BETA SIM IC THREAD

[Lighthawk]

MESSAGE TO ALL LOCAL POWERS, PRIORITY 3
FROM THE SWORD-BEARER, ARM OF THE CONFEDERACY, OVERSEER OF FLEET ACTIONS

In light of the recent atmosphere of hostility that has spread through the region, the Hyllus Confederacy wishes to provide a forewarning of a series of fleet exercises we had planned to conduct along our boarders. These military games had been scheduled for some time and normally we would have considered the release of this information as being none of the business of others. However with the current political climate, we judged it prudent to make our intentions clear, most particularly to the Klingon Empire, as some of these exercises will take place in the 525 and 526 star systems, which lay right on the border of Klingon space. We would not wish to alarm our neighbors by the sudden arrival of our ships into the area, nor said ships conducting battle maneuvers. We wish to ensure the Klingon Empire that we intent to remain a neutral party to the fighting.

[Tyyr]

Cowardly surprise tactics? Perhaps I was mistaken when the Empire said

The Empire has chosen to uphold their treaty. We are at war.

Even with a declaration of war between our nations our fleet commanders gave the Empire the chance to withdraw. When your ships chose to stand their ground our commanders acted appropriately for nations at war. Or perhaps they were cowards for not allowing your ships the first volley? Clarification would be helpful on this point.

The Federation has nothing to worry about. No Cardassian ships will violate Federation space. We'll reiterate, our quarrel is with the Ferengi, not the Federation or Klingons.

[Reliant121]

Cowardly tactics refer to an assault on a nation woefully incapable of defending itself. It is like stealing sweets from a baby, it is a dishonourably unfair fight.

The Federation has sought to defend a nation that is incapable of defending itself, on the basis of little or no evidence of wrong doing so I can see. We have yet to see the evidence for your elaborate scheme, and instead sound like a petulant child throwing a tantrum when things do not go their way.

[Lt. Staplic]

GM Note:

The following was released by the Cardassian Union in a data package to all powers:

The crew of Ferangi that disappeared in the Union several years ago was connected to smuggling operations through several shady businessmen in and outside of the Confederacy. Many of these men worked for or had contacts with the Orion Syndicate. All evidence supports a deal the Ferangi made with them that was altered by the Ferangi, and these characters captured and killed the crew rather than paying the higher rate.

The trilithium freighter that was tracked and shot down by Cardassian patrols were analyzed following its destruction. With Federation aid the trilithium was discovered to be only slightly stable. The trilithium was weapons-grade, however it appeared to have been hastily put together. The trilithium was on a steady decay cycle that would have rendered the mass of the freighter into nothing but lithium metal and dilithium crystals within a year. Additonally energy signitures in the sub-atomic alignments indicate it was subjected to a high energy subspace field similar to those created by warp drives indicating this was put together on a starship. Additional research by the Cardassian Government has yielded that this trilithium had been manufactured using trilithium resin from warp core waste.

Following this the Cardassians discovered a field of subspace damage in a corridor of empty space. Along with the energy field was the scattered debris of a Ferangi Freighter, and a damaged, but intact, Breen Freighter. examination of the disaster lead to the conclusion that the site had been the location of a subspace weapons test, that lead to the disabling and destruction of both vessels. Additionally there were records found in the debris that sighted the breen insurgent fragment as being based and originated from the planets under Federaiton Protectorate.

Finally after the Federation's claim several survey ships were sent to Volus (53) to investigate the Federation claim of an insurgent cell operating there. There were no signs of any prison nor any Breen bio-signs. In fact the location on which the Federation scans yielded their "prison" the Cardassian scans show the construction of a secondary capital building for official state functions.

[Reliant121]

May we ask, where the survey vessels Cardassian in Origin?

[stitch626]

On the subject of Volus, our information supports that of the Cardassian Union.

[edit... basically, take this as sent shortly after the other one, but didn't want to post twice]

To clarify.

We had an agent in their senate listen as they ordered the construction of a secondary capital on Volus.
This information was gained shortly after the Federation announced their opinion on matters.
This could mean many things, but we do not wish to speculate.

[BigJKU316]

The Federation is sure it is just a coincidence that a major construction project was ordered on the exact spot where the prison was located. Of all the dozens of planets and billions of square kilometers on which such a project could have been located this was probably the most ideal.

[Tyyr]

Cowardly tactics refer to an assault on a nation woefully incapable of defending itself. It is like stealing sweets from a baby, it is a dishonourably unfair fight.

The Ferengi's decision to leave themselves undefended does not make the Cardassian Union's attack dishonorable, it makes the Ferengi fools to have prodded us as they did.

May we ask, where the survey vessels Cardassian in Origin?

Would you have preferred Orion? Yes the vessels were Cardassian and if you'll recall we invited the Empire to send observers with the vessels in order to see that the investigation was pursued as thoroughly and honestly as possible. If you choose to ignore our offer who's fault is that? Or did you simply ignore the offer so you could later cast aspersions on its findings and not to find things that may make your "honorable" stand with the Ferengi less palatable?

As for the capital, the site has been under work off an on for years now. The planetary government only recently approved funding to finalize the construction. It's location was chosen as it is quite remote and the scenery quite break taking from what I understand, making it a fine place to host state functions. It was never a particularly popular project so its drug on for several years as funding was sought.

[Reliant121]

This offer must have found itself lost in the depths of space. Or perhaps, I simply did not notice. Pity.

[Tyyr]

Likewise we will welcome Klingon and Tholian inspectors to join a Cardassian taskforce being dispatched to the Volus (53) system to investigate the Federation's claims.

Yes, pity.

[BigJKU316]

ADDRESS TO FEDERATION COUNCIL, BROADCAST ON ALL CHANNELS

As you are all no doubt aware the Federation has, as both our treaty and moral obligations necessitate, come to the defense of the Ferengi Alliance against the Cardassian Union. The news blackout was necessary to ensure the maximum safety of our forces during this action. We can now report to you the details of what has occured near and in Ferengi space.

The Federation deployed six task forces to the area to assist with the defense that operated under the coordination of 2nd Fleet and Admiral Nance. This group fought two seperate actions with the professionalism and bravery we have come to expect from Starfleet and has completed the immediate task at hand. In those two actions our losses were heavy. 332 ships and their crews were lost to repulse this act of aggression. However the enemy has suffered far worse. Five enemy fleets worth of ships were destroyed, comprising by our count 1,315 major combatant ships. The Cardassian offensive has been shattered.

For the Federation the loss of ships is not of great concern. Things can be replaced. To the families of the fallen we can only extend our deepest regrets and admiration. The price of a just galaxy is not always free. The Federation will stand for justice and bear that price, whatever it may be, but in doing so we must never forget the cost. Let those brave crews live on in our memory for all time.

Now we turn to peace. Not a victors peace but simply a lasting one. We propose a cease-fire under the following terms to be followed promptly by talks for establishing a lasting peace between our four governments.

1. All Union forces will withdrawl to within Cardassian borders.
2. The Union agrees that its rimward (southern) border will be fixed along the current claim line for the period of this cease-fire.
3. The Allied forces (Federation, Ferengi, Klingon) agree not to violate established Cardassian borders for the period of this ceasefire.
4. Any and all prisoners taken by both sides, civilian or military, during the conflict will be returned immediatly.
5. The cease-fire will govern relations between the four powers until a formal peace can be concluded that is satisfactory to all powers or until 60 days public written notice is given of the intent to withdrawl from these accords.

Neither the Federation nor the Klingon Empire are making territorial claims against the Union. We seek only the establishment of peaceful relations once more in the region. We await the reply of the Union to this proposal.

[Tyyr]

The Union agrees to this cease fire.

[BigJKU316]

The Union agrees to this cease fire.

The Federation agrees, pending the assent of the Ferengi Alliance and Klingon Empire, which we believe will follow in short order.

As a show of good faith we are making arrangments to return several hundred prisoners from the recent battle to the Union. Please dispatch a ship or ships with suitable medical facilities and transport capacity. We will transmit a list of the conditions so that your people may be prepared. We will meet you across our border from Bajor and transport the prisoners over to the locations you provide.

[Tyyr]

A group of Malak and G'Kin class ships are being dispatched to the portion of our border directly between Cardassia and Bajor.

[Reliant121]

The Klingon Empire agrees to the cease fire. All Klingon warships will be ordered to stand down from full combat readiness, and put on standby.