Operation Riposte

**Operation Riposte** was the code-name for Starfleet's first major offensive in the First Federation-Klingon War. The battle occurred in May 2256 and involved Starfleet retaking the planet Priors World and capturing numerous Klingons, including Aakar son of Aakam of House Mo'Kai.

## Prelude

Following the Battle of the Binary Stars, Starfleet continued to suffer serious losses against the aggressive Klingon Great Houses and their cloaking technology. The admiralty struggled to mount a defensive or to decide on a single plan.

One such attach was led by Aakar on the Priors System. He used a computer virus masked as a Klingon genetic sequence to sabotage the orbital defense platforms of Priors World. The platforms turned on the defending Starfleet ships, wiping most of them out and allowing for the Klingons to take the planet.

During a strategy meeting of Starfleet leadership aboard Starbase 1, Admiral Alicia Kensington and Vice Admiral Katrina Cornwell proposed a plan to attack the Kingons at Priors World. They knew that an attack would have a greater chance of success against the Klingons and that the United Federation of Planets needed the morale boost of a victory.

The admiralty approved the operation and Captain Gabriel Lorca, commanding the USS *Buran*, was made operational commander at the suggestion of Vice Admiral Cornwell. Under Captain Lorca's orders, Lieutenant Commander Amna Patel oversaw the transfer of a large number of Starfleet personnel to *Conestoga*-class transport ships for the invasion force.

## Main engagement

The initial phase of Operation Riposte involved the task force, split into three squadrons, disabling orbital mining stations that the Klingons had repurposed as defense platforms. Each squadron was assigned a specific station, which were designated Zenith-1, Zenith-2, and Zenith-3. Once the Klingon ships in the vicinity had been destroyed, the Starfleet ships beamed over security teams and combat engineers to secure the stations.

In the face of Starfleet's assault, the main Klingon forces were split. Aakar of House Mo'Kai ordered the defenders to cloak and regroup at Apex Station. However, a number of glory-seeking Klingons bucked the order and chose instead to attack Lorca and his task force. Coupled with the reactivated mining stations and their defenses, the Starfleet vessels made quick work of the aggressive Klingons.

This cleared the way for the transports to arrive and beam down assault teams to the surface of Priors World. The task force focused on defending the transports from anti-ship missiles launched from the planet's surface and from Klingon starships arriving in orbit.

Those Klingons who had retreated to Apex Station sought to escape the battle, knowing that Priors World had been lost to them. One of the task force squadrons moved to disable and capture the Klingon transports, while the second ran interference against Klingon starships, and the third held position among the orbital defenses to receive and hold the captured transports.

At this point Aakar chose to return and continue the fight. He arrived with a large force of Klingon starships, but the Starfleet task force was able to repel them and capture Aakar after disabling his dreadnought.

## Aftermath

An upsurge in morale occurred once word of the victory at Priors World spread throughout the Federation. Starfleet had shown that victory was possible in battle against the Klingons and the admiralty would continue to push for more offensive tactics throughout the war.

Though taken into custody, Aakar used the genetic computer virus to sabotage the USS *Buran* and the holding facility where he was taken. This led to the destruction of the *Buran* and the escape of many Klingons captured during Operation Riposte.

## Appendices

### Connections

**Leadership:** Commander-in-chief • Joint Chiefs • Chief of Starfleet External Affairs • Chief of Starfleet Operations • Chief of Starfleet Research and Exploration • Chief of Starfleet Tactical

**Agencies:** Operations (Engineering • Judicial • Materiel Supply • Mission Operations • Personnel Management • Records Service • Shipyards Operations • Starbase Operations) • Research & Exploration (Science • Medical) • External Affairs • Tactical (Intelligence • Security • MACO)

**Notable units:** Ktarn Fleet • Task Force 77

**Facilities:** Deep Space K-7 • Deep Space K-13 • Deep Space 9 • Masamichi Array • Starbase 45-Keepsake • Starbase 82-Maat • Starbase 234-Beskerm • Starbase 247-Vershina

**Territory:** Qo'noS (Praxis Station) • Kolm-an • Qu'Vat • Khitomer • HuDyuQ (shipyards) • Ty'Gokor (shipyards) • Ganalda IV (space station) • Makus Shipyards • Taganika

**Agencies:** Klingon Defense Force • Klingon Naval Academy • Klingon Imperial Intelligence

### Sources consulted

* Mission: Operation Riposte article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.

### Footnotes

1. ↑ *Star Trek Online* blog post: "Execute Operation: Riposte!"
2. ↑ *Star Trek Online* lore blog: "Calm Amidst the Storm."