"Anatomy of a War" - Alt-Trekverse Fic

[Steve]

Washington D.C., Earth, Alliance of Democratic Nations
Universe Designate HE-1
2 December 2153 AST
01:04 GST


President Mamatmas was in the den of the White House, three of his grandchildren by his adopted children (after he and his wife Karyn had their first son Kevin, Karyn had developed an illness and had to have a hysterectomy and they had taken to adoption for more children) seated about him, as a computer animated kids' show played on the den's television. Five year old Tamika cuddled beside him on the couch while seven year olds Michael Jr. and Evelyn sat in other chairs. Mamatmas watched patiently, not really enthralled by the very childish antics of the characters, but happy to be with his grandkids whom he saw so very little of.
Of course, as there was a war on, Mamatmas could be called away at any time, and his grandkids became very apprehensive when the phone beside the couch started ringing. Mamatmas nodded at Michael, who dutifully paused the screen while he reached for the phone. Underneath it's slot in the base were two lights, green and red, and it was the red light showing, telling him it was a secured line. Seeing this, he pressed a finger to the base of the phone, allowing the electronics built in to scan the DNA of his skin cells to determine who he was. "Hello?" he answered when the light on the phone confirmed he'd been cleared and the line opened.
Director Bronson was on the other end. "Good evening, Mister President. I have a piece of good news for you."
"And that would be?"
"I just got a report from New Tel Aviv. Our Mossad cryptographers have broken the Cardassians' naval code. They're working on interpreting the latest comm intercepts now."
"Wonderful news. Keep me appraised." Mamatmas turned the phone off and looked back to his grandkids. "Don't worry, kids, I'm not being called away yet. Turn the movie back on."
Michael Jr. dutifully obeyed.



Ikila, Bajor, Cardassian Union
01:45 GST


The holy city of Ikila was the spiritual center of Bajor. Though there were far larger cities elsewhere, Ikila stood above them all, for it was the home of the Kai and the Great Temple of the Prophets, a structure that had stood for millennia as a testament to the beauty of Bajoran architecture and the skill of her ancient engineers.
Ikila's population numbered about 300,000 Bajorans. Counting all of the towns and villages around it, the entire area had a population of about half a million, and in fact there was farmland all around it, for the Bajorans had long ago decided that it was not proper to bring the natural life of Bajor too far from the Great Temple. And it was usually during the muddy winter rains that farmers were out digging and planting that which was best grown in the mud and cold, plants like the vegetable opila which restored the rich soil for the main crops to be planted later.
But now the farmers and their families were digging for something else entirely. In the towns and villages outside of Ikila - in Ikila itself - Bajorans flocked out to the mud and ignored the cold rain to begin digging furiously.
At about 1:15AM Alliance GST, Opel Nevis and his guerrilas had struck the local Cardassian offices and field base. There were not many targets for them to deal with, thankfully. Ikila had a Cardassian garrison of only one hundred or so soldiers in a small field base outside the city and only about fifty Cardassian inspectors for it's spaceport. The Cardassian presence was purposely light because the Cardassians believed the Kai and the Bajoran clergy pacified. An even bigger reason was that they also had a massive force of mechanized troops, over 100,000, less than a day away that would viciously suppress any attempted rebellion.
Dealing with this force was going to be the real challenge for Opel. But he and his supporters had spent a year smuggling weapons in, using bribery of the local Cardassian officials and forged documents to prevent inspections, once even smuggling in the weapons with other contrabands the local Gul and his officers wanted. Opel himself had come with the last load, just a day ago, having been smuggled through the Badlands to Federation space for transfer to a freighter of Federation nationals sympathetic to the Bajoran cause. And it was all for the purpose of defending Ikila when the day came to rise up in defiance of their hated oppressors.
As soon as the rebellion began, a number of things happened. Firstly, Opel and his people raised a shield dome - powered by the city's fusion reactor - to protect from orbital bombardment. The Cardassians got warnings out before being overrun, provoking some fear in the populace as a number of them became faint-hearted at their fear of provoking Cardassia. Finally, the Kai was asked to weigh in on the issue, but Kai Opaka merely responded that she would have to go speak with the Prophets on the matter. The Cardassians made sure that she got the message to oppose the rebellion, of course.
The panic ended as Opel Nevis' voice boomed throughout the area, his image soon appearing on viewscreens as far as four thousand kilometers away. "Sons and daughters of Bajor, I beg your attention!" the sixty-five year old rebel shouted. Opel, the writer the Cardassians could never silence and the dissenter they could never kill, the man now credited with founding the Resistance, drew the attention of millions of Bajorans. "I come to you now to tell you that the time of liberation is finally at hand! Cardassia, in her blind pride and arrogance, has provoked a power greater to her own and is now being repulsed! The Cardassian fleet has even chosen to flee rather than to give battle to their new enemy!" There was a roar from the crowd. "People of Bajor, throw off your terror for your oppressors! Work with me, work together, and we shall be free! I ask you to fight! I ask you to dig! I ask you to do everything in your power so that, with the blessing of the Prophets above, we can free our native soil!"
The speech alone might not have done the work of persuading enough Bajorans, but Opel had already arranged for news reports from the Alliance to filter in. The Cardassians no longer had one foe but three; the Federated Commonwealth and the Saint Ives Compact had declared war on Cardassia. This news, and the news from Cardassian sources that an "error in command" had led to the withdrawal of Cardassian forces from the fight at Darane, fueled the hopes of the Bajorans in and around the city. Cardassia's hold on them was finally at an end, and now thousands of the Bajorans were willing to risk it all if it meant they could finally be freed from the terrors Cardassian used to keep them down.
And so the work on the trenches continued. Three trench lines in all, circling Splendid Ikila, to be defended by a people invigorated by their faith and hope.



Space Station Terok Nor, Orbit of Bajor
02:00 GST


Uvil Koral, a 2nd Rank Gul of the Cardassian Defense Forces and Prefect of the Cardassian Oversight Authority of Bajor, was rubbing his forehead in irritation at the reports. The eastern continent of Bajor was now ablaze with a rebellion centered around Ikila. Koral cursed those incompetent fools at Central Command and the Obsidian Order who had now provoked a war with two more extrauniversal states when the man they were trying to kill had been on Bajor all along. Had the Obsidian Order really gotten that soft?
Koral now had to deal with the rebellion. He called down to one of his lead subordinates, 3rd Rank Gul Sevarak, who commanded the Central Mechanized Detachment, made up of seven of Cardassia's best-equipped and trained Orders. It was the Central Detachment that was responsible for keeping the knife at Kai Opaka's throat, and now that she had proven incapable of keeping her flock in line....
"Prefect Koral, what do you wish us to do?"
Koral's jaw clenched. "Wipe them out, Gul Sevarak. Every living Bajoran within fifty kilometers of Ikila is to be put to death for this act of outright insurrection. The severity of our response should keep the others in line." And hopefully the Central Command will deal with these damned Humans and end this spark of revolt once and for all, he added to himself.




Rouen, France, Alliance of Democratic Nations
Universe Designate AR-12
03:12 GST


At the age of twenty-one, Mathias Malenfant had recently achieved the rank of Caporel in the Sixth Republic's Armée de Terre. Unlike many young men who proudly served the French nation upon conscription into the National Service, Mathias had decided to remain for a longer term and had proven himself capable of higher service, being assigned to train as a member of the elite 8ème Division de Cavalerie d'Air (8th Air Cavalry Division).
Now that the Alliance was at war, the French Republic had ordered a partial mobilization so to maintain defense against the Japanese, Russians, and Germans, both on Earth and in her interstellar holdings. Reserves were being called up while various French Army units of sufficient skill were being assigned to the Alliance Army to fight Cardassia. The 8th Air Cavalry Division had been one of those units.
Now young Mathias was hugging his father goodbye. His father Pierre, who lost an arm fighting the Aggies sixteen years ago in Universe HM-1, slapped his son proudly on the back. His mother Marie handed him a final package of things she wanted him to have, and his younger sisters Marie-Anne and Caterina gave Mathias hugs on his way out.
Leaving his family's apartment in Rouen, Mathias took a taxi toward the bus station for his trip to beautiful Paris and the marshaling center chosen for the 8th Division. As he waited at the bus station, Mathias met a few other soldiers from the 8th Division or other units being called up, exchanging greetings with his comrades while waiting patiently. He looked toward the wall in the station and frowned at the propaganda poster recently put up for the war. It was a sad sight - the now-famous Bajoran mother at Gytep, covered in burns from the atomic explosion there and cradling the charred body of her dead child - and with it was the caption that read something like "Sons and Daughters of France, arise and avenge!" Mathias much preferred the poster that showed Marianne, Uncle Sam, and John Bull plunging bayonets on their rifles into a Cardassian soldier's chest with the flags of the Alliance and France above them all. It reminded him that France was not alone, that all of the Allied Nations were in this fight together and that they would drive the Cardassians back with their combined strength! Of course, Mathias placed his faith mostly in French élan, which would certainly carry the day if all else seemed to fail!
Thinking of la gloire, as young soldiers and sons of victorious war veterans were prone to do, Mathias passed his boredom in waiting for the bus by humming and singing to himself...

Allons enfants de la Patrie (Arise children of the fatherland!)
Le jour de gloire est arrivé! (The day of glory has arrived!)
Contre nous de la tyrannie (Against us tyranny's)
L'étendard sanglant est levé! (Bloody standard is raised!)

[CJvR]

Heads are going to roll over this debacle!
The Terrorist that they just made two more enemies to kill turned up in their back yard and set off a massive revolt, I would hate to be in the Obsidian order when that breaks. The guys over at Psycological warfare will be in just as hot waters over their inept propaganda concerning the great victory and the tactical retreat by the fleet. Perhaps they have been to acustomed to victory proclamations that they have forgotten how to spinn bad news. Poor Gul Torcet, he had nothing to do with either debacle but his neck is the one most likely to end up on the chopping block.

With the fleet codes cracked the Cardassians are one step from the abyss unless their commanders are bright enough to figure out that it have been broken, considering the changes in command that is rather unlikely although the paranoia of the Cardassians might save them if they change codes frequently. If they plan a major operation with cracked codes it is likely to be fatal.

[Zed Snardbody]

I was wondering when I was going to get another fix...

Thanks.

[Steve]

I've been informed that young Caporel Malenfant's division would be called 8ème Division de Chasseurs d'Air, not 8ème Division de Cavalerie d'Air. So I declare the designation retconned.

[LordShaithis]

*reads timeline on page one*

*head explodes*

[dragon]

*reads timeline on page one*

*head explodes*

I know the felling I got a little lost to. I wonder if Steve got lost while writiing it.

[Steve]

My apologies for the small update, but I wanted to get this out of the way. Suffice to say, yes, the Cardies are in a shitload of trouble in the upcoming battle.


Wexford Naval Headquarters, New Liberty, ADN Colonial Zone
18:10 GST


Again in meeting with his commanders, SACST-3 Fleet Admiral Simonov wasn't sure how to respond to their intelligence liaison's delivery of Cardassian naval orders, fully decrypted and translated. "These Cardassian reinforcements are heavy. Another five hundred naval ships of their 2nd Fleet, to go with the five hundred or so ships that were used in their last operation at Darane." Simonov continued reading. "And another attempt on Darane?"
"According to the intel, yes. We have a number of messages between a 3rd Rank Gul Kevem and Cardassian Central Command indicating they're going to hit Darane again within 48 hours."
Simonov rubbed his forehead. "We are supposed to begin a bombing offensive on the Cardassian siege forces around Dolan and Salmio in thirty-nine hours. If this is true, those bombers will come right back into a mess of a battle."
"I'll arrange for an earlier launch, Sir," Air Marshal Polk said. "It'll take some doing..."
"Considering the secondary objective of the bombings, can we alter the time table that greatly?" General Crawford asked.
"It should be doable. Give me a few minutes and I'll have the order sent to change the time. Messages will dropped with the special load to Dolan."
"Has the 14th LR Fighter finished deploying yet?"
"Yes Admiral," Polk answered. "Two of it's Fighter Groups are ready for operation. The 7th LR Fighter Group will be heading out with the 3rd Special Transport Group for the drop at Dolan."
"Good. Hopefully we can curb some of these transport losses. And that concludes this meeting, if you will excuse me, I must go arrange a few things to maintain the security of our code-breaking accomplishment and to prepare a proper welcome for the Cardassians at Darane. You are all dismissed."

[Steve]

WTC-3 Mother Goose 35, On Sub-Orbital Approach over Bajor
3 December 2153 AST
00:13 GST


Another group of WTC-3s was coming in to Bajor on what was being called the "Coffin Run" by cynical transport crews who'd seen too many of their own go down in flames from Cardassian attack. As they disengaged their ECSes and began their runs, eyes went nervously to the screens to watch the Cardassian attack craft scramble.
But there was to be a new element today. In formation around the transports were the sixty F-33 Spitfires of the 7th Long Range Fighter Group, now stationed on Darane for the "Dolan Run" as it was more positively called. The bulky aerospace fighters looked more like American F-14s of the late 20th Century than their more famous British namesakes of the Second World War, with swept back wings to be fully extended for atmospheric flight. Seated in the head of one of the formations, Wing Commander Greg Marshall flipped a switch on his controls. "Release drop tanks."
At that mark, all of the F-33s released the drop tanks that, now empty, had provided the anti-matter fuel to warp to Bajor, allowing the internal tank of the fighters to fuel their return flight. Unlike the naval escorts the WTC-3s had been given in their prior sorties, the F-33s had an advantage that would soon be clear to the Cardassian interceptors.
On cue, the reinforced Cardassian attack craft squadrons rose to deal with the transports. They had taken to remaining below the transports at all times, keeping the transports between them and escorting starfighters in orbit. But that was a tactic that no longer worked, as evidenced when a squadron of the F-33s plunged into the atmosphere along the WTC-3s, saying, "Feet hot" over their radios as they dove toward their prey. The Cardassian pilots were surprised by the arrival of these newcomers and some broke off to cover the others in their planned attacks on the WTC-3s.
Wings extended, the F-33s drew first blood with the use of their AIM-300s. The air-to-air missiles detached from their firing points on the underbelly of the F-33s and tracked down their targets. Shield flares appeared as they detonated against the deflector screens of various craft. In several cases the shields were not up to deflecting the energy of the explosions, leading to crumpled hull plating or even heavier damage, thus reducing the effectiveness of the craft. One exploded from a missile hitting too close to it's fuel tanks and another began to plummet from losing an engine.
More F-33s plunged down to meet the initial attack while the Cardassians sent orders to scramble more attack craft. The initial squadron got close enough, in relative terms, that a dogfight broke out in the skies over Dolan.
Still watching their screens carefully, the crew of Mother Goose 35 opened their bays and began jettisoning their SHALO drop pods. It would only take a few minutes and then they could begin their climb to get the hell out of here.


With a hand firmly on his flight stick, Flying Officer Quenton Lake pulled his Spitfire upward to keep his sights on one of the sleek Cardassian fighters burning hard on the WTC-3s. His HUD's targeting icon slipped upward toward the fighter as he pulled in behind it, until finally the fighter slipped into the box on the HUD and the targeting icon turned red while a buzz sounded in his ear. His finger pulled the trigger on his flight stick and two crimson beams of nuclear-disruption energy stabbed the Cardassian fighter. They lasted just long enough to bring down the craft's shields and slice open it's rear. Flames erupted from the craft as it stopped ascending and began to plummet.
A warning light on his HUD told him he was being painted by a Cardie fighter. Lake spun away and raced his Spitfire down, trying to shake the Cardassian off. "This is Archer 3. I'm being targeted."
"I see him, Archer 3," his wingman answered in an Irish lilt. Pilot Officer Cera McGinnty's Spitfire followed them both while Lake evaded a shot from the Cardassian fighter's compressor beams. "I'll get him."


3rd Rank Glin Pela Uvek kept her Dagger-type craft behind the Alliance fighter, doing everything in her power to keep the enemy fighter in her sights. It twisted and weaved, heading downward at a faster rate. A female voice called out, "Uvek, break off! You have an enemy on you!" The young Cardassian pilot did so, twisting hard and now noticing the new enemy following her on her sensor screen.
Coming around, Uvek focused her sights back on her original foe, who was now twisting to intercept her wingmate. But her craft now flashed a warning that she was being targeted just before another target appeared on her screen. Uvek realized it was a missile and immediately maxed her engines out, racing downward to try and evade. She twisted hard, seeing the target get closer and closer and closer.... She slammed on the retro-engines, slowing and twisting even harder! The missile overshot her and continued on, finally colliding with the ground and sending up a massive plume of flame.
Uvek was just recovering and speeding up when Cera McGinnty's phaser cannons tore into her craft. The hit was on her cockpit, vaporizing three quarters of Uvek's body and leaving her dead craft without guidance as it fell toward the ground.


A feral grin was all the celebration Cera allowed herself before the dark-haired native of Sligo twisted her craft away from her target. A third fighter had descended from the fight above in a failed attempt to save Cera's target, while said target's wingmate was being chased by Lake. She turned toward him and switched back to her AIM-300s, of which she had four remaining. Crying "Fox One!" aloud and into her helmet's receiver, Cera's finger tensed on the trigger and sent the missile toward her target. He began to maneuver hard to avoid it while Cera returned to Lake to keep an eye on his six.
Lake was still trying to get a solid lock when Cera's warning lights went off. She evaded the shots against her just in time, twisting away and warning Lake that she had someone on her six. Her exact words were, "Get the bastard you're on, I'll take this ass on."


In Dolan, the streaks in the air had again sent Bajorans not fighting the Cardassian siege forces scrambling to make ready for the arrival of more supplies. But the new sight of many explosions and additional streaks brought some curiosity.
The curiosity increased as small craft could be seen twisting and turning about in the air, firing on one another with phasers and missiles. In one particular incident, two craft - one Cardassian, the other presumably Alliance - came low enough to be fully visible, with the roar of jet engines becoming very audible. The sleek Cardassian fighters were something the Bajorans in Dolan were familiar with, but the Alliance fighter, with it's wings and tail fins, was certainly a new sight. The Bajorans watched anxiously as the Cardassian kept shooting at the Alliance fighter, who was dodging wildly, twisting here and breaking to the side there until.... Ah ha! A cheer came from several Bajorans as they saw the Alliance fighter shoot upward, slow, and cause the Cardassian to overshoot!
Within a moment the Alliance fighter pulled back downward and drifted to the side, getting right on the Cardassian fighter before it could move away. The hunter had become the hunted! Now it was the Cardassian's turn to try and escape, with the Alliance fighter staying on it fiercely, the two craft coming so low that the jet engines were starting to become deafening.
Suddenly there was a high-pitched repeating sound in the air as the two 20mm railguns in the Alliance fighter's chin came to life. Tracer fire streaked through the air, clearly hitting the Cardassian fighter. Even before the first tracers hit, flame began erupting from the rear of the Cardassian craft. An explosion consumed the rear half, causing the fighter to plummet downward with a sound that grew louder and louder until BOOM! The fireball of the crash erupted from the side of Mount Deyis to the east. A roar came from the Bajorans as they wildly celebrated the Alliance fighter's victory. The fighter raced overhead at a safe altitude, spinning and answering their roar with it's own to the continued cheering of the Bajorans.
Which was when a solid beam came from the nearby forest, spearing the fighter's rear.


Cera McGinnty giggled to herself, having seen the cheering Bajorans below, and did a quick spin to show off. She was about to pull back on the stick to return to the upper atmosphere when her fighter rocked violently. Warnings went off all around her as her HUD displayed the damage to one of her engines and a wing. There was no way she was going to make it back to orbit. Growling to herself, she shouted, "Archer 4 here, I've taken a hit. I have to bug out!" She pulled the fighter toward Mount Deyis and then pulled the eject lever. The cockpit and the anti-matter tank was tossed out of the frame of the fighter by their built-in thrusters. The computers had already been programmed with the "safe" landing areas - being Dolan and territory outside the Cardassian siege lines - with Dolan being the optimum landing site and thankfully in range. Cera watched her craft fly on to the mountain, where it went up in a plume of flame.
Normally not religious, she had been raised Catholic nevertheless and Cera whispered a few prayers of thanks to God and to Saint Patrick, glad her homeland's heavenly patron had seen fit to yet again get a little help from the Big Guy Himself in keeping her safe, no matter how long it'd been since she'd last been to church or given confession and the like. She smirked and wondered how good rations would taste, since it looked like she'd be living with the besieged Bajorans for a while.

[Steve]

Capital City, Cardassia, Cardassian Union
10:00 GST


The meeting had begun as soon as Legate Kelataza had arrived, again late from what Relim suspected was a rendezvous with his mistress. Gul Kevem sent them a message to the effect that 2nd Fleet was in position and that they would be launching a full sortie in thirty hours.
Now the discussion was directed toward deciding if Relim's strategy from before should be repeated. Yatar declared it a failed plan and insisted that all forces be placed into a knockout blow against the Aliance fleet at Darane. "Even now, we are developing counter-measure tactics to deal with Alliance fighters," Yatar informed them all. "Outer screens of our lighter warships can be used to keep enemy fighters distant through the use of their main weapons. Then we can use superior numbers to overwhelm their fleet."
"Those numbers will not remain superior for much longer," Relim retorted. "Our losses in each engagement have been staggering. The Alliance's ships carry more weapon emplacements than our's and they have superior alloys for crafting armor that easily trumps the hulls of our ships. If you would bother to look at the footage from the battles, Gul Hergata, you would see that direct hits capable of crippling our ships or a Federation starship are in fact absorbed by Alliance vessels of the same type." Relim slammed a hand on the table. "Our one hope is to hit them in such a way as to make them overly cautious, giving us time to recover and perhaps bring them to the negotiating table. If we destroy more of their carriers, the importance they place in them will serve that purpose. Having our fleet gutted in another direct naval confrontation will not, even with your proposed countermeasures, which I doubt will work to the level needed to nullify the Alliance's advantage."
"We cannot allow this war to linger for much longer," he continued, now addressing everyone at the table. "Though this war is not yet two weeks old, we have lost two billion tons of shipping capacity, including the loss of a one hundred megaton vessel and all of the troops and supplies aboard it. We have been unable to effectively counter the stealth ship threat, with which the Alliance has been cutting away at our lines of supply. It is like we are fighting the mythical Horvik, and even as our swords press against each other, the Horvik's other hands are at our throats."
"How do you suggest we end the war, Gul Torcet?"
"Maintain a plan to maintain reserves to hit their carriers, or redeploy portions of the fleet in strikes against their bases in their colonial zone," Relim replied. "We must do something to give them pause in this war. Anything to remove the pressure upon us."
"And if we fail?" Relim noticed the sharp gaze of Gul Keve. "What shall we do then, Gul?"
"There is only one thing left then." Relim returned the gaze. "We sue for peace."
"Even if it means giving them Bajor?"
"Yes. Every man at this table knows how little Bajor is actually worth to Cardassia. The decision to remain there and to pursue Bajoran expatriates was motivated by reasons of pride that, while freely entertainable in peacetime, must be put aside in war for the good of Cardassia."
"Gul Torcet, to give up territory is a... dangerous course to take," was Keve's reply. "Our subjects are kept in line with the knowledge that Cardassian Will is indominatable. This may change if we willingly hand over Bajor."
"Gul Keve, if we lose the fleet we've gathered, they will take Bajor anyway, and we will have lost the prize of the war. In our hands, Bajor is a negotiating chip to win concessions in other areas. Once we lose it, we have nothing with which to negotiate."
"Then we should not lose it." Keve rose from his seat. "We will not peddle our rightful territories away like some spineless Federation diplomat! We will make them fight for every inch of Cardassian space!"
Relim scowled. "If we lose our fleet then we will not have the weapons with which to fight for every inch of our space! The combat power of the Alliance fleet is unrivaled, we cannot simply blunder about with numbers and hope to win!"
"There is Third Fleet," Yatar suddenly said.
Both looked to him. "Third Fleet is still monitoring our frontiers facing the Ferengi, Klingons, and Federation," Relim said. "I'll remind you that we placed them there to serve as heightened border defense after our setbacks."
"Our intelligence states that the Klingons will likely have a succession problem. The two sisters of Duras have been hiding a nephew and son of Duras that they intend to hold up as a legitimate heir and claimant to the Chancellory. We will risk no threat from that quarter. And the Ferengi and Federation are no threats at all. Our reinforcing squadrons from Home Fleet should be more than enough to cover the border. If we move Third Fleet to Kurvak, then there is a force that can oppose Alliance landings on Bajor with enough strength to repel anything but the strongest Alliance fleet."
Relim scowled. "Why was I not informed?"
Yatar looked at him and smirked. "Currently there are no military applications to the information. There was no need to inform you."
Kelataza slammed a fist on the desk to get everyone's attention. "It is time to get back on track. I, personally, see no reason to reject Gul Torcet's plan. Given the appropriate number of ships, it should work."
Gul Keve nodded in agreement. Now it was Yatar's turn to scowl.
"As for Bajor, we shall see how the battle goes. Even if we lose, certainly the Alliance will accept an alteration to the Bajorans' legal status in our empire and the granting of self-rule. We will even offer to pull our troops off-world and to keep them out unless they're needed for security reasons."
"The Alliance will not be satisfied by anything less than Bajoran political independence."
"This would be independence, Gul. A compromise position, one I do not think the Alliance can lightly pass up. After all, who knows what could happen in war." Kelataza stood. "Our plans are fixed. For the good of Cardassia, we must prevail in the coming battle."

[CJvR]

Attacking a position the enemy must defend with insufficient firepower, no surprise, inferior technology, inadequate reserves and an emeny who is reading your mail... Not really a winning concept.

[Steve]

Dolan, Bajor, Cardassian Union
23:22 GST


The besieged city of Dolan is within a small gap between mountains in Bajor's northern regions. It was easily-defended as such, as the Cardassians had now learned, but at the same time it was easy to block off. Only three roads led out of the city, and only one - heading southeast - came to a town within a two hour drive.
Sitting on that road was the Ikor Pavak Provisional Group, a force of about 500 Cardassian soldiers who had been placed into the army as a result of committing crimes. The Cardassians used their convict-soldiers as cannon fodder in most cases, and as such used them widely on Bajor, since it was better for the convicts to get killed than trained professional soldiers. This policy had backfired in one key area; the Ikor and their criminal compatriots were prone to committing vicious atrocity after atrocity. These men had often served time in labor camps and prison mines themselves and had no compunction about doing to others what they'd had done to themselves, especially since they were still subject to the same punishments they'd been under while in confinement.
Ikor Pavak had a reputation among the people of Dolan already. Their forward position was within eyesight of several rebel observation posts, and it was here that the Ikor placed their prisoners... after they were through with them, and the screams of their victims were often audible to the Bajoran defense lines when the guns were silent. After the Ikor finished amusing themselves by gang-raping and torturing their prisoners - usually Bajorans from outside Dolan who foolishly tried to break through at night with handfuls of supplies or news pamphlets - they often killed them by cutting open their bellies and pulling their intestines out, hanging their expiring victims from nearby trees and posts with their own entrails and always ensuring that the Bajorans in Dolan could see the fate of their countrymen.
Atrocities like this usually stiffened Bajoran resolve and instilled anger at the same time, while for other Cardassian units, it increased contempt and hatred for the "convict-conscripts". There were in fact long-running hatreds between the convict troops and the main army, the latter blaming the former for the vicious insurgency they often had to die fighting against, while the former simply hated the latter without reason or purpose.
Members of Ikor Pavak bragged often that they had no fear of death. And their questionable valor was about to be tested in a way they hadn't yet imagined....



Bomber Atomic Dolphin


Miles above the Ikor Pavak, sixty B-202 aerospace bombers dropped into the atmosphere. F-33 Spitfires plunged down once more to intercept Cardassian attack craft while naval F-31 Hellcats and A-12 Marauders from the carrier Audacious dealt with targets that might strike from space.
At the piloting controls for the B-202 Bomber called the Atomic Dolphin, Squadron Leader Sheppard took a drag from his lit cigar while the bombardier reported that they were ready to drop. "Okay Cardies, here's yer wake up call. Hope you like yer breakfast hot."
From the bellies of all sixty bombers, tons of napalm explosives poured out. Each bomb was guided in the same fashion as a SHALO transport pod, with clearly delineated areas for landing. The bombs were being concentrated on the southeast road and the areas around it. From his pilot seat, Sheppard lifted the B-202 out of the atmosphere as soon as the bomb bay emptied and was closed, all the while ensuring the bomber's recorders were keeping a record of what hit where. It would make... interesting viewing later.


The bombing was something the Cardassians had simply never dealt with before. They'd been given little warning, as their commanders assumed the craft above were simply more transports dropping more of those damned weapons to the Bajorans, and were mostly out in the open as the bombs went off about them. The napalm burned hotly, made of various synthetic petroleum and other chemicals turned to jelly form. Those who survived the explosions ran and crawled about in horrific agony as their very flesh was burned off of their bodies, coated as they were by the burning jelly. They finally died, one at a time, screaming until their brains were literally cooked within their skulls or their bodies shut down from shock or even being silenced first by some jelly getting into their mouths and burning into their airpipe. Even the bodies of their Bajoran victims were quickly consumed by the cleansing flames, which simply engulfed the entire area southeast of Dolan. Cardassian fire suppression units were called in to combat the fire before it could spread through the forested areas to other Cardassian positions. When the fire died, it would be found that every man in Ikor Pavak had been killed, many of them burned alive.
Thirty minutes later, another bomber group of sixty bombers arrived. Again the Cardassian attack craft scrambled and again the bombs fell, this time plasma explosives that hammered the troops around the western roads out of Dolan. Just after the bombings the Bajorans used heavy mortars and some light 75mm artillery that had been dropped to them to begin a limited offensive against the Cardassian siege forces, concentrated on the western road. The shelling was followed by teams and groups of Bajorans in ragged clothes carrying their AK-90s and newly-furnished MP-10s into range to lay down suppressing fire. Gul Odar assumed it was an attempt to break the siege and deployed troops toward the west to pinch off the Bajorans and stop the breakout.
In truth, dozens of Bajorans were going to sacrifice their lives for an entirely different reason. As the Cardassians pulled toward the west, a second force raced out of the southeast as soon as the Cardassians had finished suppressing the fires immediately upon the road. Mounted on trucks air-dropped in the last few runs by Alliance forces, only the outer edges of the formation contained the fighters intending to occupy the road. In the middle vehicles, crammed in as tightly as possible, were dozens of the smallest Bajoran children in the city.
From above more craft appeared; A-11 Tornados newly deployed to the bases on Darane. The tactical bombers flew low and strafed and bombed Cardassian forces attempting to intercept the convoy while further above, fresh squadrons of F-33 Spitfires continued to viciously dogfight with the Cardassian attack craft. There was the usual push and shove as fighters on both sides went down. Some of the A-11s gave support to the beleaguered Bajorans in the west, all of them volunteers who had offered their lives for the chance to get their children out of the siege, allowing for them to slowly extricate themselves from the vicious Cardassian counterattack. One A-11 was hit by a stray Cardassian shot and it's pilot and Sensor Officer forced to eject as the craft slammed into the ground east of the city.
After four hours of vicious fighting, the short-lived breakout ended with Cardassian troops again reclaiming both the western and southeastern roads. Dead Bajorans and Cardassians lay everywhere, but the Bajoran dead would have the claim to victory. Their sacrifices had not been in vain; over five hundred children had been evacuated successfully, to be dispersed immediately to prevent Cardassian authorities from finding them. Four B-202s were shot down, along with ten F-33s and four A-11s, leading to about thirty Alliance fatalities in their part of the operation.

[Steve]

Finch Army Base, Corworth 3, ADN Colonial Zone
4 December 2153 AST
04:15 GST


The Finch Army Base landing tarmac had an entire area cleared for the incoming shuttle, which was being welcomed by an awaiting party of officers led by Lieutenant General Chad Dahlstrom, commander of LXXXI Corps. The vessel touched down and a side door opened, allowing for officers to step out. The first one was a woman with a bionic arm in the rank insignia of an AFFC Field Marshal, accompanied by a Marshal and other officers. General Dahlstrom saluted the Field Marshal. "Field Marshal Bisla, Marshal McFarland, welcome to Finch Army Base. I'm General Dahlstrom."
"General Dahlstrom, a pleasure," Vanessa Bisla replied. "I look forward to working with the Alliance military once again."
"Pleasure's mine, ma'am. Allow me to introduce Colonel Isabelle Sampson, my chief of staff, and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jones, who will be senior liaison to your command." Dahlstrom indicated the two officers closest to him, a woman of mostly Caucasian complexion and appearance and a man of dark African complexion. Moving on to other officers, the introduction continued. "And this is Major Tyrone Lawson and Captains Reiko Tokugawa and Henry Frost, the heads of our junior planning staff."
Bisla introduced herself and James McFarland formally before moving on to other officers, including a young Oriental man with gray eyes and dark hair. "...and Hauptmann Kai Allard-Liao, the head of our junior planning group when he's not in his company command in our 2nd Battalion."
With introductions finished it was time to show them about the base, which was done in a convoy of open jeeps. Already a third flag pole had been added to Finch Army Base's main offices. Already the flags of the Alliance and the United Kingdom - the legal authority of the Corworth system - had flown, and now the flag of the Federated Commonwealth joined them.
Later on came the staff meetings, the establishment of a joint planning staff headed by Major Lawson, and other sundry things associated with establishing quarters for the thousands of Commonwealth troops incoming. Ten divisions worth of Commonwealth and mercenary troops as an opening wave, including crack units like McFarland's 10th Lyran Guards, the 1st Davion and Heavy Davion Guards, and three regiments of Wolf Dragoons, accompanied by one hundred and fifty combat starships of varying type and class, all assigned under the banner of the Federated Commonwealth Expeditionary Force (FCEF) with Field Marshal Bisla in command.
Within that first day, the plans were being prepared for Operation: Percival and the Commonwealth's official entry into the fighting.

[dragon]

That was a pretty gruling discription of the napalm attack but the Carrdies deserved it. Wonder how many thousands just died there. And now we get to see the mechs in action.

[Steve]

DNS Suffren CVF-2, Classified Location
12:00 GST


It was noon general-time on the carrier Suffren, newly arrived to the Alpha Quadrant and now close to the location it had been ordered to in preparation for an operation against the Cardassians. Seated in the carrier's CIC, Line Captain Emily McGruder and her ship's CAG, Commander Pierre du Plessis, were going over the final details of the operation while awaiting the final launch authority from command.
"Given what happened to the Kaga, it's no wonder they assigned an extra division of destroyers to our task forces." McGruder shook her head. "Something of a waste, though, and I don't like having extra ships that could get us detected."
"The Admirals are nervous from losing Kaga. They know the Cardassians are finally recognizing the danger of our fighters and that they'll be looking to take us out."
"They got lucky." McGruder sighed and looked to the comm station. Any time now, the order to sortie could come. It all depended on what happened over at Darane.



CDS Strovek Ikav, Near Darane
15:12 GST


The Model VII Galor was racing toward Darane at cruise speed and was not racing alone. 3rd Rank Gul Kevem was in his command chair, staring out at the grand fleet assembled around him.
Never before had the Cardassian Empire amassed such an armada. One hundred and sixty ships from what remained of the Bajoran Sector Fleet. Seventy-five survivors from the 1st Fleet, plus the entire 2nd Fleet of five hundred ships. Following behind them were three hundred ships from the Federation Frontier Fleet, their losses at the first fight of Darane replaced by incoming squadrons and elements of Home Fleet. One thousand and thirty-five ships in all. Seven hundred would strike the enemy at Darane, while the others remained behind as a reserve for attacking carriers.
Or so was the plan from Central Command. Kevem, however, had his doubts. He was at the head of the greatest fleet ever assembled in Cardassian history. It's pure weight should be enough to shatter the fleet opposed to it.
"We're coming into range of Darane, sir. It's time to break off the reserves."
Kevem heard his subordinate's report and looked to his sensor officer. "What is the enemy's strength?"
"One moment, running through spectrums.... Sir, reading over five hundred enemy contacts."
"We outnumber them two to one, then. With a fleet of this size...." Kevem put a hand on his chin for a moment. "Detach the three hundred reserves. All other ships are to enter attack formation. The battle begins now."



DNS Sam Houston, Darane
15:15 GST


The twenty year old Texan-built heavy dreadnought Sam Houston, now in Alliance service, was the chosen flagship of Admiral Helen Davis of the 14th Fleet. The "heavy dreadnought" had been an attempt to mimic the first "superdreadnought" of the Multiverse, the Israeli Tikvah. Admiral Davis, a native of the rich world of New Midland in the Republic of Texas (Universe FHI-8), had served on the Sam Houston as an officer during the Aggie War and had seen the great Allied victories against the Agresskan at Alpha Droxi and Korv'veka. Now she would again be fighting an alien threat unknown back in her home universe.
14th Fleet's strength had been effectively reduced by the First Battle of Darane. After the hammering taken in the last battle, all damaged ships able to withdraw were sent back to Kensington and New Liberty for repair, reducing Task Force 14.3 to about fifty ships. Ships like the Musashi had been patched up in space with the help of dockships but had not regained warp capability yet, so they too were stuck and would be forced to fight.
However, all of 14th Fleet had gathered now; four task forces with about 400 ships, reinforced by most of Task Force 5.4. The Alliance battle line now possessed fifteen dreadnoughts and seventy battleships as part of a five hundred ship force. Kestrel and Benjamin Disraeli were still present as well, their fighters launching even now.
"Enemy fleet approaching, Admiral. Seven hundred vessels on intercept course. The Delium reports that an additional three hundred contacts are hanging back."
"Waiting for our carriers." Davis bit her lip. She knew the carriers would come, but not at first. Command had something up it's sleeve, she was sure. A nasty trick... and all she had to do was play pin cushion until the carriers were permitted to attack. "Everyone, keep your eyes forward. We may be deciding the entire war here."


At 15:20 GST, 4 December 2153 AST, the Second Battle of Darane would begin. It would be, up to that time, one of the largest and most grand naval battles ever fought in the void in terms of the numbers of combatants. A battle to decide the outcome of a war.... and the fate of an entire race.

[CJvR]

One should always have a guillotine ready if the enemy is kind enough to stick his neck out at a convenient time & place.

[Trogdor]

A battle to decide the outcome of a war.... and the fate of an entire race.

You usually don't get quite this dramatic. One hell of a battle is drawing near

[Steve]

A battle to decide the outcome of a war.... and the fate of an entire race.

You usually don't get quite this dramatic. One hell of a battle is drawing near

Y'all have Marina (Duchess of Zeon) to thank for it. I mentioned it in an AIM Chat last night and she had an alternate proposal for the battle that I've decided to adopt for the most part.

[Steve]

CDS Strovek Ikav


With training-honed precision, the Strovek and the other ships of the Cardassian armada dropped out of warp together in such a way as to maintain their formations. The impulse engines on the ships fired and accelerated them forward toward the waiting Alliance fleet, half a million kilometers away. The distance was considered a dangerous one, but Zygola had proven to the Cardassians that if they came in too far out an Alliance fleet could whittle them down before they could close.
Immediately there was a hail of fire from the Alliance fleet. Missiles were now being countered by ships from each squadron with weapons set for low-powered rapid fire, filling space with fire as missiles were shot down everywhere. The other ships in the squadrons opened fire with torpedoes and compressors. Kevem had left the formation loose, another lesson from Zygola, which reduced losses from the fire.
The pure volume of fire from the Alliance fleet took out twenty-five of Kevem's ships and damaged dozens more to varying extents, but that was to be expected. As they closed within 100,000 kilometers the Cardassian fire was becoming more effective. Kevem's fleet barreled right into the center of the Alliance battle line, and as he'd hoped, the enemy admiral split the Alliance fleet to repeat Zygola.
"Are they inbound?"
"Yes sir." His aide, 6th Rank Gul Durek, looked uncertain. "Won't the Central Command be angry with you for this?"
"So long as I win, they will not care," was Kevem's reply.



DNS Sam Houston


Admiral Lewis' seat shook a little under her from the impact of four photon torpedoes on the Houston's dorsal and port shields. The Cardassian fleet had forced her to split her force, as they'd done to Kentworth at Zygola, which only aided the overall plan.
Light years away from Darane, covered by ECM and activity in the Badlands, were the carriers Enterprise, Akagi, Lexington, Audacious, and Formidable. They were awaiting a go code that would come from Command as part of a larger diversion op coordinated with some battle carriers and, if Lewis was right, two more of the fleet carriers. It was hoped that whatever diversion was being called would lead to the enemy bringing in their reserve meant for the carriers.
Which meant that for now her fleet had to take the hammering from the sheer numbers of the Cardassians. They had clearly learned from Zygola, coming in even closer and with a wider formation, and now assigning ships to be point-defense and shoot down incoming missiles.
A rumble through the deck told Lewis that the Houston's powerful 600mm mass drivers had just fired. They were built into the broadsides and bow of the ship, unable to be turreted, with two facing forward and six facing to the port and starboard. The slugs they tossed relied a lot on KE, though each had a plasma warhead or a smaller high-explosive one with AP cap. She watched with satisfaction as one of the Cardassian Keldons took a direct hit from two slugs, including one to a warp nacelle that caused the plasma circulating through it to explode. The ship rocked from the force and it's pilot lost control, causing him to collide with a Model VI Galor. The two ships survived for a moment before four 290mm particle beams from the Vaclav Havel sliced them apart.
The Cardassians were still giving them good, of course. With a grimace on her face, Lewis watched the valiant Musashi get battered yet again. She had evacuated Admiral Smith from Musashi, fortunately, but the rest of it's crew proved very unlucky as torpedo after torpedo pounded the wounded and crippled dreadnought to scrap until it literally came apart.
By this point her fleet was divided and was moving to link up again at the tail of the Cardassian formation. The Cardassians avoided the disasterous maneuver at Zygola that had cost them so many ships, remaining spread out enough that they didn't lose nearly as many ships.
So far the Cardassians had lost about fifty ships, with her fleet down thirty-four. This was not the pace she wanted, but she'd expected to get hammered before the distraction worked.
The ship shook again from two Galors pouring compressor fire at the Houston. Her secondary batteries of pulse phaser cannon turrets opened fire, pounding on the Galors' shields until they gave away. One was crippled by direct hits while the other twisted away, only to have it's tail hit by the Prince Amir.
"Admiral! Three hundred more enemy contacts coming out of warp at six hundred kilo-klicks!"
Lewis bit her lip. That was way too early. Nevertheless, it was what they'd wanted. "Signal the carriers, tell 'em the reserve's here!" The thin Texan brunette stabbed a finger at another station. "Have Task Forces 1 and 4 speed up and cut through the enemy fleet! They're trying to isolate them!"
It was at that moment that everything became clear to Lewis. The bastard Cardassian had never intended to hold his reserve back! Even now she could see his main fleet concentrating between the halves of her fleet, isolating Task Forces 1 and 4 to hammer them with impunity.
"Sir, we're having a little trouble getting through the Cardassian jamming. But.... a reply from Enterprise! 'Have not received go command. You must hold. Over.'"
"To hell with that!" Lewis' angry shout echoed in the command room. "You tell that Yankee sonovabitch to get his fucking ass here now!"




CDS Strovek Ikav


Kevem watched with satisfaction as his reserve came down on nearly one half of the Alliance fleet, isolating and hammering two hundred and forty-three of the enemy's ships while his main fleet easily kept them seperate. This had worked for the Alliance at Zygola; now it would work for him. Contact after contact began to wink out on his screen as one half of the Alliance fleet was mercilessly squeezed between hundreds of Cardassian vessels. His losses were creeping near one hundred now, counting both outright destroyed ships and those that had taken some kind of crippling damage, but he still had nine hundred warships with which to pulverize four hundred and thirty.
No, four hundred and twenty-nine.... twenty-eight.... Kevem smiled. This would be his hour of glory. He would prevail here, drive the Alliance out of Darane, and turn the tide back to Cardassia's favor.
Four hundred and twenty-five...




DNS Patrick O'Neill


The Patrick O'Neill was a newer Callaghan-class destroyer, armed primarily with nuclear-disruptor weapons (known as phasers in the ST-3 nomenclature) and torpedo launchers as well as point-defense weapons. In it's inner keel, Commander Roger Wolsely was doing his best to keep his ship alive in the fracas.
Patrick O'Neill's weapons were firing everywhere and concentrating on the smaller Cardassian ships trying to make torpedo runs on the French battleship Jeanne d'Arc. Nearby the Russian battleship Admiral Pavlov took five direct hits to her starboard shields and took armor damage.
Three of O'Neill's phaser beams converged on a Cardassian Ikvak and cut through it's damaged hull, allowing the pulse phasers on the bow to hit cleanly and take out the Cardie ship's left nacelle.
"Sir, more destroyers!"
Wolsely's English accent echoed in the command center. "Turn to starboard! Fire torpedoes!"
The Patrick O'Neill and the three remaining destroyers in her division turned toward the incoming Cardassian pack and fired their Mark XVs. The anti-matter torpedoes, a new generation meant only for ship use, packed a wallop that would become evident when all six out of eight made contact. Every first hit knocked down the bow shield of a Cardassian ship; the two cases of a second hit blew out entire portions of the ships' hulls and effectively removed them from the battle.
Immediately after this the destroyers opened up with bow energy weapons, as did the Cardassians. Patrick O'Neill took three beams to her bow, being the focus of three of the survivors before two died from Alliance fire. The ship rocked violently and pulled every officer and NCO in the command center against his or her harnesses. "Direct hits, bow quarter! We've lost Torpedo Tube 2!"
"Emergency forcefields in place!"
Even as these reports came in, O'Neill continued to fight. Her phaser weapons sliced into a Cardassian cruiser trying and failing to engage the Pavlov in a gunnery duel. Pavlov's 290mm particle cannons retorted and tore the Cardassian apart.
Immediately behind it, two more Cardassian Dorkaraks poured fire into Pavlov's wounded starboard. Compressor beams flayed armor away that photon torpedoes then pulverized, creating gaping holes in the Russian battleship's hull. Her destroyer screen was gone now, all lost to the press of the Cardassian fleet.
Wolsely wanted to come to the ship's aid, but his place was with Jeanne d'Arc, which needed his help. However, Jeanne d'Arc proved to not be blind to her comrade's distress. The ship's graser battery turned toward the Cardassian cruisers and raked them with fire.
As she did so, O'Neill and her division were faced with another ten Cardassian ships. The destroyer Zhang Yu-Lin blew apart under sustained fire while O'Neill kept firing despite taking hits. One hit destroyed the navigation bridge, killing all in it, including Wolsely's XO, Lieutenant Commander Travis Pierson. One of Wolsely's officers asked if they should begin abandoning ship. Wolsely's reply was short and sweet: "Shoot her until she blows!"
About forty seconds later, the crippled and dying Patrick O'Neill was torpedoed by a Cardassian destroyer. Her weakened hull could not stop the torpedo from hitting the damaged inner keel, blowing the ship apart and leading to the deaths of most of her crew, including Commander Wolsely.



DNS Enterprise CVF-1, Near the Badlands


In the CIC of the Enterprise, Line Captain Frank Mitchell was watching the feeds from Darane nervously. Behind him, Line Admiral Matthew Stark was hovering over the comm station, making the Petty Officer seated there very nervous. "Sir, I have a message from Admiral Lewis."
"What does it say?"
"Um.... it's.... well, there's foul language in it."
Stark read the text on the screen and rolled his eyes. "Ah, Texans. I can't believe they survived on their own in any universe."
"Sir, roughly a thousand enemy vessels have engaged so far. It looks like they committed their reserves."
"So it appears."
"So we should engage, sir."
"No, Captain Mitchell, we should not." Stark looked away from the screen, standing tall at six feet two inches with a head of graying black hair. His blue eyes were the same color as Mitchell's, and right now the mood they conveyed was that of the irritated flag officer. "Not until we get the go order from Command."
"Sir, Admiral Lewis is your superior officer. She's ordered us to engage!"
"Fleet Admiral Simonov is her's, and his orders to me are to remain here until the go order is given. So we're staying here." Stark eased back into his seat. "Keep monitoring the channels for the go order."
"Sir, what shall we tell Admiral Lewis?"
"The same thing we did before."



DNS Sam Houston


Sam Houston was now in the middle of an inferno. Desperate to free the half of her fleet that was trapped, Admiral Lewis personally commanded the two squadrons around her to follow her squadron into the enemy fleet to force their way through. Fire converged from all corners and erupted in the same angles, the Cardassians desperately trying to pummel through the defenses of Lewis' ship and that of her comrades while she was just as determined to punch a hole through the Cardassian formation to extricate Task Forces 14.1 and 14.4.
The Alliance fleet was now down to about 400 combat-effective ships in varying condition. The Cardassians had lost about a quarter more, but still had over eight hundred and fifty combat-effective ships in their fleet. The battle was clearly in their favor.
"Send to Admirals Kazinsky and Maynard. Concentrate fire to the enemies on our port. Admiral Richardson is to do the same!"
"Sir, our reply has come from Enterprise. It is a repeat of the last transmission."
Lewis slammed a fist onto the chair of her arm. "To hell with that bastard Stark! Send a priority message to Admiral Simonov and ask for the go order!"
As her comm officer did so, the ship rocked violently again as damage was done to her starboard by intense enemy attack. The mass drivers retorted and one slug ripped through a Model V Galor. The covering destroyers darted in to torpedo another Galor that had been gored by Sam Houston's pulse phaser cannons. One received a crippling torpedo hit to it's dorsal hull while the Galor's last shot took down another's bow shield. Two Mark XV torpedoes hit the Galor in her damaged side and blew the ship in half.
Lewis' tactic of concentrating fire on the ships at the bottom of the forming "H" shape was starting to work. A portion of the Cardassian fleet was now coming under fire from three sides.



CDS Strovek Ikav


Kevem was observing the maneuver of the enemy fleet. A decent strategem, all thing said, as the Alliance fleet could only hope at this point to isolate and hammer portions of his fleet enough to change the tide.
"Pull those squadrons out of that area. We'll let them make their union. All the easier to trap the entire fleet as they are bunched together."
"Wait.... sir, those middle formations are turning to port!"
"They're going to try to run?" Kevem tapped on his tactical screen. "Assign these squadrons to block them as well as possible. All ships are to maintain fire and pick off stragglers. I won't let them get away without a fight."



DNS Sam Houston


Lewis' screen showed the Cardassian fleet start to break up and reform in front of her force as the three squadrons she'd led into the middle bar of the "H" shape now formed turned to part. It was time to make a breakaway attempt.
This was part gamble; running meant that ships with damaged engines might not keep up and could be picked off. But Lewis thought she had the grasp of this Cardassian now. Tough and aggressive, but too aggressive. He hadn't even bothered to attack the planet yet; he focused everything on her fleet. He wanted her fleet wiped out, and it stood to reason he would pursue even after she broke out.
Now if only Simonov would send the damn go order!



DNS Enterprise CVF-1[, Near the Badlands


A beeping sound came from the comm station. "Sir, high priority burst transmission from Fleet HQ. 'Go Order is given. Commence attack.'"
Stark replied, "Authenticate it."
"It's authenticated, sir."
"Authenticate it again." Stark stood from his seat. "I want to see it myself."
Captain Mitchell hid his discomfort while Stark again hovered over the signals man's station, watching the computer re-authenticate the transmission. "Fine, fine. We have the go order. Transmit authority to all carriers to move into launch position and prepare for immediate strikes."
"Yes Sir."



DNS Sam Houston


The Alliance fleet had now lost an entire task force worth of ships. The battleships Jeanne d'Arc and Admiral Pavlov were among the dozen battleships crippled or destroyed, as were the dreadnoughts Musashi and Yitzakh Rabin. Sam Houston had lost one of her armor layers on the starboard side and several more of their capital vessels were in increasingly severe states of damage.
Nevertheless, Lewis pressed forward. With the enemy having cleared out from her immediate front, she was able to re-organize her fleet into something of a melon-shaped formation, though wide enough that most ships still had very clear lines of attack, with the least-damaged ships slipping outward while those with heavier damage moved closer to the center. Cardassian ships trying to penetrate the formation were blasted mercilessly.
After all this time, only now were the wings from the Kestrel and Benjamin Disraeli finally making themselves known in a decisive way. Having not been numerous enough to be effective in stopping the Cardassian press, also harrassed by the Cardassian tactic of assigning ships to anti-fighter duty by using their main weapons on lower-powered rapid fire settings, the surviving fighters now served as the spearpoint of the fleet, opening fire from range - some of the fighters using their last torpedoes or missiles - to break the Cardassian ships trying to block Lewis' fleet.
With her fleet's losses now over one hundred and thirty ships crippled or destroyed, Lewis' force plowed through the Cardassian fleet. The Cardassian ships veered out of the way to prevent collisions, often raking Alliance ships with their compressor beams and torpedoes even as they were subjected to intense fire. A Dorkarak that tried to get in front of the Sam Houston was blown apart by a direct hit from the dreadnought's bow guns; the helmsman maneuvered the Houston "down" and avoided a collision with the dead hulk.
Breaking free of the Cardassian fleet, Lewis ordered all ships to go to warp; those with disabled warp drives were given the order to conduct evasive maneuvers and do their best to survive. She didn't expect that to be hard; this Cardassian commander wouldn't waste time picking off a dozen or so destroyers and cruisers when he could pursue her fleet.



CDS Strovek Ikav


Kevem was quite irritated to see the Alliance fleet get free, but the battle wasn't over yet. He gave the pursuit order immediately with a force of 798 ships, leaving behind those with disabled warp drives to continue to skirmish with the Alliance ships in the same situation.
As the fleet jumped to warp, Gul Durek spoke up, protesting, "Sir, shouldn't we begin bombardment of Darane 4?"
"To hell with Darane 4. That is not the prize of this battle, Gul Durek. That Alliance fleet's destruction is the prize."
"We chased them off, though. Clearly they are defeated!"
"No, it's more likely the Alliance Admiral simply pulled back to quickly re-organize and attack again while we moved toward Darane. But now they cannot restore their formation freely, and enough of their ships have suffered damage to their warp systems that they are slow. Some of our ships may suffer the same, but we have enough ships at full capacity to hit them immediately." Kevem dug his fingers into his chair. He wasn't about to let his glorious victory get away like that. No, he must be remembered as the Gul who crushed an entire fleet of Alliance ships. Only then was his rise to power assured.



DNS Sam Houston


About two parsecs away from Darane, with the Cardassian fleet starting to enter range, Lewis brought her fleet to a stop and was re-assembling them into a wall formation when the Cardassians came out of warp, this time at 700,000 kilometers. This slight error was taken advantage of by an immediate missile barrage from the fleet's missile ships. Since the Cardassian fleet had gone to warp hastily and were not drawn up in proper formation yet (nor could they do so fully with ships lagging behind due to damaged warp systems), so their anti-missile tactics were reduced. Twenty Cardassian ships in varying states of damage were destroyed or crippled by the attack.
Lewis waited for the enemy to get into combat range and had her fleet, again, unleash it's full broadside barrage on them. Fifty-six battleships and thirteen dreadnoughts of the Allied Nations were an impressive force to behold, and this was their primary element. Heavy weapons fire lashed out at the Cardassians once more, taking advantage of the last moments of incohesion before the Cardassians managed to properly re-assemble their formations on approach. Another twenty ships were destroyed.
The Cardassians entered range and returned fire. Again their greater numbers, if reduced by the furious assault, were quite capable of causing extensive damage through volume of fire. One battleship, the Italian (SE-1) Conti di Cavour, took a hit that broke through the armored keel and hit a fuel bunkerage; the explosion it produced blew the ship to pieces and damaged nearby ships with small but fast debris.
The Cardassian formation now split itself into two, beginning to "ensphere" Lewis' fleet. Which was precisely what she wanted them to do, considering the message she had just gotten.



CDS Strovek Ikav


Kevem watched his fleet begin to surround the Alliance fleet and he waited. He knew the commander would not remain in such a compromising position forever, which is why he was holding back 200 ships of 2nd Fleet to again harrass them upon breakout. Kevem sensed that the victory was here for the taking. With their fleet annihilated, retaking Darane - or wiping out all life on the planet - would be a simple task. Certainly the Alliance would be so demoralized from such a defeat that they would sue for peace, and if they did not.... well, they would have to be dealt with more firmly, and the Cardassian Empire would do so without any pause or mercy.
Of course, he was a little concerned with the absence of the enemy carriers. He presumed that the loss of one of them had unnerved the Alliance command and they'd been pulled back to Alliance space, perhaps placed in a position to cover the other borders or kept as a reserve. It didn't matter, in the long run. Kevem's victory here would decide the entire war.
Still.... best to be safe. "Maintain sensor sweeps, I do not want to be taken unaware."
"We are, sir, but there is a great deal of interference from jamming on both sides."
"Then form up ships to be a protective anti-fighter screen! It is not that difficult a task!"
"Y...yes Gul!"
With those maneuvers done, Kevem nevertheless decided to commit half his reserve to the attack. Strovek and the other ships joined the attack now, battering away at the Alliance fleet. They were now down to 336 effective combat vessels, a growing number of them damaged in various ways. He was down to 749, having maintained four-fifths of his initial numerical superiority. Though, granted, the need to maintain a tight enspherement would probably whittle his fleet down as they tightened their formation as closely as they could...
Another Alliance dreadnought blinked off his screen, pounded to death by his fleet. Kevem placed his hands together and was thinking of just what kind of position he would ask for when his sensor officer started shouting....


Lt. Anahita Razmara was among the leading craft of WFS-28 when they came out of warp. Her F/A-32 raced forward, one among hundreds. The five carriers in the area had launched an all-out strike, each sending two hundred craft to attack the Cardassian fleet.
Anahita's squadron commander now received attack orders from Admiral Lewis. Her computers waded through the hundreds of contacts - far too many for her to personally sort through - to find her squadron's assigned target choices. She fired her engines on full, keeping an eye out on the Cardassian ships acting as screens, which it was her job to destroy. Finding one such destroyer, which was trying to kill some of her comrades, Anahita called into the comm "Fox One!" and fired an ASM-4 that was one of two to strike the destroyer, blowing it's bow off. She moved on to the next target, her squadron having been assigned to deal with enemy ships acting as anti-fighter defense so that the A-12s and FB-34s could hammer the enemy.


The fighters descended upon Kevem's formations like a ravenous horde of insects. Missiles and torpedoes closed the range quickly and tore apart ships already weakened by the fight with the Alliance fleet. The Alliance fleet also concentrated it's fire against the enemy on it's starboard, literally catching a large portion of Kevem's armada in a multi-sided vice.
From his place on Strovek's bridge, Kevem was trying to account for the sudden arrival of a thousand enemy fighters, apparently shielded from detection by effective use of ECM and the already-reduced effectiveness of sensors in the jamming used in a general fleet melee. He ordered the other side of the sphere to try and come to the aid of the side being attacked, but the Alliance fleet's formation remained such that the penetration was only causing them damage. Meanwhile the fighters were free to unleash their attacks on Kevem and the majority of what was 2nd Fleet.
"Sir, shields down to twenty percent!" a cry came out after a vicious tremor that rumbled through the Strovek. "More enemy craft inbound!"
"Evasive maneuvers! Damn you all, we can't let this stop us!"
"We need to escape!" Durek shouted. "There are too many of them!"
Kevem drove a fist into the arm of his chair. Now it was his fleet's contacts that were rapidly blinking out on his screen. It was sheer pandemonium as several squadrons were simply annihilated and others lost their command ships. The order of an entire Cardassian fleet had been reduced to frantic maneuvering and firing as small, swift Alliance fighters tore through their formations, striking with their deadly torpedoes and missiles at ships already weakened by a heated naval engagement.
His victory had been robbed from him. Kevem was too intelligent to allow himself to be deluded from that sad fact. The fighters had too much firepower and were able to direct it against a portion of his fleet that had drawn together to hold the enemy fleet. Even now his fleet had been reduced to less than seven hundred vessels, and many many more were becoming more and more damaged by the moment.
"Order our ships to break off. We have to regroup at the edge of the enemy fleet formation and fall back to...."
A torpedo slammed into the Strovek's bow at that moment. Kevem and his bridge crew were annihilated in a single burst of radiation and energy from the explosion the torpedo's anti-matter charge produced. The ship itself was destroyed a moment later by a missile from an A-12.



CDS Iravak


Upon the destruction of the Strovek, 5th Rank Gul Orel Kerecet became commander of 2nd Fleet. With due consideration to the newly-developed situation, her orders were immediate. "All ships retreat! Fall back!"
"Sir, Gul Palek is ordering us to hold!"
"Palek is not a commander of this fleet. Fall back to Telkur!"



DNS Sam Houston


Lewis watched the disintegration of the enemy fleet become total. In individual formations, the enemy to her starboard broke and fled. The other half of the enemy fleet was now open to attack by the fighters, which had not yet used all of their anti-ship weapons.
This second half of the fleet did not last much longer. Lewis' fleet focused it's fire on them, with far less of a numerical disadvantage now, and after their fighters came up and took out another couple dozen or so of them, the second half of the fleet disengaged toward the nearest base. The fighters followed them until they went to warp before stopping.
Lewis took a moment to think about the situation. 14th Fleet had been hit hard. Little more than 260 ships remained combat effective, with much of Task Force 5.4 also reduced in effectiveness. She was down, overall, to just about 320 ships that were combat effective and warp-capable, plus or minus a few that would be combat effective within an hour or two of repair, which she was not too concerned about.
However, the enemy had taken a hammering as well, losing a little over 360 ships in this engagement and with most or perhaps all of their ships having suffered damage ranging from weakened deflectors to lost systems and other hull damage, all of this thanks to the vicious fighter attack and the concentration of fire on the second half of the enemy after the first half retreated.
Perhaps more importantly, they were split for the moment. Roughly 375 ships had retreated back toward the main Alliance-Cardassian border region, the rest toward the Cardassian bases nominally in support of their positions in Bajor and on the Federation border, and her fleet roughly between them.
Which meant there was only one real option to take.
"Send out a request to Interdiction Command to have all stealth ships operating in the area harrass the two fleets' retreat. I want all squadrons of 14th Fleet reformed immediately and focus given to patching up battle damage as quickly as possible. Re-assign ships of the 5th Fleet where it's necessary to restore the proper strength of a squadron."
"What about the carriers?"
"The carriers must remain in Darane to present an effective blocking force to prevent easy reunion of the enemy fleet. But that's not enough." Lewis put her hands together. There was too much risk that a reunion of the enemy fleet could, with reinforcements, deny the invasion of Bajor. The victory here was an empty one if she did not shatter one half or the other, and it would be better to take the half heading back toward the main Alliance-Cardassian control line. "Inform HQ that 14th Fleet is pursuing the enemy and requests carrier support, likely in the area around the enemy naval post of Telkur."
"Yes Admiral."
Lewis nodded slowly and brought up the greater strategic map and a display of her surviving assets. She still had 320 ships, of which she would bring 240. Twelve squadrons to provisionally divide into two task forces, as her skillful subordinates were arranging now. Given the experience of the last three naval clashes between the Alliance and Cardassia, she would have an advantage.
Of course, she had no doubt that her Cardassian counterpart had felt the same two hours ago when the battle had started. In war, intangible variables were often the deciding factor in victory and defeat. All operations, all actions, were acts of risk. Defeat was still a possibility, but Lewis' fear of defeat would not keep her from making her victory here total with the annihilation of another Cardassian fleet.
There was a rumble through the Sam Houston as her powerful warp drive was energized. The 14th Fleet jumped to warp speed in pursuit of the enemy.
The Second Battle of Darane had ended. The Battle of Telkur had yet to be waged.

[darthdavid]

We need a jaw drop emoticon.

[Steve]

DNS Suffren CVF-2, En Route Back to Alliance Space
17:42 GST


The Suffren and her escorts were returning from their successful strike on the Cardassian naval base at Telkur. The base had survived the strike that opened the war, but now it was reduced to debris. The other surviving post, Verpar, had been destroyed by Suffren's sister carrier, DNS Kuznetsov, with other attacks being carried out by the battle carriers James Doolittle, Shokaku, Frank Fletcher, and assorted lighter carriers. The attacks had been a diversion, to convince the enemy at Darane to commit his reserve and thus opening their entire fleet to one overpowering carrier strike.
Now Captain McGruder was in her office, sipping on coffee and looking through the first after-action reports to be submitted. Her XO, Commander Regina Martin, was a very thorough and punctual woman, even if McGruder didn't like her attitude at times.
A call came to McGruder's desk unit. "Captain, receiving ELF from Command."
"I'll be right there."
McGruder stood from her chair and made her way back down the hall to the Suffren's CIC. There she was met by one of the senior watch officers, Lt. Cmdr. Richard O'Connor. He motioned her to the comm, where the ELF message had come in. "These orders have been authenticated?"
"Yes Sir," the Petty Officer at the Comms replied.
"Then send short-beam transmissions to our escorts. We are to turn around and head back to the area of Telkur. Signal the Evelyn Carver to begin wide-area jamming. Command's already got jammers up all along the border again to keep the Cardies in the dark."
"Sir, why are we going back to Telkur?"
"Because it looks like the Cardies took off from Darane with their tail between their legs, not realizing that Admiral Lewis is a true-blooded Texan who won't rest until she's blown them out of the stars. She's chasing the enemy fleet back to Telkur and Command wants us there to hit them when they arrive."
O'Connor nodded. "I'll alert Commander du Plessis."



DNS Noelle Cale, 29 Light Years from Darane, Cardassian Union
19:12 GST


The Valiant-class stealth corvette was on standard patrol when the order came in from Interdiction Command to harass an enemy force fleeing from Darane toward bases in the Calrel Sector. The Noelle Cale responded immediately, and travelling at her max ECS-active speed of eleven lyphs, she soon intercepted what seemed to be a very large fleet. Easily three hundred ships too.
The ship's CO, Lieutenant Commander Eliza Roth, gave the order to attack. Alert klaxons sent the crew to their battle stations. The enemy fleet was only traveling at eight lyphs, their commander clearly concerned with not abandoning ships with damage to their warp systems.
As their attack range closed, the enemy formation began to alter. A contact blinked out on the screen. "Sir, one of the others is in range," her sensorman reported. "A Cardie destroyer just got torpedoed."
"Warp-capable torpedoes loaded, Sir," the weapons officer added. "Formulating firing solutions for potential targets."
"Enemy fleet is dispersing a bit, looks like some of their lead ships are picking up speed!"
"Increase speed, even if it means possible detection! Lock torpedoes on the heaviest enemy ship we can hit in the first five seconds! Helm, prepare for evasive maneuvers!"
The Noelle Cale increased speed immediately.



CDS Kolarak


Gul Palek responded to the report of a destroyer being torpedoed by ordering, "All ships to full speed! Prepare for evasive maneuvers!"
The Cardassian formation began to loosen as those ships that could accelerated and maneuvered to pass ships that could not. As they did so every ship also began to scan actively for enemy ships.
"Sir, picking up unknown contact heading for us!"
"Open fire!"



DNS Noelle Cale


The Cale's helm began weaving as the ship came under fire. Two torpedoes came at them and missed. But the Kolarak's neighboring ships were starting to target the Cale as well, so they had to act fast. Two warp-capable torpedoes erupted from the main tubes and headed for the Kolarak. One torpedo missed and instead re-acquired another target and impacted on a nearby Dorkarak's shields, while the other torpedo slammed into the Kolarak's shields, reducing them. A flurry of Cardassian torpedoes raced out to try and hit the now-gone anomalous reading on their sensors that had been their only knowledge of the Cale's presence. None of the shots succeeded, thankfully.
Lt. Cmdr. Roth now turned her attention back to her original target, which would be out of range in a few moments. "Fire Tubes 2, 4, 5, and 6!"
Four more torpedoes raced out of their launchers, all heading for Kolarak. Again, one missed, this time not hitting a single target. The other three, on the other hand, made impact one after the other; the third faced no shields and detonated against the port warp nacelle. In warp flight, those nacelles were filled with plasma carefully contained within magnetic fields and special alloy substances. The torpedo destroyed that containment and the plasma quickly expanded, looking very much like a conventional explosion. The Kolarak shuddered violently from the ferocious blast while, simultaneously, it's warp field failed and it dropped out of warp. Ships behind it attempted to evade, but one Galor was not so lucky and plowed into the Kolarak at warp speed. Subspace physics prevented the kind of extremely catastrophic explosion that normally would have been the case with a superluminal object striking a subluminal one, but the Kolarak was still packed with anti-matter in it's torpedoes and fuel bunkerage, as was the unfortunate ship that collided with it, and the resulting explosion ranked well into the gigaton range while vaporizing both vessels.
The Cale moved on to it's next target. There were still a few dozen enemy ships that could not muster the speed to outrun them at safe speed, and a third and fourth ship in their wolf pack joined the attack. Some of the Cardassian squadron commanders now made an attempt to cover their slower friends, dropping back and exposing themselves to fire while trying to torpedo any anomalous reading on their sensors. The other squadron commanders, however, did not come to the aid of their slower, damaged comrades; they remained at high speed, getting out of range as quickly as possible.
The Cardassian ships had another disadvantage; they were low on torpedoes, having already expended most of their loads in the prior battle. Some of the ships were already out, having not been fully replenished prior to the battle due to a shortage of torpedoes in the base lockers; a consequence of the Alliance Interdiction Command's effectiveness. Compressor beams were virtually useless at warp, so once a ship was without torpedoes they could not fight back against the stealth ships. When able, they too went to full speed to escape the growing carnage as ship after ship was subjected to torpedo attack.
On the Cale, Lt. Cmdr. Roth was merciless in directing her ship's attack. A half-dozen attack ships were present now. Then seven. Finally one dropped off, having expended all of her warp-capable torpedoes due to her prior patrol successes. A second, the Keith Oppenheimer, met a sadder fate, getting hit by a lucky Cardassian torpedo that took out her ECS and revealed her for the Cardassians to kill with two more torpedoes.
Soon the Cale dropped back, low on warp-capable torpedoes. Others did the same. Some returned to base to rearm, others went back to their patrol. When the attack ended, forty Cardassian ships of varying class had been destroyed.

[CJvR]

So after suffering some 40% casualties about half the survivors is now retreating towards a base that just got wasted? To make matters even worse they are sailing through sharkinfested waters with one carrier strike force on their flank and another in their rear, oh yes and a battle fleet hot on their trail... I doubt it will be a good day for the Cardies.

This seems to be the end for the Cardassian strategic reserves. The only moves they got left will be retreat, kamikaze raiding and glorious last stands. Couldn't have happened to nicer fellows.

[darthdavid]

Burninate bitch.

[Steve]

CDS Iravak, Near Telkur, Cardassian Union
22:12 GST


Gul Kerecet was now very leery. There was heavy enemy jamming everywhere, keeping them from getting comms from the Central Command. There was something very wrong here, very wrong indeed.
"Anything yet?"
"Negative, Gul. Telkur is not responding, but the enemy jamming is be interfering with both subspace radio and subspace sensors.
"Keep looking. There is something very wrong here. Get me Gul Korep of 1st Fleet."
A few moments later a static-filled image of a Cardassian man popped onto the screen. "Yes, Gul Kerecet?"
"Gul Korep, I want you to take your fleet to Tervar and see if that gets you outside of the jamming field."
"Yes, Gul. Korep out."
The 1st Fleet's surviving 68 ships broke out of the formation, leaving Kerecet with 307 warships. "Keep your eyes open...", Kerecet said to her crew.
Several minutes later, at about 22:24 GST, the Cardassian 2nd Fleet dropped out of warp. Kerecet was horrified by what popped right onto her screen.
Telkur had been a base designed to dock up to one hundred Cardassian warships, plus berths for civilian ships. Now it was nothing more than a twisted field of scorched debris. "Picking up hundreds of impulse trails," the Iravak's sensor officer reported. "It looks like it was an enemy carrier attack."
"Dammit. All ships, prepare to..."
"Enemy contacts coming out of warp above!"
In tandem, two hundred Alliance fighters exited warp about 600,000 kilometers from the Cardassian fleet. A rain of ASM-4s came down on 2nd Fleet, which now maneuvered to evade the attack.
Another two hundred fighters came in from another direction now, this time at a range of 635,000 kilometers and on the Cardassians' port/ventral arc. Again there was a flurry of ASM-4s to pummel the unprepared Cardassian fleet.
"Form anti-fighter lines! We have to break out before..."
A crash of Cherenkov radiation behind the fleet flooded the Cardassian sensors. The 14th Fleet had arrived.



DNS Sam Houston


Lewis had restrapped in her seat just minutes before the fleet came out of warp. The Cardassian fleet had split up, but there were still over three hundred targets ahead of her.
Well, not three hundred anymore. The fighters had closed rapidly and were hammering the Cardassian formation. Ship after ship, having not been given proper time for repair, suffered crippling damage.
Now the 14th Fleet added to the carnage. She split the formation in two and brought them up toward the Cardassians, angling to the sides so her heavy ships could present their powerful broadsides while lighter ships darted ahead to interfere with Cardassian attempts to break free. The mass drivers on the Houston thundered once more as space filled with the fury of the Alliance fleet.
The enemy began to try and break away, even as their numbers were swiftly cut down by the fury of the fighter attacks. Lewis ordered pursuit, naturally. She hadn't come all this way to let them off that easily.



CDS Iravak


Kerecet's reaction to the arrival of the Alliance fleet was to have her fleet break to starboard. Those ships no longer warp capable were given the order to hold fast and delay the enemy so that 2nd Fleet could make good their escape.
In response to this, Task Force 14.2 accelerated to cut the Cardassians off. Kerecet's ships focused all firepower forward, ignoring for the moment the deadly stings of the Alliance fighters so as to force a breakout. The Alliance ships were thankfully damaged as well from the fight at Darane, and a number took severe damage from Cardassian attack; Squadron 14.1.2 was utterly annihilated as the spearhead of the Cardassian fleet broke through.
Still, the fighters buzzed about, often targeting the warp drives of their foes, and the other Task Force of the 14th Fleet adjusted to the maneuver to chase the escaping Cardassians. Kerecet kept losing ships for every shot fired, their shields long reduced from the two combats this day.
Finally she sighed with relief when Iravak was able to go to warp. A Galor beside them was torpedoed just as it's warp drive energized, tearing the ship apart. But the relief turned to dread when she looked at her numbers.
Three hundred and seven ships had warped into Telkur. One hundred and twenty-four escaped.



DNS Sam Houston


Eighty Cardassian ships had been deprived of warp capability before they could flee, not counting the ships outright crippled and destroyed by attack in the short engagement. These vessels now did the one thing they could do; they kept fighting.
Sam Houston rocked from a pair of torpedo hits that battered down her second-to-last deflector layer. Lewis ignored the shaking and continued to issue orders, pulling her fleet together to contain the Cardassians.
At that point the Cardassians turned to their last option: suicide. Each ship fired it's impulse drives as fast as they could force them, racing toward the largest ships in the Alliance fleet. Seeing the danger already from what happened at Zygola, Lewis had arranged lighter ships to create kill zones of heavy firepower around the battle line. These proved most effective, and as the Cardassian ships were not "fresh" but heavily worn down by battle damage, most didn't even come close to succeeding. Three ships alone managed to penetrate the defense lines; only one, a Dorkarak, collided with the shields of the battleship Cutler, penetrating through and blowing out the entire starboard side of the American battleship.
With this final act, the Battle of Telkur - the epilogue itself to the great Second Battle of Darane - ended.



Command Center, Cardassia Prime, Cardassian Union
23:24 GST


Faces were somber in the meeting of the Cardassia's great war leaders. Guls Hergata and Torcet, with Gul Keve and Legate Kelataza, were standing in a central room as the final figures came in.
Gul Kevem's grand armada had been the greatest single naval force Cardassia had ever sent into battle. Her crews had sent letters home boasting of the victory to come, and even the demoralized veterans of Zygola and First Darane had been reassured by the size of their force. But now those dreams were ash. The Bajoran Sector Fleet had been completely annihilated. 2nd Fleet had only 124 ships left, of which only about 30 did not require extensive repairs of one sort or another. 1st Fleet had survived with 68, with 40 not needing extensive repairs. The Federation Frontier Fleet had suffered the least casualties, with 42 ships lost, but again many of their number would require some repair.
One thousand and thirty-five ships had left the bases in the Calrel sector. 450 of them had survived. The disaster equaled that of the first day of the war.
"Darane is lost for good," Kelataza sighed. "We have not even begun to assess how long it will take to get the damaged ships from this defeat back into operation. We're still repairing the ships damaged in their accursed first strike and Zygola!"
"What will we have the Information Ministry say? Can we hope to effectively cover this up?" Yatar Hergata's face was paled. Relim wondered if he finally accepted just how bad the situation was, and if he'd cease with his political maneuvering. "Nearly six hundred ships lost for good. Dozens, hundreds more damaged. Can our shipyards even hope to repair that many ships in any kind of effective time?"
"The strategic situation is not totally lost," Kelataza insisted. "Third Fleet is heading to Kurvak, and our fleets hammered the Alliance fleet as well. They might not be able to muster an assault on Bajor."
"Assuming, of course, that they don't simply have another fleet coming!" Relim slammed his fist on the table. "We have no true idea of their full potential!"
Keve, so far, was the only one who seemed unperturbed. He, like Relim, was a combat veteran. He knew how to remain cool under fire, real or metaphorical. "Then, Gul Relim, what do you suggest? What should we do now?"
"What do I suggest? What should we do now?! Make peace you fools!" Relim swept a hand outward. "Bajor is worthless to us! Offer an immediate, unconditional withdrawal from Bajor and the Bajoran-inhabited worlds of the area in exchange for an armistice! That is an offer the Alliance cannot turn down! Do it now, before they take Bajor themselves and we lose our one valuable bargaining chip!"
"I... I will instruct Ambassador Kercet to amend our offer to the Alliance. We will withdraw troops from Bajor itself and grant them self-autonomy in the Cardassian Union. We will keep all troops off-planet unless we need them to enforce payments of tribute."
Relim gawked at Kelataza. "That will not be enough! Give them the damned Bajorans, wash our hands of them!"
"I will not just voluntarily give up worlds held by Cardassian troops, worlds on which Cardassian troops have bled." Kelataza glared angrily at him. "Nor would the Central Command."
"Give them Bajor now before they take it!"
"Third Fleet will prevent that. It is fresh, undamaged, and the Alliance fleet is battle-worn. No, I will not give away our territory so easily."
"Legate, with all due respect..."
"Silence, Gul Torcet! Do not forget your place!" Kelataza turned to Keve. "Gul Keve, any ideas on redeployment to make up for losses?"
"We could pull out of the Ulithra Sector, leave the ruins to the Talarians. I'm also attempting to organize a 4th Fleet, but it won't be ready for another three weeks. Until then..."
"Until then we have only 3rd Fleet. It will have to do." Kelataza and Relim exchanged another glare before Kelataza banged his hand on the table. "You are all dismissed to return to your duties."
As they left, something occurred to Relim. Something that he'd been waiting for, yet dreaded.
For the first time, Kelataza had not ended the meeting with an exhortation ensuring Cardassian victory.



Wexford Naval Headquarters, New Liberty, ADN Colonial Zone
5 December 2153 AST
01:30 GST


Admiral Simonov and the other service chiefs in Universe ST-3 were holding their usual post-battle briefing, enjoying a breakfast due to the time in Wexford. "Losses were... severe," Vice Admiral Conrad Poniatowski, Simonov's senior aide, informed them. "One hundred and eighty warships alone were lost in the general engagement at Darane. 14th Fleet lost another forty-eight ships at Telkur. Large portions of 14th Fleet are going to need serious repair work done."
"Kensington and New Liberty bases are still working on some of the ships damaged at Zygola. We'll have to send them back through the New Liberty Gates." Simonov frowned. "This will interfere with our timetable for the invasion of Bajor."
"We must invade soon. I sent the order for deployment to Darane out right after we heard of the Cardassians fleeing from the main battle." General Lumet took a sip of coffee while eyeing his unfinished crossiant. "No later than the 12th."
"The 10th would be better," Polk insisted. "My people are ready to commence bombings on their attack craft bases on Bajor. And according to what we've heard, the Cardassians are finally breaking through the first trench line around Ikila. If they sack Ikila, the morale blow to the Bajoran resistance would be devastating."
"Can we make the 10th with so many assets from 5th and 14th Fleets out of action?" Crawford looked to Simonov with skepticism. "Intel says the Cardies are moving another big fleet up to Kurvak. We'll need firepower to take them out."
"Don't worry about the fleet at Kurvak, my bombers will deal with them," Polk said.
Simonov steepled his hands together. "As we speak, additional ships meant to form 9th Fleet are starting to transit. Given 14th Fleet's current position, we should pull them back to Corwich and allow 9th Fleet to take up the position at Darane."
"I suspect the High Command won't be very pleased if we let 9th Fleet get smashed up too," Crawford muttered. "Battleships don't grow on trees!"
"We still have enough to bloody the Cardassians again, and I think they'll be licking their wounds for a long time after this last fight," Poniatowski replied. "And in a week or so, some of the ships damaged at Zygola should beccome available again. The crews at Kensington and New Liberty are working around the clock to get those ships back in action."
There were nods all around. After some more considerations were discussed, Simonov came to the most important item of the meeting. "So, shall we ask Washington for a preliminary green light on Operation: Crusader?"
Every head nodded. In five days, the liberation of Bajor would begin.

[darthdavid]

Cardies=Pw3n3d

[Zed Snardbody]

They just wont learn