OPSEC Antares – After Action Report: 20071211

December 17, 2007

OPSEC Antares – After Action Report: 20071211

OPSEC Antares – After Action Report: 20071211

Operation Name:             Broken Paroxysm
Mission Elapsed Time:     00:01:40:00
Mission Description:       Cordon and Search
Classification:                   Unclassified
Location:                           Tylium Queen Mining Vessel

Operation Participants:

            Commander:  Regina “Onyx” Syakumi

            Operators:    Shaula “Fluffy” Isidis
                                    Eutykhia “Chalice” Mastroianni
                                    Taylor “Tay” Larkham
                                    Jahzara Aeon
                       
            Observers:    Captain Tanya Halberd
                                    Captain Starbuckk Serapis
                                    Kiltcheck Douglas – Press

Executive Summary:

In recognizing the lack of activity on the part of the fleet’s criminal investigations unit, it was determined that the security of the fleet remained in danger in the wake of the destruction of the hydroponics farm aboard the 7th Heaven.

The investigations team was able to determine that the explosive compound G4 was used during the attack on the 7th Heaven, but no known leads were ever developed or pursued.

Reports were received stating that during the recent blockade of the Tylium Queen, military personnel were threatened that any attempt to board the vessel would be met with a response of detonating G4 explosives within the hangar bay.

In response to the perception of a continued threat, the special response team OPSEC Antares of the Fleet Security Force was tasked with the responsibility of conducting a cordon and search of the Tylium Queen.  Location of any bomb-making caches was made a first priority.

Operation Narrative:

The following is a full recount of events transpiring on the evening of Operation Broken Paroxysm.

The operations element and observing personnel met aboard the 7th Heaven and proceeded to the shuttle landing bay.  From there, Captain Halberd piloted a shuttle containing the entire response team toward the Tylium Queen.  Shortly after the shuttle was successfully docked and all personnel had disembarked, Security Chief Ronon Maximus proceeded to the landing area to question the arrival of the response team.  It quickly became apparent that Security Chief Maximus was unaware of the team’s intention to conduct a cordon and search of the vessel.  A brief deliberation between Captain Halberd and Security Chief Maximus ensued, after which the response team was allowed uninhibited access to the ship.

After proceeding inside the aft-most chamber of the Tylium Queen, the response team came into contact with multiple civilians in the recreational area.  An obvious tension arose amongst several civilian personnel.  Prior to conducting the cordon and search, operational prudence dictated that efforts must be made to assuage the concerns of the civilian personnel located on the scene.  Captain Halberd and Team Leader Syakumi approached the civilian personnel, and assurances were made that the presence of the Fleet Security Team was meant to cause as little disruption to them as possible.  It was explained that there was absolutely no intention to violate civil liberties by searching private civilian domiciles, and cooperation was requested in allowing the security team to begin conducting their search of the recreation area.

During the conversation, one civilian became panicked as a result of another civilian’s insistance that everyone should immediately flee to their personal quarters and barricade their doors.  Once again, the civilian offering these suggestions was told that the response team would not be conducting searches of private quarters and was asked to calm herself so as not to cause unnecessary grief, alarm, or panic.  The civilian instigator refused to cooperate and continued to insist that everyone present seal their doors, and tension among the civilian personnel began to escalate.  At this point, mission elapsed time had already proceeded well beyond the target goal and the cordon and search had not been started.

Team Leader Syakumi made the decision that if the civilian instigator was not to be reasoned with that the operation should commence as swiftly as possible.  The response team was ordered to fan out and begin searching all locations within the public domain of the vessel.  The location of illegal food caches was to be reported, but the priority concern was the assurance that no bomb-making equipment or weapons caches were present aboard the Tylium Queen.  The recreations area was searched and determined to be clean.  The primary corridor running the length of the vessel was also searched and determined to be clean.  After isolating the central pod which was known to contain the “turret chamber” and the illicit den that had been located during prior operations, security personnel proceeded inside these two public areas.

During the search of the “turret chamber,” several drums marked for flammable contents were located and investigated by Team Leader Syakumi.  The first two drums yielded no result, but the third produced a suspicious echo and bore subtle signs of tampering.  At 20:33:00, the barrel was overturned and found to have been hollowed out underneath.  A secret compartment had been intentionally installed within the bottom of the barrel, and several large plastic bags were found to be contained inside.  Each container was carefully packed and restrained at the top of the located compartment, thus adding to the suspicion that this was a deliberate attempt to conceal the location of what was inside.

Team Leader Syakumi proceeded to cautiously inspect and remove the equipment located within the barrel, which was determined not to have been armed.  The equipment was removed from the container and photographed.  The cache yielded twenty-seven pounds of G4 explosives in two separate bags.  One of the sealed bags had been punctured, and an undetermined amount of explosives had obviously been removed.  Along with the cache of explosives, six detonators with remote detonation capability were located and seized.  The size of the cache was estimated to have been roughly fifteen times the size of the charges that were utilized to destroy the hydroponics farm aboard the 7th Heaven — enough to completely destroy most any vessel in the fleet if utilized by an individual familiar with the demolition of spacefaring craft.

Upon locating the cache of explosives, the response team immediately secured them and extracted themselves from the area of operation.  The mission concluded at 20:50:00 with the team’s departure from the Tylium Queen.  The shuttle transport arrived at the River Delta at 20:54:00, at which time debriefing of the response team commenced.

Analysis of Mission Outcomes:

1.)  The CIC aboard the Pacifica was not provided with adequate information pertaining to the operation underway.  Communications failures with the CIC resulted in the dispatching of a small contingent of Marines to ensure that later reports that were received were not indicative of an attempt at insurrection aboard the Tylium Queen.  This matter will be rectified by direct channels of correspondence being opened and conducted between Operative Syakumi and the Pacifica CIC prior to the commencement of all future operations.

2.)  Security Chief Ronon Maximus was not aware of the team’s intention to conduct an operation aboard the vessel that he was responsible for.  It has since the time of this operation been disputed that information was passed down to the proper channels and that the breakdown of communication may not be the responsibility of the Fleet Security Force nor the Captains who authorized the operation.  Security Chief Maximus was assured during the operation that regardless of the cause of this communications breakdown that future endeavors would be made for direct channels of communication to be opened between Operative Syakumi and himself prior to the commencement of any future operation aboard the Tylium Queen.

3.)  It has been reported in various media channels that there has been an insinuation of guilt or of culpability on the part of certain personnel indigenous to the Tylium Queen by the Fleet Security Force.  This rumor is unfounded in either evidence or legal technicality.  It should be clarified for the public record that the Fleet Security Force exists solely for the security of the civilian fleet.  The Fleet Security Force is not a judicial nor investigative body, and has no legal authority nor prerogative to make accusations of guilt nor to raise charges against civilian or military personnel.  The Fleet Security Force is an enforcement team, and will never be involved in such affairs at any time.

4.)  It has been reported in various media channels that the weapons cache located aboard the Tylium Queen was a component of normal mining operations.  While it is not within the auspices of this team to make speculations, it is our prerogative to defend our position and provide justification for the reason why certain actions were taken.  The weapons cache that was located aboard the Tylium Queen possessed all of the necessary equipment to create and detonate a bomb within seconds.  In the conduction of normal mining or military action, these equipment components are kept separate in the interest of security.  The weapons cache that was located aboard the Tylium Queen was deliberately hidden, and great efforts were made to conceal its location utilizing tactics typically employed by an insurgent element to resist the efforts of a cordon and search.  It was not stumbled upon in the open, nor was it haphazardly concealed — the intent to hide was deliberate, sophisticated, and apparent.  It is the opinion of the Fleet Security Force that these explosives were hidden with specific, criminal intentions in mind.  It should be noted as a matter of public record that this opinion on the part of the Fleet Security Force is not an insinuation of the criminal misconduct of any individual nor formal or informal body.  No allegations as to who was responsible have been made, nor will they be made by the Fleet Security Force (see point 3, above).  Any charges or allegations of guilt that result from the seizure of the weapons cache will be made by the investigations unit under the employ of President Vargas or by a judicial body.
All of the evidence collected during this operation, including photographs and audio logs are currently in the custody of Operative Syakumi and may be subpoenaed for investigation or legal review upon receipt of official request.

This report was compiled by Operative Syakumi following the events described.

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