[center:12lfzf0p]The Cleansing of Gliese 109[/center:12lfzf0p]
18th January 2097.
While probing one of the unexplored the jump points in Kateyns Star, Deep Survey Squadron 3 found itself in Luytens 726-8. This changed the strategic picture somewhat. Inferno (Kapteyns Star-A I) was already being developed as a naval base, so one in Alpha Centauri would not now be required. The Strategy Board took the decision to proceed with the build up of maintenance facilities in the Alpha Centauri arm, but now based on Camelot (Luytens 726-8-A II) with a view to moving them further up arm possibly to Finisterre (Gliese 1-A II) but more likely Gliese 105-A II (Wonderland) after the establishment of that colony.
20th January 2097.
The first three units of the Battle class CLG completed. For now they joined the Battle Group, however there was much thought as to their eventual use. Although they had a utility in jump point assaults it was probable they would be used to escort the Carriers with any long-range missions being performed by FAC. The age of the Battleship was dead, without even building one, at least for now.
5th February
Today is a sombre day, as this marks the limit of endurance of any life pods from Geo-Survey Squadron 4.
9th February 2097
3rd FAC Squadron arrives in Teegardens Star system. Defender activates her sensors. There is nothing on screen yet, so the fleet moves towards the Gliese 109 Gate.
13th February 2097
Defender detects a Demolisher class contact virtually sitting on the Gliese 109 Gate. Formidable’s FAC flight is tasked with the destruction of the enemy. Grey Duck, Grey Goose, Grey Hare, Grey Hornbill and Grey Parrot launch. They reach firing position at 00:43:22 on the 15th February, apparently undetected. Grey Duck, and Grey Goose flush their launchers at the enemy. At 00:52:27 twenty-seven of the inbound missile strike their target without the Demolisher so much as flinching. This one is tougher than the one in Gliese 832, it’s damaged but not dead, Grey Hare fires a follow up salvo. Another nine hits are secured but it still won’t die. Finally Grey Hornbill launches her missiles; this time the target explodes into dozens of large fragments, no longer a menace to the Squadron. The flight returns to the Formidable and rearms.
[attachment=2:12lfzf0p]Demolisher engagement 1.jpg[/attachment:12lfzf0p]
21st February 2097
The 3rd Squadron reached the Gate to Gliese 109 and made transit. On the other side there was a reciprocal Gate of alien manufacture. There was initially no sign of the enemy on Defenders sensors, so the Squadron made for the wreck of the Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, which was clearly detectable. Then at 06:33:11 four hostile contacts appeared on the Defenders sensor screens at a range of 55.4 million kilometres. This time it was the turn of the Indomitable to launch her brood. As the Indomitable flight made for the hostiles they made for the Indomitable. With in an hour the flight was in range and at 06:58:31 with a range of 13.2 million kilometres Grey Wolf, Grey Swift and Grey Pelican launched their missiles, Grey Plover, being tardy launched five seconds later. Nine minutes after that the craft observed twenty-seven 5-kiloton nuclear bursts, only a fifty percent hit rate, but it was sufficient, as evidenced by the wrecks now lying motionless in space as their TN powered engines stopped bending space-time. The flight reversed course to rendezvous with the rest of the Squadron and rearm, after which there was only a single Asp left in either of the carriers magazines.
[attachment=0:12lfzf0p]SD battle msl lnch Gliese 109.jpg[/attachment:12lfzf0p]
[attachment=1:12lfzf0p]SD batle end Gliese 109.jpg[/attachment:12lfzf0p]
The Squadron took the time then to cruise the system, checking out the major planetary bodies, and it was on the moon of one of these that a strength 10 thermal contact was discovered. The task force commander, Commodore Marcelino Salvador (Fort Sumner) summoned help via the Gate network, and in reply was informed to expect the Troop Transport Hastings in due course.
It was at 23:36:26 that the alarms sounded once more sending the Attack Craft crews scurrying for their ships. The Defender had picked up two contacts at a range of 49 million Kilometres. This time Formidable launched her flight on an intercept course. The two groups of FAC closed but the Formidable flight failed to receive the order “weapons free” as they crossed the engagement threshold and the Senior Pilot took it upon him self to order “open fire” when the range had wound down to 6 million kilometres, well within the Grey class engagement envelope and approaching that of the hostile FAC. Grey Duck and Grey Goose launched at 00:16:51, it would not have taken that much longer for the boot to be on the other foot. A few minutes’ later only 4.7 million kilometres from the flight, which had reversed course, there was a satisfying multi-warhead detonation as eighteen of the thirty-six missiles launched found their targets and reduced them to so much scrap.
30th April 2097
Salvager 003, which had been called forward to clean up the debris in system and recover intelligence, finally hit pay dirt as it recovered the penultimate enemy Silent Death FAC. There was an Internal Confinement Fusion drive split open in such a way as to reveal the detail of several important mechanisms that would shorten the Solar Union’s drive to replicate the drive. (8400 RP recovered).
6th May 2097
TT Hastings unloaded the 6th MI battalion onto Gliese 1109-A VI moon 2. The attack went in on the 7th May, and by the 12th the MI were sure they had not missed anything and had secured the installation. This time they found two deep space tracking stations and a cache of 143 Berserker ASMs.
10th June 2097.
Carbon Compressed armour developed.
14th June 2097
The Amerigo Vespucci, part of the 3rd Geo-Survey Squadron called in to complete the task of the ill-fated 4th, found a strength 15 thermal contact while surveying Gliese 109-A V moon 1. Its captain, Lieutenant Commander Ahriman Karia sent a tight- beam communication to Commodore Marcelino Salvador (Fort Sumner), ranking naval officer in system, who immediately despatched the TT Hastings to the scene.
15th June 2097
The 6th MI launched their attack on the alien outpost on Gliese 109-V moon 1 at 18:00. Once more an apparently unmanned (unaliened?) installation.
21st June 2097
Gliese 109-VIII moon 9. The rugged terrain of the moon meant it was several days before the MI could be sure they had found all the outpost’s facilities. They secured another three deep space tracking stations.
Luytens 143-23. Exploration of this system has been curtailed as the remaining planets, moons and asteroids are at extreme distances for the current generation of Geo-Survey vessels. The system has a diameter of some 820 billion kilometres around its M4-V star.
24th July 2097.
The Yuri Gagarin II, captain Lieutenant Commander Shi Shi E, was surveying Gliese 109-AVIII moon 9 when once again a strength 15 thermal contact was located. Commodore Salvador was duly informed.
3rd August 2097
The TT Hastings once more deployed the 6th MI to secure the alien outpost that proved to consist of another three DSTS, but nothing else of value was found.
20th October 2097
The first three Moon class Jump Cruisers were launched today, at last providing the Navies carriers a way in and out of systems that did not involve building Gates. Three more of the class were immediately laid down. At least in Gliese 109 the 3rd FAC Squadron had not had to wait for a Gate to be built for the Squadron to exit, thanks to the alien Gate builders.
The completion of the System Body survey in Gliese 109 brought operations to a close in that system. The 3rd FAC Squadron had been on station for over one year and three months without a significant breakdown. Eight DSTS and 143 Berserker ASMs had been recovered. Substantial reserves of sorium at an availability of 0.9 had also been discovered. At the conclusion of operations the 3rd FAC Squadron started back to Earth and overhaul, another emergency quelled
