To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)

[OneirosTheWriter]

2315.Q1

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X][BUILD] 2315 2 Excelsior-A, 1 Renaissance, Make the Vulcans Repair Everything

• SF Berth A (3mt) – Leave empty after Kumari completes repairs (ETC 2316.Q2) and do not resume NCC-1665 Miranda-A build. Advise berth to prepare for Ambassador prototype in 2316
• SF Berth 1 (1mt) – Occupied with Miranda-A double build using Chen's bonus (ETC 2316.Q1)
• SF Berth 2 (1mt) - Occupied with Miranda-A double build using Chen's bonus (ETC 2316.Q1)
• 40 Eridani Berth A (3mt) – Leave empty after Courageous refit completes (with rush, ETC 2315.Q2), to make room for other war-damaged ships.
• 40 Eridani Berth B (3mt) – Leave empty, to make room for repairs from Licori War.
• 40 Eridani Berth 1 (1mt) – After Intrepid completes refit as Miranda-A in 2315.Q3, leave empty to expedite repairs from Licori War.
• 40 Eridani Berth 2 (1mt) - After Eketha completes refit as Miranda-A in 2315.Q3, leave empty to expedite repairs from Licori War.
• Ana Font Berth A (2.5mt) - Occupied with Excelsior build (ETC 2317.Q1)
• Ana Font Berth 1 (1mt) - Occupied with Renaissance build (ETC 2317.Q2)
• LOCF Berth A (2.5mt) – Leave empty. Advise Lor'Vela to prepare for Excelsior refits in 2316.
• LOCF Berth 1 (1mt) – Begin Renaissance build in 2315.Q2 (ETC 2318.Q2)
• UP Berth A (3mt) – After Excelsior completes in 2315.Q2, begin Excelsior-A in 2315.Q2 as double build using Chen's bonus (ETC 2318.Q2)
• UP Berth B (3mt) - Occupied with Excelsior build (ETC 2317.Q1)
• UP Berth C (3mt) - After Excelsior completes in 2315.Q2, begin Excelsior-A in 2315.Q2 as double build using Chen's bonus (ETC 2318.Q2)
• UP Berth 1 (1mt) – Occupied with Renaissance under construction as triple build using Chen's bonus (ETC 2316.Q3)
• UP Berth 2 (1mt) - Occupied with Renaissance under construction as triple build using Chen's bonus (ETC 2316.Q3)
• UP Berth 3 (1mt) - Occupied with Renaissance under construction as triple build using Chen's bonus (ETC 2316.Q3)

[X][NAME1] Pathfinder
[X][NAME2] Sojourner

Member World Coordination Office Report

Admiral,

Although we have seen the outbreak of war, in truth the arrival of the Renaissance class has seen the Member Worlds involved in that conflict already producing almost to their capacity. Each one has a berth or two that can be the incubator to a new Miranda or Centaur, or can be left open to repair wartime ship damage. So far the tailward members are not yet pulling their full economic mobilisation despite the war,

Further spinward, during the year the Amarkians apparently declared that they are not content to cede the title of strongest member fleet to the Apiatan, and have actually instituted a major economic mobilisation to make good the gap. This quarter has seen them lay down the frames for both a Hebrinda-A and a new Brieca, while setting aside resources to make good on their plans to lay down a new Riala-A starting 2317.

The Caitians are facing further budget cuts in the face of a continuing industrial malaise and are again approaching Starfleet for assistance. They would appreciate Starfleet speaking out during upcoming Council sessions in support of Caitians being green-lighted for the GBZ, or called to bolster Vulcan patrols of the Tailward Theatre.


End Report

Current Priorities

Name	Short-Term	Mid-Term	Long-Term
Andorians	Build Excelsior *	Miranda-A Refits 4/5	Develop new Mining
Vulcans	Miranda-A Refits 3/5	2315 Recruiting Drive	Grow Civ Shipping
Humans	Rennie/Enlisted Drive		Expansion
Tellarites	Enlisted Drive	Renaissance	Expansion
Amarki	Hebrinda-As Refit 2/4	Riala-A '17	New Escort '20
Betazed	Centaur-As	Expand Shipyards	Improve Budget
Caitian	Economic Recovery
Rigel	Improve H'vy Forces	Freighter Expansion	Expand Core/Tail
Apiata	GBZ	Increase BR/SR	Increase Shipping
Indorian	Replace Shipping	Fed Tech Refits	Increase Budget

.
Resources
Name - BR - SR - Off - Enl - Tech
Andor - 70 - 60 - 10.8 - 13.5 - 13.5
Vulcan - 85 - 75 - 0 - 0.6 - 0 *Preparing for recruitment drive
Tellar - 215 - 105 - 8.9 - 9.65 - 9.65
Earth - 195 - 120 - 11.5 - 11.55 - 11.55
Amarki - 60 - 95 - 13.25 - 15 - 10
Betazoids - 85 - 125 - 5.5 - 6.55 - 4.5
Caitian - 209 - 245 - 9.7 - 10.7 - 4.6
Rigel - 215 - 80 - 2.75 - 14.5 - 12.25
Apiata - 270 - 125 - 4.5 - 44 - 15
Indoria - 75 - 60 - 7.25 - 10.1 - 9.35
* NB - Most new construction has already been slated at this stage, but not all

Incomes
Andor - 90 - 55 - 1.2 - 2 - 2
Vulcan - 55 - 45 - 1.35 - 2.35 - 2
Tellarites - 120 - 65 - 1.8 - 2.4 - 2.4
Humans - 140 - 75 - 2.5 - 2.75 - 2.75
Amarki - 230 - 190 - 5.25 - 9 - 6
Betazoids - 45 - 45 - 1.45 - 1.8 - 1.45
Caitian - 75 - 75 - 1.5 - 1.5 - 0.8
Rigel - 80 - 50 - 1.75 - 4.25 - 3.75
Apiata - 165 - 115 - 0.5 - 8 - 3
Indoria - 75 - 45 - 1.25 - 2 - 1.25

Free Berths
Andor - 1x1000kt
Vulcan - 2x1000kt
Tellar - 2x1000kt, 1x500kt
Human - 1x1000kt
Amarki - 1x1000kt
Betazoids - 2x400kt
Caitian - 4x600kt
Rigel -
Apiata - 1x2500kt, 1x2000kt, 2x600kt
Indoria - 1x500kt

Current Fleets

Spoiler

[ ][PRIORITY] Pick One Member World Priority to change
[ ][PRIORITY] Change nothing [Weighted 1.5x]

Suggested possible priorities can be things such as:
Focus on building a particular ship type/class
Focus on more cargo shipping
Focus on increasing resources/recruitment
Set a target for Combat or Defence
Start designing a new ship
Prepare a refit of a ship
Interest in the GBZ

The Tellarites have one megaton berth vacancies at Xurch Cheg (Lagh Cheg II) and Grand Duk (Ord Grind Duk system) which are available. Given the start of the Arcadian War, they would like our input on how to make use of their resources (215br/105sr)
[ ][TSF] 1 Renaissance
[ ][TSF] 2 Miranda-A
[ ][TSF] 1 Centaur-A
[ ][TSF] Leave open for repairs

The Andorians are in a similar boat, but with far fewer resources available, as they are yet to lift their economic mobilisation despite requests from the Andorian Guard. They have started their last Miranda-A refit at Andoria Orbital, and are deciding between using their remaining resources to build a Miranda-A, or to leave it aside for repairs.
[ ][AG] 1 Miranda-A
[ ][AG] Leave open for repairs

Vulcan High Command would like to lay down a new Constellation-class cruiser, built to their suggested support refit. To carry this out, they will require support from Starfleet assets. However, in twelve months time the refit will be available to us.
[ ][VHC] Constellation-P Refit support (-15rp)
[ ][VHC] No support


A continuing industrial and productivity downturn in Ferasa and Merfara has left the Caitian government wishing the impose further draw downs on the budget of the Caitian Grand Fleet. Their Admirals, however, feel that if Starfleet were to request Caitian involvement in the Gabriel, or in the Tailward Theatre it will spark new investment.
[ ][CATS] Push for the LBZ Involvement (-10pp, tie down 10 mobilisation points next month)
[ ][CATS] Push for GBZ yellow-light (-10pp)
[ ][CATS] Decline

The Caldonians wish permission to produce a Renaissance-class cruiser. However, despite their close affiliation to the Federation, there is opposition to allowing a non full member permission to construct the latest Federation technology. They would like your aid in overcoming this opposition.
[ ][REN] Endorse the tech transfer (-5pp)
[ ][REN] Decline

 

[Simon_Jester]

This is arguably not compatible with TBG canon or TNG canon. I don't much care. It practically wrote itself, and I had (metaphorically) Worf and Enterprise bellowing at me to finish the last 5-10% that actually took any work. And that is a lot more bellowing than any one writer should be forced to resist.

So here it is.

This is canon Worf, on his first day aboard the canon Enterprise-D. And Enterprise remembers the events of Nash's five-year missions. So there.

My recommended listening is a bit different than the usual classical selections I prefer, but in my opinion it suits the otherworldly subject material reasonably well. The song is, incidentally, a reference to Rembrandt's famous painting The Night Watch.

To reflect the fact that it is outside the normal Dreams progression and may constitute a never-was or never-will event, I am titling it Chapter N.

---

DREAMS
Chapter N​

Recommended Listening: The Shooting Company of Captain Frans B. Cocq

Galaxy-class Starship Enterprise
Junior Officers' Quarters
Stardate 41151.8

Worf, son of Mogh, stretched out on his bunk. His first day aboard this starship had been- eventful. Despite the long peace between his people and the Federation, there were many surprised to see a Klingon face. He could sense tension in the air, as though the ship itself were watching him, waiting, judging.

And yet, the very fact of his presence here was a sign of Starfleet's trust and respect. The Enterprise was a prestigious assignment, and one that would not find him wanting. He would fight for his place, here. With every gram of his strength, his courage, his carefully cultivated discipline. He would fight for his place, and he would earn it!

He relaxed into sleep, visions of glory ringing through his head.

Enterprise!

---

The son of Mogh stood, uniformed, on a forest trail. He found himself armed and dressed... effectively. As he might equip himself for an away team mission, if the weapons were his to choose. Phaser and tricorder, yes, but also a blade resting comfortably on his back.

The foliage was strange, a mix of plants that had never grown together on the same world. Many he recognized from his toddling walks through restored forests on Q'onos. Much of the vegetation, though, was native to Khitomer, or to the Urals on Earth. The air was crisp, cool. The sky was clear, and there was a faint smell of sea salt in the air. He strained his ears, and could hear what might be the crash of distant waves against rocks.

He rounded a gentle turn and saw the woman. She was tall, near his own height. Fit, by Earth standards. Her yellow hair was drawn into a taut, thick braid down her back, in a style that tugged at his memories of earliest childhood. She wore a crimson Starfleet jacket of the old pattern, much like his foster father's old uniforms- but with a very non-uniform sword belted at her waist. There was rank insignia on her shoulder strap, but when he looked at it, it twisted in a gold-and-silver blur.

Her garb was Starfleet, yes. But one look at her face showed she was not a friend. He would remain wary.

Still, it cost nothing to be polite. He nodded to the woman in red. "Hello. Do you know what trail this is?"

"Follow it to its end, and you will find the anchorage of the Black Fleet." Her eyes were flat, and cold, and icy blue, and she spoke virtually perfect Klingon.

His eyes narrowed. "If we are in the hereafter, then what brings a human here, to the territory of Sto-vo-kor and its armada?"

"Perhaps I have a special arrangement from of old, with the guardians of this very particular place. Or perhaps I can be a difficult woman to find, and a difficult woman to stop once found. Perhaps we are both intruding in each other's territory." He couldn't remember seeing that easy, predatory smile on a child of Earth before. Certainly, never directed at him. Strange.

He studied her face. For a moment, he thought the blue eyes- familiar to him, yet alien- glowed with a faint light of their own. But that illusion passed. The woman's face certainly crackled with obvious, prejudicial dislike, though. And also with a measure of grudging respect.

Stiffly, he fell back on introductions. "I am Worf, the son of Mogh. And who are you?"

"I am what you conjured, Klingon warrior. I am your test."

Worf's eyes narrowed. "Then what are the terms of this test? Did the Academy decide it had forgotten something?"

The woman barked a laugh. "A timed test. From the joining of battle, until we both believe the fight is done. From where you now stand, you have no road to honor, save through me."

Worf felt an electrifying surge; the words seemed to echo from the trees, reverberating off the landscape of this peculiar space beyond spaces. That last sentence was a challenge so old it had fallen out of use before the days of Kahless, a formalism that predated the very language of the modern Klingon race. A thing from times when warriors clashed with bronze and chariotry. The challenge was so old, he knew it only because it was common in some of the tales told to infants, tales he remembered from before his adoption.

It was the sort of thing a supernatural creature might say, before drawing steel in the Otherworld.

"We should not delay, then." His muscles tensed, then relaxed in preparation for battle.

"Agreed. As challenged party, you will of course choose the weapons- but might I make a suggestion?" Her voice was clipped, dignified, and she tilted her head.

"Speak."

"A phaser means nothing here. I'd be able to fire one. You couldn't. Neither of us would be affected by the other's beam."

"That leaves steel."

"Indeed. The bat'leth is the best weapon, for a duel between brothers." The Earthling spoke the old Klingon proverb, rich with subtle double-meaning, fluently. Worf felt a flicker of bitter doubt; she might well have less of an accent than he did, by now.

"And am I family of yours?"

She smiled thinly. "You may yet be, warrior, but that remains to be seen. For now, I am simply your test. Furthermore- observe the footing off this path, the brush around us. I recommend you choose the mek'leth."

"I do not ha-" he stopped.

In the very moment that he'd decided the Earthling was right, that the shorter yet often more lethal one-handed weapon was fitting for the eerie circumstances, he felt the five-kilogram weight of metal vanish from his back. Two of those kilograms reappeared, clipped to his baldric, at his hip. A rough surge of humor buoyed him up, and he smiled slightly.

"I did not know I was carrying one."

"You may yet change your mind, and revert your weapon, if you think I seek unfair advantage. This is the field of honor, after all."

"No." Worf shook his head and drew his blade, still keeping his distance and not yet dropped into guard stance. The human drew her own, as well.

---

With the quick calculation of a man in his prime who'd practiced swordsmanship almost since he learned to walk, he gauged the situation. She was very tall, for an Earthling female, perhaps within five centimeters of his own height. Certainly he had no more than eight on her. The length of her weapon would make it an equal contest, when it came to reach.

He glanced at the woman's sword. Her basket-hilted blade had the trim, purposeful deadliness of traditional Earth weapons. Almost straight, the blade lacked the involuted curves of the mek'leth, preventing the wielder from using its tricky disarming maneuvers. Nonetheless, it looked serviceable. Well-maintained. Heavy enough to chop. Not much of a point at the tip- but at that, more suited for thrusts than Klingon blades. Something to watch for. He placed it as European. Late second millenium, post-gunpowder, too late for the Oakeshott typology. Most likely a sailor's cutlass.

By mutual, wordless consent, they took up guard stance.

She held the weapon with easy, practiced competence, in a guard posture unfamiliar but effective-looking. An opponent to take seriously. But she was, by all appearances, human. And humans were fragile, he'd learned to his sorrow on the football field as a boy.

"Until we both believe the fight is done," she'd said. That need not mean needless gore, his Starfleet security training reminded him, overriding the red-handed Klingon instincts. And an odd, quiet voice in the back of Worf's head told him that though the golden-haired woman in the red jacket was assuredly his opponent, she was not his enemy.

He stepped forward, swinging his weapon in a broad arc, nonetheless blur-fast with Klingon muscles driving the stroke. The mek'leth would, undeflected, slash a shallow cut across her middle- shallow enough to bind up easily. But that was, in effect, a feint. Unless she was less capable than he believed, she'd block, and likely get her blade batted aside in the process. Then he could close, grapple, and subdue his opponent without having to maim her.

The Earthling's long blonde braid swung as she smiled, tilted her head, and took a slight step to the side. Her arm shifted a bit, adjusting the angle of her weapon just so. The mek'leth belled against the cutlass's flat. And glanced aside. The thoughts raced through Worf's mind like flickers of lightning, driven by the sudden eruption of electric-blue light.

That was no weakly held Earthling defense.

He didn't have a strength advantage.

Her eyes were glowing, after all.

This was going to be fun.

---

They fought for seconds that stretched for minutes, minutes that seemed to last for days. Cutlass and mek'leth, different though they were to the eye, were similar enough that there was a symmetry, a parity between the two fighting styles.

At long range, he grudgingly admitted that she was the more skillful warrior. Even though the cutlass wasn't a particularly light or sharp blade, she had the advantage over him. This strange, otherworldly foe knew every trick with the point of a sword that he'd ever seen from any Earthling, real or simulated. She knew some that the human race had either never known, or had forgotten on its long journey to the stars. Her offense was viper-quick and precise, her defense economical yet powerful.

Stopping the flame-eyed woman in the Starfleet jacket from skewering him was as great a challenge as anything he'd ever set for himself in the holodeck. But this opponent was no simulation. She lived, breathed, was made of something more than force fields and hard light- though perhaps not of flesh and blood, nor even of atoms. And her blade nicked his earlobe. Sliced a twenty-centimeter tear across the breast of his uniform, the skin beneath marked by a few drops of his blood. Grazed his forearm with a cut that did not weaken him- but only by virtue of his durable Klingon musculature.

First blood was hers, and then some, but the stinging scratches only invigorated him. He howled as he fought, but they were happy battle-cries.

At medium range, they were closely matched. Growing up in the Federation, his swordsmanship was a practiced thing, a product of training. But it had been good practice, by one who did not fear to be bruised or lacerated in mock combat. And he'd had opportunities to put his skills to use more than once, since his graduation from the Academy. The mek'leth and the cutlass were both slashing, chopping weapons by nature, made of good, solid metal. To be sure, she fought like a master.

But then, so did he.

And at close range...

At close range, she was saved mostly by her gift for getting back out of close range. Three times he bull-rushed in, closing to corps-a-corps with the swordswoman in red, bracing for the twisting motion of the mek'leth that would break an enemy's blade or send it spinning from their hand.

Once she twisted loose, wildcat-fast. Once her knee found a soft spot in his abdomen and she jumped back before he could finish the motion he'd started. Once she leapt into the attack, slamming her shoulder against him and sending them both sprawling in the grass, striking with deceptive weight and momentum despite his size advantage. They rolled to their feet, recovering their breath- again by wordless, mutual understanding.

Worf snorted, recalling that though he'd introduced himself, she had never returned the courtesy. "So tell me, you who claim to have snuck into warrior's paradise through the back door- what is your name?"

She smiled wildly. "I am the lucky lady, the love of the stars." and electric-blue eyes flared like a newborn sun, as her lips drew back. "The Grey Ghost. Though my enemies think me slain, I return to dog their tracks through the night everlasting. Your great-grandfathers muttered darkly in their cups, baffled by my feats. Your grandfathers avoided speaking my name too loudly. You are not the first Klingon warrior to think of fighting his way into my legend- though I gave your forebears cause to rue the attempt, or die in the doing."

Worf felt the fire in his veins, the mix of invincible fury and wolfish cunning that was the birthright of a true Klingon warrior. If this was the afterlife, if he had somehow died in his sleep, nevertheless he was alive!

"Pretty words. What do you call yourself, then? A god?" he barked.

"No." Still the not-human smiled mockingly. "Not at all. I am simply that which remains behind, when glory flows like a river, century after century, cementing the memories of all my people have been and done. I am no kind of goddess. I am merely- your test."

Worf, son of Mogh, bared his teeth. "That is good, then. A god demands servitude; a test demands only to be passed. But even if you were a god, it would not matter! Klingons do not bow to gods. We slay them!"

He roared, and rushed her. And the clash of arms was truly joined.

---

Slashing as quickly as hand and eye permitted, Worf pressed his opponent back, denying her the opportunity to leap back and fight from her preferred range with the point. His angled advances drove her from side to side across the trail, in hopes that she'd tangle in the foliage to either side- no luck, but that hadn't been his real goal. No, it was enough that she was on the back foot.

Ten sword-strokes were blocked, twenty, more. But with each blow she fell back by centimeters, and with each blow he closed a little more of the distance between them, the humming, razor-edged space where swords danced and flickered like sheets of rain in a thunderstorm. He made it to corps-a-corps with the warrior spirit for a fourth time, but didn't try the blade binds he'd attempted before. She was ready for those.

And besides, he'd given up on trying to disarm her. By now, Worf doubted there was any way to stop the woman in red from finding a way to continue the fight. Not unless she were sprawled senseless on the dirt. Speaking of which- he was close enough, now. His next blow of the mek'leth came at a different angle, almost as though he was swinging his fist rather than striking with a sword. Still, she parried; he shifted his weight and sprung to one side...

And the sharp protruding point of the mek'leth's guard rode up, off the blocking blade, and scraped across his opponent's forehead. She rocked back, teeth bared, the cut opened wide on her smooth brow. Though her left eye still flamed, it now glowed through a sheen of silvery blood, unlike that of any humanoid Worf knew. The blood trickled down her cheek, staining her old Starfleet jacket. For a moment she staggered, the son of Mogh leapt to seize her sword arm-

And the golden-haired woman's apparent stumble, the artless swing of the blade, punched into Worf's leg. The tip of her sword was driven hard enough to pierce flesh, for all that it was poorly suited for the purpose. The spirit's blade entered his quadricep, slicing deep into the muscle and pulling back in a draw-cut. Luck, more than skill, saved him from having the muscle sliced entirely through, saved him from being dropped to his knees.

She stepped back as he roared with wrath, as though giving him a moment to test his balance, tilting her head in an inquisitive motion that sent drops of quicksilver blood flicking across the leaves and grass. But he was nowhere close to surrender- and she obviously knew it. She sidled to the edge of the path, exploiting his reduced mobility. She readied her blade for one of those darting, long-range lunges. His own weapon was hemmed in, his options for hewing strokes limited by a sapling six centimeters thick, close at his right hand.

---

A prudent fighter would retreat, from this little patch of death ground.

But Worf was always a Klingon warrior, before all else. His martial cunning guided his fury, his fury fueled his cunning. He allowed the mek'leth to drop out of position, feigned bafflement as though he was the trapped prey and she the huntress. The woman lunged, thinking he could not reach her.

Worf bellowed and swung with all the might of his stout right arm- but not at her. The young tree parted with a single blow, at the angle of Worf's choosing. And his opponent's vision was dimmed on that side. He hopped smartly back on his good leg as the sapling fell, sped by a second blow from his hand that further added to his backward momentum. The tree clipped her left shoulder with a rustle and a crackle. She hadn't expected that and staggered back, gasping for breath.

Her left arm hung oddly, though her face betrayed no hint of disabling pain. Between that, and the head wound, something truly human might have fallen, then. Or at least stopped moving. The being with the glowing eyes did not, though she no longer stood quite so level. She was stronger than any Earthling had a right to be, and as persistent as any Earthling ever was.

But then, so was he.

A human would have cared more, about the torn flesh of his leg. And about the gash along the side of his ribs, and the blood slowly flowing from that wound. The wound Worf had suffered, from the lunge his opponent had attempted just now. The one she'd twisted out of line, as she noticed the falling tree and tried- failed- to dodge it.

Worf limped; the blue-eyed spirit lurched. But still they had their sword-arms, still they had bladesmanship. Steel rang nearly as fast as before. The woman in the Starfleet jacket baffled her Klingon foe with footwork he could not match with his wound. The son of Mogh came within a whisker, time and again, of landing a blow, for the spirit-warrior he fought could no longer judge distance so well, not with her left eye blinded by a slick of silver blood.

She was still trying to fight the same way she had before. But the arm threw her off balance, and her lack of depth perception was becoming a major weakness. With a Klingon's instinctive eye for the jugular, the lieutenant pressed his attack against the flame-eyed warrior, and she parried Worf's attacks by slimmer and slimmer margins each time.

"Your tactics need improvement!" He found himself grinning broadly, his blood racing at a fitting challenge. He could win this! His side ached, and it took a powerful effort of will to keep his leg from buckling. Soon enough it most likely would, but until then, he would throw every gram of himself into the battle-

"Instruct me, youngster!" She was laughing again, though her left arm hung entirely limp, and the blood poured across her face from the cut on her brow. The cutlass's swings were wider, sloppier now. She had lost the crisp drillmaster's perfection of the opening moments of their duel.

But then, so had he.

Five more clashes of steel. A dozen. A score. Both combatants running down, but neither showing any sign of surrender, not until their wounds truly overtook them. And abruptly, with a final "HA!" that seemed almost to shake the sky, the spirit-warrior leaped backwards faster than he could follow and called across the distance, "I think honor is satisfied, son of Mogh. And you?"

---

For a moment, Worf simply stood, taking the opportunity to shift his weight all the way to his uninjured leg, breathing deeply. Anger flamed within him. Was she trying to deprive him of the hard-earned triumph he fought towards?

But unbidden, a voice from the back of his mind spoke. He was not here to slay the woman in red. Not the one that he knew, instinctively, was not truly an enemy. Nor was she here to slay him, for all the joyous ferocity she'd thrown into the battle. If he pressed the attack, he might well triumph; if she exploited her superior mobility for long enough, so might she.

And yet, it didn't matter. That wasn't the point, and the point of this battle in the otherworld had already been made. Worf felt a burning, martial clarity thunder through his soul and his veins. He laughed, laughed, for the first time in years, and in that moment, knew that whatever the test had been, he had passed.

His vision cleared, and he held the mek'leth more loosely in guard stance. "Honor is satisfied- and glory can wait."

"But not for long, I'm sure. You know, I'm starting to like you. You can fight, and you can think, and you'll never, ever let them smother your spark."

"And who is it that compliments me so?" Worf frowned, as though he could pull this knowledge from the very air. And perhaps he could, for when the spirit replied, he knew intuitively that her next words were true, and accurate, and a sufficient answer for his purposes.

"You know who I am, Worf. I'm the Grey Ghost."

There was a sound, along the trail up ahead. Worf squinted. He saw, perhaps fifty meters along the trail, a Klingon warrior in light battle armor, bat'leth across her back, disruptor rifle slung across her shoulder so that the weapons wouldn't tangle. Her scowl seemed obvious even across the distance. The woman in red turned, rolling her left shoulder with a sound like scraping metal- then flourished her sword in a fencer's salute, smiling broadly and taking a swooping bow.

The warrior nodded, curtly, and vanished from sight. The not-human turned back to Worf. Radiation-blue eyes sparkled, and her laughter was a trumpet-call rousing sleepers to their duty. "I think she's jealous."

Worf shook his head. "If she resides in this place, she cannot possibly lack opportunities for honorable battle."

"That's- not what I meant, but it's true." The spirit nodded judiciously. "And though I was angry, at first, to be called this way..." She smiled, seeming oddly fresh-faced, new, for one of her obvious experience in war.

"Battle is part of who I am, as much as it is of you. It's a side so much of the rest of me forgets these days, too. But crossing swords here reminds me of when I was barely six hundred, and I danced with star-knights along the rings of Karakia. Or six years later, when my love and I hewed our way to Valhalla- over the hulks of a dozen Cardassian battlecruisers. Though that bit of history doesn't exist anymore." Her smile became more genuine, even as she flexed her shoulder again. "You'll do, Guns. You'll do. Welcome to my company."

USS Enterprise
Junior Officer's Quarters

Worf awoke sharply, finding his wounds gone, the supernatural warrior's speech ringing in his ears. Though the precise phrasing of her last words seemed to shift, even as he could hear them echoing through his mind.

"Welcome aboard the Enterprise..."

 

[OneirosTheWriter]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X][PRIORITY] Amarkian should change mid-term priority to focus more on cargo shipping.

[29][AG] Leave open for repairs
[31][CATS] Push for GBZ yellow-light (-10pp)
[X][REN] Endorse the tech transfer (-5pp)
[X][TSF] 1 Renaissance
[X][VHC] Constellation-P Refit support (-15rp)

2315.Q1.M1.F1

Rear Admiral Eaton's forces are already on the move, her Task Forces pushing out to see if they can draw out the Licori forces. Apparently so far, no dice, but if they don't come out to play, her paths will allow her to cut off Gammon from the rest of the Empire. Gammon, you are told, is where the first stroke will fall. Eaton wants to draw its defenders away, as even on their own a Starbase is a dreadful opponent, and she fully expects to lose ships in the process. As a result, she'll force House Kortennon to respond, or else wither on the vine.

You know Eaton, though. If she has to spend those ships, those lives, to win out, then she will do so. After all, the woman was almost a legend for being close to the only Starfleet captain to routinely walk about with a phaser pistol set to kill.

On the home front, the news of the war has hit the population of the Federation like a struck bell. On the streets of San Francisco people are walking into lamp posts in a daze. One of your Vulcan staff officers likened the atmosphere back on that planet to something more akin to central American holonovellas than the Vulcan he expects. And they say Vulcans can't tell jokes; you had to shift your 1500hrs appointment after he said that to let you compose yourself again. But by and large there is stunned disbelief that no diplomatic solution could be found. The Licori, after all, bear little resemblance to the Klingons, or the intractable Cardassians for that matter. Heat will come Starfleet's way soon. Days of protest are already swarming through the streets of the old core of the Federation. And this is without casualties or lost member world ships.

Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, then.

Win fast, win cheaply, secure lasting peace. The public want all three but your experience tells you that it's going to be a case of pick two.

=====================================

State of Emergency, 2315.Q1.M1.F1 (Turn 7 of State of Emergency)

You are currently operating in a State of Emergency.

This entails an increased operational tempo and an increase to available assets.
These assets usually will require no additional resources from Starfleet, as you are directing the resources of a Federation that does not embrace money. Any additional requirements will be noted on the actions themselves. The most notable brake on your mobilisation of assets comes from their effect on the war support of the various member groups. You have already been provided control over a large fraction of fleet assets from the member worlds nearest the LBZ, but more can be requisitioned.

This State of Emergency will endure until such time as the cause of the crisis is resolved. In this case, until the Mentats of the Arcadian Empire no longer poses a threat to the Federation.

=====================================

Assets

Current Assets:

Special Assets
Ret. Admiral Vitalia Yukiko Kahurangi - Lobby Council on your behalf (Chance of random war support gains)

Fleet Units
Starfleet Line Starships
Starfleet Auxiliary Ships
1 Oberth from Vulcan
1 Oda-Gach from Rigel
1 Cargo Ship from Tellar

Recon Units
Vulcan Survey Corps - Assigned to Clover Outpost (+1 to Clover Outpost detecting ships)
Andorian Orbital Guard Runabouts - Assigned to Betazed (+1 to Rixx Defence Platform [Outpost] detecting ships)

Internal Diplomacy Teams
Federation Emergency Committee - Focus on increasing mobilisation (+10pt/mnth mobilisation rate)
Federation Diplomatic Service Consular Team 3 - Unassigned

External Diplomacy Teams
Federation Diplomatic Service Ambassadorial Team 4 - Unassigned
UESPA Offworld Diplomacy Team - Convey a write-in request to <Ked Paddah> to begin coordinating war effort with Federation

Engineering Teams
UESPA Deep Space Engineering - Commence outpost build at <Onos IV> - ETC 2315.Q2.M1.F1
Starfleet Engineering Command - Rush Betazed Starbase Construction (2x Speed) - ETC 2315.Q1.M2.F1

Heavy Industry Teams
Dhara Heavy Industry Park (Andor) - Prepare components for 2x1mt Repair Yard Berths (3 Months) - ETC 2315.Q1.M3.F1
Shorc Xurth Resource Combine (Tellar) - Rush Starship Construction for <Courageous>

Doctrine Specialist
Retired Vice Admiral Heidi Eriksson - Begin developing developing countermeasures for fixed defences (improve minefield rolls) (6 months) - ETC 2315.Q3.M1.F1


The following units are available to be mobilised at relatively short notice. More options from each world will become available:

[ ] Please select up to a maximum of 20 war support of assets to mobilise from the start
(Please be aware of costs associated with assets)

Starfleet Reserve Personnel (20pt from Starfleet, +20 O/E/T for duration of SoE only, one-time)
Starfleet Engineering Command (5pt from Starfleet, to deploy will require 2 cargo ships and 2 freighters to be sourced from member worlds)
NB: This is the third and final pair of Engineering Ships from Starfleet Engineering, which will remove the ability to create facilities via Snakepit.

Federalise Fleet Units from <Member World> (5 cost for explorer, 2 cost for cruiser, 1 cost for frigate, paid against member world you are calling up fleet units from)
Federalise Auxiliary Units from <Member World> (3 cost for freighter, 2 cost for cargo ship, 3 cost for other auxiliary units)

Andorian Civil Service - Internal Diplomacy Team (20pt cost for Andor, gain Internal Diplomacy Team)
Earth Civil Service - Internal Diplomacy Team (20pt cost for Earth, gain Internal Diplomacy Team)

Starfleet Academy Red Squad Runabouts - Recon team (4 cost for Starfleet, gain +1 to outpost and starbase attempts to detect incoming ships)
Rigellian Customs Service Runabout Squadron 1 (6 Cost for Rigel, gain +1 to outpost and starbase attempts to detect incoming ships)

North America Productivity Commission - Heavy Industry (5 Cost to Earth, gain Heavy Industry asset)
Hargunn Arcrut Resource Combine - Heavy Industry (8 Cost to Tellar, gain Heavy Industry asset)
East Asian Productivity Commission - Heavy Industry (5 Cost to Earth, gain Heavy Industry asset)
Cheleb-Kor Industrial Centre - Heavy Industry Team (8 Cost to Vulcan, gain Heavy Industry asset)
Morchell Arebb Complex - Heavy Industry (5 Cost to Rigel, gain Heavy Industry asset)

Gorc Belth Colonial Engineers - Engineering Team (10 Cost from Tellar, gain Engineering Team with 2 Engineering Ships, 3 Cargo Ships, 1 Freighter)
Andorian Imperial Star Engineers - Engineering Team (10 Cost from Andor, gain Engineering Team with 2 Engineering Ships, 2 Cargo Ships, 1 Freighter)
Hadad Pradesh Mond Engineering - Engineering Team (10 Cost from Rigel, gain Engineering Team with 2 Engineering Ships, 2 Cargo Ships, 2 Freighters)
Calixx Reisu Engineering Corps - Engineering Team (8 Cost from Betazed, gain Engineering Team with 1 Engineering Ship, 1 Cargo Ship, 1 Freighter)

Generate Generic Heavy Industry from <Member World> (10 Cost to Member World, gain Heavy Industry asset)
Generate Generic Engineering Team from <Member World> (15 Cost to Member World, gain Engineering team)
Generate Generic Internal Diplomacy Team from <Member World> (10 Cost to Starfleet, 5 Cost to Member World, gain Internal Diplomacy Team)
Generate Generic External Diplomacy Team from <Member World> (10 Cost to Starfleet, 5 Cost to Member World, gain External Diplomacy Team)

Retired Vice Admiral Lachlan Ablett - Doctrine Specialist (5pt Cost to Starfleet, gain Doctrine Specialist)

=====================================

Fleet Units

Fleet Units

Starships and other assets that you can use to supplement your forces, create new task forces, replace losses, or reinforce attacks.

Recon Units

Recon Units

Supplementary patrol units that you can attach to your starbases, outposts, and fleet units.

Internal Diplomacy

Internal Diplomacy

Assets that you can employ to help bolster links between member worlds, or shore up flagging support. They can also be used to increase the rate with which you are able to mobilise assets, though that may become a double-edged sword.

External Diplomacy

External Diplomacy

Assets that you can employ to conduct relations with other nearby powers, such as the Ked Paddah, the Honiani, the Laio, the Gaeni, and others.

Engineering Teams

Engineering Teams

Field deployable units consisting of Engineering Ships, construction crews, and the like. They are capable of conducting operations abroad in unsettled systems.

Heavy Industry

Heavy Industry

You need heavy industry to provide extra boosts to ship production, repair, to produce the components necessary for constructing stations, outposts, and starbases.

Doctrine Specialists

Doctrine Specialists

All doctrines are plans, and no plan survives first contact with the enemy. War is the most unforgiving task master, so you best learn what works and doesn't work quickly.

=====================================

The Home Front

Current War Support:
Starfleet - 155pt
United Earth SPA - 130pt
Vulcan High Command - 51pt
Tellarite State Forces - 123pt
Betazed Defence Forces - 45pt
Rigel Defence Force - 99pt
Andorian Guard - 97pt
IT of Gaen - 150pt

Spoiler

NB: Starfleet's entry here is more to do with organisation-wide morale and depth.

War Weariness increases with:
Battles
Casualties
Time
Resource Requests
Economic Policy changes
Failing set objectives

War Support increases with:
Some victories
Achieving set objectives
Releasing resources

Councillors
UESPA - 3 Dev, 2 Exp, 1 Pac, 1 Haw
VHC - 1 Dev, 5 Pac
TSF - 3 Dev, 1 Pac, 1 Haw
BDF - 2 Pac
RDF - 4 Merc

===================================

Current Economic Settings:
Starfleet - N/A
United Earth SPA - Early Mobilisation
Vulcan High Command - Peacetime
Tellarite State Force - Early Mobilisation
Betazed Defence Forces - Peacetime
Andorian Guard - Peacetime
Rigel Defence Force - Peacetime
IT of Gaen - Wartime Economy
Honiani - Peacetime
Laio - Peacetime

Levels of Mobilisation
Pacifist - 75% of normal income, 100% of normal build
Peacetime - 100% of normal income, 100% of normal build time, no stockpile opening
Early - 125% of normal income, -1Qtr build time, open 25% of stockpile
Limited - 150% of normal income, -2Qtr build time, open full stockpile
Wartime - 200% of normal income, -25% build time, post-war economic slump,
Total - 250% of normal income, -50% build time, post-war economic crash,

There are maximum time-frames that a wartime economy can be maintained without income dropping again.

Spoiler: Economy Log

2314.Q4.M1.F2:
UESPA has moved from 110/60/2/2.2/2.2 to 140/75/2.5/2.75/2.75 - gained 50/40 from stockpile
VHC has moved from 40/35/1/1.75/1.5 to 55/45/1.35/2.35/2
TSF has moved from 95/50/1.45/1.95/1.95 to 120/65/1.8/2.4/2.4 - gained 50/40 from stockpile

2314.Q4.M3.F2:
BDF has moved from 35/35/1.15/1.45/1.15 to 45/45/1.45/1.8/1.45

Spoiler: Licori Border Zone Structure

Tailward Theatre Command - Vice Admiral Viraan zh'Dohlen

Licori Border Zone Commanding Officer - Rear Admiral Victoria Eaton
-LBZ Auxiliary Task Force CO - Commodore T'Mina (promote)
-LBZ Executive Officer - Captain Ferath zh'Kylarrth
-LBZ Chief of Staff - Captain Rosalee McAdams
--Staff Personnel Officer - Commander Staik
--Staff Intelligence Officer - Commander Elizabeth Faring
--Staff Operations Officer - Commander Hayden Kennedy
--Staff Medical Officer - Commander Prshrr Marhar
--Staff Science Officer - Commander Krabad
--Staff Engineering Officer - Commander Gordon Laver
--Staff Industrial Liaison - Tash sh'Petreth (Andorian Chamber of Industry)
--Staff Diplomatic Liaison

-Clover Outpost Commander - Commander Ceisrud Ozei
--Vulcan Survey Corps

-Starfleet Intelligence Task Force - Captain Thren th'Panyth
--Intel Gathering
--- Office 25 (Other Field Desk) Detachment
--- Coreward Desk Detachment
--- Office 11 (Minor Powers Decryption) Detachment
--Special Security Ops Teams
--- Office 10 (Romulan Irregular Ops Team)
--- Office 19
--- Office 24
--Squadron 1, 2 Detachments (Runabouts + Shuttles)
-Andorian Orbital Guard Runabout Squadron

Task Force 1 CO - Commodore Michel Thuir
-Flag: USS Sarek
Task Force 2 CO - Commodore Nash ka'Sharren
-Flag: USS Enterprise

Task Force 3 CO - Rear Admiral T'Lorel
-Flag: USS Renaissance
-- Task Group 3.1 CO - Commodore Brufraogm Wev
---Flag: RDS Yagad-Tich
-- Task Group 3.2 CO - Commodore Erzath zh'Darlyth
---Flag: USS Endurance

Task Force 4 CO - Commodore Iorin Grann (promote)
-Flag: Thirishar

-Task Force 5
--Task Group 5.1 CO - Ms Alexia O'Conner, UESPA Deep Space Engineering
--- Flag: UES Kagutsuchi, Engineering Ship

-- Task Force 5.2 CO Starfleet Engineering Command
--- Flag: USS Anvil, Engineering Ship

-Task Force 6 CO - Naval Supervisor Anak Hadd-Banad
-- Flag: IGS Hadd-Mal, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser

Sol Sector Command - Rear Admiral
-Rixx Defence Platform [Betazed Outpost] - Commander Pirala Narax
--Andorian Orbital Guard Runabouts

Spoiler: Commanders

Rear Admiral Victoria Eaton
Current Posting: Commander, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: High
Aggression: High
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Commodore Brufraogm Wev
Current Posting: Commander, Task Group 3.1, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: High
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: Low
Politics: High

Commodore Erzath zh'Darlyth
Current Posting: Commander, Task Group 3.2, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Low
Aggression: High
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Rear Admiral T'Lorel
Current Posting: Commander, Task Force 3, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: High
Politics: Medium

Commodore Michel Thuir
Current Posting: Operations Officer, Starfleet Tactical Field Command
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: High
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Commodore Nash ka'Sharren
Current Posting: Commander, Task Force 2, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Low
Aggression: High
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: High
Politics: Medium

Captain Rosalee McAdams
Current Posting: Chief of Staff, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Commodore T'Mina
Current Posting: Commander, Auxiliary Task Force, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: High
Politics: Medium

Commodore Iorin Grann
Current Posting: Commander, Task Force 4, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Low
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: Medium

Captain Ferath zh'Kylarrth
Current Posting: Executive Officer, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Low
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: High
Politics: High

Spoiler: Order of Battle

Tailward Theatre, Vice Admiral Viraan zh'Dohlen
Sol Sector
Rigel Sector
Vulcan Sector
Andor Sector
Klingon Border Zone
Romulan Border Zone
Licori Border Zone

-Task Force 1, Commodore Michel Thuir
USS Sarek, Excelsior-class, NCC-2004 - Captain Straak
USS Excelsior, Excelsior-class, NCC-2000 - Captain Yamada Ichigo
USS Lexington, Constitution-B-class, NCC-1741 - Captain Winslow
TSS Krinuk, Constitution-B-class, NCC-1750
USS Blizzard, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2108 - Captain Senok
USS Lightning, Centaur-A-class, NCC- 2105 - Captain Khrerg bak Arguk
UES Calgary, Miranda-A-class, NCC-1903 - Captain Tan Ming
USS Torbriel, Oberth-class, NCC-1511 - Captain Diego Zaardmani

-Task Force 2, Commodore Nash ka'Sharren
USS Enterprise, Excelsior-class, NCC-1701-B - Captain Samhaya Mrr'shan
UES Liberty, Excelsior-class, NCC-2017 - Captain Olesya Sokolov
USS Hood, Constitution-B-class, NCC-1742 - Captain Angela Curtis
USS Winterwind, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2104 - Captain Abigail Taggart
UES Shanghai, Miranda-A-class, NCC-1904 - Captain Gao Yang
UES Yorkshire, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2109 - Captain Angus Connelly
USS Hawking, Oberth-class, NCC-1509 - Captain Bruce Ponting
2 Tellarite Miranda-As

-Task Force 3, Rear Admiral T'Lorel
USS Renaissance, Renaissance-class, NCC-2601 - Captain Larai Leaniss
--Task Group 3.1, Commodore Brufraogem Wev
RDS Yagad-Tich, Megatortoise-class, NCC-2901 - Captain Irdask
RDS Hadabat, Turtleship-class, NCC-2903 - Captain Rumo
RDS Monsad, Turtleship-class, NCC-2904 - Captain Caagid
BDS Radlawxa, Patrol Cruiser-class, NCC-2501 - Captain Viamelo Gru
RDS Oda-Gach-3, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3005
USS Svai, Miranda-class, NCC-1658 - Captain T'Atring
1 Tellarite Miranda-A
--Task Group 3.2, Commodore Erzath zh'Darlyth
USS Endurance, Excelsior-class, NCC-2007 - Captain Pavel Chekov
RDS Pagatat, Turtleship-class, NCC-2907 - Captain Zukeik
UES Jupiter, Constellation-class, NCC-1813 - Captain Roberta Sherman
USS Calypso, Miranda-class, NCC-1632 - Captain Tomiq zh'Pohren
USS Thunderhead, Miranda-class, NCC-1656 - Captain Amos Bao
USS Inspire, Oberth-class, NCC-1510 - Captain Amelia Currie
1 Tellarite Constellation

-Task Force 4, Commodore Iorinn Grann
USS Thirishar, Excelsior-class, NCC-2011 - Captain Norkair ch'Gharist
USS Gale, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2106 - Captain Gorth th'Hashok
BDS Harmony, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2120 - Captain Eneram Idrai
BDS Astute, Patroller-class, NCC-2507
BDS Assist, Patroller-class, NCC-2508
RDS Oda-Gach-4, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3006
RDS Oda-Gach-5, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3007
RDS Oda-Gach-7, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3008
USS T'Mir, Oberth-class, NCC-1507
1 Vulcan Oberth

-Auxiliary Force
1 Tellarite Cargo Ships
2 Andorian Cargo Ships
1 Vulcan Cargo Ship
2 Human Cargo Ships
1 Human Freighter
1 Betazoid Cargo Ship

-Research Attachment
1 Vulcan Civilian Research Cruiser

-Task Force 5
--Task Group 5.1 CO - Ms Alexia O'Conner, UESPA Deep Space Engineering
--- UES Kagutsuchi, Engineering Ship
--- UES Norn, Engineering Ship
--- 3 UES Cargo Ships
--- UES Freighter
-- Task Force 5.2 CO Starfleet Engineering Command
--- USS Anvil, Engineering Ship
--- USS Hearth, Engineering Ship
--- 2 Tellarite Cargo Ships
--- 1 Tellarite Freighter
--- 1 Andorian Freighter

-Task Force 6, Naval Supervisor Anak Hadd-Banad
--IGS Hadd-Mal, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser, Senior Naval Specialist Kant Tarkoia-Mal
--IGS Pall-Keat, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser
--IGS Tar-Anat, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser
--IGS Akad-Noa, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser
--IGS Fadath-Toir, Gaeni Tech-Frigate, Mid-Senior Naval Specialist Loia Maladd-Toir
--IGS Hidik-Daya, Gaeni Tech-Frigate
--IGS Nuoth-Far, Gaeni Tech-Frigate

Spoiler: Gaeni Assets and Status

Illuminated Technocracy of Gaen

Recon Units
Inid Uttar Institute (Runabouts + Research Cruiser) - Assigned to Gaen
Nitta Oian Institute (Runabouts + Research Cruiser) - Assigned to Thunti

External Diplomacy Teams
Technocracy Interstellar Ministry - Lobby for Federation entry to war

Internal Diplomacy Teams
Central Technocracy Council - Increasing Asset Mobilisation
Chamber of Commerce Council - Run Internal Recruiting Campaigns

Engineering Teams
Henn-Makad Engineering Institute (1 Cargo, 1 Super-Freighter, 1 Freighter, 2 Cargo)
- Completed Staging outpost (2315.Q1.M1)

Heavy Industry Teams
North Apada Industrial Council - Accelerating Tech-Cruiser Build in [Gaen Man. Coop Bay 1]
Thunti Industrial Council - Building Components for 2x1.5mt repair bays (will complete by 2315.Q2.M1)

Doctrine Teams
Kedaia Naar Institute - Developing Anti-Licori techniques (will gain +1% at 2315.Q1.M3)

Logistics
Gaen Central Technocracy Logistics Network
(Income 90/100)
Hubs - Gaen (30/20), Thunti (10/10)
Sources - = 50br 70sr 20rp
Targets - 5 minor colonies
Industry -
Destination -

Spoiler

Total for Feeder Network -
Source - 90s 50b
Minors - 40s 20b
Route Penalty = 1.1
Total x Route Penalty = 143s 77b
Per Bi-Monthly = 24s 13b
1 Freighter, 3 Cargo Ship Assigned

Total for Trunk Network -
Homeworld + 1 Major Worlds = 20s 10b
Route Penalty = 1
Per Bi-Monthly = 4s 2b
1 Cargo Ship Assigned

Total for Industry Network -
90br/100sr = 20s 18b
Route Penalty = 1
Per Bi-Monthly = 4s 3b
1 Freighter Assigned

Fleet Support -
6 Cruisers = 6s
7 Frigate = 4s
15 Auxiliary = 15s
Total = 25s
4 Cargo Ships Assigned

2 Freighters, 8 Cargo Ships assigned to networks
1 Super-Freighters, 3 Freighters, 9 Cargo Ships free for other tasks
Under 50% capacity - no strain

 

[OneirosTheWriter]

QM/N: Fun fact though - there is another Amarkian captain kicking around. In the JAG though.

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Plan Finish The Buildup
-[X] Retired Vice Admiral Lachlan Ablett - Doctrine Specialist
-[X] Andorian Imperial Star Engineers - Engineering Team
-[X] East Asian Productivity Commission - Heavy Industry

2315.Q1


From: Commodore Leon Dubois, Acting Commander, Starfleet Explorer Corps
To: Admiral Valentina Sousa, Starfleet, Commanding

Subject: Explorer Corps Panel of Captains

Hello Admiral,

In honour of a new era for the Explorer Corps, we have done our best to refresh the Panel of Captains list. Starfleet has more commanding officers than ever, and more Five Year Missions to commission than ever, so we feel that it is time to start widening the net of promising candidates who have held Explorer Corps experience as officers. The resulting new panel is our current result.


Captain Demora Sulu
Human Female, 45
Current Assignment: Captain, USS Republic
Feels she was born for the stars, and is looking for the chance to live up to her family name. Has spent some time in action around the GBZ. Gain +1 P, re-roll any diplomacy test in Federation space, +1 to Espionage attempts, re-roll event hull checks

Captain Samyr Kanil
Human Female, 48
Current Assignment: Captain, USS T'Mir
A calm and steady head, with a temperament for long-term missions, and a keen mind for science. +1 S, chance to roll to escape ambushes/Hostile Threat event types.

Captain Larai Leaniss
Amarki Female, 37
Current Assignment: Captain, USS Renaissance
An officer with a considerable public profile, Captain Leaniss has a long tradition of forging new ground. +1 P, +5pp/yr

Captain Min-Jee Lee
Human Female, 42
Current Assignment: Captain, USS Valiant
A career spent working with cruisers, yet a penchant for survival in both battle and politics has led her to the panel. +1 H, +1 to Diplomacy Missions

Captain Jeanette Devereaux
Human Female, 40
Current Assignment: Captain, USS Typhoon
A science division officer at heart, Captain Devereaux is in rare company among officers for protesting being assigned the brand-new Typhoon over the old Suvek. +1 S, +1 to First Contact missions

Captain Percival Amin
Human Male, 41
Current Assignment: First Officer, Starbase 10 [Rigel]
A man with a surprising knack for finding himself in dangerous areas, but who learned much from Rear Admiral Uhura. One of the very few fluent non-Vulcan speakers of that language. +1 L, +1 to any internal diplomacy.

Captain Sabek
Vulcan Male, 54
Current Assignment: Captain, USS Challorn
Even by Vulcan standards, Sadek has nerves that could put warp core housing to shame. +1 C, +1 D, +5% Evasion

Captain Huth fop Makpol
Tellarite Male, 48
Current Assignment: First Officer, Starbase 4 [Tellar]
A man with experience on a Miranda, an Excelsior, and a Starbase. Gain +1 to Medium DC events.

Captain Shurg kap Klasch
Tellarite Female, 46
Current Assignment: USS Bon Vivant
Possesses a legendary devotion to her crew, keeping them safe no matter the odds. 50% chance of nullifying a crew casualty, +1 to any event involving medicine.

Captain Jennifer Zhang
Human Female,
Current Assignment: Unassigned
A talented veteran of exploration who spent two years far afield with the Honiani. Re-roll any failed diplomacy roll, +1 P

[ ][FYM1] USS Courageous Captain
[ ][FYM2] USS Voshov Captain

From: Rear Admiral Zrai ch'Shennaryth, Director, Starfleet Personnel Command
To: Admiral Valentina Sousa, Commanding, Starfleet
Subject: Commander, Explorer Corps

Greetings Admiral,

Things have been hectic in Personnel Command. It may surprise you, but with the length of Rear Admiral Seruk's administration, we have grown somewhat rusty at conducting our own handovers. One last lesson in why not to let people stay in a role too long, I guess.

Vice Admiral Viraan zh'Dohlen also had a long term commanding the Explorer Corps, but thankfully the nature of that command lets them carry on a little easier. Even so, it has come time to appoint a successor to Vice Admiral zh'Dohlen. We have assembled the following candidates:

[ ][EC] Rear Admiral Rachel Ainsworth
Current Posting: Commander, GBZ
Ainsworth may never have been picked for an FYM, but she is proud to have been panel nominated. As the Corps grows, her field command experience may help her. Re-roll the first EC failure in a year, +2 to Capital research.

[ ][EC] Commodore Nash ka'Sharren
Current Posting: CO, Task Force 2, LBZ
The woman, the myth, the legend of the fleet, Nash ka'Sharren has experience running a department within the Explorer Corps, to say nothing of ten years in command of the Enterprise. Nash's mentoring gives whichever FYM is newest +1 S, +1P

[ ][EC] Rear Admiral Anyth sh'Nathriq
Current Posting: Administrator, Operations Mission Control, Starfleet Operations Command
The woman who oversees the beating heart of Starfleet would like the chance to look after its soul. If the Explorer is operating in Federation space, or near a border zone, nearby ships or auxiliaries may make a response roll at a penalty to backup the Corps.

QM/N: People who know of Rear Admirals they want put into consideration for this role can nominate and I'll stat+add to the list.

 

[Simon_Jester]

This probably isn't big enough to merit a threadmark or anything, I dunno. It just popped into my head while I was struggling unsuccessfully to write another scene in Chapter Four, and I'm in a frame of mind that made me want to fire it off.

---

DEVAS AND ASURAS
Interlude​

Armored Frigate Tintreax
Briefing Room
Six Light-Minutes off Deva IX,
Stardate 25152.7

Major Gelax's head twisted around as the aide rushed in. Most of his troops had already beamed aboard the alien dreadnought- but Tintreax was command post of the fleet's commando elements, and he'd stayed behind to join the third wave.

"The second wave reports that they've secured the bridge, though there were no survivors from Diressadie's squad."

"Damn- but at least they died well. Starfleet must have run after they knew we could find them there."

"They speculated as much. The area around the bridge seems deserted, sir."

"Good. take Transporter Room Four off of cycling duties, and get ready to beam me over with two aides-" He jabbed a claw at the one who'd just brought the news. "Get Trixedd, you two are with me." He turned to his second officer. "Captain Drakh, stay here and direct the boarding operations until I can establish a command post. And order my tech-composers to Transporter Room Four. They're trained. We'll go directly to their bridge and start taking control of their main computers!"

She clucked once. "Sir, aren't you concerned about traps?"

"Captain, the Federation may bluff, and it may cheat, and it may profane- but I doubt they have the killer instinct to set very impressive traps. Especially not after we've sent whatever's left of their crew in their area running for their lives."

He stood, striding for the door. "Now, let's take that dreadnought!"

 

[OneirosTheWriter]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X][EC] Rear Admiral Rachel Ainsworth
[X][FYM1] Captain Sabek
[X][FYM2] Captain Demora Sulu

From: Vice Admiral Nyota Uhura, Director, Starfleet Operations Command
To: Admiral Valentina Sousa, Commanding, Starfleet
Subject: Gabriel Border Zone Commander

Admiral,

With the appointment of Rear Admiral Ainsworth to Explorer Corps, which even that hard charger considers a reward for good service in the Gabriel, we now have a vacancy in the Gabriel. As this is one of the commands you have designated of utmost strategic importance, I would like your thoughts on the candidates that we have to take command of the sector. For this quarter, while we rearrange personnel, Commodore Rivers is taking temporary command of the sector with orders to protect against the Cardassians.

Sincerely,
Vice Admiral Uhura

Starfleet Personnel Command Update

Key Reassignments
Captain Sabek - Captain, USS Courageous from Captain, USS Challorn
Captain Demora Sulu - Captain, USS Voshov, from Captain USS Republic
Captain Jennifer Zhang - Captain, USS Challorn from Unassigned

============================================

"Lieutenant, what is this?"

A young Andorian Lieutenant startles, looking up to see Commander Giinad, the Rigellian Third Officer of the Starbase, over his shoulder. "Excuse me, sir?" The Rigellian silently reached out and tapped a red mark on his board. "Oh. The Suvek is late with their last call-back. About an hour or two. It's not a big concern, mapping missions tend to result in disrupted communications from time to time. Their last subspace burst had all green lights."

"Keep me appraised, Lieutenant," says the Commander. "When is their next check-in expected?"

"Another four hours, sir."

The Rigellian crosses her arms and glares at the screen. "If they have not reported in by that stage, I want to know."

"Yes, sir."

-

Captain's Log, USS Vigour, Stardate 25709.4

An abrupt end to shore leave! We've had to boot crew back into orbit. A Betazed patrol cruiser just had a massive blow-out of their fore-ventral EPS trunk. Preliminary engineering assessment shows that their life support systems are gone and not coming back. We need to get there post-haste in order to render aid and save her crew.

-

Captain's Log, USS Docana, Stardate 25710.1

An Andorian science station near the Klingon Border Zone has gone silent, and the sector commander has asked us to detour from a diplomatic engagement to discover what happened there. We have received a heavily encoded data packet from the Andorian Guard regarding the station, which should be decoded shortly.

-

Operations Mission Control Loop, Stardate 25710.3

[Survey Chief Commander Tianoor Nearra] Director, Survey.

[Mission Director Commodore Caleb McNeil] Survey, Director, go ahead.

[SC Cdr Nearra] Director, FYI. One of my Oberths is well late on a report in. Suvek, last in the Petora system.

[MD Comm McNeil] Copy that. Let me review the data package. ... Okay. Spin, Director.

[Spinward Supervisor Commander T'Irian] Director, Spin, proceed.

[MC Comm McNeil] Spin, prep an SAR package, it might be an overreaction, but Suvek was on the Licori side of Rigel and I don't want to take chances.

[SpC Cdr T'Irian] Director, I remind you that I do not have sufficient Starfleet assets to comprise a proper SAR. I will need to requisition aid from the Rigellians, and potentially the Honiani.

[MC Comm McNeil] Spin, understood. Rustle up whatever you can get, but go find the Suvek.

-

Captain's Log, USS Atuin, Stardate 25710.5 - Captain Vol Chad

The UESPA off-world diplomacy team is aboard, and we are in transit to the major Ked Paddah colony world of Gad. The lead ambassador is quite the lively man. Not many humans can properly argue! We will arrive within the next day to begin the next stage of deepening ties.

-

Captain's Log, USS Vigour, Stardate 25710.8

The BDS Antanixx has hailed us to express their relief. They were running very low on oxygen reserves. We've beamed all non-essential crew aboard. The USS Dryad will be here within the hour, we plan to transfer the non-essentials to her so that she can return them to Betazed. Engineering ships Bulwark, Continent, and the Betazed Uplift will be arriving shortly to help stabilise the ship for the return trip. We should have reserve life-support back up and running by then.

[Gain +10pp]

-

Captain's Log, USS Atuin, Stardate 25711.2

Ked Paddah is a somewhat ... I don't want to say 'bland', but I'd like to introduce them to volleyball, I'll say that. Very sombre, very serious. Have a reason for everything you do. Do everything within reason. I'm sure there are members of the Federation that appreciate the approach, but I find it quite tiresome.

-

Captain's Log, USS Docana, Stardate 25711.6

It was a deliberately isolated virology lab. Unfortunately, a loss of containment on some of the specimens allowed the entire staff to, effectively, turn into goop. I have requested permission from Sector Command to use some of the more ... energetic materials we have aboard to properly resolve the matter. After what our sensor sweeps picked up, I am not sending across a medical or science team. We have good hazardous environment suits but this facility will never be suitably decontaminated.

[+5rp, +1 Crew Rating]

-

Captain's Log, USS Atuin, Stardate 25712.2

One of the security officers who came with me from the Sappho has saved my bacon, to borrow an Earthism. The Ked Shibboah, that is, the Ked Paddah Council law enforcement, tell me the assassin was a brainwashed Licori from Gammon. From what we have picked up, the intention was to kill the Ked Paddah envoy I was meeting with, and use high-technology memory-flash devices to convince me that I had killed the envoy in a rage.

However, Petty Officer Trizzadiara had been following me discreetly, and stunned the assassin in his tracks!

[Gain +5pp, +25 relations with Ked Paddah]

-

Captain's Log, RDS Adamant, Stardate 25714.3

We have arrived at the last known location of the USS Suvek and discovered her wreckage. The ship shows alarming signs of having been bisected by immense pneumatic force. Like two titanic jaws. Warp core still functions, marginally, but the ship itself is a write-off. Power and life-support are out everywhere but a small bubble around main engineering. We have recovered a few survivors.

It seems we have an explanation for the hollow moon we found them orbiting. It is the same manner of organism that was destroyed by the Odyssey on Stardate 24994.8, except matured. It is currently lazing around in the upper atmosphere of the local gas giant. Rigel is gathering up a task force to pursue this creature.

[USS Suvek, NCC-1508, destroyed - 1 Enlisted, 3 Technicians lost - 1 Officer, 1 Technician returned to Crew Pool]

-

 

[OneirosTheWriter]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Plan Diplomats and Starfleet Engineers
-[X] Starfleet Engineering Command (5pt from Starfleet, to deploy will require 2 cargo ships and 2 freighters to be sourced from member worlds)
-[X] Shorc Xurth Resource Combine - Heavy Industry (5 Cost to Tellar, gain Heavy Industry asset)
-[X] Retired Vice Admiral Heidi Eriksson - Doctrine Specialist (5pt Cost to Starfleet, gain Doctrine Specialist)
-[X] Generate Generic External Diplomacy Team from United Earth (10 Cost to Starfleet, 5 Cost to Member World, gain External Diplomacy Team)

2315.Q1.M1.F2

A bit of fortune to start the campaign: the USS Winterwind was leading part of ka'Sharren's task force into the Utracca System to hit a convoy waystation connecting the Arcadians to the Laio. The Winterwind was able to detect a cunningly masked minefield in time to narrowly avoid plowing into a mine. Under orders to protect the fleet's heavy elements, they have pulled back, and the Commodore will attempt again after moving on to other outlier targets in the interim.

[QM/N: Lol, when I ran it a second time to test some logging improvements the Winterwind blew up outright and the Liberty also hit a mine.]

The coreward flanks of the Arcadians is relatively target rich at this stage, as most of the conflict with the Ked Paddah has fallen on the other side of their Empire. My aim is to clean-up the outlying star systems from Gammon of assets, especially convoy assets. The noose needs to close around the Kortennon before I kick the barrel out from beneath them. At the same time, I have issued strict instructions to my officers that Laio trade vessels are not to be engaged. To this end, Task Force 1 and 2 are extending around the coreward front, while Task Force 3 serves as a blocking force. When the time comes, Rear Admiral T'Lorel and her ships will knock the door to Gammon down while Task Forces 1 and 2 slip in behind to serve as blocking forces against either a retreat, or a counter-attack.

Closer to home, a patrol by the BDS Harmony encountered and drove off a House Tartesis frigate. The frigate suffered considerable damage in the encounter, and should be out of action for months. I have issued a commendation to her crew as a reward for their prowess. I'm told that the political reaction on Betazed to being the first member world in battle is ... "freaked out" is how it was conveyed to me.

I've also received a request from Starfleet Intelligence to furnish fleet cover for an upcoming operation. We'll have to see how that shakes out.



=====================================

State of Emergency, 2314.Q5.M1.F2 (Turn 8 of State of Emergency)

You are currently operating in a State of Emergency.

This entails an increased operational tempo and an increase to available assets.
These assets usually will require no additional resources from Starfleet, as you are directing the resources of a Federation that does not embrace money. Any additional requirements will be noted on the actions themselves. The most notable brake on your mobilisation of assets comes from their effect on the war support of the various member groups. You have already been provided control over a large fraction of fleet assets from the member worlds nearest the LBZ, but more can be requisitioned.

This State of Emergency will endure until such time as the cause of the crisis is resolved. In this case, until the Mentats of the Arcadian Empire no longer poses a threat to the Federation.

=====================================

Assets

Current Assets:

Special Assets
Ret. Admiral Vitalia Yukiko Kahurangi - Lobby Council on your behalf (Chance of random war support gains)

Fleet Units
Starfleet Line Starships
Starfleet Auxiliary Ships
1 Oberth from Vulcan
1 Oda-Gach from Rigel
1 Cargo Ship from Tellar

Recon Units
Vulcan Survey Corps - Assigned to Clover Outpost (+1 to Clover Outpost detecting ships)
Andorian Orbital Guard Runabouts - Assigned to Betazed (+1 to Rixx Defence Platform [Outpost] detecting ships)

Internal Diplomacy Teams
Federation Emergency Committee - Focus on increasing mobilisation (+10pt/mnth mobilisation rate)
Federation Diplomatic Service Consular Team 3 - Focus on increasing mobilisation (+10pt/mnth mobilisation rate)

External Diplomacy Teams
Federation Diplomatic Service Ambassadorial Team 4 - Unassigned
UESPA Offworld Diplomacy Team - Convey a write-in request to <Ked Paddah> to begin coordinating war effort with Federation

Engineering Teams
UESPA Deep Space Engineering - Commence outpost build at <Onos IV> - ETC 2315.Q2.M1.F1
Starfleet Engineering Command - Rush Betazed Starbase Construction (2x Speed) - ETC 2315.Q1.M2.F1
Andorian Imperial Star Engineers - Unassigned

Heavy Industry Teams
Dhara Heavy Industry Park (Andor) - Prepare components for 2x1mt Repair Yard Berths (3 Months) - ETC 2315.Q1.M3.F1
Shorc Xurth Resource Combine (Tellar) - Rush Starship Construction for <Courageous>
East Asian Productivity Commission (UESPA) - Unassigned

Doctrine Specialist
Retired Vice Admiral Heidi Eriksson - Begin developing developing countermeasures for fixed defences (improve minefield rolls) (6 months) - ETC 2315.Q3.M1.F1
Retired Vice Admiral Lachlan Ablett - Unassigned

=====================================

Fleet Units

Fleet Units

Starships and other assets that you can use to supplement your forces, create new task forces, replace losses, or reinforce attacks.

Recon Units

Recon Units

Supplementary patrol units that you can attach to your starbases, outposts, and fleet units.

Internal Diplomacy

Internal Diplomacy

Assets that you can employ to help bolster links between member worlds, or shore up flagging support. They can also be used to increase the rate with which you are able to mobilise assets, though that may become a double-edged sword.

External Diplomacy

External Diplomacy

Assets that you can employ to conduct relations with other nearby powers, such as the Ked Paddah, the Honiani, the Laio, the Gaeni, and others.

Engineering Teams

Engineering Teams

Field deployable units consisting of Engineering Ships, construction crews, and the like. They are capable of conducting operations abroad in unsettled systems.

Heavy Industry

Heavy Industry

You need heavy industry to provide extra boosts to ship production, repair, to produce the components necessary for constructing stations, outposts, and starbases.

Doctrine Specialists

Doctrine Specialists

All doctrines are plans, and no plan survives first contact with the enemy. War is the most unforgiving task master, so you best learn what works and doesn't work quickly.

Task Assignments:

[ ][UNASSIGN] List any teams you wish to unassign from their current tasks

Federation Diplomatic Service Ambassadorial Team 4
[ ][AMB] Conduct half-strength diplomatic push on <Target>
[ ][AMB] Lobby to integrate <Affiliate Member> who is already at war into your forces (Will begin to build support in that world)
[ ][AMB] Lobby to have an <Affiliate Member> join the war effort (Will begin to build support in that world)
[ ][AMB] Convey a write-in request to <Target> (Variable results)
[ ][AMB] Extend peace talks feelers

FDS Consular Team
[ ][CON] Focus on increasing mobilisation (+10pt/mnth mobilisation rate)
[ ][CON] Lobby to raise war support on <Member> (+2 war support per month for target)
[ ][CON] Lobby to increase economic mobilisation on <Member> (chance of forcing an economic push)
[ ][CON] Reassure <Member World> (Chance to reduce support lost from combat or mobilisation)
[ ][CON] Work to add Member World <Target> to responding worlds
[ ][CON] Asset Identification <Category> - Attempt to add more non-Generic options for Mobilisation

Andorian Imperial Star Engineers
[ ][ENG] Commence outpost build at <Target> (3 Months - apprx)
[ ][ENG] Commence starbase build at <Target> (12 Months - apprx)
[ ][ENG] Build listening post builds in <Subsector> (5 Months - apprx)
[ ][ENG] Build heliopause sensor pickets in <Target> (+1 to Sci-T against infiltrating craft) (3 Months - apprx)
[ ][ENG] Keep in reserve for now
(If you want to just place in a given subsector as a picket, just nominate the subsector instead of a particular world)

East Asian Productivity Council
[ ][IND] Prepare components for 3 Outposts (3 Months) - You have 3 in stock
[ ][IND] Prepare components for 1 Starbase (3 Months) - You have 1 in stock
[ ][IND] Prepare components for 2x1mt Repair Yard Berths (3 Months)
[ ][IND] Prepare components for 1x3mt Repair Yard Berth (5 Months)
[ ][IND] Prepare components for 1x1mt Shipyard Berth (3 Months)
[ ][IND] Prepare components for 1x3mt Shipyard Berth (6 Months)
NB: Both of the following options may also be applied to Member World facilities, also apply for refits - if both are applied to a single build, the -1Qtr proc's BEFORE the 2x rate
[ ][IND] Rush Starship Construction for <Single ship under construction> (Variable, ship will proceed at 2x rate)
[ ][IND] Rush Construction at <Shipyard> (9 Months, all builds gain +1Qtr of work)
[ ][IND] Brute force repairs (1.5x penalty to cost, 4x speed increase)

Retired Vice Admiral Lachlan Ablett
[ ][DOC] Begin research on a Doctrine Technology (2pt/tech/quarter)
[ ][DOC] Begin researching anti-convoy techniques (+1 to attempts to engage convoys within Licori space, 4 months)

Additional task types may be requested of the QM.


=====================================

The Home Front

Current War Support:
Starfleet - 150pt (-5 Asset Mobilisation)
United Earth SPA - 125pt (-5, Asset Mobilisation)
Vulcan High Command - 53pt (+2 from Kahurangi)
Tellarite State Forces - 123pt
Betazed Defence Forces - 43pt (-2, Initial Shock)
Rigel Defence Force - 103pt (+4 from Kahurangi)
Andorian Guard - 87pt (-10, Asset Mobilisation)
IT of Gaen - 145pt (-5, Asset Mobilisation)

Spoiler

NB: Starfleet's entry here is more to do with organisation-wide morale and depth.

War Weariness increases with:
Battles
Casualties
Time
Resource Requests
Economic Policy changes
Failing set objectives

War Support increases with:
Some victories
Achieving set objectives
Releasing resources

Councillors
UESPA - 3 Dev, 2 Exp, 1 Pac, 1 Haw
VHC - 1 Dev, 5 Pac
TSF - 3 Dev, 1 Pac, 1 Haw
BDF - 2 Pac
RDF - 4 Merc

===================================

Current Economic Settings:
Starfleet - N/A
United Earth SPA - Early Mobilisation
Vulcan High Command - Peacetime
Tellarite State Force - Early Mobilisation
Betazed Defence Forces - Peacetime
Andorian Guard - Peacetime
Rigel Defence Force - Peacetime
IT of Gaen - Wartime Economy
Honiani - Peacetime
Laio - Peacetime

Levels of Mobilisation
Pacifist - 75% of normal income, 100% of normal build
Peacetime - 100% of normal income, 100% of normal build time, no stockpile opening
Early - 125% of normal income, -1Qtr build time, open 25% of stockpile
Limited - 150% of normal income, -2Qtr build time, open full stockpile
Wartime - 200% of normal income, -25% build time, post-war economic slump,
Total - 250% of normal income, -50% build time, post-war economic crash,

There are maximum time-frames that a wartime economy can be maintained without income dropping again.

Spoiler: Economy Log

2314.Q4.M1.F2:
UESPA has moved from 110/60/2/2.2/2.2 to 140/75/2.5/2.75/2.75 - gained 50/40 from stockpile
VHC has moved from 40/35/1/1.75/1.5 to 55/45/1.35/2.35/2
TSF has moved from 95/50/1.45/1.95/1.95 to 120/65/1.8/2.4/2.4 - gained 50/40 from stockpile

2314.Q4.M3.F2:
BDF has moved from 35/35/1.15/1.45/1.15 to 45/45/1.45/1.8/1.45

Spoiler: Licori Border Zone Structure

Tailward Theatre Command - Vice Admiral Viraan zh'Dohlen

Licori Border Zone Commanding Officer - Rear Admiral Victoria Eaton
-LBZ Auxiliary Task Force CO - Commodore T'Mina (promote)
-LBZ Executive Officer - Captain Ferath zh'Kylarrth
-LBZ Chief of Staff - Captain Rosalee McAdams
--Staff Personnel Officer - Commander Staik
--Staff Intelligence Officer - Commander Elizabeth Faring
--Staff Operations Officer - Commander Hayden Kennedy
--Staff Medical Officer - Commander Prshrr Marhar
--Staff Science Officer - Commander Krabad
--Staff Engineering Officer - Commander Gordon Laver
--Staff Industrial Liaison - Tash sh'Petreth (Andorian Chamber of Industry)
--Staff Diplomatic Liaison

-Clover Outpost Commander - Commander Ceisrud Ozei
--Vulcan Survey Corps

-Starfleet Intelligence Task Force - Captain Thren th'Panyth
--Intel Gathering
--- Office 25 (Other Field Desk) Detachment
--- Coreward Desk Detachment
--- Office 11 (Minor Powers Decryption) Detachment
--Special Security Ops Teams
--- Office 10 (Romulan Irregular Ops Team)
--- Office 19
--- Office 24
--Squadron 1, 2 Detachments (Runabouts + Shuttles)
-Andorian Orbital Guard Runabout Squadron

Task Force 1 CO - Commodore Michel Thuir
-Flag: USS Sarek
Task Force 2 CO - Commodore Nash ka'Sharren
-Flag: USS Enterprise

Task Force 3 CO - Rear Admiral T'Lorel
-Flag: USS Renaissance
-- Task Group 3.1 CO - Commodore Brufraogm Wev
---Flag: RDS Yagad-Tich
-- Task Group 3.2 CO - Commodore Erzath zh'Darlyth
---Flag: USS Endurance

Task Force 4 CO - Commodore Iorin Grann (promote)
-Flag: Thirishar

-Task Force 5
--Task Group 5.1 CO - Ms Alexia O'Conner, UESPA Deep Space Engineering
--- Flag: UES Kagutsuchi, Engineering Ship

-- Task Group 5.2 CO Starfleet Engineering Command
--- Flag: USS Anvil, Engineering Ship

-- Task Group 5.3 CO Andorian Imperial Star Engineers
--- Flag: Engineering Ship Ikaryth

-Task Force 6 CO - Naval Supervisor Anak Hadd-Banad
-- Flag: IGS Hadd-Mal, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser

Sol Sector Command - Rear Admiral
-Rixx Defence Platform [Betazed Outpost] - Commander Pirala Narax
--Andorian Orbital Guard Runabouts

Spoiler: Commanders

Rear Admiral Victoria Eaton
Current Posting: Commander, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: High
Aggression: High
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Commodore Brufraogm Wev
Current Posting: Commander, Task Group 3.1, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: High
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: Low
Politics: High

Commodore Erzath zh'Darlyth
Current Posting: Commander, Task Group 3.2, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Low
Aggression: High
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Rear Admiral T'Lorel
Current Posting: Commander, Task Force 3, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: High
Politics: Medium

Commodore Michel Thuir
Current Posting: Operations Officer, Starfleet Tactical Field Command
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: High
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Commodore Nash ka'Sharren
Current Posting: Commander, Task Force 2, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Low
Aggression: High
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: High
Politics: Medium

Captain Rosalee McAdams
Current Posting: Chief of Staff, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Commodore T'Mina
Current Posting: Commander, Auxiliary Task Force, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: High
Politics: Medium

Commodore Iorin Grann
Current Posting: Commander, Task Force 4, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Low
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: Medium

Captain Ferath zh'Kylarrth
Current Posting: Executive Officer, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Low
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: High
Politics: High

Spoiler: Order of Battle

Tailward Theatre, Vice Admiral Viraan zh'Dohlen
Sol Sector
Rigel Sector
Vulcan Sector
Andor Sector
Klingon Border Zone
Romulan Border Zone
Licori Border Zone

-Task Force 1, Commodore Michel Thuir
USS Sarek, Excelsior-class, NCC-2004 - Captain Straak
USS Excelsior, Excelsior-class, NCC-2000 - Captain Yamada Ichigo
USS Lexington, Constitution-B-class, NCC-1741 - Captain Winslow
TSS Krinuk, Constitution-B-class, NCC-1750
USS Blizzard, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2108 - Captain Senok
USS Lightning, Centaur-A-class, NCC- 2105 - Captain Khrerg bak Arguk
UES Calgary, Miranda-A-class, NCC-1903 - Captain Tan Ming
USS Torbriel, Oberth-class, NCC-1511 - Captain Diego Zaardmani

-Task Force 2, Commodore Nash ka'Sharren
USS Enterprise, Excelsior-class, NCC-1701-B - Captain Samhaya Mrr'shan
UES Liberty, Excelsior-class, NCC-2017 - Captain Olesya Sokolov
USS Hood, Constitution-B-class, NCC-1742 - Captain Angela Curtis
USS Winterwind, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2104 - Captain Abigail Taggart
UES Shanghai, Miranda-A-class, NCC-1904 - Captain Gao Yang
UES Yorkshire, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2109 - Captain Angus Connelly
USS Hawking, Oberth-class, NCC-1509 - Captain Bruce Ponting
2 Tellarite Miranda-As

-Task Force 3, Rear Admiral T'Lorel
USS Renaissance, Renaissance-class, NCC-2601 - Captain Larai Leaniss
--Task Group 3.1, Commodore Brufraogem Wev
RDS Yagad-Tich, Megatortoise-class, NCC-2901 - Captain Irdask
RDS Hadabat, Turtleship-class, NCC-2903 - Captain Rumo
RDS Monsad, Turtleship-class, NCC-2904 - Captain Caagid
BDS Radlawxa, Patrol Cruiser-class, NCC-2501 - Captain Viamelo Gru
RDS Oda-Gach-3, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3005
USS Svai, Miranda-class, NCC-1658 - Captain T'Atring
1 Tellarite Miranda-A
--Task Group 3.2, Commodore Erzath zh'Darlyth
USS Endurance, Excelsior-class, NCC-2007 - Captain Pavel Chekov
RDS Pagatat, Turtleship-class, NCC-2907 - Captain Zukeik
UES Jupiter, Constellation-class, NCC-1813 - Captain Roberta Sherman
USS Calypso, Miranda-class, NCC-1632 - Captain Tomiq zh'Pohren
USS Thunderhead, Miranda-class, NCC-1656 - Captain Amos Bao
USS Inspire, Oberth-class, NCC-1510 - Captain Amelia Currie
1 Tellarite Constellation

-Task Force 4, Commodore Iorinn Grann
USS Thirishar, Excelsior-class, NCC-2011 - Captain Norkair ch'Gharist
USS Gale, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2106 - Captain Gorth th'Hashok
BDS Harmony, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2120 - Captain Eneram Idrai
BDS Astute, Patroller-class, NCC-2507
BDS Assist, Patroller-class, NCC-2508
RDS Oda-Gach-4, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3006
RDS Oda-Gach-5, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3007
RDS Oda-Gach-7, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3008
USS T'Mir, Oberth-class, NCC-1507
1 Vulcan Oberth

-Auxiliary Force
1 Tellarite Cargo Ships
2 Andorian Cargo Ships
1 Vulcan Cargo Ship
2 Human Cargo Ships
1 Human Freighter
1 Betazoid Cargo Ship

-Research Attachment
1 Vulcan Civilian Research Cruiser

-Task Force 5
--Task Group 5.1 CO - Ms Alexia O'Conner, UESPA Deep Space Engineering
--- UES Kagutsuchi, Engineering Ship
--- UES Norn, Engineering Ship
--- 3 UES Cargo Ships
--- UES Freighter
-- Task Force 5.2 CO Starfleet Engineering Command
--- USS Anvil, Engineering Ship
--- USS Hearth, Engineering Ship
--- 2 Tellarite Cargo Ships
--- 1 Tellarite Freighter
--- 1 Andorian Freighter
-- Task Force 5.3 CO Andorian Imperial Star Engineers
--- Engineering Ship Ikaryth
--- Engineering Ship Laniska
--- 2 Andorian Cargo Ships
--- 2 Andorian Freighters

-Task Force 6, Naval Supervisor Anak Hadd-Banad
--IGS Hadd-Mal, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser, Senior Naval Specialist Kant Tarkoia-Mal
--IGS Pall-Keat, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser
--IGS Tar-Anat, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser
--IGS Akad-Noa, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser
--IGS Fadath-Toir, Gaeni Tech-Frigate, Mid-Senior Naval Specialist Loia Maladd-Toir
--IGS Hidik-Daya, Gaeni Tech-Frigate
--IGS Nuoth-Far, Gaeni Tech-Frigate

Spoiler: Gaeni Assets and Status

Illuminated Technocracy of Gaen

Recon Units
Inid Uttar Institute (Runabouts + Research Cruiser) - Assigned to Gaen
Nitta Oian Institute (Runabouts + Research Cruiser) - Assigned to Thunti

External Diplomacy Teams
Technocracy Interstellar Ministry - Unassigned

Internal Diplomacy Teams
Central Technocracy Council - Increasing Asset Mobilisation
Chamber of Commerce Council - Run Internal Recruiting Campaigns

Engineering Teams
Henn-Makad Engineering Institute (1 Cargo, 1 Super-Freighter, 1 Freighter, 2 Cargo)
- Completed Staging outpost (2315.Q1.M1)

Heavy Industry Teams
North Apada Industrial Council - Accelerating Tech-Cruiser Build in [Gaen Man. Coop Bay 1]
Thunti Industrial Council - Building Components for 2x1.5mt repair bays (will complete by 2315.Q2.M1)
South Nadaia Industrial Council - Unassigned

Doctrine Teams
Kedaia Naar Institute - Developing Anti-Licori techniques (will gain +1% at 2315.Q1.M3)

Logistics
Gaen Central Technocracy Logistics Network
(Income 90/100)
Hubs - Gaen (30/20), Thunti (10/10)
Sources - = 50br 70sr 20rp
Targets - 5 minor colonies
Industry -
Destination -

Spoiler

Total for Feeder Network -
Source - 90s 50b
Minors - 40s 20b
Route Penalty = 1.1
Total x Route Penalty = 143s 77b
Per Bi-Monthly = 24s 13b
1 Freighter, 3 Cargo Ship Assigned

Total for Trunk Network -
Homeworld + 1 Major Worlds = 20s 10b
Route Penalty = 1
Per Bi-Monthly = 4s 2b
1 Cargo Ship Assigned

Total for Industry Network -
90br/100sr = 20s 18b
Route Penalty = 1
Per Bi-Monthly = 4s 3b
1 Freighter Assigned

Fleet Support -
6 Cruisers = 6s
7 Frigate = 4s
15 Auxiliary = 15s
Total = 25s
4 Cargo Ships Assigned

2 Freighters, 8 Cargo Ships assigned to networks
1 Super-Freighters, 3 Freighters, 9 Cargo Ships free for other tasks
Under 50% capacity - no strain

 

[Simon_Jester]

Harmony​

Centaur-class Frigate Harmony
Costaun Patrol Arc
Stardate 25718

The Licori ship had ignored multiple hails. Their only reaction to a warning shot had been to open fire, even though they were outside effective weapons range. Mournfully, Captain Idrai gave the order.

<Take us in close.>

Shedding a storm of beam hits off its reinforced shields, the new-type frigate angled closer. Much closer. To what was, for the handful of grandmasters- such as Idrai himself- telepath range.

The crew of the Harmony had already taken home the championship, once, in fleet exercises, a reward for their mastery at the BDF's peculiar, psychoactive style of combat. And there was nothing in the Licori arsenal that prepared them for that.

Licori ships were crew-heavy compared to their counterparts. Dozens of specialist mentats' minds whirred and buzzed with mad energy to keep the ship in operation, to make it a fighting whole and not a passive mass of metal and power plants. Mentats were marvelous, brilliant, dizzying intellects, beautiful in a way no one but a telepath could ever know. They burned like supergiant stars, and like supergiants were so tragically short-lived.

But fast as mentats were, they could only work at the speed of thought itself. To a telepath, those mentats were blurs of numbers and shapes- but the key trigger thoughts were always there.

<Fifteen degrees left. Fire at mark plus two hundred milliseconds, anticipating an evasive turn to dorsal. Correct azimuth by forty-three milliradians.>

And Idrai, who had gently ordered his helsman aside- he had the experience, better his hands on the controls- saw it all. Every bit, in the moments before those radiant geniuses could act on their insights. A quick word to Bellaxa at Countermeasures aimed the Harmony's torpedo to match that fifteen degree turn. Just before 'mark' the Harmony began a roll and twitched to ventral, a howling burst of destructive energies ricocheting harmlessly off its shields. Another burst missed- it should have been forty-seven milliradians, after all.

He could never have done this against a Federation ship. Or a Klingon ship. Or any other ship. Most naval crews, his own crew included, didn't have to conceptualize every bit of what their machines did. Some of it was in the computers, invisible. Thoughts read, no matter how skillfully, were always incomplete. Did not contain a perfect, in toto image of exactly what they were about to do.

But this? If someone had suggested it to him as a training exercise, he'd have rejected it. Too easy. And- one other reason. He so very much hoped that reason would be avoided. He flinched in involuntary terror of what he feared was coming.

It came. The Licori ship's shields finally gave out, even under the pecking, desultory, but eerily accurate fire Harmony delivered. And praying to any god that would listen, Idrai and so many others of his crew projected, in the futile hope that even the brain-deaf could hear what they needed the crew of the Bold to hear. So desperately needed them to hear that.

<RUN!>

They didn't listen.

For five long minutes, Countermeasures held fire, though the Bold, its defenses hopelessly breached, didn't return the favor. The Licori gunners were starting to realize what was happening, knowing with sick horror just how the Betazoid ship had so effortlessly evaded their every move. They weren't fools, even the regular crewmen that seemed so dim compared to the shining, ephemeral, alien beauty of the mentats.

They were adapting, adjusting. Burning out their own beam emitters, emitting broad-band shotgun blasts of force that he couldn't dodge. They wouldn't break his shields in any meaningful amount of time that way, and they knew it. They did it anyway, thinking they had to try.

Biting her lip, Bellaxa turned the key for a torpedo launch- set to proximity detonation, a few kilometers off their bow. A blue-white fireball flash-welded shut the covers of the Bold's torpedo tubes, melted their main targeting scanner. Shock shook the Licori ship even so. A life ended with a ghastly, sickly puff of unfinished thoughts, spiraling out of a ruined brain in a crushed skull. Another dying mind, who had seconds to know she was dying, from a broken neck.

Another torpedo detonated, astern of them, and warped outer plating drifted away from their starboard nacelle. Three more dead.

They kept firing. Damn their stubbornness! And- he made a spoken-voice warning to Engineering because of the other thing keeping them in the fight. That prospect was truly hair-raising.

Harmony opened fire with phasers, again and again, striking every part of the ship his crew could think of except the ones packed with crew. But there were so very, very few of those, and none of them were remotely essential. Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a Licori mind. Which meant they needed far more of those minds, in places anyone else would use only machines.

Scarred and scorched from the wash of gamma rays, smoke pouring from a dozen hull breaches that signaled hits on noncritical systems, Bold fought on, running on an implacable phalanx of grim determination. He sank his head, and Bellaxa read the thought from his mind, for all she didn't want to. A burst of phaser fire, at maximum power, sliced through the Bold's forward beam room, killing fifteen of the regular crew and the two mentats present for on-mount targeting.

Feeling the mentats die- he'd somehow been able to hold back the tears until then. No more.

Trembling, Bellaxa dialed her phasers back to burn out the frigate's aft weapons pods as Idrai brought the ship around. Without penetrating the hull armor. But the Tartresis ship was starting to come apart, now, overstressed by evasive maneuvers, with power to structural integrity fields ebbing. The beam overpenetrated.

More dead, a chorus of wailing, fading ghosts Idrai couldn't force himself not to count. He knew, somehow, that in his nightmares he'd remember their last thoughts, or the garbled scraps that hadn't had time to become thoughts for those lucky ones granted the quickest deaths. The crew of the Harmony were pounding on him, on each other, on the uncaring heavens-

<MAKE IT STOP!>

Shaken, haggard, his breath shuddering, Idrai resolved to try again.

<Signals. Hail them. All frequencies. Just... hail them.>

The channel opened. He saw the green face of Sombré Boiys, captain of the frigate Bold, retainer to House Tartresis. The Licori's voice was even prouder than his mind. "I request no parley. The Bold may be damaged, but we have not asked for quarter-"

"Because of your navigation team's idea with the deflector dish! Yes, I know what they're doing, and why you haven't given up. And yes, it would have worked. If our engineers hadn't started modifications to our shields- ten minutes ago!"

Boiys' face betrayed nothing. Idrai could even tell that Boiys was trying not to think anything remotely related to his deflector dish. With something surprisingly close to success, given how proverbially impossible it was to not think of something on purpose.

"If you think we would-"

"Shut up. Just shut up. It's supposed to be polite to let the brain-deaf speak their side of a conversation. I. DON'T. CARE. I don't want to do any more killing! Captain Boiys, you're a good man. I can tell. Yes, I know what you said to her when you-" He saw the Tartresis captain's flinch at knowing that surface thought had been read. "That doesn't count. You are a good man. You don't want this war. Well, we don't either!"

Stiffly, able to stand no more, Boiys spoke through gritted teeth, with the grim laconic humor that Idrai now knew was a cherished Tartresis custom. "For a man who prates of his unwillingness to fight, you make an uncannily talented warrior, Captain."

"Just because we hate killing doesn't mean we don't know how to protect ourselves! Captain, I can read your fire control solutions out of your master gunners' minds. Every last detail. Also that your weapons are offline, except for the deflector dish. Which, yes, counts- I know what you can do with it. I know your helm maneuvers before you make them. I know your port structural integrity field is at twelve point seven percent, and that a torpedo hit forward of Frame Eighty would break your hull in half. Even if it didn't have a warhead."

Boiys remained- stiff. Trying to blank his mind, failing of course, at the realization of just how hopeless this battle really was.

"Everything you do or say, I will know before you do it. I could destroy your ship right now. I could have killed you already. If I were human, or Amarki, or gods help me even a Vulcan, I would have already done it! I beg you-" His voice faltered, and the tears streamed from his dark eyes- "beg you not to put the dying screams of four hundred and thirty-two souls on my conscience- and yes, I can count them from this range. Our system is defended. This sector is defended. Remember, so no one else has to die because of the madness and viciousness of the brain-deaf! Now go, and do not come back!"

And with sparking crackles of St. Elmo's fire sputtering from her exposed warp coils, arcing into space through the haze of vapor pouring into vacuum from her damaged hull, the Licori frigate turned, and did so, jumping up to a wavering, staggering Warp Four.

And the Licori did not come back to Betazed.

Not without that peculiarly effective delta-ray mind shield, later to become one of the hallmark technologies of the Licori War.

 

[OneirosTheWriter]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X][AMB] Conduct half-strength diplomatic push on Laio
[X][CON] Lobby to raise war support on Betazed (+2 war support per month for target)
[X][DOC] Begin researching anti-convoy techniques (+1 to attempts to engage convoys within Licori space, 4 months)
[X][ENG] Build listening post builds in Subsector C1 (5 Months - apprx)
[X][IND] Prepare components for 3 Outposts (3 Months) - You have 3 in stock

2315.Q1.M2.F1

Two bits of bad news have arrived from the LBZ. A Sandworm-class explorer from the Imperial House managed to jump the USS Hood. The ship was disabled in the fighting, however it was not destroyed, as the AIS Indefatigable withdrew as the Enterprise approached to rescue the Hood. Not too far away, contact has been lost with one of Commodore Thuir's ships. The USS Blizzard, from Task Force 1, was part of an effort to sweep some of the star systems in the area. All contact was lost as of yesterday, and Commodore Thuir is attempting to ascertain the fate of the ship.

In more positive news, two cargo ships bound for Laio were destroyed by the UES Yorkshire. Crew were removed after the ships were disabled, and will be interned for the duration. In addition, the convoy waystations that lead into the trade route from Gammon and Calamar have been removed, with only the Utracca waystation, which is the junction of the trade routes, remaining.

Task Force 6, the Gaeni force, has been pushed up to secure Kappa Tau system. It is believed this will be a crucial staging area for operating further into Arcadian space. Rear Admiral Eaton is hoping the potent sensors of the Gaeni ships will be able to help keep that vector into Federation space secure from infiltrators as well. At the same time, UES Liberty is preparing to take another task element into the Utracca system to defeat that waystation.

Beyond that, House Kortennon is making abortive sorties, sprinting out in various directions before sprinting back, trying to keep Rear Admiral T'Lorel's forces moving in either direction. This is keeping her forces dispersed, and may make it difficult to concentrate forces for local superiority. Together with Commodores Wev and zh'Darlyth, she is doing her best to keep her forces aligned properly. Despite this, Task Group 3.1 will attempt to push forward and occupy the House Kortennon research colony in the Ynnead system, in beween Clover and Gammon. This is also expected to force a reaction from House Kortennon's defensive fleets. If so, Task Group 3.2 will intervene.

[USS Hood disabled - 30br, 20sr, 12 months, 1 Officer, 2 Enlisted, 1 Technician lost]
[USS Blizzard as yet unknown]


=====================================

State of Emergency, 2315.Q1.M2.F1 (Turn 9 of State of Emergency)

You are currently operating in a State of Emergency.

This entails an increased operational tempo and an increase to available assets.
These assets usually will require no additional resources from Starfleet, as you are directing the resources of a Federation that does not embrace money. Any additional requirements will be noted on the actions themselves. The most notable brake on your mobilisation of assets comes from their effect on the war support of the various member groups. You have already been provided control over a large fraction of fleet assets from the member worlds nearest the LBZ, but more can be requisitioned.

This State of Emergency will endure until such time as the cause of the crisis is resolved. In this case, until the Mentats of the Arcadian Empire no longer poses a threat to the Federation.

=====================================

Assets

Current Assets:

Special Assets
Ret. Admiral Vitalia Yukiko Kahurangi - Lobby Council on your behalf (Chance of random war support gains)

Fleet Units
Starfleet Line Starships
Starfleet Auxiliary Ships
1 Oberth from Vulcan
1 Oda-Gach from Rigel
1 Cargo Ship from Tellar

Recon Units
Vulcan Survey Corps - Assigned to Clover Outpost (+1 to Clover Outpost detecting ships)
Andorian Orbital Guard Runabouts - Assigned to Betazed (+1 to Rixx Defence Platform [Outpost] detecting ships)

Internal Diplomacy Teams
Federation Emergency Committee - Lobby to raise war support on Betazed (+2 war support per month for target)
Federation Diplomatic Service Consular Team 3 - Focus on increasing mobilisation (+10pt/mnth mobilisation rate)

External Diplomacy Teams
Federation Diplomatic Service Ambassadorial Team 4 - Conduct half-strength diplomatic push on Laio
UESPA Offworld Diplomacy Team - Convey a write-in request to <Ked Paddah> to begin coordinating war effort with Federation

Engineering Teams
UESPA Deep Space Engineering - Commence outpost build at <Onos IV> - ETC 2315.Q2.M1.F1
Starfleet Engineering Command - Rush Betazed Starbase Construction (2x Speed) - ETC 2315.Q1.M2.F1
Andorian Imperial Star Engineers - Build listening post builds in Subsector C1 (5 Months - apprx)

Heavy Industry Teams
Dhara Heavy Industry Park (Andor) - Prepare components for 2x1mt Repair Yard Berths (3 Months) - ETC 2315.Q1.M3.F1
Shorc Xurth Resource Combine (Tellar) - Rush Starship Construction for <Courageous>
East Asian Productivity Commission (UESPA) - Prepare components for 3 Outposts (3 Months) - You have 3 in stock

Doctrine Specialist
Retired Vice Admiral Heidi Eriksson - Begin developing developing countermeasures for fixed defences (improve minefield rolls) (6 months) - ETC 2315.Q3.M1.F1
Retired Vice Admiral Lachlan Ablett - Begin researching anti-convoy techniques (+1 to attempts to engage convoys within Licori space, 4 months)

The following units are available to be mobilised at relatively short notice. More options from each world will become available:

The Betazed Defence Forces are deeply worried about the ability of their Patrollers to handle this level of combat. After reviewing the battle logs from the BDS Harmony, a Starfleet designed Centaur-A, they believe that enhancements for the Patroller, of which there are two serving in the LBZ, are needed urgently. They have an idea for a complete replacement of the sensor suites and new shield emitters. However, they lack the facilities and infrastructure to make this happen at the right timeframe.
[ ][BETA] Provide 40rp and 10pp for Betazed to crash-develop a rapid upgrade package for the Patroller. [+2 S, +1L, 15br/15sr, can be developed in 3 months, 3 months to upgrade]
[ ][BETA] Decline


The following units are available to be mobilised at relatively short notice. More options from each world will become available:

[ ][WS] Please select up to a maximum of 20 war support of assets to mobilise from the start
(Please be aware of costs associated with assets)
Starfleet Reserve Personnel (20pt from Starfleet, +20 O/E/T for duration of SoE only, one-time)
Starfleet Engineering Command (5pt from Starfleet, to deploy will require 2 cargo ships and 2 freighters to be sourced from member worlds)
NB: This is the third and final pair of Engineering Ships from Starfleet Engineering, which will remove the ability to create facilities via Snakepit.

Federalise Fleet Units from <Member World> (5 cost for explorer, 2 cost for cruiser, 1 cost for frigate, paid against member world you are calling up fleet units from)
Federalise Auxiliary Units from <Member World> (3 cost for freighter, 2 cost for cargo ship, 3 cost for other auxiliary units)

Andorian Civil Service - Internal Diplomacy Team (20pt cost for Andor, gain Internal Diplomacy Team)
Earth Civil Service - Internal Diplomacy Team (20pt cost for Earth, gain Internal Diplomacy Team)

Starfleet Academy Red Squad Runabouts - Recon team (4 cost for Starfleet, gain +1 to outpost and starbase attempts to detect incoming ships)
Rigellian Customs Service Runabout Squadron 1 (6 Cost for Rigel, gain +1 to outpost and starbase attempts to detect incoming ships)

North America Productivity Commission - Heavy Industry (5 Cost to Earth, gain Heavy Industry asset)
Hargunn Arcrut Resource Combine - Heavy Industry (8 Cost to Tellar, gain Heavy Industry asset)
Cheleb-Kor Industrial Centre - Heavy Industry Team (8 Cost to Vulcan, gain Heavy Industry asset)
Morchell Arebb Complex - Heavy Industry (5 Cost to Rigel, gain Heavy Industry asset)

Gorc Belth Colonial Engineers - Engineering Team (10 Cost from Tellar, gain Engineering Team with 2 Engineering Ships, 3 Cargo Ships, 1 Freighter)
Hadad Pradesh Mond Engineering - Engineering Team (10 Cost from Rigel, gain Engineering Team with 2 Engineering Ships, 2 Cargo Ships, 2 Freighters)
Calixx Reisu Engineering Corps - Engineering Team (8 Cost from Betazed, gain Engineering Team with 1 Engineering Ship, 1 Cargo Ship, 1 Freighter)

Generate Generic Heavy Industry from <Member World> (10 Cost to Member World, gain Heavy Industry asset)
Generate Generic Engineering Team from <Member World> (15 Cost to Member World, gain Engineering team)
Generate Generic Internal Diplomacy Team from <Member World> (10 Cost to Starfleet, 5 Cost to Member World, gain Internal Diplomacy Team)
Generate Generic External Diplomacy Team from <Member World> (10 Cost to Starfleet, 5 Cost to Member World, gain External Diplomacy Team)

=====================================

Fleet Units

Fleet Units

Starships and other assets that you can use to supplement your forces, create new task forces, replace losses, or reinforce attacks.

Recon Units

Recon Units

Supplementary patrol units that you can attach to your starbases, outposts, and fleet units.

Internal Diplomacy

Internal Diplomacy

Assets that you can employ to help bolster links between member worlds, or shore up flagging support. They can also be used to increase the rate with which you are able to mobilise assets, though that may become a double-edged sword.

External Diplomacy

External Diplomacy

Assets that you can employ to conduct relations with other nearby powers, such as the Ked Paddah, the Honiani, the Laio, the Gaeni, and others.

Engineering Teams

Engineering Teams

Field deployable units consisting of Engineering Ships, construction crews, and the like. They are capable of conducting operations abroad in unsettled systems.

Heavy Industry

Heavy Industry

You need heavy industry to provide extra boosts to ship production, repair, to produce the components necessary for constructing stations, outposts, and starbases.

Doctrine Specialists

Doctrine Specialists

All doctrines are plans, and no plan survives first contact with the enemy. War is the most unforgiving task master, so you best learn what works and doesn't work quickly.

=====================================

The Home Front

Current War Support:
Starfleet - 150pt
United Earth SPA - 125pt
Vulcan High Command - 53pt
Tellarite State Forces - 123pt
Betazed Defence Forces - 43pt
Rigel Defence Force - 103pt
Andorian Guard - 87pt
IT of Gaen - 145pt

Spoiler

NB: Starfleet's entry here is more to do with organisation-wide morale and depth.

War Weariness increases with:
Battles
Casualties
Time
Resource Requests
Economic Policy changes
Failing set objectives

War Support increases with:
Some victories
Achieving set objectives
Releasing resources

Councillors
UESPA - 3 Dev, 2 Exp, 1 Pac, 1 Haw
VHC - 1 Dev, 5 Pac
TSF - 3 Dev, 1 Pac, 1 Haw
BDF - 2 Pac
RDF - 4 Merc

===================================

Current Economic Settings:
Starfleet - N/A
United Earth SPA - Early Mobilisation
Vulcan High Command - Peacetime
Tellarite State Force - Early Mobilisation
Betazed Defence Forces - Peacetime
Andorian Guard - Peacetime
Rigel Defence Force - Peacetime
IT of Gaen - Wartime Economy
Honiani - Peacetime
Laio - Peacetime

Levels of Mobilisation
Pacifist - 75% of normal income, 100% of normal build
Peacetime - 100% of normal income, 100% of normal build time, no stockpile opening
Early - 125% of normal income, -1Qtr build time, open 25% of stockpile
Limited - 150% of normal income, -2Qtr build time, open full stockpile
Wartime - 200% of normal income, -25% build time, post-war economic slump,
Total - 250% of normal income, -50% build time, post-war economic crash,

There are maximum time-frames that a wartime economy can be maintained without income dropping again.

Spoiler: Economy Log

2314.Q4.M1.F2:
UESPA has moved from 110/60/2/2.2/2.2 to 140/75/2.5/2.75/2.75 - gained 50/40 from stockpile
VHC has moved from 40/35/1/1.75/1.5 to 55/45/1.35/2.35/2
TSF has moved from 95/50/1.45/1.95/1.95 to 120/65/1.8/2.4/2.4 - gained 50/40 from stockpile

2314.Q4.M3.F2:
BDF has moved from 35/35/1.15/1.45/1.15 to 45/45/1.45/1.8/1.45

Spoiler: Licori Border Zone Structure

Tailward Theatre Command - Vice Admiral Viraan zh'Dohlen

Licori Border Zone Commanding Officer - Rear Admiral Victoria Eaton
-LBZ Auxiliary Task Force CO - Commodore T'Mina (promote)
-LBZ Executive Officer - Captain Ferath zh'Kylarrth
-LBZ Chief of Staff - Captain Rosalee McAdams
--Staff Personnel Officer - Commander Staik
--Staff Intelligence Officer - Commander Elizabeth Faring
--Staff Operations Officer - Commander Hayden Kennedy
--Staff Medical Officer - Commander Prshrr Marhar
--Staff Science Officer - Commander Krabad
--Staff Engineering Officer - Commander Gordon Laver
--Staff Industrial Liaison - Tash sh'Petreth (Andorian Chamber of Industry)
--Staff Diplomatic Liaison

-Clover Outpost Commander - Commander Ceisrud Ozei
--Vulcan Survey Corps

-Starfleet Intelligence Task Force - Captain Thren th'Panyth
--Intel Gathering
--- Office 25 (Other Field Desk) Detachment
--- Coreward Desk Detachment
--- Office 11 (Minor Powers Decryption) Detachment
--Special Security Ops Teams
--- Office 10 (Romulan Irregular Ops Team)
--- Office 19
--- Office 24
--Squadron 1, 2 Detachments (Runabouts + Shuttles)
-Andorian Orbital Guard Runabout Squadron

Task Force 1 CO - Commodore Michel Thuir
-Flag: USS Sarek
Task Force 2 CO - Commodore Nash ka'Sharren
-Flag: USS Enterprise

Task Force 3 CO - Rear Admiral T'Lorel
-Flag: USS Renaissance
-- Task Group 3.1 CO - Commodore Brufraogm Wev
---Flag: RDS Yagad-Tich
-- Task Group 3.2 CO - Commodore Erzath zh'Darlyth
---Flag: USS Endurance

Task Force 4 CO - Commodore Iorin Grann (promote)
-Flag: Thirishar

-Task Force 5
--Task Group 5.1 CO - Ms Alexia O'Conner, UESPA Deep Space Engineering
--- Flag: UES Kagutsuchi, Engineering Ship

-- Task Group 5.2 CO Starfleet Engineering Command
--- Flag: USS Anvil, Engineering Ship

-- Task Group 5.3 CO Andorian Imperial Star Engineers
--- Flag: Engineering Ship Ikaryth

-Task Force 6 CO - Naval Supervisor Anak Hadd-Banad
-- Flag: IGS Hadd-Mal, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser

Sol Sector Command - Rear Admiral
-Rixx Defence Platform [Betazed Outpost] - Commander Pirala Narax
--Andorian Orbital Guard Runabouts

Spoiler: Commanders

Rear Admiral Victoria Eaton
Current Posting: Commander, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: High
Aggression: High
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Commodore Brufraogm Wev
Current Posting: Commander, Task Group 3.1, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: High
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: Low
Politics: High

Commodore Erzath zh'Darlyth
Current Posting: Commander, Task Group 3.2, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Low
Aggression: High
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Rear Admiral T'Lorel
Current Posting: Commander, Task Force 3, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: High
Politics: Medium

Commodore Michel Thuir
Current Posting: Operations Officer, Starfleet Tactical Field Command
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: High
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Commodore Nash ka'Sharren
Current Posting: Commander, Task Force 2, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Low
Aggression: High
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: High
Politics: Medium

Captain Rosalee McAdams
Current Posting: Chief of Staff, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: High

Commodore T'Mina
Current Posting: Commander, Auxiliary Task Force, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: High
Politics: Medium

Commodore Iorin Grann
Current Posting: Commander, Task Force 4, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Medium
Aggression: Low
Nerve: High
Diplomacy: Medium
Politics: Medium

Captain Ferath zh'Kylarrth
Current Posting: Executive Officer, LBZ
Rule-Abiding: Low
Aggression: Medium
Nerve: Medium
Diplomacy: High
Politics: High

Spoiler: Order of Battle

Tailward Theatre, Vice Admiral Viraan zh'Dohlen
Sol Sector
Rigel Sector
Vulcan Sector
Andor Sector
Klingon Border Zone
Romulan Border Zone
Licori Border Zone

-Task Force 1, Commodore Michel Thuir
USS Sarek, Excelsior-class, NCC-2004 - Captain Straak
USS Excelsior, Excelsior-class, NCC-2000 - Captain Yamada Ichigo
USS Lexington, Constitution-B-class, NCC-1741 - Captain Winslow
TSS Krinuk, Constitution-B-class, NCC-1750
USS Blizzard, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2108 - Captain Senok
USS Lightning, Centaur-A-class, NCC- 2105 - Captain Khrerg bak Arguk
UES Calgary, Miranda-A-class, NCC-1903 - Captain Tan Ming
USS Torbriel, Oberth-class, NCC-1511 - Captain Diego Zaardmani

-Task Force 2, Commodore Nash ka'Sharren
USS Enterprise, Excelsior-class, NCC-1701-B - Captain Samhaya Mrr'shan
UES Liberty, Excelsior-class, NCC-2017 - Captain Olesya Sokolov
USS Hood, Constitution-B-class, NCC-1742 - Captain Angela Curtis
USS Winterwind, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2104 - Captain Abigail Taggart
UES Shanghai, Miranda-A-class, NCC-1904 - Captain Gao Yang
UES Yorkshire, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2109 - Captain Angus Connelly
USS Hawking, Oberth-class, NCC-1509 - Captain Bruce Ponting
2 Tellarite Miranda-As

-Task Force 3, Rear Admiral T'Lorel
USS Renaissance, Renaissance-class, NCC-2601 - Captain Larai Leaniss
--Task Group 3.1, Commodore Brufraogem Wev
RDS Yagad-Tich, Megatortoise-class, NCC-2901 - Captain Irdask
RDS Hadabat, Turtleship-class, NCC-2903 - Captain Rumo
RDS Monsad, Turtleship-class, NCC-2904 - Captain Caagid
BDS Radlawxa, Patrol Cruiser-class, NCC-2501 - Captain Viamelo Gru
RDS Oda-Gach-3, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3005
USS Svai, Miranda-class, NCC-1658 - Captain T'Atring
1 Tellarite Miranda-A
--Task Group 3.2, Commodore Erzath zh'Darlyth
USS Endurance, Excelsior-class, NCC-2007 - Captain Pavel Chekov
RDS Pagatat, Turtleship-class, NCC-2907 - Captain Zukeik
UES Jupiter, Constellation-class, NCC-1813 - Captain Roberta Sherman
USS Calypso, Miranda-class, NCC-1632 - Captain Tomiq zh'Pohren
USS Thunderhead, Miranda-class, NCC-1656 - Captain Amos Bao
USS Inspire, Oberth-class, NCC-1510 - Captain Amelia Currie
1 Tellarite Constellation

-Task Force 4, Commodore Iorinn Grann
USS Thirishar, Excelsior-class, NCC-2011 - Captain Norkair ch'Gharist
USS Gale, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2106 - Captain Gorth th'Hashok
BDS Harmony, Centaur-A-class, NCC-2120 - Captain Eneram Idrai
BDS Astute, Patroller-class, NCC-2507
BDS Assist, Patroller-class, NCC-2508
RDS Oda-Gach-4, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3006
RDS Oda-Gach-5, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3007
RDS Oda-Gach-7, Oda-Gach-class Cutter, NCC-3008
USS T'Mir, Oberth-class, NCC-1507
1 Vulcan Oberth

-Auxiliary Force
1 Tellarite Cargo Ships
2 Andorian Cargo Ships
1 Vulcan Cargo Ship
2 Human Cargo Ships
1 Human Freighter
1 Betazoid Cargo Ship

-Research Attachment
1 Vulcan Civilian Research Cruiser

-Task Force 5
--Task Group 5.1 CO - Ms Alexia O'Conner, UESPA Deep Space Engineering
--- UES Kagutsuchi, Engineering Ship
--- UES Norn, Engineering Ship
--- 3 UES Cargo Ships
--- UES Freighter
-- Task Force 5.2 CO Starfleet Engineering Command
--- USS Anvil, Engineering Ship
--- USS Hearth, Engineering Ship
--- 2 Tellarite Cargo Ships
--- 1 Tellarite Freighter
--- 1 Andorian Freighter
-- Task Force 5.3 CO Andorian Imperial Star Engineers
--- Engineering Ship Ikaryth
--- Engineering Ship Laniska
--- 2 Andorian Cargo Ships
--- 2 Andorian Freighters

-Task Force 6, Naval Supervisor Anak Hadd-Banad
--IGS Hadd-Mal, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser, Senior Naval Specialist Kant Tarkoia-Mal
--IGS Pall-Keat, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser
--IGS Tar-Anat, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser
--IGS Akad-Noa, Gaeni Tech-Cruiser
--IGS Fadath-Toir, Gaeni Tech-Frigate, Mid-Senior Naval Specialist Loia Maladd-Toir
--IGS Hidik-Daya, Gaeni Tech-Frigate
--IGS Nuoth-Far, Gaeni Tech-Frigate

Spoiler: Gaeni Assets and Status

Illuminated Technocracy of Gaen

Recon Units
Inid Uttar Institute (Runabouts + Research Cruiser) - Assigned to Gaen
Nitta Oian Institute (Runabouts + Research Cruiser) - Assigned to Thunti

External Diplomacy Teams
Technocracy Interstellar Ministry - Attempting to demonstrate the difference between Gaeni science and Mentat science to the Ked Paddah

Internal Diplomacy Teams
Central Technocracy Council - Increasing Asset Mobilisation
Chamber of Commerce Council - Run Internal Recruiting Campaigns - +2 O/ +2 E/ +2T

Engineering Teams
Henn-Makad Engineering Institute (1 Engineer, 1 Super-Freighter, 1 Freighter, 2 Cargo) - Thunti II Minelaying, 1 Depth, .4 Density, Strength 65, Stealth 8 - ETC 2315.Q2.M2.F2

Heavy Industry Teams
North Apada Industrial Council - Accelerating Tech-Cruiser Build in [Gaen Man. Coop Bay 1]
Thunti Industrial Council - Building Components for 2x1.5mt repair bays (will complete by 2315.Q2.M1)
South Nadaia Industrial Council - Accelerating Tech-Frigate Build in [Colonial Yard 1 Bay 1]

Doctrine Teams
Kedaia Naar Institute - Developing Anti-Licori techniques (will gain +1% at 2315.Q1.M3)

Logistics
Gaen Central Technocracy Logistics Network
(Income 90/100)
Hubs - Gaen (30/20), Thunti (10/10)
Sources - = 50br 70sr 20rp
Targets - 5 minor colonies
Industry -
Destination -

Spoiler

Total for Feeder Network -
Source - 90s 50b
Minors - 40s 20b
Route Penalty = 1.1
Total x Route Penalty = 143s 77b
Per Bi-Monthly = 24s 13b
1 Freighter, 3 Cargo Ship Assigned

Total for Trunk Network -
Homeworld + 1 Major Worlds = 20s 10b
Route Penalty = 1
Per Bi-Monthly = 4s 2b
1 Cargo Ship Assigned

Total for Industry Network -
90br/100sr = 20s 18b
Route Penalty = 1
Per Bi-Monthly = 4s 3b
1 Freighter Assigned

Fleet Support -
6 Cruisers = 6s
7 Frigate = 4s
15 Auxiliary = 15s
Total = 25s
4 Cargo Ships Assigned

2 Freighters, 8 Cargo Ships assigned to networks
1 Super-Freighters, 3 Freighters, 9 Cargo Ships free for other tasks
Under 50% capacity - no strain

 

[Iron Wolf]

2315.Q1.M1.F2

A bit of fortune to start the campaign: the USS Winterwind was leading part of ka'Sharren's task force into the Utracca System to hit a convoy waystation connecting the Arcadians to the Laio. The Winterwind was able to detect a cunningly masked minefield in time to narrowly avoid plowing into a mine. Under orders to protect the fleet's heavy elements, they have pulled back, and the Commodore will attempt again after moving on to other outlier targets in the interim.

[QM/N: Lol, when I ran it a second time to test some logging improvements the Winterwind blew up outright and the Liberty also hit a mine.]

Click to shrink...

Near-Death​

Utracca System
January 11, 2315

The USS Winterwind arrived in the outer debris disk of the Utracca System in a flash of light, interstellar dust and gasses moved like water by the deflector dish as the ship slowed to sublight speeds.

"Within one kilometer of the expected arrival coordinates," reported Commander Iekn, ship's XO. His black eyes darted up from his arm-chair console as he grinned, "Captain, I believe that means Lieutenant Omirri deserves some praise." At the front of the bridge, the mentioned Fiiral navigator shuffled slightly in her seat.

Taggart gave her XO a small shake of the head and suppressed a smile of her own, "Commander Iekn's got it right," she said, "Looking at preliminary telemetry we did even better than Captain Sokolov's guy on the Liberty."

Omirri raw a claw along the top length of her snout, a gesture everyone on board had learned was the Fiiral equivalent of a blush. "Thanks, ma'am, sir."

"Although maybe we shouldn't be so quick with our praise, Commander," Taggart said, looking at a PADD an aide passed to her, "I figure Lieutenant Omirri has an unfair advantage with that extra pair of arms-- appendages, my apologies."

Omirri chuckled with a series of sing-song whistles, "No problem - and very true, ma'am!"

Taggart smiled briefly, before her face dropped back into neutral composure. "Red alert." She said as she stood up, clasping her hands behind her back, and turning her head slowly to look each member of her crew in the eye, "Now it's time to get down to business. The Licori are known for their love of mines, and y'all need to remember mines precipitated one of our most devastating losses..." Her eyes rested for a moment on Lieutenant Commander Xolten, the Vulcan who manned the tactical station, "...when the USS Courageous struck one. Our mission may involve hitting a trade way station, but every second we are in this system we are in combat. Understood?"

There were nods all around the ship.

"Good." She sat down in her chair again, "Conn, put in course Alpha. Science, be on maximum alert."

"Maybe if we're lucky, instead of finding mines we'll find a scientific discovery -- that doesn't involve toilets for once," muttered Iekn.

***​

A few hours later and the Winterwind's shadow was running across the southern pole of the gas giant Utracca-VI, the planet a dusty red shot through with clouds of cream and blue. The second-outermost planet of the system, it's abundance of moons made it a solar system in miniature. Iekn was on his feet, walking around the perimeter of the bridge, taking the time to peer over shoulders. Taggart remained in her seat, having been as still and implacable as a glacier the entire mission.

"Waystation's up ahead, ma'am." Science Officer Kader reported, "It's orbiting and on Utracca-Six-Four. Based on visuals, it looks like a space tether from moon facilities to an orbiting dock, Captain."

Taggart nodded, "Enemy vessels?"

"Difficult to tell," reported Xolten.

"The interference we're using to mask our approach is also making it hard for Tactical to get a clear picture." Kader said.

"There appears to be at least one military-grade dock, covered to obscure sensor and visual inspection," Xolten said, as Iekn stood behind him, looking at the outputs with interest. "It can accommodate one of their cruisers, but it is not possible to determine if anything is inside at this time."

Taggart nodded, "We'll angle the saucer sensor pallets more directly on the target and lose some of the interference. Omirri, fix us on a new heading towards the equator, and increase relative altitude by a kilometer."

"Aye-aye."

The swirling clouds of Utracca shifted below them slightly as Omirri accelerated the Winterwind, leaving its polar storm behind them. Seconds ticked by, Kader's eyes glued to her screen the entire time, Xolten watching the sensor feed on the dock while keeping a hand near the flash-startups for the phaser and torpedo controls.

"Bridge," That was Lieutenant th'Endev, her chief engineer, "Winterwind's antimatter stores are showing a small magnetic misalignment. Nothing we can't adjust for, but given how critical it is, I thought you should--"

"OMIRRI -- BACK US OFF!" Everyone on the bridge started as Xolten shouted, spinning in his seat and leaping to his feet. Taggart snapped her head towards him, mouth opening in rebuke as the ship shuddered with Omirri's reflexive course correction. But Iekn was holding his hand in a subtle 'wait' gesture, peering at Xolten with interest.

The Vulcan tugged his uniform down, taking a moment to smooth it, before tearing his eyes away from the screen. He nodded apologetically at Taggart, "I am sorry for my outburst, Captain. I was highly insubordinate, but I believe that was necessary."

Taggart raised her eyebrow at Xolten, "I'm hoping for the sake of your career you have an explanation, Mister."

"Yes." He walked to the back of the bridge, towards the master display, and tapped at the antimatter pods, "On the Courageous I was part of the engineering team. Right before we were hit by the mine, we experienced a similar anomaly in our antimatter pods. I believe, but was never able to prove, that it is because the mines used some sort of magnetic homing device."

"Does that mean the Syndicate might have supplied the Licori with mines?" Iekn mused.

"That's for someone else to figure out." Taggart's eyebrows furrowed, "They'd need a lot of power to have an effect on us at this range. So why haven't we detected it?"

"Ma'am?" Kader said. Taggart nodded at her. The science officer gestured at the magnetosphere display at her station, "We'd have lost it in all the interference we're using to hide. But if a localized source was pointing our way and pulling some of our magnetic units out alignment, the antimatter pod and injector sensors would have picked it up. They have to be ultra-precise because any change in function because if there's any failure point--"

"Boom." Taggart said, her mouth a thin line of displeasure, "Kader, cross-reference with Engineering and determine if there is a mine." She glanced at Xolten, "You'd better be right, or we might have just blown our cover."

"It's there!" Kader said, "Had to make some major adjustments for the magnetic and some of the exotic elements U-Six here is made up of. Mine is in the upper atmosphere, suspended from balloons."

Xolten took his seat back at Tactical. He glanced at his screen and reported, He tapped, "The mine itself is housed in a launcher and equipped with a one-use booster and powerful magnetic clamps. Operational range should be in the area of half-a-million kilometers." Xolten paused, "Antimatter payload is equivalent to one of our storage pods."

It was something of a morbid rule of thumb at the Academy that if an incoming payload of antimatter was measured in 'storage pods', you had best make peace with your time in the universe.

"How close?" Taggart said, interrupting, turning towards Kader and leaning forward in her seat.

"To -- the mine activating? It'd be kinda hard to--"

"Lieutenant. How close?"

Kader swallowed and turned to her console, fingers flying as she made calculations. She stopped, "Based on the strength of interference, I would say -- one hundred, ma'am. Meters."

The bridge was silent, and even Xolten seemed to go slightly pale. In interstellar terms that might as well have been in the same room as them.

"Looks like you're getting a commendation instead of a reprimand, Commander Xolten." Taggart said after a moment, loosening her jacket. "Lieutenant Tarkam," that was the Ops officer, "Hail the US-- UES Liberty. There'll be more of these."

"Aye, ma'am." The Indorian replied.

Seconds later the viewscreen was showing the blue-lit bridge of the Liberty, Captain Sokolov front and center, "Captain Taggart," she said, "I hope you have good reason to be breaking the communication silence."

"Captain Sokolov, looks like we found the expected minefield." Taggart replied, "I'm shooting you information now on a mine we just detected. I'm thinkin' they'll be coming up at you at the North pole as well."

Sokolov's eyes flew over the data on her end and she nodded, "Sensors, analyze the gas layer for these devices." She nodded at Taggart, "Using the Winterwind's sensor adjustments." There was a bustle of activity on her end, and seconds later an officer called out his report.

"Captain Sokolov! We're looking at… four mines on our immediate trajectory."

"Thank you, Specialist." Sokolov said coolly, "Captain Taggart, I believe this minefield has made this mission impossible to complete safely. Do you concur?"

"I do."

"Then Liberty and Winterwind will irradiate the mines we have spotted with our deflector dishes for future identification. This will no doubt reveal ourselves, so we will make a hasty exit." Sokolov crossed her arms, "Disappointing the possibility of mines being located in the gas giant was not reported. I was told to be expecting them placed in-between orbital tracks of the moons."

"It would be highly unprofessional of me to complain about Starfleet Intelligence in front of the representative of a member fleet and her crew," Taggart said, her lip were push together.

"So I won't!" She added abruptly, and with false cheer.

Sokolov gave her a wry grin, "Of course. I am forwarding you our planned exit vector. Get out safely, da?"

"Da. See you over yonder." The viewscreen blinked off. Taggart waved at Kader and settled back into her chair, "Do as the good captain instructed and then Omirri -- get us the hell out of here."

"Aye aye!"

A beam of green light shot out from the tiny speck in front of Utracca-VII that was Winterwind. Then, it turned, impulse engines glowing bright red, before it launched off into the stars with a flash.