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Astra Imperia > After Action Reports
Terran Confederation
Sematary:
The year is 2258, the Terran Confederation governs Earth and has done so since its creation in 2195. Several solar bodies have been settled both by the Terran Confederation and by the nations that existed before. Alpha Centauri B has the first extra-solar settlements on it, called Nova Earth and Nova Mars. The TCN Enterprise, first warp capable manned ship has been joined by three more ships of her class who have been sent out to the stars that the Russians seeded with generational ships. It is a new dawn for humanity.
This is the second Astra Imperia AAR started here and the first one in over two years. I will be writing this in a style similar to The Republic of Earth, my AAR found here rather than the transparent rule write ups found throughout this subforum. That being said I will be keeping all of the write ups if anyone wants to see them.
To give you an idea of how I am starting here is information on the Terran Confederation
Stats:
Will Power: 75
Aggression: 60
Arrogance: 85
Xenophobia: 20
Surrender Roll: 67
Traits:
Tainted Atmosphere-Oxygen
Espionage Bonus +5%
Capitalist +5%
Free Spirit
Decreased Growth -5%
Representative Nation +25% Research, Intel -30%, Combat +10%, Tax +40%
Totals: +25% Research, -25% Intel, +10% Combat, +45% Tax, -5% Growth
The names and positions of my personalities are
Admiral Gerald Schuyler
General Silke Moravec
General Jelani Albinson
Dr. Jiang Huang
Mr. Fillin Malone
There are seven settlements in the Sol System
Earth, a core planet
Luna, a small colony
Mars, a colony
Io, an outpost
Europa, a small colony
Ganymede, a small colony
Calysto, a small colony
In Alpha Centauri B there are two settlements
Nova Earth, a small colony
Nova Mars, a small colony
There are a total of three jump lanes that have been mapped by the TCN Enterprise
Sol-Alpha Centauri A is 12.9 ly and with current technology it takes 129 days to travel
Sol-Alpha Centauri B is 12.8 ly and with current technology it takes 128 days to travel
Alpha Centauri A-Alpha Centauri B is 256 lm and with current technology it takes an hour to travel
Terran Confederation Technology
Physics I, Chemistry I, Construction I, Military Science I, Electronics I, Fission I, Fission II, FTL I, Laser Tech I, Laser RoF Tech I, Laser RoF Tech II, Laser Frequency Tech I, Laser Frequency Tech II, Engine Tech I, Engine Tech II, Armor Tech I, Science Instrument Tech I, Sensor Tech I
Applied Sciences Effects:
Primitive Fission, Mine Reactors, Fission Warheads, Basic Fission
Class 1 FTL Drive
Laser Apertures 5-25cm
Class I Laser RoF, Class II Laser RoF
Far Infrared, Mid-Infrared
Basic Engine Class, Nuclear Torch Engine, Nuclear Pulse Engine
Alpha Armor
1st Generation Science Instrument
Base Sensor Class 1, Channel Class 1, Signature Class 1, Resolution Class 1
Ground Unit Attack +1
Terran Facility Classes:
--- Code: ---Deep Space Scanning Facility: Range 2LM, Signature: 25, 10 tons, Cost 150
--- End code ---
The DSSF is the state of the art long range scanning facility and is used to keep Earth Orbit clear of hostiles
--- Code: ---Bulwark Class Ground Defense Installation: Power Use 715, Cost 59,410
100 Troop size, Alpha Armor (10 EM, 5 Thermal, 30 Collapse)
Dart Class PD Lasers x40 Cost 310
10cm, FDR 8, Power 4, Cost 60, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 2 EM, 6 Thermal Cost 150
Class II RoF 1 shot per turn Cost 100
Arrow Class Lasers x30
25cm, FDR 14, 1/2DR 21, 1DR 28, Power 4, 400, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 2 EM, 6 Thermal
Class II RoF, 1 shot per turn
Pilum Class Capital Lasers x30
25cm, FDR 14, 1/2DR 21, 1DR 28, Power 10, Cost 400, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 4 EM, 12 Thermal
Class II RoF, 1 shot per turn
--- End code ---
The Bulwark class is a core planet defense installation. It is able to engage up to 60 missiles as well as delivering heavy laser fire against ships in orbit. It far out classes any ship the TCN has in weight of broadsides.
Terran Confederation Ship Classes
--- Code: ---Enterprise Class FTL Scout
1,211 tons, 406 power required 376 with FTL turned off, 400 power produced, 17,275 cost
Signature 85 with passive sensor, 100 with active sensor, 136 with all weapons firing
Crew 33, Engineering 57, Command 4, Total Crew 94
Streamlined
SPS Sensor Array, Cost 35
Range 12, Acquisition 30%, Detection Range 20 hex, Cost 10, 1 ton
10 Channels, Cost 5
Signature Class 1, Active Mode 20, Passive Mode 5, Cost 10
Resolution Class 1, Standard Res 60, Stealth Res 120, Cost 10
Alpha Armor
10 EM, 5 Thermal, 30 Collapse, Cost 10, 10 tons
Rolls Royce BNP 103 Basic Nuclear Pulse Engines 3 thrust
162 power per 1,000 tons, cost 200, 300 tons
Raytheon Gen I FTL Drive
Class I, Jump Rating 5, Time/Jump 10 days, Power 50, Cost 500, 150 tons
5 turn Jump delay, Jump Radius 10 hexes
Gen I Science Instruments
5 points per hour, 10 power, Cost 500, 50 tons
Dart Class HPPD Laser x2 signature 4 each
10cm, FDR 8, Power 4, Cost 60, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 2 EM, 6 Thermal Cost 150
Class II RoF 1 shot per turn Cost 100
Arrow Class Automatic Lasers x2 (one on each broadside) signature 11 each
25cm, FDR 14, 1/2DR 21, 1DR 28, Power 7, 400, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 2 EM, 6 Thermal
Class II RoF, 1 shot per turn
General Electric Basic Fission Ship Power Plants x10
400 total power produced
60% Meltdown chance, 40 power produced, 19 tons, Cost 250
--- End code ---
The Enterprise is the first generation FTL Scout and was the first FTL ship the TCN fielded. It is also currently the only ship the TCN has that is able to enter a planet's atmosphere.
--- Code: ---Asimov Class Monitor
1,368 tons, cost 20,780, 390 power required, 400 power produced
Crew: 72, Engineering: 45, Command: 9, Total Crew: 126
103 with passive sensors, 118 with active sensors, 184 with all weapons firing
SPS Sensor Array, Cost 35 x4
Range 12, Acquisition 30%, Detection Range 20 hex, Cost 10, 1 ton
10 Channels, Cost 5
Signature Class 1, Active Mode 20, Passive Mode 5, Cost 10
Resolution Class 1, Standard Res 60, Stealth Res 120, Cost 10
Alpha Armor
10 EM, 5 Thermal, 30 Collapse, Cost 10, 10 tons
Rolls Royce BNP 103 Basic Nuclear Pulse Engines 3 thrust
162 power per 1,000 tons, cost 200, 300 tons
Gouache Class PD Laser x4
Totals: Cost 1,240, 20 crew, 2 engineering, 60 tons, 16 power
Cost 310, 5 crew, 1 engineering per 50 tons
10cm FDR 8, power use 4, cost 60, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 2 EM, 6 Thermal, cost 150
RoF Class II 1 per turn, cost 100
Javelot Class Standard Laser x6 (3 per broadside)
Totals: Cost 2,220, 30 crew, 2 engineering, 36 power, 90 tons
Cost 370, 5 crew, 1 engineering per 50 tons
20cm, FDR 12, 1/2DR 18, 1Dr 24, power 6, cost 120, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 2 EM, 6 Thermal, cost 150
Class II RoF, 1 per turn, cost 100
Assegai Class Capital Laser x2 (1 per broadside)
Totals: 800 cost, 10 crew, 1 engineering, 14 power, 30 tons
25 cm, FDR 14, 1/2DR 21, 1DR 28, 7 power, cost 150, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 4 EM, 12 Thermal, Cost 150
RoF Class II, 1 per turn, cost 100
General Electric Basic Fission Ship Power Plants x10
400 total power produced
60% Meltdown chance, 40 power produced, 19 tons, Cost 250
--- End code ---
The Asimov class monitor is designed to operate in system as a garrison ship and with a lack of FTL Drive it is unable to leave the system that it was built in. It costs significantly less than the Phalanx and has 300 numbers assigned to it at the present.
--- Code: ---Phalanx Class FTL Cruiser
1,528 tons, 26,170 cost, 482 power required 432 w/o FTL, 480 power produced
Crew: 112, Engineering: 69, Command: 12, Total Crew: 193
Signature 111 with passive sensors, 126 with active sensors, 234 with all weapons
SPS Sensor Array, Cost 35 x4
Range 12, Acquisition 30%, Detection Range 20 hex, Cost 10, 1 ton
10 Channels, Cost 5
Signature Class 1, Active Mode 20, Passive Mode 5, Cost 10
Resolution Class 1, Standard Res 60, Stealth Res 120, Cost 10
Alpha Armor
10 EM, 5 Thermal, 30 Collapse, Cost 10, 10 tons
Rolls Royce BNP 103 Basic Nuclear Pulse Engines 3 thrust
162 power per 1,000 tons, cost 200, 300 tons
Raytheon Gen I FTL Drive
Class I, Jump Rating 5, Time/Jump 10 days, Power 50, Cost 500, 150 tons
5 turn Jump delay, Jump Radius 10 hexes
Gouache Class PD Laser x8
Totals: Cost 2,480, 40 crew, 4 engineering, 120 tons, 32 power
Cost 310, 5 crew, 1 engineering per 50 tons
10cm FDR 8, power use 4, cost 60, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 2 EM, 6 Thermal, cost 150
RoF Class II 1 per turn, cost 100
Javelot Class Standard Laser x8 (4 per broadside)
Totals: Cost 2,960, 40 crew, 3 engineering, 48 power, 120 tons
Cost 370, 5 crew, 1 engineering per 50 tons
20cm, FDR 12, 1/2DR 18, 1Dr 24, power 6, cost 120, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 2 EM, 6 Thermal, cost 150
Class II RoF, 1 per turn, cost 100
Assegai Class Capital Laser x4 (2 per broadside)
Totals: 1,600 cost, 20 crew, 2 engineering, 28 power, 60 tons
25 cm, FDR 14, 1/2DR 21, 1DR 28, 7 power, cost 150, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 4 EM, 12 Thermal, Cost 150
RoF Class II, 1 per turn, cost 100
General Electric Basic Fission Ship Power Plants x12
480 total power produced
60% Meltdown chance, 40 power produced, 19 tons, Cost 250
--- End code ---
The Phalanx Class Cruiser is designed to project TCN power, as well as being the only thing at present that can protect Nova Earth and Nova Mars. It has the largest broadside of any ship in the TCN and is expected to provide the backbone of the future development of the TCN.
--- Code: ---Denver Class Civilian Freighter
3,320 tons, cost 32,445, 522 power required, 560 power produced
Crew: 26, Engineering: 57, Command 3, Total Crew: 86
Signature 175 with passive sensor, 190 with active sensor, 206 with all weapons
SPS Sensor Array, Cost 35 x2
Range 12, Acquisition 30%, Detection Range 20 hex, Cost 10, 1 ton
10 Channels, Cost 5
Signature Class 1, Active Mode 20, Passive Mode 5, Cost 10
Resolution Class 1, Standard Res 60, Stealth Res 120, Cost 10
Alpha Armor
10 EM, 5 Thermal, 30 Collapse, Cost 10, 10 tons
Rolls Royce BNP 103 Basic Nuclear Pulse Engines 3 thrust
162 power per 1,000 tons, cost 200, 300 tons
Raytheon Gen I FTL Drive
Class I, Jump Rating 5, Time/Jump 10 days, Power 50, Cost 500, 150 tons
5 turn Jump delay, Jump Radius 10 hexes
Gouache Class PD Laser x4
Totals: Cost 1,240, 20 crew, 2 engineering, 60 tons, 16 power
Cost 310, 5 crew, 1 engineering per 50 tons
10cm FDR 8, power use 4, cost 60, 15 tons
Mid-Infrared 2 EM, 6 Thermal, cost 150
RoF Class II 1 per turn, cost 100
General Electric Basic Fission Ship Power Plants x14
560 total power produced
60% Meltdown chance, 40 power produced, 19 tons, Cost 250
TCPS Standard Size Cargo Hold x28
Totals: 2800 tons, 1400 cost
100 tons, cost 50
--- End code ---
The Denver Class is the workhorse of the Terran Confederation both in the private sector and with the TCN.
Terran Confederation Navy Fleet Make Up
Home Fleet:
CN-201 Odysseus, TCN Flagship, Admiral Gerald Schuyler
MN-401 Asimov, Captain Lorena Bevan
MN-402 Clarke, Captain Joseph Amoretto
MN-403 Heinlein, Captain Sandra Van Der Hout
MN-404 Adams, Captain Digby Monet
Colonial Fleet:
CN-202 Heracles, Fleet Flagship, Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Nashwa Sabah
CN-203 Achilles, Captain Milica Piccoli
Scouting Fleet:
EX-101 Enterprise, Captain Stien Robertson
EX-102 Consortium, Captain Jördis Lyon
EX-103 Endeavor, Captain François Eriksson
EX-104 Venture, Captain Caspar Fabbro
Terran Confederation Postal Service (TCPS) Fleet Make Up
4 Denver Class Civilian Freighters
Denver
Petersburg
Frankfort
Devon
Terran Confederation Army
1st "Marovic's Men" Battalion
1st "CAC" Headquarters Company
1st "North American" Infantry Company
2nd "Ladies From Hell" Infantry Company
3rd "Big Red" Infantry Company
4th "Royal Crown" Infantry Company
[ooc]Edit: It was pointed out to me that I had a few errors in a couple of places from misreading the rules. These are fixed now and reflected above.[/ooc]
Sematary:
A couple notes to my readers. Firstly as to when the first update can be expected, it should be SoonTM. I am just starting five turns in and have 2 star systems completed and 1 partially done. I have two more on top of that to do in the nearish future. Doing each turn is not that time consuming but creating star systems is, though with experience I am finding ways to spend the time more efficiently so that is becoming less of an issue. I haven't decided how much story each update will be but the first one will probably cover all of 2058 which means I have to get through turn 12 and complete the star system that is in progress. This is farther complicated by real life, both the rigors of starting a new job and having my long time partner going in for surgery in less than a week.
[ooc]The next is a note on Cannon vs. Non-Canon. Erik has fleshed out to varying degrees seven factions and several millennia of history. I will be using parts of that cannon while changing other parts. For example the first mission for the Consortium, the Endeavor, and the Venture will go as canon. However the Kal'Shok Dominion will exist in my world but not as warrior bears, which they are canonically. As time goes on I will trend away from cannon as different things happen to the Terran Confederation but any time I use a name that Erik has included in canon and alter what that name stands for I will make a note at the start of the first post that contains information about the change.[/ooc]
So in summation the first update should be coming soon, I am over halfway there but real life is happening, as much as I'd love to devote all my time to playing games and making stories for you guys to read. And while there is an excellent cannon that exists for this game my game will trend away from cannon and if there is at any point a conflict between my story and cannon I will point it out.
Sematary:
[ooc]Reading through canon again after writing this I realized that I had accidently changed canon awhile ago when I was creating the NRC. The first technology trade was shields for warpdrive where I had misremembered it as shields for armor. Because of that I gave the NRC first generation FTL and have changed the first meeting a bit.[/ooc]
One of the most significant moments in human history was the return of the TCN Consortium and with it the NRCN Praskovya. It marked the moment of first contact, even though it was contact with other humans, these humans had spent two generations on a space craft and then had three more afterward. Being four to five generations separated from Earth the NRC was sufficiently alien. It was also the beginning of one of the closest alliances in known space. This was in part because the NRC government had allowed Semyon Romanov full representative power with the Terran Confederation and during the travel between Novaya Ruskaya and the Sol system he had learned of several technological differences between the two races.
-Excerpt from Michael Marcsson’s work A History of Early Human Exploration, Chapter 23, First Contact
November 4th, 2258
The Fleet Command Center was not quite finished but his office was and Admiral Gerald Schuyler was tired of the make shift work space he had on the Odysseus. His office window looked out over the Themes River on the outskirts of London. The Terran Confederation had government buildings in most former capitals and major cities and with sub-orbital jets being the most common way to travel now planet sized distances were not a problem, at least not here on Earth, the core of the Confederation. The biggest issue he had facing him at the moment was progress reports on the CN-204 and what he would christen it. A couple of months before it had been decided that the Colonial Fleet was far too small at only two ships and that another Phalanx needed to be laid down. The Phalanx class had a Greek Hero naming scheme and he figured he would christen the ship the Ajax which had the downside of putting three of the four ships in that class named for heroes that fought at the Battle of Troy as told by Homer in the Iliad.
He was shaken from his thoughts as his main comm-line whistled for his attention. He glanced at the flashing ID signature before accepting the transmission. “Yes, Ensign?” The form of Ensign Frakes snapped to attention as was usual for him but Gerald could not help but notice the lines of worry crossing the young man’s face.
“Sir, we just received a transmission from the Consortium. They have returned home and are currently outside the orbit of Saturn and are heading for the Shipyard to be transported home.” The Ensign was direct and confident in his report but the way he was phrasing things made Gerald think there was more to this report. Things were just not adding up.
“What is it, Ensign Frakes? I don’t have all day.” He snapped quite a bit harsher than he had intended to.
“S-s-sir, um, they are reporting that they are not alone. They are reporting that they have a ship called the Praskovya and its commander, a Captain Semyon Romanov, a man who would like to speak with you.”
He was taken aback by this news. Sure it had been assumed that at least one of the generation ships might have found and landed on a good planet by now but this was a bit unsettling to hear that they were already an interstellar nation capable of faster than light travel. As the gears in his head started spinning he kept an impassive face and decided to clarify what the Ensign was telling him before jumping to these conclusions. “Where is this ship from?”
“The ship is from 82 Eridani, sir, apparently from the second planet of the primary of three stars in that system. Although they call both their planet and the system Novaya Ruskaya, which I believe means New Russia.”
“Thank you, Ensign. Keep me updated on the situation. Send a transmission back to the Consortium approving the request of Captain Romanov and while they are traveling in system make sure I have a Russian translator on hand when they arrive. Dismissed.”
November 24th, 2258
Twenty days had passed since the first transmission with the Consortium but they had finally reached orbit and the crew of the Praskovya were eagerly awaiting the chance to be the first of members of their families to visit Russia in five generations. But Admiral Schuyler was more worried about a sub-orbital jet that would be carrying just one passenger, Semyon Ronamov, than he was worried about if he would allow any of the other members of the Praskovya have shore-leave.
When the moment to meet finally arrived, the first thing that crossed through Gerald’s head was how Russian Semyon looked. He was of slightly above average height with close cropped black hair and blue eyes. Gerald slightly chided himself for this, he wasn’t sure what he had expected but the fact that Semyon looked just like a dozen or more Russians who worked here in Fleet Command clearly wasn’t it.
Semyon snapped to attention and saluted Gerald when they had reached a couple of paces apart which amused the Admiral who never the less saluted smartly back. He gestured toward a near by conference room and after the pleasantries were taken care of he began. “Thank you for meeting me Captain, it was quite the surprise to learn that any of the generation ships had survived, let alone thrived as your ship seems to attest to.”
“Thank you Admiral. You do my government a great honor by your words. Our ship landed about sixty years ago on a planet well suited for life, though to be honest there wasn’t much life there. The Praskovya is the crowning achievement of my people and yet it seems that your ships outclass the Praskovya in every way. In a matter of days the Consortium had learned as much about our primary system as we had in several decades. I suspect that had the Consortium stayed in our system for a little longer it would have quickly surpassed our knowledge about our secondary system and surely our tertiary system in a matter of weeks or months. My government has given me full leeway in any and all negotiations we have during the course of this meeting.”
Gerald listened as the translator talked though he knew Russian well enough that he knew what Semyon had said. The translator was a way to allow him more time to think without seeming to. From what Captain Romanov had said he was fairly sure that the Terran Confederation could probably wipe this Commonwealth’s navy off the face of the galaxy if needed but it seemed as if hostilities were not the way they wanted this to go, possibly because they realized now how many ships the Terran Confederation could bring to bear in case of hostilities. “I also have full leeway in these talks. Though if there is something unorthodox put on the table I can quickly consult my government, something you are unable to do for clear reasons. How long will it take for you to return by the way?”
“With our current FTL drive, which seems to be fairly similar to yours, it should take us just shy of two years to return. Part of this is because the instruments on the Consortium that map the routes are just simply not good enough to trace a direct route. Not that we are complaining, without the data from the Consortium it would have taken us five and a half years to travel here even if we had known which star was Sol.”
“I see. Both ships visited what three systems during the trip?”
“Yes we did.”
“I would suggest that we officially set a boundary between our two nations that we can respect. I suggest that the system closest to your home system should become yours while the one closest to Sol becomes ours. The middle system can be shared by both nations until two years after settlement by one or both powers at which time the population of the system should vote on which nation they should join. How does that sound?”
Semyon thought about the offer for awhile before finally nodding. He knew that the Terran Confederation had several colonies including extra-solar colonies while the Commonwealth only had one planet. He also knew that by agreeing to this he was, in effect, ceding control of both systems between Sol and the one the Commonwealth would gain control of. “That is agreeable. I suggest a trade of technologies. On our ship was one of the closest disciples of Wilhelm Jacobs and he improved on Dr. Jacobs early work creating a viable shield system that is not the energy hog that the early models were. On top of trading shield systems I would suggest giving some knowledge about advanced metallurgy which helps keep the costs of our ships down. In exchange all I ask for is the secret to making your ship’s armor and the scientific instruments that the Consortium has.”
Sematary:
The First Contact Treaty was signed on December 1st 2258 and was the first interstellar treaty that humanity engaged in. The New Russian Commonwealth gave up much in that treaty that it hadn’t needed to but their representative had grown up on stories of Earth and to see it and even more finally at peace overwhelmed Semyon Romanov. Although much was hammered out and set for a good future relationship, the thing that both sides left the treaty table knowing needed future work was the borders set up by the treaty. At the time of the First Contact Treaty Terran Confederation controlled space and New Russian Commonwealth controlled space were several systems apart and it was a two year trip each way so the boarders didn’t matter much but they knew as FTL drives became better and as each power expanded toward each other there would be problems.
-Excerpt from Andre Beckett’s work, Solar-Politics in the Mid-2200s, Chapter 3 First Contact
December 15th 2258
Gerald was sitting at his desk in the newly completed Fleet Command. He had just gotten word from the Asimov that the Praskovya had successfully entered FTL space and was beginning its long journey back. The Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, and Adams had escorted the Praskovya to the start of the jump lane in a clear reminder of the strength of the Terran Confederation. He tried to set up a beneficial relationship while not letting the New Russians forget who had the upper hand in this relationship. He knew that the Confederation was not as vastly superior as the Commonwealth was treating them as and he knew all too well that it could change in the future. He brushed those thoughts aside and began to think about the treaty he had signed, the First Contact Treaty as it was being called.
The first bit was standard talk about how friendly communications were formed and talk about going into the future as friendly parties in perpetuity and other flowery diplomatic bullsmeg. Then came the talk about the borders between the two nations. At the moment it was set as a line going directly through Gliese Jahreiß 1061 which lay about halfway between the two, but there was an addendum that stated ten years after the first colonization of GJ 1061 the colonists would vote on which nation they wished to join and the border would be moved toward the losing side’s home star. The next several paragraphs talked about the technology trades between the two groups. The Confederation would provide the Commonwealth with the plans necessary to build armor for their ships and in return the Commonwealth would push Confederation shield technology forward by decades after almost a century of no real improvement by Confederation scientists. Also shared was space based metal working by the Commonwealth in return for Confederation science sensors. The last sections in the treaty talked about opening up for trade between the two but given the time it would take to travel from one place to the other Gerald didn’t figure there would be much trade in the near future.
***************************************
As Admiral Schuyler was busy playing diplomat Colonel Fillin Malone was pouring over the intelligence reports his people had compiled from a month’s worth of long range scanning on the New Russian ship. It was of a class called the Velikij Knjaz’, which an aide helpfully translated as Grand Duke. At 2,616 tons it was over 1,000 tons larger than the Phalanx class FTL cruiser which put it at larger than any Confederation warship currently made. As far as the reports could tell the engines and FTL drive were on about the same level as Confederation ships. The only other thing that could be reported at that time was it had two turrets on top of the ship and two on the bottom which were all probably point defense weapons as well as two guns on each side of the ship, and none of these were lasers. He had been meticulously going through all the logs of communications between the Consortium and all contact they had with New Russians as well as having a team of analysts on it as well. So far their conclusions matched his, that these weapons were some kind of ballistic weapon that fired small solid slugs at their targets.
Using what data he had available he had run dozens of simulations of what their weapons would do to current generation Confederation ships and the results were less than pleasing. Confederation armor dealt with lasers quite well but gave no protection against kinetic weapons but the shields the New Russians had given them would give protection. On the other side of the coin the prototype shields that had already been made gave minimal protection against Confederation lasers, especially as the laser focused on a smaller spot. His report on the New Russian Commonwealth was due to be presented in a few days to the entire brass of the Terran Confederation and at the top of his report would be a recommendation to refit all current TCN ships with shields.
As head of the Terran Confederation Intelligence Agency, Colonel Malone had felt useless up until now and with the Commonwealth ship now gone all he could do was keep going over the limited data over and over again trying to tease some nugget of information out that he may have missed somehow. His biggest regret was that the Commonwealth ship hadn’t engaged in combat within range of the long range scanners on Earth during its stay. Even with extensive study of the ship in a noncombat situation he believed that he had learned almost everything there was to know about it outside of battle.
Sematary:
The Alpha Centauri System was colonized in the early 2240s, with two settlements set up in the B component of that system. One of the settled planets was similar to some parts on Earth and had an atmosphere that comprised mainly of nitrogen with enough oxygen to be pleasant; this planet was named Nova Earth. The other planet, Nova Mars, had a thicker atmosphere that was primarily oxygen. Of the two Nova Earth was more mineral wealthy and was always prioritized by the Confederate government over Nova Mars.
-Excerpt from A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Alpha Centauri, 2455 Edition.
March 2259
Colin Stafford was sitting on a hill near his home watching France, the larger of the two moons of Nova Earth, rise. Almost thirty million people lived on Nova Earth which made it the largest colony other than Mars by about nine million. Most people lived and worked in New London, New Washington, or New Nanjing, Colin considered himself very lucky to be a farmer and live well outside the large cities. His farm was a sprawling affair that covered several hills and valleys in one of the flatter parts of the planet. He had lived on Nova Earth for most of his life but he still remembered some summer nights from his childhood. On evenings such as this one he missed those nights, seeing fireflies light up the yard and hearing the crickets chirping underfoot. Hiroshi Himura, the colonial governor promised that eventually he would petition the Confederation government to ship creatures like that here but so far they were still working on the flora. Nova Earth had been a dead world, no life to speak of in the beginning, but through terraforming that has slowly changed. Most of the settled parts of the world are covered by plants of various kinds, and not all of them are for consumption. It was still unsettling when he took the sub-orbital to one of the cities and he could look out and see the verdant life he was used to seeing was only oases in a world otherwise covered by gray or brown.
As France fully cleared the horizon he spotted the bright light of the orbital shipyard that was in construction pass in front of the moon. A lot of people would get jobs there soon and if the talk in the near by town was accurate this part of the world was about to get a lot emptier. Most people around here were farmers, some were miners but they were from farther away. He remembered in the early days of settling there were a lot of people who tried their hands at farming for the romanticism of it rather than need. Even with the help of modern equipment most of them either failed or realized they missed the bustle of the city and moved on. A similar thing happened last year when the second wave of ten million settlers came from Earth. Most of them had moved on by now but some of them still lived near by and they were interesting people. Even with that surge of people there were still plenty of houses in town and abandoned farm houses dotting the near by country side that marked the failed farmers from the first wave of settlers. A couple of them sat in a state of half renovation due to one of the new settlers buying it cheap and starting to fix it up before giving up and moving to the city.
May 2259
Captain Adrijan Madoc was annoyed. The Ajax was completed months ahead of schedule which was good news, but before it even left its slip at the shipyard it was sent in for refitting. Apparently the brass decided to refit all Phalanx class cruisers with the new shield system those New Russians had provided. Well if anyone had asked Adrijan he would have said not to trust them. Why would they need shields in the first place? On the unlikely chance that his ship ever saw battle it would probably be lasers which was something his ship’s armor took care of. But no one had asked him so he had no one to share his insights with. So instead he just glared at his glass of rakia and slowly drank.
He was one of the few officers in the Terran Confederation Navy that had been promoted to Captain after service on a space ship, he had gotten his start as an Ensign on the Enterprise in charge of the sensor array. He was part of the crew that had explored Alpha Centauri and had charted the FTL jump lanes between Alpha Centauri and Sol. He made full lieutenant after that. Then service in the Deep Space Scanning Facility brought him up to Commander. And just a few months ago he was told he was being promoted to Captain and would command the Ajax, CN-204. Now he was forced to wait another month sitting in a bar near his home city of Dubrovnik as a Captain without a ship. It was humiliation that is what it was. An officer between postings could be forgotten about, something might happen and someone else would get put in temporary command of the Ajax and that would be the first in a career of being passed over.
What he didn't know was something was about to happen, something bigger than anything the Confederation had faced before.
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