This is the last post for this campaign. I explain why at the end. I'll be starting a new campaign shortly.13th March 2034CFS Atlantis and CFS Enterprise are engaged in a gravitational survey of Athens. With the discovery of the Belasco home system adjacent to Athens, Colonial Alliance Command decided that it was time to survey Athens and any nearby systems, despite the chance of causing friction with the Belasco Commune. With only half the survey completed, four additional jumps have been found in addition to those leading to Sol and Belasco. Atlantis is ordered to begin probing the jump points while Enterprise continues the survey.
Jump Point Two leads to a binary system, designated as Sidon, with an orange K3-V primary and a red dwarf companion just two hundred and seventy million kilometres apart. The outermost of four planets circling the companion has an atmosphere that is almost breathable, except for the sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere, but has a temperature of -85C. The primary has a single Venusian world. Jump point three leads to a nondescript red dwarf system named Helorus.
16th March 2034A geological survey of the near-habitable planet in Troy reveals eight million tons of accessibility 0.6 Duranium. Twenty-five million tons of accessibility 0.7 Uridium is also present, along with minimal accessibility deposits of five other minerals.
Troy I Survey ReportDuranium 8,000,000 Acc: 0.6
Neutronium 37,945,600 Acc: 0.1
Corbomite 409,600 Acc: 0.1
Mercassium 61,465,600 Acc: 0.1
Sorium 1,638,400 Acc: 0.1
Uridium 25,401,600 Acc: 0.7
Corundium 518,400 Acc: 0.1
20th March 2034Two Spruance class destroyer escorts, Halsey and Collins, are launched from the orbital shipyard of Nakadai Shipbuilding, taking the number of units in the class to six.
18th April 2034The geological survey ship Nova detects a tiny Belasco population on Sidon-B II, one jump from Athens and two jumps from both Sol and Belasco. The reason for the colony becomes apparent when Nova completes a survey of the planet.
Sidon-B II Survey ReportDuranium 1,397,792 Acc: 0.7
Neutronium 174,724 Acc: 0.4
Corbomite 2,368,521 Acc: 0.4
Tritanium 1,387,684 Acc: 0.4
Boronide 369,664 Acc: 0.8
Mercassium 3,258,025 Acc: 0.9
Vendarite 417,316 Acc: 0.7
Sorium 494,209 Acc: 0.7
Corundium 902,500 Acc: 0.3
Gallicite 2,196,324 Acc: 0.9
21st April 2034CFS Atlantis transits Athens’ outermost jump point and enters Pharos, a red dwarf system with three planets, the second of which has gravity of 0.66G, surface temperature of -21C and a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere of 0.22 atm. Too thin to breathe but with sixty percent of the required oxygen level. An excellent terraforming candidate but in a location that would be very difficult to defend in the event of hostilities with the Belasco Commune.
23rd April 2034A Colonial Alliance settlement of 200,000 is created on the innermost planet of the Troy system.
26th April 2034An espionage team operating in the People’s Republic of China acquires details of Stellarator Fusion Reactor Technology. While the exploits of the team are welcomed by Colonial Intelligence, it also causes some concern that the Chinese are ahead in propulsion technology.
9th May 2034CFS Atlantis transits the remaining unexplored jump point in Athens, finding a yellow G1-V star similar to Sol with five planets. The third planet is a terraforming candidate with acceptable gravity, temperature of -19C and a 0.15 atm atmosphere of nitrogen and CO2. Another good colony world adjacent to Athens. Colonial Alliance Command is torn between exploiting the distant systems of Troy and Actium or building up military force to launch a campaign against the Belasco Commune to secure Athens and the surrounding systems.
11th May 2034The seventh Spruance class destroyer escort, Cunningham, join the Colonial Fleet.
6th June 2034CFS Bowie, the first in a new class of small scouts, is launched from the Coleman Marine orbital shipyard. The Bowie class has very limited sensors but also minimal maintenance requirements, enabling it to picket key locations such as jump points or planets for long periods. Bowie is dispatched to the Sol – Athens jump point so the strength of any further Belasco incursions can be determined immediately.
Bowie class Scout 3,000 tons 41 Crew 172.4 BP TCS 60 TH 300 EM 0
5000 km/s Armour 1-18 Shields 0-0 Sensors 5/11/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
MSP 36 Max Repair 75 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 0
Graciano-Vandewater GV300 Commercial Ion Drive (1) Power 300 Fuel Use 6.19% Signature 300 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 50,000 Litres Range 48.5 billion km (112 days at full power)
Austin-Kennedy Aerospace CN/SPN-5 Navigation Sensor (1) GPS 2520 Range 25.3m km Resolution 120
Killeen-Gravelle CN/SQR-12 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 5m km
Killeen-Gravelle CN/SLR-11 EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 11 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 11m km24th August 2034After ten months without any Belasco activity, six Apollo class FACs transit from Athens into Sol. The Colonial scout ship Bowie is on the Athens jump point and is able to observe directly with active sensors. Two Russian ships are present, the Grisha and the Sovremenny, but also two 18,400 ton Chinese battlecruisers and a trio of 19,700 ton South American ships, two of which are probably dedicated anti-missile ships based on their active emissions.
Within a few seconds the thermal signature of one FAC changes from strength-200 to strength-1, indicating the Sovremenny probably attacked and disabled its engine. The other five begin moving away. Five strength-4 detonations, almost certainly missiles fired by the Grisha, destroy a second FAC. Twenty-five seconds after transit, the crippled FAC is destroyed by a follow-up volley from the Sovremenny. So far, there is no sign of movement from the Chinese or South American ships.
The four surviving FACs continue to open the range with the Sovremenny in pursuit while the Grisha heads in the opposite direction. Two salvos from the Grisha kill a third FAC then the Sovremenny suffers six strength-11 hits. Her speed and sensor emissions are unaffected. Bowie continues to watch the action from the jump point and loses active contact with the FAC, although they remain on thermal and EM sensors. She briefly detects a tiny active sensor emission which was probably on-board active sensors from a missile salvo launched by the Grisha at the remaining FACs on the opposite side of the jump point. The FACs attempt to return to the jump point and run into more missile from the Grisha. One by one they are picked off. Once again a Belasco incursion has been stopped at the jump point.
29th August 2034Eleven more Belasco FACs transit into Sol. One is immediately blown apart in a large secondary explosion. A second is immobilised by a missile strike and destroyed by a follow-up beam-weapon attack. The rest move away in formation. Despite the initial success of the two Russian ships, the larger number of FACs in this wave is a greater force than they have had to deal with so far. Two more FACs are destroyed but Sovremenny starts taking hits. Three strength-11 explosions that reduce her speed, then four more. Her speed drops to one third of normal. Another FAC blows up. Sovremenny is struck again and the gallant destroyer can take no more. A secondary explosion rips her apart.
The Grisha continues firing, destroying a fifth Apollo, but suddenly breaks off the action and heads for Earth. She suffers three strength-11 hits before five of the surviving FACs transit back into Athens. The sixth sets an intercept course for the Grisha. With almost a four to one speed advantage she quickly closes the range. The Russian crew must surely suspect a ramming attempt but the FAC moves to point blank range and shadows the Russian destroyer as it proceeds in-system. Halfway to Earth the Russian battleship task group meets the Grisha and blows the FAC apart with a single salvo.
SM Note: I have no idea why this single FAC decided to go and shadow the Russian destroyer. AFAIK, nothing in the AI code would make it do that. Becoming self-aware? 
14th September 2034Six Apollo class FACs transit from Athens. There are no longer any Russian or EU ships on the Sol – Athens jump point so the FACs have a clear run at the inner system. The battleship task group is approximately a billion kilometres from the jump point and roughly between the jump point and Earth but heading away from the course of the FACs. The FAC pass by without any sign that either force has detected the other. At one point four billion kilometres from the jump point the Apollos run almost head-on into a group of six Russian colony ships and launch their missiles. One colony ship is destroyed and a second receives a single strength-11 hit. The FAC reverse course and head back toward the Athens jump point.
2nd October 2034The six Belasco class FACs return to Sol. For some reason, the Russian battleship task group is out in the Kuiper Belt, although the reason for that deployment is unknown to Colonial Intelligence. The European Union is trying to rebuild its forces and two Pegasus class FAC have recently been constructed. Both leave Earth orbit on an intercept course. The two fast attack craft forces appear to detect each other at close range and launch simultaneous strikes. One Pegasus is destroyed by three strength-11 detonations while the other takes a single hit that leaves it dead in space. An Apollo receives three strength-4 hits, which is sufficient to disable its engine. The other five Belasco FACs set course for the jump point.
17th October 2034A formation of three new European warships, a Le Terrible class destroyer and two Duguay-Trouins class escort cruisers, arrives at the location of the crippled Belasco FAC. Moments later a new wreck marker appears.
25th October 2034A new Belasco raid is launched by five Apollos. The Russian Grisha is en route back to the jump point and runs into the FACs less than two hundred million kilometres from its destination. Six strength-11 explosions are detected in the same location as the Grisha, followed by two large secondary explosions that tear the Russian destroyer apart. Four FACs transit back through the Athens jump point while the fifth heads for the inner Sol system. A billion kilometres from the jump point the FAC executes an attack on the European task group that recently destroyed its crippled sister ship. A single hit is scored.
11th November 2034Four Belasco FACs transit into Sol. The European task group comprising the Le Terrible and the two Duguay-Trouins is waiting on the jump point and pursues the four Apollos. The Apollos quickly move away and three minutes after their transit the EU ships start taking missile hits. Twelve strength-11 detonations are recorded and the Le Terrible blows up. The Apollos reverse course, intent on escape to Athens. Fourteen strength-1 detonations and a secondary explosion ruin those plans as a FAC is destroyed by European fire, presumably anti-missiles fired in offensive mode by the Duguay-Trouins. Within the next couple of minutes, the other three FACs are all blasted to pieces by strength-1 explosions. Once again the Solarian powers seem to have halted the FAC raids.
SM Note: New contact type for energy weapon impact added to Aurora13th November 2034The second Bowie class scout, Crockett, is launched from the Coleman Marine shipyard. She is immediately dispatched into the Athens system to monitor the Athens - Belasco jump point.
14th November 2034A single Apollo class FAC transits into Sol and heads sunward. The two Duguay-Trouins have dropped off Colonial sensors and their current location is unknown. There are ten Chinese and three South American warships on or around the jump point but none of them interfere with the Belasco ship, although several Chinese destroyers do move in pursuit. The FAC encounters a European Gloire class scout halfway to Earth, makes a close pass and then sets course for the jump point. Presumably an unsuccessful attack was launched. The Duguay-Trouins reappear on Colonial sensors, a third of the distance from the FAC to the jump point, and on an intercept course with the retreating vessel. Several hours later the Apollo is blown to pieces by a series of strength-1 explosions.
24th November 2034Four strength-16 energy weapon impacts are detected about two billion kilometres from Earth about four degrees off a direct course to the Athens jump point. The wreck of an unknown 4050 ton ship is detected in the same location. A Chinese Han class destroyer is within ten thousand kilometres of the event. There were no non-Solarian sensor contacts in the area before the unknown ship was attacked. It appears the People’s Republic of China is at war with an unknown alien race that has ships already in the Sol system. Two Lexington class destroyers and a Spruance class escort are dispatched to the area immediately.
Many other Chinese ships are already in motion. A group of three 18,400 ton battlecruisers and two similar sized escort cruisers have departed Earth orbit on a bearing of 327 degrees. Fourteen Chongqing class FACs are also leaving the inner system on a bearing of 338 degrees. Three more destroyers are close to the Han that destroyed the alien ship while two Xia class battlecruisers have left their position on the Athens jump point on a course of 211 degrees. After a few hours, all of the Chinese ships begin heading back to their previous locations. Possibly they were all being deployed to track down the small ship destroyed by the Han, perhaps an alien survey vessel given its size.
An alien race was encountered in the Corinth system in March 2031 so it is possible the destroyed ship was from that race. The system has been off-limits until now but Colonial Alliance Command decides it must be investigated once survey ships are available. Crockett is recalled from the Athens system and ordered to picket the Sol – Corinth jump point. Additional deep space tracking stations are scheduled for construction.
30th November 2034Invincible, Kagero and Yamamoto reach the location of the recently destroyed alien ship but there is nothing of interest. All the Chinese ships have left the area.
13th February 2035The first Anzio class Destroyer Leader is launched by the Whittaker Shipyard. The Anzio is intended to provide both long-range sensors and jump capability for a small force of Lexingtons and Spruances. It is also able to operate as a long range scout and therefore has more generous crew accommodations and engineering facilities than the similarly sized Lexington.
Anzio class Destroyer Leader 9,000 tons 218 Crew 1465.8 BP TCS 180 TH 720 EM 0
4000 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 5-38 Shields 0-0 Sensors 20/55/0/0 Damage Control Rating 7 PPV 0
Maint Life 3.21 Years MSP 713 AFR 92% IFR 1.3% 1YR 104 5YR 1561 Max Repair 420 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 24 months Spare Berths 0
Cryogenic Berths 200
Woodward-Ferguson WF-90 Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 9000 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Rolls Royce RR-180 Military Engine (4) Power 180 Fuel Use 59.5% Signature 180 Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 760,000 Litres Range 25.5 billion km (73 days at full power)
Austin-Kennedy Aerospace SN/SPY-4 Area Surveillance Array (1) GPS 50400 Range 506.1m km Resolution 120
Killeen-Gravelle CN/SQR-15 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 20 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 20m km
Killeen-Gravelle CN/SLR-9 EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 55 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 55m km23rd February 2035The survey ship Columbia investigates a jump point in Kuiper 75, five jumps from Sol via Barnard’s Star, Knossos, Ephesos and Delphi. She emerges in Thermopylae, a system with an orange K2-V primary and seven planets. Thermopylae IV is a terrestrial world similar in size to Earth that has a breathable atmosphere. The temperature is a little chilly at -51C but the planet is a definite terraforming candidate. Thermopylae is only three jumps from Troy, which connects to Delphi, so this area of space is becoming more and more attractive for colonization. One long-term option being considered by Colonial Alliance Command is to annex the entire Ephesos chain of thirteen system, which includes Troy, Thermopylae, Actium and Rhodes, all of which have near-habitable worlds or good terraforming prospects. The chain could be defended against all known races at the Ephesos – Knossos jump point.
1st March 2035A population of the Belasco Commune is detected on Mars by a Colonial Alliance colony ship. How the Belasco managed to establish this colony without being detected is unknown. The signature size is very small, only strength-15 for both thermal and EM.
14th March 2035A research team led by Monica Lavoy completes research into Magneto-plasma drive technology. This effort was boosted by information gained through disassembling engines salvaged from wrecked Belasco ships.
21st May 2035The Colonial Alliance completes construction of its first terraforming ships. Each of the two Genesis class ships has a pair of terraforming modules, enabling it to modify the atmosphere of any planet which it is orbiting.
Genesis class Terraformer 64,600 tons 339 Crew 1728.2 BP TCS 1292 TH 1500 EM 0
1160 km/s Armour 1-143 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/11/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
MSP 17 Max Repair 500 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 0
Terraformer: 2 module(s) producing 0.002 atm per annum
Graciano-Vandewater GV300 Commercial Ion Drive (5) Power 300 Fuel Use 6.19% Signature 300 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres Range 22.5 billion km (224 days at full power)
Austin-Kennedy Aerospace CN/SPN-5 Navigation Sensor (1) GPS 2520 Range 25.3m km Resolution 120
Killeen-Gravelle CN/SLR-11 EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 11 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 11m km12th June 2035Due to the destruction of the unknown alien vessel by Chinese warships in November 2034, Colonial survey ships are carrying out a survey of the previously off-limits Corinth system, which lies beyond Sol’s outermost jump point. Discovery and Enterprise are part-way through the gravitational survey and have located a single new jump point so far, while Eclipse has completed the geological survey and found only a single source of minerals in the system.
SM Note: This new jump point led to the home of a second alien race. Unfortunately it was identical to the starting system of the Belasco. Because Aurora system generation is so complex, the home systems for starting NPRs are pre-generated and added to the game along with the NPR. There are only about 15 different systems and it turns out there was nothing to prevent the same one being selected twice. Therefore I have eliminated the possibility of duplicate systems and increased the number of different pre-generated NPR starting systems to 60. NPRs created after the game has started are handled differently and their systems will always be unique. The above only affects the NPRs generated during game creation.
Because of this and a problem with NPR escorts I corrected mid-campaign, I have decided to start a new campaign, which means this is the last report for this campaign.
