Starship Excelsior
Star Trek: Excelsior (also known as Starship Excelsior) is an audio drama based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry. The series was created by James Heaney in 2007. It is produced by Starship Excelsior Productions.
History of the series
The series premiered on September 28th, 2007 with Season One, Act I, "There You Are". An average of five or six episodes are produced each season, released at irregular intervals, with special episodes and interviews interspersed throughout. The series has been in production for three seasons, and is currently in production. Excelsior was originally a role playing game played by email, when the creators James Heaney and Mike Hennessey decided to try and produce Excelsior's story in the form of an audio drama.
Summary
The USS Excelsior (NCC-2000-C), last of the Great Dominion War dreadnoughts, first in the hearts and minds of the men and women of Task Force 38. It had once been the ship of legends, Grenn, Duvall, Underwood, Raku. From 2375 to 2379 Excelsior had been the front line of defense for the Iconian Gateway that opened up Starfleet's territory to a hard won sector of the Delta Quadrant. Two years ago, short of crew, facing Federation-wide force redistribution, the Excelsior was temporarily mothballed. One year later, the Borg offensive pushed Starfleet's Delta forces back through the gateway to the Alpha Quadrant. High ranking Excelsior veterans scattered throughout Starfleet saw this and decided, two years was far too long.
After two years of storage, Excelsior was pulled out of mothballs for a special mission of critical importance to the Federation. Under the command of retired Captain Sharvah C Siresh, Excelsior launched from Starbase 911 to the extreme edge of the galaxy, answering a distress call from a ship missing for over 60 years, the SS Anbar. During the mission, something went horribly wrong. The First Officer, a Commander Rachel Cortez, was forced to kill Captain Siresh.
Following that disastrous mission, Excelsior was fully reactivated and returned to active duty. Under the command of now Captain Rachel Cortez, Her first mission, was to establish diplomatic relations with Valandria, a planet near the galactic barrier.
Captain Cortez also had a second, more covert mission. Take high-resolution scans of a nebula in the area of space where a distress call from a ship named the SS Anbar originated. This portion of the mission was under the control of General Isaac Brahms of Starfleet Intelligence. Her orders were to review the scans, and report back directly to the General. Her final report to Brahms recommended he be prepared to take "extreme measures."
Places in Star Trek: Excelsior
Gevinon Prime
A waterworld, and the base of operations for the zero fleet in the sector of space the SS Anbar was found. Twenty years ago, the planet was invaded by the Bluegill fleet. Having no planetary defenses, let alone spaceflight, the Gevinese were conquered and infested. Their bodies live on, but nothing of Gevinon's people remain. Located beneath the surface are gigantic air bubbles that contain facilities for land dwelling bluegills. All life on Gevinon was destroyed following a combination of a spaceborne attack using Excelsior's Hellfire torpedos, along with a bio warfare attack on the Zero Parasites using "The Wasting", a telepathic virus discovered in the depths of Valadria.
Mantua
A class M world located in the Delta Quadrant. Mantua was a pre-industrial age civilization suffering some type of artificially induced plague that caused its victims to laugh and dance uncontrollably, until they died. The cause was eventually traced to an Iconian artifact buried under the surface. The surviving victims recovered following the artifact's destruction.
New Victoria
A class M world located in the Delta quadrant, between the Iconian gateway and the the Hesperus sector. A Federation colony settled in 2381, it had a population of approximately 9600 citizens. The colony was attacked and destroyed on the orders of a S.I special projects operative General Isaac Brahms, in an attempt to slow down the Excelsior, enabling the pursuing USS Renegade to intercept and destroy her. Only 200 of the colonists survived the attack, to be rescued by the Excelsior. Colony Administrator: Mayor Warren
Paradise
A class M world beyond the Milky Way Galactic barrier. Sometime during their 69 year exile from the Federation, the SS Anbar found this marginally habitable world and established a colony on it, the primary mission was to feed the Anbar crew. The colony prospered despite zero attacks, as well as local predators, such as bog hogs. When the Anbar left to make its run for the passage, a number of colonists, as well as Anbar crewmembers decided to remain behind and try to make a home for themselves, away from the zero invasion. The current fate of the colony remains unknown. Colony Governor: Becca Sanders
Union
Union is a class M world, as well as the planet Starbase 911 orbits. Union supports a substantial Federation population. Starfleet also has planet based facilities, including a high-security holding area that briefly incarcerated General Isaac Brahms. In addition to the starbase itself, there is also an array in orbit capable of performing a barrion sweep.
Valandria
A class M world, just beyond the Iconian gateway in the Delta quadrant. The planet is ruled by a reptilian species known as the Valandrians. A Matriarchal society, they were peaceful planet of herbivores until the crash landing of a ship carrying a species known as "The Myriad". The Myriad took refuge inside a pillar deep within the caverns of Valandria and 'spoke to the Valandrians' telepathically. The Valandrians changed, becoming a race of bloodthirsty warriors.
Valandria's proximity to the gateway in the Delta quadrant was of such strategic importance to the Federation, that multiple attempts were made to establish diplomatic relations. All the attempts ended in disaster, not only because the Myriad were manipulating the Valandrians, making them paranoid, but they had been warned by "The Oracle" That when "The Gods" made planetfall, they would bring "The Wasting" and it would be the harbinger of their planet's destruction. Acting on the orders of the rebel General Sorid-Gee, the Valandrians initiated a sneak attack against the Excelsior, severely damaging the ship. Evading the onslaught, Commander Dovan and Lieutenant Yubari managed to beam into the catacombs, and with the aid of Planetary Premier Betren-Na exposed, then neutralized the telepathic attack known as the wasting, and the telepathic control by the Myriad over the Valandrians. With the telepathic link broken, the Valandrians stopped fighting, and began the slow return to their peaceful way of life. Betren-Na thanked Dovan and crew for their aid but refused to sign any treaty. Given time, Valandria might consider the question at some later date. Prime Minister: Betren-Na. Defense Minister: Sorrid-Gee. (deceased)
Ships, Bases, Starbases and Units
Characters
Civilizations
Scions of The Stars
The Zero
First impression, the Zero, (or Bluegill as they are known to the Federation) do not appear to be a serious threat. They are only approximately 6 to 8 inches in length, have no natural offensive weaponry, and are blind. Their advantage is that they can enter sentient species through their mouths, clamp onto the host's neural system and take control of the host body. The procedure is over in a matter of seconds, and the parasites attack by the thousands.
The Zero originated beyond the Milky Way Galaxy. Reconnaissance units made a successful incursion into Federation space, making their their way to the highest levels of Starfleet Command. (TNG: "Conspiracy") Their mission was compromised when the queen was killed, which meant all the other parasites perished as well. But, the incursion began anyway, an entire galaxy was theirs for the taking.
That is, until they ran into the Borg.
Where they had sheer force of numbers, the Borg had power and adaptability. The battle was joined. Millions of ships were lost on both sides, yet the battle continued. It was a stalemate, neither side gaining the upper hand.
The Borg, ever the master of adaptation, created an inoculation against parasite infestation. They identified it as compound 130385. It is unknown if the Bluegills are aware of this innovation. But the day that one side triumphs over the other, the winning side will either murder or enslave the survivors.
The Zero have been decimated as a species following the introduction of a telepathic virus known as "The Wasting" through the zero parasite implanted in General Isaac Brahms. It transmitted through the Queens to the entire population, eradicating a majority of the species. Whether it is completely extinct remains to be seen.
List of Excelsior episodes
Season 1 - The Excelsior Returns
- Act I - There You Are (Released 28 September 2007)
- Act II - The Valandrian Expedition (Released 05 December 2007)
- Act III - Turns of Events (Released 25 January 2008)
- Act IV - Wildfire (Released 05 April 2008)
- Act V - Down The Rabbit Hole (Released 12 July 2008)
Season 2 - Murder in the Blue Morgue
- Act I - The First Two Deaths (Released 05 October 2008)
- Act II - The Investigation (Released 04 January 2009)
- Act III - Her Hardest Hue to Hold (Released 29 March 2009)
- Act IV - The Manchurian Officer (Released 01 July 2009)
- Act V - Golden Things (Released 24 October 2009)
Season 3 - The Sword of Damocles
- Part I - Every Good Captain has Admiral Issues (Released 19 March 2010)
- Part II - The Pursuit (Released 09 May 2010)
- Part III - The Wreck in the Hesperus (Released 20 October 2010)
- Part IV - The Infestation (Released 26 December 2010)
- Part V - Trust but Verify (Released 06 February 2011)
- Part VI - The Man From Syracuse (Released 01 June 2011)
- Part VII - Ozymandias (Released 26 December 2011)
- Part VIII - What Happened on Gevenon Prime (Released on 08 July 2012)
- Part IX - The Graceful End (Released 12 July 2013)
Season 4 -
- Part I - Picking up the Pieces (Released 15 January 2014)
- Part II - Guards! GET THEM! (Released 28 November 2014)
- Part III - At Deaths Door (Released 25 December 2014)
Specials
- 1A - Debugging Entry (Released 01 April 2008)
- 2A - The Line (Released 10 September 2009)
- 2B - No One Gets out alive (Released 26 December 09)
- 3A - Star Trek: Anbar, The Barrier Part XII: "Sunset" (Released 07 August 2010)
- 3B - Safeties Off (Released 08 September 2010)
- 3D - Swordplay: A Recap (Released 01 April 2011)
- 3E - Five Minute The Excelsior Returns (Released 01 April 2012)
- 3F - Excelsior Biographies: Doctor Sharp (Released 26 December 2012)
Memorable quotes
"You're our Captain! You can be a hero on your own time! But your job right now is to get your people out of here alive!" - Lt Yubari Asuka, Ep 103 Wildfire
"I'm not a nice man! Polite, but not nice!" - Admiral Parker, Ep 301 Every Good Captain has Admiral Issues
"I've gotten a second chance, Dovan! I intend to use it!" - LCDR Joshua Underwood, Ep 301 Every Good Captain has Admiral Issues
"Your record is one of the most heavily reprimanded in Starfleet! You're insubordinate and self-righteous! Now, those qualities have made some great Starfleet Captains, I'm very optimistic about your future, Commander. But not this time. _This_ time, I need you to follow my orders. Commander Underwood is my guarantee that you will." -Admiral Parker, Ep 301, Every Good Captain has Admiral Issues
"I've never had a male C.O. I didn't hate. . . . . I suspect, when you start acting like your personnel file, you'll join that club." - LCDR Neeva, Ep 301 Every Good Captain has Admiral Issues
"Do not presume to judge me, Commander! You don't know what you're dealing with!" - General Isaac Brahms, Ep 204 The Manchurian Officer