Ah, Humanity keeps on shooting itself in the foot over and over.

So if Sligo goes ahead and succeeds, how much of the Fleet goes with them, and how much of the Union's budget does it lose? Also most importantly, do they threaten the Union's access to El Dorado?

The Sligo District represents almost half of the Union's income, as although it is not as populous, it has been the Union's primary expansion and colonization site for some time.  Right now it is unclear how the fleet would shake out.  The Humanity First group has risen to replace the New Dawn Party, and Sligo and the other systems in the District are more or less solidly Humanity First.
 The Union Assault Corps was solidly pro-New Dawnist, and is now pro-Humanity Firsters in Sligo, in spite of attempts by the fleet to dilute this.  The rest of the fleet is more or less evenly balanced, however, the Union Fleet has been successful in ensuring that no one planet's population dominates any of the crews of the larger vessels. 

El Dorado is solidly in the Sol District, however, there are several other potential trouble spots.  Earth was a New Dawn stronghold, and remains solidly in the Humanity First camp, but lies within the Sol Sector, obviously.  And the Tlatelolco, who are very nearly members of the Union themselves, are in the Sligo District.  They know what the Sligo-led Humanity First party would do to them, as they had a taste of it during the New Dawn rule.  They are solidly Reform-Progressives, like the bulk of the Sol District. 

Confederated Sentient Races
Month 230 Update

Income: 182,031 MCr’s
Upkeep: 58,313 MCr’s (32%)

The CSR is finishing a massive refit to its forces to bring them up to HT-10 standards.  For the most part, mobile forces have completed refitting, while some work remains to be done on the bases of Fortress Command. 

The HT-10 refit, along with the recent incorporation of the Tomsk Union, has caused the CSR government to decide on a complete makeover for their survey groups.  The Tomsk Union had relied primarily on explorer class craft for survey work, supported by a few larger ships, and several of the Bjering survey groups contains EX class units as well.  In the modern environment, where potentially hostile races could be fielding gunboats and F2 fighters, the old EX class units, which are not large enough to carry even long-range sensors much less anything in the way of defenses, are viewed as a liability.  Therefore, all survey groups were recalled to the home systems where the EX class units were mothballed, and the remaining survey ships were refitted to HT-10 standards.  Survey ships are now the only non-carrier class craft to carry fighters and gunboats, aside from a corvette sized scout.  The fighters and gunboats are seen as flexible enough to provide both protection and striking power to otherwise necessarily fragile survey units.  The mothballing of the EX sized units has resulted in the shrinking of the survey fleet from seven groups to four, but the four remaining groups are much more capable than the older groups.  Each group is now comprised of two Berserker 6 Exploration Cruisers, two Tyr 5 Survey Destroyers, five Kresta 2 Survey Frigates, and a Ashdod 5 Survey Scout, along with a supply ship.  The group has a grand total of twenty-eight cutters for planetary surveys, and thirty-three F2 fighters and thirty-two gunboats for defense.  Each survey group can completely survey a system for warp points in two months, and its small craft can survey the planets, moons and asteroids of that system in a similar length of time.  The CSR plans to gradually increase the number of survey groups it fields over the next several years as construction capacity and funds become available. 

Since the merging of the Bjering and Tomsk governments, the CSR has undertaken an ambitious colonization program, not only of newly discovered planets but also to revitalize Tomsk Union systems that had been starved for population prior to the merger.  This project has gone remarkably well, and to date there has been only minor friction between the cohabitating Bjering and Human populations.   In fact, the program has gone so well that it has drawn observers and study groups from the Colonial Union’s government.  Indeed, the success of this program is credited with a thawing of relations between the CSR and the Colonial Union, which has resulted in the recent signing of a mutual defense pact. 

Total Fleet: 9xCV, 1xCVL, 16xCVS, 36xCVE, 12xML, 27xBC, 8xCA, 9xCL, 56xDD, 20xFF, 47xCT, 3xES, 1089xF2, 108xF0, 18xApin, 373xGBp

Refits: 3xML, 3xDD, 2xCT


Tolan Trade Federation
Income: 20,570 MCr’s
Upkeep: 5,344 MCr’s (22%)

Total Fleet: 3xCVS, 6xBC, 3xCA, 6xCL, 1xCT, 54xF1, 18xF0, 3xApin

The Tolan recently achieved HT-10, putting them on parity with the CSR.  The CSR government immediately opened talks aimed at bringing the Tolani into the CSR as full members, however, the Tolan government dragged its feet for several months over minor points in the treaty of amalgamation.  Finally, in Month 230, the Tolani government signed the treaty authorizing the union, and in Month 236 the Tolani will join the CSR as full members. 

In spite of the Tolani dragging their feet, they had little choice.  Their home system contains two warp points, one of which leads to CSR space and the other of which leads to an Alliance colony.  The Tolani colonization program was only possible because the CSR granted them permission to transit through their space, and allowed them access to previously unexplored warp points in their territory.  And, although the Tolani maintain friendly relations with the Alliance, they are thoroughly entangled with the CSR, making the choice easy in the end. 

Aldrean Contemplative Association
Income: 732 MCr’s

The Aldreans have reached HT-0 and are researching systems available at that level, with CSR assistance.  To date they have no presence in space beyond their home world. 

I'm glad to see the % spent on maintenance is lower than 50% at the moment, the CU needs to focus on the economy and refitting to prepare for the future, at least in my opinion.

Month 226, Epsilon Eridani
The Union Senate approves a measure authorizing a massive colonizing effort for the El Dorado system to bring the population of one of its planets up to a level that could sustain in-system colonization without seriously depleting its population.  Such is the excitement that has gripped the Senate that this measure wins approval in spite of very vocal and vigorous opposition from senators from the Sligo District.  The tipping point in favor of the measure was reached when the representative from Earth, from which the colonists will be drawn, signals she will vote for the measure. 

The administration immediately authorizes a go-ahead for the colonization effort, and the first colony transports leave Earth within days.  Eventually, a full third of the Union’s transport fleet will be devoted to the effort, which will involve a three-month journey to El Dorado from Earth.  The costs are commensurately staggering, but the administration views this as a much-needed effort to boost colonization at a time when the Colonial colonization effort has fallen behind the other major races. 

Perhaps because of the enthusiastic approval of the Senate, including Earth’s Senator, the administration is caught off-guard when large-scale protests against the effort break out across Earth as the citizens there react to the colonization program’s renewed drawdown of Earth’s population.  When the Union’s government offers to send aid to the Earth Gov, it is declined with a curt message indicating that the Earth can handle its own problems. 

Month 227, Colonial Union, Earth
Many of the protests across Earth have devolved to violent riots as the colonization effort of El Dorado continues.  By mid-month there have been several violent attacks on colonist embarkation points, and hundreds have been killed or wounded in the resulting fighting.  It soon becomes clear that the unrest is over more than just this new colonization effort.  It appears that unrest has been simmering on Earth for some time, centered on the perception that the Earth is viewed by the Union as nothing more than a convenient source of colonists and recruits for Union star fleets. 

The administration has been caught off balance by the growing violence, as Sara Kurniawan, Earth’s Senator, continues to insist that Earth is solidly in favor of the colonization effort, despite all evidence to the contrary.  Early in the month, District Governor Holbrooke arrives on Earth to confer with the local authorities about their ongoing unrest.  As governor of the Sligo District, which had been solidly against the colonization effort, Holbrooke is seen by the Earthers as a neutral party and he is welcomed by the planetary governor and her administration.  CEO Semenov orders an investigation of Senator Kurniawan, as he suspects something isn’t right in the situation on Earth. 

Within days Governor Holbrooke announces an agreement with Earth Gov for Sligo District support for Earth’s overwhelmed security forces.  The administration gratefully accepts this deal and authorizes the transfer of significant Sligo District civil defense units to Earth.  Ground units will begin arriving early next month. 

Month 228, Colonial Union
The unrest on Earth continues, however, open fighting and rioting has largely ended with the arrival of security troops from the Sligo District.  It helps that the newly arrived security troops and their officers are largely sympathetic to the protestors and their supporters within the Earth Gov administration, and this allows them to quickly create communications conduits with the protesting groups and defuse the worst of the rioting and violence. 

While the Union’s attention is turned to Earth, the administration has largely missed the larger issue.  The economic boom surrounding the massive colonization effort in the El Dorado system has largely been confined to the populous and industrialized inner systems of the Union, commonly referred to as the “Old World Colonies”.  This reality has further polarized the Union, with the Sligo District largely missing out on the boom.  This has magnified the Sligo District population’s feeling that the Union is not being run with their best interests at heart.

Having missed the discontent in the Sligo District, the Union Senate, in a burst of enthusiasm during the colonization rush, takes up debate on a new bill that would authorize the administration to begin negotiations with the Confederated Sentient Races to form a mutual defense pact.  The immediate reaction from the Sligo District is disbelief and distrust.  Almost immediately planetary leaders across the district accuse the Union’s government of only wanting this “defensive” pact as a first step towards joining the CSR.  The Sligo District remains strongly isolationist and pro-human, and this is a rallying cry that many throughout the District are sympathetic to.  While this attitude resonates throughout the Sligo District, the coverage of the protests and political pandering surrounding this unrest has an exactly opposite effect in the Sol Sector.  In the more cosmopolitan core area of the Union, anti-alien attitudes considered at best provincial, and at worst bigotry that is an example of the worst of humanity. 

In the midst of this furor, the investigation ordered by CEO Semenov reveals extensive corruption on the part of Senator Kurniawan, including payoffs from Quartermaster Corp, a major government supplier, to support the colonization vote in the senate.  In addition, there are some indications that Kurniawan transferred funds from her accounts to several officials in BuReLoc, apparently to ensure that contracts related to the El Dorado colonization project went to Quartermaster Corp.  Quartermaster Corp is one of the larger corporations in Union space, and is centered in the Old World Colonies.  While not complete, the investigation does show that the corruption was limited to Senator Kurniawan and not a larger scheme. 

This revelation leaves CEO Semenov in an unenviable position.  The growing unease in the Sligo District is based on a perception that they are not being treated fairly by the Union government, and a public revelation of Kurniawan’s corruption would only confirm their beliefs.  It would also throw the colonization program into chaos at the exact time it was needed the most.  And finally, it would doom the Independent Party’s effort to improve the Union’s relations with its neighbor, the CSR.  While Kurniawan was not an Independent Party member, she had been voting with the Independents, and her corruption, although not common within the Independents, had favored the Independent’s stated goals. 

In the end, CEO Semenov had no real choice.  He, and the Independent Party leadership, believed that the population trap the human race had gotten themselves into would doom the Union to becoming a second-class power in the near future, and in the long run would leave humanity marginalized.  Their only real hope was to join one of the multiracial alliances, either the CSR or the Alliance itself.  And of the two, the CSR seemed the better bet for the Union.  The Tomsk Union was already a member of the CSR and by all accounts had prospered within the alliance.  If the Union joined the CSR as well, humans would be assured of having a voice within the CSR.  Therefore, the choice was simple. 

By the end of the month Senator Kurniawan would retire, ‘to spend more time with her family’.  And in the next several months, a criminal investigation would arrest several prominent Quartermaster Corp officials along with several BuReLoc bureaucrats, in a corruption scandal that would be big news for a few days before being overshadowed by the next big thing, at which time it would be forgotten. 

Month 229, Colonial Union
Once again dismissing the depth of resistance in the Sligo District, the Union Senate authorizes the administration to begin negotiating with the CSR to expand their existing trade relationship with a defensive military treaty.  The delegation from the Union arrives in Tomsk on day 10, and negotiations begin immediately.   By the end of the month the Confederated Sentient Races agree to a mutual defense treaty.  This was done over the objections of the human contingent within the CSR, as the humans of the Tomsk system and their colonies won’t soon forget the Union’s attempt to invade their system, however, a minority of human representatives to the Great Moot on Bjering Prime voted for the treaty, and with the Bjering votes that was enough to pass the measure and approve the treaty.  In truth, most humans in the CSR are coming to recognize that the politics in the Union have changed greatly over the past several years, and their resistance to this treaty was more inertia than active disagreement. 

While the Union Senate still seems unaware of the resistance to these changes in the Sligo District, the Union’s administration has belatedly become aware that the recent events in the Union has driven a wedge between the two Districts.  When the news of the new treaty is made public the administration braces itself for riots and unrest likely to spread across half the Union.  Aside from numerous, mostly civil, protests on Sligo District planets, though, the feared riots don’t materialize.  What the administration hasn’t realized is that the Sligo District’s civic and political leaders have begun discussing secession seriously for the first time. 

In the newly settled El Dorado system, in-system colonization of the best mining sites begins as the colonists get themselves organized.  With all eight major colonies in place, and a medium colony on the richest planet, the El Dorado system is already the Union’s seventh most productive system. 

Confederated Free Systems

The CFS Navy was originally based on designs inherited from the USSR’s navy, however, over the years it has diverged quite a bit from that standard.  The CFS navy was designed to patrol and secure the Novosibirsk system, but as its mission has changed its designs have changed as well.  Now that the system governments of the CFS have direct control of their forces, it is expected that the designs will diverge even more, although the Patrol Fleet is currently involved in a political battle to maintain control of the design of its ships.  This is a fight that it is losing, and in the near future it is anticipated that the system governments will begin demanding alterations to their ships to meet their local needs. 

The Kiev class is a new departure for the CFS.  For most of the existence of the CFS the two superpowers have discouraged the CFS from building larger hulls, and in any case cost considerations meant that such large ships would be prohibitively expensive, however, all of that changed recently.  When the superpowers became absorbed in their internal affairs, restrictions on the CFS government loosened while at the same time the CFS government began to lose influence within the CFS.  Thus, the Kiev class is intended to give the CFS a way to interest the superpowers in the CFS again, by offering squadrons of these capital ships as mercenaries for either of the major power’s use.  So far the two superpowers have been noncommittal on this project, and rumors abound that they only allowed this project to go forward to distract from carriers, which both powers consider the future of naval warfare.  In any case, the first Kiev will be complete next month, at which time the CFS government plans to begin laying down new units every month. 
SDR KIEV class SD  AM2 26 XO Racks 130 Hull TL 8
[3] S0x21Aix21H(BbS)(IIII)Q(IIII)Q(IIII)(IIII)Rcx4DzRcx4MgRcx3M4DzRcRcMgDzDzLhZiQ(IIII)Fc [5]
130 RCP  20 MCP    Trg:5     Cost =  2849/ 427.4
HTK 90 S0x21  Aix21  Dzx4  Fcx1  Rcx13  Mgx2 
180x CM, 6x EDM (Mg)

The Moskva class battlecruiser was the backbone of the CFS Patrol Fleet.  It is intended to engage enemy capital ships at long range, and must be escorted by smaller ships to prevent faster enemy ships from getting in close and picking it apart with beam weapons.  The Moskva class has become a status symbol for system government fleets, garnering prestige for governments able to afford to support a capital ship. 
BCR MOSKVA class BC  AM2 16 XO Racks 80 Hull TL 8
[2] S0x13Aix17H(BbS)Rcx3DzM1QRcRcXrDzMg(III)(II)(III)(II)RcMg(III)DzZiLhDzQ(II)Mg [6]
80 RCP  20 MCP    Trg:2     Cost =  1695/ 254.3
HTK 66 S0x13  Aix17  Dzx4  Rcx6  Mgx3 
180x CM, 5x EDM (Mg)

The Kirov class has become the workhorse of the system and frontier fleets.  This ship is designed to engage targets at long range, acting independently or in support of the Moskva class battlecruisers. 
KIROV MK II class CA  AM 12 XO Racks 60 Hull TL 7
[2] S0x9Aix8ZHs(BbS)Rcx3DzM1QRcRcXrDz(II)(II)(II)(II)(II)LhDzQ(II)Mg [6]
60 RCP  40 MCP    Trg:2     Cost =  1133/ 170
HTK 46 S0x9  Aix8  Dzx3  Rcx5  Mgx1 
60x CM

The Patrol Ship class DD is intended to act as escorts for the cruisers and battlecruisers of the Patrol Fleet, or in direct support of the warp point fortifications as close-range attack ships.  The Mark V refit replaces the earlier version’s missile launchers with the newly developed capital force beam, increasing the close-range damage potential of the class. 
DD PATROL SHIP MK V class DD  (AC) AM2 6 XO Racks 30 Hull TL 8
[1] S0x10Aix7Hs(BbS)QsXr(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)ZiDzQs(I)Fc [7]
30 RCP  20 MCP    Trg:1     Cost =  669/ 100.4
HTK 32 S0x10  Aix7  Dzx1  Fcx1 

The Mark IV version of the Patrol Ship class mounts advanced missile launchers, which were replaced by later updates.  Several system governments requested these older ships, as they viewed the missile design as being more flexible and better suited for the missions they would be undertaking in the system defense role. 
PATROL SHIP MK IV class DD  (AC) AM 6 XO Racks 30 Hull TL 7
[2] S0S0Aix3ZHs(BbS)QsWax4Xr(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)DzQs(I)Mg [7]
30 RCP  20 MCP    Trg:1     Cost =  690/ 103.5
HTK 24 S0x2  Aix3  Dzx1  Wax4  Mgx1 
160x SM

The automated warfare class CT is designed to control minefields and warp points, and to support those minefields with its fighter complement.  Several system governments have commissioned the construction of these ships, and several others are considering the concept.
CT(AW) class CT  3 XO Racks 16 Hull TL 8
[2] AiHs(I)Vx4(I)(I)Xr(MCS)Qs(I)Mg [8]
16 RCP  4 FCP    Trg:1     Cost =  389/ 58.4
HTK 14 Aix1  Vx4  Mgx1 
8x fG, 80x fR

The Kresta class was intended by the Patrol Fleet to be a transitional class to provide the fleet with carrier capability until larger classes could be constructed.  While the decision on which larger design would be the final carrier class had not been made, the entire question was made moot by the breakup of the Patrol Fleet.  The system governments had no interest in larger carriers, and indeed viewed the escort carrier design as being perfect for system defense.  Currently there are no plans to field a larger carrier. 
CVE KRESTA class CVE  AM 6 XO Racks 30 Hull TL 8
[1] S0S0Aix3ZHsVx6(I)Vx6(I)Q(I)(I)(I)(I)XrDzLhQ(I)Mg [7]
30 RCP  20 MCP  12 FCP    Trg:1     Cost =  676/ 101.4
HTK 32 S0x2  Aix3  Dzx1  Vx12  Mgx1 
24x fG, 96x fR

CFS Fortress Command
The CFS Fortress Command is concentrated in the Novosibirsk system.  By agreement with the two superpowers, the Fortress Command is limited to a single base at each warp point in the Novosibirsk system, except at times of emergency, as agreed to by the three governments.  Therefore, the bulk of the Fortress Command’s assets are deployed in the orbit of the capital to protect the system’s population and shipyards. 

The carrier-base was designed to give the system’s fixed fortifications fighters of their own.   
BS2CV class BS2  10 XO Racks 50 Hull TL 8
[1] S0x4Aix4H(BbM)Vx6QTiVx12DzQVx6QVx6MgZiDzLhQ [0]
50 RCP  25 MCP  30 FCP    Trg:1     Cost =  1396/ 69.8
HTK 50 S0x4  Aix4  Dzx2  Vx30  Tix1  Mgx1 
5x EDM (Mg), 60x fG, 300x fR

This missile base is the primary defender of the Novosibirsk system capital. 
BS2(R) MK III class BS2  10 XO Racks 50 Hull TL 7
[1] S0x8Aix7ZHs(BbS)RcRcDzQsRcRcDzRcRcXrDzQsMg [0]
50 RCP    Trg:1     Cost =  812/ 40.6
HTK 31 S0x8  Aix7  Dzx3  Rcx6  Mgx1 
60x CM

This base is designed to engage targets at long range and control minefields.  One unit of this class is deployed to each of the Novosibirsk system’s warp points. 
BS2(RA) MK III class BS2  10 XO Racks 50 Hull TL 7
[1] S0x8Aix7ZHs(BbS)QsRcRcDzRcRcDzRcMg(MCS)DzXrDzQs [0]
50 RCP    Trg:1     Cost =  922/ 46.1
HTK 32 S0x8  Aix7  Dzx4  Rcx5  Mgx1 
60x CM

This class was intended to provide cheap and quick fighter bays for the Fortification Command.  Two units of this type have been built in orbit over Novosibirsk. 
SSCV class SS  17 XO Racks 97.5 Hull TL 8
[1] S0x30Aix5H(BbS)Vx12QDzVx12QVx12QVx12DzQVx12LhQZiQDzLhQMgMg [0]
97.5 RCP  2.5 MCP  60 FCP    Trg:1     Cost =  2620.7/ 52.4
HTK 112 S0x30  Aix5  Dzx3  Vx60  Mgx2 
4x EDM (Mg), 120x fG, 600x fR

The Fortification Command refitted the system’s orbital shipyard stations to this design several years ago to better protect the system’s shipyards and provide more firepower to defend the capital. 
SSSY(A) class SS  35 XO Racks 435 Hull TL 6
[1]S0x150Z(BbL)H(BbL)H(BbL)QsRcx3Dx4MgQRcx3Dx3Rcx4MgDQsM4DFFDF(DCS)(MCS)QXrQLh(SY)x3QsF[0]
435 RCP  30 MCP    Trg:5     Cost =  4609.5/ 68.2
HTK 223 S0x150  Dx10  Fx4  Rcx10  Mgx2 
120x CM