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STORY WORKSHOP 2019

STORY WORKSHOP - EPISODE 01, SEASON 2

Now, it is time to plot our story for Season 2. I may have plenty of stuff for the main storyline, ideas for what the next Episode will be, but I bet all of you may have ideas for the storyline ahead as well, so I would like to start a second workshop where we pool our minds into paving the path forward.

This time, we have a lot of material already, and not just from the last workshop, but the replies in the sim poll! :) Here's the summary of suggestions we have right now that we can bring with us for this session if we so wish, but I am marking those we've already handled in Episode 05 or in the Aldea Prime Anthology green and cross them out.

Quote
Theurgy stopping at a neutral port (Aldea)

Nopefish (Seen when at aperture exit)

Answer a distress call (Cayuga in Ep 05, could be done again though)

The Theurgy encounter a previously unknown ancient species with exceptionally powerful weapons. New allies/enemy. (Savi, please see Hide & Seek in the Beyond)

A large pod of space faring life forms similar to Earth's whales (Aperture exit)

Turn an unfriendly people into our ally (Klingons, perhaps also the Savi)

Time Travel

Stop for resupply and then see Garak (Aldea, Garak to come)

The Theurgy inside a Voth Fortress Ship

Character-centric plots:
- Crew could come visit Efros
- Kzinti alliance with rogue Klingon house (a la House Duras)
- Mariposa & Pakleds

More: Fate of the Cayuga, social commentary, visions of victory. Less: Cult of Morali (Cayuga fate settled, Morali cult disbanded)

Allies, Theurgy needs to get a group of steadfast allies and NEW PILOTS, we got like 10 left! (Klings, perhaps Savi, and we have pilots)

More: "classic Trek"; science and engineering curiosities, some diplomacy, some stuff that isn't directly related to fighting the Big Bad. Less: dread grimness; a degree of feeling a threat is good, even a degree of "we're so fucked".  But I feel we've spent too long at too high a level of grimdark, and it needs to be backed down from, and modulated a bit better.

I can't believe that I'm going to say this...but less 'splosions, maybe? A bit of intrigue and tension, perhaps, with some sneaking around mixed in with politics and espionage? Bah, I don't know. The one thing I'd be really interested in is something rather different to Episode 1 in terms of the overall theme. Episode 2 is an opportunity for something different, a chance to use our toys (characters) in new and innovate ways. Then maim, brutalise and kill them in new and innovative ways. Because that's we do.

More counseling sessions. These poor sods are legit, every one of them, suffering from horrid PTSD. Also, needs more Garak.

More interpersonal relationships and exploration/development of characters, Less being hunted and having to be on the run, that should be saved for Season 2. (Aldea)

More of a feeling of progress towards saving the galaxy. So far it feels like all theurgy has done is been knocked back. Less Asurians. I want them to come back for a redemption arc, but not during season 2 (or at least not until the end)

Maybe tie in elements of bigger Star Trek mysteries?  Iconians?  Breen (Ives wanna go home?), etc?  Can we use some of these things to aid our mission?  Who originated the Savi?  What's going on with Section 31?  The Tal'shiar?  Has the Obsidian Order reassembled? etc.

I would love to see more being a Starfleet ship, despite everything else and their situation they dont forget who or what they are. Less quick starts, sudden booms of danger. I am looking at this as a place to slow down a little and recuperate, with a slower build to the next big step? (I say this as someone whom only experience the last part of our journey so far.)

I honestly can't think of anything right now but based on what I've read from the start till now in my short time here so far really just a nice balance and continuation of the main story mixed in with side stories that are different. Much like how in The X Files you had the core mythology episodes about the Alien Conspiracy but you also had the stand alone monster of the week episodes, or in Theurgy's case we have the parasite infestation as the main story but we throw in some Borg stories as well occasionally, that would be nice.

New encounters will be fun but there's nothing I can really think of to change!

More weird shit in the vastness of space, fewer dead allies.

Again, as listed above, I think it will be fun if we can do more Trek things like explore, do diplomacy, and not always have to fight in every adventure.

Like, let there be moments or scenes where we were able to talk someone down from violence.

And more happy moments, more good endings, more fulfilling sensations where we actually accomplished something we set out to do and even if there are hair-raising moments, we get by, and succeed, against all odds.

Unsure, I felt that season 1 was quite well balanced. Perhaps in season 2 we could have a 'peaceful' mission or two, where the crew have the chance to be proper Starfleet officers again, surveying planets and stars, and rendering aid to nearby colonies.

I'd like to see more peaceful exploring rather than being under attack constantly. Other than that, I'm open to anything!

For season two, one of my biggest asks would be for us to explore different methods of having the ship encounter danger. Spatial anomalies would give us a different element of danger to explore, and will give us all a good chance to practice our technobabble.

Threats from within as well, with a crew so wracked and troubled as they are, it would be interesting to explore some of the strife and tension that the characters would no doubt be experiencing by now. Just a few more troubles for the crew to face that are slightly different threats to what they are used to. (Cult of Morali was an effect of inner strife and tension)

I have an idea, so the Borg were trying to use tears in subspace to try and take over the galaxy rapid pace, and we put a stop to that. Well I was reminded that the Iconians were a thing, an empire that built gates that had the ability to travel between worlds. I feel like if plan A had failed, the parasites would seek out a more risky plan B, aligning with an ancient malevolent species with extremely advanced technology would be a good idea for them. Plus when we need to seperate everyone we could use the gates to send people to different planets across the beta, and alpha quadrants, with a skeleton crew on the ship we would have a new opportunity to explore old settings in new ways. Also time travel... just always time travel.

I would love we found more gray moral dilemmas, more investigation, more situations that can't be solved with a battle and need diplomacy.

I think that, even on the run, even with the Starfleet against them, the characters need to remember WHY they are in the Starfleet, what they defend, and why they must keep fighting.

There must be a little hope at the end of the dark times, something that make them keep with the mission.

A little victories, fun times, etc that allow both of the characters and the writers relax a bit  and don't fall into a dark mood.

More story downtime between high-energy events & threads would be nice, just to allow characters some breathing room to develop and plan ahead.

Also perhaps more of a focus on one or two enemies per episode rather than multiple all at once, just because it's so narratively satisfying to build up & then deal with a single enemy over the course of an arc.

Less bad guys!  More hope!

- Oh, during the Discord Voice Chat sessions, one firm idea put forth was helping Martok when flying through Klingon space, perhaps against a competitor in the Empire, and this competitor being an Infested.

- Also, a new guest ship in form of a Steamrunner-class ship, perhaps through the help of Rear Admiral Andersson. Half-baked idea, not ironed out, just like the Klingon one above.

Just like in the last workshop, I realise that some might have more than one idea for an Episode, and unfortunately, I will be asking you all to only pitch one Episode plot each. I very much would like to avoid everyone throwing as much stuff on the wall as the can just so that something might stick. That won't be constructive at all. No, instead, I want you all to pitch one story premise or Episode each, and only one. That way, only the plotlines you really believe in will end up in the workshop, and we go from there.

So, have at it and put forth your ideas! :)

Best,

Auctor Lucan

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #1
Well, I just had an idea which is a tad extreme. For all of Season 1, the focus for the Theurgy was very much on the crew's immediate circumstances. Everything was driven by either the Theurgy crew themselves, or by people who wanted to use/kill them. This changed a little bit during Battle of the Apertures, but even then, events happened purely within the Azure Nebula.

By now, the Parasites have to be concerned. The Theurgy has survived everything and, even worse, has now seemingly vanished. Their plans for a Borg invasion have failed, while they have lost their agents within the Klingon and Savi leadership. The risk of detection and destruction has increased, while they have no way of striking back at the Theurgy.

Instead, the Parasites retaliate using a different method. They do control Starfleet and have a presence on Earth, so that's where they direct their retaliation. The Parasites detonate gigantic antimatter munitions throughout Europe and northern Africa, devastating both continents, triggering a nuclear (antimatter?) winter and killing hundreds of millions. It's a full bore apocalypse. Evidence suggests involvement by a foreign power (Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, Dominion, take your pick), but the Theurgy crew knows that the attack must have happened because of their insurgency.

Heck, just for giggles, we could have the Parasites send a message (somehow?) directly to Captain Ives and hir crew. They remind the Theurgy crew that the attacks on Earth happened as a direct result of the Theurgy's interference, while also taunting them. Ya know. For funsies. This could happen through Nicander's telepathy, I suppose, although that would lack a certain menace compared to a proper video transmission.

This, then, sends the Theurgy on a desperate mission to try and stop the Federation from going to war, which is the episode.

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #2
The Theurgy could get reliable intelligence that a Romulan leader (or the Romulan Praetor) has become Infested and is suddenly making major moves in consolidating power and putting a decisive end to the Romulan Civil War in preparation to conduct an invasion of either Federation or Klingon space. This could easily enough feature other powers working clandestinely to support or resist the Infested leader, including one of the High Houses in the Klingon Empire. Martok could ask for the Theurgy's help in neutralizing the Klingon leader and that ultimately leads the crew into the larger spider web of the Romulan's version of Game of Thrones.

So you can involve elements of other suggestions (the Klingon Infested, but a weaker version than one required to have a full episode dealt with - perhaps he was previously compromised and Martok just needs an official pretext to dispose of him, which the Theurgy can supply) and stopping the Federation from going to war (Romulan saboteurs and infiltrators attempt to spark an official Federation response into Romulan territory somehow). The season could be spent on pulling threads of the intricate spiderweb around the Infested leader until the big showdown.

Bonus: the Theurgy could be seen by Federation observers as actively in Romulan (or Federation) space in the company of Romulans, seemingly confirming the official story put out by Starfleet. Andersson would still know the truth about why they're there, but it still sets up conflict down the line.

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #3
Hello everyone!

Well, a month has passed and we have two awesome suggestions on how to start off Season 2 and the first Episode(s) in our story! :) I would love more input and suggestions, but I'll comment on these two first, and perhaps build/combine them a bit.

I think we could use the scourged earth plotline of @Griff 's as an over-arching theme for Season 2, in that not just the Earth is threatened by the retaliation of the Infested now that the Theurgy has thwarted their Plan A. I am not against the Infested detonating a big bomb on Earth to make a statement, but with the emphasis on the singular a bomb. I would love if the Theurgy and her allies on Earth could start working actively to prevent further retaliations, and not just on Earth, but through the whole of the Federation. With the the Federation worlds being threatened by domestic terrorist acts on behalf of the Infested, one of the major themes could be to have the Theurgy try and prevent this from happening. Moreover, one objective could be to try and provide evidence that it was Starfleet Command who detonated that first bomb.

This would be really cool if we also combined it with @patches ' suggestion, in how we could start off Season 2 with showing how the Praetor is an Infested, and throws out the rule book in order to put an end to the Reman threat as well as Donatra's fleet. I would love some input on how this could be illustrated, since I only have half-baked ideas for that. It makes a lot of sense, also, that the Praetor would turn on the Federation as well as the Klingons. The former, because Captain Ian Hawthorne on Starbase 84 made sure to arm Donatra's rebel fleet with high-end Starfleet weaponry - selling out the coordinates of Starfleet's weapons research facilities (like the Black Opal). Moreover, the Praetor would justify declaring war on the Klingon Empire because Martok decided to not just recognise Donatra's rebels, but provide sanctuary for the fleeing Remans inside Klingon space.

It makes further sense that there would be a Klingon challenger to Martok, which has been and will be corroborated during the Aldea Prime Anthology since a couple of writers have been working on a plotline where some Klingons don't like what Martok did when he sided with the Theurgy. Stay tuned for this development since it's yet to fully play out. :)

Of course, I almost forgot to say, with the Praetor being an Infested, she could actually officially confirm that the Theurgy defected to her, which would make the Infested in Starfleet Command maintain some leverage in their loyalty within Starfleet.

Please, if you have further - or completely other - ideas, weigh into this workshop with them! :)

Best,

Auctor Lucan

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #4
I have a question. If the Klingon Empire knows about Martok siding with Theurgy, is that in regards to the Battle of Apertures or allowing Theurgy sanctuary at Aldea? Could be both.
Follow up question depending on the answer to the first question.
If it's about Theurgy's sanctuary at Aldea wouldn't the opposing Klingons to Martok seek to expose Theurgy to Starfleet Command therefore reducing Martok's allies?
I'm not completely sure why I asked that question as I'm not sure Klingons would care about internal Federation matters but only to benefit themselves.
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Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #6
Theurgy's presence at Aldea is a secret, though how airtight that is would be up for debate I guess. But Martok's acceptance of Thea's story wouldn't necessarily be related to where the ship was. If he's in league, that would be enough for his enemies to want to use it against him.

The Infested among the UFP leadership might even try to swing a casus belli out of it.

edit: ninjad by the boss
Nator 159: "I accept no responsibility for the ensign's manifest stupidity. Sir." [Show/Hide]
Ranaan Ducote: "A ship is a home; its crew a family." [Show/Hide]
T'Less: "Your odds of prevailing against us are... slim." [Show/Hide]
Valkra: "Come! We will shake the gates of Sto'Vo'Kor!" [Show/Hide]

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #7
So the Klingons opposing Martok are opposing Martok because of:

1. Assisting Theurgy at the Battle of Apertures?
or
2. Allowing Theurgy to be repaired at Aldea, which is not part of the Empire. Unless Aldea is, is it?
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Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #8
I would say it's neither. The fact Martok has listened to the Theurgy and seen fit to believe their version, ostensibly betraying their ally, would be the bigger problem. Where the ship is and what fights they were in is secondary.
Nator 159: "I accept no responsibility for the ensign's manifest stupidity. Sir." [Show/Hide]
Ranaan Ducote: "A ship is a home; its crew a family." [Show/Hide]
T'Less: "Your odds of prevailing against us are... slim." [Show/Hide]
Valkra: "Come! We will shake the gates of Sto'Vo'Kor!" [Show/Hide]

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #9
I can't talk for the full Klingon Empire, neither for all the klingons that could antagonize Martok, but there could be personal interest in put Martok out of the Chancellery, involving the parasit threat, the UFP or neither. Have in mind that Klingon Empire is HUGE and motivations and factions could be wildly variated :)

Also i recommend hunt the forum to look for what klingon faction are moving in Aldea atm, due there has been hints here and there ;)

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #10
So, after some thought, here are my 2 cents worth of ideas. I apologise for the jarring nature of these events. I'm a little wired on Caffeine this morning.



Episode 2 opens with an off screen Bomb event, which destroys something on earth. I'm not talking just a city either. I'm talking region. And it also irradiates, or something, the area, preventing easy resettlement. Basically they 'salted the earth'. Its now a permanent scar.

Evidence points to a weapon of Romulan design and both the Praetor and Donatra deny their involvement while also pointing the finger at the other. Anderson could also supply intelligence that Starfleet command is considering a war with both parties in retaliation for the 'attack' on Earth. This could be used as a pretext for the Theurgy to head towards Romulan space; either through Klingon or Federation space. Perhaps even skirting the border from one side to the other.

An additional consideration could be someone from the Klingon side of things 'leaking' information regarding Theurgy's survival and that it was spotted within the sector. This could force Theurgy to leave Aldea to protect Martok.

The first episode could be a supply drop/pickup of new crew or equipment, investigation of something for the Klingons, investigation of the Cayuga incident. It could be a generic, save this settlement for whatever reason with the backstop that it is time sensitive.



Anyway, those are my thoughts. Now I am off to do some reading. I have some nominations to make.

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #11
I think for the future of the mission, it looks as though several goals need to be looked at:

One that I probably have the most to say on would be looking at the raising awareness and gathering new allies. As the new character requests state, we are looking for diplomats and negotiators. As such, I think it would be a good use of time for the Theurgy to look at reaching out to independent organizations that aren't part of Starfleet and may be willing to offer support.

We could look at approaching non-Starfleet organizations that are part of the Federation; independent research institutes, the Bank of Bolias, planetary governments directly, etc. This could deliver a few plot lines of political intrigue, perhaps discover parasite activities in other organizations.

The result of this would be beneficial in the sense that it would grant us allies earlier in the season, and also could easily occur alongside 'main' plot points by either utilizing several smaller craft to send out 'parlay' teams on away missions to different audiences, or to split the ship once again. In character the allies would be beneficial, even if not publicly, as it would grant us aid and supply opportunists. We could also explore rival factions within governments and have the option to 'choose sides' so to speak, to give us some ethical dilemma.

OOC, this gives a lot of opportunity for new interactions to occur, as well as to explore species and cultures not heavily featured in the show or the story thus far. It also provides very convenient means for introducing new characters to come aboard the ship. As a secondary effect, a small away team on a smaller ship, might encounter issues that the Theurgy crew need not encounter, such as spacial anomalies, medical conundrums, pirates and stellar phenomena. It also could help facilitate new interactions between crew-members who don't have much need to interact.

This could also tie into @Griff 's scorched earth idea by having us prevent retaliations on other planets as a means to achieve allies, and visa versa.

Open to feedback and discussion :D
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Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #12
Idea I had while in voice chat we were talking about how to add the second ship.

We have the cayuga's former crew missing in action, most likely imprisoned on a secret Federation prison world. Lets say we get a lead on where they are at some point in season 2, leading into a massive prison break. There would be a few things about this:

Since it's a Federation prison colony we wouldn't be able to go in the theurgy, it would likely be a borrowed ship with a cloaking device, romulan or more likely a borrowed Klingon ship. We help to rescue the Cayuga crew, and the borrowed ship and the rescued crew could become the second ship. It would give us a ship that is not normally Federation operated by a Federation crew.

Since this is a prison camp that the infested use it wouldn't be a publicized event, it would be a strong attack against the hidden enemy.

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #13
I want the Cayuga back, honestly. A lot of work went into her construction; if we get the crew back, I think the ship should be a package deal.
Nator 159: "I accept no responsibility for the ensign's manifest stupidity. Sir." [Show/Hide]
Ranaan Ducote: "A ship is a home; its crew a family." [Show/Hide]
T'Less: "Your odds of prevailing against us are... slim." [Show/Hide]
Valkra: "Come! We will shake the gates of Sto'Vo'Kor!" [Show/Hide]

 

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #14
Idea I had while in voice chat we were talking about how to add the second ship.

We have the cayuga's former crew missing in action, most likely imprisoned on a secret Federation prison world. Lets say we get a lead on where they are at some point in season 2, leading into a massive prison break. There would be a few things about this:

Since it's a Federation prison colony we wouldn't be able to go in the theurgy, it would likely be a borrowed ship with a cloaking device, romulan or more likely a borrowed Klingon ship. We help to rescue the Cayuga crew, and the borrowed ship and the rescued crew could become the second ship. It would give us a ship that is not normally Federation operated by a Federation crew.

Since this is a prison camp that the infested use it wouldn't be a publicized event, it would be a strong attack against the hidden enemy.

Thanks for the interest. There are plans currently afoot in the DC board regarding the state of the Cayuga Crew and Captain Ziegler

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #15
An idea struck me the other day and after a PM from Auctor Lucan, it has evolved. Seeing the reference for the story workshop here, I have decided to out it here and let people have at it.

The idea is something akin to either the Star Trek Episode 'The Inner Light' or the Stargate Atlantis Episode 'Epiphany' in that some of the crew would be stuck in an environment (either a real Temporal Anomaly or a simulated one) where they experience time at a greater pace than those outside. I'd love to see how different characters might react to having lived 'longer' than those around them.

A variation on this idea might involve trapping the entire ship inside of the 'anomaly' except for those on board 1 or more shuttle craft/warp fighter/Allegiant/Apache, etc.

Anyway, its just an idea. Feel free to tear it to shreds.

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #16
All that extra time to research the parasites? Heck yeah I'm game.
Nator 159: "I accept no responsibility for the ensign's manifest stupidity. Sir." [Show/Hide]
Ranaan Ducote: "A ship is a home; its crew a family." [Show/Hide]
T'Less: "Your odds of prevailing against us are... slim." [Show/Hide]
Valkra: "Come! We will shake the gates of Sto'Vo'Kor!" [Show/Hide]

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #17

SEASON 02 THEME & EPISODE 01 (and onwards...)



Right, so, with the input so far and given the situation in the story overall, I think it would make a lot of sense to set a main theme for Season 02, and I think it's pretty evident that up until now - in the first Season - the Theurgy has been on the run and trying to survive. It ended with the introduction of the Savi as a story element as well as the prevention of a Borg Invasion. Moreover, High Chancellor Martok saw an Infested with his own eyes - someone close to him that he'd known for many years - so he has sided with the Theurgy, knowing the proverbial face of the enemy. Lastly, in the end of the Aldea Prime Anthology, the rebel Antes of the Savi have sought to make amends with the Theurgy since they share a foe in the Infested, wanting help to thwart them. In return for this help, they have -among other undecided things - aided the Theurgy with a quantum slipstream burst drive, that will help set things up for Season 02.

And the theme for Season 02, I think, is to prevent another intergalactic war, in so many words.

With this overall peacekeeping theme, the Theurgy will be facing situations where the crew have to deescalate rising conflict that the Infested are trying to seed. We have already foreshadowed this in Episode 04 of Season 1, where Captain Ian Hawthorne helped Senator Donatra's rebel fleet by sending coordinates to secret weapon research facilities in Federation space. One of those were the Black Opal, where the Theurgy protected the people there from a Romulan warbird. To make it more interesting, while Donatra herself might not have condoned the raid on the Black Opal or any other such facilities, Romulans in her fleet might have been desperate in their campaign against the Praetor's forces. Having the Theurgy trying to contain and mitigate the rising strife in - and outside - Federation space allows for a lot of freedom in setting up plotlines and specific Episodes. This is why I think it makes the most sense as a theme overall, and a great way to have the Theurgy take on the Infested in the Sol System down the line.

To make the rest of the information easily accessible, here are a few more story elements for the situation when we start out, listed by bullet points:

  • High Chancellor Martok will be arriving to Aldea on Day 28 in the Aldea Prime Anthology. I meant to post a starter this weekend for this, but I had additional ideas that I had to think through. Stay tuned!

  • Ensign Inej Avirim helped free Ziegler aboard the prison transport, along with her crew. They hijacked the prison transport, and have now gone into hiding, being fugitives.

  • The wreck that is left of the Cayuga is currently at Starbase 234, which is a starbase under command of Admiral Owen Paris.It is due to get a new Commanding Officer once its space worthy.

  • The USS Oneida is deployed to the Beta Quadrant, and if the story has an opening for a guest ship, she might be the first guest ship featured in Season 02.

  • Episode 01 starts off with the Infested making a statement in retaliation to the Borg Invasion being thwarted. In the interest of inciting war, they detonate a thalaron bomb in Paris, right in the city where the President of the UFP has her office. The President, Nanietta Bacco, managed to survive the incident, but when Starfleet Intelligence cite that Praetor Tal'Aura of the Romulan Empire is the most likely to be behind the attack, she authorises Starfleet to investigate and act on this threat to the Federation.

  • When the first Episode begin, a rival to Martok has fed Starfleet with the location of the Theurgy, as well as broadcasted how the High Chancellor has sided with a mad Captain that's in league with the Romulans - seeking to undermine Martok's chancellery in the Empire for their own gains. if someone could come up with a extended universe candidate for this role, please speak up! Needless to say, Martok will have to fight to keep his Empire in order, and it doesn't help that he's the last of his bloodline. A demonstration of his resolve might be required, so despite his promise to Ives to not kill Hi'Jak over the death of his son at the Coreless Moon, Martok might fight Hi'Jak in the arena in the Aldea Prime shipyards. Since Masorin might return eventually, the barely living Hi'Jak might be put into stasis on the Theurgy at the end of this fight, so that when thawed, Hi'Jak will be aboard the ship - rejected by the Klingon Empire.

  • So, Starfleet Command knows where the Theurgy is, and can therefore send a message to Ives and the Senior Staff, alluding towards the truth about the thalaron bomb in Paris. A warning, that should the Theurgy attempt to continue it's mission, more bombs will go off, and they will not be restricted to Earth either, but the whole of the UFP. Of course, the sender of such a message might be impossible to tie to Starfleet Command and the Infested, but it would be quite clear who it's from.

  • If you are acquainted with Tal'Aura, the Praetor of the Romulan Empire, you will already know that she's likely to actually be behind the thalaron bombs, and it makes the most sense that she's an Infested as well. She would also have implemented the use of thalaron weaponry in order to end the Romulan Civil War - despite the galactic ban against use of thalaron particles in warfare. This means that during first Episode, she would subduing not just the Remans, but send the decimated rebel fleet of Donatra's running for the Klingon border. Donatra may have declared herself Empress of the splintered Imperial Romulan State during the Romulan Civil War, but ends up a mere renegade leader of a broken fleet.
     
  • To make matters worse for the Theurgy specifically, Praetor Tal'Aura could corroborate the non-existent ties between Donatra and the Theurgy, since Captain Hawthorne on Starbase 84 laid the blame for the attacks on bases like the Black Opal at Ives' feet rather than his own (of course, lol). Tal'Aura, however, would go even further to incite the growing tensions, and claim that the Theurgy, Starfleet and Donatra all stood against the Romulan Star Empire, and declare war against them all. Even the Klingon Empire were enemies, since they had openly sided with Donatra and even helped give sanctuary to Reman refugees inside Klingon space.

  • Starfleet Command would react appropriate to the Praetor's violation against the ban on thalaron weaponry, and mobilise in reaction to the Praetor declaring war against the Federation. The Theurgy has become a second priority since not only has Donatra been defeated - the alleged ally of the Theurgy and Captain Ives - but they have the Praetor to worry about. Needless to say, with the Infested having infiltrated both Starfleet Command and possessed the Praetor, they have everything they need to begin a war.

  • So, together with a challenged Martok, and possibly a disgraced Donatra, and with a secret alliance with the rebels in the Savi Flotilla, the Theurgy will have to head back into Federation space and try to deescalate the tensions. They need an ally like Ambassador Elim Garak to gain the ear of the President of the UFP, and they have to coordinate with Director Anderson in Starfleet Intelligence to try and be one step ahead of the Infested. As their inside man, Director Anderson would feed intel to the Theurgy that would help them stop further use of thalaron bombs, and help them spread the truth about what's really going on.

  • Lastly, we have the Scion High Council of the Savi Flotilla. The Infested there will have an interest in stopping the Theurgy as well, and to further seed unrest in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. I have already mentioned this in one of the Discord sessions I've hosted, but in regard to the origin of the Infested, it has been suggested already that someone had to be the first Infested. Someone that made the initial temporal breach into a future where the nameless darkness have reached the Milky Way Galaxy. Now, which species are devoted to science... and tend to push too far in their research?

    A Savi made the breach, which means that the key to finding the breach might be with the Scion High Council.

  • To summarise, Episode 01 of the new Season will set all of this in motion, with the thelaron bomb in Paris, the message from the Infested, the Praetor ending the Romulan Civil War and declaring war against the Federation and the Klingon Empire both. I think what makes the most sense for Episode 01 besides this build-up of the Season overall, is to focus on Martok and his to-be-decided rival in the Empire. It being in the Theurgy's interest to support Martok, the first Episode could be about preventing war within the Empire and also making sure Martok remains in power.


This was an attempt to convey my notes in a way that makes sense, and I hope I did! Lol

Please, let me know what you guys think, and if you have further to add upon this development in the overall story! :)

Best,

Auctor Lucan

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #18
For the klingon antagonists I've in mind either Gorka or M'Kish: both has been around Aldea for a time as @Brutus knows well. Neither of them are alpha or beta characters, canon wise, so i get if them are pushed aside ^^U

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #19
I have had an idea for a possible story. I've been thinking of it for weeks, but I am not a detail person sadly. Anyway, I am throwing it out here to see if anyone else thinks it sounds interesting and anything, they would like to add to it.

I would like to have a stowaway plot of some description. I think that if people are looking for a less... intense story we could have some fun with a mischievous stowaway. I had an idea that this someone/something could in some way be good at avoiding detection by the ship's systems and the crew are alerted to its presence by things going missing and general irritating things happening with no explanation.

This could lead to a plot where this person is being tracked so it could give the crew the problem of being persued by someone determined to get them back.

Of course, as if people would prefer it to be more serious. The stowaway could also be much more malevolent. I realise that this is vague, but I like this idea so much I just wanted to throw it out to people and see what they made of it.

Re: STORY WORKSHOP 2019

Reply #20
@Juzzie, that sounds like a great plot to me. Perhaps we could make this an Aldea story? A handful of people track this stowaway through the ship, but the stowaway manages to steal...well, I was going to suggest a shuttle, but shuttles are boring. Stealing a state of the art Valkyrie warp fighter is much more fun. The makeshift team pursues this stowaway down on Aldea’s surface to aprehend him and get their very valuable fighter back, leading to hijinks as they deal with pursuing the stowaway who is also being pursued by other pursuers, leading him being pursued by pursuers who are themselves being pursued by less friendly pursuers.

...That was a sentence.

However this thread happens, I’d love for Lillee to be a part of it if possible!

 
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