Task Force 72 – Report #1

September 12, 2023

The Old and The New

“No, I understand why they asked for a medical response….my question is why they’re so insistent it be us.  They’ve held radio silence for the last two years and refused any help we’ve offered in the past.”  Task Force 72 Commanding Officer Geronimo Fontana stood in the middle of his new office, a holo-screen against the wall.

On the screen was Peter Crawford, the captain of the USS Olympic.  A nearby colony had suddenly come alive with requests.  He hadn’t been concerned and had thought calling his Task Force Commander would be a good checking of the box.  After all, he had a yeoman thanks to Fontana.  They weren’t friends.  Yet.  Pete was now a little more concerned, “They say they’ve had a change in elected officials and legislature…which, now that I’ve said it out loud, sounds like a coup or something messy and violent.”

Geronimo shook his head in annoyance, “It sounds like things are a little rougher down there than I’d like.  I can have Mackenzie to you in a day or so.”  He caught the briefest look on his captain’s face, but it was gone before he could identify the connected emotion.

Crawford returned to shake of the head, “No, we’ve got a strong security team, and our Hazard team is well trained and tuned.  We can take it from here, sir.”

The TFCO waited a beat.  He could argue.  He could order.  He also had to learn to trust his people.  It felt odd saying those words in his head, yet…it felt good.  Not powerful or egotistical…it felt good to have a team he was responsible for again.  “Keep in touch, Captain Crawford.  Take it from here, if you will.”  A nod and the channel closed.  The chime rang, and his new TFXO strode into the office, “Good morning, Varen.”  They’d met a week ago when the young Bajoran had been accepted into the position.  They’d become informal with each other despite the rank difference.  Fontana avoided lording his rank over others.

The young man collapsed into one of the nearby chairs, “I’ve been fielding calls all night from bases throughout Deneb.” A short sigh escaped his lips. “Tylo III, Astrid VII, even a panicked call from Gilligan Outpost. We’re seeing government upheavals across the sector, and everyone is worried about the proverbial powder keg.” 

Silence descended upon the room, broken only by the gentle tingle of Varen’s earing.  “Morning, by the way.” he finished, reaching up to push back a particularly rebellious forlock. “Anything particularly concerning?” In truth, all of it was concerning; the Dominion’s Lost Fleet had highlighted Starfleet’s lack of preparation.

Click Here to continue reading

——

Hello, Task Force 72!  Greetings from your Task Force CO!  I recently stepped into the role after Brian’s departure due to real-life time constraints.  I’m thankful for his time in the position for over a year and for his guidance during the brief time I served as your TFXO!  Thank you, Brian, for your time and contributions to the Task Force.

I’m also thrilled to introduce our XO, Greyimage!  

Hi Team! I joined Bravo Fleet just over a year ago; just as the Raptor’s Wings Fleet Action was coming to a close, I knew that Bravo was a great community. I’ve been quietly writing away, dipping my toes into competitions,  but after witnessing the amazing work of our members during The Lost Fleet action, I was excited to take a small step up and give back. I’m here to help with all your needs, everything from spelling checks to sounding out grand narrative plans, I’m only ever a DM away.

Now, let’s get on to the updates and news!

Task Force Updates

  • We said goodbye to Garrett (Simon Trent) as he was accepted as Task Force 93’s XO and goodbye to Starbuck as he was accepted as Task Force 47’s XO.
  • For the Lost Fleet Fleet Action, we had 124 total entries, 12 unique participants, and 10 entries per person!  Lots of great work done by our members here in 72 with a score of 835.75.
    • Th’lora Vehl took 3rd place in Phase 2’s Dominion attack, 2nd place in Phase 2’s World of Warships, 1st Place in Solitare in Phase 2, 1st place in Phase 3’s Combat Action Ribbon Race, and 2nd place in Phase 3’s Wordsearch!
    • Greyimage (Varen Wyll) took 3rd place in Phase 3’s Comp – Captain’s Logs!
    • Garrett (Simon Trent) took 3rd place in the Phase 2 Starbase Bravo Duty Ribbon Race.
  • We’ve had some new and old faces returning to the Task Force, and with that, more activity and writing, which is exciting!  We’re looking forward to the stories that will be told using the Priority Mission and the Fleet Action coming later this year!

Fiction Updates

  • Mackenzie Squadron – USS Mackenzie, alongside Olympic, found themselves over Janoor III providing aid to the sick population, simultaneously navigating the delicate diplomatic waters caused by the recent arrival of a damaged Cardassian fleet. Under intense pressure from the approaching Dominion force the squadron found themselves digging into an ever-deepening pot of secrets as evidence of changeling involvement and the fingers of rogue Cardassians came to light. Unfortunately, the Jem’Hadar arrived in force and cause major devastation, including losing the planet’s capital beneath a falling battlecruiser. The squadron made it out, but not everyone is scar-free.
  • Horizon Squadron – USS Horizon – Taking the lead on a Deep Strike mission alongside Alexandria & Glasgow, Horizon Squadron sought to disrupt the Jem’Hadar’s stranglehold by striking from the dangerous protection of the Berrin Nebula. Desperate to avoid civilian casualties, they had to strike 3 important installations for the safety of the Fourth Fleet and the Deneb Sector at large.
  • USS Nestus – Deployed to the Oromal cluster to investigate intelligence of the secret Breen research base, the crew found themselves stuck along the border, struggling with their memories of the Dominion. Nestus proved the intelligence correct but outdated as the base, hidden between the stellar cluster, was abandoned and left as a decoy. Unfortunately, the small crew lost a family member in the process of springing this trap, and the team continued to struggle with that loss of life despite their transition to the USS Daedalus at the end of the conflict.
  • USS Marduk – Beginning the Deneb Sector deployment with search and rescue operations, Marduk dodged, deciphered mysterious signals, and repelled Breen raiders. All with the help of its trusty worker bee… we mean Captain’s Yacht. Captain Sky and crew even managed to find time for a movie night!
  • USS Amundsen – Refit not quite complete, Captain Myers and crew found themselves fighting demons old and new as they raced to perform vital recon operations within Deneb. With the Admirals’ words echoing in their heads, they set out to be the trustworthy eyes of the Fourth Fleet.

Task Force Recognition

Awards

Promotions

Conclusion

We’ve just gotten started with the Priority Mission – Ashes of Deneb.  We’ve had several Primary Commands jump back into writing.  Many interesting options are available to our writers with this PM – take a look at the briefing for some ideas.  There are also a lot of competitions that have dropped recently – lots of opportunities to participate in what Bravo Fleet has to offer.  We’ve also got sandbox RPGs that are growing and expanding and a future Fleet Action to look forward to!  All in all – lots of good things happening and plenty more where that come from.  Until the next report, we’ll see you out there!

Geronimo Fontana Staff Officer: Podcasts
Reports Task Force 72