En route, a follow-up report from the Rigellian National Guard commander on the planet clarified that the attack was by an Igneous-class battle machine. Major Rokak is to be commended for the detailed and sober assessment of his report. While USS Antietam has never encountered such a threat, we have previously reviewed the Threat Assessment File of an Igneous-class battle machine, and Lieutenant Stokes of the engineering section was aboard USS Hornet when it destroyed an Igneous-class battle machine two years ago (Reference SFI-625). His insights into that encounter clarified certain items in the Igneous Threat Assessment File and Annex #4 to this report suggests possible clarifications thereto. We prepared a battle plan following the protocols outline in the Igneous Threat Assessment File.

        We arrived in System 2303-Gamma-147 at 1853 hours this date and contacted Major Rokak, who provided updated information on the location and speed of Igneous-class battle machine SFI-646. Making adjustments to our tactical plan based on this updated information, we proceeded to a point 360 thousand kilometers from Igneous-646 and dropped out of warp with photon torpedoes overloaded, two shuttles prepared as wild weasels, phaser capacitors charged, and the drone rack in defensive mode with eight anti-drones loaded and checked.

        We calculated the amount of time before Igneous-646 could reach Planet 2303-Alpha-977-III and determined that there would be time to make multiple attack runs, and to repair combat damage between runs if needed. As per the protocols contained in the Igneous Threat Assessment File, we did not use electronic jamming or evasive maneuvers, since these are known to have no effect on the Igneous weapons-targeting system. We also knew that because the Igneous target-tracking system can anticipate the ship's maneuvers before they are made, it would not fire until our point of closest approach. (See Annex #2 for analysis of this system by Lieutenant Commander Sulark, Science Officer, USS Antietam, on the possibility that Igneous can track the pre-maneuver fluctuations in the warp fields.)

        I placed USS Antietam between Igneous-646 and Planet 2303-Alpha-977-III, even though this meant taking longer to reach this position, because the protocols in the Threat Assessment File stipulate that this is necessary to avoid pointless political complaints by colonial officials. From a tactical perspective, given the amount of time available, a position behind Igneous-646 would have accomplished the same end, would have been easier to reach (given the angle of our original approach), would have simplified maneuvering, involved less risk to the ship, and would have afforded a slight improvement in the tactical position against any seeking weapons. (See Annex #5 for recommended revisions to the protocols in the Threat Assessment File.) My ship's position was sufficiently to one side of a direct path so as to allow return fire by only two of the six weapon mounts.

        I timed the approach by USS Antietam to reach 80 thousand kilometers, and fired four overloaded photon torpedoes and the four phaser-1s of the forward and port batteries. Three of the photon torpedoes scored hits, and the phasers scored damage at 75 percent efficiency. This was not enough damage to disable the forward-firing weapon of Igneous-646.

        I placed the ship into reverse at sublight speeds, keeping the USS Antietam between Igneous-646 and Planet 2303-Alpha-977-III. I ordered one of the transporter bombs laid from the shuttle hatch. As anticipated by the Threat Assessment File, Igneous-646 manifested a variety of weapons and returned fire. This included three drones, a disruptor, and a phaser-1. Damage was slight, and anti-drones dealt with the drones. A second volley from Igneous-646 included a photon torpedo, three more drones, and a small plasma torpedo. Damage was minimal, but forced me to use the phasers for defense. When the second volley of photon torpedoes was ready, we fired at 80 thousand kilometers, this time eliminating the forward weapons mount of Igneous-646. Return fire included more drones, phasers, and a hellbore. I calculated that I had time for fifteen or sixteen more volleys, and that it would require five to seven of them to eliminate the second weapons mount, ending the threat of direct-fire weapons, and resolved to continue this plan. See Annex #1 for details of the weapons fired and return fire from Igneous. I maintained a range of 80 thousand kilometers by moving in reverse at Warp Factor one. We dropped the three remaining transporter bombs, and all four scored damage on Igneous-646.

        At 2006 hours, our seventh volley of photon torpedoes scored enough damage to eliminate the second facing weapons mount, but not before it manifested and launched a type-R plasma torpedo. By this time, the #1 shield of USS Antietam had been reduced to ineffective levels, and the #6 shield had taken some damage. The anti-drones in the rack (and the reloads) were exhausted, and I switched to using standard drones for counter-drone defense, which meant that I had to divert more phaser power to seeking-weapon defense while using the photon torpedoes to destroy Igneous-646.

        The type-R plasma torpedo was problematical. The ship would be unable to withstand the impact of this weapon without taking significant damage and crew casualties, even if I maneuvered to accept the hit on the #2 shield. Rather than accept such an event, I used the first of the wild weasel shuttlecraft we had been holding in an armed condition, and continued backing away in front of Igneous-646. Plasma torpedoes are very fast, and by the time it reached and destroyed the shuttle (the explosion reducing the #6 shield to dangerous levels) the photon torpedoes were reloaded, and we scored more hits with the eighth volley.

        With the #1 and #6 shields no longer effective, I had to maneuver to accept any seeking-weapon hits on good shields, or to stop them with phasers or drones. Three times, I grabbed drones with tractor beams and rotated them into the firing arcs of phasers that did not face Igneous-646.

        At 2020 hours, another crisis presented, as Igneous-646 launched a staggered wave of nine drones. This was more than I calculated my defenses could deal with. I considered accelerating, running out the drones, and then returning, but calculated that I would just have to fight my way back into firing position through more drones. I used the second wild weasel (a third had been prepared) and continued to back away. When the drones were destroyed by the wild weasel, I resumed the battle, sustaining two drone hits on down shields, and scoring more hits with photon torpedoes. I fired the final salvo of phasers from a position directly over the battle machine at 2039, destroying it.