Intelligence indicates that the Iconians’ numbers are few. It may be that only a handful of them escaped the orbital bombardment of their worlds 200,000 years ago. Recovered recordings from New Romulus show us Iconians escaping through the gateway there. We know from data from the Solanae and Jenolan spheres that the Iconians who survived the attack escaped to these spheres before departing.

There are rumors that when the Iconians left the Solanae sphere, their destination was the Andromeda galaxy. If so, they have the ability to escape the Galactic Barrier.

Contact with the barrier has been known to give mere mortals almost god-like power. What terrible wonders can a race that can cross it at will be capable of?

I urge you not to dwell on this. We are all warriors, even if our ships fly under different banners. We will fight because we must. We will fight to defend our worlds and our families. We will fight because an honorable death in battle is preferable to a life in subjugation.

The Iconians’ advantage is their technology and the rabid devotion of their Herald soldiers. Their gateways can allow them to appear anywhere at will. Even the most protected of our homeworlds will not be safe.

So we must rely on our numbers and our will to stop them. We will fight them at every opportunity. We will respond rapidly to any threat, and give our lives to thwart them. We will make every victory so costly that retreat or surrender will be their only option.

Research has already begun on how to turn the Iconians’ gateway network against them. Data recovered by Ambassador Worf from one of their subspace bases last year has given us several promising options, and already we are outfitting experimental ships with technology that can control a gateway for a short time. Our most experienced commanders are forming strike teams and developing plans of attack.

Unfortunately, there is still much we do not know about the Heralds and their Iconian masters. We have not seen them in battle. We do not know their full capabilities. We will get that information and use it against them, but there will be sacrifices to do so. Know that no lives will be lost in vain, and that the Iconians will repay us for every loss with blood.

We must win this war. There is no other option.