July, 917
The Strug freighters have completed their task of transferring the mines, both crewed and automated, from Strug Home to The Sister and Twelve. Twelve now has 417 automated mines, while the Colonists on The Sister operate 486 mines. All of the resources mined are sent back to Strug Home via mass drivers.
Millions of Colonists are still dieing from exposure and radiation poisoning. While the government on Strug Home had decided to divert production away from infrastructure, the fact that the Colonists are one step away from being citizens, and thus have at the very least potential political power, has caused a re-evaluation of the situation. The factories on Strug Home begin producing infrastructure once again.
January, 918
The first three Star class gravitic survey vessels are launched from the orbital yards. They are immediately dispatched to begin surveying the Home system.
The situation on The Sister has nearly stabilized. The population is now 110 million and the mortality rate is dropping, largely due to the extensive strugitarian efforts to ameliorate the effects of the nuclear winter.
Plans are being made on Strug Home to re-establish the colony on Five now that the situation on The Sister has improved. In the meantime, the yards will be ready to begin work on the first Strug jump ship in March.
Construction has begun on two jump ships, and the survey of the home system is moving forward. With the attention of the Strug turning more and more to the possibility of exploring beyond the limits of their system, the government is becoming more and more concerned about the warnings of the Colonists. While they have no hard facts, which apparently were the sole property of the ruling class, the Colonists warn of warfare, genocide, and suicidal races of implacable hostility beyond the bounds of the home system.
The thought that the Universe, or at leas the local portion, might be filled with larger, more powerful versions of the former Colonist government is very disturbing, and the government has invested much time and thought into how to secure future Strug interstellar probe missions.
The first proposal to gain acceptance is the Tithonium Chasma class scout. The scout is intended to probe new systems with its large passive sensors, and is equipped with low-profile engines to reduce its signature.
Tithonium Chasma class Scout 5000 tons 459 Crew 947 BP TCS 100 TH 210 EM 600
4200 km/s Armour 1 Shields 20-400 Sensors 96/0/0/0 Damage Control 0-0 PPV 0
Replacement Parts 15
Ion Engine (Stealth) (7) Power 60 Efficiency 0.70 Signature 30 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 150,000 Litres Range 185.1 billion km (510 days at full power)
Gamma R400/16 Shields (10) Total Fuel Cost 160 Litres per day
Ship Sensor, Large (1) GPS 7680 Range 76.8m km Resolution 40
Thermal Sensor, Large (1) Sensitivity 96 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 96m km
ECM 10
In addition, the government has approved a major project involving a commitment of R&D resources, shipyard assets, and construction capacity which will ultimately involve a massive expansion of the Navy. The current Strug naval forces are almost completely defensive in nature. To give the Navy an offensive arm, the Strug government has authorized the development and deployment of missile-armed gunboats and tenders to support them. R&D has already begun.
June, 918
The gravitic survey of the home system is complete. Two worm holes were found, confirming at least some of the information received from the Colonists. Both are located outside the orbit of the colony on Twelve, and are located 3.3 and 3.7 billion kilometers out. The survey ships are recalled to refuel and refit. The two new jump ships will be available in February of 920, but it is unlikely that the new Naval ships will be ready by then, so it is not clear if an expedition will be mounted at that time.
February, 920
The two new jump ships are launched this month, but the new scouts and the mother ships for the gunboats are still under construction. The first interstellar expedition is scheduled for November, 920, when all of the new ships will be ready.
October, 920
At last the new mother ships are ready, and nearly the entire mobile strength of the Strug nation departs for warp point #1. The fastest ships, the scouts, will arrive at the warp point in nine days, while the slowest, the planetary defense monitors, will take sixty-five. When the monitors arrive the first ship to depart the Strug system since the Colonists first arrive will jump out.
November, 920
The excitement of the dawning interstellar age has spread to the Sister as well, and in the enthusiasm of the time the remaining Colonists, all 87 million of them, vote to join the Allied Principalities of the Strug.
Author's Note:
The last two entries in this log have been removed to bring this account into compliance with the new campaign started in the "New Twin Moons" forum. As the removed material merely detailed the Strug discovery of two relatively uninteresting systems, there is little lost.
Kurt
