The Admiral’s Log: My Journey Through ‘Star Trek Online’ – Part LXXIII

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘Partisans’ Recap

Well, hello again my fellow captains and admirals in Star Trek Online. It is hailing frequencies open for another and horrendously overdue edition of The Admiral’s Log and for that I do apologize. But alas, life sometimes gets in the ways of things, to the point where I’ve even had to step away a bit, from daily endeavor goals in this dynamic game. But thankfully, chaos never lasts and the time has come to return to this blog  and the game, for several reasons. First and foremost, because I miss writing about STO and all the awesome things you can do in this digital universe, and I definitely want to continue my Retro Replay series as the new year continues along. 

But more importantly, I’m eager to chat about the game with all of you once again, simply because, there is new content to explore! For ‘House Shattered’ is live on consoles at last and with its arrival comes a brand-new mission to review and a fascinating TFO to play, which we will get into later. Because this new episode is one that we have absolutely have to highlight, thanks to the fact that it offers ups a big moment and something that I really wasn’t expecting to find this in this particular tale, a boatload of comedy. After all, when we last left this storyline behind in STO, the player was basically forbidden to enter Klingon space, out of fear of being hunted for treason against the Chancellor. Which is a bleak way to end an episode, and it definitely adds a sense of urgency to clear your name in the new tale, ‘Partisans’.

However, once you and your crew arrive on Nimbus III in order to speak with someone that can potentially harvest data for you to clear your name with the Empire and the galaxy… the comedy starts to come into play. Since you have to sneak through Madran’s club, in order to reach your contact, who is a quirky Southern smuggler with a bevy of one-liners standing at the ready and the funny stuff doesn’t end there. Because of course, Madran is happy to sell your character out to the Klingons and anyone else that wants in on the bounty that the Empire has put upon your head, and that leads to a grand showdown with Madran. One where he is able to offer up some quips of his own, complete with a blink and you’ll miss it Zoolander reference and well… it’s a good thing that this particular tale takes the time to lighten the mood.

Because it isn’t long before you’re off to clear your name and once you have the data in hand, things get pretty darn heavy. For Chancellor J’mpok and his loyalists arrive to stop you with an impressive flotilla of powerful ships. But of course, they eventually fail in their venture and J’ula is able to broadcast the truth and clear your name and that leads to the shocking moment in question. Because the devastating truth that J’mpok lied to so many, motivates a great deal of the various houses to simply walk away from this fight and declare themselves as independent from the Empire. Leaving J’mpok alone and eager to declare himself Emperor, and it rattles J’ula as well, since her fight for power shattered the Empire and ruined her brother’s legacy. Leaving her destitute and lost. 

Which is an epic way to end this episode, since it adds all kinds of uncertainty to the future of the galaxy and the Empire. Because with J’mpok able to do his own thing, there’s a real risk that all kinds of war might occur. For the conflict within the Klingon Empire could expand, and J’mpok might go after the Federation once more and threaten the sanctity of the Alliance in the process, and really in the end, all of these elements make this episode quite brilliant. Because once again, the writers are posing new challenges for the galaxy in 2411 and it will be incredibly interesting to see where this story takes us next, now that the once proud and united Klingon Empire is left in tatters. But while we wait to see what awaits a shattered empire, there is plenty to do in STO to pass the time. Such as take a moment to explore what this new TFO has to offer, and that is precisely what next’s week log entry is going to focus upon. Until then, Galactica out.

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