AAR: Investigate Possible Hidden Starbase

Beylara-Ailes_ · March 18, 2017, 12:00am

Stardate: 93212.8

Investigate Possible Hidden Starbase

Report Submitted: CMDR Ailes, B.

Classification Level 1 - Open

On Stardate 93212.8, several officers gathered aboard the U.S.S. William Ockham to follow-up on the report from one Lieutenant Jekal Vekkei regarding an interview with the Keth clone known as "Yorktown Keth." In short, the report described something of value left behind on a moon which the 38th fleet had already investigated on a hidden starbase section. Attached is the report with the intelligence regarding the starbase. Orders were to investigate the destroyed moon--now split into two halves--and attempt to retrieve said item.

Upon arrival, scans were made of the asteroid field and surrounding space to ensure there was no remaining Jem'Hadar presence. Upon finding the space empty, the scans of the planet revealed a shielded section of the blasted moon, oxygenated and safe for visitation. Initial scans revealed no life signs.

An away team was sent to the surface in order to investigate more closely. After splitting into pairs, Lieutenant Commander Rose and Cadet Niraj discovered a console and upon trying to open the access panel, ended up receiving injuries from the resultant explosion. The away team regrouped, only to discover that a shield had been raised around the station that cut off communications with the Ockham and prevented transport.

Captain Nimitz successfully opened the panel of another console, but not without injury himself. With the panel free, Lieutenant Commander Rose was able to restore the command system, but ascertained that administrative codes were required to have access to commands. That then became the team's priority.

Captain Nimitz remained behind with the seriously injured Cadet Niraj while the other ventured to the second floor. There were signs of a Vorta's unfinished meal, a jacket lying nearby, and a Jem'Hadar presence. Most notably, in that there was a Jem'Hadar spear piercing the months-old body of a Romulan. In the jacket the away team found the codes required to release the shield surrounding the station. It was also decided to transport the Romulan's body, and to take his belongings, a communication device and a phaser in order to return them to his people. This evidence of Romulan involvement in the Keth situation and the Dominion base was unknown prior to this moment to the away team.

It was at this point the codes were used to release the shield, the injured were transported to sickbay and the others were brought aboard the ship along with the Romulan's body. At the time of this report, the remains still are aboard the Ockham awaiting final disposition.

Attachments:

AAR: Possible Hidden Starbase: Yorktown Keth Interview

Officers Involved:

Captain Alistair Nimitz
Captain Andrej Timoreev
Commander Beylara Ailes
Lieutenant Commander Jinsoo Rose
Crewman Jexiril
Cadet Alexandria Niraj

//SIGNED//
Commander Beylara Ailes
Commanding Officer, U.S.S. William Ockham

kermit · March 20, 2017, 12:00am

Stardate 93215.9

TO CMDR Ailes
CC <DS13\Intelligence>
FROM RDML Perim
:: Level 2: Confidential ::
SUBJ RE: Possible Hidden Starbase

Commander,

Thank you for the report. I'm gratified that you and your away team didn't suffer any permanent harm. You may have just uncovered a significant piece of intelligence that we've been missing since this whole situation began. It sounds as if your mission briefing was slightly lacking, though previously it likely wasn't deemed specifically relevant to your mission.

We have been aware of a possible connection between Keth 6's terrorist organization and the independent Romulan colony on Terix II. We know, at the very least, that Keth may have obtained some number of Terix-manufactured cloaking devices. Naturally, the ideas of Jem'Hadar warships with Romulan cloaking devices and of Terix supplying known terrorist organizations with advanced technology are both extremely worrying. The exact nature of the relationship between these two factions remains unknown, and up until now, our evidence has been thin, at best.

Given the Federation's tumultuous history with Terix, we need as much information as possible before we take any action with regards to this situation. Please see to it that this corpse you recovered is examined thoroughly, with special focus on identification. You may consider this authorization to call upon whatever fleet resources you require to achieve this goal, but I urge you to consider the potential volatility of interstellar politics when determining who has a need-to-know.

//SIGNED//
Rear Admiral Neema Perim
Executive Officer, 38th Fleet

Beylara-Ailes_ · March 22, 2017, 12:00am

Stardate 93222.8

TO RDML Perim
CC <DS13\Intelligence>
FROM CMDR Ailes
:: Level 2: Confidential ::
SUBJ RE: Possible Hidden Starbase

Admiral,

In regards to the corpse discovered, autopsy results have arrived and several more questions were raised during the course of it. The body has been identified as coming from the Terix II colony, however, a name or other specific identification has not yet been discovered.

The Jem'Hadar spear discovered with the corpse was the evident cause of death (unsurprisingly), and as noted in the attached autopsy report, the disruptor was discharge a single time.

Speculation as to what occurred to cause the colonist and the Jem'Hadar to be at odds is, as yet, premature. Further investigation of the station may reveal details that were not considered during the initial visit.

As an addendum to the report - a data stick with the label "To Visitors" was discovered. It is a holographic program. I had intended to scan it for any malicious software before use, but I believe that a small viewing of this holoprogram is advised, all things considered. Once the program is deemed safe for use, I will run the program to a small group--including yourself, should you so desire. Any others who should be present would be good to know, as well.

Be advised - the remains are currently in the possession of one Commander Thue. She performed the autopsy herself. The body was misidentified and I permitted her to take possession for proper handling. There are no excuses for a mistake like this and I take full responsibility.

//SIGNED//
Commander Beylara Ailes
Commanding Officer, U.S.S. William Ockham

//Attached//
Autopsy Report

kermit · March 24, 2017, 12:00am

Stardate: 93229.3

Investigate Possible Hidden Starbase

Report Submitted: RDML Perim, N.

Classification Level 2 - Confidential

After securing Holodeck B, Commander Ailes and I ran the program recovered from Keth's moon base. The program contains a simulation of Keth 6, apparently left behind for the purposes of providing information to whoever finds it. I will recommend for the record that this purpose should be considered highly suspect, and any information obtained from this program should be independently verified.

The program offered to provide each participant with the answer to a single question each, (in this case Commander Ailes and myself, but it appears to be repeatable with different participants) provided the participants submit to a series of 'morality tests'. As there was no indication that the program posed any danger given the functioning holodeck safety systems, we elected to play along.

We were presented with a number of hypothetical scenarios, each presenting a choice apparently designed to examine the ethics and values of the participants. Considering the source of the program, Commander Ailes and I attempted to adhere to a set of values that would most likely be considered 'favorable' by Keth. We were apparently at least moderately successful, though on at least two occasions, I believe we may have been unconvincing. As a result, while the program seemed willing to provide us with answers to our two questions, as I said before, the information provided should be treated cautiously.

When asked about the composition and disposition of forces loyal to Keth 6, the program stated that, firstly, the True Way is not directly affiliated with Keth 6, or vice versa, and that they are simply allies. More specifically, it stated that there were a total of five (5) cloak-equipped Jem'Hadar attack ships, with approximately 70 crewmembers each. Their location as of the program's last update was the moon base upon which the program was found. This information is consistent with period intelligence, though since the date of the program's last update, Starfleet has confirmed the destruction of one of those attack ships (along with the apparent death of Keth 6) by the USS Paladin. Since we have not seen any activity from Keth 6, with the possible exception of the 'Yorktown Keth' incident, if we are to assume that Keth 6 is truly dead, then the current status and affiliation of the remaining four (4) cloak-equipped Jem'Hadar attack ships remains unknown.

When further questioned about Keth 6's bases of operation, the program provided information about six (6) labs, as follows. I've added status annotations based on the current intelligence:

Despite the questionable source of this information, quite a bit of it lines up with what we already know. I recommend we begin investigating the remaining base locations and attempt to extract any additional information from the program that we can. Regarding the program, it was quite insistent that we would not be able to learn anything from it without playing its games, so I recommend we create a backup copy to use 'as intended' if engineering is unable to gain any information from an examination of the program itself.

//SIGNED//
Rear Admiral Neema Perim
Executive Officer, 38th Fleet