The Last Outpost

The President's visit to Pioneer Station coincided with a series of unusual events above and below Accobar III. Faced with another attack on a Federation world, Taylor's visit was swift - but provided an insight in to Renee Hampton's unusual appointment as Deputy Chief of Staff. But focus soon turned on the science lab. Following a number of computer glitches, investigated by Jack Willis and the Engineering staff, Jemma Etis faced off with an energy surge (and lost).

Surprisingly, it wasn't so much a computer glitch, as a transport signal. A new arrival appeared in the science lab, and introduced herself as Deputy Director Melia Clarke. Deputy Director of what, exactly, remains to be seen.. but one thing she was quick to explain - she was (or, is) a member of the Accobar civilisation believed long gone. Clarke (whose Mother has been tied to Denara Clarke by the crew) explained that the device buried on the planet is part of a gateway which allowed travel across extremely long distances. The Caretaker seems old-school in comparison. She had some knowledge of prior attempts to bring the device online - including the disappearance of Illuminati fighters. Chaplain allowed her to work with Etis to re-establish the connection to the device. Re-tracing the steps first undertaken by David Rush and Daniel Thrace - the duo succeeded in using Clarke's own Control Bracelet to bring the device online.

The science team on the surface hailed in distress as the ground became unstable. Within minutes, the device rose to the surface, eroding the site around it. Once it reached an acceptable power level, Clarke disconnected the Control Bracelet and jumped away - apologising to Etis before she departed, while indicating that she knew more about Jemma than she was letting on. The device fired a familiar wave of energy up in to the asteroid field. It engulfed Asteroid Base: Alpha and seemingly transported the entire facility to an unknown location.

Chaplain gathered the senior staff immediately after the event. The connection with the device (still above ground) was severed when Clarke disconnected the bracelet. Before Starfleet Command could be alerted, Pioneer (and all Starfleet forces in the region) received an alert. The second attack that Chaplain had been warned about was underway. But the target was Starfleet-One. All ships in the area closed in on the President's position, but something was wrong. Every ship began serving as a transmitter for a live broadcast taking place at two different locations. When Pioneer received the link, all became clear.

G'rath (clearly surviving the USS Athena's collision) had taken Starfleet-One and a returning General Walter Peirce (presumably the reason the Illuminati took an interest in the alternate universe visited by Munro & Rush) was revealed to be responsible for Renee Hampton's abduction. G'rath reprimanded Taylor for failing to protect the Federation and holding back Starfleet's potential. He addressed Chaplain directly, in the absence of Munro, and forced him to make a decision. Either Taylor or Hampton was set to be executed before backup arrived on the scene. Unable to make the choice, Chaplain attempted to talk G'rath down. But with nothing to lose, and with Chaplain out of time, G'rath or Peirce took the shot at their victim.

Who that victim is... well... that would be telling.

---

Star Trek: Asteroid Field's first season concludes with two steps forward for the Accobar mystery, but we didn't quite learn everything we could have hoped. We didn't learn any new names, for a start. But I think we can rule out 'Accobar' as an accurate description of the species and the planet. But we did learn the reason for their technology being hidden under a façade of a primitive civilisation. We learnt that they did flee the system for fear that it would one day be ravaged. We learnt that the device was used to facilitate that exodus. We learnt that they travelled approximately 300,000 lightyears and had the intention of returning home. Or did they? Why was the device used to transport AB: Alpha away? Was Melia telling the truth - of any kind?

Yes, the questions keep on coming. I've been your host for the evening; good night, everybody! Rate and discuss, above and below.

Special thanks to Jenson for filling in as Commander Mark Chaplain.

I think that this season of Asteroid Field has been absolutely fantastic. We've learned so many things and managed to keep the mysteries of Asteroid Base: Alpha completely alive. It takes a true talent to do this, especially in drama. Grizz has proven to us time and time again that she can more than manage to keep us hooked from week-to-week and makes us want to be a part of the adventure. In honour of this spirit, I have opted to write something that isn't a review for Season 1 or its episodes. I think by the end of the Season the show runners deserve a bit of a break and so I won't pester them with reviews and whatnot ;). Instead I give you this:

Asteroid Base. Asteroid Field. Both marvelous inventions of our dear writer Grizz. When I first started Asteroid Base: Alpha, I jumped in late. I don't remember how many episodes, but it was late. Coming in, I knew I would be playing the only open Senior Staff position: the Chief Medical Officer. In the past, I had only Role Played in the Chief Science Officer position, so it was going to be quite difficult. Would I mess up the lingo and fail? Would I be blown out an airlock? Well the latter was more likely to be true since I was told shortly thereafter that all of the previous CMOs had been... well... violently killed in some form or another. So you can imagine my surprise when Timothy Rogan has survived all the way into the Asteroid Field era. In Asteroid Base we explored the Accobar system and nearly blew up every single week. Sickbay would get damaged. Or Engineering. Anywhere but Ops really. Then again Ops was hardly ever full. In fact there were times when Ops wasn't staffed at all! But that's alright because at the end of the day we all took something out of Asteroid Base and I think that's what made it such a marvelous production.

Towards the end of Asteroid Base's life, Grizz was debating what episode to end Asteroid Base on. Would it be the 100th? 200th? It would depend on what the members wanted and her own Real Life commitments. Everyone who was a part of the original Asteroid Base: Alpha knows what happened next. We received our curtain call notice. Asteroid Base would be ending because the map was no longer available to us. The team spirit that we strive to achieve in our community had been betrayed by a single individual. What I love most about Grizz is her ability to carry on against all of the impossible odds. Having my series ended prematurely in that fashion would have crushed me. I would never have put anything forward again most likely. And yet here we are. Asteroid Field. The genius creation following not the standard expedition but the politics behind it. The crossover of several key Asteroid Base: Alpha crew made the transition feel homey and the series started without a hitch.

When I signed up for Asteroid Field, I did so without hesitation. As many of you know, once you go Asteroid you don't go back. There was no way I was jumping into this one late and I was right in my assessment. This season has been another fine example of storytelling at its very best. Very, very best. Of course, this hasn't been 100% accomplished by Grizz as she has had a helper serving the series faithfully from beginning to now. That, of course, is Griffiths.

When I became aware that Grizz and Griffiths were doing a series together, I knew the Griffiths would be learning the ropes from the Grizz. No matter how much of a learning experience it would be, I knew that something spectacular was going to come out of it. I was right. Griffiths adds a flare and pzazz to Asteroid Field that can only be accomplished by himself. Grizz and Griffiths work together very well and their series shall carry on well into the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire (for those not in the know, that's roughly 200,000 years from now). Overall, I am very proud to have been a part of all of this and I look forward to what this magnificent pair of geniuses will bring us in the future.

#100SeasonsOfAsteroidField

Oh and of course, just for you (you know who you are): #JensonsChaplainWasBetter

~Andzzy~

EDIT: I voted Excellent because it was excellent.

Verry nice final episode to the season. Both major plot lines have been adressed but still mystery remains! Everyone was involved some way or another in the episode and the plot twist at the end, well, I can't say I didn't completely saw it comming, but bringing back General Pierce was a nice suprise there!

A verry good story is unfolding here, hooking into the past of Asteroid Base and Pioneer. Well done Grizz for yet another successfull SRP Season (albeit a longer season then I am used to with SRP's). And of course Griff, well done on collaborating with Grizz and of course writing a few great episodes on your own! Kudos guys!