TO: 38th Fleet Command, Deep Space Thirteen
FROM: Captain Steven DePoe, Commander USS Leyte Gulf, and CO First Squadron, 38th Fleet
RE: After Action Report, Stardate 490947.7 Blockade of the Artalerih System and Subsequent Landing Party
On the Stardate stated above, a task force under my command departed Deep Space Thirteen for the Independent Colony of Artalerih. The task force consisted of the starships USS Leyte Gulf, USS Nostromo, RRW Anarhai, and the Ernasot.
After an uneventful journey, the task force arrived just outside the system, and upon the suggestion of the USS Nostromo, it deployed a Tachyon Detection Grid as it took up formation. Scans of the system at large detected no contact belonging to the fleet of D'Kera Mandukar, only several system defense ships and other craft. While some of us postulated that the hostile fleet may have just cloaked when it detected our arrival, Subcommander Aurelia of the RRW Anarhai speculated that everything wasn't as it seemed to be.
Shortly after arrival a convoy of freighters was detected. Despite exhausting all efforts to detect any sort of contraband, the frighters came up clean, and not matching any of Mandukar's IFFs we were forced to allow them to pass.
It was after this that Subcommander Aurelia came to a sudden realization, that Mandukar and her group had packed up and left being the reason we did not detect her fleet in orbit. She also indicated that there was a very good chance that one of the devices may have been left behind on the planet as a means to cover heir tracks. With this realization, I had a message sent to the colony explaining the situation,ad without waiting for a response I had the Task Force move into orbit, where we were not challenged by the defenses. Once we arrived, I had away teams sent to the surface where a protomatter signature had been detected.
Upon arriving at the source of the signature- which appeared to be the main research laboratory of the University on he surface- we discovered that it was indeed abandoned. Everything was neat and orderly, indicating that they had not rushed to escape, but rather had packed up calmly before leaving. The Protomater signature was traced to a rather small- and standard, if such a term could be used for protomater devices- protomater device was discovered. It was quickly determined to be of no major threat to the colony. I had a sample of the protomatter taken back for analysis before notifying the Colonial Authorities of the device's existence. They have assured me it will be disposed of properly.
With the lab abandoned, almost all the logs destroyed, and no sign of a Genesis Device on the surface- active or otherwise- no threat was determined to be to the colony so no evacuation was called for. I had made the decision to hold off on such an order until we determined if there was indeed a device left behind to "cover Mandurkar's tracks" as it were in order to prevent unnecessary panic. Thankfully in this case the risk paid off. With no further threat to the colony or evidence of Mandukar's presence, i had the Task Force return to Deep Space Thirteen.
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