The Long War
Prologue: Ambush
The Klingon-Romulan border, one of the most restive borders in known space. Both nations were famous for the art of the surprise raid, and they had been practicing on each other for decades. Today would see a major change in that status-quo; today the borders would be destroyed. The only question is...whose?
"Fleet Commander H'rek, all ships report ready." An elderly Romulan officer glanced down at the Centurion who had dared to interrupt his thoughts. All thoughts of reprisal vanished from his mind as he realized the import of what had been spoken. He stood up. In his younger days, he had been one of the Empire most famous warriors, but he was still impressive, even in his dotage. He began to speak, not just to his crew but to the entire fleet, not just the visible but also to those hidden in cloak like his flagship.
"Warriors of Romulus. Today we stand ready to write a glorious new chapter in the epic of the Romulan people. Today we will begin the task of wiping out the barbarians who dare call themselves warriors. We will teach he Klingons the true meaning of battle. It will not be a lesson they enjoy, for it shall be taught in the blood of their dead. Victory is our goal, and victory we shall have. To accomplish this all of you must give your best, and you will, and together the Romulan people will rule the galaxy. Battle stations. Prepare for combat, fire on my orders." A rustle could be heard as crewers and officers calmly prepared for battle. There was no doubt: they would prevail.
General Voftik glared at the empty space before him. It was his duty to guard the Romulan border. He had been given a small group of warships to fulfill that duty. Several of his B'Rels had detected Romulan ships heading directly for the B'H'Tir system, so he waited. Today would be a glorious battle. "Sir, the dogs approach. They will drop from warp in five minutes."
"Ahh, it is hard to believe that the cowards have grown bold enough to fight. This will be a great battle, much honor will be earned and much Romulan blood will be spilt." He then roared out in a mighty bellow, "To battle stations, we will show the Romulans how Klingons fight!" On those final words a growl went up from every Klingon warrior in the squadron, and then six K'T'Inga heavy cruisers escorted by eighteen B'Rel birds of prey leapt to full impulse and raced forward in a dagger formation, eager to meet and destroy their ancient enemy.
On the other side of the systems the Romulans dropped from warp and proceeded on impulse directly toward the advancing Klingons. They would meet in combat near the orbit of the star's fifth planet. "Fleet Commander. The barbarians approach. What are your orders?"
"Surprise is our greatest weapon; we must not squander it. The cruisers will form a standard pyramid formation centered on the enemy. Three destroyers will scout ahead of the cruisers as a screen, four destroyers will cover the flanks and a single destroyer will take position in the rear. Our battleships will then take position behind the cruisers. We will not expose ourselves to our target till I give the word. Pass the word to all ship commanders." The Lieutenant who served as his aide walked to the communication officer and bent over the console passing on the words of the Fleet Commander to be sent to all ships.
The two fleets flew inexorably towards each other, both bent on the total annihilation of the other; there would be no quarter given in this fight. It was to the death. The first move was made by the Klingons. On the order of General Voftik the outer edges of the giant arrowhead formation seemed to peel off and expand as the light ships flew outwards from the core of heavy cruisers in an expanding disk. Then on another command the eighteen ships dove inward and forwards.
Eighteen ships fell like wolves upon the three destroyers scouting ahead of the cruisers. Six Klingon ships attacked each Romulan destroyer. Almost as one, each ship let fire a quick volley of three torpedoes; next, they continued to close and hit the destroyers with massed disruptor fire. After the first run few Klingon ships were even hit, and those hit were only lightly hurt. The same could not be said of the Romulans. Of the three ships targeted only one survived. The first had gone up in a gigantic explosion as the Klingon warships swooped in. The second had died much less spectacularly; it simply broke apart after the first pass by the Klingons. That left only a single lone ship alive, though that was a far too optimistic term to describe floating hulk with minimal life support and nothing else. A single bird of prey made a quick pass and vaporized the ship, solving the problem of what to call it quite easily: wreckage.
On board the bridge of the cruiser "Red Sword," a message was received. "Captain Ferk reports his mission accomplished and request permission to attack the main body." General Voftik considered the request, but he decided not yet. They would wait.
"Signal Ferk he is not to attack the Romulan cruisers. I want him to split his force in half and attack the enemy flankers. He's to leave the tailing ship alone. I don't want him to get blocked off from the main body. Once the flankers are destroyed he's to return immediately! We will win this battle and there will be glory and there will be death, but there will not be needless waste of Klingon life." The old warrior had a ferocious look on his face as he spoke; the look did not disappear, but he did redirect it towards the Romulans waiting in the depths of space.
Ferk was a disciplined warrior. He followed his orders to the letter, or as best as he could. The Romulans reacted to the destruction of their screen by ordering the flanking destroyers closer. So the Klingons only had a single pass before the Romulan destroyers were too close to the cruisers for them to follow. So they did a quick strafing run on two of the destroyers. Torpedo were not used; they would be conserved for the main battle. A single destroyer fell to the massed Klingon ships but the second was too fast. The ship was hit hard but it was able to get into the cruisers fire support range before the Klingons could finish it off. The final two ships didn't even take glancing hits.
The swirling bundle of winged green ships swung back towards the waiting cruisers. Only a single ship had been lost outright. Two more had been hit hard but were still operable. Various other ships had taken superficial damage.
The Klingon frigates formed up with the six cruisers, ready to meet the Romulan force of five heavy cruisers and four destroyers. It seemed obvious to anyone that the Klingons would butcher the Romulans.
The fleet met in an orgy of exploding torpedoes and disruptors. "Concentrate our cruisers on the lead Romulan ship. Have the Birds of Prey finish off the destroyers, then sweep around the enemy flank and hit them in the rear, Commander." Voftik observed the battle around him with glee; his losses had been slight so far. No doubt that would change. But the Romulans would still lose. Four new icons suddenly appeared on his scanner board. As the cloaks fell off the Romulan battleships they opened fire on the unsuspecting Birds of Prey preparing to attack the trailing destroyer.
"Very good." The old Romulan fleet commander observed the battle in silence. The attack had worked even better then suspected. On his command, the four battleships had decloaked and opened fire, decimating the small Klingon ships. As the cruisers and destroyers joined in the frigates were soon wiped from existence. "Damn it! I told him to maintain formation," H'Rek swore vehemently as one of his cruisers exploded from the concentrated Klingon assault. "All ships are to form up around my flagship. Targeting data will be given by us."
Space was bright with energy as Klingon warship burned. The battleships had turned the tide. Already two cruisers were destroyed and a third crippled. "TODAY IS A GOOD TO DIE! And we will take the Romulan vermin with us! I command all ships, RAMMING SPEED." General Voftik gave his final command as a volley of disruptor from the Romulans claimed his life. Three battered cruisers flew forward, one of them colliding full on with one of it's Romulan counterparts. The remaining two had only one target; they flew straight at it, bellowing their death cries over all frequencies. Disruptors glowed white hot as the captains pushed the ships beyond all limits. Torpedo magazines were emptied as the cruisers overloaded the launchers, determined to destroy even a single battleship. The leading cruiser was hit head on by over twenty disruptors from various ships; the rubble flew onwards. Several torpedoes exploded in the debris field saving the final cruiser from destruction.
The four-hundred-meter long battleships shields glowed brightly as disruptors and torpedoes pounded hard against the energy barrier. When the wreckage of the cruiser arrived, it was too much. The shields fell; one of the Romulan cruisers lowered shields to try and save some of the crew. They were promptly hit by a photon torpedo from the lone surviving cruiser and exploded with all hands lost. Klingon warriors bellowed in pride as they saw the cruiser explode, then it was the end. The cruiser slammed into the battleship's side. Both ships went up in a titanic explosion of matter and antimatter as their warp cores lost containment.
The battle of B'H'Tir was over. The Romulans were triumphant, but at a cost. The reduced Romulan fleet moved onward. They fanned out, destroying all spacegoing vehicles and objects of military importance. The economic infrastructure was left intact, though. A chilling site to the Klingons on the planet, because that meant they planned on staying.
Over the single habitable planet of B'H'Tir the Romulan ships floated in orbit. Massive troop ships could be seen leaving the hangars as elite shock troops were beamed down to take control of key facilities and landing zones. Most chilling of all were the messages coming in from all over the border telling almost the exact same tale of destruction and conquest.
Prologue: Ambush
The Klingon-Romulan border, one of the most restive borders in known space. Both nations were famous for the art of the surprise raid, and they had been practicing on each other for decades. Today would see a major change in that status-quo; today the borders would be destroyed. The only question is...whose?
"Fleet Commander H'rek, all ships report ready." An elderly Romulan officer glanced down at the Centurion who had dared to interrupt his thoughts. All thoughts of reprisal vanished from his mind as he realized the import of what had been spoken. He stood up. In his younger days, he had been one of the Empire most famous warriors, but he was still impressive, even in his dotage. He began to speak, not just to his crew but to the entire fleet, not just the visible but also to those hidden in cloak like his flagship.
"Warriors of Romulus. Today we stand ready to write a glorious new chapter in the epic of the Romulan people. Today we will begin the task of wiping out the barbarians who dare call themselves warriors. We will teach he Klingons the true meaning of battle. It will not be a lesson they enjoy, for it shall be taught in the blood of their dead. Victory is our goal, and victory we shall have. To accomplish this all of you must give your best, and you will, and together the Romulan people will rule the galaxy. Battle stations. Prepare for combat, fire on my orders." A rustle could be heard as crewers and officers calmly prepared for battle. There was no doubt: they would prevail.
General Voftik glared at the empty space before him. It was his duty to guard the Romulan border. He had been given a small group of warships to fulfill that duty. Several of his B'Rels had detected Romulan ships heading directly for the B'H'Tir system, so he waited. Today would be a glorious battle. "Sir, the dogs approach. They will drop from warp in five minutes."
"Ahh, it is hard to believe that the cowards have grown bold enough to fight. This will be a great battle, much honor will be earned and much Romulan blood will be spilt." He then roared out in a mighty bellow, "To battle stations, we will show the Romulans how Klingons fight!" On those final words a growl went up from every Klingon warrior in the squadron, and then six K'T'Inga heavy cruisers escorted by eighteen B'Rel birds of prey leapt to full impulse and raced forward in a dagger formation, eager to meet and destroy their ancient enemy.
On the other side of the systems the Romulans dropped from warp and proceeded on impulse directly toward the advancing Klingons. They would meet in combat near the orbit of the star's fifth planet. "Fleet Commander. The barbarians approach. What are your orders?"
"Surprise is our greatest weapon; we must not squander it. The cruisers will form a standard pyramid formation centered on the enemy. Three destroyers will scout ahead of the cruisers as a screen, four destroyers will cover the flanks and a single destroyer will take position in the rear. Our battleships will then take position behind the cruisers. We will not expose ourselves to our target till I give the word. Pass the word to all ship commanders." The Lieutenant who served as his aide walked to the communication officer and bent over the console passing on the words of the Fleet Commander to be sent to all ships.
The two fleets flew inexorably towards each other, both bent on the total annihilation of the other; there would be no quarter given in this fight. It was to the death. The first move was made by the Klingons. On the order of General Voftik the outer edges of the giant arrowhead formation seemed to peel off and expand as the light ships flew outwards from the core of heavy cruisers in an expanding disk. Then on another command the eighteen ships dove inward and forwards.
Eighteen ships fell like wolves upon the three destroyers scouting ahead of the cruisers. Six Klingon ships attacked each Romulan destroyer. Almost as one, each ship let fire a quick volley of three torpedoes; next, they continued to close and hit the destroyers with massed disruptor fire. After the first run few Klingon ships were even hit, and those hit were only lightly hurt. The same could not be said of the Romulans. Of the three ships targeted only one survived. The first had gone up in a gigantic explosion as the Klingon warships swooped in. The second had died much less spectacularly; it simply broke apart after the first pass by the Klingons. That left only a single lone ship alive, though that was a far too optimistic term to describe floating hulk with minimal life support and nothing else. A single bird of prey made a quick pass and vaporized the ship, solving the problem of what to call it quite easily: wreckage.
On board the bridge of the cruiser "Red Sword," a message was received. "Captain Ferk reports his mission accomplished and request permission to attack the main body." General Voftik considered the request, but he decided not yet. They would wait.
"Signal Ferk he is not to attack the Romulan cruisers. I want him to split his force in half and attack the enemy flankers. He's to leave the tailing ship alone. I don't want him to get blocked off from the main body. Once the flankers are destroyed he's to return immediately! We will win this battle and there will be glory and there will be death, but there will not be needless waste of Klingon life." The old warrior had a ferocious look on his face as he spoke; the look did not disappear, but he did redirect it towards the Romulans waiting in the depths of space.
Ferk was a disciplined warrior. He followed his orders to the letter, or as best as he could. The Romulans reacted to the destruction of their screen by ordering the flanking destroyers closer. So the Klingons only had a single pass before the Romulan destroyers were too close to the cruisers for them to follow. So they did a quick strafing run on two of the destroyers. Torpedo were not used; they would be conserved for the main battle. A single destroyer fell to the massed Klingon ships but the second was too fast. The ship was hit hard but it was able to get into the cruisers fire support range before the Klingons could finish it off. The final two ships didn't even take glancing hits.
The swirling bundle of winged green ships swung back towards the waiting cruisers. Only a single ship had been lost outright. Two more had been hit hard but were still operable. Various other ships had taken superficial damage.
The Klingon frigates formed up with the six cruisers, ready to meet the Romulan force of five heavy cruisers and four destroyers. It seemed obvious to anyone that the Klingons would butcher the Romulans.
The fleet met in an orgy of exploding torpedoes and disruptors. "Concentrate our cruisers on the lead Romulan ship. Have the Birds of Prey finish off the destroyers, then sweep around the enemy flank and hit them in the rear, Commander." Voftik observed the battle around him with glee; his losses had been slight so far. No doubt that would change. But the Romulans would still lose. Four new icons suddenly appeared on his scanner board. As the cloaks fell off the Romulan battleships they opened fire on the unsuspecting Birds of Prey preparing to attack the trailing destroyer.
"Very good." The old Romulan fleet commander observed the battle in silence. The attack had worked even better then suspected. On his command, the four battleships had decloaked and opened fire, decimating the small Klingon ships. As the cruisers and destroyers joined in the frigates were soon wiped from existence. "Damn it! I told him to maintain formation," H'Rek swore vehemently as one of his cruisers exploded from the concentrated Klingon assault. "All ships are to form up around my flagship. Targeting data will be given by us."
Space was bright with energy as Klingon warship burned. The battleships had turned the tide. Already two cruisers were destroyed and a third crippled. "TODAY IS A GOOD TO DIE! And we will take the Romulan vermin with us! I command all ships, RAMMING SPEED." General Voftik gave his final command as a volley of disruptor from the Romulans claimed his life. Three battered cruisers flew forward, one of them colliding full on with one of it's Romulan counterparts. The remaining two had only one target; they flew straight at it, bellowing their death cries over all frequencies. Disruptors glowed white hot as the captains pushed the ships beyond all limits. Torpedo magazines were emptied as the cruisers overloaded the launchers, determined to destroy even a single battleship. The leading cruiser was hit head on by over twenty disruptors from various ships; the rubble flew onwards. Several torpedoes exploded in the debris field saving the final cruiser from destruction.
The four-hundred-meter long battleships shields glowed brightly as disruptors and torpedoes pounded hard against the energy barrier. When the wreckage of the cruiser arrived, it was too much. The shields fell; one of the Romulan cruisers lowered shields to try and save some of the crew. They were promptly hit by a photon torpedo from the lone surviving cruiser and exploded with all hands lost. Klingon warriors bellowed in pride as they saw the cruiser explode, then it was the end. The cruiser slammed into the battleship's side. Both ships went up in a titanic explosion of matter and antimatter as their warp cores lost containment.
The battle of B'H'Tir was over. The Romulans were triumphant, but at a cost. The reduced Romulan fleet moved onward. They fanned out, destroying all spacegoing vehicles and objects of military importance. The economic infrastructure was left intact, though. A chilling site to the Klingons on the planet, because that meant they planned on staying.
Over the single habitable planet of B'H'Tir the Romulan ships floated in orbit. Massive troop ships could be seen leaving the hangars as elite shock troops were beamed down to take control of key facilities and landing zones. Most chilling of all were the messages coming in from all over the border telling almost the exact same tale of destruction and conquest.