38TH FLEET 
AFTER ACTION REPORT
| STARDATE | FILED BY | CLEARANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 96779.5 | LCDR Sideris | Level 3 - Restricted |
LOCATION
Isep Xedi Prime
MISSION
Our objective was to warn the Isep Xedi Educator Fairfax of an imminent coup planned by the Xedi ‘Internal Affairs’ division, and, if necessary, to mediate a truce between the rebels and the government so they could join forces and repel the attack.
OUTCOME
The coup has proceeded without organized resistance from either the legitimate government or the Isep Xedi rebels. Educators Fairfax and Doran of the Isep Xedi government and Colonel Nahr of Internal Affairs are now in custody aboard the D’Ishae.
KEY PERSONNEL
Starfleet Personnel
- CAPT G. Valencia
- LCDR N. Sideris
- LT T. zh’Kerro
- LT J. Ornalo (NPC)
Romulan Republic Personnel
- CMDR Davin
- LT Aev
NARRATIVE
We arrived in the Isep Xedi system without incident aboard the Yellowstone-class runabout USS Phoebe. The Xedi carrier Intelligentsia was in orbit around the homeworld, so I advised LT. Ornalo to keep at a distance from the carrier and made contact with Educator Fairfax. After securing permission from the Educator, I ordered LT. Ornalo to keep transporter lock on us and advise immediately of any interference and CAPT Valencia, Lt. zh’Kerro and I beamed down to the offices of Educator Fairfax in the capital city.
After explaining to Educator Fairfax that we were not there as an aggressive force, Fairfax explained he already knew about the incoming coup. In the midst of this explanation, only a few moments after our arrival, we received a communication from Lt. Ornalo that the Intelligentsia was deploying fighters. I ordered Lt. Ornalo to beam us back to the Phoebe, but received no response. We had no further communication with the Phoebe.
Simultaneously, the staff in Fairfax’s office advised that the coup had begun, timed to coincide with our arrival, and that hostile forces were now moving to take control of a number of government buildings, including our position.
CAPT Valencia evaluated the building and deemed it indefensible, even by the complement of available guards. LT. zh’Kerro performed scanning and analysis using her tricorder and local equipment and determined that all exoplanetary communications were being jammed - an effect not achievable by native Xedi technology.
Utilizing my PADD, I hooked into the local communications network and identified messages sent with the Xedi rebel encryption, including a message scheduling an armored evacuation for a high level sympathizer. Determining that we were in need of an evacuation, that Educator Fairfax was in mortal danger and that there would not be another opportunity to bring the rebels and the government together for mediation and a chance for their unified forces to repel the coup, I made the decision to rendezvous with this evacuation.
At our urging, Educator Fairfax dismissed his guards and staff (excepting his assistant) while CAPT Valencia arranged traps and sabotaged equipment to delay our pursuers. LT. zh’Kerro and I escorted Educator Fairfax and his assistant to the structure’s vehicle storage to acquire transport to the evacuation site. In the vehicle storage center, we encountered Educator Doran, who was convinced to join our evacuation.
CAPT Valencia rejoined us and we entered an armored hovercar and left the structure. Though the bulk of the usurping force had not arrived, two similarly equipped hostile vehicles were waiting outside and gave chase. CAPT Valencia was able to shake our pursuers and we neared the evacuation site.
At this point our vehicle was struck by (or struck) an explosive device and CAPT Valencia made an emergency landing. Despite the violent nature of our descent, no personnel were injured.
As we exited the damaged vehicle, we were accosted by Colonel Nahr of Internal Affairs, accompanied by two Jem’Hadar warriors. This group demanded that we give them custody of the Educators. We declined. CAPT Valencia took Colonel Nahr hostage and convinced her to order the Jem’Hadar to ground arms. The Jem’Hadar ignored the Colonel’s order and opened fire on us and our charges.
We exchanged fire to no significant effect until the unexpected arrival of the rebel armored transport. The rebels provided suppressing fire while CAPT Valencia, LT. zh’Kerro and I moved the civilians and Colonel Nahr into the transport. I do not know the final disposition of the two Jem’Hadar, but given the species’ reputation for survival and the quick departure of the rebel transport, it is likely they survived.
The transport delivered us to the home of Educator Harles, now known to be a high-ranking member of the Xedi rebel coalition. Like Educator Fairfax, Harles believed we were responsible for the coup and spoke of proof that had been uncovered in a ship they intercepted. Her guards were armed with Klingon weaponry and she seemed unaware of the Dominion involvement until our arrival.
At this point CAPT Valencia was able to bypass the jamming and made contact with the RRW D’Ishae, our contingency evacuation plan. As Educator Harles was already in the process of evacuating and declined to bring the rebel armament to bear on the Internal Affairs forces, and as Educator Fairfax was no longer in a position to command or coordinate a military response, I determined there was no more that could be accomplished at ground level.
Therefore, I ordered the D’Ishae to beam my team, the two Educators, the assistant and the Colonel aboard. Harles and her staff evacuated and placed explosive charges in her dwelling; we were transported to D’Ishae just before the charges were triggered.
All seven of us were successfully transported. CMDR Davin of the D’Ishae confirmed that the Phoebe had been destroyed by the Intelligentsia and the pilot, LT. Ornalo, perished in the attack. He also advised that the Intelligentsia had engaged the D’Ishae with polaron weapons, further implicating the Dominion involvement.
RECOMMENDATION
I recommend re-evaluation of all information obtained with new attention toward Dominion involvement. Someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to frame the Federation for the massacre on Poltofor II and the coup now taking place on Isep Xedi and we must determine who. I recommend further that Educators Fairfax and Doran be granted protective custody until matters are clarified regarding the current state of the Isep Xedi government, and that Colonel Nahr be held for questioning to determine how she acquired her Jem’Hadar escort.
RECOGNITION
All members of my team performed in exemplary fashion. In particular, CAPT Valencia’s quick and competent actions under fire were instrumental in ensuring the team’s survival.
I take full responsibility for the failure of this mission and its objectives, for the loss of the USS Phoebe and the death of LT. Ornalo.
This was not a failure of action, but a failure of intelligence. Our mission here was not only unnecessary (as all parties were already aware of the incipient coup) but actively hazardous to the Isep Xedi and to the reputation of the Federation. Taking custody of the Educators will taint any future leadership they could have offered their people with the miasma of Starfleet meddling, and our unknown enemy timing the coup to what I had hoped would be our quiet arrival will bring further suspicion on our motivations. I did not foresee this possibility at the outset, but that does not mean it was unforeseeable.
It is logistically impossible that I did not have access to the forewarnings of the coup to the rebels or the government, or the communications regarding coordinating the coup to our arrival between members of Internal Affairs; this means it was somehow overlooked - that I overlooked it - and this disaster was the result.
@Sam , @Davin, @Aev, @Lauren, @Moose, @Valore