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Newsletter for the Star Trek: Freedom Wiki, Winter 2009 edition. To obtain a larger view of any of our pictures in this issue left click on the picture you wish to see. To post feedback click on the Discussion tab. To see previous editions of the newsletter, visit The Archive

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Fleet Updates and Missions

The USS Spectre: A true stealth ship with a cloak

• USS Spectre Mission: The Gates of Prometheus

"Captain's supplemental log, Stardate 2408.06.06. 20:09 hundred hours."

"After encountering the Borg vessel whilst still under phased cloak, we dispatched an EVA team of marines to covertly board the ship by way of a portable boarding tube, the 'Can Opener' as the Marines affectionately like to term it. The operation was a success but during their mission to incapacitate the Borg communications array and main power systems, a small Sphere ejected in an attempt to remotely re-establish a link with the collective. I gave the order to pursue the sphere but despite our best efforts to destroy it, it seems that it may have initiated a time jump."

"The unusually configured Borg vessel, however, has now been secured and a small number of drones taken aboard the Spectre for further data retrieval. Attempts are also under way by Doctor Gunnell, our mission specialist, to establish data linkup with the Borg ships main database. My thoughts though, are still of the Sphere and where, or when it might re-emerge."

"End log... append to existing."

• USS Rosenante Mission: Fields of Elysium
  

  The USS Rosenante

Our survey of the Beltanis Stellar Nursery has been anything but boring. Our situation turned from one of simple exploration to survival when we encountered a massive alien artifact known as The Harvester. The Rosenante was captured by this massive device when it trapped us in a powerful tractor beam and then transported the entire ship and her crew inside a massive neutronium sphere. We are not the only ones who have been trapped in this manner either. It seems that there are at least five other species who have befallen the same fate. The Nechani, Sky Spirits, Kobali, Hur'q, Hunters and B'zz'tz have all found themselves here for one reason or another, all but the B'zz'tz seem to be prisoners here. In addition to the dire circumstances, we have also discovered the wreckage of the USS Epiphany which disappeared nearly two-decades ago. Despite two clashes with the Hur'q we are hopeful to forge a cooperative alliance with the others here, to better organize and plan how we can make our escape. The depths of the alien vessel await us, and it is my belief that we must explore them in order to find our way out of here and return home to Federation Space.

• USS Boudicca Mission:

• USS Mithrandir Mission:

• USS Hades Mission:

Star Trek Fans Mourn the Passing of Two Icons

by herbalsheila

Majel Barrett as the unflappable Number One from the TOS pilot episode, The Cage.

Often named as the First Lady of Star Trek, Majel Barrett Roddenberry passed away from leukemia on December 18th, 2008 at age 76, in her Bel-Air California home.

Although she had other acting roles in Hollywood, Majel Barrett was most well known for playing Number One in the Star Trek pilot episode, Nurse Chapel during ST:TOS, Lawaxana Troi in ST:TNG and the voice of the computer system on the Enterprise throughout most of its incarnations. She also played the voice of the computer again in the upcoming JJ Abrams Star Trek movie due out in May 2009 prior to her death.

Born as Majel Lee Hudec, Barrett began her acting career in the 1950's with roles on popular television shows such as ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ ‘Bonanza’ and ‘The Lucy Show.’

After Gene Rodenberry’s death in 1991 at the age of 70, Barrett continued his legacy on by helping to bring to life one of his pet projects, the 1997-2002 series Earth: Final Conflict. But after his death, she had little to do with Star Trek other than a few appearances.

Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel.

"Gene sold out all of his rights to Star Trek way back 15, almost 20 years ago," she told SciFiDimensions.com in 2000. "So, they ask nothing. I volunteer nothing. They invite me to a few of their shindigs. I'll bet you I haven't been on that lot in two years."

However, Barrett had welcomed the new remastering of TOS and the upcoming film release, choosing to see it as a validation of the late Gene Roddenberry’s vision. "What's nice is you know a Star Trek movie is still one that everybody wants," she had told The Hollywood Reporter in 2006.

The irrepressible incomparable Ambassador Lawaxana Troi

Buried in Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery, Barrett was laid to rest on January 4th, 2009. The funeral service was open to fans. Attendees numbered approximately 300 and included fellow costars such as Walter Koenig (Chekov, TOS), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura, TOS), and George Takei (Sulu, TOS). A handful of fans showed up in Star Trek uniforms to pay tribute to a fine woman and a believable actor.

Eugene Roddenberry Jr. said on Roddenberry.com that his mother appreciated the role that Star Trek fans had in keeping his father’s legacy alive for over 40 years. “It was her love for the fans, and their love in return that kept her going for so long after my father passed away."

As Barrett was a lover of animals and their health and well being, the family had asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her name to the CARE Organization or Precious Paws.

For some rare photos in the official tribute by her family and close friends, though there have been many posted on www.youtube.com by adoring fans, go to http://www.Rodenberry.com.

Ricardo Montalban had become known in Hollywood as the Latin Lover.

Ricardo Montalban: The Passing of a Great Star Trek Villain

An extraordinarily talented individual has departed from us. Ricardo Montalban passed away the morning of January 14, 2009 at the age of 88. Though the exact cause of death has not been identified, his son-in-law Gilbert Smith claims that he died from complications of advancing age.

The Mexican actor first came to Hollywood in 1943 and had a career spanning seven decades of multiple noteworthy roles including that of Mr. Roarke of Fantasy Island and as Khan Noonian Singh back in 1967 in ST:TOS which he reprised in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in 1982. There are those Star Trek fans who feel that Montalban gave the franchise new popularity with his magnetic portrayal of Khan.

This gifted actor’s checkered career included radio shows, Broadway musicals, television, westerns, WWII films, and voice over work in commercials.

A spinal injury occurred caused by being thrown off a horse, knocked out and then walked on by another horse, all during the filming of Across the Wide Missouri in 1951.

Montalban as Khan Noonian Singh, the ultimate alpha male

The actor suffered terribly with pain that grew worse for the rest of his life, despite surgical procedures to attempt to correct the damage. He went from walking with a cane to delivering his lines from a wheelchair or in a sitting position during his later roles.

Ricardo Montalban later formed the Nosotros ("We") Foundation in 1970 to advocate Latinos in acting and the performing arts. The Foundation later created the Golden Eagle Awards, a televised annual award show that features and recognizes Latino achievements in the television and film industry. Having been himself a victim of stereotyped roles and prejudice, Montalban wished to show the world that Latinos could be exceptionally talented and gifted in the performing arts.

In 1980, Doubleday published his autobiography, Reflections: A Life in Two Worlds.

A devout Roman Catholic, he once said that his faith was the most important thing in his life. In 1998, the actor was named by Pope John Paul II as a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, one of the highest honors the Catholic Church can bestow upon a lay person.

Montalban’s last role was the voice of a cow in an episode of Seth MacFarlane's series Family Guy, in which he paraphrased lines from his role in Star Trek II.

How Chance Raschen Married a Romulan Princess

by Charlie Raschen

When I first met T’Lela, she was a Sub-Centurion in the Romulan military, and I was on one last job before starting classes at Hardy-Knox University to become a licensed ship’s captain.

Chance Raschen is played by Charlie Raschen on the USS Rosenante

Some folks have asked me how I could have married a Romulan, let alone get her father’s blessing, considering how xenophobic, as a society, Romulans are. Well I tell you what; it sure as hell wasn’t easy. My mother, Margaret, was on a business trip to secure licensed shipping privileges from the magistrate inside a Romulan Province. I traveled with her and served as her bodyguard. Coincidently, T’Lela served as a bodyguard for the Magistrate S’Adashiv, who happened to be her father.

During one of their many meetings together my mom had convinced him to continue the meeting over dinner, just the two of them at an eatery of his choice. T’Lela and I sat at a table close at hand just in case one of them attacked the other. You see, being Scottish, my mom is very outspoken and has a temper to boot. As they spoke, T’Lela and I started talking about how our parents treated business like war.

Mom and I spent the night at the Magistrate’s estate. After my mom and her dad went to their rooms for the night, T’Lela and I stayed up drinking and talking. That was my introduction to Romulan Ale. She and I woke up the next morning curled up with each other without any clothes, under a blanket, on an animal skin rug in front of the fireplace. She wrapped the blanket around herself while I pulled my pants on. As we walked down one of the hallways toward our rooms, we were startled when the door to her father’s room suddenly swung open and almost hit me in the face.

T’Lela’s dad looked really peeved when he saw us, so you can imagine how the situation evolved when my mom walked out of his room wrapped in a blanket as well. My mom and I pointed at each other and neither one of us could keep from laughing. T’Lela and S’Adashiv started yelling at one another; basically demanding the same answers from the other. Come to find out, S’Adashiv had been a widower for the better part of a decade and well, as mom explained it to me, one thing led to another. Hey, they were both consenting adults, why not? For that matter, the same could be said for T’Lela and me.

T'Lela

T’Lela’s side however, turned out to be a little different. It so happened that I turned out to be the first male to be interested in her that didn’t give a damn about her father’s power, wealth, or influence. I didn’t need or want his; my family had just as much of both as his family.

When my mom and I left Romulus after she got the shipping permits, she and S’Adashiv continued to keep their physical relationship a matter of convenience but pursued an active business relationship. T’Lela and I continued to court until we got married the week I graduated from Hardy-Knox University. Unfortunately the next week the Cardassian-Federation War started.

Editor’s note: This is a fictional piece of creative writing from one of our members about his character.

That's a Wrap!

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Directed by Stephen Norrington

Writers (WGA): Alan Moore (comic books) and Kevin O'Neill (comic books)

Released July 2003

Starring Sean Connery as Alan Quartermain, Naseeruddin Shah as Captain Nemo, Peta Wilson as Mina Harker, Tony Curran as Rodney Skinner, Stuart Townsend as Dorian Gray, Shane West as Tom Sawyer, Jason Flemyng as Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde, and Richard Roxburgh as M, this action packed movie smacks of science fiction at the turn of the century before the first World War.

From left to right: Henry Jekyll,

Her Majesty and the British government request the legendary African hunter Allen Quartermain to participate with others of extraordinary talents to stop the coming chaos caused by a masked madman calling himself the Phantom. Fighting their own personal demons and, often each other, this group of unlikely and reluctant heroes saves the day against dangerous odds.

The movie ends up being a rollercoaster ride of special effects, high drama with unexpected heroes and villains along with a lovely plethora of late 1800’s details. The Nemomobile and the Nautilus alone are so gorgeous in decorative touches that they are almost characters in and of themselves.

If one can overlook the obvious gaffs of a naked invisible man in northern Siberia not freezing to death outside, that former evil villains can suddenly decide to do an about face personality change to become do gooders, or that Tom Sawyer could know how to drag race an automobile before they became commonplace, the movie is fun and dramatic, the special effects well done and believable, and the acting credible.

Counselor's Corner

Our Klingon Counselor is played by Frank Truelove

Counselor qeSwI' qaybe'

The Romulan Way

by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood

Novel Review by Charlie Raschen

Originally published by Simon and Schuster 1987 with subsequent reprints, 254 pages

ISBN-10: 0743403703

ISBN-13: 978-0743403702

From the back cover: They are a race of warriors, a noble people to whom honor is all. They are cousin to the Vulcan, ally to the Klingon, and Starfleet's most feared and cunning adversary. They are the Romulans – and for eight years, Federation Agent Terise LoBrutto has hidden in their midst.

Now the presence of a captured Starfleet officer forces her to make a fateful choice between exposure and escape. Between maintaining her cover – and saving the life of Dr. Leonard McCoy.

Here, in a startlingly different adventure, is the truth behind one of the most fascinating alien races ever created in Star Trek – the Romulans.

We all should understand by now that the idea of a story in the Star Trek universe being considered canon is purely a matter of speculation and argumentation. The book I am reviewing fits well into the “questionable canon” category. That being said, The Romulan Way by Duane and Morwood can be very informative about the history of the Vulcan and Romulan peoples and the political history of the two, not to mention what brought about their subsequent separation.

Ever been curious to know how the Romulans acquired Klingon built D-7 battle cruisers, or how the Klingons got Romulan cloaking devises? And yes people, even more political intrigue, and this time between the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans. Like spies? Got them all over the place; and assassins too. Of course, let us not forget about how our dear Doctor Leonard “Bones” McCoy developed his taste for Romulan Ale.

This one book contains three good separate stories. I personally didn’t like the way the stories in this book were intertwined; primarily because of how the shift from one story to another took place. I’d be reading one story, then “BANG!” I’d find myself in a different story and get confused because of the sudden change. I’m a little slow like that at times. Overall, I really enjoyed this book; I read it at least four times; once front to back, then flipping through in order to read each individual story by itself. If you are not concerned with canon facts, this book makes a very good reference. Enjoy it; I did.