Chapter 8: Forcing a Truce
Written by Dan Carlson
This is endgame. Late 2159 and afterwards. The success of Yorktown/Minotaur, Powhatan, Comet, and Conqueror.
Stage Three: Operation Steamroller
Map 8.1: Local Space in 2160OUTRIGHT INVASION. Start with a few outposts taken
in the southeast, wiped out from orbit and new UE stations established. But
the
Romulans are
actually
retreating, abandoning some of the worlds.
Go further to detail the UE push – it’s more than an offensive now, but an actual invasion. Taking out the Romulan outposts and setting up a new "defense perimeter." The steamroller is crushing everything in its path.
Try to stretch this out so it doesn’t seem like the UE has a cakewalk.
One Last Gasp
January 2160 - Romulans attack in Galorndon Core region. It’s their last offensive of the war. Romulan evacuations - Thierrull (Hellguard) as mentioned in "The Romulan Way." Call it their Last Gasp.
Andorians begin an offensive as well in the Devron system, debuting a new heavy cruiser that is powered by big fusion reactors and supplemented by reverse-engineered AM fuel cells (?).
Romulans debut CLAVICLE, their last big ship. It packs a heavy punch and the UE loses some ships in ambushes and defensive actions, but it’s too little, too late.
UE considers halting the advance, (enough’s enough, right?) but the Romulan resistance continues without pause. They want a guarantee that the Romulans won’t be attacking anyone any time soon. And so the UE begins to move towards the Romulan inner colonies themselves. Inaieu, Sotarek, Tranome Sar... but they don’t touch the Romulan homeworlds yet.
Go into around May/June as all hope pretty much disappears for the Romulans. They lose Devron, Rhei’ilhne (sp?), Tomed... only Cheron remains as their last forward outpost.
The Battle of Cheron
Image 8.1: A Romulan assault fleet.
© Thomas PembertonTrying to coordinate for a massive strike, just to make the UE think twice.
But instead, the UE ambushes them at their own staging area, and destroys
more than 70 warships. Operation Hammerblow totally shatters the Romulan
fleet, and since there’s no real response, the UE presses on.
Absolute humiliation for the Romulans.
The Final Drive
The Joint Chiefs authorize a strike mission directly into the heart of Romulan territory – Romulus itself.
Task Force 41 rushes past the surviving ships and is ready to take a shot at Romulus itself. With a couple of Conquerors, those Tannhaeusers, and the itching-to-be-used Farraguts, the UE is ready to attack the capital of the once-mighty Romulan Star Empire. Though the UE doesn’t plan on genocide at all, they just want a fun display to convince the Romulans that they mean business. It’s not really a bluff, more like a big threat that most people don’t want to follow through on. Though naturally there are fire-eaters who want to bomb them back into the Stone Age.
Map 8.2: Towards Romulus.
Image 8.2: Ships of Task Force41 in formation.
© Fabio PassaroRather than face such an attack
that could conceivably wipe out all life on Romulus (the senators
fear the worst of this attack), they offer to negotiate through
the Vulcans (who have been neutral).
Fighting three battles plus a diversion attack. After Cheron, half of the fleet stays behind to garrison this strategic system, while the rest of the fleet goes on towards Tranome Sar. They figure on another major raid, but not an occupation. After a battle somewhere else, UESN Intelligence realizes that they’ve nearly crippled the Romulan fleet – the Romulans show no inclination to surrender so they go for some intimidation. Operation BANZAI – diversion at Tranome Sar while the rest of the fleet makes a head-on run towards Romulus.
After Action Report: The Battle of Cheron
Negotiating a Truce
Setting terms over subspace radio, since the Romulans refuse to meet face-to-face.
Map 8.3: The Neutral ZoneEstablish the Neutral Zone, which basically follows
the current front lines, though the UE actually gives back a few planets.
Mainly
because
they don’t
really need them, and could be tenuous to defend at this point. Plus, placating
the Romulans just a bit helps– cooler heads prevail. The only problem is
the Andorians - the Romulans are demanding Devron back, and the A’ians want
to keep it. So they split the difference, and no one gets it.
The Aftermath: Earth
Number of colony worlds devastated, resources depleted, but the UE just kicked some ass!
Casualties: 118,452 dead, 23,386 wounded, 4,697 missing.
The Aftermath: Romulus
Sketchier information, but from what we learned, heads rolled after the end of the war. Government completely humiliated, had to completely rebuild– became much more war-like society, suspicious of any new alien contact. And so on. Contacting the Klingons, setting up yet another battle.
Casualties: estimated 350,000 dead.
Conclusion
General conclusion, and set up for the next chapter in galactic history: the United Federation of Planets.