Its things like this that make tie-in games great.  Throwing in things that are blatantly fan-pleasing may be an easy move but there’s no denying its also hugely effective :-)

This mission ticks all the boxes.  Miral Paris (daughter of Voyager’s Tom Paris and Belanna Torres) has been kidnapped by genetically-modified Klingons.  Said Klingons then use the Guardian of Forever to travel back in time to the 23rd century where they plan to use her human/Klingon hybrid-ness to cure the flat-head syndrome that’s blighted them since the days of Enterprise season 4.

Needless to say, you’re not standing for this, so promptly chase them to the Guardian and follow them back, where you team up with the original USS Enterprise (under the temporary command of Commander Spock, since Kirk’s elsewhere).

Its great fun, and it helps that this mission is also the payoff for a long running storyline that sees you through most of your Lieutenant levels, building up the motivations and the extent of the Klingons plan over an extended period of time.  All the fanboy buttons are hit, culminating in fighting alongside the original Enterprise (nicely making use of the fact that Cryptic had hired Leonard Nimoy to voice parts of the game).

So far there’s been few moments as great as coming down that hill to see the Guardian of Forever in the distance.  I’m looking forward to seeing more of these kinds of things throughout the game.  Obviously Species 8472 have now turned up as part of the main plot to the game, and I daresay the Borg will appear again, but the Next Generation stuff has been well-served by games over the last decade or so, so the Classic Trek stuff is very welcome indeed and adds something a bit fresher to the game (ironic given how much the Guardian of Forever pre-dates the Borg).

With that mission complete, I’m waiting on the next story arc from Admiral Quinn to kick in.  In the meantime I’m considering some sight-seeing.  I may take my trusty USS New Zealand over to DS9 for a look-see.  And I really should go back to K7 and have another wander around it to see what else is there beyond the contacts (who can just be hailed from the ship anyway).  I need some better equipment and I need to find someone who’ll sell me it.