S01E07 – Taking the Castle
General Summary
Mission 2 (S01E07) – Taking the Castle
Starfleet Mission Log – USS Rhea NCC-80110
Stardate: 81344.9
Grid: Delta-M (027-M)
Mission: 2.7 – Taking the Castle
Locale: Annulus Diaboli (“Lucifer’s Ring”)
Commanding Officer: Lt. Cmdr. Shris Sosalis
Additional Officers: Lt. Aze (CTAC), Lt. JG Alissa (OPS), Lt. JG Berza Vanel 2of7 (CMO), Lt. JG Lon Taril (CE), Lt. Tansy Ross (Conn)
Support Crew: Local assets: Mayor Thane, Drekk, Korvak; Enemy contact: Rhavik
Mission Log
Stardate 81335.2
The team advanced through the interior of Rhavik’s estate under escalating threat. Multiple encounters with unexpected patrols and automated doors nearly compromised the approach. Lt. JG Berza initiated beam-out procedures upon locating a suspect artifact, ordering a black site sweep and extraction of related items from the vicinity.
Lt. Aze and Lt. JG Alissa encountered an ambush while crossing the courtyard. Hostile fire from concealed alcoves forced a rapid tactical withdrawal before they regrouped and advanced.
In the central audience chamber, Rhavik had entrenched himself like a petty monarch, flanked by a guard wielding a heavy disruptor emplacement. The initial door breach nearly resulted in Lt. Aze's decapitation. Hostilities were narrowly avoided through temporary standoff negotiations. Rhavik offered surrender terms under threat of orbital reinforcement from a cloaked D'deridex-class warbird.
Lt. Aze conducted a full-spectrum scan, identifying all Romulan signal bands with the exception of the cloaked vessel—an outcome deemed statistically improbable due to sensor interference.
Determined the threat was a bluff, Aze initiated convergence. The team neutralized Rhavik, whose assault-armor demonstrated elevated resistance (+2). Post-engagement, Aze accessed Rhavik’s terminal, revealing comprehensive records—financials, black market exchanges, and personnel networks—an intelligence windfall described by field agents as “The Golden Calf.”
Post-Operation Debrief
Pending charges against Lt. Cmdr. Sosalis—including conduct unbecoming, unauthorized combat activity, and misappropriation of Starfleet property—have been nullified. The operation’s success and intelligence yield validate prior decisions under mission directives:
- Establish diplomatic contact with local leadership.
- Identify and secure unauthorized Federation equipment.
- Investigate resistance to Starfleet presence.
- Uncover and dismantle a local smuggling network without jeopardizing diplomatic relations.
The remaining days in Lucifer’s Ring focused on data extraction, site stabilization, and resource reclamation. Local leadership cooperated in retrieving items deemed “salvageable,” reinforcing diplomatic goodwill.
Mayor Thane has claimed Rhavik’s warp core, consolidating energy authority. The council’s power dynamic shifts to 4–2 in Thane’s favor. Drekk prepares to fill the criminal vacuum left by Rhavik. Korvak maintains neutrality and operational autonomy via his entertainment enterprise. Illegal salvage ops have ceased; legal efforts resume under newly negotiated protocols.
Starfleet Intelligence has secured authorization to establish a black site within proximity to Romulan space. An SFI agent will embed permanently, utilizing the Rhea's data cache and the region’s geopolitical ambiguity.
End Log
Commendations:
- Lt. Aze (CTAC): For successful breach and decryption of Rhavik’s encrypted database under combat conditions (Difficulty 4, Complication 3), recovering invaluable intelligence.
- Lt. JG Alissa (OPS): For adaptive tactical planning and resource deployment during operation execution.
Command Recognition:
- Lt. Cmdr. Shris Sosalis (CO): Leadership Citation x2 awarded for exemplary mission command resulting in three subordinate commendations in a single campaign engagement.
Post-Operation Addendum
Unofficial reports indicate that Lt. Aze may have “liberated” select high-grade spirits from Rhavik’s personal reserves. Though technically classified as confiscated contraband under Regulation 813-4.9, the items appear to have been earmarked for morale and diplomatic purposes—specifically to accommodate an arriving associate. No official record of this requisition exists.
Given the mission’s outcome and intelligence value, oversight has elected not to pursue disciplinary review at this time.
Next session: S01E08 – Lost Heimdahl
Previous session: S01E06 – Storming the Castle
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