Dread Pirate Phoenix (Triumphant)

Stardate : Mission to capture former Lieutenant Commander Eliot Ness.

Background

Capture by the Grendellai

Lieutenant Commander Eliot Ness was Commanding Officer of the USS Bribie Island, a federation transport. On stardate 2381.1003 the Bribie island recieved orders to join a taskforce taking supplies to Wheeler Colony in one of the first Federation missions in the Ithassa region for a decade. Also assigned to the run were the transports USS Bargate and USS Athens, and frigate USS Kodiak as escort.

Enroute the convoy was attacked by Grendellai pirates and captured. Ness' crew was put in a slaver, but they were ultimately rescued by the USS Independence during a subsequent attack on the Grendellai pirate base by the Kodiak, Independence and Triumphant.

Post capture

Eliot Ness was medically assessed and recieved six months trauma leave on his return to Earth. The psychological profile noted the following.

Further, the subject displays hostility and resentment towards Commander Rhys Bejain, first officer of the USS Kodiak. The subject and Commander Rhys were at the Academy graduating in 2368, and the subject resents Commander Rhys' rank and position citing their respective positions at the academy (respectively 1st and 109th). This has become an unhealthy obsession, and further observation is recommended.

During his leave, it is believed that Ness returned to the Ithassa region.

On stardate 2182.0529, Starfleet personnel recieved a communication from Ness. In the short note, he resigned his commission and assigned his benefits to his father.

The Triumphant's Mission

The Dread Pirate Phoenix

On stardate 2182.0408, the One Kingdom scoutship Tomrei, was attacked. While this is not uncommon in the Ithassa region, what was uncommon was that the ship simply disappeared. The Grendellai usually onsell the ship and the crew, and the FTU return the ship and crew and take the cargo.

On stardate 2182.0528, the freighter Talon was attacked in the same way.

As more ships were attacked, many spacefarers began to talk of a pirate called the Dread Pirate Phoenix, who was now active in the area.

On stardate 2183.0312, the Starfleet freighter USS Wilson was attacked. However, they managed to transmit an image before they, too, disappeared in the same manner. The image showed that the attacker, presumed to be Phoenix, was, in fact, Ness.

The Triumphant is involved

Captain Danson Mwangi having just been transferred with his crew to the USS Tucson, the Triumphant had been turned over to newly promoted Captain Rhys Bejain, formerly first officer of the USS Kodiak. Vice Admiral Cruz, newly appointed to the command of Sector Delta-Five and Rear Admiral Hollis, Commander of the Ithassa taskforce agreeing that Captain Rhys might have a psychological advantage over Ness, sent the Triumphant to apprehend Phoenix.

Two days towards the last known location of the Wilson, the Triumphant encountered a distress call. Altering course, they discovered a private freighter of federation design adrift in space with what appeared to be Romulan disruptor burns on the hull. Detecting a cloaked ship nearby, the Triumphant