Gabriel Campaign

The Gabriel Campaign was a multi-year conflict between the United Federation of Planets, and the Ashalla Pact, located in the Gabriel Expanse. The Gabriel Campaign began with the signing of the Treaty of Celos, and lasted until the signing of the Treaty of Gabriel, which followed a number of aggressive victories by Rear Admiral Nash ka'Sharren. The Gabriel Campaign cost both the Federation and the Pact thousands of lives, and a number of starships. It also caused the collapse of the Red Hierarchy.

In general the campaign can be separated into several periods of skirmishing and two major campaigns of fleet engagements, both initiated by the Federation and both primarily driven by a pair of fleet actions; the Deva-Lora campaign which drove the Sydraxians out of the Gabriel Expanse and ultimately collapsed their government, and the Enio-Gabriel campaign, which lead to the decisive Battle of 45 Gabriel and the end of the Gabriel free-for-all.

The Treaty of Celos
At Celos, the Federation and the Cardassians agreed to enforce a policy of not firing first along their shared borders, with the exception of the unclaimed Gabriel Expanse. The Gabriel was believed to be rich in resources, with no local starfaring powers. As a result, the Gabriel became a free-fire zone, with control to be determined by military conflict. Starfleet immediately began plans to shift forces from the Cardassian Border Zone and Sydraxian Border Zone to the new Gabriel Border Zone.

Initial Deployments
The Federation immediately deployed in force to the Gabriel, sending in 2 Excelsiors, 3 Constitution-Bs, to be followed by a 4th, a Constellation, and one Centaur-A, to be followed by another and two Miranda-As. Meanwhile, the Apiata also deployed, sending in 2 Little Queenships, 4 Stingers, and 2 Foragers.

Overall command of the force was given to Rear Admiral Rachel Ainsworth, known for her aggression, while command of the individual task forces was given to Commodores Jessica Rivers and Revak, with High Queen Nerzizza being in command of the Apiata.

Sydraxian Campaign
True to her reputation, RAdm. Ainsworth began an immediate effort to engage the Sydraxian fleet in a decisive battle. First, however, she established a base of operations in the Collie System, and ordered the construction of a mining installation around Collie II. By the end of March, Ainsworth was preparing plans for Outpost construction in the Collie system, and had ordered Task Force 1, the Federation’s assault group, to move towards Sydraxian territory.

The start of the campaign was however delayed by the ratification of Indoria and the Apiata.

In May of 2313, Cmm. Rivers, in command of Task Force 1, began operations to draw out Sydraxian forces. Meanwhile, the Apiata prepared to exploit the world of 24 Camden XI, which proved to be incredibly resource rich.

Deva IX
On Stardate 25149.3, Task Force 1 prepared to engage Sydraxian forces outside of the engagement envelope of their Deva station.

Task Force 1 proved victorious at Deva IX, losing no ships during the engagement, while destroying several Sydraxian ships. However, the USS Shield took heavy damage, as did the USS Endurance, which lost most of her crew to a hard-fought boarding attempt by Sydraxian commandos. Meanwhile, the Sydraxian Fleet lost 3 Hasque-class Frigates, with another severely damaged.

Raid on USS Endurance
On return towards Bean’s Star, the damaged USS Endurance, which was under tow, was attacked by a group of Yrillian raiders. Fortunately, the USS Kumari interposed itself between the Endurance and the raiders, saving the ship.

Results
The Battle infuriated the Sydraxian Hierarchy, especially as no Federation ships were lost. They moved as close to a full war footing as possible, and the admiral in command of the sector was dismissed immediately. In addition, the Ashalla Pact was shocked at the aggressive Starfleet operations, and SFI believed it likely that Pact forces would operate with greater caution in the future.

While USS Republic could be repaired at the front, Endurance and Shield would require shipyard time.

The Silent Spring
In September of 2313, Ainsworth destroyed Deva station, and a nearby outpost, temporarily forcing the Sydraxians out of the Gabriel. To replace Endurance, USS Avandar was ordered to the Gabriel. Meanwhile, the USS Saratoga was engaged and crippled, losing some 600 personnel, by a Cardassian Jaldun.

Task Force 1 and Task Force 3, the Apiata force, managed to force back Cardassian scouting units after the Saratoga incident. The Amarki began preparing a fleet to send to the Gabriel, but refused to join Task Force 1.

Meanwhile, the Cardassians were developing a colony at 67 Gabriel. The Sydraxian Hierarchy switched to a full war footing, with SFI estimating them at 90% of capacity.

In November of 2313, Ainsworth ordered Task Force 1 to bring a Cardassian force to battle, in order to restrain Cardassian scouting units. She also began to express interest in a Starbase at Collie. However, Ainsworth would ultimately settle for simply chasing off Cardassian scouting forces, and instead commit to an industrial effort in the Gabriel.

A Board of Inquiry was convened to investigate the damage to the Saratoga.

In February of 2314, RAdm. Ainsworth began to once again scout areas near Sydraxian space. Meanwhile, an Amarkian force consisting of 1 Riala, 2 Hebrindas, 2 Calacs, 2 Briecas, and a Centaur-A, under the command of Adm. Galen Toor, arrived. By March, Ainsworth was convinced that the Sydraxians had established a second base.

In May, Ainsworth began planning another major offensive against the Sydraxians. Adm. Toor agreed to assist Starfleet in drawing out Sydraxian forces.

In June of 2314, while the Licori Crisis was beginning to spin out of control, the USS Exeter and USS Challorn engaged a Kalindrax and a Hasque. While Challorn and Exeter were more seriously damaged, RAdm. Ainsworth considered it an acceptable trade for taking out two Sydraxian units.

Lora
In Q3 of 2314, RAdm. Ainsworth confirmed that she had located and was preparing to assault a Sydraxian outpost. Adm. Sousa spent some effort preparing the council for possible losses during the battle.

Ainsworth took personal command of the joint Starfleet-Amarkian force attacking the outpost at Lora. The Federation fleet passed through the Lora minefield safely, and then engaged the defending fleet and outpost. The Sydraxian Fleet at Lora was completely destroyed. It lost 4 Kalindrax-class cruisers, along with another Hasque. The Sydraxian outpost and station were also destroyed, and they lost some 2700 personnel.

Meanwhile, the Federation suffered around 250 casualties, and lost no ships. USS Fidelity and CAS Jolintoor, however, did take more serious damage.

Results
Lora was the last viable path from Sydraxia into the Gabriel, and their crushing defeat at Lora would prevent any Sydraxian development in the Gabriel for several years. The Battle of Lora also eliminated much of the cruiser core of the Sydraxian fleet, which would also need years to replace.

The Battle of Lora would ultimately lead to the fall of the Sydraxian government, and their exit from the Ashalla pact. The devastating losses to their fleet sustained at Lora would prompt a crisis, as survivors and other opposition groups began to unify against the government which had sent the fleet to its doom. The veterans of Lora and Deva would become known as the Gabriel Graduates.

Cardassian Offensive of August 2314
Only a few months later, however, the Cardassians launched a major offensive against Federation forces. This offensive would stall out, though it allowed for the Sydraxians to evacuate the civilian colony in the Lora system.

However, the offensive exposed a poor working relationship between Adm. Toor and RAdm. Ainsworth, as Toor believed that further use of his forces would result in massive casualties. Ainsworth, however, believed that the availability of Amarkian forces was critical to halting the Cardassian offensive.

With the Amarki force out of position, it fell to Commodore Revak’s Task Force Two, the escort group, and the Apiata Task Force, to hold the offensive long enough for the Sguirri outpost to be completed.

The holding action was successful, with the Cardassians losing a Hiroshi-class frigate, the CDF Icaran and around 150 personnel, in exchange for Federation losses of only around 50 crew. Ainsworth intended to push the Cardassians out of the subsector, but with the threat of War with the Licori looming, Starfleet Tactical advised strongly against it.

After the Offensive
Following the August Offensive, Cardassian civilian communications traffic increased substantially, indicating that there was an active Cardassian colony in the Gabriel. The colonies location was determined to be 67 Gabriel.

The Gabriel would remain calm for over a year following the August Offensive. In July of 2315, RAdm. T’Lorel was appointed to command of the Gabriel Border Zone force, RAdm. Ainsworth having been appointed to head the Explorer Corps. In September of that year, Comm. ka’Sharren attended a summit with the Amarki and Apiata. They were assured that with the end of the Licori War, the Federation would once again begin to act in the Gabriel Expanse.

Meanwhile, on Sydraxia, civil strife continued, with a new Blue-Green Hierarchy emerging. This government, however, was severely shaken by conflicts with the Graduates.

In January of 2316, the Caitian Grand Fleet sent its first expedition into the Gabriel, consisting of a complete tender/gunboat squadron. This squadron consisted of a Nifari and 4 Swarmers. In March of 2316, negotiations began between the Federation and the new Blue-Green Hierarchy on Sydraxia. These negotiations concerned possible access to the Gabriel for the Sydraxians, along with a general thaw in relations.

In early 2316, two Class-M colony sites were discovered at 10 Miele. RAdm. T’Lorel reported the news as having “invigorated all forces in the Gabriel”.

News of Comm. ka’Sharren’s appointment to command of Task Force 6 in the Gabriel resulted in immediate Cardassian retrenchment. The Cardassian Fleet was seriously concerned about ka’Sharren’s aggressive reputation, and history in combat with Cardassian units.

The Amarkians were in favor of allowing the establishment of civilian colonies in the Gabriel, though RAdm. T’Lorel was concerned about such colonies being a target Federation forces would be required to defend.

In September of 2316, the collapse of the Blue-Green Hierarchy occurred. The Graduates had removed the last of the traces of the Old Hierarchy government.

Cardassian Attempts at Intervention on Sydrax
The Cardassians wished to send in a task force to intervene in Sydraxian space. This resulted in RAdm. T’Lorel dispatching Comm. ka’Sharren to assist the Caitian Task Force 7 in the Firefly subsector, in order to discourage the Cardassians from attempts at intervention.

In 2316.Q4, 3 Renaissance-class cruisers were deployed to the Gabriel, while several other ships were withdrawn for a peacekeeping mission, including one of the two Excelsiors on duty.

In late 2316, Cardassian activity in the Gabriel decreased. Continuous expansion, had, according to SFI reports, seriously impacted the Cardassian merchant marine. It was, by late 2316, nearly at the breaking point. Meanwhile, SFI was estimating that Dylaarian colonies in the Gabriel would soon allow them to become a large minor power.

The very first Starfleet Tactical Ashalla Pact Preparedness Report indicated that the Federation could be forced out of the Gabriel in the event of a major war, with the Sydraxians supporting the Ashalla Pact.

In 2316.Q4, RAdm. T’Lorel reported that Cardassian forces were once more attempting to intervene in Sydraxian territory. There were several encounters between Federation and Cardassian vessels, which did not lead to a loss of shields on either side.

1st Battle of 24 Enio
In Q1 of 2317, Comm. Rivers, under orders from RAdm. T’Lorel, engaged and defeated a Cardassian squadron at the Battle of 24 Enio. Federation forces took few casualties, with the USS Firefly heavily damaged, in exchange for destroying a Jaldun and a Takaaki, while heavily damaging a heavy cruiser and another Takaaki. The Cardassians also lost over 600 personnel.

By August of 2317, Cardassian efforts to support the Blues, Greens, and Reds had failed, with Obsidian Order installations being eliminated. Around the same time, Konen signals were detected for the first time in the Gabriel. The Battle of 24 Enio forced the Cardassians to at least temporarily rely on Obsidian Order assets in the Gabriel, as opposed to fleet units.

After the Ballad of Hunters Incident, the Federation considered general war with Cardassia a possibility. Escalation was, however, avoided.

In Q3 of 2317, the Konen were confirmed to be operating a task force of 1 capital ship, 2 cruisers, and 5 frigates in the Expanse. There were several skirmishes between these ships and Comm. ka’Sharren’s Task Force 6.

In Q4, Konen raiders slipped through Federation defenses and destroyed a Caitian cargo ship. In addition, the Cardassians handed over command of Ashalla Pact forces in the Gabriel to a Konen admiral.

Republic Incident
At the very start of 2318, the USS Republic (NCC-1743) was destroyed. Republic was the first Federation ship lost in the Gabriel. RAdm. ka’Sharren, just appointed to overall command of the GBZ from command of Task Force 6, began to press for an immediate offensive against Cardassian forces. President N’Gir, however, was strongly opposed to an immediate offensive, as it would coincide with the eve of elections in the Federation.

Republic had been destroyed by what appeared to be a combination of unknown weapons signatures, along with Obsidian Order sabotage charges. A number of lifepods were launched, but the fate of the Republic's crew was highly uncertain.

At the same time, a Cardassian force probed the defenses at Apruzza, and a Konen Banshee-class frigate launched a hit-and-run raid against a Federation supply convoy.

Federation Reinforcement
Starfleet Command instructed RAdm. ka’Sharren to hold back on an offensive in the immediate future, and instead prepare for one in Q2. This allowed the deployment of a massive wave of reinforcements to the Gabriel, consisting of USS Lightning, USS Huascar, USS Endurance, USS Bull, USS Avandar, USS Yukikaze , USS Inspire, USS Calypso , USS Thirishar, USS Dynamo, USS Spirit, USS Reason, USS Zephyr, USS Gale, and USS Svai. In total, the Starfleet deployed 2 Excelsior-As, 2 Excelsiors, 1 Constitution-B, 1 Renaissance, 5 Centaur-As, 3 Miranda-As, and 1 Oberth as a surge force into the Gabriel.

It was discovered that the sabotage charges on the Republic had been set to the outside of the hull, crippling it before the battle began.

RAdm. ka’Sharren, along with Capt. Jennifer Zhang began planning for an offensive through the Badlands a dangerous region of space, using superior Starfleet sensor systems to avoid damage. The plan called for massing at 44 Dorsata, allowing for either a Badlands offensive, using only Starfleet ships, a full offensive, using Member World ships, or defensive entrenchment in a nearby anomaly.

In May of 2318, USS Tarrak engaged and drove off a pair of Dylaarian vessels that attempted to attack her.

Attack on Collie
Suddenly, the Collie system was assaulted by Konen forces. These forces remained undetected by the sensors on the Collie Outpost until torpedoes were inbound on the outpost. A cargo ship, with obsolete sensors, however, managed to spot the Konen force. Initial response forces confirmed that the Konen were able to operate undetected against modern Starfleet sensors, as both Amarki and Apiata units were able to observe Konen ships. In addition to Collie Outpost and two cargo ships, the Konen destroyed a base on the surface of Collie.

A peculiar collection of software and hardware issues combined to allow for the sensor-spoofing effect used by the Konen. However, by Q3 of 2318, it was clear that the Konen had discovered and then exploited the combination, it had not been an accident. It would eventually be discovered that the issue lay in the Caitian Grand Fleet, which had let new model Starfleet sensors slip into Lecarre possession.

Seizure of 26 Enio
Within a few weeks of the attack on Collie, Federation forces had reached the Cardassian posting of 26 Enio, only to find it abandoned. Unfortunately, both the USS T’Kumbra and the USS Insight were crippled by mines, while the Ashalla Pact had abandoned the system.

At the same time, the Konen launched a raid on Sguirri, destroying an Apiata Stinger and crippling a Bumblebee.

The Ashalla Pact deployed a non-lethal prion to 26 Enio, in an attempt to impose a delay on Federation operations.

Second Battle of 24 Enio
The 2nd Battle of 24 Enio was a Federation victory, but at heavy cost. Ashalla Pact forces held long enough to inflict massive damage, and then withdrew in good order.

Several Ashalla Pact frigates were destroyed, and the 24 Enio outpost captured, with crew still aboard, but the USS Clarion was crippled, and the USS Bantam destroyed. In addition, the USS Excelsior was lost with all hands, falling victim to a warp core breach. In total, the Federation lost around 950 personnel, while the Ashalla Pact lost 1200 personnel in total.

The Agile Raid
USS Agile was tasked with rescuing the survivors of the Republic incident from the Ashalla Pact. Aboard Agile were members of SFI Office 31 and Yan-Ros Ranger Team 37.

Agile took a lengthy, but stealthy, approach past Cardassian and Dylaarian patrol patterns. On final approach into the 67 Gabriel system, however, Agile was nearly detected by patrols, though it ultimately managed to evade them. The Office 31 and Team 37 personnel then proceeded to infiltrate the Cardassian station of Trampet Nor onboard a captured Cardassian shuttle.

The Yan-Ros Team 37 successfully dropped power on Trampet Nor, allowing the Office 31 team to enter the detention complex. While the guards did not buy the Office 37 cover story, one “Bluey”, a Gaeni SFI operative, managed to neutralize the guards in the complex. The prisoners were then successfully recovered. Both teams than beamed back aboard the captured shuttle, and hurried towards the Agile.

The shuttle was detected, and a Takaaki initiated pursuit. Agile was forced to enter the system, and managed to beam all those on the shuttle aboard as it was destroyed by the pursuing Takaaki. Agile then fled out system at high speed, pushing its warp core to the maximum. Agile reached Task Force 5 safely, breaking the Starfleet 20 light-year speed record, but being forced to eject its warp core mere minutes after arrival.

The Battle of 45 Gabriel
RAdm. ka’Sharren then led the Federation assault group against the Cardassian mining colony and base at 45 Gabriel. 45 Gabriel broke the spine of Ashalla Pact forces in the Gabriel Expanse. Admiral Hybor, the Konen leader who had orchestrated the initial Ashalla Pact efforts, was killed in a flagship-to-flagship duel between him and RAdm. ka’Sharren aboard the CAS Riala.

45 Gabriel was an utter disaster for the Ashalla Pact, which lost 4050 personnel, with thousands more captured. Along with this came nearly the entire Konen Gabriel task force, and a total of 18 ships, 10 of which were cruisers. The Federation, meanwhile, lost only 5 ships, and no capitals, though Federation forces also took thousands of casualties.

45 Gabriel changed the strategic calculus for years following the battle, with the 2318 Cardassian Readiness Report suffering from the massive changes caused by the battle.

Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of 45 Gabriel, Federation forces retreated from the system, considering it an untenable position. SFI SIGINT indicated that the Ashalla Pact was once more gathering forces in the Gabriel, using those freed up by a war against the Kobheerians.

At the same time, forces from UESPA arrived in the Gabriel.

RAdm. ka’Sharren was ordered to hold the systems in Enio if possible, but to withdraw if put under heavy pressure by Ashalla Pact forces.

Treaty of Gretaria
In 2319.Q2, the Treaty of Gretaria was signed between the United Federation of Planets and the Sydraxian Assembly. The treaty permitted the Sydraxians to resettle territory at Deva and Lora, and established bilateral ties between the two governments. It also saw the Sydraxians pledge to end involvement in Gretarian affairs.

ISC Entry
During this time, the Interstellar Commonwealth entered the Gabriel, stating that they would not attack any other groups, but would defend themselves if engaged. As one of her last acts as GBZ Commander, RAdm. ka’Sharren dispatched a vessel to make contact with the ISC forces, and attempt to coordinate with them.

RAdm. Gorac Crogan would then take command from RAdm. ka’Sharren, in the first months of 2320. Crogan’s command continued to suffer raids from Goshawanar warships, with several cargo ships being destroyed.

Rumors
In 2320.Q4, the Ashalla Pact completely changed their cryptographic protocols. At the same time, Ashalla Pact communications doubled, leading SFI to believe that a major offensive was imminent.

Suddenly, FDS Intelligence began to produce credible reports that the Ashalla Pact was preparing to reach a deal on the Gabriel.

Meanwhile, skirmishing was continuing in the Gabriel Border Zone, with the USS Lakota engaging a Konen Silence-class ship.

Ceasefire
In Q2 of 2321, a ceasefire was agreed to in the Gabriel. A 2 light year buffer zone was established along the HG Plane, with only auxiliary starships allowed to enter, from either side. In addition, all non-essential personnel were removed from the stations at 24 and 26 Enio.

Intelligence sources reported that the Cardassians had been planning an offensive. However, temporary Federation redeployments and ship visits to the Gabriel managed to deter it. In addition, by Q2, SFI had cracked the new Ashalla Pact communications protocol.

The Treaty
Finally, in Q3 of 2321, the Treaty of Gabriel was signed. It ended the Gabriel Expanse free-fire zone, created a demilitarized zone between Federation and Cardassian territory, and created a joint civilian station at 26 Enio.