USS Polaris

This article is an Out of Character article relevant to Bravo Fleet's first 2023 Fleet Action, 'The Lost Fleet.' For an overview of Mission Briefings, please consult the main article.

The briefings below are written to allow members to produce a complete Fleet Action story within 1-6 posts. As you may see, many of them have space for more writing, be it character development or going into more detail or adding complications if you find you’re writing a lot quicker than you expected. You are free to do that, including adding to the briefing as-written in a reasonable manner.

If you want to write your story in as few parts as possible, here are some suggestions:

• Start your story as close to the action as possible. You don’t need to include briefing scenes, you don’t need to include your captain reflecting on the challenge ahead. It’s okay to start as the mission kicks off - maybe even later! - and write through the events.
• Consider keeping a tight focus, such as following only one single character through the mission. It doesn’t have to be the captain. That means you don’t have to depict every step taken to completing the mission - characters can learn about it on sensors or by comms, for example.
• Set an achievable goal, be it writing a story every week or every 2 weeks or even less! A 3-part plan - beginning, middle, and end - supports the three phases of the FA perfectly.
• These stories don’t have to be twisty or turny. Your ship is playing a key role in achieving victory against the Lost Fleet. They can go in, get the job done, and go home.

The Special Assignments are as follow.

The Array

Dominion forces have captured the Liakso Array telescope, one of the Federation’s largest sensor arrays, located in the Arcania Cluster. They are using it to track allied ships across the region and to plan which Federation worlds to attack next. It needs to be retaken or at least destroyed. The cluster is a pilot’s worst nightmare; it is a field with multiple phenomena that can create havoc for a pilot. 

Briefing

Your mission is a simple strike attack against a critical facility aiding the enemy. However, it is not easy to reach. A range of phenomena exists between it and the rest of the Federation. Starfleet is keen to retake the facility because it is an advanced array supporting deep space exploration efforts (it is used to monitor regions like the Black Cluster). However, depending on how many enemy forces are protecting it, the Federation is content to destroy it from being used against allied vessels.

Key Points

• The first part of this mission will be a covert one. You need to avoid being detected by Dominion ships, and the only way in is through the Arcania Cluster. Long-range scans show that the Dominion are not committing any of its forces to this region as it is a hazard zone for natural spatial phenomena, making navigating it almost impossible. Your pilot and science officer will need to work in tandem to safely navigate your vessel through a range of hazards.
• The second part of this mission requires you to assess the situation with the Liakso Array. Can it be retaken, or would destroying it be the only viable option? The decision is entirely yours. The array is precisely like the Argus Array. Whatever plan of attack you take must be swift and strike the enemy hard.  
• After dealing with the array, you must make your way home back through the cluster, avoiding any pursuing enemy vessels.
• While this story could be written in one single part, it is ideal for someone looking to write only 1 or 2 Stories per phase (ie, 3-6 stories over the whole FA).

The Long Patrol

The Federation border has been pushed back by the Lost Fleet’s assault. With significant territory and worlds already lost, it is essential to hold this line and not sacrifice any further ground. Your ship has been ordered to patrol the border and intercept any enemy vessels encountered. The Dominion must know that any further offensive will not be easy for them.

Briefing

Starfleet is ordering your ship(s) to the new border between the Federation territory the Dominion conquered, and the regions still held by Starfleet. There you are to conduct a patrol and have been warned that long-range sensors have detected smaller Dominion attack vessels also heading to the border. Whether they are conducting their own patrols or looking to cross the border is unknown, but engaging these forces would greatly assist other planned missions in retaking what has been lost.

You have permission to cross into Dominion space if necessary, but are advised wherever possible to let the enemy come to you rather than risk getting strung out beyond any possible support. This means that as well as intercepting any enemy ships launching an offensive, you have been advised that setting traps for oncoming vessels may be wise. Command has also stated that the capture of any of these ships, if possible, could help with future covert missions.

Key Points

• This is an excellent short mission for someone who has a squadron or a ship that is tactically orientated (e.g. Defiant, Prometheus, Gagarin, Inquiry, Akira, etc.) or want to join up with another member and their ship.
• The border is not a fixed line, but it is one that Starfleet has drawn to mark what territory has been lost. You are not to be engaging large numbers of enemy ships. This is simply a mission of engaging one or two over a series of engagements.
• You have free choice in enticing the enemy to attack you. Maybe a fake distress call? Increasing your ship’s warp profile to be seen on long-range scans? Pretending to be a lesser, easier target? The decision is yours.
• Consider how you could engage Dominion ships in open space and within a star system (perhaps make them chase you into a gas giant, an asteroid or even into a sun’s corona).
• This is a mission whose length can easily be adjusted to your needs. It could even be written in one single story detailing an encounter on the patrol. If you want to write more, you have options - setting traps, using the local area to give your ship the advantage, or trying to capture a Dominion ship - to expand the storyline. It could also be a good opportunity for some quieter tension as your ship patrols the border, not knowing what they will find.

Escort Duty

A Federation world was successfully evacuated ahead of a Dominion invasion, but the convoy carrying them is in dire need of an escort. With enemy ships incoming, your ship has been scrambled to protect the lives of thousands of Federation citizens. Defend the convoy and see it crosses the border safely.

Briefing

Starfleet Auxiliary has successfully evacuated the Federation colony on Leonis Prime and is heading towards Farpoint Station with the entire population. Their initial escort, however, was forced to break off to engage oncoming Dominion forces and let the convoy slip away. Now the convoy is wholly defenceless and needs protection. Long-range sensors have detected Jem’Hadar attack ships heading in their direction.

The convoy consists of twelve older Starfleet-designed ships decommissioned and given to Starfleet Auxilary. The only newer design of vessels are the runabouts assigned to the Leonis Prime colony, one of which is an Executive type of runabout with the colony’s governor and their administration on it.

You are ordered to rendezvous with the convoy, protect the governor and the Leonis Prime government and ensure that none of the ships in the convoy are lost.    

Key Points

• The class of ships being used by Starfleet Auxilary is of no consequence to you or your ship. None of them can assist you in defending the convoy as they barely have any weapons. To fight the incoming enemy vessels, your ship must do it single-handedly (unless you are a squadron commander or team up with another primary command). Some may be damaged during the battle, but you must plan how to protect them.
• Protecting Leonis Prime's governor should be seen as a subplot but an essential part of the mission. They are a high-ranking Federation government official, and the loss of their government could be disastrous when the colonists return to Leonis Prime.
• You could send teams to various convoy ships to help those civilians deal with the trauma of leaving their homes or helping with repairs (you could assist in upgrading their shields - but no weapons add-ons).
• The convoy's escorts will not reappear at the end. Therefore, your ship(s) must get the convoy to Farpoint Station in one piece.
• Reading the Starfleet Auxiliary article may give you some ideas on interacting with Starfleet Auxiliary. But remember, you are on the same side!
• This Special Assignment is most easily written over multiple stories. The simplest structure is three parts - arriving and learning of the situation, the arrival and repelling of Jem’Hadar ships, and getting the convoy safely to their destination.

Rendezvous and Repair

Rendezvous with Starfleet Alpha Twenty-One Battle Group in the Kaanan system. They have just engaged and lost a battle with Dominion forces. Assist with repairs and those injured as they limp back to the nearest Federation station.

Briefing

Farpoint Station has received word from Battle Group Alpha Twenty-One. They have reported engaging the enemy while attempting to defend the Kaanan system. Their attempt failed, and what is left of their group is retreating; however, they are heavily damaged and have numerous injured. Therefore, you are ordered to assist them.

Starfleet is keen for the battle group to make it back to the station so they are ready to take part in an upcoming assault. Therefore, it is down to you to provide them with the help they need so that once they arrive at the station, most of their damaged and injured are dealt with or are close to being back to operational fitness.

Key Points

• You are free to establish the names and classes of the ship of the battlegroup, and their commanding officers. There should be no more than six vessels, and they should all be smaller or at least ten years old - this is not a cutting-edge strike force. Remember to abide by fleet canon in what ships you create/name/use.
• This mission will not involve the Dominion returning to attack the battle group. Instead, your ship is there to help the injured and the badly damaged.
• Your crew will need to prioritize who they help first.
• Your crew will need to be split up to deal with various issues. From helping secure the damaged ships to beaming those injured to your ship and needing access to necessary medical treatment. Your counsellors will be required to assist those who have been scared by the Battle of Kaanan.  
• Your captain may wish to invite one or two of their counterparts to dinner on their vessel but may find they resent the condition of your ship, or they may share a story from the battle.
• During repairs, one of the ship’s warp cores may become unstable and have to be ejected to prevent the loss of the ship and the surrounding fleet.
• Your crew must also deal with those who died during the battle and prepare appropriate funeral/memorial arrangements. Maybe one of them is a captain, and their first officer struggles to deal with losing their skipper. How would your captain and/or crew help?
• Once you arrive at Farpoint, your ship/crew must assist those ships into their repair yards and deliver the injured to the station’s medical facilities.

Race to Galadkail

The Federation colony at Galadkail Minor is considered a prime target for a Dominion attack. A defensive force has been assembled, but the planet’s protections need shoring up with equipment and Starfleet Security personnel. Your ship has been directed to bring whatever this beleaguered colony needs.

Briefing

In this mission, your ship is in a race against time to bring essential equipment and personnel to a planet anticipating at Dominion strike. Galadkail Minor is a Federation colony that Starfleet Intelligence is confident will be targeted soon, and while ships have been scrambled to protect her, more aid is needed. Your ship will be loaded up at a Starfleet location of your choice with whatever you can think of that would help prepare a planet’s defence: Weapons, food supplies, personnel, or technology to build, refit, or improve defence platforms and ships.

Key Points

• The focus of this mission is getting the necessary cargo from A to B, so Galadkail Minor can defend itself. This can be as complicated or simple as you have time for. The tension and success comes in the race against time - if your ship is fast enough, you can be the difference between victory and defeat.
• Perhaps your ship will be attacked en route, perhaps it needs to slip past enemy forces. The challenges are yours to decide.
• This mission isn’t supposed to be about any battle at Galadkail Minor. If you write quicker than you expect, you can depict your ship’s part in a fight at the end, but if that’s your primary motivation, then maybe consider a different mission.
• Information on Galadkail Minor and the defensive forces there is deliberately vague. The journey matters more than the destination. Flesh it out if you wish, but remember the rules around using NPC Starfleet ships.
• This mission could be written in even one single Story, but it’s easy to flesh out with complications encountered along the way depending on your needs.

Cover the Escape

The Dominion has routed a small Starfleet patrol. Intercept the pursuing forces and harry them in a hit-and-run to give the damaged patrol time to escape. Starfleet cannot afford to lose more ships on this frontier.

Briefing

A Starfleet patrol engaged a large squadron of Jem’Hadar attack ships but was routed, and is rushing back to Farpoint Station. However, the remains of the enemy forces are hot on their heels. Without help, the patrol cannot reach Farpoint without being obliterated. Starfleet wants you and your ships to intercept and buy the patrol time to return safely.

Delaying the Dominion forces will not be easy. Ideally, they must be lured into dropping out of warp for a short time, for whatever reason, to let the Starfleet ships get a safe enough lead to escape - and make sure that you, too, can escape.

Key Points

• The patrol of Starfleet ships cannot assist you in delaying the pursuing Dominion forces, as they are too badly damaged.
• You must be creative in planning how to slow the enemy squadron down. Or, to take a brute force approach of engaging the enemy, this could be a perfect Special Assignment for a squadron of ships or multiple writers.
• Consider tactics seen in the show when one of the hero ships has engaged a larger force and how they have overcome the odds. Maybe it’s a sensor echo, an echo displacement or holographic ships? Could your ship taunt some into a nearby sun and create a solar eruption? Could you force them out of warp using a graviton pulse? The enemy doesn’t need defeating - just delaying.
• This mission could easily be written in just one story, but it’s easy to add dimensions and complications to flesh it out as necessary.

Mining the Border

Breen forces may use a nebula along the Federation-Breen border to cross over and attack key Federation targets. Mine the nebula to stop/slow the Breen forces.

Briefing

Starfleet Intelligence has discovered alarming reports that a large Breen armada is being assembled close to the Federation-Breen border. They plan to attack key Federation worlds and bases to force the Federation to split their ships from the main battle areas.

Intelligence reports show that the Breen will use the Vadlox Nebula, a Mutara class nebula, to bypass Federation border patrols, early warning systems and other defences to launch their attacks. Unfortunately, Starfleet does not have enough ships to deal with another front, so soon after the Lost Fleet attacked so many other worlds. Therefore, they have ordered your ship to the Vadlox Nebula to mine it. To help you, they have shared the latest plans for enhanced self-replicating mines. Based on the original ones used during the Dominion War to mine the entrance to the Bajoran Wormhole, these mines have been improved to prevent them from being disabled by an antigraviton beam.

Head to the Breen border, deploy the minefield and report back to Starfleet Command if any Breen ships attempt to cross over through the Nebula.

Key Points

• The mission will require using your ship and its runabouts and shuttles to get the entire nebula mined.
• The entire minefield can only be activated once every mine is in place.
• Your ship may encounter a few Breen ships while in the nebula; destroying them to prevent them from reporting what you are doing is vital.
• This mission is a race against time, but one wrong move and things could go terribly wrong.
• Deploying the mines in the nebula will be difficult. Sensors will be patchy, and in some areas of it, there are high levels of radiation that could become lethal if exposed for an extended period of time. Furthermore, the nebula prevents shields from being used effectively.
• This will be a great way to use your science character to explain the best way to deploy the mines in the nebula. How can you help the shuttles and runabouts when they go in to protect themselves?
• If your ship can separate, consider doing this to help with saving time in deploying the minefield. Or one section remains in Federation space to watch over what is happening and to be a lookout for Breen ships.
• This mission could easily be written in just one story, but it’s easy to add dimensions and complications to flesh it out as necessary.