The last post by SPP raises some other issues...aside for the race topic what security is being exercised by the 429th PDB? I know the mission is defense of the planet, but there are other aspects we have not discussed.

For instance, many worlds have a garrison ship normally assigned, we do not. Does that mean the responsibility for revenue protection falls to the CO of the 429th?

Are ships inspected as they come into orbit? who handles the commerce responsibilities? is there a record keeping function? what about communications contriol? Spies trolling for information in the various local bars are unlikely to broadcast sensitive information "in the clear" (or if they are it is a measure of the disdain and lack of respect for UFP and the 429th in particular).

Is there an ongoing security team looking into local subversive activity or smuggling operations?

Would the CAP fighters be "pressed into" revenue duties? Can some of the boarding parties be detailed with one or more Admin shuttles to inspeck incoming freighters for contraband?

What about seized smugglers and contraband cargos? we would be hard pressed if a hole Orion Cartel attacked the planet in a major operation, but we do have the firepower (Phaser 4's, Phaser 3's, F16's etc) to stop just about any smuggler that comes into our gunsights.

Also-Col Knight, lets not forget the Trojen Horse gambit. Who is to say that SPP, when choosing an OPFOR won't pick a large Q ship and 2 small ones and the first you know about the attack is the incoming weapons fire at range 1?

Perhaps we should set up a series of inspections at the edge of 35 hexes from the base using Fighters and Admin shuttles and any unauthorized ships closer than that not inspected would automatically initiate red alert?

What if inspections catch a seeker or other small civilian ship "red handed" could we "appropriate" said vesel into the defense plans?

Is there a rule that says we must react only to OPFOR presence or do we have a duty to enforce the laws and ordinances of the UFP?

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 12:57 pm: Edit

To all command staff.

Re:Commerce and general security.

Aside from supplies from starfleet there should be nothing larger than a single small freighter and more likely a Free Trader. Though there is some trade of resources the primary trade is cash for Art. Small freighters bring in staples not available on Cassadra IV but since the population is realatively small the population mostly sustains it's self. Truth be told, the people just keep getting richer because their life style is so simple. If not for war this would be the Sadona Arizona of the Federation.

That said security is on my mine and we will augment the current security on Cassandra IV. The population won't stand for interferance but do understand this is war and there certainly prefer the us Feds over the Klinks!

We will start with scanns of all out going materials particularly art. Scann for paterns which might be coded messages. These people are of an intement sort so I don't expect there to be spies but never say never. There are, after all, some very capable spies out there.

In comming ship will utilize the random call sign method. This will add a level of difficulty for our enemies but not so much for pirates so we will not more than one ship at a time with in 300,000 KM. All incomming cargo vessel displaying the proper call sign codes will be escorted by an appropriate fighter escort. A security team will board and inspect at 60,000 KM (transporter repeaters on DefSats). If the vessel passes it will be alowed to orbit. Take thurough scanns but be expiditious. We want to keep this safe and humming.

Col. L. Knight out.
======================================

SPP: Just wondering, when you insisted on having transporter repeaters on DefSats did you consider their use for Commerce General Seurity? With the normal DefSat arraingement of five (two in high orbit) security can beam out to ships 7 hexes away, beyond the ships ability to transport them selves. With out these a ship could enter R5 and when it lowers it's shields, as expected, could beam something or some one down as the security beams on board.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 01:14 pm: Edit

Major Wile:

For instance, many worlds have a garrison ship normally assigned, we do not. Does that mean the responsibility for revenue protection falls to the CO of the 429th?

RESPONSE: Most worlds do not have garrison ships. Many do not even have a battalion. The vast majority of planets depend on defense against pirates by having a local constabulary that can resist the operations of the pirates to actually seize the wharehouses. Blowing the wharehouses up is counter-productive to the Orions, no need to go to a planet, and no money gained, if all you are going to do is burn everything down. More developed worlds are worth more, attract larger "attention" and thus require more in the way of defense.

Are ships inspected as they come into orbit?

RESPONSE: Such freighters would be required to beam up inspection personnel from the planet's surface who would check the ship's log and cargo manifest. The battalion does not need to be directly involved. Free Traders might be inspected after they land. Probably convoys would simply have the Convoy Commander (A Federation Official) certify the manifests of the convoy (inspected when the Convoy was formed), perhaps with a few spot inspections by locals.

who handles the commerce responsibilities?

RESPONSE: Local government assisted by the Federation (convoys inspected by Federation authorities).

is there a record keeping function?

RESPONSE: Local government responsibility.

what about communications contriol?

RESPONSE: Battalion Controls its own communications, but there is no real way to hack all the communications going to or coming from the planet.

Spies trolling for information in the various local bars are unlikely to broadcast sensitive information "in the clear" (or if they are it is a measure of the disdain and lack of respect for UFP
and the 429th in particular).

RESPONSE: And no doubt the GIA is doing what it can, supplementing the locals, to find any spies. Not the battalion's direct responsibility. You guys are not spy catchers.

Is there an ongoing security team looking into local subversive activity or smuggling operations?

RESPONSE: Police matter and GIA matter. Not your responsibility.

Would the CAP fighters be "pressed into" revenue duties?

RESPONSE: You might be asked to provide such support by the local government in some instance. Colonel Knight would want to make sure that such support did not impact training or readiness, but was done often enough in response to specific requests to maintain local goodwill.

Can some of the boarding parties be detailed with one or more Admin shuttles to inspeck incoming freighters for contraband?

RESPONSE: As noted above, these are day to day things.

What about seized smugglers and contraband cargos?

RESPONSE: Law enforcement issue.

we would be hard pressed if a hole Orion Cartel attacked the planet in a major operation, but we do have the firepower (Phaser 4's, Phaser 3's, F16's etc) to stop just about any smuggler that comes into our gunsights.

Also-Col Knight, lets not forget the Trojen Horse gambit. Who is to say that SPP, when choosing an OPFOR won't pick a large Q ship and 2 small ones and the first you know about the attack is the incoming weapons fire at range 1?

Perhaps we should set up a series of inspections at the edge of 35 hexes from the base using Fighters and Admin shuttles and any unauthorized ships closer than that not inspected would automatically initiate red alert?

RESPONSE: Not your call. Probably would be a request from the government to provide such a long range search (see above) if a number of freighters arrived suddenly, but generally you are only going to see convoys (which you will have been notified of) and solitary freighters and free traders, so there is little threat.

What if inspections catch a seeker or other small civilian ship "red handed" could we "appropriate" said vesel into the defense plans?

RESPONSE: In an emergency, Colonel Knight and the planetary governor would both have some call on any shipping in system, but by and large any smugglers or such captured are a law enforcement issue, and you would not be able to sieze their ships. The government could, but it would be under legal means and their decision as to what happens to such siezed ships.

Is there a rule that says we must react only to OPFOR presence or do we have a duty to enforce the laws and ordinances of the UFP?

RESPONSE: Technically the battalion is responsible for protecting Federation citizens. Obviously the planet is not able to respond to distress calls, and your ability to do so is very limited. And you can be expected to support law and order efforts within the confines of your orders and your primary responsibilities. So it might happen that you would send a couple of fighters and a couple of shuttles, one carrying a couple of boarding parties the other some local law enforcement officer and other officials to deal with a situation at a mining concern on an asteroid, for example. But you do not enforce law on the planet, and do not impinge on the planet's sovereignty any more than US soldiers can run around arresting people in Amarillo Texas without a state of Martial Law being declared.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 01:16 pm: Edit

Colonel Knight:

See response to Major Wile above.

Yes, being me, I did consider that it meant customs teams could be beamed out further simply because I assumed that customs teams on planets with no bases otherwise would need to be beamed by the ship they were inspecting.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 02:32 pm: Edit

Col Knight:

In reference to SPP post. Just what is the "local Law Enforcement" and customs inspectors consist of for the planet?

From your earlier posts giving background information on Casandra IV, I got the impression that the population was dispersed and (can't remember for sure) no large cities or population concentrations?

does that mean that while (as spp indicated) in general Customs duties are the responsibility of local government, there is little government structure in place for Cassandra IV?

(Side note:if there are Customs boarding parties inplace to inspect incoming freighters, can we "mobilize them in an emergency?" never know when 2 or four more BP's could spell the difference in victory or defeat?)

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 02:39 pm: Edit

Well, there is a difference between a few customs people and 5 highly trained and armed Marines. Or 10 "average" military personnel issued phasers and grenades.

And no centralized population centers does not mean, in an era of instant planetary communication, a lack of government.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 04:01 pm: Edit

Alex: there is still a chance that some of those "few customs people" are retired star fleet security or marine personnel.

and to your second point I would in general agree, but there is a difference between lack of government and still having the facilities to complete the commerce protection mission.

Ok, no big cities, but how about a ground base out of the middle of back and beyond the back 40' where the customs offices are located, maybe a planet based version of a commercial platform?

(please note, the rules do allow for planet based versions of orbital bases (the example given is Base stations and Star Bases)) just wondering if a CPL might be part of the planetary infrastructure.

I would assume it is separate and indepndent of any established energy grid associated with the 429th ground bases.

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 04:05 pm: Edit

I think that, for purposes of this exercise, we're pretty much limited to the assets of the 429th itself

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 04:17 pm: Edit

Another question comes to mind...for a planet with a population of 3 1/2 million self sufficient farmer/artists there is almost some level of merchandise that the would have to have...Stone and marble, clays, pigments, canvass, brushes, picture hangings, tapestry , wrought iron for those artists into welded metal arts...

The farming community may need nutrients and advanced seeds, high teck farm equipment? (some how I just don't see star trek federation farmers using stone age technology using wooden plows and oxen for plowing/planting....at least not above the subsistance level which would rule out the leisure time that artists would need to be able to devote the time to pursue their various vocations.)

Replacement parts for the equipment that one would assume each home stead would require over time...particularly now that the planet is back in contact with the general federation economy...not to mention replacing anything damaged in the original Klingon occupation.

What I am getting at not all commerce can be conducted by email, a large shop at home economy may be inplace where the home steader orders his widgets, plows or art supplies and eventually they would be delivered on the next wells fargo shipping freighter...which means instead of keeping a freighter in orbit while they arrange for individual delivery's from orbit, there may need to be a distribution center where the pallets of cargo at transported down to and the shipments are distributed during the normal course of buisness...something like the United States Postal service, and in Cities like Chicago ore St. Louis, the Post office is quite large and distinctive requiring many trucks and delivery personnel.

Or is it that all residents are assumed to be self sufficient to the point if they need a cammel hair paint brush its commonly available on a desert planet that has no native population of camels available, or an artist who needs a new tank of Acetelene for his welding rig can just go out into the desert and manufacture it by banging two rocks together?

Just curious...

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 04:25 pm: Edit

Another question: (grin!)

Do we know who the local GIA operative(s) is (are?). If part of their responsibility is to notify the appropriate authorities of spying, espionage or pirate activity, who do they report to?

(you would think NON 429th PDB personnel walking in or out of Col Knights office at the Garrison would be noticed by SOMEBODY!) or if he receives copies, the Battalion communications officer would be aware of the communication...not to mention the data reports themselves should be copied to the top command?

(You know, maybe I did see somebody skulking about the main hall way last tuesday, I might not have remembered it but I thought it odd he was wearing a trench coat in broad daylight on a desert planet!)(BIG GRIN!)

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 04:29 pm: Edit

Come to think of it, even if the majority of the population is eistributed widely over the entire planet, where do the off duty personnel go for the "traditional" off base support services? You would think near each Base some smart business man would open a tavern, maybe a restaurant (or two) theaters? outfitters shops for those enthusiates who may enjoy desert hiking or dune buggies, ATV's
?
I just don't see 100% of all 429th personnel spending all their free time asleep or reading a book...

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 04:35 pm: Edit

Alex: Yes, I know were limited to the 429th and issued equipment...but even on a bare bones planet there ought to be SOME capabilty...unless were talking total anarchy who handles marriages and divorces? are no children born on planet? (how dod the planet population grow from the original 200,000 to 3 1/2 million? osmosis? (GRIN)

What about education? is it all handled by extension classes?

By Marc Baluda (Marc) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 04:35 pm: Edit

Customs and police/security work was performed by the Home Defense Battalion. This has been done in the immediate past only on the surface (we don't even have an admin. shuttle).

Prior to this, the Klingons had been doing such work on their own behalf.

Now that you Starfleet folks are here, we can get back to doing what we do best: looking out for our families both economically and physically. If that means rallying to repulse a Klingon attack, we'll be the first ones on the front line.

With that said, I plan to run for high political office, and I intend to make every effort to see that the Home Defense Battalion protects the people of this planet.

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 04:41 pm: Edit

Jeff, you're working beyond the bounds of what's been proposed and what's available, essentially asking for "free" assests to be added to the battalion that aren't reflected in SFB. While the bits of role-playing and background on the planet are interesting color, they are just that. What's really going on here is Loren designing a PDU for SFB within certain limits and trying to figure out, with the help of ourselves and SPP, exactly what assets to take and how best to deploy them for a potential SFB scenario versus an unknown opponent.

What kind of education or government systems the planet has is completely irrelevant to that.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 05:04 pm: Edit

Major Wile:

After some time of Klingon occupation, I suspect any former Starfleet personnel have been removed, by one means or another. Any remaining have been incorporated into the planetary force, i.e., Colonel Baluda's troops. They have thus already been accounted for, and also account for the people involved in "customs" and such.

There are obviously "recreational activities" available to the troops, but other than as "background discussions" are not truly Germane to the exercise. They are more for you guys to "play with" (role play, what ever), until Colonel Knight finishes nailing down the final array of the battalion (drones, GDS, commander's options). When I have that fully in hand, I will touch up "what is coming", perhaps providing a few portents before hand (reports from Fleet on enemy activities etc.).

Then it will come.

And some will live, some will die in the inevitable storm. In many cases it will be "random" in that Colonel Knight will direct where bases will be (the overall pattern, i.e., the GMG will be here, the GWSs will be on these two sides of the planet, the FGBs will be here and here, the GBDPs have to be here, here, and here).

Then Major Harding will designate that the FGB-S in Hex 2215-A will be the one with his flight, and will be commanded by Lieutenant Fant, while the one in 2215-C (or where ever Knight directed it would be) is the base commanded by Lieutenant Knipfer from which the flight led by Captain Cole will operate.

Captain Kass will determine if the GWS in 2215-A is commanded by Lieutenant Getgen or Lieutenant Kasper (the other base being commanded by the other lieutenant, of course). Captain Kass himself will be in the Battalion HQ as the principle EW adviser to Colonel Knight.

Captain Stovell will then designate which of the GBDPs is commanded by which of his young Lieutenants (Frazier, Conn, and Lampert). Captain Stovell, will, of course, be at the Battalion HQ as the principle Heavy Weapons adviser to Colonel Knight.

Then, when the bad guys come, and the GBDP in 2215-A is attacked, gallant young Lieutenant X will fight his gun, perhaps falling when the base is obliterated (think of the Romulan commander flying across the viewscreen as his Warbird self-destructs), or perhaps falls as enemy assault troops enter his base, or maybe is captured, or maybe is beamed out at the last moment with the few survivors of his gun just before it is overrun, and so gets to fight on. Of course, this latter is entirely up to Colonel Knight who may not have transporters available. But Lieutenant Y at the second gun may be sitting waiting for the action that might never come if other assets do their job right.

Major Harding might be killed when his fighter is blown apart, or might safely eject (33% chance) and find himself either watching the battle wind down and being rescued by a successful defense, captured by the Klingons, or (horror of horrors) find himself left in space, wondering if the life support in his POIS will last until someone can find him.

Lots of things can happen. With the exception of Colonel Knight, none of you get to make any real "decisions" once the battle begins, but you get to tell how your character is acting based on the moves Knight makes

Major Harding: "Battalion ordered an attack on the lead enemy ship. I signaled to squadron to attack in echelon. The enemy defenses opened, but they were distracted somewhat by the drones we launched. Eagle 9 was hit, and fell out of the formation, but we pressed in. At 30kkm the ADD systems opened. Eagle 7 exploded, no POIS came up on my panel as we continued to close. I was almost in range behind Eagle 3 when a hit took off part of his port wing, but he continued to close. At 10kkm, we opened fire with our phaser-Gs and ripped down the enemy's shield, phaser energy feeding on the delicate framework behind it as atmospheric and other gases began streaming from the ravaged hull, a grim payback for Eagle 7. My attack run completed, I turned away to allow the phaser to recycle as Eagle 2 commenced its attack. I watched happily as the enemy ship continued to stagger from the pounding. I signalled Battalion to report the strike . . .

Battalion CP: Major Wile turns to Colonel Knight. "We've lost contact with Eagle 10. His transmission cut off in mid-word, and his IFF is no longer on the screen."

Colonel Knight. "••••. Get a report from Captain Cole on the squadron's status. That lead enemy ship is hurt, but I do not think it is out of the fight yet."

And so it goes

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 05:05 pm: Edit

Colonel Baluda:

Prior to the arrival of the battalion, the planet required any freighter arriving to do business had to beam up the customs team with its own transporter. So you were doing the customs job.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 05:40 pm: Edit

OOC-
Just had some questions... hope no one is offended. Seems like some of the more interesting articles touch on many issues, not just the chronolgy of actions.
12:01 OPFOR sighted
12:02 Fighters launched
12:03 Fighters destroyed
12:04 OPFOR bombards planet...

This kind of thing doesnt do an aweful lot for me Game wise, or realy improve my understanding of Defensive Ground Base operations...however...

Hans fielder was bent over his footpowered wood lathe. That last EarthOak Branch delivered this week really fit the bill as he pressed on the bough rythmicly causing the torsion spindale to rotate rapidly under his wood chisel...a modern lathe spun far to fast to recreate the manual chisel cuts properly...it was worth all the trouble to get the 22 foot long peice of Terrestial material delivered through the mail...even having to tie it to the top of the Mail Van was worth the trouble with his boss.

At that moment the Communicator chimmed for attention to answer an inbound call.

"Hans! Baluda here. We have an alert sounded. Those Federation boy scouts spotted some strange ships approaching Cassandra IV. Get your equipment and bring the Mail truck down to the Base. We have to play with the boy Scouts again."

Hans replied, "Yes sir Col; Baluda, Sir! Hans out.

Running quickly to the Arms Locker, Hans grabbed his Phaser Rifle, his backpack and the tote bacg with the anti personnel grenades while calling the news to his wife to gather up the kids and head to the safe haven....

Jumping into his Mail Van, Hans thought to himself, "I wonder if this is the real thing or just another drill?"

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 06:08 pm: Edit

Jeff Wile:

I would say what was missing is any indication that Hans had suffered through a previous Klingon occupation.

By David Kass (Dkass) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 06:27 pm: Edit

Was my ECM drone question missed? (what happens when one of the GWS attracts an enemy ECM drone?) I realize it was buried in a fairly long discussion.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 06:51 pm: Edit

SPP-
Could be a lot of things...If Hans was part of the same squad as Col Baluda, could one surmise they had faced similar risks and survived the occupation in similar ways? (don't know, posing question...) As to the hard ship in the klingon occupation, maybe aving to send off to earth for a new oak branch because the Klingons burned the original? (GRIN)

Maybe he was a late imigrant and wasnt present during the occupation, being a replacement for the previous mail man who, being a civil servant was executed by the Klingons for wearing a uniform?

Then again, by stating there was "a safe haven" to my mind implies a hole in the ground some where that the family would be safe in the event of planetary bombardment? (just how deep a hole that would require kinda has me stopped, probably deep enough that casual scans by a ship wouldn't easily find it...of course if every house were equipted with its own transporter... and one had "hollowed out" a room 20 or thirty miles down in a stable rock strata...naw...no way, who would go to extreme measures to protect one's wife and children form the friendly Klingon invasion force?!?

Were you thinking that we should add a statement that would characterize the suffering that the inhabitants felt under Klingon occupation?

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 07:45 pm: Edit

David Kass:

Sorry, I forgot to reply. Under existing rules the ECM drone simply functions normally.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 08:49 pm: Edit

SPP: Can I buy, with fighter Comm. Ops. extra transporter Artilary for use as Cluster Bombs?

This sort of fits in your definition of what is available but I want to be sure.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 09:29 pm: Edit

The Trials of Hans the Mailman continued...

"Daddy! Daddy!" shouted Young Hans running thru the door dragging his fathers helmet and combat boots "don't forget your boots and 'elmet!!"

Hans paused while the Mailvan was going thru the start up procedure, he turn an watched his half human half klingon son drag the combat helmet through the sand.

Han's looked at the little lad with love...he couldn't love him any more than if he was his own flesh and blood. It was enough that he was the child of the woman that he loved more than life itself.

Taking the helmet and the boots from the child, he hugged him tight, kissed him and put him back on the ground saying, "thank you Hans. Now go back in the house with your mother, and remember what I told you, your the man of the house when I'm gone...watch over your mom and your sisters, ok!"

.....................

I suppose I could ruin the image thus created, if the mother turned out to be an expatriate Klingon who had been assaulted by a human...before she had fallen in love with Hans...Its just that not everything is necessarily what it appears to be!

....................

SPP- would this be sort of what you sere suggesting?

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 10:49 am: Edit

Loren Knight:

Sure you could, but the rules for Transporter Artillery limit you to no more than two rounds per base, so the maximum you could purchase is four rounds, two for each base (E20.32). There is no provision in the rules for purchasing any more than that, sorry, but you could purchase the allowed T-Art supplies under the "fighter supplies" rubric.

Jeff Wile:

I was thinking more in line that if this guy had been part of the resistance, had seen his planet occupied, friends killed in the struggle, etc., that the concept that the Klingons were coming again would have more of an impact on him. More in the line of curses, a "mental blow" that staggers him for a moment as he thinks "oh no, not again!"

He just seems totally blase about the whole concept of a return by the Klingons, of the chance that such a return could see everything he has built in the short period since the occupation ended reduced to rubble. There is no sense that he might see all he has done as wasted effort because the Klingons are just going to keep coming back.

Dunno. Different people think of things in different ways.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 11:04 am: Edit

Different people think differnt ways, Yeah, I can agree with that.

I was trying to portray him as in shock and not thinking great thoughts. (besides, thats the kind of thing editors are there to fix!)

Not to be insulting, but there is a differnce in peoples ability to handle stress differently. One person might freeze and fail to act, another reacts with suicidal bravery (an example might be Rodger Young in the South Pacific WW2, (Bogainville, New Guinnea, solomon Islands?))

If Hans was a Top Sargent (senior enlisted man) or a officer with true leadership potential he might well have been a leader in the resistance. I really hadn't thought out the ramifications of the scene I drew out other than as an illustration of a soldier being recalled to duty in an emergency situation.