Star Trek Adventures Session Report #2

Below is the log of our delightful second session using Mophidius’ Star Trek: Adventures RPG, where Chief Science Officer Marco Chang, Security Chief Cuellas and Dr. Te’drall continue the investigation of the derelict USS Alcubierre started at session 1.

Spoiler Warning: The session log below reveals events presented in the Star Trek Adventures Starter Set module. Be aware if you’re planning to play in this module.

Session Log #2 – The Showdown

Chief Science Officer’s Log, Star date 47515.4, supplemental: “…it wasn’t a Klingon.”

Huddled at the USS Alcubierre captain’s ready room, the away team discuss their next course of action. They try and fail to raise the USS Magellan due to the still heavy sub-space interference. They decide to try and sneak into Main Engineering. The junior engineering officer, Ensign Jim Lassalle, the sole living survivor of the USS Alcubierre’s crew they encountered, chimes in and describes in detail how they can access Engineering using the Jefferies tubes connected to one of the disabled Turbolifts. Dr. Te’drall coldly remarks: “Finally, you’ve made yourself somewhat useful.”

The team starts to carefully climb down the Turbolift’s shaft, following the lead of Cuellas. An unfortunate slip of the foot makes Marco cling to the ladder and drop his Tricorder, sending it clanking down the turboshaft. The team stops and hold their breath, fearing the Romulans might be alerted. After a moment they hear voices approaching from the Engineering level below. The team makes a daring leap into the nearest Jefferies tube, hastily crawling inside and away from the Romulans view. The Romulans voices eventually move further away and the team gives a sigh of relief.

The away team continue to quietly crawl their way, following Ensign Lassale’s directions, and eventually find themselves right above Main Engineering, able to peer down and view a troubling scene: They count ten Romulans, three of them next to the control console near the warp core and the rest are mobile, patrolling Engineering and the nearby halls. One of the Romulans standing next to the control console seems to be the leader. The team falls back and begins to devise a plan. Cuellas asks Ensign Lassale if he can somehow access life support control for the engineering bay. Dr. Te’drall concurs, offering to concoct a disabling gas they can release through the air supply vents. But alas, all controls are locked out and Ensign Lassale fails, while Dr. Te’drall continues scolding him.

They eventually decide to send Ensign Lassale and Ensign Joseph, the Ferrangi security officer accompanying them, to the deck above them to try and create a diversion, hopefully causing the Romulans patrol to leave Engineering after them. This proved to work very well, with Joseph yelling Romulan derogatory terms that cannot be repeated in any Star Fleet log. The Romulan patrol angrily starts to chases them. The away team exploit the situation and quietly climb down, one by one, to a concealed corner of Main Engineering, hidden from the three Romulans remaining in the room. They all take positions behind cover. On queue, Cuellas steps forward and fires her phaser, still set to stun, damaging the Romulan’s leader causing him to scream in pain. Meanwhile, Dr. Te’drall covertly edges towards the room’s door panel, and, typing hastily, he manages to lock the doors to the room.

“Subcommander D’Nal!” yells a Romulan as they all draw their disruptors and start to fire. The Romulan leader, Subcommander D’Nal, ducks for cover and fires at Dr. Te’drall who is standing exposed by the door — the shot hits the doctor in the shoulder sending him spinning to the floor. Cuellas rushes to cover him as the doctor cringes and focuses his entire Kolinahr training on not to cry.

Marco exploits an opening and fires his phaser at the Subcommander, damaging him considerably. To Marco’s surprise, D’Nal seems to inexplicably shake off the pain and carry on. Another Romulan leaps up from cover and shoots at Cuellas but misses. The muffled voices of more Romulans are heard from beyond the door — apparently the patrol came back and start to force the doors open.

Cuellas draws her Ushaan-tor and charges at the Subcommander, slashing fiercely. The jagged blade lands firmly inside of the Subcommander’s gut but unfathomably, he forcibly pushes Cuellas off him and steps back, shrugging off the pain. The Subcommander fires his disruptor at Cuellas damaging her, but Cuellas is not incapacitated yet! Dr. Te’drall ponders the apparent super strength of the Subcommander. He deduces he must be under the influence of some infection, drug or… parasite! This idea seems oddly familiar to him.

Marco bravely steps forward again and focuses his phaser at the open wound of D’Nal and is horrified as what looks like a large and disgusting purple worm crawls out of the convulsing Subcommander. Marco quickly shoots again, aiming at the worm, with the dismayed Romulan guards actually turning around and joining him, firing at D’Nal and the worm.

The writhing creature is riddled with shots from both teams and explodes to mulch, with Subcommander D’Nal toppling over it — dead. The away team takes control of the situation, forcing the confused Romulans to drop their weapons. The Romulans admit they had no knowledge of this parasite and were not aware they were actually not following the orders of the Romulans high council. They agree to stand down and accompany the away team back to Magellan.

Later, back on the Magellan, Dr. Te’drall’s research of this worm parasite uncovers troubling information: Apparently these creatures already tried to infiltrate the Federation two years ago but Captain Picard of the USS Enterprise managed to thwart their plan and kill the mother creature of these parasites. The Romulans agree to cooperate with the Star Fleet investigation into this matter. They share all information they have, reaffirming that Subcommander D’Nal started to act strange after meeting with some Klingons from the Kor’tarr mining station, deep in Klingon space.

Captain Los commends the away team for their fine and heroic job and notifies the rear-admiral of the situation. The USS Magellan is tasked with heading to Klingon space and continue with the investigation.