101525.8
CMDR Dellir, Riasull
LOCATION Uncharted Planetary Debris system, Azedi/Federation Border, Beta Quadrant
MISSION Trace location of rogue pulsar
OUTCOME Patrol and scanning interrupted by ambush by Romulan operative previously encountered during FoN Exercise at Romulan Border
KEY PERSONNEL
- CAPT Vel, Lunya
- CMDR Dellir, Riasull
- CMDR zh’Vhenda, Kora
- CMDR Flynn, Matthew
- Lt Drush, Lalaa
NARRATIVE Hornet dropped out of warp alongside the USS Roosevelt in an uncharted planetary debris system on stardate 101525.8. Our mission was to locate the origin of a rogue pulsar that had previously disabled the ship. Upon leaving warp, I launched with the first CAP flight alongside two other pilots and the AWACS bird. Thrasher and Gato were delayed in launching by mechanical issues. Once the CAP had taken up position above the carrier, we began using the twelve hours we had planned for some launch and recovery training for the newer pilots on the ship. However, not one hour into the scanning, as Thrasher was finally leaving the hangar, the frigate was hit by a photon torpedo launched from a cloaked mine. I’m told Lt Drush’s quick thinking in using the tractor beams to stabilise the frigate are what saved it from further damage. No sooner had Thrasher been hit, was Hornet brought to red alert, and a QRF scrambled from the hangars, calling an end to the training. Guard 1, the AWACS bird that was up at the time immediately began a burn-through sensor sweep in order to locate the threat, however this failed. Simultaneously, Ghost 1, the CAP’s attached E-War bird, began a blanket jam of any non-Federation signals in the area.
At this point, just as Hornet had barely gotten her shields up, was she hit by another torpedo. Not long after, Roosevelt was also fired at by a torpedo, but this was intercepted by the Hornet’s CIWS system. By this time, the fighter QRF had launched and was fanning out. I moved my flight in to cover the Thrasher, who was reporting a KIA and moderate damage, with one impulse engine being knocked out. Once again, Thrasher was targeted by a pair of torpedoes, with one being intercepted by myself, and the other by the Hornet’s anti-torpedo micro-torpedoes.
Having dealt with the initial attack, our attacker revealed themselves to be the Romulan commander we had encountered during our Freedom of Navigation exercise on the Romulan border. They were commanding an old Klingon K’t’inga class battlecruiser which promptly decloaked itself firing a volley of torpedoes - two at the Hornet, one at the Thrasher, and one at myself. I dived away from the torpedo fired my way, while my wingman fired one of their torpedoes at it. Unfortunately, their torpedo missed, and my wingman was vapourised. Hornet evaded the torpedo fired at her, while intercepting the one fired at Thrasher with CIWS fire.
As this was happening, my fighters were forming up to begin an attack run… or rather join the attack that Roosevelt had already initiated. Meanwhile the Thrasher was returned to its hangar bay and the K’t’inga launched another volley of torpedoes, this time all directed at Hornet. I dispatched two Valkyries to intercept them, which they did… to an extent. They caught one torpedo, Hornet’s CIWS caught a second, but the remaining two slammed into the Hornet’s bridge, causing major damage. The attack caused Captain Vel and Lt Drush to be knocked unconscious, along with eight other personnel. 15 were reported KIA. As such, with CMDR Haedlee off the ship, and myself in a fighter, command fell to CMDR zh’Vhenda. After turning the ship to pull the bridge out of the line of fire, CMDR zh’Vhenda ordered a full spread of quantum torpedo fire at the battlecruiser. This, in combination with the Roosevelt and my fighter wing’s attacks finished the battlecruiser off.
Having finished the hostiles off, I had my wing on constant patrol for the next hour, during which time Hornet continued her original mission, before rotating the squadron back on to the carrier.
RECOMMENDATION This officer recommends that Command and SFI keep a better track of non-Federation vessels operating within the UFP’s borders and relay that information to the relevant ships.
RECOGNITION All pilots performed admirably during this engagement. I can’t speak for much about the crew of the Hornet during the engagement, as I was in a fighter at the time, but I do want to recognise CMDR zh’Vhenda’s speed at which she assumed command and got the Hornet’s bridge out of the line of fire. She worked with the safety of the bridge crew in mind, despite not knowing their status.
OOC The original event! Thank you @LunyaVel for hosting! I have deliberately left bits out of the AAR, that ICly I would not know, for yourself, @Erollyn and @Rogue to write addendums if you all so wish. Enjoy!