M.A.C.O.

**Military Assault Command Operations** or **M.A.C.O.** is a division of Starfleet and the primary special forces of the United Federation of Planets. Members are commonly referred to as "MACO" (MAY-ko), as well as the organization itself. Formerly the unit was a separate command with periods of activation and deactivation stretching back to before the founding of the Federation.

M.A.C.O. acts in all environments and specializes in hostage rescues. They typically deploy in regions where most needed. Compared to Starfleet as a whole, their numbers make up less than a fraction of 1% of Starfleet's total number. Their mission is entirely devoted to the defense of the Federation rather than exploration or science, although their mission may include the defense of science and exploration missions. They constantly prepare and train for the worst situation to ensure the best outcome.

M.A.C.O. is commanded by an Admiral (four-star) who has the title Commandant. The current Commandant of the Military Assault Command is Admiral Seria Korren of Trill, whose headquarters is located on the Saturnian moon Titan in the Sol system.

# History

M.A.C.O. traces its history to before the Federation, where it existed as a separate organization from Starfleet specializing in strictly military matters to defend Earth from any potential enemy. Prior to 2161, Military Assault Command Operations was the United Earth's primary combat agency, entirely separate from the fledgling Starfleet. While the two agencies often cooperated, most notably during the Xindi and Romulan wars, they answered separate chains of command and operated under different mandates. With the founding of the United Federation of Planets in 2161, a new era of peace began. The United Earth Starfleet transitioned to become the new Federation Starfleet and assumed sole responsibility for the Federation's defence while M.A.C.O. was disbanded, with many of its former personnel receiving Starfleet commissions.

A century later, perpetual conflict with the Klingons and other newly encountered cultures, such as the Tholians and Gorn, and renewed attacks by the Romulans ignited sentiment that a more dedicated defense was needed. As the 23rd century cold war with the Klingon Empire wore on, the pragmatic need to meet Klingon troops on even terms in the event of a shooting war saw a limited reinstatement of the Military Assault Command. The renewed organisation, separate but nonetheless answerable to Starfleet Command, formed a potent and powerful component of Starfleet's military capabilities. Unfortunately, after decades of conflict, the steady militarisation of Starfleet had led to even more powerful, shadowy institutions with vested and corrupt political interests known today, infamously known as the Cartwright Conspiracy, which designed to start a war between the Klingons and the Federation through the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon.

Among the officers responsible for the conspiracy was a senior M.A.C.O. officer, Colonel Patrick West, who was caught and killed while attempting to assassinate Federation President Ra'ghoratreii and implicate the Klingons in order to start the war. Further investigation implicated many in M.A.C.O.'s higher command ranks in the conspiracy, as well as some within Starfleet, with many given life imprisonment for treason. The black mark all but assured that progressive Federation President Ra-ghoratreii would move swiftly to once again dismantle the militarised Starfleet - including M.A.C.O. The signing of the Khitomer Accords brought on a new era of peace, Starfleet returned to exploration, and M.A.C.O. was again disbanded.

It would not be until the Federation's first contact with the Borg nearly a century later that mention of reactivating M.A.C.O. was made, though this time facing stern opposition within Starfleet. The results of the Battle of Wolf-359 caused considerably turmoil within the Federation, but again the prospect of reactivating M.A.C.O. was resisted. Starfleet remained committed to its mission of defending the Federation, and initiated new defense projects to address their concerns. M.A.C.O. was nonetheless earmarked for reactivation in the event the situation detereorated further. The destruction of the USS *Odyssey* by the Dominion and the Klingon withdrawal from the Khitomer Accords and subsequent attack on Deep Space Nine in 2372 gave sufficient cause for M.A.C.O. to be fully reconstituted.

Recruiting from the most experienced tactical and security officers in Starfleet and from enlistment as needed. Eager to remove the stigma of association with past acts, M.A.C.O. served with distinction throughout the short war with the Klingons and the later Dominion War where they bore the brunt of the ground engagements between 2372 and 2375. Despite horrific losses incurred by Dominion shock troops, M.A.C.O. was pivotal in several key battles of the war, including Operation Return, the battle of Chin'toka, the Liberation of Betazed, and the assault on Cardassia Prime. With victory in the Dominion War, the Command was steadily drawn down in strength over the next decade as the Alpha and Beta Quadrants began to stabilize.

By 2384, M.A.C.O. had yet again been deactivated, however it would be a short reprieve. In 2399, J'mpok challenged Chancellor Martok for the leadership of the Klingon Empire and killed him in honourable combat. Swiftly, the Empire was once again withdrawn from the Khitomer Accords and stood in a state of undeclared war with the United Federation of Planets. Newly-elected President Aennik Okeg of Sauria, while a skilled diplomat with a career built as a peaceful statesman, was once again lobbied to reactivate the Military Assault Command. Reluctantly, he agreed - but only on the condition that the organisation be wholly integrated within Starfleet Command, with M.A.C.O. becoming more of a special forces unit within Starfleet, and subject to the same rules and regulations.

From 2399 to the present day, Starfleet's new Military Assault Command has been at the spearhead of every crisis the Federation has faced since, including the latest Klingon War, the Undine attacks, the Voth, Operation Delta, Task Force Omega, and the Iconian War. Reformed, renewed and with a new mandate to uphold the ideals of the Federation through the most trying of times, M.A.C.O. officers are drawn from every field and every discipline - and now serve with proud distinction.

# Training and Deployments

M.A.C.O. trains throughout Federation space. Its oldest and most traditional training facilities include West Point in New York, the University of North Georgia outside Atlanta, and two moons of Saturn, Titan and Janus. Titan also serves as the M.A.C.O. headquarters. M.A.C.O. teams each consist of around 1,000 officers and enlisted, with elements detached for special missions and deployments. Starships do not typically have permanent M.A.C.O. units on board, though it is not unheard of. Starfleet Intelligence maintains a close relationship with M.A.C.O., and joint operations between the two are common.

# M.A.C.O. Group 9

Activated under the umbrella of **Starfleet Special Operations Group 5** in June 2415, MACO Group 9 is the primary operational command for all MACO Teams in the 26th Fleet, including its principal contact unit - Team 30.

In November 2419, 26th Fleet Commander Admiral Amalei Neraea ordered the re-organisation of the fleet's Special Operations command, effectively disbanding Special Operations Group Five in a broad-reaching re-alignment of the sector's special forces assets. MACO Group Nine was instead spun off into an independent unit attached permanently to the 26th Fleet under the command of Captain Jayant Malhotra. Group Nine comprises four teams, numbered 30, 31, 32, and a single unit of attached Republic Navy special operators from RIO Squadron 1.

The Group has remit to stand-up a fourth MACO Team under the designation of Team 33, though it is presently listed as inactive.

MACO Group Nine utilises several starships to deploy to theatres across the Outback. These vessels, sourced from Starfleet Intelligence, are detached to the Group from their nominal command under Task Force Avalon. They presently include the *Eclipse*-class cruisers *Yamanu* and *Parche*, in addition to the *Phantom*-class escort USS *Watchtower.* Team 31 is periodically known to use the refitted *Sao Paulo*-class escort USS *Minerva*, which was assigned to Starfleet Intelligence after an extensive refurbishment in 2418.

The size of each Team varies, but is generally estimated at 100 operators per unit. The exact number and identity of personnel assignments in the command is classified for reasons of operational security, and is therefore difficult to determine with any accuracy.