Double-0 Sopek

by Paddy Tye, Illogical Operative

23rd June 2017

"Now pay attention 00-Sopek. First, your new ship. Suurok class. All points radar. Self destruct system. And, naturally, all the usual refinements. Now, this I'm particularly proud of - behind the deflector dish, photon torpedoes!"

"Excellent, just the thing for unwinding after a rough day at the office."

"Need I remind you, 00-Sopek, that you have a licence to nerve pinch, not to break the traffic laws."

In the early days of First Edition, Decipher used the early expansion sets to add a plethora of new skills: "Transporter Skill", "Miracle Worker", "Cantankerousness", "Guramba" etc. Even Premiere had featured "Barbering". One of the more interesting skills to be added was "Tal Shiar" (initially on Major Rakal and later Telak).

While it didn't do much at first (except help you solve Quash Conspiracy) it did seem a nice thematic fit for those espionage experts beyond the Neutral Zone. It also opened the door to other affiliation-specific intelligence skills: Obsidian Order, Klingon Intelligence, Section 31 and FCA all followed in due course. The Continuing Committee added to this once before with "Memory Omega" for the Mirror Universe.

Now, with our first look at the Vulcan affiliation, we get an addition to that list: "V'Shar", as seen on Sopek. But who are the V'Shar?

First mentioned by Tallera in "Gambit, part 2", the V'Shar are the Vulcan security division, also known as the Vulcan Security Directorate or the Ministry of Security. T'Pol previously worked as an agent for them, retrieving rogue agents in 2135 (as seen in "The Seventh"). As a forebearer of the Tal Shiar, it might be unsurprising to discover the V'Shar can get involved with underhanded and deceitful schemes - such as when Chief Investigator Stel of the V'Shar was working with Administrator V'Las to use the United Earth Embassy bombing in 2154 as an excuse to hunt down the Syrranites. The agency remained in existence until at least the 24th century, when Minister Satok was in charge. Since the founding of the Federation in 2161, the agency had instead became responsible for internal affairs on Vulcan, and external affiars outside the scope of Starfleet Intelligence.

So what does that mean for the game? Well, firstly, the combinationof Sopek and HQ: Defensive Measures will let you attack a Vulcan opponent. He will also help overcome any generic intelligence requirements on missions or dilemmas. But what does it hint at for when the main body of the Vulcan affiliation gets released? More espionage? Yes, we've seen a couple of those appear too in the Pre-Warp Pack. Will there be more of them, or easier ways to get them into play? What about spying on their Andorian neighbors? Schemes to discredit the Syrranites? Other underhand tactics to slow Starfleet's progress in getting to deep space? Sorry folks, that's classified!

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