(SP336.0) HOLDING ACTION
(Y171) by Joseph McNeil, State
    In Y171 as the Klingons rolled over the border, the task force assigned to penetrate the region guarded by Battle Station #7 achieved an early break through into the Federation rear areas. The commander of the task force unleashed his cruiser squadron to exploit the penetration.
    The cruisers almost immediately encountered a convoy which was desperately fleeing in the direction of Star Base #3, and rapidly reduced it to junk. Before they were destroyed, they managed a single distress call.
    Star Base #3 was desperately trying to coordinate too few ships to cover too many contingencies in the early phases of the Klingon assault. However, one staff officer noted the direct line between the former location of Battle Station #7, and the convoy, and drew the conclusion that the Klingons were heading for the Talkor system, which had a small but important mining colony on Talkor IV.
    Apprised of this information, the Federation Admiral directed one of his remaining uncommitted mobile units to the colony with orders to stop the Klingons. The mobile units were a scratch force, and the Admiral could only hope that they would be enough.
(SP336.1) NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2; the Federation player and the Klingon player.
(SP336.2) INITIAL SET-UP
TERRAIN: Class M Planet (P2.21) in hex 3415. 
FEDERATION: NCL Kearsarge, CL+ Wales, DD+ Etzel within two hexes of 2227, heading A, speed max, WS-III.
PLANETARY FORCES: 1x Ground mining station and 1x Ground Based Defense Phaser-4 each in 3415-A, 3415-C, and 3415-E. Ground Military Garrison in 3415-A, Small Ground Fighter Base (6x F-4s) in 3415-A. All at WS-III.
KLINGON: D7B Challenger, D6B Bloodshedder, and D6B Desolation within two hexes of 0504, heading C, speed max, WS-III.
(SP336.3) LENGTH OF SCENARIO: The scenario continues until all forces belonging to one side have been destroyed, captured, or have disengaged.
(SP336.4) SPECIAL RULES
(SP336.41) MAP: Use a floating map, but keep track of the planet’s location. The Klingon units can only disengage from 01xx map edge. The Federation units can disengage from any map edge.
(SP336.42) SHUTTLES AND PFs: No shuttles or PFs have warp booster packs.
(SP336.421) MRS shuttles may be purchased [up to the limits in (J8.5)] under (SP336.431). 
(SP336.422) EW fighters were not generally available at this time.
(SP336.423) There are no PFs in this scenario. 
(SP336.43) COMMANDER’S OPTION ITEMS 
(SP336.431) Each ship can purchase additional or special equipment as Commander’s Option Items (e.g. T-bombs, extra marines, etc.) up to 20% of its Combat BPV. See (S3.2) for details and exceptions. Note that whatever is spent here counts in the Modified Victory Conditions (S2.2) as victory points for the enemy. 
(SP336.432) All drones are "medium;" speed-20. Each drone-armed ship can purchase special drones up to the historical racial percentages as part of the Commander’s Option Items. Note that (S3.2) allows drone ships extra points for this purpose. 
(SP336.44) REFITS: Refits are as indicated in (SP336.2).
(SP336.5) VICTORY CONDITIONS: Use the Modified Victory Conditions (S2.201). The Klingon level of victory is increased by one for every mining station destroyed. The Federation level of victory is increased by one for every mining station that is not destroyed, regardless of its damaged status.
(SP336.6) VARIATIONS: The scenario can be played again under different conditions by making one or more of the following changes:
(SP336.61) Set the scenario during the Klingon assault on the Kzinti. Replace the Federation ships with a CM, CL+, and an FF+.
(SP336.62) Historically, the Klingons were simply raiding the planet to reduce its worth to the Federation and make it easier to occupy later. They might have come in with the intention to occupy the planet if the troops had been available. Add a D6G to the Klingon force with its full complement of boarding parties. The Klingons win in this variation only if they successfully eliminate all Federation ground forces as well as destroying or forcing the disengagement of the Federation ships. The GCL on the 3415-A hex side has defensive systems. None of the others have such systems although all have three control stations. 
(SP336.63) For a smaller and faster battle, replace the Klingon ships with an F5C and two F5Bs. Replace the Federation ships with an FFG and two Police Cutters. Delete the fighters and the small fighter ground base from the planet and down grade the Defense phasers to phaser-1s. 
(SP336.64) This scenario is a sequel to "Ghostlight: Day One" published in Captains Log #9. The three cruisers depicted conducted a number of missions during the opening phase, destroying the Hood (SH19.0) before joining the task group that destroyed Battle Station #7 (SL117) before attacking Talkor. Players might wish to track the three ships through these battles and see what effect that has on their combat abilities here as they use up their stores (drones, BPs, T-bombs, shuttles, etc.).
(SP336.7) BALANCE: The scenario can be balanced between players of different skill levels by one or more of the following:
(SP336.71) Change one of the D6Bs to a D7B.
(SP336.72) Replace the DD with an FFG. 
(SP336.73) Delete or add a refit from or to one or more ships of one side.
(SP336.74) Change the Ground Based Defense Phaser-4s to Ground Based Defense Photons.
(SP336.8) TACTICS
FEDERATION: Stick close to the planet and make use of its defenses to even the balance of firepower. The destroyer will have little trouble arming its photons at the slow speeds needed to stay near the planet. 
KLINGONS: Try to tease the Federation into firing their photons at long range. Once they fire some you can close in and give better than you receive since the Federation ships cannot take much internal damage.
(SP336.9) PLAYTESTER COMMENTS: Good scenario, more interesting than most. A bloody good scenario.
HISTORICAL OUTCOME: The Klingon cruisers inflicted severe damage, eliminating the three Ground Based Defense Phasers and badly damaging the supporting ships. Two of the Klingon ships were badly damaged in the action, and the third was forced to escort them back to a repair point before they were able to continue combat operations.