Mod or scenario idea

[geon]

While working on the article on the Cardassians, it suddenly occurred to me that there is a potential BOTF mod or at least scenario in the disputed territories marked out by treaty which ended the Federation - Cardassian border wars.

So, for all you expert modders and modellers, here are some ideas.

The Setting

The situation is this: Federation and Cardassian colonies straddle both sides of the agreed border. This is summed up in the DS9 episode. ‘The Maquis'

HUDSON: The treaty gave away their territory to the Cardassians, territory that these people had invested their lives in. Now, Ben, if you knew them as I do, you'd know why they can't leave. It's a bad treaty. The Federation gave away too much.
SISKO: Several Cardassian colonies wanted to stay on the Federation side of the Zone too. It seemed like a reasonable compromise
HUDSON: Well, yes, the Cardassians would love to have their colonies in our territory. Because they knew we'd protect them. But they have no intention of doing the same for ours.
http://www.chakoteya.net/DS9/440.htm

The area is supposed to be demilitarised, but of course it doesn't stay that way. Given that this is a border area, you would not expect top of the line starships on either side. And there aren't. But they do come up with some interesting civilian models.

DUKAT: Is that a ramscoop control or a deflector grid panel? Just curious. It really doesn't matter. Cardassian pursuit vessels are years ahead of this design.
(A beep)
DUKAT: What is it?
SISKO: Long range sensors are picking up a distress signal.
DUKAT: From whom?
SISKO: A Federation merchant vessel under attack by Cardassians. I'm reading two Cardassian attack vessels just inside the Demilitarised zone.
DUKAT: That's not possible. I promise you, Commander, we would not violate the treaty.
SISKO: The merchant vessel's comm. links are down. I can't raise them. Computer, fix source coordinates of the distress signal and lay in a new course, warp three. I hope you don't mind.
DUKAT: Not at all. I'm as curious about this as you are.
(The runabout goes to warp)
DUKAT: What type of Cardassian ship are they? Patrol cruisers?
SISKO: No, much smaller. They look like shuttlecraft.
DUKAT: Cardassian shuttles attacking a Federation merchant ship?
SISKO: They seem to be armed with Galor-class phaser banks.
DUKAT: They must be from Cardassian colonies in the Demilitarised zone. Hail them.
http://www.chakoteya.net/DS9/440.htm


SISKO: Stand by. I'm picking up another ship moving toward them.
DUKAT: That's a Federation signature I believe, Commander.
SISKO: It sure isn't from Starfleet. I've never seen a ship configuration like that before. It almost seems like someone has modified an old support courier. Hailing them. No response. They've fired torpedoes. what kind of civilian vessel that size would be carrying photon?
DUKAT: Something from one of your colonies, perhaps?
(The two Cardassian blips vanish from the monitor.)
DUKAT: Do you begin to see, Commander, that without any help from either one of us, they've managed to start their own little war out here.
http://www.chakoteya.net/DS9/440.htm

EVEK: Then perhaps then you can explain where the Federation ship came from, the one outfitted with photon torpedoes?
HUDSON: Explaining why your ships were armed with Galor-class phaser banks?
http://www.chakoteya.net/DS9/440.htm

How effective the Maquis ships are is shown in their attack on Gul Evek's Galor Class warship in TNG ‘Preemptive Strike

GUL EVEK: The fact that my ship was attacked suggests that your efforts have met with limited success. They came at us with photon torpedoes and type eight phasers. Tell me, Captain, how do you suppose that a group of civilians acquired such weaponry?
http://www.chakoteya.net/NextGen/276.htm

Going by the above information, we can put together tentative shiplists for the combatants.

Cardassian Settlers
Only one type of ship is mentioned for the Cardassian settlers - shuttlecraft. I'm assuming the model is the Long Range Shuttle as seen in DS9 "Tacking into the Wind". These particular ones are equipped with Galor class phasers. Since the only Galors we see firing orange phasers occur in the episodes DS9 ‘Emissary' and TNG ‘The Chase' (and which I identify as Galor Type 2 cruisers before their upgrades), I'm going to assume the shuttle has one or two of these cruiser phasers fitted. How powerful these phasers are is open to speculation. If the Galor 2 versions approach those used by their heaviest opponent during the Cardassian/Federation border war, which would be the Excelsior class and hence type 8 phasers, then we are looking at a beam in the type7 to type 8 category.

(This phaser armed shuttle can also be used as the shuttle upgrade in the game)

It's also possible that the settlers may have acquired some Hideki class as well. But if so, they would almost certainly be the earlier non upgraded version.

Maquis
In contrast, the Maquis seem to have a greater variety of ships available to them.

An old support courier (uparmed with photons) is mentioned. I don't think I've ever seen this model in any episode (if someone knows what it is please let me know).

The question of its possible identity is the subject of an Ex Astris Scientia article
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/artic ... egrine.htm,
with an identification as either a Federation fighter type, small Bajoran raider, or some unknown type as the peregrine ‘courier'.

If an unknown type, they could be the three small craft seen in the Maquis fleet of ten ships in TNG ‘Preemptive Strike'. This fleet consisted of 4 peregrine fighters, 3 Bajoran Assault vessels and the 3 unknown types. But at present this is speculation.

The Federation fighters (which are called Peregrines by some) are definitely used by the Maquis in various episodes. We see them in Federation service in DS9 ‘Favor The Bold' and ‘Sacrifice of Angels' armed with quantum torpedos. Since the only Maquis torpedos mentioned are photons, I'm assuming that they are using downgraded photon armed Peregrine models.

The small Maquis raider which is identical to the Bajoran sub impulse raider, is also said to be part of the Maquis arsenal. Like the other ships, this is probably also refitted with Federation weapons
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/schem ... htm#maquis

Both the Maquis Raider and Bajoran Assault vessel seen attacking Gul Eveks Galor cruiser in TNG ‘Preemptive Strike, are said to be fitted with type 8 phasers and photon torpedos. In the attack the Bajoran vessel seems to still use Bajoran style phasers, but both types could have had photons installed. Type 8's are obviously not the standard armament of the Raider type.

So the final shiplists look like this:

Cardassian Settlers:

Long Range Shuttle with type 8 phaser/s
Early Hideki model

Maquis

Armed courier with photon torps
Peregrine fighter with photon torps
Small Raider with photon torps
Large Maquis Raider with type 8 phasers and photon torps
Bajoran Assault vessel with photon torps

(in a Mirror Universe campaign you can also add the Defiant class to the list).

Both sides seem to be receiving covert equipment and supplies from their respective militaries; the Cardassians from the Cardassian fleet and maybe Obsidian Order, and the Maquis from their contacts within Starfleet, and, if not the Bajoran government directly then at least Bajoran arms dealers.

Understandably, neither side can supply top of the line equipment and weapons to their proxies, since that would be an open admission of outside aid, and the signal for a new war.

So there you have it. An interesting mini mod or scenario for the standard game, and an expanded ship list for the Maquis as a minor power.

Cheers

Geon