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

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

Nice to Meet You, Captain ‘Killy’

​When I was younger, getting excited for a video game was quite the easy task. Because I craved them and everything they have to offer, and as I got older, that desire and excitement was tempered and focused toward the handful of games I buy a year, like say, Madden. But over the past couple of years, something has changed, I now find myself keeping an eye on the calendar, or carefully perusing a particular Facebook page for important updates so that I can properly enjoy my Star Trek Online fix. Because the creators of this game keep adding wonderful new wrinkles to the fold, and I am beyond excited to play whatever new offerings they send my way.
 
Which brings us to all the important updates that landed on console platforms this week. Because not only is the Ninth Anniversary celebration under way, complete with beautiful holographic banners at Earth Spacedock and Q and his…’dancing girls’, there are new missions to behold since ‘Mirror of Discovery’ is now live and being a fan of the latest Star Trek series, and the Mirror Universe plot line it employed last year, and loving this game like no other, I more or less rushed to my console to log on once the update was live. And well, after spending a little time working to entice some friends of Q to join his party down at Starfleet Academy, I made sure to hit up my mission log and make my way to the Pahvo system to see what wonders awaited me storytelling wise.
 
As it turns out, the opening salvo of this new story arc was filled to the brim with action and adventure. For the instant the I.S.S. Discovery arrived in the story, the Galactica was under fire from legions of Klingons from the early 23rd Century and the non-stop explosions didn’t end with a grand battle above the planet Pavho, there was plenty going on aboard the Discovery as well since there were plenty of Klingons fighting to disable to destroy the ship, all while an active mutiny was going on and I have to admit that at first, this new episode, ‘Para Pacem’, outright took my breath away. Because you’re constantly under siege in this one, and you have to keep your wits about you and well, the action is fun to say the least.
 
But what mattered more when it comes to this mission is that a little slice of Star Trek history is present for any player who takes part in this particular journey in that, one does get to meet the infamous Captain Silvia ‘Killy’ Tilly on the bridge of the Discovery and this was just a true stroke of genius to say the least. Because not only does Mary Wiseman brilliantly play a complete opposite of Ensign Silvia Tilly, she does it with a magnificent zest and zeal that makes this new character a delight to interact with and it truly was a nerdy treat to fight alongside her, albeit briefly…
 
I’ll say no more when it comes to the plot because you need to go and play it on your own and I have to be perfectly honest. The more time I’ve had to think about this mission, the more I truly like it. Because the writing really is sharp in this episode and it features a lovely beginning, middle and end that takes you on quite the ride and honestly, I think I need to replay this one again as soon as possible to properly appreciate all the nuances present in this script and to also enjoy a complete storytelling experience. For there is one more episode that’s ready to roll when it comes to this latest expansion and something tells me, playing these stories back to back is going to make for a wild experience. So, if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time to order the Galactica back to the Pahvo system, and finish what we started. Until next time.  

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