CADET'S ORIENTATION SOURCEBOOK - House VamPyrs... · CADET'S ORIENTATION SOURCEBOOK ... The...

CADET'S ORIENTATION SOURCEBOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION AND TIME LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Orientation For All Cadets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Time Line Of STAR TREK History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3STAR TREK Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

STARFARING RACES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Andorians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Caitians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Edoans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Gorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Humans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9K l i n g o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Orions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0Romulans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0Tellarites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Tholians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1Vulcans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1

GOVERNMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Klingon Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Romulan Star Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Orion Colonies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Gorn Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Tholian Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12United Federation Of Planets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

STAR FLEET COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Star Base Headquarters Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Military Operations Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Galaxy Exploration Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Colonial Operations Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Merchant Marine Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Marine Corps Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Star Fleet Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Rank And Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Star Fleet Insignia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Star Fleet Chain of Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Ship Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

ENCOUNTERS IN SPACE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18On First Sensor Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18On Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

On Encountering Friendly Vessels . . . . . . . . . 18On Encountering Neutral Vessels . . . . . . . . . 19On Encountering Unfriendly Vessels . . . . . . 19On Encountering Unknown Vessels . . . . . . . 19

EQUIPMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0Personal Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Antigrav . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20A q u a l a n t e r n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Belt Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Communicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Earpiece R e c e i v e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Environmental Suit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Force Field Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20ID Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Life Support B e l t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Life Support Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21P s y c h o t r i c o r d e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Subcutaneous Transponder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21T r i c o r d e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Sciences Tricorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Medical Tricorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Universal Translator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Copyright © 1966, 1983 Paramount Pictures CorporationSTAR TREK is a trademark of Paramount Pictures Corporation.STAR TREK: The Role Playing Game is published by FASA Corporation

under exclusive license from Paramount Pictures Corporation, thetrademark owner.

Sidearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2Federation Star F l e e t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Phaser I (Hand Phaser) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Phaser II (Phaser Pistol) . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Phaser Rif le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Klingon Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Agonizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Mark I Hand Disrupter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Mark II Hand Disruptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Disruptor R i f le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Romulan Star Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Gorn Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Blaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Other Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Power Dram For Energy Weapons . . . . . . . . . 23Medical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Biocomputer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24C a r d i o s t i m u l a t o r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Cryosurgical Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Diagnostic Table And P a n e l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24D r u g s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Feinberger, M e d i c a l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Field K i t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Heartbeat Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Hypo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Laser Scalpels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Med Pouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25P r o t o p l a s e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Spray Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Shipboard Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Computer, Ship's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Deflector Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Disruptors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Forcefield, Detention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Gravity Systems, Art i f ic ial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Impulse Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Log, Ship's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Material Fabrication Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27P h a s e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Photon Torpedoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27S e n s o r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Shuttlecraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Subspace Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Tractor / Pressor Beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Transporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Turbolifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Warp Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

ENTERPRISE PERSONNEL FILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Command Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Capt. James Tiberius Kirk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Cmdr. Spock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Lt. Cmdr. Leonard McCoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Lt. Hikaru W. Sulu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Lt. Uhura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Ens. Christine Chapel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Ens. Pavel Andreievich C h e k o v . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Ens. Janice Rand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Other Crewmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Lt. Vincent DeSalle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Lt. Winston Kyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Lt. M'Benga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Individual Data Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Capt. Kor, Klothos ....................... 33Capt. Koloth, Devisor ..................... 33Cyrano Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Harcourt Fenton (Harry) Mudd . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Sarek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Kahn Noonian Singh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

THE STORY OF LEE STERLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

INTRODUCTION AND TIME LINEORIENTATION FOR ALL CADETS

This book provides basic information on the STAR TREKuniverse. Some of the chapters give definitions of basicterms, and others give background information necessary tounderstand the systems, equipment, races, governments,and other parts of the universe in which the game is played.Fans of the series will be familiar with most of these termsand information, and newcomers will find this book valuablefor giving their games a STAR TREK flavor.

TIME LINE OF STAR TREK HISTORY

There are times when a gamemaster needs to know howmany years have passed since a certain incident in Federationhistory occurred. This chapter contains a time line of eventsin STAR TREK history. The dates are given as ReferenceStardates, described in the chapter on STAR TREK Terminol-ogy. Some events will give the year and month when theyoccurred, and others will show a range of years. Events aregiven through Stardate 2/1204; the time line is continued inthe STAR TREK III supplement to these rules.Stardate-1/3011.19

Visionary social worker Edith Keeler is killed in an acci-dent while crossing the street. The event is witnessed byKirk, Spock and McCoy while time-travelling using the Guar-dian of Forever.Stardate-1/6701.26

Captain John Christopher, an Air Force interceptor pilot,reports a UFO, but it soon disappears from view. The UFOis the Enterprise, warped back in time and appearing inEarth's atmosphere over the United States Of America.Stardate -1/6803.29

Travelling in time, the crew of the Enterprise encountersSupervisor 194, Gary Seven, on an assignment to prevent20th-century Earth (henceforth called Terra) from destroyingitself in nuclear war.Stardate -1/6907.20

Neil Armstrong becomes the first Human to step footon Terra's moon, starting Human manned interplanetaryexploration.Stardate -1/9206 - 9609

The outbreak of the Eugenics Wars limits manned spaceefforts for a time, as resources are turned to global war.Stardate -1/9609.22

SS Botany Bay, a converted DY-100 interplanetary vesselwith cryogenic sleep capsules installed, leaves Terra carrying97 refugees from among the genetic 'supermen' who sparkedand led the Eugenics Wars. In command is Khan NoonianSingh, the greatest dictator of the Wars.Stardate -1/9704.18

The first permanent base on Terra's Moon is established,jointly funded by the United States Of America and Japan.This marks the rededication of Terran peoples to space exp-loration as part of the rebuilding following the EugenicsWars.Stardate -1/9904

Large-scale asteroid mining opens up Sol's Asteroid Beltto colonization. Several more lunar stations are opened thisyear by various nations and several private corporations.Armstrong Center, remaining the largest, has become a smallcity of scientists, technicians and support personnel, andalready is beginning to cater to a growing tourist trade.

Stardate 0/0001.01January 1, 2000, the base date for Reference Stardate

system. On this date, the Science Council of Luna declaresitself independent of the governments of the United StatesOf America and Japan and requests status as a United Na-tions protectorate. Such status is granted, forming the firstinterplanetary Human government.Stardate 0/2011.17

The Nomad probe is launched from Terran orbit. It islost in space and presumed destroyed.Stardate 0/3605

New space-time researches find holes in the generaltheory of relativity, making faster-than-light communicationand travel theoretically possible, though not yet an actuality.Stardate 0/4202.25

The first manned expedition is launched to Alpha Cen-tauri in a high-acceleration, sub-light-speed Bussard ramjet.Stardate 0/4806.23

Contact is established with a humanoid culture on AlphaCentauri by the first manned, Terran expedition.Stardate 0/4812

Alpha Centauri scientist Zephram Cochrane formulatesthe initial warp drive calculations, making faster-than-lighttravel possible and, eventually, practical.Stardate 0/5507 through 5909

The first experimental warp-drive ships are tested byTerra and Alpha Centauri research teams.Stardate 0/6201

The Fundamental Declarations of the Martian Coloniesestablishes independent government for all off-planet Terrancolonies. Zephram Cochrane disappears.Stardate 0/6511

First contact occurs with the Vulcans, when a warp-driveprobe encounters a Vulcan colony world. Vulcan has alreadydeveloped the warp drive, and Vulcan techniques substan-tially improve on the original design.Stardate 0/7104 through 7301

First commercial space ventures by Vulcan, Terra, andAlpha Centauri.Stardate 0/7308

First contact occurs with the Tellarites.Stardate 0/7511

First contact occurs with the Andorians nearly ends indisaster when an Andorian starship fires on a Terranexploratory vessel. Terra prepares for war, but cooler headson Vulcan convince Terra leaders to try and negotiate withthe growing Andorian empire.Stardate 0/7703

The First Alpha Centauri Conference preserves thepeace, with Vulcan diplomats convincing Andor that it hasnothing to gain and everything to lose by fighting Terra andher allies. Andor joins the alliance.Stardate 0/7907

First contact occurs with the Orion Colony worlds in theRigel system.Stardate 0/8706.06

Articles of Federation are signed at the First Babel Con-ference, establishing the United Federation of Planets. Theoriginal signatory powers include Terra, Alpha Centauri, Vul-can, Andor, and Tellar. The Rigel/Orion Colonies, remain out-side the Federation entirely.

3

Stardate 0/9109Star Fleet Academy is founded.

Stardate 0/9211First contact with the Romulan Star Empire occurs when

a cargo ship is captured by Romulan forces.Stardate 1/0610

War is declared between the Federation and the RomulanStar Empire.Stardate 1/0909

The Romulan War is ended inconclusively, after stagger-ing losses on both sides. The treaty, negotiated by subspaceradio, establishes a Neutral Zone, and no ships are allowedto cross between the two powers. No Federation forces haveseen a Romulan face-to-face throughout the entire war,mostly because the Romulans refuse to allow a ship to becaptured intact.Stardate 1/0910 through 2412

Peace reigns, but the Orion Colonies know that the exis-tence of the Federation will soon be discovered by theKlingon Empire. The Colonies sign non-aggression and tradetreaties with the Federation, but do not join the UFP.Stardate 1/5105

First contact with the Klingon Empire leads immediatelyto conflict. Orion colonies declare neutrality and trade withboth groups. Klingon raids on Federation shipping often mas-querade as Orion-based pirates - and vice-versa.Stardate 1/7407

The transporter (originally called the materializer) is in-vented.Stardate 1/7603

Dilithium is first mined and used for power rectifiers inwarp drives.Stardate 1/8801.04

Star Fleet's Constitution-class ships become operationalwith the commissioning of the USS Constitution. Less than1 month later, the USS Enterprise is commissioned, underCaptain Robert April.Stardate 1/9001

After a 2-year, shakedown cruise, the first standard, five-year mission of the Enterprise begins, under Capt. April.Stardate 1/9409

Klingon forces ally with the Axanar star system to beginthe Four Years War. Captain Garth of Izar prevents the Kling-ons from establishing supply lines to and from Axanar andis awarded the Federation Medal of Valor.Stardate 1/9501

Capt. April retires from Star Fleet and becomes a Feder-ation ambassador.Stardate 1/9506

Capt. Christopher Pike is given command of the Enter-prise.Stardate 1/9608

Upon Capt. Pike's recommendation, Talos IV is quaran-tined by the Federation.Stardate 1/9806

The Four Years War ends with the success of the AxanarPeace Mission. The phaser replaces the laser as the Federa-tion's primary weapons system.Stardate 2/0105

Green Slave trade is abolished outside strict limits ofOrion neutrality area by UFP intervention. Economic sanc-tions by the UFP force Orion Colonies to abolish the slavetrade - officially.

Stardate 2/0704After the promotion of Capt. Pike to the position of Fleet

Captain over Constitution-class vessel operations, his hand-picked successor, Capt. James T. Kirk, becomes the youngestman to ever command a Constitution-c\ass vessel.Stardate 2/0704 through 0803

The adventures occur that are related in the first seasonof the STAR TREK TV series.Stardate 2/0705

Lt. Cmdr. Gary Mitchell, First Officer of the Enterprise,is killed in the line of duty after contact with the EnergyBarrier at the edge of the galaxy. Lt. Cmdr. Spock, at therequest of Capt. Kirk, is made First Officer as well as ChiefScience Officer. He is the first person to ever hold both pos-itions simultaneously on a major Star Fleet vessel.Stardate 2/0801.09

The Organian Peace Treaty is imposed by the Organianson both Federation and Klingon forces, thus averting a sec-ond Klingon war. The Organian Treaty Zone is establishedby negotiation over the next 3 months.Stardate 2/0801.24

The first Federation contact with the Corn occurs.Stardate 2/0803 through 0903

The adventures occur as related in the second seasonof the STAR TREK TV series.Stardate 2/0811

In recognition of outstanding service as both First Officerand Chief Science Officer of the Enterprise, Lt. Cmdr. Spockis promoted to full Commander.Stardate 2/0902

The Babel Conference on the Coridan question is settledby the inspired oratory of Sarek of Vulcan. Coridan is madea UFP protectorate. The first of a series of Romulan/Klingonnon-aggression and technological exchange treaties aresigned in secret.Stardate 2/0903 through 1003

The adventures occur as related in the third season ofthe STAR TREK TV series.Stardate 2/1102

The Enterprise participates in a Star Fleet intelligenceoperation to seize a protype of a new Romulan cloaking de-vice. Enterprise escapes with the device and confirmation ofa Klingon-Romulan technological agreement. The deviceworks once when they escape from the Romulan NeutralZone, but it later fails to function when detached from theEnterprise for study. The mechanism is examined and dup-licated by UFP scientists, but the protype fails in a particularlynasty fashion, and all research and development aimed to-ward making cloaking devices operational on Federationships is halted.Stardate 2/1003.01

The first Federation contact with the Tholians occurs,though the Vulcans were aware of the presence.Stardate 2/1003 through 1103

The adventures occur as related in the STAR TREK" ani-mated series.Stardate 2/1103 through 1203

This is the time period for most of the adventures pub-lished by FASA for STAR TREK:The Role Playing Game. Mostcampaigns run as follow-ups to the TV series take place dur-ing this time.

Stardate 2/1204The Enterprise returns from it's five-year mission under

Capt. James T. Kirk. It is the only ship remaining from thefirst group of Constitution-class vessels; all others have beenlost in service.4

STAR TREK TERMINOLOGYANTIMATTER

This is material composed of anti-particles (positrons,anti-protons, etc.) that are opposite in charge to the particles(like electrons, protons and neutrons) that make up normalmatter. When antimatter and matter come into contact, theydestroy each other, leaving only vast amounts of energy.This matter-antimatter annihilation, in carefully controlledform, is used to power the warp drive on starships.BEAMING UP

Using a transporter to travel between the ship and aplanet is known as beaming up or beaming aboard. It is bestaccomplished when used with a communicator, which hasa 'homing device' built into it (as in the ever-popular, "Beamme up, Scotty!" or "Two to beam up").BRANCH SCHOOL

A general field in which a character will probably concen-trate his efforts in gaining skills and increased Skill Ratings.The branch determines the position (but not the rank) thata character is likely to hold.BRIDGE

The bridge is the control center for a starship, where thecaptain and duty officers monitor the ship's functions, steerthe ship, and so forth.CLASS M PLANET

A planet that is suitable for Human or Human-like life iscalled a Class M Planet. It possesses an oxygen/nitrogenatmosphere, free water, a suitable temperature, and so forth.CREDIT

The standard monetary unit of the United Federation ofPlanets is the credit.DEPARTMENT HEAD

A position of top responsibility on a space vessel. Depart-ment heads on Constitution-class starships include ChiefCommunications/Damage Control Officer, Chief Medical Of-ficer, Chief Engineer, Security Chief, Chief Helmsman, ChiefNavigator, and Chief Science Officer. See the section RankAnd Position.DILITHIUM CRYSTALS

Rare crystals of dilithium, a variant form of the elementlithium, are used to control matter-antimatter annihilationand convert it into power that can be used by the warp en-gines and other shipboard systems. Their spiral crystallinestructure tends to break down. This may happen after longuse, or sometimes very quickly if they are forced to beargreater than normal power loads or sudden power surges.ENERGY BARRIER

A field of negative energy, called the Energy Barrier,surrounds our galaxy. Contact with this field is damaging tostarships and can cause psionically sensitive individuals tobe killed or to develop godlike mental powers.FEDERATION

A short form of the United Federation Of Planets (UFP);see the section on Governments.GALACTA

The standard Federation language, called Galacta, is avariant of standard English. For gaming purposes, it is usefulto consider Galacta as English.

HAILING FREQUENCYHailing frequencies are standard subspace frequencies

used for ship-to-ship communication. There are a largenumber of possible hailing frequencies, and it sometimestakes a few moments for a Communications Officer to findthe one used by a ship encountered in space.LANDING PARTY

A landing party is any group sent down from a starshipfor exploration, diplomatic negotiations, first contact, orother official purpose. The Captain usually has responsibilityfor choosing a landing party, though he will respect the ad-vice of subordinate officers in their specialized departments.The number of crewmen assigned to a landing party dependson the size of ship and the type of mission. Below areguidelines for selecting and equipping the three basic typesof landing parties from Constitut/on-class starships such asthe Enterprise', they can be adapted, using imagination andcommon sense, for use on other vessels. Other types oflanding parties can be formed by the Captain based on theneeds of the moment.

It would be rare for both Captain and First Officer toleave the ship at the same time, unless the presence of bothwas absolutely necessary. Neither the Captain nor his Depart-ment Heads would beam down for a routine survey partyunless something were unusual or important about the mis-sion.Exploration Team

An exploration team is sent down to make the first surveyof a new planet. This team should consist of at least oneScience Officer specializing in botany, another in zoology,and a third in geology, two Security Officers, and a MedicalOfficer. Often, if the survey were important enough or espe-cially tricky, the Chief Science Officer would act as teamcommander. If not, the senior Science Officer present is incommand.

The Science Officers should be equipped with sciencetricorders; the Medical Officer should carry a medical tricor-der and small medikit. All team members but the MedicalOfficer should carry a Phaser I. If the initial sensor scansindicate the presence of large, possibly dangerous animals,the Security Chief or the Captain might authorize a SecurityOfficers to carry a Phaser II instead.

First Contact TeamA first contact team will be beamed down to an un-

explored planet where a civilization is determined to bepresent. This team normally would make contact only withcivilizations that could handle the idea of 'men from the stars'intellectually and technologically.

The Prime Directive expressly forbids providing nativeswith technology beyond that they can develop for them-selves. This prohibition has only been broken where anotherstarfaring culture has already disrupted the cultural ecology.In such a case, a Captain can use his discretion to restorethe cultural balance if possible; any such actions will, ofcourse, need to be justified to a Star Fleet Review Board.

The Prime Directive calls for direct contact to be avoidedwith civilizations below a technological and intellectual levelwhere they can handle the idea of a starfaring race. Suchplanets would be observed from a distance. If close contactbecomes necessary, the team would disguise themselves asnatives, where possible. They would be equipped with uni-versal translators and no weapon larger than a Phaser I.

5

Diplomatic Contact PartyA diplomatic contact party would be sent down when

making first contact with a civilization sufficiently advancedto be approached about the existence of the Federation. Sucha party is almost always headed by the Captain, who is em-powered to act as a Federation ambassador in establishingfriendly relations with a new culture.

The Captain would select the other members of a dip-lomatic contact party based on the situation. As many asthree Security Officers would be taken along. At least onesciences representative, often the Science Officer, would beassigned to the party as well. Other party members mightinclude Science Officers to collect some important scientificdata and a Medical Officer. The party may contain othercommand personnel acting as observers, learning the fineart of diplomacy by assisting the Captain, and a yeomanmight be assigned as the Captain's assistant.

On such a party, neither Science nor Medical Officerswould carry tricorders, but one of the Captain's assistantprobably would carry a sciences tricorder for recording dip-lomatic negotiations, making supplemental log entries, andso on. Weapons larger than Phaser I would be avoided.NEUTRAL ZONE

The first Romulan War was an enormous drain on bothsides, as it was fought for many years with spacecraft atsub-light speeds. The Federation, with its many worlds, hadthe resources to maintain the battle, but the Romulans didnot and eventually sued for peace.

The Neutral Zone was established between the Federa-tion and Romulan space. Border posts were placed on bothsides of the zone, and all ships have been banned from en-tering the no-man's-land thus established. Romulan pridehas reasserted itself in recent years, leading to a number ofincidents between Federation and Romulan vessels.ORGANIAN PEACE TREATY

A non-aggression treaty was forced upon the KlingonEmpire and the Federation by the peace-loving energy beingsof the planet Organia when the two rival groups threatenedto start an interstellar war over that planet. The Organians,who possess incredible powers to manipulate matter, energyand the mind, have forbidden open hostilities between theUFP and the Klingons in an area of space known as theOrganian Treaty Zone along the border between the Klingonand UFP spheres of influence. In this area, which does notcover the entire Federation-Klingon border, the rights of in-dependent cultures are protected by the Organians. Theyaward the right to develop uninhabited star systems towhichever government shows it can most efficiently makeuse of the area's resources.POSITION

The job held by a Star Fleet Officer. This has nothing todo with rank, except on some ships an officer must be of acertain rank or higher to hold a specific position. Positionshave such titles as Science Officer, Helmsman, or First Offi-cer. See the section Rank And Position.PRIME DIRECTIVE (General Order 1)

The most important law of the Federation is the PrimeDirective, which states that no one in the Federation mayinterfere with the normal and healthy development of alienlife and culture. This means that Federation member cultures(and their representatives, like Star Fleet officers) may notinfluence a world's cultural development by exertingsuperior knowledge or strength, nor by supplying the nativeswith superior technology that they are not yet capable ofusing wisely. Star Fleet officers may not violate the directive,even to save their lives and their ship, unless acting to setright an earlier violation or accidental contamination of aculture.

QUADRANTA quadrant is a section of Federation space, arbitrarily

marked off for navigational purposes. Actually, use of theterm quadrant is misleading because it usually refers to onlyfour divisions of a circle, and there are more than four divi-sions in the Federation sphere of influence.RANK

A denotation of military standing. Rank has nothing todo with position, except that some positions on some shipsmust be filled by someone of a certain rank or higher. Seethe section Rank And Position.

STANDARD ORBITStandard orbits are holding paths, most often from 1000

to 7000 miles above a planet's surface, used by starshipsthat keep the ship directly above a selected place on thesurface to facilitate communications with a landing party.They are calculated according to planetary size, gravity, andconditions, as well as to the locations and orbits of naturaland artificial satellites. Sometimes, however, local conditionsmay make a geosynchronous orbit impossible, and the shipwill not be able to remain above any specific spot on theplanetary surface.STAR BASE

The Federation designates a major Star Fleet installationas a Star Base. Used by Star Fleet personnel for administra-tive centers, refueling and resupply bases, repair facilities,recreational centers, and so forth, most Star Bases are onplanets, though some are artificial space stations.6

STARDATEStardating is the standard Federation terminology for

measuring date and time. It is sequential only while a personremains in one place. Keeping track of the date is harderthan one might think on a faster-than-light ship because ofEinsteinian time compression, and the method for computingStardates is complex. Thus the time between Stardate 2244.0and Stardate 2245.0 will be one day only if the ship remainsat one location in the STAR TREK universe, but it may beentirely different if the ship travels at warp speed betweentwo points.

Stardates are given in the form XXXX.XX, with eitherone or two digits given after the decimal point. Stardatesbegin at 0000.00 and go to 9999.99; then they start over.Stardate 3305.6 would be read as "Stardate thirty-three ohfive point six" not "Stardate three thousand, three hundredfive point six".

STAR TREK fans often create 'Stardates' from normal,20th-century calendar dates by listing the last two digits ofthe year, the month expressed as a two-digit number, a de-cimal point, and then the date expressed as a two digitnumber. Thus July 4, 1984 would be expressed as Stardate8407.04. This is not the way Star Fleet figures Stardate, butit is useful for giving a STAR TREK feel to gaming sessions.

Reference StardateBecause the Stardates used in the TV series are not in

sequence, they are not useful for showing how long it hasbeen since Captain Pike commanded the Enterprise, for in-stance. All new FASA products will use a system of ReferenceStardates to measure the absolute passage of time in theSTAR TREK universe. They will pass at a regular rate, asmeasured from the communications beacon at the center ofFederation space. They will form a sort of 'Greenwich MeanTime' for the events important to STAR TREK 'history,' andFASA will use them in placing events in the timeline theydevelop for their adventures and supplements.

The numbering system for Reference Stardates is thesame as that given above, with one exception. A numberfollowed by a slash will always preceed the standard Stardateto show the century. The Reference Stardating system willbegin with 0/0001.01, meaning January 1, 2000. Thus, 1/0001.01 is exactly 100 years later (January 1 2100), and -1/0001.01 is exactly 100 years earlier (January 1, 1900). TheReference Stardate for July 4,1776, is -3/7607.04, and so on.

STAR FLEETStar Fleet is the space navy of the United Federation of

Planets, charged with the responsibility for exploration ofnew territory, policing of Federation law within the UFP, anddefense of the UFP from outside hostile forces. Star Fleethas a military structure and uses military terminology, butit is not simply a military organization. The role of Star Fleetinvolves duties beyond that of a military arm of government,as indicated in the section Organization Of Star Fleet.STARSHIP

In the larger sense, a starship is any spaceship capableof faster-than-light travel. This term has also been used in anarrower sense to mean just the big Constitution-class shipsof Star Fleet.

SUB-LIGHT SPEEDSpeed in space below light speed is called sub-light.

TERRAThe official designation for the planet Earth, in the star

system of Sol is Terra. It's moon is called Luna. Terra hasbeen called 'the cradle of mankind.'UFP

A short form for the United Federation Of Planets; seethe section on Governments.WARP SPEED

Warp speed is a method of measuring the enormousspeeds attained by warp drive ships. Warp factor 1, some-times called Warp 1 or WF 1, refers to the speed of light(300,000 kph or 186,000 mph). Warp speeds beyond that aremultiples of the speed of light. Warp 2 is 8 times the speedof light (2 x 2 x 2 = 8) and Warp 3 is 27 times the speed oflight (3 x 3 x 3 =27). To find the speed, multiply the speedof light by the cube of the warp factor.

Despite these enormous overall speeds, the starshipweapons work and are targetable because the maneuverduring combat is so small compared to the overall speedthat it is hardly different from sub-light speed maneuver.

In the TV episode Journey To Babel, for example, anOrion ship attacked the Enterprise while it was moving atwarp 8 — 512 times the speed of light! It is obvious, then,that ship warp speed does not affect weapons fire, but effi-cient targeting is another matter.

Consider an example from current warfare. A man isstanding in the middle of a street when a small jet streaksoverhead. If both the man and the pilot each know the otheris there, and if both have weapons available and ready tofire, each might just get one shot at the other as the jetscreams by. Even so, without sophisticated electronic help,they couldn't hope to hit one another. The jet is gone almostimmediately, and it will take some time for him to turn aroundfor another pass.

The jet plane vs. pedestrian example is comparable totwo starships, one moving at warp 1 and one at warp 2. Bythe time the Captain could say "Fire photon torpedoes!" theother ship is 1,500,000 miles away - a bit far, for even STARTREK weaponry.

In order to have combat, therefore, it is assumed thatthe warp speeds of the vessels are the same and that theirvector through space is nearly the same. This means thatwhether they are moving at Warp 1 or at Warp 10, the twoships are hurtling along through space making very smallmaneuvers compared to their overall speed.

7

STARFARING RACESIn this chapter, details are presented about 11 major

races in the STAR TREK universe. In addition to Humans,there are 5 races from which players may draw their charac-ters. These races are the Andorians, the Caitians, the Edoans,the Tellarites, and the Vulcans. Information also is presentedabout 5 races that are not used for player characters. Thesenon-player character races include the Gorn, the Klingons,the Orions, the Romulans, and the Tholians.

Andorians are blue-skinned humanoids with white hair.Their slim builds conceal the well-muscled bodies of war-riors. They have a pair of knobbed antennae extending fromthe sides of the crown of the head; these are sensitive organsof hearing, more sensitive in some ranges than those ofHumans or Vulcans, but also more vulnerable and exposed.Andorians are stronger and more hardy than Humans, onthe average, but they are not as lucky. Like Humans, theyhave a low Psionic Potential.

Andorian history is one of conflict, though they do notbattle without reason. The martial spirit is still alive in Ando-rian culture. Andorians are extremely disciplined, possessinga strong sense of duty and personal honor, and so they makeexcellent military officers. Though they are stoic and largelyunsentimental, they do respect and revere family ties.

Andorians are fond of technology, but they insist on itsuse with respect for nature. For this reason, their early warsof conquest were fought with a regard for planetary environ-ment, and so the Andorians avoided much of the ecologicaldevastation suffered by Terran Humans and many other cul-tures.

Players may choose characters from this race.

This race walks erect as Humans do. They possess sleek,cat-like bodies covered with soft fur, which also covers theirfaces and hangs about the head like a mane. They have largegolden eyes, long tails, and voices with a purring quality.Caitians are extremely fast, and they have acute senses ofsight and smell. They are less hardy than Humans. Theirphysical beauty gives them a slightly higher Charisma. Theirluck is less than that of Humans, but their Psionic Potentialis about the same.

Caitians practice total equality of the sexes, and havethroughout their recorded history. Even Caitian names haveno male or female designation inherently, with a male childas likely to be named after his mother as his father.

They are descended from hunting carnivores similar insome respects to Terra's larger felines. Though descendedfrom meat-eaters, many Caitians are now vegetarians.


The Edoans walk upright and have some resemblanceto Humans, but they have three arms and three legs. Theirskin is orange and hairless, and they have round yellow eyesand a concave-structured head. They have sensitive handsand great dexterity. Though they are more dextrous, theyare not as strong as Humans, nor are their luck and psionicpotential as great.

The Edoans, relative newcomers to the Federation, arereserved and prize privacy. They tend to be shy and intro-verted, making few close attachments. They are meticulousabout detail and make good scientists and technicians. Be-cause of their dexterity, they are among the best toolmakersin the Federation.

Players may choose characters from this race.8

The Gorn are a reptilian race from planets with greatergravity than Terra and with a harsher climate, which perhapsaccounts for their greater endurance. Though battle is notthe overwhelming preoccupation with them that it is forKlingons and Romulans, the Gorn prize physical strengthand endurance over intellect. Gorn individuals and Gorn so-ciety as a whole are not given to subtlety, and thus they donot attempt to be charismatic, preferring to persuade byphysical domination. They consider psionics a fidgety andunworthy discipline, and do not pursue such studies. EvenGorn engineering is of the 'push hard until it moves' variety.

Players may not choose characters from this race.

There are more Humans than any other species in theFederation. Besides Humans born on Terra (Earth), there arethose from thousands of Human colony worlds. On some ofthese worlds, particularly those that have been colonized fora long time, the Human population has evolved to betteradapt to local conditions.

Besides Terran colonies, there are a number of civiliza-tions with no known ties to Terra that have neverthelessproduced native species identical to Humans from Terra invirtually all respects. Scientists have not answered the ques-tions this raises, nor have they explained why even somedefinitely non-Human races (Vulcans and Klingons, to nameonly two) still bear so many resemblances to Humans. It is

believed by some scientists that ALL humanoid races areoffshoots from some common space-travelling race in thefar distant past. This theory is not proven, however, and iswidely disputed.

All planetary cultures with basically Human physiologyare considered as Human, despite unimportant variations inheight, weight, skin coloration, sensory enhancement, orother superficial differences. In every attribute but PsionicPotential, the Human race is used to define the average.Humans have very low Psionic Potential, but they are theluckiest of the races.

Though all Humans have basically the same physicalcharacteristics, their motivations and backgrounds may bevery different. Not all Human cultures are part of the Feder-ation, some may even be its enemies.

Players should choose their first characters from thisrace.

Physically, the familiar Klingons of the TV series aresomewhat similar to Terran Humans. They tend to be darkof complexion and hair color, and male Klingons usuallywear beards and mustaches. Their internal construction isquite different, however. A scan with a standard medicalscanner will detect a Klingon instantly, even though it is quiteeasy to disguise his outer appearance as a Human.

War is the natural, preferred state for most Klingons andthe Klingon racial philosophy. For this reason, Klingon soci-ety stresses physical strength and fighting skill above scien-tific achievement, and most Klingon scientific effort goes intodeveloping tools for warfare. Personal charisma is less im-portant in Klingon society than strength and cunning, andadvancement in one's field is often through blackmail, bet-rayal, force, or trickery. The Klingon government suppressesthe development of psionic activity, considering such to bea risk to Klingon security.

Klingons are not berserkers; they wage war withforethought and cunning.

These rules assume that players will not choose charac-ters from this race, although FASA publishes a supplementcalled The Klingons detailing them as a player character race.

9

The Orions, from planets in the Rigel star system, forthe most part, are Human-like beings. The dominant speciesof Orions have skin color ranging from ruddy, golden orangeto the skin tones of Terran Caucasians.

Some very Human-like females, however, are born withgreen skin. Said to be less intelligent than the dominantOrions (though this may be more from lack of educationalopportunity than from genetics), they behave in a semi-animalistic fashion. They usually have long, sharp claws anda greater physical dexterity than the dominant Orions.

Green-skinned Orion females are held in semi-slaveryby Orion males. They are extremely seductive, with legendholding that Human males cannot resist them. Transport ofslave women beyond the neutral Orion planets is prohibitedand, of course, slavery is outlawed at all levels of the Feder-ation. Few Federation Star Fleet personnel have really everseen an Orion slave female.

Orion pirates and freebooters are sometimes encoun-tered by Federation vessels.

Players may not choose characters from this race.

Romulans are physically similar to Vulcans, though notquite as strong, perhaps because the Romulan home planetsare not as harsh anad demanding as the planet Vulcan.Romulans are intelligent, dedicated, and extremely efficient.

Romulans, unlike Vulcans, are very much creatures of pride,emotion and passion, possessing the capacity for great vio-lence when provoked. Also unlike Vulcans, Romulans arelukewarm about psionic research. They have not abandonedreliance on intuition and hunches to the extent that the Vul-cans have done so, causing them to have a luckier reputationthan Vulcans.

The Romulan lifestyle is Spartan, with personal wantsgiven upforthe good of the whole. Romulan leaders demandinstant obedience from the populace, all of whom are re-quired to serve in the Romulan armed forces. Romulan cul-ture favors obedience over original thought and action, andthus Romulan creative intellectual achievement is not asgreat as it might be. Unlike the Klingons, Romulans practicesexual equality, being more interested in the efficiency of anofficer than her/his sex.

Romulans are superb warriors, fighting in a cool, cal-culating manner. They take no prisoners, and they neitherask nor give quarter.

These rules assume that players will not choose charac-ters from this race. FASA publishes a supplement called TheRomulans detailing them as player characters.

Tellarites are basically humanoid, with a coarser skintexture and more facial and body hair than Humans. Theirhair, covering all but the frontal face and the hands, is notas thick as animal fur, but is more reminiscent of an extremelyhairy person. Their home worlds have a thinner atmospherethan Terra, leading to their overdeveloped nasal openings,which have been unkindly (and sometimes insultingly) com-pared to the snouts of Terran swine. They have a roll ofabdominal fat that makes all Tellarites appear to be portly.

Tellarites are slightly stronger and more hardy than Hu-mans, but their appearance and personality combine to givethem a lower charisma. They are not as lucky as Humansand have even less psionic potential.

Members of the Tellarite race are racially suspicious,argumentative and brash, at least by Human standards.Those who trust too much or give in too easily are consideredweak fools in Tellarite society. Surprisingly, some Tellaritesmake good diplomats - they do not give in easily. Tellaritesenjoy a good argument, and a merchant's bazaar on a Tella-rite world is a very lively place, indeed!

Tellarites are fond of food and drink - and lots of it.Fortunately, alcohol has little adverse effect on them, onlymaking them more stubborn. Nevertheless, they are capableof going twice as long without food or water as the averageHuman, living off their fatty deposit for quite a while.

Players may choose characters from this race.10

Little is known about the Tholian race. No member ofthis race has ever been seen in person by a Federation rep-resentative, and almost nothing is known about their physicalcapabilities. What limited information exists are educatedguesses based on starship-to-starship encounters, view-screen observation, and very limited data. Tholians are as-sumed to be crystalline in structure; they are punctual,precise, extremely suspicious, and unwilling to make face-to-face contact.

Players may not choose characters from this race.__

Vulcans were the first alien species encountered by Hu-mans that were significantly different in physiology andpsychology from people of Terra. They are Human-like inmany respects, but in other ways they are totally different.

The name of their home planet, as translated from theirtongue, is Vulcan. It is a harsh world, dry and hot, with highergravity and a thinner atmosphere than Terra. These condi-tions affected the Vulcan physical development. Vulcans arestronger than Humans, with more physical endurance. Theirblood chemistry is based on copper (rather than iron) as acarrier of oxygen. This makes their blood greenish in color,and gives them a somewhat greenish-yellow complexion.Their eyes are protected from the harsh Vulcan winds andsand by a thin transparent membrane, much like a secondeyelid.

Vulcan's culture is far older than that of Terra. In theirprehistory, Vulcans were tribal and warlike, as savage asearly Humans, if not more so. Their savagery brought themto the edge of a final war that would have destroyed them.They were turned away from violence by the ancient Vulcanphilosopher Surak, who introduced the philosophy of emo-tional repression that brought them back from the brink ofdisaster.

Today's Vulcans do not express emotions, letting logicalthought and rational decision-making rule their lives. ManyHumans hold the misconception that Vulcans have no emo-tions. This is not true, but it is so widely believed that someVulcans believe it themselves. Actually, Vulcans hold in theiremotional reactions. They depend on mental discipline tokeeptheiremotionsfrom affectingtheirthinking and actions.

This process is so ingrained in Vulcan tradition and so-ciety that it is almost automatic for Vulcan adults, even undergreat stress. In fact, the expression of emotion is consideredto be in extremely bad taste in Vulcan society, where only abarbarian or a mental defective would think of such a thing.

Interactions with the people from other cultures areslowly changing Vulcan attitudes, especially among Vulcansoften exposed to Human culture. Although sophisticated,well-travelled Vulcans find Human, emotional expressionbaffling and somewhat distasteful, they are able to live andwork around Humans in situations where less-sophisticatedindividuals might be horrified. Nevertheless, even an un-sophisticated Vulcan would never SHOW his dismay, prefer-ring to avoid Human contact whenever possible.

The anti-war philosophy that gave birth to logical de-velopment has affected Vulcan culture in other ways as well.All Vulcans are vegetarians, finding the idea of killing animalsfor food totally repulsive. Some Vulcans are extremepacifists, believing that there is NEVER any reason to kill anyliving being, but ALL Vulcans will avoid killing except in themost extreme necessity. For this reason, Vulcan charactersrarely carry arms, and will not use deadly force againstanother thinking being except under direct order or in themost extreme emergency.

The Vulcan pursuit of the logical ideal has led them togreat accomplishment in both the sciences and the arts. In-tellectual pursuits come naturally to Vulcans. They tend tobe very private individuals, and dislike to be touched, noteven to shake hands.

Another result of the intellectual/mental thrust of Vulcanculture is their development of certain mental powers to alevel unmatched by most other races. Centuries of psionicexercise and mental discipline have made Vulcans capableof some amazing mental feats. These disciplines are part ofthe culture, and most Vulcans can perform them to somedegree. Those who are especially skilled are respected by all.

It is widely known that members of the Vulcan race aresomewhat telepathic. The ability can be used in various ways,some of them that link more than one individual and othersthat allow two individuals to share deeply. In modern Vulcansociety, it is unthinkable to use telepathy to pry into another'smind, nor is mind contact practiced for trivial reasons. Suchcontact is intimate and somewhat embarrassing.


11

GOVERNMENTSThere are 5 main alien governments in the STAR TREK

universe in addition to the United Federation Of Planets. Inorder of importance, these include the Klingon Empire, theRomulan Star Empire, the Orion Colonies, the Gorn Alliance,and the Tholian Assembly. This chapter provides a summaryof each government and of the Federation contact with thatgovernment. A section is provided on the UFP as well.

KLINGON EMPIRE

The Klingon Empire, a military dictatorship controlledby the alien race known as Klingons, is the chief foe and rivalof the United Federation of Planets. Klingon culture hasraised treachery, assassination, and similar acts to high arts.The Empire is ruthlessly bent on expansion and conquest.Armed conflict between the UFP and the Klingon Empirewould be inevitable except for the existence of the OrganianPeace Treaty, on which information is given elsewhere.

The Empire is a male-dominated society, though femalesdo hold some positions of responsibility in the sciences andin other technical fields. Male Klingons are warriors, andtheir warrior culture stresses physical prowess and combatskills above all other achievement. Despite this, Klingontechnology is not far behind that of the Federation, and iteven equals or exceeds UFP technology in some areas, not-ably genetic tailoring.

The Klingon Empire also borders the Romulan Star Em-pire, the two empires warring off and on since long beforeeither came in contact with the UFP. Even so, the two cultureshave recently completed negotiations that resulted in an ex-change of technology and in trade agreements. Thus, eachgroup has gained some of the technology developed by theother. Some Romulan crews now man Klingon-design star-ships, and Romulan research has brought the Klingons closeto making photon torpedoes operational on Klingon vessels.

Detailed information on the Klingon Empire, includingrules for creating and playing Klingons as player characters,is a boxed supplement to these rules. It is published by FASAas The Klingons.

ROM ULAN STAR EMPIREThis empire is a rival of the UFP controlled by the Romu-

lans, a Vulcan-like warrior race with a strong code of battleethics. Romulan culture stresses the good of the Empire overindividual accomplishment, and values a simple, Spartanlifestyle. After an early period of warfare, before the devel-opment of modern warp technology, the Romulans andEarth-men settled on a treaty via subspace radio. A neutralzone was established between the UFP and the RomulanStar Empire: a no-man's-land where violation by either sidewas an act of war. There have been several incidents alongthis border, which is monitored and patrolled on both sides,but outright warfare has been avoided for over 100 years.

The original body of Romulan colonies is known infor-mally as the Romulan Confederation, the name RomulanStar Empire being used for the entire body, including cap-tured worlds. The Federation's first contact with the RomulanStar Empire led inevitably to war. So terrible was this earlyconflict that in no engagement did Federation personnel whoactually made contact with the enemy survive to tell aboutit. The first Romulan war was fought a century prior to themission of the Enterprise, but only since recent times (Star-date 1709.0) has the Federation seen a Romulan.

Most recently, the Romulans have made contact withthe Klingon Empire and formed certain trade and technology-swapping agreements. This has led to the adoption ofKlingon-design ships (including D-7 class battlecruisers) byRomulan fleets, replacing to some extent their less powerfulBird Of Prey class ships. Romulan soldiers and guards alsoare known to use Klingon-design sidearms.

Detailed information on the Romulan Star Empire, in-cluding rules for creating and playing Romulans as playercharacters, is a boxed supplement to these rules. It is pub-lished by FASA as The Romulans.

ORION COLONIES

The Orion Colonies are allegedly neutral toward the Fed-eration in external matters. They tend to encourageprivateers (pirates), however, on an informal and unofficalbasis, and Orion pirates and smugglers are sometimes en-countered by Federation starships.

GORN ALLIANCE

The government of the worlds controlled by the reptiloidrace known as the Gorn is called The Alliance. The Gornevolved on the planet S'sgarnon, a temperate, warm ClassM planet with a local gravity of 1.4 G. The Gorn, a strong,hardy race of fierce warriors, developed a culture that stres-ses strength, courage, and the natural dominance of the fit-test. The Gorn Alliance is controlled by two Autarchs, onewho represents the Gorn home world and the other whorepresents the Gorn colony worlds.

No state of war exists between the UFP and the Alliance,thanks to negotiations begun after the initial contact. Peacenegotiations have progressed on Clanhaven, a UFP worldclose to the frontier. The Frontier Accord limits the buildupof military shipping in the disputed space, and a joint com-mission has been working slowly at building up an agreeableboundary, though no final agreement has been reached.

Negotiations progress slowly because the Gorn are splitbetween those who would negotiate peacefully with the UFPand the 'actionist' faction who believe in direct confrontation.Both factions agree on the premise that the Federation mustnot hinder Gorn expansion and fulfillment of their 'ManifestDestiny,' but they differ on the methods to be used.

THOLIAN ASSEMBLY

The governing organization of a small space empire con-trolled by the Tholian race is called the Tholian Assembly.Little is known about Tholian culture, since the Tholian raceis of a totally non-humanoid type.

The Tholians apparently are not interested in conquest,but the Tholian Assembly jealously guards its bordersagainst intruders, allowing no traffic there without challenge.Though no state of war exists between the Tholians and theFederation, Federation vessels avoid Tholian spacewhenever possible. The Tholians have never been known toventure beyond the boundries of their own space.

12

UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS(UFP)

The United Federation of Planets is an interstellar polit-ical alliance composed of many autonomous planetary sys-tem governments, including those of Terra (Earth), Vulcan,Cait, Tellar, and Andor. A representative democratic organi-zation, the UFP is governed by the Federation Council, towhich each member world sends delegates. The UFP governsall interstellar relations among member worlds, and betweenthe member worlds and non-member governments. Al-though member worlds have a great deal of independencewith regard to their internal affairs, Federation laws and reg-ulations have precedence in interplanetary matters.

The gigantic Federation bureaucracy has the enormoustask of regulating and coordinating the interstellar efforts ofall member cultures. They maintain a Federation-widemonetary and credit system, coordinate scientific researchand development of new technology, arbitrate interculturaldisputes, develop data banks of scientific, technical, and his-torical information, encourage interculture trade and culturalsharing, and many more functions. The two most importantjobs of the UFP are protection of UFP citizens and explorationof the galaxy, both of which are largely the job of Star Fleet,a semi-military arm of the UFP entrusted with peacekeeping.

law enforcement, trade regulation, and exploration.The area of the galaxy known as 'Federation space' is

not inhabited by Federation-member cultures alone. Thoughmembership in the Federation is considered beneficial, it isin no way compulsory. Many non-member cultures existwithin Federation territory, and live quite peacefullyalongside their Federation neighbors. Some are totally out-side the Federation's influence and have no official contactwith the UFP. Others have mutual non-aggression agree-ments, with cultural exchange, but have not entered intomore restrictive agreements. A few groups, such as the OrionColonies, have unusual status; they are less than full mem-bers but more than just associated cultures. On non-memberworlds. Federation law is not in force, though many suchworlds have extradition treaties, trade agreements, andmutual protection pacts with the Federation.

Ambassadors are usually sent to nearby, friendly butnon-member cultures to represent Federation interests ininterstellar matters. Cultures not sufficiently advanced to beFederation members may become Federation protectoratesif they wish, enjoying the benefits of advanced Federationmedical and technical knowledge in developing their cultureto a higher level.

Cultures within the Federation sphere of influence thatare not intellectually or socially prepared to enter interstellarsociety or to accept the idea of interstellar travel are observedcarefully, but without interference, by Federation sociologistswith the help of Star Fleet.

13

STAR FLEET COMMANDStar Fleet was created by the United Federation Of Plan-

ets to be responsible for the protection of the Federation,the exploration of unknown areas, the colonization of habit-able planets, and the safe transport of individuals and goods.Star Fleet is a truly unified organization, comprising com-mands in all of these areas.

The chart shows the organization of Star Fleet. The OfficeOf Star Fleet is broken into two broad categories, the adminis-trative services and the policy arm of Star Fleet, as shown.The administrative services fall under the Deputy SecretaryFor Administration, and the policy services fall under theDeputy Secretary For Plans And Policies.

STAR BASEHEADQUARTERS COMMAND

When the size of the Federation is considered, alongwith the time necessary for communications even at theWarp 15 speed of subspace radio, it can be seen how allunits in Star Fleet are somewhat autonomous. Federationspace is divided into 17 districts. Each district has one StarBase, normally commanded by a Commodore; each is re-sponsible for all personnel and vessels in its district.

The Office of Star Fleet Reserve and Star Fleet Operationsfall under the Deputy Secretary For Operations. Star FleetOperations are under the control of the Chief Of Star FleetOperations, whose organization is broken down into the Of-fice Of Star Fleet Operations and Star Fleet Operations Forcesas shown. Star Fleet Operating Forces (where player charac-ters are posted) consist of Star Base Headquarters Command,Star Fleet Military Operations Command, Galaxy ExplorationCommand, Star Fleet Colonial Operations Command, StarFleet Merchant Marine Command (including the Bureau OfSpace Safety), and Star Fleet Marine Corps Command.

Most Star Fleet vessels fall under the control of the Milit-ary Operations Command, the Galaxy Exploration Com-mand, the Colonial Operations Command, or the MerchantMarine Command. Star Fleet personnel aboard these vesselsfall into the chain of command in these operations forces.

An inhabitant from any member planet may join StarFleet if he or she can meet Star Fleet's rigorous requirements.Officers who attend Star Fleet Academy or Star Fleet OfficerCandidate School choose a branch of specialization for theirtraining. These include navigation, helm operations, en-gineering, science, medicine, communications/damage con-trol, and security, among others. Any officer trained in anybranch may be assigned to any vessel or base. On assign-ment, each officer reports to a Department Head, who, inturn, reports to the vessel's Captain or Base Commandant.

Each Star Base has thousands of personnel, vessels, andsmaller bases under its jurisdiction. The fleets under the juris-diction of Star Bases may be made up of any number ofvessels, depending upon the fleet's mission. Fleets may beassembled with several escorts protecting a convoy of Colo-nial Operations vessels, or tens of ships into a battle fleet inreaction to an attack on a border. A fleet may consist ofseveral Exploration or research ships or research ships withMilitary escort. Merchant Marine ships could travel togetherfor safety. The list is endless. Fleets are normally assembledonly for short periods of time (a few months to a year) forspecific missions (be it a diplomatic mission or a borderskirmish). Normally, however, once a ship is assigned to aStar Base it stays with that Star Base for the duration of itsuseful life due to the vast distances involved.

Constitution class ships, of which twelve are operatingat the time of Kirk's first 5-year mission as Enterprise com-mander, are assigned as needed to Star Bases. These vesselsoperate independently, answerable only to the operationscommand under which they are commissioned. These shipsare rarely assembled into fleets except for short periods oftime.

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MILITARY OPERATIONS COMMAND

Protection of the Federation is one of the main tasks ofStar Fleet. Although Star Fleet and the UFP have peacefulgoals, there are those (like the Klingons) who have otherideas. Military Operations exists to provide defense and toact as the peace-keeping force of the Federation.

The military has many different types of ships, someextremely powerful, but none to match the overall effective-ness of the Constitution class. Some ships may have moreweapons, but none have the power and the quality of crew.Thus, though the Constitution class vessels are nominallyattached to the Galaxy Exploration Command, they are oncall for Military Operations Command assignments as well.

It must be remembered that the Military OperationsCommand acts defensively only! Star Fleet does not exist totake over the galaxy, but to insure the peaceful coexistenceof all peoples.

GALAXY EXPLORATION COMMAND

Exploration Command is responsible for the explorationof the unknown areas of the galaxy. Vessels of all sizes,ranging from scouts with 5-man crews to Constitution classstarships with crews of 430 officer-grade personnel, areunder the jurisdiction of this command. Exploration shipstake independent action, largely because they are far fromhigher command in time and space. In many instances, theyare the first contact with new civilizations. They are like theexplorers of old, mapping the galaxy, discovering new plan-ets to colonize, establishing trade routes, fighting defensiveskirmishes, acting as ambassadors of the UFP, and so on.

COLONIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDColonial Operations is responsible for settling suitable

planets. Exploration Command vessels find appropriateworlds, and then the Colonial Ops personnel move in. First,a small survey ship (crew of 20 to 100) makes a study of theplanet to make certain no native intelligent life is threatenedand to survey and map the planet thoroughly. Native floraand fauna are studied and possible sites for settling are de-termined, maintaining a concerted effort to insure that theplanet's ecology will not be upset by the colonists. Geologicalformations are surveyed to determine if the planet can exportmineral wealth. Integration, not domination, is the watch-word in Star Fleet.

Once the survey ship is satisfied that all is well, amedium-size ship (crew of 25 to 150), with 200 to 750permanent settlers is sent to establish one or more small,permanent colonies. A spaceport and transporter facilitiesare among the first projects, followed by living quarters,offices, and maintenance shops. This group of colonists arethe advance guard, so to speak, of the larger vassels thatwill arrive shortly, bearing thousands of colonists.

The largest colonial vessels, carrying up to 1000 peopleand their personal belongings, arrive once a permanent set-tlement has been established, assuming no problems havebeen encountered. They travel in groups with an armed es-cort; the number depends on the size of the new colony.

MERCHANT MARINE COMMAND

The Merchant Marine provides transportation of troopsand cargo, operates ships that support Star Fleet scientificprojects and other Federation programs. Furthermore, it en-forces Federation criminal laws, revenue and navigationlaws, and the rules of the spaceways. It also enforces port

security, including traffic and pollution control. It staffs cus-toms offices and enforces customs regulations, immigration,and quarantines. In wartime or in emergencies, the MerchantMarine Command joins with the Military Operations Com-mand, providing convoy ships and escorts, troop transport,and the like.

The Bureau of Space Safety is a part of this command,operating life-saving stations and rescue craft, providingemergency medical aid, placing and maintaining naviga-tional aids (including buoys, beacons, and communicationstations). This bureau is responsible for overseeing the safetyregulations for constructing and operating private merchantcraft, for passenger liners, and for private yachts and othernon-commercial vessels.

Merchant Marine vessels range in size from small policeships like those in the Military Command through freighterscarrying a few metric tons or passengers to ships carryingthousands of tons or hundreds of passengers. Many shipshave no live crew, being robot freighters. These ships arenormally found on 'tame' routes deep within the Federationboundaries and safe from pirates and enemies.

Many crewmen and officers aboard private trade vesselsbegan service in the Merchant Marine Command, attendingStar Fleet Academy or UFP-supported merchant schools.Fully one-quarter of all Star Fleet officers are detailed to thiscommand. For more information on merchantmen, see therules supplement Trader Captains and Merchant Princes, av-ailable from FASA.

MARINE CORPS COMMAND

In addition to the starships and fighting crews of theMilitary Operations Command, Star Fleet also fields impres-sive ground forces. The ground forces are part of the MarineCorps, which functions much as the 20th-century MarineCorps cooperated with the US Navy. Marines also are usedas planetside police, as guards at large bases, and as defen-sive fighting units on hostile worlds.

STAR FLEET ACADEMY

Under the Office Of Education And Training, theAcademy is responsible for initial and advanced training ofStar Fleet officers. Academy instructors staff Branch Trainingschools. Department Head School, Command School, andthe War College. Many officers serve one or more tours asinstructors at the Academy or its subsidiary schools.

Advanced training at the Academy is possible in thesciences and in medicine, in cooperation with the Office OfResearch And Exploration, which provides some of the Fed-eration's foremost scientists to instruct promising scienceofficers and specialists, and with Star Fleet Medical Com-mand, which provides advanced medical training compara-ble to that available in the best Federation teaching hospitals.

15

RANK AND POSITION

It is important to understand the difference between anindividual's rank in Star Fleet (Chief Petty Officer, Ensign,Lieutenant, and so forth) and his position aboard ship (Trans-porter Chief, Chief Navigator, Communications Officer, FirstOfficer, and so on).

Rank is a service distinction based on experience, ability,and degree, or amount, of responsibility. In Star Fleet, itcrosses all divisional lines, with the same system of ranksbeing used by scientists and soldiers alike. Position, on theother hand, is a job distinction based on an individual's im-mediate responsibility and his training. An individual's ranktells how much authority he has, and his position tells whattype of duties he performs. Just as rank carries responsibility,so does it grant privileges; position, in itself, does not conveyprivileges.

As an individual carries out his duties, his rank is impor-tant only with respect to his place in the chain of commandand with respect to how appropriate his rank is for the dutieshe is expected to perform. Under most conditions, an indi-vidual must obey the orders given by someone of higherrank. In some cases, however, orders or tasks given by some-one who directly supervises an individual's activities, suchas his Department Head, may take precedence over ordersgiven by someone of higher rank from another department.Rarely, an officer's orders may be countermanded by medicalauthority or by an officer just below him in chain of commandif there is sufficient evidence that the officer is in derelictionof his duty or is unfit for command responsibility.

It is possible for a lesser-ranking officer to have directcommand responsibility over a higher-ranking officer, if thehigh-ranking officer has a position subordinate to the lesser-ranking officer. Thus, a Lieutenant in command of a vesselmay have direct command responsibility for a Lt. Comman-der temporarily assigned as Science Officer, he would nothave command control over his visiting Admiral. In practice,Star Fleet attempts to avoid such assignments.

Some positions may only be held by a person of a par-ticular rank; though the position may be filled temporarilyby someone of lesser rank, the individual must be promotedin order to fill the position permanently. For instance, thecommander of a Constitution class starship must hold thepermanent rank of Captain or above. This is not true of allpositions. Though a science officer aboard a Constitutionclass vessel must have the rank of Lt. Commander or above,on a smaller vessel the position may be filled by a Lieutenant,an Ensign, or possibly even a non-commissioned officer ifthe ship is very small.

The table shows the various ranks in Star Fleet.An individual is most commonly referred to by his rank.

When dealing with the individual's specific responsibilitiesin his position, he may be referred to by the title of his po-sition. Thus, in formal terms it is 'Captain Kirk,' 'LieutenantUhura,' 'Ensign Chekov,' or 'Lieutenant Commander Scott.'In other situations, Captain Kirk might introduce McCoy as'Chief Surgeon McCoy' or simply 'Dr. McCoy' because whatMcCoy does aboard ship is more important than his rank.

Confusion sometimes occurs because of the similaritybetween the the title 'Chief Petty Officer,' which is a rank,and such titles as Transporter Chief,' 'Chief Engineer,' andso forth, which are positions in which the responsibilities areacknowledged by the word 'Chief.' Individuals with theseranks and positions may be called 'Chief Smith' informally.

In one other case can there be some confusion. Thecommander of a vessel in space is accorded a special mea-sure of respect: while aboard his ship or performing dutiesrelating to his ship, he is always referred to as 'Captain,' evenif his permanent rank is lower. Thus, a small scout ship bear-

ing three or four low-ranking officers is commanded by 'Cap-tain Smith' even if Smith is only a Lieutenant. Off the ship,or in general terms, that officer is 'Lieutenant Smith.' Eitherway. Smith is still subordinate in rank to Lt. Commandersand higher ranking officers when not on board his command.

Any commissioned Star Fleet officer may be referred toin a general sense as 'Mister,' a term that is not a mark ofeither rank, position, or sex. The term is used with a surname(such as Mr. Spock) by a lesser-ranking officer as a term ofrespect, or by a higher-ranking officer as a formal or informalmode of address; generally, the term is not used by enlistedmen, who most frequently use an officer's rank. Furthermore,it is not used for someone who has a medical degree, andit is never used for the commander of a star vessel while inactive pursuit of his duties, no matter how high-ranking theofficer speaking.

The use of 'Mister' for women is a matter of personalpreference. A female officer is never referred to as 'MissUhura' or 'Ms. Chapel' except very informally. If the term'Mister' is annoying or undesired by either the officer speak-ing or the female officer being addressed, the rank or title issubstituted. Thus, while Uhura was always called 'LieutenantUhura' and Christine Chapel was always called 'NurseChapel,' Lt. Saavik in THE WRATH OF KHAN was referred toas 'Mr. Saavik.'

A higher-ranking officer may call a lower-ranking officersimply 'Mister,' leaving off the name entirely, but this formof address is usually reserved for reminding the officer ad-dressed of his subordinate status. (An annoyed Kirk mightsnap, "Get us back on course. Mister, and right now!")

Enlisted Men And Non-Commissioned OfficersRecruitEnlisted, Second ClassEnlisted, First ClassPetty Officer, Second ClassPetty Officer, First ClassChief Petty OfficerSenior Chief Petty OfficerMaster Chief Petty OfficerWarrant OfficerChief Warrant Officer

AcademyCadetMidshipman

Commissioned OfficersEnsignLieutenant, JGLieutenantLieutenant CommanderCommanderCaptainCommodoreAdmiral

DEPARTMENTAL POSITIONS ABOARD A STARSHIPCommanding Officer (Captain)First OfficerCommand Department Heads

Chief EngineerChief NavigatorChief Helmsman/Weaponry OfficerChief Communications/Damage Control Officer

Support Department HeadsChief Science OfficerChief Medical Officer (Surgeon)Security ChiefChief Supply Officer

6

STAR FLEET INSIGNIA

Assignment insignia is located 3 cm. below shoulder seam. Rank stripes/insignia are black. Distance between assign/rank is 3 cm.

STAR FLEET CHAIN OF COMMAND

The chain of command outlines the way authority passesif the commander of a starship or a star base cannot functionin his duties. If he is injured or grievously ill, or perhapsincapacitated for some reason, a commander's authority ispassed along to the next senior unrestricted line officer. Ingeneral, this means that the officer with the next highestrank will take command; if there are two officers of equalrank, the officer with the longest time in grade takes com-mand. If, in turn, that officer cannot function, then the author-ity passes to the officer next in line, and so on.

Line officers are those in the major bridge positions;staff officers generally include those in services, security,and other staff departments. Restricted line officers generallyinclude Medical Officers and sometimes include Science Of-ficers; whether or not these officers are restricted dependson the vessel and its mission.

SHIP CLASSIFICATIONS

Star Fleet has thousands of ships, each classified by typeor use. Each type is given a range of unique hull numbers.There may be several classes of ships of one type, each classwithin this type being given a sub-range of these numbers.The types of ships currently in use and their hull numbersare given below. Vessels under 10000 metric tons are consi-dered to be small, those from 10000 to 60000 tons aremedium, and those above 60000 tons are large.

STAR FLEET VESSELSHIP TYPE

CruisersFrigatesDestroyersScoutsEscortsCommandCourierExplorer, SmallExplorer, MediumExplorer, LargeResearch, SmallResearch, MediumResearch, LargeColonization, SmallColonization, MediumColonization, LargeRobot Transport, SmallRobot Transport, MediumRobot Transport, LargeManned Transport, Small

CLASSIFICATIONHULL NUMBERS

1000—19992000—29993000—59996000—89999000 — 1199912000—1249912500—1599916000—1899919000 — 2099921000—2199922000—2399924000 — 2599926000 — 2699927000 — 2799928000 — 2999930000 — 3199932000 — 3799938000—4599946000—5599956000—65999

Manned Transport, Medium 66000 — 69999Manned Transport, LargeMiscellaneous

70000 — 8999990000—99999

NON-STAR FLEET VESSEL CLASSIFICATIONSHIP TYPE REGISTRATION NUMBER

Robot Transport, Small AxxxxxxRobot Transport, Medium BxxxxxxRobot Transport, Large CxxxxxxManned Transport, Small FxxxxxxManned Transport, Medium GxxxxxxManned Transport, Large HxxxxxxPassenger, Small LxxxxxxPassenger, Medium MxxxxxxPassenger, Large NxxxxxxMiscellaneous Rxxxxxx

Sxxxxxx

ENCOUNTERS IN SPACEA Handbook for Star Vessel Protocols

The following text was written by Garth of Izar, Captain,Star Fleet. It has been annotated and added to by James T.Kirk, Captain, Star Fleet. All annotations are presented initalics.ON FIRST SENSOR CONTACT

The most dangerous period of an encounter beweentwo star vessels is the period of time between first sensorcontact and identification of the unknown ship. It is duringthis period that a commander is most likely to make a mistakein judgement, and mistakes here can cost him his ship orcause him to open fire on a friendly vessel.

This period of time is to be used for gathering as muchinformation as possible. Make it work by being aware of thethings even the smallest clues can tell about an unknownvessel's intent. Long before positive identification is possible,important bits of information are conveyed that may saveship and crew.

Look first at the unknown's course and speed. An inter-cept course is a red warning! In the vastness of space, suchthings cannot be accidental: the odds against it are enorm-ous. If your courses will intersect, or even come very close,the unknown is seeking you out. On the other hand, if theunknown's course is simply carrying it through your sensorarea, you cannot even assume the unknown knows you arepresent. Neither, of course, can you assume it does not. -Kirk

An object moving at sublight speed may not even be aship, but no natural object can travel faster than light. If anobject's speed is or exceeds Warp 1, it is of intelligent man-ufacture. Tachyons and certain other subatomic particlesmove faster than light, a fact known to Captain Garth. There-fore, it must be assumed he was referring to the fact that nonatural phenomenon travels faster than light AT WILL. Thisstatement was true at the time he wrote it, and no other formof life but the 'Lights Of Zetar' has appeared to dispute it.The so-called 'Lights Of Zetar' are the only known life formcapable of greater-than-light speed without technologicalaid. None of these unique alien life forms are believed toremain in existence, but it does raise the extremely remote,but still finite, possibility of purely natural faster-than-lighttravel.- Kirk

A parallel course, especially one that matches yourspeed, also is revealing. Such a vessel does not wish toapproach immediately, but wishes only to observe andperhaps to follow. It is possible that the commander of sucha vessel may be underestimating your sensor distance anddoes not know that YOU are aware of his presence. It alsomay be that the commander of the unknown vessel WANTSyou to know he is there, for reasons of his own.

Watch the approach of a vessel as it comes closer, notingits closing speed. This will determine the amount of timeyou have to gather data before it comes close enough toidentify or to fire on you. Use this time to find out all youcan, even if all you have is seconds. At the end of this time,you will have to make decisions and make them fast, basedonly on what you can learn during this period. Do not actfrom ignorance.

ON IDENTIFICATIONVessels that come close enough to be identified posi-

tively as star vessels fall into four categories. Star Fleet reg-ulations deal with each, but they are of necessity vague,leaving many important decisions to the commander inspace. Nonetheless, there is an overlying philosophy thatguides procedures for all types of encounters - the desireto preserve peace.

Where conflict can be avoided, WITHOUT ENDANGER-ING THE SECURITY OF THE FEDERATION, the Star Fleetcommander is duty-bound to do so. Above all law, above allregulation, is this simple principle. We must share this galaxywith all its living, thinking peoples. Even a vessel belongingto an unfriendly power, when encountered in open space, isto be accorded its rights and privileges without undue chal-lenge. It is the starship commander's task to judge when aship is exercising free privilege, and when it is committingan overt act of aggression. The line can be a very fine oneindeed.

Star Fleet regulations prohibit firing on any vessel unlesssuch vessel "by its presence or overt actions presents a clearand present danger to the security of the Federation, thesafety and rightful free passage of its citizens, or the dutifulproceedings of a vessel under its registry." Regulationsfurther state that a vessel which "behaves in a manner thatovertly and directly threatens the security of a Star Fleetvessel" may be fired upon only when "IN THE CAREFULLYCONSIDERED JUDGEMENT OF ITS COMMANDER, no otheraction can be reasonably taken to avoid armed conflict, with-out, by so doing, presenting a greater threat to the Federa-tion, its citizens, or to the ship in question itself."

While those words seem straight forward enough on thesurface, they leave the hard part of the decision right in thelap of the commander of a vessel in space. When YOU arethat commander, YOU alone will make that decision, andperhaps face a Star Fleet Board Of Inquiry to defend thatdecision. That is, you may face a Board if you are left aliveto do so. With most mistakes, you won't be, and neither willyour crew.

Let us examine the four types of ship-to-ship encounter,with some practical suggestions on how each can be handledwithin Star Fleet regulations, with an eye toward protectingfriendly relations with other cultures without jeopardizingyour ship or the Federation's security.On Encountering Friendly Vessels

When a familiar identification beacon is received, youmay breathe a silent sigh of relief, but it is not yet time tocompletely relax your guard. Confirm communicated identifi-cation with visual sighting. Even then, there is a certain setof protocols to be observed, not only for security reasonsbut as a measure of respect to the master of a vessel in space.

When encountering friendly vessels, establish visualcommunication as soon as possible. Refusal of visual contactwithout sufficient explanation should alert you to the possi-bility of trouble. Insist on such contact where you are in aposition to do so. Also, do not hasten to approach a vesselthat will not permit such contact, and do not permit such avessel to approach you.

Star Fleet regulations allow a commander to hold a ves-sel at maximum positive sensor range if it refuses, or cannotgive, visual communication. If a vessel, even a friendly one,refuses this privilege, you are required to give it a warning.18

quoting the regulation. If the vessel continues approach, youare required by Star Fleet regulation to raise defensiveshields and go on defensive alert status. At this point, thevessel is no longer, under regulations, considered 'friendly,'and must be treated as potentially hostile.On Encountering Neutral Vessels

Under Star Fleet regulations, vessels belonging to neu-tral powers (such as the Orion colonial planets- Kirk) mustbe treated as friendly vessels until their overt actions presentan 'unfriendly posture.' Dealing with neutrals is tricky busi-ness, chiefly because what constitutes an unfriendly postureis left entirely to the star vessel commander to interpret. Ifquestioned later, your actions regarding neutrals may beexamined by a Board Of Inquiry.

An examination of Captain Garth's own exemplary re-cord reveals that he often acted first to protect his ship andthe Federation's security, and "worried about the Boardlater." His only justification for his actions, and the only jus-tification needed, was that he was proved right again andagain. His record shows that he tended to err on the side ofpeace whenever possible, granting a suspicious vessel allpossible leeway, until such time as the safety of his crewwas directly threatened. Again and again, he made correctdecisions based on very little evidence. Such a feeling forcommand decisions cannot be taught by a text. It can onlybe learned by experience. - KirkOn Encountering Unfriendly Vessels

A vessel is considered unfriendly when it belongs to apower defined as unfriendly, such as the Klingon Empire,(the Romulan Confederation and the Corn Alliance are otherunfriendly powers- Kirk) or when by its actions (firingweapons, refusing to hold distance and/or communicatemeaningfully, etc. - Kirk) it has displayed an unfriendly post-ure.

The raising of defensive shields, however, can be inter-preted as an act preparatory to aggressive action. Thus,shields should be withheld if there is no clear and presentdanger to the ship. A ship proceeding on an intercept course,refusing communciation, can be considered presenting anunfriendly posture, as can one passing closely within rangeof arms, despite requests to the contrary. Still, shields shouldbe raised only if the commander feels an attack is imminent.

Once shields are up, expect to take fire! Prepare weaponsand lock them for maximum effect. But DO NOT FIRE unlessyou can establish that you actually are under attack. Regula-tions do not define this condition, but the proceedings ofprevious Star Fleet Boards Of Inquiry can give us someguidelines.

If a vessel raises defensive shields when approachingrapidly, or maneuvers deliberately to bring firepower to bear,it must be considered hostile. Rarely, you may even be forcedto fire first. If so, be very sure you can defend your actionslater, but do not let indecision cripple you! Protect your shipand carry out your duty as best you can.

When you do fire, it is Star Fleet policy to rapidly destroythe enemy's capability to perform damage. In other words,you must attempt to remove the enemy's ability to fight.This does not always require destruction of the enemy vesselor even massive loss of life. In fact, destruction and loss oflife are to be avoided, unless the vessel's "mere, unarmedpresence presents a clear and present danger to security orsafety," in which case it may be destroyed. Boards Of Inquiryrarely find total destruction of a vessel to be justifiable.

Once an enemy ship shows a willingness to break offhostilities, allow itto do so, but retain afull defensive posture.Demand immediate removal of the threat to security, eitherby removal of the ship from the area or surrender of theenemy ship. A ship that performs an act of war (such as

attacking within clearly defined Federation territory, or at-tacking an identified, unarmed vessel on legitimatebusiness- Kirk) cannot be allowed to leave and must beforced to surrender or be disabled.

Disabled ships are agreed to be those that either cannotattain warp speed or have no operable weaponry. Certainunfriendly vessels, particularly those of the Romulan StarEmpire, have never been known to surrender. When encoun-tered in Federation space, in violation of the pertinent Treaty,they must be destroyed if they attack overtly. Commandersare cautioned never to closely approach a Romulan vesselexcept under direct orders from Star Fleet, as Romulan com-manders have orders to destroy their vessels to escape cap-ture and boarding. - Kirk

On Encountering Unknown VesselsThe Star Fleet ship commander treads on thin ice indeed

when encountering a ship not belonging to any known star-faring power. In encounters with an unknown race, a com-mander must be particularly careful not to initiate action thatwould be interpreted as hostile. Give someone new enoughroom to be your friend before you make an enemy of him.Star Fleet vessels are under strict orders not to open fire on,or take an unfriendly posture toward, a vessel of unknownorigin unless it commits an openly hostile act, or openlydeclares hostilities.

Frankly, we could lose a lot of good men and ships thisway, but it is this stance that separates the Federation fromsuch conquerors as the Klingon Empire. Historically, this pol-icy has paid off more often than not. The Andorian StellarLeague was met in its first human encounter by an armedvessel. How much different would Federation history be ifthat meeting had resulted in conflict!

You will never be sure, when you meet that first unknownrace, what the results will be. Act with prudence. Think ofthe safety of your ship, yes, but think also of the future ofthe Federation. War is not a dishonorable profession; I havebeen a warrior all my life. But peace is more honorable still,and it is worth great risk to establish and maintain.

Historical note: At one point during Captain Garth's firstcommand, his ship encountered a badly damaged ship be-longing to no known race. Before communication could beestablished, the small ship turned and opened fire. Garth'svessel was damaged, but, though he raised defensiveshields, he did not immediately return fire. Keeping a heavily-shielded side to the vessel, he held course and continuedbeyond the vessel, stopping just within sensor range.

The unknown vessel broke off the attack upon Garth.Soon after, the two vessels established communication. Itwas learned that the ship had encountered a larger war vesselof the Klingon Empire. The small ship was badly damagedwhen the Klingons attacked before the small ship could useits superior speed and maneuverability to escape. The com-mander of the vessel, upon detecting Garth's ship, assumedthe Klingons had followed to finish him off and opened fire.

Despite the inauspicious beginning, the Federation wasable to establish mutually beneficial trade and defense agree-ments with the newly encountered race. A Board Of Inquirycommended Capt. Garth for showing "unusual and meritori-ous restraint in the pursuit of peace, despite overwhelmingevidence of hostile intent". Later, Garth was heard informallyto remark, "If I'd been wrong, they'd have called me a fooland a criminal - but I'd have never had to hear it!"- Kirk

19

EQUIPMENTPERSONAL EQUIPMENT

This section contains descriptions of many commonpieces of personal equipment provided to Federation StarFleet personnel. It includes information on how the equip-ment functions and how it is used. Where similar equipmentis available to non-Federation races, the differences are men-tioned.

ANTIGRAVThese small, hand-held devices are used to move heavy

equipment easily from place to place by cancelling it'sweight. Objects attached to them have no effective weight,though, and can be 'hung' in mid-air, unsupported. Attachedwith magnetic clamps or sticky pads, one antigrav can cancelup to 100 kg (about 220 Ibs) of mass. Several may be usedto move heavier items. Antigravs cannot be set to producea negative gravity effect.AQUALANTERN

This small, hand-held, light source is used safely under-water. It produces enough light for work within 10 meters.

BELT LIGHTThis light source is worn as a belt around the waist,

shining a light 10 meters ahead of the wearer. These lightsare used by landing parties because they illuminate whileleaving the hands free for other operations.

COMMUNICATORThis transmitter/receiver is a small, palm-sized, black box

with a flip-open lid that serves as the antenna grid. The voicecircuit is automatically opened with a soft beeping soundwhen the lid is flipped up. Several channels are available ona Federation communicator, and one can select which othercommunicators to call. If a communicator is signaled, it beepsfor attention. Communicators are not usually used aboardship because strategically placed communications panels aremore convenient.

The maximum range of the communicator is about26,000 km (16,000 mi). It can be used on a planet's surfaceover line-of-sight distances, or to contact a ship in standardorbit, but the signal may be blocked by intervening terrain(like mountains), by atmospheric disturbance, or by densematerials (like ore deposits).

Though most frequently used for voice communication,the communicator also can trigger a homing signal, and soit serves as a homing device for the ship's transporter. It canbe attached to portable data-gathering instruments to trans-mit data to the ship's computers.

Most starfaring cultures use similar devices. The Klingonversion, which has been slightly altered by the Romulans,combines some of the functions of the Federation com-municator and the Tricorder, in that it is capable of scanningfor nearby energy sources.

EARPIECE RECEIVERUsed on the bridge and in engineering areas of larger

ships, this small earphone allows private reception of voicetransmissions without distracting outside noise. Molded tofit the ear of a specific person's ear, the receiver is wireless.Its range is limited, and it is never used out of the sight ofa communications panel. These are most often worn by com-munications officers on duty.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUITThis suit, sometimes called a 'space suit,' is used where

maximum protection is required. It maintains a self-con-tained, artificial environment, providing air, temperature, andpressure regulation for up to 24 hours. The suit is safe fordeep-space vacuum, for otherwise unlivable heat or cold, orfor poisonous atmospheres.

The environmental suit is not particularly uncomfortable,but it is a bit bulky. The helmet is transparent, affording thewearer a clear, 360° view. The suit is self-sealing; though itwould be difficult to tear, a standard spray hypo can be usedright through the sleeve. It affords no protection against mod-ern energy weapons.

Use of the suit requires training, and unskilled personsshould not attempt to perform any but the most simple tasks.Persons with minimal proficiency in Environmental Suit Op-eration can perform normal tasks. Success at unusual tasksthat require manual dexterity, t>r in such strenuous actionsas running, jumping, or fighting depends on the skill of theindividual in such operations.

Klingons, Romulans, and other starfaring cultures havesimilar suits.

FORCE FIELD BOXThis special box is used to transport antimatter samples.

Carried by two crewmen, it has an interior force field thatcontains the antimatter safely. It can be switched on and offby remote control.

ID CARDThis credit-card-sized piece of plastic contains a 3-D pic-

ture of and coded information about its bearer. It is used toactivate security locks on most Federation vessels and toprovide other data about the bearer quickly (retina patterns,blood type, medical history, security clearances, etc.). It ismade by the ship's computer and is difficult to forge.

LIFE SUPPORT BELTThis wide, thick belt provides its wearer with air, temper-

ature and heat regulation for up to 4 hours. It generates aglowing greenish-yellow force field around the wearer, andmay be used like the more bulky environmental suit in space,in hostile environments, and underwater. Its main drawback,aside from the fact that its glow makes it impossible to hide20

while wearing one, is its vulnerability. A major impact cancause the belt to malfunction and fail, and thus it is not usedin combat situations. At the time of the five-year mission ofthe USS Enterprise under Captain Kirk, the belt is somewhatexperimental and is only in use by Federation personnel onboard larger ships, such as the Enterprise.

LIFE SUPPORT MASKThis breathing apparatus is worn where more bulky or

more heavy-duty life support equipment is not needed. Itcan remedy the effects of thin or thick atmospheres, adjustatmospheric pressure, and filter out harmful airborne conta-minants. The mask does not create the atmosphere, butmerely makes an otherwise harmful atmosphere morebreathable. Thus, it will not provide oxygen where there isnone. It is powered by a tiny energy cell that need be re-charged or replaced once a month.

PSYCHOTRICORDERIn the hands of a competent technician, this complex

scanning device can scan the mind to obtain a detailed ac-count of the subject's experiences during the previous 24 to48 hours. It is about the size of a television set, and can onlybe used safely by someone with professional-level skills inPsychology and Computer Operation.

The results of a psychotricorder scan always are correct.The operator and the subject must have no distractions dur-ing the scan, and even then starting a good scan can bedifficult. Once a scan has begun, however, the subject's trueexperiences will be revealed, despite any mental effort madeby the subject to conceal them. Federation law requires thatthe subject agree to the scan.

The psychotricorder was developed at about the time ofthe five-year mission of the USS Enterprise under CaptainKirk, and it no other star-faring group was known to possessa similar device at that time.

SUBCUTANEOUS TRANSPONDERThis miniature transmitter, usually inserted just below

the skin of the arm, broadcasts a homing signal. With a rangeof 26,000 km (16,000 mi), the device is used as a transporterlock-on aid by landing parties in possibly hostile areas wherea standard communicator might be prohibited, taken away,or look out of place. It cannot be used for voice communica-tion.

This device is still in the semi-experimental stage and isonly in use aboard larger exploration and military vessels.A sharp blow to the area of insertion usually will disable it.Although a doctor must insert the device to insure safety tothe individual using it, thetranspondercan be removed safelyby anyone with a small penknife without significant harm.

TRICORDERThe tricorder is the most versatile and widely used data-

gathering and recording mechanism in the known galaxy. Itis an invaluable tool for gathering information about theimmediate environment.

There are two major types of tricorder in widespreaduse on Star Fleet vessels, the Medical Tricorder and the Sci-ences Tricorder. They behave similarly, but they are designedfor different types of scanning. They serve as simple sight-and-sound recorders, useful for making supplementary logentries, recording the observations of a landing party on thescene, or gathering evidence about a location for later view-ing aboard ship. They can be set to record automatically,and they can store up to 2 hours of continuous sight-and-sound data on each of the 8 molecular memory discs nor-mally installed in one.

Tricorders also can scan for specialized data. A quickscan in one direction only takes about 10 seconds, and a

rapid 360° scan takes 20 seconds. The range and exact per-formance depend on the type and the kind of scan beingmade. Because the tricorder is an inherently limited, portabledevice, analysis of samples taken aboard ship will give muchmore accurate and detailed information about most sub-stances than tricorder readings.

Though the tricorder is not extremely delicate, it is pos-sible to break one with rough treatment. A fall, a hit by aprojectile, or a sharp blow can make the tricorder inoperative.Persons qualified in Small Equipment Systems Technologyfrequently can make field repairs to the unit.

Sciences TricorderData pickups for the sciences tricorder are located in the

flip-open top of the unit, which also houses main controls,data lights, and the video dispUiy. The sciences tricordermakes three basic types of scans, with several sensitivitylevels available for each. It can scan for energy sources, forphysical composition, and for life forms.Energy Sources: A general scan for energy sources will re-veal if any major source of power exists within 1000 meters.A second scan will pinpoint its direction and approximatedistance. As long as the source continues output, the tricor-der will lead the user to it, even if it moves. A specializedscan may be made within 100 meters to determine the typeof energy being used (atomic power, fusion reactors, electri-cal generators, stored battery power, etc.). An even narrowerscan adjacent to machinery will pinpoint the source fromwhich the machinery draws power (power cables, wall soc-ket, internal battery, solar energy, etc.)Physical Composition: A general scan for concentrations ofa desired substance will reveal any present within 1000 me-ters. A second scan will reveal the direction and the approx-imate distance. A specialized scan may be made within 100meters of an unknown substance to determine what it isprimarily made of. An even narrower scan within 1.5 metersof an unknown substance will give its complete chemicalcomposition. Only substances on which scans exist in thecomputer banks will be analyzed, and substances that havenever been scanned before will be noted as unknowns.Life Forms: A general scan for the presence of other lifeforms will will reveal any within 500 meters. A second scanwill tell direction and approximate distance. A specializedscan made within 100 meters will reveal the number of indi-vidual life readings and their general type (humanoid, alien,mammal, reptilian, etc.). More precise data requires the useof a medical tricorder.,

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Medical TricorderData pickups for the Medical Tricorder are located in the

flip-open top of the unit, which also houses main controls,data lights, and the video display. It also has a small hand-held sensor attached by a cable, that can be used for finercontrol. The medical tricorder will give more detailed infor-mation on chemical composition and life form readings thanthe sciences tricorder, but it does not possess the sciencestricorder's range or versatility.Chemical Composition: The presence of a substance and it'sgeneral direction and distance can be determined at 100 me-ters. A narrow scan within 1.5 meters not only will determinethe chemical composition of a sample, but also will give dataon that substance's effects on various life forms. For instance,the medical tricorder can scan a plant and determine if it ispoisonous or likely to be nutritious for humans.Life Forms: Within 10 meters, a life forms scan can identifyany known life form and give considerable biological dataabout even an unknown form. A narrow scan within 1.5 me-ters reveals complete diagnostic medical data. In addition,it can detect foreign materials in the bloodstream, of aid indiagnosing cases of poisoning or drugging.

UNIVERSAL TRANSLATORThis hand-held device contains a sophisticated linguis-

tics computer capable of translating most alien languagesspoken by humanoids; it looks like a flashlight with a micro-phone grid at one end. The translator must record speechin a totally new language to get the general idea of its syntax,word meanings, and so on. The speech may be recordedlive, it may be picked up from radio or other broadcasts, orit may be analyzed from recordings made in other ways.

As many as 30% of the humanoid languages encoun-tered are similar in structure to a known language and canbe translated almost immediately. In many others, 30 mi-nutes of speech is usually sufficient, with half of all languagesbeing translated after 1 hour's recording. Unusually difficultlanguages may require more recording time, but even themost difficult tongue requires less than 4 hours. Even somenon-humanoid tongues can be translated by this device, aslong as the language is sound-based.

The ship's linguistic computer banks can translate virtu-ally any tongue in a matter of minutes, and so broadcastsof a new tongue are usually fed into the computer as theyare encountered. If such translation has taken place beforea landing party is beamed down, the language structure al-ready will be programmed into their hand-held translators.

SIDEARMS

This section contains detailed descriptions of commonsidearms used by the Federation Star Fleet and by such rivalforces as the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire andthe Gorn Alliance. It also contains information on how theweapons are used; range, damage, and combat informationis covered in the sections on Tactical Movement And Com-bat. Only those weapons commonly used by landing partiesand non-military personnel will be covered. Heavy infantryweapons are dealt with in supplements.

FEDERATION STAR FLEETPhaser I (Hand Phaser)

This small, palm-sized box has a power grid, settingwheel, charge indicator dial, warning light, and rectangulartrigger button. The Phaser I unit is usually worn inconspicu-ously on the belt beneath the back of the uniform shirt.

The most common Star Fleet hand weapon, it is carriedby landing parties when the display of obvious weaponrywould be inappropriate, such as when calling on a friendlyplanet or when on a diplomatic mission. Only security per-sonnel are normally issued phasers on board ship, carryingPhaser Is normally. Many medical personnel, even on landingparties, do not choose to carry a device that can take lives.

The hand phaser has a variety of settings for differentuses. Stun is a non-lethal setting that affects the nervoussystem of the target, causing unconsciousness. Wide-AngleStun is used where many targets must be immobilized overa wide area. Heavy Stun is more potent than Stun, but stillnon-lethal setting for use with larger and/or stronger life-forms; there is no Wide-Angle Heavy Stun. Heat excites themolecular motion within an object, causing it to heat uprapidly; this setting allows the phaser to be used as a cuttingor welding torch or to light fires, depending on thebeamspread adjustment of the phaser emitter nozzle. Disruptis used to disrupt the nervous system in a lethal fashion orto disrupt the crystalline structure of solid matter, shatteringit. Disintegrate completely breaks down the molecular cohe-siveness of a single man-size target or smaller, causing it todisintegrate; this setting draws the most power.

A phaser can also be set to overload and explode, releas-ing all stored power in one burst. Once set for overload, itemits a characteristic whining sound, which rises in pitch.Sixty seconds after activation, the phaser will explode.Phaser II (Phaser Pistol)

This sidearm consists of the Phaser I unit snapped intoa pistol-grip mount that provides an extended power pack,finer control, longer range, and more stability than the PhaserI alone. The Phaser II is carried by landing parties where

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hazardous conditions exist, and the open display of firearmsdoes not matter. It is worn in a holster framework at thewaist. Phaser II is issued to security personnel aboard shiponly during a security alert.

Phaser II also operates at all settings of the Phaser I, witha corresponding increase in range. Its overload explosionradius is also increased because of its larger power pack.Phaser Rifle

Used only in combat or emergency situations by securitypersonnel, this weapon consists of a rifle mount with ex-tended powerpack into which the Phaser I/Phaser II combina-tion is fitted. It further increases the range of all the settingslisted for Phaser I above, and further extends the overloadblast radius.

KLINGON EMPIREAgonizer

This hand-held device produces pain through directstimulation of the nervous system and is effective on allvertebrate life. The power can be adjusted from mild discom-fort to crippling agony. On high setting, all but the hardiestindividuals are helpless. It does not allow the victim to loseconsciousness, which is maintained through direct manipu-lation of the nervous system; this makes it impossible forthe victim to escape the pain by passing out. The agonizerusually is applied to the left shoulder just above where theheart is located in Humans, but near any major nerve centerwill serve.

The agonizer is carried by Klingon officers, who use itfor discipline and torture. It does not make a good combatweapon because it must be applied to the body in an effectivelocation to work properly.Mark I Hand Disrupter

The disrupter sidearm works on the principle of cellulardisruption, affecting the delicate nerve cells of a victim. Agrazing shot will produce first pain, then numbness of theextremity hit. A solid hit will continue producing damagethrough actual heating of the tissues. Prolonged fire will pro-duce heating and disruption of any solid matter.

The Mark I is a standard trade item with the Klingons.Thus, they are widely used by other cultures as well. Romulansidearms are a refinement of the same principle, differingonly in appearance from the Klingon models. Klingon-designdisruptors often show up in the hands of smugglers, pirates,and other law breakers around the fringes of the Federation.They are cheaper and easier to build than the more versatilePhaser, which accounts for their use by certain criminal ele-ments, such as Orion-based privateers.Mark II Hand Disrupter

The Mark II is an improved disruptor used by KlingonImperial Forces only. This unit has marginally better perform-ance and a special high-power setting that can actually dis-integrate a target, much like the phaser disintegrate setting.A high-power shot is ineffective at extreme range, and thesetting is very wasteful of power; thus it is not often used.

Disruptor RifleA heavy-duty version of the Mark I disruptor pistol, this

weapon is used by Klingon security forces and guards onactive duty. It has a longer range than the pistol model, butit does no more damage. This weapon is also widely used,in somewhat varying forms, among other rivals of the Fed-eration, notably the Romulans.

ROMULAN STAR EMPIREWeapons in use by the Romulan Star Empire at the time

of the five-year mission seem to be refinements and copiesof Klingon designs, notably the Mark I Disruptor Pistol andthe Disruptor Rifle. The disruptor principle is well knownthroughout the known galaxy, and Romulan adoption of itis typical of their efficient thought in martial endeavors.Romulans do not make use of any device similar to theKlingon agonizer; they do not believe in demeaning theirtroops, and they neither take prisoners nor practice torturein search of information.

GORN ALLIANCEBlaster

As with other elements of Gbrn technology, Cornsidearms are not subtle. The Corn Blaster fires a beam ofsemi-coherent energy that does damage through burningand cellular destruction. The beam is not well focused, andhence the Gorn Blaster has less range than the Klingon dis-ruptor, even though the basic hand disruptor has less rawpower. Designed for the oversized Gorn hand, the blaster isclumsy for most other races to use. Individual designs varywidely, but all have about the same effectiveness.Other Weapons

Other weapons of greater range and power have beenused by Gorn soldiers in combat situations, but the blasteris the standard sidearm. Gorn officers have also been knownto wear ceremonial swords, and even use them in singlecombat.POWER DRAIN FOR ENERGY WEAPONS

Phasers, disruptors, and other sidearms with power-packs use up some of the stored energy for each use. Theamount of power drain depends on the setting used. Thetable below shows the power drain for the various settingsof a Phaser I. Players must keep track of the drain on thepowerpack, because when a weapon's powerpack has beendrained of all power, it must be recharged before the weaponcan be fired again.

For example, Lt. Sterling fires a fully-charged Phaser I,set for stun, at a Klingon guard. The power before use was20; now it is 19. If he fires the phaser again, this time atheavy stun, he will drain off 2 more points, leaving the pow-erpack with 17 points.

PHASER 1 POWER DRAINSettingStunHeavy StunHeat

Drain121

SettingDisruptDisintegrate

Drain24

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MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

BIOCOMPUTERThis portable unit, about the size of a common portable

television set, is used to analyze samples of tissue and othersubstances and to process biological data. It can be tied intothe ship's computer through a communicator link. Onlytrained personnel may operate this equipment effectively;advanced training (Skill Rating of 20) in the skill of ComputerOperation and qualification (Skill Rating of 10) in the skill ofGeneral Medicine is required.

CARDIOSTIMULATORThis dependable defibrillator is used to restart a'stopped

heart. Only personnel trained in advanced first aid (Skill Rat-ing of at least 20 in General Medicine) may operate thisequipment effectively.

CRYOSURGICAL FRAMEThis frame is placed over all or part of a patient's body

to slow the patient's metabolism and body processesthrough use of cold. It is useful during surgery, but must beused under the supervision of a doctor.

DIAGNOSTIC TABLE AND PANELThis diagnostic bed, standard equipment in the Sick Bay

of most larger Federation vessels, continuously scans thepatient for blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration, brain activ-ity, and other essential information. It shows these on slidingscales on the face of the panel above the bed.

DRUGSAntitoxins

These drugs counteract the harmful effects of poisons.There are antitoxins for plant and animal poisons as well asagainst the poisonous toxins given off by some types of viralinfections and diseases.Coradrenaline

Somewhat effective against exposure and frostbite, thisdrug neutralizes some damage from cold-based sources andslows further damage. A dose is effective for about 3 hours.

Neural ParalyzerAfter an injection of this drug, a death-like coma is pro-

duced that cannot be distinguished from death withoutsophisticated instruments. The coma will continue until alight stimulant is administered, but if the stimulant is notadministered soon enough, death will truly result.Sedatives

These drugs produce relaxation and calming, even un-consciousness. There are three general types: light, medium,and heavy. An overdose can produce death.Sterilite

This powerful antibiotic is used to prevent infection dur-ing surgery or wound treatment. It is especially useful forfield surgery, when conditions are less than ideal or sterile.It can be used safely by almost any humanoid species.Stimulants

These drugs allow an exhausted person to function with-out rest, functioning normally for a time. They may temporar-ily revive an unconscious person. There are three types: light,medium, and heavy. Even normal doses take their toll, andoverdoses may do severe body damage. Stimulants mayproduce unusual side effects.Tri-Ox Compound

This substance is used to treat any sort of oxygen star-vation, releasing its dissolved oxygen into the bloodstreamalmost instantly. It is useful during first aid treatment of de-compression victims, and against any disease inhibitingbreathing or organism that exists in an oxygen-free environ-ment. Injections are given every three hours on planets wherethe thin atmospheres or low oxygen content would causefatigue caused by lack of sufficient oxygen.

FEINBERGER, MEDICALThis portable version of the diagnostic bed is a palm-size

unit. With a five-second scan, it gives a reading on heart rate,blood pressure, respiration, and body temperature of thepatient.

FIELD KITThis small belt pouch with a fold-over top is worn be-

neath the uniform shirt against the back. Always carried bymedical officers on duty, it contains spray dressing, a Fein-berger, a hypo and a small drug supply. The drugs include6 doses each of generic light and medium sedatives, lightand medium stimulants, Coradrenaline, Sterilite, and Tri-OxCompound.

HEARTBEAT READERA more sophisticated and specialized device than the

Feinberger, this microphone-shaped instrument gives a digi-tal readout of a patient's heart rate after a five-second scan.It also contains a transmitter that can tie into the ship's med-ical computer while aboard ship. Qualification in advancedfirst aid (Skill Rating of 20 in General Medicine) is requiredto use this device effectively.

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HYPOThis hypodermic syringe is a high-pressure pneumatic

device that injects substances through the skin painlessly,without a needle. Almost all drugs can be injected in thisway. Common drugs given in smaller doses are containedin micro-injector vials holding several doses; less commondrugs are attached in larger vials before injection. All StarFleet personnel are trained to use this device.

LASER SCALPELSThese devices are used to cut tissues during surgery.

There are six types available. Scalpels designated 000-1,00-1and 0-1 are all single-beam lasers that cut anything betweenthe scalpel tip and the end of the beam, which is adjustableto a 1-, 1.25-, and 1.5-cm focal length respectively. Scalpelsdesignated 000-2, 00-2 and 0-2 are triple-beam versions thatcut only at the focal point; they have the same focal lengthsas the single-beam laser scalpels and increasingly largerbeam diameters. They are often used for vaporizing smallgrowths.

MED POUCHThe med pouch is issued when medical help of an un-

specified nature is expected or when a landing party is ex-pected to make camp. It is a roll-up pouch with pockets,usually carried in a shoulder sling. It contains spray dressing,a Feinberger, a hypo, a drug supply, protoplasers Types 1and 2, laser scalpels, and other field surgery equipment. Thedrug supply includes six doses each of generic heavy seda-tives and stimulants, Coradrenaline, and a neural paralyzer,as well as 12 doses of light sedatives and stimulants, Tri-OxCompound, and Sterilite. Other items, such as a medicaltricorder, may be carried by a medical officer on landingparty duty if he needs them.

PROTOPLASERThe protoplaser heals wounds without stitches or su-

tures. The smaller Type 1 Tlaser is used for connecting smallblood vessels and nerves. The larger Type 2 model is usedfor closing connective tissue, muscles, and skin. All Star Fleetpersonnel may use this device on minor cuts and abrasions(less than 10 damage points); such use restores half thatdamage after a 5-minute application.

Training in advanced first aid (Skill Rating of at least 20in General Medicine) is required for treating wounds ofgreater extent, and only a doctor can use one to repair majorblood vessels, nerve tissue, and other delicate work. Therestorative effects of the device account for the rapid healingrates enjoyed by people on UFP worlds.

SPRAY DRESSINGThis plastic/synthetic 'skin' is sprayed over a wound. It

stops superficial bleeding and contains an antiseptic andanesthetic agent. When a wound heals, the dressing is ab-sorbed. All Star Fleet personnel are trained to apply spraydressings.

TRICORDER, MEDICALThe use of the medical tricorder is discussed at length

in the section on Personal Equipment.

SHIPBOARD SYSTEMSIn this section, details are provided on many of the sys-

tems and features found on Federation starships. The sys-tems aboard Constitution class starships, such as the USSEnterprise, are described in this section, but many of thesame systems are found aboard other Star Fleet vessels, andsome similar systems are found aboard vessels of other in-terstellar powers as well.

COMPUTER, SHIP'SNo interstellar vessel is flown totally by manual controls.

Only sophisticated computer technology allows the harnes-sing of the matter/antimatter mix that powers Federationwarp drives or the propulsion systems of the other star-faringraces. Computer complexes control the systems for interstel-lar navigation, weapons, life support, powerflow, and almostevery other aspect of life aboard a starship. The central com-puter is capable of translating languages instantly, of provid-ing needed historical or cultural data, of analyzing data andcoming to conclusions based on such analysis, and ofmonitoring every function of the ship.

Because the functions of these computers overlap somuch, most ship designs find it best to run these controlsthrough one central computer. Star Fleet ships larger thanshuttlecraft all have centralized computer control. TheseDuotronic computers (so-called by their inventor, Dr. RichardDaystrom) are not truly capable of independent thought, butthey are the next thing to it. In a very real sense, the centralcomputer is the "brain" of the ship - its most useful, andpotentially its most vulnerable part.

Large ships have terminals everywhere, including in thequarters of department heads and other important officers.There are study and recreational terminals in crew quarterson most ships. Of course, the most sophisticated and ver-satile terminal, including reprogramming controls, is on thebridge station of the Science Officer. The Science Officer isin charge of all computer operations on large ships.

In addition, reference and research data is stored incomputer memory banks far more compact and sophisti-cated than those in use in the 1980s. The extent of knowledgein these library computer banks varies from ship to ship, butthe Constitution Class starships have huge library banks thatcontain the entire body of factual knowledge known to the

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Federation. (Think of the Library of Congress at your finger-tips-just a question away-and you'll have the right idea!)These memory banks also contain the ship's technical, med-ical, scientific and recreational libraries, and such informationcan be displayed on any terminal on the ship.

These sophisticated computers make many of the ship'sroutine functions almost automatic. This allows a large shipto operate with just a skeleton crew, if necessary. It can alsolead to problems, if the computer is tampered with or dam-aged. Manual back-up controls are available for every systern, but they do not operate with the speed or the efficiencyof the computer-controlled methods.

The Enterprise and similar starships have central com-puters programmed to respond to voice commands. Thecomputer is capable of identifying a person from a voicepattern, and just as capable of denying information t6 thosepersons it considers unauthorized. In addition, the computercan respond with a human-like voice and speech man-nerisms.

Many computer functions can be provided to landingparties equipped with communications equipment and data-gathering devices. A tricorder can feed data by com-municator link to the ship's computer, and the Science orMedical Officer using it can have the powerful ship's com-puter at his or her fingertips.

DEFLECTOR SHIELDSElectronic force screens are the first line of defense for

most larger ships. Shields are effective against impacts frommatter, energy, and even very small quantities of antimatter.Their energy dissipates the impact force, absorbing damageand preventing it from injuring the ship.

The deflector shields are effective up to a point, and themore damage any one shield absorbs, the more likely it isto be overloaded by the stress. If a shield is overloaded,some of the impact energy is passed through and the shiptakes damage. The damage may be to the engines and powersystems, to the navigation and helm systems, to the com-puter systems, to the deflector shields systems, or to anyother part of the ship.

During normal operations, shields are energized withminimum power. At this level, they can sweep aside spacedebris, small meteorites, and other navigation hazards. Theyalso are effective against old-style radar, though not againstthe more sophisticated sensing devices of modern starships.During an emergency, however, shield power can be in-creased at a moment's notice (called 'raising the shields.'Energized to maximum power, the shields are an enormousdrain on power reserves, and such a state cannot be main-tained unless power is diverted from other major systemssuch as the helm and maneuver systems or the weaponssystems.

Because deflector shields absorb energy discharges,transporters cannot be used in or out of a ship while theyare energized.

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DISRUPTORSDisrupters are the prime ship-to-ship combat weapon of

several spacefaring cultures that are rivals of the Federation,including both the Klingon Empire and the Romulan StarEmpire. Disrupters heat and break up the molecular structureof most solid materials. They also cause massive destructionof nervous tissue in living things. Disruptor bolts are not asversatile or powerful as Federation phasers, but they are lessof a power drain, easier to maintain, and less vulnerable thandelicate phaser equipment. Disruptors can be directedagainst ground targets, but they are not terribly accurate forthat purpose.

Just as the Federation uses a side-arm version of itsprimary shipboard weapon, the Klingons and the Romulansuse side-arms called disruptors, based on a different systembut with similar effects.

FORCEFIELD, DETENTIONA detention forcefield, created in a way similar to the

deflector shields, is used in the ship's brig to provide aninvisible barrier across the open doorway of maximum sec-urity detention cells. Such a barrier is more functional thana steel door, because it will not only prevent escape but alsoabsorb the energy of a weapon attack on or by a prisoner.Furthermore, it allows the easy viewing of a prisoner withoutthe need for unreliable and vulnerable surveillance cameras.

Such forcefields provide a mild shock when a prisonerattempts to penetrate them - not enough to injure, butenough to deter escape attempts. The fields have their ownseparate power supplies, so that an interruption in ship'spower will not allow an escape. Normal side-arms will notpenetrate the field, but heavier weapons or sustained firemay cause it to overload and fail.

GRAVITY SYSTEMS, ARTIFICIALSince the development of cheap, effective devices to

control and simulate gravity, almost every starship has beenequipped with artificial gravity systems. The ship's environ-mental computers maintain a pre-set gravity, and the fieldsautomatically adjust for normal ship acceleration, thoughthey cannot react fast enough to prevent short, unexpectedjolts from impact shock passed through the hull oremergency evasive maneuvers. Usually, the artificial gravitysystems have separate power circuits for the crew's protec-tion, and a ship must sustain heavy damage to have thosecircuits fail.

Most Star Fleet ships maintain a 1G (Earth normal) field,a convenient medium level tolerable by most Federationraces. Artificial gravity can be reduced or shut off entirely inlocalized areas, such as VIP quarters for beings from low-gravity environments, or in the gymnasium for zero-G com-bat exercises, or a ship manned entirely by Vulcans mightmaintain the higher gravity of Vulcan, adjusting it downwardonly when visitors were aboard. Some smaller ships, particu-larly military vessels in front-line service, prefer to keep azero-G condition, having become used to living and workingwithout gravity.

IMPULSE ENGINESMost starships and many sub-light vessels are equipped

with an impulse engine, a type of reaction thruster. Impulseengines are a cheap, clean, reliable source of sub-light prop-ulsion. Impulse power alone can be used to drive a ship tonearly the speed of light, but only the use of warp drivemakes interstellar travel practical. Still, variations are in useby every major starfaring race in the galaxy because of theimpulse drive's dependability for interplanetary travel andmaneuvering. Power created by these engines and not usedfor propulsion is diverted for use on the ship's power grid,where it is used to power the many other shipboard systems.

LOG, SHIP'SAlmost every vessel in space keeps a ship's log - a

complete record of the ship's voyages and day-to-day oper-ations. On vessels where a log is kept (required of all vesselsin the Federation, regardless of type), the Captain and officersof a ship will record important orders and updates on theoperation of their departments; this procedure is called 'log-ging an order' or 'making a log entry.' In addition, the ship'scomputer is constantly updating the memory banks devotedto the log with data about ship's condition and routine mat-ters. The ship's computer automatically beams the log con-tents back to headquarters on a regular basis.

In times of crisis, a Captain may request that the latestentries in the ship's log be beamed back at once to his nearestheadquarters outpost; for Star Fleet ships, this is Star FleetCommand or a nearby Starbase. This is routine if the Captainfeels there is significant danger and the ship may be lost. Ifa ship is in immediate danger of destruction, important infor-mation from the log may be recorded and released in a ship'smessage torpedo. If a ship is crippled, a ship's recordermarker containing a locator beacon and recordings of themost recent log entries is launched automatically.

An officer on a landing party out of contact with the shipmay record a supplemental log entry using a tricorder. Thisrecord of his actions and impressions on the scene is trans-ferred to the official log when contact with the ship is re-es-tablished.

MATERIAL FABRICATION UNITSSince it is impossible to predict all the items a ship's

crew will require, larger ships carry computer-controlledmini-factories called material fabrication units. These devicestake raw materials from the ship's stores and convert themquickly and in quantity to the desired items. The memorybanks devoted to this system contain plans and manufactur-ing data for most common items, such as hardware, clothing,and small devices, as well as many items that are not socommon. Special types of these units are used as food syn-thesizers.

This reduces the ship's store of repair parts, clothing,basic personal items, and expendables, as these items arecreated from easy-to-store raw materials as desired. The useof material fabrication machines to produce uniforms elimi-nates the need for a ship's laundry (other than a small facilityfor personal items of clothing not recycled), as soiled uni-forms are simply reduced to component raw materials andrecycled, not washed. Furthermore, such a system allows alanding party, for instance, to be outfitted in clothing to matchnative costume. Patterns stored in the computer are con-sulted, and material fabrication machines turn out complete,tailored wardrobes, right down to belt buckles and bobbypins.

The food synthesizers manufacture foodstuffs from basicprotein, fiber, and nutrient supplies. These basic foodstuffsare reworked into textures, colors, and flavors that look andtaste like freshly prepared meats, vegetables, and fruits. Theycan produce almost any meal desired from memory bankscontaining millions of recipes and from specialty food stocksin special storage. Production of standard items takes almostno time at all, as part of the processing is done in advance.More exotic dishes take a bit longer, but never more than acouple of minutes. On board Star Fleet vessels, the synthe-sizers are programmed to produce tasty and attractive foodfor the representatives not only of the many very differentFederation races but also of many types of aliens.PHASERS

Phasers are the major shipborne weapons used by theFederation. They project a beam that can be set in a variety

of ways, depending on the end result intended. When set tDisintegrate, phasers break down the molecular cohesiveness of objects, causing them to disintegrate completelvWhen set to Disrupt, phasers disrupt the structure of solidsshattering them, or the nervous system of living things, killing them. When set to Heat, phasers excite the moleculamotion within an object, causing it to heat rapidly and burnWhen set to Stun, it overloads the nervous system of livincthings, rendering them unconscious.

Ship-mounted phasers, often mounted in pairs called'phaser banks,' are actually armed and fired from phasercontrol rooms near the phaser banks themselves, but theycan be aimed and activated from repeater controls on thebridge. Phaser operation depends on keeping the bankscooled with a special coolant gas, which is poisonous tohumanoids, so phaser room duty is somewhat hazardous.

Usually phasers are used for starship combat, but theyalso can be directed against ground targets. When so used,they can be fired accurately to within a city block or so, andeven more accuracy is possible if someone with an activecommunicator acts as a forward ground observer. When soused, they affect an area a half a city block across, and thusa starship could easily level a city in a matter of minutes withphasers alone!

The primary side-arm of the Federation is a compactphaser unit with the same capabilities. It is discussed in thesection on Sidearms.

PHOTON TORPEDOESThe photon torpedo, an elongated pod nearly one meter

long, is a formidible weapon for ship-to-ship combat. It con-tains a small bit of antimatter held in check by a powerfulmagnetic field. On impact, the magnetic field is released,and the torpedo becomes a destructive fireball. Only largerships can carry these weapons, however, because of thelevel of sophistication of the fire control equipment and thepower required to establish the magnophoton field neededto arm them safely.

Basically a Federation weapons system, though the basictechnology is known to both Klingon and Romulan science,Klingon and Romulan vessels do not use photon torpedoesat the time of the Enterprise's 5-year mission. It is only astep away for them, however, as the technology is similarto that used by the Romulan plasma weapon.

SENSORSShip's sensors are a battery of detection, sampling, and

analysis devices used by starships to examine their environ-ment. Navigation sensors fix the exact position of a ship,and they tie into the deflector shields to protect the ship fromspace debris. Energy sensors can determine the amount andtype of energy being output by an object or location; thisfunction can be fine-tuned to give very accurate readings onthe defensive screening of a ship or the radiation level of adangerous area. Material analysis sensors give the dimen-sions, physical composition, and material properties of anobject; at close range, they can give an object's exact chem-ical composition. Life sensors measyre the abundance, type,

27

and condition of living things; when fine-tuned at closerange, they can tell one species and even one race fromanother.

Reliable sensor data can be obtained by most sensorsto distances of 160,000 km (100,000 mi), with sketchy, less-re-liable data available to about twice that distance. Sensorscans are blocked by large amounts of rock or water, ex-tremely thick atmospheres, electromagnetic interference,and certain dense or reflective materials.

Material sensors are used by the transporters so thatlanding parties are not beamed into obstacles. Life sensorscan scan closely enough to guide the transporter for quickbeam-up, but only if the particular life patterns are known,or the living beings to be beamed are not among a largenumber of other, similar beings.

SHUTTLECRAFTShuttlecraft are used by Star Fleet for courier vessels

and to transport personnel when transporter operation isimpossible or impractical. Not intended for faster-than-lighttravel, they are powered by an advanced ion propulsion drivesimilar to the impulse engines of larger spacecraft. Takeoffand landing are vertical, the shuttlecraft standing on threesturdy landing pads.

Most larger starships carry several shuttlecraft in shuttlebays; Constitution class ships like the Enterprise are assignedsix shuttlecraft, but may carry more if their captains so

choose. Every starbase and most smaller Star Fleet outpostsberth shuttlecraft as well, and a number of them operatedby Star Fleet have no set berth, acting as 'floaters' that canbe used and left at the destination Star Fleet facility. Somehave even been sold for civilian use.

The shuttlecraft come in two standard designs, well en-gineered for years of service. Parts and service are availableat nearly every Federation outpost of any appreciable size,and on any starship carrying them. Some have been in usefor over 20 years, with newer models having only a fewcosmetic and electronic design changes and additions.

Model S-3, the standard model, travels at a maximumof .89 light-speed and is operated by one pilot. It carries 7passengers comfortably, but, in emergencies, it may carryup to 12 on a short hop, though its life support system willnot tolerate such a load for very long.

The larger Model S-5 travels at .76 light-speed and alsois operated by one pilot. It carries 14 passengers. Not in

general use, it usually is assigned only to large stations orstarbases, though some have been issued to Constitutionclass vessels.

An experimental design is the S-4 aquashuttle. De-veloped for landings on water-covered worlds, it bears littleexternal resemblance to the standard shuttlecraft, though itsinternal systems are similar if not identical. It is capable ofinterstellar flight at .82 light-speed, and of submerged travelat 100 kph to a depth of 1200 meters. It can carry 6 passengerscomfortably in its specially padded and belted seats, and itholds sensing devices for doing underwater detection andresearch. Aquashuttles are being tested by several Constitu-tion class exploration vessels for possible addition to stan-dard Star Fleet equipment.

Standard Star Fleet shuttlecraft neither are armed nordo they have deflector shields larger than those needed forprotection against small meteors and other space debris.Aquashuttles carry a single forward-firing phaser cannon,designed for use on dangerous undersea life; this cannon isabout twice as powerful as standard phaser rifle. Despiterumors to the contrary, shuttlecraft are not used in starshipcombat, at least not by the Federation. Their power plantsare too small to even be effective as guided bombs.

SUBSPACE RADIOLike all electromagnetic radiation, normal radio signals

travel at the speed of light. Thus a message sent from astarship in that manner might arrive months, years, or evencenturies after the ship itself had made port! This makescommon radio or TV useless for interstellar communication.Subspace radio is the standard means of faster-than-lightcommunication used by all starfaring races. It avoids thespeed-of-light problem because its signal uses a space warp-ing effect that causes it to travel much faster.

Though it is much faster than normal radio, travellingabout 225 times the speed of light (about Warp 15) withcurrent Federation equipment, it is not instantaneous. Galac-tic distances are so great that even by subspace radio, amessage may take days or weeks to reach its destinationfrom a remote part of the galaxy. Thus, starship captainsmust often act on their own authority, knowing that neworders from Star Fleet may take too long to arrive, or beoutdated by changes in the situation by the time they arereceived.

TRACTOR/PRESSOR BEAMSThe tractor/pressor beam is an electromagnetic beam

that allowing an item of smaller mass to be drawn toward,anchored to, or pushed away from the object controlling thebeam. Many larger ships are equipped with these devices,which can be used carefully in pairs to manipulate objectsat a distance. Maximum range for tractor/pressor beams isabout 160,000 km (100,000 mi).

Tractor beams can put quite a bit of strain on an object,especially if the object is trying to break away. A delicatestructure such as a small vessel could suffer damage as aresult of resisting their use.

28

TRANSPORTERSThe transporter is a matter/energy scrambler, capable

of recording the molecular and sub-molecular pattern of anobject, disintegrating that object, and beaming it acrossspace to be reformed at another location as far away as26,000 km (16,000 mi). Both living and non-living materialmay be moved great distances at the speed of light in thismanner. The transporter can also lock on distant items andbeam them back to the transmitter station. No receiving sta-tion is necessary for use of the transporter if reliable datacan be obtained about the destination via sensor readings,or if a communicator can be used to provide a target signal.Transporters are blocked by large amounts of rock or water,extremely thick atmospheres, electromagnetic interference,and certain dense or reflective materials. In addition, trans-porters cannot beam through deflector shields because theshields absorb energy discharges.

Transporting under normal conditions is no problem ifthe controls are operated by a qualified individual. Underideal conditions, the transporter panel can even be set tooperate automatically after a delay, allowing someone tobeam himself with no operator at the panel.

Transporters normally are used in beaming down to aplanet's surface, but they also can be used for beaming be-tween ships. Beaming within the same ship is possible, butvery dangerous because fine control is necessary and inter-nal interference on shipboard could cause the transporteesto materialize inside a solid object, with fatal and possiblyexplosive results.

Objects in transit (already dematerialized but not re-materialized) can be suspended as energy patterns for a time,but such suspension is dangerous as patterns can drift andbe lost if care is not taken to maintain the transporter lock.

Federation transporters are of three types. Personneltransporter disks can accommodate up to six objects of ap-proximately man-size or smaller at one time. Cargo transpor-ters, which have 96 diamond-shaped transporter segmentsinstead of disks, are used to transport bulky, non-living itemsand so do not have the fine tuning capabilities of personneltransporters. Emergency transporters, with 22 transmitterdisks, are large personnel transporters that are so wastefulof power they are used only for emergency evacuation ef-forts.

Transporter usage does not occur instantaneously. Ittakes time to set up a transporter procedure on the consolebefore the transporter can be energized. After the slide hasbeen moved and the energizing has begun, it takes severalseconds for dematerialization to be completed. During thistime, the objects or persons being beamed cannot move orcommunicate. They are invulnerable to most normal harmduring this time, though they can be seen while dematerializ-ing. Transportation takes place at the speed of light, but^materialization takes several seconds, during which theobjects or persons being transported may be seen.

TURBOLIFTSThese high-speed, 10-man, turboelevator cars are

moved about magnetically through tubes running throughmost larger ships, space stations, or planetside buildings.They are computer-controlled and voice-activated; the usersimply enters and tells the turbolift where he wishes to go,though manual controls are provided as a back-up. Travelbetween stations takes at least 10 seconds.

Lift tubes are usually just large enough to pass one car,but there are side tracks in some heavily-used tubes. Thecomputer signals unoccupied cars to move away from anoccupied car's path. Normally, there is one turbolift car ateach lift station, with several assigned on standby at high-traffic location such as the bridge or engineering. There isnever a wait for a turbolift unless the system is manuallyshut down, or a car is manually stopped at a station, thuspreventing another car from getting to that station.

On most large ships using a number of lifts, a centralcontrol and repair station monitors all cars. From this station,a single car can be redirected or given special clearance, orthe whole system can be shut down. On some ships, 'floating'lift cars 'follow' important officers, automatically positioningthemselves at the lift station nearest that officer.

Most known starfaring races, including Klingons, Romu-lans, and Corn, use a form of the turbolift in large ships.

WARP ENGINESExploration of the galaxy began in earnest with the de-

velopment of the warp drive by the Alpha Centaurian scientistZefrem Cochrane. Warp engines produce power through thecontrolled annihilation of a delicately balanced mixture ofmatter with antimatter. This power is used to propel a starvessel at faster than light speeds, and the excess is divertedto the ship's power grid for distribution to most of the ship'sother systems.

The matter/antimatter mix must be carefully controlledand contained. Most ships equipped with warp enginesmount the matter/antimatter mixing chambers and most ofthe warp drive components in nacelles on outriggers or othersupports away from the main body of the ship. This is asafety measure, for if the matter/antimatter mix gets out ofhand, the nacelles can be jettisoned to explode away fromthe ship.

Klingon, Romulan, Corn and other starfaring fleets usevariations of the same warp drive system known to the Fed-eration.

29

ENTERPRISE PERSONNEL FILE

The crew of the USS Enterprise are the most capable inStar Fleet. Skill Ratings and Attribute Scores for STAR TREK'sfamiliar characters have been created based on observationsof the TV series, traditional fan thoughts and additions, andrandom speculation. They are above average, for the mostpart, and most player characters are not likely to have theirdepth and breadth. These characters are provided here sothat players can have models for their own characters Theycould even be used by players, particularly by those notalready experienced with role-playing games, or they maybe recurring NPCs at the gamemaster's option

Name: KIRK, James TiberiusRank: Captain

Serial No.: SC937-0176CECCurrent Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,

USS Enterprise. NCC - 1701Position: Captain

Race: HumanAge: 34Sax: MaleBirthplaca: Terra/United States of America

STR —68 CHA —94END —77 LUC —98INT —84 psi —29DEX —79 DEX —79

To-Hit; Modern: 79 Bare-Hand Damage- 1D10 + 8HTH:80 AP:11

Commendations: Palm Leaf of Axanar Peace Mission- Gran-kite Order of Tactics, Class of Excellence; Prantares Ribbonof Commendation, First and Second Class.

Skills

Administration 50Carousing 62Communication Systems Operation 38Communication Systems Technology 1 1ComputerOperation 50ComputerTechnology 10Damage Control Procedures 10Deflector Shield Operation 20Electronics Technology 10Environmental Suit Operation 51Gaming 32Instruction 55Language, Orion 21Leadership 92Marksmanship, Archaic Firearms 36Marksmanship, Modern Weapon 79Medical Sciences

General Medicine, Human 10

Psychology, Human 49Negotiation/Diplomacy 97Personal Combat, Unarmed 81Personal Weapons Technology 21Physical Sciences

Mathematics 28Physics 15

Planetary Survival, Cool Temperate 66Security Procedures 52Shuttlecraft Pilot 49Shuttlecraft Systems Technology 11Small Equipment Systems Operation 10Small Equipment Systems Technology 10Small Unit Tactics 54Social Sciences

Federation History 64Federation Law 86

Space SciencesAstrogationAstronauticsAstronomyAstrophysics

Starship Combat Strategy-TacticsStarship Helm OperationStarship SensorsStarship Weaponry OperationStarship Weaponry TechnologyStreetwiseTransporter Operation ProceduresTrivia

Life of Abe LincolnAmerican History

Warp Drive TechnologyZero-G Operations

Awards Of Valor: Medal of Honor; Silver Palm with Cluster; Notes: Once contracted Vegan choriomeningitis,Star Fleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry; Karagite Order carries microorganisms in his bloodstream,of Heroism

79225348966241322979

; 66

91773310

and still

Name: SPOCKRink: Commander

Serial No. : Si 79- 276SP

Current Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,USS Enterprise, NCC -

Position: First Officer, Chief Science OfficerRace: mixed Vulcan/HumanAge: 40 +Sex: MaleBirthplace: Vulcan/ShiKahr

STR —93 CHA —62END —82 LUC —41INT —102 PSI —97DEX —73

1701

To-Hit; Modern: 53 Bare-Hand Damage- 2D10 + 6HTH:65 AP11

Commendations: Vulcan Scientific Legion of Honor-decorated by Star Fleet CommandAwards Of Valor: Star Fleet Award of ValorNotes: Rare blood type - T-negative

twice

Skills

AdministrationArtistic Expression, Vulcan LyreCommunication Systems OperationCommunication Systems TechnologyComputer OperationComputer TechnologyDamage Control ProceduresDeflector Shield OperationElectronics TechnologyEnvironmental Suit OperationGamingInstructionLanguage

EnglishVulcan

LeadershipLife Sciences

BionicsBotanyEcologyExobiologyZoology

568614449158101126308734

486052

1335454041

Life Support System TechnologyMarksmanship, Modern WeaponMechanical EngineeringMedical Sciences

General Medicine, VulcanHuman

Psychology, HumanNegotiation/DiplomacyPersonal Combat, UnarmedPersonal Weapons TechnologyPhysical Sciences

ChemistryComputer ScienceMathematicsPhysics

Planetary SciencesGeologyHydrologyMeteorology

Planetary Survival, DesertSecurity ProceduresShuttlecraft PilotShuttlecraft Systems TechnologySmall Equipment Systems OperationSmall Equipment Systems Technology

183321

151514105720

31928077

442010511247232031

Social SciencesArchaeology, TerranFederation HistoryFederation LawPolitical ScienceRacial Culture/History, Human


Starship Combat Strategy/TacticsStarship Helm OperationStarship SensorsStarship Weaponry OperationStarship Weaponry TechnologyStreetwiseTransporter Operation ProceduresTransporter Systems TechnologyTrivia

Terran ArtistsTerran PoetryTerran Religious Literature

Warp Drive TechnologyZero-G Operations

5656653562

464668655535921439047142

3742273938

30

Name: McCOY, Leonard, M.D.Rank: Lt. Commander

Serial No.: SM831-3840Current Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,

USS Enterprise, NCC - 1701Position: Chief Medical Officer

Race: HumanAge: 45Sex: MaleBirthplace: Terra/United States Of America

SIR —56 CHA —81END —54 LUC —66INT — 83 PSI —52DEX —79

To-Hit; Modern: 50 Bare-Hand Damage: 1D10 + 2HTH:52 AP11

Skills

AdministrationCarousingComputer OperationDamage Control ProceduresElectronics TechnologyEnvironmental Suit OperationInstructionLanguage, LatinLeadershipLife Sciences

BionicsBotanyEcologyExobiologyGeneticsZoology

Commendations: Legion Of HonorAwards Of Valor: Decorated by StarFleet Award Of Valor

43 Life Support Systems Technology44 Marksmanship, Modern Weapon42 Medical Sciences10 General Medicine, Human13 Vulcan24 Pathology49 Psychology, Human47 Vulcan47 Andorian

Surgery36 Negotiation/Diplomacy53 Personal Combat, Unarmed52 Physical Sciences17 Chemistry38 Mathematics38 Physics

Notes: Divorced wiFleet Surgeons; Star

3320

964267563220906625

461020h one

Planetary Sciences, MeteorologyPlanetary Survival, Cool TemperateSmall Equipment Systems OperationSocial Sciences

Federation HistoryFederation Law

Space SciencesAstrogationAstronomyAstrophysics

Starship SensorsStreetwiseTransporter Operation ProceduresZero-G Operations

child, Joanna, 20

102623

3844

10101031521010

Name: SCOTT, MontgomeryRank: Lt. Commander

Serial No.: SE1 97 -51 4Current Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,

USS Enterprise, NCC - 1701Position: Chief Engineer

Race: HumanAge: 45Sex: MaleBirthplace: Terra/Scotland

SIR —61END —57INT —91

CHA —62LUC —71PSI _2?

DEX —66

To-Hit Modern:62 Bare-Hand Damage: 1D10 + 10HTH:70 AP— 10

SkillsAdministrationArtistic Expression, BagpipesCarousingCommunication Systems OperationCommunication Systems TechnologyComputer OperationComputer TechnologyDamage Control ProceduresDeflector Shield OperationDeflector Shield TechnologyElectronics TechnologyEnvironmental Suit OperationInstructionLanguage, GaelicLeadershipLife Sciences, BiologyLife Support Systems Technology

4254722039494710344178344348521062

Marksmanship, Modern WeaponMechanical EngineeringMedical Sciences, Gen. Med., HumanNegotiation/DiplomacyPersonal Combat, ClaymorePersonal Combat, UnarmedPersonal Weaponry TechnologyPhysical Sciences

MathematicsPhysics

Planetary Survival, Cool TemperateShuttlecraft PilotShuttlecraft Systems TechnologySmall Equipment Systems OperationSmall Equipment Systems TechnologySocial Sciences


58771033167434

68621029693545

3236

Space SciencesAstronomyAstrophysicsAstronautics

Starship Combat Strategy/TacticsStarship Helm OperationStarship SensorsStarship Weaponry OperationStarship Weaponry TechnologyStreetwiseTransporter Operation ProceduresTransporter Systems TechnologyTrivia, Alcoholic BeveragesWarp Drive TechnologyZero-G Operations

3032993128331037488194899735

Name: SULU, Hikaru W.Rank: Lieutenant

Serial No.: SH7730-4967Current Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,

USS Enterprise, NCC-1701Position: Chief Helmsman

Race: HumanAge: 31Sex: MaleBirthplace: Terra

STR —65 CHA —79END —63 LUC —81INT —82 PSI —21DEX -88

To-Hit; Modern: 75 Bare-Hand Damage: 1D10 + 9HTH:68 AP: 12

Sword: 71

Skills

AdministrationCarousingCommunication Systems OperationComputer OperationComputer TechnologyDamage Control ProceduresDeflector Shield OperationDeflector Shield TechnologyElectronics TechnologyEnvironmental Suit OperationInstructionLanguage, TellariteLeadershipLife Sciences, BotanyMarksmanship, Archaic Pistols

404131442910322845103115487754

Marksmanship, Modern WeaponMedical Sciences, Gen, Med., HumanPersonal Combat, SwordPersonal Combat, UnarmedPersonal Weapons TechnologyShuttlecraft PilotSmall Equipment Systems OperationSocial Sciences



62105448

55710

3032

78236562

Starship Combat Strategy/TacticsStarship Helm OperationStarship SensorsStarship Weaponry OperationStarship Weaponry TechnologyStreetwiseTransporter Operation ProceduresTrivia, Ancient FirearmsWarp Drive TechnologyZero-G Operations

68895943425135891010

Name: UHURARank: Lieutenant

Serial No.: SK2561-1122Current Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,

USS Enterprise, NCC - 1701Position: Chief Communications Officer

Race: HumanAge: 29Sex: FemaleBirthplace: Terra/United States of Africa

SIR —54 CHA —86END — 62 LUC — 71INT —87 PSI —41DEX —89


SkillsAdministrationArtistic Expression, Harp

Vulcan HarpVocal Music

CarousingCommunication Systems OperationCommunication Systems TechnologyComputer OperationComputer TechnologyDamage Control ProceduresElectronics TechnologyEnvironmental Suit OperationGamingInstructionLanguage

SwahiliFrenchKlingonaase

4262319436919261337538133938

494840

OrionRomulan

LeadershipLife Sciences, ExobiologyMarksmanship, Modern WeaponMechanical EngineeringMedical Sciences

General Medicine, HumanPsychology, Human

Negotiation/DiplomacyPersonal Combat, UnarmedPhysical Sciences

MathematicsPhysics

Planetary Sciences, MeteorologyPlanetary Survival, TropicalSecurity ProceduresSmall Equipment Systems Operation

252352142519

10225727

213410371128

Small Equipment Systems TechnologySocial Sciences

Federation HistoryFederation LawRacial Culture/History, Andorian

VulcanAncient African

Space SciencesAstrogatksnAstronauticsAstronomyAstrophysics

Starship Combat Strategy/TacticsStarship Helm OperationStarship SensorsStarship Weaponry OperationStreetwiseTransporter Operation ProceduresWarp Drive TechnologyZero-G Operations

26

3944102086

481534313631511239432710

Name: CHEKOV, Pavel AndreievichRank: Ensign

Serial No.: SN2304-0121Current Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,

USS Enterprise, NCC - 1701Position: Navigator

Race: HumanAge: 22Sex: MaleBirthplace: Terra/Russia

SIR — 64 CHA — 81END —59 LUC —60INT —81 PSI —11DEX —68

To-Hit; Modern: 55 Bare-Hand Damage: 1D10-I- 5HTH:54 AP: 10

SkillsAdministrationCarousingCommunication Systems OperationComputer OperationComputer TechnologyDamage Control ProceduresDeflector Shield OperationDeflector Shield TechnologyElectronics TechnologyEnvironmental Suit OperationGamingInstructionLanguage

VulcanRussian

303023432010422522251620

1546

LeadershipLife Sciences, EcologyMarksmanship, Modern WeaponMedical Sciences, Gen. Med., HumanNegotiation/DiplomacyPersonal Combat, UnarmedPhysical Sciences

MathematicsPhysics

Plan'etary Sciences, GeologyPlanetary Survival, Warm TemperateSecurity ProceduresShuttlecraft PilotSmall Unit TacticsSocial Sciences

Federation History

521942102140

40211221151819

41

Federation LawPolitical Science


Starship Combat Strategy/TacticsStarship Helm OperationStarship SensorsStarship Weaponry OperationStarship Weaponry TechnologyStreetwiseTransporter Operation ProceduresWarp Drive TechnologyZero-G Operations

3912

77247876483234383611173921

Name: CHAPEL, ChristineRink: Ensign

Serial No.: SM3561 -9943Currant Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command, USSEnterprise, NCC-1701

Position: Head NurseRace: HumanAge: 31Sex: FemaleBirthplace: Terra

STR — 59 CHA —73END —53 LUC —31INT —68 PSI —39DEX —71

To-Hit; Modern: 46 Bare-Hand Damage: 1D10 + 4HTH:48 AP:11

SkillsAdministration 53Carousing 29Communication Systems Operation 20Computer OperationDamage Control ProceduresElectronic TechnologyEnvironmental Suit OperationInstructionLanguage, VulcanLeadershipLife Sciences

BionicsBotanyEcologyExobiologyGeneticsZoology

40101116541544

228466232169

Life Support Systems TechnologyMarksmanship, Modern WeaponMedical Sciences

General Medicine, HumanVulcan

Psychology, HumanVulcan

Negotiation/DiplomacyPersonal Combat, UnarmedPersonal Weapons TechnologyPhysical Sciences

ChemistryMathematicsPhysics

Notes: 0ferred to

3421

3122241151255

322016

Planetary Sciences, GeologyPlanetary Survival, Cool TemperateSmall Equipment Systems OperationSocial Sciences



Starship SensorsStreetwiseTransporter Operation ProceduresTrivia, Vulcan CookingZero-G Operations

ally research biologist - sciences section. Trans-

101910

3331

1010103113102910

medical after death of fiance. Dr. Roger Korby.

Name: RAND, JaniceRank: Ensign

Serial No. : SV81 00 -222Current Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,

USS Enterprise, NCC-1701Position: Yeoman

Race: HumanAge: 26S«x: FemaleBirthplace: Terra

STR —52 CHA — 71END —56 LUC — 20INT _69 PSI — 45DEX — 68


Skills

AdministrationCarousingCommunication Systems OperationCommunication Systems TechnologyComputer OperationDamage Control ProceduresElectronics TechnologyEnvironmental SuitOperationGamingInstructionLanguage, FrenchLeadership

692928103110321638491028

Life SciencesEcologyExobiology

Marksmanship, Modern WeaponMechanical EngineeringMedical Sciences

General Medicine, HumanPsychology, Human

Negotiation/DiplomacyPersonal Combat, UnarmedPersonal Weapon TechnologyPhysical Sciences

MathematicsPhysics

16203821

10193220

5

3029

Planetary Survival, ArcticSecurity ProceduresSocial Sciences



Starship Helm OperationStarship SensorsStreetwiseTransporter Operation ProceduresTransporter Systems TechnologyZero-G Operations

3111

5241

303235222514794110

OTHER ENTERPRISE CREWMEN

INDIVIDUAL DATA RECORDS

Name: KORRank/Title: CaptainCurrent Assignment: D-7 Battlecruiser,

KlothosPosition: Commanding Officer

Race: KlingonSex: Male

STR 83 CHA 31END 77 LUC 21INT 62 PSI 16DEX 74

Significant Skills

Leadership 81Marksmanship, Modern Weapon 62Negotiation/Diplomacy 27Personal Combat, Unarmed 75Security Procedures,

including interrogation 83Starship Combat StrategyATactics 49

Name: MUDD, Harcourt Fenton (Harry)Race: HumanSex: Male


Significant SkillsCarousing ygNegotiation/Diplomacy 83Small Vessel Pilot 72

(License suspended)Social Sciences

Economics 92Federation Law 81

Streetwiseincluding forgery, bribery 64

Notes: Con man and rogue. Alias: WALSH, Leo Francis,among others.

Name: KOLOTHRank/Title: CaptainCurrent Assignment: D-7 Class Battlecruiser,

DevisorPosition: Commanding Officer

Race: KlingonSex: Male


Significant Skills

Leadership 79Marksmanship, Modern Weapon 57Negotiation/Diplomacy 42Personal Combat, Unarmed 41Security Procedures,

including interrogation 69

Name: SAREKRace: VulcanSex: Male

STR —90 CHA — 81END — 79 LUC — 50INT — 105 PSI — 89DEX —69

Significant SkillsComputerTechnology 81Negotiation/Diplomacy 98Space Sciences

Astronomy 94Astrophysics 96

Notes: Former Vulcan ambassador to Federation Council;Chief Vulcan negotiator at Babel Conference; Married toAmanda Grayson of Terra; one child, Spock, serving withStar Fleet.

Name: JONES, CyranoRace: HumanSex: Male


Significant SkillsCarousing 87Negotiation/Diplomacy 77Small Vessel Pilot 61Social Sciences

Economics 89Federation Law 32

Name: SINGH, Kahn NoonianRace: Human (genetically improved)Sex: Male


Significant SkillsAdministration 71Leadership 98Medical Sciences

Psychology, Human 84Negotiation/Diplomacy 67Personal Combat, Unarmed 69Planetary Survival, Desert 89

33

Name: DESALLE, VincentRank: LieutenantCurrent Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,

USS Enterprise, NCC-1701Position: Asst. Chief Engineering (transferred from Navi-

gation)Race: HumanSex: Male

STR —71 GHA —61END — 60 LUC — 38INT — 76 PSI — 13DEX — 59

To-Hit; Modern: 42 Bare-Hand Damage: 1 D10 + 4HTH:44 AP:9

Significant SkillsLeadership 77Marksmanship, Modern Weapon 25Personal Combat, Unarmed 28Space Sciences

Astrogation 61Astronautics 80

Name: M'BENGA, M.D.Rank: LieutenantCurrent Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,

USS Enterprise, NCC-1701Position: Medical Officer

Race: HumanSex: MaleBirthplace: Terra/United States of America

STR —62 CHA —77END — 70 LUC — 4INT — 84 PSI — 61DEX — 62


Significant SkillsMarksmanship, Modern Weapon 20Medical Sciences

General Medicine, Human 64Vulcan 53

Personal Combat, Unarmed 30

Name: KYLE, WinstonRank: LieutenantCurrent Assignment: Galaxy Exploration Command,

USS Enterprise, NCC - 1 701Position: Transporter Chief (transferred from Helm)

Race: HumanSex: Male

STR —62 CHA — 76END —55 LUC — 28INT —71 PSI — 22DEX —81


Significant SkillsMarksmanship, Modern Weapon 33Personal Combat, Unarmed 26Starship Helm Operation 72Starship Sensors 51Transporter Operation Procedures 84Transporter Systems Technology 39

THE STORY OF LEE STERLINGLT. COMMANDER, STAR FLEET

By Guy W. Me Li mo re, Jr.

This story is presented to help new players create charac-ters for STAR TREK: The Role Playing Game. Each sectionof the story deals with a different section of the rules. Asyou read the story and follow the examples, you can seehow to create a character of your own. At various places inthe story, you will be directed to pages in the rule bookappropriate to the development of the character. After youhave read a section of the rules and created part of your owncharacter, the rule book will refer you back to this story. Justpick up where you left off, and read on until you are told torefer to the rules again. When the story is over, you will haveread all of the character creation rules. More importantly,you will have a character of your own, and you can fullyenjoy the facinating universe of STAR TREK.

"Is that it?" The voice of the girl was full of impatience."Can you see it yet?"

"Shhh!" hissed the tall, lanky boy hunched over the back-yard telescope. "These settings are delicate. Like Dad says,an astronomer can't rush the stars."

He fiddled with a dial. The computer-augmented instru-ment hummed briefly, then brought the bright blur into sharpfocus. The boy gasped softly at the rectangle of regularlyspaced lights, an artificial construct in Earth-orbit. The com-puter-assisted 'scope his father had given him was not cap-able of further resolution, but his imagination filled in whatwas too far away to actually see — a great starship in orbitingdrydock!

"It's beautiful," Lee Sterling told his friend as he vacatedthe eyepiece so she could look. "You can't quite make outthe ship, but the drydock lights show up clear as anything!"

The pretty redhead, as petite as her friend was tall, hadto stand on tiptoe to look through the eyepiece. She gazedthrough the eyepiece and whistled softly under her breath."Sure is pretty, Lee. Which ship is that?"

"It should be the Constitution, according to the news-fax," he replied. Like many 13-year-old boys with an interestin space, Lee kept close track of the comings and goings ofthe big ships of Star Fleet. "Dad got a chance to look aroundher once. He met her Science Officer at a Luna City as-tronomer's conference when she was in for maintenanceand got invited aboard. Mom went, too, but I was too little."

The young girl politely gave up the eyepiece so Lee couldlook again. Were those flickers of light he saw the steeringmotors of work bees, or were they just his imagination?

"Next month I'll have enough saved up for a repeaterscreen for this thing," Lee explained, adjusting the eyepiece."Then we can both look."

When Lee next looked up, his friend was sitting on theground, gazing intently upward — not at the dim light of thedrydock, barely visible to the naked eye — but at the fullmoon. "Lee," she asked for the thousandth time, "what wasit like on the moon?"

"In the moon," he reminded her, folding his long legsunder him and sitting down next to the fixed scope mount."No one lives on the surface," he said as he looked up atthe bright lunar orb. "I don't remember anything about it,really. I was only two when Dad was reassigned to Earth.

Mom says I cried because I had trouble adjusting to thegravity change after being born in Luna City. Now Dad's outat Faraway Observation Station, out beyond Pluto."

"... And I'm still here," he added to himself."I want to go, someday. To Luna City, then out to the

stars. Casey O'Connor, space explorer..."Lee's companion had a dreamy, faraway look in her eyes.

The dream they shared, more than anything else, cementedtheir friendship.

"We'll go, Casey," Lee assured her. "Dad couldn't qualifywhen he was my age, but he says I'll make it if I keep at mystudies." Lee smiled, and gave Casey a playful nudge withhis elbow. "You'll make it, too!"

The conversation was interrupted suddenly by the per-sistent buzz of Lee's pocket phone. He dug it out and flippedopen the grid. "Hello," he answered, "Lee Sterling here."

The speaker grid crackled a bit on the old-model, voice-only instrument, but the reply was clear enough. "Lee, thisis Uncle Dave. Can... can you come back to the house rightaway, please. It's important."

Lee could hear the hesitation in his uncle's voice andrealized something was very wrong. He hadn't even knownUncle Dave was in town. "On my way," he replied, snappingthe grid closed as he got up quickly. Casey followed Lee backup the path over the hill to the house.

NEWSFAX — Dateline Luna City: Today, officials of theUFP Academy of Sciences, Luna City Division, confirmed thedestruction of Faraway Astronomical Observation Station ina freak collision with an uncharted planetary fragment. Thefragment, which went undetected because of a minor failurein the station's sensors, impacted the station and destroyedit early Thursday evening in the middle of the station's dailysubspace-radio report. Star Fleet Merchant Marine Com-mand rescue teams report that all hands were lost. The sta-tion was commanded by astronomer Dr. William B. Sterling."

"Quite a party, Lee!" said the sturdy teenager as heapproached smiling. "My compliments to the committee,even if the only reason you were on it was because you werethe only one who could reach the ceiling without a ladder."

Lee smiled back and bowed gracefully. At a height of206 cm (6'9"), Lee knew his friend's jest was only just barelyuntrue. "On behalf of the committee, thanks for the compli-ment, D.W." He looked around at the gaily-decorated gym-nasium, done up in gold, blue and red bunting. Above theirheads sailed a large starship model, and the walls glowedwith a thousand points of light, like a galaxy of stars.

A dark-haired girl approached, and wrapped one armaround D.W. "Well," she said to Lee with an amused smile,"it's easy to see who chose the theme for the year-end party!How's our resident starman?"

"Nervous, and it isn't just graduation." Lee admitted. "Ihaven't heard about my application to Star Fleet Academyyet," he said as he sighed and shook his head. "Maybe myphysical scores were too low to make it after all. Coach Ches-terton said I might have trouble with the strength and endur-ance minimums. You wouldn't believe all the testing theydid."

"Relax, Lee," the dark-haired girl said confidently."You're tall and wiry instead of big like D.W., but that's nohandicap in Star Fleet. They're looking for minds as well asbodies. Casey says you're a sure thing. They had to be impre-ssed with your scores in astronomy and planetary ecology.Mr. Carlos sent a report about your extra-curricular work inelectronics, and I know you got some great recommenda-tions from the faculty. I ran the dictation tapes through thevoice-typer myself!"

She touched her friend's arm gently. "Your Dad wouldbe very proud of you, Lee."

"You see why I keep Jacqueline around?" mocked D.W."Sometimes it helps to have a girlfriend who works part-timein the school office. By the time the two of us graduate nextyear, we'll own the place."

"Dr. Kavendish says he only keeps me around becauseI'm the only one who can program the file computer," com-plained Jacqueline good-naturedly. "Why can't anyone ap-preciate me for my beauty instead of my mind?"

"Speaking of beauty and brains," D.W. commented,"where are you hiding Casey? If you're taking off for theAcademy, I'd think you two would want to spend as muchtime together as you could. She's stuck with the rest of usfor one more year."

Lee shrugged. "Darned if I know where she is," he said,puzzled. "She helped finish decorating and then took offsuddenly. She said something about not worrying if she was

" a bit late getting back. I haven't seen her since.""She'll turn up," said Jacqueline. "Meanwhile, you can

dance with me while D.W. spikes the punch again.""Thanks a lot! Be careful, Lee, " D.W. called after them

"with mock seriousness. "She always tries to lead!"Seeing that Lee was safely distracted, petite Casey

O'Connor entered from the darkened hallway and went overto D.W. "All set," she confirmed. "But this was still a dirty

1 trick to hide the notice until now!""He'll love it," D.W. reassured her. "Watch this!"On a raised platform at the front of the gymnasium, class

president Aaron Kling stopped the music and called for theattention of the assembled students. "Can you all hold it fora second," he called. "We have an important announcement.We have a graduating senior who has achieved a specialhonor - but he doesn't know it yet. We pulled a fast one onhim so we could announce this tonight and see his face whenhe heard the news."

Aaron held up a paper so the crowd could see it, thenstarted to read it aloud. "On behalf of the Commanding Of-ficer and the faculty of Star Fleet Academy, it is our pleasureto confirm the appointment to the Academy of Lee DavidSterling as a Cadet."

Lee didn't hear the rest - his ears were ringing withexcitement and the cheers of his friends and classmates.Jacqueline, standing next to him on the dance floor, smiledand pointed, and he caught the eye of Casey across the room.She waved and gave him a "thumbs-up" signal. Lee was onhis way to the stars!

You can follow Lee Sterling's career while preparing yourown Star Fleet character. Follow the rest of the story and

stop at the end of each section, where there will be a referenceto the rules on character generation. Follow the rules andyou can create a character with dreams similar to Lee's.

To see how you measure up to Lee in Star Fleet's initialphysical and testing, turn now to the chapter on charactercreationr found on page 15. The sections Assigned Ship,Rank, And Position, Choosing A Race, and Creating AttributeScores, should be read at this time. If you have not already

read the Introduction and the chapter on Defining A Charac-ter, they should be read first.

Somehow, this wasn't exactly what Lee Sterling had im-agined! The 18-year-old Academy applicant had expectedapplying to Star Fleet Academy would mean thorough test-ing. Now, after 13 hours of rigorous testing, he had a muchbetter understanding of just how inventive the tests could be!

The psychological and aptitude testing was mostly amore-thorough repeat of things he had done in his highschool career. The physical tests, however, were gruelingand, in some cases, quite surprising.

Surprise was the whole point of one test. Lee and theother applicants were asked to do a series of simple cales-thenics - no problem! After a few minutes, however, Leebegan to realize that he was expending more effort to do thesimple exercises than he expected. He knew he was not aphysical superman like the applicant next to him, a Vulcan,but he couldn't be getting tired so easily!

Suddenly the answer came to him. Slowly, subtly, anartificial gravity field in the room was being increased. Leefelt noticeably heavier now, but, grimly, he continued, forcinghis muscles to compensate for the increasing gravity. Strain-ing, he hung on, collapsing only after the field had beenincreased to more than 2G, twice what he was used to andfar more than the gravity of his birthplace.

The last physical test came late in the afternoon. Theapplicants, recovered from the morning's workout at raisedand reduced gravities, were subjected to a series of simulatedacceleration tests. Artificial gravity fields pressed each appli-cant deep into a contour chair with ever-greater pressure,much like the centrifuge testing used by the 20th-centuryastronauts Lee had read about.

The heart function, breathing, and other life signs ofeach applicant were monitored at all times by built-in tricor-der circuits. The constant attention was for the applicant'sown safety, because this test continued until he "had a reac-tion", as the Medical Officer in charge politely put it. Thereaction was loss of consciousness.

The test made sense to Lee. After all, his endurancelimits must be known by the Medical Officers so they coulddesign a physical training program to stretch his limits with-out injuring him. After the test, Lee woke up exhausted andall too willing to collapse into bed at lights out.

Lee's endurance tests told the Medical Officers about hisphysical limits. To find out your own character's limits, turnto the Creating Endurance Statistics section of the charactercreation rules, page 17. If you have not already read thechapter on Injury, Medical Aid, And Recovery, now wouldbe a good time to read it.

Lee's first love was science, particularly astronomy. Butin his first year of the Academy, he learned that Star Fleetrequires that all officers receive a well-rounded education inthe basics of what every good officer should know.

The freshman Cadets were particularly surprised to findthat a great deal of emphasis was placed on such subjectsas alien languages, Federation history and law, and variouslife, physical, and planetary sciences. Classes in computerprogramming and operation, marksmanship, unarmed per-sonal combat, and leadership training were less surprising,but just as demanding.

Of course, the basics of space science, particularly as-tronomy and astrophysics, were taught to all Cadets. Leediscovered that, despite his head start in this area, he hadto work hard to keep up with the required readings and study.Lee really enjoyed his first taste of being a spaceman — hisclasses in environmental suit use and in zero-G operations.Other classes he enjoyed dealt with starship equipment sys-tems, particularly the powerful sensor probes.

Lee Sterling, second-year Cadet, walked down the rowof freshman Cadets that stood before him in gym clothes."All right, some basic calisthenics, then," he called. "Push-ups, first..." Lee nodded across the room at a fellow Cadetwho stood by a control panel, and the other Cadet smiledback and touched a switch. A few minutes later, as the arti-ficial gravity field began to increase, Lee remembered whenhe had done this a year before. It was going to be a long,long day for this group of newcomers!

One of the freshmen caught Lee's eye and winked -not a very military attitude, but Lee simply smiled and winkedback. D.W. Davidson started his pushups, and Lee wonderedif his friend would be too tired to talk to him later. Lee hadknown, of course, that Casey planned to enter Star Fleet, butit had come as a surprise to Lee when D.W. and Jacquelinehad applied as well.

Later, Lee's thoughts turned to the freshman from hishome town as he went to an advanced class in computeroperation. Jacqueline and Casey had always been better withcomputers than Lee had been, but after this first day of test-ing, neither young woman would have the energy to helphim study.

Lee remembered the graduation party a few months be-fore. He had arranged a short leave and surprised Casey,D.W. and Jacqueline by attending. Aaron Kling, who hadgraduated with Lee, had given up his independent lawstudies and negotiated a transfer to the Academy mid-year.He got leave, too, and the five had enjoyed three days ofcelebration before Lee and Aaron had to return. It was notoften that a backwater school in a small town like Lee's filledfive Academy slots in two years, and they were all celebritiesthere because of it. Now Lee was hitting the books in physicalchemistry. Once a week, he squeezed in a game of 3-D chesswith Sarlo, the Vulcan student who was Academy champion.Someday, before graduation, he'd like just once to beat hisemotionless partner. Perhaps that would shake his perfectVulcan cool.

Lee's advanced classes were piling up now, and therewould be all too few chances to see his friends outside ofclass. Later in the week, perhaps, they would have time toget together. Lee had chosen advanced classes in zoology,physics, and geology, as well as in ecology, chemistry, as-tronomy, and computer operation. In language studies, hedecided to learn a sampling of the Vulcan tongue. Lee knewthat some of his roughest competition for choice assign-ments in the sciences would be from Vulcan officers, and hehoped that a working knowledge of the Vulcan languagewould help him understand how Vulcans thought andreacted. The language was difficult - among the most dif-ficult of Federation languages - but Lee's teacher, Lt. Sanat,had the endless patience typical of a Vulcan. He even taughtLee the basics of playing the Vulcan lyre.

While Lee and his friends complete their studies, youcan have your character complete his term in Star FleetAcademy by choosing the optional skills he will learn whilethere. Turn, now, to the sections on Pre-Academy Skills, Join-ing Star Fleet, and Star Fleet Academy of the character train-ing rules, beginning on page 18.

Near the end of Lee's last year at the Academy, his classwas required to attend lectures designed to make them famil-iar with the various branches of Star Fleet service. Lee alreadyknew he was most interested in the Science Branch. He hadalready decided on his goal - to become the Chief ScienceOfficer aboard one of the big Constitution class vessels likethe Hood or the newly-commissioned Enterprise.

Even so, Lee was fascinated by the lectures, learningabout the wide range of expertise required for the various

branches. Each specialty area proved to be more complicatedin their requirements than Lee had imagined. Furthermore,Lee paid special attention because he had promised to tellhis friends about the departmental requirements. Lee tooknotes now for all of them.

Navigators and Helm Officers shared many duties, Leefound, and.so the educational requirements in these fieldswere similar. Navigators were required to know some of thehelm operations and Helmsmen were required to know someastrogation; both needed extra training in using the starshipsensors and in computer operation. Lee found that aNavigator, usually in charge of a ship's deflector shield con-trols, had to be well-versed in the operation of and thetechnology behind these complicated devices. Similarly, Leefound that Helm Officers were often responsible for the ship'sweapons systems, and needed to know phaser and photontorpedo technology inside out, as well as the skills necessaryto steer a starship in combat.

The Engineering Officer who lectured displayed thefierce pride in workmanship that had been the hallmark ofship's Engineers since the early days of ocean-going vessels.To them, Engineering was a sacred trust, with no greaterreward possible or necessary than a smoothly-operating ves-sel. To insure this, Engineering Officers studied ALL the tech-nical aspects of starflight, including the mighty-but-delicatecontrols that turned the raw power of matter/anti-matter an-nihilation into warp drive.

Though Lee's early scientific interests were outside thelife sciences, he found that the Medical Branch required asurprisingly wide range of talents. Medical men learned theanatomy and physical structure of many races besides theirown, in addition to practical training in psychology, life sup-port systems, and computer operation - this last centeredin the operation of the medical tricorder and various com-puter-assisted diagnostic devices. Lee found that most of theCadets preparing for a career as a Medical Officer (as wellas those preparing for Engineering and Science Branches)of Star Fleet would be older when they graduated fromBranch School than those in other branches, because of theextra study involved.

Lee had always thought of communications as beingone of the easiest jobs in Star Fleet. That notion left himwhen he discovered that communications officers were allrequired to become experts at the technical side of theirequipment, as well as in the linguistics and customs of hun-dreds of cultures. All communications officers learned sev-eral languages, and as Lee recalled how his throat achedafter trying to master Vulcan vowels for three years, he reas-sessed the difficulty and importance of the communicationspost.

"Security", said one officer who lectured in the tradi-tional red-shirted uniform of that branch, "is more thanarmed guards and police action." The lecturer discussed atlength how a successful security officer must be somethingof a planetary survival specialist, a lawyer, a practicalpsychologist, a weapons repairman, a zero-G combat expert,apd a military tactician, as well as an expert marksman andunarmed fighting master. The security department was well-known as being among the most dangerous in Star Fleet,and the lecturer seemed proud of the fact. "Security isdangerous because it falls to us," he told the Cadets, "tostand between the unknown and the Star Fleet Officers whochallenge and study it."

Finally, the lectures on the Science Branch began, andconfirmed what Lee's first year of study had led him to sus-pect. If he wished to make it as a Chief Science Officer aboarda large starship, Lee would have to broaden his educationconsiderably Certainly, astronomy and astrophysics were

important; every Science Officer, no matter what his special-ty, was required to study them. Lee found that some ScienceOfficers centered most of their education in one field, likebotany or geology. Although these officers were valuableassets in their areas, the coveted job of Chief Science Officeron a major starship usually went to someone with skill in awide range of fields. Physical chemistry, zoology, botany,physics — the list was endless. No one could hope to masterthem all, but Lee found that a good officer would know agreat deal about one or two, and a smattering of each of theothers. He also found that a Science Officer had to be anexpert with both computer operation (especially the portabletricorder devices and ship's library computers) and sensors(for remote readings on scientific data). It seemed to Lee thathis next year and a half would likely be even more difficultand absorbing than hisfirstyears at the Academy had been.

Now you can choose a specialty for your character justas Lee has had to do. You will begin to build the specialtyskills your character will need by adding skills from yourchosen area. Turn to the Branch School section of the charac-ter training rules, found on page 20.

The anticipation was so great, Lee could hardly stand it.After five and one-half years of incredibly hard work at StarFleet Academy, graduation was coming. But even more im-portant than graduation itself was the posting of passedCadets, now new Midshipmen, to ships of Star Fleet for theirsix-month Cadet Cruise. Lee sat in his room, unable to con-centrate on his studies. At 1600, sharp, the postings wouldbe available on the network of study terminals throughoutthe Academy complex. Lee had punched in a program thatwould display the data on his room's terminal as soon as itwas ready. Until then, he would pace in frustration.

Lee's door buzzer interrupted his nervous thoughts. Hetouched a control, returning his door function to automatic,and it slid open.

"So what's the word?" D.W. Davidson entered, grinning.Lee knew that D.W. was quite aware the postings weren'tup yet, but D.W. could never resist poking a bit of good-na-tured fun at Lee when the occasion arose. Entering with D.W.were Jacqueline Lopez and Casey O'Connor.

"I thought you three had exams tomorrow," Lee saidquizzically, rising to greet them. "Taking a study break?"

Casey laughed as she sat next to him. "As if we'd leaveyou here alone in your hour of nervous collapse! What arefriends for?"

Lee tried to act unconcerned. "Oh, I'm not worried -one ship is as good as another,,! suppose..."

"Sure, Lee," Jacqueline said in a mildly sarcastic tone."You don't care where you're posted — as long as it's to aConstitution class ship!"

"Everyone wants a big starship like the Enterprise/' Leeconfirmed. "But very few get posted to one! After all, thereare only so many openings..."

"... And intelligent students like you have an edge to getthem," D.W. interrupted. "Everyone knows that! I'll bet YOUend up on the Enterprise! They say her new captain, Christ-opher Pike, is quite a commander! Maybe you'll..." D.W.'scomments were cut off by the buzzing of the room computerterminal. It was 1600 exactly, and the postings were up.

"Passed, Cadet Sterling, Lee David," read Lee aloud fromthe screen as his friends gazed anxiously over his shoulder."Posted to Exploration Division..."

"All right!" yelled D.W. excitedly."...scoutship USS Daniel Boone/' Lee finished, his voice

dropping to a whisper."Huh? Oh, darn!" D.W. suddenly realized that his friend

had been posted, not to a Constitution class ship, but to asmall scout in the same division.

"No, you don't understand," Lee explained hurriedly."That's not bad at all. Sure, I'd have liked to get a big starship,but the Boone is scheduled to make a run through unexploredspace! I'll be right out on the frontier, where I wanted to be!"

"Then it's all right? You still want to celebrate?""Sure!" Lee smiled at his three companions. "Let's

round up some of the other passed Cadets and have a party!"All too soon, there would be time for Lee and his friends

to realize that the cruise would put them millions of milesapart for almost a year - longer, since they would all beleaving on their own Cadet Cruises, perhaps even before hereturned from his own. Time later, though, for goodbyes.For now, all Lee could think about was the vastness of un-charted space, and about his role in bringing its knowledgeback for all people everywhere.

To find out what Cadet Cruise assignment your owncharacter will receive, turn to the Cadet Cruise section of thecharacter training rules, on page 21.

"Midshipman Sterling reporting, sir." Lee stood at atten-tion in front of his commanding officer's desk. Many StarFleet captains were less strict about military precision, butCapt. Parvenu was of the old spit-and-polish school. He rana taut ship, and his precise manner in command decisionshad saved the Boone more than once.

"At ease, Sterling," Parvenu said, never looking up fromhis data screen. Lee couldn't see what it said from here, butit must be pretty interesting from the captain's reaction. Leerelaxed his posture just a bit, clasping his hands behind hisback.

Finally, the grey-haired captain looked up. "Science Of-ficer T'Palla tells me you're the one responsible for this reportthe survey party filed. Is that so?"

"Ooops," thought Lee, "that must be the bio report onthe screen."

"Yes, sir," Lee confirmed out loud. "That's my report."Parvenu leaned back in his chair and scowled. "I thought

your specialty was astronomy, not biosciences, Sterling. Yetyou come up with a conclusion that the planet we're survey-ing is unsuitable for colonization. It looked good to the inde-pendent scout who came through here the first time."

"He didn't spend much time on the planet, sir," said Lee,somewhat defensively. "All the lifeforms appear to workcooperatively. The planet's ecology is geared to resist change— and colonists bring change. I advise against colonizationuntil the matter can be studied further."

"That's very interesting advice, but a bit out of yourspecialty." Parvenu frowned at the screen. Lee said nothing.His work on this project WAS out of his specialty area, buta Midshipman like Lee was supposed to be learning on-the-job. That's why T'Palla had put him in charge of the biosci-ences report in the first place.

"It so happens," Parvenu continued after several nerve-racking moments, "that your report is right on the money.I'm no biosciences expert either, but my shipmates and I raninto a similar situation on a colonization project when I wasabout your age. The planet's ecology was so delicately ba-lanced that anything we did made it seem like the wholeblamed world was at war with us. It cost fifteen good men'slives to find out that planet needed 'further study.' Perhapsyour work here has enabled us to find that out at a muchmore affordable price."

Lee tried not to show his surprise. The 'old man' wasactually smiling!

"T'Palla's putting you in for a departmental commenda-tion," Parvenu told Lee, "and I'm endorsing it. Not a badway to round out your Cadet service, Midshipman. The com-mendation, along with your grades and service reports,

should put you on the Honors List." He stopped a moment,then turned off the computer screen. "Six days from now,after we make port, I'll have to call you Ensign Sterling!"

Ens. Lee Sterling smiled softly as the young midshipmansent to ferry him gently docked the travel pod with AcademyStation's port personnel airlock. It seemed like only yesterdayhe'd left here as a wet-behind-the-ears midshipman, aboardthe dear old Boone for his Cadet cruise. Now, six years andtwo starside assignments later, he was back, posted to De-partment Head School.

Lee had worked hard for this chance. After leaving theBoone, he'd hoped for assignment to a Constitution classstarship, but that long-held dream had eluded him. Instead,he spent a year as a Science Officer aboard a Military Divisionvessel patrolling along the Romulan Neutral Zone. The tiny,but heavily-armed, scout he'd served on had hardly neededa trained astronomer, and they'd seen no action of any kind.

Next, he'd been sent to the Merchant Marine Division.At first, Lee looked on the assignment as a loss of status,figuring he couldn't be any farther from the big starshipsand still stay in space. Now, after 5 years as a Science Officeraboard a huge, bulk-cargo ship, he held the same opinions,only more strongly. He wasn't happy with the routine sensorswork on cargo milk runs, and longed for the excitement ofscientific exploration. Five years of faithful service hadearned him a shot at Department Head School, and when itwas offered he grabbed it, hoping to better his chances atmore important assignments.

Over the next year, Lee learned the skills of administra-tion and found that Department Head School was even har-der than the Academy had been during his Cadet days. Thedry-but-necessary knowledge of Star Fleet's vast administra-tive structure occupied much of his time, but he took moreinterest in studying advanced computer operation andtechnology. Furthermore, his extra coursework in as-tronomy, physical chemistry, and geology demanded thathe gain even more skill in an environmental suit. For exercise,he chose to work out with the unarmed combat specialist.

What surprised Lee the most was his aptitude for leader-ship. He discovered that his work seemed more importantto him, no matter the assignment, when other people de-pended on his abilities and looked to him for guidance.

After the one-year course, his automatic promotion .tofull lieutenant more than made up for the hard work andlong hours. Better still, Lee was again headed to the stars!

If your character will serve as a Captain, a First Officer,or a Department Head aboard a Star Fleet Vessel, he willattend Department Head School at some time in his career.Provision is made for your character to follow this procedurenow if he is to go to Department Head School. Don't worryabout your character's post-Academy assignments and ex-periences at this time. All of the experiences that a characterhas between his Cadet Cruise and the beginning of the game,no matter when they may have occurred, are covered later.Turn now to the section on Department Head School of thecharacter training rules, found on page 22.

If your character will not attend Department Head Schoolread on.

"Atten-tion!"Through the Great Hall of the Kafta VII Colonial Office,

the assembled officers of Star Fleet's Sector Colonial Staffsnapped to attention. The civilian officials of the colony stoodstraight and tall, and the rest of the crowd rose also to theirfeet. Lt. Lee Sterling kept his eyes fixed straight ahead andtried to look smartly military, repressing a grin.

On opposite sides of Lee stood Kafta Vll's Colonial Ad-ministrator, "Cool Jack" Delmar. For a man with a reputationfor absolute calm, he looked almost flustered as he unrolledan elaborate scroll and began to read.

"On Stardate 1257.6 local, Lt. Lee Sterling of Star Fleet'sColonization Division was serving as Astronomical Depart-ment Watch Officer aboard the colony support vessel USSMayflower, in orbit about Kafta VII. While making routineobservations of the system's sun, Lt. Sterling noticed a smallstreak on a photographic plate. Working on his own timeand on his own initiative, he pursued the matter with furtherobservations, soon confirming the movement of a small as-teroid of mass approximately 150,000 kilograms through thesystem. Lt. Sterling projected the course of the object anddiscovered it would hit the planet itself in three standarddays."

The grey-haired civilian paused, looking over the crowd,then continued. "In the opinion of Lt. Sterling's superiors,the timeliness of Lt. Sterling's report and the quality of hiswork made it possible to warn the Colonial Government ofthe impending strike in the area of Kafta Vll's largest settle-ment. Because of these actions, a successful evacuation ef-fort saved the lives of 15,000 citizens of our planet.

"In grateful appreciation of his efforts, the Colonial Officeof Kafta VII hereby presents Lt. Sterling with an official com-mendation for service to the colony, and names him an Hon-orary Citizen of Kafta VII. On behalf of the grateful citizensof our world, let me express our most heartfelt gratitude."

The cheering went on for a few minutes before it wasquieted by a gesture from the administrator. "And now," hesaid, "I believe Admiral Hollister has a presentation of hisown."

Lee was surprised, but sure enough, there was the Admi-ral making his way to the podium. Hollister, the Sector ChiefOf Colonial Operations, looked like a quiet rural school-teacher, but he was one of the most respected officers in thedivision. Lee stood solidly at attention, and wondered whathad brought the admiral all the way out here.

"Forgive me for catching you by surprise, Lieutenant,"the admiral said mildly asthetookthe podium. "I just couldn'tresist making this announcement myself. In action last weekby the Star Fleet office of Colonial Operations, and in re-sponse to recommendations by the commanding officer ofthe Mayflower and the planetary government, Star Fleet ispleased to confer the Star Fleet Silver Palm Award ForMeritorious Service to Lt. Lee David Sterling, along with apromotion to the rank of Lt. Commander." The mild littleman in the admiral's uniform smiled broadly as he steppedover to Lee and shook his hand, then pinned the covetedSilver Palm to Lee's dress uniform tunic. "Congratulations,Commander Sterling," he said. "Wear it proudly."

School and more school! Star Fleet Officers must beamong the best-trained in the whole universe, for all themoney and time lavished on their education, thought Lee.After all, it had only been six years since his last posting toStar Fleet Academy for Department Head School, and nowhere he was again, back for Command School.

Things were looking up for Lee. Though he had not yethad a chance to get back into exploration, his third and fourthpostings had kept him on the move, first in the MerchantMarine Division and, until just recently, in the ColonizationDivision. He had done well, though, and the commendationhe received from the Office Of Colonial Operations, his SilverPalm, and his promotion had earned him a chance at Com-mand School. He was determined to make the most of it, forhe still had not lost sight of his dream.

At the school for training Star Fleet command personnel,k simulator training in starship combat tactics was exciting,

"What do you think you're doing - OOF!"Lee's challenge was cut off as one of the men turned

suddenly and hit him hard in the stomach, but Lee's StarFleet training allowed him to twist and deflect some of theimpact. D.W., with a banshee yell, tackled a second man onthe fly, and brought him down in a thrashing tangle.

Lee took advantage of the momentary distraction tosidestep his opponent and deliver an elbow thrust to theman's side. Groaning, the man turned and tried to swing atLee. Lee's training gave him a definite edge, although hisopponent was younger and perhaps a bit faster. He blockedthe swing with his right arm and drove his left fist hard intothe man's jaw.

Lee started to look over where the third man still strug-gled with the young woman, but a telltale clicking soundstopped him. His opponent pulled out a concealed knife,which snapped out of its case and gleamed in his hand. Hesmiled and slashed at Lee's face.

Once again, however, Lee's training saved him. Heducked to one side and snapped a /carafe-style kick into theassailant's chest. This time the man went down hard, hisblade flying out of his hand. Lee recovered from the kick,spun, and came out of the spin with the toe of his uniformboot catching the man under his chin just as he sat up. Theman's head snapped back and he collapsed, unconscious.

Lee glanced around quickly. D.W. had dragged his oppo-nent to his feet and had him pinned to the wall. The thirdman had pulled the young woman's purse from her handsand knocked her to the sidewalk. As Lee started toward him,the man fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a small object.

With a telltale whine, a phaser beam shot past Lee's leftear. Lee did not give the man time for a second shot, buttackled him hard. Landing atop the man, Lee pulled back hisarm for a punch.

"That's it, okay?" the man said quickly, throwing up hishands. "I give up!"

Lee dragged the man to his feet and glanced over hisshoulder. To his dismay, D.W. lay crumpled on the sidewalk,apparently hit by the phaser shot that had missed Lee. D.W.'sopponent was fleeing down the street.

"I hit him," Lee's captive said in a trembling voice. "Butit's just a stunner! Honest!"

"It better be," Lee growled angrily, "or I'll make youwish you'd never been born!" He dragged the man over toD.W.'s inert form. Sure enough, the downed lieutenant wasbreathing softly. Lee helped the young woman up, returnedher purse, and asked her to summon help.

She disappeared into a building across the street, andminutes later a police hovercar arrived. While the police tookcharge of the two captured attackers, Lee helped revive D.W.and explained the incident.

"I can't thank you enough," the pretty young womantold Lee as the police bundled her attackers into the hovercar."They asked for a handout, and when I refused they tried tosteal my purse.

"I suppose I'm lucky such a handsome Star Fleet officerwas there to rescue me." Smiling, she stood on tiptoe andkissed Lee briefly. "Thanks again!" she called as she left witha policeman.

"How do you like that?" D.W. brooded. "I get shot witha phaser and YOU get to be the big hero! Some guys haveall the luck!"

"I suppose she likes older men," he said with a chuckleand a sarcastic smile. "Let's get back to the ship. 'Bones'should give you a checkup after that stun shot."

D.W. shook his head, and glanced up sharply. "Oh, no!We're late! Come on!" He took hold of Lee's arm and starteddragging him down the street. "The restaurant's got to bejust around the corner!"

Lee as he followed his companion to a small cafe thatwas, indeed, just around the corner. The small restaurantwas gaily decked out with party decorations, and full of StarFleet officers, Lee's friends from the USS Boone.

"About time you showed up!" said Capt. Parvenu as hewandered over, a cup of grog in one hand. "What happenedto you two? Judging from your timing and your appearance,I'd say you crawled here!"

Abruptly he smiled and raised his cup to Lee. "Happybirthday, Lee!"

Later, with explanations made, Lee met D.W. near thebowl of grog punch. "That's the last time I trust you with asecret/' he said with mock annoyance.

"What are you complaining about?" D.W. countered."I'm the one the Old Man is upset with. It was supposed tobe a surprise party."

"I'm surprised," Lee confirmed. "Thanks for the party,D.W."

His friend shrugged. "Don't mention it. I wasn't sure youwere going to thank me, considering how you felt aboutturning forty."

"Oh, I don't know," said Lee with a smile as he remem-bered the incident on the street. "I've been thinking aboutthat since we got here. Forty isn't all that old. It's not thatold at all...!"

Star Fleet trains all personnel in unarmed personal com-bat and marksmanship with modern arms, and that traininghas saved the life of many officers. (Not to mention the factthat it comes in handy when the Klingons get shore leave inthe same free port YOU are visiting...) The Tactical MovementAnd Combat chapter of the rules tells how your own charac-ter can fight realistic and exciting man-to-man battles as partof your STAR TREK adventures. Will your character fare aswell as Lee Sterling? Turn to page 27 and see.

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