Julia Commands the Destroyer "Darius"

 As expected, the Klingons come again. We engage them at the approaches to the curiously-named Bezwell Index, and although we inflict heavy damage, we are forced back to the planet itself. The crew of the Darius acquit themselves in the way we have come to expect and admire. We are stationed at the far port end of our fleet deployment, just next to a Fast Dreadnought. Our main enemy in this zone is a squadron of D5 War Cruisers, and using Klingon speed and manoeuvrability they cripple our Dreadnought. In return, though, our firepower destroys a D5 and cripples their squadron leader. Elsewhere, the fight does not go well for us as we lose a Heavy Cruiser destroyed and another crippled, in return for crippling an F5C Frigate Leader. Our most telling loss overall is the death of Admiral Shyth as his Dreadnought is crippled. He is replaced by the Terran Rear Admiral Hirva, an accomplished staff officer who is not really an experienced tactical commander. We can only hope that he has been learning from Shyth's example in the continuous fighting on our part of the front.

Image of a Federation Destroyer, from http://www.ourworlds.net/models_and_props/trek_models.html

We retire to the planet itself, and set up for the next encounter. Hirva places the Darius in command of a flotilla with two Frigates at the far starboard of our formation, with himself on an Improved Dreadnought to our immediate port; he is accompanied by a Fast Battlecruiser and a Destroyer-class Scout ship. Unfortunately, though, the main Klingon command element is deployed opposite him: a Battle Tug with two D6 Battlecruisers and a D6D Drone Cruiser, supported by a D5 War Cruiser Squadron and a D6CV Carrier Group. This is obviously where the Klingons want to concentrate their main force. In the distance on the other side of the planet they have an F5 Frigate Squadron and a D7 Battlecruiser wing, ably led by a D7C Command Cruiser. This is a much more powerful force than our own, as you can probably tell from the inclusion of Frigates on our line; the ongoing attrition on this front has reduced our Destroyer and Light Cruiser force to a shadow of its former self. We now lead small Frigate flotillas in our remaining ships - like the Darius.

Rather predictably, the engagement does not go well. My little flotilla manages to keep the enemy carrier occupied; we even destroy one of its F5E Escort Frigates. The Klingons basically ignore us and gang up on our command ships. The Fast Battlecruiser is crippled and the Dreadnought destroyed outright, although Hirva manages to survive. Elsewhere, our cruisers cripple another F5, but it is not enough. Overwhelmed, Hirva sensibly gives the order to withdraw and the Bezwell Index passes once more into Klingon hands.

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