Second Contact
9th November 2032
The 1st Survey Group in Ross 154 detects a strength 3000 thermal contact at a range of over 95mkm in orbit of Ross 154 A-II, tentatively named ‘Tuonetar’. From its emission signature the contact is determined to be of similar construction to the Alpha Centauri aliens, a worrying development given that this doubles the number of systems known to contain the Centauri and they now bracket Sol. Though the contact remains stationary both science vessels immediately begin heading out of the system. For the next hour the contact remains stationary and gives no sign that it has detected the science vessels at which point the science ships move out of range. Given that the survey group was able to complete the gravitational survey unmolested could indicate that this is some form of space station or orbital base, but the Federal Council immediately imposes a ban on any further exploration of Ross 154 until a military task group can be despatched. Unfortunately both destroyer groups are undergoing refits to the Mod1 standard and no carriers have yet been built to transport FACs, meaning it could be some time before a fleet can be ready for deployment. In the meantime First Survey Group moves into Gliese 563. 2
15th November 2032
The Bradley Key Geology Team, having finished resurvey Earth and Luna, discovers new deposits of Vendarite on Mercury increasing the known quantities from 26524 to 126524tons. The skill of the team increased to 145. Mercury currently has 50 automines and a mass driver sending packets to Earth.
12th December 2032
Destroyer Group 2 finishes refitting to the Mod1 standard and heads out for Ross 154. Fleet Command believes that they might have discovered an isolated force of Centauri and plan to probe their defences.
23rd December 2032
Destroyer Group 2 arrives in Ross 154 and begins heading in-system with all active sensors running.
28th December 2032, 20:43
Destroyer Group 2 detects 2 contacts at 100mkm. The first is the Tuonetar, now registering at 20’100 tons, while the second is a new contact classified as Kullervo, registering at 6700 tons. Both ships are travelling at 7462. It appears Fleet Commands theory that this was an isolated base was incorrect.
At 21:58 both contacts have reached 47mkm and no other contacts have been detected. 2 destroyers assign 20 box launchers each to the Kullervo and open fire. However it appears the Centauri are equipped with some form of ECM and the Terran warships are unable to achieve a lock-on at less than 26mkm. Given the Centauri’s obvious speed advantage attempting to disengage at this range could prove impossible and so the decision is made to attempt to reach launch range at 26mkm. At 22:30 a range of26mkm is achieved with no sign of any incoming fire. Again 2 destroyers attempt to launch 40 ASM-N5-Starburts at the Kullervo.
The volley of missiles reach their target at 22:43 and 26 are able to intercept the Kullervo. No atmospheric out-gassing is detected but the contacts speed drops to 3730kps. The crews of Destroyer Group 2 is elated – for the first time they have not only actively engaged the Centauri but have now inflicted actual damage. A second strike of 20 missiles is sent against the Kullervo while the third and fourth destroyers target 80 missiles against the 20’100 ton Tuonetar. The missiles reach their first target at 22:55, the Tuonetar which has pulled ahead of its wounded comrade, and 50 missiles intercept their target. Worryingly the contacts speed only drops by 1kps and Destroyer Group 2 now has only 20 missiles remaining, though the 6 destroyers also carry over 600 AMM’s. The second salvo reaches the Kullervo at 22:56 and every missile hits it target. The Kullervo is reduced to a wreck and ceases all active emissions.
At 23:04 Destroyer Group 2 launches its last 20 ASM’s. The second contact has now reached within 18mkm of the fleet. 8 missiles strike the target, again to no apparent effect, leaving Destroyer Group 2 the only option of closing to AMM range and attempting to overwhelm the vessel with 600 size 1 missiles. From 23:32 to 23:33 the Tuonetar is struck by 296 AMM’s, wearing down the vessel until it finally explodes. With 81% of its ordinance expended Destroyer Group 2 reverses course and heads back to Sol to refuel and reload. Once done the Destroyer Group will return and scour the inner system of Ross 154 for any further contacts.
10th January 2033
New deposits of netronium found on Mercury raising known amounts from 2397003 to 2497003tons.
15th January 2033
The atmosphere of Mars becomes breathable, after 7 years of oxygen additions to the atmosphere. Terraforming efforts will now focus on raising the planetary temperature.
30th February 2033
The gravitational survey of GJ 1156 is complete, revealing a total of 7 jump points – currently a record for any known system.
8th March 2033
Research is completed into improving missile agility to 64 per MSP. Coupled with recent improvements in warhead sizes a new series of missiles will now begin development.
Meanwhile in Ross 154 2 new contacts are detected by the 2nd Destroyer Group. Both are new classes, the Untamo at 13250tons and the Ukko class at 13350tons and both appear to be in orbit around Ross 154-AIII. The destroyer group again is forced to close to 26mkm before they can lock on but no return fire is detected. The destroyer group launches 80 Starburst anti-ship missiles at each target and then holds fire. No anti-missile or point defence fire is detected and all 160 missiles strike their targets, obliterating both. Fleet command later determines that both vessels were some form of Centauri orbital base.
11th March 2033
Federal freighters finish delivering automated mines to the Barnards Star colony on. They will now begin transporting automated mines to the Epsilon Indo system for a planned network of remote mining stations delivering ore to a central world via mass drivers, where they can be later collected by freighter.
16th March 2033
NavYard Alpha in Earth orbit completes retooling for the Nelson-Class Cruiser and lays down the first 2 hulls – Independence and Freedom.
5th April 2033
Destroyer Group 2 sets off for its third trip to Ross 154, this time accompanied by 1 Beta-Class Freighter, 2 Alpha-Class freighters, 1 salvage vessel and a tanker.
28th April 2033
Destroyer Group 2 and the Salvage Group reach Ross 154. The destroyers will resweep the inner system while salvage operations are underway.
11th May 2033
Survey Group 2 completes its geological survey of GJ 1156. As both vessels still have 75% fuel remaining they will head to Ross 154 immediately before heading home to refuel. GJ 1156 A-II, the potential colony site, is shown to have high deposits of all minerals except Sorium, although at very low accessibility. Potentially these figures could be improved with a ground survey team but the Federations only team is still occupied on Mercury. With Earth still gearing up to expand in Barnards Star and mining operations in Epsilon Eridani the colonisation of GJ 1156 is still some years away.
11th June 2033
The wreck of the lone Tuonetar-class Centauri vessel is completed. 4 magnetic confinement fusion reactors, 1 magnetic confinement fusion drive and 1 20cm UV Laser are recovered intact, along with enough information to improve the research of magneto-plasma drives by nearly 10%. Evidence is also discovered that the Centauri have an active grav sensor strength of 21.
21st June 2033
Destroyer Group 1, standing sentry in Earth orbit, has completed refitting to the Mod1 standard. Both destroyer groups are now comprised of fully modern vessels.
26th July 2033
Research into ways of improving the research output of each facility on Earth is completed, increasing each labs potential to 320 per year.
1st August 2033
Retooling at NavYard Gamma for the Tribal-Class Area Defence Cruiser is complete. 2 vessels are laid down for the initial run. The first 2 Nelson-Class Cruisers are due 1st September 2034. Meanwhile Earth’s economy is still running at a slight deficit, with reserves down to 24682 credits.
8th August 2033
Salvage operations in Ross 154 are complete. Multiple technologies have been recovered including multiple C4 UV lasers, active search sensors and magnetic confinement fusion drives.
13th August 2033
A destroyed outpost is discovered on Ross 154 by Survey Group 2.
16th September 2033
Destroyer Group 1 drops off the Sarah Bradley Xenologist team. The team discovers that the ruins belonged to the Georgetown Commonality, and finds 6 installations that may be recovered. Alarmingly none of the language and symbology recovered matches those fragments discovered on the Centuari wrecks. Federal experts posit that the Centauri vessels may have destroyed the Commonality outpost but the ruins appear to be centuries, if not millennia, old.
23rd June 2034
The 32nd Engineer Brigade recovers 2 jump gate construction modules 90 from Ross 154 A-II. Current jump gate construction modules require 180 days to build a gate.
3rd September 2034
The first 2 Nelson-Class Cruisers, Independence and Freedom, are launched and begin training operations.
2nd November 2034
The 32nd Engineering Brigade disturbs a hidden vault containing robotic soldiers, which immediately attack the engineers on site. The Engineering brigade is able to fight off the initial assault but not before suffering 23% casualties. The 11th Mobile Infantry battalion responds to the engineers distress call but their counter-attack is almost immediately ambushed by the robots. The 11th suffers almost 45% casualties before being able to regroup with the 32nd and dig in. Thankfully 3 other battalions have also been deployed to Ross 154 via troop transport and begin to deploy in support.
22nd November 2034
Research has been completed on Jump Drive Efficiency 6. Combined with the recently completed research allowing up to 5 ships to jump at once a new series of jump engines will be designed, including one for a jump cruiser capable of leading the 12500ton Nelson's into Alpha Centauri.
22nd January 2035
Combat on Ross 154 finally draws to a close. After almost two months of heavy fighting 3 enemy assault battalions have been destroyed but at a heavy price. The 5th Heavy Assault Battalion and the 20th Assault Infantry Battalion both took 62% casualties, the 11th Mobile Infantry 70% and the 10th Mobile Infantry 85%. Only 3 installations remain to be investigated and Fleet Command hopes to rotate the 28th Brigade back to Earth soon for some well deserved R&R. Meanwhile research into improving ground combat tactics and technology is now a priority for Fleet Command.
25th March 2035
The first 2 Tribal-Class Area Defence Cruisers are launched and join the 1st Cruiser Group for training exercises. A new anti-missile missile with improved warhead and manoeuvring jets has now been designed, the AMM-N1-SentinelB. The same improvements have also been incorporated into an improved design of the venerable but battle-tested ASM-N5-StarburstB. Once sufficient stocks have been built on Earth the fleet will begin deploying the new missiles.
17th August 2035
The design for the new Churchill-Class Jump Cruiser has now been finalised and NavYard Alpha begins retooling for the new design. The Churchill-Class can jump up to 4 companion ships of 12500tons and carries the MR509-R150 Large Area Search Sensor, which previously had only been used on the ground based Castle-Class PDC’s currently deployed on Earth and Mars. Retooling for the new design will take 9 months after which 2 vessels will be laid down. In addition NavYard Gamma begins retooling to construct Hood-Class Light Cruisers, none of which have yet been built.
Churchill class Jump Cruiser 12,500 tons 1018 Crew 2556 BP TCS 250 TH 900 EM 0
3600 km/s JR 5-50 Armour 6-47 Shields 0-0 Sensors 60/60/0/0 Damage Control Rating 4 PPV 0
Maint Life 2.36 Years MSP 3511 AFR 312% IFR 4.3% 1YR 858 5YR 12872 Max Repair 693 MSP
Flag Bridge
J12600(5-50) Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 12600 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 5
MilSpec Ion Engine E8 (15) Power 60 Fuel Use 80% Signature 60 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres Range 54.0 billion km (173 days at full power)
Large Area Search Sensor MR509-R150 (1) GPS 103950 Range 509.2m km Resolution 150
Thermal Sensor TH10-60 (1) Sensitivity 60 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 60m km
EM Detection Sensor EM10-60 (1) Sensitivity 60 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 60m km
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
7th January 2036
A second wave of robotic defenders have surfaced on Ross 154 A-II. The 10th Assault Infantry is ambushed and takes a further 28% casualties. The 10th can now only muster 4% of its original roll call and is attempting to retreat.
17th January 2036
Fighting continues on Ross 154 A-II. The 10th Assault Infantry is cut off and destroyed.
22nd January 2036
The situation on the ground on Ross 154 A-II deteriorates further. A total of 3 robotic battalions have now been confirmed to be in action on the surface. The 20th Assault Battalions counterattack has met with complete failure and the 20th has taken a further 50% casualties. Only 6% of the 20th has been able to exfiltrate. The Fleet is attempting to recover its ground forces from Ross 154 A-II and the Fleets sole troop transport has already rescued the 32nd Engineering Brigade.
27th January 2036
Terran operations on Ross 154 A-II has now turned into a complete rout. In the last week robotic assaults have destroyed the 11th Mobile Infantry and the 20th Assault Infantry. The 5th Heavy Assault is down to 17. 5% and has dug in for a last stand in the hopes of holding out for extraction.
2nd February 2036
The 5th has held out for another 5 days but has suffered another 14% casualties. The Fleet troop transport is still over a week away.
7th February 2036
The 5th Heavy Assault Battalion, after holding out alone against 3 enemy assault battalions, is finally overrun. The fleet transport was only 2 days away when the unit, having suffered 95% casualties and running low on ammunition and power, stopped responding.
14th March 2036
Rising temperatures on Mars have resulted in the melting of the polar ice caps. The colonisation cost of Mars is now down to 1. 9 and the population has risen to over 10 million, with enough infrastructure to support over 15 million.
20th April 2036
Retooling for the Hood-Class CL completes and 2 hulls are laid down.
22nd April 2036
The 27th Brigade, consisting of the 18th and 19th Assault Infantry Battalions and the 3rd and 4th Heavy Assault Battalions, departs Earth for Ross 154 aboard the Rodger Young, escorted by the 2nd Destroyer Group
2nd May 2036
NavYard Alpha completes retooling for the Churchill-Class Jump Cruiser and lays down to 2 hulls. This will be the last construction for some time as the Federations wealth is down to less than 15000 credits and still falling. The Federal Council has ordered the construction of additional financial centres on both Earth and Mars to attempt to correct the situation.
13th June 2036
The 27th Brigade deploys on Ross 154 and immediately engages the enemy, engaging in heavy fighting versus 2 robotic assault infantry battalions. Meanwhile on Earth research is completed into magneto-plasma drive technology. Research now begins into applicable engine designs.
23rd July 2036
Fighting on Ross 154 A-II finally concludes for the 2nd time. 4 robotic assault battalions have been destroyed for only 8% casualties spread across 4 Terran battalions. Unfortunately the fighting over the last year has destroyed all of the recovered installations totalling 2 fuel refineries and 1 deep space tracking station.