Campaign Updates

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 210, Mintek Universal Union Update
Total Income: 75,120 MCr’s  (10% increase)
Upkeep: 46,601 MCr’s (62%, minor decrease over the last five months)

Fleet: 9xSD, 6xCV, 18xBC, 9xCVL, 2xCA, 1xCVS, 41xDD, 20xCVE, 4xCT, 617xF1, 11xApin

The Mintek have continued to focus their resources on colonization and industrial expansion, trying to grow their economy to better pay for their military, which is very nearly larger than they can afford.  The Mintek fleet size continues to be stable, with most new construction being devoted to improving planetary defenses in the home system and warp point defenses in the Alowan home system and the Bedu home system, as those systems border on potentially hostile systems. 

So far Mintek contact with the Shiba Ascendancy has gone well, although efforts to undermine the Shiba government have been less than successful.  The Mintek Ministry of Equity and Inclusion, which spearheads contact with and amalgamation of new species, is studying the situation.  Until the situation with the Shiba is resolved, one way or another, the Mintek government will continue to stand on the defensive in the Alowan system, where an open warp point leading to an unknown alien race has been discovered.  Based on bitter experience, the Mintek have learned not to overextend themselves, and their military is barely able to cover its current commitments. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Bjering Consolidate Update, Month 210
Now known as the Confederated Sentient Races (CSR)

Income (All Sources): 115,471 MCr’s
Upkeep: 46,443 (40%)

Fleet: 3xML, 27xBC, 5xCV, 1xCVL, 16xCVS, 9xCL, 24xCVE, 28xDD, 38xCT, 7xES, 474xF1, 306xF0, 4xApin

SY: 43
MSY: 7
MS: 13

Under Construction: 6xMobile SY
Refits: 2xML

The long-awaited merger between the Bjering and the Tomsk Union was completed in Month 209, creating a new super-state on the flank of both the Colonial Union and the Alliance.  The amalgamation proceeded smoothly, with the bulk of the citizens in both societies solidly in favor of the union.  Over the next ten months the new union, named the Confederated Sentient Races, will be undertaking a massive reorganization of its military, and this is already the focus of intense wrangling between the Tomsk and the Bjering.  The Tomsk favor a more defense-oriented approach than the Bjering, which is perhaps understandable given the fact that there is a warp point to Colonial Union territory in their home system.  That warp point is already covered by massive defenses, though, and the Bjering are more concerned with potential threats posed by the Alliance, or by unknown races that may be found during exploration.  This debate will be ongoing, and will likely affect the deployment of the high tech ten systems that are now under development. 

The CSR’s relationship with the other two major races in known space continues to be uneventful.  Truthfully, this is about as good as can be expected, given the fact that the Bjering absolutely do not trust the Alliance, and the humans of the former Tomsk Union don’t trust the Colonial Union.   There is some interest in expanding both relationships to include mutual defense treaties, but neither government in the CSR is particularly interested in exploring this possibility at the current time. 

The CSR is continuing to maintain a no-contact policy with the Mintek, given the irregularities involved in the Mintek contact and then conquest of the Bedu.  While there is some desire to at least open trade relations, both the Bedu refugees and the Alliance have stated in the past that giving the Mintek access to your territory is tantamount to inviting them to invade you.  Given the rapid fall of the Bedu state, and the ongoing difficulties that the Alliance seems to have with the Mintek, the CSR has decided that caution is the best route forward and is busily shifting mobile construction resources to their contact point with the Mintek to begin fortifying the system.   The Mintek seem to be honoring this decision, at least for now.  Although they have sent several CD’s through the warp point from the Bedu home system requesting the opening of negotiations aimed towards creating a trade relationship between the two powers, they haven’t pressed the issue when the Bjering declined their offer. 

The CSR maintains relations with two minor races, the Tolan Trade Federation and the Aldrean Contemplative State.  The Aldreans are low tech, and the CSR is giving them support to raise their tech level as quickly as possible.  The Tolan are at HT-9, but were trapped in a dead-end in their home system until the Tomsk Union gave them access to warp routes in Union territory so that they could reach unexplored systems.  The Tolan are generally peaceful, and were very grateful to the Tomsk Union for being allowed to access their territory, and as a result signed a partnership agreement with the CSR in Month 210. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 210
Update, Alliance

Total Income (All Sources): 169,225 MCr’s (note: this is an unreliable number given the uncertainty running rampant in the Alliance)
Upkeep: 104,972 MCr’s (62%, but, as above, unreliable given the lack of knowledge on the status of some forces)

Alliance Fleets: 12xBB, 39xBC, 8xCVL, 39xCA, 48xCL, 3xCVS, 74xDD, 39xCVE, 61xCTV, 5xCT(Pinnace), 2xCT, 701xF0, 495xF1 
D’Bringi ships loyal to the Alliance: 12xBC, 7xCA, 4xCVS, 2xCTV, 126xF0

New Communications Command
26xCCT, 37xCourier

Construction
1xSD, 6xCV, 6xBC, 32xCVE, 5xCTV, 2xBS4, 7xBS0(CV), 589xF1

The Alliance is in disarray, and the Rehorish and T’Pau are only now beginning to get things back under control, at least in the Core Sector.  The Rehorish and the T’Pau have formed what amounts to a rump Council, without a D’Bringi representative, and are acting to secure the Alliance and isolate the D’Bringi colonies and the D’Bringi home system until Skull-Splitter can put together a loyalist movement of sufficient size and credibility to be recognized by the Alliance government.  As things stand, the Alliance is effectively split into three portions by the corruption of the ICN and its ensuing destruction by the Rehorish and T’Pau. 

Core Sector
The Core Sector contains the home worlds of the three member races, and is the most heavily populated and industrialized sector of the Alliance.  This sector is firmly under the control of the rump Council controlled by the Rehorish and T’Pau.  The old, corrupted, ICN has been destroyed out to four jumps from the home worlds of the Rehorish and T’Pau, which means the heaviest populated portions of the sector are now free from interference from the D’Bringi Empire.  Near light-speed secure communications have been established between the Rehorish and T’Pau home worlds using communications ships, as well as with the fleets stationed in the Phyriseq and Kure systems.  A new ICN will be established throughout the cleared areas beginning this month, reestablishing communications and control throughout the sector. 

With the destruction of the old ICN and the spread of courier ships throughout the sector, the rump Council’s intelligence on the status of the Core Sector has greatly improved.  There are nine D’Bringi colonies within the Core Sector, and so far, four of them have been contacted by the courier ships.  Of the four, two were confirmed to support the new D’Bringi Empire by Skull-Splitter, while the remaining two are new colonies with small populations that seem to have no idea of what is going in in the center of the Alliance.   By the end of month 210 nearly the entire sector will be cleared of the old ICN and positive control will be reestablished shortly thereafter. 

Chruqua Defense Zone
This sector is in flux.  The old ICN is still in operation throughout much of the sector, although courier ships from the T’Pau home world have reached some of the systems that are closest to the Core Sector, including the Chruqua nexus itself, the Phyriseq Fortress System, and the Sector Capital in the Kumamoto system.  Rehorish Fleet Intelligence believes that a significant nexus of anti-Empire sentiment exists in the sector, centered on the D’Bringi colony in the Nagasaki system, however, this is largely speculation based on a few unconfirmed facts.  Courier ships from the T’Pau home system reached Nagasaki at the end of the last month, however, CD’s have not yet returned with information on the status of that system.  There are eleven D’Bringi colonies in the Chruqua Defense Zone, and to date the loyalties of these colonies are largely unknown as the only information available to the rump Council is from the corrupted ICN.  Couriers from the Core Sector have moved into the Chruqua Defense Zone and will be clearing out the old ICN and reestablishing contact with the local governments as fast as possible, but the sector is large and it will be some time before secure communications can be reestablished throughout the Zone. 

Far Frontier Sector
The Far Frontier Sector is the lightest populated of the Alliance sectors, but is also the fastest growing with the largest amount of colonization taking place.  The Sector boasts populations from all three member races, and the Sector capital is the D’Bringi colony in the Stahat system.  This colony has also been identified as the likely location of the heart of the D’Bringi Imperial movement.  The sector has links to the Chirq home world, which is located on the fringes of the Core Sector, and is the site of the reported Union incursion in the Dether system.  It is also the location of the Alliance’s largest single concentration of the fleet power, the 6th Fleet in the Zir system of Villiers.  The corrupted ICN is still functional within the Far Frontier Sector, and although it is cut off from the D’Bringi home world the rump Council and Rehorish Naval Intelligence believes that it continues to function as the D’Bringi intended throughout that sector.  Attempts to reestablish secure communications with the 6th Fleet have been stopped at the border of the Stathat system by Imperial D’Bringi patrol ships, as have attempts to establish communications with Rehorish and T’Pau colonies throughout the sector.  Communications via the old ICN still exist, and regular reports from those colonies are still received by couriers stationed adjacent to the Stahat system, in the Chruqua Defense Zone, but, of course, those reports cannot be trusted.  The Sector’s economy continues to work, and goods are still being shipped in between systems.  Indeed, it appears that taxes to the Alliance government continue to be collected throughout the sector, as far as Rehorish Naval Intelligence can determine.  So far everything in the Far Frontier Sector appears normal, aside from the incursion into the Dether system, but that information cannot be trusted either.  The reality, as far as the rump Council and Rehorish Naval Intelligence are concerned, is that the Far Frontier Sector is a black hole within which they know very little.   

Colonization has come to a halt throughout the Alliance as available resources are being diverted to build new fleet units and restore communications, as have industrial investments.  All exploration fleets have been recalled to support possible offensive operations by the main Alliance fleets.   

Alliance Associate States
To date the Alliance Council has not informed the Associate states of the difficulty that has engulfed it.  And, although their representatives to the Alliance Council know something is amiss, their communications to their home worlds have been just as unreliable as the rest of the Alliance’s communications, meaning that, at least so far, the Associate States have continued on in ignorance of the events taking place throughout the Alliance. 

Aurarii Republic
Total Income (All Sources): 43,189.66 MCr’s
Upkeep: 22,055 MCr’s (51%)

Fleet: 6xML, 8xSD, 9xBB, 6xCV, 9xCVL, 102xF0, 186xF1

Refits: 3xML, 3xSD, 2xCV, 2xCVL

The Aurarii have become extremely dissatisfied with the Alliance in general and the Doraz in particular.  As part of their agreement to join the Alliance as an associate member, they were granted access to an ‘unexplored’ system close to their home system by the Doraz.  Exploration of this system revealed the warp chain to be a dead end, with two additional systems, only one of which has any planets at all, and none of those are habitable.  Given the fact that the Aurarii home system has only one warp point, which links to Doraz territory, this was a disappointing development that has maddened the Emperor.  To divert attention from this failure, the fleet has suggested that the Doraz knew that the warp chain was a dead end and foisted it on the Aurarii Emperor as a ‘bauble’ to appease the naïve race that only recently discovered warp line travel. 

Powerful elements within the Aurarii government are pushing for a war of conquest against the Doraz so that the Aurarii can gain access to unexplored space and new colonization areas.  The Emperor, in spite of his embarrassment at having signed the treaty with the Alliance and receiving nothing in return, has decided on diplomatic overtures instead of an invasion, for now.  However, the delegation dispatched to the Alliance Capital has not returned or communicated in some time, and the pressure on the Emperor to resolve the situation with violence is growing.  If he does not act soon, it is quite possible that he might be overthrown and replaced with an emperor that will act. 

Bir Meritocracy
Total Income: 1,936 MCr’s
Total Upkeep: 48 MCr’s (1.8%)

The Bir have reached HT-2 and are well on their way to HT-3, with Alliance assistance.  They have launched three shipyards into orbit over their planet, and are building two more. 

Chirq Cooperative
Total Income: 13,270 MCr’s
Total Upkeep: 856 MCr’s (10.4%)

Fleet: 2xES
System Defenses: 3xBS2, 6xPDC(Anti-missile)

Construction: 3xBS2, 6xCT
The Chirq have gone a long way towards rebuilding their civilization since the invasion by the Khozun.  They have seven shipyards in orbit over their planet and are building up their fleet and defenses.  In part this has been made available by resources sent from all over the Alliance.  This build up will continue, and will be given priority by the new government, which is much more defense oriented than the old government. 

Doraz Contingency
Total Income: 28,538 MCr’s
Total Upkeep: 7,452 MCr’s (15.4%)

Fleet: 6xBC, 15xCA, 15xDD, 5xCT

Refits: 1xCA
Construction: 4xSS(SY), 1xSupply Ship

The Doraz achieved HT-8 this month, and have heavily invested in developing the newly available systems, including fighters and their supporting systems.  In the meantime, while those systems are developed, the Doraz will focus on increasing their construction capacity and improving the defenses of their home system. 

Kingdom of Lothar
Total Income: 30,457 MCr’s
Total Upkeep: 14,352 MCr’s (47%)

Fleet: 9xBC, 3xCA, 6xCVL, 6xCVE, 144xF2L, 141xGBP

The Lothari have been busily exploring their neighborhood and colonizing everything they can reach.  So far, the Lothari have established five out-system colonies on habitable planets, although disappointingly, through some fluke of fate all of those planets are rated poor or very poor in mineral wealth. 

Torqual Free State
Total Income: 41,750 MCr’s
Total Upkeep: 13,940 MCr’s (33.4%)

Fleet: 9xBC, 28xCA, 24xCL, 21xCT

Refits: 3xBC, 3xCA, 7xCL
Construction: 3xBS3

The Torqual fleet is undergoing a major refit to HT-7 standards.  In the meantime, the Torqual are focused on a major colonization effort throughout their territories. 

Zir Contemplative Union
Total Income: 54,910 MCr’s
Total Upkeep: 14,522 MCr’s (26.4%)

Fleet: 26xDD, 31xFG, 111xCT

Construction: 5xSupply Ships, 2xBS2, 13xBS0
Refits: 2xBS4, 14xDD, 9xCT

Of the Associate Races, the Zir are the most aware that something is wrong within the Alliance.  This is largely because of the massive Alliance fleet presence in the Villiers system.  First, there was the unexpected withdrawal of the D’Bringi contingent, followed by news of a Union incursion.  That stimulated additional out-system deployments by the 6th Fleet command.  All of this has led to the Zir government coming to the conclusion that events elsewhere in the Alliance are overshadowing the need to fortify and garrison the Villiers system.  The Zir government has requested clarifications from the Alliance Council several times, but to date no response has been received. 

This political confusion has emboldened both the Zir factions who want to make independent contact with the races beyond the Villiers system and the isolationist factions who oppose them.  The political in-fighting in the Zir capital has grown particularly vicious, but as long as the bulk of the Alliance 6th Fleet remains in the Villiers system nothing will change. 

D’Bringi Empire
The newly proclaimed D’Bringi Empire has its official capital on the D’Bringi home world in the Core Sector, however, its administrative heart and true power center is on the D’Bringi colony in the Stahat system, which also happens to be the sector capital of the Far Frontier Sector.  This was done for several reasons.  Firstly, in its early days the movement was necessarily underground to avoid the scrutiny of the authorities, and this was much easier to do on a distant colony world.  Additionally, the plotters always knew that attempting to run the Empire from the home world would be difficult, if not impossible, given the fact that the D’Bringi home world is located in a cul-de-sac system beyond the T’Pau home world, relatively close to the Rehorish home world.  In the confusion following the coup the Empire’s analysts considered it a near certainty that the Rehorish and T’Pau would attempt a blockade of their home system, at least temporarily, making administration of the Empire from that location impossible.  This created a difficult situation for the plotters, as the home world is seen as the cultural heart of D’Bringi society, and thus any government that wished to be seen as legitimate must hold the home world.  Therefore, the Emperor declared the reestablishment of the Empire from the ancient throne room of the last empire on D’Bringi Prime, and established his rule there, while all of the actual work was done from Stahat. 

The inevitable Rehorish/T’Pau blockade has indeed severed the D’Bringi home world from contact with the rest of the Alliance and the Empire, however, as noted above this was anticipated and the Empire continues to function.  Currently, the D’Bringi Empire is divided into many different independent sections, and uniting these sections is the primary goal of the Imperial government on Stahat, along with continuing the deception plan that is intended to occupy the Alliance government with external concerns while the Empire consolidates its power so it can present the Alliance with a united front that it must accept. 

The main D’Bringi Groups, as of month 210, are:

D’Bringi Home System:
Income: 12,930 MCr’s
Upkeep: 7,575 MCr’s (58%)

Fleet: 9xBC, 7xCV, 3xCA, 6xCVE, 2xCTV, 396xF1

The new Imperial government is firmly in control of the D’Bringi home world, and has apparently suppressed all dissent, at least to the point that it is underground and not visible to the average citizen.  The Empire has also established firm control of the D’Bringi military forces, particularly the Alliance 2nd Fleet, which was stationed in the D’Bringi home system and was composed entirely of D’Bringi ships.  The Emperor has replaced the commanding officer of the 2nd Fleet, as well as many of the ship commanders, with D’Bringi personally loyal to him, however, it will take time to completely change the nature of the fleet’s personnel.  For now, the Emperor is willing to allow the Rehorish and T’Pau blockade to stand without opposition, as it allows him to appear to be moderate and accepting of Alliance needs and concerns. 

The D’Bringi home world, as one of the three main Alliance shipbuilding centers, had access to resources far beyond its own productive capacity while it was linked to the Alliance, but it lost access to those resources once the blockade went up.  While it has access to a stockpile of resources from that time, it is unclear when access to Alliance resources will be re-established. 

D’Bringi Empire (Far Frontier Sector)
Income: 7,052 MCr’s
Upkeep: 8,659 MCr’s (122%)

Fleet: 9xBC, 9xCA, 6xCVS, 3xCL, 14xCVE, 26xCTV, 531xF0, 18xF1, 7xSupply Ship

The D’Bringi Empire in the Far Frontier Sector is working feverishly to firm up their positions on the D’Bringi colonies that declared their support for the Empire from the beginning, while also extending that control to the other D’Bringi colonies throughout the Sector that declined to give such support.  Including the D’Bringi colony in Stahat, there are fourteen D’Bringi colonies in the sector.  As of the start of Month 210, ten D’Bringi colonies within the sector have sworn loyalty to the new Imperial government, although two of these colonies have been cut off by the Union incursion into the Dether system.  This leaves four that are not yet under the Imperial government’s control, but all four are new colonies on the fringes to the sector and thus have small populations.

The D’Bringi Empire in the Far Stars Sector has a resource problem.  It has access to a large fleet, consisting of D’Bringi ships withdrawn from the 6th Fleet and other D’Bringi ships suborned by the Empire plotters prior to the coup and moved to the Far Stars Sector under cover of the corrupted ICN.  Some of these ships were involved in acts of piracy across the outer fringe of the Alliance, in the Khozun-Chirq war, and in the attack on the Colonial Union.  These actions brought in a fair amount of mega-credits, all of which was used to fund the plot to suborn the old D’Bringi government and thus could not be used to support the fleet.  Unfortunately, it was clear even before the coup that the resources available to the D'Bringi colonies in the Far Stars Sector would not be sufficient to support such a large fleet.  Therefore, the plotters took several actions.  First, the plotters made sure to take the bulk of the 6th Fleet’s supply ships with them when they withdrew from the Villiers system.  These supply ships were packed with maintenance supplies for the 6th Fleet, and would have enough supplies to support the new D’Bringi fleet for many months.  Secondly, the Imperial D’Bringi government on Stahat just happened to be the Sector government as well, and had administrative control of the Alliance resources produced by all of the colonies in the sector.  Normally, those resources would be sent on to the Core Sector and Chruqua Defense Zone, where they would be used to build and maintain the main Alliance fleets.  Since the coup, though, the new Imperial government in the Stahat system has been diverting the production of the Alliance colonies in the sector to its own coffers, to be used to support the Imperial D’Bringi Fleet.  It has been unable to use all of those resources for its own ends, though, as it has been forced to divert some of the purloined resources to support the 6th Fleet, to avoid suspicion and accusations of treasonous acts against the Alliance.  If the re-established Empire is successful in convincing the Alliance to accept it as the legitimate government of the D’Bringi, then the diversion of the resources from the sector will be accepted as ‘legitimate use’, as all of those resources went to support ships that were, or are, a part of the Alliance. 

Free D’Bringi Colonies
The D’Bringi colony in the Nagasaki system, located in the Chruqua Defense Zone, resisted a concerted attempt by the plotters to overthrow its pro-Alliance government and almost immediately sent out messages and then contact groups to the surrounding D’Bringi colonies.  So far it has brought two nearby D’Bringi colonies in the Chruqua Defense Zone into its new organization opposed to the D’Bringi Empire.  While the Nagasaki colony has a medium population, the other colonies are all rated as ‘small’.  The Free Colonies have no military and are not attempting to build one.  Instead, they continue to contribute their resources to the Alliance and have appealed to the Alliance Sector Capital at Kumamoto for assistance and defense.  Unfortunately, those appeals have so far gone unanswered.  This may have something to do with the corruption of the ICN, or possibly because of the pro-Imperial D’Bringi government in the neighboring Jerothal system, which stands in between Nagasaki and the sector capital.  Communications problems have been the primary limiting problem for the Nagasaki colony in its attempts to contact and assist its neighboring colonies. 

Other Imperial Worlds
A number of other D’Bringi colony worlds across the Alliance have declared for the Empire, but are not in a position to actively support it.  These worlds are mostly located in the Core Sector and the Chruqua Defense Zone and have been told to bide their time until they can be united with either the home world or the government in Stahat.  In the meantime, they are to continue contributing their resources to the Alliance and not make waves.   

[Kurt (OP)]

Colonial Union Update, Month 210

Income (All Sources): 111,077 MCr’s
Upkeep: 51,176 MCr’s (46%)

Fleet: 15xSD, 3xBB, 33xBC, 32xCA, 1xCVL, 1xCVS, 44xCL, 40xDD, 19xFG, 16xCT, 68xCVE, 1219xF0

Under Construction: 1xCV, 32xCVE, 68xF0
Refits: 4xSD

The Colonial Union is mobilizing for war.  The efforts to refit the fleet have been discontinued, and new construction is aimed at alleviating the fleet’s perceived shortfalls.  The Union’s shipyards have been focused on increasing the number of carriers available across the Union, with more than a little success. 

The Colonial Senate has declined to declare war, although it has voted nearly unanimously to support the administration’s response to the D’Bringi incursions.  In the absence of continued incursions, the Senate is unlikely to pass a declaration of war, but much hangs on the Alliance response to the temporary seizure of the Dether system by the Union fleet.  The Union government, through Admiral Carstairs in the Dether system, has demanded a response from the Alliance government for the illegal and unprovoked raids into Union territory.  So far there has been no response. 

The citizens of the Union are apparently holding their breath, waiting to see what happens to the 1st Battle Fleet in the Dether system, and how the Alliance responds to the Union’s entirely legitimate demands.    The vast majority of the public firmly supports the government’s limited response to the incursions, although, of course, there are those who desperately wish to avoid war at any cost, and others who blame the government for not going far enough.  Whether or not the public will support a general war against the Alliance is not known, and so far, government polling efforts have been unsuccessful in determining the public’s true opinions on this matter.  Essentially, it appears that public opinion will largely depend on the Alliance’s reaction to the Union’s demands. 

The Colonial Union Defense Force (UCDF) is currently divided into four main fleets.  The 1st Battle Fleet is in the Dether system, occupying the system and awaiting an Alliance response.  The Sigma Draconis Defense Fleet is in the Sigma Draconis system, which is at the heart of the Union, defending the system against possible attacks from the Alliance originating from the closed (and hidden) warp points in the Centaurus system and beyond.  The Border Defense Fleet is in the Kirov system, which is the Union’s connection to the Confederated Free States.  It is a buffer state in between the Union and the Alliance.  And finally, the Union Assault Corps (UAC) is in the Laramie system, in between the Dether system and the Sector capital at Sligo.  The UAC is positioned to defend against an advance against Sligo, and also to assist the 1st Battle Fleet, should assistance be needed.  Of the fleets, the Border Defense Fleet in Kirov is the smallest, with six battlecruisers and three heavy cruisers, while the 1st Battle Fleet is the largest, with three SD’s, three BB’s, eleven BC’s, and six CA’s.  The UAC is actually smaller, in terms of capital ships, but is also a specialized unit, focused on attacking and defending at warp points.  It also does not currently have carrier support, something that was not considered important prior to the current mobilization, but now appears foolish in retrospect. 

In spite of the military buildup, colonization has continued across the Union, albeit at a slightly reduced pace.  In addition, the occupation of the Tlatelolco in the Redwing system has ended, and the Senate has voted to provide them with a significant amount of economic and technological assistance.  The Tlatelolco are focusing on building orbital shipyards, completing their colonization efforts across their home system, and increasing their technology.  The liberation of the Tlatelolco is considered a success even by many in the New Dawn party, as the Tlatelolco have agreed to leave the defense of their system in the hands of the UCDF, and instead focus their efforts on exploration and colonization. 

The Union’s occupation of the Tarek in the Sligo system continues.  In spite of the success of the liberation of the Tlatelolco, no one is seriously discussing the same for the Tarek.  The Tarek have been consistently hostile to humanity, and remain so even under occupation.  Their cooperation is grudging, at best, and their resistance to the Occupation Authority has remained just below the level at which the occupation command would authorize orbital bombardment.  For the most part, the Occupation Authority has been content to leave the Tarek alone, as long as they do not openly resist the Authority and do not engage in an open military buildup.   The Occupation Authority has given the Senate Oversight Committee for Tarek Affairs plenty of evidence indicating that if the Tarek wanted to overthrow the Authority and free their planet, they could easily do so.  The Committee takes this information seriously, and has made it clear to the Tarek government that should any such uprising occur, the UCDF battle squadrons in the Sligo system have orders to bombard the planet until resistance ends.  So far, this balancing act is working, although no one is entire sure what the Tarek plan to do. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 210, Day 3, Confederated Free States
For over a month the Alliance Ambassador to the Confederated Free States, who was also coincidentally the ambassador to the Colonial Union, as all diplomatic contact was conducted in the CFS, had been put off by the Colonial Union’s embassy.  As things had become increasingly clear that all was not well within the Alliance, the messages from the home world had become increasingly strident in their demands that she establish effective communications with the Union.  The entire situation was incredibly frustrating, as the Union embassy had given no reason for the reticence.  Her contacts within the CFS government were telling her that they were getting the same answers, or non-answers from the Colonial Union.  As far as the CFS or the Alliance could determine, the Colonial Union seemed to have cut off all contact, although they hadn’t withdrawn their embassy.  They just weren’t talking.    The CFS government believed it was due to the assassination of the Union’s newly arrived representative two months ago.  Or attempted assassination, no one was really sure.  For a brief period, the CFS government was panicked, fearing the Union would blame them for the attempt, but after a few weeks of inaction from the Union they went back to business as usual. 

Ambassador Sato had just settled in to read the latest reports from home when she was interrupted by an aide with a message from the Union embassy.  They wanted to meet with her at her soonest opportunity.  They requested that the meeting take place in the CFS Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in the capital, a common enough occurrence for the two powers that it didn’t really raise any eyebrows.  Excited, she rushed to set up the meeting. 

Two hours later, she and her aide arrived at the CFS building and were ushered into a small but well-appointed conference room.  Just as they were getting settled the door on the far side of the room opened and a human entered.  The human was huge, big for even a human, almost as wide across as he was tall.  The human nodded to the Rehorish and then took the chair positioned for him on his side of the table.  The two Rehorish didn’t really sit, but rather settled into low benches the CFS had put in the room for their use.   

“I am Senator Semenov.  I understand that you have been sending messages to our embassy, trying to arrange a meeting with our ambassador.”

Ambassador Sato leaned forward eagerly.  “Yes, most urgently.  A situation has arisen between our two nations that must be resolved as soon as possible.”  The Rehorish Ambassador paused, glancing at her aide.  “May I ask, what has become of your emissary, Admiral Ruston.  Or Ambassador Tilford for that matter?”

The human remained silent for long enough that she was beginning to think he was going to answer, when finally, he shook his head.  “Emissary Ruston is dead.  And Ambassador Tilford has been detained pending an investigation into his involvement with the shuttle crash that killed Emissary Ruston.”

Ambassador Sato’s antennae twitched at the look on the human’s face.  She had spent long hours training herself to recognize human expressions, and this human did not have a ‘poker face’.  “Emissary Ruston was a friend of yours, if I am not mistaken.  I honor your grief.”  She dipped her antennae in respect, a gesture she didn’t know if the human would recognize but which she thought was necessary none the less.  “Surely Ambassador Tilford was not involved in his death?”  Ambassador Sato was becoming alarmed.  First the D’Bringi instability causes dissention within the Alliance, and now human instability might be exacerbating the situation. 

Once again, the human remained silent, this time staring at the Rehorish ambassador.  Finally, he spoke.  “We do not know the truth of it, not yet.  Emissary Ruston came here, at my request, to find out why the Alliance attacked our colonies.  Attacks which were without provocation or justification.  And just as he arrived, he was killed by an ‘accident’, preventing his mission from going forward.  He came here to try to avoid a war, but someone didn’t want that.  That someone could be within my government, or yours.  I don’t know yet, but I will get to the bottom of it.”

“Surely you cannot think my government had anything to do with this?”  That was her immediate reaction, but even as she said it, she realized that at a time when the Alliance was apparently falling apart, nearly anything was possible. 

“Your government launched an attack on our colonies, killing hundreds and looting thousands of megacredits of resources and equipment.  Killing a single man doesn’t seem out of their reach.”

“My government did not launch an attack on the Colonial Union!  Any attacks were unsanctioned, and if they took place, they were done by rogue forces not under Alliance control.”

Senator Semenov tossed a data-chip across the table to the Rehorish Ambassador.  “They were Alliance ships, flying Alliance colors.  Crewed by the race that founded the Alliance.  They were Alliance.”

Ambassador Sato picked up the chip, but looked steadily at the human.  “There were no attacks on the Union ordered or sanctioned by the Alliance Council.  If there were attacks, and I do not doubt your word, then the Alliance will punish those responsible.”

Senator Semenov sat back.  “I would like to believe you mean that.  If we are to believe you, there would need to be a full accounting of the circumstances behind the attacks, proof that those responsible were punished, and reparations for the damage and death caused by those responsible.”

“All of those issues can be negotiated once the facts are established to everyone’s satisfaction.  However, there is the issue of the Union fleet that has invested the Alliance Dether colony system.”  She hurried on before he could interrupt.  “I do not demand that the fleet withdraw yet, by all reports they have been most civilized in their seizure of our system.  And, pending negotiations about the facts behind the…unsanctioned incursions… into Union space, we admit that the Union occupation of our system may be…justified… to a certain extent.  However, I must tell you that should that fleet advance further into the Alliance it will be viewed as an invasion of Alliance territory and treated as such.  And the Alliance response will not be limited to that single area.”

“Understood.”  Senator Semenov nodded.  The Rehorish ambassador had just touched on his biggest fear.  He feared that his own government was pushing to start a war, or at least a sharp border conflict, to hide its own corruption and inadequacies.  He had no control over the administration, or the fleet, only broad oversight powers.  He did not know what was being told to the fleet commander, or what her orders were.  “I will relay your words to my government.”

“As will I.  I believe we have much to talk about, over the coming days.”  She rose and bowed to the human, and the two groups departed through their separate doors.   

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 210, Day 5, Alliance Theom System
Large Group Leader Throat-Slasher looked around the bridge of his command battle cruiser, wondering how many of his crew he could really, truly, trust.  He hated the events that had put him in this position, but from the first he had seen no alternative.  His race was on a long slide to oblivion, becoming homogenized and corrupted by alien influences.  They were D’Bringi, and in the old days that had meant something.  Then the Alliance had come, and everything changed.  The Clans, long the protectors of the old ways, the ways that had taken them to heights undreamed of in the old days, abandoned the tried-and-true traditions of the past, for the temptation of new ways of doing things.  It had quickly become clear to him that the end result would be the marginalization of the D’Bringi within the greater emerging culture of the Alliance, and that was just unacceptable.  And so, when the plot to restore the honor of the D’Bringi race was revealed to him, he signed on immediately.  Since then, he had done some questionable things.  Things which kept him awake at night.  He was utterly convinced of their necessity, then and now, though, so he considered his sleep a small sacrifice towards restoring the honor and unique position of his race. 

Now, though, the newly restored Empire depended on him, and his actions here over the next several days.  The Imperial government in Stahat had determined that the Alliance had blockaded the D’Bringi home system, almost certainly meaning that they were in the first stages of moving against the Empire.  The Emperor’s foresight had led to plans for this contingency, and implementing those plans fell upon him. 

Before starting, he walked across the command deck and looked at the plot, which was set to show the area around the warp point to the Dether system.  Two groups of ships were shown on the display.  One was his fleet, the Imperial D’Bringi War Fleet.  Three battlecruisers, three cruiser-carriers, three strike carriers, three escort carriers, and seventeen corvette carriers.  All of the ships had commanders he trusted, who had proven their loyalty to the Empire.  The other group was composed of D’Bringi warships that had withdrawn from the Alliance 6th Fleet when the old government fell and the Emperor declared the restoration of the Empire.  That group was larger than his fleet – six battlecruisers, six cruisers, three strike carriers, eleven escort carriers, and three corvette carriers.  Together the two fleets could field over five hundred fighters.  He knew, based on reports from the inner system planets in Dether, that the human fleet in the system had superior numbers to his fleet, however, he had no information on the makeup of that fleet, or whether or not the humans had fighter technology.  The uncertainty was concerning, however, his orders left him little leeway. 

The Empire, if it was to survive, needed a distraction, and preferably a distraction that would force the rest of the Alliance to join together with the Empire against an external threat.  The humans had thoughtfully provided a fleet as a credible threat; however, they had declined to move any further into the Alliance, and the human fleet commander had sent out multiple messages requesting negotiations.  They clearly weren’t being threatening enough to create the conditions the Emperor needed to unite the Alliance.  Therefore, it had fallen upon him and his D’Bringi forces to create an incident worthy of pulling the races of the Alliance together.  And the human fleet in the Dether system would provide that incident, one way or another. 

He opened a comms channel to the flagship of the 6th Fleet units.  In a matter of seconds, the Large Group Leader in command was facing him.  His counterpart was wearing a standard Alliance uniform harness, unlike his more suitable Imperial harness, and continued to do so in spite of his urgings to change over to the more suitable Imperial uniform.  Throat-Slasher found the other’s reticence to adopt the Empire’s new uniform disturbing, but couldn’t afford to show that now.   “Large Group Leader, I have received orders from my commanders to advance into Dether and engage the human fleet.  Negotiations have failed, and the humans are threatening to bombard the colonies.  We must advance!”

The other D’Bringi looked concerned.  “I have heard nothing from 6th Fleet or Alliance HQ.  Are you sure of your information?”

“Very sure.  The humans must be stopped.  We must at least try to stop them; else what good are we doing here?”

“Surely, they wouldn’t indiscriminately bombard Alliance populations?  They outnumber us, and beyond us lies the new Empire’s most important colony, as well as the rest of the Alliance.  Reinforcements are en route even as we speak.”

Throat-Slasher had thought long and hard about this.  His counterpart was an older, distinguished D’Bringi officer, with a long record of service.  He would not be bullied into attacking, or rushed.  However, there were other ways.  “I cannot force you to accompany me.  Therefore, my force will advance into Dether and engage the enemy fleet before they can act against the colonies.  Your force can either advance with me and my ships, or remain here and secure the route into the Alliance, as you see fit.  Either way my ships will advance in one hour.”  He cut the link before the other could comment. 

On board his flag-cruiser, Large Group Leader G’Tak stared at his monitor, furiously thinking.  Attacking the human fleet without proper intelligence was foolhardy, but if the Imperial officer was correct and the humans did intend to bombard the colonies, remaining here was the action of a coward.  In the end he detailed off a few ships to watch the warp point, while he and the rest of his fleet advanced into the Dether system with the Imperial ships.  The humans would retreat or die.  Either was acceptable. 

Month 210, Day 5, Union controlled Dether system
The Union’s 1st Battle Fleet was deployed around the colonies of the Dether system, either in orbit, or in a central location orbiting the system’s yellow primary.  Last month, sensor buoys from the Sligo system had finally arrived and been positioned across the mid-system, giving the fleet sensor coverage of the system out to 216 light minutes.  This wasn’t enough to detect ships entering the system through warp points in the outer system, but it would detect them entering through warp points closer to the primary, or, if they did enter in the outer system, the network would detect them about 216 light minutes out as they travelled towards the colonies in the inner system.  That would be enough warning to assemble the fleet and move either towards the incoming ships, or away, depending on the situation. 

Admiral Carstairs had been very relieved to receive two separate waves of reinforcements over the last several days, primarily consisting of sorely needed escort carriers and their fighters.  These reinforcements brought their fighter strength up to just over three hundred and fifty fighters, which made her feel at least somewhat better about facing a D’Bringi or Alliance fleet that surely had been fielding fighters much longer than humanity had.  She feared it might not be enough, but she also was beginning to suspect that there was no such thing as ‘enough’ fighters.  Even as she contemplated the Union’s fighter situation, her comm sounded with an incoming call. 

Captain Li-Chen was on the comm from the superdreadnought’s bridge.  “Admiral, the sensor network has picked up a new drive field contact.  Bearing 060, distance ninety-six light minutes.”

Admiral Carstairs felt a brief stab of alarm.  The new contact was more or less in between her fleet and the warp point back to Union space.  If this was an Alliance force entering the system through a previously undetected warp point, then their positioning was bad luck.  Yet again she cursed the haphazard approach the Union had taken towards this ‘offensive’.  Her fleet had been in this system for months, and it was only just last month that a survey fleet had arrived in-system to support them.  And that fleet had barely had enough time to begin surveying for warp points, and hadn’t found any yet.  Shaking off the conflicting feelings, she shook her head.  “Very well.  Call a squadron-commander’s conference for 1000 hours, and make sure this contact report gets disseminated immediately.  And patch me through to Commander Uriah.”  A few seconds later the youthful face of Commander Thomas Uriah, the CO of one of the fleet’s frigate-scouts, was on her monitor. 

“Commander Uriah, you’re to take your ship out to meet the incoming Alliance force, to determine the composition of that contact.  I will detail an escort carrier to accompany you.”

“Yes ma’am!” 

Month 210, Day 6, Disputed Dether System
Commander Uriah sat in his command chair, staring at the plot as it updated with the latest information.  His scout had finally closed to just within twelve light minutes, which meant that it was now close enough to determine the number of ships in the Alliance force.  The plot chimed as it updated, and in seconds an info tag appeared connected to the drive field contact, showing that it was composed of sixty-four ships.  When the three Alliance corvettes that were shadowing his frigate were added to the total, it was a respectable force.  They outnumbered the Union force, barely, but numbers weren’t everything. Unfortunately, Union intelligence was sure that the Alliance was ahead of the Union in both general technologies, and in fighter technology, both of which could magnify numerical differences.  And not in a good way for the Union.  Still, based on the speed at which the Alliance force was moving they couldn’t have anything larger than a battlecruiser, which meant that the Union force had at least one advantage.

“Send a message to the fleet updating them on this development and inform the admiral that we will attempt to get closer to determine the makeup of the Alliance force.”

The message went out as the frigate closed with the Alliance fleet.  Or attempted to close.  As it drove inwards towards the Alliance fleet, the three corvettes shadowing it launched fighters, driving it back.  The fighters were capable of chasing down the Union frigate, but didn’t, content to keep it out of close sensor range of the fleet.  After a while Commander Uriah tired of the game and settled into a course paralleling the oncoming enemy fleet. 

In the inner system, Admiral Carstairs made her decision.  The fleet sallied forth, headed out to meet the incoming Alliance force.  In reality she had little choice.  Because of the random chance involved in warp point locations, the Alliance force stood squarely across her retreat route, should she decide to avoid engagement.  Worse, her six heavy capital ships meant that her fleet was slower than the Alliance fleet, so even if she wanted to retreat, she couldn’t.  So, the Union fleet advanced to meet the Alliance fleet. 

Month 210, Day 7, Disputed Dether system
The two fleets faced each other across forty light seconds of space.  Admiral Carstairs was deeply unhappy with the situation, and there was little she could do about it.  Her sensors were unable to determine the makeup of the Alliance fleet at this range, which meant that the Alliance probably wasn’t able to discern her fleet composition either, however, the Alliance fleet had used no less than seventeen corvette-carriers to probe her fleet, and had penetrated closely enough to determine the exact composition of her force.  She had simply been unable to prevent this from happening, as she didn’t have any ships that were fast enough to counter the Alliance corvettes, and when she had ordered her carriers to launch their fighters to chase down the illusive Alliance scout-carriers, the main Alliance force launched its own fighters and threatened her fleet, forcing her to pull the fighters back and concede the scouting battle.  The upshot was that the Alliance knew her exact force composition, and she had limited knowledge of their composition.  The one bright side to all of this was that while the Alliance force outnumbered hers, the fact that nearly a quarter of the Alliance fleet’s ships were corvettes was at least somewhat reassuring. 

Admiral Carstairs had ordered her comms department to establish contact with the Alliance fleet command as they closed, but the Alliance fleet had ignored the contact attempts.  Until now.   As the two fleets sat across from each other, the Alliance force finally opened a channel.  Admiral Carstairs gestured for her comms officer to open the channel, and the monitor at the front of the flag bridge cleared to show a split-screen with two D’Bringi officers on two different command decks.  Interestingly, one of the D’Bringi officers was wearing the uniform harness of the Alliance Navy, while the other officer was wearing the same type of ornate harness worn by the D’Bringi who had attacked the Union colonies.  After a second, the D’Bringi on the left, the one wearing the ornate, non-Alliance harness, began to speak. 

“To the Union forces that have illegally occupied the Alliance colonies in the Dether system.  You are ordered to withdraw from the system immediately.  Failure to withdraw in a timely manner, or any actions taken against the civilian population, will result in your immediate destruction.”  The channel closed and the monitor went black. 

Admiral Carstairs carefully kept the consternation she felt from her face.  The entire reason for her presence in the system was to force the D’Bringi, or the Alliance, to the negotiating table.  If they were unwilling to talk, then the chance of all-out war was considerably higher than she liked.  It was interesting, though, that there had been two D’Bringi present on-screen, and that they wore different uniforms.  “Record for broadcast to the Alliance Fleet.”  When her comms officer nodded, she turned towards the camera on her console.  “The Colonial Union is responding to unprovoked and deadly attacks by D’Bringi ships on Colonial Union planetary populations.  The seizure of this system by my fleet is temporary, as I indicated in my numerous transmissions to your government, until the Alliance government provides an explanation for the raids into Union space.”  Admiral Carstairs paused for a few seconds, then continued.  “As for the civilian population of this system, they have nothing to fear from the Union Fleet.  Unlike the D’Bringi, we do not go out of our way to kill civilians.”  She turned to her comms officer.  “Append the recordings of the evidence of the raids, along with the messages from the President, and transmit it.”

On board the Alliance 6th Fleet flagship, Large Group Leader G’Tak stared at his monitor in consternation.  The message from the Union admiral had been clear and direct.  After a few seconds, he turned to his second in command.  “Second, what was that bit about raiding into Union space?  Have there been any reports, anywhere, about impending action against the Union?”

“Sir, there is something very interesting appended to that recording.  I’ll route it to your station.  I believe it will explain the Union admiral’s statements.”

G’Tak watched the appended recordings of D’Bringi officers in Imperial harnesses ordering their ships to attack Union colonies and felt sick.  Recordings could be faked, of course, but he knew one of the officers personally.  He had always considered J’sten to be a pain in the tail, an entitled, arrogant younger son of a minor Clan lord.  And there he was, telling the human colonists that if they continued to resist his forces, he could and would bombard their capital.  “Second, have your heard anything of these events before this?”

The second in command hissed in frustration.  “No sir, but as you know interstellar communications have been…tenuous as of late.  I…”  Before the second in command could continue, the comms officer broke in. 

“Incoming transmission from the Imperial Flagship.  It is directed at the Union force and copied to us.”

G’Tak nodded to the comms officer.  “Put it up on the monitor.”

“Your presence in this system is unacceptable.  Once you have returned to your own systems you may present your evidence, if any, to the proper authorities.  Retreat now or be destroyed.”  The monitor went black.

G’Tak was trying to decipher the possible reasons for the other D’Bringi officer’s aggressive attitude when the comms officer routed another comms request to his station.  After accepting the comms request, the visage of Large Group Leader Throat Slasher appeared on his desk monitor.  “We must attack immediately, before the humans manage to receive reinforcements.  I am launching a fighter strike; I suggest you join your fighters to mine.  With their fighters gone, the humans will be as meat before the hunters.” 

Before the other could cut the channel, G’Tak spoke.  “What do you know about the human’s claim that the Empire attacked their colonies?”

Throat-Slasher looked back blankly.  “I know nothing of this, of course.  The humans are making this up to justify their invasion, and we cannot allow them to attack our colonists.”

The monitor went black, leaving G’Tak staring at a blank screen. 

“Sir, the Imperial fleet is launching fighters.”  The plot tank updated to show the Imperial carriers launching their fighters, all of which carried codes indicating that they were armed for anti-fighter strikes. 

“Very well.  Inform all ships, launch fighters.  All fighters to join with the Imperial strike and will be under Imperial operational control. Second, join me in my office.”

The two D’Bringi retired to the Large Group Leader’s office adjacent to the bridge.  Once in the room G’Tak sealed the door and brought up the tactical display and set it to show the fighter strike forming up in front of the combined fleets.  They sat silently for a few seconds, watching the swarming mass of fighters assembling in front of their fleet.  Finally, Assistant Leader J’Ton gestured towards the display.  “Your esteemed counterpart in the Imperial Fleet seems intent on getting his battle with the humans.  Who, if I am not mistaken, seem to want to talk more than fight.”

Large Group Leader G’Tak stared at the display as the fighter strike formed up and then set out for the human fleet, five hundred and fifteen fighters strong.  “He will get his battle, but will it go as he thinks?  I doubt the humans, who are newer to fighter technology than we are, will be able to overcome the strike we just launched, which will leave them open and vulnerable to additional fighter strikes.  If they do lose their fighter coverage, then they will have to retreat.”

Assistant Leader J’Ton gestured agreement.  “But will our esteemed Imperial friend allow them to withdraw?  With their heavy ships they cannot outrun our fleet, much less our fighters.  They will be at our mercy.  And should we attack them at all, if they are telling the truth and the Empire attacked them first?”

G’Tak shook his head.  “Before we left the Villiers system, I was given a confidential briefing by Tai-sho Talix.  He was of the belief that the new D’Bringi Empire was behind the communications disruptions, and that they were using them to consolidate their power before the Alliance could react.  There is little evidence to support his stance, but it does make sense.  As do the ‘raids’ claimed by the humans.”

Assistant Leader J’Ton shook his head.  “But…would they go that far?  To risk war with the humans?”

G’Tak got up and began pacing.  “I have stayed aloof from the “Imperial issue” as you know.  I don’t believe it is the military’s duty to dictate to the people how they should be governed.  But… in spite of the claims by our new government, it sure looks like the methods they used to gain power were both illegal and unethical.  And if they have indeed crippled Alliance communications and raided into the territory of our strongest neighbor as a way to distract from their operations, then they have risked pulling us all into a major war just to grab power.”

Assistant Leader J’Ton sat silently for a few seconds as they watched the fighter strike pull away from the fleet.  “What will you do?”

The Large Group Leader stopped pacing, having come to a decision.  “I will do what I have to do.  I cannot face down the Imperials with the humans so close.  If they take advantage of our disarray, we could lose everything.  So, we will eliminate their fighters, and then we will see where we are at.  At that point what happens next will largely depend on the humans, and on Throat-Slasher.”  He turned on his second in command.  “What I need to know is, can I depend on you?”

The fleet’s second in command slowly stood up in front of his commander.  “What do you mean?”

“I know that the Imperials have been in communication with most of the ships in my fleet over the last several days.  Heavy communication.  I suspect they are trying to identify those who would be loyal to their new government, in case I turn out to be less tractable than they wish.  I would know where you stand, before this starts.”

“As you know, I have always been loyal to you, and to our clan.  I will not change that now.”

Large Group Leader G’Tak’s visage softened.  “I know that, and I appreciate your service.  But I would know your thoughts on the new Imperial government.”

Assistant Leader J’Ton’s face fell.  “At first, I was enthusiastic about their claimed return to our old ways.  Our clan lost much when the old government instituted the changes that swept our society when we created the Alliance with the Rehorish.  I know that our clan chief endorsed the changes, but…we lost so much!  It hurt to stand by and watch our senior clan members treated with disrespect, like they were just like anyone else!  It was hard to bear.  So, when the Empire was proclaimed, I felt nothing but relief.  The old ways would be restored, and everything would be good.  But then we visited the colony in Stahat, the center of the new Empire, and what I saw there opened my eyes.  The so-called ‘Imperial nobles’ are all callow youths, arrogant and greedy.  The suffering in the lower orders was blatant and wide-spread, something that the old order would never have tolerated, if only because it would have threatened their rule.  But those ‘nobles’ seem to court danger by oppressing everyone around them.  And this is happening in the center of their power!  What is happening on the fringes, away from the light?  I fear for our people.”

Large Group Leader G’Tak smiled.  “And that is what I wanted to hear.  We must think about our people, now.  While I deal with our strike against the humans, I want you to focus on our fleet.  I want you to reach out to all of our commanders and inform them that we may have to take drastic action very soon.  I trust them all, but they must be aware that there may be reactionary forces on their ships that might object to opposing the Empire.  They must be prepared.  In addition, I want you to work with the communications department to lock down fleet comms.  I want to be able to limit the Imperial’s ability to talk to my ships, if I need to.  Understood?”

The other came to attention.  “Understood!” 

“Good.  Report to the Osiris.  Should something happen to me you will assume command.  Your orders, which I will put in writing, are to prevent a war with the humans while still defending this system.”

The other D’Bringi saluted and left the room, leaving G’Tak to his thoughts. 

Meanwhile, on board Admiral Carstairs command superdreadnought, alarms began ringing as the fleet’s sensors detected the fighters being launched from the D’Bringi ships.  Admiral Carstairs turned from the conversation she was having with her chief of staff to see the plot updating.  At forty light seconds the D’Bringi fleet was too far away for the fleet’s sensors to determine the number of fighters being launched, but when the new contact moved away from the D’Bringi fleet, towards the Union fleet, their intent was clear. 

“Comms, connect me with Captain Ferretti, on board the Scipio please.”  The comms officer nodded and turned to her console.  A few seconds later Captain Ferretti appeared on the flag bridge’s main monitor. 

“Captain, we have what appears to be a D’Bringi fighter strike inbound.  Prepare your fighters for fleet defense, but do not launch until I give the order.”

The fleet’s senior carrier commander appeared excited and eager to come to grips with the D’Bringi.  “We will be ready when you need us, admiral!”

For the next seven and a half minutes the Union fleet watched the D’Bringi fighter force close on its position.  The fleet was at action stations, and the Union’s fighters were loaded and ready for launch.  Finally, the D’Bringi fighters were ten light seconds from the Union force, within range of its sensor’s ability to determine the number of approaching fighters.  The plot on the flag bridge chimed and updated, and Admiral Carstairs paled.  Turning, she punched up the comms channel to Captain Ferretti.  When the captain’s face appeared on her monitor his previous excitement had fled, replaced by a pale and drawn complexion.  “Ma’am?”

“I see that you’ve seen the new sensor update?”

“Yes, ma’am.  They outnumber us very nearly three to two.  That’s a…significant disadvantage for our fighters, ma’am.”

“Yes, it is.  Because of that, I would like to deploy your fighters in close to the fleet, so that they can engage the incoming fighters within range of fleet weapons.  Perhaps our ships can even out the enemy’s superiority in numbers.”

Captain Ferretti’s face firmed up.  “No ma’am, I wouldn’t recommend that.  If we allow the enemy to close to weapons range of the fleet, then they will be able to attack the ships before our fighters can attack them.  You must allow us to defend the fleet, as we were intended to do!  We’ve trained for this.  Let us do our jobs.”

Admiral Carstairs hesitated.  She would be sending them to their deaths, if they engaged beyond the fleet’s weapons, but Ferretti was right, if the D’Bringi fighters were loaded with anti-ship weapons and they allowed them to close with the fleet the results would be disastrous.  “Very well.  Launch your fighters and engage the enemy short of the fleet.   

Fighters began spewing forth from the Union carriers, and in short order there were three hundred and sixty-seven Union fighters racing away from the human fleet, towards the oncoming fighter strike.  It was an awesome response, considering how recently humanity had begun building carriers, but it was still short of what would be needed, she feared. 

One minute after launching, the two groups of fighters slammed together four light seconds short of the Union fleet.   

The two groups of fighters didn’t engage in any fancy maneuvers or feints, they just closed the range as if eager to get to grips with each other.  Unfortunately for the Union, not only was their fighter force outnumbered, but they were outclassed by the enemy as well.   Only two thirds of the Union force was trained up to standards, while the remaining third were considered green and inexperienced.  In contrast, the D’Bringi, who had fielded fighters for far longer than humans, only had a single squadron that was new enough to be considered green.  The vast bulk of their fighter force was exquisitely trained and experienced, and as they plunged into battle with the humans, they showed it.  D’Bringi squadrons engaged the human fighters with style and skill, and the human fighters fell in droves.  In a short thirty seconds of fighting the entire Union fighter force was destroyed.  Almost two hundred D’Bringi fighters joined them, destroyed by the desperate Union fighters, but that left three hundred and seventeen D’Bringi fighters to return to their carriers to be rearmed. 

The flag bridge of the command superdreadnought was deathly silent as the assembled officers watched the plot.  Admiral Carstairs was appalled.  In thirty seconds, her fleet had been stripped of its fighter coverage, and now was open to attack by the three hundred remaining D’Bringi fighters.  After a few seconds she pulled herself together.  “Alright, people, we’ve suffered a setback, but we’re not beaten.  Our battle line is intact, and to field that many fighters the D’Bringi can’t have much in the way of capital ships.  We’ve practiced anti-fighter tactics, and their fighter force has been greatly reduced.  I intend to order the fleet to retreat to the warp point to the Laramie system, where we will rendezvous with the Union Assault Corps, which is currently located in the Laramie system.  Now get to work.  I need communiques to HQ Sligo and to the UAC in Laramie updating them on our situation, and I need a fleet movement plan ASAP!”  The flag bridge returned to its normal hustle and bustle as the officers got to work.  Admiral Carstairs opened a link to the SD’s bridge, and in seconds the ship’s commander was on-screen.  “Captain Li-Chen, a course will be forthcoming from my staff shortly.  We will be retreating to the warp point, with a short detour around the D’Bringi force.  Inform the rest of the captains, we move out as soon as the course is ready.  Understood?”

Captain Li-Chen nodded.  “Yes ma’am.”  She paused and looked around the bridge.  “Ma’am, are the D’Bringi likely to let us go?”

“If they don’t, they’ll regret it.  In the meantime, get the destroyers out there to pick up any surviving pilots.”  She closed the link and settled in to see what the D’Bringi would do. 

Meanwhile, on the flagship of the Alliance 6th Fleet contingent…
“Our fighters are en route back to their carriers.  ETA is nine minutes.”

“Very well.”  Large Group Leader G’Tak turned from the plot.  Their fighter losses had been heavy, but acceptable in exchange for the elimination of the Union force’s fighters.  The question would be, was the destruction of their fighters enough to convince the humans to retreat, or was he going to have to destroy the human fleet?  The loss of their fighters was a heavy blow, and certainly hundreds of pilots had been killed, on both sides, but that was miniscule in comparison to the loss of even one capital ship.  The question was, would the humans take the loss and retreat, or would they force the issue and either attack, or worse, try to return to the colonies in the inner system?

Two minutes later the human fleet turned and set out across the system.  They were not on a clear line to any of the warp points, but as the D’Bringi fleet stood between them and the warp point they would have to use to return to their home systems, their move towards the outer system was clearly a bid to leave the system.  G’Tak felt relief.  By heading away from both the colonies and the D’Bringi fleet the humans were signaling their willingness to retreat from the system without further fighting.  The conflict with the humans might not be over, but his goal had been to buy some time for the diplomats to work this out without further loss of life, and it seemed he had succeeded.  Or so he thought. 

The human fleet moved away from the D’Bringi fleet, slowly, as necessitated by the huge capital ships at the core of the fleet, as the surviving D’Bringi fighters raced back to the fleet.  Finally, they were back aboard and G’Tak ordered that the fighters be rearmed with anti-fighter weapons.  Shortly after the fighters were reloaded, a channel from the Imperial D’Bringi flagship opened. 

“The humans are at our mercy.  We must crush them before they rendezvous with reinforcements, or replenish their fighters.  I will be launching my fighters for a second strike, and require you to do the same.”  The arrogant Imperial force leader didn’t wait for G’Tak to respond, but rather closed the channel before G’Tak could say anything. 

“Fighters launching from the Imperial force, sir!”

G’Tak hit the button that signaled alert status throughout the fleet, then opened a fleet-wide secure comms channel.  “Officers and crews of the Alliance Fleet, this is large group leader G’Tak.  The human fleet is withdrawing from this system after suffering the loss of its fighter force.  I intend to allow them to retreat from our territory, to allow our government time to resolve this dispute without further bloodshed.  I fear that our Imperial counterparts will not allow the humans to withdraw.  Their leader has been claiming that the humans had threatened to bombard our colonies, and had behaved barbarously to our citizens during their time in control of this system.  This is not true.  I have communiques direct from the planetary administrations of both colonies in this system proving that the Union forces have been most civilized and indeed, have only landed a small number of troops on the surface of both planets to control their spaceports.  There have been no civilian deaths attributed to the occupation, and the humans have not threatened the planets or their populations in any way once they surrendered.”

“At the current time we are not at war with the humans.  They claim they are only responding to attacks from our forces into their territory, and their proof is convincing.  If the Imperial forces attack the withdrawing human fleet, I can see no other outcome than all-out war between our two nations.  Coming now, at a time when the Alliance is fractured and communications are crippled, such a war would be disastrous, even if it ends in our victory.  Therefore, I intend to oppose the Imperial fleet should they attempt to attack the humans.  I understand how hard this will be.  Those officers and crews over there are our people.  Friends.  Maybe even family.  But we can’t allow their actions to draw the entire Alliance into a war it does not want and shouldn’t be fighting!  We must oppose this, or the rest of the Alliance will judge our race harshly for what we’ve done to the Alliance.  We mustn’t allow the corrupt aristocrats of this so-called “Empire” to draw us into war and treason!  We must provide an example of loyalty to the Alliance as a whole, for our people and for the Alliance!”

It started slowly, but then gather steam quickly.  First one, then another, and then dozens of D’Bringi on the flag bridge were on their feet, cheering and shouting “ALLIANCE!  ALLIANCE!”  The same cheer could be heard coming from the open comms channels to the rest of the fleet.  G’tak turned to his console and opened a channel to the Fighter Group Leader.  “Launch the fighters!”

The 6th Fleet detachment under Large Group Leader G’Tak launched its fighters, after which G’Tak opened a channel to the Imperial leader.  “Large Group Leader Throat Slasher, the humans are retreating.  We should let them retreat to give the Alliance Council time to resolve the dispute without more bloodshed.”

Large Group Leader Throat Slasher’s face was set.  “We cannot allow the humans to leave when we have the advantage.  If they reequip their carriers with fighters, or meet up with reinforcements, then we may not be able to keep them away from the colonies they have threatened to destroy!  We must defend the colonies!”

“They have had months to attack the colonies, and could have done so with complete impunity, but have not.  Even the colonial leaders are saying that they behaved with honor and respect for local lives.”  G’Tak paused, gathering his thoughts.  “Throat slasher, you must see it.  We are balanced on the precipice.  So far, the damage has been limited to a few hundred lives on each side, and some lost resources.  This can be stopped, here and now, before it gains a life of its own and becomes uncontrollable.  Help me stop it!”

The other commander sat silently for a few seconds, but then shook his head.  “It is too late for that.  I do what I must.”  The monitor died, and with it G’Tak’s hope that the situation would be resolved without further bloodshed. 

Imperial Large Group Leader Throat Slasher knew what he must do.  If the Empire was going to have a chance to survive, he must take out G’Tak’s flagship.  He had only three battle cruisers and three heavy cruisers against the 6th Fleet’s six battlecruisers and six heavy cruisers, and his fighters were outnumbered, but he only had to take out G’Tak’s flagship.  If he could do that, he could convince the rest of the captains to follow him against the humans.  It was a desperate gamble, but it was all he had left.  “All fighters will advance on the 6th Fleet and attack the flagship.  All ships, open fire on the 6th Fleet flagship immediately!”

“Sir, the Imperial fighters are turning towards us!”

G’Tak glanced at the plot.  His force was positioned three light seconds from the Imperial fleet.  “Send our fighters out to meet them.”  G’Tak could taste the bile in his mouth, but he would do what he had to do to avoid another needless war with the humans. 

As the Imperial fighters turned towards the 6th Fleet detachment, Throat-Slasher’s three HET laser equipped heavy cruisers opened fire on G’Tak’s ship.  Five of the heavy cruiser’s lasers hit G’Tak’s command battlecruiser, slicing into its armor. 

G’Tak opened the all-ships channel on his console.  “All ships, return fire and began evasive maneuvers.  Let them come to us.”

Throat-Slasher’s three battlecruisers were out of range of their older energy beams, and so they turned towards the 6th Fleet ships and closed the range.  Meanwhile, the two fighter forces came together in between the two fleets in a cataclysmic orgy of destruction.  One hundred and seventeen Imperial fighters faced one hundred and eighty-six 6th Fleet fighters.  The Imperial fighters were loaded for an anti-shipping strike, and so were forced to expend their close attack missiles against their opponents, while the 6th Fleet fighters were armed for anti-fighter work.  Both sides tore into their opposites with a fury that could only be explained by the betrayal each felt.  When the furball dissipated, only eighty fighters remained, all belonging to the 6th Fleet.   With no enemy fighters left, and no anti-ship weaponry, they were forced to return to their carriers to rearm. 

The two fleets had been engaging each other as the fighters fought it out.  The two sides had closed to two light seconds, and were within range of all of their weapons.  LGL Throat Slasher’s battlecruiser group focused its energy weapons on G’Tak’s battlecruiser, stripping away most of its shields.  In return, G’Tak’s battlecruiser group salvoed their capital missiles and heavy force beams, smashing the command BC’s shields and damaging its armor.  Throat-Slasher’s laser armed heavy cruisers cut through the tattered remains of G’Tak’s armor and began chewing into the ship, although the damage was light, so far.  At G’Tak’s orders, all of the 6th Fleet ships focused their fire on Throat-Slasher’s command ship.  The Imperial BC weathered the fire well, with its data-group’s point defense knocking most of the missiles targeted on the big ship out, but the elite datagroup of force-beam equipped 6th Fleet heavy cruisers ended the Imperial flagship’s run.  The 6th Fleet heavy cruisers were equipped with the Alliance’s latest technology, and each mounted two capital force beams and a spinal force beam.  The elite crews on the heavy cruisers hit the Imperial flagship with all nine weapons, gutting it, leaving it drifting through space, drive field down, a hulk with no life support and only a single weapons mount remaining. 

G’tak opened a comms channel to the Imperial force.  “Your flagship is out of action.  Break off and retreat!  I will allow you to return to Stahat pending a determination from the Alliance as to the status of the D’Bringi Empire.  Do not force me to destroy you!”

The Imperial forces ignored the offer and continued to close the range, firing as they came.  The near destruction of their flagship, and the death or incapacitation of their leader seemed to fuel their desire to close the range. 

G’Tak’s advanced force beam equipped cruisers smashed a second approaching Imperial battlecruiser.  On the Imperial side, as they attempted to return fire, found that they had entered within range of the 6th Fleet’s advanced battlecruisers, which were equipped with datalink jamming systems.  Under the onslaught of jamming, the Imperial’s datalinks went down, forcing them to fire on their targets individually.   They were close enough, though, that their heavy lasers were doing a tremendous amount of damage, and G’Tak’s flagship began taking heavy damage.  Even as the lasers began chewing into G’Tak’s flagship, the three older 6th Fleet battlecruisers fired their energy beams at one of the Imperial laser-equipped cruisers and their plasma guns at the second.  The heavy cruiser targeted by the energy beams was heavily damaged, with little but its life support left, but the plasma packets largely missed their target, leaving it with its armor mostly intact.  That ship, having survived the plasma attack, targeted G’Tak’s ship with its heavy lasers and gutted the 6th Fleet flagship, leaving it a burning, broken, wreck. 

The two remaining more or less intact Imperial ships plunged to point blank range of the 6th Fleet ships, forcing them to drop their engine modulation to keep the Imperials out of their blindspot.  The first ships to fire were the 6th Fleet’s elite advanced force beam ships, and they swatted the approaching cruiser out of space and crippled the remaining battlecruiser.  The Imperial battlecruiser fired its remaining three energy beams, taking out the shields on a 6th Fleet battlecruiser, then it was swarmed by a sprint-mode missile salvo from the other 6th Fleet cruisers.  The battle was over. 

Three Imperial warships remained, broken and leaking atmosphere.  Meanwhile, their six carriers and fifteen corvette-carriers were retreating.  The 6th Fleet contingent’s second in command, Assistant Large Group Leader J’Ton, was unwilling to let them go, as the Imperial warships had been unwilling to break off when they had the chance.  Once their fighters were rearmed, he sent them out to round up the carriers and bring them back to join his ships. 

On board the Union flagship, Admiral Carstairs watched in amazement as the ships of the D’Bringi fleet began firing on each other.  The battle was over quickly, with one side being mostly wiped out.  Several minutes later her comms officer signaled that a message was incoming.  She gestured for the officer to put it up on the command deck’s central monitor, and the screen came to life to show a D’Bringi officer in a standard Alliance harness.  Notably, this was not the same D’Bringi officer she had spoken with earlier. 

“Union fleet, you are to withdraw to the Laramie system, as you call it.  Do not enter this system again or the Alliance will consider it an act of war.  Your complaints of D’Bringi attacks into your territory have been heard, and your evidence will be provided to the Alliance Council.  I cannot promise that the Alliance Council will be willing to talk, but if you do not take any further aggressive action, I’m sure that the situation can be resolved peacefully.”

Admiral Carstairs activated her recorder.  “Agreed.  We will withdraw to the Laramie system, as requested.  We will look forward to receiving representatives of the Alliance government, should the negotiations be held there.”  She paused.  “May I inquire as to the health of the officer I spoke with before?”

“Leader G’Tak survived the destruction of his flagship and is being conveyed to my ship as we speak.  He thanks you for your concern.”

The two fleets drew apart while carefully watching one another.  Three Alliance corvette-carriers shadowed the withdrawing Union ships, but kept their distance.  Both sides sent out a large number of CD’s to their home bases.  The Alliance force sent their CD’s, not back towards the sector capital of Stahat, which was controlled by the D’Bringi Empire, but rather on a heading towards the outer system where, as far as the Union forces knew, nothing existed.  This confirmed for Admiral Carstairs the fact that what she had long feared was true, that the Alliance had other warp point chains that led to this system.  The Union had finally gotten survey ships to the system to look for more warp points, but now they were retreating with the fleet, leaving the survey unfinished. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 210, Day 8, Confederated Free States
Senator Semenov read the communique from Union Naval HQ again, trying to parse both what the Navy actually said, and what they were leaving unsaid.  The 1st Battle Fleet under Admiral Carstairs had fought a fighter engagement with the D’Bringi in the Dether system, and lost, but then observed the D’Bringi firing upon each other.  After which Admiral Carstairs withdrew from the inner system with the intent of relocating to the Laramie system and rendezvousing with reinforcements and the Union Assault Corps.  The dissention within the ranks of the D’Bringi fleet certainly supported Ambassador Sato’s claim that the Alliance as a whole was not involved in whatever was going on with the D’Bringi.  Coupled with the information that had just come into his possession, it certainly was looking like the Alliance was not involved with either the attacks on Union colonies or the death of Admiral Ruston and the shuttle crew.  When added to the information that had come into his possession this morning, he was nearly done here.  He had to return to the capital, before it was too late. 

After considering the situation for a short time, he came to a decision.  First, he set up a meeting with the Alliance Ambassador, in their embassy, for later that day.  Then he had his staff begin setting up a series of meetings with officials in the Confederation government spaced out over the next week. 

At the Alliance embassy, as soon as he was alone with Ambassador Sato, Senator Semenov got right to the point.  “Ambassador, this morning I received word that our fleet in the Dether system engaged D’Bringi forces in a fighter battle.  Unfortunately, the battle went poorly for our forces, but then a very strange thing happened.  The D’Bringi fleet, which seemed to be composed of ships belonging to the Alliance Navy and to this “D’Bringi Empire”, whatever that is, started fighting amongst themselves.  Ultimately, it appears that the ships loyal to the Alliance won the battle, and their commander allowed the Union fleet to retreat.  Our admiral believes she could have defeated the combined Alliance and D'Bringi forces in the system, before they started shooting at each other, but admits that her losses would have been very heavy.  As it is, our fleet is retreating, and the losses inflicted on each side were limited to several hundred fighters.”

Ambassador Sato, who had not known of this event, listened, first with growing fear, then with a kernel of hope, as the human described the events in the Dether system.  The situation in the systems in the Far Frontier Sector, beyond Stahat, were largely unknown to the rest of the Alliance, and so this was valuable information.  She couldn’t let the human know this, though.  “We view all losses with concern, but as you observe, we have other issues that must be dealt with.”  She really wanted to propose a cease-fire, but knew that she couldn’t, as they had no control over the forces in the Far Frontier sector, and thus couldn’t guarantee that no further actions would be taken.  “We are working as hard as we can to determine the truth of the incursions into Union space, and once we have apprehended those responsible, they will be punished.”

Senator Semenov leaned forward.  “There is one other thing I would like to ask you…”

With the assistance of the Alliance Ambassador, Senator Semenov left the Alliance embassy through the rear employee’s entrance, without his overcoat and with a hat provided by one of the embassy’s human employees.  His hope was that having scheduled meetings throughout the next week, no one would be expecting him to leave so suddenly.  Once away from the embassy he visited one of the Confederation capital city’s numerous street bazaars, where he purchased a change of clothes and an anonymous net-link, which he then used to purchase tickets for a public shuttle trip to orbit.  Once there, he purchased a ticket aboard a civilian transport heading into the Union.  Essentially, he disappeared from the surface of the planet.  Timed orders arrived in his staff’s inbox the next day telling them to cancel the meetings they had set up and then return to the Union capital. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 210, Day 15, Alliance Dether system
A contingent of three heavy cruisers, six light escort cruisers, three escort destroyers, and three escort carriers from the 6th Alliance Fleet jumps into the Dether system.  These are the reinforcements for the 6th Fleet units under G’Tak ordered to respond to the human invasion of the system.  Sho-sa G’Tak stops them at the warp point, and, after filling in their commander, a T’Pau officer, on recent events, sends them back to the Stahat system to secure that system for the Alliance. 

Month 210, Day 16, Laramie system
The Union’s 1st Battle Fleet jumps out of the Dether system, into the Laramie system.  The warp point to the Dether system is guarded on the Laramie side by the Union Assault Corps, forty-two heavy and light cruisers optimized for close-in combat at a warp point.  Although the UAC has no attached carriers, their positioning around the warp point ensures that no Alliance ships would survive long enough to launch their fighters, giving Admiral Carstairs the security she needs to reorganize her fleet and plan their next move. 

Union Fleet command on Sligo strips the defensive forces in both the Sligo system and the Redwing system of all carriers and sends them to reinforce Admiral Carstairs.  They will take over a month to reach her, though, and both groups together number only six carriers and one hundred and twenty fighters.  In addition, fleet command on Sligo requests reinforcements from the capital at Epsilon Eridani.  Union Fleet command agrees to dispatch the bulk of the new-built carriers in the system to reinforce the 1st Battle Fleet.  It will take two months for the six escort carriers to arrive in the Laramie system. 

Month 210, Day 17, Alliance Dether System
Large Group Leader G’Tak’s fleet receives orders via CD from the newly reconstituted Alliance Council.  These orders were transmitted via the newly installed ICN that has now reached the Thoen system, adjacent to the Dether system.  The orders inform G’Tak of the belief by the Council that the Imperial D’Bringi are behind the breakdown of the ICN and the attacks on the humans, and orders him to avoid contact with the humans, even to the point of withdrawing to the Thoen system and abandoning the Dether system, if necessary.  In addition, G’Tak is promoted to Tai-sa (Vice Admiral equivalent) and placed in command of all forces in and around the Dether system.   

Large Group Leader G’Tak dispatches a full report on the status of the forces known to him in the Far Frontier system, and on his actions to date, including the dispatch, on his authority, of 6th Fleet forces to the Stahat system.  In addition, G’Tak sends a CD to the Union scout ship that remains in the Dether system, sitting on the warp point to the system that the humans retreated to, to inform them that the Alliance Council has ordered him to take no further action against the Union, pending negotiations. 

Three days later freighters from the core systems arrive in the Dether system and install new ICN buoys, and the system, and the military forces in it, are once again linked to the core systems.   With confirmation that the route to the core systems is open, G’Tak dispatches his empty carriers back to Rehorish Prime, and safety.  The damaged ships captured from the imperials were scuttled, as all three cruisers were so heavily damaged that the time and cost involved in repairing them would be prohibitive. 

Month 210, Day 23, T’Pau Home System
The twelve battleships of the Alliance Strategic Reserve arrive at the warp point to the D’Bringi home system and assume defensive stations around the warp point, freeing up the D’Bringi ships loyal to Skull Splitter.  As per their orders from Tai-sho Soul Splitter, those units immediately set out for the loyalist colony in the Nagasaki system. 

Month 210, Day 25, Union controlled Laramie system
A small group of reinforcements joins the Union 1st Battle Fleet at the warp point to the Dether system.  Unfortunately, the reinforcement group contains no carriers or fighters, but rather a squadron of superdreadnoughts and a single escorting destroyer.   This meant that the total fighter complement of the fleet consisted of thirty four fighters that belonged to the two carriers Admiral Carstairs had detailed to picket the Laramie system. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 210, Day 25, Chirq-controlled Khozun Prime
For five months the squadron from the 1st Alliance Fleet had orbited the Khozuni home planet, supporting the Chirq occupation troops that had been landed to end the planetary chaos and hopefully bring the planet into the Alliance at some point in the future. 

When they had arrived over the Khozuni home planet they had found it in the midst of a vicious multiple-sided war.  The capital city was a smoking hole, the victim of several orbital strikes and subsequent bombardment during the ongoing civil war, and the Khozuni seemed to be far more concerned with fighting each other than with talking to the Rehorish and Chirq who had arrived over their planet.  The orbiting Alliance warships and Chirq occupation forces soon put an end to the fighting, and then work had begun on their primary mission of patching together some sort of planetary state with a pro-Alliance government.  Their secondary purpose was to get to the bottom of just how a low-tech race like the Khozuni had managed to eliminate the Alliance patrol ships assigned to the Chirq system.   There was also the issue of why the Khozuni had invaded the Chirq home world, but not the nearby Alliance colonies. 

Much progress had been made on getting the Khozuni organized, and as that job progressed, more of the occupation force’s resources had been turned to the destroyed capital city of the fallen empire.  Aide and recovery efforts had begun almost immediately, of course, but as the rest of the planet accepted the peacekeepers, the occupiers were able to focus on the former capital city as the most likely location to determine the truth of what had happened. 

The going had been slow.  The city had been hit by what looked to be at least one orbital strike, and then by nuclear bombardment during the civil war.  Much of the city was just gone, and most of the rest was a blasted ruin.  However, last month the recovery operation had discovered the remnants of a large underground complex that had been built under the location of the imperial palace, and most of the recovery teams had been diverted to that area.  Most of the complex had been destroyed, either in the initial orbital bombardment, or in the later nuclear bombardments, but as they dug, they kept finding deeper portions.  Finally, last week, the recovery efforts bore fruit.  In what appeared to be the deepest sublevel they uncovered a bunker complex that had remained more or less intact.  Even better, it contained survivors.

There was a tense period during which the defenders, who were apparently afraid that the recovery teams were sent to attack them, opened fire on the rescuers, but after a short period of time they were convinced that rescue was at hand.  It soon became clear that the rescuers had discovered the last of the Imperial line, a young princess who had been sent to the bunkers as a precaution long before there was any attack on the palace complex.  Even better, the palace data systems had a backup resident in the bunker, and, with the surviving Imperial Guard’s assistance, the recovery teams were able to decipher the records.  And they were damning.  The Khozuni had willingly attacked the Chirq, that was true, however, the records made it clear that the entire operation had been organized by D’Bringi citizens.  These mysterious D’Bringi had given the Khozuni technology and helped them build orbital shipyards, as well as making funds available to them to help build up their navy.  All of this had been done in exchange for the lion’s share of the loot from the Khozuni conquest of the Chirq home system.  Worse, the D’Bringi had promised that the Chirq would have no help in defending their system, which meant that either the missing patrol force was on their side, or had somehow been dealt with by the rogue D’Bringi.  Given the events that had taken place since the attack on the Chirq, no one doubted that the three missing patrol corvette-carriers, which had all been crewed by D’Bringi, had been in on the operation from the first.  The loot taken from the Chirq home world might also explain, at least in part, how well funded the Imperial D’Bringi rebellion had been. 

The records, and the conclusions of the investigation teams, was sent off via the new ICN to Rehorish Prime. 

Month 210, Day 30, Alliance Capital on Rehorish Prime
The reconstituted Alliance Council declares an Alliance-wide emergency, and sends full information to all Alliance Associate governments about the current state of the Alliance.  In addition, the Alliance Council declares the D’Bringi home world to be in violation of the Alliance Treaty, and declares a formal blockade until the D’Bringi government agrees to Alliance adjudication.  Further, the Alliance Council appoints Tai-Sho Skull Splitter, the senior loyal D’Bringi officer, to the position of Alliance Councilor for the D’Bringi, effective immediately.  All D’Bringi colonies are ordered to comply with Alliance officials in all respects, or be blockaded and cut off from contact with the rest of the Alliance.  All D’Bringi crewed warships that fly Imperial D’Bringi colors are ordered to proceed to the nearest Alliance colony and leave their ships in orbit, uncrewed, although there are not thought to be many of those still loose in the Alliance.  Any ship found in Alliance territory under the flag of the D’Bringi Empire will be interned until the Alliance can adjudicate the situation on D’Bringi Prime, at which time a determination will be made as to the status of the crews of those ships. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 211, Day 5, Imperial D’Bringi Stahat system (formerly Alliance Sector Capital)
The fifteen ships dispatched by Tai-sa G’Tak to the Stahat system arrive in-system on this date.  Upon entering the system, they encounter three corvette-carriers flying the Imperial flag.  Sho-sa Folx, CO of the Alliance detachment, ordered the three corvettes to stand down and prepare to be boarded by Imperial personnel.  When the three corvettes tried to retreat, Sho-sa Folx allowed them to retreat, largely because he had no choice.  They were out of range of his weapons, and as fast as his fighters, so he was forced to allow them to shadow his force as it set out for the D’Bringi colony in the inner system that was the heart of the so-called ‘Empire’. 

Month 211, Day 5, Alliance Controlled Dether system
A group of twenty-one ships from the Alliance 1st Fleet arrived in the Dether system on this date.  The largest ships in the detachment were a trio of light carriers, but the ships and their one hundred and eighty fighters were a welcome addition to G’Tak’s command.  In addition, the detachment carried orders for G’Tak, naming him commander of the newly established Alliance 7th Fleet, composed of the forces currently in the Dether and the Stahat system. 

Month 211, Day 8, Union Epsilon Eridani system, New Plymouth (Capital)
Senator Semenov, having rushed straight to the Senate building straight from the spaceport, was ushered into the main building through guarded doors.  He had been in contact with his fellow Independent Party members from the moment they jumped into the system, and had arranged this in advance.  That morning, as his liner settled into orbit, the Independent Party called an emergency session of the Senate.  As the Senate was currently in session, although not planning to meet today, enough Senators were in town to form a quorum.  The reason for the session was not given, and when the senators arrived the building was sealed at the request of the Independent Party’s senior-most member present in the building.  This meant that with one exception, no one would be able to enter or leave the building, and all access to outside data systems was cut off. 

Senator Semenov proceeded straight to the central podium in the Senate chambers, looking around the room as he walked.  The assembled senators had all been talking to each other, trying to figure out what was going on, and his entrance had caused the noise level to redouble as he walked down the aisle.  When he reached the podium, the assembled senators fell silent.  They all knew where he had gone, and why, and they all wanted to know what he knew. 

Senator Semenov cleared his throat.  “Fellow senators, I have just returned from the Confederated Free States and I bear grave news.  Upon arriving at the capital of the CFS, I found the embassy in disarray, and ignoring repeated attempts from the Alliance ambassador to open talks about the events that took place in the Sligo sector.”  There was a rustle of quiet talking in the area where the New Dawn senators were sitting, but Semenov continued, ignoring them.  “Before departing this system, I enlisted the aid of the Union Investigative Service, and on arrival in the CFS, under my authority as a Senator of the Union, their team began an investigation on the crash of Special Ambassador Ruston’s shuttle.  One of the first things we uncovered was that Special Ambassador Ruston died shortly after the shuttle crash.  His death was not reported, and indeed, was covered up by the Union embassy.”  This bald pronouncement caused an uproar in among the New Dawn delegation. 

Before Senator Semenov could continue, Senator Holbrooke stood up and shouted across the room.  “This is intolerable!  I insist that the honorable senator produce proof of this absurd claim or desist from repeating disreputable rumors!”

Senator Semenov merely took a data crystal out of his tunic and laid it on the podium in front of him.  The podium’s reader accessed the data on the crystal and in a few seconds a number of documents appeared on the desks of every senator in the building.  “The CFS Special Investigative Unit was most helpful in our efforts, and indeed, they had already identified those they believed were responsible for sabotaging the shuttle and were preparing to arrest them when we arrived.  These files are the interviews and sworn statements of the persons hired to sabotage the shuttle.  They were hired to do so specifically to prevent Special Ambassador Ruston from making contact with the Alliance Ambassador.  Their actions in sabotaging Special Ambassador Ruston’s shuttle resulted in the death of Special Ambassador Ruston along with fifty-four other people.  Their arrest by the CFS Special Investigative Unit gave us information that led straight to Ambassador Tilford.  Under my senatorial authority, the Union Investigative Service team on-planet searched the Embassy and detained Ambassador Tilford and his staff.  They were able to access the embassy’s data-systems.  Once into the data-systems of the embassy, they found that the ambassador had been very careless.  Not only was there ample proof of his complicity in the sabotage of the shuttle, but also extensive records of all sorts of other corruption, including data relating to his prior post as Special Representative to the Tarek in the Sligo Sector.  These were comprehensive records that implicate many people across the Union.”  The room had gone deathly silent as the assembled senators waited for the other shoe to drop.  Senator Holbrooke, in particular, had gone deathly pale and had sagged into his seat.  Senator Semenov, observing the senior New Dawn Senator’s complexion, began to wonder if his counterpart was going to expire before he finished his speech. 

“Interestingly, we found among the ambassador’s official correspondence, orders from the Prime Minister’s office to ignore all attempts by the Alliance to open negotiations.”  Senator Semenov waved his hand over the podium’s controller and the appropriate documents were routed to the various senators.  “This is very interesting, given the Prime Minister’s repeated claims that she is seeking a peaceful resolution to the current situation in the Sligo sector.”

Senator Holcombe had regained his color and at this he stood up again.  “Now hold on here!  The corruption of one individual is regrettable, certainly, especially if that person caused the death of a distinguished citizen like Admiral Ruston.  However, while I think we can all agree that if this is true Ambassador Tilford should face the consequences for his actions, certainly we should not allow those actions to stain those who share his politics.”  There was a general murmur of agreement from the New Dawnists surrounding Holbrooke.  “Unless, of course, you managed to find additional evidence of wrongdoing by others?”  This last was meant to be challenging, but instead it came out as more of a plaintive question than anything else. 

“There is more.  With the arrest of Ambassador Tilford I assumed the role of acting ambassador and met with the Alliance ambassador.  The meetings were most productive.  The Alliance is eager to avoid a conflict with the Union.” 

Before Semenov could continue a voice called out from the ranks of the New Dawnists.  “What about Sandhurst and Managua?  What about all the people the Alliance killed?”

Senator Semenov held up a hand, quieting the room before a general argument could break out.  “The Alliance Ambassador has given me information to bring back to you that explains all of this.  They claim, with evidence, that the D’Bringi government fell to a coup, and that the newly installed government of the D’Bringi launched these raids as a way to turn attention away from them.  They wanted a war between our two nations, because if we attacked the Alliance, for whatever reason, the Alliance would be forced to pull together to resist us.  They would be forced to accept the new D’Bringi government, whatever their actual desires.  In opening negotiations with me they hoped to head off a war so that they could deal with their internal situation and remove the new D’Bringi government.”  This pronouncement caused a stir in the room as the senators all looked at each other. 

“But what of the Alliance attack on our forces in Dether?  Admiral Carstairs was forced to retreat after suffering losses!”  This question came from a member of the Peace Through Strength Party.  As their name implied, they believed that the route to security was through building up a powerful economy that could support an equally powerful military. 

“The Alliance Ambassador has informed me that forces loyal to the Alliance Council have taken control of the territory around the Dether system and that there will be no further attacks.  She has asked for a ceasefire in place in order to allow both sides to begin negotiations.”  This caused another murmur to run around the room. 

Senator Semenov held up his hand.  “There is one more thing.  On the day that I left the CFS capital, the embassy received a special communication from the Prime Minister herself.  The message, which is in the files I have sent you, orders Ambassador Tilford to give an ultimatum to the CFS government.”  This caused a stir in the chamber, as by long agreement the senate was to be consulted on all major foreign relations issues that were not immediate emergencies.  Senator Semenov waved his hand over the input terminal on the podium and the message appeared over the terminal, floating next to him.  It wouldn’t be readable by the others in the room, of course, but the same message appeared on all of their terminals.  “The ultimatum requires the CFS to submit to Colonial Union occupation for the duration of the current situation with the difficulties with the Alliance.  If they do not comply, the Union Fleet will attack the system by the end of the month.”

An uproar broke out throughout the chamber.  Senators were yelling at each other, and accusations were being thrown back and forth rapidly and almost unintelligibly.   Knowing that they couldn’t be quelled, Senator Semenov let them yell.  When the uproar began to die down Senator Semenov held up his hands.  “In light of the evidence I have brought before you today, I ask for an immediate vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister and her government.  Her connections to the assassination of Special Ambassador Ruston are clear in light of her other orders to the Embassy to first avoid contact with the Alliance and then to deliver an ultimatum to the CFS.  In addition, there is clear evidence that the corruption of the Tarek occupation has spread to the Prime Minister’s office, and in fact may originate there.”  Finally, Senator Semenov left the podium and sat down amongst the other Independent Party senators.  The room was silent for a few seconds and then erupted into yelling and more accusations. 

The New Dawn senators fought a spirited defense, but they were seriously hampered in their efforts when many of their own members were found to have links to the corruption that had apparently spread throughout the party.  In the end the vote of no confidence was nearly overwhelming, with only a few holdouts refusing to vote.  Senator Semenov communicated this to the Union Investigative Service, which sent a team to the Prime Minister’s offices.  Once there the linked up with Senator Semenov and the representatives of the other factions within the senate.  With the vote of no confidence and the dissolution of her government in hand, the Prime Minister’s guards were told stand down, at which time the Prime Minister and most of her staff were arrested on charges of corruption.  In the days to come additional charges of conspiracy to commit murder would be added as a forensic AI processed the data brought back by Senator Semenov. 

The vote of no confidence necessitated that an election be held to determine which party would form the new government.  In the meantime, Senator Semenov was nominated by a large majority in the Senate to head up a caretaker government.  His first act was to release the bulk of the information he had brought back to the public, causing an uproar throughout the Union.  Public opinion rapidly turned from a bare majority in favor of war with the Alliance to a large majority in favor of negotiations aimed at securing a peace treaty.   Confidence in the New Dawn Party falls dramatically, and support for the other parties is greatly boosted as voters flee New Dawn in droves.   

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 211, Day 11, Alliance Stahat system
The detachment of ships from G’Tak’s 7th Fleet arrived over Stahat Prime on this date.  They found a small group of Imperial D’Bringi warships orbiting the planet, consisting of three light cruisers of an unfamiliar design and six corvette carriers.  The Imperial D’Bringi planetary governor ordered the Alliance ships to depart Imperial space immediately, however, Sho-sa Folx countered with his orders from the Alliance Council, signed by D’Bringi Representative Skull Splitter himself, ordering the planetary government’s leadership to stand down and present themselves to Alliance authorities for detention pending an investigation of their actions both during and after the coup.  Simultaneously, the orbiting Imperial warships received their own orders to surrender to Alliance boarding parties. 

A few minutes passed with the two groups of ships watching each other from fifteen light seconds’ range, and then the 7th Fleet units launched their fighters, which handily outnumbered the Imperial D’Bringi fighter force.  With the Alliance fighters in space, Sho-sa Folx repeated his orders to the Imperial ships to stand down.  A few seconds passed and then one by one the Imperial ships dropped their drive fields.  Folx was surprised by this, as although they were outnumbered the D’Bringi were not known to surrender when they could fight.  Shortly after his boarding parties arrived aboard the Imperial light cruisers the situation became a bit clearer.  The three light cruisers appeared to be purpose-built raiders.  Fully a third of their internal space was devoted to holds, apparently to carry looted resources and equipment, and their armament was limited to a single energy beam and a tractor beam.  The ships had little in the way of defenses and against any kind of a real warship they’d be rapidly defeated, but against unarmed freighters and transports their armament was more than sufficient to disable and capture their targets. 

Even as the boarding parties went aboard the Imperial ships a message arrived from the planet below.  The Imperial governor refused to stand down and complained loudly about the Alliance’s illegal seizure of his ships.  The situation was at an impasse as Sho-sa Folx had no troops available.  However, now that the Stahat system was under control, the path for the Alliance ships waiting in the adjacent Lleuten system were able to enter the system and begin the work of installing the new ICN, both in this system and in the systems of the Far Frontier Sector beyond Stahat. 

Month 211, Day 16, Alliance Stahat system
Alliance Councilor Skull-Splitter and his force of loyal D’Bringi ships settled into orbit over the Imperial controlled sector capital.  Immediately upon arriving Skull-Splitter sent a message to every D’Bringi in the system declaring the Imperial government null and void and calling upon every loyal D’Bringi to rise up and resist the illegal Imperial government.  The response from the planet was underwhelming, and the Imperial government seemed to be firmly in control.  Not dismayed, Skull-Splitter sent recordings of his message out across the sector, to be carried by the ships assigned to re-establish the ICN. 

Month 211, Day 28, Alliance Jerothal System
The Jerothal system is home to one of the larger D’Bringi colonies and also contains a closed warp point into the Colonial Union’s inner systems.  This closed warp point was used during the D’Bringi war with the humans to mousetrap the USSR’s fleets, and although the humans assuredly know that there is a closed warp point in their system, the D’Bringi and the Alliance are sure that the Alliance does not know the exact location of the hidden warp point. 

The Jerothal colony was one of the first D’Bringi colonies to declare for the new Empire, and one of the most vocal and strident in support of the new D’Bringi government.  The local government on the colony engaged in some fairly heavy-handed suppression of wide-spread resistance to the new D’Bringi government from the rural areas, and apparently succeeded in eliminating the resistance fairly quickly.  Since then, they had joined the Imperial capital in Stahat in sending out messages to the other D’Bringi colonies extoling the virtues of the new Empire.   Now, though, the Alliance’s ICN emplacement ships arrived in the system, destroying the old, corrupted ICN, and replacing it with the new system.  They also broadcast the declaration from Skull-Splitter across the system.  The loyalist D’Bringi government on the Jerothal colony refused to reply, and did their best to prevent their citizens from receiving the broadcast. 

Unnoticed by the restive colony, the nine ships under the command of Skull Splitter’s son passed through the outer system, en route to the suspected loyalist colony in Nagasaki.  Although he was tempted to put into orbit over Jerothal Prime and ‘convince’ the colonial leaders of the errors of their ways, his mission was to confirm the status of the independence movement in Nagasaki and establish a base of support for the Alliance and for Skull-Splitter.  Until Skull-Splitter had the support of at least some D’Bringi colonies, he could be dismissed by the Imperials as merely a usurper foisted upon the D’Bringi people by the Alliance. 

The defenses at the closed warp point to the Union, an automated warfare cruiser and a corvette-sized mine tender, ignored the going’s on in the inner system, as they had for months now.  Their mission was to prevent an incursion from the Colonial Union, should they find the closed war point somehow, and they were focused on that job entirely. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 212, Day 1, Alliance
The Alliance has reunited most of its territory by this point.  All of the Core and Chruqua sector systems have been cleansed of the old corrupted ICN and had their new, secure, ICN installed, and are back in reliable communications with the Alliance central government on Rehorish Prime.  The majority of the D’Bringi colonies throughout this area have acknowledged the authority of the Alliance and Skull-Splitter’s caretaker government.  In most cases these colonies had merely declared support for the new D'Bringi government, without taking any actions on its behalf, or even having much direct contact with either the D’Bringi home world or the Imperial government on Stahat.  In most of the cases where the local governments had been vocal proponents of the new Imperial government, the colonial government suffered an abrupt change in management when the Alliance re-established communications and control of the systems, with the former leaders either arrested or disappearing before they could be apprehended. 

The situation in the Far Frontier sector is different.  Although Imperial space forces have been neutralized, giving the Alliance effective control of the sector, secure communications have just begun to spread down-stream past the sector capital of Stahat.   So far, the response from the D’Bringi colonies in the area have been muted and limited to acknowledgement that the messages sent by the new ICN were received.  The D’Bringi colony in the Stahat system, the former sector capital, continues to resist Alliance control and Councilor Skull-Splitter is considering bringing in Alliance troops to end resistance once and for all. 

Once resistance is ended on Stahat, which is just a matter of time at this point, the lone holdout will be the D’Bringi home world, which is blockaded by joint Alliance forces at the warp point in the T’Pau home system. 

The Colonial Union has agreed to a ceasefire in place, with their main fleet remaining in the system adjacent to the Alliance’s Dether colonies.  Tai-sa G’Tak’s 7th Fleet in Dether has been reinforced and now consists of three battlecruisers, six heavy cruisers, three light carriers, six light cruisers, nine escort carriers, six destroyers, and three corvette-carriers with two hundred fifty-nine fighters. 

The new ICN will reach the Zir Villiers system by the end of the month, bringing the 6th Fleet back into contact with the Alliance capital.  At that point the Alliance will again have positive control over all of its fleets. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 212, Kingdom of Lothar
The Lothari were discovered by the Alliance in Month 195, and communications were quickly established.  Almost immediately after communications were established, the Lothari accepted the standard offer of associate status within the Alliance.  From the first, the Lothari were friendly and open, and very accommodating to the Alliance negotiating teams.  The Lothari represented themselves as an ancient kingdom, grounded in tradition and honor, currently ruled by a regent and governing council. 

While the initial contact went very well, the Alliance relationship with the Lothari got off to a rocky start when the Lothari seized the Alliance system adjacent to their home system and placed a colony on the system’s habitable world before the Alliance navy could respond to the incursion.  When the Alliance navy did respond, the Lothari claimed that the incursion was a misunderstanding, and offered reparations.  In the end, the Alliance decided to cede the system to the Lothari, as it was distant from Alliance population centers and the habitable planet was rated as ‘poor’, but the Lothari were warned against further incursions.  A small Alliance patrol force was established at the warp point to the system the Lothari seized, to deter further Lothari expansion, and things went back to normal.  Until now.

Lothari Prime, Capital City
High Swordsman Wagner came to a halt in front of the Supreme Leader and saluted, carefully holding the salute until Supreme Leader Richter waved for him to sit.  Careful to appear attentive, Wagner sat on the edge of the chair, and waited for his commander to reveal the reason for the summons to his office. 

After a few seconds the leader looked up from his console and smiled.  “Ah, Wagner!  Thank you for coming at such short notice!” 

High Swordsman Wagner knew that the ‘request’ was no mere request, not when it came from the Supreme Leader.  Others who had slighted the absolute ruler of the Kingdom tended to disappear and never returned.  Or who the leader felt had slighted him.  Or who had even thought about slighting him.  Still, the Leader had brought them out of the depression and regression that marked the last decade of the old regime, and everyone owed him for the bright new age that had dawned across Lothar.  “Of course, sir.  What can I do for you today?”

“The colonization program is a failure, Wagner!”  The leader leapt to his feet and began pacing, as he did quite often when he got worked up.  “Every single world we have found is lacking in mineral wealth!  It’s the Alliance that has done this to us!  They fear our strength, so they arranged this, made sure that we couldn’t rival them.  But they’ve made a mistake and they’ve underestimated me.  They thought I wouldn’t see through their ploy, but I have.” 

High Swordsman Wagner watched his leader with growing alarm, which he carefully kept from his face.  People who couldn’t hide their emotions rarely lasted in the capital, and he had been with the Supreme Leader from almost the first.  The Leader was brilliant, and Wagner was sure he was the only one who could have led them out of the morass that decades of mismanagement under the ageing King that had left the kingdom’s economy and society decaying and regressing.  But, as brilliant as he was, the Supreme Leader was also…volatile, and quite often prone to sudden pronouncements of radical changes in policy. 

The Supreme Leader, who by this point was looking out the large window that overlooked the capital city, rounded on the Swordsman, pointing at him.  “You, Wagner!  You will remedy this situation!  The Alliance is weak.  No one has heard from them in months, and they won’t respond to direct questions.  Now is our time!”

High Swordsman Wagner stood a saluted, always a good tactic with the Supreme Leader.  “Your orders, sir?”

“You will put together an assault force.  We will attack the Alliance and seize their territory while they are weak!”

Putting his doubts aside, the High Swordsman saluted.  “Yes sir!  At once sir!”  Wagner knew that appearing unwilling to follow the Leader’s orders was suicide, but still felt that injecting a bit of caution was justified, no matter the cost to him personally.   “Sir, the Alliance is vast, as is their navy.  We will make advances initially, but eventually they will be able to overwhelm us.”

The Supreme Leader waived his hand dismissively.  “The Alliance is a paper tiger.  They are distracted, perhaps at war elsewhere.”  He rounded on his military leader.  “They are mentally weak.  When I ordered the seizure of the border system, they did nothing!  Everyone here was nearly in tears about defying the great and mighty Alliance, but I knew that they would back down, and they did.  And they will back down again!  Once we have seized enough territory to bolster our economy, I will negotiate a peace with them and, just as before, they will be eager to grant us this peace!”  The Supreme Leader turned away and went back to staring out over the capital city. 

Recognizing that he had been dismissed, he turned and walked to the exit from the leader’s office.  Before he could reach it, the leader spoke again.

“And Wagner?  I want the assault group to be in motion before the end of the month.  Do you understand what I’m saying?”

High Swordsman Wagner understood exactly what the Supreme Leader was saying.  He braced to attention and saluted again.  “Understood!”

In the early days of the Leader’s rule, the bureaucracy had quite often tried to slow down the desperately needed changes to the government and private sector that the Leader had instituted to help the people.  It seemed that the bureaucracy had viewed the changes as threats to their time-honored positions, and felt that they could slow them down, or even refuse to get on board with the sweeping changes brought by the Leader to a moribund economy.  They had underestimated the Leader and sweeping purges of the bureaucracy had solved that problem once and for all.   

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 212, Day 3, Dether system
The Alliance 3rd Fleet, dispatched from the core sector, arrives over Dether Prime on this date.  After a short consultation with Tai-sa G’Tak, the fleet moves towards Stahat, where it will proceed deeper into the Far Frontier sector to show the flag and attempt to persuade reluctant D’Bringi colonies to end their passive resistance. 

Month 212, Day 8, Alliance Nagasaki System
The Nagasaki system contained two type ST planets and one type T planet, and was home to just over ninety-four million D’Bringi and Rehorish citizens.  At 0830 hours the battle squadron under the command of F’Nor, Skull-Splitter’s son, settled into orbit over the second planet, which was the location of the largest population of the system.  Sho-sa F’Nor had been in contact with the colony leaders since entering the system, and they were delighted at his presence.  They had fought off an attempted coup by pro-Imperial groups early on in the current difficulties, and since then had been trying to put together an alliance of D’Bringi colonies in opposition to the Imperialists.  In this they had largely been thwarted, as all communications had effectively been cut off by the corruption of the ICN, and all of the emissaries they had sent on the freighters that had called upon their planets had been seized by the pro-Imperial government in Jerothal, which stood between them and the rest of the Alliance.  Their only success was with the colony in the Olwa system, which was positioned beyond the Nagasaki system, towards the frontier.  The government on Nagasaki Prime had had to live with constant threats from the Jerothal system, and constant attempts to sneak agitators and moles into their population on nearly every freighter that called upon their colony.  With no way to defend themselves aside from a small but growing militia, they had only been saved by the fact that the pro-Imperialists in Jerothal hadn’t had any warships or troops to send towards them either.  Now, though, with F’Nor’s squadron in-system and the ICN re-established, things had changed rather drastically in favor of the loyalists in Nagasaki.  After a short period conferring with the colony’s leaders, F’Nor chartered the Alliance cargo and transport vessels in-system to transport a large portion of the loyalist militia to the Jerothal system.  Once the troops were embarked, he left three cruiser-carriers over Nagasaki Prime and set out for Jerothal with the rest of his force. 

Month 212, Day 10, Lothari Kingdom
The assault force, chosen by High Swordsman Wagner and commanded by his picked officer, Swordsman of Stars Hartmann, left orbit.  It consisted of six battlecruisers, three light carriers and three escort carriers.  This was approximately two thirds of the active Lothari fleet, although the Supreme Leader had ordered the reactivation of the reserves, meaning the yards were busily reactivating over twenty ships of all sizes. 

The assault force’s destination was the Alliance frontier colony system of Liawak, and they would arrive at the warp point to the system on the 25th.   

Month 212, Day 15, Colonial Union Capital, New Plymouth
In spite of fear of violence from fanatical New Dawn supporters, the elections run relatively smoothly.  By the end of the day, it is clear that the New Dawn Party has been devastated.  It has gone from having a small majority, to being one of the smallest parties in the Senate.  Senator Semenov’s Independence Party picked up the most seats, and while not a majority, it is in a position to form a new government in alliance with one or more other parties.  This development didn’t surprise anyone, given the fact that the sitting Prime Minister from that party had been removed under suspicion of high treason and corruption, along with several ambassadors and the Foreign Minister.  The ongoing investigation was certain to spread throughout the government, and would certainly sweep up many more in the coming months. 

Month 212, Day 18, Alliance Jerothal System
Sho-sa F’Nor’s squadron entered orbit over planet wracked by civil war.   It seemed that sometime in the last five days dissidents, fueled by unfiltered news arriving via the re-established ICN, rose up against the Imperialist government.  After a short period of observation F’Nor was able to determine that the Imperialists had lost control of the countryside and had retreated to strongholds in the largest cities, which the loyalist forces were now converging on. 

Over the next two days, F’Nor established communications with the leaders of the rebellion and began shuttling down his troops and the weapons he had managed to acquire before departing the T’Pau home system.  While his limited number of militia troops couldn’t turn the tide alone, F’Nor felt that if they acted as a strike force within the rebel organization, they could tip the tide to the rebels. 

Month 212, Day 25, Zir Villiers system
Ships extending the new Alliance ICN reach the Villiers system on this date, finally putting the 6th Fleet back in touch with the core worlds.  This is a relief for both the 6th Fleet command team and the T’Pau and Rehorish leadership.  For now, the 6th Fleet is ordered to continue its mission of guarding the system while maintaining readiness to act if the ceasefire with the Colonial Union breaks down. 

Month 212, Day 25, Alliance Liawak system
The warp point to Lothari space was guarded by three Rehorish destroyers and a D’Bringi escort carrier which had remained loyal to the Alliance.  The guard force had been assigned here after the Lothari seized the Herzberg system, which was adjacent to their home system, in what the Lothari had called a ‘mistake’.  By the time the Alliance challenged them over their seizure of the system, the Lothari had already placed a colony on the system’s lone type T planet.  As the system was distant from the Alliance’s major systems, and the planet itself was rated as poor, the Alliance decided to let the Lothari have the planet, but gave them a stern warning against intruding into Alliance space without permission again.  Since then, the Lothari had been quiet, reliable trading partners, and the patrol group had been considered a backwater, far from anywhere interesting.  That changed at 0200 hours when Lothari ships began transiting into the system.  The first ships through were a trio of battlecruisers, followed by three light carriers.  After recovering from transit effects, the carriers began launching fighters as ships continued to enter the system. 

The Alliance force was stationed one light minute from the warp point, well out of range, relying on the sensor buoy placed close to the warp point for detection and scanning duties.   Upon detecting the unscheduled transit, and receiving the scanner information from the buoy, the patrol group’s commander brought her ships to alert status and sent a challenge to the Lothari ships.  There was no response from the Lothari force, but their fighter force, seventy-two fighters strong, set out for the Alliance group at full speed.  The Alliance force turned away from the oncoming fighters and moved away.  Warnings were dispatched up the chain via the ICN, and were transmitted to the invaders. 

It soon became clear to the Alliance patrol group’s CO that the Lothari fighters, which were faster than any known fighter, were more than fast enough to run down her force before they ran out of endurance.  The Alliance Patrol Group boasted a grand total of twelve fighters, and the Rehorish destroyers were outdated and had been scheduled to be refitted before the Alliance fell into its current difficulties.  After discussing the situation with her ship commanders, the patrol group commander sent a message to the Lothari asking their intentions.

Swordsman of Stars Hartmann responded to the Alliance commander, stating that the Kingdom of Lothar claimed this system, and all within it, and demanding that the Alliance force surrender immediately or be destroyed.  This began a terse exchange of messages, with the Alliance commander trying to find a way out for her patrol group, while Swordsman Hartmann remained unyielding, offering only surrender or destruction.  Finally, with the Lothari fighters closing in on her force, the Alliance commander ordered her ships to drop their drive fields.  Almost immediately life pods began spilling from the ships, and then, one by one, the four Alliance ships exploded, depriving the enemy of their prize. 

The Lothari fighters hovered around the life pods, and the main force arrived thirty minutes later, at which time they picked up all of the life pods, rescuing the Alliance crews.  Sho-I Watanabe, former commander of the patrol group, was ushered into Swordsman Hartmann’s office.  Expecting horrors, Watanabe was surprised to find out that the Swordsman was an urbane and civilized person, and appreciative of the intelligence and honor that she had shown in surrendering her force rather than forcing a needless and completely one-sided bloodbath.  The Swordsman promised to treat the prisoners well, and kept his promise.  Over the next several weeks the Alliance crewers were fed well and treated with respect, and Sho-I Watanabe spent much time with Swordsman Hartmann, discussing various issues not relating to the state of war that currently existed between the to nations. 

Month 212, Day 26, Alliance capital at Rehorish Prime
Word arrived via the ICN about the Lothari invasion.  This is a critical time for the Alliance; however, things were much improved over the last month to six weeks.  Communication was restored throughout much of the Alliance, the Stahat system was under firm Alliance control, the D’Bringi Empire was apparently bottled up in the D’Bringi home system, and negotiations moving forward with the Colonial Union.  Because of this, the Alliance Council felt secure enough to begin diverting significant naval forces to that area. 

The layout of the warp lines heading back inwards towards the Alliance from the Liawak system are fortuitous for the Alliance.  The warp line that connected the Lothari occupied Liawak system with the next system inwards terminated in a closed and undetectable warp point in the Liawak system, which meant that the Lothari would not be able to detect it with their survey instruments.  They could still discover it through the examination of captured ships, or assets on the colony that they had captured, but if those efforts failed their attempt to penetrate into Alliance space would come to an abrupt end.  All of that meant that while the Alliance naval forces in the area would have to guard against the possibility of the Lothari actually finding the warp point, they would hopefully have the time they needed to assemble a powerful force to relieve the Liawak system and take the war to the Lothari. 

Currently, the closest naval forces to the Liawak system and the Lothari incursion are the D’Bringi loyalist units under Skull-Splitter’s son in the Nagasaki and Jerothal systems.  This consisted of three battlecruisers, five heavy cruisers, and a strike carrier.  Not enough to engage the Lothari, but at least they had something close by.  The Chruqua Nexus was adjacent to the Jerothal system, and the Alliance 4th Fleet had been dispatched there as a reaction force during the recent difficulties.  Now, the 4th Fleet was given orders to move out to the Nagasaki system, to act as a defensive force.  Unfortunately, the 4th Fleet had largely been stripped of carriers to provide reaction groups for the various hot spots that had popped up over the last year, so they would remain on the defensive until reinforcements arrived.   

Fearing that the 4th Fleet would not be enough to stop the Lothari, particularly given its light carrier complement, the Alliance Council ordered the 1st Fleet at Rehorish Prime to dispatch heavy reinforcements as soon as possible.   One day later a force of forty-two warships left Rehorish Prime, including almost all of the 1st Fleet’s carriers. 

In addition, the forward fleet base at Kumamoto, just three jumps from Nagasaki, is ordered to dispatch reinforcements as well.  Hours later, three carriers, two escort destroyers, three escort carriers, and three corvette-carriers leave the base at Kumamoto for Nagasaki. 

Finally, the Doraz and the Torqual were sent a war warning, and the Alliance Council invoked the mutual defense clause of their treaties of alliance.  For now, the Council requested that the two member races send a portion of their fleet to the Chruqua Nexus, where they would act either as reinforcements, or, if necessary, a blocking force should the Lothari advance in that direction. 

Month 212, Day 30, Alliance capital at Rehorish Prime
The empty carriers dispatched back to the Alliance core systems from Dether arrive over Rehorish Prime on this date.  Yard capacity will be diverted next month to begin replenishing their fighters so that they can be redeployed as quickly as possible. 

Also on this day, the pro-Imperial government on Jerothal falls to loyalist forces, causing the collapse of pro-Imperial resistance across the planet.  Sho-sa F’Nor immediately orders his ships to return to Nagasaki, to reinforce the ships he left there, in case the Lothari advance down the warp chain. 

Also on this date, the Lothari assault force arrives over Liawak Prime.  Swordsman Hartmann orders the colony to surrender.  After some negotiating, the colonial leaders agree.  Lothari ground forces will arrive early next month. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Month 213, Day 1, Lothari Khalan System (Frontier)
On this day the Lothari 1st Survey Group probed the single new warp point they had discovered in the Khalan system on the Kingdom’s frontier.  The probe ship, a Timbedra class heavy cruiser, jumped out of the system and then returned ninety seconds later.  The ship’s captain reported that the new system was a binary system with three habitable planets, two type T planets and a type ST.  The survey commander then dispatched the cruiser and a corvette to probe the system, with a second corvette to keep watch on the far side of the warp point.  Three days later the watch ship received report from the heavy cruiser.  There were populations on all three planets, and their transmissions matched Alliance standard languages and frequencies.  The Lothari survey group had found another route into the Alliance.  The heavy cruiser’s CO turned his ship around and headed back out-system, never having entered the colony’s detection range.  The Kingdom hasn’t established an ICN as of yet, so the information will have to be sent back by CD, which is immediately sent on its way. 

Unknown to the Alliance the Kingdom of Lothar had discovered the Alliance’s Thoen system.  The Thoen system was adjacent to the Dether system, on the Far Frontier Sector’s secondary route to the core systems. 

Month 213, Day 1, Aurarii Prime
The Aurarii Assault Fleet left orbit in good order.  There were celebrations across the capital city as the citizens reveled in the day off the Emperor had granted them to honor the fleet as it departed.  The departing ships each transmitted a special theme song created by the Emperor’s personal musical artist, intended to inspire the people with the glory that would be gained by the fleet.

Once it had left orbit, the Assault Fleet was joined by both of the Republic’s survey groups as it headed out-system.

Month 213, Day 5, Lothari controlled Liawak system
Lothari ground forces land on the two colonies in the Liawak system.  Meeting little resistance, the troops establish effective control in a matter of days.  Lothari naval intelligence troops spread out across the major cities of both colonies, attempting to discover any astrogation data that might have been missed by the Alliance government prior to the landing of the troops.  The Kingdom has no information about the warp points in this system, and while a survey group has jumped into the system and begun looking, it will take the group forty days to complete a rough survey of the system, and another forty days to complete a detailed survey.  Finding astrogation information on one of the colonies would considerably shorten this timeline.   

Month 213, Day 6, Alliance Chruqua system
The Torqual fleet slid into its assigned staging area close to the Doraz fleet, which had arrived several hours earlier.  The Torqual fleet consisted of twenty warships, including three battlecruisers, while the Doraz fleet consisted of fifteen warships, also including three battlecruisers.  It was a considerable force, however, neither state had yet fielded fighters, and both states were significantly behind the Alliance’s standard technology, so for now the Alliance Navy preferred to keep the forces in reserve.  If necessary, they would be deployed forward, however, the Alliance was unlikely to risk them in a deep-space fleet action without considerable carrier support. 

Month 213, Day 7, Lothar Prime
The CD from the 1st Survey Group bearing word of their discovery arrived at the Lothari home world on this date.  Reacting quickly, the Supreme Leader ordered the navy to assemble a second assault force and dispatch it to seize the newly discovered Alliance system.  The Navy protested, as many ships were still on shakedown after being reactivated from the reserves, but the Supreme Leader insisted, calling the admirals shortsighted. 

Several hours later a force of eighteen warships left orbit, bound for the newly discovered Alliance system.  The departure of this group leaves the Home Fleet critically weakened, at least until the eighteen ships in the yards being reactivated from the reserves are ready for service. 

Month 213, Day 10, Alliance Nagasaki system
Sho-sa F’Nor’s group rejoins the ships he had left behind in the Nagasaki system, at the warp point to the Telmasa system, which was in between the Nagasaki system and the Lothar-controlled Liawak system.  Based on the reports from the battle in Liawak he didn’t have enough ships to challenge the Lothari, yet, so his orders were to remain at the warp point in defensive positions until reinforcements arrived.  This was galling, as the Telmasa system contained two colonies as well, but he understood the necessity.  Reinforcements were en route, he just had to wait for them to arrive.