Personal Log: Ben Versteegt

Admiral Lonal's personal log
Starbase K'taria.

War is a peculiar thing, not in the least for a Fleet Commander. The last few days it seemed as though the war had taken a break; not only were there no ships spotted along the Federation border, but the Klingons and the Ferengi seemed to be ignoring us as well. Oh, there were the occasional battles with Ferengi scout ships who blatantly violated our territory to try to steal our secrets, but all in all, last two to three weeks have been remarkably quiet. Ever since the Federation tried and failed to invade K'taria a few weeks ago, they've been too afraid to challenge our supremacy in this sector.

The situation has improved drastically since our lost battle against the Federation in the Titus system. When they retaliated against K'taria, we destroyed their attack fleet easily. Between then and now, the sensor array at K'taria has been brought on line and reinforcements have been sent to us from both Romulus and the Klingon front. The destroyed outpost in the K'taria system (which I managed to escape before the Federation forces destroyed it) has been rebuilt, and troop transports have finished upgrading it into a Starbase. The outpost in the Ennan sector has also been upgraded, making it more difficult for the Federation to attack either system.

Also, our scientists recently discovered how to upgrade the shields, weapons and power usage of the Battle Cruiser command ships. These ship are the main bulk of our fleet and are currently being upgraded. Our hold on the K'taria, Ennan and Angosia systems has increased, and with the addition of the neighbouring system -- the Chalnoth -- as a new member of our empire, our position in these sectors is stronger than ever.

For that reason, I decided to send out another reconnaissance fleet. The last fleet we sent into Federation space to gather intelligence was brutally slaughtered by overwhelming forces in the Titus sector, and I was determined not to let such a tragedy come to pass this time. I sent a fleet of seven upgraded Battle Cruisers as well as seven destroyer-class ships and one scout ship, to not only gather intelligence, but, if possible, strike the Federation and cripple their supply lines. The fleet was led by the elite crew of the RNS Blood Raven, who have served in numerous victorious battles with distinction.

Under cloak, the fleet crossed into Federation space two days ago, and proceeded to the Titus system. The very same site of the destruction of so many Romulan ships was now the site of a glorious victory: they caught the few Federation ships in that system off guard, and destroyed the outpost as well. They moved on to the adjacent system, where, according to our intelligence, the Ferengi had placed an outpost. Our intelligence operatives were correct. The outpost in the Mizar system was quickly destroyed and the Ferengi opposition was dealt with swiftly and silently.

The fleet then moved on to a Federation system near the very edge of our sensor range. It took the fleet a while to get there, but when they arrived and dropped out of warp, they sent word back to us that they had entered the Sol system: the headquarters of the Federation. Surprisingly, the resistance in that system was minimal: several command ships and a few destroyers patrolled the area, and Earth itself was protected by a mere outpost, not a Starbase. At my order, our fleet decloaked and attacked the surprised Federation ships, who did not stand a chance against our armada of warships.

This relatively easy victory will increase popular support for the military, and it will show the Federation that we are stronger than ever. The attack on Sol has crippled their military operations for a while, and they undoubtedly now realise that starting a war with the Romulan Star Empire was not such a good idea after all.

I have just received word from my colleague, Admiral Vulnis, who is in charge of fleet operations along the Klingon border. It seems that his forces have attacked four Talarian command ships in the Talar system, and have won gloriously. It is well known that the Talarians are secretly aiding the Klingons, and Admiral Vulnis has rightly shown that such treachery will not go unpunished.

It seems that our fleets have achieved two major victories in one day after weeks of silence. It is a sign to our enemies that we have allowed them a brief respite, and are now pushing on once again. The Romulans are on the winning hand, while the Federation and the Klingons are struggling to stay alive. Such are the fortunes of war...

...And fortune, it seems, is on our side.

Computer, end log.

Categories: BOTF