Editing Retired staff (section)

==Mission Twenty-one: [[The Veil of the Sky]]==
[[File:Comet2.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Comet Holladay]]

After [[The Captain's Cotillion]], the [[USS Rosenante]] was once again underway to continue her survey of [[Sector 6309]] as she had been ordered.  During this time, the crew encountered an unusual [[comets|comet]], which later became known as [[Comet Holladay]] in honor of the scientist who detected it by long-range scans.  Detailed scans and trajectory studies were underway, when an urgent message from [[Starfleet Command]] was received.

A hostage situation had developed on the planet [[Beta Aquillia IV]] a world that supplied the [[Federation]] with a vast majority of the resources needed to rebuild their infrastructure and starships. the planetary government, led by President Kolath had been overthrown by a sudden and unexpected coup. The group responsible was a pro-isolationist group named [[Veil of the Sky]].

During this coup, their leader, [[Habrii]] took Federation [[Ambassador]] [[Joanne Turner]] and her embassy staff hostage. The Rosenante was dispatched to negotiate her release and if possible to determine if there was outside support for the Veil.

Upon their arrival, Salid attempted to make contact with the current government. He was at first ignored. determined to safe-guard refugees displaced by the conflict, especially those with Federation citizenship, Salid sent his crew down to the capital city of Joba to establish a safe-zone and a refugee camp to tend to the needs of the displaced.

To make things more complicated a [[Skorr]] [[Worldripper Class]] warship named the [[Skysplitter]] arrived. it seemed that a Skorr Ambassador was also taken hostage and [[Ambassador]] [[Dralar]] had been sent to recover him. This made the situation potentially unstable.

After the arrival of the Skorr vessel, [[Ben Soma]] led a negotiation team down to the planet with no real success. The political views of the Veil leadership made diplomacy all but impossible. However, the [[Aquillian]] ambassador, Tzorn began to make indications that he would aid the Rosenante crew in locating their ambassador in return for asylum.

[[Chance Raschen]] and [[Mike Rosenbauer]] were assigned to covertly attempt to locate the ambassador on the planet. Mike managed to persuade a Veil member named [[Sien]] to join the Federation's cause, while chance uncovered some signs of [[Cardassian]] Involvement.
[[File:Atlantis Station.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Atlantis Station]]

A series of suicide bombings at the refugee camp forced a breakdown in communication between the Veil and the Federation.  Refugee support operations became disaster relief. At Salid's request [[Dralar]] sent Skorr troops to shore up the Federation position.

Meanwhile on [[Atlantis Station]], [[Niambh McNulty]] allowed the Rosenante's crew to establish a [[Command Control and Communications Center]]. From there the crew could more easily communicate and organize disaster relief.

As the investigation continued, [[Steven Wade Matrix|Matrix]] and Peter Cohen discovered signs of Romulan involvement. The situation was quickly becoming murky, and it was even more unclear who was truly involved in supporting the Veil.

When word went out that [[Alaya]] the lieutenant of the [[Veil of the Sky]] was responsible for the suicide attacks on the refugee camp, [[Habrii]] ordered her arrested. She was captured, but her escape was secured by Gul [[Matan]] of the [[Obsidian Order]]. Alaya then led a counter-coup against Habrii, capturing him and seizing control of the government.

Meanwhile through subterfuge, the location of [[Ambassador]] Turner and the [[Skorr]] Ambassador became known. The Skorr rescued their Ambassador with the aid of [[Katherine 'Kitty' Fisher]], while [[Jessica Signos]] led the rescue of the [[Federation]] Ambassador.

[[File:Camp explosion.jpg|right|thumb|300px|One of the explosions at the refugee camps]]

At the same time, [[Ben Soma]] led a team to extract the [[Aquillian]] Ambassador Tzorn as agreed. With all these actions underway, Salid was also on guard for any [[Cardassian]] or [[Romulan]] interference.

Instead, however, he was forced to deal with the [[Veil of the Sky]] militia troops. [[Alaya]] had ordered them to assault [[Atlantis Station]] as well as the refugee camp protected by the Federation.


Salid utilized the ship's [[phaser]]s et to heavy stun to slow down the infantry assault against the camp. in addition, he used low-yield photon torpedoes to capsize the boats bombarding Atlantis Station.

Once the refugees were evacuated, Salid recalled his crew. As his orders were to not get directly involved in the political struggle for control of the planet, the Rosenante then departed. But not before McNulty destroyed Atlantis station and the president in Exile Kolath, disappeared into the urban underground to establish a revolutionary movement to regain control of the government of Beta Aquillia IV.

For the crew of the Rosenante, it was a bittersweet victory.