Star Trek II: Retribution

Star Trek: Retribution is a forthcoming fan-produced CGI film, produced by Brandon M. Bridges as a sequel to the popular film Star Trek: Specter of the Past. Writing for the new movie's plot began on Wednesday, October 13, 2010, and production officially commenced on Wednesday, January 12, 2011.

Summary
Few details of the new movie's plot were immediately available. As with Specter, the principal action would be set aboard the USS Fitzgerald (NCC-85107-A), and would take place in the "alternate" timeline seen at the end of Specter, now ten years later. The story follows the crew's attempts to halt a planned invasion by the fractured Romulan Empire, retaliation for the Romulans' belief that the Federation was responsible for a supernova that resulted in the destruction of Romulus (as described in ).

At the center of the invasion plans is a piece of evidence the Romulans possess, which they claim shows a Federation starship destabilizing the sun just before the nova occurred. With only four days left before the Romulan invasion fleet becomes operational, Admiral Thornton dispatches the Fitzgerald to New Romulus to discern the authenticity of the evidence, and to prove the Federation's innocence before time runs out.

But things become complicated when, while en route to Romulan space, Admiral Reyf is visited by the ghost of his old friend, Dr. Braiyon Garr, long thought to be dead since the events of Specter. Garr warns Reyf that only death awaits him beyond the Neutral Zone, and warns him not to try to stop what's coming but rather to flee, so that Garr himself can kill him.

With the deadline rapidly approaching, Captain Bradley Prentice finds himself caught between an unstoppable Romulan foe, and a superior officer he's sure is hiding something, a dark secret that could save the Federation--or seal its doom.

Memorable Quotes
''"You can't be serious, Admiral! The magnitude of this...it's unthinkable!"  "Whether you think about it or not...it's happening anyway."''


 * - Prentice and Thornton

''"There is one other thing...and that's the matter of where this purported evidence came from."  "Forgive me, admiral, but what difference does it make?"''

"Kendra!"

"No, it's alright, captain, it's a fair question. Assuming we can trust the Romulans' account of what happened, I think it's damned convenient that someone just happened to be aiming a sensor array in the right direction at the right time, don't you?"

"Well, when you put it that way...it does sound awfully convenient."


 * - Thornton, Ronston, and Prentice

''"All we have to go on is a name: Drakus."  "Drakus? Sounds like something out of a childrens' story."''


 * - Thornton and Ronston

''"Are we ready for this?"  "I seem to recall we were asking ourselves that same question ten years ago. And look how things turned out."''

"Yes, just look at it."


 * - Prentice and Ronston

''"Any idea who this purported expert is they're sending?"  "No idea. Probably some...backroom wag from the diplomatic corps eager for some field action."''


 * - Prentice and Ronston

"Bradley let me tell you something. There's always going to be some disaster about to happen. First it was the Romulans, then the Klingons, then the Borg. What matters isn't the challenge we face. What matters is that we stick together...and that we come out on top. The captain taught us that."


 * - Commander Kendra Ronston

"A Federation starship with Romulan upgrades. That's just wacky."


 * - Captain Bradley Prentice

''"Running headlong into hostile territory. Trusting our lives to untensted, experimental weapons. What could possibly go wrong?"  "Now now...let's not predict disaster before we even leave spacedock."''

"Fine. I'll wait until we're in open space. Then I'll predict disaster."

''"That's all I ask." (pause) "It looks like the only thing we're waiting for now is our specialist to arrive, then we can leave." (softer) "This mission is going to be tough enough without being saddled by a know-it-all bureaucrat."''

"Didn't I just hear someone preaching the power of positive thinking?"

"No idea what you're talking about. Whoever it was must've been insane."


 * - Prentice and Ronston

"If they have such overwhelming numbers, then why haven't they moved yet? They have to know we're watching them. Are they hoping we'll terrify ourselves into submission?"


 * - Commander Kendra Ronston

"Alpha team: assemble in transporter room three.  Bring a dustpan."


 * - Commander Renee Mitchell

Cast
Many cast members from Specter are slated to reappear in Retribution, many with new or expanded roles from the original film. A voice cast for Retribution has yet to be selected, though several actors from Specter are confirmed to have been contacted about reprising their roles.


 * Admiral Gaius Reyf (voiced by Dennis Gard Robb). Representative of Starfleet Intelligence and mission specialist, expert in Romulan culture and psychology
 * Captain Bradley Prentice. Commanding officer of the Fitzgerald
 * Commander Kendra Ronston (voiced by Elaine Korff). First officer of the Fitzgerald.
 * Dr. Elizabeth Falwell. Chief medical officer of the Fitzgerald.
 * Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Hargrove. Chief tactical officer and chief of security of the Fitzgerald.
 * Lieutenant Commander Renee Mitchell. Chief engineer of the Fitzgerald
 * Lieutenant Commander Lesley Kal. Chief of operations and chief science officer of the Fitzgerald.
 * Dr. Braiyon Elias Garr (voiced by Brandon Bridges). Former operative of Starfleet Intelligence, now bent on revenge against Admiral Gaius Reyf and the crew of the Fitzgerald for their roles in his defeat during the events of Specter. By the time of Retribution, Garr has lost any grip on sanity he once had, and Reyf describes him as "more dangerous than ever." His exact role in the plot of Retribution remains unclear. Bridges has said that his performance as Dr. Braiyon Garr in this film will be based on the performance of Tom McCamus as Mason Eckhart in the "Mutant X" TV series.
 * Admiral Margaret Thornton. Head of Starfleet Intelligence and Reyf's immediate superior.

Production
The producer has stated that Retribution will be similar in structure to Specter, although the running time would not exceed one hundred minutes. Further, the tone of the new movie would be less "big budget" than its predecessor, and that despite what has been described as a "thrilling" storyline, Retribution would be "less a personal confessional than Specter and would be more firmly rooted in Star Trek canon." As part of the new production approach--meant to reduce production time from Specter's benchmark of four and one half years--material would be re-used from Specter wherever possible. An example of this approach could be seen in the first preview scene released for the film: a mission briefing in Admiral Thornton's office supposedly aboard a starbase is actually a redress of the set used to portray Dr. Garr's office at Starfleet Headquarters in the previous film.

The producer has also said that where the tone of Specter could vary from lighthearted to sinister, the mood of Retribution would be more consistent, and would tend more towards the serious end of the spectrum. According to the producer, "there are still going to be plenty of plot twists and personal intrigue, plus interplay between our three main heroes--but don't expect any mysterious Price is Right holodeck programs this time." And further: "At its core, Specter was a story about friendship (between Garr and Reyf), and love (between Garr and Kristie), growing up (Reyf), and redemption (Garr). For me, it was a very personal story because it was inspired by real events. Retribution isn't going to have nearly that many violins playing, for any character. Reyf is going to be dark and mysterious; Garr is going to be menacing and very, very threatening for his appearances; Prentice is all grown up and has become a fine commanding officer, and in general everyone's going to be acting more like the cohesive and adult Starfleet crews we've seen over the last few decades. No one's got training wheels on this time."

Ships
It has been stated that a mix of canon and non-canon ship designs will appear in Retribution as needed. So far (in order of appearance):


 * Shuttlecraft Guibert (Volga-class Runabout): a fan design in a cameo appearance as a VIP courier shuttlecraft
 * USS F. Scott Fitzgerald (NCC-85107-A): a refitted Galaxy-class starship, aboard which the principal action will be set. To allow for the re-use of stock footage from Specter, the model for the ship's exterior has not been altered.
 * USS Insignia: a fan design seen in the interior of Starbase 54. Used by special agreement with Mark Kingsworth.

Sets
Where possible, sets from Specter are being re-used for Retribution, either as-is or redressed as needed. Contrary to popular belief, however, the sets will retain their "alternate" looks to emphasize that the events are taking place in an alternate timeline. In addition, the Galaxy-class sets will be updated to appear period-appropriate as depicted in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

One notable element is Admiral Thornton's office aboard Starbase 54. The set is a redress of Dr. Braiyon Garr's office at Starfleet Headquarters from Specter. Attentive fans will notice several classic Star Trek: The Original Series matte paintings around the set, along with a gold model of Babylon 5 briefly visible behind Prentice and Ronston.

Release
As was the case during Specter, sequences will be released as they are completed via YouTube. For Retribution, however, an early round of preview/demo scenes will be released before production actually begins in earnest.

Reception
Initial reaction to Retribution was mixed, with commentators on Scifi-Meshes.com as well as viewers on YouTube expressing strong concerns over concept of a human once again leading the Romulan fleet in the wake of the events of Star Trek Nemesis. Some viewers who had not seen Specter also expressed strong feelings over the producer only including his own voice in the preview clips. Others praised the continuing quality of the writing, as well as the more mature characters and different manner of storytelling.

Preview Clip #00001: "Mission Briefing"
The first clip was posted on YouTube on Thursday, 13 January 2011, and depicts a briefing between Admiral Margaret Thornton, Captain Bradley Prentice, and Commander Kendra Ronston. In the clip, Thornton explains the situation in Romulan space and assigns the USS Fitzgerald to the case. All three officers are wearing the "All Good Things" combadge, and instead of the typical three pips, Ronston has three gold pips and one black pip, indicative that a ship's first officer is now indicated by what is essentially a "captain, junior grade" insignia. Ronston's hair is darker than it was last seen in Specter, and Thornton's hair is slightly lighter, a dark gray instead of jet black. ''The set is a redress of Dr. Garr's office from the previous film; Dean Scott's Babylon 5 station appears as a piece of set dressing. Two photos from HD episodes of Star Trek TOS Remastered appear on the set. The name of the Romulan leader, Drakus, is a reference to the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon--in that context, Drakus co-designed the Technodrome along with Krang.''

Preview Clip #00002: "Rimward Station"
The second clip was posted on Saturday, 15 January 2011, and depicts a brief meeting at a space station in an unknown sector of Romulan territory, between a Romulan and an unknown, shadowed figure (presumably Drakus). The aide informs Drakus of Starfleet's decision to dispatch an emissary to New Romulus, and Drakus says that a surprise should be prepared for the visitors. ''The exterior of the station is portrayed by the Rimward Station, by Treybor. The set is a redress of the Mustafar Control Board Room, by Jan Jacob. The Romulan is portrayed as bald in accordance with Star Trek XI. According to production notes, the station will actually be referred to as "the Rimward Station" in dialogue.''

Preview Clip #00003: "The Shuttle"
The third clip was posted on January 16, 2011, and accompanies Captain Prentice and Commander Ronston on the shuttlecraft taking them back to the Fitzgerald. The two share a conversation during which the audience sees a very different dynamic between them than was observed in Specter, very definitely one involving mutual respect and trust, and even hints of affection. The "shuttlecraft" is actually a Volga-class runabout, designed by medjai; referencing it as a "shuttlecraft" in dialogue rather than as a "runabout" continues a running gag first established in Specter''. The Spacedock interior is by Wil Jaspers. The Clydesale Mk2 shuttle is by virtualkey08. The Insignia-class starship is by Mark Kingsnorth.''

Preview Clip #00004: "The Bridge / Reunion"
The fourth clip was posted on January 21, 2011, and shows the bridge of the Fitzgerald as the crew discusses the Romulan upgrades taking place. Midway through the scene, Starfleet's special envoy arrives, and preparations to depart begin. ''The "All Good Things" combadges worn by the crew are by Richard Duda. Reyf's uniform is a modified version of Warrior's basic STFC uniform.''

Preview Clip #00005A: "Crew Briefing"
The fifth clip was posted on January 25, 2011, and shows Admiral Reyf giving a briefing to the Fitzgerald's senior staff. The scene takes place in a redressed version of the observation lounge from Specter, featuring a slightly different color scheme, new decor, and the standard TNG inner wall in place of the custom-made unit seen in Specter. Reyf identifies Sector 585 as the location of Starfleet's primary staging area, referencing the location from Specter where he confronted Braiyon Garr near the Devil's Heart Black Hole. The task force assembling there is said to be led by Admiral Janeway, presumably a reference to Kathryn Janeway. The Argus Array is also mentioned as having been the source of the intelligence. Dialogue identifies Sector 1138 as the location of a Romulan staging area, presumably a reference to George Lucas' film THX-1138. The scene also shows for the first time Lieutenant Commander Hargrove and Lieutenant Commander Kal in the same shot, identifying the distinct colors of their uniforms: yellow for Kal's engineering division, a darker orange for Hargrove's security division. The scene is also the first clear glance we get at Commander Renee Mitchell, seated behind Commander Ronston at the table, showing her multicolored hair and broader shoulders than Falwell and Erickson.

The primary purpose of this clip appears to be to show the distinct personalities of the crew, in particular the changes from Specter. While Prentice's slightly sarcastic air remains, Commander Ronston's energy and vocality has been tempered, likely by years of command experience, while the once-spirited and timid Hargrove has matured into a hard-edged, if somewhat pessimistic, security officer. Reyf's personality at first glance appears unchanged, however near the middle of the clip he displays a kind of mystique that was not present in Specter, followed closely by irritation towards Captain Prentice when he presses for answers. The single glance we get of Prentice after that seems to show him displeased, hinting at a new tension between the two officers. A moment later, Reyf mistakenly refers to Commander Hargrove as "Ensign," a nod to the bond that was shown to develop between them in Specter.

Production notes indicate that fans had reacted negatively to the concept of a human again leading the Romulan fleet in the wake if the events of Nemesis, and that this briefing scene originally included several lines of dialogue to address that plot point. Those lines were later cut when it was felt that they slowed down the scene to an unacceptable degree.

During the watching of this scene, a fan noticed a mistake in Reyf's costume design: the pointed belt buckle he wears is incorrectly positioned on his unfirom, as when he sits down the pointed tip of the Starfleet delta would jab him painfully in the stomach, and that the buckle should be rotated 90 degrees to Reyf's left to both fix the problem and remain consistent with existing costume designs.

''The rank pips on Admiral Reyf's uniform are the same props as were used for Admiral Thornton's uniform, designed by Richard Duda. Reyf's "belt buckle" is actually the Star Trek Online delta, also by Richard Duda. The graphics on the monitor were provided by Adge's LCARs; the first graphic of the Neutral Zone originally appeared in the TNG episode "The Defector," while the sector map that follows is from the VOY episode "Dragon's Teeth." The observation lounge set is dressed and laid out almost exactly as it was in the ENT episode "These Are the Voyages...", which corresponds to the seventh season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, though the lining of the table is black wood instead of brown, and the chairs are VOY briefing chairs with blue fabric instead of the more traditional TNG designs seen in Specter. Both are attributable to the fact of this film taking place in an alternate timeline.''

Preview Clip #00005B: "Secrets"
The second half of the fifth clip was posted on January 26, 2011, and shows a private discussion between Admiral Reyf and Captain Prentice. Displeased at once again being kept in the dark by his superior, Prentice presses the issue, reminding Reyf of his first words after assuming command of the Fitzgerald eleven years prior: "Trust is a thing which is earned, not given; it's the foundation of friendship, respect, of everything that matters. And that the quickest way to destroy it is by keeping secrets." Reyf replies that his beliefs on the matter have not changed, but circumstances have, and that requires all involved to adapt.

This scene bears similarities to a scene from Specter, in which after a crew briefing then-Lieutenant Erickson expresses concerns privately to Reyf. The purpose of this scene seems to be to set up tension between Prentice and Reyf, and to firmly establish that there are things Reyf isn't telling us. This is the moment when the audience realizes that these two characters who once trusted each other are now going to have a different dynamic, and that unlike Specter, Reyf is going to be dark and mysterious.

Prentice's line "We're doomed" at the end of the scene is an homage to C-3PO from the Star Wars franchise, as those words were a catchphrase of his. The exterior shot of the Fitzgerald at warp at the end of the scene is a piece of stock footage recycled from Specter.

Preview Clip #00006: "The Visitation"
The sixth preview clip was posted on January 29, 2011, and shows Admiral Reyf being visited by the ghost of Dr. Braiyon Garr. Garr attempts to warn Reyf away from Romulan space, claiming that if he goes forward he will surely die, that the only way to escape the coming apocalypse is to turn the Fitzgerald to open space "and never look back."

This scene's purpose appears to be to establish the new dynamic between Garr and Reyf, and to fill in some missing details about what happened after we last saw the ISS Voyager in Specter. Garr's explanation about the effect of the radiation on him is consistent with several reports by the EMH in the previous film, that any further exposure to tetryon radiation could be deadly. Likewise, his description of how he was able to repair the damage--by using "Borg technology" (implied to be nanoprobes by his use of the term "them" afterwards)--is consistent with the discovery that some technologies aboard the ISS Voyager appeared to be Borg-inspired.

Garr himself now sports a personality that is much darker and far more sinister than what was seen in Specter, likely owing to the nine months of agony he experienced as the Borg nanoprobes made repairs to his flesh. His description of his new form as "living flesh over a titanium endoskeleton" is a nod to the Terminator franchise, and implies that while his tissues could be repaired his bone marrow could not, necessitating the creation of an artificial bone structure.

Like the other characters, several details about Garr's facial structure have been altered for this film. The bone structure appears more pronounced, and the trim of his glasses is now black instead of gold, and his lenses now appear to have a blue tint to them, a trait largely hidden by the ambient lighting of the set. His costume, however, remains the dark blue uniform he wore through most of Specter, right down to the Voyager-style combadge, as opposed to everyone else's All Good Things badge.

The set itself is a slight redress of Garr's guest quarters as seen near the end of Specter, with updated colors and some new furniture. The piece of artwork hanging on the door over Reyf's shoulder for most of the conversation is actually a screengrab of Proxy Blue from the TV series Mutant X. The sound of Garr's laughter was recycled from Specter.

Because he was seen whole and apparently not suffering the ill effects of radiation poisoning at the end if Specter, it may be assumed that the anti-time eruption sent him at minimum nine months earlier than the time frame of that scene. Garr's dialogue here implies that the length of the jump was in fact much greater than it was intended to be ("...the anti-time reaction was hundreds of times more intense than it was supposed to be").

Preview Clip #00007: "Security Sweep"
The seventh preview clip was posted on January 30, 2011, and shows a conversation between Reyf, Prentice, and Ronston, in which they discuss the ramifications of Garr's visit, while Commander Hargrove conducts a security sweep.

This scene's purpose appears to be to establish Garr's new persona as Reyf sees it, and to establish how he was able to appear both in this film and in Specter. Despite the common threat, tension clearly remains between Reyf and the other officers, and Prentice is clearly much more uneasy at the end of this scene than before.

The residential corridor set outside Reyf's quarters is a slightly redressed version of the same set, which was originally built for--but not featured in--Specter. Ronston's line, "You should've never had that damned holocommunicator installed" is a reference to Specter, when Reyf said exactly the same thing to Admiral Thornton, with whom he was communicating using the same system.

Prentice's remark about how Garr's newfound insanity "explains the maniacal laughter" was inserted at the urging of a regular viewer, who commented that Garr's sinister cackling seemed too far out of character for the Star Trek universe, and that it needed to be explained.

It has been stated that as of this clip there are three preview clips yet to be posted.

The "security tricorder" held by Commander Hargrove is in fact a medical tricorder from DTEMachine.

Preview Clip #00008: "Engineering"
The eighth preview clip was posted on January 31, 2011, and shows a brief exchange between Admiral Reyf and Chief Engineer Renee Mitchell in Main Engineering. Reyf asks for a very specific adjustment to the plasma distribution grid, and Mitchell insists on captain's approval first. Before they can talk further, the call comes from the bridge that the ship has arrived at the rendezvous point, and Prentice summons Reyf to the bridge.

The Engineering set has undergone some visible modifications since Specter, mostly adjustments in color of the bulkheads and an overall brighter lighting scheme than in the previous movie. The most significant change appears to be the engine core itself--though in this preview clip it isn't seen pulsing (nor is the sound present), the top and bottom halves appear to be blue and red, respectively, and the transfer conduits are a light peach color, possibly patterned from the warp core of the Enterprise-E and retro-adapted for use in a Galaxy-class setting.

The purpose of this scene appears twofold: one, to remind viewers that Reyf has information that the rest of the crew doesn't; and two, to show that despite their history with Reyf, the crew is ultimately accountable to Captain Prentice.

Preview Clip #00009: "The Vaxis"
The ninth preview clip was posted on February 4, 2011, and shows the arrival of the Fitzgerald at the rendezvous point, where the crew discovers the hulk of the Romulan warbird Vaxis which they were sent to meet. Sensors show no survivors, and Commander Ronston interprets it as a warning, for the Fitzgerald to turn back. Reyf insists that doing so is not an option, but Prentice is reluctant to move forward knowing they could meet the same fate. Commander Ronson then notices that the Romulan ship's cloaking device is still mostly intact, but Prentice immediately refuses, on the grounds that salvaging it would be a violation of both the Treaty of Algeron and the Prime Directive. Reyf reminds him that their options are very limited, and that with the collapse of the Romulan central government, the Treaty of Algeron effectively no longer exists. Prentice relents and sends Commander Mitchell to the warbird to salvage the cloaking device.

Preview Clip: "Scenes 1-3 + Main Titles"
An early draft of the first ten minutes of Retribution, including material not available in the other three preview clips. This material includes: a brief recap of Specter highlighting the three major players (Reyf, Garr, Kristie) and ending with a stock shot of the ISS Voyager; an early version of the main titles, which include the names of several of the voice actors from Specter along with roles that have no actor identified; and smoother scene transitions. The clip is just over ten minutes in length.

Preview Clip: "Scenes 1-4"
An updated draft of the first twelve minutes of Retribution, including material not available in the previous omnibus clip. This material includes cleaner and more complete background plates, and the full Scene 4, showing the Fitzgerald leaving spacedock. As of this clip, there have now been seven characters or ships named after real people: the USS F. Scott Fitzgerald, named for the author; the shuttlecraft Guibert, Admiral Thornton, Captain Prentice, Lieutenant Commander Lesley Kal, Lieutenant Commander Hargrove, Lieutenant Commander Renee Mitchell, and Ensign Leets are all named after acquaintences of the executive producer.

Preview Clip: "Scenes 1-7"
An updated draft of the first 22 minutes of Retribution, including all previous scenes as well as several completed renders of footage during the departure sequence.