He explained that less than a year from now, the Federation enters a war with the Romulan Star Empire that continues well into his time, with the deaths tolling into the billions. The war begins with the introduction of a new Romulan weapon, aptly named "The Road to the Stars", that devastated several systems within the Federation interior in a matter of days. The weapon is a single torpedo fired from cloaked ships at great distances. Once fired, it engages its own cloaking system that renders it invisible to Federation detection until it reaches its target. Once within close range of its target, it disengages its cloak to reallot its energy reserves. Upon impact, it reorganizes the molecular matrix of the entire planet, oftentimes leaving nothing but a molten ball of slag.
The Federation, unable to detect through the Romulan cloak system, nor defend against the terror weapon, takes devastating losses for the first six years of the war. Within those six years, Federation scientists develop their own version of the torpedo, code named "Peacemaker" and begin a counter offensive that rallies the Romulans for the next 4 years. Another great turning point in the war comes when the Federation develops sensors that can detect cloaked objects.
Also during this period the Klingons join on the side of the Federation when the Romulans begin attacking their territory as well. The Klingons had developed their own version of the torpedo called "The Heart of Kaha" and began an effective counter offensive. Although more limited in scope, it shared many of the characteristics of its Romulan and Federation counterparts.
At the time of Captain Stiles' departure, the Federation continues its war with the Romulans, which has reached somewhat of a stalemate. Starfleet Command suspects that a lack of technology advances made by the Romulans over the last several years shows signs that eventually the Federation will win the war. Their best estimates see the war lasting ten more years.
Computer records from captured Romulan ships and bases in the future showed that there was no precedence for the technology for the Romulan torpedo prior to Stardate 2306. In fact, there was no record of any research relating to the project prior to the test detonation of the torpedo four months from now. Research of remaining Starfleet computer records from this era indicated that a majority of the technology needed for the weapon exists presently. There were also indications that there have been several attempts by the Romulans to acquire this data, although most records indicate that these attempts have been thwarted. In light of these facts, Starfleet Command has speculated that perhaps the Romulans had some kind of outside intervention. Starfleet theorists offered that a Romulan vessel from the not too distant future, traveled to the past to change certain events or to advance certain technologies to change the outcome of certain events yet to come. Stiles has come back through time to ensure that this inference has not happened.
With the information provided by Captain Stiles, Admiral Nigura developed
a plan to prevent the Romulans from developing the weapon. He explained
that Stiles knew the exact location of the Romulan test site from the prototype
torpedo and the positions of the major Romulan outposts inside the borders.
The Essex would proceed into Romulan territory and destroy the base before
the test. The hope is to destroy all the records of the weapons design
with the base, or at the very least, set back the project long enough for
the Federation to finish development of its own version of the weapon.
To cross the Romulan border undetected, the Excelsior has constructed a copy of a Romulan cloaking device to be installed on board the Essex. Not expecting a Federation ship to possess a working cloaking device, the Essex should easily be able slip through Romulan defenses. The design was no more advanced than the one currently used by the Romulans.
Aside from the actual location of the base and its role in the coming events, nothing more is known. It's speculated that the location of the base so far from the border, it was unlikely that it's very well defended, if defended at all by a Romulan battle group. Once at the base, the Essex will have to assess whether to destroy the base by infiltration or orbital assault. A quick orbital assault would be preferred; however, the Essex will be carrying a dozen anti-matter explosive charges to be set within the base. Based on designs of captured Romulan research facilities provided by Captain Stiles, there should be approximately 10-15 scientists with possibly a small garrison of about 10-15 Romulan soldiers.
After a week of preparations and installment of the Romulan cloaking device, the Essex embarks across the Romulan border. For the next several weeks, the Essex proceeded cloaked into Romulan space, undetected by their patrol groups and outposts. The Tol Havasham system was unpatrolled and undefended when they arrived in orbit around the fourth planet. Sensors revealed a multi-level underground base, undoubtedly the target. The base was protected by heavy outer shielding, making an orbital bombardment impractical. An assault team led by Security Chief Leone beamed down at the mouth of the entrance to the facility. A small level of Bertold radiation coming from deep inside the base has cause for concern for the health of the team and the option of a quick beamout should a problem arise.
The team made their way down the mostly abandoned base, and encountered a handful of Romulans trying to install some kind of device, presumably the target.
The
Romulans open fire, holding off the Essex assault team while one completed
activating the device. Killing the Romulans, Leone learned that the device
is active, leaving them only 5 minutes to get off the base before the whole
thing goes up a ball of light.
Meanwhile, two Romulan vessels decloak and assault the Essex. The ships, though most certainly Romulan, had little resemblance to anything the Federation has ever seen. To the chagrin of Captain Curp, the future Romulans have played their hand. The advanced Romulan weapons pounded on the Essex's shields, buckling them on several sides. Damage to the Romulan vessels was negligible, the Essex unable to get a clear shot. Just then, another vessel decloaked, only this one had distinctive Federation markings. The USS Excelsior, under the command of Capt. Stiles fired its main phaser banks into the lead Romulan vessel, sending it off to reposition itself. The second ship caught a full salvo of fire from the Essex amidships. While the Excelsior held off the Romulans, Curp ordered the Essex back to the planet to recover the assault team. Time was short. Catching glancing blows from the Romulans, the Essex beamed aboard the party, and moved off before the Romulans could get another shot off. outflnking the Romulan ships, the Essex and the Excelsior corralled the Romulan ships between them and the planet when the device detonated. The shock wave from the explosion caught the Romulan ships unprepared, and sucked the two vessels into the swirling fireball, destroying them both.
With the Romulan threat over, the Excelsior bid farewell to the Essex and disappeared from view, supposedly going off to return to their own time. The Essex, after making some minor repairs, moved off and cloaked, making its bearing for home.