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Yolanda Wars
The Yolanda Wars was an armed conflict between the Romulan Star Empire and the Federation that lasted from September 2373 to January 2374, centered around the disappearance of the USS Yolanda.
Background
In September of 2373, the USS Isannah was dispatched to investigate claims of Romulan espionage on the USS Yolanda, which had abruptly disappeared. The serving crew quickly located the fate of the Yolanda in the occupation of a Romulan D'deridex class warbird. The first engagement that launched the path to war allowed for the USS Isannah to recapture the Yolanda as well as secure the Warbird with the aid of the new Viper Class runabout.
The spy who penetrated the Yolanda was also captured, and in debriefing, admitted to rerouting classified Starfleet records including, but not limited to, the current Fleet along with ship specifications and defensive armament to the Romulan Star Empire.
Further investigation in Intelligence operations on Romulan confirmed that the Romulan Empire had declared war on the Federation, prompting Fleet Captain Sven Tray to issue a Fleet-wide alert disclosing new and updated technology among the Warbirds. The captured D’Deridex warbird yielded the schematic for the Romulan War machine over three years dating back to 2371.
Active Engagement
A physical count of the active Fleet commenced until FltAdm. Tristan Wolf ordered the engagement of the Fleet on the front lines over the course of the next two months, resulting in rising loss of Starfleet vessels and personnel. Newly promoted Captain Bajim Maiken, who had been waiting for a ship, was given command of the the captured D’Deridex warbird, rechristened the USS Panther, which was to serve as the front line warship in the rising tide of death.
Between the USS Panther, the USS Isannah, the USS Nova, the USS Centris, the USS Ranger and Wolf’s USS Phoenix-B, the UFOP Fleet reengaged the Romulan forces on assigned missions taking their commanding officers into the heart of the Romulan Empire.
Discovery of the Mass Driver
Captain Brian Kelly, commanding the Ranger, sacked Prelate Shai’tan of the Romulan Star Navy in an engagement with the warbirds Junia and Maxinus to seize the Vorn Asteroid Installation. It was there Starfleet came to learn of a weapon called the Mass Driver. The Mass Driver was a magnetic path created for a few nanoseconds before a weapon discharged. It accelerated a large mass; a rock, a bomb, a torpedo, at the speed of light to the maximum range of the magnetic tunnel, creating a massive energy discharge.
If the Romulans succeeded in mounting the weapon on their vessels, it could be used to bombard a planet back to pre-dawn formation. Theorists suspected the Vorn Installation was optimal because of its position within the main flight path of convoys and military transports to the Neutral Zone.
FltCapt. Elinor of Kanist would later confirm with the crew of the Centris that the Mass Driver was a modification of the Romulan cloaking technology magnetic and plasma inducer conduits. By adjusting the coil relays and feeding them negative ions and antimatter particles, it produces a weapon capable of cutting right through shielding, although the recharge time was allotted hours. Using negative ions and modifying the stability of antimatter particles, it was determined that a ship wouldn't be destroyed due to time distortion of the tachyon particles, and rather the ship may have been placed somewhere else in time.
Endgame
It was not until the crew of the USS Nova penetrated Romulus toward the end of the war that the true reasons for hostilities were known. Intercepting an unknown craft of alien design, the Nova captured a shapeshifter who had been masquerading as the Praetor of Romulus while the real Praetor was in negotiations with Admiral Farrand on the planet Toiudt near the Neutral Zone. Elinor and the Centris were dispatched to investigate what came to be known as Blue01.
Ultimately, Admiral Farrand and the Praetor were able to bring about a ceasefire and truce, commencing in January 2374 that would end the Yolanda Wars with a signed peace treaty.
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