"Anatomy of a War" - Alt-Trekverse Fic

[CJvR]

That should make it about 1400 Cardie ships lost with another few hundred in the yards, good time to hit the yards btw...
That would be about 2/3 of the reinforcements called up after the initial disaster. 2 of 3 operational fleets smashed, 2 sector fleets wrecked, one down to the last ship. Third fleet should be the last effective reserve available to the Cardassians, after that they will have to uncover their core systems by deploying major elements of their home fleet. Given the Cardie talent for making friends with their neighbors there should be plenty of knives being sharpened once this last disaster become known.
Even a Fourth fleet if organized will not likely be very effective with a mix of defeated scarred veterans, greying reservists in rusted relics and rookies as wet behind their ears as the paint on their new ships. A positive thing is that the Cardie officer corps most likely have enough depth to absorb the losses and still put up a reasonably competent officer corps for the new formation, given time to train that will be very important.

[fgalkin]

Hmmm....arent the speeds a bit too fast for canon?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Steve]

Hmmm....arent the speeds a bit too fast for canon?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Trek canon's warp speeds jump around the map. I've tried to stabilize them at about 20-25 light years per hour for the fastest ships.

[Steve]

Cardassian Mechanized Detachment Field HQ, Bajor, Cardassian Union
01:50 GST


Forty kilometers to the northwest of Splendid Ikila, Gul Severak surveyed the ruined husk of the Bajoran farming town Keytala. In front of him, his troops surged forward toward the Bajorans' second trench line. He smiled smugly, even if Prefect Koral had chewed him out a mere half day ago about how long it was taking to get to Ikila.
The Bajorans had used weapons from all corners of the quadrant, including - most devastatingly - munitions and weapons from extrauniversal sources. Anti-tank weapons, mortars, and heavy machine guns had repulsed every attempt by Severak's forces to break through upon their arrival at the trenches. They even had some light artillery that had devastated his first initial attempt to break the trench line ten kilometers to the northeast.
But the Bajorans were not professionals and allowed their emotional attachments to get the better of them. Instead of placing their line more firmly in the farmlands to the southeast of Keytala, they had tried to defend it long enough for the children and infirm to escape. Severak had exploited this in the past day by using small teams of his best troops to infiltrate their positions and destroy machine gun nests, mortars, and other key parts of their defense, after which his forces hit the city with three waves that finally broke the defenders. Now the survivors were fleeing to the second line while Severak's forces poured through the gap, spreading out to cut off the other sections of Bajoran trench from Ikila and forcing the evacuation of those trench sections.
Still, there were two trenchlines to go, and the terrain for the second was even better. Severak would have to find a way to break the lines quickly lest he lose more men.



Paris, Earth, United Federation of Planets
08:29 GST


President Tobis' face turned pale as he read Dayton's preliminary report on the second engagement at Darane. "That many ships lost?"
"At least five hundred if you count the Cardassian 2nd Fleet's apparent losses at Telkur. We're not completely sure yet on the total scale, of course. That could take a few days."
Tobis turned to his media head, Corina Montelbano of the Press Relations Secretariat. "How will the Cardassians respond to this? A cover-up of losses?"
"Perhaps. They may exaggerate Alliance losses as well. I would suggest we do the same, unless you want people to think it was a great Alliance victory."
"Yes, public acknowledgement of the fall of Cardassian power might interfere with our negotiations with the Cardassians. If the public loses their fear of Cardassian power they might not be as amenable to the planned terms."
"Still planning on giving up systems to the Cardassians?"
"If it is the price of peace, so be it. The idiots should've known better than to move to that region or to stay there, especially with what happened during Jirvshk's reign." Tobis sighed and put his PADD on his desk. "In other news, Admiral, we need Starfleet Intelligence to help back our new approach to the Gytep business."
"Oh? In what way, Mister President?"
Tobis looked to Montelbano. She looked to Dayton in turn and said, "The idea is to tell the people that this was the fault of the Alliance. Their government sent weapons to the area of Gytep to convince us that Gytep was a terrorist camp, knowing we would tell the Cardassians and the Cardassians might try something that could be used as pretext for a war. This way the Alliance Government would get the war with Cardassia it wanted but without being overtly aggressive."
Dayton's expression changed to show bewilderment. "What? That's preposterous! There are far better ways they could have done that than setting up Gytep!"
"Clearly they underestimated the Cardassians' capabilities," Tobis said.
"I've told you before, those weapons were sent to Mwinyiburg as a matter of law!"
"The people of the Federation don't know that," Montelbano pointed out. "And even if they did, it just goes to reinforce the image of the Alliance and extrauniversal Humanity as being a pack of brutal savages thirsting for war and killing. In fact, we intend to emphasize that their Humanity is inherently violent toward alien races in our press releases. This has the further benefit of being potentially harmful to Alliance interests in other non-human states."
"Furthermore, in the matter on hand, it would look convenient to the Alliance plot anyway, if weapons had to be sent to Mwinyiburg under law. It gives them plausible deniability."
Dayton sighed. Some things never changed, and he knew at this point that Tobis was desperate to deliver a success to the Party Central Committee to keep them from removing him later. "Anything else, Sir?"
"Nothing at the moment. Now, if you'll excuse me, Ambassador Kercet will be here later. He wants me to arrange another meeting with Ambassador Parmika. You are dismissed, Admiral."

[CJvR]

Brilliant policy that! Antagonizing the Alliance after it demonstrate it's savage military ability with disturbing clarity. Also making a treaty with the Cardies while they are getting the worst thrasing in ABQ history should make the Fed goverment look stupid enough for even the massive spinn machinery to throw in the towel in despair. The Feds are bandaging the Cardies pinkyfinger while the Alliance is disemboweling them and feeding their intestines to the crows.

Actually any world handed over to the Cardies is likely to end up in the Alliance instead unless the Cardies pull a major miracle out of their hat very soon. Could be a good flashpoint for a Fed-Alliance dispute to start.

[fgalkin]

Hmmm....arent the speeds a bit too fast for canon?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Trek canon's warp speeds jump around the map. I've tried to stabilize them at about 20-25 light years per hour for the fastest ships.

Yeah but 25lyphs is a lot more than ever seen in Trek. I mean, you could travel the entire galaxy in less than a year, not 70 years like Voyager.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Steve]

Yeah but 25lyphs is a lot more than ever seen in Trek. I mean, you could travel the entire galaxy in less than a year, not 70 years like Voyager.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

That's why I said fastest ship, and you also have to include fuel constraints, engine fatigue, etc.

[Steve]

The territorial exchange being referred to is the canon one and is still over two years away.

[dragon]

Hmmm....arent the speeds a bit too fast for canon?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Trek canon's warp speeds jump around the map. I've tried to stabilize them at about 20-25 light years per hour for the fastest ships.

Yeah but 25lyphs is a lot more than ever seen in Trek. I mean, you could travel the entire galaxy in less than a year, not 70 years like Voyager.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Not really there has been more than one instance where ships were observed travelling that fast. Even in Voyager there was a few times where they went that fast or faster for short periods of times.

[fgalkin]

Trek canon's warp speeds jump around the map. I've tried to stabilize them at about 20-25 light years per hour for the fastest ships.

Yeah but 25lyphs is a lot more than ever seen in Trek. I mean, you could travel the entire galaxy in less than a year, not 70 years like Voyager.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Not really there has been more than one instance where ships were observed travelling that fast. Even in Voyager there was a few times where they went that fast or faster for short periods of times.

Yeah but even at 5 lypsh, you'd still get across the galaxy in under 3 years. Hell, at a measly 1 lyph, it'd take over a decade, not a whole decade.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[dragon]

It seems like trek speeds are limited to the amount of fuel. Or at least from the post thats buried in the Trek section it seems. For example in the Chase they vist multiple star systems in a matter of days yet Geordi states the engines will need a tune up. It seems like if the there traveling a short distance to a nearby starbase it takes days or weeks yet if they are traveling across the federation it still only take a few weeks to a few months. So trek ships move as fast as the plot needs.

Edit besides who knows what kind of tech been shared between the universes.

[Junghalli]

Brilliant policy that! Antagonizing the Alliance after it demonstrate it's savage military ability with disturbing clarity. Also making a treaty with the Cardies while they are getting the worst thrasing in ABQ history should make the Fed goverment look stupid enough for even the massive spinn machinery to throw in the towel in despair. The Feds are bandaging the Cardies pinkyfinger while the Alliance is disemboweling them and feeding their intestines to the crows.

If you read it over I think it basically says Tobias was just trying to save his own precious ass from being eaten alive by political factions back home. He didn't give a shit about what it did to the Federation in general. So much for working only to better yourself and the rest of humanity, can't say I'm honestly surprised.
You do have to wonder though why they're so friendly with the Cardassians (a traditional enemy with a blatantly undemocratic military dictatorship) over the Alliance (a natural ally, being other humans, with a democratic government). I guess they just don't want to see the status quo disturbed too much.

[CJvR]

You do have to wonder though why they're so friendly with the Cardassians (a traditional enemy with a blatantly undemocratic military dictatorship) over the Alliance (a natural ally, being other humans, with a democratic government).

Consider how many here in the democratic prosperous west preached the blessings of Communism. How many shitty tyrants and dictators have not been supported by intellectuals and the masses alike who prefere to pretend their dream is reality and the real world an illusion.

[Junghalli]

Consider how many here in the democratic prosperous west preached the blessings of Communism. How many shitty tyrants and dictators have not been supported by intellectuals and the masses alike who prefere to pretend their dream is reality and the real world an illusion.

The Cardassians aren't ideological though, they're just nationalistic.

[Steve]

Washington D.C., Earth, Alliance of Democratic Nations
Universe Designate HE-1
18:50 GST


Mamatmas was at his desk in the Oval Office, Defense Minister Rathbone and Security Advisor Takahara seated in front of him. On his desk was the Alliance Council's newest resolution, a defense budget increase of $250 trillion ADN for the war effort. Mamatmas' signature was redundant - it had passed overwhelmingly and was beyond his power to veto - but there was no reason for him to not sign it.
Of course, the budget made him think of other things. This was not what he had wanted, really. The Alliance's long-term defense planning centered around the ten year program of infrastructure upgrade and R&D projects. There were still dozens of new technologies, particularly in the naval fields, that were going to come on the line in the next ten or so years, and it had been deemed better to invest in the long-term capability for a buildup with a modernized fleet than to pursue a larger fleet in the short-term and risk it being technologically inferior within a generation.
As Chancellor, Mamatmas had led the Council in establishing the short-lived Commission on Naval Strategy, bypassing the obstructionist and overly anti-navy Plotinikov Administration, chaired by a personal acquaitance and respected naval officer from the USSN (Universe HE-1), Vice Admiral Robert Dale. The "Dale Commission", as it had been called, spent the entirety of 2148 researching and recommended to the Council the partial naval re-armament, infrastructure upgrade, and R&D funding that was adopted in bits and pieces under Plotinikov before Jennifer Verdes became President and implemented the entire measure. The goal was to be ready to implement a full-scale naval mobilization with an upgraded, state-of-the-art fleet by the 2161 Fiscal Year.
But now that could be placed in jeopardy, if the war lasted too long or too much damage was done to the Alliance fleet. Yes, contingencies had been made in the plan to raise the actual fleet and military by up to fifty percent for emergencies, but nearly half of that contingency had already been put into use in the previous year after Wolf 359 and the perceived need to increase the fleet. The sum before him would completely fill the contingency and then some.
Mamatmas did not want to place the long-term security of the Alliance in jeopardy. As such, the war had to be brought to an end as quickly as possible, with preferably as few losses as possible. "Gentlemen, is the assault on Bajor do-able?"
"For the moment, yes. Yesterday's battle has eliminated the bulk of the Cardassian fleet in the region."
"Yet there were fleet movements to Kurvak according to our intercepts. Another five hundred ships. Are we in shape for another fleet fight?"
"Marshal Polk is planning an attack by aerospace force assets to hit that enemey fleet before it can interfere." Rathbone sipped at tea. "And elements of 9th Fleet are transiting the New Liberty Gates. Admiral Simonov and staff are assigning them to Darane and redeploying 14th Fleet's functional ships to Corwich. There might be some further shuffling of ships down the line, of course, but right now we're looking at three to four task forces of ships from 5th and 9th Fleets being available to support the landings at Bajor. And the distance between Bajor and Darane is small, so an enemy attempt on Darane during the landings can be dealt with."
Mamatmas nodded. "And all of the troops will be ready by then?"
"They're on the way to Darane right now."
"But they want to move the landing up to the 10th. We're making the schedule tight as it is. I'm not sure haste is the answer to this situation."
Takahara spoke up now."We should consider the situation on Bajor, Mister President. Dolan can possibly hold out with continued transport drops, but Ikila is under a direct assault by a large, professional Cardassian force, and in terrain that doesn't limit their movement greatly. Even with the weapons they managed to smuggle in and whatever we can bring in, they'll be lucky to hold out a week."
"Can't airstrikes blunt the Cardassians?"
"The Aerospace Force is running at maximum tempo already and the Cardassians' elite forces have far more heavy weapons that could be used in an anti-aircraft fashion. Airstrikes would not be able to stop the Cardassian advance."
Mamatmas nodded. "Well, that's everybody then. The Service Chiefs have signed off on Simonov's request to set the invasion for the 10th of December. Tell him he has the green light."



Paris, Earth, United Federation of Planets
Universe Designate ST-3
6 December 2153 AST
12:29 GST


Ambassador Kerecet and President Tobis were both rather surprised to hear the cackling that came from Ambassador Parmika. The Greek-born British ambassador tossed the PADD back to the table. "Gentlemen, is this some kind of bad joke?"
"It's no joke Ambassador."
"You could have fooled me, Ambassador Kerecet." Parmika's grin faded. "How is this much better than what you showed me last time? 'Self-autonomy'! Please! You'd put your flunkies in charge and then move troops back in the instant the Bajorans did something that displeased you."
"Our terms have not changed, Ambassador Kerecet." Parmika stood. "Your government will be well-advised to accept them now, before this war continues and we can find any more... questionable things that could make us rethink our terms. Good day, gentlemen."
Parmika left as he had done before. Kerecet turned to Tobis. "Are you going to allow them to get away with that?"
"I'll file a complaint with the Alliance Foreign Ministry. If Ambassador Parmika's behavior continues, I may demand he be recalled."
"I'm not talking about that pompous fool, President!" Kerecet placed his hand on the table. "The Alliance is a threat to both of us! You need to bring the Federation into the war on our side!" Kerecet tapped the PADD on the table. "We may even cede some of our claims on the border if the Federation sends Starfleet to fight beside us."
"I'll have to talk to the Federation Council about it, but I can't make any promises."
Kerecet responded to that with a sneer. "Then I'll be speaking with you again sometime, President." He walked out, leaving Tobis to brood.



San Francisco, Earth, United Federation of Planets
13:15 GST


After catching another suborbital shuttle from Paris to San Francisco - he hated METting or "beaming" as the locals called it - Ambassador Parmika was in an aircar twisting through the streets of San Francisco.
When the Alliance Embassy came into view after a turn, Parmika sighed. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of PAPAL activists and protestors were milling around the Embassy, nearly barricading it's doors. Parmika rolled his eyes at the various anti-war placards - "End the racist war against Cardassia!", "Alliance Leaders = War Criminals", and such were prominent - and watched as the protesters started throwing things at his aircar while it slipped past. Starfleet Security had set up a forcefield along his entrance route, meaning nothing could actually hit the car. Nevertheless, it was irritating.
Far less fortunate were the people trying to enter the Embassy. Some were from the Alliance, on Earth for various purposes, and others were Federation citizens either coming to work as native embassy staff or looking into visas to enter an Alliance member nation. The crowd showed no restraint, screaming abuse and hurtling small objects and such at the people while they strained against the physical barricades that Starfleet Security had erected. A platoon of Starfleet Security officers were present everywhere, monitoring the protest and keeping the protesters off the barricades. Inside the Embassy walls there was better deterrent to the protestors; a squad of Alliance Marines carrying MP-10s, which the protesters also screamed hatred for. The Alliance had, after all, "desecrated" the peaceful sanctity of Earth and it's paradise by bringing "weapons of hate" to their Embassy, making a "mockery" of diplomacy - or so was being screeched by the PAPAL activist currently leading the revolt. "Say 'No!' to Racism!" the young man screeched, a fist raised up. "Say 'No!' to War! Say 'No!' to these brutal warmongers!"
This had been the status quo at the Embassy since Gytep had been attacked. And Parmika didn't see it ending any time soon, though he was going to call up Starfleet and once again demand forcefield protection for people trying to actually enter the Embassy. This time he figured he'd put a little more threat behind it, since by interstellar law they had to ensure the Embassy could be peacefully operated, and allowing it's workers and visitors to be harrassed and pelted by activists certainly wasn't fulfilling that.



Camp Goodman, Krellor, ADN Colonial Zone
15:00 GST


Some of the officers and men of the 3rd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps (Universe SE-1), were seated in their barracks' rec room. About forty Marines in all, with every eye turned toward Peter Crocker, a reporter from the Federation State Press. Though most Federation reporters had been denied permission to become embedded journalist, considered unreliable for their service's clear political leanings, they were allowed to conduct interviews with personnel not yet in combat or deploying for combat.
Crocker was seated with a platoon's Gunnery Sergeant, Jules Gibbons, while the other men watched or chipped in answers. Gibbons' skin was several shades darker than Crocker's, and his apparent youth belied the fact that he'd been a Marine for something on the order of thirty-five years. He and his men were all in normal uniforms as opposed to BDUs, wanting to look somewhat good for their host. Gibbons hid his own disagreement with his officers' decision to accomodate Crocker as well as he could.
The discussion had initially been simply on what the Marines did, but now Crocker was asking, "So, you are not specifically Alliance Marines?"
"That is correct," Gibbons said slowly and deliberately, hiding some impatience. "We're United States Marine Corps, not Alliance Marine Corps."
"What's the difference, if I might ask?"
"Well, for one thing, no Colour Sergeants. The Alliance Corps chose to use that since it's a British Royal Marine rank and they wanted to give the Brits some little token since most of the AMC was gonna be American anyway." Gibbons smirked at that. "We call E-6s Staff Sergeants."
"And?"
"Furthermore, in peacetime we do not answer directly to President Mamatmas and the Alliance military. Our Commander-in-Chief is President Lucas Trimble of the United States of America Universe Designate SE-1. Our senior officer is Marine Corps Commandant Patrick Jones and, unlike our AMC counterparts, we are not an independent service but operate under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Navy. You gettin' all of this, son?"
"So.... you didn't sign up with the Alliance military?"
"Nope."
"Then why are you here?"
"The laws of the Alliance clearly state that in time of war the Alliance Government can call upon the national armed services for duty under Alliance command."
"And how do you feel about that?" Crocker was jotting something down on his PADD. "Your government didn't declare war but you're being forced to fight anyway."
"The United States Government did not have to declare war, as the duly elected Representative of the United States to the Alliance Council voted on our behalf. The same representative half of the men in this room re-elected a month ago."
"Still, your national leaders didn't get a say in this war." Crocker continued jotting down notes. "Clearly you must feel a little apprehensive that your government was forced to go to war by the decisions of others."
"That's how the system works, Crocker. Our voters knew that when they voted to accept the Alliance Constitution. Besides, some of us voted for Mamatmas too when he was running for Chancellor."
"Come on, you must feel something about being compelled into this war. It's not your own, your nation doesn't even have holdings in our galaxy!"
"But other members of the Alliance do. That's all that matters. The Allied Nations have to stick together."
"Seriously, you're being forced to fight Cardassia! Their army is one of the most feared in the entire quadrant!" Crocker scratched at his forehead, as if he were trying to get a certain response. "Don't you have anything to say about that? About being forced to risk your lives against all of those elite Cardassian soldiers?"
Gibbons smiled at that. It wasn't a pleasant smile, but a predatory one, as if he'd just been given an excellent opening to devour some kind of prey. "Well, Crocker, I'll tell you what my Marines and I think about having to fight the Cardassians. It has to be between you and me, now. No babbling to our superior officers. Okay?"
Crocker's nod was almost too eager. He leaned forward, hungry for what he thought he was going to hear.
"I think.... THAT WE'RE GOING TO KILL THOSE CARDIE MOTHER FUCKERS!!! OOH-RAH!"
The shout literally threw Crocker back into his seat. Gibbons jumped to his feet as his men chanted "OOH-RAH!" over and over again. "We're gonna make those mother fuckers wish they were never fucking born! We're going to kick their asses across the fucking quadrant!" He pointed to one of his men, who turned on a music system which began to blare a military march soon identifiable as "The Marines' Hymn."

"From the Halls of Montezuma,
To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of UNITED STATES MARINES."

"Fanatics," Crocker breathed to himself as they continued singing.. "They're worse than Klingons!"

[dragon]

Thats jarheads for you. The Feddies would have to be stupid to even try to join in. Even you gotta to wonder how they managed to win against the cardies the first time around with their altidue

[CJvR]

Marines vs PAPAL, quite a culture clash that. I hope the embassy guards have read their history so any excess passion from PAPAL turns into Beijing rather than Teheran.

The invasion of Bajor, the main event of the opening round. The Cardies will have to respond with as much force as possible so it should be an excelent oppertunity to destroy the last intact Cardassian fleet outside the core systems.

[Trogdor]

Can't wait for the 10th to come in your fic.

[Zed Snardbody]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I can't wait!

[Junghalli]

The Federation is actually thinking about going to war with Cardassia against the Alliance? I know they want to preserve the status quo but honestly, what the fuck is wrong with these people?:banghead:
I liked the culture clash between the Federation reporter and the US Marines though. It sounds like something I'd write. I have a species in my own SF universe that's ideologically similar to your Feds (but with enough common sense to actually realistically survive, unlike these nimrods) and I was thinking the Federation's view of the Alliance reminds me somewhat of their view of that universes' humanity (the two species are enemies).

[Steve]

13th Provisional Order HQ, Bajor, Cardassian Union
23:12 GST


Seated alone in his command office was an older Cardassian man of respectable height and build. 4th Rank Gul Ikval Luvar was a hardened veteran of many wars against foreign enemies and rebels alike. A stern disciplinarian, he was nevertheless respected by the men under his command, a motley mix of raw conscripts from various colonies and older professional soldiers without the benefit of battlefield exploits or political connections to bolster them to higher command. He kept them sternly drilled, having the older veterans teach the young soldiers appropriate battle tactics and firing discipline, and was known among the rough 10,000 men of his unit for walking around with a stick to support his limp right leg, a stick he often lifted and swung around while speaking to his troops.
Luvar himself had a few political connections, mostly in the field personnel who knew of his abilities as a commander, which was why he was in command of an entire Order despite his personal lack of "political qualities". These connections also ensured him protection from his known resistance to Cardassia's less... dignified orders toward the Bajoran population. He had forbidden the establishment of "troop service" that the other Orders were known for; the controversial practice enraged local Bajorans for it's theft of local womenfolk to be forced into what amounted to sexual slavery - in other jurisdictions the taking of women and young teenage girls had usually led to violent resistance. Instead he encouraged his troops to nurse relationships with other Cardassian women instead or to abstain until their tours ended. He had also done his best to protect the Bajorans of his region - the Kevima Valley - from higher authorities seeking to conscript labor or worse. The local Resistance cells had a grudging respect for the man and often left his troops alone, concentrating on other Orders with lesser commanders.
His secretary beeped in to inform him of a new arrival. Gul Luvar stood and returned the salute of his new Chief of Staff, 1st Rank Glin Kavel Damar. Damar was a younger officer, formerly in starship service but without any strong political connections. Luvar had liked his record for loyalty and competence and had asked for him after Damar's ship was lost to Alliance attack ships a week ago. With the Central Command convinced an invasion was imminent and the supply lines to Bajor nearly severed by the Alliance's infernal cloak ships, all available personnel had been diverted to the army. "Glin Damar reporting for duty, Gul."
"Welcome, Glin. I take it you've had time to look over my standing orders to the 13th Provisional Order?"
"Yes, Gul."
"Good." Luvar returned to his seat. "Please, come and sit. I have jevel, the finest grown on Ibaravak."
"Thank you." Accepting the mild stimulant drink Luvar offered from the pot beside his desk, Damar took his seat. "I want you to know, Sir, that no matter what happens, I am honored to serve with you. The 13th Provisional Order has the best rating of any provisional unit in the Defense Forces."
"Thank you, Glin." Luvar sighed. "Damned fools in Central Command. This world is not worth a war, and certainly not now, with our fleet badly damaged and our reputation ruined."
"But if we withdraw, certainly other worlds would be emboldened to revolting."
"Let them. We could easily defeat those revolts, and on many of those worlds our supporters have far better appeal than our supporters here on Bajor."
Damar nodded. "I don't take it the Prefect agrees. And I heard grumbling on Terok Nor that you were too soft on the Bajorans around here."
"You mean I don't let my men seize every pretty Bajoran wench they find for their personal pleasure. And I don't let the labor conscriptors take away workers in this area. And, finally, I make my men pay for their goods instead of stealing them." Luvar snorted. "This isn't some poor urban city, Glin. Kevima Valley is a patchwork of fishing and farming villages and towns. The locals here care more for their soil than they do for Bajoran independence, at least right now, and every man and woman is crucial to maintaining their way of life. They don't have teeming masses of unemployed or barely employed urban-dwellers to haul off to the factories, farms, and mines. So long as we let them live in peace and buy their goods fairly they will be content and we will have no problems."
"Until the Alliance invades."
Luvar smiled and nodded at that. "Yes, until the Alliance invades. Then, I fear, we might very well die for the pride of the Central Command."

[fgalkin]

Damnit! You're making the Cardies into nice people. How exactly are we supposed to cheer when they are all slaughtered?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[darthdavid]

Damnit! You're making the Cardies into nice people. How exactly are we supposed to cheer when they are all slaughtered?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

By embracing the dark side!

[CJvR]

Nice job of keeping the peace in a place that should have been a guerilla fighters dream. I can see why the cardies don't like him, like the Feds dont like their soldiers. People who spit on SOP and get better results from doing it their own way have never been popular with their bosses.

[phongn]

Ah, so the Resistance didn't off the competent leader to get incompetents in place, making the populace hate the Cardassians even more?