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Season Two
205 On the Edge of Night
Spoiler warning: This is based on the adventure of the same name in Last Unicorn Game's book of planetary adventures within the UFP. Don't read ahead if you are likely to play it. The Tholians tell Stadi about the impending collapse of Neutron Star FGC-27 within a treachorous dark matter nebula. They grant permission to launch a scientific mission into Tholian space to study it. Stadi has M'Kress organise it: the USS Stevenson (bereft of most of its weaponry, to abide by the UFP-Tholian treaty), will tow a (small, armoured, impulse-driven) Hammurabi class ship to the edge of the Nebula, and the Hammurabi will enter the Nebula and serve as the base of research. The Roy Bean is outfitted, civilian scientists join the mission, and all goes wel until ...
Energy beings fleeing the collapse of the Neutron Star approach the Roy Bean, and are are mistaken for harmful radiation. The ship's countermeasures accidently kill off most of the energy beings. The energy beings win a phyrric victory, draining the shields and all the power from the ship's systems.
The Stevenson receives a distress signal from the Roy Bean, and Merif skillfully pilots the USS Stevenson through the Nebula to its rescue. By this time, the energy beings have taken over M'Kress, Winters and Lt. Jackson. The ship is rescued, and they try to convince Petersen to take them to another Neutron star, well within Tholian space.
When this fails, two attempt to possess Petersen, but he resists both of them. They then attempt to take the bridge by force, interrupting a viewscreen conversation with Cmdr. Stadi (still on New Lhasa) and causing some confusion. Each host is stunned, only for the (unharmed) energy being to possess the weilder of the phaser in turn. They take the bridge.
Stadi attempts to warn Tzadok about the problem, passing on a recording of the struggle for the bridge. Tzadok assures Stadi that the Tholians would destroy the Stevenson before it reaches the second neutron star. Stadi is not assured.
Meanwhile on New Lhasa, Ashok officially regains his bar from Muirgheal.
Finally, Petersen and M'Kress are able to convince the energy beings to talk to Stadi, who convinces them to let Starfleet courier them to a UFP neutron star. The scientists observe the collapse of the neutron star with some sadness. And the Tholians circulate the recording of the struggle for the bridge with some amusement.