderchild upgrade were classified as unreserved successes by Starfleet Command. Project Next Step was vindicated by the success of the Kirk vessels, as well as the successful launch of the Luna-class long-range explorers in 2379 and the Vesta-class multi-mission explorers the next year. Lessons learnt from the Kirk ships during more than seven years of operation were incorporated into both designs.  

7. The Future of the Fleet (2379 onwards)

Ultimately, the original Akira design, the James T. Kirk redesign and the Thunderchild upgrade were classified as unreserved successes by Starfleet Command. Project Next Step was vindicated by the success of the Kirk vessels, as well as the successful launch of the Luna-class long-range explorers in 2379 and the Vesta-class multi-mission explorers the next year. Lessons learnt from the Kirk ships during more than seven years of operation were incorporated into both designs.  

 In 2379, with seventy-eight Akira-class starships of both subclasses still in operation and meeting or exceeding Starfleet Command’s rolling expectations, the Advanced Starship Design Bureau was ordered to develop the Akira-class Mark 3, Sentinel-subclass, which would be launched in 2381 with a refit U.S.S. Sentinel NCC-68455. The new Mark 3 would fully incorporate the Mark 1a and Mark 2 designs to produce a true multi-mission heavy cruiser, purposefully balanced to meet the widest possible range of combat and exploration mission profiles.

The hundred-ship subclass, to be comprised of thirty refit Thunderchild-subclass vessels and seventy newly built Sentinel-subclass starships, would be rolled out between 2383 and 2390, with all refits to be completed by 2385. The end goal of this shipbuilding program was to give Starfleet the capacity to finally retire all twenty-third century starship designs. The projected subclass was expected to serve, with refits and upgrades, until at least the middle of the next century.

The third and final Borg Invasion of 2381 irrevocably altered this program. With Starfleet’s operational capacity reduced by up to forty per cent by the end of the invasion, the shipbuilding program was expanded and accelerated. The refit program was delayed, with only the Sentinel launched at Mark 3 specifications, and the remaining Mark 1, Mark 2 and Mark 1a Akira-class starships were diverted to Federation-wide reconstruction efforts. The Mark 3 Sentinel-subclass program was expanded to one hundred twenty starships, all newly built, to be launched before 2390. The Akira-class Mark 1 and Mark 1a Thunderchild-subclass would be refit to Mark 3 specifications during the final phase of this construction.

The Mark 2 James T. Kirk-subclass vessels were not to be refit as Mark 3 vessels but were to maintain their unique designs. Many of these vessels would continue serving Starfleet into the first decades of the twenty-fifth century, when their spaceframes would begin to reach the end of their operational lifespans. 

Appendix A

Notable Akira-class starships

The prototype Akira was refit first as a Mark 1a Thunderchild vessel, before being brought into line with the Mark 3 Sentinel specifications. She was destroyed by the Tholians in 2386, an event which nearly triggered a war between the Federation and her allies and the Tholians and theirs. However, her surviving crew revealed that the destruction had come about as a result of miscommunication rather than naked aggression and averted armed conflict.

The Starship Trinity, the first of the Akira-class vessels to be brought up to the specifications of the James T. Kirk-subclass, was decommissioned in 2399 and sent to the Qualor II Surplus Depot. At that time, she had been commanded by the same officer, Captain Matthew Tye, for the majority of her service since her relaunch in 2372. Both ship and captain were immensely controversial within Starfleet. Trinity served with distinction against the Klingons, the Dominion, the Borg and later in the exploration of the Okeanos Corridor, but Tye developed a reputation for shirking Starfleet orders, most spectacularly in the aftermath of the 2381 Borg invasion when he stole the Starship Hillary for an unauthorised mission.

The James T. Kirk herself was famed for her exploratory missions under Captain Elias Vaughn between 2379 and 2381, when she was badly damaged during the Borg Invasion. While the Kirk was rebuilt and relaunched in 2383, Vaughn himself was killed and many of the crew were reassigned. She served with distinction until 2405, when she was retired with full honours and inducted into the Starfleet Museum. The Kirk would be housed at the Museum’s Orbital Annex above Earth as the prime example of an Akira-class starship.

The U.S.S. Thunderchild served with extraordinary valour during the Borg Invasion of 2373 and subsequently throughout the Dominion War. Unfortunately, she was destroyed with all hands by the Borg in early 2380, during the so-called “supercube crisis”. She was commanded first by Bern Okala, then Evelyn Hoffman and finally Hiroshi Matsuda. Her ten years of service to Starfleet were commemorated with the Thunderchild Memorial in San Francisco.

The U.S.S. Sentinel fought during the Dominion War under Anna Maria Amalfitano, and was instrumental in reconstruction efforts in Cardassian space after the war’s end. Sentinel’s missions at this time are credited as being vital to the eventual Federation-Cardassian alliance, and Captain Amalfitano became an important advisor on Cardassian affairs to Federation presidents for the rest of the twenty-fourth century. Sentinel herself served with distinction until she was decommissioned in 2415.

Appendix B

Akira-class Mark 1 launch schedule

2369

U.S.S. Akira NCC-62497

U.S.S. Geronimo NCC-62501

U.S.S. Gryphon NCC-62502

U.S.S. Essex NCC-62503

U.S.S. Trinity NCC-62504

U.S.S. Black Elk NCC-62505

U.S.S. Singh NCC-62740

U.S.S. Nautilus NCC-62741

U.S.S. Mitterand NCC-62742

U.S.S. Osceola NCC-62743

U.S.S. Meneleas NCC-62890

U.S.S. Nez Perce NCC-62891

2370

U.S.S. Rabin NCC-63293

U.S.S. Templar NCC-63294

U.S.S. Crusader NCC-63295

U.S.S. Capetown NCC-63302

U.S.S. Sharansky NCC-63303

U.S.S. Apache NCC-63304

U.S.S. Ascension NCC-63305

U.S.S. Red Cloud NCC-63306

U.S.S. Thunderchild NCC-63549

U.S.S. Quetzalcoatl NCC-63550

U.S.S. James T. Kirk NCC-63719

U.S.S. Spector NCC-63898

2371

U.S.S. Gettysburg NCC-67430

U.S.S. Fredricksburg NCC-67431

U.S.S. Vicksburg NCC-67432

U.S.S. Antietam NCC-67433

U.S.S. Sentinel NCC-68455

U.S.S. Bondar NCC-68568

U.S.S. Garneau NCC-68569

U.S.S. Kali NCC-68570

U.S.S. Susquehanna NCC-69300

U.S.S. Resilient NCC-69301

U.S.S. Nostromo NCC-69302

U.S.S. Osceola NCC-69303

Appendix C

Akira-class Mark 2, James T. Kirk-subclass launch schedule

2372

U.S.S. Trinity NCC-62504 ref.

 2373

U.S.S. James T. Kirk NCC-63719 ref.

U.S.S. Robert April NCC-71261

U.S.S. Christopher Pike NCC-71262

U.S.S. John Harriman NCC-71263

U.S.S. Demora Sulu NCC-71264

U.S.S. Rachel Garrett NCC-71265

2376

U.S.S. Erika Hernandez NCC-75121

U.S.S. Carlos Ramirez NCC-75122

U.S.S. T’Pol NCC-75123

U.S.S. Resthenar sh'Prenni NCC-75124

U.S.S. Chim glav Soach NCC-75125

2377

U.S.S. Philippa Georgiou NCC-76661

U.S.S. Matthew Decker NCC-76662

U.S.S. Satak NCC-76663

U.S.S. Thomas Blair NCC-76664

U.S.S. Atish Khatami NCC-76665

2378

U.S.S. Hikaru Sulu NCC-78241

U.S.S. Margaret Sinclair-Alexander NCC-78242

U.S.S. Walker Keel NCC-78243

U.S.S. Donald Varley NCC-78244

U.S.S. Declan Keogh NCC-78245

Appendix D

Akira-class Mark 1a, Thunderchild-subclass launch schedule

2373

U.S.S. Mars NCC-71266

U.S.S. Jupiter NCC-71267

U.S.S. Saturn NCC-71268

U.S.S. Neptune NCC-71269

U.S.S. Uranus NCC-71270

2374

U.S.S. Salamis NCC-71421

U.S.S. Ecnomus NCC-71422

U.S.S. Puqi NCC-71423

U.S.S. Yamen NCC-71424

U.S.S. Lapanto NCC-71425

U.S.S. Jutland NCC-71426

U.S.S. Leyte Gulf NCC-71427

U.S.S. Pearl Harbor NCC-71428

U.S.S. Coral Sea NCC-71429

U.S.S. Midway NCC-71430

2375

U.S.S. Calder NCC-73551

U.S.S. Tarod NCC-73552

U.S.S. Deneva NCC-73553

U.S.S. Berengaria NCC-73554

U.S.S. Threllvia NCC-73555

U.S.S. Algeron NCC-73556

U.S.S. Gamma Hydra NCC-73557

U.S.S. Prantares NCC-73558

U.S.S. Galorndon Core NCC-73559

U.S.S. Cheron NCC-73560

2376

U.S.S. Androsia NCC-75126

U.S.S. Gallant NCC-75127

U.S.S. Devore NCC-75128

U.S.S. Jaganath NCC-75129

U.S.S. Begin NCC-75130

2377

U.S.S. Norris NCC-76666

U.S.S. Peerless NCC-76667

U.S.S. Aquino NCC-76668

U.S.S. Inverness NCC-76669

U.S.S. Resolution NCC-76670

2378

U.S.S. Poseidon NCC-78246

U.S.S. Virgil NCC-78247

U.S.S. Timberwolf NCC-78248

U.S.S. Rhodes NCC-78249

U.S.S. Mateo NCC-78250

Appendix E

James T. Kirk-subclass deck plans

A.     Science module: specialised sensor arrays; module computer core upper level; specialised fusion generator.

B.      Science module: observation lounge; module transporter room; probe manufacturing and modification facilities upper bay; science labs; shield generator; module computer core mid-level; probe holding bays; probe launcher

C.      Science module: specialised sensor arrays; module sensor control; probe manufacturing and modification facilities main level; science labs; module computer core lower level; batteries.

1.      Catamaran: warp plasma supercharger high bay; officers’ quarters.

2.      Catamaran: warp plasma supercharger main level; officers’ quarters; catamaran engineering high bay; impulse drive manifolds.

3.      Primary hull: captain’s ready room; main bridge; conference lounge. Catamaran: enlisted officers’ quarters; observation decks; antimatter loading distributors; emergency generators; nacelle access; shield generators; impulse fusion generators; impulse drives.

4.      Primary hull: secondary sensor array high bay; secondary sensor control; emergency life support; holosuites; escape pods. Catamaran: officers’ quarters; enlisted officers’ quarters; enlisted personnel quarters; deuterium tank high bay; damage control and emergency supply lockers; impulse drive manifolds.

5.      Primary hull: primary sensor array; enlisted personnel quarters; research facilities; cryogenic storage. Catamaran: senior officers’ quarters (starboard); VIP quarters (port); officers’ lounge (starboard); VIP lounge (port); officers’ quarters; deuterium tank mid bay.

6.      Primary hull: officers’ quarters; holodeck 1 high bay (starboard); holodeck 2 upper bay (port); gymnasium upper bay; cetacean ops high bay (starboard); arboretum high bay (port); laboratory facilities; main crew lounge. Catamaran: officers’ quarters; deuterium tank main bay; shield generators.

7.      Primary hull: officers’ quarters; holodeck 1 main bay (starboard); holodeck 2 upper main (port); gymnasium main bay; cetacean ops main bay; (starboard) arboretum main bay (port); hydrological laboratories (starboard); botanical laboratories (port); enlisted officers’ quarters; enlisted personnel quarters; formal dining room and galley (starboard); relaxation garden (port); shuttle command and control.

8.      Primary hull: dorsal phaser array; phaser control; enlisted personnel quarters; main security and brig (starboard); sickbay (port); cargo bay 1 upper level (starboard); cargo bay 2 upper level (port), cargo bay 3 upper level (starboard); hydroponics bay 1 (port); stellar cartography lab upper bay (port); main shuttlebay upper level; escape pods

9.      Primary hull: main sensor array; main sensor control; laboratory facilities; cargo bay 1 main level (starboard); cargo bay 2 main level (port), transporter room 1 (starboard); transporter room 2 (port); secondary bridge; main computer core upper level; transporter room 3 (starboard); transporter room 4 (port); cargo bay 3 main level (starboard); hydroponics bay 2 (port); stellar cartography lab main level (port); shuttle storage facilities; shuttle maintenance facilities; shuttlebay main level.

10.  Primary hull: escape pods; ventral phaser arrays; forward torpedo launchers; torpedo control rooms; torpedo magazines; reaction control thrusters; shield generators; science laboratory complex (starboard) engineering laboratory complex (port); computer core upper mid-level; chief engineer’s office; main engineering high bay; industrial replication and fabrication upper level; reaction control thrusters and fuelling bays.

11.  Primary hull: forward observation lounge; public galleys; cryogenic storage; tertiary sensor arrays; secondary security (starboard); secondary sickbay (port); computer core lower mid-level; main engineering main floor; swimming pool (starboard); gymnasium (port); dilithium intermix chamber; industrial replication and fabrication main floor.

12.  Primary hull: battery compartments; science lab complex; main library centre; computer core lower level; emergency transporters; rear torpedo launcher; torpedo control rooms; torpedo magazines.

13.  Primary hull: battery compartments; deflector array upper bay; deflector control; science lab complex.

14.  Primary hull: main deflector array; emergency crew quarters; crew lounges.

15.  Primary hull: antimatter storage; warp core ejection mechanism.

[aion-rsa]

How Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Killing of Tasha Yar Became an Awkward Mistake

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“[I] died a senseless death in the other timeline. I didn’t like the sound of that, Captain. I’ve always known the risks that come with a Starfleet uniform. If I am to die in one, I’d like my death to count for something.”

Denise Crosby’s Lt. Tasha Yar, Star Trek: The Next Generation’s inaugural chief of security, managed—due to some alternate timeline trickery—to take that legendary meta-minded dig at her own death from two years earlier in the Season 1 episode, “Skin of Evil.” With that episode having originally aired on April 25, 1988, the anniversary is a good occasion to look back on the controversial behind-the-scenes circumstances that resulted in poor Tasha’s unspectacular, abrupt, red-shirt-like fatal encounter with an alien tar monster on a cheap-looking set.

“Skin of Evil” was the 22nd episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s inauspicious inaugural season—just three episodes away from the season finale. Consequently, with audiences at this point having stuck with the show for seven months since its September 26 premiere, the death of a main cast member certainly felt like a stakes-redefining kick against procedural complacency. However, those who had been following industry trades, and read the then-fresh, spoiler-teasing cover story exposé in Starlog magazine, titled “The Security Chief Who Got Away,” pretty much already knew that Crosby was on the outs with the series. Thus, the prevalent question going into Season 1’s final few episodes was not if Tasha Yar was leaving the Enterprise D, but how. Well, said how would prove to be one of the most controversial, lamentable moments in Star Trek history.

While Crosby denied the growing rumors of her impending exit during contemporaneous interviews published before “Skin of Evil” aired, she had indeed quit the series, mostly due to the lack of character development given to Tasha Yar. While she was given a backstory of a rough upbringing on the lawless abandoned Earth colony, Turkana IV, Yar’s only real moment in the spotlight (besides her famous seduction of android Data in “The Naked Now” while under alien viral influence,) had been Episode 3, “Code of Honor,” in which she became the amorous focus of an authoritarian alien leader, and would be forced to participate in a campy fight to the death with the leader’s outraged first wife. Thus, dealing with the show’s notoriously demanding schedule, and faced with the believed prospect of spending years soullessly saying “hailing frequencies open,” Crosby put in a request to be released from her contract, which creator Gene Roddenberry granted.

Unfortunately for Tasha Yar, Roddenberry’s acquiescence would come with a shocking caveat: a sudden and underwhelming onscreen death. “Skin of Evil,” directed by Joseph Scanlan, written by Joseph Stefano and Hannah Louise Shearer, set things up with a rescue mission after an Enterprise shuttlecraft containing Counselor Deanna Troi and pilot Lt. Ben Prieto crashed on the barren planet, Vagra II. Accordingly, Yar joins an away team consisting of Cmdr. William Riker, Lt. Cmdr. Data, Dr. Beverly Crusher to the planet surface, on which they encounter a powerful, tar-like creature that calls itself Armus. There, Yar quickly loses patience as the creature continues to block their rescue effort, and tries to move past it, resulting in an attack that sends her flying backwards, leaving her tar-marked face lifeless on the ground as the essence drains from her body; a condition even beyond the help of subsequent emergency efforts back on the Enterprise. Thus, Yar’s arc, for what it was, had come to an anti-climactic conclusion; a fate attributed to the dangerous nature of Starfleet service, especially for someone in security. However, said fate allegedly wasn’t inspired by any artful motivations.

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So, why did Yar’s exit down this way? Crosby recounted in 1993 behind-the-scenes book, Trek: The Next Generation Crew Book that “Gene [Roddenberry] really felt that the strongest way to go would be to have me killed. That would be so shocking and dramatic that he wanted to go with that.” However, another anecdote-touting tome, 1992’s Trek: The Unauthorized Behind-The-Scenes Story of The Next Generation, alleges that the “Skin of Evil” script—as with other Season 1 episodes—was secretly tweaked and/or rewritten by Roddenberry’s lawyer, Leonard Maizlish, who held an ambiguously-defined full-time staff position on the series. The purported rewrite, which would have been illegal in the Writer’s Guild, was believed to have been designed to deny any dramatic or sentimental value to Crosby’s character. With Roddenberry having recently lost creative control of the Star Trek movie franchise from Paramount Pictures, Maizlish may have been there to protect his bottom line, in this case ensuring that a dead-and-forgotten Tasha would leave no incentive for a potentially-costly new contract for Crosby down the line.

Nevertheless, “Skin of Evil” concluded with an emotional sendoff for Yar, with a memorial service—consisting of only the main cast member characters—set on the holodeck, where the late security chief posthumously delivers well wishes to her colleagues, notably a weeping, possibly guilt-ridden rescuee, Troi (actress Marina Sirtis was reacting to Crosby’s set presence off-camera). Yet, Crosby still had to endure the show’s apparent power plays, even after said memorial, since the show’s out-of-sequence production schedule resulted in her having to shoot one last appearance for her death episode’s immediate predecessor, Episode 21, “Symbiosis,” which also provided another famous Tasha Yar moment, in which she delivers a ham-fisted, Just-Say-No-era anti-drug speech to Wesley Crusher when addressing the episode’s alien drug pushers. It’s a bit of trivia that Crosby famously used in 2019 in a now-famous Twitter dunk on controversial executive producer Rick Berman.

Oh friend, my final scene on @StarTrek was not in SKIN OF EVIL but SYMBIOSIS which was filmed out of order. You came to the set to thank me and brought a cake, then ceremoniously ripped off my Communicator badge saying “you won’t be needing this anymore.” Don’t remember?

— Denise Crosby (@TheDeniseCrosby) February 4, 2019

While Crosby’s post-Star Trek aspirations wouldn’t quite pan out the way she had likely envisioned, save for a co-starring role in 1989 movie Pet Sematary, (she’s recently banked an impressive amount of TV appearances, notably on shows like The Walking Dead and Ray Donovan,) her apparent status as persona non grata on the Enterprise wouldn’t last long, and she would make a monumental return as Tasha in 1990 Season 3 episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” in which a temporal anomaly alters the timeline of the Enterprise D, creating a reality in which the Enterprise D is fighting a war with the Klingon Empire, and an anachronistic Season 3-era Yar is very much alive. Pertinent to the episode’s time-bending meeting with predecessor vessel the Enterprise C, Yar—after learning of her main timeline death from Guinan—would transfer to the embattled historical ship (after the earlier-quoted speech,) to ensure that it fulfills a sacrificial destiny to prevent a war that wasn’t supposed to take place, finally giving meaning to her death.

“Yesterday’s Enterprise” was so well-received that it facilitated more Yar-adjacent material, first with the 1990 Season 4 episode, “Legacy,” in which the Enterprise crew go to Tasha’s home, Turkana IV, and become embroiled in a scheme concocted by her bitter estranged sister, Ishara (Beth Toussaint). However, a prominent Crosby comeback would dominate Seasons 4-5’s two-part cliffhanger storyline, “Redemption,” when she played Commander Sela, the daughter of the “Yesterday’s Enterprise” alt-timeline Tasha Yar and a Romulan general to whom she was forced to become a concubine after the Enterprise C’s war-preventing act. In a twist of fate, Crosby, once an underutilized outcast crew member, had been positioned to play one the show’s most memorable villains, since Sela is a ruthless, unwaveringly loyal servant of the bellicose Romulan Empire, and displays her own heartlessness when revealing that her mother, alt-Tasha, was killed while trying to escape with her as a child. Additionally, Crosby reprised the role of prime-Tasha in Picard’s Q-conjured pilot-era flashbacks of 1994 two-part series finale “All Good Things.”

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Historically, it seems clear that a series of myopic mistakes rendered Denise Crosby’s Star Trek journey more circuitous than necessary. However, the result was a character arc that stands the test of time. Plus, not for nothing, the fantastical nature of current spinoff series Star Trek: Picard could easily facilitate a contemporary Crosby comeback—either as Commander Sela (who eventually became a Romulan empress in the non-canon story of video game Star Trek Online,) or even as alt-Tasha, whose alleged death was never confirmed onscreen. To put it in the parlance of the late security chief, such a comeback would be a jewel for fans.

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