Under whose authority? We're not at war with the Daiwar, and we're not even technically at war with the Cardassians. The Cardassians could ship in torpedoes in big unarmed container ships labeled, "We're shipping torpedoes, suck it Federation!" and we couldn't do shit about it.

But I don't want to be just a nay-sayer, so here's how it could actually work. The Caitians are at war and can put up a blockade. We could use our ships to scan for ships entering the region, not do anything about it ourselves, but tell the Caitians. Then Caitian ships could enforce the blockade, firing if their demands our not met. That would fall under the "quiet aid to the Caitians" option that was suggested as one of our alternatives.
That's a good solution. If the Cardassians are using their own freighters we can tag them and have the Caitians intercept without even needing to board, if they use a 3rd party like the Syndicate then we're probably boarding on completely acceptable pretenses anyways, and confiscating any weapons we can and warning the Caitians about the rest.

I'm a little baffled that people are suggesting the Fed won't go for this kind of action when it's literally a major part of the plot resolution of a major TNG storyline. The situation is a tad different because there all that was needed was proof of Romulan involvement, but if the Federation was willing to like, literally publicly humiliate the Romulans I think we'll be fine here.

It's not a blockade if you confiscate things you've declared illegal, it's law enforcement!

Don't wish for that. You won't like the broader ramifications.
Don't assume I won't like the ramifications if I want to CRASH THIS FLEET

WITH NO SURVIVORS!
 
Presumably we can ask for some Betazoids to let us know how squirrelly they are? And if we have no Betazoids then we scan the fuck out of them. And honestly? I'd be all for tractoring someone until their engines give out if they are that eager to smuggle whatever in. I mean how does Starfleet ever perform inspections of suspicious ships, we know they do it.

Fire until shields disabled, board with teleprompters.

Point is, our operating orders with regard to foreign powers are more restricted than our operating orders with regard to our own civilians, because we have authority over the latter. Failure to submit to search is a punishable offense, and allows our forces to react.

Anyway, let's say you start tractoring random people. Clever Cardassian has actually read the briefings, hires a crew to punch through the blockade with no suspicious goods, and then ensures that the engines failure spectacularly as they attempt to escape the tractoring.

What's seen by others is the Federation fleet harrasing a civilian vessel, leading to it's destruction.
 
The Border thing is honestly something that I never considered. I'm thinking too much like a Romulan (This is ABSOLUTELY something that the Romulans Star Empire would do. Which I guess is a bad sign?)

I kinda like the "quite aid" idea, it's sorta a nice irony considering that the Cardassians spent some time doing that exact thing to us. Not like they can honestly complain. And the only cat's paws that they could use are literally shooting at us already or are actual face slavers anyway, and I think slavers are probably Hostis Galactis Generi and subject to inspection wherever they are

The Risans probably would make a good neutral go between, our relative lack of pushing them Diplomatically might honestly be an advantage here. Maybe that's the Council's in?

I have changed my plan to incorporate those points. Anyone that voted for my old plan should reconsider now that I've made some changes to it and rebranded it.

[x][ADVICE] Inspect, Mediate, Enlighten.

Phase 1: Starfleet contains the situation by setting up inspection patrols around the area and officially declaring that we will allow no outside military intervention until the situation is resolved peacefully, including searching for military equipment. Specifically, the Caitians are at war and can put up a blockade. We could use our ships to scan for ships entering the region, not do anything about it ourselves, but tell the Caitians. Then Caitian ships could enforce the blockade, firing if their demands our not met. A good reasoning for this is us pulling up to neutral ships and being like "Hey, there is a war on. Be careful. If you have weapons for either side, watch out, you could be at risk. *Wink wink*"

Attempt to figure out exactly how this happened, placed increased scrutiny on the Caitain side of events and begin a closer look at our known Dwair xenology reports. Perhaps someone tipped a Dwair Taboo or misread a custom.

Perhaps ask for Betazoids to help out keeping the peace and helping us detect ships smuggling in weapons or hidden Cardassians (Presumably if a Cardassian Cruiser strolls up we let them through to prevent triggering a war.)

Phase 2: Simultaneously with Phase 1 is being implemented, Invite in a relatively neutral power known to the Dwiar to act as mediators, and start mediation on a neutral world with them acting as arbitrators. (The RIsans seem like a good option?) Hopefully the Dwair will react more favorably to a second great power who seem more their speed. Or if not, then they've pissed off two great powers. Send Enterprise along with our ambassadors, to let them know that we mean business.

Phase 3: If the Dwair continue to refuse to co-operate and reject mediation or break off talks, drop the equivalent of the entire explorer corps at the edge of their system to show how impossible victory is. Do not seek battle, however, just as a final show of force that will perhaps shock them into negotiation.
 
Last edited:
But I don't want to be just a nay-sayer, so here's how it could actually work. The Caitians are at war and can put up a blockade. We could use our ships to scan for ships entering the region, not do anything about it ourselves, but tell the Caitians. Then Caitian ships could enforce the blockade, firing if their demands our not met. That would fall under the "quiet aid to the Caitians" option that was suggested as one of our alternatives.

There are also other considerations at work here. The war currently is not that active because both sides are afraid that if they loose a battle, the war will be over.

If we support the Caitans too much, they may reason that we'd bail them out if they accidentally manage to loose, and then intensify the fighting.

Now, that's not an issue if we actually want the council to allow us to bail them out, but the council may not appreciate nonetheless.
 
[x][ADVICE] Inspect, Mediate, Enlighten.

I think we should look at the Risians and the Seyek. I actually learn Seyek -- in addition to getting name-dropped in a GM update, they might be militarist enough to actually get Daiwar respect.
 
[X][FLEET] Reinforce Amarkia and Andor
[X][ADVICE] Tread Lightly and Carry a Big Stick

Plan TLaCaBS: We send two or three Excelsiors carrying a full diplomatic team to the edge of Daiwar space and hold at maximum realtime communications range. Tell the Daiwar that we are prepared to forgive their attack on our mediators if they can explain why they did it, and that we are willing to continue guiding them and the Caitians toward an equitable agreement (subtext: if they continue their hostilities toward us, we will simply back the Caitians). If the Excelsiors are fired upon, they are to return fire and then withdraw after the attackers have been crippled.

In the meantime, investigate the Caitian side of things.
 
Last edited:
If you're interested in detailing the inset map, Dawiar territory is a ten lightyear long lozenge angled a to the left hand side of Risan space. There are three extra colonies that form a narrow cross shape with the Oriolis system (the home system) at the apex. The Caitians have mining colonies: out past Merfara; between Harper's Mane and Josephine; between Pygmalion and Biroth, with an outpost system to the west of that; plus minor colonies either side of Ollasa.
Is this right?
 
That's a good solution. If the Cardassians are using their own freighters we can tag them and have the Caitians intercept without even needing to board, if they use a 3rd party like the Syndicate then we're probably boarding on completely acceptable pretenses anyways, and confiscating any weapons we can and warning the Caitians about the rest.

I'm a little baffled that people are suggesting the Fed won't go for this kind of action when it's literally a major part of the plot resolution of a major TNG storyline. The situation is a tad different because there all that was needed was proof of Romulan involvement, but if the Federation was willing to like, literally publicly humiliate the Romulans I think we'll be fine here.

It's not a blockade if you confiscate things you've declared illegal, it's law enforcement!
That was assisting an ally in internal matters at their request.

[] Plan Sane, non-passive diplomacy
-[] Deploy investigative assets to figure out what precisely is going on - more detailed discussions with the caitians, for starters.
-[] Send feelers to Risa and other relevant neutrals to mediate.
--[]If mediators found
---[] Transport mediators as deemed most likely to succed by diplo corps
---[] and not transported by Enterprise, have Enterprise on tap to bail them
---[] if transported by Enterprise, have Sarek on tap to provide backup if needed
---[] ROE is captain's discretion, pre-emptive force is allowed if deemed needed.
--[] If mediators NOT found
---[] Send federation team on enterprise
---[] ROE is captain's discretion, pre-emptive force is allowed if deemed needed.
---[] Sarek is on tap for cover
 
Last edited:
That's a good solution. If the Cardassians are using their own freighters we can tag them and have the Caitians intercept without even needing to board, if they use a 3rd party like the Syndicate then we're probably boarding on completely acceptable pretenses anyways, and confiscating any weapons we can and warning the Caitians about the rest.

I mean, I don't think it's a "good solution" because I still think it's a bad idea, but at least the Council might actually go for it. In TNG, whose space were they blockading and what did they do to ships that refused to stop?

Something to remember, everyone. We've been calling these "plans" and I have too, but in fact we were not asked for a plan.

We were asked for "Advice". General strategic advice. My advice is to focus all of our attention on information-gathering and diplomacy. Other posters have other advice. But this is just a general "influence the politics of the situation" post. We are not being asked for a step-by-step "first we do this, and then we do that, and then we do this if that didn't work". Remember you are not doing a detailed plan with contingencies for different situations.
 
In TNG, whose space were they blockading and what did they do to ships that refused to stop?
I forget where exactly the Starfleet ships were, but all they were after is proof that the Romulans were trying to slip into Klingon territory and resupply the Duras in the Klingon Civil War.

Once the Romulans were detected, they turned around and went back home without any further action on the part of Starfleet.
 
[x][ADVICE] Inspect, Mediate, Enlighten.

I think we should look at the Risians and the Seyek. I actually learn Seyek -- in addition to getting name-dropped in a GM update, they might be militarist enough to actually get Daiwar respect.

The Risans are closer and the Dwair haven't been in space long, they might literally only have direct contact with us and the Caitians; the Cardassians having deliberately sought them out to sell a BS story. Though the Risans are close enough to have met them and have been known to be up to a little exploring of their own.
 
Something to remember, everyone. We've been calling these "plans" and I have too, but in fact we were not asked for a plan.

I'm keenly aware of this which is why I'm baffled that we're not outlining concerns regarding allowing the Cardassians to utilise other powers to run roughshod over our affiliate members which is exactly what happened here, if we show that this type of action works and achieves the Cardassians aims they will do this to all our affiliate members in the border zone between us. The federation has to put together a response that means this type of action doesn't work or we might as well surrender the border zone to them along with all of our affiliate members.
 
Last edited:
I mean, I don't think it's a "good solution" because I still think it's a bad idea, but at least the Council might actually go for it. In TNG, whose space were they blockading and what did they do to ships that refused to stop?
Convinced of his argument, Shanthi asks Picard what he is proposing. The captain asks that they send a fleet to the Klingon-Romulan border, engaging in no offensive action, but creating a blockade to stop the flow of supplies from the Romulans to the Duras family. Picard further explains that the problem of detecting ships equipped with cloaking devices has been solved by his chief engineer, who has developed the tachyon detection grid, whereby several ships create a tachyon field and any cloaked vessel that passes through it will be detected. Shanthi tells Picard that she'll have to clear it with the Federation Council first but in the meantime he is to go ahead and assemble the fleet. Commander Riker smiles at his captain but also wonders if Picard knows what he's doing – a feeling the captain shares himself.
 
If it's advice they want? Then:

[][ADVICE] This is transparently a Cardassian attempt to make us look weak. They're attacking us via proxy, hoping to split us from the Caitians and make affiliate status look pointless. Stopping integration processes cold because of the proxy war is precisely what they want us to do.
 
Last edited:
The Risans are closer and the Dwair haven't been in space long, they might literally only have direct contact with us and the Caitians; the Cardassians having deliberately sought them out to sell a BS story. Though the Risans are close enough to have met them and have been known to be up to a little exploring of their own.
You think the Risians might have said something by now if they knew the Daiwar (I think our spelling is different every time we type that name, lol)

Actually if we're on advice mode, I'd suggest step 2a) is also to subtly try and figure out of the Caitians aren't telling us something.
 
If it's advice they want? Then:

[x][ADVICE] Information and Counterintelligence: Someone is getting manipulated here. Nobody benefits from this war. Figure out who is manipulating who and we can stop it. Focus on intelligence gathering and trying to keep it cold until we can figure out the truth.
That's pretty much Briefvoice's vote.
[X][ADVICE] Information is Our Weapon
This war is even more pointless than most wars. We need to make massive diplomatic effort to find every species in the region who has any connection with the Dawiar and an open line of communication to them to find out what's going on and what their war aims actually are. We also should use our Intelligence department to monitor communications and movements to try and figure out what's going on and how this happened. Information, not phasers, should be our primary weapon in this situation. Starfleet will be conducting an investigation of the initial attack to try and figure out what happened.
 
If it's advice they want? Then:

[x][ADVICE] Information and Counterintelligence: Someone is getting manipulated here. Nobody benefits from this war. Figure out who is manipulating who and we can stop it. Focus on intelligence gathering and trying to keep it cold until we can figure out the truth.

That seems pretty much the same as my advice, albeit I angle it more towards a "diplomatic push" because I think the Federation is more likely to go for it if that angle is pushed. Can we consolidate on wording? I'd be willing to edit my post, which seems easier since it's already gotten a couple of votes. Tell me what you'd like to see.

EDIT: Not going to lie; I'm also being real careful with my wording because I don't want to earn a militarization point, something I think can easily happen with a lot of the alternatives being posted.

[X][ADVICE] Information is Our Weapon
This war is even more pointless than most wars. We need to make massive diplomatic effort to find every species in the region who has any connection with the Dawiar and an open line of communication to them to find out what's going on and what their war aims actually are. We also should use our Intelligence department to monitor communications and movements to try and figure out what's going on and how this happened. Information, not phasers, should be our primary weapon in this situation. Starfleet will be conducting an investigation of the initial attack to try and figure out what happened.
 
Last edited:
I'm keenly aware of this which is why I'm baffled that we're not outlining concerns regarding allowing the Cardassians to utilise other powers to run roughshod over our affiliate members which is exactly what happened here, if we show that this type of action works and achieves the Cardassians aims they will do this to all our affiliate members in the border zone between us. The federation has to put together a response that means this type of action doesn't work or we might as well surrender the border zone to them along with all of our affiliate members.

Advice can be given in the form of "This is what I would do, here is my plan"

Harumph. I'm tired and should be asleep, and just getting miffeder and miffeder at those silly Cardassians.
 
Your new vote doesn't give any advice on what to do about it though now.
That's because it depends on whether the federation council is willing to endorse a decisive strike. I can't make a plan without knowing whether simply ending the war by smashing Dawair military power is on the table.
 
Back
Top