To: Fleet Captain Neema Perim
CC 38th Command, the captains all Cloak-Equipped ships in Argo
From: Commander K'Meiuu M'Rella
SUBJ: Pirate Activity
Captain Perim, fellow captains.
As you may or may not be aware, the USS Tavistock is one of five Defiant-class vessels unofficially known as Q-ships, designed from the outset for curtailing exactly this kind of activity. We are fitted with miniaturised quantum-slipstream drives and secondary transwarp coils lining the nacelles, as well as of course the ubiquitous cloak and overcharged engines*. Tavistock, like her sisters Plymouth, Liskeard, Launceston, and Penzance, was designed to transwarp or slipstream to a rendezvous point, join up with a convoy, then... lurk, relying on her small size and, if needed, her cloaking device to hide. To all observers, the convoy appers unescorted - a juicy target. If all goes to plan, the convoy arrives unmolested at its destination and we quantum slipstream or transwarp to our next rendezvous, and the process repeats.
If, on the other hand, the convoy is attacked, then we drop cloak and teach them the error of their ways. On more than one occasion, prior to being assigned to the 26th, the simple act of decloaking and charging shields was enough to convince attackers to turn and run - or, on one occasion surrender entirely (See file Linelo, Tayrisa...).
I believe it is time for us to get back to what we're good at, sirs, and convoy escort should help us take it easy on our systems once we're out of drydock. Kill two birds with one cartridge, so to speak; matching pace with a convoy while also attempting to keep our power emissions low enough to avoid detection should provide enough of a challenge to keep us from getting bored and opening the taps while the replacement parts bed in and go through their run-in periods.
My fellow captains. If you have been CCed into this message, it means you have a vessel capable of cloaking. I cannot see how having more than just the one Q-ship lurking with a convoy can do anything but increase security; the keystone of this idea is the cloaking device. Pirates will be much, much less likely to attack a convoy when there's a risk that there might be one - or several - hard-hitting escorts lurking unseen.
They will question the juiciest targets, always wondering whether we're there or not. How are they going to know whether that convoy has a cloaked friend lurking around, just waiting for them to fire the first shot? The pirate's primary weapon is fear. I will to take that weapon, and turn it against them. Put the fear of Starfleet into the buggers and give them what for!
Good hunting, gentlemen.
Commander K'Meiuu M'rella
Captain, USS Tavistock NCC-92314
38th Fleet 'Argo'
Starfleet
*Doubly so with the Q-ships
((The arrested pirate's file will be added when written))
| TO CMDR M'Rella CC VADM Rilem RE Pirate Activity - LEVEL 5 ENCRYPTION - |
Commander,
I support the idea of allowing a limited number of such covert escort missions, and have forwarded your message to Admiral Rilem.
Please keep in mind that there are many reasons people turn to piracy. These are not people to be "hunted" or needlessly killed. Use of force should be a last resort.
//SIGNED//
Fleet Captain Neema Perim
Commanding, Deep Space 13
2 Likes
To: Fleet Captain Neela Perim
CC 38th Command, the captains all Cloak-Equipped ships in Argo
From: Commander K'Meiuu M'Rella
SUBJ: Pirate Activity
Fleet Captain
I completely understand and agree. Yet they must also understand that picking on innocent traders - often barely making ends meet themselves - is not the way to do things in the modern age. This, I am glad, is not the era where pirates, no matter their reasons, are strung up outside a port. I would suggest standing orders for the covert pirate hunters have a multi-layered ROE in case of attack:
1) Shoot to scare them. Many pirates, especially those seeking just to survive, will rethink their actions after their shields take a big enough whallop, or there's a burst of quads off their nose.
2) If that fails, aim for the engines and weapons. Shoot to disable, not kill. Any pirate arrested may be someone whose life we can turn around or whose family we can help... or, in some cases, closure for a family or a colony.
3) Only in exceptional circumstances will rapid and deliberate destruction of a target -when your ship or the convoy is under immediate and serious threat (large fleet, larger pirate vessels, etc)- be an acceptable course of action.
Additionally... I believe myself unsuited to leading this effort. I... do not deal well when commanding squadrons. I am a ship captain - my crew is, from personal experience, the most I am capable of leading. I would, perhaps, make an acceptable second in command to such an effort, but an experienced group captain should co-ordinate our efforts.
Not to mention the fact that poor Tavistock is laid up in drydock... I suspect a variety of factors are involved in what happened - you no doubt saw us hauled back into drydock by the USS Churchill - chief among them us pushing too hard too soon after the retrofit.
Thank you for your time
Commander K'Meiuu M'rella
Captain, USS Tavistock NCC-92314
38th Fleet 'Argo'
Starfleet
CC 38th Command, the captains all Cloak-Equipped ships in Argo
From: Commander K'Meiuu M'Rella
SUBJ: Pirate Activity
Fleet Captain
I completely understand and agree. Yet they must also understand that picking on innocent traders - often barely making ends meet themselves - is not the way to do things in the modern age. This, I am glad, is not the era where pirates, no matter their reasons, are strung up outside a port. I would suggest standing orders for the covert pirate hunters have a multi-layered ROE in case of attack:
1) Shoot to scare them. Many pirates, especially those seeking just to survive, will rethink their actions after their shields take a big enough whallop, or there's a burst of quads off their nose.
2) If that fails, aim for the engines and weapons. Shoot to disable, not kill. Any pirate arrested may be someone whose life we can turn around or whose family we can help... or, in some cases, closure for a family or a colony.
3) Only in exceptional circumstances will rapid and deliberate destruction of a target -when your ship or the convoy is under immediate and serious threat (large fleet, larger pirate vessels, etc)- be an acceptable course of action.
Additionally... I believe myself unsuited to leading this effort. I... do not deal well when commanding squadrons. I am a ship captain - my crew is, from personal experience, the most I am capable of leading. I would, perhaps, make an acceptable second in command to such an effort, but an experienced group captain should co-ordinate our efforts.
Not to mention the fact that poor Tavistock is laid up in drydock... I suspect a variety of factors are involved in what happened - you no doubt saw us hauled back into drydock by the USS Churchill - chief among them us pushing too hard too soon after the retrofit.
Thank you for your time
Commander K'Meiuu M'rella
Captain, USS Tavistock NCC-92314
38th Fleet 'Argo'
Starfleet
To: Fleet Captain Neela Perim, Commander K'Meiuu M'Rella
CC 38th Command, the Captains of all Cloak-Equipped ships in Argo
From: Commander V'Assani M'Ryssa, CO USS Loki
SUBJ: Pirate Activity
Captain, Commander,
While the Loki is not a Q-type vessel, she is fully compatible with the mission guidelines, and should match the Tavistock in all sub-light flight operations.
As such, I request permission to assume command of the convoy security. The Loki has served on discrete escort roles for a majority of her peace time service.
Commander V'Assani M'Ryssa
Captain, USS Loki NCC 97343-A
38th Fleet ARGO
CC 38th Command, the Captains of all Cloak-Equipped ships in Argo
From: Commander V'Assani M'Ryssa, CO USS Loki
SUBJ: Pirate Activity
Captain, Commander,
While the Loki is not a Q-type vessel, she is fully compatible with the mission guidelines, and should match the Tavistock in all sub-light flight operations.
As such, I request permission to assume command of the convoy security. The Loki has served on discrete escort roles for a majority of her peace time service.
Commander V'Assani M'Ryssa
Captain, USS Loki NCC 97343-A
38th Fleet ARGO
To: Fleet Captain Neela Perim, Commander K'Meiuu M'Rella
CC 38th Command, the captains all Cloak-Equipped ships in Argo
From: Captain Steven DePoe, CO USS Leyte Gulf
SUBJ: Pirate Activity
Commander, and Captain
The Leyte Gulf is also not a Q-Type starship but the ship and the crew has had moderate experience both with escorting and protecting convoys, as well as raiding enemy convoys during the recent Klingon War, thus I would like to "throw our lot in" as it will with any future operations planned.
CC 38th Command, the captains all Cloak-Equipped ships in Argo
From: Captain Steven DePoe, CO USS Leyte Gulf
SUBJ: Pirate Activity
Commander, and Captain
The Leyte Gulf is also not a Q-Type starship but the ship and the crew has had moderate experience both with escorting and protecting convoys, as well as raiding enemy convoys during the recent Klingon War, thus I would like to "throw our lot in" as it will with any future operations planned.