101609.5
CAPT Sh'ow, H.
LOCATION Otha Sector
MISSION Conduct standard sector patrol of the Otha Sector.
OUTCOME Sector patrol was rather quiet, until picking up a distress call from the U.S.S. Kitten, the ship was assisted with minimal damage and loss of life.
KEY PERSONNEL
- CAPT Sh’ow, H
- CMDR Zenade, S
- CMDR Kas, C
- CMDR Sh’ow, S (Observation and Advisor Role)
- LCDR Nightingale, J
- Doctor, Sh’ow, R (Medical Support)
NARRATIVE It was mid-way through the otherwise quiet standard security sector patrols, which the Defender had been conducting since taking on passengers and the start of Commander Sh’ow’s maternity leave, as is often the case with our sector patrols the Defender was running with it’s sensor systems operating at the maximum range possible to ensure the risk of being caught off-guard is as low as possible.
It was an hour into the start of my shift, whilst I was in my ready room talking with Commander Sh’ow about up-coming plans, and reviewing reports, that Commander Zenade, who was on the bridge was informed of a distress call being picked up just on the edge of the Otha sector that was being transmitted by the U.S.S. Kitten (A heavily refitted Kitty Hawk Class), with the distress call stating the ship was outnumbered and under attack, after getting all the details she could, the Commander called me to the bridge to discuss our course of action.
Once Myself and Commander Sh’ow had been briefed, I raised my concern about taking the ship into combat with civilians on board, a practice with which Starfleet has had a bad history. It was at this moment that Commander Zenade suggested moving Kala Priso and Kala Ekko to the saucer section, which, if needed, could be split off from the main ship and piloted away from the field, with the option also being given to Civilian doctor Rria Sh’ow, who had previously offered to provide medical support to on-board staff, due to her knowledge with fur and skin repair, which would come in handy whilst treating any injured from the U.S.S. Kitten.
I then ordered the ship to be taken to red alert, and not only for the crew of the U.S.S. Leopard to be readied with Commander Zenade assuming command, but for the on-board fighter squadron, the Black Tails, to be ready to launch the moment we arrive at the location of the distress call. As we approached the location, we attempted to contact the U.S.S. Kitten, which failed due to the on-going battle, and once we dropped into the system we were able to identify the ships that had been attacking the U.S.S Kitten, the ships were confirmed to be two Caitian Shikaris Escorts, and one heavily modified Atrox class, which were both displaying markings of the PMC group Black Claw.
After an attempt to hail the Atrox failed, the Defender was ordered to attack and disable the Atrox Class, whilst the Leopard was tasked with disabling one of the Caitian Escorts and the Fighters of the Blacktails were tasked with engaging the remaining escort, whilst the fighters of the U.S.S. Kitten engaged the fighters of the Atrox class, which due to having one sealed up hanger had a lower than normal fighter compliment. Our arrival provided a brief reprieve to the U.S.S. Kitten, which had been disabled shortly after deploying its fighter complement. Teams from the Atrox Class had boarded the ship.
With the help of the Kitten’s fighters, the Defender, Leopard and our fighters, the Escorts and Atrox were quickly disabled, with Chief of Security Nightingale deploying a security team to both escorts to secure the personnel inside, with another team being deployed to the Atrox command deck, whilst I took, security team five over to the U.S.S. Kitten to assist with dealing with the boarders on-board the disabled Federation ship, this did result in some injuries to our teams, but nothing that would be classed as fatal, with Commander Kas monitoring the situtation from the bridge, and helping coordinating our medical, engineering and security support that was sent to the Kitten.
Shortly after securing the Kitten, I returned to the Defender, where I was informed the Captains of each of the Black Claw vessels had been captured and secured in the Defender’s brig, with Commander Kas having overseen the transfer of the three prisoners and the securing of other vessels. It was shortly after the Kitten was returned to working order that a CDF Carrier group that was, that had been on joint excerises with the 64th fleet and elements of the KDF’s 4th fleet, in the nearby teroka sector, arrived and helped with towing the Black Claw vessels into custody, with the U.S.S. Kitten providing a Federation escort on the group’s return to Cait to ensure that the officers that had been taken into CDF custordy were handled correctly.
After this, the Defender returned to DS-13 to transfer over the prisoners it had taken, with the C.D.S. Striker, which had asked for permission to remain on station with the Defender until our return to DS-13 local space, given this only strengthed operational security, I saw no reason to decline this request, as we departed the Otha sector and returned to DS-13 to turn over the prisoners we had in our brig, the C.D.S. Striker return to it’s carrier group without incident.
RECOMMENDATION I recommend a watchful eye be kept on possible Black Claw incursions into the 38th Fleet’s operational area, whilst I understand this group of ships, has been dealt with, and is currently viewed as a low risk due to lacking major numbers since previous operations against starfleet, I am still cautious that this group has a history of preying on vulnerable people, which given the state of Azedi peoples could lead to them attempt to expand operations into trouble parts of our operation area.
RECOGNITION The following recognitions come not from me but from both Commander Kas, who I will personal say did an excellent job in handling bridge operations during the boarding actions we undertook, but also from Commander Zenade, both who make mention of Doctor Sh’ow’s willingness to help despite not being a Starfleet officer and not assigned to the crew, but also make mention of Commander Sh’ow who operated in a observation and advisor role during this mission, providing what Commander Kas described as ‘Useful and insightful’ advise on how to best secure the captured officers, as well as provide useful insight on how best to priorities medical treatment of injuried U.S.S. Kitten crew in support on the ships own medical staff.
OOCJust a background AAR to explain what the Defender has been up to recently