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Shuttlecraft Epsilon 7
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Summary:
Several weeks after the previous encounter the Aelenoth is conducting a slow, boring stellar charting update about a sector away from the Dim Nebula.
The Aelenoth gets a distress call from Federation Colony Dannon Four. An asteroid is about to strike their world and they don't have adequate defenses to ward it off.
The Asteroid is more than 1500 meters across and will really smear the colony if it hits. The Aelenoth is the only starship within range.
The Aelenoth arrives to find the Asteroid a crunchy, flaky and volatile collection of gas, rock and Ice. The ship cannot tractor beam it. without shredding it. The ship cannot phaser beam it without starting chemical chain reactions - essentially setting the Asteroid on fire.
However because of the aggregate nasture of the asteroid it is shot through with caves, cracks and crevasses.
An Antimatter charge detonated at the right spot in the core of the Asteroid will break it up into much smaller sub chunks. The Aelenoth and the Planet's own natural defenses can asily prevent damage from there. Yes, much of the volatile gass will burn in such a case, but in smaller, more easily conrolled chunks.
The charge must be placed precisely according to painstaking geology,engineering and demolitions rolls. And, since the Astroid has volatile gasses in it, it cannot be transported into.
The PCs and their shuttle are detailed to carry the Anti-Matter charge to the surface of the Astroid and then to travel into the core of the asteroid and place the charges by hand.
Main conflict
Set the Anti-Matter charge properly so that the proper effect is had upon the
Asteroid.
Side conflicts?
Be a safe distance away when the Anti-Matter charge detonates. Being close will
be exciting, but not for very long.
Survive the Orion attack
The Orion Raider from the last encounter is tootling around looking for victims when they spot the Aelenoth. The Orions are over come with the need for veneance - they lost a secret base, lots of loot and were chases all over hell's half acre by Starfleet cruisers that responded to the Aelenoth's call.
Now is time for payback.
The Aelenoth must flee to preserve itself and to distract the Orions from the mission to the Asteroid.
The PCs are on their own. Micro gravity, vacuum, cave diving/Spelunking, combined with high stakes demolition.
For added giggles the Orion may have sent away teams to the asteroid to capture or kill the PCs
Characters
Same as before
Locations
The asteroid threatening Dannon Four. A random aggregate of Ice, Volatile gasses
and goof ol'fashioned rock. A deep, dark collection of caves, cracks and crevasses
in pitch blackness - near 0 gravity and prone to shaking, rattling and rolling,
collapses and explosions of gas pockets.
At a little more than a mile across the Asteroid does have some gravity. it's very light. Most of the PCs would be able to throw a baseball into orbit or even completely off the asteroid.
MacGuffins?
The anti-matter charge and the PADD with the data on where to set it will be
crucial mcGuffins
The fact that everyone's in a space suit will be another hidden McGuffin.
This is basically "Cave diving meets Armageddon" (The old Bruce Willis Asteroid strike movie of the 1990s)
Combat in near zero gravity, in space suits, in pitch blackness sounds like fun, too (NOT!)
If the PCs successfully rig the explosion and then flee and escape - they'll be welcomed as The Heroes of Dannon Four.
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Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Trek. I claim original characters and situations in this material for me.
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