AAR: Don't Call Us, We'll Call You

Subspace Network Reports
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1
Stardate:
100958.8
Filed By:
CAPT Vel, L
Clearance:

LOCATION Border of Confederacy and Independent Space

MISSION Follow up discussions with Federation and Confederacy (Viggo)

OUTCOME Talks Unsuccessful

KEY PERSONNEL

  • Captain Lunya Vel
  • Captain Ayesha Mirazuni
  • Commander Riasull Dellir
  • Ensign Dimitry Valstead (NPC)

NARRATIVE On above listed Stardate, USS Forrestal was contacted again by Chancellor Eraton, in efforts to resume discussions in regards to the requested Wormhole Technology, in exchange for a Cultural Exchange program.

Under orders from Rear Admiral Bishop, Captain Vel advised Chancellor Eraton that the technology would be given to the Viggo, but due to security concerns, the files were on the way via shuttle due to needing a flag officer to access. This was in fact a deception, as the requested files were onboard USS Forrestal in a secure location. Admiral Bishop was advised of this, prior to the above orders being given.

Chancellor Eraton requested the location of the inbound shuttle, to which Captain Vel stated that due to operational security, that information could not be given. The channel was cut at this time by Captain Vel in an effort to force the Chancellor back to negotiations in an attempt to buy time. This was unsuccessful.

Captain Vel was advised by Captain Mirazuni that the wormhole technology did in fact not belong to the Viggo,. and should perhaps be returned to the proper originators. No final decision was made on this matter at this time. The schematics were brought to Captain Vel via security team for safe keeping.

A Confederacy destroyer remained, to which a counter offer of neutronium and a reduced length of the Cultural Exchange program was offered, in addition to the schematics. By this time, the Chancellor had proceeded to depart, and this offer was relayed via the destroyer. No response at this time.

USS Forrestal will once more remain on station, as diplomatic efforts, no matter how strained, will continue until ordered otherwise.

RECOMMENDATION It is this Captain’s recommendation that diplomatic efforts with the Viggo at this point are a wasted effort, and that efforts should be focused on the other Azedi factions.
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RECOGNITION Recognition to Captain Mirazuni for finally disclosing vital information in regards to ownership of the wormhole technology. Recognition to Commander Dellir for continued competency with CAG duties. Recognition to the on-duty bridge operations officer (Ensign Valstead) for rapid relaying of requested messages to the Viggo.

OOC And still, nobody was shot
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2
Stardate:
100960.9
Filed By:
CAPT Mirazuni, A.
Clearance:

ADDENDUM

The collapse of these negotiations lies squarely at the feet of Captain Vel, whose lack of preparation, poor judgement, and misguided need to project authority turned a delicate diplomatic opportunity into a debacle. I arrived on the Forrestal intending to collaborate and brief her on well-documented intelligence regarding the Confederacy. Instead, I found her already mid-conversation with Grand Chancellor Eraton—a move that would have been commendable had she deigned to notify her supporting ship in the area; logs from the Endeavour confirm that no such attempt was made. This oversight is especially troubling for a carrier captain, where coordination with escorts is a fundamental expectation. Ignoring such a basic tenet of command in a moment requiring precision reflects poorly on her preparation and judgement. One might assume that collaborative diplomacy was beneath her consideration.

The talks began on steady footing but quickly unravelled under Captain Vel’s combative tone and thinly veiled contempt. Rather than addressing the Chancellor’s concerns with the tact expected of a Starfleet captain, she opted for an ill-judged display of authority, culminating in an inexplicable decision to terminate the transmission mid-conversation. Whether this was intended as a show of strength or a theatrical flourish, it achieved nothing beyond further straining already fragile relations.

Afterwards, Captain Vel confided that she was “stalling for time” under orders—an objective she technically accomplished, though her methods bore the hallmarks of improvisation over planning. When I advised her of a critical piece of intelligence—that the wormhole schematics in question had originally been stolen from the Itrin Hierarchy and not Viggo—she failed to see its relevance, claiming that it conflicted with orders. This was particularly concerning, as the historical fact could have been used to dismantle the Chancellor’s claims of heritage and birthright, a narrative he has repeatedly attempted to leverage in previous negotiations. That such a tenable link was overlooked speaks to her troubling lack of foresight and preparation.

Captain Vel, in all her wisdom, thought this conflicted with orders; again, this information was publically available to those who chose to do their research.

The situation worsened as the Confederate delegation prepared to leave. I suggested issuing a carefully revised message to reduce our offer and salvage the negotiations. Captain Vel, however, delegated this task to her operations officer without oversight. The resulting transmission was an unvetted, sycophantic disaster, only discovered when I requested to hear what had been sent. Rather than addressing this glaring failure of command, Captain Vel inexplicably praised the Ensign’s “rapid relaying” of the message in her own report.

This was compounded by Captain Vel’s hasty and unstructured counteroffer, delivered with the desperation of a captain scrambling to regain control. The proposal, unauthorised and strategically hollow, only served to further undermine the Federation’s position. That Grand Chancellor Eraton cited “dishonest conduct” in his rejection was both unsurprising and entirely self-inflicted.

Captain Vel’s conduct during these negotiations displayed a lack of preparation, poor situational awareness, and a worrying absence of strategic foresight. Her failure to exercise basic oversight, dismissing critical intelligence, and reliance on theatrics over measured diplomacy reflect poorly on her command abilities. If future engagements are to avoid similar outcomes, they must be entrusted to those with the discipline to prepare, the judgement to adapt, and the restraint to lead with competence rather than bravado.

I stated during the exchange, “We’ve only served to undermine our own position and left us in a worse place than before.” This remains an accurate assessment of CAPT Vel’s handling of these negotiations.

RECOMMENDATION My recommendation remains the same as my previous report; foster better relations with the Kacam, Citali, and Ralin. Any potential progress with the Confederacy has been irreparably squandered by these reckless and short-sighted actions.

RECOGNITION None.

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