In April 1860, an expedition led by the Scottish explorer John McDouall Stuart discovered the crash site of an alien spacecraft in central Australia, close to the mountain that now bears his name. While he could not fully comprehend the implications of the discovery, Stuart ensured the members of the expedition remained silent while the authorities were informed.
Within twelve months, under conditions of great secrecy, a group of top scientists from across the British Empire had assembled at the newly constructed Camp Stuart. The inaccessible, isolated location and the limited European population in Australia at the time allowed the Empire to maintain complete security for many years. At first, progress was glacially slow. As time passed and the scientists began to activate the remaining intact systems, the gradual flow of knowledge become a flood. An understanding of the Trans-Newtonian principles on which the spacecraft was based began to develop. The Empire scientists discovered that another dimension, which they named the Aether, existed alongside our own. The Aether had fluidic properties and was far more compressed in terms of distance between objects compared to ‘normal’ space. Eleven new elements were identified that existed primarily in the Aether but could be extracted and refined for construction purposes. Although the ramifications of these early discoveries were profound, it would take decades to fully realise their potential.
By 1870, ten years after the discovery, Great Britain was using tanks and the first jet aircraft to expand the Empire. In 1875, the British Empire sent a man to the Moon. Other major powers of the time were astonished at the apparently miraculous advancements in British military technology. Across the globe, from America to China, in the Russian and French empires, in the embryonic states of Germany and Italy and within rapidly modernizing Japan, valiant efforts were made to withstand the irresistible march of the Empire.
They were in vain. Despite their great strides in many fields of science, engineering and military technology, the lead of the British Empire only increased as it took full advantage of the knowledge extracted from alien computers. Even the widespread deployment of conventional armoured vehicles by the great powers was futile in the face of Trans-Newtonian tanks supported by orbital bombardment. By 1880, the wars were over and the British Empire ruled the land and the waves.
The Empire was in the fortunate position of possessing technology that literally changed the world. A conquering power that brought medicines to the sick and food to the starving was soon seen as a liberator. Apart from the initial occupying forces, the introduction of new laws and the high level direction of science and industry, the Empire governed with a light touch. Existing local authorities were left in place as much as possible and the various monarchies were absorbed into the house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
With Earth united under Queen Victoria, the Empire turned its attention turned to the exploration of space. The crashed alien spacecraft had enabled huge technological strides in a few short decades, but also represented a grave threat to mankind. Once its existence was finally made public in 1887, the initial alarm of the citizens of the Empire soon translated into support for the growing space forces of the Royal Navy. The decision was made to hold the warships in orbit until the first survey cruisers were available. On January 1st 1890, the Empire took the first steps into deep space.
Starting Conditions1 Player Race with one point five billion pop (approximate Earth population in 1890) and normal TN start. 200,000 Research Points. 125,000 build points.
4 Non-Player Races at 75 – 125 light years. All spoilers active.
Ship Classes of the Royal NavyThe Royal Navy went into space with more than three hundred years of experience as a premier, blue water navy. This experience translated into an emphasis by the Royal Navy’s shipwrights on the most capable, long-ranged weapons, complemented by strong armour, and a combat doctrine that emphasised those weapons. While energy weapons were initially considered as a potential secondary weapon, a decision was made in the early years of spacecraft design to focus all research efforts on missile technology for the first warships. Energy weapons would be researched in the future as resources and capacity become available.
The Royal Sovereign class Battleship was the embodiment of this philosophy. Equipped with fifteen Armstrong Whitworth Missile Launchers, backed by strong armour, the Royal Sovereign was intended to operate at the heart of the battle fleet, combining with its sister ships to overwhelm any foe with massed missile salvos. The Perseus anti-ship missile was the primary weapon of the Royal Sovereign and made full use of the available sensor and fire control range. The Theseus anti-ship missile exchanged range for additional speed and warhead strength, allowing the battleship to increase its throw weight at shorter ranges. Eight Royal Sovereigns were in service in January 1890.
Royal Sovereign class Battleship 18,750 tons 505 Crew 2,451.6 BP TCS 375 TH 1,200 EM 0
3200 km/s Armour 8-62 Shields 0-0 HTK 107 Sensors 15/15/0/0 DCR 14 PPV 75
Maint Life 2.39 Years MSP 1,144 AFR 201% IFR 2.8% 1YR 274 5YR 4,111 Max Repair 300.00 MSP
Magazine 975
Captain Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
Parsons PN-600 Triple Expansion Gas-Core Drive (2) Power 1200.0 Fuel Use 28.58% Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 615,000 Litres Range 20.7 billion km (74 days at full power)
Armstrong Whitworth AW-1 Missile Launcher (15) Missile Size: 5 Rate of Fire 25
Maxwell MF-50 Missile Fire Control (3) Range 51m km Resolution 120
Perseus Anti-Ship Missile (135) Speed: 22,000 km/s End: 34.5m Range: 45.6m km WH: 6 Size: 5.00
Theseus Anti-Ship Missile (60) Speed: 25,000 km/s End: 9.6m Range: 14.4m km WH: 9 Size: 5.00
Maxwell MX-60 Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 11520 Range 61m km Resolution 120
Rutherford RT-15 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 15.00 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 30.6m km
Rutherford RE-15 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 15.00 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 30.6m km
ECCM-1 (1) ECM 10
The Diadem class First Class Cruiser was a scaled-down version of the Royal Sovereign, equipped with fewer missile launchers and lighter armour. The Diadem was intended to serve as a multi-role ship, able to function in the line of battle but also to operate as part of a independent squadron. The distinction was more philosophical than practical as the Diadem had the same broad combat capability as its larger cousin, albeit on a smaller scale. In effect, the Diadem was considered more expendable than the capital ships, which would only be risked in a major fleet battle. For an officer or sailor with a desire to see the galaxy, posting to a Diadem class was far more desirable than being assigned to a Royal Sovereign that was likely to spend the majority of its life orbiting Earth, or some future key planet. Eight Diadems were in service in January 1890.
Diadem class First Class Cruiser 12,500 tons 340 Crew 1,618.3 BP TCS 250 TH 800 EM 0
3200 km/s Armour 6-47 Shields 0-0 HTK 74 Sensors 5/5/0/0 DCR 8 PPV 50
Maint Life 2.40 Years MSP 647 AFR 156% IFR 2.2% 1YR 155 5YR 2,319 Max Repair 200.00 MSP
Magazine 650
Captain Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
Parsons PN-400 Triple Expansion Gas-Core Drive (2) Power 800.0 Fuel Use 35.00% Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 540,000 Litres Range 22.2 billion km (80 days at full power)
Armstrong Whitworth AW-1 Missile Launcher (10) Missile Size: 5 Rate of Fire 25
Maxwell MF-50 Missile Fire Control (2) Range 51m km Resolution 120
Perseus Anti-Ship Missile (100) Speed: 22,000 km/s End: 34.5m Range: 45.6m km WH: 6 Size: 5.00
Theseus Anti-Ship Missile (30) Speed: 25,000 km/s End: 9.6m Range: 14.4m km WH: 9 Size: 5.00
Maxwell MX-60 Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 11520 Range 61m km Resolution 120
Rutherford RT-5 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5.0 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
Rutherford RE-5 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5.0 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
ECCM-1 (1) ECM 10
The Blake class First Class Cruiser was a modification of the Diadem hull, removing half the armament and a sixth of the armour to create sufficient internal space for the Tesla TJD-12500 Military Jump Drive. The Admiralty believed the considerably-reduced combat capability of the design was a price worth paying for the strategic flexibility provided by HMS Blake and her sister ship HMS Blenheim.
Blake class First Class Cruiser 12,500 tons 357 Crew 1,575.1 BP TCS 250 TH 800 EM 0
3200 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 5-47 Shields 0-0 HTK 71 Sensors 15/2/0/0 DCR 10 PPV 25
Maint Life 2.45 Years MSP 787 AFR 125% IFR 1.7% 1YR 181 5YR 2,709 Max Repair 285.8 MSP
Magazine 325
Captain Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
Tesla TJD-12500 Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 12500 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Parsons PN-400 Triple Expansion Gas-Core Drive (2) Power 800 Fuel Use 35.00% Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 515,000 Litres Range 21.2 billion km (76 days at full power)
Armstrong Whitworth AW-1 Missile Launcher (5) Missile Size: 5 Rate of Fire 25
Maxwell MF-50 Missile Fire Control (1) Range 51m km Resolution 120
Perseus Anti-Ship Missile (50) Speed: 22,000 km/s End: 34.5m Range: 45.6m km WH: 6 Size: 5
Theseus Anti-Ship Missile (15) Speed: 25,000 km/s End: 9.6m Range: 14.4m km WH: 9 Size: 5
Maxwell MX-40 Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 5040 Range 40.3m km Resolution 120
Rutherford RT-15 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 15 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 30.6m km
Rutherford RT-2 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 2 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 11.2m km
ECCM-1 (1) ECM 10
The Astraea class Second Class Cruiser was designed entirely as a fleet defence ship, intended to detect and intercept hostile missiles, using its specialised Maxwell MX-10M Missile Detection Sensors in combination with the Daedalus Light Missile. The Astraea was intended to fight either in the battle line or as part of an independent squadron and was well armoured for its size. An Astraea would never be intentionally deployed alone. Eight were in service in January 1890.
Astraea class Second Class Cruiser 9,375 tons 217 Crew 1,241.6 BP TCS 187 TH 600 EM 0
3200 km/s Armour 5-39 Shields 0-0 HTK 66 Sensors 5/0/0/0 DCR 5 PPV 20
Maint Life 2.13 Years MSP 413 AFR 141% IFR 2.0% 1YR 122 5YR 1,826 Max Repair 150.00 MSP
Magazine 720
Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
Parsons PN-300 Triple Expansion Gas-Core Drive (2) Power 600.0 Fuel Use 40.41% Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 434,000 Litres Range 20.6 billion km (74 days at full power)
Armstrong Whitworth AW-2 Light Missile Launcher (20) Missile Size: 1 Rate of Fire 10
Maxwell MF-12M Anti-Missile Fire Control (4) Range 12.4m km Resolution 1
Daedalus Light Missile (720) Speed: 35,000 km/s End: 0.5m Range: 1.1m km WH: 1 Size: 1.00
Maxwell MX-10M Missile Detection Sensor (1) GPS 84 Range 11.6m km MCR 1m km Resolution 1
Maxwell MX-20 Navigation Sensor (1) GPS 1440 Range 21.6m km Resolution 120
Rutherford RT-5 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5.0 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
ECM 10
The Pelorus class Third Class Cruiser was intended for general patrol duties, protection of smaller colonies and acting as a command ship for destroyer flotillas. The armament of five missile launchers was half that of the Diadem class first class cruiser and the magazine storage was sufficient for eleven salvos, compared to thirteen for the larger ship. The Pelorus was not intended to stand in the line of battle due to its lighter armour, but would be used in to keep hostile light forces at bay. Due to its primary mission of patrol and colony protection, the Pelorus had a greater proportion of its internal space dedicated to engineering and crew accommodation than the larger warships. Twelve were available in January 1890.
Pelorus class Third Class Cruiser 6,250 tons 182 Crew 814.3 BP TCS 125 TH 400 EM 0
3200 km/s Armour 4-30 Shields 0-0 HTK 43 Sensors 5/5/0/0 DCR 4 PPV 25
Maint Life 2.56 Years MSP 325 AFR 78% IFR 1.1% 1YR 70 5YR 1,045 Max Repair 200.00 MSP
Magazine 275
Captain Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 18 months Morale Check Required
Parsons PN-400 Triple Expansion Gas-Core Drive (1) Power 400.0 Fuel Use 35.00% Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 245,000 Litres Range 20.2 billion km (72 days at full power)
Armstrong Whitworth AW-1 Missile Launcher (5) Missile Size: 5 Rate of Fire 25
Maxwell MF-40 Missile Fire Control (1) Range 40.9m km Resolution 120
Perseus-E Anti-Ship Missile (55) Speed: 22,000 km/s End: 27.9m Range: 36.8m km WH: 6 Size: 5
Maxwell MX-40 Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 5040 Range 40.3m km Resolution 120
Rutherford RT-5 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5.0 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
Rutherford RE-5 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5.0 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
ECCM-1 (1) ECM 10
The Havock class destroyer was a fast, light vessel with a single-use armament of twelve fixed missile launchers, intended to operate in flotillas that provide ‘coastal’ defence for colonies, with a Pelorus third class cruiser leading the flotilla where possible. The Havock had minimal armour, less endurance than the larger ships and required either a hangar bay or maintenance facilities to reload. Twenty-four were in service.
Havock class Destroyer 1,000 tons 9 Crew 98.1 BP TCS 20 TH 80 EM 0
4001 km/s Armour 1-8 Shields 0-0 HTK 3 Sensors 0/0/0/0 DCR 0 PPV 9
Maint Life 2.02 Years MSP 100 AFR 200% IFR 2.8% 1YR 33 5YR 490 Max Repair 40.00 MSP
Magazine 60
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1
Intended Deployment Time: 1 months Morale Check Required
Thorneycroft T-80 Gas-Core Turbine (1) Power 80.0 Fuel Use 78.26% Signature 80.00 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 50,000 Litres Range 11.5 billion km (33 days at full power)
Armstrong Whitworth AW-3 Fixed Launcher (12) Size: 5 Hangar Reload 111 minutes MF Reload 18 hours
Maxwell MF-20 Missile Fire Control (1) Range 19.3m km Resolution 120
Theseus Anti-Ship Missile (12) Speed: 25,000 km/s End: 9.6m Range: 14.4m km WH: 9 Size: 5.00
Maxwell MX-15 Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 720 Range 15.2m km Resolution 120
The Apollo class survey cruiser was an unarmed survey ship, similar in size to a third class cruiser and intended for deep space, long duration missions of up to three years. The design included a jump drive, allowing the Apollos to enter jump points and explore new systems. Unlike all other military-engined ships in the Royal Navy, the Apollo lacked any weapons, apart from four fixed launchers for sensor drones, and the armour was minimal. Two separate designs were considered to handle gravitational and geological surveys independently, but the convenience of having both capabilities was deemed to be more important. Eight were in service when survey operations commenced in January 1890.
Apollo class Survey Cruiser 6,250 tons 161 Crew 876.1 BP TCS 125 TH 300 EM 0
2400 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 1-30 Shields 0-0 HTK 39 Sensors 5/0/2/2 DCR 5 PPV 3
Maint Life 3.99 Years MSP 438 AFR 62% IFR 0.9% 1YR 44 5YR 659 Max Repair 112.5 MSP
Magazine 20
Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 36 months Morale Check Required
Tesla TJD-6250 Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 6250 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Parsons PN-300E Triple Expansion Gas-Core Drive (1) Power 300 Fuel Use 17.05% Explosion 7%
Fuel Capacity 658,000 Litres Range 111.1 billion km (536 days at full power)
Armstrong Whitworth AW-3 Fixed Launcher (4) Missile Size: 5 Reload 111 minutes MF Reload 18 hours
Maxwell MF-10 Drone Fire Control (1) Range 13.6m km Resolution 120
Orpheus Active Sensor Drone (4) Speed: 5,000 km/s End: 8.5d Range: 3,650.5m km WH: 0 Size: 5.00
Maxwell MX-30 Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 2880 Range 30.5m km Resolution 120
Rutherford RT-5 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
Geological Survey Sensors (2) 2 Survey Points Per Hour
Gravitational Survey Sensors (2) 2 Survey Points Per Hour
Royal Navy8x Royal Sovereign class Battleship:
Empress of India, Hood, Ramillies, Repulse, Resolution, Revenge, Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign8x Diadem class First Class Cruiser:
Amphitrite, Andromeda, Argonaut, Ariadne, Diadem, Europa, Niobe, Spartiate2x Blake class First Class Cruiser:
Blake, Blenheim8x Astraea class Second Class Cruiser:
Astraea, Bonaventure, Cambrian, Charybdis, Flora, Forte, Fox, Hermione12x Pelorus class Third Class Cruiser:
Pandora, Pearl, Pegasus, Pelorus, Perseus, Phoebe, Pioneer, Pomone, Prometheus, Proserpine, Psyche, Pyramus8x Apollo class Survey Cruiser:
Aeolus, Andromache, Apollo, Intrepid, Scylla, Spartan, Thetis, Tribune24x Havock class Destroyer:
Ardent, Banshee, Boxer, Bruiser, Charger, Conflict, Contest, Daring, Dasher, Decoy, Dragon, Ferret, Hardy, Hasty, Haughty, Havock, Hornet, Janus, Lightning, Lynx, Porcupine, Salmon, Snapper, WizardRoyal Fleet Auxiliary4x Hyperion class Replenishment Ship:
Helios, Hyperion, Selene, Themis6x Hera class Stabilisation Ship:
Argus, Echo, Hera, Jason, Samos, Typhon4x Heracles class Tug:
Cerberus, Diomedes, Heracles, Hippolyta4x Hermes class Jump Tender (130,000 ton capability):
Aphrodite, Hermes, Penelope, Tanagra5x Athena class Colony Ship (100,000 colonist capacity)
5x Atlas class Freighter (50,000 cargo capacity)
4x Ambrosia class Fuel Harvester Station (50x Harvester Module):
4x Eden class Terraforming Station (5x Terraformer Module)
Naming ConventionSystems that are well-known, or identified in the expanded Bayer-Flamsteed catalogue, retain their popular names. Any others are named after places from classical antiquity or classical mythology. Also note that the Montcalm class is mistakenly shown as the Clemenceau in several screenshots.
1890 - 1891The focus of the British Empire during first six months of 1890 was on the geological and gravitational survey of the Sol system and the exploration of adjacent systems. Four jump points were found in total, the innermost of which was only eleven million kilometres from the Sun. The other three were much further out, with one just inside the orbit of Uranus and the other two outside the orbit of Neptune. The geological survey was very disappointing with no suitable mining sites. Mars, Mercury, Earth’s moon and the Galilean moons of Jupiter were all entirely devoid of mineral deposits. The only highlight was the discovery of two million tons of accessibility 0.8 Sorium in the atmosphere of Uranus.
As Sol could not support the future growth of the Empire, attention turned to the adjacent systems. The system of Darwin’s Star, named after George Darwin – a British astronomer who was the son of the famous Charles Darwin, lay beyond the first jump point. The faint red dwarf star had an unremarkable collection of planets, moons and asteroids, none of which had any significant mineral deposits. The system’s redeeming quality was as a bridge to further exploration. As the Darwin’s Star - Sol jump point was only two hundred million kilometres from the primary, the M4-V class star was closer to the Sun than Mars. Two outward jump points were discovered at five hundred and seven hundred million kilometres, leading respectively to Ephesus, a brown dwarf, and Corinth, another M4-V red dwarf, this time with three planets.
Corinth III, an ice-covered dwarf planet 3200 km in diameter, became the site of the Empire’s first colony in early 1891 due to the first discovery of seven hundred thousand tons of accessibility 0.6 Duranium, plus two other mineral deposits above a hundred thousand tons. While the Empire hoped to find better mining sites in the future, this was the first discovery of note and would at least provide the key mineral of Duranium once supplies on Earth were exhausted. It also had the distinction of being less than a billion kilometres from Earth, so it was easy to transport mines and the necessary infrastructure.
Corinth-A III Survey ReportDuranium: 739,328 0.60
Neutronium: 16,384 0.70
Tritanium: 350,464 0.90
Mercassium: 123,904 0.40
The main downside of Corinth III was an eccentricity of 0.49, resulting in an orbit that moved between twenty million kilometres at perihelion and fifty-eight million at aphelion. As a result, the temperature ranged from -148C to -47C during its ninety-six day orbit. While terraforming could raise the temperature considerably, and relatively quickly compared to an Earth-sized world, it would be impossible to turn Corinth III into an ideal habitable world for its entire orbit due to the hundred degree temperature range. Fortunately the planet was tide-locked so the effects of the temperature could be ameliorated by remaining within the most temperate areas, which would still support up to a hundred and fifty million settlers with the support of the necessary infrastructure. The Corinth Colony would certainly be a very interesting place to live.
Sol’s second jump point led to Epsilon Eridani, an orange K2-V star with six planets, seven moons and more than six hundred asteroids. Given the number of bodies in the system, the geological survey results were extremely disappointing, with one very notable exception; Epsilon Eridani V was a superjovian with fifty million tons of accessibility 1.0 Sorium. The future fuel supply of the Empire would be secured, if the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s Ambrosia class fuel harvester stations could be protected while in orbit. The third of the superjovian’s six moons was within human gravitational tolerance, at 0.113G, so a colony was established on the moon to serve as a naval base. The parent planet had an orbit with an eccentricity of just 0.025 so the environmental conditions were stable, albeit with no air, no water and a surface temperature of -156C. Substantial terraforming would be required, although the task was made much easier by the moon’s small diameter of 1600 km.
Sol’s third jump point, four point six billion kilometres from the Sun, led to Acheron, a planetless brown dwarf with a single outward jump point. HMS Thetis probed the new jump point in July 1890 and discovered Thebes, an M4-V red dwarf with five unremarkable planets. The final jump point, deep in the Kuiper Belt at five point four billion kilometres, connected to Alpha Centauri, a binary with a primary similar to the Sun and an orange K1-V companion. Both stars had five planets, but only two of the ten were of interest. Alpha Centauri-A III, a small, arid and airless terrestrial world, had a deposit of eight million tons of accessibility 0.7 Duranium, the largest and most accessible deposit of the key mineral discovered thus far, plus a less accessible deposit of Tritanium. Alpha Centauri-B IV, a large terrestrial world entirely covered in ice and with a thin nitrogen – oxygen atmosphere, held something potentially more valuable – the ruins of an alien settlement.
Alpha Centauri-A III Survey ReportDuranium: 8,201,250 0.70
Tritanium: 6,125,625 0.40
The existence of aliens had been a fact for thirty years, given the crash site near Mount Stuart that provided the Empire with its technological uplift, and events elsewhere in the Empire, noted below, had reinforced that beyond all doubt. Even so, the ruin site provided the potential for further technological gains and perhaps even the recovery of abandoned alien installations. Unfortunately, no immediate expedition to investigate could be launched because the Empire lacked a troop transport capability. Given existing research priorities, that would be corrected by late 1891.
On August 2nd 1890 the tracking stations on Earth detected an alien ship within the orbit of Mercury. With a speed of 4505 km/s, it was faster than the 3200 km/s maximum speed of the Royal Navy’s battleships and cruisers and the 4000 km/s maximum speed of its Havock class destroyers. The contact was fifty-six million kilometres from the jump tender RFA Aphrodite and the stabilisation ship RFA Argus, both of which were on the Darwin’s Star jump point. The first class cruisers HMS Andromeda and HMS Argonaut and the second class cruiser HMS Charybdis were dispatched from Earth to intercept. The alien vessel, designated as Moskva class, headed straight for the two Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. RFA Aphrodite hailed the approaching ship several times without any response.
Both vessels were equipped with the Maxwell MX-20 Navigation Sensor, which had a resolution of 6000 tons and a range of twenty-one million kilometres, but could not establish an active contact even when the Moskva moved well inside their maximum sensor range. RFA Argus was stabilising the Sol – Darwin’s Star jump point and would complete her six month task in less than one day, so there was great reluctance from the Admiralty to abandon the effort. Even so, the First Space Lord, Sir Richard Hamilton, contacted the ships directly, ordering RFA Aphrodite to transit immediately. RFA Argus was ordered to follow if attacked.
Active contact was finally established at just 370,000 km with a target signature of 800 tons. The alien ship opened fire at 145,000 km with a pair of 8-inch railguns, scoring two strength-1 hits. Despite the loss of six months work, RFA Argus immediately transited into Bernard’s Star. It was a faint hope as the Moskva was almost certain to be jump-capable, given its presence in Sol, but the Admiralty hoped that by jumping back and forth the two ships could evade due to jump shock affecting the alien weapons. Instead, the Moskva ignored the jump point and set a course for Earth before apparently detecting the approaching cruisers and running in the opposite direction. The cruisers had a maximum speed of 3200 km/s so they rapidly fell astern. Once the alien moved out of detection range of the tracking stations on Earth, it disappeared from sensors. The cruiser squadron was ordered to take up station on the Darwin’s Star jump point.
The armament of the alien did not match the active signature, as an 800-ton warship could not mount two 8-inch railguns and still have sufficient space for engines, sensors, et cetera. The Royal Navy only had the pre-requisite technology for a 4-inch railgun, although the capability for 5-inch lasers had recently been developed, and even that weapon was 150 tons. The lack of a comparable calibre weapon for the Empire was due to the Royal Navy focus on missile warfare, with energy weapons taking a technological back-seat. Work was underway on remedying that deficiency, but it would be several years before it came to fruition. The assumption for the moment was that the alien ship had some form of technology that significantly reduced its active signature, so a sensor with a resolution of 800 tons or less could be needed to detect it. The thermal signature at strength-174 also seemed very low, so it was possible the Moskva’s thermal emissions were also shielded in some way.
In the meantime, the current generation of missiles were useless against the aliens unless an active fire control contact could be achieved. Based on the initial contact, that would require very close range, which seemed unlikely given the alien speed advantage, or the use of the anti-missile capabilities on the Astraea second class cruisers, which would be able to target the alien ship at eleven million kilometres. Unfortunately, the Daedalus missiles of the Astraea only had a range of one point one million kilometres. The Royal Navy required either a long-range, passively-targeted missile, new sensors with a suitable resolution, or a ship with higher speed than the Moskva that could run it down.
The alien reappeared a few hours later, commencing a series of manoeuvres that took it as far out as the asteroid belt and as close as three million kilometres from the Royal Navy warships on the Darwin’s Star jump point. As it danced around the inner system, it moved in and out of sensor range, sometimes detected via the Earth-based tracking stations, sometimes from its own sensor emissions and occasionally by the Maxwell MX-10M Missile Detection Sensor of HMS Charybdis. This continued for several week until the ship disappeared for the final time on October 21st. With the alien ship apparently departed and the jump point now guarded, RFA Argus returned to Sol to restart the process of stabilising the Sol – Darwin’s Star jump point.
Early November 1890 saw the launch of the first six Swordfish anti-stealth warfare (ASW) destroyers. The 1000-ton ships, based on the same hull as the Havock, were equipped with sensors and fire control systems that enabled the targeting of hostile ships with active signatures as low as 600 tons, plus a new Thorneycroft T-160 Gas-Core Turbine engine that produced a maximum speed of 8000 km/s. The Achilles heel of the new design was its very short range of two billion kilometres, sufficient for local defence but not fleet operations.
Swordfish class ASW Destroyer 1,000 tons 17 Crew 138.1 BP TCS 20 TH 160 EM 0
8003 km/s Armour 1-8 Shields 0-0 HTK 3 Sensors 0/0/0/0 DCR 0 PPV 9
Maint Life 1.31 Years MSP 100 AFR 200% IFR 2.8% 1YR 62 5YR 926 Max Repair 80 MSP
Magazine 60
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1
Intended Deployment Time: 6 days Morale Check Required
Thorneycroft T-160 Gas-Core Turbine (1) Power 160 Fuel Use 442.72% Signature 160 Explosion 20%
Fuel Capacity 50,000 Litres Range 2.03 billion km (70 hours at full power)
Armstrong Whitworth AW-3 Fixed Launcher (12) Missile Size: 5 Reload 111 minutes MF Reload 18 hours
Maxwell MF-9S Missile Fire Control (1) Range 8.9m km Resolution 12
Theseus Anti-Ship Missile (12) Speed: 25,000 km/s End: 9.6m Range: 14.4m km WH: 9 Size: 5
Maxwell MX-7S Stealth Detection Sensor (1) GPS 72 Range 7.1m km Resolution 12
On June 1st 1891, a new Moskva class ship was detected in the inner system. The First ASW Flotilla, comprising six Swordfish class destroyers, was dispatched to intercept. The Darwin’s Star jump point was now stabilised and the original cruiser squadron withdrawn, so a new cruiser squadron was dispatched to guard it. The first civilian owned freighter, recently launched by the White Star Line, was in the area and a potential target for the alien ship.
The Moskva closed to forty million kilometres of the White Star freighter before apparently detecting the Royal Navy destroyers and attempting to escape. The flotilla closed in, using its far superior speed, and established an active contact. HMS Shark, HMS Sawfish and HMS Skate each launched twelve Theseus missiles. A single missile was destroyed by railgun fire and twenty-four missed. The remaining eleven struck the Moskva with strength-9 warheads and seven of those penetrated the armour. The alien ship ceased all movement. HMS Starfish launched a further six Theseus missiles, which destroyed the target.
Two weeks later, a second alien race was detected in Sol, leading some in the Admiralty to question whether the home system of mankind was some form of galactic crossroads. The alien ship, designated as Chacal class, was on the outer edge of the asteroid belt moving at 4039 km/s and was detected via its own active sensor emissions. As the speed was slightly too high for a Havock class destroyer, one of the short-legged Swordfish class destroyers conducted the intercept, with three cruisers following in support at 3200 km/s.
HMS Sturgeon moved to point blank range of the alien vessel without incident, confirming its size as 7724 tons, then continued to shadow the Chacal as it moved across the Sol system, passing within twenty million kilometres of Earth before halting at the wreck of the Moskva. Given the relatively short timeframe between the recent battle and the alien appearance, plus the Chacal’s interest in the wreck, it was possibly already in the Sol system when the Moskva was destroyed. After spending three hours close to the wreck, the Chacal reversed course and headed out-system through the asteroid belt on a reciprocal course. At least on this occasion there was no hostile action and the Chacal was responding to hails, albeit with gibberish.
On June 19th, HMS Swordfish took over shadowing duties from HMS Sturgeon just before the latter ran out of fuel and had to be rescued by the replenishment ship RFA Hyperion. The Chacal continued to head out-system in the general direction of the Acheron jump point before conducting a series of manoeuvres between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn. HMS Swordfish and HMS Sturgeon played tag team for several days, supported by RFA Hyperion, with the Havock class destroyer HMS Zephyr trying to provide support when possible within the constraints of her maximum speed, which was 39 km/s less than the alien ship.
With two alien races appearing in Sol within a few months, the question of their points of origin was high priority for 10 Downing Street, the Admiralty and the recently-formed Secret Service Bureau. The Prime Minister, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the third Marquess of Salisbury, commonly known as Lord Salisbury, was a firm supporter of the Royal Navy and was instrumental in ensuring the necessary wealth and resources to bring the fleet to its current strength and capability. With that in mind, his ‘request’ for the Admiralty to improve their monitoring of traffic within the Sol system was taken very seriously. The result was the Sentinel class Sensor Outpost, a small 229-ton space station intended to monitor jump points. The first six to be constructed were towed by Heracles class tugs to the four jump points in Sol and the two outward jump points in Darwin’s Star.
Sentinel class Sensor Outpost 229 tons 11 Crew 36.2 BP TCS 5 TH 0 EM 0
1 km/s No Armour Shields 0-0 HTK 4 Sensors 5/5/0/0 DCR 1 PPV 0
MSP 99 Max Repair 12 MSP
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months
Maxwell MX-20 Navigation Sensor (1) GPS 1440 Range 21.6m km Resolution 120
Rutherford RE-5 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
Rutherford RT-5 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
When the tug RFA Hippolyta arrived at the Sol - Acheron jump point on July 8th 1891 to deliver a Sentinel class outpost, she detected a squadron of ships from the second alien race stationed on the jump point, comprising a Richelieu of 20,157 tons, a Montcalm of 15,467 tons and two Dunkerques at 7,710 tons. The three smaller ships all had shield signatures, a technology that was not available to the British Empire.
The position of the alien squadron strongly suggested that their origin lay in a system beyond Acheron and the adjacent system of Thebes. Acheron was planetless, while none of the five planets and twenty-four moons on Thebes were capable of supporting life. The survey of Acheron was already complete and the Apollo class survey cruiser HMS Thetis had moved into the Thebes system, where she was beyond communication range. Given the circumstances, the Admiralty decided that a more substantial survey effort was required. HMS Intrepid had just completed an overhaul so she was ordered to join HMS Thetis, along with HMS Sirius, which was diverted from Epsilon Eridani as she was one of three ships assigned to that system..
On July 9th 1891, the Chacal class ship ended its meanderings outside the orbit of Jupiter and set a direct course for the Sol – Acheron jump point. The two Swordfish class destroyers had been sent back to Sol for resupply and shore leave, leaving HMS Zephyr to pursue. She lost contact several hundred million kilometres from the jump point. Two days later, the Sentinel outpost on the Sol – Acheron jump point detected the transit of a second, identical alien squadron. With so many alien ships in Sol, the Admiralty was becoming increasingly concerned, despite the lack of any hostile acts. Therefore a powerful battle squadron was assembled in Earth orbit and sent out-system to confront the aliens. Communication attempts continued but without success thus far.
1st Battle Squadron4x Royal Sovereign class Battleship:
Hood, Ramillies, Renown, Repulse2x Diadem - B class First Class Cruiser:
Grafton, Hawke2x Astraea class Second Class Cruiser:
Flora, Fox2x Pelorus - B class Third Class Cruiser:
Pearl, PerseusOn July 22nd, the First Battle Squadron detected the Chacal moving in on a reciprocal course as it once more headed toward the inner system. Four days later, a second Chacal class ship was detected entering Sol from Acheron. The new Chacal and one of the two alien squadrons headed in-system, quickly disappearing from sensors. On July 29th, the First Battle Squadron took up station ten million kilometres from the Acheron jump point. The Havock class destroyer HMS Sunfish, which had accompanied the squadron, transited into Acheron to picket the far side of the jump point. Six days later, the second Chacal was detected as it transited from Sol into Epsilon Eridani. Given the aliens knew about the jump point to Epsilon Eridani, it seemed likely that undetected alien gravitational survey ships were at work within the Sol system. The number of known and suspected alien ships was growing rapidly.
On August 5th, HMS Intrepid entered Thebes and found no trace of HMS Thetis nor any sign of wreckage. She transited back into Acheron and sent a message via the stabilised Sol jump point. The First Battle Squadron detached its two Pelorus third class cruisers, HMS Pearl and HMS Perseus and sent them to Thebes to investigate, with HMS Intrepid providing the necessary jump capability. Both Pelorus class ships had been refitted with new sensors that would allow them to detect and engage the stealthy alien ships.
The two cruisers headed into Thebes and set course for the inner system. Four days into their mission they detected sensor emissions from two new Moskva class ships from the hostile alien race that had become known as the Corsairs. The presence of the Corsairs suggested the likely fate of HMS Thetis, but also raised the questions of how they could be moving between Sol and Thebes with a Sentinel outpost and a squadron from the second alien race on the Sol - Acheron jump point and what was the status of relations between the two alien races. HMS Pearl and HMS Perseus retreated back into Acheron without any sign the Corsairs had detected them. On the basis that the second alien race might have arrived in Acheron via a dormant jump point that was undetected by the initial survey, a complete gravitational resurvey of the system was authorised. In addition, the 12,500-ton, jump-capable, first class cruiser HMS Blenheim was dispatched from Sol to provide greater jump capability, allowing the two Diadem first class cruisers of the First Battle Squadron to enter Thebes if required.
On August 13th, HMS Intrepid was attacked and destroyed by another new Corsair ship while she was engaged in the resurvey of Acheron. HMS Sirius, also involved in the survey, was ordered to pull back to the Sol jump point. HMS Pearl and HMS Perseus were ordered to recover HMS Intrepid’s life pods then join HMS Sirius. As the third class cruisers approached the life pods, they detected five new ships of the second alien race that were apparently on the same mission. One was of the known 15,467 tons Montcalm class. The rest were all new designs, including a Gloire at 15,483 tons and three ships of 7,709 tons, designated as Bisson, Normandie and Suffren classes. The group was moving at 2686 km/s. Shortly thereafter, the Royal Navy cruisers detected active emissions from the Corsair Moskva, which was still close to the wreck of Intrepid.
As the cruisers approached, the Moskva attempted to run past them. HMS Pearl and HMS Perseus could potentially intercept but only if they allowed the squadron of the second alien race to pick up Intrepid’s life pods, which was not acceptable.
Meanwhile, as HMS Sirius ran for the Sol jump point, she detected another Corsair ship, designated as Beluga class, with a much larger thermal signature. The Beluga ignored HMS Sirius, possibly indicating an unarmed ship, especially given its speed of just 1425 km/s, but the Moskva moved on to a course that would intercept the survey ship. The Diadem first class cruiser HMS Hawke was detached from the 1st Battle Squadron and sent into Acheron to rendezvous with HMS Sirius to provide protection. HMS Pearl and HMS Perseus rescued the survivors from HMS Intrepid with the alien squadron just three million kilometres away, then headed for the Sol jump point. The alien ships held their position.
On August 15th, the alien squadron on the Sol – Acheron jump point, comprising a Richelieu, a Montcalm and two Dunkerques, transited into Acheron and was detected on a reciprocal course by the two Pelorus class ships as they approached the Acheron side of the jump point to rendezvous with HMS Hawke and HMS Sirius. As there were no longer any hostile ships on sensors, the Admiralty decided that HMS Sirius could resume the resurvey of Acheron with HMS Hawke acting as close escort. HMS Pearl and HMS Perseus were ordered to the Acheron - Thebes jump point to protect the stabilisation ship RFA Typhon, which had continued its task throughout the recent activity.
En route, they detected the Beluga class ship and changed course to attack. As they closed, they detected active emissions from two Moskva class ships that were apparently acting as escorts. The stealth capabilities of the Moskvas meant they could not be attacked by the cruisers beyond seven million kilometres, so they launched a salvo of ten Perseus-E missiles at the Beluga from their current range of twenty-seven million kilometres. The Perseus-E was a shorter range version of the Perseus that exchanged fuel capacity for an onboard ECM system. Nine of the ten missiles were destroyed by point defence, leaving just one to hit the target. The effectiveness of the point defence suggested that more Corsair class ships were present than those currently on sensors. Therefore the two cruisers were ordered back to the Sol jump point. The stabilisation ship RFA Typhon was ordered to make its own way to the Sol jump point using a dog-leg course.
Five days later, HMS Pearl and HMS Perseus received an unintelligible communication from an undetected source. Despite the lack of an origin point, the communication appeared to be from the second alien race, which had been attempting to communicate, but without success so far. The nature of the communication was unknown but analysts at the Secret Service Bureau believed it could be a request to leave what the aliens regarded as their space, based on the level of their activity in Acheron. Given the casualties already suffered beyond the Acheron jump point, the Admiralty recommended withdrawal from the system to let the two alien races fight over it, assuming there was hostility between them. Lord Salisbury agreed, as there was no desire within the British government to provoke a war with an alien race of unknown strength. HMS Hawke, HMS Sirius, HMS Pearl, HMS Perseus and RFA Typhon all transited into Sol over the following days.
On August 22nd, a week after the withdrawal order was given, a squadron from the neutral alien race was detected in the inner Sol system close to the wreck of the Moskva. The third class cruiser HMS Proserpine was dispatched to shadow them. The continued presence of the aliens in Sol was of great concern within the government and the Admiralty, but as they had shown no hostility so far, despite close interactions with the Royal Navy, establishing communications remained the priority, so they could be politely asked to leave the Sol system.
That strategy paid off three days later when a linguistic breakthrough resulted in full communication being established with the alien race, which identified itself as the Beershebae Hegemony. The first official, diplomatic communication from the British Empire was a request to leave the Sol system. The Hegemony accepted the request to leave Sol without complaint, stating they had no significant interest in the system and were merely conducting survey and reconnaissance operations. In return, they asked that the Empire cease all operations beyond the Acheron jump point, which was quickly agreed. The Hegemony began withdrawing its ships immediately. In response, the Royal Navy’s First Battle Squadron was ordered to return to Earth for resupply and overhaul.
By early October, both known alien squadrons and all three known Chacal class ships had transited into Acheron. HMS Proserpine remained on the Sol side of the jump point as a picket after shadowing one of the squadrons as it withdrew. On the 11th, a small Ambassador class diplomatic station was deployed on the Acheron side of jump point to act as a conduit for further communication. Given the station’s small size and lack of armament, the Hegemony accepted its presence and deployed their own Courbet class diplomatic ship on the Sol side of the jump point. The first report from the new station was that a Moskva class wreck had appeared near the wreck of HMS Intrepid. It appeared the Hegemony had destroyed a Corsair ship, confirming the state of hostilities between the two alien races.
Ambassador class Diplomatic Station 1,884 tons 66 Crew 372.7 BP TCS 38 TH 0 EM 0
1 km/s No Armour Shields 0-0 HTK 11 Sensors 5/5/0/0 DCR 1 PPV 0
MSP 123 Max Repair 300 MSP
Captain Control Rating 1 BRG DIP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months
Maxwell MX-20 Navigation Sensor (1) GPS 1440 Range 21.6m km Resolution 120
Rutherford RE-5 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
Rutherford RT-5 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
As 1891 came to a close, the first pair of Phobos class troop transports were launched. Their first mission was to move four Xenoarchaeology Expeditions to Alpha Centauri-A IV to investigate the alien ruins.
Phobos class Troop Transport 47,782 tons 308 Crew 1,052.3 BP TCS 956 TH 1,920 EM 0
2009 km/s Armour 1-117 Shields 0-0 HTK 115 Sensors 5/5/0/0 DCR 1 PPV 0
MSP 13 Max Repair 80 MSP
Troop Capacity 20,000 tons Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 4
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1 BRG
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months
CD-240 Commercial Gas-Core Engine (8) Power 1920 Fuel Use 2.89% Signature 240 Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres Range 65.1 billion km (375 days at full power)
Maxwell MX-20 Navigation Sensor (1) GPS 1440 Range 21.6m km Resolution 120
Rutherford RE-5 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
Rutherford RT-5 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 5 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
As peaceful diplomatic relations had been established with the Hegemony and there was no further contact with the Corsairs, the Royal Navy moved to a state of watchful alertness rather than active operations. Detached squadrons were established at the colonies in Corinth and Epsilon Eridani and at the alien ruins in Alpha Centauri. For administrative purposes, the deployments were designated as Stations, which included the ships and any support infrastructure such as maintenance facilities or refuelling stations.
Centauri StationDiadem-B class First Class Cruiser:
Argonaut, DiademAstraea class Second Class Cruiser:
HermioneCorinth StationDiadem-B class First Class Cruiser:
EuropaAstraea class Second Class Cruiser:
CambrianPelorus-B class Third Class Cruiser:
PallasSwordfish class ASW Destroyer:
Mallard, Quail, Razorfish, Sparrowhawk, Thrasher, Virago14x Maintenance Facility
Eridani StationDiadem-B class First Class Cruiser:
AriadneAstraea class Second Class Cruiser:
AstraeaPelorus-B class Third Class Cruiser:
PandoraHome Fleet10x Royal Sovereign class Battleship:
Centurion, Empress of India, Hood, Ramillies, Renown, Repulse, Resolution, Revenge, Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign2x Blake class First Class Cruiser:
Blake, Blenheim6x Diadem-B class First Class Cruiser:
Amphitrite, Andromeda, Grafton, Hawke, Niobe, Spartiate6x Astraea class Second Class Cruiser:
Bonaventure, Flora, Forte, Fox, Marathon, Medea11x Pelorus-B class Third Class Cruiser:
Pearl, Pegasus, Pelorus, Perseus, Phoebe, Pioneer, Pomone, Porpoise, Prometheus, Psyche, Pyramus30x Havock II class Destroyer:
Ardent, Banshee, Boxer, Bruiser, Charger, Conflict, Contest, Daring, Dasher, Decoy, Dragon, Ferret, Fervent, Hardy, Hart, Hasty, Haughty, Havock, Hornet, Hunter, Janus, Lightning, Lynx, Porcupine, Ranger, Salmon, Snapper, Sunfish, Wizard, Zephyr12x Swordfish class ASW Destroyer:
Angler, Ariel, Avon, Bittern, Otter, Sawfish, Seal, Shark, Skate, Starfish, Sturgeon, SwordfishSurvey Command retained eight Apollo class survey cruisers, with the construction of HMS Naiad and HMS Sirius in January 1891 compensating for the loss of HMS Thetis and HMS Intrepid. The total number of known systems had grown to thirteen by the end of 1891, with the exploration of three jump points in Epsilon Eridani and single outward jump points in Corinth and Ephesus. Two of the new systems had planets of interest.
The first was Argos, a red dwarf system three jumps from Sol via Darwin’s Star and Ephesus. Argos II was a super-terrestrial world with a diameter of 22,000 km, a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere of 0.75 atm, including 0.23 atm of oxygen, and an ice sheet covering a quarter of the surface. The oxygen content was slightly too high, at thirty-one percent, and the temperature was low at -45C, albeit with the impact reduced due to tide-locking. The planet also lacked any mineral deposits. Even so, with minimal terraforming the colony cost of the planet could be reduced from 2.00 to 0.30, making it a good location for a base to support further exploration along the chain.
Tegea, which lay beyond Epsilon Eridani’s outermost jump point, was a trinary system of three red dwarf stars with a total of seven planets, four of which orbited the tertiary star. Tegea-C I was a terrestrial world, midway between Earth and Mars in size, with a stable orbit, an atmosphere that was very close to breathable and an ice sheet covering almost forty percent of the surface. It would be an excellent terraforming target, especially if it had mineral deposits. Unfortunately, the tertiary star orbited the primary at one hundred and seventy-five billion kilometres and had the only Lagrange point in the system. The primary had a lone gas giant that would permit the creation of a new Lagrange point, although it would require over two years due to the relatively small mass of the planet.
