Kroal’s Illegitimate War (SH124)

## Kroal's Illegitimate WarPart of Klingon-LDR Incident

In Y154, the Orion Daven Cartel contracted with the LDR to supply three ships (1xCR, 2xLR) to operate as part of the LDR fleet in defense of LDR territory. Hamilcar Cartel, which had also bid on this contract (and lost), was not at all pleased, as the long-term possibilities threatened their interests in the area. To counteract this, Hamilcar used agents planted within the Klingon ISF "Maximum Veracity Directorate" to misconstrue information so that Hamilcar "activities" within Klingon territory would be blamed on Daven.

Due to the complexities of the situation, LDR/Klingon relations were being handled at the highest levels of the Klingon Empire. As these were "external" affairs, and the ISF was by definition "internal”, the ISF and MVD were not kept up-to-date on developments and had to rely on their own sources of information. As a result, there was much disinformation about the LDR within the ISF, which the machinations of the Hamilcar agents only made worse.

In Y157, having learned that the Daven mercenaries would be at an LDR world near the Klingon border for R&R on a given day, Hamilcar decided to provoke an "event." For a month prior to E-Day, Hamilcar used most of its available ships to stage convoy raids in Klingon space along the LDR border, specifically to stir up a hornet's nest; the ISF obligingly responded by sending an F5 squadron to reinforce the area. At the same time, the agents planted within MVD began "leaking" the fact that the LDR/Daven agreement had been expanded to allow Daven raiders a base within LDR space; the agents were so successful that the increased activity led the MVD to believe that the LDR was, in fact, cooperating with the Orions and "sponsoring" their activities, and warned field commanders of this possibility!

On E-Day, Hamilcar staged a raid on a Klingon convoy transporting colonists and supplies to a "Warrior Colony" world. Hamilcar deliberately left one escort ship alive long enough to scream for help, while the Hamilcar ships (not by coincidence 1xCR and 2xLR) systematically destroyed the transports and took many colonists as prisoners. As the ISF raced to the rescue, the Hamilcar ships broke off their attack and headed out - on a direct course to the LDR world where the Daven mercenaries were enjoying R&R. Once out of range, they cloaked (all three ships having cloaking devices ALSO not being a coincidence) and quietly departed the area.

Commodore Kroal was the ISF Sector Commander. At this point, all he knew was that the raiders had left on course for an LDR world (true), and that the LDR was allowing Orion ships to operate in their territory (false); he assumed that this was the initial raid from Orions operating from LDR space that he had been warned about (false). The Commodore decided to end the menace to the Empire by entering LDR space with every ship he could and destroying everything in his path, thus teaching the "cowardly furballs who did not even fight their own wars" a lesson.

## Aftermath

The LDR suffered heavy losses, including the *Liberty*, *Guard*, *Lurnsah*, *Zhtrong*, and *Joherl*. The base station was crippled, but was rebuilt.

The massed drone attack on the base station pointed out the need for increased drone defenses. This resulted in Chairman Pathau's eager acceptance of the Hydran proposal in Y161 to exchange Gatling technology for exclusion of Lyran ships from LDR territory.

Daven lost the *Infidel*, and the other two ships were badly damaged. At the next meeting of the heads of the Orion Cartels, a compromise between Daven and Hamilcar was forced to prevent open warfare. Daven withdrew its mercenaries from LDR employment, while Hamilcar was forced (as punishment) to never operate within LDR territory again.

The Klingons lost the *Stoic* and *Jail* (the boom of the latter was recovered) and other ships were badly damaged. As reparation, the Klingon Empire formally recognized the LDR as an independent state; the cost of rebuilding the base station was paid by the Klingon Empire.

The captain of the D6D was censured and transferred to command of a D6J.

Commodore Kroal was broken and dismissed from the Empire's service; he was not even allowed the chance to redeem himself by service on a penal ship.

## References

1. ↑ Various (1994). *Star Fleet Battles Module S2 – Scenario Book 2*. (Amarillo Design Bureau), pp. 21–3.