17th January 2041
The four Eridani class cruisers, armed with full loads of BGM-12 Prometheus anti-ship missiles, rejoin the light carriers in Kostinbrod.
1st February 2041
While President von Kolbe is no fan of the Soviet Union and believes that a major confrontation between the two major human powers is only a matter of time, he is keen to avoid any unnecessary conflict that might bring forward that date before the Eridani Republic is fully prepared. Therefore, he is concerned that Admiral Thorn may have unnecessarily harsh in his recent dealings with Admiral Borisov, despite the Admiral's understandable anger over recent Soviet conduct. Rather than rebuke the Admiral or intervene directly, he sends the foreign minister of the Eridani Republic to Moscow to try and resolve the differences over wreck salvage in Kostinbrod and to discuss the apparent danger presented by the new, highly advanced alien race encountered in that system. Admiral Borisov and the Politburo support the discussions on the basis that they need peace with the Eridani until Soviet industry is safe and they are ready to deal with the Republic once and for all.
While significant differences remain, the talks do make progress in two key areas. Both sides agree not to salvage wrecks of each other's ships. This is primarily on the basis that attempting to prevent such salvage could result in armed conflict. Secondly, the Eridani and the Soviet Union agree to share any general intelligence regarding the new alien race, which the Soviet Union refers to as the Invaders. Both sides share performance data on the Invader plasma torpedoes and the Soviets reveal they believe the Invaders may be arriving via artificially generated wormholes, one of which was located in the Kostinbrod system, although it has now disappeared. The exact date of its disappearance is unknown as it was absent from the system when the Eridani arrived.
3rd February 2041
At the request of the People's Republic of China, the Eridani Republic transfers two of its twelve Ground Force Training Facilities on Earth over to Chinese control. At the moment, the Chinese have no way to train new ground forces so this transfer will allow the rebuilding of their planetary combat arm.
4th February 2041
The Eridani salvage vessel Schliemann completes its recovery of the wreck of one of the advanced alien cruisers encountered in Kostinbrod. Eridani Naval Intelligence has decided to use an Ancient Egyptian theme in designating class names for the Invaders so the cruisers will be known as Osiris class. Intact components salvaged from the wreck include an engine that uses inertial confinement fusion technology, a plasma torpedo launcher and two fire control systems. The salvage vessels Benjamin Gates and Henry Jones are working on the other two Osiris class wrecks while the Quatermain is salvaging a group of Goavelha survey ships. With the salvage operation well underway, Rear Admiral Kaza decides to investigate the inner Kostinbrod system. He detaches two Eridani class cruisers, a Sentinel and a Daring to picket the jump point and to protect the salvage ships and their accompanying freighters then takes the rest of his force toward the Kostinbrod homeworld. Although this activity is monitored by the Soviet scout at the Kostinbrod - Gorshkov jump point, both Rear Admiral Kaza and Admiral Thorn do not believe the Soviet Union would launch an attack on the four detached ships. Even so, to ensure no surprise attack is possible, the Oracle class Surveillance Frigate Pythia has been deployed on the Gorshkov side of the jump point.
When the Eridani task group is three hundred and sixty million kilometers from the jump point, the jump cruiser Churchill detects a 70,000 ton ship of an unknown alien race at the edge of sensor range, over two billion kilometers distant and approximately half way to the inner system. The ship is heading for the Gorshkov jump point at 2000 km/s and its speed and size suggests it may be a commercial vessel. Rear Admiral Kaza hails the alien ship, which responds immediately and unintelligibly. At least the attempt at communication is encouraging. Over the next few days, as the alien ship continues to close the range, communication efforts continue with little success. Rear Admiral Kaza halts his task group one point five billion kilometers from the jump point to await developments
8th February 2041
The Soviet Union's Propulsion Research Team led by Helga Chernov completes its work on Internal Confinement Fusion Drive technology. Development of new engine designs gets underway immediately. On New Amsterdam, Eridani scientists complete a project to improve ordnance production by twenty-five percent.
12th February 2041
The remaining two Osiris wrecks are salvaged. As well as data on electronic countermeasures systems, Gates recovers five engines, two fire control systems, three plasma torpedo launchers, an ECM system and two passive sensor systems. Henry Jones gains data on armour and recovers five engines, two fire control systems and a plasma torpedo launcher. All the various components will eventually be disassembled on New Amsterdam. Meanwhile, the slow-moving 70,000 ton vessel of the new alien race continues toward the jump point, passing within two hundred million kilometers of the stationary task group. As the alien has made no attempt to approach and attack, Rear Admiral Kaza decides to proceed to the Kostinbrod homeworld and let the four ships on the jump point continue communication efforts as the alien closes on their position.
14th February 2041
Churchill detects a new 125,000 ton Invader ship, designated as Atum class, located within three hundred million kilometers of the system primary. The general configuration matches that of two wrecks in the system that are priority targets for salvage. Five minutes later, two more Atums are detected close by. All three are stationary.
18th February 2041
The Eridani task group arrives in orbit of Kostinbrod Prime. There is no sign of any life on the planet and in orbit are the wrecks of several Soviet FACs and a Soviet Lebedev class salvage ship. The three Invader Atums are at a distance of two hundred and forty million kilometers and remain quiescent. The recent Eridani discussions with the Soviet Union regarding Invaders included reference to an apparently unarmed ship of 125,000 tons that rammed several Soviet ships. The Atum could very well be the same class, although Rear Admiral Kaza is taking no chances. He would prefer to use beam weapons against the alien ships if possible to avoid using ordnance so he sends the two Eridani class cruisers and three Sentinel class escort cruisers remaining with his main force, escorted by his entire fighter strength. The fighters will only launch their missiles if the Atums open fire or otherwise threaten his cruisers.
Once the Eridani class cruisers and their escorts move within 100,000 kilometers of the Atums and open fire, all three begin to pursue at 6400km/s, which is slower than the 7000 km/s top speed of the Eridanis and Sentinels. There is no sign of hostile fire. The fighters head back to their carriers and the cruisers continue firing, closing to within 30,000 kilometers so the Sentinels can add their 10cm lasers to the weight of fire. Each Atum takes a considerable amount of punishment but their destruction is inevitable. After all three are destroyed, the cruisers rejoin the carriers in orbit of Kostinbrod Prime. The whole task group then begin a sweep of the other inner planets.
19th February 2041
Ten Worker class Swarm suddenly appear in Gorshkov, well within sensor range of Pythia. At the same moment, the wreck of a Goavelha construction ship in the same location vanishes from sensors. Unless it is an amazing coincidence, the two events must be connected. In fact, it occurs to Pythia's commander that there used to be three Goavelha construction ship wrecks in the system and now there are none. The Workers present no threat for the moment so Rear Admiral Kaza decides not to send any of the ships he left as jump point pickets to destroy them. He is concerned that if the appearance of the Swarm ships is linked to the disappearance of the wreck, the other missing wrecks may mean there are additional Swarm forces in Gorshkov, possibly Soldiers. He will deal with the Workers once his task group completes its sweep of Kostinbrod and returns to the Gorshkov jump point.
20th February 2041
During its sweep of the Kostinbrod system, the Eridani light carrier force detects a jump gate at a previously unknown jump point.
21st February 2041
Thirty Soviet freighters drop their cargo of research facility components at Earth and head for Kostinbrod via Gorshkov. Three Lebedev-B salvage ships and four escorting cruisers break orbit of Novaya Zemlya and head for the Sol jump point. Their final destination is the same as the freighters.
23rd February 2041
The 70,000 ton alien ship encountered by the Eridani in Kostinbrod, designated as Partisan class, has entered Gorshkov and moved across the system on a heading of 074. Pythia monitors its progress until it leaves sensor range a billion kilometers from the Gorshkov - Kostinbrod jump point in a direction that does not corresponds with any system body or known jump point.
24th February 2041
An Eridani J-30B Vanguard Jump Scout enters the recently discovered jump point in Kostinbrod and discovers the system of HR 511. An orange K0-V primary is orbited by three rocky planets and four gas giants. The second planet has acceptable gravity and temperature but no atmosphere. The far side has a jump gate as well. After the Vanguard has ensured there is nothing close to the jump point, the light carrier task group enters the system to conduct a sweep of the inner planets. As soon as transit effects fade, Churchill detects two jump gates within sensor range. Once the inner system has been checked the jump points will be probed.
28th February 2041
Another jump gate is detected by Churchill's active sensors in HR 511
1st March 2041
A J-30B Vanguard probes the innermost jump point of HR 511 and discovers Iota Persei, a G0-V system with four planets, none of which are habitable.
4th March 2041
A J-30B Vanguard probes the third jump point of HR 511 and discovers Gliese 69, a system with an orange K5-V primary and nine planets, none of which are habitable. The wreck of a Golem Socrates class FAC is in the inner system. The rest of the task group briefly enters the system. They do not carry out a full sweep of the planets as Rear Admiral Kaza does not want to stray too far from Kostinbrod. However, Churchill's primary sensor covers the inner system from the jump point and confirms the absence of any large ships.
7th March 2041
The discovery of new systems around Kostinbrod highlights the serious lack of modern survey ships in the Eridani Navy. There are currently three Discovery class geological survey ships and three Galileo class gravitational survey ships in Eridani service, all of which are in orbit of TW Piscis Austrini II. Both classes are equipped with ion engines, which are two generations out of date, and have maximum speeds of 3000 km/s and 4000 km/s respectively. Sending them on the eight jump journey from TW Piscis Austrini to Kostinbrod would require over two months for the Galileos and almost three months for the Discoverys. Given the multitude of alien threats, they are also extremely vulnerable when deployed without an escort. Initial design studies are undertaken into some form of future survey ship. This design work will accelerate once the cloaking technology currently being researched is available.
9th March 2041
With the light carrier force delayed by the exploration of the jump points in HR 511, the Swarm Workers in Gorshkov have been left alone. Admiral Thorn orders Scylla, one of four Cerberus class monitors deployed at the Sol - Gorshkov jump point, to enter Gorshkov and eliminate the Workers.
11th March 2041
A probe of the fourth jump point of HR 511 reveals the system of S.W. Burnham 996, a binary with an orange K3-V primary and an M2-V red dwarf B component. Each star has a pair of planets, none of which are habitable. The light carrier task group heads back to Kostinbrod.
16th March 2041
Scylla destroys the ten Swarm Workers in Gorshkov.
18th March 2041
Eridani xenologists successfully translate the language of the new alien race encountered in Kostinbrod. They call themselves the Houma Empire. However, since the 70,000 ton ship first seen in Kostinbrod disappeared in Gorshkov, there has been no further contact with the Houma and no sign of any Houma ships or populations.
21st March 2041
A Soviet task group comprising four cruisers and three salvage ships arrives in Kostinbrod. Thirty Antonov class freighters are en route. Eridani salvage operations are continuing. All three Osiris class cruisers and two Atum class have been recovered, as well as five Goavelha survey ships. Cargo space is a problem though as the commercial drives of the Atums are taking up considerable space in the holds of the freighters accompanying the salvage ships. Some salvage was lost from the Atums due to insufficient cargo space. Admiral Thorn begins to consider specialized large cargo ships for salvage operations, as some ship components will not fit in the holds of the standard Atlas class freighters. The Eridani and Soviet forces on the Kostinbrod - Gorshkov jump point are in close proximity and watching each other with extreme vigilance.
24th March 2041
Scylla destroys a Goavelha construction ship that entered Gorshkov and headed and away from the Gliese 908 jump point in the same general direction as the 70,000 Houma vessel. Admiral Thorn is beginning to suspect that there may be an unknown jump point in the system
26th March 2041
The light carrier task group returns to the Kostinbrod - Gorshkov jump point. The four detached cruisers rejoin the main body.
2nd April 2041
Clemenceau, Graf Zeppelin and Independence complete their refit to fusion-based engines. Refitting of the other three fleet carriers begins.
4th April 2041
Thirty Soviet freighters arrive in Kostinbrod. Rear Admiral Kaza requests instructions, in particular if he should prevent any Soviet salvage operations. Admiral Thorn discusses the situation with President von Kolbe and recommends a pre-emptive strike against the Soviet forces in Kostinbrod and the remaining Soviet industry on Earth. President von Kolbe is keen to evacuate the last of the Eridani population from the Sol system, as well as the remaining ground force training facilities, before any conflict with the Soviet Union. He also points out that while the Eridani Republic will be as ready as possible for any confrontation, the Republic does not start wars. The two men have worked together for many years with a shared goal of protecting the population of the former NATO countries against all enemies, human or alien. They both agree on the likelihood of an eventual Eridani - Soviet war but they now find they have very different views on how that war will begin.
President von Kolbe has always believed the Soviet Union will attack the Eridani and his task is to prepare the Republic for that day. Admiral Thorn believes attack is the best form of defence and that the Eridani should attack either once all the civilians and industry have been evacuated from Earth and Mars or earlier if an ideal opportunity presents itself. This is the first significant dispute between the President and the Admiral and results in a long and sometimes heated discussion. Eventually, von Kolbe brings an end to the debate by ordering Admiral Thorn not to interfere with Soviet operations in Kostinbrod unless the Soviet Union commits a hostile act. Admiral Thorn accepts the order from his President but the underlying disagreement remains unresolved.
1st May 2041
As a result of the ongoing terraforming effort on TW Piscis Austrini II, the ice caps melt, causing a rise in temperature that brings the planet within the zone of ideal habitability.
3rd May 2041
The first two Leviathan class troop transports are launched by the Atlantic Marine shipyard in Roanoke orbit. The Leviathan is equipped with modern engines and defences and is capable of transporting an entire division. The Leviathans will replace the existing San Antonio class troop transports, a much older design equipped with ion engines, several of which will eventually be sold to the People's Republic of China.
Leviathan class Troop Transport 96,750 tons 1098 Crew 3801 BP TCS 1935 TH 7750 EM 0
4005 km/s Armour 4-187 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
MSP 25 Max Repair 62 MSP
Troop Capacity: 21 Battalions Cargo Handling Multiplier 20
Commercial Internal Confinement Fusion Drive (31) Power 250 Fuel Use 6% Signature 250 Armour 0 Exp 1%
Fuel Capacity 250,000 Litres Range 77.5 billion km (224 days at full power)
CIWS-200 (2x6) Range 1000 km TS: 20000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% To Hit
SN/SPN-49 Navigation Sensor (1) GPS 4320 Range 71.0m km Resolution 120
28th May 2041
In Gorshkov, the three Galileo class gravitational survey ships have been deployed to resurvey jump locations in the direction in which a Goavelha construction ship was heading when it was destroyed and the 70,000 ton Houma ship left sensor range. Admiral Thorn's hunch is borne out when Newton locates a previously unknown fifth jump point. The light carrier task group in Kostinbrod is ordered to investigate immediately. The Galileos are ordered to Kostinbrod as the Eridani Republic has never surveyed the system.
29th May 2041
The light carrier task group is en route to the new jump point when it detects one hundred and eighty-five stationary Swarm Soldiers close to the locations where three Goavelha wrecks recently disappeared. This discovery confirms the link between wrecks and the creation of new Swarm ships. Although exactly how this transformation takes place is unknown, the Swarm Queen visited each wreck and remained there for several days so she is presumably the instigator of whatever process is involved. Initially the Swarm ships appear to be no immediate threat and hold their position, probably because there is no Queen to guide them. Rear Admiral Kaza decides to leave alone for the moment but their location is flagged. That assumption quickly proves flawed when the task group passes within eighty million kilometers of the Swarm Soldiers. The Soldiers suddenly streak toward the task group at 10,000 km/s.
The six light carriers have loaded fighters but their magazines are half-empty, which means they have enough ordnance for two full strikes. Most of that ordnance comprises obsolete AGM-1A Sabre anti-ship missiles, now five models out of date, although there are a few AGM-1E available. The four Eridani class cruisers each have one hundred and fifty new BGM-12A Prometheus anti-ship missiles. Rear Admiral Kaza launches the first strike at long range, with each fighter targeting a different soldier. The expenditure of four hundred and thirty-two missiles results in a single kill and nine crippled Soldiers. A follow up strike at a range of twenty million kilometers destroys four more and cripples a further twenty-one. One hundred and fifty Soldiers continue closing, seven of which are fifty million kilometers astern of the main Swarm fleet.
As the Swarm move within fifteen million kilometers, the four Eridani class cruisers open fire. Each cruiser has three SN/APG-43 Missile Fire Control systems and one hundred and fifty box launchers that can be linked to any of the fire controls. The cruisers link three box launchers to each fire control, allowing them each to launch three missiles at three different targets simultaneously, creating waves of thirty-six BGM-12As targeted on twelve Soldiers. The four ships await the results of each launch before assigning new box launchers and launching the next wave, which means the waves are approximately five minutes apart. The seventeen waves of BGM-12A Prometheus anti-ship missiles destroy forty-five Soldiers and cripple fifty-five more, leaving them dead in space. Fifty Soldiers remain and the range is down to five million kilometers.
Kaza considers waiting until close range and engaging them with beam weapons but given the recent incident where New Plymouth was crippled by a single meson hit, he decides to use the anti-missiles from the Daring Mod 2s in offensive mode. All fifty Swarm Soldiers are obliterated but it requires the expenditure of twelve hundred SS-N-33 Gargoyle and RIM-8D Stiletto missiles. In all, almost 2700 missiles of various types have been expended to destroy the one hundred and eighty-five Soldiers. That rate of ammunition expenditure cannot be maintained and it is becoming urgent that a beam-armed ship designed to fight the Swarm is made available. In the meantime, all twelve Cerberus class monitors are ordered to the Sol - Gorshkov jump point where they will join the light carrier force to boost its energy-range firepower. The light carriers and their escorts pull back to the Sol jump point to meet the monitors and several colliers. The Eridani class cruisers are ordered back to Epsilon Eridani to re-arm. While the box launchers of the Eridanis have proven effective in combat, the requirement for maintenance facilities to reload those launchers is provided a significant strategic handicap. Exploration of the new jump point in Gorshkov is postponed until the task group is ready for combat.
20th June 2041
Twenty freighter loads of Invader ship components are delivered to New Amsterdam. Disassembly provides a wealth of technical data in a variety of different areas, including sufficient information to develop Magnetic Confinement Fusion engine technology, which will allow engines with twenty-five percent more power than engines based on existing Internal Confinement Fusion technology, and to improve fuel efficiency.
23rd June 2041
The four Eridani class cruisers rejoin the light carrier task group at the Gorshkov - Sol jump point, their magazines replenished with BGM-12A Prometheus anti-ship missiles. Colliers have already refilled the carrier magazines with a mixture of AGM-1 Sabre anti-ship missiles of types A through D, although once the fighters are loaded those magazines will be half empty once again. The magazines of four Daring Mod 2 area defence cruisers are only two thirds full. The Eridani Republic is starting to show the first signs of the ordnance shortages that have long plagued the Soviet Union. The task group has also been reinforced by all twelve Cerberus class monitors, although their maximum speed of 4000 km/s is far less than the 7000 km/s maximum of the other ships. Rear Admiral Kaza has instructions from Admiral Thorn to use his energy combatants wherever possible. With his task group battle ready again, Kaza orders his ships to head for Gorshkov's unexplored fourth jump point. The withdrawal of the monitors from the Sol - Gorshkov jump point leaves three Chinese Spruance class destroyers escorts and a squadron of Eridani Valhalla class FACs as the entire picket force. With the Eridani operating in strength in and around Gorshkov that was deemed an acceptable risk by Admiral Thorn.
24th June 2041
The 70,000 ton Houma vessel that disappeared several months ago is detected on top of the unexplored jump point. Given its size and location, it is almost certainly a Houma jump gate construction ship.
25th June 2041
The People's Republic of China uses two San Antonio class troop transports it recently acquired from the Eridani Republic to deliver a pair of Engineer regiments to 70 Ophuichi IV, site of an alien ruin. Up to fifty alien installations have been identified as potential recovery targets.
29th June 2041
A Vanguard jump scout enters the unexplored jump point in Gorshkov and emerges in Gliese 1061, a system twelve light years from Earth with dim red dwarf primary, four uninviting planets and a sparse asteroid belt. The task group enters Gliese 1061 to conduct a sweep of the inner system.
A new fighter engine has been developed based on Magnetic Confinement Fusion technology and used as the basis for the new F-24E Strikefighter. Unlike the immediately preceding engine design, the Pratt & Whitney F200 IC Fusion Drive, the F300 does not use any special boosting technology beyond that normally employed in fighter engines, which makes it much more fuel efficient. While this means the F-24E is only 8.7% faster than the F-24D, it has double the range, allowing a combat radius without in-flight refueling of almost a billion kilometers. In other respects, the new fighter is identical to the F-24D.
F-24E Cobra class Strikefighter 245 tons 3 Crew 62.7 BP TCS 4.9 TH 75 EM 0
15306 km/s Armour 1-3 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 2.4
Maint Life 0 Years MSP 0 AFR 49% IFR 0.7% 1YR 3 5YR 49 Max Repair 32 MSP
Magazine 16
Pratt & Whitney F300 MC Fusion Drive (1) Power 75 Fuel Use 4000% Signature 75 Armour 0 Exp 25%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres Range 1.8 billion km (33 hours at full power)
Mk3 Box Launcher (4) Missile Size 4 Hangar Reload 30 minutes MF Reload 5 hours
SN/APG-43 Missile Fire Control (1) Range 110.6m km Resolution 40
BGM-12A Prometheus (4) Speed: 45,000 km/s End: 33.3m Range: 90m km WH: 6 Size: 4 TH: 150 / 90 / 45
7th July 2041
The small Soviet task group on the Kostinbrod - Gorshkov jump point detects a new type of Houma vessel, designated as Hospitaller class. The ship is 2900 tons and moving at 5516 km/s, faster than any previously detected Houma class. Eridani forces have virtually abandoned the Kostinbrod system with most of the alien wrecks now salvaged. A large number of Soviet wrecks remain, which the Eridani have agreed to avoid, as well as the wrecks of several Goavelha construction ships. There are also several 35,000 ton unknown wrecks but the Eridani salvaged two of them and found only nuclear pulse engines. Two Eridani salvage ships have already left the system, along with their attendant freighters, and the other two will leave as soon as they complete their current salvage tasks. Three Eridani Galileo class survey ships are in Kostinbrod and will remain until they complete the gravitational survey. None of the Eridani forces in the system have detected the Houma ship but it will be detected by an Oracle class surveillance frigate if it jumps into Gorshkov.
The Soviet Union has no conflict of interest with the Houma and has yet to encounter any Houma colonies. Little is known about this enigmatic alien race except that are also fighting the Invaders and seem content to let the Soviets and the Eridani go about their business undisturbed. Whether that will change if the human powers intrude into Houma space remains to be seen. The commander of the task group informs Admiral Borisov of the small alien ship and is ordered to let it pass if its wishes to jump. Instead, it moves to the jump point and holds position. One day later, a second Hospitaller moves into sensor range and joins its sister ship, then both transit into Gorshkov.
The two ships, designated as Guisarme class by the Eridani Republic, are detected by Pythia, the Oracle class surveillance frigate picketing the Gorshkov - Kostinbrod jump point. Communications have been established between the Eridani and the Houma but the Houma politely refuse an Eridani request for information about their destination. Their course suggests they are heading for the Gliese 908 jump point and the home system of the Goavelha Host. Two hours later, a third Hospitaller/Guisarme enters Soviet sensor range in Kostinbrod, transits into Gorshkov and follows its two sister ships toward the Gliese 908 jump point. Due to their small size, all three disappear from Pythia's sensors before they reach their destination.
12th July 2041
The last Eridani colonists are evacuated from Mars to Epsilon Eridani and the Martian colony is officially abandoned. The remaining Eridani infrastructure is taken over by the Chinese. The Eridani population on Earth is less than one million and will be evacuated once the remaining ground force training facilities have been transported to Roanoke. Eridani colonizing operations will now enter a new phase as colony expeditions are mounted from Epsilon Eridani to worlds such as TW Piscis Austrini II.
19th July 2041
The Soviet Union lands the 15th Guards 'Shavlinsky' Motor-Rifle Regiment on Kostinbrod Prime. Taking advantage of the Eridani defeat of the Invader cruisers, Admiral Borisov has decided to secure the planet and loot any remaining mineral stockpile. Two garrison battalions are also en route to the small captured Goavelha colony on Gorshkov II with orders to crush the unrest that has been growing since Soviet ground forces were withdrawn. While the Soviet Union cannot match the Eridani forces deployed in the area without significantly weakening the defences of Alpha Centauri, Borisov intends to hold on to as much key real estate as possible.
20th July 2041
The Soviet ground forces on Kostinbrod Prime secure sixty-five thousand tons of minerals and eleven million litres of fuel. In particular the 4000 tons of Neutronium on the planet is particularly welcome as the Soviet Union is suffering a severe Neutronium shortage. New ship designs featuring engines based on internal confinement fusion technology cannot be built because insufficient Neutronium is available to retool shipyards. Soviet freighters are diverted from the salvage groups to transport the minerals to Novaya Zemlya.
21st July 2041
The Eridani light carrier task group arrives at the Gorshkov - Gliese 908 jump point. Admiral Thorn has ordered Rear Admiral Kaza to carry out a probe of the jump point in the wake of the suspected transit of three Houma ships into the Goavelha home system. A J-30B Vanguard jump scout transits into Gliese 908 and barely has time to report the wrecks of the three Houma ships and well over a hundred defending ships before it is blown to pieces. Rear Admiral Kaza orders his task group to pull back in case the Goavelha launch an attack through the jump point. He had expected a strong defensive forces but not on such a scale. There is no counterattack and the task group withdraws safely toward the Kostinbrod jump point. Except for occasional counterattacks against probing forces, the Goavelha Host continues to hold its considerable fleet in defence of its home system while dispatching survey ships to scout other systems and construction ships to build a gate network. Why the Host is building a gate network while its warships remain at home is still a mystery. The next task of the light carrier task group is to explore several new jump points in Kostinbrod that have been located by the ongoing gravitational survey.
23rd July 2041
Soviet freighters load all the minerals from the surface of Kostinbrod Prime and set course for Novaya Zemlya. A troop transport begins embarkation of the 15th Guards 'Shavlinsky' Motor-Rifle Regiment.
4th August 2041
A J-30B Vanguard transits a newly discovered jump point in Kostinbrod and emerges in EG 381, a white dwarf system with a single, small rocky planet and several comets. The light carrier task group moves in-system to check the planet
12th August 2041
A small Houma vessel of 2350 tons enters EG 381 through the same jump point as the Eridani task group. A Vanguard class scout left to picket the jump point detects the Houma ship, designated as Battleaxe class, and monitors it until it moves out of range. The light carrier force is two point three billion kilometers from the jump point and has the single planet within sensor range. Rear Admiral Kaza decides that the long range sensor sweep is sufficient and orders his task group back to the jump point. Three days later a second Battleaxe transits into the system and moves out of Eridani sensor range. The Houma ships are too small for Churchill to detect at maximum range.
16th August 2041
The Soviet Union develops a new anti-ship missile based on internal confinement fusion technology. The P-507 Garpun-D is faster, longer-ranged and has better sensors than any previous Soviet anti-ship missile.
P-507 Garpun-D
Missile Size: 8 MSP (0.4 HS) Warhead: 9 Armour: 0 Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 42500 km/s Endurance: 40 minutes Range: 101.2m km
Active Sensor Strength: 0.42 Sensitivity Modifier: 110%
Resolution: 120 Maximum Range vs 6000 ton object (or larger): 500,000 km
Cost Per Missile: 8.3367
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 425% 3k km/s 140% 5k km/s 85% 10k km/s 42.5%
24th August 2041
The Eridani light carrier task group left EG 381 without any further sign of the two Houma Battleaxe class ships, which are presumably gravitational survey ships as they didn't head in-system, and is en route to Jump Point Three, one of two remaining unexplored jump points in Kostinbrod. Four new 19,800 ton Houma ships are detected, all designated as Sepulchre class, that appear to be on a course from Jump Point Two to the EG 381 jump point at 4847 km/s, a course that will bring them very close to the Eridani fleet. Given their speed they are assumed to be warships.
Five hours after initial contact, the Eridani force arrives at the third jump point. As the Houma ships are still almost two billion kilometers away, Rear Admiral Kaza decides to send a Vanguard on a probe mission to see what lies on the other side. The scout transits into V547 Cassiopeiae, a trinary system of three red dwarf stars with a total of ten planets, a hundred moons and an asteroid belt tightly clustered around the B component. None of the planets are even close to habitable. The A component is planetless and the solar systems of the other two stars are almost five billion kilometers away in opposite directions. With a substantial Houma force active in Kostinbrod, that is too far for an extended sweep of the system. Nine hours after initial contact, a further five Houma ships are detected two hundred million kilometers astern of the first group. All are new classes and comprise a 13,200 Montgisard, a 6600 ton Halberd and three 6600 ton Crusades. With the Vanguard safely back on board its carrier, Kaza orders his ships to move far out of the path of the Houma ships and monitor their progress.
30th August 2041
Nine more Houma ships emerge from Kostinbrod's second jump point, which has still not been explored by the Eridani. Two are 19,800 tons and the rest are 6600 tons. Like the two groups that transited into Kostinbrod before them, they set course for the EG 381 jump point. The light carrier task group takes up a position from where Churchill can monitor both jump point two and the EG 381 jump point, while remaining five hundred million kilometers from the path of the Houma forces.
5th September 2041
All four Jiangweis complete their overhauls and are deployed as guard ships at Alpha Centauri - Sol jump point.
7th September 2041.
The four Sepulchre class Houma ships transit into EG 381 and return shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, the other fourteen Houma systems currently on Eridani sensors change course and head across the outer system with no obvious destination ahead of them. Rear Admiral Kaza detaches the twelve Cerberus class monitors and sends them back to the Gorshkov jump point so that the remainder of his force is fast enough to follow the Houma.
14th September 2041
All Houma forces in Kostinbrod suddenly change course and head for the Gorshkov jump point. The Eridani task group heads for the same jump point all full speed.
16th September 2041
Soviet warships picketing the Kostinbrod - Gorshkov jump point detect two 2350 ton Bardiche class Houma ships heading toward them. Well aware the Soviet Union cannot afford a new enemy, Admiral Borisov orders the Soviet ships to let them pass and the Houma transit into Gorshkov. The Eridani scout frigate Pythia, picketing the far side of the same jump point, detects the transit of the two Houma survey ships and monitors their course toward Gliese 908, home system of the Goavelha, until they pass out of sensor range.
19th September 2041
Watched by Pythia, eight Goavelha survey ships move across Gorshkov and transit into Kostinbrod. They are quickly run down and destroyed by the four Soviet cruisers guarding the Kostinbrod side of the jump point.
21st September 2041
All three groups of Houma warships, totaling eighteen ships, transit into Gorshkov and head for the Soviet-occupied Goavelha colony on Gorshkov II
22nd September 2041
The Houma warships arrive in orbit of the Soviet colony, remain for a few hours, then head back toward the Kostinbrod jump point
23rd September 2041
A new jump point is discovered by the Eridani survey of Kostinbrod.
24th September 2041
Most of the Houma forces pause midway between the inner system of Gorshkov and the Kostinbrod jump point. A detachment of four ships heads for the Gliese 1061. Meanwhile, seven Goavelha construction ships transit into Gorshkov from Goavelha and split up, heading for Gliese 1061, Kostinbrod and 82 Eridani.
25th September 2041
After consultations with Admiral Thorn and other military leaders, President von Kolbe decides on a staged withdrawal of all Eridani forces from the Gorshkov chain. The immediate threats from the Swarm and the Invaders have been eliminated, salvage operations in Kostinbrod are complete, the survey of Kostinbrod is almost finished and only unexplored two jump points remain to be investigated. The Goavelha are continuing their strategy of holding their combat forces in their home system while sending out construction and survey ships into the surrounding systems, which presents no threat to Eridani interests. The Houma are ignoring human forces while they go about their own business, which seems to include hostilities against the Goavelha Host. Unless they show an interest in entering Sol, they too are no immediate threat. As the Light Carrier task group is low on fuel it is recalled to Eridani space. Six monitors will be detached to picket the Sol - Gorshkov jump point and an Oracle class surveillance frigate will remain on the Gorshkov side to provide a warning of any approaching ships. Pythia and the three Galileo class survey ships will complete the survey of Kostinbrod and investigate the unexplored jump points. For the moment, the Eridani are content to let the Soviets and the various alien races fight over the Gorshkov chain.
The Soviet Union is continuing salvage operations in Kostinbrod. Unlike the Eridani, who were interested in the technological information they could glean from alien wreckage, the Soviets are very short of key minerals and want to extract every resource they can from the system. Admiral Borisov is determined that the Soviet Navy will salvage every last wreck before its salvage ships and freighters leave Kostinbrod. The Soviet Union has even used Kostinbrod Prime as a temporary base to scrap large components and recover the minerals so the Soviet Navy can make full use of its freighters' cargo capacity. Four Soviet warships remain on the Kostinbrod - Gorshkov jump point to protect the Soviet salvage operations
27th September 2041
All eighteen Houma warships in Gorshkov are heading for the Gliese 1061 jump point. With the departure of the Eridani light carrier force, the Houma ships soon move out of human sensor range.
28th September 2041
Soviet cruisers destroy a Goavelha construction ship that enters Kostinbrod. After rescuing and interrogating the survivors, the Soviets gain a useful piece of intelligence. One of the Goavelha officers previously served on a Goavelha warship and was assigned to the construction ship as a result of 'unfounded allegations'. He is less reticent than most Goavelha in discussing his past service and provides detailed information on the capabilities of the Goavelha Broadsword class Missile Destroyer. The name is the closest translation from the Goavelha language.
Broadsword class Missile Destroyer 6,900 tons 582 Crew 1127.25 BP TCS 138 TH 660 EM 0
4782 km/s Armour 4-32 Shields 0-0 Sensors 6/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 4 PPV 12
Annual Failure Rate: 95% IFR: 1.3% Maint Capacity 408 MSP Max Repair 252 MSP Est Time: 1.35 Years
Magazine 273
Ion Engine E8 (11) Power 60 Fuel Use 80% Signature 60 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres Range 32.6 billion km (78 days at full power)
CIWS-200 (1x6) Range 1000 km TS: 20000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% To Hit
Size 6 Missile Launcher (2) Missile Size 6 Rate of Fire 60
Eugenio di Savoia Anti-ship Missile (45) Speed: 30,700 km/s End: 18.7m Range: 34.5m km WH: 8 Size: 6 TH: 102 / 61 / 30
Active Search Sensor MR30-R4 (1) GPS 1008 Range 30.2m km Resolution 4
Active Search Sensor MR10-R4 (1) GPS 336 Range 10.1m km Resolution 4
Thermal Sensor TH1-6 (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 6m km
12th October 2041
The surveillance frigate Pythia transits Kostinbrod's second jump point, from which the Houma fleet recently emerged, and discovers Wolf 46, a system with an orange K5-V primary and two planets. The outer planet has a very thin nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere and a surface temperature of 90 Celsius. After her active sensors recover from transit, she detects a jump gate at almost a billion kilometers and moves to investigate.
14th October 2041
Galileo transits the last unexplored jump point in Kostinbrod and emerges in Giclas 243-50. The system has a red dwarf primary, four planets, one of which is a gas giant with thirty-five moons. The innermost planet has ideal temperature and gravity and a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere of 0.26 atm. While the atmosphere is not breathable by humans, the planet is an excellent candidate for terraforming.
15th October 2041
The surveillance frigate Pythia transits the jump gate in Wolf 46 and discovers Gliese 2, a red dwarf system with a single small rocky planet. Her mission complete, Pythia heads for home.
20th October 2041
All six Enterprise class carriers have now been refitted to the Mod 2 version, which is equipped with internal confinement fusion engines and is capable of 6250 km/s. The refits to the Eridani carriers are part of an upgrade program which was begun when the internal confinement fusion technology became available and most modern Eridani warships are now equipped with ICF engines. The recent development of magnetic confinement fusion engines based on Invader technology presents the Eridani Republican Navy with a dilemma.
After discussions within the higher echelons of the Eridani military and political leadership, a decision is taken to avoid large scale engine upgrades for existing ships. Refits are expensive and the upgrade of the Fleet to internal confinement fusion is still not complete. Although any new designs will use magnetic confinement fusion drives, the official minimum fleet speed will remain at 7000 km/s for the foreseeable future and any upgrade program will be limited in nature.
26th November 2041
The Eridani Republic sells sixteen terraforming installations to the People's Republic of China. The Eridani now rely on terraforming ships for the development of future colony sites while the Chinese have no terraforming installations of their own and wish to begin terraforming the fourth planet of 70 Ophuichi.
27th November 2041
China completes research into Composite Armour. The Chinese technological base is far behind that of the Eridani Republic and the Soviet Union. With only five research facilities, that situation is unlikely to change in the near future.
3rd January 2042
Chinese engineers recover a construction factory on 70 Ophuichi IV and discover advanced technology that will allow existing Chinese construction factories to boost their output by almost fifteen percent.
28th January 2042
The Soviet Union completes salvage operations in Kostinbrod. Every remaining wreck in the system has been salvaged and the minerals and components are on their way to Soviet territory. The four Soviet cruisers which have been picketing the Kostinbrod - Gorshkov jump point are ordered to return home. Human forces are withdrawing from the Gorshkov chain once again.
1st March 2042
Alpha Centauri-A IV becomes the third ideal habitable world in the Alpha Centauri system.
13th March 2042
Oracle, the surveillance frigate picketing the Gorshkov - Sol jump point, detects a Swarm Queen en route from the 82 Eridani jump point at a billion kilometers. 82 Eridani has been the source of every Swarm Queen that has threatened the systems of the Gorshkov chain but the only human expedition into that system met with swift disaster due to the number of Soldiers guarding the jump point. The Eridani Republic is already building the first three Orion class destroyers, a design that Eridani shipwrights believe will take the fight to the Swarm. Capable of 12,500 km/s, armed with six fast-firing 20cm lasers of a brand new design that outrange the meson cannon of the Swarm and equipped with a beam fire control system specifically design to target Swarm Soldiers, the Orion should be able to hold the range open and destroy every Swarm unit with impunity.
Orion class Destroyer 10,000 tons 1118 Crew 2693.4 BP TCS 200 TH 2500 EM 0
12500 km/s Armour 5-41 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 6 PPV 36
Maint Life 4.17 Years MSP 1010 AFR 133% IFR 1.9% 1YR 93 5YR 1397 Max Repair 240 MSP
Rolls Royce RR125MC Fusion Drive (20) Power 125 Fuel Use 40% Signature 125 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres Range 135.0 billion km (125 days at full power)
20cm C5 Ultraviolet Laser (6) Range 320,000km TS: 12500 km/s Power 10-5 RM 4 ROF 10 10 10 10 10 8 6 5 5 4 4
SN/SPG-53 Beam Fire Control (2) Max Range: 320,000 km TS: 10000 km/s 97 94 91 88 84 81 78 75 72 69
Tokamak Fusion Reactor (3) Total Power Output 48 Armour 0 Exp 5%
ECCM-2 (1) ECM 20
The Orions will be deployed in squadrons led by a Rigel class destroyer leader. The Rigel has a new jump drive, which will allow it to conduct a squadron transit with four accompanying Orions and exit up to 500,000 kilometers from the exit jump point. This will allow offensive operations into 82 Eridani to eliminate the Swarm threat at its apparent source. The Rigel is also equipped with a primary sensor designed specifically to detect Swarm Soldiers at over three hundred million kilometers. Because the Blohm + Voss BV1000-V500 Jump Drive and the SN/SPY-56 Swarm Detection System were both new systems that had to be developed, the design for the Rigel class was not finalized until several months after the Orion and the shipyard that will build the Rigel is still retooling. Neither the Rigel nor the Orion is currently available though so the defence of the jump point will fall on the existing Eridani and Chinese picket forces.
Rigel class Destroyer Leader 10,000 tons 933 Crew 2684.4 BP TCS 200 TH 2500 EM 0
12500 km/s JR 5-500 Armour 5-41 Shields 0-0 Sensors 8/36/0/0 Damage Control Rating 6 PPV 0
Maint Life 2.22 Years MSP 1007 AFR 133% IFR 1.9% 1YR 274 5YR 4117 Max Repair 552 MSP
Blohm + Voss BV1000-V500 Jump Drive Max Ship Size 10200 tons Distance 500k km Squadron Size 5
Rolls Royce RR125MC Fusion Drive (20) Power 125 Fuel Use 40% Signature 125 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres Range 135.0 billion km (125 days at full power)
SN/SPY-56 Swarm Detection System (1) GPS 6912 Range 311.0m km Resolution 16
SN/SQR-39 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 8m km
SN/SLR-53 EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 36 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 36m km
ECM 20
24th March 2042
The Eridani monitors Centaur, Cerberus, Chimera, Gargoyle, Kraken and Medusa and three Chinese Spruance class destroyer escorts transit into Gorshkov to confront the approaching Swarm Queen. The monitors move into maximum range ten million kilometers from the jump point, with the Chinese ships following 150,000 kilometers astern, and open fire. Almost immediately twenty Swarm Soldiers launch from the Queen and streak toward the Eridani and Chinese ships at 10,000 km/s. The Cerberus class monitors attempt to reverse course and change targets as quickly as they can but only three of them have had extensive fleet training. Only Kraken reacts quickly and inflicts four hits on a Soldier. The Swarm concentrates fire on Cerberus and she suffers eight hits. Fortunately she proves resistant to damage and only loses a laser and her ECCM system. Seconds later, Gargoyle scores a single hit on a second Soldier, which is ripped apart by a huge secondary explosion. Cerberus is struck by a second volley, which damages her active sensor and one of her engines, reducing her speed from 4000 km/s to 3555 km/s.
The two sides exchange fierce volleys at just 60,000 kilometers, with the Eridani monitors running back toward the jump point and ignoring any Soldiers that fall out of formation due to engine damage. The Swarm Soldiers close to point blank and suffer several losses due to the power of the Eridani lasers before falling back to 60,000 kilometers once again. They continue to pound Cerberus, slowly wrecking her engines and destroying her armament while the other Eridani monitors try to wipe out the Soldiers in time to save their sister ship. By the time every Soldier has either been eliminated or left dead in space, Cerberus is severely damaged. Half her engines and five of her eight lasers are out of action, her primary sensor is damaged and one of her fusion reactors is offline. She heads back to the Sol jump point while the other five monitors pick off the eight surviving but crippled Soldiers. Together with the three Chinese Spruance class destroyers they close in on the Queen and blast down her shields from 80,000 kilometers. The slow moving Swarm Queen is helpless before the massed lasers of the Eridani and Chinese ships. Within minutes, the 60,000 ton warship is obliterated. The human ships head back to the jump point.
3rd April 2042
The Eridani surveillance frigate Oracle and the Soviet Azov class scout Okean, both of which are picketing the Gorshkov - Sol jump point, detect twenty-four strength-5 nuclear detonations in the inner system, midway between the Kostinbrod and Goavelha jump points. Seconds later, they detect life pods and the wreck of a 6600 ton Houma ship close to the explosions. The signs of combat are less of a surprise for the Soviet Union than for the Eridani as Okean has been monitoring the active sensor emissions of a new Swarm mothership for the past two days and the detonations are in the same location as the Queen. Within a minute the wreck has been joined by six more, all of which are 6600 tons. The appearance of each wreck was preceded by one or more secondary magazine explosions in excess of strength-30. It would seem the ejection mechanisms of Houma magazines may need some improvement. The Swarm Queen leaves the scene of the brief engagement and heads toward the Sol jump point. The Soviet Union and Eridani Republic both dispatch scattered salvage vessels and freighters from Alpha Centauri, Epsilon Eridani and Sol in a race to learn what they can from the Houma wrecks.
The Eridani light carriers are all in overhaul, so to provide cover for the salvage operation and investigate the loss of the Houma ships the Eridani Republic dispatches the fleet carriers Ark Royal and Akagi, escorted by four Eridani class cruisers, four Sentinel class escort cruisers and four Daring class area defence cruisers. The Soviet Union, aware that a Swarm mothership is involved, sends a force of five railgun cruisers and three escort cruisers to protect its own salvage ships and freighters.
4th April 2042
The Soviet task group dispatched from Novaya Zemlya passes close to Alpha Centauri-B V, a gas giant with twenty-three moons. The innermost moon is home to the primary mining operation in the system, with over three hundred automated mines, while the second moon has a population of 750,000 housed in three Mir class orbital habitats. The missile detection sensors on the three Project 1200B escort cruisers in the task group detect a Golem ground force on the surface of the second moon. A ruined alien city is located on the same moon and robotic guardians attacked Soviet ground forces during the excavation of the ruins. It is possible the Golem ground forces were hidden in a vault that has only recently opened. The alternative is that they were somehow delivered to the surface by an undetected Golem transport but that seems highly unlikely. The moon has a dense atmosphere of nitrogen and methane, which renders any form of energy based bombardment ineffective, so the missile cruiser Varyag is sent from Novaya Zemlya to wipe out the alien infestation.
9th April 2042
The surveillance frigate Oracle detects twenty Swarm Soldiers one hundred and thirty-five million kilometers from the Gorshkov - Sol jump point. They are just one million kilometers astern of a lone Soviet freighter that plainly hasn't detected them. The old Chinese-built Xian class has nuclear pulse engine and a maximum speed of 1000 km/s. Admiral Thorn gives permission for Oracle to warn the Soviet ship but nothing can save the freighter. The nearest Eridani warships are the monitors guarding the far side of the jump point, as the approaching fleet carriers are still four billion kilometers away in Sol. The closest Soviet force is the eight cruisers heading to Gorshkov but they are four point five billion kilometers from the Sol - Gorshkov jump point. Admiral Thorn orders the six monitors of the picket force to enter Gorshkov and eliminate the Soldiers. Cerberus is back at full readiness after carrying out repairs using onboard resources. The presence of exactly twenty Soldiers suggests another Queen is at large in Gorshkov and a warning to that effect is passed on to the fleet carriers en route to the system.
Ninety-five seconds after initial contact the Soviet freighter is destroyed by the Swarm. The twenty Soldiers continue on course to the jump point and are confronted by the Eridani monitors. Cerberus is targeted once again and loses seventy-five percent of her armament and a third of her engines. All Swarm craft are eliminated. The monitors head back to Sol and Cerberus begins a new series of repairs.
11th April 2042
Oracle detects a Swarm Queen heading toward the Gorshkov - Sol jump point from the direction of the Houma wrecks in the inner system.
17th April 2042
The six Eridani monitors sortie from the jump point and attack the approaching Queen. Without coverage from its Soldiers, the Queen is an easy target for faster ships armed with longer-ranged weapons. It is destroyed after several minutes of laser fire. The monitors return to their vigil at the Sol side of the jump point.
20th April 2042
The People's Republic of China launches Houxin, its first salvage ship. Houxin's first mission is to salvage the wrecks of several Goavelha scout ships near the Sol - Gorshkov jump point.
The Eridani Republic develops a new missile, based on the recently developed magnetic confinement fusion technology and improved fuel efficiency. Rather than create a faster, longer-ranged missile, Eridani designers decide to maintain the 45,000 km/s speed used for BGM-12A and the earlier AGM-1E and AGM-1D Sabres so that missiles of all four types can be concentrated in one salvo. The range is increased only slightly from the A model. Due to the new technology, the internal space required for engines and fuel is less than before, which allows for a fifty percent increase in warhead size, from strength-6 to strength-9. The BGM-12B retains the same onboard sensor as its predecessor.
BGM-12B Prometheus
Missile Size: 4 MSP (0.2 HS) Warhead: 9 Armour: 0 Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 45000 km/s Endurance: 36 minutes Range: 96.8m km
Active Sensor Strength: 0.36 Sensitivity Modifier: 180%
Resolution: 60 Maximum Range vs 3000 ton object (or larger): 500,000 km
Cost Per Missile: 5.61
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 450% 3k km/s 150% 5k km/s 90% 10k km/s 45%
22nd April 2042
Eight Soviet cruisers and an Eridani carrier group have arrived at the Houma wrecks in Gorshkov. Both sides have salvage ships and freighters en route. Although the human powers have withdrawn from Gorshkov several times, events continue to conspire to draw them back in.
