Loren Knight's Tholians of Draco article in Captain's Log #39 (which has since been re-published in Away Team Log) details an enclave of Tholian exiles established in the Draco Dwarf galaxy, a satellite of the Milky Way. A couple of ships are noted in this article by name, to include the War Havoc: a Neo-Tholian battleship which led this exile group to Draco, and which was landed on the surface of Tholiax to serve as the basis for the first Draco-Tholian colony. (There is a separate thread speculating on what the Tholians of Draco might potentially offer in an F&E context.)

But the purpose of this thread was to speculate on another ship named in this article: the Sojourner, said to belong to an experimental class of ship only recently being developed by the time of the Revolt. Reportedly, this ship had some sort of improved passive sensor suite, but which did not make use of "standard" special sensor technology.

After the Draco-Tholians had begun to establish themselves, the Sojourner led a small task force to the Milky Way, arriving at Holdfast space in the midst of the Andromedan War. The ship would later lead an expedition back to Draco in the Y200s. (I don't have my own copy of CL39 to hand, so I'm not 100% sure on the exact dates involved.)

Now, I've mentioned, or asked about, the Sojourner in other threads. But I thought it worth having a dedicated thread for this unique vessel.


From other BBS topics, I gather that Loren had submitted a proposal for the Sojourner in the past, but that it was vetoed at the time. I don't know if the original design is in any way salvageable, and I don't wish to speak on Loren's (or anyone else's) behalf on that front.

But if the original design is indeed DOA, I wondered if there might be an alternate means of representing this ship - and, indeed, on seeing what (if any) changes or upgrades the Holdfast Tholians might make to the ship during its extended stay in the Alpha Octant.


For what it's worth, one option I thought of was to turn to the campaign conjectural Neo-Tholian NSR (R7.79) in SFB Module R9 - which could perhaps be re-purposed to represent the Sojourner after its arrival in the Holdfast (where, presumably, the local Tholians would replace the original sensor suite with "standard" special sensors).

Indeed, I was thinking that the Holdfast Tholians might install X-technology onto this hull, and/or convert it into an "X-PFT", so as to assist with the hunting of Andromedan Rapid Transit Network nodes after Y195.


Beyond this, would the ship be risked on Operation Unity (or sent on post-Unity missions to the LMC), or would it be kept strictly within Holdfast boundaries prior to the launch of the Draco expedition?

Or, to take things yet further still, might both groups of Tholians agree to send the ship to the Omega Octant after Y219, so as to establish "first contact" with the silicate Trobrin Empire - or would it be better to send one or more X2-ships there instead?

(I mention the latter two options in light of the Sakharov article in CL51, which might help provide a degree of context for such opportunities.)


From a Tholian perspective, I consider the potential for ongoing contact between the Tholian Holdfast and the Draco-Tholian enclave to be one of the most intriguing aspects of the Module X2 era - next only to the prospect of a Tholian-Trobrin "first contact" post-Y219. But what kind of role the Sojourner might play in these efforts, or if the torch may be passed on to a new generation of Tholian ships by then, is another matter. And of course, if there are any better ideas out there for this ship, well and good.

By Douglas Saldana (Dsal) on Tuesday, June 28, 2016 - 10:50 pm: Edit

Wasn't there a prime directive adventure about boarding a derelict (Old Galaxy) Tholian Deep Space Probe that had reached the Milky Way? I recall that adventure stating that the Tholian Survey Command (or whatever it was called) had some unique tech that they hadn't yet shared with the rest of the fleet (some of which was featured in the adventure). Might be interesting to have the Sojourner have some unique features or abilities different from Milky Way survey ships that might reasonably be extrapolated from the background in that adventure.

By A. David Merritt (Adm) on Tuesday, June 28, 2016 - 11:45 pm: Edit

Douglas;

Yes, pg. 147 PD:1.

By Jon Murdock (Xenocide) on Wednesday, June 29, 2016 - 09:25 pm: Edit

The secret tech was an autonomous crystal entity that commanded the ship. It could lay personal web, shoot web, and drain energy from people and even ships. It screwed up though and drained a Romulan frigate dry and the frigate was destroyed. The overload damaged the Seeker and it was 'dying'. There is no real information on the survey ship itself as the Seeker's ship was damaged and it boarded and captured another alien ship (of an unidentified species).

By Douglas Saldana (Dsal) on Thursday, June 30, 2016 - 08:43 pm: Edit

If the Sojourner had one of these (as standard equipment) it might function like a legendary officer, having some of the capabilities of a legendary science officer, engineer and/or marine major. Of course, we would have to drop the whole "draining a frigate dry" thing (perhaps the one in the adventure gained enhanced abilities by merging with technology on the alien ship it captured). Perhaps it could still be allowed some limited energy drain capability when supporting a boarding action (2-3 points at turn).

By Jon Murdock (Xenocide) on Saturday, July 02, 2016 - 12:32 am: Edit

I think the thing was dangerous to all life forms (including Tholians?) Not sure if it would be used on a ship with other crew.

It also has the distinction of being part of the old TFG line of Prime Directive so not sure if it is SFU canon.

By Douglas Saldana (Dsal) on Saturday, July 02, 2016 - 01:21 am: Edit

I would imagine it was malfunctioning. I doubt the Tholians would have intentionally built something that was dangerous to themselves. Perhaps they were trying to create a new slave race to replace the Seltorians. Would be interesting to know if it could reproduce under the right conditions.

By Steve Zamboni (Szamboni) on Friday, March 29, 2019 - 01:20 pm: Edit

(copying this here to avoid cluttering the CL53 thread)

From Petrick: Sojourner came up and the issue has been tossed in part to Loren Knight who created its background, and I fear I do NOT want to do the ship in a rush and think I will need to talk to SVC about design. Given that its mission was to explore an unexplored neighboring galaxy, I could see it being the first "Battleship Survey Ship" because it would have no back up, but I need to not go that route if SVC puts a Kibosh on it. I am debating with myself a "uni-hull" as there is little point to a command module wandering by itself if the main hull goes down in a hostile galaxy, but am also considering the hull having no cruiser/dreadnought/battleship module, but having three or maybe four Light Command Modules modified for short duration independent surveys away from the home ship.

By Steve Zamboni (Szamboni) on Friday, March 29, 2019 - 01:44 pm: Edit

From playing around in the Tholian parts pile:

For the Sojourner, start with the (conjectural) Tug version of the NCA rear hull. Add sensors as needed.

Move command functions from the Command Module to a new collar design. Replace command spaces in Command Module with barracks/labs/weapons (perhaps HDW-style boxes). The module would be used to independent surveys or missions that require planetary landings (as above, perhaps more than one if smaller than normal).

First pod would be based on a Troop Transport built around a Seltorian hatchery with transporter and shuttle support for reconnaissance-in-force missions. Given the length of the mission, lost Marine detachments could be replaced/regrown in between planetfalls. (A landing-capable command module could be used for focused "research" that needs a company of combat archaeologists to tend to.)

Second pod is a Repair/Fabrication style capable of maintaining and repairing Sojourner as well as replacing lost assault craft. Perhaps even lost command modules could be given rebuilt enough time (years?). (How patient are intergalactic survey ship crews?)

By Michael Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Saturday, March 30, 2019 - 04:56 am: Edit

Um, the Sojurner was toting along Seltorans?

Then just jettisoned it's Marine Pod when the revolution happened?

By Steve Zamboni (Szamboni) on Saturday, March 30, 2019 - 12:42 pm: Edit

Unless the frozen eggs are going to join the Revolution as soon as they hatch, I'd imagine there would be little need to dump them into space. Subject race groundpounder recruits probably don't get invited to all of the mission background briefings, so it probably never dawns on them they're really supposed to be withering away at the state.

By Michael Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Sunday, March 31, 2019 - 04:22 am: Edit

Can't see the Tholians chancing it.

Who knows what is in their "inborn" memories?

By Jeffrey George Anderson (Jeff) on Sunday, March 31, 2019 - 01:05 pm: Edit

Seltorians were described as having been "MOST Trusted Subject Race," with the emphasis on "MOST."

What about the Draco-Tholians taking representatives from another subject race, perhaps one who, as a people, were interested in replacing the Seltorians as the "MOST" trusted (before the overthrow)?

By Michael Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Monday, April 01, 2019 - 04:32 am: Edit

The Tholians are fleeing and I doubt they'd take ANY chance of a subject race uprising.

Besides, a subject race is another type of life support to keep going. So you have to make a trip to an earthlike world for "human" chow (whatever) as well as Mercury for stuff for the masters every now an again.

By Steve Zamboni (Szamboni) on Monday, April 01, 2019 - 10:39 am: Edit

A pair of Sub-Zero built-ins isn't that taxing on the life support system. It's not like you're bringing that batch of Marines back to the ship after the mission.