Turn 58
United Federation of Planets
Roused from their complacency by the prospect of war, the various arms of
the Federation have become a hive of activity.
The first order of priority is for Starfleet to find vessels that can
quickly be diverted to defend Domwaltz against the expected Klingon attack.
The easiest way to release vessels will be to replace existing system
defence squadrons with more appropriate craft. Accordingly the keels are
laid at Utopia Planatia yards for the first to squadrons of the Danzig
designed Police Corvette.
A number of department heads are fired at Starfleet’s weaponry research
division. They are replaced by junior staff members who are more adept at
technical matters and far less concerned about politics. Very quickly a
revised schedule for the new multiple targeting and acquisition sensor
arrays expects production copies within the month.
At Domwaltz, the Klingon scout vessel has been sitting across space from the
light cruiser USS Albuquerque. The Federation explorer Stargazer 12 has been
recalled in system by Captain Lassiter of the Albuquerque and gently noses
into maximum sensor range of the Klingon. No noticeable reaction is
detected. The waiting continues.
Boxar attempts to negotiate with the Ewoks have broken down. All hope of a
peaceful settlement now relies on the Kzinti, who have made little headway.
Sensor probes indicate that the Ewok vessel Chubbachubba is probably only 3
to 4 months from launch.
Three days after the arrival of the Stargazer 12, the Klingon suddenly
powers drive fields and turns about to head out system. Lassiter orders his
vessel to keep station while the Stargazer 12 loops about to keep a shadow
watch on the intruder. The Klingon follows a dog leg course then suddenly
disappears from the Federation ships tactical display.
The first of the new second generation fleet repair docks has completed her
shakedown cruise and sets out down the Tau Ceti warp chain bound for the
Orphicon nexus. This unit will provide repair and refit facilities for the
4th and 5th fleets currently serving in the Olwa sector while their own
support vessels aid in construction of Star Base 3 at Olwa.
Just over a week after the departure of the Klingon scout, reinforcements
arrive at Domwaltz in the very welcome shape of two Ticonderoga heavy
cruisers, two Hermes class scouts and four Burke Z frigates. All are fresh
off the production line with very nervy young crews, so specific orders from
Starfleet Command instruct Captain Lassiter (as the most experienced officer
)
to take command of the fleet. He orders the new arrivals to pull into orbit
around the Boxar home world and get some rest. The Stargazer 12 will let
them
know soon enough if the Klingons arrive.
Sligo in the Epsilon Indi sector is a backwater system of little importance
financially. It has long been a training ground for ships in the sector as
they undergo shakedown after refit. Finally however the non urgent task of
warp pint charting has finally been completed by the vessels rotated into
the area and four new warp points have been discovered. One of these new
systems, Novaya Rodina, is probed by the USS Excelsior, an old Discovery
class vessel under the command of Captain O’Rourke. It quickly becomes
apparent that the system is inhabited when the Excelsior detects a trio of
vessels on an intercept course. Curiously the vessels never reach a speed in
excess of 1/6 that of the Excelsior. O’Rourke orders the Excelsior to heave
to and awaits the approach of the system inhabitants. Constant hails are
ignored, however a good deal of system wide communication is detected and
recorded for later analysis.
O’Rourke starts becoming nervous when the ships start closing past 7 light
seconds distance. He orders the Excelsior to yellow alert, but continues to
hold position. His suspicions are confirmed when at a range of 5.5 light
seconds, the Excelsior is struck by an energy weapon of unknown pattern
fired by one of the larger ships. Knowing that he is outnumbered, outgunned
and out-tonned, Captain O’Rourke orders the Excelsior about and heads back
for Sligo at maximum speed. The aggressors seem incapable of accelerating to
match that speed and very quickly drop off the Excelsior’s scanners. On
transiting back to Sligo, the scanty information they posses is sent back to
Starfleet Command. From what the linguistics officer on board can deduce, it
would appear that the Federation has just had war declared upon it by the
Romulan Star Empire.
It has been 23 days since the Klingon scout jumped out of Domwaltz. Suddenly
on board the Stargazer 12, alarm klaxons resound throughout the hull. On the
tactical screens, long-range scanners have just detected a group of ships
jumping into the system. Two waves, a dozen vessels in total transit the
warp point and head towards the Boxar home world on a reverse plot of the
course used by the scout vessel when it left. The Stargazer 12 trails for a
while until the dogleg course change confirms the final destination, then
loops wide and races ahead to join the fleet. Captain Lassiter orders the
fleet to break orbit and head out system to place themselves in deep space
between the incoming intruders and the Boxar.
And in the cold darkness, the defenders of Domwaltz watch the tide
approaching…
To be continued…
(
geocities.com/mwadwell)