AAR: Persephone Station Evacuation
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COLONIAL FLEET MEMORANDUM

July 2, 2005

FR: MAJ Atalanta R. Franklin
TO: RADM Louis G. Jameson, CMDR Gillian K. Faulkner
CC: LTCL Marcus Petra
RE: Evacuation: Persephone Refueling Station

INCIDENT SUMMARY

On the evening of 2 July, 2005, the stealth corvette Cornwall departed for Persephone in the Helios Alpha star system. Aboard were myself, Major Holtz, and Lieutenant JG Agrippa. Our intention was to confirm who was in control of the refueling station located there and to destroy it, if it had been taken over by the Cylons. (See: Helios Alpha Second Recon AAR, dated 21 June 2005.)

The Cornwall jumped into Persephone's orbit and all Vipers were released. We approached the edge of the FDS firing zone before activating DRADIS and breaking radio silence. Initially, no response was received save for that of the automated targetting systems locking onto our position. The radio call was repeated and, shortly after, the station's commander replied, identifying himself as Captain Jonas Aldridge.

The captain asserted that the Colonies had been destroyed and that the only contact which they had made since War Day was either Cylons or pirates attempting to steal the station's tylium fuel. As such, we must be one or the other. Although station personnel made a visual confirmation of our ships and radio confirmation of our Colonial transponder codes, Aldridge persisted in his insistance that we were either pilots or Cylons and threatened to shoot us down like the last crew that attempted contact. (This crew was later confirmed to be a Raptor crew off of Picon, likely under the command of Commander Spree.)

An altercation then ensued aboard the station, only portions of which were audible over the radio. Several moments of silence followed before we were informed that due to his inability to cope with the stresses of war, Captain Aldridge had been relieved of his command by several members of the crew — an action which undoutedly saved the lives of our small flight, whom Aldridge had been preparing to fire upon. The station fell under therefore fell under the command of Ensign Pertwii, formerly of Troy, who was willing to allow us to board. Major Holtz accompanied me to the station while Lieutenant JG Agrippa remained flying on alert, as boarding the station required that the automated targetting system be taken offline.

Aboard the station were eight remaining crew members — five women and three men. Of the men, two were imprisoned as "saboteurs" and all three were slowly being starved by the late Captain Aldridge, who had come to believe that due to the station's remote location and extensive supplies, it would be an ideal place for repopulating humanity, which he had thought to be completely destroyed. In pursuance of this goal, three of the five women aboard had been impregnated. While it was not stated plainly, it was strongly implied that while these women consented to bear children, their consent was given only under extreme duress combined with grossly inaccurate information. The same was true of the men aboard, who were supposedly "rationing" their meals voluntarily, in order to guarantee an ample food supply for the women and their eventual children. Their emergency evacuation craft had disappeared several months earlier, its whereabouts still unknown, effectively trapping the survivors aboard with no means of escape.

Due to the rapdily deteriorating condition of the men aboard the station, I determined that there was no time for a full quarantine of the personnel aboard. We confirmed that none of the crew, including the deceased captain, resembled photographs of any of the known Cylon models and that an immediate evacuation was required. As there were no SAR Raptors available aboard the Cornwall, the Persephone's crew was left with instruction to pack all personal belongings and personnel files, as well as whatever medical supplies and food could be moved to their docking station in the three to four hours which we allotted them.

We then jumped back to the Orion, where three Raptor crews and medical personnel for the Persephone station were hastily gathered, with instructions left for Marines and medical to prepare for the quarantine of incoming evacuees. The return to Persephone was conducted as swiftly as possible, with all hands required to participate in the transfer of crew. Due to her previous experience in SAR operations, Captain St. Clair was selected to ferry the remaining crew back to Piraen airspace, while the two other Raptors were used for supplies.

RECOMMENDATION

Rough estimates indicate that there is enough fuel aboard for the entirety of the former Seventh Fleet, which should be more than ample for the ships which we have gathered since War Day. Supplies will require review by Supply & Logistics, as the conditions of the Persephone's crew were severely limiting and did not allow for standard organizational procedures to be applied. Additionally, substational rations remain aboard, estimated by Ensign Pertwii to last the small crew of eight for as long as ten years.

Virtually all personnel aboard the Persephone station will require medical treatment, particularly the men suffering the effects of long-term malnutrition. Additionally, it must be noted that there is no evidence to support the claims of sabotage laid against the two who were imprisoned. On the contrary, conversations with the crew seemed to indicate exactly the opposite — that they had been jailed solely because of Aldridge's paranoid belief that they were a threat to his authority, and were likely only kept alive only to ensure the compliance of the two women aboard with whom they were involved. It is my recommendation that they be cleared of any charges which he may have placed in their files; the man had clearly gone mad and was inflicting his madness upon his victims, all of whom were previously respected members of the Fleet.

PERSONNEL

CASUALTIES

  • None.

FULL REPORT

Please see attached.

Enclosure:
Persephone Personnel Files

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