2158 (Columbia)

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Reference Stardate 1/0800 through 1/0806

Mars (STSC)

The question of what to do with the growing independence movement on Mars became even more troublesome after war broke out with the Romulan Star Empire in 2155. With the war raging, Earth authorities and the Mars Constitutent Assembly approve an arrangement in which Mars will retain its allegiance to Earth, while the colonists will gain considerable authority to govern themselves.^[1]

January

RSD 1/0802: Continuing their advance into Coalition space, individual Romulan ships form "wolf packs" to attack Coalition transports. Three escorted Coalition convoys are attacked and destroyed in this way. Officials believe the Romulans are hijacking the cargoes before destroying the transports. As they press deeper into Coalition space, the Romulans are becoming desperately in need of supplies.^[2]

RSD 1/0805.02 (2 March): Headed for the Triangle, a Romulan armada of sixty ships attacks three Coalition squadrons near Gamma Hydra. Though Coalition forces are outnumbered substantially, casualties are extremely heavy on both sides. The Coalition's new tactics match Romulan ferocity, leaving both fleets badly depleted and exhausted. The Romulans force a Coalition retreat, and they resume course for the Triangle. The 132nd Strike Squadron, commanded by Admiral William Larson on the Excelsior, reinforces the battered Coalition forces and repulses the Romulan armada. The battle seriously weakens Starfleet's forces, but it also prevents the formation of a major Romulan fleet in the Triangle. Excluding isolated, small-scale engagements, the Triangle remains Romulan-free for the rest of the war.^[2]

1 October: After traveling for three weeks at Warp 5, a fleet of ten Romulan battle cruisers, commanded by Admiral Mindar, enters the Denobula system. The Romulans board the orbital spaceport, killing every Denobulan aboard. More than three million Denobulans are killed when Mindar opens fire on the surface. The occupation of Denobula is complete, and the Romulan forces now hold a staging ground for an invasion of Earth only two days' travel from the Sol system.^[4]
Having detected the Romulan fleet headed for Denobula, Admiral Rafael Douglas deduces that it was in preparation for an attack on Earth. He orders the evacuation of all ships and personnel from the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards; the partially constructed ships go into hiding behind Ceres in the asteroid belt. When the Romulans invade, they destroy the Verteron Array on Mars, as well as the Utopia Planitia yards, but losses are minimal. The fleet is taken by surprise when they come under fire from a second Verteron Array, constructed in secret and hidden on Venus. Three ships are destroyed by the array before a dozen Starfleet ships, led by the Intrepid—now under the command of Captain Bryce Shumar—arrived. Only four Romulan ships survive to retreat back to Romulan-held territory. An enraged Praetor Gilaeus orders that Admiral Mindar be executed for his failure.^[4]

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