Strike Force Valkyrie

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Strike Force Valkyrie was the secondary strike force involved in Operation Back Lash. Its goals was to conduct the first Terran raid against the Kilrathi home world of Kilrah in an effort to weaken the Kilrathi military. The strike force conducted the operation in 2667.

Strike Force Valkyrie was comprised of the TCS Tarawa, the TCS Intrepid, and the TCS Kagimasha. Overall command was given to Commodore Thaddeus O’Brian, with Captain Grierson in command of the Intrepid and Captain Teng in command of the Kagimasha. The strike force was accompanied by members of the First Marine Commando battalion led by Colonel Merritt.

The strike force jumped into the Kilrah system and destroyed six carriers under construction, a cruiser production facility, an orbital station, dozens of fighters and a team of the best Kilrathi minds visiting the second moon of Kilrah during the raid. The Kagimasha was destroyed by a kamikaze attack and the rest of the fleet fled after a failed nuclear strike on Kilrah. The mission ended with Tarawa being rescued by the TCS Concordia in the Baragh System and withdrawing to Terran controlled space. The Intrepid was destroyed during the rescue.

Commodore O'Brien was killed in action and command fell to the Wing Commander of the Tarawa, Lt. Commander Jason "Bear" Bondarevsky.

Only the TCS Tarawa survived the raid and received the unique distinction of having "First to Kilrah" painted on her side as a result. Her actions at Kilrah achieved a great victory for the Terran Confederation.