E06 - Old Friends, New Enemies & Future Allies

[Grizz]

Production Code: 1x06
Episode Title: "Truth or Consequence Part II"
Writer: Griffiths

"Find our man and bring him home."

I take it back, things are fine. Nothing to worry about. Truth or Consequence Part II was a shining example of how Asteroid Field doesn't get bogged down in politics and inter-station rivalries. When the time comes, everyone will do their jobs and do them well. If you, for any reason, were missing the original series - then episode six proved to be the most Asteroid Base-y of the lot. There's nothing like a war of words against a Romulan commander and exploring a believed-to-be-abandoned-but-never-actually-is base of operations to remind ourselves that we never left the Accobar System. There was plenty to take away from Griffiths' latest - so I'll jump on in.

"Civilian establishments will remain closed until further notice."

The second half of this story picked up a few days after the reveal that Chaplain was missing - so the minisode back on Earth is appropriately dropped in the middle of the gap. Security sweeps are underway across the station, medial assessments are being performed on the spot and many of the crew have not slept since going to high alert. We learned that the Athena had been following up on what leads they had (courtesy of Ambassador Taval, who offered his intel to President Taylor in 'Meanwhile, on Earth'). Hampton also had to inform Thrace and Fox that Doctor Swan was on the Ariana - returning to Starbase 215, having been dismissed from the project on medical grounds - and at the request of Starfleet Command. Etis and Fox may have to step up to fill the void.

It wasn't much longer until Captain Munro requested that Thrace, Rogan, Costello and Barnes beamed over to the Athena to join the search. Their plan was to await the arrival of the Relentless, before scouting out another possible location for the missing executive officer. This was another good opportunity for some of the old team to reunite on the ship and even continue some dangling threads from Asteroid Base. For example, Munro's illness was factored in during her meeting with Rogan and Jobel Timor was interested in how his former protégé, Jack Willis, was performing in his new job.

Personally, this was an enjoyable chance to switch between Hampton and Munro - and try to highlight the differences between them. It was also nice to see Munro adjusting to new Bridge officers, but feeling quite comfortable working alongside her former senior staff. Hopefully the reunion translated just as well for those playing their former characters and those meeting up with past colleagues. So it was only fitting that the old guard on the Athena came across a familiar situation.

"This is going to make us look bad. Right under our noses the entire time."

The first surprise of the episode came when we switched maps without a disaster unfolding in Sickbay. But more importantly, the second surprise of the episode came when Chaplain's whereabouts no longer seemed quite so far away. While waiting for the Relentless to arrive, Thrace uncovered what appeared to be a cloaked Romulan vessel on the very outskirts of the asteroid belt. The Athena waited for them to make their first move, and as they approached, they did. That's when we were hit by the third surprise of the episode. The now uncloaked ship didn't engage the Athena, nor did they attempt to flee on first sight. Instead, they actually attempted to be rather useful. Whether inadvertently (would they have said anything if we had not detected them?) or misguidedly, the Romulan commander eventually gave up the location of a hidden outpost within the Accobar system itself - even if he had to verbally beat Munro up a little first.

Sure enough, the tip paid off - Thrace identified the mining facility as one abandoned years ago when it's usefulness had come to it's end. The presumably Cult of Romulus outpost was similar in design to those previously encountered - possibly because oldbase.pk3 has 1000 uses - but let's not dwell. Unfortunately, they couldn't just beam Chaplain out, or beam in themselves - so it was time for a good old fashioned shuttlecraft outing. The away team assembled, phaser rifles in hand, and headed out.

"Mr. Barnes, don't let anybody take our ride."

As I mentioned in the discussion thread, rescue missions on the ground and in confirmed areas need their own unique set pieces. With Barnes minding the shuttle (due to SFC3 being AFK), Munro, Thrace and Rogan set off in to the base. A set of lifesigns had been picked up and following a few close calls with a number of guards - the trio had reached the source. I couldn't help but make a MacGyver reference as we came up with various makeshift ideas to get through a series of barriers. But even once we gained access (well, kind of, thanks to a broken half-door) to the area Chaplain should have been held in, the team found that there was nobody to be seen, and so delved further in to the base. But a few guards and a silent alarm system later, there was still no sign of Chaplain or his interrogators.

Speaking of which, Chaplain was under pressure from two Romulan soldiers and words such as 'bio-attack' were being thrown around. Just like Chaplain himself. He was overdue a rescue and eventually Munro came to realise that the lifesigns had been planted to put the team as far away as possible. With an alert now sounding, the team rushed back to the upper levels and breached the holding room at the far side of the facility - which looked suspiciously like a bedroom. With bunk beds. Bunk beds are cool. Beds - with ladders. Sorry, that's Doctor Who. Anyway, distracted by Amber's phaser rifle waggling, one of the interrogators was incapacitated by Chaplain while the second was captured by Thrace and Rogan. In a brief lapse in caution, Munro was pinned by the first - at which point she hinted that she knew who he was. Chaplain took him out and order was restored. The surviving Romulan was thrown in Pioneer's brig upon the away team's return.

"Some people will do anything for a day off."

This story also came with the reminder that Renee is not a Starfleet commander and her abilities to manage the station during a predominantly Starfleet crisis are limited. Chaplain is the man who is there to deal with such matters so having him gone this early on clearly had an impact. She thanked each member of the team for their successful rescue before paying the recovering Commander a visit - quietly reminding him, and herself, why she said 'yes' to the assignment in the first place. But ultimately, following a series of incidents across the station, both publically and privately, Truth or Consequence pulled everyone back together for their first major accomplishment since Pioneer opened her doors. Over the next two weeks, we'll be going for the second.

Congratulations, Griffiths, for your second Asteroid Field story has been an undoubted success. I hope to see many more. Thank you to all that were able to attend - especially if you found time to pop in during the later stages. Every member helps. Griff already has a list of things to ponder on, but here is my own.



Final Thoughts:

- How is the splinter group organised? Is everyone involved truly after the same goal?
- In what way did Amber recognise one of the interrogators? Something from Operation: Trojan?
- Are there any more infiltrators in the system?
- Why has the abandoned facility not been discovered sooner?
- How will this latest incident affect the impending peace talks?
- Is anybody ever going to pick up on the longest running theme in AB & AF without my hinting at it? 

[Talus Roben]

- Is anybody ever going to pick up on the longest running theme in AB & AF without my hinting at it?

Rogan must suffer? Romulans are tricksy? Layers on layers of intrigue? Why is there a random asteroid field near a planet? Where do the Romulans keep finding all these bases (Project Daedalus...?)?