You Are The Captain #8

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

You are the captain of a 23rd century mid-size training vessel attached to Starfleet Academy. Your ship is regularly crewed mostly by cadets, with a few seasoned officers.

You are given two choices for the location of your next mission.

The first option is the Hentour system, a star system with five planets. Hentour III is inhabited by a pre-warp civilization similar in development to Renaissance-era Earth. The other planets are inhospitable to most known forms of life, but evidence suggests there may be non-humanoid sentient lifeforms there. Starfleet has been aware of the system for 25 years, but has only sent unmanned probes thus far. The only other contact with the system was a lost civilian freighter that was believed destroyed three years ago nearby in an unpredictable violent solar storm.

The second option is the Spedicov system, consisting of six planets, one of which is a gas giant, none of which are known to have indigenous populations. The system was recently ceded to the Federation by the Oo'kar, a species who are believed to be allied with the Klingons, in exchange for rights to mine an asteroid field in Federation space. There have been rumors of Klingon ships patrolling the system, and it is suspected they may have a hidden base on Spedicov IV.

Rest assured that whatever mission you choose, the other will be carried out by another ship. Which mission would you select for your cadets and why?

 

[Dr Helen Noel]

Another great thought provoking thread!

I think this would depend on what the cadets are focusing on and which year they are in.

The first option seems like the easiest, with first contacts and chances to go in disguise to a pre-warp civilisation. However, the second would give opportunities for how to deal with hostile powerful ships, which is also necessary for cadets to learn.

I initially thought the first option was the obvious one, but I’m now leaning towards to second as it is the most difficult and it is more important to stay up to date with current tensions with the Klingons.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Does my assurance that the mission you don't choose will be handled by somebody take the punch out of the question?

 

[Nyotarules]

The first one.

 

[TRON JA307020]

You are the captain of a 23rd century mid-size training vessel attached to Starfleet Academy. Your ship is regularly crewed mostly by cadets, with a few seasoned officers.

You are given two choices for the location of your next mission.

The first option is the Hentour system, a star system with five planets. Hentour III is inhabited by a pre-warp civilization similar in development to Renaissance-era Earth. The other planets are inhospitable to most known forms of life, but evidence suggests there may be non-humanoid sentient lifeforms there. Starfleet has been aware of the system for 25 years, but has only sent unmanned probes thus far. The only other contact with the system was a lost civilian freighter that was believed destroyed three years ago nearby in an unpredictable violent solar storm.

The second option is the Spedicov system, consisting of six planets, one of which is a gas giant, none of which are known to have indigenous populations. The system was recently ceded to the Federation by the Oo'kar, a species who are believed to be allied with the Klingons, in exchange for rights to mine an asteroid field in Federation space. There have been rumors of Klingon ships patrolling the system, and it is suspected they may have a hidden base on Spedicov IV.

Rest assured that whatever mission you choose, the other will be carried out by another ship. Which mission would you select for your cadets and why?

Both situations have danger but I would go with the first one. The cadets would be too inexperienced to handle klingons just yet. Let them go on an exoloration mission first to get their space legs. Great scenarios Laura.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

The first one.

Any particular reason(s) why?

Let them go on an exoloration mission first to get their space legs.

This is their next mission, not necessarily their first.

 

[TRON JA307020]

Any particular reason(s) why?

This is their next mission, not necessarily their first.

Ah. Hmm. Ok. Maybe the 2nd one. Time for them to learn how to handle klingons. Lol

 

[Elias Vaughn]

23rd century? Yeah there's no way I'm risking a shipful of cadets on a run possibly against Klingons. First scenario all day every day.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

One might wonder why the first scenario has been approached with such caution for 25 years, though. It does seem a little long to hands-off monitor a system whose people have no communication tech capable of detecting your transmissions. Maybe there were just higher priorities than this particular project.

 

[Nyotarules]

Any particular reason(s) why?

This is their next mission, not necessarily their first.

I doubt any real life nation sends military cadets to areas where the enemy lurks. You don't want a DS9 Red Squad situation

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

At least an encounter with Klingons isn't an accidental first contact scenario.

 

[at Quark's]

At least an encounter with Klingons isn't an accidental first contact scenario.

If accidental first contacts are considered that serious (I mean, worse than potential combat with Klingons), why expose cadets to such a situation where it could happen at all?

Yes, they'd have to learn sooner or later, but perhaps in that case the pre-graduation phase is not the right moment for it, yet. Much like I would suppose you wouldn't let pre-graduate students in biomedic research work with biohazard level IV viruses.

 

[maneth]

The first one, absolutely. I wouldn't put cadets in a situation where they might have to engage the enemy, and even command a starship if all the seasoned officers were injured or killed.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

If you do choose the latter mission, it might be a good idea to make sure there's another ship nearby as backup if things go south. A plan B.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'm trying to get the pass the whole "chose your own mission" approach to ship assignments.

That aside. Both seem way above the "paygrade" of a training ship.

 

[at Quark's]

That aside. Both seem way above the "paygrade" of a training ship.

Probably, yes.

Even so, such training missions would at least be more interesting than the typical 'Study the behavior of self-sealing stem bolts and write a 30-page essay on these, including a 3-page evaluation about what you learned while doing this project' assignment Starfleet cadets would get.

 

[Nerys Myk]

A "more likely" situation would be the training cruise being accidentally drawn into either scenario with no other ship available.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I'm trying to get the pass the whole "chose your own mission" approach to ship assignments.

Pretend you're right up there with Kirk and Spock in terms of level of influence/trust.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Pretend you're right up there with Kirk and Spock in terms of level of influence/trust.

Even they didn't get that. Kirk had to beg to get out of a few missions (As in "Amok Time") Don't ever recall him being given a list to chose from.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Maybe someone owes you one.