********************************* STAR FLEET COMMANDER'S BRIEF for STAR FLEET BATTLES on COMPUSERVE Issue 2 **************************************************** Editor: Colin P Hamwood 100241,752 Contributors: Lt Comdr. Greg Bradburn 72657,2203 Seeker of Knowledge 74227,1662 All Game Moderators Welcome to the second edition of Star Fleet Commander's Brief........ the new format will be less pleasing to the eye, but will be more informative, and regularly released to boot..........We'll start with a fiction piece contributed by Greg Bradburn, along with a scenario to complement it, and then get to the heart of on-line SFB, the game reports... "When Blood Is Thicker" by Gregory A. Bradburn * * * Stardate 179.07.11 Office of Rear Admiral Benjamin Warren, Starbase 11. Ben stared absently at the data pad he held in his hand. His good hand that is. His right hand and foot had been deformed from birth and prevented him from pursuing many of his childhood dreams. Dreams of athletic prowess, triumphing on the wrestling mat, crossing the finish line in the Delula II marathon ... but, what he lacked in physique, he more than made up for in intellect. As a child he was ashamed of his malady and withdrew into the sanctuary of his room where he would pass the endless hours reading books. All kinds of books ranging from ancient history to contemporary fiction. Finally he'd managed to carve out a career for himself in Star Fleet. Despite his handicap, he climbed the ladder of success until he reached command level, and beyond. Now as a rear admiral, he commanded the Federation Covert Intelligence Resource Department. His primary duties involved overseeing the recruiting, training, placing and maintaining of highly valuable, deeply placed intelligence assets. He was personally responsible for infiltrating more than a dozen agents into unbelievably sensitive positions within the Romulan Star Empire. He considered them his children. And that's what they were to him. He'd found them, recruited them, trained then and finally launched them on their careers as servants of the Federation. He stood up to stretch his legs and returned his attention to the stylus he was holding. He mused over the name of the operative displayed on it, "Visitor." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he recalled the face that fit the name. Robert ... It was 14 years ago at the stockade on DS4. A lanky dark haired lad, the poor fellow had been an orphan. His parents killed during and expedition to Sierra Oscar IV. He had been serving a sentence for grand larceny when Ben found him. Robert had been part of a street gang where he'd displayed an almost supernatural sense of loyalty to his fellow members. He took the wrap when caught robbing a supply store, refusing to turn in his associates. Ben was impressed by this and used his considerable influence to have him released into his custody. He asked the boy if he'd like to be a hero, and the rest, well the rest is history. Now "Visitor" was a science officer on a Romulan Fire Hawk class heavy battle cruiser, just biding his time until he received his activation signal. A chime at the door brought Ben out of his reverie. "Enter" he said. A spunky young ensign (they all seemed young to Ben) entered carrying a data pad which he offered to Ben saying, "Coded message from Star Fleet Command Sir!". Ben thanked him and sent him on his way. He activated the pad and read the message. SD: 179.07.11 To: Rear Admiral Benjamin Warren, Federation Covert Intelligence Resource Dept. Starbase 11. From: Admiral Francis Holiday Star Fleet Command Admiral Warren, do to an emergency situation along the Romulan border, you are hereby ordered to proceed immediately to the outpost on Truman's Colony. The U.S.S. Tuckerman is available to transport you having just put in for drone upgrades. Her captain has been temporarily relieved of duty in order to undergo major surgery. You are authorised to assume command of the Tuckerman until further notice. She's an excellent ship Ben, I know you'll enjoy driving her. When you arrive at the colony, meet with Commodore Patterson. He will provide you with a complete report of the situation._ I can't stress the urgency of the situation enough Ben. We've got to move fast on this one. Don't let anything delay your arrival. God Speed Ben, Francis Holiday. Ben couldn't believe his eyes. "Truman's Colony?" he muttered, "What could possibly be so important that Star Fleet would feel it necessary to send me there?" He sat (more like plopped) into his seat and dropped the data pad on the arm of his chair. He looked about his spacious office and mentally compared it to the cramped, dingy facility at Truman's. Until now he hadn't realised just how comfortable he was here. Sighing, he rose to his feet and began planning for his imminent departure. * * * U.S.S. TUCKERMAN (tethered to space dock at starbase 11) Ben stepped off the turbo lift and onto the bridge of the Tuckerman. Like most Federation starships, this one was an unlikely combination of bustling activity and precision. He was just about to ask someone where he could find the executive officer when a familiar voice caught his attention, "... don't care how many times you have to recalibrate it, I want this unit up to specs before we leave space dock.". "Gregg!" Ben laughed, turning a few heads in the process, "I didn't know you'd been assign to this pleasure craft." "Admiral." came the reply. Gregg Peterson was every bit of 6' 4", with a strong muscular build and biceps the size of most men's thighs. He had a head of shocking red hair, cut short and beginning to show signs of grey at the temples. He crossed the bridge in two long strides and grabbed Ben's extended hand, nearly ripping it out of its socket in the process. "It's good to see you again sir! How's life in the intelligence business these days?" "Sorry commander, that's classified." replied Ben with a look that made Gregg wonder if he was serious. Ben laughed at his friends uncertainty and slapped him on the back saying, "Remember that time we went fishing at the outer banks? I thought you were gonna lose that marlin. That damn fish nearly pulled you overboard." "Your just jealous because mine was 40 pounds bigger than that minnow you caught." said Gregg, hastily adding a sarcastic "Sir." Ben laughed at the jibe and then turned suddenly serious. "We've got problems with the Romulans Gregg" he said, no trace of amusement left on his haggard face. "I've been ordered to take command of this vessel and proceed at once to Truman's colony. " "Any special orders I need to be aware of?" asked Gregg, his brow furrowing slightly. Ben shook his head and answered, "Only that it's imperative we get there as soon as possible, even it means blasting our way through a Romulan task force to do it" Gregg nodded and asked, "Who's been assigned to escort us?" "Nobody,", replied Ben, taking a seat, "there are no suitable ships in the sector and we don't have time to wait." Gregg followed form, and sat down saying, "Then I just hope we don't run into to any stray Romulans on the way." Ben nodded his agreement, "That makes two of us", he said. * * * BRIDGE OF U.S.S. TUCKERMAN Ben stared absently at the view screen, mesmerised by the movement of the stars across it. It wasn't often he got to command a starship. His career in Star Fleet was mostly limited to writing memos and interviewing recruits. He wasn't entirely comfortable with command. The responsibility it represented frightened him. "Long range scans detect unidentified vessel directly in our flight path, bearing 009 mark 001". Ben looked up at the remark, glanced at Gregg and asked, "Trouble you think?" Gregg looked at the screen for a moment and said, "This far out, you never can tell, I recommend we go to yellow alert and begin arming our photons and phasers." Ben nodded and said "OK. Sounds good to me. Anyway, you're the expert. Go ahead." Gregg gave him a brief look, as if he might say something but then thought better of it. He turned away and proceeded to issue the orders. * * * FH-K FRIGHTFUL Robert studied his instruments. He saw with surprise that a Federation starship was entering the sector from the direction of starbase 11. He was suddenly struck with an almost overwhelming sense of home-sickness. He pushed the feeling down and forced himself to display a calm, Romulan demeanour. "Commander" he said, "Federation vessel approaching, Command cruiser class, we've identified it as the U.S.S. Tuckerman." Captain Va'Tuk walked over to the science station and replied, "Very good lieutenant. What is it's course and speed?" "Heading 013 mark 17, warp 2.3." replied Robert (or Robutin as he was known by the Romulans). Va'Tuk considered that for a second and said, "That would put him on_ course for Truman's Colony. " He returned to his command chair and sat down. He studied the view screen and started thinking out loud, a habit that always amused his bridge crew. "Why would a command ship be going to Truman's colony?" he asked no one in particular. "It must be urgent if they didn't have time to arrange any escorts." He rubbed his chin and puckered his face into a thoughtful grimace. "In any event, we have orders to intercept any vessels entering this sector and this Federation vessel should be easy enough to handle." He glanced briefly at the view screen, a broad smile spreading across his angular face and then began barking out a series of orders, "Lay in an intercept course, warp 2.3 and begin arming plasma torpedoes. When we reach a range of 80,000 kilometres, launch a full spread and then reduce speed. When we've slowed to warp 1.2, activate the cloaking device." A chorus of "My honour is to obey commander" filled the bridge, the tension mounting. Robert's pulse began to throb in his own ears as sweat trickled down the back of his neck. He stole a cautious glance at the view screen, watching the Tuckerman increase in size as the Frightful quickly closed with the smaller vessel. He'd been in combat several times of course. But this was different. Killing Gorn's he could live with, even if they were allies of a sort. But the thought of fighting a Federation starship filled with humans made his stomach churn. Not only was his life in danger, but now he faced the prospect of killing people from his own race? He knew this was a possibility when he accepted this commission, but now that it was actually happening, he found he wasn't sure he could handle it. * * * U.S.S. TUCKERMAN Ben studied the tiny image of the unknown vessel on his screens. He knew his ship and crew were prepared to deal with circumstance like this but he himself felt acutely inadequate. "Vessel identified as a Romulan Firehawk." announced the nervous young ensign at the science station. "According to our sensor logs, it is the FH-K Frightful. Vessel is approaching at warp 2.3, I detect a build-up in their plasma launchers.". The revelation was like a splash of cold water on Ben's face. At first his mind didn't want to accept what he had heard. But seeing the expectant expressions on the faces of the bridge crew, he forced himself into action. "Shields to maximum, go to red alert." he said, his voice sounding just a little too shrill in his own ears. He glanced nervously at his first officer who simply nodded reassurance. He stared at the image of the Romulan cruiser bearing down on his ship and his blood turned to ice in his veins. For a brief instant, he considered disobeying orders and returning to starbase 11. In all his years of service, he'd managed to avoid combat. He didn't like to think of himself as a coward but right now it was all he could do keep from bolting off the bridge and hiding in his cabin. "Orders sir?", asked Gregg, a look of concern on his face. Ben looked at him in confusion and said, "Orders? ...". Silence filled the bridge. He looked from face to face, realising they were all waiting for him to do something, say something. The silence was broken by the science officers report, "They're launching plasma, I detect two type S and two type F's, range 79,000 kilometres." The announcement was like a death sentence to Ben. Any confidence he'd had in his ability to command in a combat situation evaporated. Sitting dazed and totally confused, he felt as if the bridge was spinning. He had absolutely no idea of what to do. He looked at Gregg sitting there at his side, ready to put into action any command he gave. Suddenly Ben knew, with absolute certainty that there was only one order he could give. Without a shred of doubt, Ben got up from his chair, beckoned to it and said, "Under the circumstances Gregg, I think you'd better assume command." Gregg nodded and said, "As you wish sir, Yeoman, make the appropriate note in the ships log.". Then without hesitation, he turned his attention to the view screen and calmly began issuing orders, "Alright people, we have a bird to kill. I want full overloads on all four photons and a weasel warming up in the bull-pen. Navigation, plot me a course away from those torps, as fast as we can go. I want those things paper thin when they hit us." He was greeted with a chorus of "Aye sir" and "Right away sir". Ben was impressed with Gregg's calm, cool manner and the clock-like precision of the crew as they responded to his orders. With just a few decisive commands he'd managed to put the entire bridge crew's concern out of their minds and focus their attention on the task at hand. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted from off his shoulders. Slowly his head began to clear. The science officer got his attention when he announced "The Romulan ship is slowing down sir, I think they're gonna go under." "Go under?" Ben asked, a blank expression on his face. Gregg smiled at him and said, "A figure of speech, it means the Romulan is cloaking." "Oh." replied Ben, a little embarrassed. He watched the view screen, fascinated as the massive cruiser began to shimmer and fade from view, finally disappearing without a trace. Again the science officer's voice filled the bridge, "Target has cloaked, we've lost all contact with it. Photons and phasers have ceased tracking." Ben almost wet his pants when the ship suddenly, rocked beneath him. "What happened?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound as scared as he felt. Gregg ignored the outburst and shouted "Damage report?" "Plasma impact on our number 3 shield, it's down. Moderate damage to aft hull. All power and weapon systems functioning normally." came the reply. Gregg nodded and ordered, "Attempt to calculate probable position of the Frightful and plot an intercept course, notify me the minute we regain lock-on." "Yes sir!" came the reply. Feeling more than a little out of place, Ben retreated to the relative solitude of the bridge lab station. Feeling like a fifth wheel, he decided to occupy his mind with work, so he began reviewing a recent list of_ intelligence bulletins. He was still scared, but he was also feeling useless. His ego couldn't bear to admit that he was a liability to this fine ship and crew. He'd worked so hard to overcome his handicap, had it all been a waste? He looked at the young, driven men and women who comprised the bridge crew and imagined them thinking, "Look at the old geezer. He doesn't know the first thing about starships. How'd he get to admiral?" He absently stroked his deformed hand, grimacing at the feel of its' cold, insensitive skin. The feeling of uselessness rose up like a smoke to choke him. There had to be something he could do to contribute. He returned his attention to his console ... and then he saw them ... two words, displayed in white_ letters on black background, "Visitor" and "Frightful". "Of course", he thought to himself. "Visitor has been posted to the Frightful. One of our most highly placed operatives and he's right there, just 80,000 kilometres away, on the bridge of the ship that's attacking us. He could give us the edge we need. Now I know how I can contribute." Ben afforded himself a brief smile and then sprang into action. "Communications, open a secure channel at 2120 ghz and rout it to this station." "Sir?" she replied, a confused expression on her face as she looked first at Ben and then at Gregg. "What's up Admiral?" asked Gregg. Ben gave him a hard look and said, "I'm not at liberty to say commander, please just carry out my instructions.". If Gregg took any affront to the terse, formal reply he did his best not to show it. Instead he simply nodded to the communications officer and said "You heard him ensign, open a channel." He turned to Ben with a "I hope you know what your doing" look on his face. Ben nodded, "Thanks Gregg." and turned his attention to his console. * * * FH-K FRIGHTFUL Robert stared in shock at his sensor display. He had of course configured it to respond to transmissions in the 2100 ghz band but he found he was utterly unprepared to actually see one. The code was unmistakable, "Visitor" had been activated. He studied the rest of the transmission, and then sent the appropriate reply. * * * U.S.S. TUCKERMAN Ben studied the readout for a minute and then shouted, "Tactical, scan co-ordinates 0213.6 and lock on to whatever you find there". The bemused officer immediately directed his scans to the specified co-ordinates, sat straight up in surprise and said "We're detecting a weak signal in the 2100 ghz band ... attempting to lock on to it ... " his fingers literally flying over his console he all but jumped out of his seat saying "Got it! We have a positive lock!" Gregg didn't hesitate for an instant, "Fire all bearing phasers and assume a pursuit course relative to that signal. As soon as we get within 80,000 kilometres, launch a type-I drone. When we within 6,500 km, let 'em have it with photons and all remaining phasers, then move off to rearm -- best possible speed." Watching Gregg act on his information, Ben suddenly felt more confident then he had in years. He was in his element, using a hidden intelligence asset in a real-life (and death) situation, he was almost overcome with adrenaline. They were rewarded with a brilliant flash of light from the view screen. "Phasers firing, direct hit on ... on something sir. Sensors indicate almost maximum distribution of phaser energy consistent with impact against cruiser size shields. Launching drone ... now, coming about to 030, closing now to 70,000 kilometres." "Very well, maintain pursuit." Gregg replied, shooting Ben a "How did you do that?" expression. Ben simply smiled. * * * FH-K FRIGHTFUL "Damage report!" yelled Va'Tuk, still shocked by the sudden rocking of his ship. "Heavy damage to our number 5 shield from enemy phaser fire." "How could they have hit us with phasers, I thought you said we broke their lock-on when we cloaked?" Va'Tuk demanded. The officer, though visibly shaken calmly replied, "We did sir! They have somehow regained lock-on, I have no explanation as to how. Target is turning towards our position, they've launched a drone." "Alter course, come right 90 degrees." spat Va'Tuk gripping the arms of his chair. "Coming to course 140 ... target turning to pursue, they're continuing to close commander." "Impossible!", shouted Va'Tuk slamming the button on his comm. panel, "Engineering this is the bridge, confirm that cloaking device is functioning properly." "Engineering here, all instruments show cloak to be functioning within specified parameters." came the reply. Va'Tuk considered that for a moment, closed the comm. channel and then approached Robert's station. "Robutin, " he said, "I want you to scan the ship for any unauthorised emissions which may have enabled the Federation vessel to regain a lock-on. Notify me the instant you detect anything out of the ordinary. We need to determine it's source and eliminate it as soon as possible." "My honour is to obey commander." was Robert's outward reply. Inwardly he was smiling as he thought to himself, "We'll just see about that." * * * U.S.S. TUCKERMAN "Range now 6,000 kilometres, sensors detect drone impact ..." a bright flash of light confirmed the officers report, "... firing photon's and phasers ... Damn! we only got hits from two photons, good damage from phasers though, I estimate moderate damage to internal hull. Feedback caused minor damage to our number one shield." The weapons officer was trembling with excitement as he issued his report. Gregg put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said "Great job lieutenant, now start rearming those photons and get ready for the next volley." He turned back to his seat and ordered "Helm, take us away from the Romulan while we rearm, best possible speed." "Aye sir!" came the reply. Gregg turned to give Ben a reassuring smile but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ben staring at his console with a horrified look on his face. "Admiral, what is it?" he whispered. Ben turned towards him with an inexplicable tear in his eye and replied "I've lost him." Gregg just stared uncomprehendingly and finally asked "Lost who?" * * * FH-K FRIGHTFUL Robert absently wiped his arm across his forehead. He almost screamed when he saw the dark red stain on his sleeve. Not because he was hurt, but because he knew he'd be dead if the Romulans saw his red blood. He turned as best as he could to keep his face and right arm out of the sight of the rest of the bridge crew. Fortunately, they were all too busy to pay him any attention. Two men had been killed when the bridge was hit. He himself was thrown into his console, cutting his head, when the photons detonated. "Robutin!" shouted Va'Tuk. "Yes sir?" he replied, not looking away from his instruments. "Have you detected any anomalous emissions lieutenant?" he asked. "No sir, not yet." Robert replied, hoping the captain didn't come over and notice the blood stain on the console. "Sir!" the shout came from the communications officer. "Yes what it?" grunted Va'Tuk, dusting off his command chair before sitting down in it. "I was debating on whether or not to mention this sir, but I've been receiving intermittent signals from the Federation vessel in the high microwave bands" the nervous officer stated. "And ...? " prompted Va'Tuk. "The signals are a narrow beam transmission, directed at our vessel captain. I've managed to record some of it sir. Shall I play it for you?" "On audio lieutenant." said Va'Tuk, leaning forward in his chair as if that would help him hear better. Robert felt a chill travel up his spine as they listened to the garbled recording. "I'm going to be caught." he thought. "All those years of training, and then posing as a Romulan, eating their disgusting food... wasted, for nothing." Then he had a sudden insight. "Captain!" he croaked, cursing himself for allowing his fear to overcome him. If Va'Tuk noticed it he didn't comment on it, instead he simply asked "You find something Robutin?". Robert pretended to be intent on his instruments and answered "Not exactly sir, however, I do have some experience with Federation encryption algorithms. I might be able to interpret these signals but I'll need to use the signal processing computers in science lab 2. Request permission to leave the bridge sir." He sat trembling, praying Va'Tuk didn't ask him to turn around. He almost sighed audibly when Va'Tuk replied "Very well, you may proceed lieutenant. Keep me informed of your progress." "My honour is to obey commander" Robert heard himself saying. He was half way to the turbo lift when Va'Tuk said "Lieutenant Bra'tah, accompany Lieutenant Robutin and offer any assistance you can." The communications officer nodded and proceeded with Robert into the turbo lift. When the doors closed, Bra'Tah smiled and said, "Don't worry, we'll figure it out....". He stopped and stared at Roberts forehead for a second. His gaze moved to Roberts eyes as he reached for his dagger. He was an instant too late as Robert thrusted his own blade into the Romulans throat. Robert removed the knife as green blood oozed from the wound. The man clenched Robert's arms, a look of shock on his face as his mouth worked, gasping for breath. Robert watched the life slowly drain out of him, then eased his limp body onto the floor of the lift. He smeared his victims green blood over his forehead and shirt sleeve hoping to cover his own blood stains and then draped Bra'Tahs' arm over his shoulder and pulled him to his feet. He held him as the turbo lift doors opened, admitting a couple of Romulan officers. "I've got to get this man to medical immediately he said, he's been injured. They nodded understanding as he dragged the limp body into the hallway. * * * U.S.S. TUCKERMAN "A spy?" Gregg whispered. "An operative." replied Ben, stroking his bad hand, "We've got a few of them. This one just got transferred to the Frightful last week. He's been working his way up through the ranks of the Romulan military for nearly twelve years.", he looked Gregg in the eyes, a tear glistening in his and in a barely audible whisper said, "I recruited him Gregg." "Twelve years?" ask Gregg, genuinely surprised, "How'd he stay undetected for so long?" "We've never activated him until now, " Ben snorted. "These guys just blend in and live as Romulans until we deem a situation warrants their activation. I felt this was one of those situations. I hope I was right.", he looked away, his eyes showing his doubt, his guilt. Gregg laid a reassuring hand on Ben's shoulder and said, "It was a tense situation Ben, you were faced with a tough choice, and you made the decision you thought was right. Don't beat yourself up over it. Besides, you may have saved our lives." Ben nodded but said nothing. * * * FH-K FRIGHTFUL Robert calmly slipped into the hallway, into the bustle of activity as crewman went about the business of operating a war ship in combat. He tried not to think about how slim his chances of surviving were. Right now he had other concerns beyond saving his own life. He knew the battle was far from over and that the outcome was still undecided. He had provided the Tuckerman with an opportunity to strike while the Frightful was cloaked but soon the Romulans would retaliate. Now that their plasma torps were rearmed, they would simply manoeuvre into a favourable firing position, uncloak, and the battle would be joined in earnest. He needed to do something that would tip the battle in favour of his friends. A sign on the door to his left caught his attention. CLOAKING GENERATOR, AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY. "Yeah, the cloak.", he thought, "That's the ticket". His signal had given the Tuckerman a point of reference with which to establish a lock-on, but even so, photons and phasers were only marginally effective against a cloaked vessel. If he could disable the cloak, the Tuckerman would have a window in which to strike before the Romulans fire control became active. He drew his disrupter and entered the room. * * * U.S.S. TUCKERMAN Gregg was pacing. They had lost they're lock-on shortly after they lost contact with "Visitor". He knew the Romulan was out there, probably damaged, but to what extent he had no idea. He was sure the Romulans had rearmed their plasma launchers by now and were probably attempting to manoeuvre behind the Tuckerman before uncloaking. The battle had become a waiting game, and Gregg didn't like it. The science officer confirmed that the wait was over when he announced, "Sir, Romulan decloaking, 20 degrees off the port bow, in arc of our photons". "That's crazy!" Gregg laughed, then without a hint of humour he shouted "Fire all photons and every phaser that bears. Overload the photons with batteries if you can. When all weapons have fired, turn away and launch a drone." He turned to Ben and smiled adding, "That should keep 'em busy for a while." * * * FH-K FRIGHTFUL The bridge rocked violently with the impact. Va'Tuk was barely able to avoid being thrown from his seat. "What happened?" he demanded. "There's been a malfunction in the cloaking device sir. We've suffered heavy damage from photon torpedoes and phasers. " came the ominous reply. "Damage report?" he barked. "Severe damage to warp engines, most of our phasers are off-line. We've lost one plasma launcher and all of our batteries. We ...", He paused, cocking his head slightly as he listened to reports in his ear-piece, then_ added, "I also have reports of damage to tractor beam one and auxiliary control. We're still receiving reports of damage and casualties from all stations commander." The news rocked Va'Tuk. He strode over to the science station screaming, "What the hell happened to the cloaking device? Why did it cease functioning?" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the red blood stains on the console. "What's this?", he mumbled. Spinning around, he grabbed a nearby medic by the arm and shouted, "Analyse these stains, I want to know what substance this is." The medical officer began scanning the console with his tricorder. After a few seconds he stopped, scrunched up his forehead, made some adjustments and then scanned the console a second time. "Well?" Va'Tuk prompted. The medic looked up with an incredulous expression and said "It's Terran blood commander." The bridge suddenly became silent. Everyone watched Va'Tuk with anxious expressions while he contemplated what he'd heard. Suddenly he sprang into action. "Notify security we have a spy on board. Tell them to apprehend Lt. Robutin at once. He may be in the vicinity of the cloaking device and is to be considered armed and dangerous." He strode to his command chair and added, "He may try to escape in a shuttle craft. Have security post guards in the shuttle bay. Make sure they set their weapons on the stun setting. I want to take him alive if we can." The bridge erupted with a chorus of "My honour is to obey commander" as Va'Tuk sat down and turned his attention back to the view screen and the receding form of the Tuckerman. "As soon as our fire control is back on line, fire a salvo of plasma at the Federation bastards" he barked. He was instantly rewarded with the sight of 4 glowing green balls of plasma rocketing towards his enemy. * * * U.S.S. TUCKERMAN Gregg and Ben watched the fiery image of the Frightful on the view screen. The phasers and photons had blasted a sizeable hole in the massive cruiser. According to the sensor readings, the Frightful was seriously low on power and most of their phasers had been knocked out. Then he saw the torps. His weapons officer was quicker on the draw and said "Shall we weasel sir?" Gregg shook his head and said, "Negative, I don't want to sacrifice the speed. Keep us moving away from those torps helm.". He squinted at the view screen studying the torps and added, "We'll use our aft phasers to whittle down the big ones before they hit." About 15 seconds later, two arcs of phaser fire sliced into one of the larger torps, reducing the strength of the warhead by about 50%. Moments later they slammed into the Tuckermans rear. The ship rocked with the blow, the bucking floor of the bridge threatened to knock Gregg off his feet. The lights on the bridge flickered and went out, followed shortly thereafter by the eerie red glow of the emergency lights. "Damage report?" Greg snapped automatically. The communications officer immediately began rattling off a concise list of damaged systems. "Our number four shield has been destroyed, moderate damage to warp and impulse engines. Number two AWR is off-line. All rear firing phasers are gone and we've lost half our batteries. Science section reports damage to labs and probe launcher." Gregg grimaced and said, "Not too bad, considering what we did to them. I'll take that exchange any day of the week.", then changing the subject said, "Maintain present course and speed until our photons and phasers are rearmed. Then bring us back around for another pass." He stole a look at Ben and saw he was intently monitoring his console, undoubtedly hoping for a signal from "Visitor". Gregg resisted the impulse to go console his friend and returned his attention to the view screen where the Frightful was licking her wounds, trying futility to creep away from its inevitable destruction. * * * FH-K FRIGHTFUL Robert slowly crept away from the hanger bay. He wasn't surprised to see guards posted in front of it. "They must have found the blood stains.", he thought. "Well, Robert...", he mused, "it looks like you're gonna have to find another way off this God forsaken barge." He wandered the corridors for several minutes, with no clear idea of where he was going when he saw a sign for transporter room two. Smiling he drew his disrupter from his belt and opened the door. A startled transporter chief yanked his feet from off the console and awkwardly stood up. The poor fellow offered a clumsy salute and asked if he could be of service when Robert stuck the disrupter in his ribs and said, "As a matter of fact you can." * * * U.S.S. TUCKERMAN The Tuckerman was lumbering towards the stricken Firehawk. Gregg knew he could afford to attempt an overrun against the beleaguered vessel but he was trying to position himself on one of the damaged shields. Unfortunately, the Romulan was not co-operating. He was just considering giving the order to fire anyway when an unexpected shout from the communications station made him pause. "Sir, we're being hailed by someone on the Romulan vessel. He says he's a Federation operative and is requesting we drop our forward shield so he can beam over." Gregg looked at Ben and mouthed a silent question, "Well?" Ben was about to reply when the weapons officer shouted, "The Romulan is dropping his number three shield sir! Shall I fire?" "Ben, if we fire now we can destroy them", Gregg interjected, "but if we lower our shields to beam him over, we'll be putting everyone on this ship at risk. I can't permit that Ben, not while I'm in command." Ben looked from the weapons officer to Gregg, the indecision clearly showing on his face. Gregg hated to see him tormented like this, but his responsibility to his ship and crew were greater than his sympathy for his friend, or his compassion for a spy he'd never met. "Sir, we're receiving another hail from the Romulan.", came the voice of the communications officer, "He says he can't keep the shield down much longer and claims it's urgent we beam him off now." Ben looked mournfully at the image of the Frightful on the view screen for a moment and finally said, put him on audio lieutenant, I want to talk to him." * * * FH-K FRIGHTFUL "Where's it coming from?" demanded Va'Tuk, his knuckles white as he gripped the arms of his chair. "Transporter room two sir!" came the reply. Va'Tuk jumped to his feet and shouted, "I want a security detail in transporter room two immediately!". Without realising he was doing it he started pacing around the bridge, mumbling to himself. "My shields are down. I've got a Federation spy on board my ship. I'm facing probable destruction at the hands of an inferior vessel and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it!" He stopped suddenly and said, "The Federation ship may try to recover their spy. They'll have to drop their facing shield to do so. I want you to be ready to fire phasers the moment they do. And bolt any plasma we have left." He returned to his seat and sat down saying, "We might just get out of this yet." * * * U.S.S. TUCKERMAN "I'm sorry Robert, we can't put this ship at risk by lowering our shields. ", Ben was struggling to get the words out, his face contorting as he fought back the tears. "You were like a son to me Robert. I wish I could have done more. I'm sorry." There was a moments silence, then they heard Roberts reply, "I understand Admiral. Thanks for giving me a second chance on life. I owe you big time." A brief burst of static broke the momentary silence, then they heard Robert say, "I'll try to keep the shield down for a few more seconds Admiral. I suggest you take your shot and get out of here. Good bye Admiral ....", then ... silence. "He's stopped transmitting sir." reported the communications officer. Ben turned to Gregg and said, "God I wish I could have saved him.", tears freely flowing down his cheeks. Gregg nodded, put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said, "It sounds to me like you already did Ben." He then turned away and said, "Let's get this over with people, fire all weapons." He didn't even watch as the photons streaked across the void or the phasers sliced into the hull of the Romulan ship. He was vaguely aware of the brilliant flash from the view screen when the Frightful exploded. He eyes were fixed on the image of a broken man. A father who had condemned his son to death. He watched as Ben Warren walked slowly, mournfully off the bridge, into the turbo lift. The doors closed and Gregg turned away. He watched the remaining fragments of the Frightful tumble through space. He allowed himself a brief moment to offer up a silent prayer for Ben, then he walked back to his seat and gave the order to resume course to Truman's Colony. THE END The following is a scenario based on the previous fiction piece ( or is it the other way around???) (SPGB1.0) "When Blood Is Thicker" (Y179) by Greg Bradburn, North Carolina A few years before the outbreak of the General War, the Federation managed to infiltrate a number of spies into the Romulan Star Empire. These were fanatically loyal individuals who submitted to cosmetic surgery to alter their appearance and underwent years of training to enable them to pass as genuine Romulans. They then managed to work their way up through the military infrastructure until they were able to obtain positions which provided them with either influence or accessibility to key systems and personnel. After obtaining these positions, they would serve as normal Romulans until they were "activated" by their contacts in the Federation. One of these agents, had obtained a position as a bridge officer aboard the FH-K "Frightful". His code name was "Visitor". This scenario pits a Federation CC+ against a Romulan FH-K. Finding himself outgunned, the commander of the CC+ decides to activate the spy that he knows is on board the FH-K in an attempt to gain an advantage. (SPGB1.1) NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2; The Romulan player and the Federation player. (SPGB1.2) INITIAL SETUP ROMULAN: FH-K Frightful in 0502 heading C, speed 12, WS-II FEDERATION: CC+ Tuckerman in 1629 heading A, speed 16, WS-III. The G rack on the CC+ is assumed to be loaded with type VI, medium speed (20) dogfight drones. They can be speeded up with commanders option points. It also has the AWR refit. The Fed player may exchange up to 3 pairs of drones for type IV's. No more then one type IV may be loaded in the rack initially. The rest must be in the reloads. Assume year Y179 for drone availability. (SPGB1.3) LENGTH OF SCENARIO: The scenario continues until all forces belonging to one side have been destroyed, captured, or have disengaged. (SPGB1.4) SPECIAL RULES (SPGB1.41) MAP: The map is fixed; it does not float. Any unit leaving the map has disengaged and cannot return. The Romulan units can only disengage from the 01xx map edge. Because of the nature of their mission, the Federation units can also only disengage from the 01xx map edge. Units which disengage in unauthorised areas are considered destroyed. (SPGB1.42) COMMANDER'S OPTION ITEMS (SPGB1.421) The Romulan player may purchase additional or special equipment as Commander's Option Items (e.g., T-bombs, extra marines, etc.) up to 20% of its Combat BPV. (SPGB1.422) The Federation player may purchase additional or special equipment as Commander's Option Items (e.g., T-bombs, extra marines, drone upgrades, etc.) up to 20% of its Combat BPV. (SPGB1.43) FEDERATION SPY The Federation player has a spy aboard the Frightful. This spy is a member of the bridge crew and has access to all vital information concerning the ships operation. Once every 8 impulses, the Federation player may choose to attempt to obtain information from the spy. This can be any information about the ship, it's power systems, weapons, etc. The question must be one that can be answered with either a "Yes", "No" response or a number. For example: "Is that F torp real or pseudo?", "How much power do you have allocated to tractor?", "Do you have a suicide shuttle prepared?", "How much power did you allocate towards arming that S launcher?", "How much damage potential does that volley of plasma represent?" (i.e. "How much of that plasma is real?"). Note that you cannot obtain specific info about more than one item in a given question. For example, you can ask "Is that S torp real?" but you cannot ask "Which of those 5 torps are real and which are pseudo?" Whenever the Federation player attempts to use the spy, the Romulan player (or the moderator) must consult table SPGB1.431 to determine the result. This table uses a regular deck of playing cards so the Romulan player or moderator can generate the result in secret while retaining "proof" of the outcome. If successful, the Romulan player (or the moderator) immediately reveals the information to the Fed player. As an added benefit, a successful spy attempt automatically grants the Fed player lock-on to FH-K when cloaked. If using a moderator in a play-by-mail game, the data should be revealed to the Fed player in secret by the moderator (the Romulan player has no idea the exchange occurred). If the attempt was unsuccessful, the Federation player is simply told that there is no response from the spy. He doesn't know if the spy was captured, killed or just wasn't able to get a message out. If the spy was captured (by drawing a queen or a red ace), it is assumed that the Romulans managed to coax enough information out of him to successfully feed the Feds disinformation. In the event this occurs, the Romulan player can simply lie whenever the Fed player uses the spy. Of course, sooner or later, the Fed player will realise you've been lying to him (assuming he's not space dust by this time). If the spy is killed, the Romulan player has the option of either notifying the Fed player of the death ("We've killed your spy you federation filth!") or keeping it a secret. If the Fed player is not notified, continue to draw cards each time an attempt to use the spy is made but announce that the attempt failed (regardless of the actual card drawn). (SPGB1.431) SPY QUERY RESULT TABLE: Use a regular deck of playing cards. Remove the jokers and thoroughly shuffle the deck before the game begins. Each time the Federation player attempts to use the spy to obtain information, draw a card at random from the deck. The card should not be revealed to the Federation player until after the game. Using the chart below, locate the card that was drawn and look at the corresponding action to determine the result. Card drawn Result 2-9, any suit Successful, information sent, undetected by the Romulans. Any 10 Attempt failed, NO information sent. Spy is still on bridge but was unable to respond to the query. Jack, any suit Successful, information sent, detected by the Romulans, spy evades capture and is loose on Romulan ship (SPG1.432). Any queen Successful, information sent, detected by the Romulans, spy captured. (Shhhh, don't tell Fed player). Any king Successful, information sent, detected by the Romulans, spy killed. Any red ace Attempt failed, NO information sent, spy captured. Any black ace Attempt failed, NO information sent, spy killed. (SPGB1.432) SPY LOOSE ON ROMULAN SHIP: If the spy gets loose in the ship(by drawing a jack), he's effectively running for his life and is no longer privy to sensitive data. As a result, he cannot be used to obtain further information or perform hit-and-run raids (see exception below). All such attempts will be met with silence (as if he'd been killed). At the end of each turn, roll two d6 and consult the following table to determine what happened to the spy. Die Roll Result 2 Spy escapes in a shuttle craft, speed and heading specified by Fed player. The Fed player controls all movement and operation of the shuttle. If there are no admin shuttles available, the spy is assumed to have made it to a transporter room, subdued any guards and dropped a screen facing the Federation ship. If there are working transporters and energy to power them (including reserve power) he will beam himself up to five hexes from the Romulan ship (he's obviously wearing a pressure suit). Place a counter to mark his position. He can be killed by any weapon that would kill a shuttle. He will die if tractored even if the ship isn't moving. While the spy is in space, he is protected by 3 points of natural ECM (because he's so small). If there are no transporters available, he will wait there for the Fed player to beam him off the ship. If this does not occur within 8 impulses, the Romulan player can raise the shield and the spy is assumed to have been killed. 3-4 Spy captured. 5-9 Spy still at large. 10-11 Spy killed. 12 Sabotage. The Fed player may have the spy attempt a hit-and-run raid on the system of his choice (SPGB1.435). On results where the spy is undetected, the spy is still at large on the Romulan ship. (SPGB1.433) RECOVERING THE SPY (SPGB1.433.1)The spy can be beamed off the ship during the transporter activity segment of any impulse assuming he's alive and uncaptured and the Romulan ship is in transporter range with facing down screens on both ships. (SPGB1.433.2) If the spy escapes in a shuttle craft, he can be recovered using standard shuttle rules. (SPGB1.433.3) If the spy beams himself off the Romulan ship and into space, the Federation player can power a transporter and retrieve him assuming they are within 5 hexes of his position with a down screen facing him. (SPGB1.433.4) After the spy is recovered, the Fed's can pick his brain for one more piece of information. This final question must be asked before the end of the turn in which he was recovered and cannot be within 8 impulses of the previous question. (SPGB1.434) SPY KILLED FROM INTERNAL DAMAGE Use the legendary officers rules (G22.134) to determine if the spy is killed when the Romulan ship takes internal damage. If the die roll results in the spy being injured, he is taken to sick-bay where they discover he's human, and thus captured. Note: this only applies to bridge hits and is ignored if the spy is loose in the ship. (SPGB1.435) SPY USED FOR HIT-AND-RUN RAIDS The Fed player may use the spy to attempt hit-and-run raids. These attempts may only be performed once per turn and cannot be within 8 impulses of a query attempt. To perform the hit-and-run raid, have the Fed player select the system he is targeting, roll a d6 and consult the following chart (ignore any guards since he's attempting to sabotage the system remotely from the bridge). All other standard hit-and-run rules apply. (SPGB1.435.1) SPY HIT-AND-RUN TABLE Die Roll Result 1-2 Sabotage successful, spy undetected. 3-4 Sabotage attempt failed, spy undetected. 5 Sabotage successful, spy is detected and killed. 6 Sabotage attempt failed, spy is killed. (SPGB1.44) REFITS are as provided in the scenario set up, no additional refits may be purchased as Commander's Options. (SPGB1.5) VICTORY CONDITIONS: Use Standard Victory Conditions. (SPGB1.51) Romulan, add 10% if the spy is captured or killed (don't count if spy died as a result of the Romulan ship's explosion). (SPGB1.52) Federation, add 25% if the spy is successfully recovered. (SPGB1.53) Federation, add 10% if the Romulan never detects the spy. (SPGB1.6) VARIATIONS (SPGB1.61) The scenario can also be played between Lyran and Kzinti players. Replace the Fed CC+ with a Lyran CA. Replace the Romulan FH-K with a Kzinti BC (all drones are fast [speed 32]). The spy belongs to the Lyrans and is posing as a Kzinti science officer. (SPGB1.62) Other races ships can be substituted provided the side without the spy is given an advantage of approximately 20-30 BPV points. These races were chosen for this scenario for the believability factor (it's feasible that a Human could pass a Romulan, or a Lyran could pass a Kzinti). (SPGB1.7) BALANCE: The scenario can be balanced in favour of the Fed player by making one or more of the following changes: (SPGB1.71) Replace the FH-K with a KE. (SPGB1.72) Assume that the first 3 attempts to use the spy for information are successful (e.g. don't draw a card). (SPGB1.8) TACTICS: (SPGB1.81) FEDERATION: Don't use your spy for trivial or non-essential data or for information that you could retrieve from other sources (i.e. labs, tac-intel). Don't rely too much on information obtained after several spy attempts as he may have been captured. Try to recover the spy. He'll add a whopping 25% to your victory points if you do. (SPGB1.82) ROMULAN: Don't cloak if you can avoid it. The spy can almost guarantee the Fed a lock-on and he's got drones in that G rack. Try to minimise the impact of any data the Fed player could get from the spy (e.g. don't launch PPT's early in the game). THE END ______________________________________________________________________________ Game Reports ______________________________________________________________________________ ***** G22 ***** Players: ATTLEMIDRM 76167,336 Marty Hughes 74170,3072 Moderator: Seeker of Knowledge 74227,1662 After 4 turns of fighting, both sides taking shield damage and the Klingon (Marty Hughes) taking 11 internals, the Klingon decides to disengage. He does so because tired of following the Fed player (Aatlemidrm) around the board and waiting for the Moderator to get off his tail and perform the turns. Aatlemidrm gets a Decisive Victory and gains 6 points promoting him to Leut. Marty Hughes gets a Crushing Defeat (If only you had gotten internals) but gains 1 point promoting him to Lt. JG as his loss was through no fault of his own. Seeker of Knowledge loses -2 points for causing delays in the game unnecessarily and not posting turn results promptly. Congratulations to all players and a "Naughty Kitty" for the Moderator. Seeker ***** G28 ***** Players: Greg Bradburn 72657,2203 Flying Gerbil 71520,1115 Moderator: The Doctor 71202,431 Due to The Doctor dropping all moderation duties and the fact that Flying Gerbil has gone missing, I'm calling G28 as finished. After consultation with Greg Bradburn, I'm going to call this game a draw. This gives the following Victory Points: Greg Bradburn (Fed DD) gains 2 points giving him 21 points total Flying Gerbil (Rom WER) gains 2 points giving him 6 points total Moderator The Doctor gains no points ( points declined ) giving him 43 points total. Congrats to all players. Seeker ***** G30 ***** Players: Cdr Greg Bradburn 72657,2203 Lt JG Bob Eldridge Moderator: Cdt Steven W Rushing After 4 turns of battling, the Tournament battle between Orion Greg Bradburn and Romulan Bob Eldridge has finished. After taking 32 points of internals from a Phaser barrage, an OL-Disruptor and an OL-Hellbore, the Romulan TC concedes. This gives the following Victory Points (using Tournament points): Greg Bradburn (Orion TCC) gains 3 points giving him 24 points total. Bob Eldridge (Rom TCC) loses 1 point giving him 1 points total and a reduction in rank to Ensign. Moderator Steven Rushing gains 1 point giving him 1 points total and a promotion in rank to Ensign. ***** G33 ***** Players: Lt Comdr. Seeker of Knowledge 74227,1662 Cdt Donald Shelly 74351,1515 Moderator: Comdr. Gregory Bradburn Turn 3 Imp 10 F Fed CA - 2514E Speed 17 K Klingon D7 - 2520B Speed 15 d1 Drones #1-#2 - 2416B Speed 20 Movement Imp F K d1 --- ----- ----- ----- 10 2514E 2416B Actions: Imp Activity --- -------------------------------------------------- 10 Fed uses 2 labs to ID drones #1-2 (rolled 5,6). Both are identified as type-I drones. Klingon fires two phaser-I's (#1,2) at the Fed CA. The phasers do 6 points of damage, all internal. See weapons fire below for details. Weapon fire result: 2 Phaser I's, Range=6, Shift=0 1 Roll=3 Hit for 3 points of damage 2 Roll=2 Hit for 3 points of damage Total Damage = 6 Volley of 6 internals to Fed CA Forward Hull 2 Phaser 2 Torpedo 1 Transporter 1 This is a break for both players New SOP's due A.S.A.P. ***** G34 ***** G34: White Fang (Klingon) vs Vince Weibert (Wyn) Commander Gregory A. Bradburn - Moderator Turn 1 Imp 17 K Klingon D7CT - 2519A Speed 21 W Wyn TCA - 1306D Speed 15 Movement Imp K W --- ----- ----- 09 1504D 10 2524A 11 2523A 1404D 12 13 2522A 1405D 14 2521A 15 1306D 16 2520A 17 2519A Wyn break conditions met New Wyn SOP due A.S.A.P._ ***** G35 ***** Players: Lt JG White Fang 73614,1331 Cdt CatWhoWalksInFire 72122,1151 Situation Rept Klingon D7CT Darkslayer v Kzinti TCC Pride of the North Turn 1 Impulse 32 Movement Klingon D7 Begin 2515C spd 21 / Move 1C,1B,SSA / End 2614B Klingon Drone Swarm ( 6 drones ) Begin 2012C spd 20 / Move 3C / End 2314C Klingon Shuttles Shuttle A: Inert in hex 1811 Shuttle B: Begin 2012C / Move 1C / End2113C Shuttle C&D: Begin 2114C / Move 1C / End 2214C Kzinti CC Begin 2523F spd 12 / Move 2A / End 2521A Kzinti Drone Swarms #1 ( 6drones ): Begin 2519A / Move 1A,SSB,1A / End 2616A #2 ( 4drones ): Begin 2620A / Move 3A / End 2617A Kzinti Shuttle: Inert in hex 2625 Impulse Activity Impulse 29: Klingon fires 2xPH-2 ( #8,9 ) at Kzin, rng 7, sh 2, ( 5pts ); shield reduced to 2 boxes Turn 1 completed. Please complete your Turn 2 SOPs and return them. ***** G37 ***** Players: Paul Watson 100115,3674 Steve Walton UID Unknown Moderator: Vince Weibert Here Ye, Here Ye. Game 37 will be a basic duel between Paul Watson flying a Fed CA+ and Steve Walton flying a Klingon D7k+. The year will be Y175 so this means speed 20 drones. At the request of the players we will not be using the following rules; 1. EW ( or anything related to it including Erratic Manoeuvres, ECM drones, etc ) 2. Special shuttles ( scatterpacks, suicides, etc ) a. let me know if you want exceptions such as wild weasels 3. Special drones ( all drones will be either IM or IVM ) 4. Starship to starship tractoring ( you can still tractor drones and shuttles ) 5. Commanders options ( no T-bombs, etc ) 6. Marines 7. Any "optional rules" We will be using, among other things; 1. Manoeuvre ( HET, Tacs, Mid turn speed changes ) 2. ADDs 3. UIM If there's anything I forgot to add or delete, or if you want to change anything, let me know. Paul will start in hex 1701 facing dir D Steve will start in hex 2530 facing dir A Please complete your first turn EAF and return it to me with your drone loadouts ASAP. I will help you guys along as need be. Vince W ______________________________________________________________________________ END OF GAME REPORTS If anything has been omitted from these reports, it is the fault of the editor, not the moderator.......if any moderator has a comment on the layout or possible ideas for uniform game reports, please post it in forum 11 for general discussion..... Thankyou Col Hamwood 100241,752 ______________________________________________________________________________ Q & A This will be a regular section to let us all get to know each other a little better..... I thought we'd start with Seeker of Knowledge, Logistics Officer of the Compuserve Star Fleet Battle Force.....read on..... This Kzinti stormed down the stairs, his black cloak streaming behind him. At the bottom of the stairs stands a Human dressed in a strange uniform. "Ok, Who are you to disturb my rest," growled the Kzin. "Umm.. I'm the reporter from Commander's Brief, Seeker of Knowledge. I'm here to interview you for your Biography?" A second Kzin hurries up to Seeker and whispers something in his ear while he yells, "AND THIS IS A REASON TO..." He turns to the second Kzin, "Really?" The second Kzin nods, bows and hurries out of the room. "Hmm.. I guess I owe you an apology. You have an appointment that I have forgotten. You will take a seat?" The reporter wipes the sweat from his brow and sits in the indicated chair. "Can I ask you a few questions about yourself?" "Go ahead. That is why you are here." >>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Let's get serious here. You want to know about me. I can't figure out why but that's beside the point. Lets start with the facts. Name: Conrad Thonger Age: 25 years old Current Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (I live in a duplex and not in a Igloo as some people think. Don't blame me. I heard that from some friends that went to Florida for a week.) Occupation: I am a Computer Technologist (or so the diploma says) and currently I'm working as an Information Systems Assistant (draw your own conclusions as to what that means ) I started with computers with a Commodore Vic-20 and graduated up to Commodore 64. Most of the programs I wrote on the C-64 were to facilitate my new found hobby, Role Playing games. In 1988, I managed to work my way up to an IBM compatible computer. Programming this machine, made me realise that computers was where I wanted to be. I have to admit, I'm a newcomer to Star Fleet Battles. I've only been playing for about 3 years and not very well. I started when a friend invited me to watch a game. I was intrigued by the way the ships were represented and the way Energy Allocation was done. I went out and got the Commanders Edition and started playing (both SFB and Collect the Addenda). I'm still a role-player at heart. I don't play to the tactics of the situation. I try to put myself in the place of the captain of whatever race I'm playing (usually Kzin) and perform as the captain might. Usually , this loses me more battles than I win, but who cares... It's only a game (I'm no good at writing personal summaries like this. I prefer writing programs to things like this. That's why I'm in computers.) ______________________________________________________________________________ Well, that's it.....on a final note, don't forget our monthly conference..... WE had 12 people turn out for the last conference, We'd like to see that number increase. When is it? We hold our meetings on the first SATURDAY of each month at 9pm EST or 2am Sunday Greenwich Mean Time This months meeting is FEBRUARY 4th, 1995 at 9 pm EST (2:00 AM Sunday GMT) We hold it in Conference Room 11 of this Section. Join Us!! THIS MONTHS TOPICS: Promotions/Demotions: Who's going up in the world? General Discussions: What would you like to see from SFB? (both in the stores and here on Compuserve) My thanks to Seeker for his contributions and patience in compiling this edition.....any comment on any aspect of this brief, or just SFB in general, would be appreciated.....