posted
Don't worry, I will. But it's the middle of the night now so I'll wait until tomorrow if you don't mind. Personally I think the best solution would be for Section 31 to knock off the monarch and install a puppet regime that will do what we tell them. Maybe I should defect to the Cardassians, they'd probably appreciate my way of thinking more than these wussy Feds...
-------------------- "My theories appal you, my heresies outrage you, I never answer letters and you don't like my tie." - The Doctor
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Mine'll probably be up either later today or tomorrow: I've had an attack of real life this week
-------------------- "I am an almost extinct breed, an old-fashioned gentleman, which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-bitch when it suits me." --Jubal Harshaw
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quote:Question Four Guest Lecture by MinutiaeMan A) Respond to one or more of the scenarios created by the other participants in Part (D) of Question Three.
Well I started with Timo's so I should continue. All the evidence is pointing towards my initial reaction being correct - there are no JH, just some idiots pretending to be JH. But we have bigger problems now. They want panic? I'll give them panic. All ships entering the Jovalis or Lucrezea systems will be stopped and each crewmember/passenger will be scanned. Anyone trying to break the quarantine will be considered hostile and treated accordingly. I will strongly urge the Joval, Zechs and Bifour Governments to follow a similar course of action.
But the chances are that we will find nothing. And there is a time limit on how long we can keep this sort of action going. So we need to find the core of the extremists and capture them. That will require a joint Starfleet Intelligence/Bifour Security operation. Which should be fun to arrange.
I'll also look up Dr Bashir's vaccine for the Teplan Blight and see if my medical teams can modify it to produce a universal vaccine and/or cure. I'll also arrange for the existing vaccine to be given to all pregnent mothers so that their children will be safe. But this is probably a wasted effort as I'll bet that the bioweapon isn't really the Teplan Blight/Quickening in the same way that the JH ship wasn't really operated by JH.
quote:1) How will you redeploy your task force once you hear of the fighting?[/q]
The Hotspur and Indefatigable will remain on station along the border. The Ataturk and the two Sabres will move to the Jovalis system. The Aristophanes will take over as much of the role of the Sabres as she can. The Ushos will continue in her role of transporting in material for the DS12 upgrade. Though she should also bring in emergency mediacal supplies, etc.
quote:[qb]2) Monarch Hrrays does agree to a brief private conference with you as the local representative of the Federation, to discuss the situation.
I will tell him that the Federation will not interfere in his internal problems so long as they do not spill over into Federation space. I will tell him that my priority as a Starfleet officer is to protect the lives of Federation citizens and hence I am stationing starships in the Jovalis system to deter the conflict from spreading there. I will tell him that the economies of the sector are so delicately balanced that this war could ruin not only his own world but others as well. I will tell him that I am prepared to offer humanitarian aid to anyone who asks for it.
I will make an open offer to act as a mediator in negotaiating a peaceful settlement.
quote:C) Since the Federation does not have any high-ranking civilian officials in the region, it falls to you to set the Federation's policy and make sure that Starfleet is not dragged into any local conflict.
My policy is exactly what I told the Monarch it would be.
quote:1) There's also a vague reference to a rogue group called the Jovalisi Freedom Brigade which is using a group of Federation-built small craft (think Maquis-type ships here) to aid the rebel cause. What will you do in response to this intelligence?
About the arms smuggling, I'll assign security officers from various ships to 'assist' the Jovalisi police forces in tracking down the smugglers.
About the JFB, if they ever come inside the Jovalisi system then I'll apprehend them, but if they stay outside then it's not my problem. Even if the ships were obtained illegally inside the Federation there is nothing I can do about them as long as they're outside UFP territory.
quote:2) The Jovalisi Merchants' Guild requests Starfleet protection of their ships near Jovalis and the immediate lifting of the blockade over the western continent for neutral vessels.
I will remind the Monarch of just how much hus world is dependent upon trade and point out that it doesn't matter if he crushes a few rebelsif in doing so he ruins his economy. Beyond that there is nothing I can do. The Jovali have every right to impose whatever custom checks and restrictions they desire at the boundary of their own space.
quote:3) In a surprise operation, a squad of rebel commandos manages to commandeer the Jovali heavy cruiser Dralliw. The ship disappears into the asteroid belt.
Is this a real asteroid belt or a SciFi one? If it's a real one then tracking the ship will be easy. If it's a SciFi one then it won't.
I'll send a communication to the captured ship telling them that they are NOT welcome in Jovalisi space. They are a combatant in the Jovali civil war and will be treated exactly the same as any of the royal forces if they try to extend the war into UFP space.
quote:4) Leaders from several of the habitats ask you to provide assistance in order to maintain security.
I already have security forces spread throughout the habitats (see C1 above) so these can now 'advise' on tactical matters pertaining to confining the rioters. I do not have enough forces to supply additional riot control troops. I can use my replicators to supply additional, maybe higher tech, security equipment - scanners, portable force field generators, stun weapons, etc. that may be useful.
quote:D) The general estimate for the habitats as a whole is 3 weeks before a supply shortage develops.
My engineers may be able to upgrade the life support and replicator systems to support more people. The Ushos can bring in a limited amount of additional supplies. I can encourage both sides on Joval to come to terms so that the refugess can return home. I can ask the other governments in the sector to provide emergency aid.
quote:1) They simply aren't fast enough for a true interstellar journey, especially considering the overcrowding on board. What will you do with them?
Request additional transports from SFC, ask for assistance from the Bifour, Lucrezea and Zechs governments. Continue to try and make the Jovali end this stupid conflict.
Recativate the USS Rigorous, no need for warp or weapons. I want to use her as a medical station - crew quarters and cargo bays can be converted to wards.
quote:2) A Jovali passenger ship enters Jovalis space, pursued by one of the surviviing Jovali frigates
I tell the frigate to back off or I will open fire. I've been consistent about keeping combatants out of Jovalisi space and there is no reason to change now.
quote:3) A group of raiders have taken advantage of the confusion in the past weeks. It's possible that the raiders are operating out of the asteroid field... and may even be using the cloaking technology that was stolen from G'Sall a few months back.
As I've said before the sort of technology used to hide a survey team from low tech natives is not the same as a starship cloak. And if the asteroid belt is physically realistic (i.e. one rock ever thousand kilometers or so) then it provides very little cover. So I can keep an eye on things with sensors and intercept the raiders as the enter UFP or interstellar space. I will not enter Jovali space.
quote:4) There are a series of bomb attacks in various Jovalisi orbital habitats. How do you ensure the security of your home base, Deep Space Twelve?
Who the **** is planting bombs on habitats? With security officers already spread throughout the system I hope I'll be able to catch these morons. DS12 will stay open as normal. There will be increased security scans, etc. but we can not do anything that would harm our aid efforts.
quote:E) After weeks of fighting, the royal faction's ground forces prevail.
I'll encourage the Monarch to be leniant, and inform him that UFP aid to, and trade with Joval may be adversely affected if he is not. I'll encourage the Jovalisi to stay calm and remind them that they have the full support of the UFP when it comes to caring for the refugees, etc.
I'll keep tracking the Rebel cruiser and will still not allow it to enter UFP space.
-------------------- "My theories appal you, my heresies outrage you, I never answer letters and you don't like my tie." - The Doctor
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Sorry about a late reply. I was in the Basque country, swam across the Bay of Biscay, and got married plus commissioned to perform in the local opera.
Would you believe dipping my big toe in the bay, having wild sex with everyone on the beach, and winning silver in a solo singing contest?
Oh, well. Would you believe just sitting dazed on the 27oC beach in early November, coming third in a rather tight choir competition, and getting to kiss a most adorable alto?
You'd better. Answer to Dan's scenario coming up tomorrow. Looking very much forward to it.
quote:Originally posted by Timo: Would you believe dipping my big toe in the bay, having wild sex with everyone on the beach, and winning silver in a solo singing contest?
I'm tempted to make a "man train" joke here, but I won't.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
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The Biscay frutti di mare I devoured finally got their revenge - for the past few days I've been bedridden with a horrid bioweapon (no, *not* the alto I mentioned earlier - alas!), and it will be a while until I can form a coherent thought. I'll save my first one for Dan's scenario. Until then, bear with my feverish ramblings...
posted
All right, the fever is down, and it's time for...
Question Four Guest Lecture by MinutiaeMan
A) Respond to one or more of the scenarios created by the other participants in Part (D) of Question Three. This time, you have your entire fleet at your disposal. (The events in the scenario for your response here do not have to affect the deployment of your fleet for the following questions -- unless you want them to.)
I'll take something simple this time - say, Wraith's. Simple, if not easy.
I have already made overtures for assisting the Lucrezean militia. My frigate, the Icy Falls, resides at the planet, with my military advisors. They are in a good position to find out if the said militia is in any way responsible for the attack.
My recce ship, the Canaris, turns around and heads for Lucrezea as well. Via Zechs, where it can provide a little humanitarian aid and find out a few more facts. A second frigate similar to the Icy Falls is also available nearby, and will move to Lucrezea - these ships are enough to protect the planet from Bifourian aggression. Finally, relief ships will be diverted from the Jovalis/UFP run to Zechs, to be joined by the returning Canaris as soon as the situation at Lucrezea calms down.
B) A civil war breaks out on Joval. Numerous local leaders call for the establishment of a planetary parliament and a full constitution. Monarch Ypaha Hrrays refuses to allow the formation of a parliament. The provinces on the western continent respond by declaring independence. When the provinces refuse to back down, Monarch Hrrays sends in ground troops to pacify the continent.
1) Provided is a map of the Joval Star System. How will you redeploy your task force once you hear of the fighting? As far as is known, all ships of the Jovali Royal Stellar Navy are in orbit of Joval -- for now.
I already have my strongest combatant stationed at Jovalis, and I do not intend to make any major military interventions yet. But if Joval gets a big antirevolutionary backlash that culminates in a “Jovalis belongs to Joval” policy, I need a deterrent against the big ships of the Monarch. I recall one of my patrolling Springfields, still leaving the second one at Lucrezea but ushering the third to the general vicinity of Jovalis/Joval. There’s no point in bothering my more distant recce vessels yet.
2) The Jovalisi government urges the Monarch to accept reforms, but he refuses. Although he's not violently xenophobic, he's clearly wary of outside influences. However, Monarch Hrrays does agree to a brief private conference with you as the local representative of the Federation, to discuss the situation. What will you tell him, or ask him, at this meeting?
In addition to the standard UFP speeches on the benefits of freedom and downsides of oppression, just one thing: the Monarch has got neighbors. UFP exterior policy of neutrality does not matter, since the UFP-ruled Jovalis is an internal matter for Joval first and foremost. It intimately affects the Monarch’s current and future economy, and cannot be discounted. If hostilities intensify, I suggest to the Monarch a joint declaration of a state of emergency, involving a joint traffic control and resource distribution scheme to keep the Joval/Jovalis relations as “normal” as possible.
C) The majority of Jovalisi favor the rebels because of their common democratic beliefs, but there is a vocal minority of pro-monarchy activists, as well.
1) Both sides of the conflict on Joval are receiving support from various "interest groups" on Jovalis. They're sending medical supplies, foodstuffs, power cells, ships, weapons... even some troops (completely unofficially). However, not all of the materiel that's being sent is home-grown Jovalisi equipment: you start receiving reports of Federation-built phasers used in battles, and even a few small Federation ships used in limited space combat. There's also a vague reference to a rogue group called the Jovalisi Freedom Brigade which is using a group of Federation-built small craft (think Maquis-type ships here) to aid the rebel cause. What will you do in response to this intelligence?
I remind the Jovalisi police of their UFP obligations, and jointly with them impose strict flight limitations between Joval and Jovalis. These help us screen the remaining traffic for contraband. Another UFP obligation for Jovalis is to organize the relief efforts, so we can nicely tell the private enterprises to dedicate all their resources to the common effort. Small craft will be confiscated for relief use. Especially those that might be operating for the JFB… The Jovalisi police, supervised and assisted by Starfleet operatives, starts hunting down the JFB, which is declared illegal under UFP law. JFB members are urged to join the Jovalisi defense forces instead. These forces will be involved in the joint emergency action I have advocated, and will do a lot more good to the Jovali freedom movement than any independent paramilitary action will.
2) In order to stop the flow of materiel to the rebels, the Jovali monarch orders a planetary blockade -- all incoming ships are stopped and searched. No vessels are allowed to land on the western continent where most of the rebels are based. The Jovalisi local government protests this blockade and demands it be lifted immediately. The western continent is the source of most of the trade between Jovali and Jovalis, and could seriously hurt Jovalis's economy if contact is cut off. A few Jovalisi ships try to run the blockade, but unsuccessfully. The Jovalisi Merchants' Guild requests Starfleet protection of their ships near Jovalis and the immediate lifting of the blockade over the western continent for neutral vessels.
I talk sense to the Jovalisi. They don’t need open skies – they can manage quite well with a strictly regulated traffic flow. The way to restore contact is to abide with a blockade that ends the Jovalisi vigilantism. The Monarch has already been offered a joint traffic control plan. It’s in his interests to agree to it now, with my masses of small craft being a great asset for traffic control.
Neutral traffic will be warned away from the combat zone, as per general UFP guidelines. Those willing to run the gauntlet will be escorted by a Starfleet frigate, one of the two I currently have in the region. The third will be recalled from Lucrezea now. Escort will be provided to Jovalis only, not Joval. However, the Monarch willing, I can escort neutral shipments to Joval within the parameters of our joint blockade. It won’t be a problem for my modern frigates to blow small craft out of the sky if they make moves against shipments, no matter whose small craft they happen to be.
Now would be a good time to get Captain Nall back to facilitate the talks with the Jovalisi…
3) In a surprise operation, a squad of rebel commandos manages to commandeer the Jovali heavy cruiser Dralliw -- apparently with the assistance of a number of mutineers on board. They escape from Jovali orbit, destroying one of the royal fleet's smaller frigates on the way out. The ship disappears into the asteroid belt, and Jovali forces do not pursue at the moment -- short of sending every remaining vessel in their fleet (one cruiser and three frigates), the Jovali are not likely to recapture their cruiser through conventional means. The rebels waste no time in proclaiming their victory and announce that the commandeered cruiser will be launching reprisals against the royal forces and any of their supporters.
This ship is a menace against which UFP policy will empower me to act, at least within UFP space. And I swear I’ll find the legal loophole that makes the asteroid belt UFP space. Jovalis orbits nearer to it than Joval anyway! The Shaaja sails out to hunt down this vessel. It is not a matter of leaving Jovalis unprotected, not at these minimal ranges.
I ask for Jovali assistance in the hunt, since the Shaaja alone won’t guarantee me victory. Their ships can stay back at Joval, ready to leap out if I yell for help, but they need not vacate any of Joval’s defenses for this. Covertly, my small craft also enter the belt, seeking for the stolen cruiser. Rules of engagement call for disabling the ship, but do not prohibit destruct, nor is the Shaaja prohibited from firing the first shot.
4) Hostility is brewing between some of the more vocal pro-rebel and pro-monarch factions in some of the Jovalisi habitats. Several riots have erupted in colonies, especially in the Deyal Group, and there have been reports of roving gangs attacking supporters of the opposite faction. Leaders from several of the habitats ask you to provide assistance in order to maintain security. Provided I nailed the rogue cruiser, I can send out forces from my flagship as well as from aboard my two resident frigates. I can probably work out the most efficiently if I again strike at space traffic, this time between the habitats. I intercept both physical movement and messages within the limitations of UFP law.
D) Things start going south. Jovali royal ground forces are advancing across the planet, and refugees are streaming into the Jovalis colonies by the hundreds, then thousands.
1) The vast majority of incoming ships carrying refugees are loaded past capacity and were built by Jovali, meaning that sending the refugees out of the system on the ships they cam in is not an option -- they simply aren't fast enough for a true interstellar journey, especially considering the overcrowding on board. What will you do with them?
I must ask for logistical support from Starfleet. Three weeks is not enough to get anything but “high-speed” ships to the area, as per the rules, but I must prepare for the future. So I ask for shipments of supplies, to be sent aboard ships than can then move out refugees.
As an interim measure, I start manufacturing extra habitat space in the form of ugly limpets clinging to DS12. It’s just bulkheads and life support anyway – and the latter could be partially provided by our cadet ship, which has nothing better to do and could be bolted onto DS12 for the time being.
2) A Jovali passenger ship enters Jovalis space, pursued by one of the surviviing Jovali frigates, the Llenrup. The large passenger ship has taken heavy damage; there are several hull breaches, their warp drive is offline, their shields destroyed. The captain of the Jovali frigate claims that the passenger ship is smuggling a cell of known rebels away from Joval; the passenger ship captain says that the Jovali navy is trying to keep refugees from leaving Joval.
Whatever the truth, I can easily handle the passenger ship, so the frigate can sod off. I board and detain the vessel as I’ve done with all suspect shipments in the past few days. And whatever the background of the people aboard, they are off the backs of the Jovali now. I promise to keep track of their whereabouts in case the Jovali want to prosecute in the distant future. For now, it simply isn’t something they can deal with.
3) A group of raiders have taken advantage of the confusion in the past weeks, and have started raiding Federation freighters carrying agricultural products to Jovalis, and on to the rest of the Federation. It's possible that the raiders are operating out of the asteroid field... and may even be using the cloaking technology that was stolen from G'Sall a few months back.
The asteroids aren’t that much of a protection for the raiders, unless they only strike in the vicinity of Jovalis itself. And they can’t, since there are plenty of my forces present, just hours away at small-craft impulse, or mere minutes at warp-hop by the Shaaja. To confront any farther-out raiders, I load some small craft aboard my escort frigates and sow them on the trade route to create an ambush.
4) There are a series of bomb attacks in various Jovalisi orbital habitats. Although none has resulted in a major loss of life, the docking facilities of one station have been severely damaged. The attacks have been confined to the Cluster -- so far. How do you ensure the security of your home base, Deep Space Twelve? (Keep in mind the ongoing refugee situation, and the fact that many of the refugees may need medical attention at a Starfleet facility.)
DS12 is quite vulnerable now, with the limpet modules and the Aristophanes welded to it. I still have to process refugees at the starbase, so all I can do is dedicate extra security forces to screening. AND make sure that all traffic to DS12 is by authorized government vessels, to which people are transferred at staging areas where their original vessels are cordoned off and inspected. This has to be done to enforce the blockade anyway.
E) After weeks of fighting, the royal faction's ground forces prevail. All of the major cities in the rebel provinces are occupied and placed under martial law. Monarch Hrrays begins issuing strict new edicts to ensure the "pacification" of the provinces. News from the provinces is scarce as the royal forces almost completely cut off the region from any offworld contact -- even after the war is declared to be over and the provincial governments surrender. The Jovalisi local government isn't happy with the developments and cuts off diplomatic relations with the homeworld, although they take no other action.
This doesn’t prevent the UFP (me, that is) from continuing a dialogue, which will involve demands for observers.
However, it seems that a guerilla war is still going on in some out-of-the-way areas, and the monarch is using this as an excuse to crack down. The Jovali royal navy has also failed to track down and capture the cruiser that was captured in Part (C). They seem to be laying low for now.
Just to remind the Monarch that I’m the one party that can hunt down the cruiser now, I pop up on a naval visit to low Jovali orbit. I ask for negotiations on ending the blockade, reminding the Monarch that if I do that unilaterally, the JFB might get a better position down at Joval. Some sort of continued cooperation is in the Monarch’s interests. Now what about those observers? AND the humanitarian aid that’s beginning to arrive also needs distributing. Does Joval want to have some?
As soon as the Monarch starts speaking of returning suspected rebels, I start speaking resettling the refugees. This can keep us two entertained for days at an end. Which reminds me, my “local expert” ship Canaris will probably be back by now. I assign the crew to special missions to find out more about the realities of the aftermath.
Timo Saloniemi
[ November 12, 2002, 01:34: Message edited by: Timo ]
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posted
I absolutely promise I'll have it up tomorrow. I mean it this time. Honest.
And Timo; simple?!?!
-------------------- "I am an almost extinct breed, an old-fashioned gentleman, which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-bitch when it suits me." --Jubal Harshaw
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posted
A) Respond to one or more of the scenarios created by the other participants in Part (D) of Question Three. I think I’ll continue with Identity Crises’…
Sooo; they now have 2 Marauders, 2 small Ferengi ships and 5 Corvettes. First off, I’ll have to assume I no longer have Rigorous there; the most I can hope for really is the Indy, Thermistocles and one of the New Orleans- say the Hyperion. That would probably be enough to see off the Ferengi ships but the corvettes as well could cause a problem, although it’s more a matter of numbers than individual firepower. I’d use the Indy and some of the runabouts to draw off the Corvettes; they’d be the ones I’d send out to intercept an incoming force. Once they’re gone, I’d send in the Thermistocles and Hyperion to escort them to Zechs and there oversee the inspection of their cargo.
1) Provided is a map of the Joval Star System. How will you redeploy your task force once you hear of the fighting? As far as is known, all ships of the Jovali Royal Stellar Navy are in orbit of Joval -- for now.
I’d redeploy the Aristophanes to Jovalisi orbital space, both to keep them out of danger and to guard Federation territory against any expansion of the war into our space. The Hyperion would be withdrawn from her patrol area to the Joval system and I would head back in the Thermistocles also. The Manticore will begin to deploy automated tracking beacons along it’s patrol area and then stand ready to withdraw to Joval.
2) The Jovalisi government urges the Monarch to accept reforms, but he refuses. Although he's not violently xenophobic, he's clearly wary of outside influences. However, Monarch Hrrays does agree to a brief private conference with you as the local representative of the Federation, to discuss the situation. What will you tell him, or ask him, at this meeting?
First off, I’d tell him that the Federation cannot and will not intervene militarily in any civil war. This may change, however, if the war spilles over into Federation territory. Then I’d try and persuade him to accept at least some reforms, at least to spare his people any bloodshed. I’d also provide him with any materials I feel may be useful; I’m sure there must be some examples of similar situations in the galaxy’s history. I would point out that having a democratic government would not necessarily end the monarchy or destroy the Jovali way of life and would probably be beneficial. I’m sure there are also many examples of what happens to monarchs when they do not grant reform (Russia, for example). Hopefully this will persuade him to at least seriously consider reforms. I’m sure there are at least some constitutional monarchies in the federation. If I have anyone from any of these planets or nations in my crews I will ask them to accompany me to prove it works.
1) Both sides of the conflict on Joval are receiving support from various "interest groups" on Jovalis. They're sending medical supplies, foodstuffs, power cells, ships, weapons... even some troops (completely unofficially). However, not all of the materiel that's being sent is home-grown Jovalisi equipment: you start receiving reports of Federation-built phasers used in battles, and even a few small Federation ships used in limited space combat. There's also a vague reference to a rogue group called the Jovalisi Freedom Brigade which is using a group of Federation-built small craft (think Maquis-type ships here) to aid the rebel cause. What will you do in response to this intelligence?
First, I’d declare an exclusion zone around Joval and a list of prohibited materials; my ships and local Jovalisi law enforcement vessels will enforce this. Anyone found smuggling these materials, particularly if they are of federation origin, will face severe charges. I’d pass the information on to Jovalisi law enforcement personnel, hopefully they will be able to track down at least some of the suppliers. I'll also alert my starships as to the type of craft we should be looking for.
2) In order to stop the flow of materiel to the rebels, the Jovali monarch orders a planetary blockade -- all incoming ships are stopped and searched. No vessels are allowed to land on the western continent where most of the rebels are based. The Jovalisi local government protests this blockade and demands it be lifted immediately. The western continent is the source of most of the trade between Jovali and Jovalis, and could seriously hurt Jovalis's economy if contact is cut off. A few Jovalisi ships try to run the blockade, but unsuccessfully. The Jovalisi Merchants' Guild requests Starfleet protection of their ships near Jovalis and the immediate lifting of the blockade over the western continent for neutral vessels.
Hmmm, difficult. If I do nothing then the Jovalisi will complain that I am not assisting them and probably complain to Starfleet and they’d probably be right. But Jovalisi is the largest supplier of weapons and other materials to both sides on Joval; the Jovali government would complain about that and that claim that I am meddling in internal affairs. I’ll have to compromise; I’d demand that the blockade on the Western continent is lifted but I’d accept the stop and search procedures. I’d assign my ships to escort Jovalisi freighters (in convoy) out to the edge of my exclusion zone (say 1.5 light minutes).
3) In a surprise operation, a squad of rebel commandos manages to commandeer the Jovali heavy cruiser Dralliw -- apparently with the assistance of a number of mutineers on board. They escape from Jovali orbit, destroying one of the royal fleet's smaller frigates on the way out. The ship disappears into the asteroid belt, and Jovali forces do not pursue at the moment -- short of sending every remaining vessel in their fleet (one cruiser and three frigates), the Jovali are not likely to recapture their cruiser through conventional means. The rebels waste no time in proclaiming their victory and announce that the commandeered cruiser will be launching reprisals against the royal forces and any of their supporters.
Oh, fantastic… that heavy cruiser could take on any of the ships in my fleet, although I doubt they’d try and attack a Federation ship or that it could defeat more than one of my ships. On the other hand they may attack Jovalisi ships and claim they were assisting the monarch’s forces. The convoy and escort procedures I’ve introduced should guard against this but the cruiser has left the exclusion zone; I really have no way of enforcing this so it’s possible the conflict could begin to spill over (having saisd this if the RSN has any sense it won’t pursue, leaving the cruiser effectively useless except against freighters supplying the Royal faction and given that most of these will be Jovalisi I imagine the captain will be very cautious- I wouldn’t want to aggrevate the Federation. If they do become a threat I’ll hunt ‘em down…
4) Hostility is brewing between some of the more vocal pro-rebel and pro-monarch factions in some of the Jovalisi habitats. Several riots have erupted in colonies, especially in the Deyal Group, and there have been reports of roving gangs attacking supporters of the opposite faction. Leaders from several of the habitats ask you to provide assistance in order to maintain security.
Well, I could deploy some of my embarked Marines and Security personnel but I am loath to do this given the possibility of my ships being involved in combat but I really hve no choice. I’ll try and minimise the numbers I have to deploy and I’ll detatch a few shuttles as well to assist in movement between the habitats. Hopefully this’ll be enough to calm them down.
1) The vast majority of incoming ships carrying refugees are loaded past capacity and were built by Jovali, meaning that sending the refugees out of the system on the ships they cam in is not an option -- they simply aren't fast enough for a true interstellar journey, especially considering the overcrowding on board. What will you do with them?
Link ‘em all up and use them like an additional habitat. This should ease the strain on their environmental plants and give the people on board more space. I’d start emergency construction of temporary habitats as well as asking the Jovalisi government if there is anywhere they can put refugee camps. I’ll also fire off a request to Starfleet for additional support.
2) A Jovali passenger ship enters Jovalis space, pursued by one of the surviviing Jovali frigates, the Llenrup. The large passenger ship has taken heavy damage; there are several hull breaches, their warp drive is offline, their shields destroyed. The captain of the Jovali frigate claims that the passenger ship is smuggling a cell of known rebels away from Joval; the passenger ship captain says that the Jovali navy is trying to keep refugees from leaving Joval.
I’ll send the Aristophanes to intercept and inspect the vessel. If any weapons or other suspicious materials are found I’ll turn them over to the Jovali; my teams will also endeavour to determine who any suspicious materials belong to. Whatever it was doing the passenger ship is my problem now; the Jovalis can bugger off home.
3) A group of raiders have taken advantage of the confusion in the past weeks, and have started raiding Federation freighters carrying agricultural products to Jovalis, and on to the rest of the Federation. It's possible that the raiders are operating out of the asteroid field... and may even be using the cloaking technology that was stolen from G'Sall a few months back.
Not really much I can do; my convoy and escort procedure should keep attacks to a minimum though. I'll see if there's any way to penetrate the cloak by modifying sensors etc. and distribute warnings to all freighter captains as well as my own.
4) There are a series of bomb attacks in various Jovalisi orbital habitats.
Hopefully my security forces I deployed to the cylinders earlier will be able to contain this and find those responsible.
E) After weeks of fighting, the royal faction's ground forces prevail
I'd try to encourage the monarch not to be too harsh and also offer to try and find that cruiser and persuade it's crew to stand down.
-------------------- "I am an almost extinct breed, an old-fashioned gentleman, which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-bitch when it suits me." --Jubal Harshaw
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
Everyone seems to have put their two cents in by now, so I'm posting my own answer! Yeah yeah, it's kinda weird to answer my own question, but since I definitely plan to keep up with the scenario, I decided I'd better have some recorded actions to refer to in future events.
A. Respond to one or more of the scenarios created by the other participants in Part (D) of Question Three. This time, you have your entire fleet at your disposal. (The events in the scenario for your response here do not have to affect the deployment of your fleet for the following questions -- unless you want them to.)
Since he's written a sequel to his first offering, I'll take Timo's scenario again. I must have some affinity for pain...
quote:Originally posted by Timo:
It seems a Jem�Hadar ship is indeed loose on the sector. Your forces confront and corner it; the tiny attack ship tries to ram your ship, fails and self-destructs. Nobody is satisfied with the outcome. �This was not the horrible cruiser�, some insist; �You deliberately erased all proof of the ship�s origin�, others cry. �They are still lurking out there!�; �My aunt is a Changeling infiltrator!�; �Watch the skis!�; �The skiEs!�; �Sorry. Watch the skies!� �It�s a cookbook!�
As soon as you whack off one head of the rumor monster, another sprouts out. And then you run into the deadliest of them all: apparently, the surviving Jem�Hadar are about to unleash their horrid Quickening bioweapon on Lucrezea. Or Jovalis. Or Joval. It will arrive on an alien ship, perhaps a human one. Or Yridian. Or Kressari.
And then you capture a Bifourian extremist who says the whole thing was orchestrated by his movement, and that they will win no matter what. The bioweapon does exist, in the form of an infected person who has nothing to lose, and will arrive when and where Starfleet least expects him or her. And even capturing the carrier will only provide proof that the threat is real, leading to the desired panic.
Describe the logistics it will take to find this carrier and to control the possible planetary panic. Factor in the considerable number of weekly shipments these planets need to survive. Your starships will be stretched thin. What other assets do you have available?
If the Bifourians are taking hostile actions against the Federation, they almost HAVE to take it from a terrorist's point of view. They're vastly outnumbered and outgunned, and they control only a tiny handful of systems compared to an interstellar alliance that smacked down the two biggest threats the quadrant has ever seen. They can't hope to win a conventional conflict -- even if they temporarily overwhelm the local forces, Starfleet will send in a task force to clean up the mess... possibly by carpet-bombing the bloody Cardies back into the stone age. The Driians certainly learned their lesson a few months ago.
I'm tempted to come down on the Bifourians like a ton of bricks, regardless. It's been three years since the end of the war -- one small Jem'Hadar fighter simply can NOT survive on its own for that long in open space. They'd have to be receiving support and supplies from somewhere, not to mention some ketracel-white to keep the Jemmies in line. The other alternative is that there wasn't actually any Dominion personnel aboard, but the ship was run by someone else -- like maybe Cardassians? I'm going to start pulling a hard line with the Bifourians for any future interaction.
My first thought is that this supposed Bifourian defector is actually the carrier himself. I'm familiar with Captain Janeway's logs from Voyager's trek across the Delta Quadrant -- I'm not about to make the same foolish mistake. (see "Basics, Part I") From a terrorist's perspective, taking out even one starship could be seen as a victory. There's plenty of historical precedent for that, too. Consider the problems that Earth had with terrorists in the aftermath of the Eugenics Wars, and the attack on a United States destroyer, the USS Cole. Certainly not a major blow according to simple numbers, but its effect was very far-reaching.
However, something tells me that there is no Quickening plague, no Dominion threat -- and the Bifourians are just trying to cause some chaos and make it look like they're innocent victims along with everyone else. I have no proof and will take no action against them, but again, I'm going to keep a very close eye on them.
In any event, this is a threat that I cannot afford to ignore. I'd bring in all possible assets to cover the Jovalis colonies -- my primary duty since they're Federation members. Given the close relationship and proximity to Joval itself, I'll try to coordinate there if possible. The Tiamat and Eclipse will remain on station at the border, but the Cerberus, Beowulf, and Tahoe will be recalled to Jovalis. I'll set up a planetary blockade in Jovalis orbit, and all incoming vessels will be scanned and inspected. An emergency request will be sent to Starfleet Medical for all information available on the Quickening. If possible, some first-hand experience would be welcome -- it's a bit far to Bajor, but if Doctor Bashir could be spared for a few weeks for this interplanetary emergency, it would be a huge help.
Given the origin of the threat, I believe it's possible to focus the search, though. Legitimate, Federation-registered freighters that are incoming from the core worlds are less likely to be used as a conduit for this attack. They'll still be scanned and checked, but the main focus will be on independent and non-Federation vessels -- especially so-called "free traders" (i.e. smugglers). For once, I'm actually glad that the Aristophanes is in the area, because having a hundred extra warm bodies to help out will be useful. All cadets will still be supervised and will work alongside the commissioned officers, but will be given full authority necessary to conduct the inspections. The Aristophanes itself can serve as an interdiction ship -- it's not likely to be outrun by most of the freighters, and its small crew can still handle ship-to-ship engagements.
Planetary panic -- that's the one major problem here. It's also one reason why I've pulled in every ship possible; I want to be VISIBLE and reassure the Jovalisi citizens that I'm taking this threat seriously, even if it's only a remote possibility.
Given my manpower issues, I really can't afford many resources to spare for Lucrezea. However, they have a much smaller relative population, and therefore it shouldn't be that difficult proportionally. The Tiamat will be in the area to lend assistance if necessary, and I'll send a few security advisors to help them get their customs systems up to date. Unless something concrete comes up, though, I can't offer more than that.
I'm going to assume complete cooperation on a military level with the Jovali royal forces. For one thing, the Cardassians aren't really going to care who gets the brunt of their attack, since none of the nearby planets were allied with the Dominion. Joval has a lot less trade with other systems, though, so they won't have as much to worry about. And the warships that they currently have won't have much trouble with most freighters that are likely to show up -- and if they do have trouble, then Starfleet's ready to lend a hand.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
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