Month 145
Month 145, ASR
The Brrralk withdraw their garrison fleet in the Proxima System. This force, composed of six SD’s, six BBA’s, and three scouts, joins three SD’s and supporting forces dispatched from the Brrralk Home World to the Little Butte system. The Brrralk force in the Proxima system was there as the result of long-standing mutual defense treaty between the Brrralk and the Free Republic, and while Brrralk-Human relations have been tumultuous in the past, this withdrawal has nothing to do with that. The ASR Sector Government, composed of representatives of both the Human and Brrralk races, has decided, after conferring with the ASR central government, to send as many ships as possible to assist the Alliance.
By mid-month groups of ASR ships begin arriving in the Little Butte system. The ASR force there rapidly grows, and by the end of the month the newly designated 7th ASR Fleet is composed of twelve MLR’s, three BBA’s, two CV’s, six CA’s, eleven CVE’s, and two scouts.
Elsewhere, Gwynxa’s 6th Fleet leaves former Axon space and re-enters ASR territory en route for the Le Harve system and the Xeon system. While passing through the Axon system Gwynxa orders the ASR garrison force to rejoin his fleet, formally turning the system over to the Terran Empire. Imperial occupation forces move in as ASR forces evacuate, resulting in a smooth change-over.
Little Butte System, ASR Member State Free Republic
The system was an average ASR system, with two populated worlds, inhabited mostly by humans, with a scattering of Brrralk and a tiny minority of the other ASR races. Even when the Free Republic was an independent nation the system was considered remote and somewhat of a backwater, and that hadn’t changed under the ASR. Until last month when an Alliance survey ship entered the system through a previously unsuspected warp point. Then everything had changed.
First, naval vessels had begun arriving in the system from all over the Free Republic, and then, on day five of this month, an ASR scout had limped into the system after nearly burning out its drives conveying representatives from the Free Republic’s capital system seven jumps away. Just a day later a ship from the Alliance had arrived, also straining its drives to deliver its cargo.
The two ships arrived nearly simultaneously, separated by mere hours after their long journeys. In spite of being offered the opportunity to rest before meeting with the ASR representatives, the Alliance representatives insisted on meeting immediately, such was their urgency.
The results of the meeting were a surprise to no one. The ASR fleet would be allowed to enter Alliance territory as soon as possible. In fact, the Alliance representatives strongly requested its presence in all due haste. It was clear to everyone that the Alliance viewed the ASR as the answer to its prayers, but the ASR fleets would only be useful if they arrived before the Eaters devastated the core planets of the Alliance.
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Month 145, Atong Union
The 7th Union Expansion Group probed several warp points in the AU-071 system this month. One led to a closed warp point far out in the outer reaches of a heavily populated system. Following standard procedures, the Union scout ship shut down its drives as soon as it entered the system. As the area immediately surrounding the warp point was clear, the scout ship remained in place for some time, its sensitive scanners probing the system. The system contained two habitable planets, both type T, and both heavily populated. After spending several hours sampling emissions from the two planets, the scout jumped out. After reappearing the AU-071 system, the scout sent out several CD’s. The Union had found the Eaters. Fortunately, their entry warp point was located 216 light minutes from the system primary, far enough away from anything that the Eater inhabitants of the system would have no knowledge of the intrusion.
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Month 145, Week 1, 2nd Empire of Man
The system was a binary, with a small red star as the primary and an even smaller red dwarf as the secondary. The two small stars were circled by a plethora of gas giants, small planets, moons, and asteroids, making the system a natural target for large-scale mining efforts. As the system was only one jump from New Sol it had been settled long ago, and now almost 8,000,000 modified human beings lived there, toiling away in the extensive mines on the moons of three of the gas giants. Lying as it did on the route from New Sol to the oldest Sauron colony in the Issus system; the MS-108 system was considered a safe backwater. All of that was about to change.
In mid-week three sleek dark battle cruisers appeared in the outer system, 288 light minutes from the primary. After hesitating for a short period of time they set out for the inner system. Six days later they moved within scanning range of the closest mining settlement, which at that point was the colony on the innermost moon of the second gas giant. The colony immediately sent a demand for the ships to stop and identify themselves, and the local commander dispatched a contact report through the ICN. The incoming ships ignored the communication attempt, but did change course towards the colony. Two days later the ships arrived and the awful truth was revealed. Instead of communicating the ships opened fire on the colony wiping it out. The ships then moved on the third gas giant and wiped out the colonies on the moons of that planet, before setting out towards the secondary star and its planets.
The entire disaster was transmitted via ICN to the Imperial Fleet Base on Sauron in the New Sol system. The 2nd Imperial Fleet was mobilized and dispatched in record time. It would arrive in the inner system of MS-108 by Day 24. By then it would be too late for the colonies in the secondary component, which were wiped out by the marauding battle cruisers on Day 21. Their job finished, the alien battle cruisers set their course for the primary star.
The 2nd Fleet, too late to protect the miners, detected the three alien ships on Day 28 as they approached the system primary. The 2nd Fleet vastly outnumbered and out massed the alien squadron, boasting three superdreadnoughts, three carriers, five battle cruisers, twelve strike carriers, and twelve destroyers. Late in Day 29 the two groups met near the 2nd planet. The alien battle cruisers refused all communications and bored straight in towards the three human superdreadnoughts and their escorts. Finally, Admiral Johansen ordered his fighters stop the alien ships, which they did forty light seconds short of the fleet. The aliens attempted to maneuver to engage the fighters, but the crack Sauron pilots evaded their attempts and destroyed the three battle cruisers without losses to themselves.
Imperial Fleet Headquarters on New Chicago ordered the 4th Fleet in the Kiel system to dispatch reinforcements, and before the end of the month a group was en route, composed of three monitors and escorts. Analysis indicated that the unknown ships were similar in design to those of the Eaters, although there were significant differences, indicating perhaps that these belonged to a different group of Eaters, if there were such a thing. In any case it was apparent that they were not to be trifled with.
Unseen by the 2nd Fleet in the inner system, three additional alien battle cruisers lurked in the outer depths of the MS-106 system. Their controlling intelligences had “felt” the deaths of the other three battlecruisers, and had received the information that their deaths had bought. One of their number jumped back through the warp point to summon reinforcements.
Former Axon territories…
Terran forces in Axon/Xanti space continue to advance in pursuit of retreating Axon forces, meeting no resistance.
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Empire of the Chosen
Month 145, Day 22.5
On this date the forty nine capital ships, forty nine carriers, twenty six cruisers, and eighteen destroyers of the Secondary Robotic Assault Fleet entered the X!tn Home System. The X!tn had been discovered some time ago, and now their time had come to be incorporated into the Empire of the Chosen.
The X!tn were a bipedal, radially symmetrical race, taller than humans, with a rough, scaly skin and a fearsome head boasting an array of mandibular graspers that were truly awe inspiring. The X!tn were extremely ferocious and warlike, and their recorded history was notable for the constant wars and tremendous battles that raged across their planet. These wars culminated in a series of conflicts that nearly destroyed their world in the aftermath of industrialization. The wisest and most intelligent X!tn realized that if their civilization were to survive their base nature would have to be restrained and controlled. In a monumental effort X!tn society was brought under centralized control, and the Ordered State was born. The Ordered State now controls every facet of X!tn lives, from birth to death, and has done so for centuries. This control has led to a certain…frustration…that runs through X!tn society, a yearning for something that they can no longer put into words. This frustration has led to a frenzied colonization of their home system and its three other habitable planets, as if throwing themselves into colonizing raw planets is in some way an answer to their yearning. It has also led to the Ordered State building a military machine far beyond what an isolated, apparently sleepy system would need.
The Secondary Robotic Assault Fleet departed the warp point on day 22.5, bound for the inner system of the Primary Star. It would take 14.5 days for the fleet to reach X!tn Prime. Ten days into their voyage, the Robotic Fleet would be detected by cloaked patrol ships, and the X!tn would begin massing their fleet. The AI’s in control of the Robotic Fleet would have no idea, because, of course, the X!tn fleet was cloaked.
The battle would take place in Month 146, Day 7, as the Robotic Assault Fleet approached X!tn Prime.
Month 145, Day 30
On this date the final reinforcements the Chosen were waiting for arrived. While the forty eight Gorlieth ships were not a huge addition to the Chosen fleet’s firepower, the Chosen fully intended to have the Gorlieth lead the way, as was fitting for a slave species. The attack on Xanti Prime would begin next month.
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Month 145 Update
ASR and Allies (The True People and the Xanti Protectorate)
Current Income (all sources): 1,217,599
Current Maintenance: 611,176
Total Inhabited Systems: 332
Total Population: 1,210.01 Billion
The ASR’s economy continues to stagnate. The growth over the last five months was only 89,599 MCr’s, or 7%. The real numbers are worse, as almost a quarter of that growth was due to the opening of trade with the Alliance. Still, the economy has been growing, and the ASR’s leaders have been attempting to focus an increasing amount of resources on growth of the economy. The largest single drain on the economy is the ongoing refit program and the associated need to modernize the fleet’s ordinance. The monthly cost of equipping newly refitted ships and bases with the latest missiles has averaged 350,000 MCr’s a month, and this expense is expected to continue for some time.
The most exciting news in the ASR is the discovery of the Alliance. News of the heroic struggle of the Rogen has electrified the entire ASR, and in particular the Gorandan population. The Gorandan’s interest is natural, given their own close call with the Eaters, and the dramatic story of the Rogen flight from the Eaters, and the establishment of the Alliance, has drawn the ASR together as nothing else has. The opening of a new contact point in the Alliance Administrative Area is more than fortuitous, especially in light of the latest news out of the Rogen Alliance about the new attack on their territory by the Eaters. A Rogen representative has already arrived in the Little Butte system and has begun negotiations with ASR representatives with the intention of allowing the newly formed 7th ASR Fleet into their territory to help fight the Eaters.
As of the end of Month 145 Gwynxa, and the rest of the 2nd Battle Group, 6th Fleet, have extracted themselves from former Axon territory. Area Marshal Gwynxa has spent the months of travel devising a new strategic plan to meet the multiple threats faced by the ASR in the Colmar Sector, and has issued notices to all forces within the Colmar Sector that major movement orders will be dispatched early next month. In addition, now that the 2nd Battle Group has been extracted from hostile territory, Gwynxa plans to take a fast scout from the fleet’s current location to Xeon, burning out its drives if necessary.
Currently, the Colmar Sector has two contact points with the Eaters, at Xeon and the second at Gaz, beyond Cholet. In addition, the Sector is under threat from the Imperial Chosen at the Xanti home system. This last threat is currently considered serious, as significant forces have been assembled to deal with the two Eater incursion sites, but the Xanti Garrison Force is relatively small and consists of older ships.
ASR Fleet
1xCVB, 164xCV, 27xCVL, 39xCVS, 134xCVE, 1xMN, 161xML, 75xSD, 41xBB, 136xBC, 311xCA, 107xCL, 339xDD, 40xFG, 89xCT, 69xEX
Total HS: 109,343
ASR Fortification Command
6xAsteroid Fort, 57xBS5, 97xBS4, 92xBS3, 45xBS2, 234xBS1, 96xBS0
Total HS: 42,266
Total SY Capacity: 371, 11,872 HS per month
Current Capacity in use: 49.8%
Units under construction: 1xBS6, 6xBS5, 3xBS4, 3xBS1,1xCVS, 3xCVE, 5xMT, 3xML, 3xSD, 3xBC, 4xCA, 5xDD, 177xGBP, 184xF3, 18xF2, 100xMF, 600xSBMHAWK3(AAM)
Units undergoing refit: 27xBS5, 60xBS4, 10xBS2, 7xBS1, 18xCV, 5xCVS, 1xMT, 5xCA, 1xCL, 9xDD
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2nd Empire of Man
Current Income (All Sources): 1,068,494 MCr’s
Current Maintenance: 398,220
Total Inhabited Systems: 257
Total Population: 657.73 Billion
The Empire is facing several threats at this time. The bulk of the Imperial 7th Fleet is engaged in the Axon territories, along with assault elements of the 1st Fleet. In addition, the bulk of the 2nd Imperial Fleet has been deployed to the Pax Sector to secure a portion of the frontier against an incursion in the Kitakyushu system by an unknown cyborg race. To date the race or its raiding force has not been found. Finally, there has been an incursion by what appears to be an Eater race in the New Sol Sector. The 2nd Fleet is responding from the Sector Capital, and plans are being drawn up for a massive response, if necessary.
Plans have been laid down for the re-colonization of the Kitakyushu system and the surrounding systems by the Pax Sector Governor. These plans have been driven by the fact that no less than ten type T planets lie within two jumps of the system. The public is understandably reluctant to move into that area without a dedicated defense structure, so a construction fleet is already en route to Kitakyushu from the Pax System to begin construction on a new forward fleet base for the 7th Fleet.
Imperial Fleet
The planned refit of the Imperial Fleet to the latest technology is in full swing, although the bulk of the refits to date have been performed on Fortress Command units. This refit is likely to take an extensive amount of time due to the many demands on the Imperial Fleet. In addition, the construction of the Skywatch platforms to defend the primary population centers of the Empire is well underway.
Imperial Navy
13xCV, 2xCVL, 373xCVS, 24xCVE, 111xML, 30xSD, 42xBB, 204xBC, 177xCA, 123xCL, 249xDD, 30xFG, 70xCT, 187xEX
Total HS: 88,175
Imperial Fortress Command
12xBS5, 171xBS4, 218xBS3, 511xBS1
Total HS: 53985
Total Shipyard Capacity: 269xSY (8,070 HS per month)
Current Capacity in use: 100%
Under Construction: 168xBS3*, 9xML, 4xBB, 5xDD, 1680xF3, 350xGBP, 1515xSBMHAWK2(AM), 37xMF
*Note: The high number of BS3’s under construction is due to the Skywatch Program, instituted after the devastation of the New Berlin system by Axon raiders.
Refits: 57xBS4, 88xBS1, 21xSD, 6xBB, 33xBC, 16xCA, 16xCL, 8xDD, 14xCT, 6xCVS, 4xCVE
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Eaters
Current Income (all sources): 2,462,708
Upkeep: 849,944
Total Inhabited systems: 228
Total Population: 3,341.47 Billion
The Eaters are currently engaging two external threats, one in the vicinity of Home Hive #2 (the old Rogen territory), and the other in Home Hive #4’s territory (Xeon/ASR/Alliance).
Eater Navy
525xML, 165xSD, 125xBB, 743xBC, 67xCA, 60xCL, 521xDD, 201xCT, 711xEX
Total HS: 210,558
Eater Fortress Command
23xBS6, 133xBS5, 145xBS4, 1397xBS2, 46xAF
Total HS: 155,740
Total Shipyard Capacity: 642xSY (16,692)
Current Capacity in use: 100%
Under Construction:
3xAsteroid Fort, 17xSS(SY), 37xBS6, 29xBS4, 6xBS2, 16xMSY, 80xML, 30xBB, 136xBC, 21xDD, 290xApin, 592xMF, 154xIDEW(L)
Refit:
5xBS6
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Rogen Alliance
Current Income (all sources): 219,099
Upkeep: 64,797
Total Inhabited Systems: 52
Total Population: 162.62 Billion
The Alliance is under threat on two fronts: at the Xeon Home System and along The Corridor. The Corridor is the route that the Rogen used to flee the Eaters, and in month 144 the Eaters reappeared, launching a probe of the defenses in the Harbin system.
Fortunately, the situation in the Xeon system appears to be under control, largely due to the massive assemblage of ASR ships that has appeared in that system. As a result of this, the bulk of the Alliance fleet has been recalled to deal with the situation in Harbin.
The reappearance of the Eaters in Harbin is the manifestation of a nightmare for the Alliance, a long-feared threat that has finally materialized. The discovery of a route to the ASR through the frontier system A-045 is the one thing that is giving the Alliance government hope that the Eaters can be held in the Harbin system. A delegation of high level members of the Alliance government, including a large contingent of Rogen, has arrived in the ASR Little Butte system to begin negotiations towards a closer union between the Alliance and the ASR. In the meantime the Alliance government has given the ASR permission to move its fleet into Alliance territory to reinforce Alliance forces in Harbin. In fact, the Alliance negotiations were astonished when the ASR insisted on compensating the Alliance for granting permission to move a fleet into their territory, and the payment itself raised hope throughout the Alliance. In exchange for being given permission to move into Alliance territory and engage the Eaters, the ASR has agreed to give the Alliance access to much of its technology, and to assist Alliance research efforts in the future. While the ASR has withheld its cloaking and command datalink technology, at least for now, the technological bonanza that has been granted to the Alliance is almost inconceivable. Almost every aspect of their navy and fortress command will receive improvements once the new technology goes on line.
Fleet Strength
1xCV, 1xCVS, 95xCVE, 15xSD, 9xBB, 32xBC, 31xCA, 35xCL, 61xDD, 47xCT, 4xES
Total HS: 14,455
Fortress Command
4xAst Fort, 28xBS4, 50xBS3, 78xBS2, 40xBS1
Total HS: 13,710
Total Shipyard Capacity: 84xSY (2,352 HS per month)
Current Capacity in use: 99%
Units under construction:
27xBS4, 27xBS3, 4xCV, 34xCVE, 6xSD, 1xBC, 12xCA, 10xDD, 68xF1, 34xSBMHAWK(AM), 140xMF
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