Task Force 11

Task Force 11
Active:	2386 - Present
Part Of:	11th Fleet
Command Staff
Commander:	Fleet Captain Jasmine Lynne Somers
Source

Task Force 11 is an organizational structure within the 11th Fleet, with its headquarters on Cestus III.

Task Force History

When the 11th Fleet was reconstituted under Vice Admiral Roman Sanchez in 2386, Task Force 11 was the first Task Force to be formed within the fleet's organisational structure. For a long time, the task force was the only one in the fleet, with its headquarters shifting between the Starfleet Command complex on Cestus III and Starbase 332 in the Archanis sector. The task force had to deal with a wide variety of issues in the region - it had been without a dedicated Starfleet presence for a decade, and lawlessness had risen unchecked. The Tholians had also began to prove more active in the region near the Federation border, and the Klingon-Gorn Cold War which had been ongoing since 2376 showed no signs of abating, with the neutral systems between the two powers potentially in the crossfire.

The task force was joined by Task Force 44 in 2389 as the fleet expanded operations closer to the Federation core worlds, but as Starfleet re-evaluated its fleet distributions in 2390, it was once again left as the only task force within the 11th fleet.

Klingon-Gorn War

As the intensity of the Klingon-Gorn War escalated, Task Force 11 was forced to intensify its presence in the region directly around Cestus. When Rear Admiral Gates was appointed to head up the fleet's operations arm, he took up residence on Cestus and command of the task force from the Starfleet Command complex there; a different approach to most of those who came before him, who often commanded the Task Force from their own starship commands or starbases. More ships began to be assigned to the task force, and patrols were increased along the borders, with more frequent patrols out into the gulf of space that separated the Klingon and Gorn territories. When the Gorn attacked the Klingon worlds of M'Char, B'rel and Q'tahl towards the end of 2391, Task Force 11 was the first Starfleet unit to respond, sending ships in to Klingon space to assist those that made it out of the battles alive. The Gorn attacks were a complete surprise to the Klingons, and reports suggested that the Gorn had been joined by Ritorian and Tzenkethi ships too - a disturbing report if true, as any ships from either of those powers would either have to travel through Federation space in order to reach the Gorn Hegemony, or take a very lengthy trip around - a trip of a few months for the Ritorians, and years for the Tzenkethi. As a long trip seemed unlikely, Starfleet stepped up intrusion detection methods in an attempt to stop the supply line of ships to the Gorn war machine, but they first had to try and discover how they were able to do it.

When the Klingons submitted a formal request to the Federation for military assistance, it was Task Force 11 that was assigned to the duty. However, Starfleet was reluctant to commit to a full-force war machine, and standing orders were to assist the Klingons in a defensive capacity only, unless any offensive action would result in the re-taking of any worlds that had been occupied by the Gorn during the course of the conflict. While this posture angered many Klingons, the situation at the start of the war didn't allow for much else, as the Gorn seemed to know exactly where to hit the Klingon forces at their weakest, negating any chance of Klingon forces attacking Gorn worlds. Many saw the Starfleet posture as a hesitance to assist, since the Federation had urged the Klingons and the Gorn to try and negotiate to end the belligerence that was at the root of the conflict, and had received nothing but a straining of the Federation-Klingon relationship that had become so strong during the Dominion War.

Area of Operations

While Task Force 11 ships are not restricted to any single area of the galaxy, the primary focus area for the Task Force is around the fleet's headquarters on Cestus III in the galactic south. The region has rarely been patrolled consistently, and stretches out sporadically, with most of the systems having been discovered and colonised during Starfleet's golden age of exploration, where starships were sent on five year missions and followed by colony ships. Between the start of the Dominion War and the 11th Fleet's establishment to the region, the area lacked a dedicated Starfleet presence, and systems saw an increase in lawlessness that the few forces remaining were unable to prevent. The situation has improved dramatically since Task Force 11 began regular patrols, but the region is still far from the safe bliss of the core worlds.

The region of space Task Force 11 focuses on is bordered by the Klingon Empire and Gorn Hegemony in the Beta Quadrant, and the Tholian Assembly and Ritorian Confederacy in the Alpha Quadrant.

Major Powers

• Klingon Empire
• Gorn Hegemony
• Tholian Assembly
• Ritorian Confederacy
• The Sojourners

Task Force Commanding Officer History
	Fleet Captain	Jasmine Lynne Somers	2393 - Present
	Captain	Devinona Ral	2392 - 2393
	Rear Admiral	Richard Gates	2391 - 2392
	Rear Admiral	Gabriel Estabar	2391
	Rear Admiral	Jilrak	2391
	Vice Admiral	Veronica Constantine	2390-2391
	Rear Admiral	Jonathan Hansen	2389-2390
	Vice Admiral	Kellin Reynolds	2388-2389
	Rear Admiral	Alexander Gunning	2388
	Vice Admiral	Mark Reinhart	2386-2388
	Commodore	Robert Shafto	2386