The Long War
Chapter Three: The Frontier
"It has been two months since the leveling of Kronos. Starfleet has done little. The Enterprise and the other ships now under my command are now operating on war footing, yet there are no signs that we will be going to war. Many are becoming impatient, myself included. No one wants to a war, but just sitting here and waiting will only dull our edge." Captain Kirk ended his daily log entry, stood up and walked out the door of his quarters.
He had a conference with his departments followed by a comm meeting with his Squadron Commanders. Right now he was handling the duties of Starship Captain, Task Force Commander and Squadron Commander. It was beginning to tire him.
When he reached the conference room everyone had already arrived so he could start right away. He looked up and down the table at the different officers. Chekov at his right was the First Officer. To his left was Scott. Scotty was an interesting case; technically, he outranked Kirk by a few days seniority but he was considered to be third in the chain of command behind Chekov and above Uhura. An action only justifiable by the fact that Scotty wasn't command track and that he was happy in engineering and hated being dragged to the bridge.
Sitting next to Scotty was Uhura representing Communications and Electronic Warfare. Seated next to Chekov and across from Uhura was Lieutenant Commander Whitehall for Scanning. In peacetime he would have been the science officer. Next to Whitehall was Lieutenant Clerette for Helm and across from him was Gu'ye'vi for tactical.
At the opposite end of the table was Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell. Mitchell commanded the battalion of marines that had recently been stationed on Enterprise. With the marines and the increased crew necessary for combat operations, the Enterprise now carried a crew of about eleven hundred. Mitchell was a short, brown-haired man with a muscular build and the speed of a ferret. He was also a cunning and experienced field commander; Command wouldn't have put anything but the best on board Enterprise. McCoy was next to Clerette, while Major Rathel, the second-highest ranking marine onboard, occupied the seat across from him.
Once Kirk sat down, the meeting quickly came to order. It was fairly short. Each officer delivered a quick briefing to the others on the status of their department. It was a tradition Kirk had begun many years ago; this way, he was able to make sure all of his officers were familiar with the duties of the others. This meant they were able to operate smoothly together and could anticipate what each other would be doing and what they needed. He knew that his greatest asset as a captain wasn't his courage or his ability as a tactician; no, it was his ability to take a collection of officers and weld them into a tight, cohesive team. That team was the real reason for the unparalleled successes of his first five-year mission and the continued success of his later missions.
Chekov finished his report on the ship's morale and operating efficiency. As First Officer he was a generalist, not a specialist, and so there was little for him to report on this time. Scotty then spoke on the running of his engines and other ships systems, all operating at 100% of standard efficiency or better. For anyone who had ever served with Scotty before it wasn't a surprise, nor was his need to have the systems in better then perfect shape. It was for this very reason that Enterprise was the best-maintained ship in the Fleet.
The conference continued on as each officer gave a quick report and then answered any questions. It was then Gu'ye'vi's turn. "What has me concerned are these new battleships the Romulans have deployed. If we have to take on one of those things one we'll be severely outclassed. None of our ships, excepting a Dreadnought, has the power to battle on equal terms with a Romulan Battleship. Is there any possibility of getting some Mark V torpedoes? It's the only weapon in our arsenal that I'm sure can hurt a Battleship." The Mark V Heavy Torpedo had been developed several years ago for use on the Federation class Dreadnought. With five times the yield of a standard Mark IV, it was a potent weapon. Unfortunately when the Dreadnought program had been cancelled, so had production of the Mark V. The few Dreadnoughts still in service were all equipped with Mark IVs. A very small amount of the weapons were still kept in storage depots.
Kirk wondered if anyone else had even remembered they existed. He'd send Command an immediate request for as many Mark Vs as possible, and he'd also include a letter to Cartwright asking him to restart Mark V production. "Good suggestion, Lieutenant. I'll forward your comments to Command. Hopefully we shouldn't have any trouble getting some transferred to us." He looked across the table to Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell and nodded slightly. Mitchell noticed his gesture and took the opportunity to stand up, smoothing his dark green uniform and clearing his throat.
"My Battalion, the 345th, is at full strength. Before our assignment to Enterprise we had just completed a stay at the 'Blue Nova' training compound, which is an intense three-week simulated tactical combat exercise. The unit performed acceptably and I foresee no problems with executing any expected mission." That didn't sound very encouraging, unless you knew more about Mitchell. He was the most decorated Field Grade Officer in the Starfleet Corp of Marines. An acceptable from Mitchell was better than a superb from many other officers. "I've already assigned Marine guards to all secure locations. I also have several Platoons assigned as a quick reaction anti-boarding force."
He sat down and Kirk once again took control of the briefing. "Unless there is any more to be said?" He trailed off and looked over the assembled officers. They all signaled their satisfaction in one way or another. "Well then, dismissed."
Most of the officers stood up and left, off to duty assignments for the most part, but a few stayed behind. "Keptin, any word on Mr. Spock? Or Sulu?" That was Chekov, but Uhura and Scotty along with the always-nosy McCoy were right behind him.
"You didn't hear? Sulu and the Excelsior are on the Romulan border, commanding a similar Task Force. Spock's getting the Newton." The Newton was a Constellation class Light Cruiser. "He's supposed to assemble some reinforcements for us and then lead them here. He's going to take command of Squadron One when he arrives." They continued discussing their crewmates for a short time, but Jim had to leave for a meeting with his squadron commanders.
---
"Captain, the Supreme Admiral will see you." The Romulan Centurion led the brown uniformed Captain through the hallways and into a large office. Sitting at the large desk was Supreme Admiral F'Lars, Commander In Chief of the Romulan Military and third most powerful man in the Empire.
"Captain, the Romulan Empire thanks you and your people for their assistance. I am most impressed by your ships and there abilities. Without your assistance the conquest of the Klingon dogs would have been much more difficult."
"Thank you, Supreme Admiral. Together, our two empires can grow and prosper. In time we will rule two galaxies. First we shall dispense of your enemies here. Then we will band together and destroy the Rebellion and restore the Emperor's legacy." Captain Halcon of the Imperial Navy added a small comment in his head; 'and once that is done, we will have no further use for you and the Empire will rule two galaxies...alone.'
The Supreme Admiral was thinking much the same thing. He was in a much weaker position for the moment; even his new ships didn't have the power defeat one of those "Star Destroyers," nor did he have access to the hyperdrive that would make it all possible. But he was working on all of that. For now, though...
"Captain. I'd like to take a tour of the New Territories." This was the official name for the former Klingon Empire. "I think it would be appropriate for one of your Star Destroyers to convey me." His tone left no question; this wasn't a request. It was an order.
"Of course. I'll inform the Ravager to prepare suitable quarters." Halcon was not just the Imperial Representative to Romulus. He also commanded the single Star Destroyer cloaked over the north pole of the planet. "What of Operation Argon?"
"Proceeding. The Federation has decided not to become involved, they also promise to destroy any ship that crosses over the border. Our patrol groups have been quietly herding a large Klingon Force towards the area of the border guarded by Kirk. When the time is right, I'll notify you and one of your ships can observe the battle."
The Empires were already thinking ahead to the next war. They needed to see how well Starfleet could fight as well as how they fought. The Romulans hadn't fought a large-scale battle against the Federation for almost a hundred years. The Empire had never fought them. They both needed better intelligence on this foe.
They had decided to use Kirk as the test since he had twice humiliated the Romulan Empire and was considered the Federation's greatest commander. Operation Argon would be a very important learning experience. Who knows...they might even get lucky and the Klingons would take out Kirk.
Chapter Three: The Frontier
"It has been two months since the leveling of Kronos. Starfleet has done little. The Enterprise and the other ships now under my command are now operating on war footing, yet there are no signs that we will be going to war. Many are becoming impatient, myself included. No one wants to a war, but just sitting here and waiting will only dull our edge." Captain Kirk ended his daily log entry, stood up and walked out the door of his quarters.
He had a conference with his departments followed by a comm meeting with his Squadron Commanders. Right now he was handling the duties of Starship Captain, Task Force Commander and Squadron Commander. It was beginning to tire him.
When he reached the conference room everyone had already arrived so he could start right away. He looked up and down the table at the different officers. Chekov at his right was the First Officer. To his left was Scott. Scotty was an interesting case; technically, he outranked Kirk by a few days seniority but he was considered to be third in the chain of command behind Chekov and above Uhura. An action only justifiable by the fact that Scotty wasn't command track and that he was happy in engineering and hated being dragged to the bridge.
Sitting next to Scotty was Uhura representing Communications and Electronic Warfare. Seated next to Chekov and across from Uhura was Lieutenant Commander Whitehall for Scanning. In peacetime he would have been the science officer. Next to Whitehall was Lieutenant Clerette for Helm and across from him was Gu'ye'vi for tactical.
At the opposite end of the table was Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell. Mitchell commanded the battalion of marines that had recently been stationed on Enterprise. With the marines and the increased crew necessary for combat operations, the Enterprise now carried a crew of about eleven hundred. Mitchell was a short, brown-haired man with a muscular build and the speed of a ferret. He was also a cunning and experienced field commander; Command wouldn't have put anything but the best on board Enterprise. McCoy was next to Clerette, while Major Rathel, the second-highest ranking marine onboard, occupied the seat across from him.
Once Kirk sat down, the meeting quickly came to order. It was fairly short. Each officer delivered a quick briefing to the others on the status of their department. It was a tradition Kirk had begun many years ago; this way, he was able to make sure all of his officers were familiar with the duties of the others. This meant they were able to operate smoothly together and could anticipate what each other would be doing and what they needed. He knew that his greatest asset as a captain wasn't his courage or his ability as a tactician; no, it was his ability to take a collection of officers and weld them into a tight, cohesive team. That team was the real reason for the unparalleled successes of his first five-year mission and the continued success of his later missions.
Chekov finished his report on the ship's morale and operating efficiency. As First Officer he was a generalist, not a specialist, and so there was little for him to report on this time. Scotty then spoke on the running of his engines and other ships systems, all operating at 100% of standard efficiency or better. For anyone who had ever served with Scotty before it wasn't a surprise, nor was his need to have the systems in better then perfect shape. It was for this very reason that Enterprise was the best-maintained ship in the Fleet.
The conference continued on as each officer gave a quick report and then answered any questions. It was then Gu'ye'vi's turn. "What has me concerned are these new battleships the Romulans have deployed. If we have to take on one of those things one we'll be severely outclassed. None of our ships, excepting a Dreadnought, has the power to battle on equal terms with a Romulan Battleship. Is there any possibility of getting some Mark V torpedoes? It's the only weapon in our arsenal that I'm sure can hurt a Battleship." The Mark V Heavy Torpedo had been developed several years ago for use on the Federation class Dreadnought. With five times the yield of a standard Mark IV, it was a potent weapon. Unfortunately when the Dreadnought program had been cancelled, so had production of the Mark V. The few Dreadnoughts still in service were all equipped with Mark IVs. A very small amount of the weapons were still kept in storage depots.
Kirk wondered if anyone else had even remembered they existed. He'd send Command an immediate request for as many Mark Vs as possible, and he'd also include a letter to Cartwright asking him to restart Mark V production. "Good suggestion, Lieutenant. I'll forward your comments to Command. Hopefully we shouldn't have any trouble getting some transferred to us." He looked across the table to Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell and nodded slightly. Mitchell noticed his gesture and took the opportunity to stand up, smoothing his dark green uniform and clearing his throat.
"My Battalion, the 345th, is at full strength. Before our assignment to Enterprise we had just completed a stay at the 'Blue Nova' training compound, which is an intense three-week simulated tactical combat exercise. The unit performed acceptably and I foresee no problems with executing any expected mission." That didn't sound very encouraging, unless you knew more about Mitchell. He was the most decorated Field Grade Officer in the Starfleet Corp of Marines. An acceptable from Mitchell was better than a superb from many other officers. "I've already assigned Marine guards to all secure locations. I also have several Platoons assigned as a quick reaction anti-boarding force."
He sat down and Kirk once again took control of the briefing. "Unless there is any more to be said?" He trailed off and looked over the assembled officers. They all signaled their satisfaction in one way or another. "Well then, dismissed."
Most of the officers stood up and left, off to duty assignments for the most part, but a few stayed behind. "Keptin, any word on Mr. Spock? Or Sulu?" That was Chekov, but Uhura and Scotty along with the always-nosy McCoy were right behind him.
"You didn't hear? Sulu and the Excelsior are on the Romulan border, commanding a similar Task Force. Spock's getting the Newton." The Newton was a Constellation class Light Cruiser. "He's supposed to assemble some reinforcements for us and then lead them here. He's going to take command of Squadron One when he arrives." They continued discussing their crewmates for a short time, but Jim had to leave for a meeting with his squadron commanders.
---
"Captain, the Supreme Admiral will see you." The Romulan Centurion led the brown uniformed Captain through the hallways and into a large office. Sitting at the large desk was Supreme Admiral F'Lars, Commander In Chief of the Romulan Military and third most powerful man in the Empire.
"Captain, the Romulan Empire thanks you and your people for their assistance. I am most impressed by your ships and there abilities. Without your assistance the conquest of the Klingon dogs would have been much more difficult."
"Thank you, Supreme Admiral. Together, our two empires can grow and prosper. In time we will rule two galaxies. First we shall dispense of your enemies here. Then we will band together and destroy the Rebellion and restore the Emperor's legacy." Captain Halcon of the Imperial Navy added a small comment in his head; 'and once that is done, we will have no further use for you and the Empire will rule two galaxies...alone.'
The Supreme Admiral was thinking much the same thing. He was in a much weaker position for the moment; even his new ships didn't have the power defeat one of those "Star Destroyers," nor did he have access to the hyperdrive that would make it all possible. But he was working on all of that. For now, though...
"Captain. I'd like to take a tour of the New Territories." This was the official name for the former Klingon Empire. "I think it would be appropriate for one of your Star Destroyers to convey me." His tone left no question; this wasn't a request. It was an order.
"Of course. I'll inform the Ravager to prepare suitable quarters." Halcon was not just the Imperial Representative to Romulus. He also commanded the single Star Destroyer cloaked over the north pole of the planet. "What of Operation Argon?"
"Proceeding. The Federation has decided not to become involved, they also promise to destroy any ship that crosses over the border. Our patrol groups have been quietly herding a large Klingon Force towards the area of the border guarded by Kirk. When the time is right, I'll notify you and one of your ships can observe the battle."
The Empires were already thinking ahead to the next war. They needed to see how well Starfleet could fight as well as how they fought. The Romulans hadn't fought a large-scale battle against the Federation for almost a hundred years. The Empire had never fought them. They both needed better intelligence on this foe.
They had decided to use Kirk as the test since he had twice humiliated the Romulan Empire and was considered the Federation's greatest commander. Operation Argon would be a very important learning experience. Who knows...they might even get lucky and the Klingons would take out Kirk.