The Gorn's attack on the Cestus III outpost was launched without warning, and Commander S'slee's cruiser Gress'sril launched a first weapons volley able to take out the outpost's deflector shields and phaser batteries. Once the outpost's defenses were disabled, the Gorn warship dispatched landing parties to the surface to kill all remaning personnel and destroy the outpost. The Gorn eventually succeeded in ceasing the outpost despite valiant attempts by Commodore Travers and his staff to hold on to the outpost's administrative center and other buildings. By the end of the assault, only one Starfleet officer, Lieutenant Matthew Harold, had survived. (TNG novel: Requiem)