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Star Trek - Non Federation timeline
Chapter 1 - Prelude
In the early 1980's Britain was experimenting with a space system called HOTOL. HOTOL, stands for Horizontal Take-Off and Landing, was a realised British space shuttle proposal.
Designed as a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) reusable winged launch vehicle, it was to be fitted with a unique liquid air cycle engine (LACE), the RB545, built by Rolls Royce. The engine was technically a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen design, but by collecting and liquefying oxygen from the air as the spacecraft climbed, the amount of LOX (liquid oxygen) carried onboard was dramatically reduced. Since LOX typically represents the majority of the takeoff weight of a rocket, HOTOL was considerably smaller than normal all-LOX designs, roughly the size of a medium-haul airliner such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-9/MD-80.
HOTOL was 63 metres long, 7 metres in diameter and with a wingspan of 28 metres. The unmanned craft was intended to put a payload of around seven tonnes in orbit. It was intended to take off from a runway, mounted on the back of a large rocket-boosted trolley that would help get the craft up to "working speed". The engine was intended to switch from jet propulsion to pure rocket propulsion at 26-32 km high, by which time the craft would be travelling at Mach 5 to 7. After reaching orbit, HOTOL was intended to re-enter the atmosphere and glide down to land on a conventional runway. The internal landing gear were too small to carry the weight of the fully fuelled rocket, so emergency landings required the fuel to be dumped.
Development began with government funding in 1986. The design team was a joint effort between Rolls Royce and British Aerospace led by John Scott and Dr Bob Parkinson.
The first version of HOTOL was called HOTOL1 this would be unmanned the second version would be called HOTOL2 would be a manned version.
By the mid 1990's the HOTOL project was well under way and a launch site in Australia was chosen Woomera is a town in South Australia, 488 km north of Adelaide, along the Stuart Highway. This was expanded and upgraded to handle HOTOL.
Also at this time 3 other countries joined the British in the space program, these are Australia, New Zealand and Canada. These countries would have a percentage of the investment and would also receive the same percentage of any profits from this space program. The percentage breakdown was as follows Britain 50%, Australia 20%, Canada 20% and New Zealand 10%.
By 2005 the HOTOL 1 & 2 were operating with and HOTOL 3 & 4 with a much larger cargo/passenger capacity. The difference between is the stronger under carriage and stronger rocket motors witch allows to removal of the large rocket-boosted trolley.
The income would grow until the HOTOL program in 2010 was making 3 Billion pounds a year with a 1 Billion-pound profit for the 4 member countries involved.
In Britain at this time there was increased hostility to the European Union, the British government decided to hold a referendum on weather Britain stays in the EU of leaves. The results were staggering 78% for leaving the EU. This caused a run on the Euro but strengthened the British pound.
Britain withdrew from the EU on the 1 January 2012 the fears that the British economy would collapse did not happen, the opposite happened the British economy began to strengthen.
Britain would use the 1% of Britain's GDP that was going into the EU to fund a rearmament program with the world getting increasingly hostile. Most of the money would be put in to designing Deep Space Exploration Vessels what was left over would be put into the rest of the UK economy.
Between 2015 and 2025 Britain and its the partners expanded beyond the space program to all other areas including trade and defence. In the defence area they began would on a ground based laser defence system with the first until becoming operation by 2025.
Britain, Canada and Australia would be construction a new generation of nuclear power stations of the Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR) type, to provide power not only for the laser defence system by also to reduce the dependence on imported fuels.
In 2020 the construction starts in geo stationary orbit of two dry docks for the construction of Deep Space Exploration Vessels, construction of these two dry docks takes 4 years. On the 1 June 2024 King Charles III of Britain christens the first section of the new Deep Space Exploration Vessels. This will be called HMSS (His or Her Majesty Space Ship) Great Britain this ship will be followed by HMSS Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Also in 2020 will see the formation for the Royal Space Navy consisting of military personnel from all 4 countries under a joint command.
This design of these ships will be an elongated saucer shape with two new designed Ion engines as the rear between the small shuttle bay. The armament will consist of two forward firing rail guns and two aft firing rail guns, also there will be 8 lasers with 4 mounted dorsal and four mounted ventral covering 45 degrees each. There will also be a very primitive "navigation deflector" to deflect space dust etc. With a crew of 60, of these 10 are scientist and the rest are military personnel. They are designed to be away from earth for up to 5 years. With a length of 100 meters and a height of 25 meters and a beam of 70 meters and having 5 decks. These ships are powered buy 4 fusion reactors.
During this time the US space program is going though a lot of problems with the tragic loss of two space shuttles and the withdrawal of the space shuttles from service from 2010. The US goes back to using the Orion Spacecraft (formerly known as the Crew Exploration Vehicle or CEV) is NASA's series of human space flight spacecraft, replaced the Space Shuttle fleet. Together with the Earth Departure Stage (EDS), the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM), and the Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicle.
This US space program is far behind the British, Australia, Canadian and New Zealand joint space program. This is manly due to the constant shifting political situation in the US from on political party to an other every 4 years or so.
When the joint British, Australia, Canadian and New Zealand space command was set up it was made independent of political control. But did have to answer to the 4 ministers from each country that formed the space commission. Each of the four members had the power of veto but could be overruled by the other 3 if they were in agreement. This allowed the "Space Command" later called the "Royal Space Command" to remain virtually independent.
By 2029 all 4 Deep Space Exploration Vessels were operational and had begun exploration of the solar system.
The US and NASA had been watching this with envy and begin construction of there own Deep Space Exploration Vessels. These are not as elegant as the Royal Space Commands vessels. They are a series of tubes and pods joined together with one forward firing rail gun a 4 lasers 2 ventral and 2 dorsal. They called the USSS (United States Space Ship) America, Freedom, Kitty Hawk and Constellation these last two are not started until after World War III. These vessels are also buy 2 fusion reactors. This would be under the United States Space Command.
At the end of 2029 a certain young Zephram Cochrane and his family would emigrate from the US to the UK. Later Zephram Cochrane would be given a job at Britain's Space Research Institute. To develop his theories of a faster that light drive called Warped Drive, later to become Warp Drive.
By 2029 the HOTOL program has about 70% of the world’s satellite launch program and 100% of the satellite recovery and overhaul program. Also the space program was doing a healthy space tourism with the cost of going into space even for just a day coming down, the price was within reach of most middle class families (even though it was still only a once in a lifetime thing to do).
The profits from the space program have risen from 1 billion pounds in 2010 to 5 billion pounds by 2029 making the Royal Space Command financially independent of government funding.
But in 2030 that would all change as the 4 Royal Space Command ships would be used for a different purpose.
A further 12 Deep Space Exploration Vessels also to follow the Deep Space Exploration Vessels were vessels designed to carry colonists to the Moon and Mars. The production rate was 2 Deep Space Exploration Vessels and 3 colonist vessels per year. Also with a major colonisation of most of the solar system within the next 50 years and the setting up of mining outpost in the asteroid belt. But with the advent of World War III this program was put on hold.
Next - Part 2 - World War III
Part 2 - World War III
Note - This chapter is a bit brief, but if I went into detail it would take too long to do!
In 2030 various conflicts would boil over in to full-scale wars.
The first of these would be India and Pakistan they would start of over the disputed Kashmir and steadily escalate until both sides conventional forces would be locked in a deadly fight that neither side would back down. By the end of 2032 both sides had gone to a full nuclear exchange, decimating most of the populations of both countries.
The second conflict to start up just after the India and Pakistan was China and Taiwan. Taiwan declared independence from China on the 1 June 2030 after a referendum. China would launch a massive conventional attack on Taiwan to "reclaim" there "lost" territory. The US and Japan along with the EU supported Taiwan's independence. With Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada remain neutral. The Russian federation would support China.
Most of the conventional fighting was in the Taiwan Strait over navel and air superiority. The US, Japan and the EU had superior air and navel technology while China and Russia had numbers on their side. The conventional fighting would go on for 18 months of continuous fighting and the causalities on both sides were very high especially for Russia and China.
While all this was going on Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada would remain neutral in any conflict. They would continue to build up their defences against any attack on them. The defences would also be enhanced by the 4 Deep Space Exploration Vessels of the Royal Space Command. These 4 vessels would take up geo stationary orbit above the 4 member countries to shoot down any missiles that threaten them.
When India and Pakistan launch their nuclear weapons the vessels of the Royal Space Command did not intercept any of the warheads, as they were not attacking them. Thus in the space of a few hours 70% of the population of India and Pakistan were wiped out. Most of the casualties were in the large cities and most of rural India and Pakistan were left unscathed by nuclear strikes.
On the 15 January 2032 China launched a limited number of nuclear missiles at Taiwan. Some of these missiles were shot down by sea and land based ABM systems around Taiwan. But 6 warheads detonated killing 30% of Taiwan's population.
The US responded with a limited nuclear strike against China and China upon seeing this launched all its nuclear weapons against the US, Japan and EU. To witch the US responded with a full counter strike against China. Russia then responded by launching it missiles against the US, Japan and EU. The US also launched against Russia in response against Russia launches added to that France also launched her sub-based missiles against both Russia and China.
Most of the US strike against China was against military targets and several major cities. Thus most of the rural population survived the nuclear strikes against China.
The missile attacks against china were devastating, destroying most of Chinas infrastructure and population. The attacks against Russia were less successful as Russia had a basic form of missile defence around the major city's and industrial centres. The attacks against the US and Japan were not as devastating as the attacks against Russia and China as the US has deployed its ABM defence systems to defend the US mainland and over seas bases, but several nukes did manage to penetrate the defences and destroy several city’s in the US. As the US had only two spaceships in orbit to intercept warheads coming towards the US and its allies, this reduced the effectiveness of these defences.
The EU had mixed results due to the fact the in geo stationary orbit over the UK was HMS Great Britain. HMS Great Britain was under orders to destroy and weapons that were coming in the UK direction this had the added "benefit" of also protecting most of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and western Germany the rest of the EU was not so "lucky" and would receive several nuclear strikes. HMS Great Britain used her rail guns at long range and lasers at medium range to shoot down 90% of the approaching warheads the rest were destroyed by the land based laser defence system.
The same cover applied to Australia, New Zealand and Canada were no nuclear weapons detonated due to the cover provided by the ships of the vessels of the Royal Space Command. Also the use of the ground based laser defence systems based in these countries.
This would leave the 4 countries of Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada unscathed by the war and with their economies in one piece.
The US economy was also partially intact with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and western Germany's economy's also. The damage to Russia was limited to those nukes that got though Russia missile defence system.
Most of the destruction was in India, Pakistan and China with a death toll of over 1 billion dead. There would be problems with radiation, but surprisingly there was not a nuclear winter as most of the nukes that got though the defences ended up hitting either, the cities or military bases, this lead to the large number of causalities for a small number of nukes used. All of the missile aimed at Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada were shot down, thus reducing the amount of damage done. As were the majority that were fired at the US.
World War III would come to an end on the 1 May 2033 with a peace treaty with remaining government leaders of the surviving countries was signed.
Next - Part 3 - Aftermath/Space/Warp Drive/First Contact.
Part 3 - Aftermath/Space/Warp Drive/First Contact
Aftermath
China descended in to a feudal system and the only good thing to come out of the war was that Tibet became an independent country.
Russia with most of its cities in tacked Russia would slowly get back on its feet over the next 3 decades.
The US having suffered some of the fewest nuclear strikes of all the countries, economy was now devoted to rebuilding over the next 2 decades. Its space program would continue at a much-reduced rate.
The European Union countries varied in the amount of damage was done from country to country. With HMSS Great Britain in geo stationary orbit over the UK all of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and western Germany's were protected from attack. This allowed these countries to help the other EU countries recover from the war.
Japan was well defended against attack therefor its economy also survived mostly in one peace.
The four members of the Royal Space Command survived with their economies in one peace. They also were very strong trading partners with each other. This would allow these four countries some limited growth.
Space
The Royal Space Command four Deep Space Exploration Vessels had proved very good a defending themselves against attack. Therefore the space program would resume but at a much slower pace than before the war.
HMSS New Zealand would be refitted for a five-year mission to explore the solar system, especially the asteroid belt for raw materials. The mission departed earth on the 25 April 2035.
The other three Deep Space Exploration Vessels would remain in orbit for defence.
The construction of new vessels would start at the end of 2035 with a production rate of 1 Deep Space Exploration Vessel and 2 mining/colonist vessels per year.
By 2037 the six mining/colonist vessels would be sent to the asteroid belt to set-up mining facilities these would be escorted by 3 Deep Space Exploration Vessels who's job would be to protect the mining facilities and escort the ore back to earth for processing. By 2042 several mining colonies had been set-up and were sending ore back to earth for processing.
In 2045 an ore processing facility would be set-up near the asteroid belt mining facilities to process and refine the ore. This would allow the construction of a new dry dock facility near the ore processing facility to produce new warp spaceships, as well as shipping the remaining ore back to earth.
In December 2040 HMSS New Zealand returned to Earth from her 5-year mission to a heroes reception. HMSS New Zealand would go into dry dock for an 18-month overhaul and refit before becoming the flagship of the RSC.
During this time there was a debate amongst the members of the Royal Space Command weather or not to colonise the Moon and Mars. The invention of the warp drive and testing by Zephram Cochrane in 2063 the decision was to bypass the Moon and Mars and to focus on colonising other systems beyond Earth.
The US space program would be limited to two programs over the next 3 decades of establishing a moon base and a colony on Mars in 2050. It's space ships of the United States Space Command the USSS America, Freedom, Kitty Hawk and Constellation (the last two ships would be completed in 2035 and 2036) would be used in duel roles of warship and colony ships. The US space program would produce one new vessel per year coming out of the USSC dry dock on geo stationary orbit over the US.
Warp Drive
In 2050 Zephram Cochrane started work on his Warp Drive theory and began construction of the first warp-capable vessel, the Phoenix. The Phoenix was a spaceship launched in the 21st century. The Phoenix was constructed from an old Titan V nuclear missile purchased from the US as a cost saving measure rather than launching the Phoenix on top on a HOTOL.
It would take Zephram Cochrane 13 years to construct the Phoenix. The Phoenix itself would have a crew of three 1 pilot, 2 crew and would have a length of 20 meters (excluding the lower half of the Titan V launch rocket) and would reach just over warp 1.
On April 5, 2063 at 11:15am (Australia time) Cochrane made Earth's first warp flight, the first flight lasted on 40 seconds, but it propelled the Phoenix to a speed of just over Warp 1. When the Phoenix came out of warp it was just past the moons orbit. The second warp trip was a return flight back to earth orbit and docking with the orbital dry docks and then by HOTOL back to Woomera launch site.
First Contact
When Zephram Cochrane made his first warp jump in the Phoenix he was being monitored by a passing Vulcan ship, the T'Plana-Hath. First Contact took place on the evening of April 5, 2063, when a Vulcan survey ship, the T'Plana-Hath, having detected the warp signature of the Phoenix. The Vulcan ships captain decided to make first contact with earth.
The Vulcan ship T'Plana-Hath entered earth's solar system at impulse speed and headed towards the dry docks in geo stationary orbit over Australia. The two HMSS Deep Space Exploration Vessels HMSS New Zealand (flagship) and Canberra detected the Vulcan survey ship approaching and went to "action stations" and sent a signal to the Vulcan survey ship asking what its intentions were.
The Vulcan survey ship reply was that it had detected a warp signature as was investigating and that they came in peace. A quick series of communications between the HMSS New Zealand and Canberra and the Woomera launch site stating that the Vulcan survey ship was welcome. Woomera launch site gave co-ordinates for the Vulcan survey ship to send a shuttle down to the Woomera launch site to meet the pilots of the warp vessel.
On April 5, 2063 at 11.30pm first contact between Earth and Vulcan was established.
After several days of negation diplomatic relation between Vulcan and Earth were formed. But Vulcan would not interfere in Earth’s development by giving them advanced technology. This annoyed the US delegation but the member countries of the Royal Space Command accepted this and ask the Vulcan’s if they could exchange cultural items, the answer came back, yes.
On the 1 May 2063 the Royal Space Command issued orders for all spacecraft under construction to cease and the design and production of warp capable spaceships to begin.
The basic warp dive was shared with the US but not the planned improvements, so as to keep the US one step behind the Royal Space Command.
Next - Part 4 – First Steps
Part 4 – First Steps
Earth would be divided in to two space fairing power blocks, one under the Royal Space Command and the other under the United States Space Command.
By 2065 construction of these new ships had begun.
The Royal Space Command would come in several classes.
Frigate – This would be an enlarged version of the Great Britain class to accommodate the warp drive and the new matter anti matter power core. The Great Britain class had a length of 150 meters and a height of 30 meters and a beam of 85 meters. The warp drive nacelles rather that being on pylons stretching out from the hull of the ship the warp drive nacelles were made flush with the hull and were mounted on the port and starboard sides of the saucer.
This design would allow greater protection of the warp drive nacelles. The armament would consist of two forward firing rail guns and two aft firing rail guns, also there will be 8 lasers with 4 mounted dorsal and four mounted ventral covering 45 degrees each, these ships would be upgraded as new weapons were designed. The hull would be covered with polarised armour that would provide the ship with some protection; this armour would be 5cm thick. The frigates would have a crew of 60 with a detachment of 30 Royal Space Marines for on board security.
The frigate would be used to do many roles including planet defence, convoy escort and patrol duties. The class name would be the Leander class frigates. These frigates would be formed into squadrons of 6 frigates under the command of a captain with each frigate being commanded by a commander.
Destroyer - This would be an enlarged version of the Leander class frigates to accommodate the warp drive and the new matter anti matter power core. The Leander class frigates had a length of 250 meters, height of 45 meters and a beam of 95 meters. The armament will consist of four forward firing rail guns and two aft firing rail guns, also there will be 14 lasers with 4 in pairs mounted forward dorsal and ventral positions and 4 in pairs mounted port and starboard dorsal and ventral positions, these ships would also be upgraded as new weapons were designed. The hull would be covered with polarised armour that would provide the ship with some protection; this armour would be 5cm thick. The destroyers would have a crew of 95 with a detachment of 50 Royal Space Marines for on board security and to escort landing parties when exploring new worlds.
The destroyer would be used mainly for the duel roles of exploration and planetary defence, with a secondary role of convoy escort as needed. The destroyers would be formed in squadrons of 5 destroyers under the command of a commodore with each destroyer being commanded by a captain. Destroyers would also operate individually, such as diplomatic missions to other worlds such as Vulcan
The destroyer would be the main exploration vessel for the RSN for the next 4 decades from 2065 onwards. The class name would be the Dauntless class destroyers.
Both of these star ships would have a maximum speed of warp 3 with burst of up to warp 3.5 for just over 1 hour.
There would also be a modular freighter/passenger warp ship. This looked like a flying brick, with various modules bolted on to the end depending on what was needed. These would have minimal armament, but would be escorted in convoys form system to system by RSC frigate squadrons.
The production rates for these ships would be 12 frigates, 6 destroyers and 30 modular freighter/passenger ships per year. This production would go up as new colonies would set-up their own shipyards to add to the production, overhaul and repair. This would take the strain of the RSC production, overhaul and repair facilities in orbit over earth and near the asteroid belt.
The United States Space Command would only have one class of warship.
The type of warship is a cross between of frigate and a destroyer but with less firepower than both. The class name would be the Intrepid Class. The Intrepid class would be used by the USSC as a combination of warship, exploration and escort vessel rolled into one. The design is a saucer with warp drive nacelles coming out of the hull. The armament would consist of 2 laser cannons forward and 2 rail guns one forward and one aft. The hull would be covered with polarised armour that would provide the ship with some protection; this armour would be 5cm thick.
The production of freights would be left up the commercial companies that were part of the USSC. This would lead to many incompatible designs and production would vary from company to company.
The production of the Intrepid Class would run at 14 per year.
The first steps take to form colonies were done by the RSC fleet in 2070 the system of Alpha Centuria was claimed by the RSC and the plants in the system were colonised. The main colonisation effort by the RSC would be towards Vulcan controlled space. Between 2071 and 2100 would see 19 other colonies set up between on worlds that lie between Earth and Vulcan.
The expansion would be suspended by 2100 to allow the colonies to firm up and the construction of solid colony facilities. All colonised systems would have a least one frigate squadron to defend it, also would have a least one dry dock facility available. Some worlds would have much larger facilities depending on the resources in that system and its strategic location. Some of these strategic systems would be heavily defended by orbital defence stations, these systems would by bases for the ships of the RSC to be based, it would also allow them to respond in force in case of attack.
There would be a large movement from earth to colonise the new systems reducing the population of the member countries of the RSC between 2070 and 2100 by 50 million.
The USSC took a different approach; they would base most of their facilities in and around Earth, Moon and Mars with only small outposts that could top up the USSC star ships supplies, but and major repairs or overhaul have to be done back in Earths solar system. This approach would cause the USSC problems in the long term.
The USSC provided support for companies to colonise systems under the USSC banner. Between 2070 and 2100 put colonies or small out posts on 50 systems. But these had very limited means of defence or in some cases no defence, only 3 systems were given permanent defences this would lead to problems when the USSC encountered the Romulans in early 2100’s.
Most of the countries on Earth joined with the USSC but several joined up with the RSC these were Malta, Nepal and Tibet. Some would just remain neutral like the United Regions of China and the Russian Federation these two countries would trade with both sides between 2070 and 2100 while the expansion into space was going on.
Earth would also have two main currencies the US dollar and UK pound.
Technology between 2070 and 2100.
The RSC would concentrate on weapons, warp drive and improve polarised armour for the star ships. The first breakthrough was the invention of plasma weapons, these weapons starting replacing laser from 2080 onwards; they would also replace all pistols and rifles with plasma versions. Also by 2100 the theory of transporters was put forward, but it would be another 30 years before transporters would become a reality.
In 2090 the discovery of a derelict space ship brought the development of a form of disruptor technology to the RSC. These new disruptor weapons technologies were not shared with the USSC but kept for the RSC own Royal Space Navies use. It took only 8 months to reverse engineer the technology and begin fitting the disruptors to RSC RSN ships. These weapons discharged differed from plasma weapons in that the beam was more powerful and also was a light blue colour instead of red.
USSC would also concentrate on weapons, warp drive and improve polarised armour for the star ships and also develop plasma weapons, these weapons starting replacing laser from 2080 onwards. Unlike the RSC the USSC would rename itself the United Earth Space Probe Agency (but would not include all the nations on earth some would remain neutral) in view of the number of countries taking part in space missions.
By 2100 the RSC was ahead in terms of technology but the UESPA was ahead in the number of colonies. But the RSC colonies were better protected against attack than the UESPA colonies.
Next - Part 5 – New Friends and New Enemies.
Part 5 – New Friends and New Enemies
Between 2100 and 2150 saw a leap forward in warp design with the coming of the warp 4 engine in 2110 for the RSC and 2120 for the UESPA. By 2030 the warp 5 engine was in service with the RSC, but it would not be until 2151 before the UESPA would have its first warp 5 engine in its new NX class of star ship. The NX series would include the new Photonic Torpedoes and Phase Cannons.
The RSC would keep with the design of its Frigate/Destroyer designing and incorporate the new technologies in to new ships coming out of the shipyards. These new ships would replace the older versions.
There would be two new designs from the RSC and the UESPA.
The RSC Excalibur Project in 2145. This project was designed to produce a combat cruiser of an equivalent size to the Vulcan combat cruisers; it was also designed to incorporate all the technological improvements over the past 100 years. The design of these ships would be a change from the saucer design of the past 100 years. The ship would have a saucer and a secondary engineering section with the warp drive and navigational defector with room for an enlarged shuttle bay. The engineering section was mated directly to the saucer section with no connecting "neck" as with the UESPA Horizon project ship design. This ship class would be 600 meters long.
The warp nacelles were fixed almost flush with the engineering section this made of the appearance of a blister running along the engineering section, this was for improved protection against attack. The warp speed of this new call of ship would be warp 6 with speeds of up to warp 7 for short bursts.
The RSC Excalibur project also included the latest weapons; these included Matter/Anti matter torpedoes (called Tigerfish torpedoes), Phasers and 1st generation shield generators but also retained polarised armour for added protection.
The size of the RSC Excalibur would be 600 meters in length and have a crew of 550 and a Royal Space Marine unit of 200.
The UESPA Horizon project in 2151. This project was designed to give a longer ranged star ship than the NX series. This design would have the new Photonic Torpedoes and Phase Cannons from the NX series. This ship class would be 450 meters long.
The UESPA Horizon would be a different design to the RSC Excalibur in having a saucer section and an engineering section connected together by a neck. The warp nacelles were mounted on pylons extending from the engineering section.
The UESPA Horizon class star ship would have a maximum speed of warp 5 with speeds of up to warp 6 for short bursts.
Of the two designs the Excalibur class was more powerful than the Horizon class. Both of these ship types would see action during the war with the Romulans.
Both the RSC and the UESPA introduced transporters at this time. The RSC would use them only for transporting cargo and the UESPA would use them for both people and cargo. The RSC did not consider the technology safe for people to use transporters except in emergencies.
New Friends
The RSC RSN would make contact with the Andorians in 2135 when a RSN exploration group skirting the edge of Vulcan space encountered a ship of the Andorian Imperial Guard. The first contact between RSC and the Andorians went well with the forming of diplomatic relations in 2139.
Also the RSN made contact with Tellarites the 2141 and also established relations with the RSC.
By 2143 RSC had ambassadors on three other space fairing nations Vulcan, Tellarite, and Andorian home worlds.
The UESPA also established relations with Vulcan, Tellarite, and Andorian home worlds, but to a lesser extent than the RSC, due to the rapid expansion of new colony worlds.
Conflict
Between 2100 and 2150 there was a number of border disputes between Vulcan and Andorian military over the control of worlds along there borders. The conflict would be an on off conflict and not a continuous war. Both sides would not gain an advantage over or able to gain any territory without loosing the territory they had gained at great cost in lives.
The Vulcan's would have a small advantage in terms of technology but the Andorians would counter this with numbers of ships.
In 2150 a peace deal between Vulcan and Andorian races with mediation from both the RSC and UESPA ending in a peace treaty being signed on the RSC colony would of New Gibraltar on the 8 November 2150.
This would lead to the Vulcan's and Andorians leaving negotiating team on New Gibraltar to iron out any differences. The Tellarites also did not want to be left out so they were added to the loose partnership. Each of the three governments would have one of their ships in orbit for use as diplomatic vessels.
New Enemies
The UESPA encountered the Romulans in 2152 when the NX-112 USSS Colombia encountered 4 Romulan birds of prey. With shot being fired both sides withdrew figuring that it was each other space.
This sort of limited action would continue until 10 March 2156 when the Romulans attack the UESPA colony of New Paris was at the edge of UESPA space. This was a new colony only recently set-up and the colony only had a few hundred colonists. New Paris did have 2 NX class ships in orbit for defence.
The Romulans attacked New Paris with 50 birds of prey destroying the 2 NX ships and bombarding the colony from orbit. Because of the suddenness of the attack no distress signal was sent. Also when the 2 NX ships failed to make a regular report 3 ships were sent to investigate, these were 1 Horizon class and 2 NX class ships.
When these 3 ships came out of warp as the edge they saw the destruction and the orbiting Romulan birds of prey, the Romulans attacked the 3 UESPA, but this time the outcome was different in that the UESPA vessels had time to go to battle stations. The Romulans dispatched 12 birds of prey, this was a mistake by the Romulan commander as the three ships that he faced were fully alert and the Romulan commander did not have the element of surprise. The engagement was spectacular in the first pass 4 Romulan birds of prey were destroyed for no loss, three of the kills going to the Horizon class ship USSS Lexington.
The second pass by the Romulan birds of prey concentrated on one of the NX class ships and destroyed it for the loss of one bird of prey. The Romulan commanded realising his mistake dispatched the rest of the birds of prey to destroy the two remaining UESPA ships. The Romulans only succeeded in destroying the other NX ship while the Horizon class ship USSS Lexington escaped at high warp to raise the alarm.
On hearing of the attack on one of is colonies UESPA mobilised a task force to retake the occupied system. The task force would consist of 9 Horizon Class and 25 NX class ships, this attack took place on the 1 December 2056.
At the same time the UESPA informaed the RSC of the "small problem" and said that they could "deal" with problem without help. This would be proved VERY wrong for the UESPA.
The first major engagement of the Romulan Earth war would be for the control of New Paris. For the UESPA it would be a major test of the new weapons and ships. What the UESPA did not know is the Romulans were using New Paris as a forward base of operations and rally point for the Romulan fleet for an attack on UESPA colonies. In the system there were 600 Birds of Prey not the 50 odd that the ship USSS Lexington had reported. The UESPA was in for a very nasty shock when they arrived.
The Romulan fleet consisted of Birds of Prey they were not as large as the NX series but they were being produced in sufficient numbers to overwhelm an enemy ship. Their armament consisted of disrupters and missile launchers.
To be continued.......
Next - Part 6 – Earth Romulan War
Part 6 – Earth Romulan War
The second battle of New Paris started on the 1 December 2056 the 9 Horizon Class and 25 NX class ships moved in to combat formation with a certain NX-111 USSS Enterprise commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer on the right had side of the UESPA task force.
The commander of the task force saw that the Romulans had a larger number of vessels, but ordered the attack confident that the ships under his command had superior firepower. In the first exchange between the two fleets the NX-111 USSS Enterprise took the brunt of the attack and was destroyed, The Romulans lost 11 Birds of Prey with another 25 damaged.
The battle would go back and forth for the next few hours, but the Romulans having the numbers would gradually wear down the UESPA ships. By early on 2 December 2056 the Task force commander ordered a withdrawal of the remainders of the UESPA task force of the 6 Horizon Class and 11 NX class ships, with all of these ships having various forms of battle damage. The Romulans lost 78 Birds of Prey with another 107 damaged to various degrees.
The UESPA ordered a withdrawal from 21 colony worlds over the next 8 months knowing that these worlds could not be defended. The Romulans would occupy the systems but not land any forces of the surface of the planet(s) in the occupied systems.
The UESPA would form its main defence around the colony of New Berlin. This was one of the three colonies that were defended unlike other systems. The defences of New Berlin were rapidly reinforced with additional ships and orbital defence platforms over the 8 months since the defeat at the second battle of New Paris.
During this time the RSC/RSN continued to offer support in the defence of the UESPA but this was repeatedly turned down, also the Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites. This is because the UESPA thought that they could defeat the Romulans without any help.
The first battles for New Berlin were inconclusive, as neither side would commit to a full strike against; rather they were waiting for the other to make the first move. This meant the casualties on both sides were very light. This odd stalemate would go on for 6 months with either side not wanting to go first.
The Romulans sent a scout force of 75 Birds of Prey to nearby system to see if they could provoke a response from the UESPA. What they found in one system would change the course of the war.
In a system on the edge of UESPA space the 75 Birds of Prey came upon 3 NX class ships scouting the system. The Romulan commander attacked destroying 2 of the NX class ships, but one ship got away. The Romulan commander decided to pursue as the NX-134 USSS Hornet, as the USSS Hornet seemed to be going a way from UESPA.
The USSS Hornet was in fact heading for the RSC/RSN base a New Gibraltar to ask for help with repairs. The Pursuing Romulan command thought that he might find a secret UESPA base. The Captain of the USSS Hornet could not detect the pursuing Romulans as the Hornets long-range sensors were down and so did not know that he was being pursued.
The RSC/RSN base a New Gibraltar was one of the most heavily guarded RSC/RSN bases out side of Earth. The USSS Hornet came out of warp asking for help and was told to go to the dry dock facility in orbit around the planet of New Gibraltar.
In the New Gibraltar system there were 4 squadron's of Leander IV class frigates and 2 squadron's on destroyers, also in system there were 7 of the new Excaliber Combat Cruisers and single warships from Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites their on diplomatic duty. The pursuing Romulan commander did not wait to see what the strength of the colony was and attacked.
In the initial attack the Romulans destroyed one squadron of Leander IV class frigates on patrol on the edge of the system. The time it took to destroy the frigates, this allowed the other RSN ship to go to "action station" and prepare for the Romulan attack.
As the Romulans made there way towards the planet they found coming around from the other side of New Gibraltar the 7 Excaliber Combat Cruisers armed and ready for combat, followed by the three cruisers on diplomatic duty. Also converging was the 3 remaining squadron's of Leander IV class frigates and 2 squadron's on destroyers.
The 7 Excaliber Combat Cruisers were the first to engage the Romulan Birds of Prey, using a combination of the 4 forward firing Tigerfish torpedo launchers and Phasers, they destroyed in the first pass 25 Romulan Birds of Prey and damaging 10 others. The Romulan commander now new that he was out numbered and ordered the Birds of Prey to fire all there missiles at the planets surface to cause maximum damage.
The defence platforms engaged the on coming missile and destroyed most of the incoming missile, but a few go though and struck the planets surface causing heavy casualties including the embassies of the Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites. Then the Romulans tried to disengage and withdraw. The Romulan withdrawal was not very successful and only 22 Birds of Prey managed to withdraw out of the total attacking force of 75 birds of prey/
On the 31 December 2057 the RSC, Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites sent an audio message declaring war on the Romulans.
The Romulans on hearing this mobilised the majority of there fleet increasing the number of Birds of Prey from 600 to 1,200 to try to hold onto the space that they had acquired in the past 12 months.
By May 2058 the combined fleet of RSC, Vulcan's, Andorians, Tellarites and UESPA ships began an offensive to retake the lost UESPA worlds.
The first action was to break the attack on New Berlin, this attack succeeded in driving of the Romulans from the attack on New Berlin.
Over the next 3 years the combined fleet took back system after system but at great losses to both sides. The Romulan Birds of Prey that were unable to withdraw from battle used suicide tactics to take out the ships of the combined fleet.
By January 2060 the combined fleet had reached the edge of Romulan space. By this time the Romulan fleet along the boarder was up to 2,500 Bird of Prey with another 1,000 on their way from the rest of Romulan space.
In February an audio transmission was received from the Romulans asking for a cease-fire. The UESPA wanted to continue in to Romulan space but the RSC, Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites all agreed that they had achieved their objectives by recapturing all UESPA worlds lost during the war.
The Romulans had sent the request for a cease-fire because they knew that they could not win against the combined firepower.
The RSC, Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites members thought that the Romulans would get increasing desperate once they had entered their space; also they were not very keen on being an occupying power.
In 2160, the Romulans and the humans signed (electronically) a treaty ending the war and establishing a neutral zone one light-year wide between their territories. The treaty was negotiated via subspace radio, again with no visual contact between the parties.
Next - Part 6 – "To boldly go were no man has gone before"
Part 6 – "To boldly go were no man has gone before"
In early 2161 the RSC and UESPA were still going their own ways, although they had been united against a common enemy. Once the treaty was signed they when there own separate ways as normal.
In mid 2161 the formation if a loose alliance between the UESPA, RSC, Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites for mutual defence, trade etc. This would be called The Alliance, the UESPA wanted to form a United Federation of Planets but this was rejected by the other races.
The Alliances headquarter would be based on New Gibraltar and not on Earth as the UESPA wanted.
The RSC/RSN would in 2161 establish a new dedicated exploration division to see out new life form and to boldly go were no man has gone before. For this endeavour the RSC/RSN created a modified version of the Excaliber Class Combat Cruisers. This new class would be the Scott class exploration cruisers. These new ships would be the same size as the Excaliber Class Combat Cruisers but with a slightly reduced armament of 2 forward firing Tigerfish torpedo launchers instead of the Excaliber's 4 launchers. The extra space would be dedicated to a Stella cartography and enhanced diplomatic facilities to help with first contact with new races.
For 2163 onwards join crews would be established between the RSC/RSN and the Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites also the UESPA would also have joint crews, but there would be little exchange of crews between RSC/RSN and the UESPA.
The other main change to the RSC/RSN would be the removal of the Destroyer class from RSC/RSN inventory over the next 2 decades. The RSC/RSN would concentrate on producing improved versions of the Leander class frigates in various forms and the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser also in various forms.
The final change was the construction of a one off special versions of the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser. This would be the Royal and Diplomatic Combat Cruiser HMSS Britannia, this ship was extensively outfitted for diplomatic duties. The ship was 100 meters longer than the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser. This ship would be escorted by a minimum of 4
Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser and 6 Leander class frigates. This ship would prove an excellent place for host diplomatic and trade negations for the RSC and Alliance members.
The mistrust between the RSC/RSN and the UESPA would grow as the UESPA wanted the technological advances that the RSC/RSN, but the RSC/RSN was not will to share its advances with the UESPA.
The UESPA would use their Horizon class ships with very little modifications, as the resources were not available to build a new sub class of star ship.
The Horizon class would go on to be the main star ship of the UESPA until the new Constitution-class heavy cruiser in 2245. The Horizon class would receive numerous upgrade and enhancements during its 90 years of service, lost and destroyed ships would be replaced along with new Horizon class making this the most produced star ship.
Between the end of 2161 and 2200 numerous new races were contacted, some would join the Alliance some would remain neutral and some would just not want to know and a small number would be hostile.
The races that would be most receptive included the Denobulians, Betazoids and Bolians amongst the many races that would that the Alliance would make contact with and would join the alliance.
The races that would remain "neutral" would be races like the Romulan Star Empire, Tholian Assembly, Cardassian Union. These races would have some sort of conflict with either the alliance or and alliance member over the next few years or even in some cases decades.
The main cause of problems for the alliance would be the Klingon Empire. A RSC Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser while patrolling the neutral zone in 2166 first encountered the Klingon Empire. The Klingons are roughly humanoid in appearance; Klingons typically sport long manes of luxuriant hair with moustaches and beards common among males. Perhaps their most prominent external feature is their ridged forehead. These intricate, bony patterns, which are also visible on their feet, vary by family line and are an evolutionary remnant of their prehistoric crustacean forms, when Klingons had a more extensive exoskeleton.
Most Klingon body functions incorporate multiple redundancies, such as redundant stomachs, lungs, livers, an eight-chambered heart, and twenty-three ribs. This characteristic, known as "brak'lul," makes Klingons incredibly resilient. Klingon ribs are arranged in a latticework; the structure might be compared to chain mail. The Klingon expected life span is at least 150 years. However, it is typical that male Klingons die young while in battle and not of natural causes.
Klingon Technology at the time of the first contact was on par with the Vulcan's, but much more orientated towards combat that the Vulcan's. Klingon ships are able to with stand much more punishment in combat than any alliance member's ships.
The RSC Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser HMSS Victorious encountered a Klingon bird of prey. This first encountered went well as the bird of prey captain was clearly out gunned by the Victorious so a fight was out of the question.
Over the next few months an agreement was come to with the Klingon Empire and the alliance, that each side would respect each other's boarders. The RSC in private what the UESPA had asked the other members of the alliance to keep from the Klingons for now. Warned the Klingon Empire about the Romulans and that the Romulans boarded Klingon. This was not news to the Klingons as they had encountered the Romulans in 2163 and had an on going boarder dispute with the Romulans, though the Klingons did not tell the Alliance or the RSC about this. But this did help in the relations between the RSC and the Klingon Empire and some of the other members of the alliance but not the UESPA after the Klingons found out that it was the UESPA that had suggested not telling the Klingons about the Romulans.
The semi peaceful existence between the Klingon Empire and the UESPA would continue until around 2223, tensions thickened between the UESPA and the Klingon Empire. This would become a cold war until the Khitomer Accords were signed in 2293.
During the period between 2223 and 2293 there would be a brief alliance between the Romulan Empire and the Klingon Empire in witch a technological exchange took place. In exchange for cloaking technology, the Romulans received several D7 battlecruisers, which were upgraded into extremely deadly war machines. This alliance would last less than 12 months and would see the restarting of hostilities between Romulan and Klingon Empires.
During this period of tension between the UESPA and the Klingon Empire the rest of the alliance members kept their distance. As the alliance did not know who started the cold war between UESPA and the Klingon Empire the alliance decided to keep its distance in this conflict in case the Klingon Empire felt that they had no choice but to attack before the alliance did. This decision did not go down well with the UESPA and it led to a cooling in relations with the other alliance members.
The Klingons would employ "rouge" Klingons to raid UESPA space. At the same time assuring the rest of the members of the alliance that these "rouge" Klingons would be brought to justice. The Klingons would step up patrols along the boarder to try to catch these "rouge" Klingons but they did not have much luck. Though in reality the Klingons were not trying to capture the "rouge" Klingons at all.
Next - Part 7 - Growing pains
Part 7 - Growing pains
From 2200 there would be a large number of new races joining the alliance though out 2200 to 2300. For trade and mutual defence, also during the late 2200 some new members were actually seeking the alliance out and asking to become members without having to be asked themselves.
The RSC/RSN was leading the push in exploration encountering races like the Tholian Assembly in early 2200's who guarded their space against and out side intervention. Tholians are a star faring and extremely territorial. The Tholians very rarely went outside there own space, but when they did they always went in-groups.
Also encountered were the Cardassian Union mid-to-late 2200's . Cardassians are humanoid in form, but have distinctive ridged arches connecting their shoulders to the top of their necks. They also have ridges on either side of their forehead, ridges surrounding their eyes and protrusions on their chin and below their nose. They also have a spoon-shaped feature starting in the centre of their forehead and running down the length of their nose. This has earned them the derogatory name of "spoonheads." The spoon shape is also on their chest.
Cardassians tend to be predatory in nature, like wolf packs, always seeking out the dominant position in any social gathering. In normal courting behaviour, Cardassian couples routinely act bitter and snap at each other. Cardassian society is generally non-sexist - both men and women can rise to high ranks in the military, for instance. However, some fields are not so diverse, such as the scientific community that is mostly female.
Cardassia's educational system is legendary throughout the quadrant. From a very young age, Cardassian children are trained in techniques such as photographic memory, which allow them to retain vast amounts of information. Cardassian mental disciplines are rumoured to be so complete that a Cardassian will prove almost totally resistant to torture; a Vulcan mind meld is also usually ineffective against a Cardassian who is properly trained.
The Cardassian Union in terms of technology are slightly behind the RSC but have more ships. Cardassian Union ships are armed with two large phaser cannons (or it may be a plasma cannon), one forward and one aft. They are also armed with numerous secondary phaser cannons mounted at other points across the hull, and they may carry a complement of photon torpedoes.
A mutual understanding between the alliance and the Cardassian Union that each side would respect each others space. The Cardassian Union was busy at this time building its own colonies on the other side of Cardassian space and this would not change until 2328.
The RSC/RSN would continue to expand and upgrade is fleet with the latest technologies including the new Spearfish heavy weight torpedo, that would replace the Tigerfish torpedo.
The RSC/RSN would start work on a new type of ship in 2235. This would be the Dreadnought class battle cruiser. This would be an attempt to keep pace with the Vulcan's in terms of ship size (if not in technology), with the Vulcan's deploying a new enlarged type of combat cruiser with an increased length from 600 meters to 900 meters. This new Vulcan combat cruiser incorporated the latest advances in warp drive, allowing the new ship to travel at warp 9.9 for extended periods.
The Dreadnought class was an enlarged version of the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser. The layout was similar to the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser but the Dreadnought class was 50% bigger than the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser. The Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser could attain a cruising speed of warp 8.5 with bursts of up to warp 9 for short periods. Its armament consisted of the latest phaser and the new Spearfish heavy weight torpedo also with improved shields and next generation polarised hull plating.
The UESPA would start work on a new type of star ship to replace the Horizon class ship. Constitution-class heavy cruiser in first launched in 2245. The Constitution-class also served as a mighty deterrent to both the Klingon and Romulan Empires. With a length 305 meters, crew of 500 (72 officers, 428 enlisted) and an armament of 18 phaser emitters (9 banks of 2), 2 forward and 2 aft photon torpedo launchers and deflector shields and screens.
In 2266 one of the Constitution-class heavy cruisers USSS Enterprise patrolling the neutral zone between the alliance and the Romulans empire encountered an unidentified alien ship with the ability to render itself invisible (later know as cloaking device) attacks a series of UESPA outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone. The Enterprise was in the vicinity and investigates. The unknown enemy reveals itself as being of Romulan origin, and it is soon believed they are trying to test Alliance resolve.
The USSS Enterprise sends out an alert to warn other ships and then engages the Romulan ship. For the next few hours both ships played a game of cat a mouse, each trying to out think the other. The USSS Enterprise was using her photon torpedoes like depth charges hoping to force the Romulan vessel to drop her cloak. During this engagement the Romulan vessel sent a transmission to the Romulan home world and the crew of the USSS Enterprise got their first look at a Romulan. This came as quite a shock to the crew of the USSS Enterprise as the Romulans looked like Vulcan's.
One near miss caused the death of several members of the Romulan ships crew, these were jettisoned into space with any other rubbish to make the USSS Enterprise that the Romulan vessel had been destroyed. But in the debris there was an old fashioned nuke as the USSS Enterprise closed on the debris field the nuke detonated causing the forward shield to weaken, at the same time the Romulan vessel de cloaked and fired her primary weapon as the USSS Enterprise. The captain of the USSS Enterprise ordered full reverse to try and outrun the Romulan plasma bolt. After a short chase the bolt began to disperse, but it still struck the USSS Enterprise disabling the ship.
As the Romulan vessel was closing in for the kill another star ship came out of warp. The ship was HMSS Hood one of the new Dreadnought class battle cruiser, putting itself between the Romulan vessel and USSS Enterprise while opening fire on the Romulan vessel. HMSS Hood had disabled the Romulan vessel and sent a signal to the Romulan vessel to prepare to surrender. The commander of the Romulan vessel ordered his ships destruction to avoid being captured.
Within a few hours of the arrival of HMSS Hood additional reinforcement arrived.
The crews of the USSS Enterprise and HMSS Hood were treated as heroes.
The revaluation that the Romulan were a Vulcan offshoot that went in to space before the time of Surak. The Vulcan's explanation of their Romulan cousins that they had lost touch with them during a world war on Vulcan was for the most part accepted. The UESPA would remain suspicious of the Vulcan's. This revaluation also had the affect of cancelling out any counterattack against the Romulan Empire.
One other event that happened in early 2200 on earth was the formation by the original 4 members of RSC (Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada) of a secret intelligence organisation under the joint intelligence charter. The secret part of the intelligence charter was referred to as Article 14, Section 31, from which its name is derived. This give's Section 31 extraordinary powers under certain circumstances. This organisation is known only to a few people within the original 4 members of RSC. Even the members of Section 31 do not know the number of people who work for Section 31, they worked either as individual agents or in cells or agents. Section 31 has intelligence agent(s) abroad every ship in the RSN also most member worlds have Section 31 operatives located on their home world. This organisation would remain secret from the other members of RSC and alliance members.
Also the RSC added three new earth governments to its own alliance, these were India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. These three countries did not have space programs of there own so they decided after much debate that they would join forces with the RSC. The main reasons why these three counties took so long to join was that they took a long time to recover from world war 3. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh would all be given a system each to colonise that would be guarded by the RSN.
Each member of the RSC would pay a percentage in ether money, goods or services to maintain the RSN.
The UESPA was a looser organisation, as there were so many countries competing for there own colonies. The UESPA "Star fleet" was well funded like the RSN; it also had a major disadvantage of trying to defend over 50 colony systems. Were as the RSN had only 23 colony systems to defend. At the end of the 2200's UESPA stopped all new colonisation of new system to consolidate its holdings, something that the RSC had done nearly 100 years earlier.
The majority of Earth had joined with the UESPA in a loose alliance with many conflicting needs. Were as the RSC was formed under a mutual defence a trade agreements with very clear goals.
Also in 2270 so the introduction of a new frigate class ship in the UESPA/Starfleet, this would be the Miranda-class.
The configuration of the Miranda-class shares a similar design lineage and features with the Constitution-class, implemented in 2270.
All Miranda-class star ships have a saucer section making up the majority of the vessel. The saucer is similar to that of a Constitution-class, but with a bulkier aft end with shuttle bays and a Warp core. Below the saucer, at the aft edges, are the nacelle pylons connected to the warp nacelles.
There are three configurations of the Miranda-class.
The most common configuration which had a "roll bar" immediately above the nacelle pylons. The "roll bar" had two phaser emitters on each side that can fire forward and aft, along with 2 forward and 2 rear firing photon torpedo launchers.
Another configuration, which lacked the "roll bar" and featured only Class 3 defensive armaments. This type of Miranda class was apparently suitable for transport duty.
The last configuration, which lacked the "roll bar", and had two large sensor pods installed on the port and starboard sides of the ship. It also had a phaser array mounted on the lower part of the sensor dome; and
Next - Part 8 - Problems, problems and more problems
Part 8 - Problems, problems and more problems
The first problem to hit was the V'ger incident in 2272 An immense cloud of controlled energy passes through Klingon space. Three K't'inga-class battle cruisers led by the IKS Amar respond to the incursion. After the cloud without effect swallows their photon torpedo volley, the squadron tries to pulls back and is destroyed.
A nearby UESPA/Starfleet listening post, Epsilon IX, observes the engagement, including the effortless annihilation of the remaining Klingon K't'inga-class battle cruisers by the cloud's energy weapon. Unhindered, the cloud continues on a course that will take it into UESPA space, headed directly for Earth.
Chief of Starfleet Operations Rear Admiral James T. Kirk arrives at the Presidio campus of Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, is given the assignment of intercepting and stopping the energy cloud with the newly refitted USSS Enterprise.
After making contact with the "cloud" the USSS Enterprise gradually journeys to the centre of V'ger, where V'ger is revealed to be the unmanned scientific probe Voyager 6, which was part of the Voyager program, and launched in the twentieth century by NASA. The damaged probe was found by an alien race of living machines that interpreted its programming as instructions from God to "learn all that is learnable" and return that information to its creator.
These machines made V'ger into something capable of fulfilling that mission, and on its journey back it gathered so much knowledge that it achieved consciousness itself! Having learned all that is learnable on its journey home, which took V'ger across the Universe, V'ger finds itself empty and without a purpose. Only through the creator can V’ger begin to explore illogical things, such as God, other dimensions, or higher planes of being.
The probe has become sentient and wants to continue to explore, but lacking the ability to think beyond logic, so V'ger links with Commander Willard Decker to acquire the ability to think beyond logic to continue its voyagers and the threat to Earth is ended.
The next problem that come along is the Project Genesis. Genesis Project was first proposed to the UESPA/Starfleet in the late 2270s. Over several years, the scientists developed a Genesis matrix and a three-stage test. The first stage was conducted in their laboratory in orbit around Regula. Project Genesis was a process of rapidly terra forming worlds to make them suitable for settlement and food production. The Genesis Project was developed by a team of UESPA scientists, led by Dr. Carol Marcus and her son Dr. David Marcus, working in an orbital laboratory in orbit around the Class D planetoid Regula.
When some renegade Klingons sized a UESPA/Starfleet Miranda Class Frigate USSS Reliant and in set-up to steal the Genesis device. They were intercepted by the refitted Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser USSS Enterprise under the command of Admiral James T Kirk. During the fight the Klingons activated the Genesis device to try and destroy the USSS Enterprise. This created a new world and destroying the USSS Reliant in the process, just as the USSS Enterprise managed to escape. The USSS Enterprise took heavy damage during the conflict but survived, this seemed to underline the effectiveness of the Constitution Class refit program.
A science vessel sent to observe the new world that the Genesis device had created was attacked by another group of Klingons in a Klingon bird of prey. The partially repaired USSS Enterprise was "acquired" by Admiral James T Kirk and a small crew to return to the Genesis would. In the ensuring battle the USSS Enterprise was destroyed and the Klingon bird of prey was captured and Admiral James T Kirk returned to earth a hero.
As a reward a now demoted Captain James T Kirk was given command of USSS Enterprise 1701 - A to replace the original lost in combat. With orders to continue to "boldly go were no man has gone before"
Examination of the captured Klingon Bird of Prey found that the cloaking device was damaged so could not be reverse engineered. But the Klingon Bird of Prey did give the UESPA/Starfleet information on Klingon weapon systems and warp drive.
The revaluation of the Genesis device caused shock amongst the other members of the alliance. The Genesis research project was cancelled and the Alliance banned research into this area.
During these incursions the RSC/RSN did not intervene in UESPA/Starfleet responses, but did maintain a task force to intercept (with the exception of the Genesis problem). The main thrust of the RSC/RSC was an anti piracy drive against the Orion Syndicate. This proved remarkably successful and a large number of the Orion Syndicate's vessels were either captured or destroyed. The Orion Syndicate pirate operations against the RSC/RSN was reduced to virtually zero. One of the main reasons for the success was that Section 31 had infiltrated into the lower levels of the Orion Syndicate organisation and was able to provide very useful intelligence.
This led the Orion Syndicate to choose less well protected areas such as the UESPA and other alliance members as the picking in the RSC area of space did not make it worth the effort.
Relations between the UESPA/Starfleet and the Klingon Empire would hit an all time low, but the relations between the other members of the alliance would remain stable especially with the RSC/RSN. The RSC/RSN and the Klingon Empire would actually come closer during this time and would continue to expand their ties that would include a technological exchange and improved trade between the two, also several members of the alliance took advantage to also expand their relationship with the Klingon Empire. This would included Vulcan, Andorian and the Tellarite.
The RSC/RSN would commence a large refit program to bring all its current ships in line with the most up to date technology available. This would include a technological exchange between the RSC/RSN and the Klingon Empire this would include the Klingon Empire giving the cloaking technology and weapons technology to the RSC/RSN on condition that they did not share this with the other members of the alliance. The Klingon Empire would receive information on the latest warp drives and weapon systems from the RSC/RSN.
The main reason for the technological exchange between the RSC/RSN and the Klingon Empire was that the relations between the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Empire were again dissolving in to a conflict between the two empires. The Klingon Empire was seeking to expand its friendship that its had started with the RSC/RSN, the Klingon Empire also knew that there was no love lost between the Romulan Empire and the RSC/RSN.
This new technological exchange would allow the RSC/RSN to start equipping their ships with cloaking technology from early 2300's. This would give the RSC/RSN a considerable advantage over other races. The RSC/RSN was as good as there word; they did not share the technology with any of the other members of the alliance.
The other peace of technology was the heavy disrupter, this weapon replaced the forward torpedo launcher in some Klingon warships. The RSC/RSN applied this technology to their phasers and came up with the heavy phaser cannon. This new weapon could only be mounted on the Dreadnought class Battle Cruiser due to its size and only one per ship due to the heavy phaser cannons power requirements. This was mounted underneath the saucer section firing forward.
Using the cloaking technology the RSC/RSN would build a small number of stealth ships. These new stealth ships would be known as the Shadow class vessels. These vessels would be used for intelligence gathering. Their construction would not be reviled to the other members of the alliance.
The Shadow class is a usual design that it departs from the saucer design of the current RSC/RSN ships. The front half of the ship is shaped like an arrowhead and the rear half is squared of, the warp nacelles run the length of the rear half. The Shadow class is coloured black and has sensor bafflers along the hull and its sublight engines are muffled to reduce to a minimum any emissions when cloaked. The armament consists of only phasers and no Spearfish torpedo launchers. The Shadow class is equipped with a cloaking device. Length of 211 meters and a maximum warp speed of warp 9 with burst of warp 9.6 for short periods. This ship is virtually impossible to detect at low warp and at impulse speeds.
Shadow class would be built in small numbers (about 70) for the RSC intelligence also Section 31 would receive 20 of these ships for there own use.
The timing of the technological exchange RSC/RSN and the Klingon Empire was also good as the other alliance members attention was focused of the Genesis project problem.
Towards the end of 2200's the UESPA/Starfleet began to expand and add a new class of star ship the Excelsior-class with the first ship coming of the production line in 2285. With a Length of 467 meters and an armament 12 dual phaser banks and 4 torpedo launchers.
The Miranda-class ship is one of the easiest star ships to build and would be built in large numbers by UESPA/Starfleet, also the Miranda class would be refitted to keep pace with the latest technologies. This would match the RSC/RSN Leander class frigate's multi role capability many commentators said that the UESPA/Starfleet was on the right track, by copying the RSC/RSN Leander class frigate idea witch is something that UESPA/Starfleet should have done from day one.
UESPA/Starfleet was now stopping it colony expansion and focusing on securing the 58 colonies that is has and exploration. The exploration was not for new colonies but to seek out new life forms and new allies for the UESPA and the Alliance, again something that the RSC had been doing from day one.
Next - Part 9 - Interlude
Part 9 - Interlude
By the end of 2200's the sizes of the major ships in the RSC/RSN and UESPA/Starfleet. This does not include support vessels, long range shuttles or civilian freighters.
RSC/RSN
Leander Class Multi Role Frigates (various versions and types) - 6,500 (more building)
Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser (including Scott and Britannia classes) - 3,950 (more building)
Dreadnought Class Battle Cruiser - 1,211 (more building)
Shadow Class Stealth Ship - 50 (with an additional 20 being operated by Section 31)
Most of these vessels are fitted with a cloaking device. The exception being those forces assigned to system defence.
UESPA/Starfleet
Miranda Class Frigate - 2,700 (all versions and more building)
Horizon Class Heavy Cruiser (relegated to second line duties after 2255 phased out of service after 2310) - 4,350 (out of production and being replaced by the Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser)
Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser - 2,200 production ceased when the Excelsior class starts in 2285 and are refitted to extend service life.
Excelsior-class Heavy Cruiser - 850 (more building)
Major systems of the RSC
RSC has 23 colonised systems.
The most important system outside of Earth is New Gibraltar. New Gibraltar is the location of the largest orbital shipyards and dry docks in the RSC. New Gibraltar in also the headquarters and meeting place of the Alliance and contains a diplomatic mission from the Klingon Empire to the RSC, this also includes a Klingon cruiser in orbit.
In this system there are two rapid reaction task forces ready for deployment, these are force H and force M, each of these task forces contain a least 5 Dreadnought Class Battle Cruisers, 12 Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser and 30 Leander class frigates. These do not include New Gibraltar's own defences and the alliance members who also have ships in system.
The other four systems that have large shipyards and dry docks these are New Sydney, New Wellington, New Toronto and New Quebec.
The 15 other systems also have dry docks and a smaller shipyard capability; these systems tend to concentrate on Agriculture, Mining, manufacturing and producing consumer goods rather that the military goods.
There are three newly colonised systems New Pakistan, New India and New Bangladesh. These three systems have very strong system defences courtesy task forces guarding each system. Until they have build there own orbital defences and have their own RSN system defence task force deployed. These will come on line as the colony grows and expands its own industrial base and more ships are produced from the main shipyards to provide a system defence force for all three systems.
All these systems have a system defence force defending. There are also several task forces patrolling from system to system, and there are convoys going from system to system that also have an escort force of frigates.
Most of the frigates are used to protect convoys of freighters going between RSC systems and Earth, also there is a large amount of trade between the RSC and Alliance members and the Klingon Empire. The rest of the frigates are split between system defence and being part of patrol task forces.
All member countries of the RSC have at least one colony.
All the 23 colonies system in RSC space has at least one class M world to support a population in the system and to ensure long term growth.
Militarily, financially and economically the members of the RSC are better off than the UESPA with a strong emphasis on trade and growth with other members of the Alliance and with their growing friendship with the Klingon Empire. The RSC has limited trade with UESPA, due to the fact that the trade is limited to non-military items only.
Each RSC system was considered a dominion of the country back on Earth, but due to the distance from Earth most colonies had some form government that was similar to its own country back on Earth. This also was the same for any mining operation in that the company had to register what country the mining was under, and was assigned a law enforcement unit from the RSC. This did not lead to the problems encountered by the UESPA, as the RSC was only made up of a few nations from Earth.
The RSC had a council set-up in London that represented each country of the RSC and each member had one vote on this council. These members are Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Tibet, Malta and Nepal, along with their membership in the Alliance and their treaty with the Klingon Empire.
The RSC has its own military in the form of the Royal Space Marines made up from volunteers of each member of the RSC. The RSM has 25 Divisions based on the 23 colonies (one division per colony) and RSM detachments on every RSN ship and star base. The RSC can also call on the regular army units of the member countries for reinforcement if necessary that are based on Earth and the countries colonies. This creates a very strong military force for each of the 23 colonies in the RSC and Earth.
On Earth the Royal Space Marine maintains 5 Divisions as a strategic reserve along with training units as well as Special Forces units such as Royal Space Marine Commando Division.
Each Royal Space Marine Division has a combat strength of 18,950 personal and is equipped with the latest weapons; these Divisions are extremely well trained in planetary warfare and space warfare.
RSC is also a member of the Alliance with one vote in the Alliance just like the UESPA.
Major systems of the UESPA
UESPA has over 50 colonies.
There are only three major systems in the UESPA. These are New America, New Berlin and New Paris. These systems are the most strongly defended as they contain major shipyards and dry dock facilities and are well populated. These three systems have several dozen Constitution Class and Excelsior Class Heavy Cruisers to defend them.
The remaining 50 odd systems vary depending on location and colony development. The minimum defence for these systems would be a mix of Horizon Class Heavy Cruiser(s) and Miranda Class Frigates.
These 50 odd systems are a mix of Agriculture, Mining and Manufacturing producing military and consumer goods for sale to UESPA and Alliance members in trade. Some of these colonies are based on moons or lifeless worlds, as they are really just large mining outposts.
The UESPA is spending most of its time and resources either defending these systems or continuing to expand the colonisation of the M class worlds in these systems. That is the main reason for stopping at creating new colonies and concentrating on growth within the existing colonies, rather than trying to grab a much territory as possible. So that over the next few decades most systems with an M class world would be 90% self-sufficient and also have their own system defences.
The UESPA should actually be pulling back from some systems to concentrate on systems that are more established and are still trying to do too much at once.
USEPA is also using this time to stabilise its relation with other members of the Alliance and improve and create me trade deals.
The UESPA colonies were directly controlled by the country that set-up the colony from Earth. Also some mining systems were directly controlled by the large corporations that were based on Earth. This sort of corporate control lead to large-scale problems with jurisdiction over what country should prosecute a corporation when it broke the law.
This lead to the UESPA setting up its own law enforcement units to police this growing problem. These corporate mining operations took up a lot of resources to monitor and police, that in turn lead to the UESPA spreading itself very thinly until more ships and trained personnel were available. This is another reason why the UESPA stopped colonising new systems and new worlds.
The UESPA had set-up a UN stile council with a small Security Council that was US lead with the power of veto along with France, Japan, Germany, China and Russia. This was a bureaucratic nightmare. Fortunately Starfleet had its own funding and resources allocated so the ship building and recruitment programs were not affected as this required the full agreement of all members of the Security Council to cut the resources of Starfleet.
Military power in UESPA/Starfleet was under Starfleet security and had no army units of its own. Though it member countries had their own armies that were equipped to various standards.
UESPA is also a member of the Alliance with one vote in the Alliance just like the RSC.
Next - Part 10 - "New Encounters"
Star Trek - Non Federation timeline
Chapter 1 - Prelude
In the early 1980's Britain was experimenting with a space system called HOTOL. HOTOL, stands for Horizontal Take-Off and Landing, was a realised British space shuttle proposal.
Designed as a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) reusable winged launch vehicle, it was to be fitted with a unique liquid air cycle engine (LACE), the RB545, built by Rolls Royce. The engine was technically a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen design, but by collecting and liquefying oxygen from the air as the spacecraft climbed, the amount of LOX (liquid oxygen) carried onboard was dramatically reduced. Since LOX typically represents the majority of the takeoff weight of a rocket, HOTOL was considerably smaller than normal all-LOX designs, roughly the size of a medium-haul airliner such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-9/MD-80.
HOTOL was 63 metres long, 7 metres in diameter and with a wingspan of 28 metres. The unmanned craft was intended to put a payload of around seven tonnes in orbit. It was intended to take off from a runway, mounted on the back of a large rocket-boosted trolley that would help get the craft up to "working speed". The engine was intended to switch from jet propulsion to pure rocket propulsion at 26-32 km high, by which time the craft would be travelling at Mach 5 to 7. After reaching orbit, HOTOL was intended to re-enter the atmosphere and glide down to land on a conventional runway. The internal landing gear were too small to carry the weight of the fully fuelled rocket, so emergency landings required the fuel to be dumped.
Development began with government funding in 1986. The design team was a joint effort between Rolls Royce and British Aerospace led by John Scott and Dr Bob Parkinson.
The first version of HOTOL was called HOTOL1 this would be unmanned the second version would be called HOTOL2 would be a manned version.
By the mid 1990's the HOTOL project was well under way and a launch site in Australia was chosen Woomera is a town in South Australia, 488 km north of Adelaide, along the Stuart Highway. This was expanded and upgraded to handle HOTOL.
Also at this time 3 other countries joined the British in the space program, these are Australia, New Zealand and Canada. These countries would have a percentage of the investment and would also receive the same percentage of any profits from this space program. The percentage breakdown was as follows Britain 50%, Australia 20%, Canada 20% and New Zealand 10%.
By 2005 the HOTOL 1 & 2 were operating with and HOTOL 3 & 4 with a much larger cargo/passenger capacity. The difference between is the stronger under carriage and stronger rocket motors witch allows to removal of the large rocket-boosted trolley.
The income would grow until the HOTOL program in 2010 was making 3 Billion pounds a year with a 1 Billion-pound profit for the 4 member countries involved.
In Britain at this time there was increased hostility to the European Union, the British government decided to hold a referendum on weather Britain stays in the EU of leaves. The results were staggering 78% for leaving the EU. This caused a run on the Euro but strengthened the British pound.
Britain withdrew from the EU on the 1 January 2012 the fears that the British economy would collapse did not happen, the opposite happened the British economy began to strengthen.
Britain would use the 1% of Britain's GDP that was going into the EU to fund a rearmament program with the world getting increasingly hostile. Most of the money would be put in to designing Deep Space Exploration Vessels what was left over would be put into the rest of the UK economy.
Between 2015 and 2025 Britain and its the partners expanded beyond the space program to all other areas including trade and defence. In the defence area they began would on a ground based laser defence system with the first until becoming operation by 2025.
Britain, Canada and Australia would be construction a new generation of nuclear power stations of the Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR) type, to provide power not only for the laser defence system by also to reduce the dependence on imported fuels.
In 2020 the construction starts in geo stationary orbit of two dry docks for the construction of Deep Space Exploration Vessels, construction of these two dry docks takes 4 years. On the 1 June 2024 King Charles III of Britain christens the first section of the new Deep Space Exploration Vessels. This will be called HMSS (His or Her Majesty Space Ship) Great Britain this ship will be followed by HMSS Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Also in 2020 will see the formation for the Royal Space Navy consisting of military personnel from all 4 countries under a joint command.
This design of these ships will be an elongated saucer shape with two new designed Ion engines as the rear between the small shuttle bay. The armament will consist of two forward firing rail guns and two aft firing rail guns, also there will be 8 lasers with 4 mounted dorsal and four mounted ventral covering 45 degrees each. There will also be a very primitive "navigation deflector" to deflect space dust etc. With a crew of 60, of these 10 are scientist and the rest are military personnel. They are designed to be away from earth for up to 5 years. With a length of 100 meters and a height of 25 meters and a beam of 70 meters and having 5 decks. These ships are powered buy 4 fusion reactors.
During this time the US space program is going though a lot of problems with the tragic loss of two space shuttles and the withdrawal of the space shuttles from service from 2010. The US goes back to using the Orion Spacecraft (formerly known as the Crew Exploration Vehicle or CEV) is NASA's series of human space flight spacecraft, replaced the Space Shuttle fleet. Together with the Earth Departure Stage (EDS), the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM), and the Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicle.
This US space program is far behind the British, Australia, Canadian and New Zealand joint space program. This is manly due to the constant shifting political situation in the US from on political party to an other every 4 years or so.
When the joint British, Australia, Canadian and New Zealand space command was set up it was made independent of political control. But did have to answer to the 4 ministers from each country that formed the space commission. Each of the four members had the power of veto but could be overruled by the other 3 if they were in agreement. This allowed the "Space Command" later called the "Royal Space Command" to remain virtually independent.
By 2029 all 4 Deep Space Exploration Vessels were operational and had begun exploration of the solar system.
The US and NASA had been watching this with envy and begin construction of there own Deep Space Exploration Vessels. These are not as elegant as the Royal Space Commands vessels. They are a series of tubes and pods joined together with one forward firing rail gun a 4 lasers 2 ventral and 2 dorsal. They called the USSS (United States Space Ship) America, Freedom, Kitty Hawk and Constellation these last two are not started until after World War III. These vessels are also buy 2 fusion reactors. This would be under the United States Space Command.
At the end of 2029 a certain young Zephram Cochrane and his family would emigrate from the US to the UK. Later Zephram Cochrane would be given a job at Britain's Space Research Institute. To develop his theories of a faster that light drive called Warped Drive, later to become Warp Drive.
By 2029 the HOTOL program has about 70% of the world’s satellite launch program and 100% of the satellite recovery and overhaul program. Also the space program was doing a healthy space tourism with the cost of going into space even for just a day coming down, the price was within reach of most middle class families (even though it was still only a once in a lifetime thing to do).
The profits from the space program have risen from 1 billion pounds in 2010 to 5 billion pounds by 2029 making the Royal Space Command financially independent of government funding.
But in 2030 that would all change as the 4 Royal Space Command ships would be used for a different purpose.
A further 12 Deep Space Exploration Vessels also to follow the Deep Space Exploration Vessels were vessels designed to carry colonists to the Moon and Mars. The production rate was 2 Deep Space Exploration Vessels and 3 colonist vessels per year. Also with a major colonisation of most of the solar system within the next 50 years and the setting up of mining outpost in the asteroid belt. But with the advent of World War III this program was put on hold.
Next - Part 2 - World War III
Part 2 - World War III
Note - This chapter is a bit brief, but if I went into detail it would take too long to do!
In 2030 various conflicts would boil over in to full-scale wars.
The first of these would be India and Pakistan they would start of over the disputed Kashmir and steadily escalate until both sides conventional forces would be locked in a deadly fight that neither side would back down. By the end of 2032 both sides had gone to a full nuclear exchange, decimating most of the populations of both countries.
The second conflict to start up just after the India and Pakistan was China and Taiwan. Taiwan declared independence from China on the 1 June 2030 after a referendum. China would launch a massive conventional attack on Taiwan to "reclaim" there "lost" territory. The US and Japan along with the EU supported Taiwan's independence. With Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada remain neutral. The Russian federation would support China.
Most of the conventional fighting was in the Taiwan Strait over navel and air superiority. The US, Japan and the EU had superior air and navel technology while China and Russia had numbers on their side. The conventional fighting would go on for 18 months of continuous fighting and the causalities on both sides were very high especially for Russia and China.
While all this was going on Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada would remain neutral in any conflict. They would continue to build up their defences against any attack on them. The defences would also be enhanced by the 4 Deep Space Exploration Vessels of the Royal Space Command. These 4 vessels would take up geo stationary orbit above the 4 member countries to shoot down any missiles that threaten them.
When India and Pakistan launch their nuclear weapons the vessels of the Royal Space Command did not intercept any of the warheads, as they were not attacking them. Thus in the space of a few hours 70% of the population of India and Pakistan were wiped out. Most of the casualties were in the large cities and most of rural India and Pakistan were left unscathed by nuclear strikes.
On the 15 January 2032 China launched a limited number of nuclear missiles at Taiwan. Some of these missiles were shot down by sea and land based ABM systems around Taiwan. But 6 warheads detonated killing 30% of Taiwan's population.
The US responded with a limited nuclear strike against China and China upon seeing this launched all its nuclear weapons against the US, Japan and EU. To witch the US responded with a full counter strike against China. Russia then responded by launching it missiles against the US, Japan and EU. The US also launched against Russia in response against Russia launches added to that France also launched her sub-based missiles against both Russia and China.
Most of the US strike against China was against military targets and several major cities. Thus most of the rural population survived the nuclear strikes against China.
The missile attacks against china were devastating, destroying most of Chinas infrastructure and population. The attacks against Russia were less successful as Russia had a basic form of missile defence around the major city's and industrial centres. The attacks against the US and Japan were not as devastating as the attacks against Russia and China as the US has deployed its ABM defence systems to defend the US mainland and over seas bases, but several nukes did manage to penetrate the defences and destroy several city’s in the US. As the US had only two spaceships in orbit to intercept warheads coming towards the US and its allies, this reduced the effectiveness of these defences.
The EU had mixed results due to the fact the in geo stationary orbit over the UK was HMS Great Britain. HMS Great Britain was under orders to destroy and weapons that were coming in the UK direction this had the added "benefit" of also protecting most of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and western Germany the rest of the EU was not so "lucky" and would receive several nuclear strikes. HMS Great Britain used her rail guns at long range and lasers at medium range to shoot down 90% of the approaching warheads the rest were destroyed by the land based laser defence system.
The same cover applied to Australia, New Zealand and Canada were no nuclear weapons detonated due to the cover provided by the ships of the vessels of the Royal Space Command. Also the use of the ground based laser defence systems based in these countries.
This would leave the 4 countries of Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada unscathed by the war and with their economies in one piece.
The US economy was also partially intact with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and western Germany's economy's also. The damage to Russia was limited to those nukes that got though Russia missile defence system.
Most of the destruction was in India, Pakistan and China with a death toll of over 1 billion dead. There would be problems with radiation, but surprisingly there was not a nuclear winter as most of the nukes that got though the defences ended up hitting either, the cities or military bases, this lead to the large number of causalities for a small number of nukes used. All of the missile aimed at Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada were shot down, thus reducing the amount of damage done. As were the majority that were fired at the US.
World War III would come to an end on the 1 May 2033 with a peace treaty with remaining government leaders of the surviving countries was signed.
Next - Part 3 - Aftermath/Space/Warp Drive/First Contact.
Part 3 - Aftermath/Space/Warp Drive/First Contact
Aftermath
China descended in to a feudal system and the only good thing to come out of the war was that Tibet became an independent country.
Russia with most of its cities in tacked Russia would slowly get back on its feet over the next 3 decades.
The US having suffered some of the fewest nuclear strikes of all the countries, economy was now devoted to rebuilding over the next 2 decades. Its space program would continue at a much-reduced rate.
The European Union countries varied in the amount of damage was done from country to country. With HMSS Great Britain in geo stationary orbit over the UK all of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and western Germany's were protected from attack. This allowed these countries to help the other EU countries recover from the war.
Japan was well defended against attack therefor its economy also survived mostly in one peace.
The four members of the Royal Space Command survived with their economies in one peace. They also were very strong trading partners with each other. This would allow these four countries some limited growth.
Space
The Royal Space Command four Deep Space Exploration Vessels had proved very good a defending themselves against attack. Therefore the space program would resume but at a much slower pace than before the war.
HMSS New Zealand would be refitted for a five-year mission to explore the solar system, especially the asteroid belt for raw materials. The mission departed earth on the 25 April 2035.
The other three Deep Space Exploration Vessels would remain in orbit for defence.
The construction of new vessels would start at the end of 2035 with a production rate of 1 Deep Space Exploration Vessel and 2 mining/colonist vessels per year.
By 2037 the six mining/colonist vessels would be sent to the asteroid belt to set-up mining facilities these would be escorted by 3 Deep Space Exploration Vessels who's job would be to protect the mining facilities and escort the ore back to earth for processing. By 2042 several mining colonies had been set-up and were sending ore back to earth for processing.
In 2045 an ore processing facility would be set-up near the asteroid belt mining facilities to process and refine the ore. This would allow the construction of a new dry dock facility near the ore processing facility to produce new warp spaceships, as well as shipping the remaining ore back to earth.
In December 2040 HMSS New Zealand returned to Earth from her 5-year mission to a heroes reception. HMSS New Zealand would go into dry dock for an 18-month overhaul and refit before becoming the flagship of the RSC.
During this time there was a debate amongst the members of the Royal Space Command weather or not to colonise the Moon and Mars. The invention of the warp drive and testing by Zephram Cochrane in 2063 the decision was to bypass the Moon and Mars and to focus on colonising other systems beyond Earth.
The US space program would be limited to two programs over the next 3 decades of establishing a moon base and a colony on Mars in 2050. It's space ships of the United States Space Command the USSS America, Freedom, Kitty Hawk and Constellation (the last two ships would be completed in 2035 and 2036) would be used in duel roles of warship and colony ships. The US space program would produce one new vessel per year coming out of the USSC dry dock on geo stationary orbit over the US.
Warp Drive
In 2050 Zephram Cochrane started work on his Warp Drive theory and began construction of the first warp-capable vessel, the Phoenix. The Phoenix was a spaceship launched in the 21st century. The Phoenix was constructed from an old Titan V nuclear missile purchased from the US as a cost saving measure rather than launching the Phoenix on top on a HOTOL.
It would take Zephram Cochrane 13 years to construct the Phoenix. The Phoenix itself would have a crew of three 1 pilot, 2 crew and would have a length of 20 meters (excluding the lower half of the Titan V launch rocket) and would reach just over warp 1.
On April 5, 2063 at 11:15am (Australia time) Cochrane made Earth's first warp flight, the first flight lasted on 40 seconds, but it propelled the Phoenix to a speed of just over Warp 1. When the Phoenix came out of warp it was just past the moons orbit. The second warp trip was a return flight back to earth orbit and docking with the orbital dry docks and then by HOTOL back to Woomera launch site.
First Contact
When Zephram Cochrane made his first warp jump in the Phoenix he was being monitored by a passing Vulcan ship, the T'Plana-Hath. First Contact took place on the evening of April 5, 2063, when a Vulcan survey ship, the T'Plana-Hath, having detected the warp signature of the Phoenix. The Vulcan ships captain decided to make first contact with earth.
The Vulcan ship T'Plana-Hath entered earth's solar system at impulse speed and headed towards the dry docks in geo stationary orbit over Australia. The two HMSS Deep Space Exploration Vessels HMSS New Zealand (flagship) and Canberra detected the Vulcan survey ship approaching and went to "action stations" and sent a signal to the Vulcan survey ship asking what its intentions were.
The Vulcan survey ship reply was that it had detected a warp signature as was investigating and that they came in peace. A quick series of communications between the HMSS New Zealand and Canberra and the Woomera launch site stating that the Vulcan survey ship was welcome. Woomera launch site gave co-ordinates for the Vulcan survey ship to send a shuttle down to the Woomera launch site to meet the pilots of the warp vessel.
On April 5, 2063 at 11.30pm first contact between Earth and Vulcan was established.
After several days of negation diplomatic relation between Vulcan and Earth were formed. But Vulcan would not interfere in Earth’s development by giving them advanced technology. This annoyed the US delegation but the member countries of the Royal Space Command accepted this and ask the Vulcan’s if they could exchange cultural items, the answer came back, yes.
On the 1 May 2063 the Royal Space Command issued orders for all spacecraft under construction to cease and the design and production of warp capable spaceships to begin.
The basic warp dive was shared with the US but not the planned improvements, so as to keep the US one step behind the Royal Space Command.
Next - Part 4 – First Steps
Part 4 – First Steps
Earth would be divided in to two space fairing power blocks, one under the Royal Space Command and the other under the United States Space Command.
By 2065 construction of these new ships had begun.
The Royal Space Command would come in several classes.
Frigate – This would be an enlarged version of the Great Britain class to accommodate the warp drive and the new matter anti matter power core. The Great Britain class had a length of 150 meters and a height of 30 meters and a beam of 85 meters. The warp drive nacelles rather that being on pylons stretching out from the hull of the ship the warp drive nacelles were made flush with the hull and were mounted on the port and starboard sides of the saucer.
This design would allow greater protection of the warp drive nacelles. The armament would consist of two forward firing rail guns and two aft firing rail guns, also there will be 8 lasers with 4 mounted dorsal and four mounted ventral covering 45 degrees each, these ships would be upgraded as new weapons were designed. The hull would be covered with polarised armour that would provide the ship with some protection; this armour would be 5cm thick. The frigates would have a crew of 60 with a detachment of 30 Royal Space Marines for on board security.
The frigate would be used to do many roles including planet defence, convoy escort and patrol duties. The class name would be the Leander class frigates. These frigates would be formed into squadrons of 6 frigates under the command of a captain with each frigate being commanded by a commander.
Destroyer - This would be an enlarged version of the Leander class frigates to accommodate the warp drive and the new matter anti matter power core. The Leander class frigates had a length of 250 meters, height of 45 meters and a beam of 95 meters. The armament will consist of four forward firing rail guns and two aft firing rail guns, also there will be 14 lasers with 4 in pairs mounted forward dorsal and ventral positions and 4 in pairs mounted port and starboard dorsal and ventral positions, these ships would also be upgraded as new weapons were designed. The hull would be covered with polarised armour that would provide the ship with some protection; this armour would be 5cm thick. The destroyers would have a crew of 95 with a detachment of 50 Royal Space Marines for on board security and to escort landing parties when exploring new worlds.
The destroyer would be used mainly for the duel roles of exploration and planetary defence, with a secondary role of convoy escort as needed. The destroyers would be formed in squadrons of 5 destroyers under the command of a commodore with each destroyer being commanded by a captain. Destroyers would also operate individually, such as diplomatic missions to other worlds such as Vulcan
The destroyer would be the main exploration vessel for the RSN for the next 4 decades from 2065 onwards. The class name would be the Dauntless class destroyers.
Both of these star ships would have a maximum speed of warp 3 with burst of up to warp 3.5 for just over 1 hour.
There would also be a modular freighter/passenger warp ship. This looked like a flying brick, with various modules bolted on to the end depending on what was needed. These would have minimal armament, but would be escorted in convoys form system to system by RSC frigate squadrons.
The production rates for these ships would be 12 frigates, 6 destroyers and 30 modular freighter/passenger ships per year. This production would go up as new colonies would set-up their own shipyards to add to the production, overhaul and repair. This would take the strain of the RSC production, overhaul and repair facilities in orbit over earth and near the asteroid belt.
The United States Space Command would only have one class of warship.
The type of warship is a cross between of frigate and a destroyer but with less firepower than both. The class name would be the Intrepid Class. The Intrepid class would be used by the USSC as a combination of warship, exploration and escort vessel rolled into one. The design is a saucer with warp drive nacelles coming out of the hull. The armament would consist of 2 laser cannons forward and 2 rail guns one forward and one aft. The hull would be covered with polarised armour that would provide the ship with some protection; this armour would be 5cm thick.
The production of freights would be left up the commercial companies that were part of the USSC. This would lead to many incompatible designs and production would vary from company to company.
The production of the Intrepid Class would run at 14 per year.
The first steps take to form colonies were done by the RSC fleet in 2070 the system of Alpha Centuria was claimed by the RSC and the plants in the system were colonised. The main colonisation effort by the RSC would be towards Vulcan controlled space. Between 2071 and 2100 would see 19 other colonies set up between on worlds that lie between Earth and Vulcan.
The expansion would be suspended by 2100 to allow the colonies to firm up and the construction of solid colony facilities. All colonised systems would have a least one frigate squadron to defend it, also would have a least one dry dock facility available. Some worlds would have much larger facilities depending on the resources in that system and its strategic location. Some of these strategic systems would be heavily defended by orbital defence stations, these systems would by bases for the ships of the RSC to be based, it would also allow them to respond in force in case of attack.
There would be a large movement from earth to colonise the new systems reducing the population of the member countries of the RSC between 2070 and 2100 by 50 million.
The USSC took a different approach; they would base most of their facilities in and around Earth, Moon and Mars with only small outposts that could top up the USSC star ships supplies, but and major repairs or overhaul have to be done back in Earths solar system. This approach would cause the USSC problems in the long term.
The USSC provided support for companies to colonise systems under the USSC banner. Between 2070 and 2100 put colonies or small out posts on 50 systems. But these had very limited means of defence or in some cases no defence, only 3 systems were given permanent defences this would lead to problems when the USSC encountered the Romulans in early 2100’s.
Most of the countries on Earth joined with the USSC but several joined up with the RSC these were Malta, Nepal and Tibet. Some would just remain neutral like the United Regions of China and the Russian Federation these two countries would trade with both sides between 2070 and 2100 while the expansion into space was going on.
Earth would also have two main currencies the US dollar and UK pound.
Technology between 2070 and 2100.
The RSC would concentrate on weapons, warp drive and improve polarised armour for the star ships. The first breakthrough was the invention of plasma weapons, these weapons starting replacing laser from 2080 onwards; they would also replace all pistols and rifles with plasma versions. Also by 2100 the theory of transporters was put forward, but it would be another 30 years before transporters would become a reality.
In 2090 the discovery of a derelict space ship brought the development of a form of disruptor technology to the RSC. These new disruptor weapons technologies were not shared with the USSC but kept for the RSC own Royal Space Navies use. It took only 8 months to reverse engineer the technology and begin fitting the disruptors to RSC RSN ships. These weapons discharged differed from plasma weapons in that the beam was more powerful and also was a light blue colour instead of red.
USSC would also concentrate on weapons, warp drive and improve polarised armour for the star ships and also develop plasma weapons, these weapons starting replacing laser from 2080 onwards. Unlike the RSC the USSC would rename itself the United Earth Space Probe Agency (but would not include all the nations on earth some would remain neutral) in view of the number of countries taking part in space missions.
By 2100 the RSC was ahead in terms of technology but the UESPA was ahead in the number of colonies. But the RSC colonies were better protected against attack than the UESPA colonies.
Next - Part 5 – New Friends and New Enemies.
Part 5 – New Friends and New Enemies
Between 2100 and 2150 saw a leap forward in warp design with the coming of the warp 4 engine in 2110 for the RSC and 2120 for the UESPA. By 2030 the warp 5 engine was in service with the RSC, but it would not be until 2151 before the UESPA would have its first warp 5 engine in its new NX class of star ship. The NX series would include the new Photonic Torpedoes and Phase Cannons.
The RSC would keep with the design of its Frigate/Destroyer designing and incorporate the new technologies in to new ships coming out of the shipyards. These new ships would replace the older versions.
There would be two new designs from the RSC and the UESPA.
The RSC Excalibur Project in 2145. This project was designed to produce a combat cruiser of an equivalent size to the Vulcan combat cruisers; it was also designed to incorporate all the technological improvements over the past 100 years. The design of these ships would be a change from the saucer design of the past 100 years. The ship would have a saucer and a secondary engineering section with the warp drive and navigational defector with room for an enlarged shuttle bay. The engineering section was mated directly to the saucer section with no connecting "neck" as with the UESPA Horizon project ship design. This ship class would be 600 meters long.
The warp nacelles were fixed almost flush with the engineering section this made of the appearance of a blister running along the engineering section, this was for improved protection against attack. The warp speed of this new call of ship would be warp 6 with speeds of up to warp 7 for short bursts.
The RSC Excalibur project also included the latest weapons; these included Matter/Anti matter torpedoes (called Tigerfish torpedoes), Phasers and 1st generation shield generators but also retained polarised armour for added protection.
The size of the RSC Excalibur would be 600 meters in length and have a crew of 550 and a Royal Space Marine unit of 200.
The UESPA Horizon project in 2151. This project was designed to give a longer ranged star ship than the NX series. This design would have the new Photonic Torpedoes and Phase Cannons from the NX series. This ship class would be 450 meters long.
The UESPA Horizon would be a different design to the RSC Excalibur in having a saucer section and an engineering section connected together by a neck. The warp nacelles were mounted on pylons extending from the engineering section.
The UESPA Horizon class star ship would have a maximum speed of warp 5 with speeds of up to warp 6 for short bursts.
Of the two designs the Excalibur class was more powerful than the Horizon class. Both of these ship types would see action during the war with the Romulans.
Both the RSC and the UESPA introduced transporters at this time. The RSC would use them only for transporting cargo and the UESPA would use them for both people and cargo. The RSC did not consider the technology safe for people to use transporters except in emergencies.
New Friends
The RSC RSN would make contact with the Andorians in 2135 when a RSN exploration group skirting the edge of Vulcan space encountered a ship of the Andorian Imperial Guard. The first contact between RSC and the Andorians went well with the forming of diplomatic relations in 2139.
Also the RSN made contact with Tellarites the 2141 and also established relations with the RSC.
By 2143 RSC had ambassadors on three other space fairing nations Vulcan, Tellarite, and Andorian home worlds.
The UESPA also established relations with Vulcan, Tellarite, and Andorian home worlds, but to a lesser extent than the RSC, due to the rapid expansion of new colony worlds.
Conflict
Between 2100 and 2150 there was a number of border disputes between Vulcan and Andorian military over the control of worlds along there borders. The conflict would be an on off conflict and not a continuous war. Both sides would not gain an advantage over or able to gain any territory without loosing the territory they had gained at great cost in lives.
The Vulcan's would have a small advantage in terms of technology but the Andorians would counter this with numbers of ships.
In 2150 a peace deal between Vulcan and Andorian races with mediation from both the RSC and UESPA ending in a peace treaty being signed on the RSC colony would of New Gibraltar on the 8 November 2150.
This would lead to the Vulcan's and Andorians leaving negotiating team on New Gibraltar to iron out any differences. The Tellarites also did not want to be left out so they were added to the loose partnership. Each of the three governments would have one of their ships in orbit for use as diplomatic vessels.
New Enemies
The UESPA encountered the Romulans in 2152 when the NX-112 USSS Colombia encountered 4 Romulan birds of prey. With shot being fired both sides withdrew figuring that it was each other space.
This sort of limited action would continue until 10 March 2156 when the Romulans attack the UESPA colony of New Paris was at the edge of UESPA space. This was a new colony only recently set-up and the colony only had a few hundred colonists. New Paris did have 2 NX class ships in orbit for defence.
The Romulans attacked New Paris with 50 birds of prey destroying the 2 NX ships and bombarding the colony from orbit. Because of the suddenness of the attack no distress signal was sent. Also when the 2 NX ships failed to make a regular report 3 ships were sent to investigate, these were 1 Horizon class and 2 NX class ships.
When these 3 ships came out of warp as the edge they saw the destruction and the orbiting Romulan birds of prey, the Romulans attacked the 3 UESPA, but this time the outcome was different in that the UESPA vessels had time to go to battle stations. The Romulans dispatched 12 birds of prey, this was a mistake by the Romulan commander as the three ships that he faced were fully alert and the Romulan commander did not have the element of surprise. The engagement was spectacular in the first pass 4 Romulan birds of prey were destroyed for no loss, three of the kills going to the Horizon class ship USSS Lexington.
The second pass by the Romulan birds of prey concentrated on one of the NX class ships and destroyed it for the loss of one bird of prey. The Romulan commanded realising his mistake dispatched the rest of the birds of prey to destroy the two remaining UESPA ships. The Romulans only succeeded in destroying the other NX ship while the Horizon class ship USSS Lexington escaped at high warp to raise the alarm.
On hearing of the attack on one of is colonies UESPA mobilised a task force to retake the occupied system. The task force would consist of 9 Horizon Class and 25 NX class ships, this attack took place on the 1 December 2056.
At the same time the UESPA informaed the RSC of the "small problem" and said that they could "deal" with problem without help. This would be proved VERY wrong for the UESPA.
The first major engagement of the Romulan Earth war would be for the control of New Paris. For the UESPA it would be a major test of the new weapons and ships. What the UESPA did not know is the Romulans were using New Paris as a forward base of operations and rally point for the Romulan fleet for an attack on UESPA colonies. In the system there were 600 Birds of Prey not the 50 odd that the ship USSS Lexington had reported. The UESPA was in for a very nasty shock when they arrived.
The Romulan fleet consisted of Birds of Prey they were not as large as the NX series but they were being produced in sufficient numbers to overwhelm an enemy ship. Their armament consisted of disrupters and missile launchers.
To be continued.......
Next - Part 6 – Earth Romulan War
Part 6 – Earth Romulan War
The second battle of New Paris started on the 1 December 2056 the 9 Horizon Class and 25 NX class ships moved in to combat formation with a certain NX-111 USSS Enterprise commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer on the right had side of the UESPA task force.
The commander of the task force saw that the Romulans had a larger number of vessels, but ordered the attack confident that the ships under his command had superior firepower. In the first exchange between the two fleets the NX-111 USSS Enterprise took the brunt of the attack and was destroyed, The Romulans lost 11 Birds of Prey with another 25 damaged.
The battle would go back and forth for the next few hours, but the Romulans having the numbers would gradually wear down the UESPA ships. By early on 2 December 2056 the Task force commander ordered a withdrawal of the remainders of the UESPA task force of the 6 Horizon Class and 11 NX class ships, with all of these ships having various forms of battle damage. The Romulans lost 78 Birds of Prey with another 107 damaged to various degrees.
The UESPA ordered a withdrawal from 21 colony worlds over the next 8 months knowing that these worlds could not be defended. The Romulans would occupy the systems but not land any forces of the surface of the planet(s) in the occupied systems.
The UESPA would form its main defence around the colony of New Berlin. This was one of the three colonies that were defended unlike other systems. The defences of New Berlin were rapidly reinforced with additional ships and orbital defence platforms over the 8 months since the defeat at the second battle of New Paris.
During this time the RSC/RSN continued to offer support in the defence of the UESPA but this was repeatedly turned down, also the Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites. This is because the UESPA thought that they could defeat the Romulans without any help.
The first battles for New Berlin were inconclusive, as neither side would commit to a full strike against; rather they were waiting for the other to make the first move. This meant the casualties on both sides were very light. This odd stalemate would go on for 6 months with either side not wanting to go first.
The Romulans sent a scout force of 75 Birds of Prey to nearby system to see if they could provoke a response from the UESPA. What they found in one system would change the course of the war.
In a system on the edge of UESPA space the 75 Birds of Prey came upon 3 NX class ships scouting the system. The Romulan commander attacked destroying 2 of the NX class ships, but one ship got away. The Romulan commander decided to pursue as the NX-134 USSS Hornet, as the USSS Hornet seemed to be going a way from UESPA.
The USSS Hornet was in fact heading for the RSC/RSN base a New Gibraltar to ask for help with repairs. The Pursuing Romulan command thought that he might find a secret UESPA base. The Captain of the USSS Hornet could not detect the pursuing Romulans as the Hornets long-range sensors were down and so did not know that he was being pursued.
The RSC/RSN base a New Gibraltar was one of the most heavily guarded RSC/RSN bases out side of Earth. The USSS Hornet came out of warp asking for help and was told to go to the dry dock facility in orbit around the planet of New Gibraltar.
In the New Gibraltar system there were 4 squadron's of Leander IV class frigates and 2 squadron's on destroyers, also in system there were 7 of the new Excaliber Combat Cruisers and single warships from Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites their on diplomatic duty. The pursuing Romulan commander did not wait to see what the strength of the colony was and attacked.
In the initial attack the Romulans destroyed one squadron of Leander IV class frigates on patrol on the edge of the system. The time it took to destroy the frigates, this allowed the other RSN ship to go to "action station" and prepare for the Romulan attack.
As the Romulans made there way towards the planet they found coming around from the other side of New Gibraltar the 7 Excaliber Combat Cruisers armed and ready for combat, followed by the three cruisers on diplomatic duty. Also converging was the 3 remaining squadron's of Leander IV class frigates and 2 squadron's on destroyers.
The 7 Excaliber Combat Cruisers were the first to engage the Romulan Birds of Prey, using a combination of the 4 forward firing Tigerfish torpedo launchers and Phasers, they destroyed in the first pass 25 Romulan Birds of Prey and damaging 10 others. The Romulan commander now new that he was out numbered and ordered the Birds of Prey to fire all there missiles at the planets surface to cause maximum damage.
The defence platforms engaged the on coming missile and destroyed most of the incoming missile, but a few go though and struck the planets surface causing heavy casualties including the embassies of the Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites. Then the Romulans tried to disengage and withdraw. The Romulan withdrawal was not very successful and only 22 Birds of Prey managed to withdraw out of the total attacking force of 75 birds of prey/
On the 31 December 2057 the RSC, Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites sent an audio message declaring war on the Romulans.
The Romulans on hearing this mobilised the majority of there fleet increasing the number of Birds of Prey from 600 to 1,200 to try to hold onto the space that they had acquired in the past 12 months.
By May 2058 the combined fleet of RSC, Vulcan's, Andorians, Tellarites and UESPA ships began an offensive to retake the lost UESPA worlds.
The first action was to break the attack on New Berlin, this attack succeeded in driving of the Romulans from the attack on New Berlin.
Over the next 3 years the combined fleet took back system after system but at great losses to both sides. The Romulan Birds of Prey that were unable to withdraw from battle used suicide tactics to take out the ships of the combined fleet.
By January 2060 the combined fleet had reached the edge of Romulan space. By this time the Romulan fleet along the boarder was up to 2,500 Bird of Prey with another 1,000 on their way from the rest of Romulan space.
In February an audio transmission was received from the Romulans asking for a cease-fire. The UESPA wanted to continue in to Romulan space but the RSC, Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites all agreed that they had achieved their objectives by recapturing all UESPA worlds lost during the war.
The Romulans had sent the request for a cease-fire because they knew that they could not win against the combined firepower.
The RSC, Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites members thought that the Romulans would get increasing desperate once they had entered their space; also they were not very keen on being an occupying power.
In 2160, the Romulans and the humans signed (electronically) a treaty ending the war and establishing a neutral zone one light-year wide between their territories. The treaty was negotiated via subspace radio, again with no visual contact between the parties.
Next - Part 6 – "To boldly go were no man has gone before"
Part 6 – "To boldly go were no man has gone before"
In early 2161 the RSC and UESPA were still going their own ways, although they had been united against a common enemy. Once the treaty was signed they when there own separate ways as normal.
In mid 2161 the formation if a loose alliance between the UESPA, RSC, Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites for mutual defence, trade etc. This would be called The Alliance, the UESPA wanted to form a United Federation of Planets but this was rejected by the other races.
The Alliances headquarter would be based on New Gibraltar and not on Earth as the UESPA wanted.
The RSC/RSN would in 2161 establish a new dedicated exploration division to see out new life form and to boldly go were no man has gone before. For this endeavour the RSC/RSN created a modified version of the Excaliber Class Combat Cruisers. This new class would be the Scott class exploration cruisers. These new ships would be the same size as the Excaliber Class Combat Cruisers but with a slightly reduced armament of 2 forward firing Tigerfish torpedo launchers instead of the Excaliber's 4 launchers. The extra space would be dedicated to a Stella cartography and enhanced diplomatic facilities to help with first contact with new races.
For 2163 onwards join crews would be established between the RSC/RSN and the Vulcan's, Andorians and Tellarites also the UESPA would also have joint crews, but there would be little exchange of crews between RSC/RSN and the UESPA.
The other main change to the RSC/RSN would be the removal of the Destroyer class from RSC/RSN inventory over the next 2 decades. The RSC/RSN would concentrate on producing improved versions of the Leander class frigates in various forms and the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser also in various forms.
The final change was the construction of a one off special versions of the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser. This would be the Royal and Diplomatic Combat Cruiser HMSS Britannia, this ship was extensively outfitted for diplomatic duties. The ship was 100 meters longer than the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser. This ship would be escorted by a minimum of 4
Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser and 6 Leander class frigates. This ship would prove an excellent place for host diplomatic and trade negations for the RSC and Alliance members.
The mistrust between the RSC/RSN and the UESPA would grow as the UESPA wanted the technological advances that the RSC/RSN, but the RSC/RSN was not will to share its advances with the UESPA.
The UESPA would use their Horizon class ships with very little modifications, as the resources were not available to build a new sub class of star ship.
The Horizon class would go on to be the main star ship of the UESPA until the new Constitution-class heavy cruiser in 2245. The Horizon class would receive numerous upgrade and enhancements during its 90 years of service, lost and destroyed ships would be replaced along with new Horizon class making this the most produced star ship.
Between the end of 2161 and 2200 numerous new races were contacted, some would join the Alliance some would remain neutral and some would just not want to know and a small number would be hostile.
The races that would be most receptive included the Denobulians, Betazoids and Bolians amongst the many races that would that the Alliance would make contact with and would join the alliance.
The races that would remain "neutral" would be races like the Romulan Star Empire, Tholian Assembly, Cardassian Union. These races would have some sort of conflict with either the alliance or and alliance member over the next few years or even in some cases decades.
The main cause of problems for the alliance would be the Klingon Empire. A RSC Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser while patrolling the neutral zone in 2166 first encountered the Klingon Empire. The Klingons are roughly humanoid in appearance; Klingons typically sport long manes of luxuriant hair with moustaches and beards common among males. Perhaps their most prominent external feature is their ridged forehead. These intricate, bony patterns, which are also visible on their feet, vary by family line and are an evolutionary remnant of their prehistoric crustacean forms, when Klingons had a more extensive exoskeleton.
Most Klingon body functions incorporate multiple redundancies, such as redundant stomachs, lungs, livers, an eight-chambered heart, and twenty-three ribs. This characteristic, known as "brak'lul," makes Klingons incredibly resilient. Klingon ribs are arranged in a latticework; the structure might be compared to chain mail. The Klingon expected life span is at least 150 years. However, it is typical that male Klingons die young while in battle and not of natural causes.
Klingon Technology at the time of the first contact was on par with the Vulcan's, but much more orientated towards combat that the Vulcan's. Klingon ships are able to with stand much more punishment in combat than any alliance member's ships.
The RSC Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser HMSS Victorious encountered a Klingon bird of prey. This first encountered went well as the bird of prey captain was clearly out gunned by the Victorious so a fight was out of the question.
Over the next few months an agreement was come to with the Klingon Empire and the alliance, that each side would respect each other's boarders. The RSC in private what the UESPA had asked the other members of the alliance to keep from the Klingons for now. Warned the Klingon Empire about the Romulans and that the Romulans boarded Klingon. This was not news to the Klingons as they had encountered the Romulans in 2163 and had an on going boarder dispute with the Romulans, though the Klingons did not tell the Alliance or the RSC about this. But this did help in the relations between the RSC and the Klingon Empire and some of the other members of the alliance but not the UESPA after the Klingons found out that it was the UESPA that had suggested not telling the Klingons about the Romulans.
The semi peaceful existence between the Klingon Empire and the UESPA would continue until around 2223, tensions thickened between the UESPA and the Klingon Empire. This would become a cold war until the Khitomer Accords were signed in 2293.
During the period between 2223 and 2293 there would be a brief alliance between the Romulan Empire and the Klingon Empire in witch a technological exchange took place. In exchange for cloaking technology, the Romulans received several D7 battlecruisers, which were upgraded into extremely deadly war machines. This alliance would last less than 12 months and would see the restarting of hostilities between Romulan and Klingon Empires.
During this period of tension between the UESPA and the Klingon Empire the rest of the alliance members kept their distance. As the alliance did not know who started the cold war between UESPA and the Klingon Empire the alliance decided to keep its distance in this conflict in case the Klingon Empire felt that they had no choice but to attack before the alliance did. This decision did not go down well with the UESPA and it led to a cooling in relations with the other alliance members.
The Klingons would employ "rouge" Klingons to raid UESPA space. At the same time assuring the rest of the members of the alliance that these "rouge" Klingons would be brought to justice. The Klingons would step up patrols along the boarder to try to catch these "rouge" Klingons but they did not have much luck. Though in reality the Klingons were not trying to capture the "rouge" Klingons at all.
Next - Part 7 - Growing pains
Part 7 - Growing pains
From 2200 there would be a large number of new races joining the alliance though out 2200 to 2300. For trade and mutual defence, also during the late 2200 some new members were actually seeking the alliance out and asking to become members without having to be asked themselves.
The RSC/RSN was leading the push in exploration encountering races like the Tholian Assembly in early 2200's who guarded their space against and out side intervention. Tholians are a star faring and extremely territorial. The Tholians very rarely went outside there own space, but when they did they always went in-groups.
Also encountered were the Cardassian Union mid-to-late 2200's . Cardassians are humanoid in form, but have distinctive ridged arches connecting their shoulders to the top of their necks. They also have ridges on either side of their forehead, ridges surrounding their eyes and protrusions on their chin and below their nose. They also have a spoon-shaped feature starting in the centre of their forehead and running down the length of their nose. This has earned them the derogatory name of "spoonheads." The spoon shape is also on their chest.
Cardassians tend to be predatory in nature, like wolf packs, always seeking out the dominant position in any social gathering. In normal courting behaviour, Cardassian couples routinely act bitter and snap at each other. Cardassian society is generally non-sexist - both men and women can rise to high ranks in the military, for instance. However, some fields are not so diverse, such as the scientific community that is mostly female.
Cardassia's educational system is legendary throughout the quadrant. From a very young age, Cardassian children are trained in techniques such as photographic memory, which allow them to retain vast amounts of information. Cardassian mental disciplines are rumoured to be so complete that a Cardassian will prove almost totally resistant to torture; a Vulcan mind meld is also usually ineffective against a Cardassian who is properly trained.
The Cardassian Union in terms of technology are slightly behind the RSC but have more ships. Cardassian Union ships are armed with two large phaser cannons (or it may be a plasma cannon), one forward and one aft. They are also armed with numerous secondary phaser cannons mounted at other points across the hull, and they may carry a complement of photon torpedoes.
A mutual understanding between the alliance and the Cardassian Union that each side would respect each others space. The Cardassian Union was busy at this time building its own colonies on the other side of Cardassian space and this would not change until 2328.
The RSC/RSN would continue to expand and upgrade is fleet with the latest technologies including the new Spearfish heavy weight torpedo, that would replace the Tigerfish torpedo.
The RSC/RSN would start work on a new type of ship in 2235. This would be the Dreadnought class battle cruiser. This would be an attempt to keep pace with the Vulcan's in terms of ship size (if not in technology), with the Vulcan's deploying a new enlarged type of combat cruiser with an increased length from 600 meters to 900 meters. This new Vulcan combat cruiser incorporated the latest advances in warp drive, allowing the new ship to travel at warp 9.9 for extended periods.
The Dreadnought class was an enlarged version of the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser. The layout was similar to the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser but the Dreadnought class was 50% bigger than the Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser. The Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser could attain a cruising speed of warp 8.5 with bursts of up to warp 9 for short periods. Its armament consisted of the latest phaser and the new Spearfish heavy weight torpedo also with improved shields and next generation polarised hull plating.
The UESPA would start work on a new type of star ship to replace the Horizon class ship. Constitution-class heavy cruiser in first launched in 2245. The Constitution-class also served as a mighty deterrent to both the Klingon and Romulan Empires. With a length 305 meters, crew of 500 (72 officers, 428 enlisted) and an armament of 18 phaser emitters (9 banks of 2), 2 forward and 2 aft photon torpedo launchers and deflector shields and screens.
In 2266 one of the Constitution-class heavy cruisers USSS Enterprise patrolling the neutral zone between the alliance and the Romulans empire encountered an unidentified alien ship with the ability to render itself invisible (later know as cloaking device) attacks a series of UESPA outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone. The Enterprise was in the vicinity and investigates. The unknown enemy reveals itself as being of Romulan origin, and it is soon believed they are trying to test Alliance resolve.
The USSS Enterprise sends out an alert to warn other ships and then engages the Romulan ship. For the next few hours both ships played a game of cat a mouse, each trying to out think the other. The USSS Enterprise was using her photon torpedoes like depth charges hoping to force the Romulan vessel to drop her cloak. During this engagement the Romulan vessel sent a transmission to the Romulan home world and the crew of the USSS Enterprise got their first look at a Romulan. This came as quite a shock to the crew of the USSS Enterprise as the Romulans looked like Vulcan's.
One near miss caused the death of several members of the Romulan ships crew, these were jettisoned into space with any other rubbish to make the USSS Enterprise that the Romulan vessel had been destroyed. But in the debris there was an old fashioned nuke as the USSS Enterprise closed on the debris field the nuke detonated causing the forward shield to weaken, at the same time the Romulan vessel de cloaked and fired her primary weapon as the USSS Enterprise. The captain of the USSS Enterprise ordered full reverse to try and outrun the Romulan plasma bolt. After a short chase the bolt began to disperse, but it still struck the USSS Enterprise disabling the ship.
As the Romulan vessel was closing in for the kill another star ship came out of warp. The ship was HMSS Hood one of the new Dreadnought class battle cruiser, putting itself between the Romulan vessel and USSS Enterprise while opening fire on the Romulan vessel. HMSS Hood had disabled the Romulan vessel and sent a signal to the Romulan vessel to prepare to surrender. The commander of the Romulan vessel ordered his ships destruction to avoid being captured.
Within a few hours of the arrival of HMSS Hood additional reinforcement arrived.
The crews of the USSS Enterprise and HMSS Hood were treated as heroes.
The revaluation that the Romulan were a Vulcan offshoot that went in to space before the time of Surak. The Vulcan's explanation of their Romulan cousins that they had lost touch with them during a world war on Vulcan was for the most part accepted. The UESPA would remain suspicious of the Vulcan's. This revaluation also had the affect of cancelling out any counterattack against the Romulan Empire.
One other event that happened in early 2200 on earth was the formation by the original 4 members of RSC (Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada) of a secret intelligence organisation under the joint intelligence charter. The secret part of the intelligence charter was referred to as Article 14, Section 31, from which its name is derived. This give's Section 31 extraordinary powers under certain circumstances. This organisation is known only to a few people within the original 4 members of RSC. Even the members of Section 31 do not know the number of people who work for Section 31, they worked either as individual agents or in cells or agents. Section 31 has intelligence agent(s) abroad every ship in the RSN also most member worlds have Section 31 operatives located on their home world. This organisation would remain secret from the other members of RSC and alliance members.
Also the RSC added three new earth governments to its own alliance, these were India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. These three countries did not have space programs of there own so they decided after much debate that they would join forces with the RSC. The main reasons why these three counties took so long to join was that they took a long time to recover from world war 3. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh would all be given a system each to colonise that would be guarded by the RSN.
Each member of the RSC would pay a percentage in ether money, goods or services to maintain the RSN.
The UESPA was a looser organisation, as there were so many countries competing for there own colonies. The UESPA "Star fleet" was well funded like the RSN; it also had a major disadvantage of trying to defend over 50 colony systems. Were as the RSN had only 23 colony systems to defend. At the end of the 2200's UESPA stopped all new colonisation of new system to consolidate its holdings, something that the RSC had done nearly 100 years earlier.
The majority of Earth had joined with the UESPA in a loose alliance with many conflicting needs. Were as the RSC was formed under a mutual defence a trade agreements with very clear goals.
Also in 2270 so the introduction of a new frigate class ship in the UESPA/Starfleet, this would be the Miranda-class.
The configuration of the Miranda-class shares a similar design lineage and features with the Constitution-class, implemented in 2270.
All Miranda-class star ships have a saucer section making up the majority of the vessel. The saucer is similar to that of a Constitution-class, but with a bulkier aft end with shuttle bays and a Warp core. Below the saucer, at the aft edges, are the nacelle pylons connected to the warp nacelles.
There are three configurations of the Miranda-class.
The most common configuration which had a "roll bar" immediately above the nacelle pylons. The "roll bar" had two phaser emitters on each side that can fire forward and aft, along with 2 forward and 2 rear firing photon torpedo launchers.
Another configuration, which lacked the "roll bar" and featured only Class 3 defensive armaments. This type of Miranda class was apparently suitable for transport duty.
The last configuration, which lacked the "roll bar", and had two large sensor pods installed on the port and starboard sides of the ship. It also had a phaser array mounted on the lower part of the sensor dome; and
Next - Part 8 - Problems, problems and more problems
Part 8 - Problems, problems and more problems
The first problem to hit was the V'ger incident in 2272 An immense cloud of controlled energy passes through Klingon space. Three K't'inga-class battle cruisers led by the IKS Amar respond to the incursion. After the cloud without effect swallows their photon torpedo volley, the squadron tries to pulls back and is destroyed.
A nearby UESPA/Starfleet listening post, Epsilon IX, observes the engagement, including the effortless annihilation of the remaining Klingon K't'inga-class battle cruisers by the cloud's energy weapon. Unhindered, the cloud continues on a course that will take it into UESPA space, headed directly for Earth.
Chief of Starfleet Operations Rear Admiral James T. Kirk arrives at the Presidio campus of Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, is given the assignment of intercepting and stopping the energy cloud with the newly refitted USSS Enterprise.
After making contact with the "cloud" the USSS Enterprise gradually journeys to the centre of V'ger, where V'ger is revealed to be the unmanned scientific probe Voyager 6, which was part of the Voyager program, and launched in the twentieth century by NASA. The damaged probe was found by an alien race of living machines that interpreted its programming as instructions from God to "learn all that is learnable" and return that information to its creator.
These machines made V'ger into something capable of fulfilling that mission, and on its journey back it gathered so much knowledge that it achieved consciousness itself! Having learned all that is learnable on its journey home, which took V'ger across the Universe, V'ger finds itself empty and without a purpose. Only through the creator can V’ger begin to explore illogical things, such as God, other dimensions, or higher planes of being.
The probe has become sentient and wants to continue to explore, but lacking the ability to think beyond logic, so V'ger links with Commander Willard Decker to acquire the ability to think beyond logic to continue its voyagers and the threat to Earth is ended.
The next problem that come along is the Project Genesis. Genesis Project was first proposed to the UESPA/Starfleet in the late 2270s. Over several years, the scientists developed a Genesis matrix and a three-stage test. The first stage was conducted in their laboratory in orbit around Regula. Project Genesis was a process of rapidly terra forming worlds to make them suitable for settlement and food production. The Genesis Project was developed by a team of UESPA scientists, led by Dr. Carol Marcus and her son Dr. David Marcus, working in an orbital laboratory in orbit around the Class D planetoid Regula.
When some renegade Klingons sized a UESPA/Starfleet Miranda Class Frigate USSS Reliant and in set-up to steal the Genesis device. They were intercepted by the refitted Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser USSS Enterprise under the command of Admiral James T Kirk. During the fight the Klingons activated the Genesis device to try and destroy the USSS Enterprise. This created a new world and destroying the USSS Reliant in the process, just as the USSS Enterprise managed to escape. The USSS Enterprise took heavy damage during the conflict but survived, this seemed to underline the effectiveness of the Constitution Class refit program.
A science vessel sent to observe the new world that the Genesis device had created was attacked by another group of Klingons in a Klingon bird of prey. The partially repaired USSS Enterprise was "acquired" by Admiral James T Kirk and a small crew to return to the Genesis would. In the ensuring battle the USSS Enterprise was destroyed and the Klingon bird of prey was captured and Admiral James T Kirk returned to earth a hero.
As a reward a now demoted Captain James T Kirk was given command of USSS Enterprise 1701 - A to replace the original lost in combat. With orders to continue to "boldly go were no man has gone before"
Examination of the captured Klingon Bird of Prey found that the cloaking device was damaged so could not be reverse engineered. But the Klingon Bird of Prey did give the UESPA/Starfleet information on Klingon weapon systems and warp drive.
The revaluation of the Genesis device caused shock amongst the other members of the alliance. The Genesis research project was cancelled and the Alliance banned research into this area.
During these incursions the RSC/RSN did not intervene in UESPA/Starfleet responses, but did maintain a task force to intercept (with the exception of the Genesis problem). The main thrust of the RSC/RSC was an anti piracy drive against the Orion Syndicate. This proved remarkably successful and a large number of the Orion Syndicate's vessels were either captured or destroyed. The Orion Syndicate pirate operations against the RSC/RSN was reduced to virtually zero. One of the main reasons for the success was that Section 31 had infiltrated into the lower levels of the Orion Syndicate organisation and was able to provide very useful intelligence.
This led the Orion Syndicate to choose less well protected areas such as the UESPA and other alliance members as the picking in the RSC area of space did not make it worth the effort.
Relations between the UESPA/Starfleet and the Klingon Empire would hit an all time low, but the relations between the other members of the alliance would remain stable especially with the RSC/RSN. The RSC/RSN and the Klingon Empire would actually come closer during this time and would continue to expand their ties that would include a technological exchange and improved trade between the two, also several members of the alliance took advantage to also expand their relationship with the Klingon Empire. This would included Vulcan, Andorian and the Tellarite.
The RSC/RSN would commence a large refit program to bring all its current ships in line with the most up to date technology available. This would include a technological exchange between the RSC/RSN and the Klingon Empire this would include the Klingon Empire giving the cloaking technology and weapons technology to the RSC/RSN on condition that they did not share this with the other members of the alliance. The Klingon Empire would receive information on the latest warp drives and weapon systems from the RSC/RSN.
The main reason for the technological exchange between the RSC/RSN and the Klingon Empire was that the relations between the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Empire were again dissolving in to a conflict between the two empires. The Klingon Empire was seeking to expand its friendship that its had started with the RSC/RSN, the Klingon Empire also knew that there was no love lost between the Romulan Empire and the RSC/RSN.
This new technological exchange would allow the RSC/RSN to start equipping their ships with cloaking technology from early 2300's. This would give the RSC/RSN a considerable advantage over other races. The RSC/RSN was as good as there word; they did not share the technology with any of the other members of the alliance.
The other peace of technology was the heavy disrupter, this weapon replaced the forward torpedo launcher in some Klingon warships. The RSC/RSN applied this technology to their phasers and came up with the heavy phaser cannon. This new weapon could only be mounted on the Dreadnought class Battle Cruiser due to its size and only one per ship due to the heavy phaser cannons power requirements. This was mounted underneath the saucer section firing forward.
Using the cloaking technology the RSC/RSN would build a small number of stealth ships. These new stealth ships would be known as the Shadow class vessels. These vessels would be used for intelligence gathering. Their construction would not be reviled to the other members of the alliance.
The Shadow class is a usual design that it departs from the saucer design of the current RSC/RSN ships. The front half of the ship is shaped like an arrowhead and the rear half is squared of, the warp nacelles run the length of the rear half. The Shadow class is coloured black and has sensor bafflers along the hull and its sublight engines are muffled to reduce to a minimum any emissions when cloaked. The armament consists of only phasers and no Spearfish torpedo launchers. The Shadow class is equipped with a cloaking device. Length of 211 meters and a maximum warp speed of warp 9 with burst of warp 9.6 for short periods. This ship is virtually impossible to detect at low warp and at impulse speeds.
Shadow class would be built in small numbers (about 70) for the RSC intelligence also Section 31 would receive 20 of these ships for there own use.
The timing of the technological exchange RSC/RSN and the Klingon Empire was also good as the other alliance members attention was focused of the Genesis project problem.
Towards the end of 2200's the UESPA/Starfleet began to expand and add a new class of star ship the Excelsior-class with the first ship coming of the production line in 2285. With a Length of 467 meters and an armament 12 dual phaser banks and 4 torpedo launchers.
The Miranda-class ship is one of the easiest star ships to build and would be built in large numbers by UESPA/Starfleet, also the Miranda class would be refitted to keep pace with the latest technologies. This would match the RSC/RSN Leander class frigate's multi role capability many commentators said that the UESPA/Starfleet was on the right track, by copying the RSC/RSN Leander class frigate idea witch is something that UESPA/Starfleet should have done from day one.
UESPA/Starfleet was now stopping it colony expansion and focusing on securing the 58 colonies that is has and exploration. The exploration was not for new colonies but to seek out new life forms and new allies for the UESPA and the Alliance, again something that the RSC had been doing from day one.
Next - Part 9 - Interlude
Part 9 - Interlude
By the end of 2200's the sizes of the major ships in the RSC/RSN and UESPA/Starfleet. This does not include support vessels, long range shuttles or civilian freighters.
RSC/RSN
Leander Class Multi Role Frigates (various versions and types) - 6,500 (more building)
Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser (including Scott and Britannia classes) - 3,950 (more building)
Dreadnought Class Battle Cruiser - 1,211 (more building)
Shadow Class Stealth Ship - 50 (with an additional 20 being operated by Section 31)
Most of these vessels are fitted with a cloaking device. The exception being those forces assigned to system defence.
UESPA/Starfleet
Miranda Class Frigate - 2,700 (all versions and more building)
Horizon Class Heavy Cruiser (relegated to second line duties after 2255 phased out of service after 2310) - 4,350 (out of production and being replaced by the Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser)
Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser - 2,200 production ceased when the Excelsior class starts in 2285 and are refitted to extend service life.
Excelsior-class Heavy Cruiser - 850 (more building)
Major systems of the RSC
RSC has 23 colonised systems.
The most important system outside of Earth is New Gibraltar. New Gibraltar is the location of the largest orbital shipyards and dry docks in the RSC. New Gibraltar in also the headquarters and meeting place of the Alliance and contains a diplomatic mission from the Klingon Empire to the RSC, this also includes a Klingon cruiser in orbit.
In this system there are two rapid reaction task forces ready for deployment, these are force H and force M, each of these task forces contain a least 5 Dreadnought Class Battle Cruisers, 12 Excaliber Class Combat Cruiser and 30 Leander class frigates. These do not include New Gibraltar's own defences and the alliance members who also have ships in system.
The other four systems that have large shipyards and dry docks these are New Sydney, New Wellington, New Toronto and New Quebec.
The 15 other systems also have dry docks and a smaller shipyard capability; these systems tend to concentrate on Agriculture, Mining, manufacturing and producing consumer goods rather that the military goods.
There are three newly colonised systems New Pakistan, New India and New Bangladesh. These three systems have very strong system defences courtesy task forces guarding each system. Until they have build there own orbital defences and have their own RSN system defence task force deployed. These will come on line as the colony grows and expands its own industrial base and more ships are produced from the main shipyards to provide a system defence force for all three systems.
All these systems have a system defence force defending. There are also several task forces patrolling from system to system, and there are convoys going from system to system that also have an escort force of frigates.
Most of the frigates are used to protect convoys of freighters going between RSC systems and Earth, also there is a large amount of trade between the RSC and Alliance members and the Klingon Empire. The rest of the frigates are split between system defence and being part of patrol task forces.
All member countries of the RSC have at least one colony.
All the 23 colonies system in RSC space has at least one class M world to support a population in the system and to ensure long term growth.
Militarily, financially and economically the members of the RSC are better off than the UESPA with a strong emphasis on trade and growth with other members of the Alliance and with their growing friendship with the Klingon Empire. The RSC has limited trade with UESPA, due to the fact that the trade is limited to non-military items only.
Each RSC system was considered a dominion of the country back on Earth, but due to the distance from Earth most colonies had some form government that was similar to its own country back on Earth. This also was the same for any mining operation in that the company had to register what country the mining was under, and was assigned a law enforcement unit from the RSC. This did not lead to the problems encountered by the UESPA, as the RSC was only made up of a few nations from Earth.
The RSC had a council set-up in London that represented each country of the RSC and each member had one vote on this council. These members are Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Tibet, Malta and Nepal, along with their membership in the Alliance and their treaty with the Klingon Empire.
The RSC has its own military in the form of the Royal Space Marines made up from volunteers of each member of the RSC. The RSM has 25 Divisions based on the 23 colonies (one division per colony) and RSM detachments on every RSN ship and star base. The RSC can also call on the regular army units of the member countries for reinforcement if necessary that are based on Earth and the countries colonies. This creates a very strong military force for each of the 23 colonies in the RSC and Earth.
On Earth the Royal Space Marine maintains 5 Divisions as a strategic reserve along with training units as well as Special Forces units such as Royal Space Marine Commando Division.
Each Royal Space Marine Division has a combat strength of 18,950 personal and is equipped with the latest weapons; these Divisions are extremely well trained in planetary warfare and space warfare.
RSC is also a member of the Alliance with one vote in the Alliance just like the UESPA.
Major systems of the UESPA
UESPA has over 50 colonies.
There are only three major systems in the UESPA. These are New America, New Berlin and New Paris. These systems are the most strongly defended as they contain major shipyards and dry dock facilities and are well populated. These three systems have several dozen Constitution Class and Excelsior Class Heavy Cruisers to defend them.
The remaining 50 odd systems vary depending on location and colony development. The minimum defence for these systems would be a mix of Horizon Class Heavy Cruiser(s) and Miranda Class Frigates.
These 50 odd systems are a mix of Agriculture, Mining and Manufacturing producing military and consumer goods for sale to UESPA and Alliance members in trade. Some of these colonies are based on moons or lifeless worlds, as they are really just large mining outposts.
The UESPA is spending most of its time and resources either defending these systems or continuing to expand the colonisation of the M class worlds in these systems. That is the main reason for stopping at creating new colonies and concentrating on growth within the existing colonies, rather than trying to grab a much territory as possible. So that over the next few decades most systems with an M class world would be 90% self-sufficient and also have their own system defences.
The UESPA should actually be pulling back from some systems to concentrate on systems that are more established and are still trying to do too much at once.
USEPA is also using this time to stabilise its relation with other members of the Alliance and improve and create me trade deals.
The UESPA colonies were directly controlled by the country that set-up the colony from Earth. Also some mining systems were directly controlled by the large corporations that were based on Earth. This sort of corporate control lead to large-scale problems with jurisdiction over what country should prosecute a corporation when it broke the law.
This lead to the UESPA setting up its own law enforcement units to police this growing problem. These corporate mining operations took up a lot of resources to monitor and police, that in turn lead to the UESPA spreading itself very thinly until more ships and trained personnel were available. This is another reason why the UESPA stopped colonising new systems and new worlds.
The UESPA had set-up a UN stile council with a small Security Council that was US lead with the power of veto along with France, Japan, Germany, China and Russia. This was a bureaucratic nightmare. Fortunately Starfleet had its own funding and resources allocated so the ship building and recruitment programs were not affected as this required the full agreement of all members of the Security Council to cut the resources of Starfleet.
Military power in UESPA/Starfleet was under Starfleet security and had no army units of its own. Though it member countries had their own armies that were equipped to various standards.
UESPA is also a member of the Alliance with one vote in the Alliance just like the RSC.
Next - Part 10 - "New Encounters"