Cold wars heat up in the Beta Quadrant

StarBase 118 Staff · August 24, 2016

LUXIS SYSTEM – The Embassy on Duronis II is facing off against the Zalkonians, the Orions, and the Romulan Star Empire.

The USS Thunder-A was sent out to escort a Federation Defiant class ship, the USS Ashoka, back to the Embassy. The Ashoka was tasked with picking up a mysterious woman who seemed to be some sort of Argelian VIP and returning her to the Argelians. The Thunder met up with the Ashoka to find it under attack by Orion ships. A Federation intelligence ship chased off the Orion attackers.

Meanwhile the Thunder arrived to discover a Zalkonian ship drop its Romulan tech-based cloak. In defense of the Ashoka, the Thunder was the first to strike taking out the Zalkonian ship’s weapons. Unfortunately, there appeared to be no signs of the Ashoka crew. They were not on their ship, the Zalkonian ship, nor the Federation intelligence ship. The battle was to be short-lived as the Thunder got word that three Romulan warbirds had decloaked near the Embassy. With no other choice the Thunder fired a volley of torpedoes destroying the Ashoka so that the ship would not end up in enemy hands. The Thunder engaged its quantum slipstream drive to try to hurry back and defend its home from the Romulan threat.

Back at the Embassy, with the Thunder away, the USS Bronwyn filled in to patrol the space around the Embassy. Finding the ship in desperate need of repair with environmental systems down on most decks, engineering teams scrambled to restore key systems while the bridge staff began the Thunder’s normal patrol.

Before long, a Romulan Republic scout ship decloaked directly in front of the Bronwyn. The commanding officer of the Bronwyn, Major Pavlova, ordered Red Alert and hailing frequencies open. The commander of the scout ship, Subcommander S’Karan, presented the Major an extradition request for Shi’lar, the mystery Argelian woman in the Embassy’s custody. While the Engineering staff continued to repair ship systems, the Major ordered Subcommander S’Karan escorted to the Embassy via shuttlecraft and all weapons trained on the Romulan scoutship.

Without warning, three warbirds of the Romulan Star Empire decloaked around the Bronwyn and Republic scoutship. The Imperial ships opened fire on the Republic vessel. The soutship’s remaining crew were transported to the shuttle safely. After some Sinatra-inspired repartee, the Bronwyn retreated from the Republic scoutship as the Imperial warbird triggered a tricobalt device from inside it and destroyed the Republic vessel in a violent blaze. The Romulan warbirds reengaged their cloaking devices and remain hidden from view. There would be no war with the Romulans today, but their would be war.

Terek, a Zalkonian death camp commander that the crew of the Thunder had put an end to a few months back, hailed the Embassy and made his presence known. After threats of revenge, he and four other Zalkonian warships decloaked. Terek’s ship began a bombardment campaign on the Embassy grounds and the other four Zalkonian ships focused their attack on the USS Bronwyn.

It is unclear if the Browyn, an old Miranda class ship, will be able to survive the assault. With its assets spread so thin, the Embassy may not be able to hold off the incoming Zalkonian assault. Also unclear is if the USS Thunder-A, who is racing through space using its QSD, will get back in time to help. What is certain though is the troubling implications of the developments.

“If the Orion Syndicate, the Romulan Empire, and the Zalkonian Suzerainty have formed some kind of alliance the political landscape of the Beta Quadrant will never be the same,” warned Lt. Commander Brayden Jorey.

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