SS Vondem Rose
- "Under the leadership of a man you have all chosen to flee. We shall see how you prove yourselves under the hand of a woman."
- —Zheng Yi Sao - Chinese pirate
Legally the SS Vondem Rose is the primary ship of Totally Legitimate Salvage Operations LLC, a duly registered and licensed United Federation of Planets salvage operator in possession of a Starfleet salvage writ. The ship is also registered as an armed merchantman, capable of being called up in times of need by Starfleet if required for running dangerous cargo, though curiously has never been asked to do so at this time.
In reality, the ship is a relatively modern K't'inga-class battlecruiser originally commissioned into service as the IKS Va’thu, that has been taken as a prize by one Captain Sidda and her band of misfits. The vessel had been built and placed into immediate storage by the Klingon Defense Force years ago under contract to a minor house shipyard. During that time and the uprising of the Hunters of D'Ghor, the vessel had fallen into D'Ghor hands and was being prepared for operations against the Federation. During what could only be called a vendetta strike against the Hunters, the vessel was taken forcibly as compensation for the loss of the SS Vondem Thorn.
The ship is well maintained, perhaps better so than by her builders, and retains typical features found on Klingon warships, while being fitted with luxuries the Klingon designers considered unnecessary for a warship. Technically listed as an independent vessel, the ship's cloaking device is maintained and fully operational, a selling point when undertaking 'legitimate' cargo runs. The ship also sports Sidda's customary purple paint job, with each wing of the vessel splashed with the emblem of the Vondem Rose where the KDF symbol would have been in another era.
Design & Modifications
The Vondem Rose is typical of her breed - sturdy, rugged and well-built. But since she has moved from Klingon ownership to an independent existence, modifications for a softer crew had to be made. Replicators capable of more than just basic sustenance were sourced and installed throughout the ship. Bunks and quarters were fitted to be more hospitable, even offering levels of privacy and comfort for the crew that Klingons would consider debilitatingly luxurious. As the ship operates with just over half the crew she was originally intended for, space became a luxury that could be utilised for crew comforts.
Other spaces aboard ship were converted for other uses beyond the original intent. Gone was a firing range, fitted with holographic emitters and control systems to give the ship a holodeck, which true to its original purpose, serves as a firing range from time to time but offers more varied and entertaining scenarios then firing downrange at targets.
The vessel's rudimentary sickbay was also completely remodelled, and adjoining cabin space was converted in order to fit the vessel with a top-of-the-line medical facility, quite literally the best that money could buy. Top of the line civilian Federation medical equipment can be found throughout the ship's infirmary, including isolation rooms, surgical bays and a field research lab that wouldn't go amiss in small colony hospitals.
All of this pales however in comparison to the single greatest modification to the Vondem Rose since it came under the current management. While a Klingon warship needs to be led by a great captain, and a great captain needs a great seat from which to command from, it turns out that Klingons can't make comfortable chairs to save themselves. So, taking it upon herself to resolve this issue, Sidda has 'procured' a disused Starfleet command chair, formerly of the USS Endeavour to replace the monstrosity that the ship came with originally. The single greatest advantage to all of this was the far superior lumbar support. And knowing she got away with it. For now at least...
Adventures
Archanis Campaign
The Hunters of D'Ghor are stepping on Sidda's territory. Seeking information the Vondem Thorn rescues a wounded Starfleet ship, and then takes on its mission to hunt down a Klingon battlecruiser. The deed done at the cost of the Vondem Thorn, Sidda captures and takes a ship from the Hunters as her own, the Vondem Rose. Now it's time to show them how it's done.
Wait...did we just go legit?
Echoes of the Tkon & Pirating from the pirates
What do you do when Starfleet goes from being the normative centre to a bunch of crazy idiots running around like the house is on fire? You clean up the space lanes they're supposed to keep clear of course. Someone has to be the adult in the sector after all.
And as for pirates...well..it's a victimless crime, right?
Are...are we the good guys?
In a mirror, Lightly
If you gaze into the light, the light gazes also into you.
Old friends, old scores, old debts
A series of ion storms convinces all the pirates and ne'er-do-wells in the sector to attend a gala hosted by the self-styled Last Pirate King aboard his hidden station as a way to wait out the storms. Don't mind if we steal from the vault and take prisoners of the worst of you. The money from the bounties will help us sleep at night. It's surprising just how comforting bricks of gold-pressed latnium can be.
We're really bad at this bad guy thing, aren't we?
Tequila Mockingchair
When you need a comfy chair, why not steal one? From someone else's ship of course. And then send them risqué pictures of you sitting in it. At least the chair is comfy. And the lumbar support is possibly worth going to prison for.
Someone's going to kill us for this one day, aren't they? Over a chair...honestly...
Talkin’ ‘bout a Revolution
It was supposed to be a simple information retrieval, not a survival horror in Revolutionary Ta'shen!
Well, when in Ta'shen, do as Ta'shenians do! Murder, death, chaos, madness. Do you hear the people sing?
Jailhouse Rock
What do you do when your second ship and crew go missing in the Delta Quadrant, just as all hell is breaking loose, fascists are running around and Starfleet, typical bloody Starfleet, are poking their nose into everything all at once? Put on your kicking boots, grab your disruptor, pop on some music and go introduce yourself to the locals of course. Bad music tastes not-withstanding, fascist-bashing makes everyone feel good.
Fine, fine, we'll go on holiday after this. And yes, we're vigilantes, not bad guys. I don't want to know who won that betting pool.
Notable Crew
For the article, see Vondem Rose Full Roster.