Our creativity has been sparked to the point that new story arcs are being born and new directions taken.

In the beginning, we began writing stories that were the foundations of the Star Trek: Frontiers universe with the beginning being around the year 2409 … the year Star Trek Online begins.

So as we play the game, a question comes to mind … How would our characters and ships exist in this new reality?

What shape would they take? … What path would they follow?

So it is that the STF universe is receiving a bit of a reboot.

In our new stories, the Undine (or something far darker) ventured into the past where where they set into motion events that altered the time-line.

In our original stories, Romulus was never destroyed yet in the Star Trek Online universe … it has been.

This is the moment where the time lines changed. … This is the moment where the futures of our characters changed for ever.

Already we have ships and characters spinning stories and adventures not only in game but within our imaginations.

The time has come to wave the magic pen (or wordprocessing program) and create a new universe where our characters stumble around in the dark trying to find that one ray of hope.

To begin, I personally am working on a story setting being called … “The Imperial Alliance.”

What is the Alliance? … Stay tuned and find out!

It breathed life into Star Trek: Frontiers which had become almost a simple memory and gave us a new chance with new stories.

But with new ideas there is often a lull when people settle in and figure out exactly how all the pieces come together and what the final shape and direction will be.

Well … We have passed through the lull and are now prepared to move forward.

Over the next couple of weeks, look for STF to introduce three different divisions on our website for three different directions without this group.

Each one will appeal to different people … people united by a common love of Star Trek and Science Fiction.

These divisions will be …

• Division One — Writing

Right now, this will embrace two different story arcs … “STF Original” set in our prime storyline from which STF was born as well as “Foundations” series which follows an alternate timeline set into motion with events in the new Star Trek movie.

Within each genre will be the possibility for traditional group-writing units (mission oriented), free-thread writing environments (places where writers share the same space but are more independent), and fan-fiction (more solo) writing.

Some will remain traditional play-by-email writing while others are moving to blog format for their archives with posts also sent to writers by email.

• Division Two — Ships of the Cache

This division embraces the sport of Geocaching and Waymarking with participating adventurers having a bit of fun as they participate in the sport by working in some Sci-Fi creativity.

• Division Three — SF Expeditionary Command ( STO gaming )

This division will offer players the chance to join together in a common fleet that is broken down into task groups / squadrons. It gives them the chance to enjoy adventures together within the new Star Trek shared online universe.

Players can continue to have adventures on their own or they can participate in small to large operations and missions.

Task Groups / Squadrons will have the ability to be broken down by those wishing to do more RP and this just wanting to have fun with the game … broken down by timezone / region (or not) depending on the type of play or people you want to work with on a regular basis.

Offers a place for players to stay in communication and coordinate outside the game.

Will include groupings for both “Federation” and “Klingon” factions.

In addition to the new divisions, we have launched “The Promenade” which is our new community forums where people from all three divisions can come together in one place and hold conversations and share in fellowship.

The “Foundations” website has been moved to the Star Trek: Frontiers domain and will be retooled and themed to represent the overall organization that is STF.

The Bureau of Information website for both “Foundations” and “STF Original” will be altered slightly to become the sites for those writing environments.

In writing, the U.S.S. Soranus has a new captain and is being rebuilt for our original universe as the U.S.S. Pathfinder is picking up her stories to continue the Foundations series.

In addition, Starbase Hatteras is being redrafted into our new premiere free-thread writing environment where players will share the same space while pushing forward with more original and independent stories woven into the STF universe!

U.S.S. Anduril continues as a fan fiction of which we hope to also have more making appearances.

Look for more information and resources to take shape and be put into place over the next few weeks!

Unlike such writing units as the U.S.S. Pathfinder which is a full RPG writing group, the Andúril enters the universe as a fan fiction written by Mike Tripp.

You heard it correctly … fan fiction.

ST:F has opened their doors to not only RP units but now to fan fiction story lines as well with both sharing the same overall universe, with their stories affecting it in the same way.

As for it’s background, the U.S.S. Andúril gets its name from the sword of Aragorn from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

“From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
~ J.R.R. Tolkien, “Lord of the Rings”

In the Lord of the Rings, Andúril was the name given the sword forged from the shards of Nasil.

In the Foundations series, Andúril is the name given the ship forged from the shards of Excalibur and Exeter — two Constitution-class heavy cruisers lost in the opening months of the Klingon War.

Want to learn more? Read the stories of the U.S.S. Andúril at its blog website.

Presently, the Andúril makes its debut as part of a joint mission with the U.S.S. Pathfinder.

Following the conclusion of its mission, it sets sail on a course of its own.

Likewise, our esteemed “Bureau of Information” website has shifted into a subdomain of the Foundations website at http://boi.starfleetfoundations.com.

Welcome to our new home … Bet you didn’t even see the shift in space-time, did yah???

CLICK HERE TO CHECK THEM OUT!!!

These new posts set the first foundation stones for Star Trek: Frontiers to simming world as the founders moved with interested writers from exploring in the year 2432, moving instead backwards into the mid-2260s.

With a decision to embrace the altered timeline introduced by the new Star Trek XI movie, the writers of ST:F began working hard to lay the foundation stones for both RP units as well as fan-fiction.

With the U.S.S. Pathfinder the first of the new role-playing units to be brought online, the story finds the crew of this Constitution-class heavy cruiser picking up a story that begins with the end of the Klingon War.

The Klingon War began in 2262 when a faction within the Klingon Empire challenged the chancellor and high council by rising up in rebellion in a quest to seize power and return to an Imperial form of government with an Emperor ruling once more.

Within the opening weeks of the conflict, the Romulan Star Empire openly gave its support to the rebel forces, whom they had secretly been working with all along.

The Federation entered the conflict on the side of the Klingon Chancellor and High Council when the U.S.S. Excalibur responded to a distress call sent by a Klingon colony located on Mor’vaq III on Stardate: 22620413.

Following what it considered an honorable act, the Klingon High Council formally requested Federation assistance in fighting the war, which the Federation Council accepted.

A ceasefire stopped the fighting at 0000 hours on Stardate: 22450517 (May 17, 2265), following the signing of an armistice by Klingon Empire, the Federation, the Romulan Star Empire and the newly created Klingon Imperium.

The new stories pick up from zero hour and will carry us forward.

With the first stories having began on May 11 using the setting of a former U.S.S. Sam Houston storyline from the 25th century, the latest stories began for the U.S.S. Pathfinder and crew six days later on May 17.

Joining the crew of Pathfinder (commanded by writer Mike Tripp) in writing as an interactive-fiction RP unit will be Starbase Hatteras (also directed by Tripp) and the U.S.S. Explorer, under the command of veteran writer Kevin Richter.

Fan-fiction story arcs are already planned to be written aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid and U.S.S. Reliance.

With hope, love and care plans are to allow the fleet and stories to expand outward as interest grows.