CADET
SCENARIO #4: THE
DAKOTA INCIDENT
Patrolling the Neutral Zone the Federation cruiser Constellation receives a distress message from the freighter SS Dakota. The freighter has lost engine power and has drifted out of the Neutral Zone into Klingon territory. Announcing its intentions to enter Klingon territory "for humanitarian purposes", the Constellation moves in to rescue the freighter's crew. Klingon warships appear and begin firing on the Constellation.
PLAYERS: This scenario is designed for one player and the Robot Opponent rules. It can be played with two players, but in that case you should use only one Klingon ship or use three smaller klingon ships, A CA, CL, and DD, or 3 CL, or 3 DD's or 5 FF's or any combination you like to adjust the playing level.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
You will need the 16-Impulse Movement Chart; the counters for three
Klingon ship; all eight of the Klingon drone counters; the counter for the
Federation cruiser; the counter for Freighter A.
MAP: Use 0101 to 2817. The
Klingon ships cannot leave the map. The Federation ship is immediately
destroyed if it tries to leave the map except from the right edge (i.e.,
from hexes that begin with 28).
SCENARIO SET UP
Freighter SS Dakota in hex 1405 (stopped).
Federation cruiser Constellation in hex 2817 facing F.
Klingon battlecruiser in hex 0117 facing B.
Klingon battlecruiser in hex 0116 facing B.
Klingon battlecruiser in hex 0115 facing B.
The Klingon ships are controlled by the Robot Opponent rules. For purposes
of the acceleration limits, all ships are presumed to have been moving at
a speed of 10 on the turn before the scenario begins.
LENGTH: The scenario continues
until the Constellation has been destroyed or has left the map.
SPEED: The speed of each ship will be determined by the Energy Allocation
Procedure at the start of each turn. The drones move at a speed of 16.
SPECIAL RULE: The freighter
cannot move or fire weapons. The Klingon ships will not fire at the
freighter.
OBJECTIVE: The Federation ship is
trying to rescue the crew of the freighter. To accomplish this, the
Constellation must move through a hex adjacent to the SS Dakota. If the
Constellation does this AND escapes off the map (through a hex beginning
with 28), the Federation player wins. Otherwise, the Federation player
loses.
ADVICE: It is difficult (if not
Kobayashi Maru impossible) to win this scenario without crippling at least
one Klingon ship playing against a live opponent. With the robot rules
it's difficult but not impossible. Try to hit their rear shields,
which are much weaker than their front shields. This scenario becomes
dramatically easier with later rules (Instant Replay); for more challenge
add more Klingons or a Klingon DN.
THE NEUTRAL ZONE: On the Federation-Klingon border, the Neutral Zone is an area some 750 parsecs (or 2,400 light years) wide running the length of the border. Both powers may colonize planets in this area and may operate a limited number of armed ships in this area. Bases may be established in the Neutral Zone but may be used by either party. It is important to remember that while the Klingon Empire and United Federation of Planets are not exactly on friendly terms, they are not technically at war. Some trade takes place between the powers, and warships from both powers make port calls at the others bases. Great efforts are made to "show force" (without actually using it) in order to influence neutral planets in the zone. Penetrating the Neutral Zone into foreign territory (without the permission of the other side) is a violation (though not a formal act of war) that may be resolved to the satisfaction of the violated party (assuming he detects the violation and that his border patrols can reach the point of that violation in time to do anything about it). In the Dakota Incident, the Federation acted within the treaty to perform a humanitarian rescue. As per the treaty, the Constellation notified the Klingons where it was going and for what reason. Within the treaty, the Klingons were not required to believe the Federation statement. The local Klingon commander may have suspected a Federation trick (which is not unknown) or may have staged the operation himself in an attempt to embarrass the Federation. Combat within the Neutral Zone is limited because both participants must endeavor to make it look like the other party's fault. Similarly, both sides want any border violations to appear as the other party's fault.
INSTANT REPLAY: Several
variations of this scenario can be played. Play the standard version
first. You are not required to play these variations, but may enjoy (and
learn from) doing so.
1. Use the third Klingon ship, but have it attack (and pursue) the
freighter. Use the freighter rules and weapons from Scenario #3, but the
freighter will not move. The Constellation must rescue the crew before the
freighter is destroyed.
2. This scenario can be played with the other Cadet ships, and (with
adjustments in speed and number of impulses) with the standard ships after
you have played Scenario #7.
3. Read the transporter rules from Scenario #8, and use them in this
scenario. Assume that the freighter crew can be transported by a single
transporter operation.