AAR: The Eleventh Hour

Subspace Network Reports
1
Stardate:
100374.9
Filed By:
CAPT. Konieczko, D.
Clearance:

LOCATION In orbit of Rator III, Rator System

MISSION To transport a delegation to Rator III, the capital of the Romulan Star Empire, and provide support from orbit.

OUTCOME Transport of diplomatic staff a success. All personnel dispatched to Rator III surface accounted for. Three members of away team noted deceased.

KEY PERSONNEL

  • CAPT. Morton, C. U.S.S. Atlantis
  • CAPT. Nimitz, A. U.S.S. Pegasus
  • CAPT. Tungsten, D. U.S.S. Dragon
  • CAPT. S’Vesta, J. U.S.S. Ranger
  • CAPT. Konieczko, D. U.S.S. Sentinel
  • CAPT. Kermit, J. U.S.S. Reyga
  • CMDR. Tyrstoc U.S.S. Heimdall
  • Federation Ambassador Neema Perim

NARRATIVE A task force of consisting of seven 38th Fleet vessels; The U.S.S. Atlantis, U.S.S. Pegasus, U.S.S. Dragon, U.S.S. Ranger, U.S.S. Sentinel, U.S.S. Reyga, and U.S.S. Heimdall was assembled under the command of 38th Fleet Adjutant Captain Coby Morton.

The tasking of this task force was to provide transport and support to Federation Ambassador Neema Perim and her diplomatic staff for a planned speech at the Imperial Star Empire Senate in an attempt to prevent open conflict between the Federation, Empire and the Republic.

Upon our arrival to the Rator system we were able to pick up ambient patrols, not unexpected given the significance of the system to the Star Empire. Task force maneuvered to an orbit of Rator III where Ambassador Perim, along with her diplomatic staff as well as a security away team were beamed down to the Rator III surface from the U.S.S. Reyga and the U.S.S. Heimdall.

Shortly after this assorted scans by the various task force vessels began picking up cloaked Romulan Star Empire vessels. Several of which were on a collision course with task force vessels. Captain Morton opened up a general hail wherein he reminded R.S.E. vessels that Starfleet vessels were not to be rammed as this would be seen as an act of hostility.

The U.S.S. Sentinel at this point maneuvered out of task force formation in a bid to allow increased room for evasive maneuvers and to perform non-invasive sensory scans of Star Empire assets notably oriented around the RSE star base. Scans performed by the U.S.S Sentinel showed tens of thousands of would be invaders aboard the RSE starbase. There was a significant massing of personal weaponry aboard the station to the point that it was picked up by shipboard sensors… It seems the RSE intends on using standard freighters converted into troop transports. Additional ground vehicles had been attached to the underside of these freighters by runabouts.

An R.S.E. vessel decloaked and provided a map of maneuvers to remaining task force vessels in formation to avoid ‘on going training maneuvers’ that the Empire was performing. Still there had been several more near collisions in this time and at least one starfleet vessel had an unidentified cloaked object attached to hull plating prompting removal by a worker bee.

Toward the end of Ambassador Perim’s speech on the surface one of the commbadges of the away team broadcast only static. Attempts to hail the security detachment fell on deaf ears. Scans were focused on the site of beam in and on the location of the commbadge to which we received significant interference. Ambassador Perim unaware to this matter was still speaking, broadcast live by the RSE on their nearby signals.

Captain Morton hailed the Empire’s security force for an explanation, of which he received that the away team was guilty of espionage, though no evidence was submitted before the communication went silent. The commbadges among the security team were moved to a separate location.

Fishing for further information and to prepare for any emergency action required to remove the Ambassador Perim, the U.S.S. Sentinel maneuvered closer to the RSE Starbase in orbit. The Sentinel remained outside of their traffic lanes and deployed a probe in an attempt to detect nearby cloaked vessels. The Starbase immediately destroyed this probe. Task Force vessels in reaction went to red alert. With immediate promptness, Captain Konieczko informed the task force to stand down from red alert. The discharge of the weapon was a non-issue. Captain Konieczko then opened a dialogue with the starbase on an open channel in an attempt to open a dialogue concerning “espionage”. This was short lived.

At this point Ambassador Perim was done with her speech and Captain Morton informed her of the developing situation on the ground. The Ambassador very graciously agreed to delay as she could on the ground that the Task Force could formulate a plan for the extraction of her, the diplomatic team and the security detachment.

Through further scans it was believed that the Heimdall could lock onto each member of the diplomatic and away teams to beam them back aboard and jump to warp. The U.S.S. Sentinel re-positioned with the task force, performed one more scan of the immediate area surrounding the vessels in pursuit of any vessels laying in wait. Upon not finding any cloaked RSE vessels the Heimdall beamed personnel back aboard. We discovered at this point one casualty from the U.S.S. Reyga and two from the U.S.S. Heimdall.

Half of the task force immediately jumped to warp upon receipt of sucessful transport while the U.S.S. Dragon, U.S.S. Sentinel, and the U.S.S. Atlantis remained behind momentarily. After a few short moments the remaining also jumped to warp bound to return for Deep Space 13.

RECOMMENDATION Command needs to consider the unprovoked loss of life of Starfleet Personnel with fabricated claims of espionage. More over the members of the security team were performing duties in association with a noted Federation Envoy.

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2
Stardate:
100374.9
Filed By:
CAPT Tungsten, D.
Clearance:

ADDENDUM Captain Konieczko’s report contains by far the most important points of the mission, but I thought it advisable to add some details and my impressions as a participant that may be of value to further analysis of both the tactics and attitude and bias of the Romulan Star Empire.

Mainly, I want to point out that as soon as the Ambassador’s party had beamed down to Rator III, our task force was being harassed by Romulan Star Empire ships in orbit. One cloaked vessel nearly collided with USS Pegasus, dropping cloak for a brief second to make sure we knew it, at which point USS Pegasus did move to maintain a minimum 50 meters separation.

Shortly after, we aboard USS Dragon did detect a slight variation in our shields, prompting further examination. We were initially unable to detect what caused this, even with assistance from USS Ranger and USS Dragon’s DOT units. We eventually confirmed the location of the device, but not its function. The decision was made to jettison the 2x2 meter armor panel into deep space, away from Rator III and any known Romulan ships, and a brief public data message was broadcast with coordinates and trajectory to ensure safe navigation of all parties. Maintenance began immediately with tethered crew and workbee to replace with a spare armor panel, so as not to meet the fate of the fictional dragon Smaug, in clearly unfriendly territory. After the panel was jettisoned, it was possible to identify the object as a scientific probe. Possibly with intent of espionage, but uncertain.

Another unsafe pass from a (mostly) cloaked Romulan vessel occurred near USS Atlantis and USS Sentinel, at which point Captain Morton aboard USS Atlantis hailed the Romulans, and was informed that we were somehow in the way of one of their training exercizes. They directed us to use the following flight path that would keep us clear of their ships:

Our task force of course complied with following this flight pattern, however absurd it may be. It would almost be humorous if not for firing a probe at the hull of one of our ships, and the dangerous and unsafe flying of the Romulan Star Empire ships around us. The Romulan starbase firing at USS Sentinel’s probe , we also really can’t take exception to, as was made clear in the moment by Captain Konieczko.

Taking all the rest of it together though, my personal opinion is that the Romulan Star Empire was on a hostile footing with us before we even arrived, though I invite our analysts to draw their own conclusions, whether they support or refute mine. That our diplomatic security detail was accused with no evidence of espionage, and three of them also murdered, would seem to support it, though. It is also my personal opinion that the lack of pursuit from Romulan Star Empire ships as we left the system, and lack of weapons fire or even communication while there, points to a pre-meditated plan on the part of someone within the Romulan Star Empire, though one can only guess with the information currently available if this was a rogue element or actor, or done with the full assent of the government. The latter is definitely within the realm of possibility though, especially based on the behavior of the Romulan ships.

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3
Stardate:
100385.0
Filed By:
CMDR Tyrstoc
Clearance:

ADDENDUM As a commanding officer present and active in the task force operation, I submit a few minor factual corrections and my perspective account to the above records. While Captain Koniezcko’s initial report and Captain Tungsten’s addendum accurately reflect most operational elements to my knowledge, and I broadly agree with their suggestions, I feel it necessary to add further.

First, for the record, it was the U.S.S. Heimdall—not the U.S.S. Sentinel—that was nearly struck alongside the U.S.S. Atlantis immediately preceding Captain Morton’s hail to RSE command. According to Heimdall sensor logs, gravitational forces from a massive warbird coming up against our shields forced the Heimdall out of position. This, as aptly noted, was one of several flagrant attempts made to incite an incident in orbit.

Second, immediately following this near-collision incident and—to my knowledge—during CAPT Morton’s active attempt to negotiate with the RSE over said hostile maneuvers and the presumed capture of the landing party, is when CAPT Koniezcko’s probe was fired. Task Force was not consulted on this action, despite the delicate nature of the situation and Heimdall and Reyga’s personnel at risk. This, notably, after having encroached significantly towards the RSE station in a dreadnought vessel—also with no command from Flag nor coordination with Task Force of which I was aware.

Immediately following, after CAPT Morton’s channel of contact was abruptly ended, CAPT Koniezcko broadcast on an open channel that, quote “My finger slipped.”

RECOMMENDATION It is my opinion that, in light of knowing the RSE’s intentions to be hostile and that their desire was to provoke war, CAPT Koniezcko’s actions were rash and endangered not only the mission objective of de-escalation, but strategically played to the objectives of the Romulans, and directly imperiled the lives of Starfleet personnel known to be at the mercy of the RSE at the time. In short, we gave the Romulans exactly what they wanted through a failing of discipline and departure from procedure.

Furthermore, this probe was fired at a time Heimdall had been ordered to stand down narrow-beam scans to re-establish contact with the away-party—for the given reason they would prove provocative. Said narrow-beam scans were eventually what succeeded in ascertaining the location of the missing officers and facilitating the penetration of jamming countermeasures and subsequent emergency beamout of all Starfleet personnel. This included Ambassador Perim, which was done on my judgement that their lives were in imminent danger given the actions of the RSE. In summary, I believe this failure of coordination also likely directly contributed to the deaths of my officers. Consider this my formal complaint on the matter.

Of final note, it is my opinion that Captain Coby Morton displayed admirable initiative and generally sound strategy (with the exception of covering Koniezcko’s reckless unilateral maneuver) as essentially acting Flag Captain on the operation. I believe his instinct to pivot to direct negotiations with the RSE during the collision and hostage crisis could, if it had been better supported, have saved lives and perhaps even defused tensions. His coordination of evacuation and fallback actions certainly did.

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