My Life On Star Trek, Part 1: Tribune

(Recent events have got me reminiscing about the many years I spent role playing in several Star Trek RPG communities in the late 90s and early 00s, including SFOL, TFL, and Project Delta. I thought some of you might be interested in reading a summary of my lead character's experiences during those years. This will be a few parts long, but as a bonus, the last part will be the unwritten final chapter of Project Delta that's been rolling around my head for years. No, not the whole thing as I don't have the drive to write it any more, but at least a summary of what was supposed to happen and how I was planning to end the story.)



Tigs Syren was a half-Bajoran, half-human Starfleet commander, engineer, and pilot. He was born to a Bajoran woman and a Starfleet lieutenant, both of whom were killed when Tigs was very young. Tigs grew up during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, finding work as a weapons merchant during that time. In time Tigs decided to pursue a less dangerous way of life. He managed to get off planet and followed in his father's footsteps by joining Starfleet Academy.

During the Academy, Tigs met and befriended future wife and fellow cadet Josephine Skara. After both graduated with honors in engineering, their graduating officer assigned them both to the engineering department of the newly commissioned U.S.S. Tribune, just in time for its maiden voyage.

In close to a year served aboard the Tribune, Tigs ascended to the rank of lieutenant and was promoted to chief engineer. He also commanded and piloted one of several fighter shuttles deployed to the Tribune's complement. On a more personal level, Tigs' friendship with Josephine Skara blossomed into a romance, and the couple became engaged while aboard the Tribune.

Also during Tigs' tenure on the Tribune, Tigs began exhibiting unusual abilities, including telepathy and regenerative powers. These abilities were short-lived, as it was eventually discovered that his powers were temporarily bestowed upon him by the Q Continuum, which was hoping to use Tigs to infiltrate a species called the Becorites, who mistakenly believed Tigs was one of their progeny.

Life aboard the Tribune was not without tragedy. Tigs' foster sister, Kimberly Varol, was reported killed on Bajor (she would later be recovered from Maquis imprisonment). In addition, Crystal Labine, an old girlfriend from his time at Starfleet Academy, was murdered by engineer Philip Lavely in association with the Nova conspiracy, an attempt by a group of individuals to overthrow the Federation using new weapons research under cover of a starship design and development project. Captain Heule himself would later be implicated in this conspiracy, but was eventually exonerated of all charges.

Tigs' tenure on the Tribune was destined to be a short one. Almost a year after the Tribune's initial launch, a design flaw caused a warp core failure leading to the starship's destruction. After a brief retrofit assignment aboard the U.S.S. Danbury, Tigs was transferred to the Defiant-class U.S.S. Exodus, under the command of Captain Kiva Niedz. Also joining the Exodus were most of the Tribune's senior officers, including Tigs' fiance, Jo Skara.