In February 2001, a small group of fans decided to embark upon a massive project: to develop, write, and publish the first collaborative, script-based Star Trek fan fiction project. Set at the dawn of the 25th century, Star Trek: Renaissance was a mixture of political intrigue, exploration, and character-driven drama, driven by a loose but defined story arc. It picked up where Deep Space Nine left off, and had the courage to try to answer some of that show’s most important questions: could the Federation adequately defend its security without compromising its ideals? Or do the ends in fact justify the means?

Renaissance’s publication run was rocky, at best, but I’m still very proud to have contributed to the project. Although we were amateurs, we managed to publish 71 episodes in full teleplay format and quality. We developed an original and unique cast of characters that carried the flame of Star Trek’s spirit in their own controversial ways. Writing of the series came to a halt in 2004, but the story lives on!

The original website that hosted Renaissance went offline, but I had an archive of every episode and a lot of background material from the show backed up on my computer. I decided to share this archive of the series for visitors to discover, or even rediscover. Follow the adventures, conflicts, triumphs and defeats of the crew of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-G.

The Episodes

Season One

Episode 1x01-1x02: “Aftermath” (September 8, 2001)

The crew of the new USS Enterprise go out on their first mission. On their way, they make first contact with the Q’tami, and gain two new crew members.

Episode 1x03: “Confidence in Princes” (September 15, 2001)

The aftermath of the Enterprise’s encounter with the Q’tami sees Captain Cross at war against his own - when a Starfleet Admiral boards the Enterprise and informs Cross of the consequences of his actions. Many hasty and misinformed decisions were made during the Enterprise’s maiden voyage, ones which affect the crew as well as Starfleet.

Episode 1x04: “Beggars and Choosers” (September 22, 2001)

As the Enterprise visits Cardassia Prime, the real blight of the Cardassian people dawns to Dojar. As the crew witnesses the unequal treatment of starving people, the ability and justification for the Federation to enforce its ideals and practices to a sovereign state comes into question. Meanwhile, there may be some openings on the Enterprise soon...

Episode 1x05: “Unusual Circumstances” (September 29, 2001)

Erik Grey is trapped with the Transporter Chief of the Enterprise, Narv Ozran, in an asteroid by a mysterious attacker. And their time is running out...

Episode 1x06: “Day In...” (October 20, 2001)

As the crew of the Enterprise investigates second known stable wormhole, life on the Enterprise goes on as usual. The lull in activity gives the crew some time to contemplate their mission. (Part 1 of 2)

Episode 1x07: “...Day Out” (December 3, 2001)

In this conclusion to Renaissance’s first two parter, members of the crew get closer as they work together to avert a crisis. (Part 2 of 2)

Episode 1x08: “Clear Blue Sky” (December 10, 2001)

The Enterprise investigates a planet whose atmosphere is totally impervious to sensors.

Episode 1x09: “Between Two Worlds” (December 17, 2001)

Y’lan’s loyalties are called into question when the Enterprise comes to the aid of a planet stricken by a terrible ecological disaster, but can Cross uncover the truth in time to save the indigenous population?

Episode 1x10: “Reflections” (December 24, 2001)

While returning to the Enterprise aboard a shuttlecraft, Y’lan and Narv Ozran are swept into an ion storm and stranded in unfamiliar territory.

Episode 1x11: “Foreign Territory” (December 31, 2001)

Talora and Quinlan are sent to retrieve an errant probe in a shuttlecraft.

Episode 1x12: “In Sickness and in Health” January 7, 2002

Cross is critically injured during an away mission, and Elris must rush to save his life. But complications develop, forcing Elris and Cross to reevaluate the status of their relationship.

Episode 1x13: “Encounters of Chance” (February 18, 2002)

Dojar finds old prejudices die hard on a Bajoran colony, while Quinlan runs into an old flame who brings back bad memories of her life before she joined the Enterprise.

Episode 1x14: “Pandora’s Last Gift” (February 25, 2002)

Cross is held captive by a Klingon rebel faction, with very little hope for escape on a planet inhabited by a perpetually pre-warp civilization.

Episode 1x15: “One of Our Ambassadors is Missing” (March 4, 2002)

An epic tale involving ancient feuds, passion, diplomacy and Mr. Frowns, the clown who forgot how to smile.

Episode 1x16: “Absence of Innocence” (March 11, 2002)

Which contains a transfer, a promotion, and much more.

Episode 1x17: “The Call of Duty” (March 18, 2002)

A story of reunions both wanted and unwanted, profound in their results. It is of shattered families, cold shoulders, and the rivers that can no longer be crossed...

Episode 1x18: “Changing Symphony” (March 25, 2002)

The Enterprise arrives at Starbase 23 to assist in bringing a new alien race into the Federation, but Admiral Portman has other plans for the crew, which sees an old foe return, deadlier then ever...

Episode 1x19: “Dance” May 13, 2002

The Enterprise surveys a planet for a possible new colony—only it turns out that the Romulans want this planet just as badly as the Federation. Talora must help Cross negotiate with a belligerent Romulan commander for possession of the planet.

Episode 1x20: “When on Pakled...” (May 13, 2002)

When the Romulans lose one of their cloaking devices, it’s up to Cross and company to retrieve it by going native. After all, when on Pakled, do as the Pakleds do...

Episode 1x21: “Faction Protocols” (May 20, 2002)

When the Enterprise is attacked by an unidentified force, one amongst the crew finds they are a threat to the rest.

Episode 1x22: “Men of War and Science” (May 27, 2002)

The Enterprise is recalled to Earth to participate in a crucial defense project: the integration of Marine units onto Starfleet vessels.

Episode 1x23: “Land of the Free” (June 3, 2002)

Cross faces the complex choice of what to do with Klingon refugees, as he faces political pressure to return them to Klingon space.

Episode 1x24: “Paintings on a Wall” (June 10, 2002)

The Enterprise crew discovers a disabled civilian shuttle in an isolated region of Trill space; its passengers have been murdered. The sole survivor may possess the key to solving the mystery, but the answer is not so easily found.

Episode 1x25: “Hidden Agendas” (June 17, 2002)

The Enterprise is ordered to return to Cardassia to resume humanitarian aid. And once they get there, Dojar must once again confront the devastation the Dominion War wrought upon his home planet.

Episode 1x26: “Shadows of a New Dawn” (June 24, 2002)

In more ways then one, a die has been cast. For the crew of the Enterprise, their world is about to change in ways they could never have thought possible...

Season Two

Episode 2x01: “Living in the Shadows” (September 8, 2002)

In the aftermath of the attack on the Reformist colony, the crew of the Enterprise find it difficult to come to terms with what has happened. But they soon discover there are bigger things at stake, and that not everything about the strike on Coular is as clear cut as it could be.

Episode 2x02: “Dead and Buried” (September 16, 2002)

On the run from Starfleet, Talora, Dojar, and Quinlan search for leads to find those responsible for erasing crucial data from the Enterprise’s computer banks, while Cross faces the wrath of a Klingon rebel.

Episode 2x03: “Homecoming” (September 23, 2002)

Elris has returned to Bajor, but ghosts from her past and dangers from he present have followed her. There is truth in the old Human saying: “you can’t go home again.”

Episode 2x04: “The Public Eye” (September 30, 2002)

Talora goes home to Romulus to catch up with family, and a friend she had an unfortunate past with.

Episode 2x05: “I’m Not Scared” (October 7, 2002)

Grey receives a mysterious “assignment”—to assist the crew of a derelict freighter that has fallen prey to the Klingon Reformists.

Episode 2x06: “Shores of Elba” October 14, 2002

He has been judged and punished by Federation law... but he has not yet judged himself. In the New Zealand Penal Colony, Neil Cross must face the consequences of his actions.

Episode 2x07: “Chasing the Dragon” (November 4, 2002)

Quinlan is about to face her demons...

Episode 2x08: “Delfune” (November 11, 2002)

This week on Carter Investigates, award-winning news journalist Lewis Carter delves into the world of Starfleet, and in particular one of her most elusive Admirals, Elizabeth Delfune. Who is she, and what makes her tick? Tune in Monday, 2000 Earth Standard!

Episode 2x09: “Right There Behind You, Part I” (November 25, 2002)

Y’lan investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deactivation of the Enterprise, and a shadowy threat to its crew.

Episode 2x10: “Right There Behind You, Part II” (December 23, 2002)

As Y’lan continues his investigation, he finds that danger is lurking around every corner... and not from those he might suspect.

Episode 2x11: “Together We Stand” (December 30, 2002)

The final voyage of the starship Enterprise begins...

Episode 2x12: “Home” (January 6, 2003)

Home is more than just a place where one lives... but a home revisited is never the home that was left.

Episode 2x13: “Mercy Bay” (January 13, 2003)

The Enterprise discovers the wreck of an old Starfleet explorer during a hazardous survey mission.

Episode 2x14: “Other Things Equal” (February 3, 2003)

The Enterprise is sent on the hunt when one of Starfleet’s latest starships is captured by an unknown enemy.

Episode 2x15: “The Walk” (February 10, 2003)

Neil Cross must come to terms with his position as Captain of the Enterprise.

Episode 2x16: “God Save the Pigs!” (February 17, 2003)

Moo?
Moo? Moo? What do you mean, moo? What do you think this is? “God Save the Cows”? Sheesh!

Episode 2x17: “Heat Rising” (March 17, 2003)

An away team is trapped during a checkup mission to a distant outpost.

Episode 2x18: “Outstanding Questions” (March 31, 2003)

Quinlan and Dojar look for help from the Federation’s fringe in deciphering clues about the conspiracy called “Janus.”

Episode 2x19: “Underneath the Sky” (April 7, 2003)

Cross and the Enterprise are sent to apprehend a group of Federation citizens who have taken it upon themselves to help a pre-warp civilization recently abandoned by the Klingon Empire, in violation of the Prime Directive.

Episode 2x20: “A Minority of One” (April 14, 2003)

The Enterprise is assigned to transport a Federation negotiator to the planets Eminiar and Vendikar, where the resolution of an old war threatens to destroy one society at the benefit of another.

Episode 2x21: “The Ground Beneath Her Feet” April 21, 2003

The Enterprise rescues a mysterious young girl who is escaping from a Klingon attack.

Episode 2x22: “The Long Night of the Souls” (April 28, 2003)

Stranded far from Federation space and under Klingon attack, the crew of the Enterprise must face the darkness to survive.

Episode 2x23: “Aithalian Lessons” (May 19, 2003)

With the passing of war, an uneasy peace has settled over parts of Klingon space. Each side has suffered greatly. Each side needs to rebuild, to restore, to recover. But the question is... which side needs the other more?

Episode 2x24: “To Be Someone” (May 26, 2003)

After receiving reports of strange activity in the Orias system, Starfleet issues orders that affect the chain of command, and way of life, aboard the Enterprise.

Episode 2x25: “The Last Temptation” (June 2, 2003)

Ghosts from the past resurface after the Enterprise makes a chance encounter with an old enemy.

Episode 2x26: “This Side of Hades” (June 22, 2003)

The Enterprise crew is forced to come to terms with dangerous revelations that will force them to decide where it is that they stand both on the Enterprise and in the galaxy...

Season Three

Episode 3x01: “The Lost” (September 8, 2003)

Cross races against time to make contact with the Q’tami, before the damage already inflicted grows to cause utter disaster.

Episode 3x02: “Regression” September 15, 2003

A freak encounter amid the ruins of Bajor becomes the catalyst for an unwanted journey into Elris’s past.

Episode 3x03: “The Case of the Vedek’s Lost Robes” (September 29, 2003)

Carter lands himself in deep water after interviewing a Bajoran vedek that results in him questioning everything that it means to be Lewis Carter, Federation News Reporter.

Episode 3x04: “A Friend” (October 6, 2003)

Faces are just the masks we wear. Words are just the empty things we say. It is in our actions how we define who we are... and our souls we to none reveal.

Episode 3x05: “Whispers from the Other Room” (October 20, 2003)

A storm looms on the horizon, as the return of an old enemy heralds a potentially devastating confrontation...

Episode 3x06: “Nor Bid the Stars Farewell” (November 28, 2003)

Memories never capture all of reality. Memories only reconstruct the past. For Neil Cross, and for others, memories will become either a guide... or a barrier.

Episode 3x07: “Collateral Damage” (December 15, 2003)

Remember not the Cause, but what you do for it. Be wary where you tread.

Episode 3x08: “Demons at Our Crossroads” February 16, 2004

As the Dominion talks reach a crucial stage, the key players find themselves faced with decisions that could change the course of their lives forever.

Episode 3x09: “Veiled Intentions” (March 1, 2004)

The Dominion negotiations grind to a halt when the accidental death of a Jem’Hadar soldier leads Talora and Odo into an investigation that raises more questions than it answers.

Episode 3x10: “What Shadows We Pursue” (March 8, 2004)

Tensions run high as the Dominion peace talks take a drastic, unexpected turn, and a comrade long thought lost reaches out to the crew...

Episode 3x11: “Release” (March 23, 2004)

Events begin to head towards a staggering climax as the Dominion negotiations reach a heart-stopping turning point that could change the face of the Federation itself...

Episode 3x12: “Consider the Heavens” (March 30, 2004)

The crew must come face to face with their own spirituality when they encounter a mysterious race whose faith may hide a terrible truth...

Episode 3x13: “Dirty Tricks” (April 5, 2004)

Grey finds his past come back to haunt him when the Federation Privy Court call him to give testimony in a trial that could have far reaching repercussions for the forthcoming Presidential Elections...

Episode 3x14: “Last Exit on Yesterday” (April 12, 2004)

When the Federation relinquishes a planet to the Klingon Empire, the intrepid heroes of the Enterprise become conflicted as they witness the devastating consequences of the Klingons’ private little war, spilling into the backyard of an innocent people...

Episode 3x15: “All for Romulus” (April 19, 2004)

The Enterprise crew must join forces with the Romulans to repair a damaged Romulan vessel, but their differences are vast and the clock is ticking...

Episode 3x16: “Ships That Pass in the Night” (April 26, 2004)

When the Enterprise answers the distress call of a cargo vessel carrying urgently needed Cardassian supplies, they find themselves involved in a catalyst of events that lead to an astonishing conclusion...

Season Four

Episode 4x01: “Flashpoint, Part II” (September 20, 2004)

The battle for freedom begins now.

Episode 4x02: “Coalescence” (September 27, 2004)

As ripples spread through the quadrant, old friends and new enemies must decide whom they can trust.

Episode 4x03: “Lines in the Sand” (October 4, 2004)

The resistance out of Station Epsilon faces its first real test, as the Federation masses its fleet and the lines of battle are drawn.

Episode 4x04: “The Burning Sky” (December 21, 2004)

No description.

Archivist’s Note: The third season of Renaissance was prematurely ended due to a major shake-up in the writing staff. The original intent had been to end season three on a major cliffhanger that would lead into season four. However, with the abrupt “cancellation” of the third season, the remaining writers decided (for better or worse) to dive right into season four. Thus, “Flashpoint, Part II” is indeed the first episode of the fourth season. It had been intended that “Flashpoint, Part I” would be published as a kind of flashback story much later on. Sadly, Renaissance production ground to a halt shortly thereafter.