The Path to 2409: 2379-2380 (August 28, 2008)

[Kestrel]

In the first of our updates to the timeline of Star Trek Online, read what happened in the years 2379 and 2380.

Following the death of Praetor Shinzon at the Battle of Bassen Rift, the Romulan government fell into disarray. Tel'aura, one of the few remaining members of the Romulan Senate and a former ally of Shinzon, declares herself the new Praetor, supported by Fleet Commander Tomalak as the new leader of the Imperial Defense Force.

Read more here! (http://www.startrekonline.com/timeline/2379-2380)

[Tomkan]

This was a nice reading from my side and nice writing from your side. :)

[RandomRedshirt]

I'm curious, can you tell us who wrote this piece of the expanded history?

[Kestrel]

I'm curious, can you tell us who wrote this piece of the expanded history?

/em raises hand.

I'm guilty. I write all the content for the web sites and I've been knee-deep in timeline ideas for weeks now.

[TheDart]

Yay, timeline! Thanks, Kestrel. :cool:

Poor Ro. Rehab. A cruel fate.

[doam]

Sweet, thanks kestrel.

[walltar]

Cool Thanks :cool:

[lenzio]

/em raises hand.

I'm guilty. I write all the content for the web sites and I've been knee-deep in timeline ideas for weeks now.


A very great stroy so far please keep up the great work!!

[trek4life]

Great timeline! The Romulan's seem to be in deep politcal trouble, yet again... I also found the small part on the Cardassians interesting. I'm very glad to hear that Garak is playing a pivitol roal in Cardassia's future. Keep up the good work Kestrel! :D

[random714]

pretty cool story i couldn't figure what it was about untill i came to the forums.:cool:

[RandomRedshirt]

/em raises hand.

I'm guilty. I write all the content for the web sites and I've been knee-deep in timeline ideas for weeks now.

Cool. It sounds like the Romulan events stay somewhat true or at least follow the events as written in Titan. If that is the case (SPOILER ALERT) do the Remans become allies with the Klingons? Will Remans be a "sub-faction" in the Klingon Empire in STO?

[indelible]

Just a couple of things :-P

Following the death of Praetor Shinzon at the Battle of Bassen Rift, the Romulan government fell into disarray. Tel'aura, one of the few remaining members of the Romulan Senate and a former ally of Shinzon, declares herself the new Praetor, supported by Fleet Commander Tomalak as the new leader of the Imperial Defense Force.

It is not "Tel'Aura." It is "Tal'Aura."

Donatra's rebellion is not Tel'aura's only concern. The Remans, led by General Xiomek of the Reman Kepeszuk Battalion, demand control of either a continent on Romulus or a planet with sufficient natural resources to maintain self-sufficient settlements as reparations for hundreds of years of slavery and exploitation. In response, Tel'aura cuts shipments of food and needed supplies to Reman and commands Tomalak to blockade the planet.

It isn't "Reman." It is "Remus." As in, "Romulus and Remus," from Roman mythology.

Other than those two errors, it makes for an interesting read. I didn't think it would play out like that but ah well. I soo wanted them to get owned and join the Federation ;o

[Esp]

I was really hoping there'd be a timeline leading up to the game. Nice one Kestrel (Y)

[EnsignSkylarkThibedeau]

Ro must be about to join the Tom Paris Suite at the Federation Penal Colony in Auckland New Zealand.

I enjoyed the Timeline. It will be interesting to see what happens next as we get closer to the "Present Day" gamewise.

[Hathaway]

Nice going Kestrel. Don't know if you were a fan before you picked up STO, but if not you could have fooled me:p. Sounds like you've got a good grasp on the characters and situation left after the Dominion War and after the Nemesis movie. Looking forward to reading more:cool:

[minago]

ah the much anticapated timeline ...leading up monthly to the release of sto .
looking forward to these :D

[Shatterhand]

ah the much anticapated timeline ...leading up monthly to the release of sto .
looking forward to these :D

If this is true, they do a year's time a month, according to my calculations, we'll see Star Trek Online released in January of 2011.

Of course, there's no guarantee that they will do only one year a month, so don't quote me on that.

[Gnacko]

You seem to incorporate a few novels into your timeline, that's interesting. Nice read.:)

[Kestrel]

Just a couple of things :-P



It is not "Tel'Aura." It is "Tal'Aura."



It isn't "Reman." It is "Remus." As in, "Romulus and Remus," from Roman mythology.

Other than those two errors, it makes for an interesting read. I didn't think it would play out like that but ah well. I soo wanted them to get owned and join the Federation ;o

I'll take total responsibility for the Remus problem, and I have fixed it. Thank you.

As far as Tal'aura goes, I've found her name spelled differently (Tel'aura, Tal'aura, Tal'Aura, Tel'Aura) in different sources.

[Shatterhand]

You seem to incorporate a few novels into your timeline, that's interesting. Nice read.:)

I LOVE that Cryptic's doing that. I've always regretted the consideration of the novels as being "soft canon", because some of the novels are fantastic works of Star Trek fiction, and deserve to have a place in hard canon.

[OverKill69]

This caught my eye:
"and Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher, who briefly serves as head of Starfleet Medical before returning to the Enterprise."

She served as head of Starfleet medical once before, check episode 1 in the second season of "The Next Generation".
I find it hard to belive that they would assign the same person the same position twice over a 20 year period.

[Kestrel]

Nice going Kestrel. Don't know if you were a fan before you picked up STO, but if not you could have fooled me:p.

True story: I never watched a single episode of Trek until I was in college.

I grew up in a rural area of Indiana, and I didn't know anyone who was into sci-fi, so I was never really exposed to it. Once I got to college and met my husband, my eyes were opened to all of the wonderful stuff I was missing and I became a fanatic.

[TheDart]

As far as Tal'aura goes, I've found her name spelled differently (Tel'aura, Tal'aura, Tal'Aura, Tel'Aura) in different sources.

That never happens! Except for how it always does... Trek and Star Wars seem to have it worst, fantastical as they are.

As much as I envy you your job, I... don't envy you your job. It's a strange state of existence that I'm in. :confused:

Very much looking forward to the subsequent updates. How long 'til we get to hear about Bajor, do you think, in terms of number-of-timeline-updates? My skipper is anxious to hear tale of her home. :cool:

[Yavin_Prime]

Wonderful simply wonderful! It sounds like you all have been reading the post Nemesis books, as I noted many characters that were mentioned in Star Trek: Titan.

I eagerly await the next episode of "The Path to 2409"!

[Jackalope]

Kestrel and I are the readers of the group. I'm right now reading the Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Cardassia and Andor. Finished Cardassia and now into Andor.

[lrdnova]

This is a great start to what I sure will be a wonderous content rich game. As far as Canon LF will certainly be adding these events to our Star Fleet History courses. Great Job!!

I do have one question though. If STO is 30 years past Nemesis, the Star Trek Universe seems to be a really bleak and dark place considering that right off the start there really is very little sign of life getting back to normal and the Starfleet getting back to its exploring roots. I guess we have to wait and see but 30 years of conflict seems as though it would take a toll on all factions within the game.

[Esp]

so don't quote me on that.

Had to be done.

Great to see loads of research going into this project. It's the first time I've been part of an official community so early pre-launch and its hard to imagine a better one, I mean at least once a week you guys have had new stuff up to keep us interested. Keep it up.

[Eclipse21]

Well done Kestrel, already intriguing. I look foreward to more...

[Hathaway]

I must say I'm really encouraged you guys are going through the series AND books, it demonstrates to me that you're really taking the issue of recreating the universe seriously... something I'm sure many fans like myself appreciate. And of course I'm hoping you're enjoying them too lol

[Will_Lucky]

I see a lot was borrowed from Novels currently out, quite a lot from the Titan relaunch by the looks of it.

[Sorbek]

And so it begins.....Great reading, can't wait to see 2380-2381!!!

[ianobs]

Yay, timeline! Thanks, Kestrel. :cool:

Poor Ro. Rehab. A cruel fate.

ROFL rehab is for quiters

[chirokitsune]

Nice! So hopefully we can ex-out the little situation regarding Admiral Janeway in one of those soft-cannon books right? right? Can't wait to see what comes next.

[Jaqknife]

This is good news that we are geetting the time line now however I hope that future installments are not more of Where are they now type stories in regards to the TNG, DS9 and Voyager characters. Personally I really don't care all that much about what happened to them. However, I understand there has to be loose ends that will need to be tied up. Also when did Keiko start caring about agriculture or the Cardasians?

[Hagon]

Very nicely done Kestrel, even without any Klingon love this time around. ;)

Looking forward to more! :cool::cool:

[Captain-Picard]

I just finished reading it and it was great, everything was just perfect, everything agreed with the Star Trek storyline, the story continued Nemesis into another era, this is truly the million dollar story to remember.

[Captain-Picard]

And so it begins.....Great reading, can't wait to see 2380-2381!!!


I hope Ferengi is going to be in there.

[Will_Lucky]

Nice! So hopefully we can ex-out the little situation regarding Admiral Janeway in one of those soft-cannon books right? right? Can't wait to see what comes next.

Actually that little situation is one of the main foundations of what will be happening later this year in the book series and it will be used in the Voyager series.

[Valenthalas]

Good stuff :D

Glad to see this is starting to go forward.

[Gost]

This is good news that we are geetting the time line now however I hope that future installments are not more of Where are they now type stories in regards to the TNG, DS9 and Voyager characters. Personally I really don't care all that much about what happened to them. However, I understand there has to be loose ends that will need to be tied up. Also when did Keiko start caring about agriculture or the Cardasians?

Its a good story plot twist, seeing how Miles was so anti-cardasian.

I will wager a prediction here:

The theorized Klingon/Federation fallout will have something to do witih wanting to finish off Cardasia and a romulan/klingon alliance (much like the short lived one in TOS). Motive: A divided Romulus is easier prey than a united Romulus. Although I can't imagine which side they will take. Either way, it is most likely a prelude to invasion on two fronts which I am sure the Federation will not be keen on.

Remember Bridge Commander? The cardasian's and Klingons weren't on the best of terms to put it lightly.

[Jaqknife]

This is a great start to what I sure will be a wonderous content rich game. As far as Canon LF will certainly be adding these events to our Star Fleet History courses. Great Job!!

I do have one question though. If STO is 30 years past Nemesis, the Star Trek Universe seems to be a really bleak and dark place considering that right off the start there really is very little sign of life getting back to normal and the Starfleet getting back to its exploring roots. I guess we have to wait and see but 30 years of conflict seems as though it would take a toll on all factions within the game.

The year 2379 is the year of ST Nemesis. The fall of Cardassia was in late 2375. Many of the alliance fleets were badly damaged and I am sure the economy was in shambles for just about everyone involved. Recovery after a full scale war like that will be slow and gradual probably over a 5-15 year span depending on which faction got hit the hardest. At least that is the way it has been throughout modern history.

[Hoebee]

So that's a nice peace off work kerstrel !
So what happend to admiral janeway we won't see her either ?
And to DS9 is the station rebuild from the damage ?

Just like to know !

Thanks for the story line I injoyed it

[Sir_Cedric]

Very nice Kestrel, keep up the good work. Myself, I been practicing writing over in the holo deck, go have a read sometimes. ;)

[Jaqknife]

Its a good story plot twist, seeing how Miles was so anti-cardasian.

I will wager a prediction here:

The theorized Klingon/Federation fallout will have something to do witih wanting to finish off Cardasia and a romulan/klingon alliance (much like the short lived one in TOS). Motive: A divided Romulus is easier prey than a united Romulus. Although I can't imagine which side they will take. Either way, it is most likely a prelude to invasion on two fronts which I am sure the Federation will not be keen on.

Remember Bridge Commander? The cardasian's and Klingons weren't on the best of terms to put it lightly.

I hadn't thought about that. Sounds interesting.

[Varrangian]

/em raises hand.

I'm guilty. I write all the content for the web sites and I've been knee-deep in timeline ideas for weeks now.

Awesome! Thanks for including Garak without a doubt one of my favorite characters from Star Trek.

[Lord_Nightblade]

This caught my eye:
"and Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher, who briefly serves as head of Starfleet Medical before returning to the Enterprise."

She served as head of Starfleet medical once before, check episode 1 in the second season of "The Next Generation".
I find it hard to belive that they would assign the same person the same position twice over a 20 year period.

It happened in Nemesis, which means Crusher's second assignment to Starfleet Medical is, indeed , canon.

[vp21ct]

Timeline Has Started :D :D :D :D

[aguila432]

So both the Romulans and Cardassians planets and gov's are in dissarray and seemingly dire need.
The Romulans now have a rebel type sect and the Cardassians will require lots of diplomatic work and a little help swallowing their pride.

Good job, I'm looking forward to more :)

[Blackfire2]

An interesting read Kestrel thanks for that :)

It looks like the romulans are in need of a strong and charismatic Praetor.

[JOHNHAGGARD]

Nice start to the timeline story, looking forward to more. Keep us informed of what is happening with other former Enterprise-E crew members, Voyager, DS-9, ect.

[marscentral]

Awesome, reading it now.....

[Galv]

Thanks Kestrel, can't wait to read more, and it also helps with the wait for STO

[Peteman1000]

well little does anyone seem to know, most of this comes directly from the novels. this is my little plug for pocket books and the novels, because they are amazing. you all should read them.

Well done on the summary of them kestrel!

[marscentral]

Very good stuff, an intriguing read. I wasn't expecting the timeline updates to start yet, it's always nice when good things happen early.

[Gost]

An interesting read Kestrel thanks for that :)

It looks like the romulans are in need of a strong and charismatic Praetor.

Also makes them ripe for a third party to take advantage. It could also force them to cast their lot with the Federation as well, taking the role of the Klingons in the alliance once the Klingons themselves become hostile for whatever reason.

"History, even fictional history, is nothing more than a vicious cycle until one individual opens their eyes and changes it."
~ Gost, Klingon Military Historian and Philosopher

[Flatfingers]

I just can't resist this one.

Here's something I said back on August 27, 2008, replying to Ereiid's list of Star Trek characters who redeemed themselves after making serious mistakes:

Redemption as a plot is incredibly powerful -- after all, it's the single thread running through the entire Star Wars saga.

(Incidentally, you might add Ro Laren to that list as a failed example... at least, "failed" as far as canonical Star Trek went.)

Now here's part of the first "timeline (http://www.startrekonline.com/timeline/2379-2380)" installment from Cryptic as of today, August 29:

[O]n stardate 58370.4, Ro Laren surrendered to Starfleet custody. A former member of Starfleet who defected to the Maquis in 2370, Ro plead guilty to charges of desertion and was ordered to report to a penal facility on Earth for rehabilitation.

I hope no one will begrudge me a little pleasure at this one moment where I actually caught a small glimpse of where Cryptic might be going. :)

So -- anybody else want to try to follow this up with a guess as to where Ro Laren will be and what she'll be doing in her next appearance in the STO timeline?

I'm hoping she doesn't follow Tom Paris's character arc too closely. But what would be an alternative that we'd find interesting?

--Flatfingers

[Roka]

Very very well done Kestrel. How often will these be posted?

[TheMasterpiece]

wooooooo. a very nice overview of things. this just adds more excitement to the game. cant wait for more. is there a uniform release date (every week for example) or are they just released when theyre done.



Also, I thought it might be interesting to have a seperate writing that maybe goes in depth in the happenings of the federation and klingon empire (since those are the playable factions at launch)

[dwarner]

Good stuff Kestrel,

I very much like that you're using the novels as a jumping off point. Having read them all I'm pretty invested in the timeline they put forward, so I'm glad they're not being overlooked.

Again, thanks, and keep up the good work.

[miqrogroove]

That was quite a thick read by my standards.

Peering between the lines, I notice you've gone out of your way to mention an event from 2370. This doesn't fit the theme so it must be significant some how. Ro Laren? From the 2nd-to-last TNG episode? I suspect we will be hearing more about her soon...

[RandomRedshirt]

Also when did Keiko start caring about agriculture or the Cardasians?

Keiko is a botanist. Botany is the study of plant life. Plants are key to agriculture.

[Yogan]

An interesting read, thank you.
I would also like to hear about any technological advances that will occur over the 30 Year period leading up to STO.

[TruthSeer]

I'm hoping she doesn't follow Tom Paris's character arc too closely. But what would be an alternative that we'd find interesting?

--Flatfingers

Either that or she'll become a terrorist.

[dwarner]

That was quite a thick read by my standards.

Peering between the lines, I notice you've gone out of your way to mention an event from 2370. This doesn't fit the theme so it must be significant some how. Ro Laren? From the 2nd-to-last TNG episode? I suspect we will be hearing more about her soon...

Ro Laren figures prominently in the post-series DS9 relaunch novels. She takes over Odo's job as chief of security on DS9

[Daveeboy]

Keiko is a botanist. Botany is the study of plant life. Plants are key to agriculture.

Glad someone said it. I thought that was obvious to someone up on their trek-knowledge.

Great work. I look forward to hearing about the rest of the Star Trek Universe in updates to come.

[CaptainMendez]

I like the story too :-) Are we going to see some of these characters in the game?? Will we see Riker and will he be doing the voice acting for the game? That would be great.. What about Data's twin we all know Date died in the movie Nemesis but what happened to the Date they found on the planet in the movie Nemesis :-)
Keep up the good work :-)

[TheMasterpiece]

I hope shes still in rehab. honestly i have never cared less about a character on any star trek series. even the lowly crewman who die before ever getting their open line are more interesting to me

[TheHybrid]

Good Read! Thanks!

[Gara000]

Good read.

Would have like to read/know more about Cardassia. Suppose have to wait for the next chapter now see where all this is leading towards.

[VainEldritch]

Nicely written, Kes. Nice to see the Romans... er, Romulans opening the story - pick up nicely from Nemesis. Did you have to run this by CBS...?

Keep up the good writing.

[ParkerHayden]

I wouldn't mind seeing her in STO.

[Loc-Deu]

i think roumbulans will be good friends in future... remember the ending of nemesis... :rolleyes:

[TheWon]

I thought she died when the Dominion destroyed the Demilitarized Zone.

[Daveeboy]

I thought she died when the Dominion destroyed the Demilitarized Zone.

Well, she obviously escaped somehow. She must have been off-world running errands in her little Maquis fighter when the Dominion attacked and destroyed all her Maquis friends.

[bobh]

Heh.. they locked her up 34 years ago.. what would that make her? mid-60's?

Personally I hope she was taken out and Phasered.

I'd be real suprised if her story went any further than rehab.

[KirksOtherSon]

What a pleasant surprise! Thanks, Kestrel!

I was particularly pleased that you're not only expanding on existing lore, but that you're willing to add in new elements.

Writing any sort of Trek timeline describing the years following Nemesis is bound to become a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" sort of thing. No matter how careful and considered you intend to be, somebody's _always_ going to be p*ssed off because you didn't do it precisely "their way".

So, you might as well add some new elements as you go -- if you're going to be judged, regardless, you might as well do what you think is best.

I also wanted to commend you on your prose style. Too often, this sort of timeline stuff can be clunky and uninspiring to read -- far too textbook. However, you hit the high points -- enough to pique interest, and to track the major events -- and leave the rest alone. It makes for engaging light reading.

Thanks again. Looking forward to more.

KOS

[curtst]

/em raises hand.

I'm guilty. I write all the content for the web sites and I've been knee-deep in timeline ideas for weeks now.

Very nice Kestrel. Thank you very much.

[Fvillha]

I'm curious, can you tell us who wrote this piece of the expanded history?

The Romulan side of the story is reflected in the ST novels about the adventures of the USS Titanwith Captain Riker and Troi (of course), 2 of the 4 books present what happened to the Empire following Shinzon's mess, along with some background from a few other recent novels.

[elitolu]

I thought the timeline was the countdown to opening.

[Fvillha]

The Star Trek novels (USS Titain Series), the Death in Winter and Articles of the Federation present a good filler for that happens after Nemesis and present good information to develop the ST:O history, along with a few novels I haven't had time to read (if it doesn't have romulans involved, why read it). :rolleyes:

[NeoWolf]

I like that the Remans are still about, was worried they might get relegated to minor species of null import but glad to see they havent been :)

Also very crafty Kestrel in that the Cardassians and Romulans are both effectively put across with potentially good and bad factions at play so they could be introduced into the game as either good, bad or both.. so doesnt really give much away yet lol (grrr you! :))

Looking forward to more installments of the timeline

[MidniteAvenger]

Excellent read, I thank you for you dedication tor researching the content. Trekkies and Trekkers can be a nitpicky bunch. You have past your first trial by fire with flying colors.

[RandomRedshirt]

The Romulan side of the story is reflected in the ST novels about the adventures of the USS Titanwith Captain Riker and Troi (of course), 2 of the 4 books present what happened to the Empire following Shinzon's mess, along with some background from a few other recent novels.

Yes, I have read the Titan series.

I had asked the question about if the portion where the Klingons and Remans becoming "allies" had been overlooked, but Kestrel saw fit not to answer the particular portion.... :D

[QuestionDeca]

Excellent timeline.
Enough to leave us wanting more....
:D

[Tica]

and what about klingons?

[Kestrel]

I had asked the question about if the portion where the Klingons and Remans becoming "allies" had been overlooked, but Kestrel saw fit not to answer the particular portion.... :D

For everything we consider from the soft canon, the first two questions I have are (1) Is it cool? and (2) Does it fit with our game?

[The_Padre]

The year 2379 is the year of ST Nemesis. The fall of Cardassia was in late 2375. Many of the alliance fleets were badly damaged and I am sure the economy was in shambles for just about everyone involved. Recovery after a full scale war like that will be slow and gradual probably over a 5-15 year span depending on which faction got hit the hardest. At least that is the way it has been throughout modern history.

"When the war is over the following will happen in short order: the Dominion will be forced back to the Gamma Quadrant, the Cardassian Empire will be occupied, the Klingon Empire will spend the next ten years recovering from the war and won't pose a serious threat to anyone. That leaves two powers to vie for control of the quadrant: the Federation and the Romulans." - Luther Sloan, "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"

[RandomRedshirt]

For everything we consider from the soft canon, the first two questions I have are (1) Is it cool? and (2) Does it fit with our game?

From Taking Wing, I thought the alliance between the Klingons and the Remans was very fitting and would blossom into a full fledged alliance that would be on par with the Khitomer Accords.

Remans and Klingons are very similar, and they shared a common blood story in the Dominion War as the melee arm of the Alpha Quadrant alliance.

It seems to me, that if the Alliance held, it might form a partnership to the point of Remans serving on Klingon ships and Klingons on Reman ships.....thus answering the long standing forum question of who would be serving on Klingon Vessels, other than Klingons.

:)

I would have most definitely (had I been writing the 2379-2380 story) included the alliance of the Remans and the Klingons. Besides, if the Federation is trying to make nice with Romulus, and Kronos is trying to make nice with Remus, it sets up the ultimate scenario for Federation / Klingon tensions, in a sort of East Berlin / West Berlin scenario.

[zenji1284]

Job well done! I enjoyed it very much.

[Nightstorm]

Great stuff, thanks :)

[bobh]

Kestrel and I are the readers of the group. I'm right now reading the Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Cardassia and Andor. Finished Cardassia and now into Andor.

Hmmm... that handle sounds like Jack E's answer to Craig's goat.

Thanks for starting on the timelines Kestrel and Co.

[Bullseye]

Yeah BABY!!

I agree with the earlier post, you'll be criticized no matter which direction you take. Based on the responses in this thread so far, you seem to have started down the road of pleasing the many, kudos to you, and keep up the good work!!!

[MajorD]

It's a good peace of future history, it's well written and takes into consideration the different group's histories quite well.

The Romulans being in chaos makes sense. Since they are naturally suspicious, and having just experienced the greatest piece of treachery we know of, it will be extraordinarily difficult to regain any semblance of trust among themselves. Not only that, but underground organizations, such as the one Spock was trying to foster, will probably find this an ideal time to assert more power, possibly even go public, however it's never a good time to do that in the Romulan Star Empire.

The Cardassian situation also makes sense. The Cardassians in powers will be the ones who were in power during the Dominion War, since they switched sides just in time. They'll carry just as much distrust and hatred of the Federation as they did before but it looks like they aren't letting it blind them to what's absolutely important, but they're still messing themselves up by not accepting all the Federation aid, an industrial replicator could save them. It's good for the Federation though, with the collapse of the Cardassian Union, perhaps more democratic values can be more easily pushed. They succeeded in it once before.

It's weird that the Founder that was stuck in the Alpha Quadrant went to trial. A trial like that happening with just one Founder can't be anything but theatrics, since the Founders seem to have direct democracy in everything, as long as they can get to the link. So, the trial is pretty much like trying some general but not punishing the ones who told him to do what he did. Not only that, if I remember the end of DS9 correctly, the Federation didn't get a conditionless surrender from the Dominion, it still had the advantage because of its Delta Quadrant forces. A conditional peace makes far more sense, where no one gets punished, however, things would actually settle down, considering the Founder in question seemed to truly accept that the Federation would hold to its promises, after Odo convinced her when Linking with her.

Ensign Ro surviving doesn't really make sense to me, since every last Maquis was stated to have been killed off by the Dominion. After that we never heard anything about the Maquis, indicating it wasn't just hyperbola. When Voyager was contacted, Starfleet even told them the same thing, that the only Maquis left were those on Voyager, and I think it had been a few years later by that point. For her to survive would require her being captured, or going into hiding for non-Maquis purposes before the Maquis were killed off.

Other than this, Kestral, I think this is shaping up as a very good history.

[AaronH]

True story: I never watched a single episode of Trek until I was in college.

I grew up in a rural area of Indiana, and I didn't know anyone who was into sci-fi, so I was never really exposed to it. Once I got to college and met my husband, my eyes were opened to all of the wonderful stuff I was missing and I became a fanatic.

Funny you say that, I was the exact opposite. I grew up in Rural Illinois, and my parents were both into Scifi, so it was a huge part of my childhood.

[TruthSeer]

It's weird that the Founder that was stuck in the Alpha Quadrant went to trial. A trial like that happening with just one Founder can't be anything but theatrics, since the Founders seem to have direct democracy in everything, as long as they can get to the link. So, the trial is pretty much like trying some general but not punishing the ones who told him to do what he did. Not only that, if I remember the end of DS9 correctly, the Federation didn't get a conditionless surrender from the Dominion, it still had the advantage because of its Delta Quadrant forces. A conditional peace makes far more sense, where no one gets punished, however, things would actually settle down, considering the Founder in question seemed to truly accept that the Federation would hold to its promises, after Odo convinced her when Linking with her.

But it can be viewed as since she was on her own in the Alpha Quadrant the democracy turned into a dictatorship and any actions could be seen as her own. And/or the Founder's trial could have been part of the conditions on the Federation side.

[Ruthlessgravity]

that was an awesome side story, I need more!

[Athad]

Good read! :)
I hope the Romulans become a playable faction, always been my favorit:D

[Signalsgt]

Good read, I'm looking forward to the next installment.

More interested in which way the Cardasian arc is going to go. Cardassia was always a resource "poor" planet who made up for it by its conquest of Bajor. Now there is no military left to take what they need so the Federation is going to be crucial to their future.

[JPJappic]

Same here. I'm a huge Cardassian fan. Wouldn't be surprised if they finally accept Federation aid in order to save their species and eventually join the Federation. :D

[Polt]

Yay, timeline! Thanks, Kestrel. :cool:

Poor Ro. Rehab. A cruel fate.

Everything turns out just fine for her (for the most part)... That is, if they continue to follow the post Deep Space Nine novels.

[Reinkaos]

Very nice :D can't wait to see how this pans out :)

[Polt]

So -- anybody else want to try to follow this up with a guess as to where Ro Laren will be and what she'll be doing in her next appearance in the STO timeline?
--Flatfingers

Well if they follow the novels, like I hope they are, and as they seem to be, she (highlight for spoiler) becomes the next security chief of DS9...

[icemann448]

Very good stuff Kestrel. I haven't read any of the post Nemisis novels, so i want to hear more. And as long as it all makes sense it's all good :D

(edit: put my sig in, since i didn't set it up before hand)



icemann448
D'akturak

(Please anyone interested in doing an all Klingon Fleet only, send me a PM so we can discuss. Being a die-hard Klingon fan since i started watching Star Trek, and would like to know some others' opinions on a Klingon only Fleet)

[TheDart]

Everything turns out just fine for her (for the most part)... That is, if they continue to follow the post Deep Space Nine novels.

I hope so - Ro's been one of my favorite characters, ever since I was a wee one watching TNG.

I'll need to find these books, and the ones that focus on the Titan, as well. I checked Barnes & Noble a few days ago, but the Titan books were nowhere to be found. :(

[Starshelle]

Ensign Ro surviving doesn't really make sense to me, since every last Maquis was stated to have been killed off by the Dominion. After that we never heard anything about the Maquis, indicating it wasn't just hyperbola. When Voyager was contacted, Starfleet even told them the same thing, that the only Maquis left were those on Voyager, and I think it had been a few years later by that point. For her to survive would require her being captured, or going into hiding for non-Maquis purposes before the Maquis were killed off.

Other than this, Kestral, I think this is shaping up as a very good history.

The Maquis as an organization was destroyed by the Dominion along with their colonies, but that doesn't mean there weren't ANY survivors that managed to either escape, or were already imprisoned by the Federation, or happened to be elsewhere at the time of the attacks. I don't remember it ever being stated that EACH and every person who was a member of the Maquis was personally hunted down and killed by the Dominion.

[dwarner]

I hope so - Ro's been one of my favorite characters, ever since I was a wee one watching TNG.

I'll need to find these books, and the ones that focus on the Titan, as well. I checked Barnes & Noble a few days ago, but the Titan books were nowhere to be found. :(

Check out the wikipedia article called "Deep Space Nine relaunch" That'll list all the novels on the DS9 side. You can find them on Amazon. Simon and Schuster is another good place to look for the other series' novels too.

[Admiral.of.Starfleet]

Great, seems just like events after Nemesis would occur.

[roadkillz]

I was just wondering, I heard that one of the Star Trek writers was going to be hired by Cryptic. Is that person and/or any other Star Trek influence providing input or are they reviewing to see if that is what is to be expected?

BTW, looks good so far.

[Athos]

I'm very excited to see that most of this history comes right out of the post-Nemesis TNG book, Star Trek: Titan books, and the post-series DS9 books. Most excellent; this will make it easy for folks like me who read all of those books to keep the 'universe' straight.

Of course, there was one big difference that I noticed; in the post-series DS9 books, Ro Laren joins the Bajoran Militia and is the new security chief for DS9. Once the Bajorans join the Federation (Unity), Ro is allowed into Starfleet as a full Lieutenant. No where does she turn herself in to Starfleet. In my mind, this is also a very likely series of events and the divergence will be an easy one to keep track of.

Nice work!

[KirksOtherSon]

I'll need to find these books, and the ones that focus on the Titan, as well. I checked Barnes & Noble a few days ago, but the Titan books were nowhere to be found. :(

The Titan Series at Amazon.Com

Book 1: Taking Wing (LINK (http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Wing-Star-Trek-Titan/dp/0743496272/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220058203&sr=8-2))

Book 2: The Red King (LINK (http://www.amazon.com/Red-King-Star-Trek-Titan/dp/0743496280/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220058203&sr=8-4))

Book 3:Orion's Hounds (LINK (http://www.amazon.com/Orions-Hounds-Star-Trek-Titan/dp/141650950X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220058203&sr=8-5))

Book 4: Sword of Damocles (LINK (http://www.amazon.com/Sword-Damocles-Star-Trek-Titan/dp/1416526943/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220058203&sr=8-1))

Book 5: Over A Torrent Sea (to be released 2/24/2009) (PREORDER LINK (http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Titan-Over-Torrent/dp/1416594973/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220058203&sr=8-3))


Like all Trek "soft canon" fiction, the quality of the writing can vary wildly from book to book. I disliked the prose in The Red King so much (I found it garbled and clunky) that I very nearly swore off the entire series.

Yet, ironically, the next book -- Orion's Hounds -- was probably the best-written of the series, technically speaking -- at least from my editorial point of view.

I haven't read the latest release, Sword of Damocles, as I'm currently reading the new Star Trek Enterprise novel, Kobayashi Maru, with great relish.

I can't say whether you'll like the books or not, as each person's taste is their own, but at least now you don't have to wait for Barnes & Noble to get their act together before you can buy them!

Cheers,

KOS

[Avasuule]

interesting combination of sources. I can see several books in there.
nice to see its following the idea set forth from the initial interview.

[Code3]

I just wanted to reassure all of you, everything is under control on Romulus, this timeline information is yet again nothing more than obvious Federation propaganda. :)

Nevertheless it was quite entertaining to read, nice going Kestrel.

Jolan-Tru.


Cmdr. Verdek
Imperial Romulan Fleet

[Trekkie]

Wow, the first timeline update completely surpassed the expectations I had for the story of the game (which were quite high, I must say). Excellent job and I cannot wait for future timeline updates!

[Arcturus]

Kestrel officially has one of the best Jobs ever:p

[iammacgyver]

Nice Kestrel, thnx

now i want more.... NOW!

[Acidrain]

It sounds as if the Co-Write of Dorthy Fontana Partner Derek Chester wrote the piece to be honest, it sounds and it is written like he writes ST stories. Good timeline so far, a little vague though its the first part.

[Fvillha]

From Taking Wing, I thought the alliance between the Klingons and the Remans was very fitting and would blossom into a full fledged alliance that would be on par with the Khitomer Accords.

Remans and Klingons are very similar, and they shared a common blood story in the Dominion War as the melee arm of the Alpha Quadrant alliance.

It seems to me, that if the Alliance held, it might form a partnership to the point of Remans serving on Klingon ships and Klingons on Reman ships.....thus answering the long standing forum question of who would be serving on Klingon Vessels, other than Klingons.

:)

I would have most definitely (had I been writing the 2379-2380 story) included the alliance of the Remans and the Klingons. Besides, if the Federation is trying to make nice with Romulus, and Kronos is trying to make nice with Remus, it sets up the ultimate scenario for Federation / Klingon tensions, in a sort of East Berlin / West Berlin scenario.


I concur with the use of what "Taking Wings" offered us with the Reman/Klingon alliance and the way the Remen setup a strong hold on Romulus, and Empress Donatra creating the Imperial Romulan State as the "Articles of the Federation" elaborates on I believe as Random Redshirt suggest that us Romulans will be quiet busy trying to reform an Empire that's not splintered with many different fronts to fight on. So I am very pleased with the way you pulled the timeline together. Lets see more :). Like whats Empress Donatra upto. Last I recall the Feds are willing to help feed the Empire but not ready to choice sides.

[KypFisto]

Cool first addition. I like the nods to the TNG-Relaunch novels and I'm eager to see the next installment.

[Fvillha]

I hope so - Ro's been one of my favorite characters, ever since I was a wee one watching TNG.

I'll need to find these books, and the ones that focus on the Titan, as well. I checked Barnes & Noble a few days ago, but the Titan books were nowhere to be found. :(

Here's more info on the USS Titan (http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Star_Trek:_Titan) series.

[minago]

If this is true, they do a year's time a month, according to my calculations, we'll see Star Trek Online released in January of 2011.

Of course, there's no guarantee that they will do only one year a month, so don't quote me on that.

err maybe i messed up on the montly part heh

[Fvillha]

I just wanted to reassure all of you, everything is under control on Romulus, this timeline information is yet again nothing more than obvious Federation propaganda. :)

Nevertheless it was quite entertaining to read, nice going Kestrel.

Jolan-Tru.


Cmdr. Verdek
Imperial Romulan Fleet



Shhhh (Tal Shiar mis-information is always making the Feds take a double look in the shadows) ;)

[reiththestud]

Is this official timeline for the new game? In the follow up book that fills in the gaps after the DS9 Finale, Ro Laren actually takes over command at DS9. Is this going to be done away with?

[mrgoo]

I wish to point out that some Segments of the Romulan Government Time line have a base in events already mentioned in Book "Star Trek Titan - Taking Wing" Which is a great book by Michael A. Martin and Co-Author Andy Mangels.

Did you get any of your inspiration from that book? Either way it was a very nice write up. I very much support the developers attempts to give us some history.

[blackfx]

awesome story!

[xxRYENCH1xx]

yea so i want to know. what happens to picard after the Enterpise is repaired
thanks

[lordnelson]

awesome readying dude....

cant wait for more :)

[Jayven]

Kudos to Jackalope and Kestrel with their readings and the posting of the first evolution to Star Trek.

Two thumbs up, can't wait for the rest :D

[CinC-UFPForces-Cardassia]

I'd been thinking about a response to specific story elements, but as it is, sleep won a close vote.

Before that, though, I wanted to commend Cryptic, Kestrel and Jackalope for this first edition of the game's pre-launch storyline. From the perspective of command of the forces at play in the Star Trek universe after Nemesis, the first entry retrieves an A+. It's a realistic imagining of the late 24th century, not only from the perspective of the Star Trek universe, but from the perspective of how major states interact. I also took note of how much happened in just a year's time - you could dedicate a period of a few years to the events in the Romulan Star Empire alone. I'm very excited for future entries.

From a story perspective, I was not expecting that the Cardassians would have rejected Federation reconstruction aid. That's an interesting turn that doesn't bode well. Good work, all!

Would there happen to be folks on the staff who studied political science or international relations at all?

[onibocho]

Hoorah! Kestrel and Jackalope!!

I see I wasn't too far off the mark on the time line. NIce start!:cool: Could there be a civil war on the horizen for the Romulan Empire?;) Can't wait to see where you take this.

[Arix]

I'm very excited to see that most of this history comes right out of the post-Nemesis TNG book, Star Trek: Titan books, and the post-series DS9 books. Most excellent; this will make it easy for folks like me who read all of those books to keep the 'universe' straight.

Of course, there was one big difference that I noticed; in the post-series DS9 books, Ro Laren joins the Bajoran Militia and is the new security chief for DS9. Once the Bajorans join the Federation (Unity), Ro is allowed into Starfleet as a full Lieutenant. No where does she turn herself in to Starfleet. In my mind, this is also a very likely series of events and the divergence will be an easy one to keep track of.

Nice work!

Seconded! I was like 'heeeey, I know all this stuff, I read about it all' (being an avid reader of many Post-Nemesis series') I am a bit disappointed about Ro though... she was cooool in the DS9 relaunch, I was glad to see her there... this change is a bit.. nyeeeh, for me. But we'll see how it pans out.

Also, CinC-UFPForces-Cardassia (and others) most of the story comes straight from the Post-Nemesis novels. To be specific, the Romulan stuff, comes from Titan, and the Cardassian stuff comes from the DS9-relaunch. So its hardly them coming up with all these ideas themselves - no offence to Kestral and Jackalope of course! I think it was a brilliant summing up, and good information you chose to keep in this timeline. As a huuuge fan of the novels, you definitely picked out some good parts! And for anyone who wants to read more about the events there, find yourselves some Trek novels - most of them are brilliant!

Keep it up guys. I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with the years after the ones covered in the novels. And as a fan of said novels, seeing what you predict for their future! :)

[wgbknight]

Thanks for the story!

[JMD10222]

Nice;) Just dont lean to heavy on the last two TNG novels , Resistance, and Before Dishonor. I was HIGHLY disappointed with them both.

[Vessik]

It's great to see that the timeline has started. Sounds good too.

My only hope is that the Cardassians can rebound as a threat once again. I don't know if I could live with myself if they became friendly with the Federation...or heaven forbid join them. Don't make this great faction stoop so low. No true Cardassian would dare be so pathetic as to side with the Feds. In the 30 year time frame of this game it is possible for them to rebuild to their once glorious selves (look at the Germans from WWI to WWII). So please writers, help the spoonheads out a little here.

The Cardassian Union will live again!

P.S.- don't forget to free Dukat from the fire caves so he can reclaim his rightful place and finally conquer the Alpha Quadrant.

[MajorD]

But it can be viewed as since she was on her own in the Alpha Quadrant the democracy turned into a dictatorship and any actions could be seen as her own. And/or the Founder's trial could have been part of the conditions on the Federation side.
Couldn't happen and wouldn't effect such a change. First, by what we've seen, the nature of the Great Link would prevent any single Changeling from dominating all Changeling. Perhaps personality cults could form, but these would be just as dynamic as in any direct democracy. Also, from what I remember of descriptions of Linking, it's a melding, not unlike mind melding but no mention of mental domination is ever made. The closest we ever get to that is in how Odo was made into a true humanoid, but I imagine any single Changeling could have done that to him, since his skills as a Changeling were so poor.

Lastly, the Great Link somehow changing from some sort of direct, collective mind, democracy, to a Dictatorship, wouldn't change the fact that the surrender of the Dominion wasn't non-conditional, and that the Dominion still had a huge advantage, despite the immediate, grand, defeat over Cardassia Prime. She also left with Odo, when he returned to the Great Link, she would have had to simply stay in the Gamma Quadrant and no Alpha Quadrant powers would be able to get her, nor would any Alpha Quadrant powers be stupid enough to risk starting the war again by acting so hostility and showing they aren't worthy of any trust, just as the Founders had always assumed.
Same here. I'm a huge Cardassian fan. Wouldn't be surprised if they finally accept Federation aid in order to save their species and eventually join the Federation. :D
I could see that happening.

The only thing I can imagine holding the Cardassian populace from insurrection is a lack of time to care about their government. There's nothing left by raw survival, with no energy left for bigger thoughts than where tomorrow's meal will come from. In a state like that, the Federation, or even Klingons could just move in and dictate what they want done, and you wouldn't hear a peep from the populace because they've been so utterly demoralized by everyone having everything taken from them.

The Klingons wouldn't do that because it wouldn't be a fight, and the Federation wouldn't do that because they don't want other people's problems, even though they will help if asked. The only reason the Federation would offer assistance in this case is because of a feeling of involvement, that they didn't do enough to stop the massacre on Cardassia Prime.

The Maquis as an organization was destroyed by the Dominion along with their colonies, but that doesn't mean there weren't ANY survivors that managed to either escape, or were already imprisoned by the Federation, or happened to be elsewhere at the time of the attacks. I don't remember it ever being stated that EACH and every person who was a member of the Maquis was personally hunted down and killed by the Dominion.
My understanding was that every last Maquis was killed off, in part because all of the boarder colonies were killed off. There was a conversation along the lines of, "You mean the Maquis, here, right."
"No, I mean all of the Maquis."

That's why Ro would need to be captured, or have gone into hiding, before the Maquis were eliminated.

[Re4_wesker]

nice story thanks.

[Ravain]

Don't discount Ro Laren, she have a part in future timeline

the story good, keep tem coming

[Green]

Awesome read, I really enjoyed it. :)

Keep up the great work Kestrel.

:D

[bkm250]

This is very encouraging..food for thought. Thank you Kestrel for this excellent timeline update and I'm looking forward to the rest. This is just another example of WHY I'm excited about the prospects of playing this MMORPG.

Good work! Kudos!

[zeez]

I like the tenor of the expansion. It makes good sense and falls within the Star Trek reality very well.

Have you considered using any of the material from Star trek Legacy to weave some history into STO?

Specifically, the co-ordination of the Federation, Klingon, and Romulan forces to to defeat the the borg and the renegade Vulcan scientist would seem to reduce tensions a bit.

[Jonneyred77]

Awesome start to the story. I've been waiting a long time for such an in depth Star Trek world. Keep it coming! :)

[FamE]

thanks for the story

[Cuddles]

/em raises hand.

I'm guilty. I write all the content for the web sites and I've been knee-deep in timeline ideas for weeks now.

Thanks mate. Nice work, it's good to be reading this and I look forward to many more!

[Creoleman]

You have got the ball rolling on the timeline and I am impressed with the information contained there within. Your data concerning all of the major players is spot on perfect, and I wouldn't change a thing. Excellent work, Kestrel. You and Jack have pulled everything together most excellently, and I look forward to reading the next installment in the Timeline.

[Kaon]

Great story.:)

I hope we see more soon!:D

[SelorKiith]

Aww, really nice... good to read :) And I like this timeline so far ;)

[Munky99999]

Thumbs up man. That's some really good writing.

Some real key things is the Commander Riker + USS Titan link which comes from the novels entirely. Really pleased that novel storylines are going to at least be considered and possibly be apart of the game.

I also had been wondering how much interaction we will have with cardassians. It's obvious that the romulans will be taking a big role in the game seeing as the last movie was all about them and setup that arc. While the treaty of algeron apparently has been broken. So either the romulans are also at war with the federation and they will be the NPC grinding rats that create the PVE that generates wealth. OR romulans are good friends.

[Exezer]

awesome first part....hope to hear more soon.

[Will_Lucky]

Nice;) Just dont lean to heavy on the last two TNG novels , Resistance, and Before Dishonor. I was HIGHLY disappointed with them both.

The final book in that trilogy was released last month, not yet been able to get my hands on it but from what I've heard its a wonderful ending to the series and is very well written. Also later in the year we have the Destiny Trilogy which will apparently do something which really messes up things.

[Davies82]

Hey Kestrel.

Just wanted to say thanks for starting up the timeline.
Enjoyed reading it, keep them coming.

So the start of the tme line then, would this mean the game will be coming out much sooner?
Also will the timeline be updated monthly?

Can't wait for this game to come out now, especially for XBOX 360 (Fingers crossed)

[sixpax]

Fascinating.

[Thing]

Awsome read.

Can't wait for the follow-up.

[Thomas45]

Can't wait for the next one.

[ayleaa]

nice just 1 thing i may be wrong here but dident damar kill macet when they were stealing the dominion warshipto get their hands on the breen dampaning wepon?

[Devem]

Very nice timeline, guys! Keep it coming!

Devem

[IanD967]

this is awesome! :D

interesting to hear the name of Ro Laren and Keiko appearing up heh :) loving how this story is unfolding :D

and it sure as hell explains the picture above the boards :D

[willriker09]

I am very impressed with this timeline. Love what is going on with the Romulans, it makes sense that there would be yet another power vacuum. Just curious why Ro Laren suddenly gives herself in to the Federation authorities? Hopefully further timeline posts will expand on the significance of this development. I also look forward to the contributions of the USS TITAN in future timeline posts as well as the USS ENTERPRISE. Don't forget to keep us up to date on VOYAGER and DS9 too and I'll be a happy camper. Star Trek Online is gonna rock! I am more excited for this game to come out (whenever it eventually does) than any other upcoming game I know about.

[eNDIE]

I liked it alot:) i just wonder if this might make remans a klingon race ingame since they both are no fans of the romulans?:)

[simply]

Nice story.
If possible you shoud attach some photos of the involved actors in the article, because some of us do not know all the names.

Continue good work.

[kronos42]

A fine bit of writing, Kestrel, can't wait to see more!

[Magnus727]

Excellent work!

I am eagerly awaiting to see more! Does anybody remember the release schedule of these works? Is it 1 more year per week, or 1 more year per month?

Long live Cardassia!

[eNDIE]

I think jack said one per month .

[Barnjohn]

I thought that Ro Laren started working for the Bajoran Militia and was posted to DS9, becoming a member of Starfleet again after Bajor's entry into the Federation...

[Koroth]

Remans. Bah.

I hope Cryptic will take this as an example of what not to do. Contradicting all previous lore to introduce a plot element for one story was a poor choice for the Nemesis writers, and it would be a poor idea in game. Nemesis wasn't even a good or popular movie, proving that while giving rein to big changes in Star Trek lore has negatives, it doesn't guarantee any positives to balance.

The best of Trek built on the past (Wrath of Khan is a shining example), some of it even took place in the past (Yesterday's Enterprise in part, The City at the Edge of Forever), but these didn't change the past. The two movies that did, Star Trek IV by time travel and Nemesis by implying that previous presentations of Romulans were false, were mediocre to poor. The lesson is, if you can't write good fiction without breaking the rules of your setting, you can't write good fiction at all, and should leave it to someone else.

- Koroth

[eNDIE]

Remans. Bah.

I hope Cryptic will take this as an example of what not to do. Contradicting all previous lore to introduce a plot element for one story was a poor choice for the Nemesis writers, and it would be a poor idea in game. Nemesis wasn't even a good or popular movie, proving that while giving rein to big changes in Star Trek lore has negatives, it doesn't guarantee any positives to balance.

The best of Trek built on the past (Wrath of Khan is a shining example), some of it even took place in the past (Yesterday's Enterprise in part, The City at the Edge of Forever), but these didn't change the past. The two movies that did, Star Trek IV by time travel and Nemesis by implying that previous presentations of Romulans were false, were mediocre to poor. The lesson is, if you can't write good fiction without breaking the rules of your setting, you can't write good fiction at all, and should leave it to someone else.

- Koroth

ohh please the continuity of startrek has been broken so many times that many things doesnt add up. The lore is a mess and thats a fact.

[Gen00b]

That was a nice read :)

[amb]

This situation sounds very good and challenging! Huge potential for any sort of acting (peacefull or harmful). Well done writer, whoever you are, this is a master piece of canonity and excitement. I feel like studying the next TNG episodes forecast in the paper with a fresh breeze blowing over my dusty Star Trek collection.


Edit: Ahhh... Kastrel my friend... ;) Seriously you've got a hand for writing, I'd love to help and be it translating your stuff into German :)

[stuffedfigs]

Isn't it horrible the Romulans and Remans couldn't just get along ? :(

[eNDIE]

Isn't it horrible the Romulans and Remans couldn't just get along ? :(

no wonder that the remans are ****ed since they been slaves for a long time:)

[stabnore]

Hey Kestrel did you ever play EV?

OK, as has been said I like that Garrek gets a leading role in Cardassia's future.

I do not think they would ALL be so reluctant to accept help from the Federation. Especially if they were starving. Perhaps you could put the spin on it that the government officials who were not feeling the pinch as much as the people could reject the help.

I like the direction.

[preston278]

Can someone tell me when you can play this game and how you do so

[eNDIE]

Can someone tell me when you can play this game and how you do so

just read the faq on the frontpage

[bschuitema]

Thanks for the great read!

I'm guessing somewhere along the way the Romulans go into deep seclusion again, until such time as the first expansion pack for STO comes out ;).

Then, they come back with a vengeance! The drums of war! The dogs of war!

I'd also wager to guess that relations improve with the Remans and Romulans by this time, so that players will be given two very cool race choices for the Romulan faction. As for third race... maybe Yridians, Breen or Cardassians (hope Cardies get their own faction though). Anyway, that's how I'd place the meta-plot.

[jla1987]

Very good reading! Look forward to more!

Anyone know how often these will be released?

[Caine]

Thanks for the update.. Definately explains why they will not be out and about in the universe as they are dealing with internal politics...

[ayleaa]

I thought that Ro Laren started working for the Bajoran Militia and was posted to DS9, becoming a member of Starfleet again after Bajor's entry into the Federation...

yeh she was she took over odos old job as cheif of security see the series where the defiant returns to the gamma quadrent

[pyriel32]

well i loved greater then the sum the new tng book and the ne character T'Ryssa Chen is cool and didn't Ro stay with Quark at the end of unity?

[ussarchangel]

If this is true, they do a year's time a month, according to my calculations, we'll see Star Trek Online released in January of 2011.

Of course, there's no guarantee that they will do only one year a month, so don't quote me on that.

OR what it looks like to me is 2 years a month. If the were doinng one year then wouldn't it have been 2379 and not 2379-2380? If that is true it will put the release date at nov-dec 2009. Right in line with the movie. Just some more hopeful speculation.:D

[boz75]

Thanks for the first update in the timeline.

[antz123]

Interesting read, looking forward to future updates!

[njdss4]

GREAT story, Kestrel! You really took the characters that were established in Nemesis and built upon their story logically. I can't wait to see what else is in store for the Trek universe!

[Azurian]

Interesting, though I'm surprised the Enterprise-E's mission to Denab wasn't mentioned after her refit.

With Ro Laren, kinda funny she took so long to come out of hiding after years after the Maquis was destroyed.

And let's not forget the Romulans, many figured they would fall apart in such a manner, grabbing for power in the Universe Forum. It was also betted the Klingons were going to take advantage of their situation in expanding into the Romulan Empire, which obviously will cause a conflict that will drag the Federation into an awkward situation. Then hurt the Klingon-Federation Alliance to the point it's was prior to the Khitomer Accords.

Also, wondering if Kestrel going to add in the Unity Station into the storyline?

[davion223]

Interesting, though I'm surprised the Enterprise-E's mission to Denab wasn't mentioned after her refit.

With Ro Laren, kinda funny she took so long to come out of hiding after years after the Maquis was destroyed.

And let's not forget the Romulans, many figured they would fall apart in such a manner, grabbing for power in the Universe Forum. It was also betted the Klingons were going to take advantage of their situation in expanding into the Romulan Empire, which obviously will cause a conflict that will drag the Federation into an awkward situation. Then hurt the Klingon-Federation Alliance to the point it's was prior to the Khitomer Accords.

Also, wondering if Kestrel going to add in the Unity Station into the storyline?

well this was the first installment im sure they will cover more in the up and comeing months :) i personly like the timeline the movie kinda left it up in the air.

[iPond317]

Finally, we have a storyline to follow after Nemesis! Thank you Kestrel!

[Kahn773]

Great Job, I find that this historic review will be a great way to get my Trek fix while I wait for the game. A few questions though, I was wondering how the Federation is recovering from the war?. Several key Federation planets fell to the Dominion such as Betazed. Did the Federation start a major shipbuilding program due to their heavy loses? And did they move to more heavily armed ships do to the major conflicts they have been involved in?

[Commander_Daedelus]

Great read, i look forward to the next update

[Himble]

While the history may be coming out of the Titan books, I am not sure this is a good thing. These books are not cannon and should not be treated as such. The Tal'shiar would never allow the Reman state to break free nor allow a KIingon protectorate within Romulan space. No matter what power vacuum exists within the Senate the Romulan military only lost a Reman Warbird and possibly one Norexean Class ship in the battle... so they are still a major military power. The Romulans would be too proud to allow such a thing.

This is the first piece of news on the site that has put me off the game. It just seems to venture away too far from the Romulans from the Cannon TV series.

[Capt.Sisko]

bravo ......well done indeed ............more please.........tell us what happened to section 31 .........i love them

[slic45]

Good job kastrel, the storyline goes great sow far .
Greetings from Croatia!http://forums.startrekonline.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ebeyer]

/em raises hand.

I'm guilty. I write all the content for the web sites and I've been knee-deep in timeline ideas for weeks now.

Author! Author!

[Miganto]

Nice start to what should be an interesting read. I think it's a really good idea to slowly tease out the history...keeps us hooked ;)

Good job!

[GozerTC]

I look forward to seeing more updates here. While I also see little items to disagree with, all in all I'm happy and look forward to the next update. :)

[Ochosi-]

great story! also... does this mean that we have 30ish months before the game comes out :D

[RockyM]

Job well done sir, job well done !
Keep 'em coming.

[vp21ct]

Did you use any of mine or onibacho's theory's

or is it your all you

or are you not gonna tell us.

[Whitefyre]

Woohoo!

Finally we get to hear whats going on!!

Thanks!!!!!!!!

[Boone]

Pretty good look at the events following Nemesis and the Dominion war. I'm sure we'll learn more in future clips, how often will they come?

[Skywatch]

Excellent timeline start Kestrel!! I am so wanting to read more.


Now.



Whaddya mean I have to wait!?!:mad:


Well.... I guess I can be patient. The good stuff is always worth waiting for and this is a great start!:)

[Alekks]

Well done Kestrel!

Looking forward to these as the timeline is updated.

[indelible]

I'll take total responsibility for the Remus problem, and I have fixed it. Thank you.

As far as Tal'aura goes, I've found her name spelled differently (Tel'aura, Tal'aura, Tal'Aura, Tel'Aura) in different sources.

I guess in that situation, the best place to refer would be the movie script? I don't know if you have access to those materials but seeing as series and movies are considered primary canon, I'm going to assume you do. Go with whatever the spelling is in the script :-P

[indelible]

Kestral,

not being pedantic intentionally but I noticed that you changed most of the Tel'Aura's to Tal'Aura's. You did miss one however, just before the part about her ordering the blockade of Remus ;D

Just thought I'd point it out :-)

[DuaricAeryenmists]

NIce work. I have a few questions. Just how did Tomalek go from Ambassador to Fleet Commander?--- please dont say he just killed his way to the top----- Was LT. Riker ( Cmdr. Rikers double ) left in a Cardassian jail to rot, after trying to start a Federation- Cardassian war? or would he have been killed During the Occupation of Cardassia? Or even let free after the Dominion War? Will we ever learn the whole story behind the genetic change of the Klingon Forehead ( just Breen involvement wasnt good enough) ?

[BigX]

That was kewl. Is there any books or story lines floating around bout what happens to the dominion after DS9 cause that is a wide open subject that I want answered :).

[gdoran0287]

woah heavy. i wonder if we will get to hear about what happens to the enterprise J? or is that even later in the time line then the game is set?

[johnny_sisko]

Nice read Kestrel :D

Just wondering, do we consider what is being written cannon for STO? As in, will what you have come up with be referenced to in game? I thought Jack had said it would be done by a ST writer. Either way, nice work!

[omechron]

Very good read. However, it doesn't answer the burning question we've all had since the end of Nemesis.

What happens to B-4 and Data? Does Data's program upload ever take?

[Hugh]

Well done Kestrel, truly out of this world.. Cant wait for next months installment :)

[Cohas]

Thanks Kestrel keep up the good work.

[Mattastic]

Very interesting stuff! A lot's happened in that first year, it seems. It's nice to see Starfleet keeping up a humanitarian effort though. It's not all war. :)

I can see how the crumbling state of most of the Alpha Quadrant powers might create tension between the Klingons and the Federation, as the only two undamaged major forces...

[Fried_Yoda]

Good job Kestrel, I like how you're tying in canon to create a plausible future. You obviously did your research (either that, or you're currently watching every single episode of Star Trek ever created, like me) :). Remember, every good Trek writer must have canonical inconsistencies, as long as they're believable! So don't try to create a perfect story, just throw in a few errors in to tick off the anal fanboys and to give it a TRUE Star Trek feel ;)

[KubeeBane]

And on stardate 58370.4, Ro Laren surrendered to Starfleet custody. A former member of Starfleet who defected to the Maquis in 2370, Ro plead guilty to charges of desertion and was ordered to report to a penal facility on Earth for rehabilitation.

I have a query that how can Ro be in Federation custody at this time when in the post DS9 books which start in 2376 that she is already the chief of security on DS9.

Otherwise then that the timeline looks good and interesting so far. Keep up the good work.

[Balineseterror]

So, have this question for these 'ideas for the storyline'

Why are you not following the books?

Many Trek Fans have gone after the books to continue the Star Trek legacy when the shows went off the air. Especially with the Deep Space Nine, the books really push forward the entire storyline with Bajor and the Sisko. Just a few things the new books have been explaining

TNG: What happened when Riker left? How the new crew works when losing so many. Finally Picard and Crusher get together!!!! B4 is at StarFleet Engineering to be looked over. Also what is happening with the Romulans, how their government has been affected, how Riker has a big role there!

Deep Space Nine: Sisko returning, the Prophets more involved, the return of the parasites from Season 1 of TNG who are targeting the Symbionts, and of course with Odo and the Dominion - and of course what has happened with Garak and the Cardassians - there is already a major explanation here!!!

Voyager: Post arrival back at Earth, Borg following them of course, dealing with Janeway getting a promotion and her first officer becoming Captain, what happens with the Dr and EMH rights, etc

And this doesn't include the new series made such as Excelsior or Starfleet Corp of Engineers


I was extremely excited when I heard that this MMO has been 'restarted' and taken over. However if you aren't going to abide by cannon I can think of twenty friends who all read the books and play MMOs that won't touch this with a stick. No exaggerating. I won't touch it at all either. I'll pray a good star trek game comes out instead that isn't MMO and go off and play Stargate Worlds instead

[Fried_Yoda]

So, have this question for these 'ideas for the storyline'

Why are you not following the books?

Many Trek Fans have gone after the books to continue the Star Trek legacy when the shows went off the air. Especially with the Deep Space Nine, the books really push forward the entire storyline with Bajor and the Sisko. Just a few things the new books have been explaining

TNG: What happened when Riker left? How the new crew works when losing so many. Finally Picard and Crusher get together!!!! B4 is at StarFleet Engineering to be looked over. Also what is happening with the Romulans, how their government has been affected, how Riker has a big role there!

Deep Space Nine: Sisko returning, the Prophets more involved, the return of the parasites from Season 1 of TNG who are targeting the Symbionts, and of course with Odo and the Dominion - and of course what has happened with Garak and the Cardassians - there is already a major explanation here!!!

Voyager: Post arrival back at Earth, Borg following them of course, dealing with Janeway getting a promotion and her first officer becoming Captain, what happens with the Dr and EMH rights, etc

And this doesn't include the new series made such as Excelsior or Starfleet Corp of Engineers


I was extremely excited when I heard that this MMO has been 'restarted' and taken over. However if you aren't going to abide by cannon I can think of twenty friends who all read the books and play MMOs that won't touch this with a stick. No exaggerating. I won't touch it at all either. I'll pray a good star trek game comes out instead that isn't MMO and go off and play Stargate Worlds instead

Books are NOT canon. Gene Roddenberry specifically stated many times that all fictional novels published by Pocket Books are not canon. With the exception of a few novels written by people directly involved with the series whose purpose was to supplement storylines that made it on the screen, no Star Trek fictional book is considered canon. Even those few "exceptions" are still open to debate when it comes to their canonical validity. Star Trek novelizations of episodes or movies are not considered canon either.

[bloom501]

I was extremely excited when I heard that this MMO has been 'restarted' and taken over. However if you aren't going to abide by cannon I can think of twenty friends who all read the books and play MMOs that won't touch this with a stick. No exaggerating. I won't touch it at all either. I'll pray a good star trek game comes out instead that isn't MMO and go off and play Stargate Worlds instead

Live Long and Prosper!




Great read Kestrel! Cant wait for the next one..

[rengwrerda]

I just can't resist this one.

So -- anybody else want to try to follow this up with a guess as to where Ro Laren will be and what she'll be doing in her next appearance in the STO timeline?

--Flatfingers

I'm just thinking outloud here but Ro would likly end up serving starfleet on cardassia redeeming herself and starfleet all at the same time.

any takers?

[pyriel32]

books are soft canon and shatner books are bs

[slchilds]

Awesome Story and background. I am drooling in anticipation on the rest of the path to 2409. :)

[rikeromega]

Hi Kestrel,
Do you work with a staff, or would you be looking for ideas for other writers who have been involved in Star Trek since the Original Series? Of course, I imagine that would likely mean youd be inundated with submissions...

[rikeromega]

I don't know that the novels are necessarily NOT canonical. The only thing Gene Roddenberry stated fell outside of canon was Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and the animated series. As for the books, I would suggest sticking with Peter David's writings as he does a very thorough background study for his narratives.

[rikeromega]

And, for my final post of the day...*LOL*...I agree that Ro would likely get posted to Cardassia for at least five to ten years. I think Starfleet would knock her back to Ensign (as a court martial would be standard for a Maquis sympathizer) and would want her out of their hair for the time being. I think it would also be likely that Captain Picard would likely be the only reason she would have regained admittance back into active duty for having made so many big mistakes. I think Ro would likely want to prove him right and would have definitely hit some bumps in the road throughout her Cardassian tenure, likely working closely with Garak (who I would think would get an Ambassadorial role for Starfleet at some point in the reconstruction of Cardassian infrastructure if not a leading role in the new, democratic Cardassian government).

[Sloan_S31]

What they've come up with some far is actually very plasuible and I'm impressed at how well they did they're homework!

The books are in no way canon but at the same time, neither is this game. If they decide to make a new Trek series set in the 25th, you can be damn sure they won't take any of this game into consideration anyway, so I don't mind whether Cryptic adhere to the books or not.

My only complaint is having Klingons as the bad guys.......AGAIN! I completely disagree as it steers entirely in the wrong direction. If anything, after such honourable collaboration during such a devastating war, the UFP and Klingons should be even stronger allies then ever!

[Nelson]

I would just like to say thank you for your continuing work on the game site and the story. I would like to be able to say on the behalf of many, but as of now I think I can only say I speak for my self. I would like to tell you dont worry about what the people that complain about every detail, they will complain even if the story is perfect. I think you did a great job on the history line and cant wait for the next one. If some people are going to say that they will not play this game if not all the story and details are not what they expect then I say great, I dont think I would want to hear their complaining while I am playing anyway. So once again I would like to say keep up the great work, to you and to all at Cryptic that are working on this game there are so many of us that would be singing on tomarrow if the game was here......

[Tristan_Sierras]

Great read! I expected a few loose ends to be tied up in the first few updates before our new "next generation" began to unfold, and that update met if not surpassed my expectations! :D

I obviously can't speak for everyone, but for me, these updates are gonna be like little stipends, keeping me from going insane prior to the release of the game. Keep up the awesome work! :)

[clearymonkey]

Wow! That was very well written. This really gets the mind going!
:)

[Balineseterror]

Books are NOT canon. Gene Roddenberry specifically stated many times that all fictional novels published by Pocket Books are not canon. With the exception of a few novels written by people directly involved with the series whose purpose was to supplement storylines that made it on the screen, no Star Trek fictional book is considered canon. Even those few "exceptions" are still open to debate when it comes to their canonical validity. Star Trek novelizations of episodes or movies are not considered canon either.

If he was alive I'd agree with you. He is dead. Gone. In many respects his death allowed DS9 to happen - which is my fav series of all of them, and therefore actually glad those circumstances happened.

Many people consider the new novels to be canon or what is called 'soft canon'. We read the novels. We have the 'disposable income' that can go to purchasing new star trek items. What the new Star Trek movie is doing I respect, supposedly it's making an 'alternative timeline' in order to reboot - which is fine. However the entire point of this game is to extend the current ST universe as we know it.

How do we know this universe? Well many of us follow the books. We read them. There is a huge fan following for some of the series, if there wasn't then how would they still be in existence and being published? I am sure that Pocket Books isn't printing the new Star Trek novels just for fun. They have repeatedly said that sales for the new relaunch books have been doing very well and they are pleased with just how many fans are into the series based up prior series or featuring brand new ships and crews.

That said, as a major fan of the books, of one that believes in this 'soft-canon' why would I want to play in an universe that goes against such a rich amount of literature and sources that these people can draw upon? I WANT this MMO to succeed, but not at the expense of tossing aside such great storyplots that have already been written and told. I dont mind some contradictions between this game and the novels but there are far too many to put aside. That was the whole reason why I wanted Q to press a huge red reset button for Enterprise - too many issues on breaking canon.

While many of you don't think apparently that books are canon, many of us do, and we are a group which would love to play this game - but will rather go and play in other realms instead of seeing those books tossed aside as trash because the MMO developers rather not have to spend time researching and making sure their MMO matches up with the books.

Take a hard long look at Star Wars Galaxies and wonder if you want ST:O to be like that or to be like an MMO that actually follows a canon line

[outcast341]

Also when did Keiko start caring about agriculture or the Cardasians?

It would seem that Keiko would get involed in anything that would help people, no matter what race they are.

[Balineseterror]

It would seem that Keiko would get involed in anything that would help people, no matter what race they are.

Actually unless Miles has changed his perspective totally on the entire Cardassian Race then don't see how Keiko would want to help them because she should be on Earth with Miles. She was pushing for that so much. The ending of DS9 on TV was about Miles taking the position on Earth for her so she could be finally back on Earth and apply her craft there. She hated being away from her family just to be on Bajor to do what she loved. Why would she go away and be away from Miles to help a race that he barely likes except for a few exceptions (such as Garak and Ziyal)

[J.L.Picard]

Just a couple of things :-

It isn't "Reman." It is "Remus." As in, "Romulus and Remus," from Roman mythology.

Other than those two errors, it makes for an interesting read. I didn't think it would play out like that but ah well. I soo wanted them to get owned and join the Federation ;o

blah blah blah IT IS REMAN. not only has it been mentioned in one of the TNG episodes and movies, but Remus is the name of the planet and the planets people are known as Reman not Remus's i was gonna give you an example but my mind has gone blank LOL. anywas the Dev/poster wahtever he/she is was correct.

[CinC-UFPForces-Cardassia]

First, a word on the use of the non-canon Trek books for the basis of "The Path to 2409." Cryptic is under absolutely no obligation to use any portion of, or concept from, the Trek books universe. That said, they not only made a pledge to draw from that material, but they've followed through on that pledge. I will offer (though I'm prepared to be corrected) that Cryptic has gone farther than any other license holder to use the books for the purpose of a game. There should be a lot to like here for those who are fans of the books, even if Cryptic takes literary license in writing the game's plot.

The fracturing of the Romulan government and the beginning of a Reman rebellion is exactly the right call.
One of Star Trek's truly great flaws, in my opinion, was a willingness to overlook the obvious, necessary, and often more interesting consequences of major events in the Universe. This story choice corrects the problem in a real way for the purposes of Star Trek Online. There's just too much power at stake in a divided Romulan Star Empire for a major realignment of power to occur. I'm interested to see the role that the Tal'Shiar plays in the story going forward.

The choice to include the trials of the Female Changeling and Ro Laren is interesting, since neither are particularly organic to the story that's being played out. We should ask why Cryptic chose to divert in this place from the Trek books: obviously in the relaunch, Ro Laren is part of the command staff of Deep Space Nine. Cryptic easily could have left her story untold, or classify her as a casualty of the Dominion War; instead, she sits in a Federation prison. What's in store for Ro? As an aside, I'm curious to find out what "maximum security" means for a changeling.

As I wrote in a previous post, it's fascinating that the Cardassian government has chosen to place the Cardassian government - such as it is - at odds with the Federation. It is inconceivable that the Federation would not have installed a government in the early days of the occupation - 2379 certain qualifies - that would be amenable to Federation aims and compatible with the Federation's views on government. I take this all as an indication that, despite the Andak Project, the Federation occupation overall isn't going well. I'll be interested to see if there's tensions within the Federation and within Starfleet in future editions of the story.

An important question: what is the status of the Federation Alliance between the Federation, Klingons and Romulans? Obviously it doesn't end well.

I saw that there's been some confusion over the role of Keiko O'Brien. There's no disputing the fact that Deep Space Nine ended with the O'Brien family sight-set on Earth. I don't begrudge those who suggest that she'd never leave for a major project on Cardassia Prime. However, let's look at the circumstances. It's the biggest reconstruction project in Federation history, second perhaps only to liberated Betazed (will the status of Betazed be addressed?). It's a project which she would specifically be lobbied for, likely by Elim Garak, who is obviously a close personal friend of the O'Brien family. And she brings a unique skill set of experience with Cardassian society and culture that would be invaluable. It might be a project that Keiko would find impossible to say no to.

Those are my thoughts. I look forward to learning more!

[Silhouette]

Yay, timeline! Thanks, Kestrel. :cool:

Poor Ro. Rehab. A cruel fate. :(

I like Ro as well, I still have a lot of hope for her. I think she would make a great Starfleet Captain.

Sil

[J.L.Picard]

i think that the mention of female changeling implies further "unrest" from the dominion I understand that Odo went back and what not but still lets not forget that within the Dominion changeling's = gods.
as far as the romulans are concerned GOOD its about time the Remans broke away to be honest i always thought it a bit silly that they are such "willing" slaves considering their obvious strengths.

as far as klingons are concerned their all a bunch of ungratefull swine, if it wasnt for the federation they would all be DEAD. all i can say is BRING IT. I also like the fact that they are already addressing balancing issues. the fact that it mention the soverieng going in for an "extensive refit" suggests that it has been refit to match the Scimitar's level of firepower carbomite defelector anyone :D:D:D

[J.L.Picard]

i have a very simple opinion. ANYTHING done with the consent of whoever holds the licence for ST is canon. I'm sorry but the series only take you so far. I LOVE the stories in the armada 1 and 2 games, I love how SFC3 explained why the tal'shiar was nowere in site when shinzon was taking power. did no-one notice the fact that they were nowere to be seen in what was the most important moment in the 25th century for the romulans?? if their is one thing i hate its that cryptic have decided to put the federaation at was with the klingons. i have to say this is completly retarded and i would bet anything that the decision was base more around the fact that if the two are allies cryptic would have to launch the game with an additional race to be an oppossing faction not to mention the fact that klingon's+feds=unstoppable.

[CinC-UFPForces-Cardassia]

i have a very simple opinion. ANYTHING done with the consent of whoever holds the licence for ST is canon. I'm sorry but the series only take you so far. I LOVE the stories in the armada 1 and 2 games, I love how SFC3 explained why the tal'shiar was nowere in site when shinzon was taking power. did no-one notice the fact that they were nowere to be seen in what was the most important moment in the 25th century for the romulans?? if their is one thing i hate its that cryptic have decided to put the federaation at was with the klingons. i have to say this is completly retarded and i would bet anything that the decision was base more around the fact that if the two are allies cryptic would have to launch the game with an additional race to be an oppossing faction not to mention the fact that klingon's+feds=unstoppable.

That's probably a pretty safe bet. I disagree with you, though, that Cryptic's decision - particularly on those merits - was the wrong one. If you're right that a Federation-Klingon alliance is "unstoppable", then the fact of the matter is that - unlike the literary media - serious balance issues are presented for game play. Beyond the technical challenges of creating a third playable faction, the options for that third playable faction are not attractive: only the Romulans and the Dominion have the might to be a reasonable opponent to the Federation and Klingons, and both have serious internal divisions that undermine that point. The most logical resolution, and the most in keeping with Trek, is renewed conflict between the Federation and the Klingons.

With regard to the definition of canon - well, there is a definition of canon that can't be ignored. It's not a subjective criterion - canon is what it is. Like a rectangle is a square but a square is not a rectangle, Cryptic is certainly allowed to draw from non-canon sources, but it is not obligated to treat not-canon sources as canon. You may certainly argue that they should, but it's just not possible to argue that they're somehow required to. I recognize, as Balineseterror said, that there are many good stories that have been told in non-canon sources, but those stories are possible precisely because the material is non-canon - and much of it conflicts with each other. It cannot be consistently applied in a way that will be recognizable.

Just as Pocket Books doesn't publish non-canon material for fun, Cryptic isn't developing STO just to crib its story from others.

[wookiemart]

A most interesting turn of events. Can't wait to see how all this will translate into game terms so far as galactic politics are involved. I'm willing to bet this is what will set the Klingon's ablaze :D

[Fvillha]

Himble]While the history may be coming out of the Titan books, I am not sure this is a good thing. These books are not cannon and should not be treated as such. The Tal'shiar would never allow the Reman state to break free nor allow a KIingon protectorate within Romulan space. No matter what power vacuum exists within the Senate the Romulan military only lost a Reman Warbird and possibly one Norexean Class ship in the battle... so they are still a major military power. The Romulans would be too proud to allow such a thing.

This is the first piece of news on the site that has put me off the game. It just seems to venture away too far from the Romulans from the Cannon TV series.


I hear what you're saying, but a lot would pend on how much of the Star Trek Novels, such as USS Titan & Articles of the Federation are considered, especially the empire factions struggling amongst themselves to refill the Senate seats, and deciding what to do with the Praetor Tal’ Aura being responsible for their deaths.

Even if you don't count the Post-Nemesis events the novels present you'd still have the Romulan houses seeing this moment as a great time to bring their house into light and we can't ignore the Remans to much. The Remans/Remen and probably the undercover Unification Rommies making the most of the situation, would create moments of unrest.

You do bring up a good point, wouldn't the remaining Romulans in power still be able to keep control. I'd say yes if the rest of Novels mentioned don't get factored in.

[Signalsgt]

Hopefully we'll get an update on how Cryptic is going to view Starfleet and the application of the Prime Directive as well as the Articles of the Federation and how they will impact the game.

[Fvillha]

The fracturing of the Romulan government and the beginning of a Reman rebellion is exactly the right call.
One of Star Trek's truly great flaws, in my opinion, was a willingness to overlook the obvious, necessary, and often more interesting consequences of major events in the Universe. This story choice corrects the problem in a real way for the purposes of Star Trek Online. There's just too much power at stake in a divided Romulan Star Empire for a major realignment of power to occur. I'm interested to see the role that the Tal'Shiar plays in the story going forward.

An important question: what is the status of the Federation Alliance between the Federation, Klingons and Romulans? Obviously it doesn't end well.


I agree if the Novels mentioned are considered part of the Post Nemesis events in the ST:O time line that there's a lot to be accounted for and would love to see how they're addressed in future updates, especially about Empress Donatra and the Imperial Romulan State, can she pull the Empire back together (wonder if Captain Riker has to step in again), and those silly Remans that want what's due to them.

[Magneson]

Any chance in bringing the Andorians back into the race?

[Ravain]

People people people,

Ther no such thing as Cannon after 2379.
Everything that Cryptic does will be customize toward the game.

Even the books are not set in stone.
if they use the books, kewl if not, kewl, enjoy it
Enjoy the creativity of this universe, not the TV universe.

[Johneyreacko]

Wow... I really hope future installments are just like this.
Very fine work Cryptic, :) Looks like all your research is paying off with an expanded history like this.
Brief but comprehensive enough to keep us interested

Can't wait for more!
:D

[capgjt585]

Interesting. So what essentially we have here is a fractured Romulan Empire and the devastated Cardassians hanging on by their fingernails (if that). The way I figure it, all this disorder is going to make the Klingons heady (particularly with the Romulans), a lot of independents skittish and the Federation stuck in the middle as the political "policeman" to keep everyone from each other's throats.

Boy, and I thought the Federation would have it made in the shade after the Treaty of Bajor... :o

[Drazal]

very nice, looking forward to more

[Talawsohu]

Just wanted to add my two cents about the awesomeness of the timeline, although the fate of Ro Laren seems to ignore the DS9 novels where she takes Odo's job, but I won't lose any sleep over that. Glad to see the DS9 material so prevalent in the timeline.

My deep fear of this game was that it would simply reflect TNG and the movies, while ignoring the less popular series and fiction.

Thank you for putting doubts at ease. Now what's the timeline for the timeline? :D

[Magnuson]

I enjoyed the timeline and look forward to reading the future installments, don't make us wait too long in between. Please. :-)

[Nytemaster]

/em raises hand.

I'm guilty. I write all the content for the web sites and I've been knee-deep in timeline ideas for weeks now.

Been playing Eve for five years now and looking forward to this new game, Kestrel. ;)

[Dominion1971]

Its a very nice story.. only one thing... I actually read the plot story of movie... tonight.. bewfgore this.., and it reads that the entire Romulan Senate was all vaporized.. but now, suddenly, there is one that survived.. How could this person survive when it shows the senate get wiped out... Just my thoughts..

[Natai]

Its a good story plot twist, seeing how Miles was so anti-cardasian.

I will wager a prediction here:

The theorized Klingon/Federation fallout will have something to do witih wanting to finish off Cardasia and a romulan/klingon alliance (much like the short lived one in TOS). Motive: A divided Romulus is easier prey than a united Romulus. Although I can't imagine which side they will take. Either way, it is most likely a prelude to invasion on two fronts which I am sure the Federation will not be keen on.

Remember Bridge Commander? The cardasian's and Klingons weren't on the best of terms to put it lightly.

The cardassians and klingons were never on the best of terms.. The cardassians always found the klingons to be brutish and impatient, utilizing brawn instead of brain. As to how the Klingons viewed the Cardassians, i honestly dont know, but boith races share the same foundational belief in expansionism and tha will always lead to disaster. Had the traitor Dukat not formed an alliance with the founders, a possible strategic alliance may have been formed with the romulans against the federation, however with the alliance with the founders, Romulan Sovereignty and security were placed at highest risk, making a treaty impossible until there was an active movement against the founders by the Cardassians themselves..

[Natai]

Its a very nice story.. only one thing... I actually read the plot story of movie... tonight.. bewfgore this.., and it reads that the entire Romulan Senate was all vaporized.. but now, suddenly, there is one that survived.. How could this person survive when it shows the senate get wiped out... Just my thoughts..

not to be impudent, but have you ever been sick from school? missed a day from work?? dodged a boring and otherwise mandatory appointment?? Everyone within the senate chambers was murdered, but thats not saying that everyone from the senate was present that day..

[ErinDarkstar]

I'm looking forward to reading more adventures in the future.

and what about B4.

:)

[Natai]

I concur with the use of what "Taking Wings" offered us with the Reman/Klingon alliance and the way the Remen setup a strong hold on Romulus, and Empress Donatra creating the Imperial Romulan State as the "Articles of the Federation" elaborates on I believe as Random Redshirt suggest that us Romulans will be quiet busy trying to reform an Empire that's not splintered with many different fronts to fight on. So I am very pleased with the way you pulled the timeline together. Lets see more :). Like whats Empress Donatra upto. Last I recall the Feds are willing to help feed the Empire but not ready to choice sides.

Empress Donatra?? ummm,, how did that happen?? please excuse me but i dont have a lot of seconds in a day for reading books nor the finnces to spend on them, but last i knew, Donatra was the one who helped the federation defeat Shinzon while shinzons girlfriend back on romulus ( Tal'aura ) set herself up as praetor. this would create a polarity between the senate and the military just on it's own merits and Donatra would find staying alive quite a challenge, let alone trying to become Empress..
Personally i hope she really succeeded, i want the valdore for myself..

[fritos1]

Its a very nice story.. only one thing... I actually read the plot story of movie... tonight.. bewfgore this.., and it reads that the entire Romulan Senate was all vaporized.. but now, suddenly, there is one that survived.. How could this person survive when it shows the senate get wiped out... Just my thoughts..

There was one in the BR smoking a cigarette ok jeez come on now or there was one that new about the supposed plot so he sent double in because he was not sure how creditable the threat was.:D