Well seriously, we just know that the entire existence of Straak and that crazy Amarki zoologist have been building up to this very moment, when they team up and, with a single phaser burst, manage to scratch that spot right at the scruff of the Crystalline Entity's neck, convincing it that the Federation is its mommy.
The plan doesn't actually involve giving specific instructions to member worlds, it's all "concentrate your forces here," and "watch out for this" and "reinforcements are on the way." Basically, it's designed to go with High Alert, not a State of Emergency.
It wouldn't take me much effort to amend it for a state of emergency, but that's not what I have at the moment. And HOPEFULLY we can at least get the Starfleet mobilization part of the plan underway this first week of the crisis, rather than having to wait several weeks and give the Cardassians time to get ready to jump us...
Well seriously, we just know that the entire existence of Straak and that crazy Amarki zoologist have been building up to this very moment, when they team up and, with a single phaser burst, manage to scratch that spot right at the scruff of the Crystalline Entity's neck, convincing it that the Federation is its mommy.
Granted, going by its canonical appearances alone the crystalline entity doesn't necessarily require any special approaches to deal with. The Enterprise crew were confident they could destroy it with conventional weapons, and it had trouble penetrating the shields of anything tougher than a freighter. Crystalline Entity Warbeast is a funny visual, but unless we go with the batshit STO version it wouldn't be very useful.
Of course, adopting it is still obviously a better solution than killing it.
By the by, I'm very, VERY sure this plan CAN be improved on. I'm hoping for suggestions, which is why I placed some known issues at the bottom.
Also, since there will probably be other drafts of this plan later, does anyone have any suggestions for how to organize the text better? Should the sections be in different order, anything like that?
[EDIT: The post above formerly contained a mobilization plan. As of 6:30 p.m. Greenwich time, I'm not really seeing the point of trying to make plans in this specific context. Not given the tenor of objections to my attempts to keep track of basic facts involved in the game. Rather than go back and do edits, I decided that removing the plan would be less work and less objectionable]
We know of Cardassia + 6 major colonies, we just don't know the location of Todamak so it's not on the map. Todamak is probably somewhere in the rimward-spinward region because it's the hub Noldon Torkad belongs to, but that leaves about half a dozen possible subsectors.
Also normal speed was stated to be 1 subsector per 2 weeks, high alert speed 1 subsector per week. Consider how the Kadak-Tor took six weeks to cover the 6 subsectors to Hophos.
I'll be honest, I'm extremely tense as to how this plays out right now. Are we gonna go to war, are we going to find the Syndicate fleet, will Starbase 9 hold out long enough, will the Sydraxian diplomatic efforts succeed, will Oyana have Garita's head...
Looks quite good so far. Relevant to specific issues raised...
1: I'm inclined to feel that Starfleet isn't short on flag officers. Looking at the orgchart, there should be an actual Rear Admiral in charge of Starbase 9, where Fifth Fleet is mobilizing, though there's no name listed for that officer. Is there any reason why that fleet shouldn't be under that flag? Especially since there's a very real possibility that we'll be sacrificing that Starbase in the event of a Cardassian attack?
2: It seems prudent to leave Excelsiors in those border zones. Even though we could use them badly elsewhere, they're on the opposite end of space from the Cardassian frontier, AND we'll probably want them in place in case that war decides to explode.
3: I'm inclined to think that we should have Fifth Fleet sit on Starbase 9, as per the vote. If that fleet is going to be outgunned anyways, we may as well extract our pound of flesh with our fixed defenses. There's an advantage to keeping the fleet intact, but I'm not sure it's worth giving the Cardassians a free shot at our Starbase.
4: Sixth Fleet is fine where it is. They're at the heart of the crisis; let them do their thing.
I agree with Blackshard. I don't see anything that obviously needs to be changed bar 1 small error. Under Fleet Concentration, Third Fleet, Week 2 should have 10 Combat instead of 5 Combat as both Korolev and Saratoga should arrive at the same time.
Request that Andor NOT withdraw forces currently deployed against the Syndicate in Orion space; Earthling participation is critical to the sustainability of the campaign.
*Insert snarky comment about Homo Sapiens Only club here*
So my numbers on the Indorian ships were way to low, also I need to find their Combat Escort stats and have been fixed, Apiata was off by 1 forager, Qolathi were on target. Seyek are new so I added those, I also only gave combat values to add up to the 55 C they are supposed to have but no idea if I have the right values for each ship. By the way around Grey October Indoria was 29 C I believe. Now hopefully my affiliate numbers are fully up to date at this point.
Oh and for the Honiani I only have 1 explorer as other ships are unconfirmed so it will be a bit higher. Construction should be fairly accurate for the most part as I went through every MWCO quarterly report we have had to get those.
Because we can't strictly speaking mobilise those ships for war purposes unless specific requirements are met. Memberworld ships are generally kept purely for defending their own worlds unless we requisition them. Check the Biophage crisis for how we do that.
Federation boundaries, when not defined by treaties, are a bubble around Federation inhabited systems. Member homeworlds, colonies, mining outposts, research stations, and the like. Past that, it is what the High Council wants to claim. That is a political decision, not a Starfleet one, though they listen to us when we offer advice.
Claiming areas of space where we don't have colonies or member worlds is generally what we do when we establish a border zone. To bring it back around to what started this discussion, I'd guess a big reason for the gap between Federation space and Seyek space is that they are not +300 level Affiliates and therefore aren't ready to accept Federation space joining up with theirs. What we've seen happen in the past is that when an affiliate reaches 300, they either join a contiguous Federation sector or have their own new sector established.
In short, if you want to close that gap the actual solution is to do a diplomatic push on the Seyek and try to get our relationship with them to 300. They are currently at 222/500.
Agreed that the Rear Admiral at SB9 is most qualified to take command of Fifth Fleet.
I am not worried about any of our EC captains in command of a fleet. They are all very cool cucumbers. I would trust any of them with this task.
I suspect that we will see results from SFTF2 next MOO. Celos may kick over a beehive in Orion Space, if it does not, then it signals the Syndicate does not have the will to go geopolitical. That itself will signal to Cardassia that Celos is too temporary to back.
Claiming areas of space where we don't have colonies or member worlds is generally what we do when we establish a border zone. To bring it back around to what started this discussion, I'd guess a big reason for the gap between Federation space and Seyek space is that they are not +300 level Affiliates and therefore aren't ready to accept Federation space joining up with theirs. What we've seen happen in the past is that when an affiliate reaches 300, they either join a contiguous Federation sector or have their own new sector established.
In short, if you want to close that gap the actual solution is to do a diplomatic push on the Seyek and try to get our relationship with them to 300. They are currently at 222/500.
I have been doing that in the past whenever an affiliate was assigned to a sector, and by that standard it should happen for the Qloathi now, who apparently were just assigned to the Ferasa sector, according to the front page. There are a few problems with that though:
The area that would usually be claimed (most of d-4) is pretty important strategically and includes a Cardassian listening post. I'm very reluctant to unilaterally decide anything about that, particularly duing this crisis.
We only have a vague idea what the territorial claims of the Qloathi actually are.
The Qloathi worlds are mostly higher on the galactic plane, so their claimed territory might be as well? This could allow claiming a bridge without claiming the space the Cardassian listening post is located in, but I'm a bit baffled how the height a territory claim is located at could be shown. We discussed a bit how territory of different powers stacked over each other could be shown, but none of those solutions were really great, and they don't make much sense for stacking claimed space over unclaimed space
I have been doing that in the past whenever an affiliate was assigned to a sector, and by that standard it should happen for the Qloathi now, who apparently were just assigned to the Ferasa sector,
Maybe it would be a good idea to carve parts of Amarkia sector and Ferasa Sector off to make an Orion sector when the Union does join us. It would prevent the major territory of a member being divided between two sectors, and having a sector to themselves might help assauge any Orion fears that they are being helplessly subsumed into the Federation.
I have been doing that in the past whenever an affiliate was assigned to a sector, and by that standard it should happen for the Qloathi now, who apparently were just assigned to the Ferasa sector, according to the front page. There are a few problems with that though:
The area that would usually be claimed (most of d-4) is pretty important strategically and includes a Cardassian listening post. I'm very reluctant to unilaterally decide anything about that, particularly duing this crisis.
We only have a vague idea what the territorial claims of the Qloathi actually are.
The Qloathi worlds are mostly higher on the galactic plane, so their claimed territory might be as well? This could allow claiming a bridge without claiming the space the Cardassian listening post is located in, but I'm a bit baffled how the height a territory claim is located at could be shown. We discussed a bit how territory of different powers stacked over each other could be shown, but none of those solutions were really great, and they don't make much sense for stacking claimed space over unclaimed space
Regarding the listening post, you're right that this crisis isn't the time to make a decision, but we can't let a spy station in unclaimed space dictate where our borders are. Perhaps have the borders reach core-tailwards of Qloath for now?
OOC that's true, but as a 300+ affiliate I can't believe we haven't worked it out or been told by now. Perhaps @OneirosTheWriter could let us know what we know?
My immediate thought is to have it diagonally striped with the colours of the two overlapping states, with black representing unclaimed as it does now. I don't see an immediately obvious way to signal which territory is "on top" (something about the direction of the diagonals, the thickness of the lines?) but does it really matter? Any assets in the area will be coloured appropriately.
[X][SOE] Arrange for an SoE immediately following a Cardassian guarantee for Celos
[X][SFTF1] Support Operations on Celos
[X][SFTF2] Hunt and Destroy Syndicate Space forces.
[X][UETF] Support Operations on Freedom
[X][ATF] Escort shipping
[X][CBZ] Focus on defence of Starbase 9 at Lapycorias
[X][SBZ] Focus on defence of Square 0d
[X][DIPLO] Remain focused on Sydraxians
It takes until the second day for you to believe you can see signs of wear in the carpet from your constant pacing at the back of Starfleet Operation's mission control room. You have done all a commanding officer can at this point. You have taken stock of your assets, your needs, and your threats, and deployed or decided accordingly. Your die is cast, and now you simply have to face the long night until the heavens rattle out their result. Orders that place others billions of lightyears away into mortal peril, signed by your hand and left to do or die.
'Kahurangi, you didn't warn me about this part,' you think to yourself.
"Admiral," an aide announces as he approaches. "The Aeroknights are preparing to begin their assault on Celos."
You don't respond, but walk past the officer, striding for one of the hives of activity in the sprawling situation room. Heidi Eriksson is there, hands folded neatly behind her back as she watches the distant transmissions. She doesn't glance up as you approach, but says, "Three major cities, the largest with the capital building. One Aerokight unit on each city, and the Reconnoitre Bloc will reclaim the capital building."
"Orbital support?" you ask.
"Minimal, I'm afraid, Admiral," replies Eriksson. "The Celos Syndicate has set up their bases within urban areas, and especially they've taken over any underground facilities. Wide-ranging transport inhibitors mean that this is going to have to be carried out by dropship."
"As I understand it, that's the way the Aerocommandos prefer it," you remark.
A series of maps of Celos begin to appear, including an orbital tracking plot. Bright orange dots mark the three ships of Orion Task Force 3, positioned over the major cities. Blue Starfleet logos mark Rear Admiral Uhura's force. Already there are smaller dots disgorging and preparing to land. The various auxiliary ships that have been carrying the troops, mainly repurposed colony, passenger, and engineering ships, have all arrived safely, testament to the fine work of the Amarkian Task Force screening their convoys. Their shuttles and runabouts prepare to run the gauntlet of planetary defences. The invasion of Celos is underway.
You know that elsewhere, ships are already coming together as per your orders. Exploration ships across the quadrant are turning about and heading for home, and combat-capable ships are forming up. The Dawiar, the Sydraxians, but most of all the Cardassians, they all are forming up. And on the other side of the fence, the Seyek form at Rethelia and Hacitorius. The Indorians form up at their homeworld. The Apiata split between Alrizzine and Burrizz. And of course, the Amarkians are already under Commodore ka'Sharren. Barely a day in Orion space and she has already sniffed out a deep space station that had been sitting in a gravitational dead zone between star systems. She is already laying out her plans to destroy it and a Syndicate force sitting there.
As much as there is no love for the Syndicate from anyone in that room, you have to feel at least a little sympathy for the people who are about to have two Amarkian battlecruisers dropped on their head unannounced.
Despite the T'Mir having to return home, the creation of Starbase 9, plus exchanges with the Seyek, provide a steady stream of information and signal intercepts from Cardassia, if not quite what the plucky Oberth had managed. From this, Linderly is already warning you that the Cardies are watching closely, and giving the idea of guaranteeing the independence of the Celosi serious thought. The Cardassians are of the opinion that by declaring support for a beleaguered world, the Federation will, for purposes of treaty definitions, be an aggressor party, negating the automatic mutual-defence clauses of affiliate treaties. In short, a chance to fight Starfleet with a much smaller array of supporting auxiliaries.
But it isn't in them to commit their resources to a useless endeavour. They want to see if Celos can fight hard enough to validate itself as a world with popular support. It makes it all the more critical for the Aeroknights to take the world swiftly.
The Aeroknights let you down.
No, that's not fair. Reconquering a planet is not a matter of days, no matter how overwhelming the force. Especially not against a foe as cunning as those on Celos. Especially not with next to know planning time. A pang of sympathy for the distant Union Head of State colours your reaction; they have had to make the call for such haste, and have to live with it on their conscience. But it is the same call you would have made.
The resistance of the Celosian counter-revolutionaries is brutal. Pheromone-laden to a man, they fight hard. Worse, they don't fight suicidally, as is often expected of such induction. Their officers pull them back with grace and have them regroup and rally under pressures that normal forces cannot. Shields both energy and sapient protect bases and defensive batteries.
The three cities, Celos City, Ginadain, and Alayo, are the targets of the three Aeroknights groups, each with several thousand Aerocommandos and Amarkian Gendarmes. The capital building is the target of the elite Reconnoitre Bloc. The initial good progress in Celos City and the capital building is a red herring. Soon the mixed forces are bogged down, and then having to retreat out into the countryside, launching futile attacks to regain entry. In Ginadain it is worse, and the Aeroknights are pinned down from the landing. Grit and determination see them hit their day 1 objectives by the end of the week, with substantial losses. And in Alayo, it is nothing short of a bloody stalemate.
You will not liberate Celos this week.
By the end of the week, you are informed by the Diplomatic Service that channels are up and running with the Sydraxians and the Cardassians. Progress is slow on each side, but to even by able to talk to them again is fantastic news. The Cardassians are warned that Bajor is as vulnerable to our diplomatic actions as Celos is to theirs, and to be very careful of what they choose to do. This doesn't make the Cardassians happy, but it does give them pause, and probably plays a large part in preventing the Cardassian Union from declaring in support of Celos right then. As for the Sydraxians, there is a suggestion for restitution, which doesn't sit well with anyone who ever had any association with the USS Miracht, but appeals to the Diplomatic Service. It goes some way to mollify you as you read the increasingly terrifying casualty reports from Celos.
Something more is needed there. Finally you ask the computer to put you through to Viraan zh'Dohlen.
"Pull the Sarek off whatever it is doing and send it to Celos."
