TF17 Wildfire Scenario

The Wildfire Survey

Starfleet knows there are gaps in its understanding of what is happening across the Cestus Sector Block. The further it looks from the established Federation presence, the worse those gaps become. Sensor disruption and unreliable communications mean that some systems are difficult to observe properly, while others have effectively disappeared from Starfleet's picture altogether.

That is where Task Force 17 comes in.

As the exploration and scientific arm of the Fourth Fleet, TF17 is being asked to go into those gaps and find out what is happening. That means pushing beyond the areas Starfleet can comfortably observe and getting into the places where gathering good scientific data is going to be difficult.

Some ships may find themselves deep in Gorn space, where an increasingly aggressive Gorn presence makes any Starfleet activity a risk. Others may be operating along the Klingon-Gorn border, where local Klingon Houses may not be particularly pleased to find Starfleet ships poking around in their territory. Closer to home, there are Federation systems where sensor and communications problems have left Starfleet with little idea of what is happening on the ground.

The science is still the point. TF17 will be gathering observations, deploying scientific equipment and investigating stars that Starfleet cannot properly study from a distance. The difference is that the places where the most useful information is needed are not necessarily the easiest places to reach.

A ship may have to spend days travelling beyond reliable sensor coverage before reaching its target. Another may have to establish a temporary observation post and keep it running while conditions around the star change. Communications might become unreliable, equipment may fail, and Gorn or Klingon activity may complicate an otherwise straightforward survey. In some cases, simply getting close enough to collect the data could be the hardest part of the mission.

There is plenty of room for TF17 ships to approach this in different ways. Some crews might push into Gorn territory, while others work along the Klingon-Gorn border or investigate Federation systems that have gone dark. Others may head further out, trying to establish just how far the Wildfire extends and what lies beyond the areas Starfleet currently knows about.

TF17 is not being asked to solve the Wildfire in one mission. Its job is to go where Starfleet cannot easily go, find out what is happening there, and bring the information back.

The answers are out there. TF17 has to be the ones willing to go and look.

Encounters

These concepts below are story prompts any writer can use to tell their story. All the TF17 encounters are non-unique, which means multiple separate writers could pick up any of these ideas and write them. You do not need to confirm with your TF staff if you want to write any of these concepts.

• An affected star deep inside Gorn territory, but its location makes it scientifically important. TF17 has to get close enough to study it without attracting the attention of the Gorn. A science mission with a healthy dose of stealth, tension and potential combat.
• A TF17 ship needs to study an affected star near the Klingon-Gorn border, only to find that a local Klingon House isn't particularly happy about Starfleet operating in its territory. A story about balancing scientific priorities with Klingon politics.
• A Federation system has disappeared. Sensor disruption has left Starfleet concerned. What is happening out there? TF17 is sent to find out. An exploration and investigation story with plenty of room for danger and discovery.
• There is no easy way to reach an isolated system, and long-range sensors aren't giving Starfleet any meaningful data. TF17 has to make the journey and investigate. A deep-space exploration story built around isolation, uncertainty and the unexpected.
• Starfleet's readings from a remote region don't agree with each other. TF17 has to go in and work out what is actually happening. A science and exploration story with plenty of scope for the unexpected.
• Starfleet has no idea whether the Wildfire ends where its sensors stop working. TF17 is sent beyond the known edge to find out. An exploration story, with the freedom to decide what the crew finds out there.