“The stars thin-scattered made the heavens large”
A Star-Trek mod Stellaris AAR
2177
0101
The Klingons are ignoring the presence of Starfleet I in their rear in what was Andorian territory and are continuing to push closer to Earth. Admiral Degronga, commanding the 2nd Klingon Imperial Fleet, is attacking Tulgana Starbase. Although the situation is perilous, all is not lost. The Starbase is among the strongest we have ever built and will not be an easy target, particularly as the enemy only comprise 7 Strike Ships, a single Bird of Prey and 9 Gunboats.
0103
The hopes of Tulgana repelling the Klingons have collapsed. Three more combat fleets have arrived, more than doubling the strength of the attackers.
0113
The battle for Tulgana Starbase is over. 6 Gunboats and a Bird of Prey were destroyed in the fighting, but that is not enough to significantly reduce the strength of the Klingon fleets.
Just as alarming, the nearby p-Eridani system has been attacked by a Romulan fleet, and the Space Station captured. The fighting is getting close to home: p-Eridani is only two jumps from Kappa Fornacis, where “Sahara” has just built a Research Station in orbit of one of its twin stars, Deneva. It is told to leave the system immediately and head for Muir, which Starfleet Command believes to be out of the direction of any possible enemy incursion closer to Earth and the Human colonies.
Both the Klingons and Romulans are getting uncomfortably close to Earth and its colonies
0209
Starfleet I is not easing up on its attempts to attract the attention of the enemy. It has retaken Hadir Space Station from the Romulans and is on its way to Beta Leonis, close to the boundary of the Andoran Sector. Surely the Klingons will not tolerate our ships being so close to Klingon space?
0217
It has been almost year since we managed to get the Saurian League and the Romulan Empire to agree to attend a conference to settle some of their disputes. The Council has been pressuring Starfleet to free a Science Ship so that the conference could take place on neutral ground. Finally it has nominated the USS Brown to travel to the Saurian home world of Lyakst’ika, in the Psi Serpentis system. Captain Atharv Namboodiri has just completed a survey of the Muir system, and will set off straight away. It might take some time: although not an expert space navigator, I think it will need at least seven jumps.
0218
The Saurians are pleased with our efforts, despite the long delay, and have sponsored us for associate standing in the Confederated Interspecies Systems. It may not help, but it doesn’t seem to have a potential for harm, so we have agreed.
After quite a while of relative peace and quiet, the anomaly prone Aenar Captain Jhamel has found another one, this time in the Altair system. She is not very clear about it: her report just says that sensor readings in the entire Altair system seem odd, and that the source of is Altair 1. As other keen investigators have been told, she is reminded that there is a war on, and that she should complete her assigned duties before carrying out other tasks.
0311
Diplomatic fanfare as the Bolian League sets up an embassy on Earth. Members of the Council and Starfleet put on various uniforms to attend, and go through all the formalities. Although some of the more junior officers grumbled, they were soon reminded that while the Bolian League is small and weak, several other species have close relationships with it, and we cannot afford to put anyone offside.
Bolians are easily recognised by the distinctive ridge that runs down the face to the chest.
0314
More routine paperwork, as another system is acquired. With Space Station Lalande 25372 complete, “Pegasus Bay” can begin to construct a Physical Science Research Base over the central star.
0317
Although we want to be close to our neighbours, a request from the Saurian League that we share our research with them was rejected. We are currently good friends, but that may not always be the case.
Captain Haygarth has notified that, having finished the survey of the Monroe system, she has assumed she is now permitted to look into the anomaly she reported last month.
0408
Another captain with a bent for investigation is following Captain Haygarth’s example. Skalaar reports he has finished surveying Roundtree and will now examine the debris littering the surface of the asteroid V4-XN-93. For once it is Captain Archer who is content to do the mundane chores, leaving Gamma Trianguli for Ross 164.
0515
Talk about tweaking the lion’s tail! Commander Tucker has retaken Beta Leonis Space Station and is determined to do the same for Beta Antares. Many in the Federation are following the fleet’s progress with mounting enthusiasm. Quite a few commentators are referring to the similarity between Commander Tucker’s raids on the Klingons and the behaviour of British privateers in the 16th Century. They point to the actions of Sir Francis Drake and his famous attack on the Spanish port of Cadiz which he described as “Singeing the Kingo of Spain’s Beard”. That single attack held up the invasion of England by a year, time used by England to prepare its defences.
Drake’s own map of Cadiz with his notes for his attack (Now held in the Starfleet "Naval History" museum)
0520
The Saurians were not put out by our rejection of their offer of Research Agreement. They have come back with an offer for a Commercial Pact. That is much more attractive to us: anything to boost the economy is welcome.
The often unrecognised work of the commercial freighters is critical to our economy
For once Starfleet has relented. Captain Suzuki promised that investigating a crashed spacecraft on Arcadia III was a simple task that should not take the “Franklin” more than a few weeks. As the number of such investigations in the “pending” list is growing, he has been allowed to interrupt his survey work.
0623
Although I have not mentioned it, there has been another election campaign going on. It is really not that interesting. As expected, the President Nathan Samuels was re-elected with a considerable margin. The war may be going badly, but nobody blames him or his policies. It is simply the size and strength of the Klingon fleet, something nobody anticipated.
President Nathan Samuels on the campaign trail: his slogan "Steady hands for the future".
Speaking of the war, another demand from the Klingons for our surrender has been refused. Even though the public is exhausted, our citizens will not agree to become Klingon serfs. Although nobody mentions it, the Council is aware that soon we must face reality. If peace is not achieved within the next 15 months, it is likely that the war will end with both sides retaining what systems and colonies they hold at that date.
Lalande 25372 now has a Research Station and “Pegasus Bay” is heading at full warp speed for Roundtree before anyone else can claim its rich resources. No less than five of its planets have valuable resources, including kemocite and magnesite.
There is a rumour, not yet confirmed, that the Romulans and Klingons have come to blows over the Tulgana system. We can only hope!
0704
At last Starfleet I provokes some Klingon opposition! It is only a single Raptor however, and Commander Tucker is sure that his dozen warships can handle that plus the Beta Antares Space Station. (It is noticeable that the Klingons have made no attempt to fortify their captured systems: overconfidence or lack of resources?)
The unusual drifting aerostatic bodies in the atmosphere of Monroe VII ae a bit of a disappointment. They are the remains of floating colonies but have long ago been stripped of all useful materials. What remains is, however, of interest to our engineers.
Empty and abandoned, colony cities float above Monroe VII
Captain Suzuki, veteran as he is, kept his word. His report on the crashed spacecraft on Arcadia III has arrived as promised, though it is not very exciting. All that is left of the alien vessel is an attenuated debris field: good for mining, but not for any scientific breakthroughs.
Another source of Duranium Plates will be secured soon. “Sahara” has a built Space Station above Muir and now is exerting our legal right to exploit any resources located within the star system.
0808
Another less than exhilarating read: Captain Skalaar’s report on the debris on asteroid V4-XN-93. It is a junkyard. Some alien species long ago dumped its rubbish on this barren rock. Worth mining, but nothing else.
I had hoped that Commander Tucker’s update on his exploits on the fringe of the Klingon Empire might be a little more exciting, but was disappointed. The enemy ship fled at the first sight of Starfleet warships and Space Station Beta Antares presented no difficulty. He is now going to really stir things up: the fleet will make its way to the Andoran homeworld in the Procyon system.
0904
With a significant lull in Klingon activity, Starfleet Command is allowing Science Ship captains a bit more latitude. Or perhaps Captain Archer gets special treatment. Whatever the reason, he has paused his survey of Ross 164 (long avoided because of the loss of our three frigates to the unknown alien vessel) to investigate a strange impact crater on Ross 154 IIIa.
The Klingons may be less aggressive at the moment, but the Romulans are committing more forces. Recently recaptured Space Station Rupert has gone quiet after reporting an approaching Romulan fleet. Presumably its garrison are either dead or prisoners.
(The rumour about a Klingon-Romulan clash may have been true, but it seems to have been settled by both parties imposing a “closed borders” policy.)
In future our outposts will be better defended, thanks to the efforts of the Engineering Division of the Research Authority. They have a working prototype of a Fusion Missile Battery that is ready to go into production. Even better, V’Latak, Head of Research, has revealed that the next project is to design a Multi-mission Cruiser! A ship bigger than anything United Earth ever built, a match in size to the cruiser Pralim! He has warned that this is one of the most involved projects his engineers have undertaken and will probably take close to two years. It is unlikely any such ships will be ready before the Klingon war is over.
A prototype fusion missile fired from an “Intrepid” class light cruiser
1014
Now that we are about to be able to match the Klingons in space, it seems we will also be able to match them on the ground. With the development of Combined Arms we can recruit Mobile Energy Artillery Armies, a huge bonus in both attack and defence.
V’Latak is either branching out on his own, which appears unlikely, or the Council is looking forward to a time when the war is over. That is the only interpretation I can put on the news that the social scientists are to come up with improved policies for Interplanetary Commerce.
1020
Our Physics researchers will be heartened to access the data sent from the “Enterprise”. Captain Archer’s study of the impact crater on Ross 154 IIIa has shown it to be the result of a spaceship exiting warp right in front of the fastmoving moon. There is evidence of a collapsed warp field and enough information to significantly advance our knowledge.
1021
The crowds outside the Starfleet Command building here on Earth are chanting “Starfleet! Starfleet!”. While public opinion is still overwhelmingly in favour of a negotiated peace, the exploits of Commander Tucker and Starfleet I have hit a nerve. As soon as the news got out that Federation ships were present in the Procyon system the crowds started to gather. I can see that many Andorians are among them, refugees from the Klingon invasion.
Normally the area near Starfleet Command is almost empty
The public enthusiasm was not affected by the Klingon recapture of Beta Leonis, in fact it increased at the thought that the Klingons were being forced to deploy ships so far away from the Front Line. A pity we could not have done this 5 years ago.
More concerning was a Romulan incursion on the other side of our territory. Starfleet Command’s suggestion that the Muir system was a safe place for the “Sahara” has been shown to be completely wrong. While building a Mining Station in the system, “Sahara” has been forced to flee when an entire Romulan fleet appeared. Starfleet Command has reacted swiftly. Erika Hernandez has been given command of the newly created Starfleet II, four light cruisers and four frigates, and has left Earth orbit with orders to engage any enemy ships found in the Muir system.
With the end of the year approaching, advertisements can be seen everywhere calling for volunteers for the new Mobile Energy Artillery forces. Can Starfleet Command be contemplating taking back the Andoran and Vulcan colonies?
In the news 2177
