Star Clash - Battle Descriptions

Name: | The Destruction of Outpost 1
Campaign Date: | 2/2504.24 (Day 24)
Location: | Federation Outpost 1, The Triangle (9.0S, 4.5E)
Opponents: | United Federation of Planets / Star Fleet Outpost 1 Garrison, Outpost 1 commander [Ken Buchs]
| Klingon Empire (Klingon Space Navy) Battle Group Ghoval, Admiral Ghoval commanding Battle Force Crusk'kin, attached to Battle Group Ghoval [Larry Bingham]
Play Date: | None
Play Location: | None
Info Available: | Battle Description Order Of Battle

Description of the Destruction of Outpost 1

Background

The moment The Triangle War started, Admiral Ghoval of the Klingon Space Navy began planning an attack on Federation Outpost 1. Just three days away from his battle group's base at Klingon Outpost 1, it was just too tempting a target for him to pass up.

His plan was designated "Operation Rochambeau" (apparently a reference to some odd Klingon humiliation ritual involving kicking sensitive body parts). The original version involved Ghoval's battle group crossing to Federation Outpost 1, making a half-hearted attack, and then retreating to Klingon Outpost 1. At that outpost would be a massively reinforced garrison. Ghoval hoped that Vice Admiral Kinneson, Triangle sector commander for Star Fleet, would attempt to attack his outpost in retaliation. Ghoval would then crush the attacking fleet with his unexpectedly large defense force. To support this operation, he convinced Thought Admiral Massavid, the Klingon sector commander for The Triangle, to order ships from garrisons all over the sector to concentrate at Klingon Outpost 1. For some ships, such as the battleship Golden Balkev, this movement would require up to twenty days. Operation Rochambeau was therefore scheduled to start on 2/2504.21.

After the Battle of Farkin (2/2504.13), Admiral Ghoval decided to revise the plan. Intelligence reports suggested that the Federation outpost was equipped with far weaker defenses, both weapons and shields, than had previously been though. He also apparently down rated the expected fighting capabilities of the Star Fleet defenders.

The new plan was quite simple. Ghoval would organize the extra ships at Klingon Outpost 1 into a second battle group under his command. The two battle groups would then go to Federation Outpost 1 and destroy it.

Fortunately for Admiral Ghoval, and unfortunately for Star Fleet, the Federation fleets in The Triangle were nowhere near Outpost 1, and the defending garrison was far too small to resist the planned attack.

On The Scene

Time: | Stardate 2/2504.24, 0830
Location: | The bridge of the Klingon battleship Killing Blow, near Federation Outpost 1 (9.0S, 4.5E) in The Triangle
Helm: | Admiral, sir, we have arrived near Federation Outpost 1. The fleet has dropped out of warp.
Admiral Ghoval: | Finally! What do the sensors show?
Sensors: | There is a garrison, sir. It looks like five small, three medium, and two large Federation warp signatures; plus the outpost.
Ghoval: | That is excellent. Hmmm ... it looks like that fleet Ker'chuck shot up at Farkin may be here as we hoped. It had a large and four medium ships when it ran away. If one of the mediums is under repair at the outpost it would explain the missing medium ship. Maybe we have caught them, as they say, with their pants down. That would fix Admiral Kinneson proper!
Ghoval: | Communications, get me an open channel to the fleet.
Communications: | Sir, all ships are on the line.
Ghoval: | My fine warriors, we will engage the weak willed old women of Star Fleet who have transgressed onto our territory. We will crush them under our lead filled boots!
Most of the personnel: | Huh? Did he say something? Lead filled boots? Oh ... yea ... how inspiring.
Ghoval: | Order the fleet to prepare for battle.
Communications: | Done sir.
Ghoval: | Good. Helm, advance at maximum safe speed. Communications, order the fleet to follow us. We attack!

Location: | The bridge of Federation Outpost 1 (9.0S, 4.5E) in The Triangle
Sensors: | Captain, sir, come quick! Take a look at this!
Outpost Commander: | What now ensign? Another off course freighter straying into the defense zone? Calm down and make a proper report.
Sensors: | Klingons, sir! Lots of them! Really lots of them!
Outpost Commander: | D... it, ensign, get real. The Klingons would never dare show their faces around here. This is a Star Fleet outpost!
Sensors: | Oh, sure sir, then perhaps the commander would care to observe these sensor readings?
Outpost Commander: | Don't get sarcastic with me, boy. ... Let me see those readings. ... Oh my god! S...! S...! S...! Klingons! Really lots of them!

The "Encounter"

As the Klingon force began its approach to Outpost 1, the outpost's commander realized that the battle was already lost. No level of bravery or luck was going to keep the Klingons from destroying it. The only question was whether or not to make a fight of it.

Accepting that the only result of a battle would be the loss of all of the local ships and their personnel, probably without inflicting serious damage on the attackers, the outpost commander ordered the outpost abandoned to save the lives of the crew. In less than two hours everyone was transported to the garrison's ships. The inevitable overcrowding was helped somewhat by the presence of two freighters, whose cargo holds were able to accept large numbers of personnel.

As the garrison ships looked on, the outpost's engine was set to overload. Minutes later the station ripped itself apart. With the expanding fireball astern, the refugee fleet fled towards Star Base 10 at warp 5.

Sensors on the Klingon fleet recorded the explosion. It took some time for Admiral Ghoval to accept what had happened. He simply could not believe that even the cowards in Star Fleet would destroy their own outpost without a fight. Despite sensor reports of the departure of the Federation ships, he kept his fleet on course for the outpost's position. Only the arrival of the fleet at the former outpost's location finally convinced him that Star Fleet had done his job for him.

Hoping to recover something of value, Admiral Ghoval kept his fleet in the area for a number of days. Despite a careful search, little was found. Only one modest section of the station's computer was recovered. An examination showed that its memory had been thoroughly wiped prior to the explosion.

Frustrated at not having had a battle, but pleased at having accomplished his mission and seen his plan succeed, Ghoval turned his fleet around and headed back to his base.

Destruction of Outpost 1 - Order of Battle

The opponents never came close enough to each other to identify specific ships.

The Klingon force was reported as formed into two groups:

- One large, ten medium, and three small ships,
- One large and fourteen medium ships.

The Star Fleet force was seen to include:

- Two large, three medium, and five small ships, and, for a while, one R-1 class outpost.