Starfleet Museum: Lancaster, Kestrel, Valley Forge, Avenger, Predator, Belleau Wood, Siegfried, Ocean, Giant, Constellation (his freighter, not the canon one), Starmaster, "small transport", Sahara. (I will also accept Pyotr Velikiy if the situation arises where one is needed. That situation is not here at the moment)

If you use any non-canon ship, please include a link to it for those of us who are unaware of it--NO EXCEPTIONS. Also, whether any of these ships are refitted to movie-style standards is entirely up to you. They can be movie, they can be TOS, they can be mix & match. It's not a problem.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Oh my god... you want me to make sense of that map? And I'm not even referring to my usual artistic conversion!
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Tch. It's not difficult. Just follow the lines. Part of your training, Cadet, is to think 3-dimensionally.

Welcome to real world training.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Oh yeah, and the Lancaster got retired in 2264. Better make it a Valley Forge instead. (Ain't it a bitch when the guy who did the timeline reminds you of inconvenient facts? )
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
I know it did. I'm fiddling & have my reasons, my renumbering of the classes for my own universe not withstanding. Shush.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
== Q1A ==

Considering the current time period, it seems that there's a grudging peace established between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Each side periodically complains and blusters about various issues, and there may be a minor skirmish here and there, but there's no major flash points. Settlement issues, under the auspices of the Organian Peace Treaty (OPT) have helped the two antagonists avoid most major points of conflict. However, despite this peaceful interlude, we can't afford to let our guard down, because given the opportunity, the Klingons would very much love to take the offensive again.

I'm going to base my responses heavily on Masao's version of TOS political history, specifically the events and causes of the Four Days' War from "Errand of Mercy" (I just love that name... I suggested it specifically to thumb my nose at the FASA timeline.) Therefore, the Federation's primary goal � in the past, anyway � has been to deny vital resources to the Klingons and to block potential avenues of expansion. Although it's possible that there's the potential for some kind of peaceful coexistence on Sobchak's Planet, the risk is far too great, for the moment, to give the Klingons too much breathing room.

Therefore, the primary goal of colonization of Sobchak's will be for agricultural and settlement purposes. With a much greater population, the Federation can afford to move in larger numbers of people to lay claim to the planet, and with the focus on agriculture, establish a case for the Federation's greatest strengths: sustainable development. Some mining facilities will be established, but in an environmentally-neutral fashion that will leave as little impact as possible on the overall ecosphere.

In contrast, the Klingons are most likely to see Sobchak's as a ball of resources waiting to be consumed as fast as possible. They'll move in some strip-mining operations, and probably what they would consider a large population, to try to play the numbers game. They'll lose in that, of course. But as a result, the Federation colony will be established as far away from the Klingon colony (if it's already been established) as possible. However, if the Klingons haven't set up shop yet, then we'll take the best fertile land that's also closest to the biggest mineral deposits.

I should mention that I briefly considered planting my colony close to the Klingons instead, establishing a kind of dual settlement that could become one city (kinda like Minneapolis/St. Paul, for example). But then I thought about the joke that has become Nimbus III (NEVER ASK ABOUT NIMBUS III!), and I decided I know better.

(IMPORTANT: I'm assuming that Sobchak's potential is roughly unremarkable, with equal capacity for agricultural or mining efforts. If there's few resources or less arable land, the colony plans will be adapted accordingly. Shik?)

== Q1B ==

For transports themselves, I imagine there'll be a steady stream of them coming and going. Starfleet's not asking me if I want any transports permanently assigned, are they? 'Cause if so, that's kinda pointless. I imagine that some ships will make regular round trips on a fixed route, but that's still not under my direct control. Depending on how modular and configurable they are, I imagine that we can have (once the colony gets going) a bunch of transports that bring in settlers and carry out finished produce. For the first year or two, only a couple of big ships would be needed, probably. As the colony grows, the demands will change. In terms of numbers, I figure that after the first few really big shipments in, most of the needs will be relatively small until the colony becomes sustainable. So I figure the ships'll be of the Giant class (for big stuff) and Starmaster class (for the little stuff like resupply and minor needs). Probably twice as many little ships as big ones.

As for escorts... At the very least, there need to be some seriously heavy but clearly defensive assets attached to the Sobchak's colony. Considering that the Penxi Optimus (would their homeworld be Penxi Optimus Prime?) seem to be equivalent to the Barbary States of ancient Earth, there's plenty of justification for military assets there, regardless of the Klingon situation. The proximity to the nebula doesn't help, either. Therefore, a minimum of two squadrons of Penguin-class fighters (or their newer equivalents, if available) will be based on Sobchak's for defense. (Fighters aren't really useful for offense these days, since the advent of advanced deflector shields and more accurate energy-beam weapons.) An additional Predator or Kestrel destroyer would be needed for best results, as well, to complement the fighters. Also, a network of sensor buoys would need to be deployed between the colony and the outskirts of the nebula, to provide a kind of early-warning network.

I don't think that there'll be a huge need for escorts inside Federation space itself, seeing how that's relatively secure. The standing patrol squadron would be shifted to cover the usual routes to and from the colony, as necessary. However, a Sahara tender would be handy to provide roving support for the patrol squadron, especially when they're running on and in the nebula, as a mobile resupply base. Also, in the interests of preparedness, an old Belleau Wood-class assault transport would make for an excellent ad hoc orbiting supply base near Sobchak's. It could function as a tender for the fighters (though not as well as a carrier, of course), but also work great for any potential combat operations that might be needed should hostilities flare up on the ground at Sobchak's.

Since Shik's taking liberties with Masao's stuff, I'm gonna list my forces:

quote:

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73rd Sector Patrol Squadron
USS Los Angeles (NCC-1479, Valley Forge class)
USS Skua (NCC-1443, Kestrel class)
USS Dazzler (NCC-D120, Avenger class)
USS Reporter (NCC-D159, Avenger class)
USS Buccaneer (NCC-D218, Predator class)
USS Spanker (NCC-D279, Predator class)

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• 1 Miranda-class medium cruisers
• 2-3 Polaris-class destroyers
• 1 Kestrel-class destroyer
• 1 Sahara-class tender
• 1 Belleau Wood-class assault transport

And I guess that's all for now...
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
I'm assuming that Sobchak's potential is roughly unremarkable, with equal capacity for agricultural or mining efforts. If there's few resources or less arable land, the colony plans will be adapted accordingly.

Yes, that's perfectly feasible. Also, there have been no colonies planted as of yet on either side. the world is still uninhabited.

Of course, part of my response depends on the kinds of defenses the five established worlds have in place. How did they fare during the Four Days' War, Shik? Can you provide any more detailed background on the Federation-Klingon conflict as it occurred in this sector, specifically?

Ships came in. Ships faced each other. Ships got hot. Ships went home. The end.

And now, the smackdown:
Since Shik's taking liberties with Masao's stuff, I'm gonna list my forces:
quote:

73rd Sector Patrol Squadron
USS Los Angeles (NCC-1479, Valley Forge class)
USS Skua (NCC-1443, Kestrel class)
USS Dazzler (NCC-D120, Avenger class)
USS Reporter (NCC-D159, Avenger class)
USS Buccaneer (NCC-D218, Predator class)
USS Spanker (NCC-D279, Predator class)

Uhhh...NO. The Lancaster stays. We're using the technology & equipment from Masao here, not the timeline. Don't complain.

Therefore, a minimum of two squadrons of Penguin-class fighters (or their newer equivalents, if available) will be based on Sobchak's for defense. (Fighters aren't really useful for offense these days, since the advent of advanced deflector shields and more accurate energy-beam weapons.)

Again, no. I did not specify fighters for a reason: there are none. That's why I never mentioned Al-Burak or Swordfish in the list at the end. There's a reason why I built the way I did. Your fiddling fucks things up. Don't do it. Dong le ma?
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Psst... the whole point of YtA! is to allow for individual responses and interpretations of the Trek universe. That includes various responses for the different types of ships and possibilities in technology.

I'll switch back to the Lancaster, I guess, but I'm keeping the fighters. Seriously, fighters are an established part of Trek combat, even back in TOS. Remember "Journey to Babel," and the tiny (dare I say fighter-sized?) Orion raider? If the Penxi have 350 friggin' ships in their fleet, then that's gotta include a few fighters. It would be stupidly short-sighted to not prepare to counter that potential threat.
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Tch. Fine. Keep your VFE.

Throw MY calculations off, will you?? Gonna be fighting a elder god soon..!
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Also, can you answer my question about the planetary defenses? That's kinda needed in case the Klingons or the Penxi decide to launch a cavalry raid...
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Apologies. Sort of glossed over that. Um...hm. Well, they're the major Fed worlds in the sector (which is why they were singled out), so they're going to have good defenses but nothing on the level of the core worlds, not as heavily defended as Earth or Andor & such.

So...figure they're important to the sector & of medium importance to the Federation as a whole. Repka & Ogul would be more so, because they're sort of the Deneva & Beta Rigel of the area, respectively. Safko would probably be more passively defended due to the "we'll be saved by God" nature of the planetary society. Espejo's society would probably go "YES, WE WILL DEFEND OURSELVES!!" & have some nice setup, while Yvel...well, who knows. Scholars are notorious for being absent-minded & procrastinative.

The exact nature I will leave to the player's discretion.
 

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Posted by WizArtist II (Member # 1425) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by MinutiaeMan:
Also, can you answer my question about the planetary defenses? That's kinda needed in case the Klingons or the Penxi decide to launch a cavalry raid...

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I can see it now....James Ewell Brown Stovacor....General of the Klingon Cavalry.
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 
Station Log, Stardate 7706.8. Admiral Herb Shrump reporting:

I have arrived at Starbase K10, located in the heart of the Sobchak Sector. The staff has made me feel welcome, and I look forward to assuming my new post. My primary duty as Admiral of this sector is oversight of the new Federation colony on Sobchak Prime. Under the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, this planet is shared with the Klingons, with the goal of seeing which government can develop the planet the best. I intend the Federation to be that government.

After careful consideration, I�ve decided recommend locating the colony on the opposite continent, as far away from the Klingon settlement as possible. This is purely a military decision. If the Klingons decide to mount a raid, attack or perform any type of harassment, I want to see them coming. Placing our colony on the opposite continent will insure that any accidental intrusions not take place.

Additonally, I would strongly encourage a standard satellite/sensor net in orbit of the planet. You know the Klingons will have one. They spy on us, we spy on them... Further, one squardon of fighters based on Sobchak is not out of the question either.

As for the type of colony, I would recommend primarily an agricultural colony with modest mining and industrial capabilities. With the need for foodstuffs growing at an alarming rate, and with K10 being a busy trading point, the new colony will be able to easily export foodstuffs to various ports of call. Further, a modest mining and industrial base will help the colony become self-sufficient, in case of any potential piracy or blockades by the Klingons.

Based on this decision, I am requesting from Stafleet the dispatching of the following starships to help establish the colony.

Three Huron Class freighters for transporting of foods/livestock between Sobchak and K10.
Three Antares Class freighters for transporting of foods/livestock between Sobchak and K10.
Two Starmaster transports for colonists/personnel
One Ocean transport for colonists/personnel
One Ptolemy Class Tug/Transport
One Battle Pod for the Tug (Battle Pod has 4 phasers and 4 photon launchers (URL of tug with Battle Pod: http://www.caddocourt.com/sfb/ssd/fedbtl.gif
Two Mark II and Two Mark V cargo pods

Two of the new Miranda Class starships
Six Kestral Class light cruisers for convoy escort duty.
One Penguin Class fighter squadron

A survey vessel in the Ul�Chek nebula has detected unusual readings emanating from the nebula. Our knowledge of this nebula is scant. It could be anything from a natural occurrence, a fluctuation in a dynoscanner, or Klingons meddling in our backyard. Right now it�s a minor point. I would recommend the survey vessel continue exploring the nebula. Additionally, I would reccomend shifting the patrol patterns so that a couple of our home based starships, perhaps the India and the Dazzler could help scan the nebula as part of their regular patrol.

Piracy has become an increasing problem. With a sector this large, Klingons this close and a nice nebula to provide cover, the vermin have found plenty of opportunities to plunder the innocents. My hope is that the addition of more Kestral Class cruisers and a Miranda or two will help stem this growing tide. Regardless of Starfleet�s reaction to adjusting the patrol patterns along the nebula, I would feel comfortable shifting them myself, or adding a couple of standing patrols along this region in order to ferret out any troublemakers.

End log.

Note: How long will we have between questions? I am leaving for an extened weekend this Friday and won't have computer access until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

[ August 29, 2006, 06:35 PM: Message edited by: HerbShrump ]
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
You should be OK, Herb. I tend to leave long lead times.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Not as long as Mark, though.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 


I changed the Penxi color to green because I didn't want it to clash too easily with the red/blue/purple blending of the UFP/Klingon border. Otherwise, the map should be pretty close to Shik's original rendition...
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Looks like we've got a few deserters after the previous campaign!
 

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Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
 
Woah.. this is a complex one. I'm going to have to think on this one (my previous attempt to live through one of these was foiled by 2 weeks holiday in France).

But I do know I'm going to use my own version of tech/NCCs/timeline, and not Shik's
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I did a minor update to the map, partially per Shik's request. I added that little "cutout" where Penxi territory comes in "front" of Federation space. And partially for my own benefit, I also added little base-dots for all of the minor systems, to help provide a better grasp of the entire territory territorial claims in the sector. (Shik, tell me if any of those minor systems' colors are off, will you?)
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 
THANKS! That map is SWEET!!!!

Lots of talented individuals here...

A few deserters? I figured I scared everyone off. Was hoping more would play.

Heh... maybe people are busy with real life...
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
The star in the purple is to be Klingon, not UFP. The star where the UFP overlaps the Penxi is to be Penxi, not UFP. The star that is the second green dot from the right is not Penxi, it is free space.

Past that, it's shiny. Those 3 would be the hardest to extrapolate anyway, so no points off there.

ATTENTION!!
I WILL NOT BE GIVING OUT WARNINGS FOR THE NEXT QUESTIONS THIS TIME. IF YOU MISS Q1 AND WISH TO PLAY WHEN Q2 IS IN EFFECT, YOU MUST PLAY Q1 FIRST BEFORE COMING UP TO DATE. ALL PRECEDING QUESTIONS MUST BE ANSWERED BEFORE PLAYING THE CURRENT ONE.

You can, however, decide to jump in at any time & get up to speed if you you find interest...which I hope more people will.

ALSO...! Some of you may be failing to grasp the concept here of "working out the problem as given." There will be NO REPLACEMENTS of author-established items. NONE. The leeway goes towards the variables YOU input & NOTHING ELSE. Whine, bitch, moan, gripe, complain, send racial epithets, do whatever you feel like. I have a reason for these decisions; if I'd wanted you to design the standing elements, I would have. In Question 1, you have the leeway to choose almost any non-canon element you wish as long as it conforms to the time period set. Yes, I listed what i would accept because those are the most well-known elements. HOWEVER...I will amend that to include any sort of personal-based designs insofar as (A) the linking element to design (& specs if available) is placed & (B) the item in question is not overly fanboyish & zhorlord. I know there are loopholes in my listing & if I can see them, they must be bloody blatant to all. If they exploited...well.

On this point I must speak for the Party.
 

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Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
 
The map is indeed excellent. Someone should VMRL it so we can look t it in all directions.

Mark
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
ADDENDUM to my answer: I've come to the conclusion that I was thinking too big in my response for the piracy scenario. Although certainly I'd still need to have some extra destroyers to provide the heavy support, some escorts and wide-range patrol vessels will still be necessary. Because if there are many more pirate vessels versus my forces (as is likely, especially if the attacks are being sponsored by the Penxi Optimus), it'll be pretty easy for them to lure my assets away or split them up and overwhelm their targets while my small forces can't target all the various attackers.

Therefore, I will pare back my request for the Polaris-class destroyers to only two units (not three), but I'd want to add eight Asmodeus-class corvettes. They will operate in pairs for escort, patrol, and anti-piracy duty. They'll also make a great support unit for any larger fleet action that takes place.

(I only hope this last-minute request is still granted by Admiral Shik at Starfleet Command...)
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Okay, reload the map for version 2.1.

Also, Shik, I've got no problems with you discouraging replacement of the units you specified... I'd originally assumed that you were just posting "suggested" units based on your own personal beliefs (which is what I did back in Sector Zeta. The only part I had a problem with (and which is why I pushed back a bit) was that you were actually excluding a whole class of vessels that�depending on your POV�could form an important part of TOS-era tactics.

And Mark... I did try a little experimenting with Google Sketchup (the pro version even, believe it or not, of which I managed to obtain a legitimate copy), but the damn thing isn't capable of drawing spheres! At least, not that I can figure...
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
All is taken into consideration. Trust me, you'll find out that if there can just be swarms of fighters flying about, then what's the point?

Flying torp tubes are GO!!
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Would it make you happier if swapped my two fighter squadrons(the ones defending Sobchak's Planet) for another four TWO Asmodeuses (or is that Asmodeii)? I'd be open for that trade.
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Yeah, that works. I'll also throw in some hull wax.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
The big puzzler for me with the move to a 3D map is how I'm going to illustrate my fleet deployments. Right now I'm experimenting... what do you guys think of this method? I like it because the lines make it easier to pinpoint the groupings of fleets on the map... but the down side is that unless I set up more of those "drop-lines" like the stars and stations, it's hard to place them in the full context. And the map is getting pretty dang cluttered already.

http://idisk.mac.com/minutiaeman-Public/sector_sobchak_map.png

Maybe next time I should go for a 2000-pixel-wide map...
 

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Posted by Neutrino 123 (Member # 1327) on :
 
Okay, the only ships I know from this era are the Constitutions and Mirandas, but I�ll give it a try�

However, I am not exactly sure of the political situation. Should the Federation be trying to deny resources to the Klingons as in http://starfleet-museum.org/avenger-predator.htm or should the post-Organian Treaty mean that the Federation is trying to improve relations with the Klingons? What is the general situation with the Klingons?
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I think that's part of what you're supposed to determine for yourself, Neutrino... just exactly what was the Federation's overall policy concerning Klingon relations between the end of TOS and the next time we saw them, in ST3? Did the Federation simply make a complete about-face and start automatically trusting the Klingons because of the peace treaty? Or did they continue their previous policies (whatever they might be; I chose to follow Masao's story that you linked to), but keep them more covert to avoid provoking the Klingons? Or would it be something else entirely? That's the decision. That's what makes it interesting.
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
You get a ShikiSnack for that. It's comparabel to a MinutiaeMeal. Also, kudos to Neutrino for guessing the sceret agenda.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
There seems to be an ion storm somewhere along the comm channel... every time I think I'm getting updated orders from Command, they're completely garbled.
 

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Posted by Neutrino 123 (Member # 1327) on :
 
Question One:

The precise elements in the colony should really depend on what the treaty considers �well-developed�. I will assume this means that the colony can support the most people at a good standard of living with the fewest transports, the number of transports being defined as importing transports minus exports transports. Additionally, it would be good if the transport travel distances would be small and away from the nebula and other areas of dense pirate concentrations. Furthermore, it would be best to fill outgoing transports with exports, so no transport travel time is wasted.

In the sector, we have several species homeworlds and huge �colonies�, which are presumably well-balanced in terms of imports/exports. However, there are also Repka, an industrial/agricultural colony, and Safko, a source of many useful heavy metals and minerals. Repka is closer to other systems (so would not really need to trade with Safko despite their complementary products), but a trade relationship might be established with the very close Safko. This would also mean that our transports don�t need to spend as much time near the nebula.

Safko needs food and finished goods. We can provide them from Sobchak�s planet after a little development.

First, though, the nearest food source to the new colony is relatively far away. This need should be eliminated first. We can ship in some Federation colonists, who can establish an agricultural base required to support the population. The next step would be the establishment of industries the complement the raw material output of Safko. This would enable us to import the required material, and send finished goods back on the same ship. Of course, finished goods take up less room then materials, so the third priority (probably dealt with simultaneously with the second) would be to ramp up food production, and put the excess on our transports to Safko.

With this plan in mind, the colony should be established where the best-tasting and most nutritious food products can be grown (which will surely have adequate water supplies, a most essential requirement for a colony). Industry can really be put almost anywhere (usually), so its location is not problem.

The colony should not be put very close to the Klingons (we don�t want them walking over and �interacting� with our colonists), but doesn�t need to be on the other side of the planet either. It should be at least a long drive away, which gives us over 99% of the planet to choose from. Food-growing goodness is the priority in choosing the exact spot over that 99+%.

We want enough colonists to make full use of Safko�s raw materials, and to provide them with food and finished products. How many is this? I don�t know� Probably in the 100,000-1,000,000 range. Surely so many people can�t come at once, so we can effectively grow the colony as fast as transports can come in.

Besides colonists, the transports should carry initial needs supply, and then some useful seeds for a variety of food that can grow on the planet (perhaps native foods would be added if they are suitable), as well as a small genetic engineering lab (it�s okay to modify plants, right???) in case some seeds in their normal form don�t grow effectively in the new environment. Later transports would carry more agricultural equipment

Escorts will be needed for the important colonization transports (the colony will also eventually need defenses to ward off pirates). Since we have transporter technology, the bad aspects of homogeneous convoys are eliminated, so transports can travel in groups. Two convoy groups will be created, one for the Safko route, and one for other supplies.

The Safko route only needs slow, low capacity transport ability since the distance is very, very short (thus keeping goods transported in any given time very high). Thus, only one �small� class transport is needed. It will be escorted by the Skua (Kestral-class), a small, low capability ship. If the colony is successful and grows large, another small transport can be added to this route.

The other convoy will need to be larger. It will vary in size, depending on the needs of the colony, and will get two Kestral-class escorts brought in from outside the sector. That way, if necessary, one of these can detach for a short time from the convoy to deal with an emergency, run down a pirate, etc.

Yvel, Ogul, and Espejo are large planets, and all presumably have decent fixed defenses. The other Federation worlds are too small to have this however. They will need to be defended

The slow, big, and mostly useless India (Lancaster-class) will be assigned to keep a careful watch over the new Colony at Sobchak�s Planet. It can provide defense, and respond to distress calls from the convoys if they run into trouble.

The Dazzler (Avenger-class) will remain near Safko, protecting it and serving as a rapid reaction unit for troubles in the area. Its sistership, the Reporter, will be in a mutually supportive position between Repka and the Penxi area, where the pirates come from. This way, it can defend Repka, act to deal with other trouble in the area, and be able to form up with the Dazzler in short time.

The Predator class starships, Buccaneer and Spanker, will be assigned to deal with piracy and to protect the Oberth-class Nernst as it explores the nebula. One will stay a short distance from the Nernst. Hopefully, pirates will detect only the Nernst and attack, at which point the Spanker will instantly warp in and deal with it. The Buccaneer will do some reverse-pirating of its own. It will stay at the edge of the nebula, peeking out sometimes to detect returning pirates with its superior sensors, and then taking up an ambush position.

If the survey vessel detects an anomaly, there are three possible courses of action. The first would be to immediately go investigate, with the Spanker following just out of detection range. The second would be to standoff, and immediately send the Spanker first. The third would be to steer clear of it with the weaker Nernst and its escort and let the unencumbered Buccaneer investigate.

If piracy increases, then the current deployment is still suitable (I assumed that there war a fair rate of paracy in the first place). Of course, if the pirates begin to overwhelm the defenses (such as by attacking in many places simultaneously, using ruses, etc) more assets can be brought in to help.

Okay, there are more sector policies to set, such as with the Klingons, but I suppose that wouldn�t technically be part of question one, and my answer is already long enough. Can I get a flagship? I�d like a Valley Forge class. Those look like they have a lot of pluck, and I always base my flagship choice on pluck quotient.

Minutiaeman, can I use your map to illustrate fleet deployments?
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Of course you can.
 

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Posted by Neutrino 123 (Member # 1327) on :
 
Thanks Minutiaeman.

Here is my fleet deployment, using all my MS Paint Skills.


P.S. I forgot to mention: the India, being a large ship, has a fair amount of resources, so its assignment to Sobchak's Planet should help with colonization efforts, since it will be in orbit of the planet most of the time.
 

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Posted by Neutrino 123 (Member # 1327) on :
 
I just realized that I assumed a bit to much about the sensor radii of my ships. About how far away can they detect most things in this scenario? I need to make sure my perimeter zones don't contain massive holes...
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I'd give an analogy of something akin to early-19th-century sail... you're pretty much limited to the horizon and whatever smoke signals you might be able to send.

Seriously, remember "Errand of Mercy" when the Enterprise got ambushed? Sensors there never seemed to be able to reach more than a light-year, or maybe two. At least at any useful resolution. So I'd say that unless you've got a couple thousand ships to spare, you're not going to eliminate the holes.
 

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Posted by Neutrino 123 (Member # 1327) on :
 
Ah, good point. I guess that means that the Reporter moves closer to Repka, and that the Buccaneer is slightly move active in its attempt to ambush some pirates.
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
QUESTION TWO (seven parts)

• Critique the development plan of another player. Identify problems & strong points, explaining your reasons.
  
• Starfleet has agreed to your colony plans as well as the requested transport needs. However, only half your requested escorts are available. Command has given you the choice to pick, however, as an apology. Choose your fleet & identify how this will affect potential plans. Please not that the transports will be staying within the sector as colony support.
  
• Starfleet has also asked you to fully requisition what you would require to set up a colony of the type you have decided upon. This colony is to sustain 5000 colonists. Identify what items you feel would be necessary for this effort. Give reasons for your choices.
  
• Starfleet Intelligence reports that the Klingon colony fleet has recently left Rosek II & is comprised of 5 D-18 transports carrying 5500 Klingons & the associated colony supplies. They are believed headed to the Obrelk Military base whereupon they will be joined by the escort force: 2 refit D-6 cruisers, 3 of the new B'rel-class "birds of prey," 1 K'teremny-class destroyer, & 1 K't'inga-class battlecruiser. The entire fleet will then continue on to Sobchak's Planet. The colony is believed to be a typical Klingon military & mining operation, & Intelligence believe that the choice of escorts indicate a possible continued military presence.
  
• Your opposite number on the Klingon side, General Plis'Qen, relays a message to you about the activities of the Nernst in the Ul'Chek Nebula. He claims that the ship is in fact an intelligence-gathering ship whose true mission is to spy on the Klingon Empire. Also, after the recent destruction of a lone K-23-class vessel in the nebula, he maintains that the Federation is using the Penxi Optimus as agents against the Klingons. he's pretty ireate about it & although he has not mentioned outright warfare, his tones are fairly well unmistakeable. Solve for x.
  
• Speaking of the Penxi, a small raiding party zooms out & hits Safko I; 228 are dead & many supplies & technology items are taken. The head ofthe Safko government pleads for better defense but nothing too violent; his people are all religious pacifists. (imagine Quakers in space, if that helps) Discuss how you might better defend that area of space with the restrictions applied...or if you do not even feel that there needs to be a better defense. Explain your reasoning.
  
• Create a scenario to be answered by other players in the next question.

 

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Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
 
Hah. Right after the deadline, like the good student I am:

QUESTION ONE

Part A
As per the Treaty, the focus of the colonization of Sobchak's Planet will be sustainability, efficiency and self-reliance. Therefore, initially there would be an agricultural settlement, possibly later extended with mining or industrial facilities, depending on the environment. The colony will not be placed anywhere near the Klingons, and preferably at least a continent away. Per Treaty though, the Klingons will probably insist in coming 'on shore leave'. So obviously, with the Klingons and the Penxi nearby, this colony will need self-defense. But on the other hand, I will also make sure Starfleet will get the oppertunity to go on shore leave at the Klingon camp. A Starfleet police force will be detached to the colony, as will a small fleet of shuttlecraft. Which brings me to the next part of the question.

Part B
As for bringing in the supplies for setting up the colony, I would rather let the specialists at the Bureau of Colonization and Transport Command deal with the specifics. I can only guess that about 4-5 Giant or equivalent transports would be needed, plus a variety of Independence, Starmaster and other smaller transports. Any regular supplies (or trade) will be handled through Deep Space K-10 via available (medium to small) transports.

The current patrol force is apparently sufficient to secure the existing trade routes coming in and out of K-10. I assume that the nearby Federation members have their local system defense sorted out, so there is no immediate need for active patrolling in their space. For additional support for the colony, I request the USS Resurgent (NCC-1240), a Coventry-class frigate (as per SotSF, Resurgent has an extended shuttlebay and more advanced anti-ship defense than the baseline Coventry). The Resurgent will deliver a force of shuttlecraft (2 Vigilantes, 1 Comanche, 1 Galileo 5 type) to the surface of the planet. After this, Resurgent will be tasked to deploy some orbital spy sattelites (these need not be much bigger than a baseball). Overall, Resurgent primary mission is focused on the protection of the colony and surveying the perimeter of the Ul'Chek Nebula. To beef up the overall strength of the fleet, I would also request USS Lucifer (NCC-521) and USS Molock (NCC-522), two of the new Siva class destroyers*. Both of these modern destroyers will join the current destroyer force.

Part C
Should the contact turn out to be a hostile, Resurgent (on deployment near the colony at the moment) should be able to react to any hostile actions. It could return to the colony, or set course towards the Nebula, depending on the nature of the contact.

Part D
Increased pirate activity would first of all have an effect on the patrol routes of the fleet. I would redirect the Molock and Lucifer to patrol the trade routes most affected, and escort high-risk transports. In addition, I want a large Class 1 transport (Kepler class), which has enough firepower to act as a detterent to pirates.


* Siva as seen on the Federation Recognition Chart: A 'refit'-style destroyer (launched 2274) with two nacelles above the saucer, and a torpedo pod between those nacelles. Can't find an online picture of the Chart silhouette.

So, in conclusion, the material I require:

• USS Resurgent (NCC-1240), Coventry-class frigate
• USS Lucifer (NCC-521), Siva-class destroyer
• USS Molock (NCC-522), Siva-class destroyer
• USS Deslandres (NCC-3820), Kepler-class transport/tug (assuming Part D wasn't hypothetical)
• NCC-1240/19 Blue Sky VI, Vigilante-class heavy tactical shuttle
• NCC-1240/20 T'Sharaa, Vigilante-class heavy tactical shuttle
• NCC-1976/7 Paladin, Comanche reconnaisance shuttle
• NCC-K10/8 Xzer, Class F3 shuttle

 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Harry, I'm denying your G5-style shuttle. That's late 2280s tech. Please replace.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Question before I reply, Shik... would is the "half of your requested ships" for combatants only, or would that also include my Sahara and Belleau Wood? They're kinda halfway between the transports and the combatants... they're combat support ships.

EDIT: Also, given their tiny size and my plans for them, would the Asmodeii corvettes each count as half a ship (as in a pair of them consume the resources of a single full-size starship)? (Not that I'm trying to cheat, just... exploring the limits.) (Nevermind. That wouldn't affect my numbers anyway.)
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
== Part A ==

I'll critique Harry's response, simply because it's the most recent one.

First, I'm a bit concerned that you don't request any smaller ships than a couple of destroyers... mainly because, despite the big cold war going on with the Klingons, I'm much more worried about the Penxi and their 300+ raiders. The reason I requested my small fleet of corvettes is because numbers are needed to cover all the angles with the various trade routes near Penxi space. I realized after I posted my requests that it would be quite easy for any pirates to launch a diversionary feint on one transport, lure in the local patrolling destroyer, and then launch the real raid in the completely opposite direction. (This was one of the primary reasons for the development of the Kestrel-class light cruiser several decades ago.) I'm also a bit puzzled as to why you think a refitted Ptolemy would be a suitable deterrent to pirate attacks.

I will compliment you on your thinking of shuttles. I made such a big stink about the fighters for colony defense, when a handful of armed shuttles would probably work just as well for basic needs, and wouldn't've raised Shik's ire.

== Part B ==

Ain't it always the way? Command loves to put up big fancy defenses and tons of starships in the really populated border regions, but for anything that's even partially out of the way and is just starting out, they wait until there's an actual crisis to actually send sufficient ships. Anyway...

USS India (NCC-1479), Lancaster class
USS Skua (NCC-1396), Kestrel class
USS Dazzler (NCC-D120), Avenger class
USS Reporter (NCC-D159), Avenger class
USS Buccaneer (NCC-D218), Predator class
USS Spanker (NCC-D279), Predator class

New Arrivals:

• USS Saratoga (NCC-1867), Miranda class
• USS Orion (NCC-1981), Polaris class
• USS Scorpio (NCC-1984), Polaris class
• USS Shaitan (NCC-D423), Asmodeus class
• USS Michtlantecuhtli (NCC-D414), Asmodeus class
• USS Bali Raj (NCC-D452), Asmodeus class
• USS Brandywine (NCC-1559), Belleau Wood class
• USS Gobi (NCC-DT23), Sahara class

Pending Shik's decision, the Gobi may have been cut as well.

As a result, I'll have to spread out my anti-piracy patrols, and concentrate them more towards Penxi space. They're the main concern right now... we'll have plenty of warning if there's any major Klingon issues, but the Penxi-supported raiders have the ability to strike at a moment's notice and have already demonstrated the ability to penetrate through Federation territory with impunity. Instead of operating in pairs, they'll have to act as more of a wolf pack... they'll patrol within a couple light-years of each other, with the other two ready to rush in to their sister ship's aid at a moment's notice. And considering their torpedo armament, they're probably capable enough on their own against most raiding parties.

== Part C ==

Why the hell does Starfleet want me to plan the damn colony? Don't they pay the analysts loads of credits (and lots of fancy lunches on corporate accounts) to figure out these things? I'm a soldier/diplomat and administrator, not a paper-pusher!

I suppose the colony would need to have some regular food shipments for the early months before the crop yields start coming in. A handful of shuttlecraft with easy attachment points for *ahem* colony-defense weaponry. (I'm sure there are a bunch of colonists who'll be coming from North America's Old South, and will be bringing their own phaser rifles to mount on the back of their personal vehicles to defend against them-thar gul-derned Clingans! 'Course, those same vehicles are probably rusted over and up on blocks, so that may not be an asset... <g>) Considering it's the frontier, a combination militia/police force would be the best way to provide organization. A subspace transmitter/receiver facility would be necessary for communications, preferably with Starfleet-grade military capacity available in times of crisis.

But aside from the comms facilities, I'll stipulate that there be nothing more than standard defensive armaments be stationed on the colony surface. For now, at least, we don't want to establish the appearance of a new forward base... despite the very strategic location of the planet for attacking just about every Klingon planet in the sector.

== Part D ==

What a surprise this is! [/sarcasm] It's exactly why I chose to keep the Brandywine instead of the Gobi (assuming the latter gets axed by Shik), because I had a feeling that the Klingons would be trying to plant their flag with a military rather than civilian presence. I'd want to know from my intelligence officer what other assets the Klingons are known to have in this sector, so I can reassign my own squadrons accordingly. If it's newly-assigned additional forces, then I may need to shift additional ships of my own (probably a destroyer or two) to operate out of Sobchak's. But if they're focusing more of their forces at Sobchak's and Obrelk by siphoning from other sector forces, then I'll let 'em sit for now.

== Part E ==

While denying our intent for spying, I'll also question the General's own admission that he had his own ship in the nebula. I'd ask just what it was doing there, if not for "spying" of its own. I'd also point out that if I were intent on spying, then I sure as hell wouldn't be doing it in the nebula, where sensor range is incredibly short, and it's not immediately near any major locations (such as Obrelk).

As for open warfare, I certainly won't scoff in the face of Klingon threats (because that'll just make him happy prove me wrong), but one lone general isn't much of a threat for an actual declaration of war. I just need to prepare to defend against possible retaliatory raids and incursions.

(BTW, is General Plis'Qen a son of the house of Sna'ke? )

== Part F ==

Well, preventing this tragedy would've been easier if I had been given the ships that I asked for. I had planned to place one of my corvette squadrons near Safko, which is relatively near to the route between Sobchak's Planet and Yvel. As it is, beefier point-defense installations for planetary locations is the best bet, because my mobile assets are already tied up defending the trade routes. Considering the population, I'll think about shifting one of my destroyers over that way... but I don't know if that will be effective.

I will also start drawing up plans for retaliatory raids into Penxi-influenced territory. It will be strictly tit-for-tat, no escalation, and I'll specifically focus my energies on the raiders' strongholds rather than any Penxi colony worlds. But if I can make it clear that launching attacks against the Federation will only cause them more hurt in kind, hopefully they'll come to their senses.

Oh, and I'll also forward a copy of the records of the raid (carefully redacted in case of security concerns, should the Safkans have any) to General Plis'Qen, as proof of the threat the Penxi hold for both of us.

== Part G ==

Your intelligence officer presents you with a rare opportunity: detailed readouts and information of a mid-size raider stronghold and some of its associated craft, located in the unclaimed/uninhabited system near Safko. He's confident that the intel accurately describes the base's defenses and the approximate numbers (and sizes) of the ships in the system. There's an estimated 5 frigate types (Paris-class equivalent) and probably ten small raiders (runabout equivalent). The base itself has defenses equivalent to a basic Federation outpost (think the second-hand reports about Caleb IV). Given your fleet's assets, you have a chance to take this outlier bunch on and send them packing. As a bonus, this base was the probable jump-off point for the recent raid on Safko.

However, there's some political ambiguity to consider. Although the system is officially unclaimed, it's close enough to Penxi-held space that they may consider it part of their territory. And considering the close ties between the raiders and the Penxi (whether it's actual state-sponsored piracy or the Penxi just looking the other way), an assault on the base may have greater political repercussions. So... to attack, or not to attack? Justify.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Also, a little reference:

 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Thank you, good sir. I was appaled to find such pitiful images on the web for the Klingon ships.

As to your question, let me repeat: Starfleet has agreed to your colony plans as well as the requested transport needs. However, only half your requested escorts are available.

I believe that to be self-explanatory.
 

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Posted by Mikey T (Member # 144) on :
 
I'm glad that this stuff is way too complicated for my feeble mind...

I did have time to make this:
My version of Sector Sobchak

Maybe next time when it returns to the 24th Century.
 

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Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Shik:
Harry, I'm denying your G5-style shuttle. That's late 2280s tech. Please replace.

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Okay.. so err.. what was the TMP Enterprise using again? I want a standard shuttle, but not the standard shuttle that comes with the Vulcan warp sled (which somehow doesn't really look like a surface workhorse). So just a standard (or possibly slightly updated) TOS shuttle, as seen in TMP:DE?
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Okay, since the Sahara tender is primarily a transport and resupply vessel, I'm taking it.
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Well, fandom states that it was the sled shuttle (& was seen in TMP in the bay as well, I believe) but I think there might be a Jackill's landing attachment for that. Go look. I'll accept that.

MM: Gobi is a go. (Mmmmm...aloo gobi....)
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
But you didn't answer my question about General Plis'Qen!
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Finally, here's my preliminary deployment plan for the sector:
http://www.st-minutiae.com/academy/command419/example_sobchak_1.png

To be more specific in my plans, I'll have the new Miranda and Polaris arrivals operate out of K-10 as my "anti-Klingon" patrol force. They're my heaviest ships and will be the strongest deterrent to any major moves that the Klingons make in the "northern" part of the sector. Also, India and the two Avengers will operate out of K-10 as well, but they'll be focusing on the area towards the Ul'chek Nebula, for anti-piracy patrols. Finally, my three Asmodeii, the Skua, and the Predators will be the main anti-piracy squadron for the Safko-Repka-Sobchak's triangle, the critical area that I have to defend for my supply routes and defense against possible Penxi aggression. They'll be spread out a bit, with the Predators forming the linchpin of the patrol towards the center. Not coincidentally, that also places them near Safko, where they can be a reassuring presence in the aftermath of the recent raid

Yvel and Ogul can be left with their extant defenses for now, because my force is mainly serving as a buffer between them and the border regions. And Espejo is close enough to K-10 that it's protected by the Saratoga squadron.
 

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Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
 
ADDENDUM: I will replace my Galileo 5-type with a regular Class F (TOS shuttlecraft).
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 
Admiral Shrump�s personal communiqu� to Admiral Neutrino, Stardate 7716.9

Admiral Neutrino, I appreciate the imput you have provided regarding the Sochak Sector. I would especially like to note some of your points specifically.

In regards to the overall balance of the Sobchak Colony agricultural vs. industrial needs, I feel you have hit on a key point. This sector is very well populated. Providing there is no blockade by hostile forces, or a dangerous level of pirate activity, any early deficiencies in the colony's set-up should easily be overcome with imports from the more established Federation worlds.

A blockade or pirate activity will be the major stumbling point in this plan, however. Unless the convoys to the Sobchak Colony are well escorted, hostile forces will be able to easily strangle the colony of vital goods.

This brings me to your recommendation as to the size of the colony. A million colonists? What time frame are you projecting in order to reach a million colonists? That figure is a bit extreme, considering that Repka only has 1.8 million inhabitants and Safko has just under a million; and both of these systems are established Federation members.

Initial colony figures would realistically be roughly 5 to 10 thousand.

You also mentioned finished products and consumer goods being exported from Sobchak. This is another excellent long-range goal, but not achievable in the immediate time frame. Initial emphasis needs to be placed on establishing a solid agricultural base with enough industry to support the colony.

I agree with your military analysis of the situation, and your recommendations regarding fleet deployment. If only Starfleet could have filled the entire request. Your suggested fleet movements should provide an adequate patrol force for this region, as well as placing ships within easy reach of any hot spots that may develop.

I am concerned about your idea to use the Nernst as bait for the pirates in the system. It is a strategically sound idea and, if successful, worth the risk. The cost of losing the science vessel, however, is something to weigh in the balance.

One concern that I didn�t notice in your report was the heavy Klingon presence in this system. With an entire shipyard located right outside our back door, we must be ever vigilant to a full-fledged attack. The only advantage we have is they would need to transport crews to these new vessels before such an invasion could proceed.

Klingons are a touchy bunch. Any of our fleet movements may stir them up anyway.

Heck, they probably are supplying the pirates.

Station Log, Stardate 7717.0

Starfleet has approved my request for additional ships for the Sobchak Sector, but only has allocated half of the combat vessels I have requested. I expected my request to be trimmed some. I only hope that, with recent events, we�ll have enough ships to successfully defend this Sector.

Ships on hand:

73rd Sector Patrol Squadron
There is a small standing patrol force homeported at K-10 that makes its rounds in the sector. It is as follows:

USS India (NCC-1479), Lancaster-class
USS Skua (NCC-1396), Kestrel-class
USS Dazzler (NCC-1567) & USS Reporter (NCC-1787), Avenger-class
USS Buccaneer (NCC-1686) & USS Spanker (NCC-1842), Predator-class
USS Nernst (NCC-893), Oberth Class
Additional ships:

USS Alacrity (NCC-1881), Miranda Class
USS Pelecyornis (NCC-1414), Kestrel Class
USS Kite (NCC-1422), Kestrel Class
USS Roc (NCC-1416), Kestrel Class
USS Al Rashid (NCC-3802), Ptolemy Class
Two MK II Cargo Pods
Two MK IV Cargo Pods
One Battle Pod

Freighters:

USS St. Claire (NCC-F1384), Huron Class Freighter
USS Sault St. Marie (NCC-F1371), Huron Class Freighter
USS Lake Michigan (NCC-F1314), Huron Class Freighter
USS Kuiper (NCC-1545), Antares Class Freighter
USS Meth-maren (NCC-1511), Antares Class Freighter
USS Indian (NCC-T47), Ocean Class Freighter
USS John Galt (NCC-F1524), Starmaster Class Freighter

The following freighters are being retrofitted as Q-ships

USS Sullust (NCC-1598), Antares Class
USS Ruff (NCC-1517), Starmaster Class

I have divided the fleet and given the following patrol/route assignments:

The India, Skua and Pelecyornis have been dispatched to the Safko star system, the site of a recent raid by the Penxi. After assessing the situation, and assuring the citizens of Safko of Starfleet�s support and dedication, the three ships will follow a regular patrol route from Safko, along the Ul�Chek Nebula to K-10, back around the upper pininsula of Penxi space, then returning to Safko.

The Dazzler and Buccaneer will patrol from Sobchak�s Planet, along the Ul�Chek Nebula and the border between Federation and Klingon space, up to just past K-10 before returning to Sobchak�s Planet. This patrol route will also keep these ships relatively close to Safko.

The Reporter and Spanker will patrol from Sobchak�s Planet "south" along the Federation/Penxi border to the edge of the sector, then return to Sobchak�s Planet.

The Kite and Roc will patrol from K-10 to Sobchak�s Planet to Safko, then return to K-10

The Alacrity will proudly display the flag of the Federation as it patrols from K-10 to Repka, then Ogul, then Espejo, then back to K-10

The Nernst will continue the exploration and mapping of the Ul�Chek Nebula

Freighter convoys between Sobchak�s Planet and K-10 will be divided into two groups

Group 1:

USS St. Claire (NCC-F1384), Huron Class Freighter
USS Sault St. Marie (NCC-F1371), Huron Class Freighter
USS Kuiper (NCC-1545), Antares Class Freighter

The USS Al Rashid will escort this group. She will tow one cargo pod and one battle pod.

Group 2:

USS Lake Michigan (NCC-F1314), Huron Class Freighter
USS Meth-maren (NCC-1511), Antares Class Freighter
USS Indian (NCC-T47), Ocean Class Freighter
USS John Galt (NCC-F1524), Starmaster Class Freighter

The Q-ships Sullust and Ruff will escort this group.

Starfleet has requested that I oversee the establishment of the settlement on Sobchak�s Planet. Group 2 will therefore be assigned the initial task of delivering the colonists and initial supplies. I�ve requested that Safko supply the raw materials and metals needed for constructing the base colony and the limited mining operation. I have also sent out a request for any Hortas to immigrate to Sobchak�s Planet for mining opportunities. The planet may not be as rocky as Janus, but hopefully I�ll get some eager kids willing to leave the nest.

Initial food shipments will arrive from Repka. We�ll import enough foodstuffs to last until the agricultural fields start producing adequately. Additionally, a base livestock population will be introduced to Sobchak�s planet. This group will be limited with an eye closely kept on the dangers of introducing alien wildlife into the environment. Federation science specialists will be on hand to determine which local fauna will be good for agricultural purposes. I have sent a request for Yvel to fill this area.

Lastly, a Starfleet military garrison will be set up for colony defense. A standard satellite defense network will be placed in orbit and adequate ground-based phaser batteries installed.

A small Penxi raiding party attacked Safko, killing 228 people and stealing numerous supplies. I have been in regular contact with the government of Safko with the goal of allaying their current state of unease. I have arranged for regular patrols to visit Safko and keep an eye on this troublesome spot of the sector. Additionally, I have encouraged the government of Safko of looking into beefing up their local security and defense network. Starfleet advisors are already there helping them recover from this attack.

My Klingon counterpart, General Plis�Qen, has contacted me. He vehemently opposes the Nerst�s exploration of the Ul�Chek nebula, making the typical claims that we are covertly spying on the Klingon Empire. I have responded to his communiqu� (see additional file).

In light of the Penxi attack, and the probability of a prolonged Klingon military presence on Sobchek�s Planet, I am requesting that Starfleet send the following additional ship:

Four Valley Forge Class Cruisers
Four Siegfried Class Dreadnauts
Six Avenger Class Destroyers
Two Miranda Class Cruisers

End log.

Communiqu� to the Penxi government:

Penxi raiders have attacked a Federation colony in the Safko system claiming the lives of 228 being and stealing various supplies. While Starfleet and the Federation does not view this attack as being officially condoned by your government, we are forced to advice you that such attacks will not be tolerated and the Federation will take measures to defend ourselves from any further acts of aggression, including, but not limited to, finding and eliminating any such raiding parties and their bases of operation.

Communique to General Plis'Qin, Klingon Defense Force:

Greetings my dear General Plis'Qin, and welcome ot the Sobchak Sector. I do so hope your staff made you feel as welcome as my staff did up on my arrival.

You have our utmost regrets over the loss of your vessel in the Ul'Chek Nebula. Sadly, those valiant warriors now serving in Sto'Vo'Kor are the only ones that know exactly what happened to them. Like your vessles and outposts, ours have been plagued by Penxi assaults, pirate raids and unusual encounters. Our survey ship, the USS Nernst, is currently investigating one of those mysterious readings in the nebula. Rest assured this mission is purely scientific and not one of a clandestine nature. We are Starfleet officers, not Romulans. We are not in the habit of using cloaks or camoflage and spy on our neighbors. We are honorable warriors, not green-blooded cowards.

We have noticed the approach of your colony vessels toward Sobchak's Planet. I hope you have a successful colony established. Our colony will stand by to assist you in any way necessary.

Do feel free to visit us at K-10 anytime. Our doors are always open for your staff's colorful shore-leave visits.

I have sent a special package with this communication. I hope you find our whiskey to your liking. It's not as potent as blood wine, but still enjoyable.

May you feast on the hearts of your enemies!
Herb Shrump, Admiral, Starfleet Command, Sobchak Sector.
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 
Proposal for the class:

A civilian science vessel, the S.S. Nye, has arrived at Deep Space Station K-10 with word of an interesting discovery. While doing an exploration/mapping survey for a Tellerite mining consortium in the starsystem directly "Souteast" of Sobchak's Planet, they detected unusal energy reading eminating from the fourth planet in the system. These energy readings were very faint and only detectable from a range of about 2 AUs from the planet.

Upon closer examination, the crew of the Nye discovered the remains of a modest size settlement of unknown origin. Initial dating of the structures place the site as being thousands of years old. It is unclear if this site was an outpost of the Calandans (TOS "That Which Survives"), the T'Kon Empire (TNG "The Last Outpost") or some as-yet undiscovered civilization.

This system is located very close to both Penxi and Klingon territory. While it appears these two civilizations have not discovered the ruins yet, it may only be a matter of time, since there is evidence Penxi raiders have visited the outer planets of the system.

How do you preserve the site for Federation arcaeologist/Starfleet scientists while, at the same time, not attracting the attention of the Klingons or Penxi to the possibility of an advanced alien base with potentially unimaginable weapons and advanced scientific knowledge just outside their back door?
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Psst... Herb, you forgot to make your own scenario.

EDIT: Nevermind, you did it while I was reading your answers.
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 
Writing these answers in narrative form is taking far more time than I anticipated.
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
You don't ahve to do it in narrative form, Herb. In fact. it would be easiest if you (& others) adopted the simplistic answer style used by MinutiaeMan...which is of course a holdover form the Mark-era YTAs.
 

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Posted by Neutrino 123 (Member # 1327) on :
 
Question 2:

Part A

Minutiaeman (and others), why did you get so many powerful ships when you were supposed to get ESCORTS! You have enough ships to roll over the Klingons now...
Furthermore, your anti-piracy strategy seems to revolve more around hunter-killer groups then actually escorting transports. As the first two World Wars showed, with limited resources, it is much better to escort the transports directly in convoys. True, relative detection ranges are greater in space, but it is also three-dimensional, and the downsides of convoys are reduced via the transporter.
In addition to the transports, you need to protect the small colonies. If even one pirate ship slips through your defenses, it could do a lot of damage.
Finally, with all your ships, you have left Nernst unescorted! That nebula is pirate-city, so even though the Nernst would detect the pirates first, it is still dangerous.

Part B

What? I ask for two measly Kestrel class destroyers and I only get one ? Damn you Starfleet Command!
Okay, I now have a choice between two Kestrel-class vessels. Choices, choices... hmmm... I�ll go with the USS Condor NCC-1419. Now my fleet has:

Lancaster-Class CA:
USS India NCC-1479
Avenger-Class DD:
USS Dazzler NCC-1567
USS Reporter NCC-1787
Predator-Class DD:
USS Buccaneer NCC-1686
USS Spanker NCC-1842
Kestrel-Class DD:
USS Skua NCC-1396
USS Condor NCC-1419

I thought Starfleet would want to establish a colony that could actually interact as a full partner with the other colonies and planets in the system (judging from the size of various colonies such as Alpha Centauri it certainly has the ability), but just a 5000-person outpost should be able to make a large contribution as well. However, the limited size means that the colony will need to be more limited to an agricultural focus with a much smaller amount of industry (not enough to support Safko or itself independently with industry, but enough for full food supply support), at least for the near-future.

The colonization plan will also change slightly. Instead of multiple transport routes to Sobchak�s planet, there will only be one, with Escort being provided by the two Kestrels (one a small ways ahead of the transports to hopefully provide some early-warning and one for close escort). See picture below for convoy route:


The thick line indicates the area where the two Kestrels will escort ships. The medium line is where the Avengers will take over (within safe response time of their colonies). Thin lines are unescorted routes, but they are far from pirates, except for the lower one, but ships will not pass on that route without the convoy being fairly close to Safko, making it safe as well.

Without explaining things in exact detail, the escorted route provides supplies for both Sobchak�s planet and Safko. One or more ships splits off on the lower route as the convoy passes Safko, and they return to the escorts on the way back. Near Repka, thr upward bound merchants leave the escorted route, and a new set of merchants arrive. The set that left does more merchanty-things, and arrives again to rejoin the next time the convoy returns to Repka.

So basically, there are two alternating merchant groups in the Repka-Safko-Sobchak route, plus one �permanent� group in Yvel-Safko-Sobchak route. The initial entry of the merchants (with all the colonists) will be the permanent group and one of the other groups, with the final group bringing in its colonists when the first alternating group leaves its escorts.

Part C

I am not sure about carrying capacities, but extrapolating upward with the Klingon transports as a basis, how about we have five Sahara-class transports total: two in the alternating groups, and one in the permanent group. If necessary, more could easily be added to any group.

The initial supplies will include the colonists, basic housing materials, and food supplies. A few biologists will also be temporarily transported to the Lancaster, and use its facilities for determining the optimal crops for the planet, perhaps modifying some crops for superior suitability. Mid-range sensors and basic defenses will also be brought along. The Lancaster may be attached to the colony, but as with all ships in the sector, its main mission may be temporarily canceled in an emergency, in which case it would be good to have early warning if pirates take advantage of the emergency.

The next set of supplies will include the rest of the colonists and their housing, as well as the proper material for growing things.

Subsequent sets will begin to include basic industry as some colonists not involved with farming complete their initial tasks. Shipments will also begin to upgrade the colonists� standards of living to what could be expected in an up-and-running Federation colony.

Part D

That�s a lot of escorts for a few merchant vessels. The Klingons probably want to use Sobchak�s planet as a forward base for operations against the pirates, possibly against the Penxi, and of course to threaten Federation possessions in the �lower� area. The bottom line is that the Klingons do seem to have a lot more to gain strategically from possession of Sobchak�s planet then the Federation does.

Part E

A message should be sent to the Klingons detailing the true purpose of the Nernst, to survey the nebula, and possibly to uncover secret pirate bases. If we wanted to spy on the Klingons, we would be popping in and out of the edge of the nebula with long-range sensors. If the Klingons doubt our intentions, they could by all means send some of their own ships into the nebula to moniter the Nernst (though NOT with active sensors, so stealthlyness is maintained). We could, gasp, even coordinate a search for pirates. Finally, it should be detailed that the Federation is most displeased with the Penxi.

The Federation is still probably in something of a cold war with the Klingons, but it is not nearly as bad as it was before the Organian treaty. There are opportunities to significantly improve relations, but things must be done carefully. A strong face must be presented to the Klingons. For example, the Federation should not ask for their help without first having a clear show of strength, to make it seem that we are not pleading, but simply asking to work together.

This is infact the general plan for this sector. The current disposition means that some pirates will hopefully be caught soon. After this victory of sorts, increased diplomatic efforts could be made with the Klingons to take more forceful action against the pirates, or more specifically, against the Penxi. The Penxi may be defiant against the Federation or Klingons independently, but they couldn�t help but feel great pressure if both were working together. Thus, it would be suggested to the Klingons after some pirates are destroyed to for a united front against the Penxi, to get them to purge corruption in their government and deal with pirates in their territory, or else the Federation and Klingon Empire might do it for them.

Part F

Well, with my deployment, Safko will be defended by a powerful destroyer. Furthermore, it will be a major stop on the route of the escorted convoy, again increasing its safety. Surely they could bear one destroyer based in their area. If not, the destroyer could be homeported in Refka, switching with one of the Kestrels when it needs to get some maintenance and supplies. The escorted convoy passing through shouldn�t trouble them much as well.

Also, Safko would make a great place for a long-range sensor installation (Sobchak�s planet would be a bit better, but would upset the Klingons). Would the peaceful space-quakers be upset by the presence of a long-range sensor near them? Probably not, and it could be used to spy on the Penxi and perhaps track some pirate movements near the hub of merchant activity.

Part G

The Nernst finds in the nebula an unmistakably Penxi transport vessel transferring supply to a pirate raider. The Nernst remains undetected. How do you proceed?


Now stop asking about convoys and colonization! My fingers hurt from the typing...
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I'm going to respond to Neutrino's critiques, since I assume that it's not going to be part of the next question. If it is, I'll just have my work done early!

I took the word "escorts" to mean "combat-capable starships" for general defense of the sector. I requested the Miranda and the destroyers mainly to free up the equivalent heavy ships already assigned to the sector for anti-pirate duty. I view the strategic deployment of starships to be a bit more fluid -- at least, in theory. Any of the ships should be able to be redeployed at any moment. For example, what if I've got a huge convoy, and some intel that the Penxi intend to throw their heavy cruisers against it? Then I'll need to send in the Miranda for adequate defense.

As far as the deployment of "hunter-killer" teams, all Starfleet transports are well capable of defending themselves for short periods of time (c.f. "The Pirates of Orion"). Long enough for any nearby starships to respond. My hope (and I forgot to mention this, actually) is that I'll be able to catch the pirates in the act and nail a bigger percentage of their forces in the bargain. But just sending in heavy escorts will do nothing but discourage attacks against the escorted transports, and the pirates will just focus on civilian traffic instead. (You did remember the civilians, I hope?) By spreading the net a bit wider, there's the chance of a few attacks slipping through, but I'll still be in position to close the net and catch the attackers, with a minimum of overall damage done.
 

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Posted by Neutrino 123 (Member # 1327) on :
 
As a response to the response...

Ack! You're pulling out TAS referances on me? I haven't even seen those... (though should I?)

At any rate, I thought that virtually all the transports would be civilian, unless Starfleet is responsible for colonizing...

I would think the transports I alloted would also be sufficient for Safko after the initial deliveries. At any rate, civilian craft could use the escorted route as well, or at least be the escorted areas if they have different optimal speeds then the Ocean transports...

To Herbshrump, the Nernst isn't quite "bait". It's just that the escort isn't right next to it, but rather, a few seconds warp-jump away.

As a general note on colony sizes, I was under the impression that the Federation could move massive numbers of people very quickly, so I just chose a colony size that would seem to be optimum for the sector.
Colonies such as Alpha Centauri and Espejo in this sector (each with people numbering in the BILLIONS), seem to confirm the Federation's transport ability, even if they've been growing for a hundred years and have high rates of birth...
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 
I took it that the transports and freighters were Starfleet issue. They are listed in the Starfleet Museum (of course, so are Klingons and Romulans) and they have NCC registries (unlike the civilian ship Vico from TNG's Hero Worship that had a registry of NAR).

What I'm wondering is how will these scenerios play out if one of us does something completely radical from the others. For example, something is going on in the Ul'Chek nebula, but what if I had pulled the Nernst out of there completely and ignored that situation? Or what if most everyone else makes Safko heavily fortified, but I tell them to go jump in a lake, only to have another attack come along?

That's what I'm waiting to see. Right now we're all thinking along similar lines.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Don't worry, Neutrino, I haven't seen TAS either. I've just read Bernd's summaries and a few tidbits on Memory Alpha.

I've figured that the transports and freighters that WE'VE requested are Starfleet issue, but that there are also a whole bunch more ships flitting about that are civilian as well.
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 
My fleet deployment map.

Notes:

FREIGHTER GROUP 1 will travel from Sobchak's Planet to Safko to DS-K10. K10 will serve as a major hub.

FREIGHTER GROUP 2: will travel from Sobchak's Plaent to Safko to Yvel. Safko will serve as a hub.

The route from Sobchak's Planet to Safko will be within easy reach from either the India/Skua/Pelecyronis group, the Dazzler/Buccaneer group, the Reporter/Spanker group or the Kite/Roc group. Efforts will be made for one of these groups to provide convoy escort for this leg of the trip whenever possible.

The Nernst will be within easy reach from either the India/Skua/Pelecyronis group, the Dazzler/Buccaneer group or the Kite/Roc group. One of these groups will be able to respond if the Nernst encounters any difficulty.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/HerbShrump/sobchakdeploy.jpg
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I think my security officers had better check the subspace tranceiver array for sabotage... I haven't received any communiqu�s from Starfleet Command in over a week? Is there a war on that no one thought to tell me about?


 

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Posted by Mikey T (Member # 144) on :
 
Vacation!
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Nothing this weekend. No time, plus possible work upheavals. Next week. In the meantime, brush up on your guid to dealing with officious nits.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Taking a page from Sector Zeta, are we?
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Hmm... is it considered insubordination or otherwise against regulations to report a superior officer for going AWOL?
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Illness. Fundmental life shock. Unemployed AGAIN.

Shut it. I'll get to it soon enough.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Okay, sorry. Didn't know things were serious.
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
QUESTION THREE (six parts)

quote:

---

Originally posted by HerbShrump:
A civilian science vessel, the S.S. Nye, has arrived at Deep Space Station K-10 with word of an interesting discovery. While doing an exploration/mapping survey for a Tellerite mining consortium in the starsystem directly "Souteast" of Sobchak's Planet, they detected unusal energy reading eminating from the fourth planet in the system. These energy readings were very faint and only detectable from a range of about 2 AUs from the planet.

Upon closer examination, the crew of the Nye discovered the remains of a modest size settlement of unknown origin. Initial dating of the structures place the site as being thousands of years old. It is unclear if this site was an outpost of the Calandans (TOS "That Which Survives"), the T'Kon Empire (TNG "The Last Outpost") or some as-yet undiscovered civilization.

This system is located very close to both Penxi and Klingon territory. While it appears these two civilizations have not discovered the ruins yet, it may only be a matter of time, since there is evidence Penxi raiders have visited the outer planets of the system.

How do you preserve the site for Federation arcaeologist/Starfleet scientists while, at the same time, not attracting the attention of the Klingons or Penxi to the possibility of an advanced alien base with potentially unimaginable weapons and advanced scientific knowledge just outside their back door?

---

An intriguing dilemma, this. The first step would be to perform a clandestine but intensive survey of the ruins. To that end, I'd procure a civilian survey-type ship to make a roundabout trip through that region and drop off my survey team, then continue on to other destinations before looping back (perhaps, depending on the time table) to pick the team up again. The goal would be misdirection to ensure that neither the Klingons nor the Penxi pick up on my interest in the system. Therefore, the team will be under strict orders to observe complete radio silence except in an emergency situation, and to avoid any sort of high-energy emissions that might attract unwanted attention.

The survey team's goals would be (1) determine the origin and purpose of the settlement and any equipment and artifacts found, (2) the feasibility of safely removing such equipment and artifacts in a reasonable amount of time, and (3) determine the potential threat any technology discovered could pose if acquired by either the Klingons or the Penxi.

Depending on the nature of the site and the technology found, I've got three major choices:

(1) Remove all items of interest and take them back for study by Federation scientists. This would be the most preferred, because it avoids creating any territorial dispute or military conflict.

(2) Should the site warrant extended investigation but not pose a major threat, I could plant a small mining colony on the surface, preferably very close to the ruins. This would establish a territorial claim (but one that could be easily abandoned if necessary). The purpose of the mining colony would be solely to obscure those intriguing energy signatures, to act as a sort of decoy. However, the problem here is that I'd be presenting a very ripe target for the Penxi or the Klingons, and I'd rather not have to extend my patrol forces any further. A couple of extra corvettes would be preferred in such a case.

(3) The choice of last resort would be to remove anything portable, and then send in the Skua (stationed at Sobchak's Planet) to obliterate the site from orbit with photon torpedoes. (c.f. the Iconian outpost from "Contagion") Of course, this would be bound to attract attention, so I'd have to be sure to be quite thorough about it.

== Part B ==

I'd hope that the captain of the India and the two destroyers that went in were conspicuous enough that they were able to assist in the fight while within the sensor range of the Klingon ships. I will offer General Plis'Qen the services of my three ships as supplementary escort for his convoy for the duration of their transit through the Ul'Chek Nebula.

I'll also make sure to point out that the Federation is not in the business of attacking civilian targets, and if we really wanted to block their settlement of Sobchak's, it'd be done in a far more efficient fashion. Hopefully the good general has at least a small sense of reason in him...

== Part C ==

Nothing happens. There's a reason why I ordered that multiple potential sites be chosen for the settlement!

However, I may need to step up my office's counterintelligence operations... it's an awfully convenient coincidence that the Klingons picked the exact same spot that we did!

== Part D ==

If DSU Qiao really wanted that one spot so badly, then he shouldn't have been taking his damn time getting his colonists out here � I expected that the settlement should've been established in the last turn, not two turns from now! I trust he's familiar with the old proverb, "The early bird gets the worm"? I will politely tell him to fuck off.

== Part E ==

Hmm. As a fan of the show, I've always wondered why there never seemed to be any local defense organizations separate from Starfleet. I mean, the US has the Navy and the Army, but they've also got the Coast Guard for local patrol and police actions. It would be crazy for the Federation to NOT have some similar setup as well. I'm going to assume that the local worlds actually DO have such an organization, and this secret proposal they're working on is actually to extend the mandate of the original jurisdiction to include anti-piracy patrols throughout the sector.

I won't react until I get some more firm intel on exactly what they're trying to set up, if anything. Assuming the rumor is accurate... well, patrolling JUST the UFP borders for pirates is next to useless. Space is three-dimensional, so it's easy for any determined attackers to slip through the cracks. Coverage must be in-depth in order to discourage and thwart any attacks. I'd be more than willing to work with the various worlds to expand the reach of their local defense ships in order to protect commercial traffic and guard against pirates. However, turning the defense forces into a sector-wide patrol fleet would (1) be a waste of resources, duplicating the job that Starfleet is doing, and (2) probably spread the planetary defenses way too thin and leaving everyone vulnerable to a major attack.

Therefore, what I'd propose is a means to extend the reach of the planetary defense ships' patrols out a few more light-years from their homeworlds, to create a series of "bubbles" that should hopefully become pirate-free zones. Starfleet would assist in filling in the gaps between those zones, and reinforce the local defenses where necessary.

I'll be diplomatic about this, because this is certainly an extraordinary situation in a region where Starfleet obviously hasn't been able (or willing? I hope not...) to pour in additional resources. Therefore, we can hopefully work together to create a more cohesive defense.

One final thought... perhaps a series of inter-connected sensor relay stations would be in order along the major commerce routes, as well? Working in concert with the planetary defenses, perhaps we could establish a more united monitoring setup similar to the air traffic control systems of pre-warp Earth. Being able to keep tabs on all the major routes would go a long way towards providing better defenses. We wouldn't have to wait for a distress call to actually come in before we have to start reacting... we can keep tabs on everything and be more prepared.

== Part F ==

Is the deputy undersecretary cleared for access to Starfleet's files on our defenses? This is the kind of activity that makes Mr. Qiao look like a Klingon agent... and a particularly inept one, at that. (Despite Arne Darvin getting caught, he was actually quite a GOOD agent... he had a good sabotage plan and a good cover, and he was only caught because of a bizarre little alien creature that he could never have foreseen either destroying his plan or revealing his identity.) But that's an accusation I'll have to keep in reserve, at least for the moment. For now, I'll just sic my intelligence officer on him, put him under covert surveillance.

The research on totalitarian agriculture particularly disturbs me. The entire point of establishing this colony is to prove that the Federation is best suited towards developing the planet and making best use of its resources... and for the Federation, that means sustainable and eco-friendly development. I may have to have a sit-down and do a little fishing (without revealing what I know) to see what kind of plans Mr. Qiao has for the colony. And I may have to do some research of my own, to see what kind of plans the Office of Colony Development has been putting together.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I feel like shit today (called out of work, even, something that hasn't happened in almost a year), but I can't sleep because I slept for an exceptionally long time last night. Thus, I've had time to do this:



...Courtesy of Flaming Pear's LunarCell Photoshop plugin.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I forgot to mention my [retro-]rationalization for choosing those two points in my own map: As I stated in my original plan, the first choice of a colony location was to be the best balance between agriculture and mining, to lock the Klingons out of their likely resource-hogging strategy. The middle continent would probably be the best bet for that, because it's got the fertile coastal regions but a high central mountain range. I chose the second location for the Federation colony because it looks to be a very temperate area with an extensive region of freshwater lakes, which makes for great agricultural development and population expansion. It'll be really easy to set up a whole bunch of settlements with an interconnected water-based transportation network.

Also, here's a blank generic and more detailed version for everyone else to use:



(But please don't mindlessly use my sites for the colonies in your own responses... I'd love to see some alternative reasoning for interpreting the geography!)

[ September 21, 2006, 01:35 PM: Message edited by: MinutiaeMan ]
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Also, because I'm really obsessive-compulsive, I've exported a very large map for everyone to pour over and select colony sites, should they so wish.

EDIT: Err, as soon as the damn file finishes uploading, it'll be available...

EDIT #2: Flare Upload is too damn slow for big files. Try it on my iDisk instead.

[ September 21, 2006, 03:15 PM: Message edited by: MinutiaeMan ]
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Thirty minutes later & it's still not up? Wow. Also, FUCKING WOW on that map. 18.5 degree axial tilt? Nice...minimal seasonal affectation.

Assume that because the computer granted Qiao's request, he is in fact cleared for access, probably due to his title.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I originally tried putting it on Flare Upload, 'cause my iDisk is getting full. But I cleared out all my old backups, so I've got plenty of free space again. Check the new link on the old post.

(Or if you're too lazy to go back to the other page, click here.)
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
So, are we going to have to cite some admirals for dereliction of duty again?
(Not you, Shik, the participants.)
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Apparently.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I move that we adopt Cardassian rules for any new court martial proceedings. All in favor?
 

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Posted by Neutrino 123 (Member # 1327) on :
 
Question 3:

Part a:

In response to Minutiaeman�s scenario, a quick attack would be the best option. The combat forces in the nebula would be recalled (two Predators), and the convoy would stop at Safko, after trading a Kestral for the Avenger at Repka. Then the convoy would stay at Safko, with it�s Kestral escort providing defense, while the other Avenger stationed at Safko joins the strike force, now two Avengers and two Predators. The strike force would quickly proceed to the target.
The Penxi may get disgruntled about this, but it is not their territory, so they have no real jurisdiction over it. As a concession to their proximity, they would be informed of the attack via subspace communications before it takes place, but NOT before they would have time to send a message to the pirate outpost.

Part b:

It must have been a pretty powerful pirate force that got past the Klingon escorts to damage their ships. I am worried that they decided to take advantage of the Klingon�s haste to get to the planet, and thus divided the Klingons forces in the initial attack, planning to return to attack the weakened forces. The two Predators and one Oberth in the nebula should really be dispatched to not only assist, but to escort the Klingon stragglers.
The Klingons belligerency complicates the situation, since they might think that the Federation ship�s might pass knowledge of the stragglers location to the pirates. Nevertheless, this would only be of great importance if pirates actually attacked, and then Federation ships would fight the pirates
Thus, the Oberth and two Predators will escort the Klingon stragglers through the rest of the nebula, with the Oberth there to provide early warning. If the Klingons are not comfortable with a close escort, they would remain further away, but still with close response time.

As for the Klingons accusations of foul play, there probably isn�t much we can do, other then inform them that the destruction of piracy is one of the Federation�s main goals in this sector. Afterall, they just killed several of our civilians, and that can�t be a ruse since you know how disgruntled the Federations gets when its citizens get killed.

Part c:

There really is not much we can do here. There are plenty of other good agricultural areas on this planet (unless it has REALLY weird weather) for the colony to be built. In fact, the Klingon colony is likely to be less prosperous since it is built in an area best for agriculture, so perhaps we now have an advantage in the colonization race.

On the other hand, the fact that the Klingons built on the exact spot the Federation wanted to spells trouble. They must somehow have known where we were planning to build the colony, since if they had optimized their choice for mining, they would have built somewhere else. This indicates that they have a source of information within the Federation. An undercover investigation of this should take place as soon as possible.

Part d:

DSU Qiao Feng is obviously really stupid. We have no authority to remove the Klingons at all, so I would give him a stern lecture.



This guy is probably incompetent, why else would he mention family ancestry in non-casual conversation? If he actually does have a bad record, I want him removed from this sector as quickly as possible. The best way to do this would be to search his record for the no doubt many inadequacies and make the recommendation to the colonization administration. Hopefully it isn�t headed by one of his illustrious family members...

At the very least, he is not to be given any weapons control for the colony�s defenses due to his temper and high belligerency. Starfleet personnel will handle any defenses, though the colonists will certainly be consulted.

Part e:

It is good that the planets see fit to take an active role in the defenses, but they are going about it in the wrong way. Border patrol, as Minutiaeman mentioned, is not the best way for dealing with pirates, especially since they might have a secret base within Federation territory, making the border patrol COMPLETELY useless. Also, if they operate independently, the overall defense will be less efficient, since Starfleet and the local forces may duplicate effort.

The planets will be approached, and it would be suggested that they form some patrol groups to patrol the shipping lanes, or even create civilian convoys composed of civilian ships that are not in the Starfleet-protected convoy.

There would be no need to mention the rumors when talking to the planets. A simple persuasive approach would be suitable, emphasizing that Starfleet may have failed to provide adequate defense in the past, but now there�s a new commander around...

Part f:

These are perfectly reasonable things for him to look up. After all, he is the colony administrator (for now...). The totalitarian agriculture is a bit weird, and it would be contrary to Federation principles to implement such a thing. However, it COULD simply be his hobby.

There is no need to confront him about any of this things, but I am still suspicious that he might be partially working for the Klingons, especially with their apparent knowledge of the colony�s location. The investigation would certainly cover Qiao, and his communications would be watched. I wonder if the Klingons are planning on some totalitarian agriculture? One would think their agriculture is already like that, though...

Another possibility is that he is not working for the Klingons, but secretly wants to implement totalitarian agriculture himself. Due to colonial rights, it might be difficult to stop him if he gets going, so hopefully there is some way to emphasize ecological friendliness in the colony...

Addendum on colony location: I chose the colony locations based on my limited knowledge of climate. It seemed that the equator was too hot, but that the temperature gradiant was large, so I didn't want to be too far from the equator. The colony location are near water, but not directly on the coast, so they should get decent rainfall (they are not in mountain range shadows), be fairly temperate, and have mild weather. One is coastal, and the other is near a lake.


P.S. Minutiaeman, wasn�t the Federation colony supposed to contain 5,000 people?
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
You are correct, sir.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Yeah well, if I know anything about colonization from Terran history, it's that there's always a huge rush of people eager to get in on the hot frontier action. Plus, Humans breed like rabbits, so there's gonna be a bunch more very quickly.
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 
Part 1:

quote:

---

Your intelligence officer presents you with a rare opportunity: detailed readouts and information of a mid-size raider stronghold and some of its associated craft, located in the unclaimed/uninhabited system near Safko. He's confident that the intel accurately describes the base's defenses and the approximate numbers (and sizes) of the ships in the system. There's an estimated 5 frigate types (Paris-class equivalent) and probably ten small raiders (runabout equivalent). The base itself has defenses equivalent to a basic Federation outpost (think the second-hand reports about Caleb IV). Given your fleet's assets, you have a chance to take this outlier bunch on and send them packing. As a bonus, this base was the probable jump-off point for the recent raid on Safko.

However, there's some political ambiguity to consider. Although the system is officially unclaimed, it's close enough to Penxi-held space that they may consider it part of their territory. And considering the close ties between the raiders and the Penxi (whether it's actual state-sponsored piracy or the Penxi just looking the other way), an assault on the base may have greater political repercussions. So... to attack, or not to attack? Justify.

---

quote:

---

Something Starfleet could deny doing.

---

Exactly how could Starfleet deny being behind the sudden acceleration of an asteroid to .25 lightspeed? Regardless of the results, that's a darn unlikely occurrence under natural circumstances.
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
The next question wil come...soon. I find myself in quite the financial quandary: my now ex-employer bounced a paycheck on me, which has totally fucked me. I've been spending the past week looking for new work plus dealing with trying to get my money while fending off creditors. Tomorrow I go see an attorney & the police. So.
 

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Posted by Idontlikeusernames (Member # 1925) on :
 
Hmmm........ This certainly looks like an interesting little game..... unfortunately it seems I'm a bit late to actually join in plus I don't actually know all that much about the ships of the old series (I only seem to remember the constitution and miranda classes and the little tug tender from the 25th anniversary pc game).

BTW, what kind of program do you use to make those nifty little maps Minutiae?
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
It's not too late to join, just start from the beginning and take your time catching up!

As for not knowing the designs, the Connie and the Miranda are the only canon designs, so we're all filling in with non-canon designs. So for the fleet that you request, you can pick any ships you want (within reason) as long as you can justify their use.

As for the maps, I use Macromedia Fireworks MX.
 

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Posted by Neutrino 123 (Member # 1327) on :
 
Isn't the Oberth a canon design too?
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
*smacks head* DOH!
 

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Posted by Idontlikeusernames (Member # 1925) on :
 
Okay well here goes Questions 1&2 for the moment

Q1a
I would first like to note to Starfleet command and the Federation council my EXTREME concern over the status of Federation member world Espejo V, historical analysis has in this Admiral's humble opinion conclusively proven that "benevolent" fascism is a contradiction in terms as fascism is by its very nature not very much suited to bestow any kind of benevolence and tolerance upon its subjects.
Included with this transmission is an excerpt from the works of the 19th century human philosopher John Stuart Mill which I believe states my case quite eloquently. http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/m/mill/john_stuart/m645r/chapter3.html
More practically it is my opinion that the situation on Espejo V could turn very ugly very quickly I therefore request the presence of a sizable company of agents from Starfleet intelligence to keep me informed of the Espejo V situation at all times (around 1000 should do the trick).

As for the Sobchak colony situation I would recommend a large scale agricultural colony be developed as far away from the Klingon population centers as possible, however since it seems we got here first I'll also place some minor environmentally sustainable mining operations near the richest ore deposits (in furtherance of the resource denial campaign).
Pertaining to the logistics of the colony I assume the initial settlement will be handled by the bureau of Colonization (or whatever arm of the Federation government deals with it) and the supply lines will be handled by civilian operators. However since I do recognize that providing service to a newly developing colony in a disputed territory can be risky I'm willing (with commands permission of course) to award subsidized contracts to one or more operators to ensure a steady line of supply.

Q1b
As stated in my previous outline I would prefer to see shipping to and from the new colony handled by civilian operators however I a plan on requesting one Giant class cargo transport from transport command to be assigned to my fleet to provide emergency relief/ evacuation when necessary. I would also be wise to provide adequate defenses for the colony so I plan on requesting two Kestrel class starships to be assigned to colonial defense in the Sobchak system. The first task of these two ships will be to lay a minefield and some sensor warning buoys along the outskirts of the nebula to hopefully deter pirate raids from that direction.
In addition I�m requesting a network of orbital satellites to be deployed near the colony consisting of a mixture of communications, defense and intelligence gathering satellites (I assume the Klingons will do the same).

Starship Request & Deployment plans

USS Lysander NCC-1593 Siegfried Class (sector flagship based at station K10)
USS Skua NCC-1396 Kestrel Class (colonial defense in Sobchek system)
USS Owl NCC-1435 Kestrel Class (colonial defense in Sobchek system)
USS India NCC-1479 Lancaster Class (colonial defense in Sobchek system*)
USS Hauler NCC-T338 Giant Class (colonial support in Sobchek system)
USS Giotto NCC-647 Oberth Class (MKII 2241) (mapping and study of Ul�Chek nebula)
USS Nernst NCC-893 Oberth Class (mapping and study of Ul�Chek nebula)
USS Oasis NCC-DT29 Sahara Class (General Fleet Support)
USS Deinonychus NCC-1421 Kestrel Class (General Fleet support, escort to DT29)

Patrol Squadron 1
USS Proteus NCC-1478 Valley Forge Class (regular patrol)
USS Dazzler NCC-1567 Avenger Class (regular patrol)
USS Reporter NCC-1787 Avenger Class (regular patrol)

Patrol Squadron 2 (Intercept wing)
USS Buccaneer NCC-1686 Predator Class (regular patrol)
USS Spanker NCC-1842 Predator Class (regular patrol)

To summarize my forces in this sector would comprise
1x Siegfried Class Battle cruiser
1x Valley Forge Class Medium Cruiser
3x Kestrel Class Destroyer
2x Avenger Class Destroyer
2x Predator Class Destroyer
2x Oberth Class Surveyor
1x Sahara Class Tender
1x Giant Class Transport

*note to command: should be scrapped

Q1c
Hmmm��. Likely one of the local factions, most likely the pirates or the Penxi are up to no good in that nebula, I�ll order the Nernst to investigate further but to be cautious and retreat at the first sign of danger. I�ll also have Patrol squadron 2 divert to a staging point just outside the Nebula.

Q1d
If piracy really starts to escalate I might have to request an additional patrol squadron from Starfleet, however I believe the colony defenses I�ve requested should be sufficient to deter most pirate vessels from attempting to raid it.
To be on the safe side though I�ll order patrol squadron 2 to begin laying the minefield and keep the kestrels closer to the colony.

Additional Ship Requests:

Patrol Squadron 3 (anti piracy)
USS Biter NCC-D209 Predator Class (special patrol)
USS Bruiser NCC-D217 Predator Class (special patrol)
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Hehhehheh....
 

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Posted by Idontlikeusernames (Member # 1925) on :
 
Question 2

Q2a
I�ll critique Minutiae�s deployment plans.
Overall they�re well thought out however I must question the wisdom of requisitioning a Belleau Wood class assault transport as a permanent addition to the fleet, since first of all it�s a slow and lightly armed vessel by contemporary standards so you�ll probably need to give it escorts to constantly keep it safe and I highly doubt it will be effective in repelling a Klingon incursion should it come to that since Klingons usually like to attack with overwhelming numbers anyway. I think you�d be better off overall if you had requested one or two other smaller vessels that would in my opinion be much more useful for intercepting pirates since piracy is arguably this sectors main problem (at least the main problem that we could actually handle with the meager force Starfleet�s assigned to this sector for anything else I�m guessing the doctrine of �defense in depth� still applies and we�ll be forced to make a fighting retreat in the face of overwhelming odds until Starfleet can send reinforcements.)
BTW, aren�t TWO Miranda class Starships a bit much in the way of firepower to request for this out of the way sector (to my knowledge they�re actually more advanced than the Constitution and Pyotr Velikiy classes we weren�t even allowed to request).

Q2b
Sigh��..command never does give us lowly Admirals in out of the way sectors the resources necessary to actually provide an adequate defense do they?
(I�ve always suspected this might be the reason why in so many episodes of the series the Enterprise is the only ship in the neighborhood except we don�t get an Enterprise to safe us do we?)

Here goes revised fleet deployments are as follows:
USS Lysander NCC-1593 Siegfried Class (sector flagship based at station K10)
USS Skua NCC-1396 Kestrel Class (colonial defense in Sobchek system)
USS Owl NCC-1435 Kestrel Class (colonial defense in Sobchek system)
USS Hauler NCC-T338 Giant Class (colonial support in Sobchek system)
USS India NCC-1479 Lancaster Class (colonial defense in Sobchek system*)
USS Nernst NCC-893 Oberth Class (mapping and study of Ul�Chek nebula)

Patrol Squadron 1
USS Biter NCC-D209 Predator Class (regular patrol)
USS Dazzler NCC-1567 Avenger Class (regular patrol)
USS Reporter NCC-1787 Avenger Class (regular patrol)

Patrol Squadron 2
USS Buccaneer NCC-1686 Predator Class (regular patrol)
USS Spanker NCC-1842 Predator Class (regular patrol)

That effectively eliminates squadron 3, the Giotto, and my second cruiser
(since I only requested 7 additional ship and the question states I lose half I�m interpreting this in my favor)
* Notwithstanding my reduced fleet size, I still think command should recall this ship to be decommissioned.

Q2c
Do I look like an expert on colony settlement & planetary management and administration techniques all of a sudden?
I�d better let the overpaid analysts at the Bureau of Colonization deal with this one (unless Starfleet actually wishes me to establish a fortified military outpost which I assume is not the purpose of this colony even though it is situated at a rather strategic point in this sector). As for the supply needs of the colony that�s something for transport command to handle (I�m assuming transport command handles all non civilian transport traffic in this sector), although like I said before it would be best if we could entice local civilian operators to take care of the supply line if necessary through subsidized contracts.
Since we�re going to be sharing this planet with the Klingons I suppose a 500 man strong military police force equipped with a dozen or so heavy shuttlecraft might be appropriate to maintain order.

Q2d
Darn it! I had hoped that our colonists would get here first I should have known that the Klingons would use this colony as a pretext for establishing a military base.
In light of these developments I�d like to make a request to double my requested security force and furthermore request a wing of three Balclutha class corvettes* (link: http://www.shipschematics.net/startrek/images/federation/corvette_balclutha.jpg) to counter those pesky B�rels to be based at Sobchek. (though somehow I doubt command will actually accede to this request). I would also request command to release the requested Valley forge class cruise to me as soon as possible.
I�ll also inquire amongst the local governments if they might be interested in establishing a joint tactical training with academy me on Sobchek.
If they agree to this it would serve two purposes, first it would provide me with additional security forces I could deploy in a pinch, secondly the security and law enforcement personnel on border worlds would likely benefit from the opportunity to observe Klingon soldiers in action (maybe I could even invite some Klingons to take participate since it�s likely their crews are going to visit our colony on �shore leave� anyways).

I think these are reasonable specs for a movie era corvette (since shipschematics didn�t provide any)
Crew Complement: 56 (12 officers +44 crew)
Weapons: 4 phaser turrets in twin mounts, 1 photon torpedo tube with 18 photons
Embarked Craft: 2 transatmospheric shuttlecraft
Velocity (cochrane scale): Warp 5.5 standard, Warp 8.8 maximum

Q2e
I will do my best to assure the good general that the Nernst is merely a science vessel cataloguing gaseous anomalies I�m curious about what his ship was doing in the nebula though since to my knowledge K-23�s aren�t known for their stellar scientific capabilities.
I�ll also point out that the extremely limited range of ships sensors in the nebula combined with it�s relative distance from the main Klingon assets in this sector (unless there are any in the nebula that we�re unaware of makes it an illogical location to conduct espionage missions against the Klingon Empire from.
If I actually succeed in convincing the general I propose we hunt for the pirate�s base of operations together since pirate attacks are a menace to both our peoples.

Q2f

This is exactly the reason why I requested a third patrol squadron since I cannot possibly safeguard the entire sector with my current forces.
I suppose if the Safko government is unwilling to have a ring of orbital defense satellites placed around their world the best thing I can do is place sensor buoys along the pirates most likely approach vectors to the Safko system and hope they warn one of my patrol squadrons the next time this happens. Though I�ll do my best to persuade the Safkans that some automatic, orbital defense satellites would be their best bet if they want to keep damage from pirate raids to a minimum.

Q2g

Since I�m making a late entry I�ll skip this one for now.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Interesting critique, IDLUN. You make a good point, except for one thing... the Belleau Wood isn't part of my fleet to be a patrol ship, it's there to be a mobile support platform (with its large hangar bays) to serve as colony support and light defense. There's no chance it'll stand up to the Klingons, of course, but that's not the point... it's the pirates that I'm concerned about.

As for my fleet numbers... well, my Asmodeii were a last-minute addition to my fleet anyway, as I initially overlooked the severity of the pirate problem. And I made my requests with the goal of being reasonable for Command's benefit � i.e. I figured they'd give me what I asked for. I could I expect the stylus-pushers to nix my requisitions? (Me not being bureaucratic-minded, anyway.) I notice you fell into the same trap, too.
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
That corvette is by far one of the ugliest things I have ever seen.
 

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Posted by Idontlikeusernames (Member # 1925) on :
 
^^
That means it'll go just nicely with the uniforms of the period don't you agree Shik?
And you never know, maybe it'll scare the Klingons.

So do I get those reinforcements or not?
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 
We all requested reinforcements after the initial fleet arrival.

You sir, on the other hand, have one of the largest (if not the largest) fleets in the sector the way it is.

I do have a question about your fleet. What happened to your other Oberth? You have the Nernst and requested two others. Even with only getting half the ships, shouldn't you have another Oberth now or did you trade it for something else?
 

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Posted by Idontlikeusernames (Member # 1925) on :
 
^

Ah.. No Herb, I only requested one not two additional Oberths.
Maybe my fleet summary in Q1 was a bit convoluted (mainly because I tore up patrol squadron 73 and reassigned those ships to work with my new arrivals instead of keeping them together), these were the additional ships I requested in Q1, including those requested in Q1d:
USS Lysander NCC-1593 Siegfried Class
USS Proteus NCC-1478 Valley Forge Class
USS Owl NCC-1435 Kestrel Class
USS Deinonychus NCC-1421 Kestrel Class
USS Biter NCC-D209 Predator Class
USS Bruiser NCC-D217 Predator Class
USS Giotto NCC-647 Oberth Class
USS Oasis NCC-DT29 Sahara Class
USS Hauler NCC-T338 Giant Class

The ships I actually received in Q2 (after command put the axe to my requisitions) were therefore:
USS Lysander NCC-1593 Siegfried Class
USS Owl NCC-1435 Kestrel Class
USS Biter NCC-D209 Predator Class
USS Hauler NCC-T338 Giant Class
(of which Hauler doesn�t count since it�s a transport)

This means the ship requests axed by command consist of :
USS Proteus NCC-1478 Valley Forge Class
USS Deinonychus NCC-1421 Kestrel Class
USS Bruiser NCC-D217 Predator Class
USS Oasis NCC-DT29 Sahara Class and
USS Giotto NCC-647 Oberth Class

To answer your question completely, yes I dropped the second Oberth of my own volition (my original plan was to have two science vessels so that I could redeploy one of them should the need arise, however I later realized that with my reduced escort fleet size I wouldn�t have the resources to actually safeguard two science vessels so I gave up the Giotto). I did however include it in the count in Q2b adding to the confusion.
I also somehow forgot to include the Sahara class in my initial fleet count in Q2b (probably since I didn�t consider it to be an escort vessel because I presumed it to be unarmed).
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I've got a Sahara too... it's treated as a transport, because it's a support vessel.
 

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Posted by Idontlikeusernames (Member # 1925) on :
 
Question 3

Q3a

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The Nernst finds in the nebula an unmistakably Penxi transport vessel transferring supply to a pirate raider. The Nernst remains undetected. How do you proceed?

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Originally posted by MinutiaeMan:
I've got a Sahara too... it's treated as a transport, because it's a support vessel.

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Whoa there; you can't just arrest people for looking at files they have security clearance to access. All we know is that he was looking at these files. We have no clue if has done anything with them or even plans to.

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And yet it's been done every day on this planet for the past 10 millennia.

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One day after the report is received, the large Klingon force decloaks off K-10 & hails the station. General Plis'Qen is embarked aboard one of the K't'ingas & he formally requests repair, resupply, & rest at the station as per his rights under the Organian Peace Treaty. He also asks for a moment of YOUR time, alone.

Told you it was going to be big.
 

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Posted by Neutrino 123 (Member # 1327) on :
 
Question 6:

1. To answer Minutiaeman�s scenario, it seems that the Klingons are monitoring our colony for some reason since the colonies are a long distance apart. This in itself doesn�t really matter. There should be no secrets in the colony. However, the fact that shots were exchanged indicates a more serious problem. Future scouting parties should be more heavily armed, and ordered to challenge the Klingons verbally to avoid misunderstandings. Meanwhile, the colony�s sensor network should be extended, and scouts send to challenge any groups of Klingons arriving, assuming they venture into the colony�s actual territory . The Klingons should be told not to approach the colony unscheduled except for emergencies.

To answer Herbshrump�s scenario, the species should most certainly not be eliminated. However, even a simple sensor network (including seismic sensors) should be able to detect these things before they get to the colony, allowing precautions to be taken. As a temporary measure, the India could probably transport them away whenever they get close.
Meanwhile, Starfleet scientists and any biologists on the planet could attempt to come up with a more permanent solution to stop the rampages.

2. Two weeks after Part 1
Wait a minute, exactly how is an Oberth attacking the Klingons proof that the Federation is using raiders against the Klingons...
Nevertheless, this certainly isn�t a welcome development. Unless the Klingons have somehow falsified the image (this would be checked), it appears that the Penxi raiders have captured the Nernst. The same thing MAY have happened to the Spanker, though it was probably destroyed trying to protect the Nernst (I suppose there is a small chance it got away). The Klingons should be informed, at any rate, as well as all other vessels in the area.
As for the Klingon blustering, the best thing to do would be to let him bluster himself out. Even assuming the Federation was assisting the pirates, sending an Oberth into battle would be an idiotic idea (better used for scouting for targets...).

3. Four days afterward
Damn it. There is nothing we can do about the blockade at the present. Fortunately, the agricultural colony should be self sufficient. However, they will begin to run out of very important things such as medical supplies eventually. India is in orbit around the planet, and should be able to look after the colony by itself for awhile. The blockade will need to be dealt with eventually, even if it means a big skirmish.


4. Five days afterward
What? Only 25 ships? I�ll settle for no less then 200 ships of balanced sizes! This is what would be needed if both the Klingons and Penxi would need to be dealt with. However, I will be willing to settle for 100 if the Klingons start to become less hostile.
Also, how did a commodore get command of 25 ships, including many powerful ships? Even 10 smaller ships would be quite a lot. Starfleet must need more flag officers. The commander of the Neulovimy should be recommended for promotion, having been able to face so many pirates at once (and the ship would join the new fleet). If commodore Hage is entrusted to such a large fleet, she is probably a good officer as well, but before any further promotions are considered, we will see how everyone handles themselves in battle.

We will definitely NOT divide our forces. I will transfer my flag to the Endeavor. The Penxi raider base is the clear target. They have done much more damage then the Klingons, and attacking them may cause the Klingons the end their blockade. Partially to give false intelligence to the enemy, the initial course of the fleet will be towards Sobchak�s planet, but not directly towards it. We will pass just outside the Klingon�s blockade, and send a narrow beam message to each ship in their fleet something along the lines of, �We go to attack the Penxi raiders, the true enemy. Join us in battle if you are not cowards.� The fleet shall leave as soon as all ships refit and re-supply from their transit.

5. Two days afterward
Damn Klingons. Federation ships will be publicly ordered to pursue pirates into Klingon space in this sector until the Klingons apologize to the neutrals and pay compensation. Meanwhile, the previously stated policy toward the neutrals would be continued.

6. Two hours afterward
Crap! Stupid hyper-efficient sector guard. Why did they have 55% of their ships within range of one little area? At least they showed the Klingons that raids into Federation borders will be hotly contested even by little militia ships. We need more ships in this sector to make a show of force against the Klingons. 300 should do the trick. Nevertheless, the previous plan of attacking the Penxi base will continue. We need to make the problem with the Klingons go away, not expand the problem by destroying their forces right next to an even nastier enemy.

7. Three days afterward
Poor India. It was due to be decommissioned next Tuesday...
Surely this means war against the Penxi. It would be immediately be recommended to the government that they declare war, and I will take the liberty of putting the entire sector under war footing, including the Sector Guard, who will now defend only planet and essential convoys (nonessential transport runs will be prohibited, if legal).
Plans for a strike to liberate Sobchak�s Planet will be made. It will be recommended to Starfleet Command that the Klingon border force be restructured as an anti-raiding force (the Klingons will be busy with the Penxi too) and that all newly available ships be sent here. I�ll remind Starfleet that the more forces I have, the fewer casualties we�ll take in the war. Since lives would DEFINITELY be saved by sending more ships, it is surely worth the cost of stripping other POTENTIAL trouble spots of ships. 400 should be sufficient.
A strike on Sobshak�s planet should be completed soon if possible. It is possible if the Penxi have divided their ships over the two colonies, and Starfleet ships can approach and attack one group before the other can respond (and then quickly retreat after doing much damage). We don�t have enough ships to liberate the entire planet if the Penxi are concentrated without suffering at least major losses, and that�s assuming the Penxi haven�t send reinforcements, also that they couldn�t just retake the planet quickly due to the weakened Federation fleet�s state.

9. One week afterward
Just as I suspected the Klingons are at war with the Penxi, so the border defenses can definitely be reduced. Did they attack civilian targets, or only government and military?

10. Two days afterward
Slaughtering civilians? Surely the Federation will accept only the unconditional surrender of the Penxi. This should also force Starfleet to send more ships soon! Liberating Sobchak�s planet should be a priority task of this war. Nevertheless, we may want to strike at the Penxi �protrusion� into Federation territory first, possibly on the way to Sobchak�s planet. It would depend on exactly what the Penxi have in those planets. Destroying the Penxi fleet might be the main objective, but it is also important to destroy any bases they might have near Federation space.

11. One day afterward
Ah, about time he showed up. We must coordinate war plans. His forces will be provisioned and fully refitted according to the treaty, and beyond, the moment the Klingons admit their mistake of intruding into Federation territory, violating the treaty, and apologize for destroying all those ships. We cannot let the Klingons get away entirely with such a bad deed, but to lesson the impact of our reasonable demands, we will now declare a full blockade of the Penxi, and offer to sign an agreement allowing our ships to operate and transfer through our territories for the duration of this war.
To actually formulate a warplan, I must know of the location of known relevant Penxi facilities and ships, as well as any other useful Penxi-related intelligence. Also, what kinds of reinforcements can I expect, and will the Klingons divulge the strength of their fleets in this area, to better coordinate (the Federation would reciprocate)? If intelligance is lacking in any Penxi-related areas, fast scouts would be sent out on intelligance missions (perhaps the Klingons could help in this regard).
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
"Did they attack civilian targets, or only government and military?"

Don't make me quote G'Kar.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Which G'Kar quote did you have in mind?

(I'm working on my response, but I gotta give it some thought...)
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
The one about ORBITAL FUCKING BOMBARDMENT.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
== Part 6A ==

You might as well have told us to just answer everyone else's responses, Shik!

quote:

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Posted by Neutrino 123:
Some kid gets bitten by a rare insect, and due to the characteristics of the insects venom, and falls quite ill for several days. When Qiao hears of this, he orders all insects of this variety cleared from the area. Unfortunately, biologists report that the insect�s range is confined to the small area around the colony. The science facilities of the India [or insert ship around Sobchak�s planet here] are needed to eliminate the bugs. However, the captain of the India asks for instructions on how to proceed. What do you do?

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quote:

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Posted by HerbShrump:
The colony on Sobchak�s planet is in the midst of a severe crisis. Food supplies are drastically limited and certain key technological components/tools were lost all due to the attack by the Raiders before arriving at Sobchak�s planet. To complicate the matter further, the colony is being overran by large burrowing reptillian creatures (think of a monitor lizard the size of a baby elephant). These creatures have a near pack-like or herd mentality. They weren�t believed to be any danger to the colony and it�s suspected that something has changed to cause these animals to periodically go on violent destructive campaigns through the settlement. No deaths have been reported by several colonists have been injured. Mr. Qiao is demading the immediate eradication of the species, and so are a number of the colonists. Others are fighting this sentiment based on moral, ethical grounds and the Prime Directive. How can the colony be adequately protected without eliminating the animals and still placating Mr. Qiao?

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• USS Saratoga (NCC-1867), Miranda class
• USS Orion (NCC-1981), Polaris class
• USS Scorpio (NCC-1984), Polaris class
• USS Skua (NCC-1396), Kestrel class
• USS Dazzler (NCC-D120), Avenger class
• USS Reporter (NCC-D159), Avenger class
• USS Buccaneer (NCC-D218), Predator class
• USS Spanker (NCC-D279), Predator class
• USS Shaitan (NCC-D423), Asmodeus class
• USS Michtlantecuhtli (NCC-D414), Asmodeus class
• USS Brandywine (NCC-1559), Belleau Wood class
• USS Gobi (NCC-DT23), Sahara class

quote:

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Told you it was going to be big.

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Big? You call this big? I survived the Driian Blitzkreig in Sector Beta, orchestrated by the evil Admiral Timo! This is not big!

(Kidding, kidding...)
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
What's the status of the Brandywine and the Shaitan? Destroyed, driven off, or holding outside (or even inside) the blockade line?

Well, you answered that for yourself. I will allot you this: Brandywine limped back to K-10, but she's at ...um...45% capacity.

At this stage the Klingons have made the first overt violation of the Organian Peace Treaty.

Yes...& no. It's not an ACTIVELY hostile action. Yet.

Big? You call this big?

Well, the setup is.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Yeah, I knew the Brandywine took some hits; I meant to indicate that there was some combat even though they bugged out right away. I just had to assume, from the wording of your later question with the Penxi assault, that you weren't actually having the Klingons attack outright in establishing the blockade. So the ships were still there. And it's obvious that, whether inside or outside the blockade, that would've been abandoned when the Penxi attacked.

Ahh... the power of Logic!

As for the "first overt violation," I'm referring to in this sector only. Should'a been more clear.
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 

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A civilian survey party, exploring the territory around the colony on foot, encounters a small Klingon scouting party, also on foot. A few shots are exchanged between the two sides, but in the dense, forested foliage, it doesn't seem as if anyone hit anything (on either side). Depending on your colony's location and distance from the Klingon settlement, this could either be an inevitable occurrence from proximity or a sinister indication of greater movements by the Klingons. React accordingly. (Oh, and regardless, Mr. Qiao is screaming bloody murder again and demanding the formation of an anti-Klingon posse with a "shoot first, ask questions never" policy. Does this actually seem like a good idea?)

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Some kid gets bitten by a rare insect, and due to the characteristics of the insects venom, and falls quite ill for several days. When Qiao hears of this, he orders all insects of this variety cleared from the area. Unfortunately, biologists report that the insect�s range is confined to the small area around the colony. The science facilities of the India [or insert ship around Sobchak�s planet here] are needed to eliminate the bugs. However, the captain of the India asks for instructions on how to proceed. What do you do?

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quote:

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Two weeks after Part 1, raiders attack a Klingon outpost world and escape through the Ul'Chek Nebula. In his usual after-action bluster, General Plis'Qen again accuses the Federation of using the raiders to circumvent the Organian sanction on direct hostilities. This time, however, he has what he declares is incontrovertable proof: an image of USS Nernst firing upon & destroying a B'rel.

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Four days after Plis'qen's angry communique, the Klingon force at Sobchak's Planet as detailed in Q2 initiates a blockade of the planet. Planetary operations are unaffected (that is to say, the UFP colony is left alone), but no Federation vessel will be allowed to leave or enter the local space.

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# Four days after Plis'qen's angry communique, the Klingon force at Sobchak's Planet as detailed in Q2 initiates a blockade of the planet. Planetary operations are unaffected (that is to say, the UFP colony is left alone), but no Federation vessel will be allowed to leave or enter the local space.

# Starfleet Command has finally listened to your constant gripes & prompted by the blockade (which has not been challenged yet), a fleet of 25 starships makes starfall at K-10 five days after the blockade begins.

TF 614 is commanded by Commodore Ayla Hage, commanding Essex. She reports to your office on K-10 & the two of you confer along with your respective staffs as to the current state of affairs. The general assesment is that the combined forces could go after the raider base noted in Q5, pt. 1 and the Klingon blockade simultaneously but that a consecutive full-fleet appraoch would be better for victory than a concurrent partail-fleet action. So what's first: the raider base or the blockade? Explain your reasons and any possible complications that may arise from a plan you might put together. Assume that all vessels have been refitted to TMP-era cosmetics & standards. Also, USS Neulovimy (NCC-1945) from Q5, pt. 1 has completed repairs & may be drafted into your local fleet temporarily.

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Two days after TF 614's arrival, a small Klingon force comprised of 3 B'rel-class birds-of-prey and a single D-10 cruiser attack a small trade fleet retuning from Penxi space. The small convoy belongs to the lesser race that opened ties with the Penxi Optimus in Q4, pt. 4. The Klingons disable the vessels, board them, & seize the cargos along with any information on the Penxi contained within the computers. While the race involved is not a Federation member, the raid was conducted in what generally ammounts to Federation space

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Two hours after the raid, Sector Guard vessels responding to the distress call sent by the aliens encounter & engage the Klingon party. They incur substantial losses, enough where approximately 55% of the Guard's entire force is now decimated.

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# Three days after the attack, the Penxi Optimus launches an all-out attack against Sobchak's Planet. Three of their Lancaster equivalent vessels, one of the Siegfried equivalents, and 75 of the smaller ships conduct the attack. The Klingon blockade force in orbit takes up the defense of the entire planet (if you have any vessels in orbit, assume that they, too, joined in) but is quickly overwhelmed by the fierceness of the Penxi strike. Several ships are destroyed, most are crippled, and Penxi troops begin ladning in both Klingon & Federation settlements.

# Communications with Sobchak's Planet go dark a few hours after the attack. One week after the strike & occupation, no word has been received from either Governors Qiao or Valg.

# About the same time (that 1-week span), the large Klingon force spotted in Q5, pt. 4 decloaks around the Penxi Optimus homeworld (I'll leave the potential jokes open here) and begins orbitally bombarding it. Small raider-types effect a vigorous defense of the planet and bloody the Klingons' nose; 3 vessels are destroyed, 5 are crippled.

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Two days after the Klingon retaliation, a smuggled report from the Federation colony on Sobchak's Planet reaches you. Short & urgent, the sender states that the Penxi are stripping the colony & planet of all natural resources. The populace is being utilized as slave labor regardless of age, gender, or infirmity, & there have been several deaths from overwork or punishment already. Among the first deaths was DSU Qiao, who was shot in the head point blank by a blaster-wielding trooper afater an indigant & blustery protest of treatment. There is no word as to how the Klingon settlement is faring.

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One day after the report is received, the large Klingon force decloaks off K-10 & hails the station. General Plis'Qen is embarked aboard one of the K't'ingas & he formally requests repair, resupply, & rest at the station as per his rights under the Organian Peace Treaty. He also asks for a moment of YOUR time, alone.

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Klingon repairs are granted top priority. Bloodwine, Romulan Ale, Kentucky Whiskey and Russian Vodka for everyone. Have the General escorted to my office at once.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Hmm. The sector seems to have gotten stuck in some kind of temporal anomaly. It feels like months have passed, yet the calendar tells me that barely a couple of days have gone by!

I must remind my operations officer to consult the nearest Federation time beacon more frequently...
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Been busy. Pinched at lab & to be honest...no one seems to care anymore.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
The first thing to spring to mind reading your response was Luke Skywalker wistfully commenting to Princess Leia, "I care..."

I'm such a geek...
 

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Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
 
Hey, I'll be the first in line to say that doing these things can be quite a task. However, I'll also wsay that it's ultimately rewarding in the end. Stay the course! Let them! Take the shields offline and recharge the emitters - that'll bring them up to full power!

Mark
 

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Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
 
I've just been patiently waiting.

Either that or the subspace receiver has been down.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
So, what's happened? The Klingons hit Starfleet Command with one of those wacky stasis field weapons, or something?

In other news, my strategic operations officer finally got off his lazy ass and sent me a tactical update for the various incidents in the sector...


 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
(Still busy, no Mac yet, working on project, no scanner access, no graphics software, no time to think, worrying about money, hoping iPod is only mostly dead & not all dead)
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
S'okay, just wondering if it'd been forgotten. I just might start my own in the mean time, if that's okay. (Though it'll probably be a couple weeks, 'cause I've got only a few notes at the moment, and I'd want more material ready.)

Anyone have a preference, between politics and tactics?
 

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Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Go ahead. Maybe playing will get me going on finishing.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Okay, I've got three ideas to work on: a scenario with the Maquis, a bumpy-headed alien blitzkrieg, or Sector Beta, Part II: The Revenge!. Not sure which one I'll do... Anyone have a preference?
 

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Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
The Maquis!
 

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Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
I miss these.
 

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Posted by Fabrux (Member # 71) on :
 
Well, you can certainly count on Shik never finishing this up.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I miss 'em too. I might try pulling together some old ideas, try to get one going.... How many people would join in?
 

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Posted by Fabrux (Member # 71) on :
 
I'd be game for one.
 

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Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
I'm in.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Anyone else?
 

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Posted by The Ginger Beacon (Member # 1585) on :
 
Yeah, all right. Never done one before, but there's a first time for everything.
 

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Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
Anybody else?!
 

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Posted by shikaru808 (Member # 2080) on :
 
Yes.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Okay, I'll try to work up some ideas this weekend. It'll be a week or two before I start it.
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
Any preferences to the general era? TOS, movie, pre-TNG, TNG-VOY, or post-VOY?
 

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Posted by Fabrux (Member # 71) on :
 
Anything goes, although if you do post-VOY you'll have to decide if you're following the STO timeline or the Pocket Books timeline...
 

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Posted by The Ginger Beacon (Member # 1585) on :
 
I'll go with what ever, but I'd need to bone up if we do post-Voy. Depends on the scenario really, so go with what you like mate and we'll go with the flow!
 

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Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
I'm leaning towards the TNG era at this point. Been reviewing all sorts of scraps for ideas and inspiration. We'll see how it turns out!
 

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