Q: Reserve Fleets (507.2) can be one Battle Force, meaning a flagship, whatever it controls, and a free scout. Battle Groups and carrier Battle Groups may provide a further increase. Can I declare a Klingon D7U (which has special sensors) as the free scout?
     A: Certainly. You can use any ship with special sensors as the free scout. It gets better. The D7U's escorts can be included in the Battle Group count since the actual carrier group is not formed until Step 5C of the Sequence of Play.
     Q: I am unsure about what I can do with the four PGS ships in the Hydran Old Colonies Squadron (off map). The Order of Battle lists them with the OCS (which has its own conditions for the ships to enter the map), but then refers to rule (317.4) which gives them their one release schedule (three of them, one per turn) and rule (709.1B) which just talks about the free Pegasus ships I can start building when the Old Colonies shipyard becomes active. I know that "a specific rule overrules a general rule" but (317.4) and the OCS release rules both seem specific.
     A: Yes, "a specific rule overrules a general rule" and since the OCS rule covers that entire fleet but (317.4) covers a specific type of ship, (317.4) is the specific rule and it wins. The three PGS ships and the new Pegasus construction enter the map on their own terms, not on the rules of the Old Colonies Squadron.
     Q: The Klingon D7N and D5N are assigned to the Home Fleet on the current OOB (703.0). The Home Fleet is not released until Turn #4. Does this prevent the Klingons from using their diplomats for the first three turns? Maybe the Klingons don't know what diplomacy is until then?
     A: This was clarified in F&E 2010. Rule (600.35) "Diplomatic teams (including Klingon diplomatic cruisers) and small transports carrying diplomatic teams are always released and can go about their business (540.0)". Rule (540.0) allows empires at Peace to use diplomatic teams.
     Q: If I include a CV tug in a pursuit force (which is limited to six ships maximum), does the CV tug count as two ships in this force as (307.22) seems to imply? I'm thinking that it does not, since an unescorted CV tug only counts as two ships for command purposes (515.261), carrier tugs don't have to be escorted (515.26), and there was never a missing escort to count against the pursuit force.
     A: Rule (515.261) is more specific than (515.26) and as such any tug with CV pods requires either an escort or an open slot when it comes to filling out the Battle Force.
     Q: Concerning Flagship Escort Groups and X-ships. I have a Kzinti DNH I want to escort. The FEG rule says I can have two escorts, one of which must be size class 4 (318.42). The ad-hoc rules say no BCH/DN escorts, and the SITS lists the X-cruisers as base hull type BC (cruiser hull). I realize that the X-ship loses two compot for the privilege, and loses its mauler special attack capability. May I use an X-cruiser (BCX/CCX) as the large escort, and use a DW as the small one?
     A: References for the escorts allowed in a FEG are (515.33-.34), (318.421-.429) and are very specific in what can and cannot be used. A Kzinti BC by the SIT and the R section of SFB is a heavy cruiser and an allowed escort. The BCX and CCX are variants of this base hull and as such are allowed with the other limits imposed by the above rules.