AAR: Clouded Judgement

Subspace Network Reports
1
Stardate:
99464
Filed By:
CDR Nathes
Clearance:

LOCATION Betreka Nebula

MISSION Elimination and/or forced surrender of hostile rogue Cardassian elements within the Betreka Nebula.

OUTCOME Operational failure. Allied ships-of-the-wing failed to achieve a significant breakthrough against hostile forces.

KEY PERSONNEL

  • CAPT Draz, Sanara
  • CAPT F’rbio
  • CAPT Tungsten, Drake
  • CDR Nathes
  • GUL Rejal, Nalima
  • LCDR Zital, Serris
  • Ambassador T’Vel
  • ENS Ban, Writ

NARRATIVE A rogue Cardassian element, using the recent parallel universe incursion as pretext, has been conducting a number of attacks on vessels within the area. In an attempt to put a stop to these attacks, personnel and their respective ships were tasked with either: Convincing their leadership to surrender or eliminate the fighting capability of this hostile element.

Despite level, reasonable diplomatic overtures from Ambassador T’vel, this rogue force was unwilling to dislodge themselves. As such, an engagement commenced. The hostile force proved to be exceptionally difficult to dislodge, due mostly to the composition of the nebula. Further, the hostile force held back the bulk of their forces until the very end.

All ships of the wing displayed competence in the field, but the inability to coordinate and press advantages met that the hostile force’s superior numbers were going to seize the day. Ships of the wing were, as the bulk of the hostile force emerged from the nebula, forced to withdrawal.

RECOMMENDATION The RRF has faced numerically superior forces before. The only way success was achieved was through careful, well-coordinated, and unified focus. This officer would therefore recommend an intensive operational briefings. This briefing would afford each party a chance to provide their perspective. As well, this briefing would allow allied forces to formulate a well executed, carefully orchestrated battle-plan to dislodge the enemy.

This officer would stress, too, that no singular officer was the linchpin of failure. Rather, it was the allied forces’ failure to coordinate as a cohesive unit which allowed the enemy to utilize its advantages effectively. With coordination and an effective strategy, this officer believes successful elimination of the hostile force is possible. It should be noted, however, that the enemy will now be expecting another assault.
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RECOGNITION This officer would stress that all officers performed their roles satisfactorially. The fact our withdrawl involved minimal losses should be highlighted and praised. Especial praise should be afforded to Ambassador T’Vel and LCDR Zital for attempting a diplomatic resolution. Effective as it was, the enemy was not interested in diplomacy.

OOC Excellent event, Serris. Lots of moving pieces and lots of people. I had a great time. I am looking forward to when you host the next session, provided I can participate!
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2
Stardate:
99464
Filed By:
CAPT Tungsten, D.
Clearance:

LOCATION Betreka Nebula

MISSION Elimination and/or forced surrender of hostile rogue Cardassian elements within the Betreka Nebula.

OUTCOME Mission Failure.

KEY PERSONNEL

  • CAPT Draz, Sanara
  • CAPT F’rbio
  • CAPT Tungsten, Drake
  • CDR Nathes
  • GUL Rejal, Nalima
  • LCDR Zital, Serris
  • Ambassador T’Vel
  • ENS Ban, Writ

NARRATIVE I trust Commander Nathes’ report has been made available to everyone here, and I do not dispute the facts of it. But, a mission failure involving Starfleet personnel probably deserves to have a report filed on Starfleet letterhead as it were, also.

As noted, diplomatic attempts were made, but failed, as the rogue Cardassian ships initiated hostilities.

The plan in case of hostilities was to have our smaller ships form the main group, as they could both dodge, and due to variable warp nacelles, better resist the detrimental effects of the enhanced Cardassian weapons upon their warp cores. USS Dragon, USS Morgenstern, and CUV Seskal took position in an asteroid field near the base, and also an ion storm, matching shield frequency to the storm to hide. This also meant minimal radio chatter, as ordered, to avoid our detection and becoming very easy targets for the Cardassian force. RRW Virin was taking the opposite position under cloak, also requiring minimal communications to stay hidden.

Per the briefing, it was stated that the Cardassian ships would need to cease fire after enough shots, to avoid damaging their own warp cores in a similar fashion, which would be the time for us to bring our larger ships out, where they could overwhelm without becoming easy prey themselves.

Unfortunately, it proved that this cooldown condition due to their boronite-enhanced weapons proved to be true, but not nearly so rapid as we had hoped. The first ships displaying this condition only did so after we had to call a retreat, which did not provide the opening we needed to attack properly, without having our ships disabled.

Still, the group of small ships led by USS Mariner (Including USS Saraswati, Prometheus, Vinning, and the normally embarked escort craft of USS Dragon and USS Morgenstern, the USS Shenlong and USS Julian, respectively), did manage to put up an impressive fight, disabling or destroying several enemy ships with no serious damage, let alone loss of ships to our own forces.

USS Saraswati and Mariner did attempt to deploy one of the boronite-mined astroids against the enemy force, but it was not enough to break them, despite being somewhat successful. At about this time, this officer called for a fighting retreat, having been alerted by USS Saraswati and RRW Virin of at least 14 more enemy ships incoming, and USS Dragon and USS Morgenstern then laid down withering cover fire with phaser and torpedo fire, plus fighter squadrons, as well as utilizing some of the nearby asteroids via tractor beam to both offensive, and minor defensive, effect, as the other ships contributed with aft weapons on their way out.

This was actually effective in causing the enemy forces to withdraw as we did, but it is this officer’s opinion, seemingly shared by the other captains involved, that the enemy still had the advantage in numbers, cloaking technology in the already somewhat disruptive (to sensors) nebula, as well as the aforementioned boronite-mine enhanced asteroids, and their weapons that would easily disable the ships they could hit in a toe-to-toe fight. The decision was made to take the small victory of a slight diminishing of their forces, and regroup to plan another attack in the future.

The mission objective was not completed, but enemy forces were degraded some, and ours were not.

RECOMMENDATION While any mission failure is unfortunate, we have lessened their forces some, and gained more knowledge about the very entrenched position they hold in the nebula. This officer recommends devising a new strategy to harden our ships against the boronite-enhanced disruptors, and possibly bringing a larger force. We had a plan, and it was a good plan, but things did not unfold according to the points our plan was relying on. But we have an opportunity to try again.
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RECOGNITION All officers involved performed well, and out-fought an entrenched, defending enemy with several advantages over our own ships. All of our ships came home with only light damage on some. The enemy cannot say the same.

OOC Thank you for the event, Serris! Looking forward to the next chapter(s)!
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3
Stardate:
99465.3
Filed By:
GUL Rejal, Nalima
Clearance:

High Command,

The recent joint Cardo-Federation operation to neutralise House Arterius forces in the Betreka Nebula was a catastrophic failure.

Our plan, based on Starfleet’s own intelligence, was sound. The rogue ships’ weapons were augmented with boronite, which would theoretically, after concentrated fire, inflict upon their targets subspace distortions of sufficient magnitude to ultimately force a warp core shutdown to avert devastating damage. This precluded most warships from a reasonable chance of victory in a direct confrontation against such-armed ships.

Vessels with variable-geometry warp engines or multiple warp cores, however, were deemed by Starfleet to be not only resistant to these effects, but able in turn to inflict upon their attackers a tetryon particle build-up sufficient to necessitate a switch to back-up power, During this time, they would be vulnerable to counter-attack.

The plan was to send in ships exclusively equipped with either variable-geometry nacelles or redundant warp cores as bait, while the remainder of the joint fleet hid among the various natural barriers within the Betreka Nebula. This ‘bait’ force would absorb sufficient fire to force House Arterius’ forces to switch to back-ups for a flush; during this time, the ‘bait’ would target their ships’ secondary control systems, and the remainder of the fleet would emerge from all sides and annihilate the rogue elements in one fell swoop.

However, when we began to put this plan into motion, Starfleet vessels deviated from it and chose instead to negotiate with House Arterius forces, for a prolonged period of time, rather than press the advantage of surprise upon which the plan hinged. This alerted House Arterius’ forces to the presence of a large enemy fleet, and gave them sufficient time to call in several waves of reinforcements. Seskal held position for longer than I’d have liked, but in the end, it became a numbers game, and we were forced to enter the fray to draw fire.

The fact that no vessels were lost in the ensuing chaos is miraculous. The only positive of this debacle is that we learned that the boronite-enhanced weapons may not be as destructive as Starfleet initially believed, at least when used on spiral-wave disruptor technology. While on review Seskal’s logs did indeed record a build-up of subspace micro-anomalies, they were not at risk of overloading the warp core. The boronite-mined asteroids remain a demonstrable concern, of course.

I appreciate, and even admire, the Federation’s inherent desire to solve conflicts with words before they begin, but this particular conflict began - by Starfleet’s own admission during the earlier briefing - weeks ago, with the near-destruction of several of their own warships, and they still do not seem to fully appreciate the risk posed by House Arterius, nor their dogmatic dedication to their fanatical goals.

//SIGNED//
Gul Rejal,
CUV Seskal

RECOMMENDATIONCUV Seskal to remain on detached duty, so that we might work to disabuse 38th Argo Fleet of the notion that House Arterius’ forces can in any way be reasoned with. I would hope that recent events have already done so.

RECOGNITION I… appreciated Starfleet’s effort to hurl a mined asteroid at the enemy once battle had begun. An ingenious idea, had it worked.

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