[Major Tom]

Thinking back to around the 30 years of Star Trek (all combined there were about 30 years of star trek, eh?) here are some ideas... (some of which probably cannot be done within the limitations of SEIV).

#1. Ripping off Voyager... How about an event that transports ships across the galaxy?

#2. From TOS, there was one episode where there were peaceloving omnipotent beings who forced peace between Klingons and Federation (think they were the Organians or something...). How about encountering a race that immediately makes peace between two warring empires.

#3. Return of the Doomsday device. An event that has this ship appear in the Galaxy, kicking even the butt of the Borg (there was a cool book written years ago about another Doomsday Device appearing in the universe).

#4. Renegade friendly vessels ambush other starships (ala Wrath of Khan).

#5. Stable wormholes appearing (ala DS9).

#6. Alternate dimension invasion (ala Starfleet Command I). An evil Federation (or alternate Versions of other empires) appear in order to cause trouble.

#7. A spaceship that did something in the past is mysteriously thrown into the future, resulting in a major rift between two peaceful empires causing instant war (ala "Yesterday's Enterprise").

#8. A defector comes to your side, gives you information, but results in poor relations between two empires.

#9. A rogue commander attacks a peaceful empire due to personal reasons (i.e., "The Wounded"). If this ship is not disabled/destroyed war will erupt.

#10. A conspiracy between two radical factions of two empires conspire to maintain the status quo in lieu of the emergence of peaceful negotiations (i.e., "Star Trek VI"). One or both nations must root out the conspiracy (destroy a base, or a ship) before they make relations sour.

#11. A boobytrap (technological relic) destroyes one of your ships (TNG "Boobytrap)

#12. Civil War (battle between two factions to gain power in one Empire), (TNG "Redemption I", "Redemption II")