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Stardate 6407.23, 07:55:07 Galactic Mean Time
Captain's Log, U. S. S. Enterprise NCC 1701-D
Triangle Sector

Log Entry Begin:

"The Enterprise has been ordered to begin the field testing a new target
tracking sensor array with an advanced QLR Radar which, according to
manufacturer's specs, can track up to 1200 bogies out to 76 AUs, even under the
most harsh combat conditions. To test this new TTSA, Enterprise has been ordered to the Caladann Nebulae, which is an extremely active murasaki-type nebulae with an especially hot spectral class-W star at its core. This should put the new Target Tracking Array to a maximum test. Enterprise will be the flagship of a three ship Task Force. Accompanying Enterprise are the USS Canaberra, an Intrepid-class frigate and the USS Fafnir, a Shawnee-class Destroyer Escort.

"Also engaged in this exercise will be the Klingon Vortcha-class cruiser
Wamach-charr, an old D-7 light cruiser from the Four Years War era, and two K-42 warbird escort vessels. The Klingon Task Force is commanded by Commodore Kevar. Kevar is today an almost unique example of a Human-Klingon fusion in a position of command. His ancestors were specifically bred to oppose the Federation in combat in the days when the Imperial Race which Worf is a representative of chose not to directly engage in combat against alien races. Those days are long gone now, with the fusion races Klingon-Human and Klingon-Romulan in a state of disgrace because of their behavior during the Kinshaya Wars at the turn of the century. Since that war, the Imperial Race had reasserted its dominance in the Klingon Military as well as in the sociopolitical sphere, and hybrids with such authority as Kevar are rare.

"The TTSA sensors have phenomenal resolution. They have allowed us to detect and identify an anomalous cluster of energy readings even through the clutter and grass of the murisaki-type nebulae. Several hours ago, long range sensors detected the unmistakable signature of heavy photon-weapons fire, some five light years from our proposed mock battlefield. Totally across the breadth of the nebulae, someone else is involved in a serious confrontation. Since both the Federation and the Klingons consider this area of space to be strategic, the Klingon Commander, Kevar, and I have decided to investigate this situation, and are proceeding to the center of the subspace disturbance at warp seven."

END Log Entry


Starfleet Captain Jean Luc Picard glanced around the bridge, his first shift
crew was here, preparing to engage whatever was out there causing all the
subspace disturbance. Picard's eyes stopped on the Command Computer station in the left rear quadrant of the bridge, and Lieutenant Commander Geordi LaForge, Chief Engineer. No doubt about it, LaForge had all the earmarks of a future starship Captain, he would one day be the one giving he orders to his own crew. But for now he was in charge of making sure that all of the Enterprise's
physical plant -- its engines, power reactors, and life support systems were
operating at peak efficiency. It was the newly minted Lt. Commander's job to
make sure that if the Captain called for warpspeed, the Enterprise was able to
deliver.

Lieutenant Commander Deanna Troi, Picard was sure, was in the midst of doing a light telepathic scan of the crew -- and perhaps even the Klingons, trying to isolate any knots of extreme stress that might cause a catastrophic failure of
some system due to human error -- or worse, the mental breakdown of a crew
member. Her authority as Ship's Councilor backed up by her Betazoid T+3 MenTalt rating gave her unprecedented ability to diagnose, and even "fix" problems on the human side of the equation. Commander William Ryker, Picard's Executive Officer, was working as diligently and speedily with the Enterprise's Star Pilot, Lt. Sarah McDougal, to make sure that the ship's sublight maneuver
systems were in top shape. If Enterprise were forced into combat, McDougal would have the responsibility of making sure Enterprise was not where enemy gunners expected it to be, while holding the ship steady for Lieutenant Worf, Klingon Warrior, and Enterprise's Tactical Action Officer.

Worf was busy conducting last minute diagnostics, making certain that if called upon, the Enterprise's weapons would do her crew honor in combat against any enemy. Worf was relieved that as usual, the ordnance crews had maintained the ship's "teeth" in tiptop shape -- he would not have the embarrassing loss of face of having to report to Picard that one or more weapons were off line because of maintenance faults. To loose the use of a weapons system in combat was an inconvenience, but it was expected and was not dishonorable, but to loose them because of laziness or error ... Worf shuttered and allowed himself a moment's relaxation to prepare mentally for the coming conflict in the Komerex Zha, the Great Game of Life.

Lieutenant Commander Data, the Enterprise's third in command, glanced over the dozens of readouts and indicators at his station: OPS. instantly taking in,
categorizing and digesting the information they represented; he was several
dozen times faster at completing this task because he was an electronic
intelligence, the product of renegade cybernetisist Noonian Singh. For the first
fourteen years of his "life" after having been activated - he had spent his
career in Star Fleet as an instructor in cyber-science at Starfleet Academy.
Enterprise was his first deep space assignment.

"Captain," Worf said quietly, "We are within visual range of the disturbance."

"On screen, Mr. Worf."

The starfield on the large main viewer shifted and shimmered before focusing on a blob of light crisscrossed with veins of darker matter.

"Neutralize warp, hold this position."

"Aye sir," McDougal acknowledged and at the same time passed the Enterprise's intention to hold this position on to the two accompanying Star Fleet ships and the Klingon vessels a second or two behind them. The Klingons expertly deployed in a single wing formation off the Enterprise port aft.

"Magnify main screen area 254 by 650," Picard instructed the computer, which
made the required adjustment and redrew the electronic display on the main
screen. There were hundreds of ships of unfamiliar designs on the screen. Of
these, it appeared that at least four were warships of some kind and engaged in
serious combat. One type looked like two fat saucers connected by a stubby
central core, the other was a longer vaguely cylindrical shape with two
outrigger nacell-like structures. In the space between the two larger ships were
dozens of smaller, incredibly fast craft which were intent upon attacking each
other with a viciousness not often seen in stellar combat. Tiny streaks of blue
and red marked the exchange of both particle beams and combat lasers between
hundreds of smaller "fighters" which swarmed like gnats around the overall
battle area.

"Captain," Worf said suddenly, "I'm picking up a broadcast from one of the
combatants!"

"Indeed," Picard said interested. "On main screen, Mr. Worf."

The screen filled with the image of a crowded bridge and an older silver maned man in an unfamiliar, but unmistakably military uniform. "This is Commander Adama of the Battlestar Galactica to the unknown alien ships approaching on vector 2765-zero-green. We are convoy guards for the last survivors of a genocide perpetrated upon my people by the merciless Cylon Hoards. Our home worlds, the Colonial Republics, have been at war with the Cylons for a thousand yarens, until a Cylon sneak attack destroyed all twelve of our home worlds simeltaniously. We evacuated as many survivors aboard as many assorted commercial vessels as we could find. Our convoy includes 237 vessels containing 68,504 civilians, including women and children, which will be destroyed by the homicidal Cylon attackers ..."

At this point the screen flickered and a projection of the double saucer vessel
was displayed.

"We are receiving technical specifications on two types of warships, and
tactical targeting data on one of the unknown starships, sir," Worf reported.

"We plead with you for your intervention to save our children from the Cylons.
Appended for your review is the complete history of our war with the Cylons."
On the screen, the pancake shaped fighters dove again and again on the huge
colonial starship, blue-white streaks of light marked their weapons fire - and
where those beams struck the starship, orange-red gouts of fire erupted,
evidence that the weapons had breached the hull of he ship and fires were
raging, fueled by the ship's atmospheric oxygen. Faint auroral discharge
patterns of mini-lightning played over the dark hide of the starship and it was
apparent despite its point defense weapons that the larger ship was in serious
trouble.

TO BE CONTINUED