Chronicles of Sol: The Fall

The climatic battle at Earth was a disaster for both the Cathamari Empire and the United Earth Federation. Regardless even with the disastrous final results of the battle the Cathamari Empire did pull out ahead in the battle. Following the battle the colony on Luna was abandoned and Earth herself was shrouded in radioactive plasma clouds. The U.E.F ceased to exist as a governing body and what remained of her forces set out into deep space. Meanwhile the Cathamari failed to gain access to unique human technologies and lost a significant number of ships and warriors on this campaign. Not only that significant military resources were expended without any tangible benefit. Examples had to be made to maintain political stability and the whole campaign left them vulnerable, especially in light of rising tensions with the Krall Imperium.

Now we all know that they lost their homeworld months later in a counterattack and descended into civil war, but how would things have differed if Earth’s navy had been victorious at the Battle?

The first thing to consider in this case is how the battle would have had to go for that victory. The Cathamari force had a significant numerical superiority with ten ships to every ship the human defenders had but first they had to breach the Lunar perimeter. The perimeter was supported by a number of high orbit converted Battlestations, an extensive minefield, torpedo platforms, radiation traps, and orbital hangers. The perimeter encircled the entire planet and was regularly patrolled by thousands of strike craft and space superiority fighters. With the orbital hangers often having a reserve of thousands more. In addition, the perimeter was regularly patrolled by destroyers and heavy cruisers.

Of course, the Cathamari had attempted to breach the perimeter before. So they had come prepared. This time they were going to get through. No actions on the part of the defenders would change that. In all honesty the decisive moment would come later. When the local commander ordered the ground bombardment but what if they had followed orders instead? Their orders were for an invasion not an orbital bombardment.

In this alternative timeline, after the breach of the perimeter and gaining the upper hand against the defending fleet. Vessels started landing troops on the surface. This would have led to heavy fighting on the surface but would have also allowed the surface batteries to engage more of the fleet. Forcing more ships into low orbit to support the invasion.

Again Enterprise and her escorts the Coto and the Umikaze would be launched early to participate in the battle. The Yamato however would survive the engagement albeit heavily damaged. Post-battle, there would have been heavy casualties and industrial damage. However the U.E.F would remain intact and would have time to rebuild. So what would have happened immediately after the battle?

Well first would have been salvage operations. The Yamato would have been towed to port for repairs and refit. While that is going on, the Enterprise and her completed escorts would have taken on supplies and personnel before being dispatched to Alpha Centauri under the command of Captain Reynolds. Commander Countryman would be assigned as first officer and advisor. Her mission? To survey the system and establish an outpost in the area for the purposes of creating a forward operating base and a research station to continue the warp research program. In addition if mineral resources proved sufficiently high and accessible they were to build forward shipyards. Additional vessels would be dispatched later when available.

Due to these factors the Enterprise would arrive roughly at the same time she did in the prime timeline with one brief delay due to engine trouble during the months long trip. No incident of note occurred at Earth while she was away and events in the system would largely line up with the prime timeline. The first notable deviation occurred with the Enterprise’s rendezvous with Horizon. Given her orders after meeting the ship's commander, and updating her crew on recent events. The Enterprise would dispatch personnel to both the Horizon and the fledgling colony below. With the intent of setting up a proper outpost. While the team sent to the Horizon was to assess the damage and draw up a refit plan to convert the old science ship into a patrol cruiser.

During these actions she would detect weapons fire on long range sensors and pick up a distress call. After dropping of industrial supplies and equipment she would proceed at high warp to the source. Coto and Umikaze would join her as escorts. Upon arrival, they will find a Cathamari fleet engaged with a Krall cruiser. The resulting battle will thanks to a suggestion from Countryman proceed much the same as it does in the prime timeline and the Enterprise would then make first contact with the Krall.

The Krall vessel had lost her main drives in the battle but refused the Enterprise’s offer for repairs. Requesting a tow instead. After a discussion with the Krall commander Tika, the Enterprise agreed to offer it in exchange for some technological assistance. With Krall aid the Enterprise received upgrades to her mag tractors and warp engines. Allowing her to cruise at warp five and conduct warp towing. The Krall cruiser Teketh and the Enterprise departed for Illeria not even two days later. Meanwhile, the Coto and Umikaze remained in the system to complete the outpost, but now on heightened alert.

The tow trip was uneventful and the Enterprise and the Teketh arrived at Illeria without incident. Once there the Enterprise docked at the local starbase. Countryman disembarked with Captain Reynolds and met with Tika and the local base commander. Once aboard the first official negotiations began between the U.E.F and the Krall Imperium.

During the negotiations, a Cathmari raiding party attacked the starbase while several ships engaged the local forces as a distraction. During the resulting battle several civilian transports were destroyed. Marines from the Enterprise aided the Krall with repulsing the Cathamari raiders but despite this their transport got away. The Krall sent a battleship and several cruisers in pursuit. While the Enterprise aided with recovering survivors.

Not long after a cruiser carrying a Krall delegation arrived. Commander Tika and the delegation requested permission to board the Enterprise. They brought with them samples of subspace communications technology and a request for transport to Earth to continue the negotiations.

The Enterprise departed the system not long after receiving the delegation. She did not head immediately for Earth but instead headed for Alpha Centauri. The trip was uneventful and she was joined by several new destroyers sent from Earth. She remained only briefly to transfer a few of the subspace communicators to the local fleet. While there she assisted with the final stages of Horizon’s refit and her industrial bays helped produce key components for an orbital station. After two weeks in the system, she departed for Earth.

Upon arriving in the Sol System she quickly came into contact with a Cathmari Harbinger. The cruiser was one of several sent to the system in the wake of the failed assault on Earth. With rising tensions with the Krall, the Empire cannot afford to send a new fleet, but they felt it well advise to locate and recover any remaining war material in the system.

The vessel was rather surprised by the sudden appearance of the Enterprise at close range. As a result, the cruiser failed to raise shields in time and was subjected to two hundred and forty-seven penetrating hits from the Enterprise’s secondary battery and four from her main battery. All targeted at key systems, shields, weapons, engines, and life support all failed. With the ship dead in the water and disabled, she was promptly boarded and captured by Enterprise marines. Her crew attempted to erase the databanks but failed. The ship was then left dead in space and lifeless. The hull booby-trapped after the Enterprise crew downloaded all useful military data and stripped the hulk of valuable components. Afterward the Enterprise proceeded to Earth on sublight.

Upon arrival at Earth, she disembarked the Krall delegation but remained on station in Earth orbit. Bringing aboard science teams to study her engine upgrades and the Krall subspace communications technology. Negotiations would drag on for several months but on March 19th, 159 CSD a treaty would be signed between the U.E.F and the Krall Imperium. By terms of the treaty the Krall would supply military and industrial aid to the U.E.F and help her rebuild. Within two months of the treaty being signed the first Krall vessels will enter the system. However on July 17th 159 the Krall Imperium and the Cathamari Empire would officially declare war on each other. The U.E.F having already been at war with the Cathamari welcomed the Krall as an ally.

Two days later the Yamato would complete her refit and along with the Enterprise would depart on Operation Deepstrike. The planned offensive against the Cathamari homeworld. They would have two light carriers, fourteen destroyers, four heavy cruisers and six light cruisers assigned to them as part of the force. Meanwhile the Krall were gathering force at Illeria in preparation for a series of strikes along the Cathamari border.

November 3rd, 159 CSD. The U.E.F fleet under the command of the Enterprise had successfully penetrated into Cathamari space. The exact location of the Cathamari homeworld remained unknown but several colonies had been identified. After bypassing the outpost as Beta Six, they proceeded to the Vela system. Vela was the location of an older Cathamari colony world, several of them in fact. With a combined population of nearly eighteen billion. Less than half were actually Cathamari with many of the inhabitants in fact being conquered slaves sourced from elsewhere. Vela had a number of shipyards and industrial facilities. Facilities of vital military importance but local garrisons were surprisingly light with less than a hundred operational capital ships in the system when the Enterprise arrived.

In the following battle, the Cathamari forces were easily destroyed and the local shipyards leveled. Before the fleet took up position over the colony Velarna, the largest of the three colonies in the system. Population of twelve billion. For six days, the planet was subjected to heavy bombardment. All vital military installations were destroyed, and most major settlements were leveled. Settlements that without fail had almost entirely Cathamari populations. Very few non-Cathamari died in the bombardment. Then humanity began landing troops.

As such November 9th, 159 CSD marked the first extrasolar invasion humanity had ever conducted. The Cathamari defenders proved poorly equipped, under trained, and in complete disarray. As a result within three days of the first landings, the entire planet was under the control of U.E.F forces. Freshly freed slaves celebrated in the streets. The news reached the other two colonies in the system within hours. Soon both of the other colonies were facing heavy revolts. Local leaders petitioned the Cathamari fleet for reinforcements. Within weeks, several Cathamari battle groups would arrive to begin their counterattack. The war had resumed and this time Humanity could win.