and the Hauteclere faced the ultimate indignity of being used to prop up the Terran Empire for an extra hundred years in the mirror universe.
Oh sweet - we've created a PARALLEL MIRROR UNIVERSE!
Sweet Jesus.
Begin executions of Newton-class Captains on open subspace frequencies for failing to use their High Maneuverability in battle!
All Hail Emperor Klavo!!!
2155 - Hoshi Sato has Captain Archer assassinated, seizing command of the USS Hauteclere and declaring herself Empress of the Terran Empire.
Moments later, she disappears in a sparkle of transporter light off Hauteclere's bridge, marking the end of one of the shortest reigns in Imperial history as her molecules are irretrievably scattered. Emperor Klavo I beams aboard the Hauteclere's bridge from the Transporter Room and assumes command of the ship and the Empire.
The following years are filled with consolidation of the Empire around Earth, Vulcan, Andor and the nearest colonies, using the rechristianed ISS Hauteclere as the Emperor's flying palace and biggest stick. The Rebellion had nearly defeated the Empire before Hauteclere's coming, and few Imperial Starfleet vessels remained to secure their territory and freight lanes. Doling out tidbits from Hauteclere's library computer to engineers and scientists who would be nothing without his patronage, Emperor Klavo spearheads the recovery of Terran industry, and growth of his own network of loyalists.
2163 - The prototype ISS Cygnus launches, bristling with modern phasers and photonic torpedoes, shields, sensors, transporters, a fabrication workshop, and significant space for cargo, colonists, and Terran Marines. The designers had been handed an already-complete blueprint, and simply had to swap the Federation-style brig for a suite of Agony Booths. With Hauteclere's overwhelming tactical supremacy, there would be no cause to fear even an entire fleet of these ships rebelling against the Emperor. The first tranche included ISS Trumpeter, Hellgeese, Black Swan, Peregrine, Haast, Bald Eagle, and Mute. The surviving nonhuman engineers at Utopia Planitia who provided much of the technical labor in bringing their advanced systems online were given modest rewards, including a taste of home as these high-warp vessels returned to Terra with their bellies full of treasure and slaves from Andor, Vulcan, Tellar, Denobula, Rigel, and Coridan. Even after they had proven themselves, these technical specialists were watched closely by suspicious Terran minders as they started on the next tranche of vessels...
The logs of the future alternate-universe Federation indicated there were numerous plagues, pathogens, and parasites that lay in wait for their colonists, but the cures for many already lay in Hauteclere's databanks, allowing the most rich and fruitful colonies to be colonized 'early'. The workshops aboard these vessels were able to provide additional material support to these rapidly-developing colonies - in exchange for a few small favors here and there. With strong tactical systems and a high warp cruise speed for the era, the Cygnus was untouchable by all but the best-equipped rebel groups, and success would only bring the Emperor himself down upon them. Mass-production of these continued in lieu of science ships, as their future counterparts had already found and catalogued most anomalies within Imperial territory. Over a hundred of these vessels would be built, consuming resources that would have gone into their Federation counterparts' Andorian Guard and Vulcan Science Fleet, and cannibalizing civilian merchant production competing for Type-2 Warp Nacelles long after they are no longer considered frontline warships.
2175 - The first Conquistador-class Battleship is completed in time for the Emperor's 20th anniversary of his reign, personally christening it ISS Cortez. The design is a merging of the Federation's Sagarmatha and Radiant-class designs, arranging a quadruple set of Type-Three Warp Nacelles in a supercruise configuration of two pairs on extended pylons above and below an enormous 140-meter saucer and inline secondary hull. The ventral facing of the saucer contains a hull blister for the navigational deflector, and nestled behind it is a superheavy assault landing craft that the Emperor seemed amused to refer to as a 'Captain's Yacht'. This was the Emperor's vision to lay low many future threats to the Empire at once before they become problems, choosing multiple distant stars Terran probes had never visited before. Eschewing the manyfold science labs of the vessel that was their inspiration, the Conquistadors focus on their role of long-distance strike vessels, packing in additional antimatter storage cells, cargo bays full of prefabicated garrison bases and war skimmers, and multiple stasis-chamber barracks for Terran Marines - to say nothing of the doubled-up phaser capacitor banks, or the additional photon torpedo tubes. Vessels like ISS Napoleon, Genghis, and Tamerlane are sent on voyages to faraway planets that only the Emperor has ever heard of, with strange names like Cardassia, Bajor, and Ferenginar. Their captains ordered to conquer or destroy these worlds, with the guaranteed prize of appointment Governor-for-Life of the planet if they succeeded...
2180 - Emperor Klavo begins the Sack of Qo'nos, using the high warp and realspace speeds of Hauteclere in a deep raid to slice through intercepting primitive Klingon Battlecruisers before executing a commando strike on Praxis, inserting a battalion of troops to sabotage the moon's thermal core tap. The moon's detonation devastates Qo'nos, gutting the Klingon Empire.
2181 - Returning home in triumph with Hauteclere damaged and missing most of her marines, Emperor Klavo is unsurprised to find the latest Conquistador's Captain raising their flag as a challenger to his rule. ISS Ponce De Leon and the squadron of Cygnuses the would-be Emperor had rallied are all destroyed in the ensuing battle, but additional battle damage to Hauteclere forces Emperor Klavo to cancel his plans to sack Romulus and Remus next. This gives time for the main axis of popular resistance to Terran domination to shift to the Romulans, who begin a covert program of exploration and resettlement away from the Terran Empire whilst buying themselves time by supporting any surviving rebel groups they come in contact with.
2183 - Launch of ISS Phillip Green, the final Conquistador-class battleship. The Emperor feels that the window of opportunity to destroy the Empire's future enemies in advance this way is closing, and discontent in the Empire is growing from the lack of new conquests that directly expand the Empire's borders and return with treasure. This frees up production of the new warp nacelle components for more affordable vessels. Launch of ISS Hussar, a hybrid of the Federation Saladin-class Destroyer and its proposed Hermes Scout subtype, replacing the scientific labs with a dedicated secondary computer core optimized for filtering signals from galactic background noise and deciphering encryption schemes. This comes as a response to escalating retaliatory raids from the surviving Klingon Great Houses, with squadrons of new-model Birds-of-Prey just barely able to catch up to a Cygnus and strike from cloak, able to overcome even the vessels refit with proper Photon Torpedoes.
The Hussar acts as a convoy escort and endurance predator, with its external nacelle's performance allowing it to catch up to the internal-warp-engine Bird of Prey after their warp intercoolers overheat, with enough firepower to shatter the fragile Klingon ships if any flaw is detected in their cloaking screen. Analysis of one of these new Klingon ships' wreckage shows that imitation Terran Type-Three warp engine components are being used, indicating a conspiracy of espionage within the Empire.
2184 - Launch of ISS Slavecatcher, a copy of the Federation Constable-class meant for inglorious police duties, including counter-espionage. The repaired ISS Hauteclere raids into Klingon space again, razing Narenda III to temporarily stem their retaliations against the Terran Empire. This time the returning Emperor's triumph is not sullied by rebellion.
2185 - Launch of ISS Moscow. The Moscow-class is a battlecruiser based off the Federation Kea-class hull, sporting the same all-around type-two phaser coverage and forward photon torpedoes. Some components are more primitive, such as her Optical Computer Core, but her quadruple impulse drives raise the cost, maneuverability, and therefore tactical ability of this vessel to a shadow of what Hauteclere is capable of. Visitors from our timeline familiar with the Kea will be advised that they will find the Moscow's Main Cargo Bay in place of the Kea's Arboretum, an expanded shuttlebay and additional antimatter pods in place of the dilithium analysis lab and secondary computer core; Planetary Assault Scanners in place of the main science labs, Marine Barracks in place of Astrometrics, Photon Torpedo bay in place of Biosciences, and an expanded sickbay in place of the Geology Lab.
The ISS Moscow is captained by a handpicked loyalist to the Emperor, and is dispatched to the planet Betazed. This easy conquest of a beautiful planet, beautiful species, and their treasured artifacts bolsters the Emperor's rule. Production of the Moscow and Hussar benefit from the built-up infrastructure for Conquistador saucer sections and nacelles. Follow-on vessels include ISS London, Washington, Beijing, New Delhi, and Paris.
2192 - While chasing a rebel ship, ISS Sipahi picks up distant subspace transmissions. After dispatching their target and then listening in for weeks with the Hussar-class ship's computers crunching data at maximum capacity, they found a stellar phenomena causing transmissions from the Kzinti Matriarchy to be echoed to the space Sipahi inadvertently had crossed through. Sipahi's Captain is promoted to Captain of the next Moscow coming out of the yards, and a war fleet is assembled without public explanation, spooking the Romulans into a defensive stance.
2193 - Terran Empire invades Kzinti Matriarchy. Fighting in space and on the ground is extraordinarily intense, with Terran Marines meeting Kzinti 'Tomcat' subsapient battle-thralls in bloody hand-to-claw combat with swords and bayonets, while Matriarchy rifle-tigresses lay down disruptor and artillery fire from the safety of anti-skimmer cover. The Kzinti Fleet throws everything they have at the Terrans, from warships, to auxiliary warships bodged together from freighters, all the way down to hastily-refitted yachts, race craft, and runabouts with their inertial dampeners on suicidal settings, bloodying Terran fleets over every one of their worlds despite the presence of ISS Hauteclere. Unfortunately, the Terrans have the Type-Two Phaser Banks that Starfleet had designed with their Kzinti War in mind, and this means the Kzinti's magnificent resistance is met with interlocking fields of blue phaser fire, allowing Terran vessels to blast threats off of one another. The Kzinti end up resorting to ramming tactics in a bid to take a few more Terrans with them.
2197 - Kzinhome conquered. Imperial Triumph wildly celebrated across the Empire as catgirls are brought to Terra in chains. The bacchanalia of this Triumph is imitated at parties for a long,
long time to come.
2200 - The new century is celebrated with the launch of ISS Archer, promising the delivery of bulk masses of priority cargo and construction of crucial infrastructure in the colonies. With inferior impulse drives and hull material to the Federation version, its high warp sprint speed and aft photon torpedo nonetheless keep it safe from Klingon Birds of Prey and other rebel ships trying to raid the bounty of their cargo pods. These form the backbone of the Emperor's 5-Year industrial plans, and are considered plum postings by Engineering division due to their recreational facilities.
2210s-2220s - Gorn and Tholian border conflicts. Second Klingon Punishment Chevauchee. Conquests of Trill and Risa. All are led by Moscow-class ships and their Captains rather than the Emperor and Hauteclere, as the Empire's finest engineers focus their efforts on recreating the most complicated of the Excalibur-class starship's systems, struggling every step of the way. Launch of ISS Kaga as a Cruiser-Carrier based off the Federation Newton-class, removing the paltry cargo space in lieu of packing in more deck space for starfighters and/or atmospheric assault gunships. Launch of ISS Darwin as a Planetary Assault Ship, cramming in a second Type-2 impulse engine to make up for continued failures in testing of the Type-3, and losing some of the Starfleet vessel's phaser and photon torpedo firepower.
2234 - Terran-Romulan War begins when Romulan Intelligence picks up on the construction of a full sister to Hauteclere, deciding they have run out of time. Cloaked Warbirds descend on starbases in multiple Imperial systems when suddenly cloaked missile pods that had been positioned months or years prior open fire, adding overwhelming weight of fire to break the Terran fortifications. Coordinated rebellions break out across a dozen worlds, saboteurs aboard Imperial ships begin their work, and Klingon Birds of Prey prowl the spacelanes in great numbers once more.
2244 - Terran-Romulan War ends with the conquest of Romulus and Remus. Tens of millions of Terran Marines lie dead across battlefields between here and Galorndon Core, and reports indicate that the Remans' deepest underground redoubts still resist. To the Emperor's dismay, Romulus is mostly evacuated, leaving few slaves to be taken and enough booby traps that Terran engineers spend years disarming them all.
2255 - After a century of rule, the now-elderly Emperor summons his closest loyalists to Hauteclere, and announces the appointment of Christopher Pike as Regent to rule the Empire in his stead, while Hauteclere will voyage to find and conquer the hidden planet of the Ba'ku, and its fountain of youth...
2265 - Captain James Tiberius Kirk assumes command of the Excalibur-class ISS Enterprise.
2266 - Regent Christopher Pike is inspecting a cadet training vessel when one of its baffle plates ruptures, causing a radiation leak. He orders his bodyguards to save the surviving cadets, but the Regent receives a crippling dose of delta radiation, and has to be placed on life support. The Imperial Civil War begins…
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2175 - ISS Cortez (Tzenketh) - Forced to destroy Tzenketh with cobalt-jacketed fusion bombs when the locals provided too much resistance. The surviving crew of the Cortez began limping their damaged ship home, returning in 2XXX to a heroes' welcome and official Imperial Triumph.
2176 - ISS Napoleon (Cardassia) - Initial conquest of the deeply-spiritual local people goes smoothly at first, but the planet's resource-poorness and escalating active and passive resistance from the locals mean that the Captain-Governor's rule is insecure and not fruitful. Destroyed in 2XXX by a Bajoran fleet, which incorporates Cardassia into their Theocracy.
2177 - ISS Genghis (Bajor) - Initial conquest of the deeply-spiritual local people goes smoothly at first, but then Bajorans say that 'the Celestial Temple opened up in the night sky' and an unidentified purple warship emerged, casually shooting through Genghis' defenses and boarding her with troops who slaughter every Terran onboard before disappearing. The wreck of Genghis is left in a stable orbit, and without support, Terran Marines and fleet personnel stranded on the ground are overwhelmed by renewed fanaticism of the Warrior D'jarra. Genghis' wreck is traveled to by lightship and her systems studied, and the Bajoran people strive to make themselves a power to be reckoned with.
2178 - ISS Tamerlane (Ferenginar) - Encountering a warp drive-using civilization, Tamerlane's Captain engages and destroys several Marauders, but before they can turn their guns or Marines on the planet below, they receive an intriguing offer of a controlling 51% share in the entire Ferengi Alliance. The Captain-Governor decides to take the safe win instead of risking it all, and to the current date this arrangement remains intact, with the first gift of tribute to the Empire arriving in 2XXX.
2179 - ISS Columbus (Sigma Tama IV) - Encountering a warp drive-using civilization, Columbus' Captain engages the Tamarians, but is ultimately destroyed by the advanced weapons of the Tamarian fleet after pummeling their first few warships with a brute tonnage advantage and boarding parties.
2180 - ISS Magellan (Angosia III) - Initial conquest of the inherently non-violent local people goes smoothly at first, but then the Angosians strike back with super-soldiers who board and sabotage the Magellan in orbit, destroying her.
2181 - ISS Ponce De Leon (Destroyed) - Destroyed by ISS Hauteclere.
2182 - ISS Drake (Zakdorn) - Encountering a warp drive-using civilization, Drake's Captain engages the Zakdorn, but is ultimately destroyed after being lured into a trap, proving the Zakdorn's legendary grasp of strategy once more.
2183 - ISS Phillip Green (Bynaus) - Encountering a warp-drive-using, cybernetically-enhanced civilization, the Green engages and destroys the Bynar Defense Force, and then disables enough of their planetary server nodes to force the Bynar to surrender before their civilization is totally destroyed. Merchant shipping is advised to steer clear of the Terran Bastion of Bynaus to avoid privateers.
