Titan Mission 04: "The Cost of Duty"

Stardate 20410.18

Captain Tam Otlan, USS Titan, recording.

The Titan was assigned to enter the Klingon Neutral Zone to search for a signal from a Star Fleet Intelligence Officer. My understanding is that if an Operative sends this signal, it means they are in trouble and need help returning home. Admiral Gage explained the importance of returning this Officer to the Federation and that we must not fail in this mission.

Shortly after entering the Klingon Neutral Zone, the Operatives signal ceased transmitting. We didn't know if the agent cut the signal, or if they were captured and whoever is holding them found the transmitter. In any event, it has only served to stress the importance of speed on this mission. We have locked onto the last known coordinates of the signal and made best possible speed to that location.

Along the way, we found what appeared to be the debris of an Orion transport ship. It had been utterly destroyed. Not knowing whether the Operative had been killed or captured, I decided to continue the search until every chance had been exhausted. LCdr Tei volunteered to take the runabout Daystrom into a nearby nebula that our sensors couldn't penetrate as it seemed a likely hiding place for whomever destroyed the Orion vessel.

Attempting to penetrate the nebula's scrambling effects on our sensors, we launched a modified probe into the nebula, only to have it destroyed, causing a duonetic wave which has disabled not only the Titan, but the Daystrom and the Klingon ship that we located within the nebula. It became a race to see which ship would regain power first.

Having regained enough power in a shuttlecraft to chance a launch, I ordered a large away team to find the Daystrom, assist with repairs, and retrieve the Intel Operative, who had activated a second beacon, confirming their presence aboard the Klingon ship. We also managed to regain much of the Titan's power, but there was a saboteur among us who crashed our internal communication system. We could defend ourselves, but coordination throughout the ship was hindered badly.

The Daystrom managed to escape the nebula, but the shuttlecraft was destroyed in the process. A small price to pay for the safety of my Officers. I was also informed that they had retrieved the Intelligence Officer, though the person had been tortured by the Klingons and several of the away team had been injured, one of them fatally.

The Klingon ship followed the Daystrom out of the nebula and attacked the Titan, disabling her warp engines. When hailed, we learned that we were facing the same ship that had attacked the Titan while I was negotiating with the Tholians during the Borg occupation of Sol. Apparently Captain Kalok is the son of the Nightslayer's Captain that was killed when the Titan rammed the larger ship. Had the Tholians not intervened then, the Titan and her crew would have been lost. This time we had no one with which to hang our hopes on and must either negotiate, or fight our way out of the Neutral Zone.

I attempted to talk Kalok out of his plans to capture the crew and destroy the Titan, not wanting to spark an incident that could lead the Federation into another war that we don't have the resources to fight, but Kalok appears to be a madman, determined to avenge his father's death, and Klingons take such matters very seriously. I was left with little alternative but to fight. I could not sacrifice my crew, nor could I fail to return the Intelligence Operative to Star Fleet. My hands, in my opinion, were tied.

The Nightslayer outguns the Titan and has the same maneuverability, leaving us with only our experience and inventiveness to keep us alive. My crew have come up with several suggestions for attack options, as well as creating probes that would deal the Nightslayer considerable damage if they work. Kalok didn't hesitate in launching attack after attack on the ship, as well as sending boarding parties through the openings in the shields. I ordered weapons set to kill as we cannot afford mercy against this enemy. We certainly would receive none.

After countless attacks and boarding parties, I was left with few options. I could activate the self-destruct, destroying the Titan and killing the entire crew, which would deny the Klingons their prize, but also deny Star Fleet the knowledge this Operative, who we had sacrificed much for, has gathered on her mission. Or I could continue to fight to the end. I have ordered the crew to shelter areas and ordered General Quarters Six. This order is by far the hardest I have ever given. It calls for the Titan to be flooded with radioactive gas from the ship's engine. I hoped this would kill all the Klingons invading the Titan, and prevent them from beaming over any more attack parties. Unfortunately the mortality rate for the crew is very high with such an order. Already my First Officer and several of the bridge crew seem ready to call for a mutiny, but I have left them with no opportunity to leave the bridge. If they opened any hatch, or turbolift, they would be exposed to the same deadly gas as the Klingons.

Ordering the ship to set course for Federation Space, I could only hope that Kalok would want his prize and not destroy us outright, but I somehow didn't think that would be the case. Miraculously, the choice was taken out of both our hands as three Klingon vessels decloaked aft of the Titan and intercepted the Nightslayer. The ordered us out of the Neutral Zone and did not pursue.

Still inside the Neutral Zone, the Titan was intercepted by the Ninth Battle Group, commander by Admiral Wiktor Gallatinov of the USS Democracy. The carrier, destroyer and heavy cruiser escorted the Titan back to Starbase Bravo for what will no doubt either be extensive repairs, or decommission. I have learned that the Titan suffered a loss of over half her crew and can only mourn their deaths under my command. They paid the ultimate price to save a Federation citizen and bring hopefully vital information back to Star Fleet.

Captain's Logs

Captain Tam Otlan

Stardate 20402.23

Stardate 20402.23

An unexpected change in current events have led my old Valley Forge FO to become Fleet Commander of the Second Fleet. Rear Admiral Raymond Gage has been assigned to replace Rear Admiral Canto who apparently has been laid low by a medical condition. While I hope Canto recovers fully, I feel the fleet will be in better hands now under Admiral Gage.

The Titan has also received emergency orders to head for the Klingon Neutral Zone where we are to retrieve an undercover Intel Operative who has apparently gotten into trouble. I have the utmost faith in my ship and crew to get the job done and as soon as everyone is aboard, we will get underway.

While I'm concerned with crossing the Neutral Zone without permission from the Klingons, I'm hoping we won't be there long enough for it to become an issue.

End Log.

Stardate 20403.07

Stardate 20403.07

We are currently en route to the Klingon Neutral Zone at warp factor eight. I normally wouldn't be putting such a strain on the engines right out of space dock, but our mission is one where timing could mean its success or failure.

I called a meeting of the senior staff to inform them of our mission and what I expected to find when we crossed the Neutral Zone, but I don't think we will really have an accurate picture of the situation until we are within range of the Intel Operative's signal.

My First Officer, Commander Tei, has suggested the use of his Romulan shuttle, which has a functioning cloaking device as an advantage and while the Klingons would react badly to such a ship, it could still prove useful depending on what we discover.

I'm hopeful that the Federation has contacted the Klingon Empire and discussed our incursion into their space, before we find out how they would react to our unannounced presence.

Only time will tell for sure and we are getting closer.

End Log.

Stardate 20403.16

Stardate 20403.16

We're minutes out from the Klingon Neutral Zone and I have requested diagnostics on the defensive systems. I trust the Starbase Engineers and repair teams have done their job, but I want to make sure there are no surprises waiting for us should we need to defend ourselves.

Sadly, we have not received word from command that the Klingons are aware of our presence which leads me to believe that we're going in against the treaty. At any rate, we're almost there and I have no intention of turning back.

End Log.

Stardate 20403.28

Stardate 20403.28

The Titan has arrived at the last known location of the beacon we were following, but it now appears to have been cut off. Whether the Operative has done so, or the signal masked by someone else, we do not know.

We have also found the remains of an Orion vessel that has been completely destroyed and have begun an investigation. I worry that the Klingons have either killed the Operative in destroying the Orion vessel, or they have left and taken prisoners with them.

If that's the case, there may be no choice but to abandon the mission and return to base.

End Log.

Stardate 20404.18

Stardate 20404.18

LCdr Tei has taken the runabout Daystrom into the nebula and we have launched a probe to try and determine if there is a ship waiting from within.

Unfortunately we are having trouble scanning anything from the nebula and it seems a perfect place for a ship to wait to ambush a vessel that had come for a meeting.

With any luck the Titan will avoid the fate of the Orions while we're in Klingon space.

End Log.

Stardate 20405.01

Stardate 20405.01

The Titan has suffered a complete power failure due to a duonetic wave from within the nebula which appears to have been caused by the probe we launched. From what little we can tell, the power loss is temporary and indeed we are already gaining power, but the runabout Daystrom and what we believe to be a Klingon vessel within the nebula have also been affected.

I am ordering a large away team to take a shuttle to the runabout to affect repairs and hopefully retrieve the Star Fleet Intelligence Officer who is aboard the Klingon ship. I can only hope our actions here to not lead the Federation into another war which we cannot afford.

End Log.

Stardate 20405.16

Stardate 20405.16

We have regained some power to the Titan and a shuttlecraft has been dispatched to locate and assist with repairs of the Daystrom. I have sent orders for them to attempt a rescue of the Operative by whatever means they are able and if the away team is successful, I am confident the Titan will be able to escape the system safely.

End Log.

Stardate 20406.28

Stardate 20406.28

Most of the Titan's systems have been repaired with the notable exception of the ship's internal communications. We are now in a better position to defend ourselves should we come under attack. However, I am disturbed by the actions of the saboteur who has apparently escaped capture by stealing a shuttle from the Titan.

The Daystrom is now on a course back to the ship, but whether or not they have rescued the Intelligence Officer is unknown to us. I am prepared to face the Klingon ship directly if the away team has failed.

End Log.

Stardate 20407.05

Stardate 20407.05

The away team was successful in retrieving the Intelligence Officer, however Lt[Jg] Dalok was killed during the rescue. Unfortunately our trouble didn't end there. The Klingon ship has fired on the Titan, disabling our warp engines and when they hailed us I learned that this ship is the same one that attacked the Titan last year while I was negotiating a treaty with the Tholians.

Captain Kalok of the Nightslayer has demanded our immediate surrender and I have refused to even entertain such a thought. My crew will not be left to the Klingons brand of torture, nor will I lose the Operative we have come so far to rescue.

With any luck he will back down and allow us to depart, if not, we may be in a battle we can't hope to win.

End Log.

Stardate 20407.25

Stardate 20407.25

So much for luck. Kalok has sent boarding parties to the Titan in an attempt to take my ship and so far we have successfully kept them at bay, though not without casualties to both the crew and ship. The bridge looks like a slaughter house, but thankfully the majority of dead are Klingon.

I still hope to get the Titan to safety, but I am prepared for the worst. I will do whatever necessary to stop the Nightslayer, regardless of the cost.

End Log.

Stardate 20408.15

Stardate 20408.15

The Titan has been all but crippled by the Klingons. We've lost warp drive, aft weapons and the shields are offline. The hull has been breached in countless areas and there are entire decks in ruin.

I have ordered the crew to emergency shelters in hopes that we can transport the invaders off the ship when my Officers are safe, but at this point, it's a long shot to hope I can do anything to save my crew and my ship.

I have ordered an emergency log buoy launched in case we don't survive so the Federation will know what happened here. I doubt that when the smoke clears from this incident that Klingon history will look back on this day with satisfaction.

End Log.

Stardate 20408.21

Stardate 20408.21

We have survived a hopeless battle and our mission was a success. At least that's what the dry facts are. The Intel Operative was rescued and we're on our way back to Federation Space.

The truth however is something completely different.

My First Officer was dangerously close to committing mutiny and I will have to deal with that when the smoke is clear. I myself am guilty of risking, if not outright killing, members of my own crew in an attempt to keep the Titan from falling to the Klingons. My ship is in ruin and I'm not sure if it will be salvageable.

Hundreds of Klingons were beamed aboard my ship and I had hoped to beam them off but the transporter systems were off-line. That left me with no alternative but to flood the ship with radioactive gas in an attempt to kill the invaders and prevent more from beaming aboard.

I believe the Klingons would have found a way around the gas or simply destroyed the Titan, but three more Klingon ships arrived and allowed us to escape.

Federation vessels responded to the emergency buoy we launched and are on their way to tow us back to Starbase Bravo. What will happen from there is a mystery to me, but I am prepared to face whatever charges are leveled my way.

End Log.

Stardate 20409.04

Stardate 20409.04

As the Democracy tows us back to Starbase, I am faced with several dilemmas. My Chief Engineer has brought himself before me to face charges of dereliction of his duty, a charge I personally don't agree with, and now I have received a communiqué from the Judge Advocates General's office regarding my First Officer and Chief Science Officer charging them with serious crimes.

By the time this is over I wonder how many of the senior staff will be locked away in a brig and what will happen to the Titan?

End Log.

Crew Logs

Security

COS LCdr Karl Brackett

Stardate 20403.14

LCdr Brackett Chief of Security's Log Stardate 20403.14, Lieutenant Commander Karl Brackett recording.

Why do I always get stuck with the missions that seem to end in disaster?

I have been assigned to the USS Titan under Captain Tam Otlan as Chief of Security. My first mission on this new ship does not look like it will be easy.

Star Fleet Command has received a distress signal from an undercover operative operating deep inside the Klingon neutral zone. Our orders are to retrieve the spy at all costs.

The first officer LCdr Tei, a Romulan, has suggested that we use his cloaked shuttle to retrieve the operative. Never mind the fact that a cloaked ship violates half a dozen rules and regulations.

The dilemma is this: If we do nothing, war may be inevitable. If we act we may trigger the first Federation/Klingon War in 50 years. I hate politics.

End Log

Stardate 20409.20

LCdr Brackett Chief of Security's log, Stardate 20409.20. LCdr Karl Brackett recording.

Well, I'm still alive. Barely. It's a shame that so many are not.

Our mission to secure the intelligence officer was a success. But that was just the beginning.

After we made it back to the Titan the captain of the Klingon ship was, shall I say....naturally upset? After what seemed like an endless volley of torpedo fire Captain Kalok began wave after wave of boarding raids. Many people lost their lives today. I ask myself, was this one spy really worth it?

On a lighter note Lideah surprised me by showing up and brought our daughter with her. I guess this means I can't stay out as often. oh well, the price a married man must pay I suppose.

End Log

Lt Paul White

Stardate 20409.17

Lt White Security Officer’s Log. Stardate 20409.17, Lieutenant Paul White.

It surely has been a really terrible mission. My first one aboard the USS Titan as well and it almost gets destroyed by some kind of rouge Klingon ship.

Though there have been some good points about the mission. My Department Head, Lt. Cdr. Brackett, seems to be a good man and has seen his share of battles. I feel that we are friends and will continue to be for a long time to come.

This mission caused the deaths of many innocent officers, struck down by the Klingon murderers. I think that there will be problems coming forth after this has been long over for months and years to come.

Though I am sure things will turn out in the end and I hope that the Titan is able to be repaired. She is a grand ship and deserves to live out its time in space, rather than being sent to a shipyard cause of some Klingons.

I am sure she will be fine though and outlive all of us. It has been a day that many shall never forget, I know I won’t anytime soon.

End Log

Engineering

LCdr MacDonald

Supplemental

LCdr MacDonald Chief Engineer's Log.

The Titan has successfully docked at Bravo. I have checked with Bravo and they have sent across repair teams to assist in the repairs.

Having reviewed the initial reports the Titan looks like she is going no where. For the moment at least.

I have stepped down as Chief Engineer, having nominated John York as a temporary replacement until I return. I have spoken To Captain Otlan about my feelings that York should be promoted.

End Log.