Corporate Federation - Updates

[Kurt (OP)]

September 13, 2136: The first Aegis PDC is assembled on Mars, joining a Looking Glass PDC assembled earlier in the year.  It is an older design, but still, it is a sign of the importance of Mars in the Republic’s plans.  The limited industry of Mars, and the construction brigades, will now begin work on assembling a second Aegis PDC. 

September 28, 2136: The first two Saratoga class monitors are launched from the orbital yards.   These monitors are very large ships intended to act as mobile bases for jump point defense.   

October 20, 2136: The government orders the thirteen terraformer ships in the Earth Recovery Corps to relocate to Mars.  The government has grown concerned that they will unbalance Earth’s environment by pumping too much greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in an attempt to stave off nuclear winter.  Once the environment starts to recover normally, it might swing too far back the other way due to the Recovery Corps’ efforts.  Instead, the terraformers will make Mars more habitable, to give humanity an option to the poisoned earth. 

November 23, 2136: It’s been six months since the last Dregluk attack.  In those six months humanity has become much more active throughout the Solar System.  Four salvage ships are busily working to reduce the number of wrecks obstructing traffic in the system, and to bring the precious Dregluk technology back to the R&D labs on the Earth.  Humanity has greatly expanded its presence on Mars, increasing the colony’s population to 64 million, and has started to build defenses on the planet that will ensure its safety.  All of the non-combat ships in the government fleet have been recalled to the safety of Earth orbit, or are shuttling infrastructure and colonists between Earth and Mars.  In spite of the harsh conditions on Earth, there is a feeling that humanity is on its way back. 

At 2204 hours, that increasing confidence in the security of the Solar system is shaken when the Jump Cruiser Tennessee, which has taken over the Assistance’s picket position in the Washington system, receives a message from the Listening Post.  Three Dregluk BB’s have jumped into the system and are headed towards the jump point to the Solar System.  These ships have not been seen before, and thus can be assumed to be in perfect condition.  While Admiral Wallace is sure that the Fleet could deal with one BB, or possibly even two, three is a lot of Dregluk firepower for the human fleet to deal with.  However, all of the burgeoning activity in the Solar system must be protected.  Currently, Mars is closer to the jump point than the Earth is, making it and its relatively untouched refuge for humanity an easy target, and currently it only has one PDC to protect it.  Interim President Foster and Admiral Law agree, the fleet will have to fight the incoming Dregluk ships at the jump point. 

Fortunately, one of the two new monitors have already been deployed to the jump point.  These large ships were intended to be used as mobile bases, guarding the Solar System’s jump points.  It took the Saratoga, the lead ship of the class, over eight days to reach the jump point from Earth.  The Monitor class units are intended to remain on station for several years before needing to return to base for an overhaul.  With the Saratoga added to the Fleet, the defenders have a good chance of destroying the Dregluk ships before they can wreak havoc on the Solar system. 

The Fleet’s magazines are topped off, and it departs, leaving behind a population that followed it with their hearts and minds. 

November 27, 2136, 1704 hours: Three Dregluk Mammoth class BB’s jump into the Solar System.  The Fleet is ready.  Admiral Wallace has divided the Fleet into three groups:

Missile Combatants
MN - Saratoga
BC - Mars
PV - Defender 02, 03
FFG(r3) - Sacramento, Singapore, Vladivostok, Nairobi
MB(r2ER) – 002, 003, 005, 006, 007, 008

Pursuit Group Alpha
CP(r3) – Assistance
FFG(r4) – Birmingham, Cairo, Tokyo

Pursuit Group Bravo
FTI – Falcon 011, 012, 013, 014, 015, 016, 017, 018, 019, 020, 021, 022, 023

All three groups are positioned on the jump point.  The missile group will engage the Dregluk BB’s with missile fire and will remain on the jump point.  The two pursuit groups will engage the Dregluk BB’s with energy weapon fire and will attempt to remain as close as possible to the Dregluk ships.   

The crack crew of the Assistance are the first off the mark, and their spinal and heavy lasers carve deeply into the lead Dregluk BB’s armor.  Twenty-five seconds after the BB’s entered the system, the missile group launched one hundred and sixteen Thunderbolt III ASM’s and seventy-eight Bludgeon II LRASM’s at the fleeing BB’s.  The Thunderbolts slam home first.  The targeted BB stopped five of the ASM’s with its CIWS, but in an orgy of overkill and internal explosions the remaining Thunderbolts wiped the Dregluk ship out.   The Bludgeon II’s went in next.  Explosion after explosion wreathed the two remaining Dregluk ships.  It was almost…beautiful.  When the explosions faded out both ships were gone.  The Fleet had done its job, the Dregluk ships were no more.  This marks a turning point in the war, as far as Admiral Law and Consul Foster are concerned.  A human fleet met a powerful Dregluk force in space and destroyed it.  While it wasn’t an open-space engagement, the fact that it took place away from the Earth’s defensive envelope and prevented the Dregluk ships from rampaging throughout the system means that humanity has taken a large step towards securing the Solar System. 

The Saratoga begins its long transit back to the Earth to reload its box launchers.  The Masada, the second monitor in service, leaves Earth to replace the Saratoga at the jump point.  The rest of the Fleet also departs the jump point, headed back in-system towards the Earth, leaving a picket behind. 

December 9, 2136:  Two Behemoth class battleships appear in the Washington system.  The Listening Post duly reports their arrival and ETA. 

December 13, 2136: Two Dregluk Behemoth class BB’s appear on the jump point and immediately begin moving away.  The Behemoths were known to be less capable than the Mammoth class, and some in Intel had speculated that they were jump ships and had large amounts of interior space devoted to the drives that would make that possible.  Admiral Wallace ordered the Masada, the Monitor on guard duty, and four missile boats, to open fire.  Sixty Bludgeon II’s raced away from the five ships seconds later.  The Dregluk ships were so close that the missiles hit their targets bare seconds after they were launched.  One of the two BB’s was destroyed almost instantaneously, while the other was seriously damaged.  Admiral Wallace ordered the two remaining missile boats with missiles in their tubes to engage the limping Dregluk ship.  The limping Dregluk ship shoots down half of the missile boat’s missiles, and survives the impact of the rest.  Next it is the two Defender’s turn.  Their eight Bludgeon II’s meet the same fate as the missile boat’s missiles, in that half of them are destroyed by the Dregluk ship’s CIWS, but the other four finally finish off the Dregluk ship.  The Solar System is clear again. 

December 21, 2136: The Salvage-04 receives orders to jump out of the Solar System and into the Washington system to begin salvaging wrecks close to the jump point.  That plan is cancelled hours later when the picket ship on the jump point reports that a Dregluk ship has been detected entering the system by the Listening Post.  The Salvage-04 is diverted to a wreck in the Solar System and preparations are made to ambush the incoming Dregluk ship.  As Naval Intelligence analyzes the information sent by the Listening Post, it becomes clear that this is a new class of Dregluk ship.  Given its emission strength, it is clearly the same size as a Mammoth class BB.  Naval Intelligence designates it as a Leviathan class BB. 

December 25, 2136, 0507 hours: The Leviathan jumps into the Solar System, materializing 196,000 kilometers from the jump point.  Immediately after jumping in the Leviathan turns towards the jump point and moves towards the Fleet.  Twenty-five seconds later the Saratoga, having replaced the Masada as the jump point guard, launches forty Bludgeon II’s at the interloper.  Seconds later the Bludgeon II’s slam into the Leviathan.  The big Dregluk ship stops six missiles with its CIWS and then is completely destroyed after only two of the big Bludgeon missiles detonate on its armor.  Admiral Wallace and her Intel people are mystified.  This was a new class of ship never seen before, which means it couldn’t have been damaged in prior battles, unless the Dregluk had taken a damaged ship and modified it somehow.  Or had other enemies.  Or had thrown an unarmored and almost completely undefended ship into a combat situation.  Theories abound.  HQ orders the Salvage-02 to examine the wreck and recover what it can.  The salvage ship ignores the Dregluk life pods floating nearby as it begins its work.  If the crew had weapons they’d shoot at the pods, but as they don’t they satisfy themselves with taunting the Dregluk survivors with the horrible death that awaits them. 

December 28, 2136: Two Mammoth class BB’s are detected jumping into the Washington system.  The fleet goes on alert yet again. 

December 30, 2136: R&D on new systems is finally complete.  New upgrade designs are finalized and work begins retooling the yards to produce the new ships. 

[Kurt (OP)]

The Unified Republic of Earth
The Year 2137

No Dregluk missiles hit Earth or any other colony in the Solar System during the year.  This fact alone justifies the high regard the population has for Consul Foster, the Republic, and the Republic’s military forces.  Indeed, no Dregluk ship managed to penetrate the jump point defenses in spite of near constant attempts.  During the year the Dregluk made fifteen different attempts to attack on fourteen different days, and lost twenty warships.  The heaviest force to attack was two BB’s on January 2, the largest was three Demon class CA’s on February 7.  As the year went on and the Dregluk continued to launch futile attacks the public began calling 2137 the year of the ‘Jump Point Turkey Shoot’. 

Naval Intelligence is mystified by this behavior, as are the Republic’s admirals and politicians.  If the Dregluk had built up their forces instead of launching piecemeal attacks, they could have launched an overwhelming attack late in the year with twenty warships, including ten battleships that significantly out-mass the largest warships humanity can field in spite of years of military buildup.  Instead, by launching numerous independent attacks the Dregluk lost over 439,000 tons of warships in exchange for minor damage to one Republican freighter.  The best theory that Naval Intelligence has been able to develop after numerous and thorough interviews of the crews rescued from the destroyed Dregluk ships is that the Dregluk Empire is moribund and disorganized.  One point of view that has gained some currency as the ineffectual attacks continued is the theory that the Dregluk are ruled by a computer or computers that have limited responses built into them. 

Each of the attacks followed a common pattern.  The Dregluk ships were spotted entering the Washington system by the Listening Post, giving the Solar System’s defenders more than sufficient warning to gather at the jump point.  The Dregluk ship or ships would jump into the Solar system, sometimes appearing on the jump point, or, if the Dregluk ship was a jump ship, some distance from the jump point.  The Dregluk ship would immediately begin moving away from the jump point at maximum speed.  The defenders, which almost always included one of the two monitors, would shoot them out of space with missiles.  In several occasions the meson-equipped interceptors were called upon to finish of the intruders if the missiles didn’t do the job.  In one attack a Dregluk ship managed to launch several missiles at the battlecruiser Mars, which were stopped by her shields.  In another attack the intruder managed to damage a freighter assigned to support salvage operations close to the jump point with its particle cannons.  For the most part the Dregluk ships just died, one after another.  None got more than five hundred thousand kilometers from the jump point. 

Consul Foster and his administration has grown concerned about the growing xenophobia in general amongst the population, and outright hatred for the Dregluk in particular.  Because humanity was on the defensive this hatred has had limited outlets.  Reflecting the public’s opinion, the Republic’s Senate has passed several resolutions condemning the Dregluk Empire.  Bowing to pressure from both the populace and the Senate, Consul Foster ordered the Fleet to stop rescuing crews from the Dregluk life pods.  While Consul Foster feared the precedent that was being set, the Republic was too new (at that time) for a major political battle so he acquiesced.  Indeed, public opinion was so firmly on the side of leaving the Dregluk to die in deep space that it was clear that the battle could not be fought.  Consul Foster hoped that the public’s opinion would moderate as Earth’s defenses became more capable and time moved on, however, that proved not to be the case.  Life on Earth was hard, not only because of the lower temperatures but because of the omnipresent radiation, which strikes apparently at random, weakens everyone, and kills the weakest, like beloved parents and children.  After the devastation of the Bombardment and the ongoing radiation poisoning, now called “The Long Death”, there was no mercy in the people for the Dregluk, or indeed for anyone else that would threaten humanity.  Indeed, as the year wore on and the Dregluk continued their attacks the people’s attitudes hardened.  Salvage crews working on newly destroyed Dregluk ships have taken to taunting the Dregluk life pods floating nearby, and as time went on the crews stimulated each other to new heights.  Towards the end of the year an enterprising net channel began broadcasting recordings of the taunting and received immense ratings almost from the first. 

The fact that the Fleet has stopped the Dregluk incursions at the jump point has allowed the Republic to become much more active throughout the Solar System.  Salvage ships completed salvaging human and Dregluk wrecks left scattered across the solar system after years of fighting by April, and have been occupied since then salvaging the new wrecks of Dregluk attackers as they appear.  The technology recovered by the salvage ships has been instrumental in improving humanity’s defenses, and in most areas Human tech is now equal to that of the Dregluk Empire.  In May humanity’s first tug is launched and begins moving military shipyards to Mars to avoid the construction penalties associated with Earth and its omnipresent radiation.  Construction factories and Republican Army Construction Corps units were transferred first to Mars to build defenses, and then to the Ganymede colony.  Consul Foster has made much headway on his promise to make the Solar System into a fortress. 

In September, the Nairobi and the Sacramento completed their refits in the Martian orbital yards.  These two ships are among the first units refitted to a standard which will allow them to engage Dregluk forces on a more or less even basis.  These units are important because, in spite of its success in defending the jump point, until now the fleet was not ready for a deep-space engagement with major Dregluk units.  That is now changing.  The Lake class FFG’s can launch twenty-five Thunderbolt III missiles from their box launchers, and with their new fire controls can engage Dregluk ships out to 225 mkm’s, rivaling the best Dregluk ASM’s.  The new version of the smaller missile boats can launch Bludgeon III’s from their box launchers, and will have fire controls capable of engaging Dregluk ships out to almost 400 mkm’s, far exceeding the performance of any known Dregluk missile.  Humanity is nearly ready to begin reaching beyond the Solar System once again.   

[Kurt (OP)]

The United Republic of Earth
December 30, 2137

Earth:
Population: 4.27 Billion
Shipyards/Slipways: 15/40
Industrial Facilities (All): 12,209
R&D Labs: 210
Environment: Average Temp -18.99 degrees from normal averages.  Radiation currently causing 23% drop in industrial efficiency. 
Estimated annual population decrease rate is -4.52%.

Earth’s population has decreased 640 million since June 2135, or 13%.  Approximately 90 million of that decrease is attributable to increased colonist transport to Mars, and to a lesser extent to the Moon.  The remainder is due to the radiation from the Dregluk bombardments of 2134 and 2135.  Earth’s average surface temperature is climbing, and is now 23.84 degrees (almost 75 degrees Fahrenheit), due in part to greenhouse gasses pumped into the atmosphere by the Earth Recovery Corps in the immediate aftermath of the bombardment, when large populations were vulnerable to the freezing temperatures that prevailed at that time. 

While a significant number of shipyards with their attendant slipways have been transferred to Mars, the number of slipways over Earth has remained almost the same due to significant growth of the orbital yards since 2135.  In addition, while industrial facilities have been shipped off world, the total number of industrial facilities on Earth has grown at the same time that the population has decreased, causing worker shortages that are compounding reduced efficiency from lingering radiation effects.   The Consul plans to shift production away from military projects during the upcoming year towards projects that will reduce the drain on skilled workers.  For example, large numbers mining facilities are slated to be converted to automation over the next several years, reducing the need for laborers. 

As of the end of December, 2137, all five of Earth’s Aegis missile defense bases have been upgraded to the most current Aegis r2 status, giving Earth unparalleled defensive capability that should be capable of dealing with any Dregluk or Obscura attack.  Indeed, Earth’s current defenses would be able to handily deal with even the heaviest of attacks the Dregluk launched during the worst portions of the bombardments in 2134.  Two of the four offensive Sword class PDC’s have been upgraded to the latest standard as well.   The remaining two Sword PDC’s, the Shield class meson bases, and the Final Line missile bases will have to wait for their upgrades until production capacity is made available later in the year, probably in March, after critical construction projects are completed.   Currently, the Earth Defense Command plans to have all of the Earth’s PDC’s upgraded to the latest designs by the end of 2138. 

The Moon:
Population: 8.07 million
Industrial Facilities: 150 (mines)

The Republic’s government decided in 2136 that they would not re-colonize the Moon, and instead decided to focus on Mars, as Mars has a much lower radiation level and a larger existing population.  There was some public discontent with that decision, largely among the refugees from the original Lunar colony, who had been lobbying for some time for an effort to repopulate the Moon.  In the aftermath of the decision by the government, the refugees decided to fund their own colonization effort, and have managed to transfer over eight million people to the Moon.  In mid-2137, as the worker shortage began to be problematic on the Earth, the Republic decided to re-establish the Lunar mining effort, as a way of utilizing the colonists already transferred to the Moon and to reduce the demands on the shrinking Earth-based workforce.    One Shield class meson base has been built on the Moon to date.  The EDC has plans to expand the Moon’s defenses, however, there are many more urgent projects and given the Moon’s location near the center of the Earth’s defensive envelope. 

Mars:
Population: 102.14 million
Shipyards/Slipways: 8/23 
Industrial Facilities (ALL): 280

The Martian population has increased by a factor of 10 since June 2135, and Earth’s seven colony transports are dedicated to transferring people from Earth to Mars full time.  These colony transports are leftovers from the Federation, which did not place a high value on colonization.  Because of this the colony transports are older models and fairly slow.  In addition, the Federation had re-tasked the shipyards used to build the colony transports to other jobs long ago, making the construction of new colony transports problematic.  In a reflection of the increased importance of moving the Republic’s citizens away from the radiation on Earth, the Senate has authorized the creation of a cabinet level ministry, the Bureau of Relocation, which has authorized the design and construction of new colony ships.  Three commercial shipyards over Earth, with a combined six slipways, will begin building newer, faster, larger colony transports this year.   

Terraforming efforts are ongoing.  Currently eighteen Gaia class terraformers are orbiting Mars, pumping oxygen into the atmosphere.  This portion of the terraforming project is expected to be completed in approximately four months, at which time the terraformers will switch to producing greenhouse gasses to improve the temperature across Mars. 

The Republic’s Navy has established a significant presence on Mars over the last year.   A large maintenance base capable of handling the Navy’s largest ships was built in the Olympus Mons area, and a large store of fuel was established this year to support ongoing operations.  In addition, almost two hundred construction facilities have been transferred to Mars to assist the Republic Army’s Construction Corps in building up Mars’ defenses. 

Over the last year, four Aegis anti-missile bases have been built on Mars, along with four Shield class meson bases and a Looking Glass class anti-missile sensor base.  Mars based industry is focused on upgrading the Aegis class bases, which were all older models prefabbed in 2135, to the latest designs.  Eventually, once the Aegis bases have all been modernized, Mars Defense Command plans on deploying an Oculus class offensive sensor base and several PDC’s based on the current version of the Final Line bases, which will be easier for Mars’ limited construction capacity to build than a full-sized Sword class base. 

Ganymede Colony:
Population: 5.68 million
Construction Facilities: 30
Mines: 16
Automated Mines: 168

The population of the Ganymede colony has remained relatively stable for several years.  Although the Republic is not currently planning on sending additional colonists to Ganymede any time soon, due to the rush to move people out of the radioactive environment on Earth and Mars’ more welcoming environment, several shipments of infrastructure were sent to the colony to allow for natural population growth.  In addition, the colony’s mining operation has been supplemented by thirty construction facilities to assist in the construction of defenses. 

The Republican Army Construction Corps has been redeployed from Mars to Ganymede, and is currently assembling an Oculus class sensor base.  This will be completed by late January, and will be followed by a Looking Glass class base and several Aegis anti-missile bases.  This work is slated to be completed by the end of 2138. 

[Kurt (OP)]

December 31, 2137, Earth Orbital Yards
Consul Foster loved coming here.  The room he sat in had been designed and built for the oligarchs that ran the Federation, and they had loved to look out over the things they had built.  The things they owned.  In this case, the amply appointed room he now sat in was in a tower that reached up from the primary complex connecting the modular shipyards orbiting the Earth, and had broad transparent windows all around its circumference, allowing anyone in the room to look out over the bustling yards.  The Federation and its oligarchs were no longer around, but the massive yards were, and to Foster they represented Humanity’s strength.  After all of the death and the horrible wasting diseases caused or aggravated by the radiation permeating Earth’s environment, coming up here to this clean station with its bustling economy and clear statement about Humanity’s greatness did a lot for Foster’s morale.  Indeed, there were net-casts that merely showed a panorama of the yards and the bustling activity around the massive station, and these net-casts were always amongst the top in viewership. 

Foster’s attention was drawn to the door as it opened to admit Admiral Law, one of his oldest friends.  The Consular guards stationed outside the room had scanned the Admiral before he was admitted, and now moved aside so he could enter the darkened room.  Consul Foster waived the admiral over to the window, and the two men stood in silence for some time, watching the work proceeding on the Republic’s latest military and civilian craft. 

After a minute, Admiral Law nodded to himself, and pointed at the station’s largest naval yard to draw the Consul’s attention.  Just visible in one of the yard’s three bays was a large skeletal framework being put together by yard workers and robots.  “That’s the first of the new jump point assault ships we are hoping will lead humanity’s return to the stars.”

Consul Foster stared at the skeletal frame for a few seconds then frowned.  “The Essex won’t be launched until 2139, right?”

Admiral Law grimaced.  “In spite of all of the systems pre-manufactured by ground-based industry, including the jump drive, that’s correct.  It’s a big, complicated ship, and it’s the first of its class.  It’s going to take time.  It’ll be late 2139 before it leaves the yards.”

Foster turned towards his friend.  “Alex, we can’t wait that long.”  The Consul shook his head and turned back towards the window.  “We can’t wait that long at all.  The people won’t allow it.”

 Several competing emotions flitted across Admiral Law’s face before he took a deep breath and turned away, moving to one of the comfortable chairs set up in clusters in the center of the room.   Consul Foster followed him after a few seconds.  After considering the situation for a few more seconds, Admiral Law decided to be blunt.  “We aren’t ready to face the Dregluk in deep space, Joe.  We just aren’t.  And we won’t be for some time.”

Now it was Foster’s turn to frown.  “How long are you projecting?”

Admiral Law’s answer came without hesitation.  “2139.  Late 2139.  Look, we think the new Lake class Frigates can engage the Dregluk on about even terms in deep space, but attacking on even terms means that the Dregluk are going to get a chance to fire their missiles at our ships even as we fire at them.  While our missile defenses are much better now, it will take the missiles from at least four Lake class frigates to kill a Mammoth class BB, and we only have two in service now.”

“When will we have more Lake class ships?”

“The Singapore’s refit will be complete by the end of June, 2138.  After that it will be new construction, which will not be available until early 2139.”

Consul Foster got up and began pacing in front of the windows.  “And the missile boats, what about them?”

Admiral Law shook his head.  “We have other problems with the missile boats.  We have two of them ready now, refitted to the latest design.  They mount box launchers capable of launching the latest version of our long range ASM, the Bludgeon III, which is capable of engaging ships out to nearly four hundred million kilometers, far beyond the range of any known Dregluk missile.  The new missile boats are equipped with fire controls capable of fully exploiting the Bludgeon III’s range, but, there is a problem with the design.   The missile boats are small, intentionally.  Too small to mount a sensor capable of identifying targets for its fire control.  At 2,200 tons there just isn’t room to mount a sensor and useful numbers of launchers.  That hasn’t mattered up to now, because the missile boats have always been used in either jump point defense roles, which means close-range engagements, or in planetary defense roles, taking advantage of the huge sensors we’ve built on the ground.  We’ve planned on building a “sensor-leader” class for some time, but, as always, yard space is limited and there have been many competing priorities.  All of this means that while the Bludgeon III’s are capable of engaging out to four hundred million klicks, the best they are going to be able to do in reality is engage along side the Lake class frigates, which have active sensors capable of identifying targets out to two hundred and fifty million klicks.”

If anything, Foster’s frown got worse.  “Which puts us back on that even footing you were talking about.”

Admiral Law nodded.  “Yes, very much so.  Now, the bright side is that, as I said, the missile boats are small, so we can build or refit them fairly fast.  Three more will be ready in the next several months and more will be ready throughout the year.  On the other hand, the missile boats were really intended for system defense.  They don’t have much in the way of endurance, and they don’t carry much fuel.  We’ll have to be very careful how we operate with them if we take them out of the Solar System.” 

The two were silent for a time, then Admiral Law looked at his friend.  “Are things really that bad?”

Consul Foster looked bleak.  “Yes, they really are.  On the one hand the people are elated with our progress.  The fact that no Dregluk ship made it past the jump point this year is incredible, and the constant stream of colonists to Mars aboard the Bureau of Relocation’s colony ships has given them hope for the future.  Having said that, the continuing death toll from radiation is poisoning more than the environment.  Are you aware of the Dregluk baiting programs on the net?”

Now it was Law’s turn to look bleak.  “Yes, I am.  I’ve forbidden their viewing by on-duty personnel, but there’s nothing I can do about off-duty, and its become rampant.  As I understand it, there are viewing parties where people compete to come up with new taunts and new routines to send to the salvage crews.”

“Its worse than that.  Last month one of the salvage crews took it further.  They rescued some of the Dregluk and then spaced them, one after another.  All the while taunting them about what we were going to do to their families and loved ones once we got to their system.”

Admiral Law looked appalled.  “That’s…horrible!”

Consul Foster nodded.  “I told the owners of the salvage ship that if it happened again I’d prosecute them all for murder, and told them I wanted that crew off the ship from now on.”  Foster shook his head.  “They complied, but the crew was welcomed home as heroes and is even now doing the circuit, being feted everywhere they go.  This is getting out of hand, and it is only the most visible of the ways that the people are reacting.  There are worse things brewing, if we don’t get a handle on this now.”  Foster turned to look out at the stars again.  “We have to show the people that we are going back to the stars, and we have to do it soon or bad things are going to happen, Alex.”

Admiral Law stood and joined the Consul at the window again.  “There is a way.  We’ve been studying this for some time.  As I said, we risk catastrophic losses if we move into the Washington system prematurely.  But the Washington system isn’t our only threat, is it?  We have the New York system right next door, with the Obscura just waiting for us.  Admittedly our data is incomplete, but what data we have seems to indicate that the Obscura aren’t as technologically advanced as the Dregluk.  With the Waterloo online now, we have three monitors and twenty Falcon class Interceptors to defend the Solar System.  I suggest we return to the New York system, eliminate the Obscura threat there, and find out what happened to our survey ships there.  The monitors and the interceptors will stay here to defend the system.  Our new ships, coupled with our older ships, should be more than capable of engaging the Obscura, and if they aren’t we’ll be able to retreat through the jump point.  The Obscura never came through before, so it should be relatively safe.”

Consul Foster was silent, and Admiral Law could tell that his friend’s mind was working overtime.  Finally, he nodded and grinned.  “Its perfect!   We need to protect our flanks before we send the fleet away from the Solar System to engage the Dregluk anyway.  Once the Fleet clears the New York system we will build jump gates to that system and set up a listening post there.  One by one we’ll clear the other jump points in the Solar system and set up listening posts on the far side of all of them, to give us early warning of any approaching force.  The people will see progress, and we can sell it to them as the continuing fortification of the Solar System.  By the time that is complete, we should be ready to begin moving into the Washington system.”

Admiral Law nodded.  “There’s something else.”  Consul Foster turned and gave his friend his complete attention.  “We have twenty meson equipped Interceptors operational now, and another sixteen due to be launched this year.”  Admiral Law paused and gathered his thoughts.  “I know the Interceptors are the darlings of the Senate, but I want to shift production away from them and towards another project.”

Consul Foster nodded.  “Your pods?”

“Yes, the pods.  Like the interceptors and the missile boats they are small, so we can build them relatively quickly.  We’ll only need to enlarge the Interceptor shipyards slightly so we can convert them to pod production.”

Foster shook his head.  “The Senate is not going to like diverting production away from the Interceptors.”

“Look, we have the first proto-type sensor pod almost ready.  I suggest we use it during the mission to the New York system to demonstrate its utility.  That pod is going to vastly enhance the capabilities of our fleet!  Once it is deployed it will allow our new missile boats to use their Bludgeon missiles to their fullest capacity.  And it’s very flexible.  By including the tractor beam on the pod it can link to any ship, rather than requiring a tractor-equipped ship to tow it.  The missile version of the pod will be equipped with box launchers for the Bludgeon missile, and the anti-missile version will be capable of enhancing the defensive qualities of any fleet.  With these pods we can emplace instant defenses around a jump point or a critical base.  They will revolutionize our power projection capabilities.  Surely with the people so hungry for revenge the Senate will see what these pods can do for us?”

Foster looked intrigued.  “You have a very good point there.”  He sighed and shook his head.  “You are right, the Senate will likely jump at anything that will enhance our offensive capabilities, but that isn’t the real problem.  The budget is about to become critical.”

Admiral Law looked surprised.  “The budget is that big of a problem?”

Foster grimaced.  “Yes.  We’ve been operating a deficit ever since the Federation fell.  We were able to do that because those maniacs that ran the Federation were so greedy that they had amassed a huge operational reserve.  We’ve been living off of that ever since, and we’ve expanded almost every type of production that we can, in the hopes of staving off destruction at the hands of the Dregluk and the Obscura.  That deficit has only grown worse.”

“How long do we have?”

“Foster shook his head.  “We have several months before it becomes critical.  I finally convinced the Senate to devote resources towards improving our financial system early this year, and that should begin taking effect around the same time that our reserves run out.  It is possible, though, that we may have to begin shutting down shipyards and ground-force training facilities to conserve our financial resources.”

Admiral Law shook his head.  “If we do that we will be delaying our offensive, perhaps indefinitely.”

Foster nodded.  “I know.  There is little we can do about it that isn’t already being done, though.  We’ll just have to make the best of it.  In the meantime, I want you and your staff to put together a plan for an offensive into the New York system.  I want that system cleared, and I want the people to see us clearing it.  That should relieve some of the pressure.”   

[Kurt (OP)]

February 13, 2138, 0247 hours, Jump Point to the New York System
Captain Louis O’Donnell looked around the bridge of his ship, the Jump Cruiser Bihar, in satisfaction.  His battle-tested crew was experienced and had been drilled to exhaustively.  Every thing that could be done had been done.  The Fleet was ready.  He turned to the plot once again, and studied the Fleet’s dispositions yet again: 

Sol-New York Jump Point Guard Ship, Solar System, CO Captain Morgan Thornton:
Monitor – Masada

Jump Point Assault Force, CO Captain Louis O’Donnell
Tennessee Class Jump Cruisers – Bihar (Flag), Tennessee
Battlecruiser – Mars
Brooklynn r4 FFG – Cairo
Attack Boat r1 – AB-001, AB-002

Main Fleet, Sol-New York Jump Point, Solar System, CO Commander Scott Turner
Defender class – D-002, D-003
Brooklyn r5 FFG - Birmingham
Lake class FFG – Nairobi, Sacramento (Flag)
Brooklyn r4 FFG – Boston, Karachi, Lima, Seoul, Tokyo
Attack Boat r1 – AB-003
Missile Boat r3 – MB-002, MB-003, MB-006, MB-007, MB-008

Sol-Washington Jump Point Guard Squadron, Solar System, CO Rear Admiral Freya Wallace
Monitors – Saratoga, Waterloo

Sol System Reserve Group, Earth Orbit, CO Commander Gemma Tyler
Enterprise r4 class Patrol Cruiser - Assistance
Falcon r4 class Interceptors – 22 (numbered, not named)

Captain O’Donnell felt a deep sense of satisfaction as he looked around his bridge at his crew unhurriedly making ready to assault the jump point.  Mankind was returning to the stars.  And he was leading them!

The clock counted down and one by one the ships of the fleet reported their readiness.  Right on time the two Jump Cruisers moved forward and their generators formed jump points ahead of them.  The two jump ships moved into their jump points, each followed closely by their escorts. 

Captain O’Donnell shook his head groggily as they materialized in the New York system.  Around him his crew struggled to get their ship under control as they dealt with the jump effects that blurred their senses and, in several cases, caused them to lose their last meals.   After a few seconds the central plot updated.   The two groups of human ships had arrived in the New York system separated by 26,000 kilometers.  While the Bihar’s active sensors were down, her thermal sensors were not and they showed a blood red contact sitting right on the jump point at nearly point-blank range.  As O’Donnell watched, the ship’s computer, which was rapidly recovering from its own version of jump effects, updated the red icon with whatever information it could glean from the ship’s thermal sensors.  The contact was at about 60% the thermal signature of the Mars and the two jump cruisers, probably meaning it was somewhat smaller than the human ships.  His head clearing, Captain O’Donnell turned to the helmsman.  “Helm, follow the plan.  Take us out at maximum speed.  Put some space between us and the Obscura ship.”

“Aye, Aye sir!  Helm is responding, and the engines are coming up.  Full power in fifteen seconds.”

Captain O’Donnell watched the plot as his ship turned away from the jump point.  Even as the Bihar turned away its two escorts, the two Attack Boats, turned towards the jump point and began moving slowly, sluggishly, towards the alien ship, which had begun turning away from the human ships.  The missile combatants Mars and Cairo, escorting the Tennessee, also began to move away from the jump point and the Obscura ship. 

There was a chime from the ship’s computer, and Captain O’Donnell focused on the icon for the Obscura ship.  The computer showed new information prominently.  The Obscura ship massed 9,000 tons and was moving away at the relatively stately 3,911 km/s. 

Fifteen seconds after the human ships jumped in the Bihar’s communications officer turned from her console.  “Sir, the Mars reports that she is under attack.  The missiles did not show up on sensors and their CIWS failed to stop them.  They report three hits on their shields, which are holding at 89%.”

Captain O’Donnell controlled his urge to grimace and nodded at the comms officer.  The plot showed the Obscura ship moving away from the human ships.  None of the human ships were up to full speed yet.  As he watched the plot the comms officer spoke again. 

“Sir, the Mars and the Cairo report that their active sensors are up and they are ready to engage.”  Even as she spoke the plot updated to show eight Thunderbolt III’s launched by the Mars and nineteen Aegis V’s launched by the Cairo in offensive mode speeding towards the fleeing Obscura ship. 

Even as the human missiles sped towards their target the Bihar shook as Obscura missiles impacted against her shields.  “Damage report!”

The engineering officer assigned to the bridge turned from her station.  “Sir, we were hit by six missiles.  Our shields held, but are at 59%.” 

“Very well.”  Even as Captain O’Donnell turned back to the plot icon for the human missiles merged with the Obscura ship’s icon.  He leaned forward intently as the Obscura ship sailed on, apparently unperturbed.   “Computer, analysis.  What was the effect of the last salvo from our ships?”

The computer spoke dispassionately.   “All twenty-seven missiles hit the target.  No observed effect.  No atmospheric release detected.”

Captain O’Donnell settled back in his chair, once again staring at the plot intently.  He wasn’t surprised that all of their missiles hit.  They had been designed with the Dregluk in mind, and the Dregluk ships were faster than the Obscura.  He had expected there to be hull breaches, though.  It was somewhat disturbing that the smaller Obscura ship had such thick armor.  He sighed quietly.  There was little he could do at this point to affect the outcome of the battle.  His fellow captains knew what to do, and how to do it.  They had a plan and so far, it was working. 

Every ten seconds the FFG Cairo spat out nineteen Aegis V missiles but the Mars required fifty seconds to reload her older launchers.  The Attack Boats were still struggling to get their engines up to full power, and thus were still relatively close to the Bihar when the receding Obscura ship next launched its missiles that were targeted on one of the two Attack Boats.  The human active sensors were now working, and there was enough space between the two opposing forces for the human’s anti-missile systems to begin working as they were intended.   Eleven size three missiles appeared on the Bihar’s plot, speeding towards one of the Attack ships.  AAM launchers across the attack force began spitting out Aegis V’s in defensive mode, targeted on the incoming missiles.  The Aegis V’s, forged in the desperate battles against the Dregluk, destroyed the incoming Obscura missiles handily.  In fact, the Aegis V’s achieved a near 100% hit ratio. 

Captain O’Donnell, watching the engagement intently, nodded to himself.  “Defense officer, change engagement settings to one AMM for every incoming missile.  Comms, contact Cairo and order them to cease offensive fire.  They are to go into defensive mode as of now.” 

Turning back to the plot Captain O’Donnell noticed that the Attack Boats had finally gotten underway.  While they aren’t as fast as the latest version of the Falcon interceptors, the Attack Boats have an overtake on the Obscura ship of 2,700 km/s.  They will close the distance fairly rapidly.  As the Attack Boats begin moving away from the rest of the human fleet the Obscura ship, apparently identifying them as the primary threat, again targets the small human ships for its missile fire.  Once again, the Aegis V missiles wipe out the incoming Obscura missile wave with 100% hit ratio. 

As the Attack Boats moved away from the human ships in pursuit of the fleeing Obscura ship they moved further and further from the human fleet’s anti-missile coverage.  This became problematic when the next Obscura missile wave roared in on the smaller human ships and only the Bihar’s anti-missiles could reach the Obscura missiles before they hit their target.  Captain O’Donnell watched as two Obscura missiles hit the AB-001.

A few seconds later the Bihar’s comms officer turned from her console.  “Sir, the AB-001 reports no internal damage.  They are continuing pursuit.”

“Very well.”  For a brief second Captain O’Donnell considered calling them back, but then he quelled his doubt.  The Obscura were alien enemies and he would destroy them using whatever tools he had. 

Even as the Obscura missiles hit the AB-001 the Mars launched its second salvo of Thunderbolt III’s.  The eight missiles from the Mars roared in on the Obscura ship, easily overtaking it, and all eight hit their target.  Once again, the computer reported that there were no observed effects of the human bombardment on the Obscura ship. 

The next salvo from the Obscura ship was too far for any of the human’s AMM’s to intercept before it hit its target.  Six managed to hit the AB-001, savaging its armor and damaging its single engine, leaving it dead in space.  After a few seconds Captain O’Donnell turned from the plot.  “Helm, come about and set a pursuit course for the Obscura ship.  We have to cover the AB-002 with our missiles.  Comms, orders for the Cairo.  They are to engage the Obscura ship with their AMM’s in offensive mode.”  Perhaps the anti-missiles would distract the Obscura from the damaged ship. 

The Bihar ponderously came about and began pursuing the distant Obscura ship even as the Obscura ship shifted its fire to the AB-002, now closing on the fleeing alien ship.  Still beyond help from the rest of the human fleet the AB-002 took two hits to its armor but suffered no other damage. 

Captain O’Donnell watches as the AB-002 closes on the Obscura ship.  The human attack ship takes three more hits as it closes, but reports only minor shock damage.  Finally, the AB-002 reports that it is closing to attack range and Captain O’Donnell leans forward, intent on the plot.  His frown deepened, though, as the Obscura ship began dodging the AB-002, managing to remain just outside its weapon’s range in spite of the fact that the human ship was faster.  For the next fifteen seconds the two ships dodged across the plot, with the Obscura ship managing to remain just outside the human ship’s range.  The next Obscura salvo savaged the human attack ship, which had already suffered serious armor depletion.  The AB-002 was left dead in space with few systems still functional. 

Captain O’Donnell leaned back, taking in the larger picture after focusing on the near-point-blank battle between the two ships.  Eight Thunderbolt III’s from the Mars were approaching the Obscura ship, which had turned away from the AB-002 and was running again.  O’Donnell watched as the missiles from the Mars roared in and hit the Obscura ship, which immediately disappeared from the plot, to be replaced seconds later by a debris icon.  Even as he settled back in his chair in satisfaction the Obscura ship’s last salvo raced in on the crippled AB-002, which disappeared in a welter of explosions, leaving behind a few drifting life pods.  There were no pods from the Obscura ship. 

Captain O’Donnell looked at the plot, which was now clear of enemy ships, and then around his bridge, in triumph.  He had been the comms officer on the old Enterprise under Ship CEO Buckley when they had jumped into the Honolulu system and come under fire from Obscura ships immediately after exiting the jump.  That had been chaos.  They had been completely unprepared.  No one knew what to expect and all of them had been little more than civilians playacting in uniforms that didn’t belong to them.  The disastrous jump into the Honolulu system marked the beginning of humanity’s retreat from the stars, and was a black mark on the Fleet’s history.  He remembered the chaos on the bridge of the Enterprise like it was yesterday, and the near panic on the face of CEO Buckley, who had been as unprepared as everyone else.  He was immensely proud of the difference between now and then.  The smooth cooperation of his crew and the crews of the other ships was a marked difference between then and now.  He had always remembered the way that Buckley’s panic had infected everyone else on the bridge of the Enterprise, and he had driven himself over the years to always project calm confidence any time that he was somewhere where the crew could see him. 

O’Donnell shook his head, lost in thought while the bridge crew coordinated the aftermath of the battle.  He had blamed Buckley for her panic at the Battle of Honolulu, but then she had later redeemed herself in one of the interminable battles during the Bombardment.  The Enterprise had been lost with nearly all hands, including Captain Buckley, a heroic incident in a period of time that was filled with heroes dying to save innocents. 

Captain O’Donnell shook himself.  “Comms, open channel to the squadron.”  He paused until his comms officer nodded, then continued.  “This is Captain O’Donnell.  The Obscura ship has been destroyed and our screens are clear.  Congratulations!”  His voice rang out true and clear across all of the human ships in the New York system.  “We have struck a blow for humanity and taken our first steps back to the stars.”  He paused for a second to gather his thoughts.  “I want all of you to know how proud of you I am.  All of you acted with honor and bravery, and I intend to see that you are all recognized for your actions here today.”  His eyes drifted towards the blinking icon for the wreck of the AB-002 and the Cairo, which was approaching the wreck to pick up life pods.  “Don’t mourn for our losses.  The crewers on the ‘Light horse’ (AB-002’s nickname from its crew) died as humans should die, in battle with aliens, protecting our homes and families.  They won’t be the last to die as we return to the stars, but one thing I can promise you, we’ll kill more of them than they’ll kill of us!”  His voice rose to roar at the last and the crew on the Bihar’s bridge rose to their feet cheering.  All across the fleet the crews were cheering as they settled in to put the next phase of the plan into action. 

The Bihar and the Tennessee jumped back to the Solar System, escorting the AB-001, which had restored motive power, and began shuttling the rest of the fleet into the New York system as the AB-001 returned to the Earth for repairs. 

With the Fleet in the New York system Captain O’Donnell ordered the sensor pod that had been conveyed into the system by the Tennessee to be deployed.  It took several minutes for the pod’s crew to get its sensors operational but once they were up the Fleet had a clear view out to four hundred and twenty-five million kilometers.  The small pod, only 2,200 tons, expanded the human ship’s detection range greatly.  No Obscura ships were within detection range.       

With the Fleet now safely in-system and the pod deployed, Captain O’Donnell ordered the next phase to begin.  The Sacramento and the Nairobi, both the latest version of Thunderbolt missile equipped FFG’s, along with the defensive FFG’s Birmingham, Boston, and Cairo, left the jump point headed for the rally point of the long-lost exploration group that had disappeared in the New York System seven years ago.  With the sensor pod in place the missile boats left with the fleet on the jump point could engage any Obscura ships that the pods could detect with their Bludgeon III missiles.   

[Kurt (OP)]

January 6, 2138:
The Listening Post detects a Mammoth class BB entering the Washington system. 

January 10, 2138:
The Mammoth class BB jumps into the solar system and is met by a hail of Bludgeon II’s and Thunderbolt III’s, ending the threat, permanently. 

The Republic decides to reopen the Venusian mines.  Freighters begin transferring automated mines within days. 
 
January 26, 2138:
Study of the Dregluk crews taken prisoner from life pods early in the war has conclusively shown that all of the Dregluk encountered to date have implants in their bodies and brains, and research has suggested that, in addition to improving their general health and providing augmented abilities, the implants have limited Dregluk intelligence and world-view, at least in the subjects encountered to date.  The prevailing opinion amongst those studying the Dregluk is that their society is either a dictatorship maintained by implant-induced control of the masses, or that the entire Dregluk society is controlled by computers and that control is exercised through their implants.  Reports of the researcher’s findings have been made to the Senate over the last two years, as more was discovered about the implants and their effects on the Dregluk.  Most of the information has been made public, and much of what hasn’t been made public has leaked to the press by various elements within the Senate. 

In response to these alarming reports, the Senate passes the Human Purity Act on this date.  The HPA is the brainchild of Senator Lauren Young, the leader of the Human Purity Party.  The Human Purity Party is an offshoot of one of the religious groups that grew rapidly after the fall of the Federation.  The Church of Pure Humanity demanded a crusade of genocide against the Dregluk, and demanded that its Prophet’s Guards be given government sanction to carry out purifying missions against the Dregluk, or whatever enemy of humanity should appear.  The most extreme of the church’s leadership was purged during the Interim Governments suppression of extremist groups, and a more moderate leadership focused on maintaining the purity of humanity took over in the resulting power vacuum.  This leadership was eventually consolidated under Prophet Dane Young, who changed the organization’s name to the Human Purity Church.  Over the next several years the church rapidly grew in power, especially once it became clear how the Dregluk had been perverted by their implants.  Limited implant technology, mostly for special purposes, had been available on Earth for over a century, and some on the fringes had taken implant technology to extremes, but implants had never become widely used amongst humans.  As the reports from the researcher’s were made public the Church, and its political arm, the HPP, made this their central organizing issue.  The Human Purity Act is the culmination of years of campaigning and political effort.  The HPA makes it illegal to implant technological devices in humans for any reason except limited medical needs.  All persons that currently possess implants will have to register with the Republic and in some cases will have to have them removed.   

February 13, 2138:
The Fleet departs on its mission to the New York System.

February 14, 2138:
A single Demon class CA is detected jumping into the Washington system.  When the message is received by the Admiralty, the Fleet Reserve force, twenty-two Falcon class interceptors led by the Patrol Cruiser Assistance, departs Earth to reinforce the two monitors assigned to the jump point to the Washington system. 

February 17, 2138:
The detached squadron arrives at the rally point in the New York system to find only a lonely wreck.  They search the surrounding area and find a small buoy with the logs of the Marco Polo, the last surviving ship of the survey group dispatched to this system seven years ago.  After spending a short amount of time recovering bodies the group heads back to the jump point. 

February 18, 2138
The Demon class cruiser jumps into the Solar system right on schedule.  Almost immediately, the monitor Waterloo launches thirty Bludgeon II missiles at the intruder.  The missiles completely overwhelmed the cruiser, wiping it out before it could do little more than begin moving away from the jump point.  The Reserve Force returns to the Earth to refuel, as does the Waterloo. 

February 22, 2138, New York system:
The detached group arrives at the jump point to the Solar system.  After refueling from the other squadron ships they set out for the inner system to probe the planets and moons there.  This time they are accompanied by the Mars, which has better passive sensors than the frigates.   

Captain O’Donnell sends his final report on the battle at the New York jump point back to the Admiralty.  He commends the entire attack force, and in particular the crew of the AB-002, most of which died along with their captain when their ship blew up.  He highlights the fact that there were no life pods launched from the Obscura ship as its destruction neared, and at no time during the battle was there any atmosphere loss from the alien ship.  A cursory examination of the wreck seems to indicate that it was never intended to house a crew of living creatures at all.  Finally, Captain O’Donnell recommends that the Attack Boats be retained for system defense duties, and that future jump point assault groups consist of missile combatants. 
 
February 26, 2138:
A Dregluk gate construction ship jumps into the Washington system.  The ship isn’t headed towards the Solar system, so no particular importance is placed on this contact. 

March 2, 2138:
The detached group in the New York system has completed its flyby of the planets, and the bulk of the moons.  No new Obscura ships or bases were detected.  Unfortunately, the Fleet does not have the time, the fuel, or the endurance to probe all of the asteroids in the system.  Still, it seems clear that there are no more Obscura ships in the system.  The group sets course for the jump point back to the Solar system. 

March 5, 2138:
A new class of ship is detected jumping into the Washington system.  This ship has the same thermal signature as Dregluk cruiser class ships, so Intelligence designates this class as the Balor class cruiser.  The Reserve force is dispatched to the jump point to reinforce the monitor Saratoga. 

In addition, the missile boats guarding the jump point to the New York system are recalled to the Washington jump point, along with two Brooklyn class FFG’s.  The missile boats are at the end of their endurance and their crews need time ashore.  After dealing with the Dregluk CA they will return to Earth. 

March 7, 2138, New York System:
The detached group returns to the jump point.  As far as human sensors can discern, the New York system is clear.  The fleet returns to the solar system, except for the sensor pod and the jump cruiser Tennessee, left behind to watch the jump point and the area around surrounding it. 

Celebrations begin on Earth when the news arrives that the Fleet has returned, and they will continue until the Fleet arrives home, at which point they will intensify. 

Even as the celebrations commence, a gate construction ship leaves Earth orbit to begin work on a jump gate to the New York system.    Once the gate-pair is complete a new listening post will be set up in the New York system to watch for any approaching threats to the Solar System, and salvage craft will begin studying the wreck of the Obscura ship.  A second gate construction ship sets out for the jump point for the Boston system, which will be the next target of the Fleet’s interstellar forays.   While no alien ships had been detected in the Boston system itself, the system’s one additional jump point leads to the Honolulu system, where the survey ship Marco Polo had been cut off from the jump point by Obscura attacks. 

March 9, 2138, 0502 hours:
The Dregluk Balor class cruiser jumps into the system right on time, to be met by a swarm of Bludgeon III missiles from the missile boats assembled on the jump point to meet it. 

March 10, 2138:
The Fleet arrives over Earth, followed shortly thereafter by the missile boats that recently defended the jump point to the Washington system.   The public’s response is overwhelming.  Mankind has returned to the stars, and, on top of that, the Fleet has struck a blow against the aliens threatening Earth. 

March 27, 2138:
A leviathan class BB jumps into the Washington system.   

April 1, 2138. 0508 hours:
The Leviathan class BB jumps into the Solar System on schedule as is destroyed in seconds by a hail of missiles from the missile boats and frigates at the jump point. 

April 24, 2138:
The Senate votes to make Senator Ashley Payne Governor of Earth, and charges her with solving, or at least mediating, the ongoing financial crisis.  Consul Foster is against this appointment, given how involved Governor Payne was with the old Corporate Federation government, but on this matter he is overruled by the Senate.  The financial crisis is threatening to cripple military improvement and expansion projects across the Solar system. 

May 2, 2138:
The first Aegis PDC becomes operational on Ganymede. 

June 1, 2138:
A Colossus class BB jumps into the Washington system.   The Interception group is sent to the jump point to back up the monitors stationed there. 

On Mars, the ongoing terraforming efforts have melted the ice sheet, raising the average temperature and signaling that the terraforming effort is nearing completion. 

June 5, 2138, 2028 hours:
The Dregluk Colossus class battleship jumps into the Solar System.  Almost immediately the monitor Waterloo launches its heavy missiles at the big Dregluk ship.   Four of the forty missiles from the monitor
Were intercepted by the Colossus’ CIWS, and ten of the remaining thirty-six missed their target.  The others heavily damaged the fleeing BB, reducing its speed to 2512 km/s.  The Patrol Cruiser Assistance leaps on the Dregluk ship like a dog with a bone and pounds the crippled BB into a wreck. 

June 12, 2138:
The first advanced Monitor, the Huai-Hai, leaves the Martian orbital yards and sets course for Earth, where it will fill its magazines before heading to the jump point to the Washington system.  The Huai-Hai has advanced sensors and fire controls that will allow it to engage Dregluk ships in deep space, away from jump points, if necessary.  Its low speed makes it a primarily defensive weapon, but still, it is a leap forward in capabilities for the Fleet. 

[Kurt (OP)]

July 10, 2138:
With the Monitor Huai-Hai on duty in the Washington system, backed up by nine advanced missile boats, the area around the jump point is now considered safe for civilian operations.  Salvage ships are dispatched to salvage Federation and Dregluk wrecks around the jump point. 

August 7, 2138:
Two new advanced Monitors are launched from the Martian yards.  The Antietam and the Stalingrad make their way to Earth to load their magazines, while the Masada and the Waterloo replace them in the yards.  Their refits will take nearly a year, but will result in a much more capable ship. 

August 18, 2138:
A Colossus class BB jumps into the Washington system.  Salvage-001 has two days left on its job salvaging a Dregluk battleship.  The advanced missile boat force is dispatched to the Washington side of the jump point to assist the monitor Huai Hai. 
 
August 20, 2138, 2346 hours:
For days the crews on the Monitor Huai-Hai and her escorting missile boats watched the Dregluk battleship close on their position.  Now, finally, the big Dregluk ship was within range of their missiles.   While the long-range sensors on the Huai-Hai tracked the incoming Dregluk ship, nine of the missile boats readied their missiles.  The human ships launched their missiles while the Dregluk ship was still approximately 390 mkm’s away.   Three hours later, with the Dregluk BB still 340 mkm’s from the human ships, the human missiles slammed into the Dregluk ship, wiping it from the universe.  Humanity had now established a 400 mkm exclusion zone around the jump point to the Solar System.  The missile boats jumped back to the Sol system to report their victory, leaving the Huai-Hai behind to maintain its watch. 

When word of the destruction of the Dregluk battleship is received on Earth there are celebrations across the planet.  For the first time since the Bombardment a Dregluk ship was destroyed in deep space.  And unlike the early battles, humanity didn’t suffer crushing losses.  Even better, the Bludgeon III’s performed up to spec, destroying the Dregluk ship from beyond the range at which it could launch its own missiles.  A new day has dawned for humanity. 

November 4, 2138:
A Colossus class BB jumps into the Washington system.  Once again, the missile boats are dispatched to intercept the intruder. 

Over Earth the first of the new Picket Ship class units is launched.  This unarmed 3,650-ton ship is designed for long deployments at jump points, and is intended to relay reports and other information between populations or installations in two adjacent systems.  The PS-001 sets its course for the jump point to the Washington system, to replace the old survey ship that has been stationed there for nearly a year. 

November 7, 2138, 2001 hours:
The Colossus stolidly moves into range of the missile boats at the jump point.  Soon thereafter the missile boats launch fifty-four Bludgeon III’s at the Dregluk ship.  Three hours later the missiles obliterate the Dregluk ship, close to the location of the other Dregluk ship destroyed by the missile boats.

December 15, 2138:
The jump gate pair for the Sol-New York jump line is complete.  The gate construction ship sets out for the jump point to the Los Angeles system.  A cargo group composed of the Republic’s latest generation of cargo ships begins loading deep space tracking stations at Earth.  While the cargo ships are loading the DSTS’s, a detachment of warships sets out for the jump gate to the New York system.  They will escort the cargo ships to the new site for the listening post in the New York system. 

December 17, 2138, New York System:
A group of seven warships, led by the Mars, escorts freighters carrying DSTS’s to one of the asteroids in the inner system.  The bulk of the DSTS’s are emplaced by the 20th, giving the new listening post the ability to detect any Obscura ship similar to the only already seen in the New York system out to nearly seven billion kilometers.  There are no new ships detected. 
 
December 21, 2318:
The first salvage ships arrive in the New York system to begin operations.  The first salvage group begins work on the wrecked Obscura ship. 

December 22, 2138:
The Fleet returns to Earth orbit.  The bulk of the Fleet begins overhaul in preparation for Operation Honolulu. 

December 29, 2138:
Salvage-03 completes salvage work on the Obscura wreck in the New York system.  The salvage ship recovers several systems for later examination, but, most importantly, confirms the preliminary examination.  This ship was computer controlled and did not have a crew or, in fact, even accommodations for a crew. 

[Kurt (OP)]

Preliminary Naval Intelligence Report
December 31, 2138

Subject: Preliminary Examination of Obscura ship destroyed in the New York System 

Forward: Salvage-03 was assigned to salvage the wreck of the Obscura ship encountered in the New York system.  Their work was completed on December 29, 2138.  For the purposes of this mission, the crew of Salvage-03 was bolstered by two additional Operatives, and a special tasks team of naval engineers.  This report should be considered preliminary until detailed analysis can be completed. 

1.   Captain O’Donnell’s After-Action Report states that he believes that the Obscura Ship encountered in the New York system appeared to be automated, based on a cursory examination of the wreck in the aftermath of the battle.  Additionally, the sensor logs appended to the After-Action Report show clearly that at no time during the battle did the Obscura Ship leak atmosphere while taking damage.  This atypical behavior was noted by several ship CO’s during the battle, their tactical officers, and was commented on throughout the fleet.  This behavior does not conform to prior experience gained during battles with the Dregluk, where both Human and Dregluk ships are known to have detectable leaks of atmosphere during combat as they take damage.  Indeed, tactical officers are known to evaluate the effectiveness of their weapon’s based on the number of atmospheric leaks detected during battle. 
2.   The examination and salvage of the wreck by Salvage-03 has confirmed that there were no life forms present on the ship at the time of its destruction.  In addition, the wreck contained no spaces that appeared to be constructed to house living beings, and had no environmental systems that would be typically required to sustain a living being in the hostile environment of space. 
3.   The examination and salvage of the ship did find extensive computer control systems throughout the ship.  No central computer complex was found, although it is possible that such an installation was damaged beyond identification or lost during the destruction of the ship. 
4.   Several items found on the wreck conform with items recovered from Dregluk wrecks.  See Appendix 2A-C.  Operatives 1 & 2 acted to recover these items before their existence was known aboard Salvage-03.  Preliminary examination of these items indicate that they are similar to Unknown Items 217B, 305A, and 486A, in that the printed language is similar, if not identical.  Interrogations of Dregluk personnel have revealed only that these items are restricted to command personnel, none of which we have recovered, and are typically referred to as “Manuals”.  Note: The printed language in UI’s 217B, 305A, and 486A, and in the newly recovered Obscura items, does not match the commonly used printed Dregluk language found in numerous locations throughout Dregluk wrecks recovered to date.
5.   The special tasks team completed its study of the wreck during the salvage operations, and has released a preliminary report.  Section 3 of this report indicates that while the emission pattern of the Obscura ship, as revealed by Fleet sensor logs, show no similarity with the Dregluk, the hull construction pattern does show a marked similarity to Dregluk construction patterns.  Dregluk warships are visually quite different from human warships.  Human warships tend to be built around a central saucer with engines in nacelles separated from the main hull by spars or columns, while Dregluk ships are blunt wedge-shaped ships with projecting towers.  The Obscura ship is similar in size to Dregluk destroyer types, and while not identical, shares the common blunt wedge shape with most Dregluk ships, although the Obscura ship is much more elongated than typical Dregluk designs.

In conclusion, there exists evidence that the Obscura and the Dregluk are connected in some way, although there is currently no evidence of cooperation between the two.  Additional investigation is recommended.     

[Kurt (OP)]

The United Republic of Earth
December 30, 2138

Earth:
Population: 4.018 Billion
Shipyards/Slipways: 15/42
Industrial Facilities (All): 12,263
R&D Labs: 210
Environment: Average Temp -16.49 degrees from normal averages.  Radiation currently causing 22% drop in industrial efficiency. 
Estimated annual population decrease rate is -4.24%.

Earth’s population has dropped by 252,000,000 over the last year.  Twenty nine percent of that drop was attributable to population transfers to the Moon and Mars, the rest was due to other causes, including radiation effects.  Chronic worker shortages were alleviated by the complete deactivation of the fuel production industry on Earth.  This also had the additional effect of helping to reduce the persistent deficit, and was one of the first acts of Governor Payne.  As a result of the financial crisis, all work on expanding the orbital yards has ceased, and production of certain civilian and support craft has stopped until finances improve. 

Earth’s PDC’s have been completely modernized.  Those construction resources not diverted to improving Earth’s economy are devoted to producing prefab PDC’s intended for Mars, Ganymede, and elsewhere. 

Luna:
Population: 12.71 million
Industrial Facilities: 150 (mines)

Luna has turned into something of a refuge from the ongoing war effort on Earth.  While the population of the Luna colony are not exactly peaceniks, they largely reject the growing fanaticism of Earth and Mars in favor of a more reclusive approach, merely wishing to be left alone. 

Mars:
Population: 180,720,000
Shipyards/Slipways: 8/27
Industrial Facilities (All):  280

In spite of continuing population transfers from Earth Mars continues to suffer from chronic worker shortages.  This is largely due to the reality of the harsh environment on Mars, and will likely continue until the terraforming is complete.  Fortunately, much progress in that area has been made, and Mars’ atmosphere now has an adequate level of oxygen, and the temperature is now survivable without assistance.  Once the percentage of oxygen is reduced to livable levels then the terraforming will be complete.  The Terraforming Corps estimates that this will occur in early 2139, at which time Governor Hobbs will be able to shift workers away from environmental support to manufacturing.  Governor Hobbs was recently appointed with the support of Earth Governor Payne, and has a mandate to decrease the deficit and improve efficiency in the orbital yards. 

Mars’ defenses now include a Sword class offensive PDC, two modernized Aegis anti-missile PDC’s, two older Aegis PDC’s, four Shield class meson bases, and Oculus and Looking Glass class sensor bases.  Martian industry is currently working on assembling a second Sword class PDC.   

Ganymede Colony:
Population: 6,340,000
Construction Facilities: 30
 Mines: 16
Automated Mines: 168

Ganymede’s defenses have been expanded to include two modernized Aegis anti-missile bases, two Final Line offensive PDC’s, and Oculus and Looking Glass class sensor bases.  The Republic plans to move its terraforming ships here once they are finished on Mars. 

[Kurt (OP)]

January 1, 2139
“And so, preparations are well underway.  Barring any unexpected complications, the fleet will be ready to depart within the month.”  Admiral Law looked around the room and noted a few sour expressions, but no questions, so he sat down. 

Consul Foster, at the head of the table, saw the same expressions.  “Yes, Demetri?  You have something to say?”

Defense Minister Delveccio was a small man, but no one who knew him ever thought of him that way.  He had a pugnacious jaw, that when set, looked like he could use to batter through any obstacle.  And that was just the way he acted when he got his jaws hooked into something.  It was a look Joe Foster was used to seeing, and he could see it now.  Delveccio shook his head.  “This is a side-show!  Going to Honolulu!  It’s a waste!  We know where the real enemy is.  We need to move into the Washington system.  Now!  Attack the Dregluk, and keep attacking.  Attack, attack, attack!”  He slapped the table in front of him with every word.

Foster settled back, carefully keeping his face neutral.  Delveccio went ballistic if he thought anyone was mocking him, and the imp in him couldn’t resist being amused by the sight of the small man pounding the table in front of him. 

“Demetri, we’ve been over this before.  Admiral Law and I agree, returning to Washington at this point is premature.”  Defense Minister Delveccio looked like he was going to object, but before he could Foster continued.  “We must clear our flanks before moving into Washington.”  Again, Foster overrode Delveccio before he could speak.  “And, moving into Washington, and beyond Washington, is going to require capabilities that we don’t have.  Survey units, scouts, a forward base in the system.  All of those things are under development, but won’t be available for some time.  By clearing Honolulu now, we clear our flanks, get the fleet some needed experience advancing into hostile territory, and, most importantly, buy us some time to prepare for the inevitable advance into Washington.”

Minister Delveccio settled back into his chair, a disgruntled look on his face.  “I can’t deny your points, but you have to understand mine.  The people expect action against the Dregluk.  Not next year.  Or next week.  Today!  They want the Dregluk dealt with.  Now.”

Foster nodded his head.  “I know.  Believe me, I know.  I spend a lot of my time in the hospitals and relief and recovery centers, and I see the mood of the people every day.  They know who their enemy is, and they want action.  But I think they understand that precipitous action will only hurt us, not the Dregluk.”

Delveccio nodded, but reluctantly.  Foster knew that his Defense Minister would dearly like to call for a no-confidence vote to try to force him out, as a preliminary to moving into the Consul’s office himself.  So far, he seemed to realize that he didn’t have the support to achieve his goals, but Foster kept a close eye on the situation.  Speaking of which… “Senator, you haven’t given us your insight yet.  Comments?”

Senator Young, one of the more junior members of the Senate’s military oversight committee, and representing them here, smiled at Foster briefly.  Foster was an old campaigner, and the smile didn’t fool him.  Senator Young was both youthful and beautiful, and she habitually projected a look of wide-eyed innocence, but behind the façade was a consummate political animal who had risen far in the Senate in just a few years.  The fact that she was sitting in on this meeting was one sign of that.  Normally a much more senior member of the committee would draw the duty, taking the opportunity to weigh in on military decisions and gain insight into the Consul’s office and his ministers.  Young represented a growing political block that was more than a little xenophobic, although that alone didn’t set them apart from most political parties these days.  Defense Minister Delveccio’s coalition was rabidly anti-Dregluk, and the only reason that they couldn’t be considered generally xenophobic was that they tended to focus on the Dregluk first and last. 

Senator Young appeared to consider her words carefully before speaking.  Foster had little doubt that she had entered the room knowing exactly what she was going to say, but he appreciated the performance anyway.  After a lingering glance at Minister Delveccio, Senator Young smiled.   “Moving forward.  That’s what the people want.  This mission to Honolulu, to recover the old survey ship and eliminate any and all threats there, that is forward motion, and the people will be happy with it.”

“But…”  Minister Delveccio’s mouth had fallen open, and he coughed to cover is shock. 

Foster’s left eyebrow climbed towards his hairline as he took in the spectacle.  Obviously, Delveccio had thought he had the support of the Human Purity Party for his position.  Interesting.  “I take it that your father supports the move into Honolulu?”  Foster knew for a fact that Prophet Young and the Church of Pure Humanity did support the move, in part because the Church was a majority shareholder in the industries that manufactured the deep space sensor facilities that the Republic intended to plant in all of the systems adjacent to the Solar System to provide early warning against alien attack. 

Senator Young frowned for the first time.  “The Church takes no position on this matter.  The Human Purity Party, however, fully supports this venture and will continue to do so.”  She shifted in her chair and gave the Consul a look that was hard to interpret. 

Foster returned her look with a bland smile.  “I’m sure that the Church will take no “public’ position on this matter.”  The emphasis he placed on the word ‘public’ was clear to all of them.  What the Church said in its public pronouncements was often at odds with what was preached from the pulpits of its many churches across Earth and Mars.  Foster had made it clear to everyone over the last several years that he could and would react to public pronouncements, by churches or anyone else, but what was said within a sermon was something else.  He turned to the fifth, and last, person in the room.  “Governor?”

Governor Payne looked up from her pad and frowned.  “The economic situation continues to be dire.  We bought some time when we shut down the fuel production facilities on Earth, and, as a bonus, eased the worker shortage, but it didn’t buy us enough.  We’ve been forced to shut down some of the civilian shipyards, as you well know, and we are still hemorrhaging money.  If you would give me priority for my construction plan, then…”

Foster waved her to silence.  “We’ve discussed this.  The construction capacity is needed to produce DSTS’s for the picket program, and once we catch up on those the construction capacity will need to be diverted to pre-fabbing the PDC’s for the fortress project in Washington.”

Annoyance flickered across Governor Payne’s face.  “yes, we’ve discussed it.  And you dismissed my concerns.  Somewhat cavalierly, I think.  We are in debt, and while it is not critical yet, it will become so.  And once the economy goes critical it will be extremely difficult to recover.”

“I have heard your concerns, and I gave your office priority access to the Frasier R&D facilities.  As I understand it, their research should be completed sometime this year.  Prior to your estimates of economic criticality, I think.”

“Yes, but…”

“Enough.  I will not allow our efforts to defend this system and to eliminate the threat of alien bombardment to be threatened by anyone, including those that would seek to make fortunes off of the misfortunes of others.”  Governor Payne’s face reddened and Foster knew he wasn’t being fair, but he didn’t care.  Payne had been high in the Federation’s Corporate infrastructure prior to the fall, and he didn’t trust her.  She didn’t seem to have any political aspirations, but in this day and age those were the people you had to keep your eye on most closely.  He took a deep breath.  “We will re-evaluate the financial situation when the Frasier team finishes its R&D work.  In the meantime, preparations for the return to the Honolulu system will continue.  Thank you all for coming.” 

[Kurt (OP)]

January 2, 2139:
Two Dregluk BB’s jump into the Washington system.  One is a Colossus class, while the other is a new class not seen before.  Fleet Intelligence designates the new class as the Titan class. 

January 5, 2139, 1208 hours, Washington System:
The two battleships sail blithely into range and the fifteen missile boats assembled on the jump point to the Solar System launch ninety Bludgeon III missiles at the incoming ships.   Just over three hours later the missiles wiped the two Dregluk BB’s from space, leaving only drifting wreckage and a scattering of life pods that were signaling for pickup.  In vain.  The human ships sent a few taunts to the Dregluk life pods before jumping back to the Solar System. 

January 8, 2139: A Colossus class BB jumps into the Washington System.  Eight missile boats are dispatched to the jump point in response. 

January 10, 2139:
The Colossus class BB is now approximately 800 mkm’s from the jump point to Sol and steadily forging ahead.  Eight missile boats and an advanced monitor await them on the jump point in the Washington system.  At 0410 hours Dregluk ships begin entering the system through the jump point to the Denver system.  After several minutes fourteen additional Dregluk ships have entered the system.  The new force consists of two cruisers and twelve DD’s of various classes.  The PS-01, assigned to picket the jump point to Sol, jumps back to the Solar System to deliver the news. 

Once the message is received at Fleet HQ the entire fleet is mobilized.  This is the largest Dregluk attack since the early days of the war, and will be met by the entire fleet. 

January 11, 2139, 631 hours:
The Colossus is now within range of the missile boats waiting on the jump point.  In quick succession the eight missile boats launch their Bludgeon III’s.  Three hours later the Bludgeon III’s wiped the Colossus from existence and the eight missile boats jump back to the Solar system to reload their missile boxes. 

Shortly after the Colossus was destroyed the big Dregluk Fleet headed towards the jump point to Sol turns back towards the jump point to Denver and began retreating.  Just over a day later it jumped out of the Washington system, leaving Captain Johnson, senior officer commanding the Fleet detachment at the jump point, mystified.  This has never happened before.  The Dregluk always press ahead heedlessly, into any opposition, even if it suicidal.  Humanity knows little about the Dregluk, but they have made that part of their psychology perfectly clear over the years of unrelenting war. 

When it becomes clear that the Dregluk are not coming back, the Fleet turns back towards the Earth.   

January 30, 2139:
A Colossus class BB jumps into the Washington System.  A missile boat force is dispatched to the jump point. 

February 3, 2139, 0620 hours:
The Colossus has entered Bludgeon III range, and the missile boats launched soon thereafter. 

0910 hours:
The Colossus class doesn’t appear to mount CIWS, and it takes forty-two out of forty-eight Bludgeon III missiles to wipe the big ship from space. 

[Kurt (OP)]

March 1, 2139:
Thirty-seven warships leave Earth orbit for the jump point to the Boston system.  They are followed by three fleet support ships and a tug, which is towing the fleet’s lone sensor pod.  The long-awaited return to the Honolulu system has begun. 

March 14, 2139:
Republican R&D teams have completed development work on the magnetic fusion drive.  Work is started almost immediately on developing new engine systems for the fleet.  The Admiralty has already decided that no existing classes will be upgraded with the new engines or other systems that are being developed.  Instead, all new ship designs will be developed to take advantage of the latest technological developments. 

March 15, 2139:
The Fleet has assembled on the jump point to the Boston system.  After refueling from UNREP ships waiting there for them, the fleet jumps through to the Boston system and sets out for the Honolulu system. 

March 18, 2139, 801 hours:
The Fleet is assembled on the jump point to Honolulu.  The UNREP ships are back in the Solar System, awaiting refueling from a fuel tanker before coming forward to support the fleet.  This means that the thirsty frigates must be refueled from the fleet’s bigger ships, so the fleet pauses to share fuel with the smaller ships.  Once the refueling is complete the attack begins.

With the bulk of the fleet remaining behind, ready to repel a counter-attack, two attack groups moved forward towards the jump point.  Group #1, led by the jump cruiser Bihar, consists of the patrol cruisers Assistance and Intrepid.  The second group, led by the jump cruiser Tennessee, consists of the Brooklyn class FFG Birmingham and the Lake class FFG Nairobi.  Together, they moved through the jump point. 

The two groups materialize in the Honolulu system, each about forty-five thousand kilometers from the jump point and about eighty thousand kilometers from each other.   Sitting directly on the jump point are two Obscura ships.  These thermal contacts had a different signature than the Obscura ship encountered in the New York system, but had the same thermal strength, indicating that they were likely 9,000 ton ships like the other Obscura ship. 

The Obscura ships immediately set out on a tangent away from the human ships, while the crews aboard the patrol cruisers struggled to get their ships underway.  Fifteen seconds later, while the human crews were still trying to get their sensors, weapons, and engines online, the Tennessee was hit by eleven strength six missiles, greatly reducing her shields.  Just after the salvo hit, one of the human ships finally got their sensors up and the two alien ships were pinned by human active sensors. 

The next salvo of Obscura missiles is detected as soon as the Obscura ships launch, and human ships begin dumping anti-missiles into space.  The Aegis V’s do their job and the Obscura missiles are swatted down before they can reach their targets.  Even as that salvo is destroyed a second salvo appears on the human ship’s sensors.  The Assistance and the Intrepid fire their lasers at the fleeing ships even as the new missiles close on the human ships, but they both miss due to heavy interference from Obscura ECM.  The Nairobi has now had enough time to get its sensors and weapons up, and it launches thirteen Thunderbolt III’s at one of the Obscura ships.  Five seconds later the Nairobi launches twelve additional Thunderbolt III’s at the second Obscura ship.  Aegis V’s launched from the jump cruisers and the two FFG’s continue to shield the human fleet from further damage from the Obscura missiles as the Thunderbolt ASM’s race towards their targets. 

The first salvo of human missiles slam into one of the Obscura ships, and once again there are no tell-tale atmospheric leaks to indicate armor penetrations.   Five seconds later the second ship was hit by most of the Thunderbolt III’s launched at it, and was slowed to 1,955 kps.  Even as the Thunderbolt III’s slammed home, the Assistance carved a divot into the side of the slower Obscura ships with its spinal weapon.   The slowed Obscura ship had no chance to escape before, and now, slowed, it had even less.  The Assistance began relentlessly pounding the Obscura ship with its lasers.  In short order the Obscura ship died after one of the Assistance’s lasers hit a magazine and caused a large internal explosion.  In the meantime, the Aegis V’s from the FFG’s were still covering the patrol cruisers, shielding them from the Obscura missiles that the aliens continued to launch every fifteen seconds.   The Assistance changed its focus to the other Obscura ship and the pursuit was on. 

Immediately after the first Obscura ship died, an Obscura ASM managed to avoid everything the human fleet threw at it and hit the Assistance, but the cruiser’s shields held up.  In return the Intrepid was beginning to score repeated hits on the last Obscura ship.  The Intrepid was the next to be hit by Obscura missiles, but the cruiser’s shields were only slightly depleted.  The Intrepid suffered through another two missile salvos, but that would be it.  Massed laser fire from the two patrol cruisers pounded the Obscura ship into oblivion. 

The jump point was now clear, and the frigate’s sensors showed no contacts out to 256 mkm’s.  The jump cruisers jumped back to begin bringing through the rest of the fleet.  With the rest of the fleet in the Honolulu system, including the sensor pod, the area around the jump point is now secure out to 425 mkm’s.  Shortly after that ten frigates set out towards the inner system, which was the last known location of the survey ship John Cabot, lost here six years ago when it was cut off from the jump point by Obscura ships. 

March 22, 2139, 1006 hours:
Just as the detached group of frigates entered orbit over Honolulu’s second, marginally habitable, planet, the sensor pod at the jump point detected an Obscura ship headed for the jump point.  The frigates over the second planet were making a momentous discovery even as the Obscura ship made a heedless run at the human ships assembled at the jump point. 

Honolulu’s second planet was slightly smaller than Earth, and with at a distance of 226 mkm’s from Honolulu’s cooler primary, much colder.  The planet was covered by an ice sheet, but, it possessed a reasonably thick atmosphere consisting primarily of nitrogen with enough oxygen to be considered breathable, if it wasn’t so bitterly cold.  Upon entering orbit, the frigate’s sensors immediately zeroed in on a section of the ice sheet in the northern hemisphere.  There were multiple overlapping craters consistent with ASM’s, and at the center of the craters was a wrecked starship.   Commander West, CO of the Nairobi, made a momentous discovery when he ordered his sensor officer to ping the wreck with an IFF pulse, in an attempt to discover whether or not it was the Cabot.  The wreck didn’t respond, but a small object in orbit, previously dismissed as a minor navigational hazard, did respond to the ping.  The object was too small to carry a crew, but after contacting it the Nairobi was able to download a set of logs and datafiles belonging to the Cabot.  A team sent to the wreck discovered nothing but destruction and a few bodies, all of which were carefully recovered for return to Earth.  As soon as the download of the logs was complete they were transmitted to the mission commander, Captain Harvey Webster aboard the Mars. 

Two and a half hours later three missile boats attempt to launch their missiles at the incoming Obscura ship but fail to obtain a targeting lock due to the Obscura ship’s ECM.  Four hours later, with the Obscura ship now 335 mkm’s away, the missile boats finally obtain a lock and launch their missiles.  It took the missiles two and a half hours to reach their target.  It only took seven of the eighteen to wipe it from space. 

March 22, 2139, 2311 hours:
As the frigate group settles into orbit over Honolulu-III, a small airless planetoid, the ship’s thermal sensors set off alarms.  Direct observation confirms that a small Obscura sensor outpost is located on the planetoid.  Commander Wright, the squadron senior officer aboard the FFG Delhi, sends a contact report to Captain Webster at the jump point, and requests orders.  Captain Webster’s orders return promptly.  She is to leave the installation for later examination by the Republic’s scientists. 

On their way to the jump point the frigates examine the wreck of the obscura ship destroyed while approaching the jump point.  A team is sent to the wreck to make a cursory examination.  During their examination they discover the bodies of seventeen humans, including the commanding officer of the Cabot, Commander Holmes.  It appears that the survivors of whatever had happened on the second planet had been taken aboard the Obscura ship.  The medical officer’s examination showed that the crew had been vivisected by automated equipment on the Obscura ship, perhaps in an attempt to understand humanity.   

[Kurt (OP)]

Log of the Gravitic Survey Ship John Cabot, Commander Robert Holmes
Commanding Officer’s personal log

October 8, 2133, 2332 hours:
We’re cut off.  We just received word that Admiral Bevan on the Madrid has ordered the group to jump out after detecting an Obscura ship.  His orders to me were short and can be summed up as follows:
1.   Do your best. 
2.   Go into low emission mode immediately. 
3.   Survive. 
4.   We will return. 
We are currently seven hundred million kilometers from our target, the second planet of the system.  The only planet in the system that might be reasonably habitable, and it might as well be light years away.  I’ve ordered that the ship’s speed be reduced to station keeping, to reduce our thermal signature, and I’ve ordered all EMCON procedures to be followed.  There is little else any of us can do except hope that they return soon. 

October 29, 2133, 0745 hours:
Oh god.  The listening watch picked up transmissions from the jump point just a few minutes ago.  The first transmission was a wide-band broadcast meant to let us know that the Federation had returned for us.  As soon as Colby got the message he broadcast it throughout the ship, in violation of my orders.  I couldn’t blame him, though.  After all, we all needed to hear it so much, after being cut off for the last three weeks.  Our relief didn’t last, though.  Mere minutes later, as everyone on the ship was listening in, there was a second, more panicked broadcast.  They were under attack, and they were leaving.  They didn’t even promise to return.  They just left. 

We all had our hopes pinned on the Militia coming to get us, and when they came for us morale went through the roof.  Now, though, morale is worse than ever.  Colby blames himself for this, but I can’t bring myself to condemn him. 

January 3, 2134:
Colby killed himself today.  He never got over the relief fleet leaving without us, and his part in getting all of our hopes up.  I’m worried that this may be only the beginning of this kind of thing, and I’ve spoken with Doc Ang about the matter.  She has some ideas, but our resources are limited, floating out here in deep space. 

March 20, 2134:
Three more ended their lives today.  That brings us to eight so far.  I want to find some way to bolster morale, but its hard to see what I can do when the days just stretch ahead of us endlessly.  Very few believe that the Federation will return for us.  Some think that some massive disaster has happened back home and that we might be the only ones left.  Surely that’s not true. 

July 16, 2134:
I’ve lost seventeen crew so far, and I’ve had it.  I’ve been as lethargic as everyone else, but that ends today.  I’m going to give them purpose again.  If the Federation isn’t going to come back for us, then we will just have to find a way to survive on our own. 

November 27, 2134:
The suicides have tapered off now that I’ve got everyone focused on long-term survival.  I’ve got the crew divided into teams.  The engineers and those with engineering inclinations are making sure that all of the ship’s systems are in tip top shape, and are working on developing long-term strategies to deal with the inevitable depletion of our maintenance supplies.  I’ve got the survey people studying possible strategies for long term survival in this system.  Everyone else is working on making our living conditions more festive and interesting.  At least it’s something to do. 

June 16, 2135:
Engineering has everything in hand, for now.  Unfortunately, with us floating out here is space there is no way to replenish our supplies and there is nothing that the engineering team can do about that.  The survey team is focusing on the second planet.  The planet has everything we need to survive.  The problem is that we won’t be able to see the Obscura until its too late.  We don’t dare move. 

March 4, 2136:
The suicides have begun again.  People are losing hope, and I can’t blame them.  It has been so long.  Still, as long as anyone remains I have to keep trying. 

October 2, 2137:
Our maintenance supplies are almost gone, and the engineering team tells me we are almost to the end.  Critical systems are going to begin breaking down, and once they do the end will come quickly.  It is time to implement the survey team’s plan.  The survey team has spent years observing planet #2, which they have dubbed “Refuge”.  The planet has gravity that’s somewhat less than Earth’s at 81% and a thin oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere.  Unfortunately, its very cold, but beggars can’t be choosers.  Both the survey and the engineering teams have looked at it, and they assure me that if we can get there, they will be able to create a largely self-sustaining base on the surface of the planet by cannibalizing the Cabot.  I don’t like to think about tearing the old girl apart, but we may be the last humans left.  Its been over four years since we were abandoned here.  Who knows what happened back home.  I’ve decided, we’ll start in four days.  In the meantime, the engineering crews will examine the engines top to bottom and make sure that they will get us there.  There are one hundred and seven of us left out of the one hundred and thirty people that started this voyage.   I will do anything to ensure that we survive as long as possible.  This is a gamble, but we have no other choice at this point. 

October 6, 2137:
We’ve started towards Refuge.  I’ve decided to hold our speed down to 200 km/s to keep our thermal signature minimized.  It will take us over forty days at this pace, but the engineering crew says we have enough fuel and supplies to make the voyage.   If we are detected by the Obscura it is all over. 

November 15, 2137:
Disaster!  As we neared orbit over Refuge, our sensors detected what can only be an Obscura listening post on the planet’s innermost moon.  The senior surviving sensor tech, Rachel Obata, assured me that, assuming the Obscura had technology similar to our own, we had been visible to their listening post for some time. 

I made the only decision that I could.  I landed the Cabot on the inner moon, as close to the Obscura station as I could.  A team of us, armed with every weapon we had, entered the Obscura base.  Aside from a few automated security systems, there was no resistance.   After stripping anything that might be useful we used some demo charges from the exploration supplies to disable the listening post.  Hopefully it hadn’t gotten around to reporting us, or if it did, the Obscura ships are either gone or not curious enough to come and look when the base stops reporting. 

Once that was done there was a division among the crew.  Some, a small minority really, wanted to retreat to deep space and hide again.  The rest want to go down to the planet and try the original plan, in the hopes that the Obscura have abandoned the system.  I was forced to decide, but it really was a no-brainer.  Going back to deep space isn’t an option.  We’re out of supplies.  We are going to Refuge. 

November 17, 2137:
I landed the ship in a shallow crevasse that will hopefully hide it from direct observation from orbit.  Once down the crew immediately set to work cannibalizing everything that we wouldn’t need any more, including the engines, survey instruments, and active sensors.  The crew has tasted fresh water, melted from the ice surrounding the ship, for the first time in years.  It feels good to be doing something again!  Even those that wanted to run have been seen with smiles on their faces.  We have a purpose again.  We are making this place into a home. 

November 18, 2137:
I fear we are doomed.  Our passive sensors detected three Obscura ships racing towards Refuge.  I have ordered the engineering team to launch their makeshift satellite into orbit before the Obscura get here.  On my orders they had constructed a small satellite to carry our transponder into orbit, where I intended it to listen for anyone that came to look for us.  Now it will carry these logs, and as much of our data files as I can fit into it, in the hopes that it is recovered some day.  It might be all that survives of us, and I want our story to be known.  Every single one of the people that set out on this voyage four years ago was a damned hero.  This will likely be my last message.   

[Kurt (OP)]

March 23, 2139:
A Colossus class BB is detected entering the Washington system.  This comes at a difficult time, as the bulk of the fleet is deployed to the Honolulu system.  Four groups of interceptors are being held in reserve in Earth orbit, and, of course, there are two monitors guarding the jump point to the Washington system.  A second monitor is dispatched to the jump point to replace the one that will soon expend its missiles.     

March 26, 2139, 1432 hours:
The advanced monitor Huai Hai launches forty Bludgeon III missiles at the Colossus.   Three hours later the Bludgeon III’s wipe out the Colossus.  The Huai Hai sets out for Earth, leaving an older monitor to guard the Sol side of the jump point until the Stalingrad reaches the jump point.   

March 29, 2139:
The detached frigates return to the jump point in the Honolulu system, low on fuel.  The combined force jumps back into the Boston system, where an UNREP ship is waiting for them. 

April 6, 2139:
A new class of Dregluk ship is detected entering the Washington system.  This ship has a thermal detection strength of 880, which is equivalent to other destroyer classes, so Fleet Intel designates this contact as a Gull class DD.   

The Fleet is back in the Solar System, but is still on its way to Earth.  As the missile boats have exceeded their endurance, and the fleet is poorly positioned, the Admiralty decides not to divert any of them to the Washington jump point.  Instead, the monitor Stalingrad will deal with the intruder with its missiles.  Three days later the Stalingrad does just that, wiping the Dregluk DD from space with a fifteen-missile salvo. 

April 16, 2139:
The Fleet arrives home to a great celebration.  The path to begin the offensive against the Dregluk is now one step closer to fruition. 

April 19, 2139:
Senator Lauren Young champions a bill through the Senate that will vastly increase government funding for genetic research and testing.  The need for this type of research is so obvious and necessary, given the ongoing death toll on Earth due to wide-spread radiation poisoning, that the bill sails through the Senate in spite of the obvious benefit that this bill would bring to Senator Young’s family.  Both the Human Purity Party and the Human Purity Church are heavily invested in genetic research, although their focus is divergent.  The HPP tends to focus on research in improving the human genome, while the HPC focuses on methods and treatments to ameliorate radiation poisoning.  The bill passes with a handy majority, with the only real opposition coming from the Conservative Faction, largely due to the expense associated with the measure rather than any moral issue.   

April 20, 2139:
Operation Bastion is underway.  Troop transports begin loading construction brigades on Earth, and cargo ships are loading prefab PDC’s.  All of this will be transported to the innermost planet of the Washington system, which will be named Bastion.  The Republic plans to build an extensive fortress complex on the planet, consisting of sensor bases and offensive and defensive PDC’s.  Once these PDC’s are assembled and armed, the base’s sensors will be activated.  The Admiralty hopes that the fortress complex’s active emissions will act as a magnet, drawing in any Dregluk ships transiting through the system to attack Earth.  Once the fortress complex is complete, colony ships will begin shipping in personnel for maintenance facilities that will support fleet units. 

Eventually Bastion will not only be a forward fortress, protecting Earth, but will be a forward naval base, with maintenance facilities, missile stocks, and fuel.  Once complete, Bastion will dominate the Washington system and will virtually guarantee the Republic’s control over the system and act as a stepping stone towards the eventual elimination of the Dregluk threat.   

May 19, 2139:
A jump gate construction ship completes a gate in the Solar system at the jump point to the Los Angeles system.  The Los Angeles system was probed during the Federation era and was determined to have a G4-V primary, but no planets or other orbital bodies.  A gravitic survey determined that the system had a total of three jump points.  One led back to the Solar System, one to the now-disputed Washington system, and one to the also-planet-less Anchorage system.  Given that both the Los Angeles and the Anchorage system were essentially uninteresting the Federation didn’t spend any further effort on this system. 

For some time, the Listening Post in the Washington system has been observing Dregluk ships, suspected to be survey ships and gate construction ships, headed to and from the Los Angeles system.  With the solar system side of the jump gate pair complete, a group of warships jumps into the Los Angeles system to probe the system for Dregluk activity.  They immediately discover a Dregluk jump gate on the far side of the jump point to the Solar System.  In addition, the Dregluk have built gates on all of the other jump points in the system.  No Dregluk activity is detected in the system.  The human ships withdraw after probing the system.  Because there are no system bodies on which a listening post can be established, the system will have to wait to be picketed until either new scout ships are available, or another sensor pod is built. 

Meanwhile, troop transports begin shifting construction units from Ganymede to Listening Post in the Washington system. 

May 26, 2139:
The terraforming of Mars is complete!  The population there is no longer limited by the available infrastructure and the environment is quite mild.  The terraforming group sets out for the Ganymede colony to begin work there. 

June 17, 2139:
Two Dregluk DD’s are detected jumping into the Washington System. 

June 19, 2139:
The Terraforming Group enters orbit over Ganymede and begins pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. 

June 20, 2139:
Both DD’s are destroyed by Bludgeon III missiles from a group of missile boats sent from Earth to reinforce the monitors on the jump point. 

October 16, 2139, Washington System:
The Listening Post, now relocated to Bastion, detects a Dregluk ship jumping into the Washington System.  The ship is of a previously unknown class, and has a thermal signature consistent with Dregluk cruisers.  Fleet Intel designates this new class as the Vrock class CA.  Missile Boats are dispatched to the jump point. 

The troop transport group happens to be in the Washington system when the Dregluk CA jumps into the system.  Fortunately, the troop transports are two days from the jump point to Sol, and will be able to return to the Solar System before the Dregluk ships can run them down. 

October 19, 2139:
The Missile Boats deployed to the Sol-Washington jump point destroy the incoming Dregluk CA with a volley of Bludgeon III missiles. 

November 27, 2139:
The Essex is launched.  The Essex is the first of the Republic Fleet’s new jump point assault ships.  While not as fast as other modern fleet units, this class is equipped with an advanced jump drive capable of conveying five ships through a jump point at a time, greatly increasing the number of ships that can be squeezed through a jump point at once.  In addition, the Essex is equipped with box launchers capable of firing massive Bludgeon missiles, AMM launchers, and CIWS for close-in protection.   Unfortunately, to deploy a new assault design rapidly, the Republic was forced to use off-the-shelf jump drives that had been sitting in storage since the days of the Federation.  While this model of jump drives is more advanced than other jump drives currently in use, it is intended for old Federation designs and cannot be used for ships larger than 15,500 tons, such as the new battleship and cruiser classes that the Admiralty is testing.  Republican R&D teams are currently working on more advanced jump drive technologies that can be used in the Republic’s proposed 25,000 ton battleship design. 

December 26, 2139:
The ageing troop transport group had just unloaded for more construction brigades on Bastion, bringing the total number of brigades present up to twenty-eight, when the DSTS’s on Bastion detected Dregluk ships jumping into the system.  The transports, only capable of 2,016 km/s, immediately reduced speed to station keeping to reduce their visibility.  The jump point the Dregluk were using was over two billion kilometers away, meaning they were likely safe from detection.  In short order it became clear that this was a major raid, as five Dregluk Mammoth class BB’s assembled on the jump point to the Denver system and then set out for the jump point to the Solar System. 

In response, the Admiralty dispatched three squadrons of missile boats, all they had, along with a squadron of frigates, each of which was towing a missile pod packed with Bludgeon III missiles.   

December 29, 2139, 2155 hours, Washington System:
The Republican ships assembled on the jump point launch a massive wave of Bludgeon III missiles at the Dregluk BB’s.  Twenty-one missile boats, four missile pods, and the monitor Antietam all participate.  Several missile boats and a missile pod hold their missiles in reserve, along with the entire frigate force. 

Two hours and fifty-four minutes later the missiles wipe the advancing Dregluk force from space.  In a few seconds the force of five Dregluk BB’s, massing over one hundred and forty thousand tons, is reduced to five wrecks rent by missive internal explosions and a thin cloud of life pods.   

[Kurt (OP)]

The United Republic of earth
December 31, 2139

Earth:
Population: 3.819 Billion
Shipyards/Slipways: 13/39
Industrial Facilities (All): 12,415
R&D Labs: 210
Environment: Average Temp -13.97 degrees from normal averages.  Radiation currently causing 21% drop in industrial efficiency. 
Estimated annual population decrease rate is -3.97%.

Earth’s population dropped almost 200 million during the last year.  Thirty seven percent of that drop is attributable to population transfers, while the rest is due to lingering radiation effects from Dregluk bombardment.  The ongoing transfer of shipyard complexes to Mars, coupled with the conversion of mining complexes to automation has combined to keep Earth’s need for workers under control. 

Luna:
Population: 17.82 million
Industrial Facilities: 150 (mines)

Luna’s population has been bolstered by people trying to escape from the increasingly fervent anti-alien attitudes of the masses on Earth and Mars.  While not pacifists, the population of the Luna colonies tends to be less focused on the war and internal Republican politics.  They are happy to be considered a backwater.   

Mars:
Population: 220,570,000
Shipyards/Slipways: 10/32
Industrial Facilities (all): 280

With terraforming complete the conditions on Mars have improved considerably.  The government has been able to shift workers from the service industry to manufacturing, eliminating worker shortages and improving productivity.  The largest single employer on Mars is the Republic Naval Yards, employing over thirty-five million Martian residents. 

Ganymede:
Population: 8,760,000
Construction Facilities: 30
Mines: 16
Automated Mines: 168

Now that the terraforming of Mars is complete, the terraforming fleet has been reassigned to Ganymede to improve the conditions for the colonists.  Now that Ganymede’s defenses are complete the Republic’s construction brigades are being transferred to Bastion in the Washington System, and the thirty construction factories transferred here to assist in assembling the defenses will be moved away as well. 

System Defense Command
The System Defense Command is based on Earth and has as its primary mission the defense of Earth.  Its secondary mission is the defense of the Solar System, and then thirdly it is concerned with supporting the Fleet’s mission against the Dregluk by establishing fortifications on Bastion in the Washington system. 

The SDC opposed the Fleet’s plan to expand into the Washington system as that expansion would require resources that the SDC had hoped to use to further fortify the Solar System.  These plans have been put on hold until the construction on Bastion is completed.  The SDC has lobbied for increased offensive capability for its fortifications on both Mars and Ganymede, and improvements to the missile defenses for both colonies.  In addition, the SDC is adamant about establishing anti-missile defenses on Venus to protect the mines located there. 

Defenses
Earth:
Sensor Bases: 2
Anti-Missile Bases (Aegis): 5
Anti-missile bases (meson): 20
Anti-ship Bases (Sword): 4
Anti-ship bases (Final Line): 10

Luna:
Anti-missile bases (meson): 1

Mars:
Sensor Bases: 2
Anti-Missile Bases (Aegis): 4
Anti-missile bases (meson): 4
Anti-ship Bases (Sword): 2

Ganymede:
Sensor Bases: 2
Anti-Missile Bases (Aegis): 2
Anti-ship bases (Final Line): 2

In addition to the fixed defenses, the SDC is also responsible for the Listening Posts that now guard most of the approaches to the Solar System.  Currently, there are listening posts in the Boston System, the Chicago System, the New York System, and the Washington System.  These listening posts are all composed of twenty DSTS’s, with the exception of the Washington listening post, which is composed of twenty-five.  These listening posts watch for alien incursions, and if any alien ships are detected the incursions will be reported to a Fleet picket ship standing by at the jump point to the Solar System. 

To date, the only systems adjacent to the solar System without listening posts are the San Francisco system and the Los Angeles system.  The jump gate pair for the San Francisco system is still under construction, and once it is complete a listening post will be established there.  The Los Angeles system is more problematic as it contains no planetary bodies to support a listening post, which means that picketing that system will be a Fleet responsibility.

The Republican Fleet
The Fleet’s modernization program is complete and all older designs that were capable of being practically modernized have been refitted to modern standards.  Several older designs, such as the old survey ships and several emergency wartime designs based on those survey ships, are being phased out and will be scrapped over the next year.  Construction is now being shifted over to new classes such as the Essex assault ship, new survey designs, and missile pods. 

Republic Fleet:
Interceptor Group #1 (Earth): 10xFalcon r4 Interceptor, 1xFalcon r4Sc
Interceptor Group #2 (Earth): 10xFalcon r4 Interceptor, 1xFalcon r4Sc
Interceptor Group #3 (Mars): 10xFalcon r4 Interceptor, 1xFalcon r4Sc
Interceptor Group #4 (Mars): 10xFalcon r4 Interceptor, 1xFalcon r4Sc

Missile Group #1 (Earth): 10xMissile Boat r3
Missile Group #2 (Earth): 10xMissile Boat r3
Missile Group #3 (Earth): 9xMissile Boat r3

Frigate Group #1 (Earth), CO Commander Sophia Moss
2xBrooklyn r5 FFG: Birmingham, Boston
3xLake FFG: Nairobi, Sacramento, Singapore

Frigate Group #2 (Earth), CO Commander Matthew Swift
2xBrooklyn r5 FFG: Cairo, Chongqing
3xLake FFG: Erie, Huron, Michigan

Frigate Group #3 (Earth), CO Commander Joseph Miles
2xBrooklyn r5 FFG: Lagos, Lima
3xLake FFG: Baikai, Tanganyika, Vladivostok

Attack Group #1 (Mars), CO Captain Robert Chan
3xEnterprise r4: Assistance, Endeavor, Intrepid

Cruiser Group #1 (Earth), CO Captain Harvey Webster
1xPlanet r1: Mars
2xBrooklyn r5 FFG: Delhi, Karachi
2xLake FFG: Ontario, Victoria

Unassigned units:
1xEssex Assault Ship: Essex
2xTennesse class Jump Ship: Bihar, Tennessee
4xBrooklyn r5 FFG: Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, Tokyo
2xLake FFG: Ladoga, Malawi

Pod Reserve:
5xASM Pod
4xAMM Pod
4xSensor Pod

System Defense Force
The System Defense Force is nominally under the Navy in terms of organization, but much like the Fleet Marines, it is a separate organization within the larger organization.  The System Defense Force’s mission is to defend the Solar System from all threats.  To this end it has the following forces:

Earth:
3xSaratoga r1 Monitor: Masada, Stalingrad, Antietam
Interceptor Group #1: 10xFalcon r4 Interceptor, 1xFalcon r4Sc
Interceptor Group #2: 10xFalcon r4 Interceptor, 1xFalcon r4Sc

Mars
Interceptor Group #3: 10xFalcon r4 Interceptor, 1xFalcon r4Sc
Interceptor Group #4: 10xFalcon r4 Interceptor, 1xFalcon r4Sc

Washington Jump Point Guard, CO: Captain Rebecca Garner
2xSaratoga r1 Monitor: Huai Hai, Waterloo

Los Angeles Jump Point Guard, CO Rear Admiral Robert Wells
1xSaratoga r1 Monitor: Marathon

Ships in Refit (Mars)
Saratoga class Monitor: Saratoga, Metaurus, Tours