January 16, 2010 AD:
Sensor bouys in Sheboygan and an adjacent system named Kalamazoo detect two (separate) Carmelite ships of 6550T moving 3479km/s. If these are survey ships, they are fast ones. The Department of War analyzes the data warily. These aliens do not appear to be warming up to our diplomats as quickly as the Irians did.
March 5, 2010 AD:
Surveying the third planet of the Eureka-B system (some 17Gkm from the Eureka-A system where the Irian homeworld is located), GEV Humboldt detects a ruined alien city. Curiously, no Irian population is detected on the world. FASA orders GEV Palmer to pick up the Xenology team from Aegir (Ponchatoula B-II) and get them to the Eureka find as fast as possible.
June 4, 2010 AD:
As the first trade fleets, both Irian and Western, begin operating along the Earth-Paducah-Eureka trade route, news comes in that the Carmelites want their share of the action. They have granted trade access to Western Federation freighters.
July 11, 2010 AD:
Analysts believe that a new Irian ship, the Golf class, is a geological survey vessel. One has been sighted in Paducah.
September 8, 2010 AD:
A large fleet of approximately 20 Irian warships transits from Eureka into Paducah, moves toward the two planets hosting Federation colonies, and then sets course for the Sol JP. Could this be the beginning of war? Only a couple of months ago the Irians declared that we were "friendly" and that they'd be sharing geo-survey data with us. All Federation warships are sent to the Sol-Paducah JP just in case, although it is unclear whether they could match the Irian fleet. Construction of new warships must be made a priority!
November 1, 2010 AD:
A ruined alien colony is detected on Teulon III. Teulon is a system connected to Sparwood and our ships will have to pass by Eureka to get there.
November 19, 2010 AD:
The Irian fleet arrives in Earth orbit. It consists of two Kilos, four Charlies, one Mike, four Xrays, ten Juliets, two Novembers, a Hotel, two Sierras, one Tango, and two Romeos. Most are about 9000T but the Romeos and Mikes are about 18000T and the Novembers and Tango are 27,450T. All move at about 1575km/s. Our warships have been shadowing them on their approach.
November 24, 2010 AD:
The Irian fleet moves to Mars orbit.
December 2, 2010 AD:
The Irian fleet is visiting each of our colonies in turn. After stopping by the Jovian moons, it is now headed back toward Earth.
December 7, 2010 AD:
The gravitational survey of Sheboygan is complete. Two JPs lead to newly-discovered systems and sensor bouys indicate Carmelite traffic through both JPs, however, the system designated Papillion seems to be the "source" JP, so the federation expects to find Mount Carmel by exploring that route.
December 17, 2010 AD:
It has become evident that the Irian fleet is patrolling the Federation's colonies in Sol. It visits Earth, Luna, Mars, and the Jovian colonies in turn, and repeats the circuit. Apparently this "Great White Fleet" has been sent as a gesture of friendship, but it is also unmistakeably a show of force as well.
December 27, 2010 AD:
As a fine Christmas present, the Carmelites give us the technology for Jump Drive Efficiency 5.
Also in the spirit of the season, the xenologists on Eureka-B III deliver the secrets of the ruined city. It belonged to the Dushanbe Association and features 144 abandoned installations. Who knows what secrets might be discovered there! We shall give our Irian friends a taste of their own medicine as we unload troops and construction battalions within their own star system to exploit the ruins on the planet now renamed Dushanbe.
January 1, 2011 AD:
Behind closed doors at Federation HQ, the discussion is cacophonous. The Irian fleet is on the minds of many. By their speed and the range of their sensors, it seems the Irian technology is far less developed than human TN technology, but by tonnage and sheer number of ground troops, the Irians clearly have a superior force. If they are friendly, all well and good, but our weakness invites an opportunistic attack. After ten years of encounters, we still haven't even dared fight the Remnant aliens, and they only ever come in ones and twos.
A new generation of engines is expected to be introduced in August of 2012, but we cannot wait that long to respond to the Irian show of force. Two points are agreed upon: First, that the Maverick destroyers must recieve upgraded armor to allow them to survive a firefight with the Remants. Since Remnant ships fire particle beams that can cut through a six-layer hull, it is decided that at least seven layers of armor must be added. Second, a fighter fleet shall be built to defend Earth and Luna. Fighters will be designed to take advantage of new technology for reduced-size lasers and improved meson and microwave weapons, and large planetary hangars will be constructed for them. This appears to be the fastest way to increase Western firepower and the cheapest to upgrade later. The fighters may be glass cannons, but enough of them together should be able to shatter any hostile fleet in a first strike.
In other areas, the Federation's progress is more satisfactory. Extrasolar colonies are growing and trade is flourishing. Mars is booming with emigrants from Earth and Luna, and the eleventh terraforming platform will enter Luna orbit this spring. (Once twenty such platforms are built, terraforming efforts will move at a brisk pace.) Jump gates are being built rapidly and by the end of this year Ponchatoula and Fristoe will both be fully connected. Alien ruins in Ponchatoula have been disappointing, but a major find in Eureka right under the Irians noses may be a windfall for the West, and another find in Teulon is being researched as well. Relations with the Carmelites are warming, slowly, and Western merchants are excited about trading with them once their homeworlds are discovered.
Explorers have identified a number of mineral-rich systems, but even more interesting strategically, they have discovered secret back-door entrances into Eureka and Wichita (from Saskatoon) and Sheboygan (from Walla Walla) that may allow us to launch surprise flanking maneuvers against the Irians, Remnants, and Carmelites respectively.
Goals for the next 10 years:
1. Develop colonies and mineral extraction bases in Ponca, Ponchatoula, and Fristoe, completing a small loop. Pocatello, Rangeley, and Falkton to follow.
2. Develop Ponchatoula as a fuel harvesting base and strategic base for naval maintenance.
3. Fully terraform Luna and Mars; complete a 20-platform terraforming fleet to send outside the system; begin building a second fleet of the same size and use it to terraform the Jovian moons.
4. Exploit the ruins in Eureka and establish a well-defended colony and military base on a planet of the Eureka-B star.
5. Engage the Remnant aliens and recapture the valuable systems of Laramie and Wichita (and others). Salvage Remnant ships to learn from their technology.
6. Develop the military's ships, weapons, and tactics based on the discussions we have had in this first decade of experience.
7. Establish jump gate connections on all strategically-important loops.
Longer-term goals:
1. Colonize the entire loop from Sol through Ponca, Ponchatoula, Rangeley, Killarney, Medford, and Saskatoon, connecting back to Sol through Wichita.
2. Make Saskatoon and Sheboygan into forward military bases to defend against our alien friends if necessary.
3. Spread out industry and research facilities so that the Federation is less vulnerable to a surprise attack on Earth.