S.S. Kobayashi Maru
Merchant Fleet-Neutronic Fuel Carrier Model 34 C-2 
Illustrator: David Nielsen
Copyright: 1983
Summary:
Merchant Fleet-Neutronic Fuel Carrier Model 34 C-2
BACKGROUND OF S.S. KOBAYASHI MARU:
THE S.S KOBAYASHI MARU WAS A MODIFIED KLINGON HASPARATH CLASS MILITARY CARGO CARRIER. A TERRAN ENTRE PRENEUR BY THE NAME OF KOJIRO VANCE DISCOVERED THE SPACECRAFT (WHOSE KLINGON DESIGNATION WAS GAS'TATH) IN ORBIT AROUND BOKTOO, THE RESOURCE RICH PLANET LOCATED NEAR THE FEDERATION - KLINGON TREATY ZONE IN THE KZNTI SYSTEM. GASTATH HAD APPARENTLY BEEN ABANDONED BY THE KLINGONS AFTER UNDERGOING DAMAGE IN A KZNTI RAID AGAINST THEIR OUTPOST ON BOKTOO. KOJIRO VANCE, A KNOWN SUPPLIER OF CONTRABAND MILITARY SUPPLIES TO THE KZNTI PATRIARCHY, TOOK GASTATH UNDER TOW TO BE REPAIRED AND REFITTED AT THE HUDAK FREEPORT. UPON COMPLETION, VANCE RENAMED THE SPACECRAFT S.S. KOBAYASHI MARU, AFTER AN ANCIENT TERRAN AQUATIC STEAMSHIP COMMANDED BY ONE OF HIS ANCESTORS. HE DID NOT REGISTER HIS VESSEL WITH FEDERATION MERCHANT FLEET COMMAND, AND CONTINUED TO OPERATE IN FRONTIER SPACE UNTIL DISCOVERED BY TH E FEDERATION STARSH1P CONSTITUTION IN ORBIT AROUND TI' RUBEN. AS A KLINGON VESSEL, THE S_S. KOBAYASHI MARU (FORMERLY GASTATH) WAS CONFISCATED BY STAR FLEET DIVISION BUREAU OF INTELLIGENCE FOR EXAMINATION. VANCE WAS MADE TO PAY A FINE FOR FAILURE TO REGISTER AN INTERSTELLAR MERCHANT. THE MORE SERIOUS CHARGE OF POSSESSING A CONTRABAND SPACECRAFT WAS DISMISSED DUE TO STAR FLEETS INABILITY TO PROVE WHO MADE THE MODIFICATIONS TO THE FORMERLY KLINGON DESIGN FOLLOWING THE INVESTIGATION, VANCE PETITIONED FOR OWNERSHIP OF THE S.S. KOBAYASHI MARU, AND RELUCTANTLY STAR FLEET RETURNED THE CRAFT.
AT THIS POINT, KOJIRO VANCE REGISTERED THE SPACE VESSEL, GIVING AS HIS HOME THE PORT OF AMBER ON TAU CETI IV. FROM THIS PLANET THE MARU FERRIED PASSENGERS AND NEUTRONIC FUEL TO POINTS ALONG THE FEDERATION - KLINGON TREATY ZONE. THIS, HOWEVER, WAS A COVER FOR SMUGGLING OPERATIONS INTO AND OUT OF KLINGON SPACE, WHERE VANCE WAS ABLE TO DECEIVE EVEN THE ATTENTIVE IMPERIAL FLEET WITH AN APPARENTLY KLINGON SPACECRAFT AND ACCURATE MILITARY TRANSMISSION CODES. ITS CURIOSITY PIQUED, STAR FLEET DIVISION BUREAU OF INTELLIGENCE PLANTED AN AGENT AMONG THE MARU CREWMEMBERS. VANCE'S OPERATIONS WERE THUS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE, AND PROVIDED VALUABLE DATA FOR SOME TIME. THE S.S. KOBAYASHI MARU'S SHORT LIFE AS AN UNKNOWING SPY SHIP CAME ABRUPTLY TO A HALT ON STAR DATE 3604.11, WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED BY A KLINGON PATROL AND DESTROYED.
FOR SOME TIME RELEGATED TO AN INGLORIOUS SUBFILE IN A FEDERATION LIBRARY COMPUTER, THE TALE OF THE S.S. KOBAYASHI MARU'S DEMISE HAS, OF LATE, GAINED SOME NOTORIETY AMONG STAR FLEETCOMMAND SCHOOL GRADUATES AS BEING ONE OF THE PROGRAM SIMULATION SCENARIOS USED IN THE COURSE OF THEIR EVALUATION.
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