The Battle of Andoria

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Battle of Andoria
Part of the Andorian - Vulcan Cold War
Date Late 2155 Location Outside the Andorian System Result Tactical Draw Political Victory and Defeat for the Andorians and Humans
Combatants
Andorian Empire Earth Starfleet	Vulcan High Command
Commanders
Commander Thy'leck Shran Commander Trip Tucker	Administrator Vlas
Strength
4 Andorian Battleships, 2 Andorian Cruisers 1 Earth Ship	4 Vulcan Heavy Cruisers 8 Vulcan Light Cruisers
Casualties
3 starships damaged	3 starships damaged

The Battle of Andoria was a fictional battle fought between forces of the Andorian Empire, Earth Starfleet against the Vulcan High Command in the TV hit series Star Trek Enterprise.

[edit] Prelude to the Battle

An upheal in political areas came about before the battle its self occurred. In the first episode of the trilogy continuation, a bomb was detonated at the Earth's Embassy on Vulcan. The bomb killed a heavy number of negotiators and wounded an equally heavy number. Amongst the dead was Earth Starfleet Admiral, Maxwell Forrest.

The NX-01 was assigned to investigate the matter. Part way through the investigation, the Vulcan High Command blamed the bombing on a "radical faction" of Vulcan people called the Syrranites, who claim they follow the true path of Surak. Captain Archer and Commander T'Pol resolved that they should cross the Vulcan Desert and then meet with the Syrranites to see what they could find.

The NX-01 dealt with Vulcan Power ploys, eventually leading to the Enterprise being fired upon by several Vulcan ships. The Earth ship was forced to leave Captain Archer and T'Pol behind in the Vulcan Desert to prevent the Enterprise from being destroyed. T'Pol and Archer met with a Vulcan in the desert, who at the time was working under an Alias but was actually the Syrranite leader.

After a storm in the desert, Syran was mortally wounded, but transferred Surak's memories and some of Syran's own that he was carrying with him, onto Captain Archer. Eventually T'Pol and Archer met with the Syran faction.

Meanwhile back on Vulcan, Vlas presented false evidence to convince the Vulcan Council that the Andorians had stolen a Xindi prototype and were planning to augment their fleet with the new superweapon, and use it against Vulcan. However some of the ministers, especially Minister Kuvak were skeptical, since that Enterprise had destroyed all of the Xindi prototypes.

The High Command became convinced, and a secret fleet of 12 Vulcan ships were assembled at Regulus, beyond the range of Andorian sensor posts. The Vulcans were using probes to generate false warp signatures on a weekly basis in another system, many light years away from Regulus to convince the Andorians that the Vulcans would attack there. Because of this, the Andorians committed the bulk of their Imperial Guard Fleet there. This left a gap wide open for the Vulcan ships to sneak into Andorian space and capture Andoria.

Vulcan Ambassador Soval informed Trip Tucker of this, and afraid that it would cause an Interstellar war that Earth could get dragged into, set a course for Andoria to warn the Andorian people. Soval and Trip agreed that the only Andorian that may listen to them would be Shran so set a course for a nebula that Vulcan intelligence said an Andorian counter-attack fleet was hiding in.

Vulcan intelligence was correct, and the two sides began diplomatic discussion. Shran at the time was skeptical of the invasion, but at the same time concerned. Shran was ordered to capture Soval and torture him, to make sure that the intelligence was correct. Shran did so, but at the same time scrambled Soval's brainwave patterns which was easily repairable.

Because of Soval's refusal to alter his story, the Andorian forces re-deployed their forces. The Counter-Attack fleet was placed right in the path of the Vulcan ships, with more ships from the main fleet on the way. However they would not arrive in time.

The Vulcan ships warped into the system, and almost immediately opened fire on the Andorian ships.

[edit] The Battle

The Battle started off in stalemate, with the Enterprise being caught in the crossfire, several Andorian ships accidentally fired on Enterprise. However halfway into the battle, a Vulcan ship had badly damaged an Andorian ship's warp reactor and with a Vulcan ship heading towards it, Trip Tucker ordered Enterprise to fire on the Vulcan ship to draw its attention away.

This fact was relayed to the High Command, who ordered the Earth ship be destroyed. Many Vulcan ships began focusing their firepower on Enterprise, knocking out Helm Control, Weapons and badly damaging many other systems. Meanwhile back on Vulcan, Archer and T'Pal (T'Pol had been captured) brough the Kir'Shara, a vulcan artefact to the High Command. Vlas still adamant that the Kir Shara did not exist was shot by Minister Kuvak who took a weapon off one of Vlas' sublieutenants.

The Enterprise was still being fired upon, but suddenly the battlefield fell silent. Kuvak had ordered the Vulcan fleet to stand down.

[edit] Aftermath

Following the battle, Vlas was relieved of his position, and the conspiracy was revealed. A new government was elected, which assured they would take a less aggressive approach to Andoria and Earth.

Unbeknown at the time to anyone, Vlas was actually a Romulan Agent, and the fact that Earth had assisted in foiling the joint plan by Vulcan and the Romulan Star Empire to capture Andoria, would eventually lead to one of the main causes in the Earth-Romulan War.