– THE NEXT GENERATION Essay, Research Paper
Star date: 41176.8 Captain’s log.
This is my (Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise #NCC-17O1 D) account of the events leading up to and beyond the Federation and Romulan war (2380-2385 AD).
Star date: 32851.2: The Enterprise received a distressed call from a fleeing scout ship.
SOS… I am … under … attack!! request … asylum … Federation … Space!!..
The ship was pushing the limits of its engines as it hurtled out of the neutral zone — the volume of space that serves as a no-ones-land separating the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Empire. A powerful Romulan warbird was mercilessly firing wave after wave of disrupter blasts at the small defenseless scout ship. Once the scout was in Federation space, the warbird broke off the attack and quickly retreated back to Romulan space.
We hailed the ship and found out from her captain that he was alone. His name was Shaq, captain of the Check Mate. He claimed to be a Romulan captain in search of Federation asylum. I had never heard of such a thing; in Romulan society, loyalty to the Romulan Empire is more sacred than life itself. In any event, I was certain that we would learn a lot more during the next few days.
Star date: 32851.5: Captain Shaq claimed that he was defecting in order to prevent intergalactic war. He told us that the Romulan Empire has plans for an abominable new weapon for use against the Federation and any others who might dare to resist total domination of the Romulans. The weapon, called the Metagenic Device, would be launched from orbit to any planet and release a deadly virus throughout the planet’s atmosphere. The virus would then quickly infect all forms of life and cause fatal mutations in the DNA of its victims. Within twenty-four hours, all life would cease. Within thirty-six hours, the virus itself would break down becoming inviolable, leaving the planet’s resources free for plunder.
At this time we did not know if we should trust Captain Shaq, so I decided to send an away team to investigate his ship and its computer record. As I was ordering my number 1 officer, Commander Riker, with the away team over to the Checkmate, Shaq warned me against such action claiming that he had initiated a self-destruct sequence before leaving his vessel. Seconds later, the scout ship exploded. We immediately questioned Captain Shaq as to why he initiated the self-destruct. He replied, that though he wanted to prevent the war, he was no traitor and would not willingly give up the secrets of his people.
Star date: 32854.5: After two days of deliberations, we are heading for Romulus — the home planet of the Romulan Empire. According to Shaq, the Metagenic weapon was being
created there. We have no choice but to start a war to save the federation. I have convinced captain Shaq that he is a defector and now a prisoner of war as well.
Star date: 32855.5: We are at Wolf System 9 on the border where we joined a Federation battle fleet. We are going to Romulus in hopes of destroying the Metagenic Device. Regrettably history showed us as being the aggressor of this war.
Star date: 32857.5: After a two-day campaign, we where victorious at Romulus. With a loss of only 1 ship out of 6, that’s not too bad. But we lost over 1,000 lives, the Yorktown, and even with the victory all is not well. We where not able to find the Metagenic Device that Captain Shaq had so desperately wanted us to find and destroy. I had so many lingering questions in my head that only Captain Shaq could answer for me, so I sent for him at the Federation P.O.W. camp on Elpsolon 9. Soon after I sent for Captain Shaq the Federation sent new orders with 5 more ships to add to the fleet.
Star date: 32858.0: With the new orders we now know that the Federation wants us to launch an extended large scale assault against the Romulans. The Federation needs this mission to be a success, because eventually when the time is right they want to establish a starbase deep in Romulan space. That would greatly shift the power in the quadrant, towards the Federations way.
Star date 32917.4: It?s been 6 months since my initial encounter with Captain Shaq. We now have the controlling power in the quadrant, and we are able to keep control of the quadrant with the help of our new starbase D.R.S.6–DEEP IN ROMULAN SPACE IN 6 MONTHS. With an up and running starbase that has a fleet of 10 ships, if the Romulans want us out of here they are going to need some help. But according to Federation Intelligence they may just have that.
Star date 32920.8: Federation Intelligence has told us that the Romulans are trying to form an alliance with the Cardasens-another powerful revile race. The Cardasens are know for their powerful armies. If the alliance does go through, the Federation will be destroyed in a matter of time. So we thought it was time we get some help from the our good friends the Klingons.
Star date 32918.9: The Federation has sent new orders. We are to separate the Enterprise, and the drive section is to stay here and lead the war under the command of Commander Riker. In the mean time the saucer section and I are to go the Klingon?s home planet-City Alpha 5 to formally ask the Klingon High Console-a party that controls the government-for any help it can provide.
Star date 32963.0: Just as I was headed out for City Alpha 5, I received word from Federation Intelligence that our operatives are hearing repeated rumors about Captain Shaq. That he was used as a pawn in a plot to get the Federation to start a intergalactic war. One more disturbing rumor is that Captain Shaq was ill, and his illness caused him to become insane. His insanity would first turn him into a habitual lire, and then he would start believing himself, and
then symptoms would get worse, and he would become paranoid. Then the last symptoms of his rumored illness called marit, would force him to kill himself. Regrettably sense the illness is incurable, if Captain Shaq has it, he will die, and the only way to be absolutely sure if he has it is to test his body after his death.
Star date 32919.7: We had arrived at City Alpha 5. I had to go work to ameeditly, and time was running out quickly. I asked to talk to the leader of High Console-Gallron. The ship ride was the easiest part of the trip by far. I should have known that they would not give help for free. After 8 hours of negotiating, we hammered out a deal. Once the our alliance wins the war, the Klingons have all rights to the Cardasens and to the Cardasen space. All I ask for is full military support, and when we win that, they don’t kill their Cardasen P.O.W.s. They agreed to just enslave them all and kill the Cardasen military leaders. I had no choice but to live with that deal the Federation will need help.
Star date 32922.4: The Enterprise is now together, and we have learned that Gallron wasted no time. He launched a full scale assault on the Cardasens. He hit them hard, and he hit fast. Within hours of our negotiating he launched assault using 90% of the Klingon military. We are not yet sure if he will win. The Federation ordered us to hold off on all assaults until they send word to D.R.S.6 on how Gallrons forces are doing, and if they need help or if they will be joining us soon.
Star date 32933.7: We have received word from the Federation that Gallrons Klingon forces won. With an 85% win rate, and with some loss. From the report that Gallron gave the Federation, he won in just a few days. I guess he caught the Cardasens with their pants down. Gallron will meet us at D.R.S.6 in 3 days with a fleet of 25 Klingon warbirds.
Star date 32936.1: Gallron and the Klingons arrived 3 hours ago, and we have planed out hopefully our first and last assault together agents the Romulans. I was given the honor of devising are military strategy. It is really simple plan, we are going to brake the Klingon and Federation battle fleets into two, so we will have in total 4 small scale battle fleets. We named the 4 fleets. The Klingon fleets are called the Gallron and the Alpha Flight, and the two Federation fleets are called the Democracy and the Evolution. If all goes well all we need to do is box the Romulans in. We launched what I call the Picard Jack-In-Box Strategy in less then 23 hours.
Star date 32937.1: All is not well we hit a snag with my Strategy. The Cardasens made a surprise attack on the Gallron fleet and destroyed all 13 ships, including Gallron?s ship. With the death of Gallron the Klingon leader, it will be near impossible to control the last remaining Kilngon battle fleet, Alpha Flight. I now have even a bigger problem than the loss of the fleet. The box had collapsed, and when there was an opening, the Romulans and the Cardasens escaped
through it and now they are headed for earth ( the heart of the Federation ) with the Metagenic Device. I can’t help but be afraid for all those life forms, over 20 trillion life forms that live in the Earth’s Solar System. There are 9 trillion life forms on Earth alone. If the Romulans and the Cardasens launch the Metagenic Device, it will be a disaster, and there is not a thing I can do about it.
Star date 32939.1: We are in pursuit of the Romulan and the Cardasen battle fleet. At worp 9.9, we are pushing our engine to it’s limits. Their fleet has a 3 hour jump on us. After the loss of the Gallron fleet I ordered all the remaining battle fleets to regroup and restrategize. While we were doing that, they headed for Earth . I hope the planetary defense systems in Earth’s Solar System can stop or hold them off, just In tell we can get there. But realistically, I don’t think they can do it. If there is a God, I hope and pray that he will be with them on this day.
Star date 33030:2: We arrived just in time Earth’s planetary defense systems where able to hold the Romulan and the Cardasen battle fleet. It looks like they were only able to launch the Metagenic Device at two planets: Jupiter and Saturn. After a gruesome battle and war it is all over. The Federation now has the controlling power in the quadrant, but at what cost? At the last battle we lost a few ships with a lot of good people on them. It will take some time to find out how many life forms were killed on Jupiter and Saturn.
Star date 33045:8 It’s 12 months later, and the 1st anniversary since the end of the Federation and Romulan war, and it’s getting harder to get use to the quadrant. Two months ago the Federation released a statement saying about 4 trillion life forms died on Jupiter and Saturn, and the Federation would start to recognize the planets and their moons. I have a special interest in Saturn’s moon Elpsolon 9. Captain Shaq was still on the moon when the Metagenic Device was launched. He died due to a war he tried to prevent, but in turn he started it. It is just as well that he is dead. I do not know what I would say to him if I saw him.
It became official two days ago the Klingons closed their neutral zone to all Federation ships and Federation people. Due to the death of Gallron the Klingon leader, Klingons have developed hostile attitude. Soon after the war, we honored our deal by turning over the Cardasens, and the Cardasen space over to the Klingons. We know that they will not honor the deal, and they will kill lots of Cardasen people. The Federation will not enforce any of the terms of the deal. I can’t help but feel that I have doomed a race of people to the living hell of enslavement. I keep telling myself that at the time of negotiating the deal I had no choice. The Federation needed the help of the Klingons. But they helped us win the war, and without them we would not have won. I guess we will have no choice but to live the deal. And I guess the Cardasens will have to live with the deal for the rest of their life.
As for the Romulans we ceased all of their military and have control of 65% of their land. The Federation worked out a deal with them saying that we will keep them safe from any race that may try to get a foothold on their land and that they can have free use of our Romulan land. That part of the deal lets us keep a eye on them. Now that the Federation has most of the Romulan land, and the Klingons have most of the Cardasen land, that makes us the Federation
and the Klingons the only two Super Powers left in the quadrant. But for now at last all is well, and I can only pray that it stays that way.
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