Sam

ple

file

CAPTAIN’S LOG #40 — Date of Publication 16 November 2009 Page 1

STAR FLEET UNIVERSE CAPTAIN’S LOG #40

Moving ForwardThe logjam has broken!With the new die-cutting company doing

great, we have shipped many new products.Hydran Attack has continued the Federation

Commander series. Booster Pack #91 brings theclassic Franz Joseph ships that started every-thing into that game system.

Fighters, drones, plasma torpedoes, andshuttlecraft have been released for the Starline2400 miniatures range.

Prime Directive Klingons has been con-verted to the d20 Modern game rules.

Klingon Armada has added the first newgame engine to the Star Fleet Universe in years.

SFB Modules G3 and G3A have brought theannexes for that game up to date.

Not everything happened as planned. F&E2010, Federation Admiral, PD Federation, abunch of new minis, and Briefing #3 are still indevelopment and will appear in 2010.

CAPTAIN’S LOG STAFFPublisher .......................... Stephen V. Cole, PEManaging Editor .....................Steven P. PetrickBusiness Manager .................. Leanna M. ColeCustomer Service Director ....... Michael SparksGraphics Director ......................... Eric OlivarezDirector of Proofreading ................ Jean SextonStar Fleet Staff………John D. Berg, Chuck

Strong, Jeff Laikind, Gary Plana, ScottMoellmer, Mike Filsinger, Mike West, JohnSickels, Scott Tenhoff, Paul Franz, Tony L.Thomas, Frank Brooks, Mike Curtis.

Security Staff ................................ Ramses, IsisCover Art ...................................... Adam TurnerInterior Art .................................... See page 21.

PUBLISHER’S INFORMATIONCaptain’s Log #40 was created and pub-

lished by Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc., P.O. Box8759, Amarillo, TX 79114. Contact ADB, Inc. toorder spare parts (or to obtain a list), replace-ment of defective or missing parts, or anythingrelating to Star Fleet products. Include a stampedself-addressed envelope. Captain’s Log #40 iscopyright © 2009 Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc.;all rights are reserved under the Pan-American,International, and Berne Copyright Conventions.

All rules questions and submissions of newmaterial should be sent to ADB, Inc., Post OfficeBox 8759, Amarillo, TX 79114. Include a stampedself-addressed envelope if you wish a reply. Un-solicited submissions are accepted only underthe standard terms found in SFB Advanced Mis-sions and become the property of ADB, Inc. onreceipt; but authors are compensated if the itemis published. Others should inquire by letter.

No materials based on, for use with, or in-corporating elements of any Star Fleet Universeproducts may be published without permissionof ADB, Inc.

Elements of the Star Fleet Universeare the property of

Paramount Pictures Corporationand are used with their permission.

www.StarFleetGames.com

TABLE OF CONTENTSHISTORY

Nature of the Beast by Randy O. Green .................................................... 2Wildspace by Scott Moellmer................................................................... 10Developmental History: Heavy Superiority Fighters (Part V) ................... 18

COMMUNICATIONSCommunications Center .......................................................................... 19Top 10 Things; Ten Questions ................................................................. 20Star Fleet Awards ..................................................................................... 21After-Action Reports; Command the Future ............................................ 22Input Guide: Using Commas like a Pro by Jean Sexton .......................... 24Starline 2400 Miniatures: Fighters! .......................................................... 25To Ask the Question: Why? ...................................................................... 26Proposals Board ...................................................................................... 27

FEDERATION COMMANDERFEDERATION COMMANDERFEDERATION COMMANDERFEDERATION COMMANDERFEDERATION COMMANDERCommunique ........................................................................................... 28Play-by-Email; FC Online......................................................................... 29Command At Origins 2007 by Paul Scott ................................................ 30Old Galaxy Pirates ................................................................................... 32Simulator Empires: The Frax by Mike West ............................................. 33Playing FC in Real Time via Instant Messaging by Tony Cutcliffe ........... 34Command Notes ...................................................................................... 36Borders of Madness: SFGs by Mike West ............................................... 37New Scenarios for Federation Commander ............................................ 38

SFB SCENARIOSSL282 Space Manta ................................................................................ 40SL283 Wildspace ..................................................................................... 42SL284 Extra-Galactic Intruder ................................................................. 43SL285 Conquest’s Gate ........................................................................... 44SL286 Here today; Gone...? .................................................................... 47SL287 Local Defense .............................................................................. 48

SFB DATABASEMonster Special Rules: SM12 Starswarm ............................................... 50Brothers of the Anarchist XX: Romulan vs. Lyran .................................... 53Update: S8 Patrol Scenarios by Steven P. Petrick ................................... 54Ask Admiral Growler by Mike Filsinger .................................................... 62Background Questions ............................................................................ 66

SFB TACTICSVictory at Origins 2008 by Paul Scott ...................................................... 67Tactical Primer: Triaxians by Scott Moellmer ........................................... 78Term Papers ............................................................................................. 79Battlegroup: Extra-Galactic Intruder ........................................................ 81

STAR FLEET VENUESStarfleet Command .................................................................................. 86Star Fleet Warlord: Update by Paul Franz ............................................... 86iPhone Games ......................................................................................... 86Star Fleet Battles Online by Paul Franz ................................................... 87Play SFB by E-mail by Frank Brooks ....................................................... 87Galactic Conquest: Universes 4 & 5 by Jean Sexton .............................. 88Prime Directive: Klingon Imperial Line ..................................................... 89Starmada, Klingon Armada ...................................................................... 90Star Fleet Battle Force: Terrain Cards ..................................................... 92

FEDERATION & EMPIRENews: F&E 2010 ...................................................................................... 93Questions & Answers by Mike Curtis ....................................................... 94Tactical Notes ........................................................................................... 96Proposals Board ...................................................................................... 98Why .......................................................................................................... 99New Ships: Ship Information Table .......................................................... 99

SHIPYARDShipyard Report ..................................................................................... 100New Ships for SFB, FC, Klingon Armada .............................................. 103

Sam

ple

file

Page 2 CAPTAIN’S LOG #40

STAR FLEET UNIVERSEHISTORY

STAR FLEET HISTORYNATURE OF THE BEAST

by Randy O. Green

Bridge, GVX U.S.S. Field Marshall Colin Powell

Captain Win Folomar relaxed in his command chair, observ-ing his Bridge crew work with quiet competence. Absently, hedrained the first cup of coffee of the shift, the taste of the arabicabean blend that he preferred lingering in his mouth. As far as hewas concerned, coffee was the best thing that humans had tooffer the rest of the civilized species in the United Federation ofPlanets. He placed the empty cup carefully on the arm of thechair and turned his attention to the ship status display reportsmanifested on the PADD in his lap. He knew that the cup wouldbe miraculously replaced with a fresh, full, steaming cup as soonas he appeared sufficiently engrossed in the daily business ofrunning the ship.

But it was not to be. It was the third “morning” of their surveyof the Cotton Candy nebula and the wondrous views that playedacross the ship’s main view screen kept drawing his attentionaway from the PADD. The hazy image displayed on the screenwas backlit by dozens of stars buried within the nebula. The ship’sslow movement as it surveyed the nebula brought new wavesand shapes of ionized gas into view every few seconds. Classi-fied as an emission nebula, this H-II region of space was over200 light-years across. Scientific curiosity aside, the nebula wasone of the prettiest areas of space the crew of the U.S.S FieldMarshall Colin Powell had ever had the pleasure to survey. Hecould understand why the humans that discovered it had namedthe nebula after one of the confectionery treats sold at their coun-try-fair reenactments.

Folomar finally wrenched his attention back to the reports.He scanned the power-output reports, skimming over everythingbut the amount that the special sensors were using to map thenebula. The sensors were the prime focus of this mission, andhis engineers prided themselves on the capabilities of those sen-sors. With the technological might of the Federation behind them,they might very well be the most powerful sensors in the AlphaQuadrant, if not the entire galaxy.

“Prettier than a speckled puppy dog,” a voice said in his ear.He turned around, knowing already that the voice belonged tothat of the ship’s doctor, Doctor Ellen Prouter.

“Good morning Doctor,” he greeted her with a smile. Shereturned his smile. Her oval-shaped face was framed by red hairthat had a touch of gray at the temples. She was short, with atouch of motherly plumpness to her. Born in what now passed asthe backwoods of Tennessee on the planet Earth, she liked toutilize homespun mannerisms and sayings that were almostmeaningless in their obscurity. Despite her innocuous appear-ance, there was no one he would rather have safeguarding thehealth and wellbeing of his crew

“How’s my favorite Rigellian today?”“Good, Doctor. It looks like it will be another glorious day in

the service of the Federation.”“Well, we’ve got to make hay while the sun shines, Captain.

What’s on the schedule today?”Folomar ran a hand through his stubby, stark-white hair. The

action made the dermal tattooing, covering his arm and hand,stand out even more than normal.

“Doctor, we have another round of surveying to do.” He didnot bother to try to make sense of what she was saying, otherthan her question.

“Well,” she harrumphed. “If you need anything, I’ll be downin the labs, working on some tests. If we stay near this nebulamuch longer, I’ll be as crazy as a Bessie bug.”

“Good day, Doctor,” was all he could say in reply. He watchedcarefully as she turned away and headed for the turbolift, half-expecting her to stop and regale the unfortunate security ser-geant exiting the lift with one of her humorous, but long-windedstories about growing up a country girl. The sergeant slid to theside and quickly engaged the ship’s communication officer in awhispered conversation. Prouter continued past him without asecond glance and disappeared into the turbolift.

Folomar turned his attention back to the view screen, set-tling down for the long shift ahead.

Just inside the Edge of the Cotton Candy Nebula

The entity coasted through space, seeking easy nourish-ment in the interstellar flotsam caught in the ionized eddies atthe edge of the nebula. The waves of the nebula washed over it.To the creature, the stream of charged particles was as warm asthe environments on the occasional water world it had fed fromwere to the indigenous species of those planets.

The creature canted a wing, using the soft pressure of thestarlight to change orientation. It rolled over and turned its backto the depths of the nebula. It basked in the birthing pains of theyoungest components of the stellar nursery, absorbing the radia-tion through the super-tough membrane that covered it. As itbasked, its senses turned outward to outside the edge of thenebula, a reflex action driven by the ever-present need for food.

Soft, electronic pulses rolled over what passed for its earsand eyes. Startled, the creature instantly pulled its wings in andpresented a smaller target toward the origin of the pulses. Thebusiness end of its tail arced under its body, oriented straighttoward this new potential threat. A virtual forest of diamond-hardexplosive spines raised along the leading edges of its wings, readyto be expended against anything that threatened it.

Nothing happened. Slowly the entity uncurled from its de-fensive posture. It made its own, tentative examination of thearea of space immediately outside the border of the nebula. Itdetected a disturbance in the fabric of space close to the edge ofthe nebula, a disturbance that was approaching even closer. Withdelight, it realized that the pulses it had emitted had found anorganism not unlike others it had devoured over the decades ofits life. It reshaped its wings to catch the full effect of the myriadstars of the nebula, surfing up and down on the waves of ex-panding ionized gas. With amazing velocity, it accelerated to-ward its prey.

Speedily it closed upon the food beast. With building excite-ment, it anticipated the rich meal that awaited it, once it had madeits kill. It did not pause to think that its prey might be more intelli-gent than it was, and might have its own hopes and dreams, forthe entity had none. It lived only for the moment, to kill, to absorbsubstance, to find others of its kind, to propagate, and to huntagain. Its existence was not complicated by reasoning or poetry,by music and art, or by angst and hate. That was not the natureof the beast.

Sam

ple

file