Surrounded by stories of betrayal, Romulan deception and numerous conspiracy theories, the destruction of the USS Horizon and the majority of her relief convoy is one of the most hotly debated Starfleet losses of our time.
In 2390 a convoy of six ships carrying over 2,000 souls was led by Admiral Dumas and the flagship USS Horizon into the disputed Ferron system. Their mission was to provide humanitarian aid to the native people who had been deprived of basic food and medical care following the collapse of the Romulan Empire.
Upon exiting warp the Horizon and the convoy were ambushed by swarms of fighters of unknown origin and configuration. The USS Horizon, Odin, Courageous and Delaware were believed to be destroyed in the attack with all hands listed as killed in action. Only the USS Europa and Hermes made it back to Federation space with both ships nearing the scuppers.
The whole incident has caused serious embarrassment for Starfleet and the Federation council as it has been shrouded in controversy and numerous conspiracy theories.
It was hoped that interest in the Horizon incident was beginning to die down but to add further insult to an injured Starfleet rumours have once again begun to circle following the leak of a distress signal to the Federation News Network earlier today.
We have discovered that over a year ago Starfleet received a distress signal believed to be from Admiral Dumas and several survivors. Reports suggest there was no follow up investigation or attempt to locate the source of the signal until now!
Our sources have confirmed that Starfleet Tactical have launched an official investigation into the fate of the Horizon convoy and her crew. Efforts will be led by Lt. Commander Gabriel Reyes a former protégé of the late Admiral Dumas and former commanding officer of the Europa.
We reached out to Lt. Commander Reyes who released the following statement.
“Like many of you I’m shocked and disappointed that it has taken Starfleet so long to grow some cojones and acknowledge there may be survivors from the ambush of the Horizon.
But I am pleased that Starfleet has finally decided to acknowledge their mistakes in this matter and have begun to seek answers for the officers involved and their families.
It is true that I have a personal connection to this case and I would like to reassure everyone that this will not affect my judgement. My connection to the Admiral and the Horizon only strengthens my resolve to seek the truth.”
The late response to this incident has raised serious questions about Starfleet’s attitude towards it’s officers, their families and their loved ones. Further questions have also been asked about Starfleet’s foreign policy and their ability to carry out actions in hostile territory. It is highly suspected this is the reason why Commander Reyes has been given command of the USS Tesla for the duration of the mission. The newly constructed Merian class vessel is one of the fastest classes of ship in the Alpha quadrant with a wide range of capabilities.
While Starfleet seems eager to put this issue to rest the rumours and speculation will continue until Lt.Commander Reyes and the crew of the Tesla bring back some concrete answers. However it still remains to be seen if this investigation will be enough to silence the conspiracy theorists and Starfleet’s most ardent critics.
This is reporter Rick Astley Signing off for the Federation News Network.
For more updates on the Tesla’s investigation please visit us at http://tesla.startrek-rpg.com or join us on Discord https://discord.gg/8AZRCKH