Battle of Gemulon

The **Battle of Gemulon** was an engagement between the Khitomer Alliance and the Tzenkethi Coalition that preceded the Hur'q Crisis.

## Prelude

### Tzenkethi crusade

In late 2410, the Khitomer Alliance discovered that the Tzenkethi Coalition had eradicated all life on a planet in the 20 Draconis system using a protomatter bomb. The United Federation of Planets sought to reestablish contact with the Coalition to find answers and to avoid a conflict. However, further investigations revealed that the Tzenkethi had sterilized dozens of worlds with the same weapon.

A few weeks later, Alliance vessels clashed with Tzenkethi forces over Khufano in an effort to prevent all life being extinguished from that world. Though the Alliance was successful in saving the planet, the event showed that the Coalition was on a crusade in the Alpha Quadrant and that the Alliance would need to act and act quickly.

### Alliance reaction

One of the strategies implemented was the creation of task forces specializing in large scale evacuation and rescue operations. One such unit was Task Force 257, nicknamed Task Force Safeguard, under the command of Rear Admiral Ripshanel-daw. The unit was based out of Starbase 257 with the *Manticore*-class USS *Echidna* serving as flagship.

A joint training exercise was scheduled to occur in September 2410 at the Bajoran colony of Free Haven. The intent was to train starship crews from the task force and the domestic security forces of some Federation members so that they could work together effectively in case an evacuation of an allied planet was needed.

Scans and searches were also ordered of all inhabited worlds for the germanium crystals that appeared to be the Coalition’s target. Those planets where crystal formations were discovered were placed under constant watch and Alliance forces were diverted for their defense.

### Colonial defense

On stardate 87699.922 a report was received from the Cardassian colony on Gemulon V that some of the germanium formations may have been found on the planet. The Cardassian Civil Defense Force (CDF) dispatched the *Ghemor*-class CUV *Mogrund* to investigate and confirm.

While the *Mogrund* was en route to the Gemulon system, it detected a small fleet of Coalition vessels on its long-range sensors. The force appeared to be heading towards the Cardassian colony. Gul Hadlo Mhevet, commanding officer of the *Mogrund*, sent an emergency alert to Starbase 257, warning of the possible attack. The starbase commander immediately contacted Admiral Ripshanel-daw and informed her of the Coalition’s movements.

The admiral ordered all non-essential personnel aboard the USS *Galar* and the USS *Redoubt* to Free Haven and then dispatched the two vessels to Gemulon V to begin evacuating the colonists. Both left for the colony at slipstream. Ripshanel-daw stayed aboard the *Echidna* to coordinate with Starfleet Command and the CDF regarding the Tzenkethi attack. She planned to use the *Echidna’s* advanced slipstream drive to later join in the defense of the colony. Those Federation starships that had gathered to participate in the training followed the *Galar* and *Redoubt* at maximum speeds.

When the *Mogrund* arrived in the system, Gul Mhevet contacted the colony and began preparing its 38,000 denizens for evacuation. The *Galar* and *Redoubt* arrived soon thereafter and began embarking colonists via transporters and shuttlecraft. Mhevet took the *Mogrund* to the edge of the system to check for the Tzenkethi fleet. Long-range scans found that they were on course for the system and would arrive at Gemulon a mere 34 minutes after the main body of Task Force Safeguard. Knowing that a complete evacuation could not be completed before the Coalition forces arrived, Captain Jugan of the *Galar* initiated saucer separation. He placed his executive officer, Commander Anthi zh’Ryk, in charge of the saucer and evacuation, then placed the stardrive section in a defensive position between the approaching threat force and the colony.

## Main engagement

### Arrivals

At 1423 hours most of the starships of Task Force Safeguard arrived in orbit of Gemulon V. The cruisers began assisting in the evacuation using all available transporters and shuttlecraft while the frigates and corvettes joined the *Galar* in a defensive line between the cruisers and the oncoming Tzenkethi force. The *Mogrund* returned from the system’s edge and joined the defenses.

The Coalition fleet consisted of 4 *Broln'ta*-class cruisers and 8 *Shuk-din*-class frigates, with the CSS *Implacable*, a *Rhas'bej*-class battleship, serving as flagship. When the force arrived in the Gemulon system at 1457, Gul Mhevet hailed the *Implacable*, but there was no response. Fifteen minutes later, the *Broln'ta* cruisers and half the *Shuk-din* frigates came into range and opened fire upon the defensive line. One of the *Yukuwa*-class frigates accompanying the *Mogrund* was downed in the initial volley. The *Mogrund*, *Galar*, and all other craft in the defensive line returned fire.

The *Implacable* and its four *Shuk-din* escorts attempted to maneuver around the defenders to reach the planet and the evacuation group. Captain Sh'suyo, commanding officer of the *Atrox*-class CDS *Patronus*, ordered his vessel to screen against the *Implacable* while Captain Jugan pulled the *Galar* back to intercept the Tzenkethi flagship. The *Patronus* was crippled under a barrage from the *Implacable* and the battlecruiser moved to fire protomatter torpedoes at Gemulon V and the ships evacuating the colonists. The *Galar* destroyed two of the *Shuk-din* frigates and broke past the others to engage the *Implacable*.

### Sacrifice

Captain Jogan ordered the *Galar* to stand between the *Implacable* and the planet to prevent any of the Tzenkethi protomatter weapons from reaching their target. Weapons fire from the *Implacable*, its two remaining escorts, and one of the *Broln'ta* cruisers that had slipped past the defensive line, engulfed the *Galar*. But the starship and its crew held their ground.

Jogan focused his own weapons fire on the protomatter torpedoes and shunted all extra power to bolster the shields. The *Implacable's* commander, realizing the futility of firing on the planet with the *Federation*-class dreadnought on defense, ordered a full spread of protomatter projectiles fired upon the *Galar*.

As the *Galar's* shields failed, the Tzenkethi weapons began to tear into its hull and the protomatter vaporized its biological crew. Though all hands were lost, the distraction had provided enough time for the rest of Task Force Safeguard to complete the evacuation of the Cardassian colonists. The saucer of the *Galar* was the last to leave orbit, as it had remained until the end to ensure that all colonists were saved. It broke orbit and rendezvoused with the CDS *Rockpaw*, an old Lyran starship, that was to tractor it to Starbase 257. Three Tzenkethi frigates, that had sped to intercept the saucer, arrived and opened fire before the *Rockpaw* could jump to warp. The frigate's warp drive was damaged in the assault and both it and the *Galar* saucer took evasive maneuvers.

The *Implacable* itself moved past the lifeless hulk of the *Galar* stardrive and fired a final torpedo into Gemulon V, eradicating all remaining life on the planet.

### Escape

The *Mogrund* and its support ships had managed to destroy three of the *Broln'ta* cruisers and two of the *Shuk-din* frigates. The other cruiser withdrew and the remaining frigates pushed ahead to rejoin the *Implacable*. Gul Mhevet ordered all ships to pursue the Tzenkethi and defend the *Galar* saucer.

The *Rockpaw's* captain, a Lyran named Softpaw, suggested that zh'Ryk take the *Galar* towards the second and third planets in the system. Gemulon II and III were tidally locked and their unique arrangement and atmospheric composition made for an area of extreme gravimetric disturbances, known as "The Battleline." Softpaw believed that the two starships could evade and lose the Tzenkethi by passing through the two planets.

The saucer and the frigate managed to keep ahead of their pursuers and entered "The Battleline," with the *Rockpaw* leading the way. The Tzenkethi ships hesitated briefly outside the area before continuing their hunt.

As the *Galar* and *Rockpaw* exited the corridor, the Lyran ship emitted a pulse between the two planets that caused intense gravimetric eddies, forcing any ship in "The Battleline" to make complex adjustments to their heading while traversing the zone. This led to the destruction of one of the Tzenkethi frigates and hindered the advance of the other two, as well as briefly blinding their sensors.

The *Rockpaw's* engineers had been working rapidly this entire time to repair the starship’s warp drive. Though the hurried job only allowed for a speed of Warp 5, it was enough to provide for an escape. The *Rockpaw* once again tractored the *Galar* and jumped to warp.

Though the efforts of the *Rockpaw's* crew had delayed the Tzenkethi, it was the attack of the *Mogrund* and the remaining Alliance forces upon the Implacable that pulled them from their pursuit.

### Rescue

"Captains, let's encourage them to disengage." - Admiral Ripshanel-daw
The Cardassian cruiser was holding its own against the Tzenkethi dreadnought, but the situation was turning dire as the *Implacable’s* escorts returned. Gul Mhevet ordered a withdrawal, only to be countermanded by Admiral Ripshanel-daw. She had finally arrived aboard the USS *Echidna* and had brought the USS *Ashalla* to assist.

The *Echidna* unleashed a full torpedo spread and its phaser lotus upon the Tzenkethi forces, while the *Ashalla* made precision strikes with its phaser arrays and torpedoes. The *Implacable* took heavy damage and 80 percent of the remaining Coalition forces were disabled or destroyed. The Tzenkethi dreadnought disengaged and fled.

## Aftermath

While the Alliance was unable to prevent the Coalition from eradicating all life on Gemulon V, Task Force Safeguard had succeeded in saving all of the colonists. A month after the battle, the Lukari Restoration Initiative was able to restore the biosphere of the planet and the colonists were able to return.

The *Galar* was decommissioned and the stardrive was salvaged. Commander zh’Ryk and the other remaining crew from the *Galar* were reassigned. Some ended up aboard the USS *ch'Vass*, a starship recently returned from its mission to test the cyclical quantum slipstream drive.

Shortly after the colony was restored and resettled, it held a memorial service honoring the sacrifices made to save so many Cardassian lives. It was attended by most of the *Galar* survivors, a delegation from Evora, and Admirals Ripshanel-daw and Tval, a former captain of the *Galar*.

The Khitomer Alliance gave commendations to the members of Task Force Safeguard, with special citations for the crews of the *Galar,* *Rockpaw*, and *Mogrund*.