Head Canon: Galorndon Core

Head Canon: Galorndon Core

Galorndon Core
Hyralan Sector
Near the Romulan Neutral Zone

2157

Second year of the Earth Romulan War

Coalition forces are looking at locations for a temporary base of operations closer to Romulan space. Top of the short list is Galorndon Core, an L-class world near the border of Romulan space. This info is leaked to the Romulans by a Romulan spy posing as a Vulcan. The Romulan senate decides this is too close for comfort and decide to go “scorched earth” against the coalition. They sent a fleet of 5 ships armed with nuclear warheads to Galorndon core to bombard the planetoid.

The fleet arrives at Galorndon Core. They attack the small coalition fleet in orbit. The NX-06 Endeavour is disabled, three other smaller ships (two Neptune class and one Vulcan Vahklas class) are destroyed. The Romulan ships then enter orbit and bombard the planet, firing their entire payloads of Nuclear weapons at the surface. The planet is left irradiated, mired in a nuclear winter and rendered uninhabitable.

According to Endeavour’s science officer’s projections the planet will remain uninhabitable due to the radiation for at least 200 years.

Science officer Jaeger: I’m reading Romulan warp signatures, approaching our position.

Captain Reynard: How many?

Jaeger: Five. They’ll be here in less than two minutes.

Captain Reynard: (to tactical) Stiles: polarize the hull plating, arm phase cannons and torpedoes. (to communications): Imani, contact the fleet, tell them to prepare for combat.

Tactical officer Diane Stiles: on it.

Communication officer Imani: Aye sir. The fleet is combat ready.

Captain Reynard: good. Are there any other ships in the sector?

Imani: the nearest fleet group is over 4 days away. 6 ships led by Enterprise under Commodore Archer.

Captain Reynard: Then we’re on our own.

Stiles: (staring at viewscreen) captain!

(Romulan ships drop out of warp)

(ship shakes violently)

Captain Reynard: Stiles return fire!

Stiles: firing…a hit! Only minor damage.

(ship shakes violently again, engineering console explodes)

Captain Reynard: report!

Jaeger: Our warp drive is out. We have minor hull breach on c deck.

Stiles: we’re losing our hull plating! Also our port phase cannon is out of commission.

Captain Reynard: keep firing what we’ve got left. How’s the fleet holding out?

Jaeger: the Triton and the Ve’raak have been destroyed. The Ceres is losing warp containment…they’re evacuating. Captain! I’m reading a large amount of nuclear weapons on the Romulan ships.

Captain Reynard: If they have nuclear weapons why haven’t they used them?

(Ship shakes, console in situation room at back of bridge explodes)

Stiles: What does it matter? They still could.

Jaeger: they just took out the fusion reactor. Impulse engines are out.

Captain Reynard: Engineering. Michel give me some good news.

Chief Engineer Michel Romaine: I wish I had some. Warp drive is out, and with the fusion reactor trashed impulse is also down for the count. We’re effectively adrift.

Captain Reynard: what about weapons?

Romaine: We’ve lost all of the forward phaser cannons. Torpedo fire control system is a royal mess. It’s gonna be a while.

Captain Reynard: -sigh- Ok then. We’ve done all we can.

(on the viewscreen a Romulan weapon blast tears the Mercury apart)

Captain Reynard: Damn. Imani, send out a distress call to Archer, tell him every that happened here.

(on the viewscreen the Romulan ships enter orbit of the planet and assume attack positions)

Stiles: captain!

Jaeger: they’re preparing to bombard the planet.

Captain Reynard: now we know why they brought the nuclear weapons.

(as all on the bridge watch the Romulan ships fire volleys of Nuclear warheads at the planet, the explosions creating a series of mushroom clouds, turning the planets clear atmosphere into a cloudy morass)

Jaeger: The entire surface of the planet has been irradiated with nuclear radiation. All plant life on the surface has been obliterated. Radiation levels are well beyond lethal levels.

Captain Reynard: how long?

Jaeger: running projections now, but with the levels of radiation and the half life of the radiation…we’re looking at at least two hundred years before the planet becomes safe for human life again.



2352

Stardate 29192.4

USS Brahe

Oberth Class science ship. NCC-21280. Performing routine surveys of the Hyralan and Kaleb sectors. Next destination: Galorndon Core. The science officer has reviewed historical records on the planet. The Brahe enters orbit of Galorndon Core and begins scans. Scans reveal that the radiation levels have subsided considerably since the last scans conducted by the USS Stargazer 22 years ago. The Nuclear winter is beginning to show signs of letting up. Radiation levels are no longer lethal, the planet is safe to inhabit (barely). Radiation protection is still recommended if anyone goes down there.

Brahe captain: Captain’s log. Stardate 29192.4. Continuing our surveys in the Hyralan sector, we’ve entered orbit of Galordon Core. Two centuries ago the Romulans irradiated the planet with nuclear weapons during the Earth-Romulan War. Since then it’s been completely uninhabitable.

Captain: (to science officer) report.

Brahe science officer: Beginning scans now. The radiation has subsided since the last scans of the planet 22 years ago.

Captain: Oh? Enough to make the planet inhabitable?

Science: Barely. Radiation levels are still very high. Can you go down to the surface and survive? Yes. Would I spend a long period of time down there? No. Will the planet ever be able to support native flora again? Not in the foreseeable future.

Captain: So no away team.

Science: I would not recommend it. If anyone does go down there, I would strongly recommend radiation protection. As in a full EVA suit.



Romulan ship V’melak nearby, observing the Brahe under cloak

Subcommander: Commander. They have scanned the planet. By now they must know that it has become inhabitable again.

Commander: It is of no consequence. The Federation would not be so stupid as to place an outpost that close to the neutral zone. Especially as it would be easily detected being along major trade routes.

Subcommander: Would it not be prudent then to claim the planet for the empire and place our own outpost on its surface before they have a chance to reconsider?

Centurion: It would be a strategic advantage to have an outpost this close to Federation space. Should the empire wish to engage the Federation in the future.

Commander: Perhaps. In any event, it is not my decision to make.

Subcommander: but Commander, surely-

Commander: As I’m sure the centurion will remind you it is not our place to take initiative. Our duty is to report our observations to the senate. If the senate wishes to claim the planet they will order us to do so. At present though the senate is so preoccupied with matters internal that I seriously doubt this one planet will merit their attention. I am also well aware subcommander that it was your grandfather who led the very attack that rendered the planet an uninhabitable ruin.

Subcommander: yes commander.

Commander: I'm glad we agree. (to flight control officer) Pilot: resume course.