[Suicide Junkie]

2405.0:
We have enjoyed another year of strong internal growth. Although only three new systems have entered the alliance, 34 more planets have been industrialized, bringing the total to 115. All of this growth is not without its price, however; we are currently running a defecit of 65000 organics per month. We do have extensive reserves totalling 2.5 million, although the defecit is likely to grow larger as development on the new worlds accelerates. The mineral and radioactives reserve is still growing slowly, but will soon be pressured by military production of warship armor and energy weapons. The era of free financing is over.
In the south, expansion has been halted by sixty AI ships, in the southeast, AI fleets are running unchecked past our worlds. Actual attacks have been rare so far, and our forces have been picking off solo scouts, but the situation is very volatile.
In the north, AI forces are still strong and harrassing Othello with 30 ships despite our recent gains against them.
Ground battles continue to rage in Dussullet, Othello, Tudran and Nibbrix.
Only in the east are things relatively calm; expansion and development will likely be focussed in that area this year.
Construction of the new warships is progressing well. Eleven ships have arrived at the Jorun training center, and another seven at the eastern facilities in Centrolius. The first fleet sorties are provisionally planned for mid 2406.

2405.1:
After a long and brutal battle behind enemy lines, our troops on Nibbrix IX have taken control of the capital! Jubilant citizens filled the streets to celebrate amidst piles of burning electronics. Captured facilities include a resupply depot, spaceport and shipyard; this loss is likely to disrupt resource extraction in the region for a few months and attract an even larger military response, but our planetary defenses have proven quite effective so far.
In other southern news, the fleet of 40 ships is poised to enter orbit of Tudran VII. Having withstood previous blockades, the citizens are responding well to the situation. Ground forces are deploying to secure major facilities and a pack of 40 Asp bombers is preparing to meet the incoming forces. Primary targets will be any troop transports heading for the surface, but any damage to the warships and fighters will help.
AI forces continue to grow and wander throughout the southeast without revealing what target they will eventually strike. Construction of ground defenses is mixed with cautiously optimistic economic improvements.
In the north, 27 AI ships are now threatening Othello V. In the face of such a force, the planetary defense net is woefully inadequate, and ground forces will be playing a large part in protecting the citizens. Fortunately, the planet sports a variety of advanced units, including some skimmers, a pair of Tesla class tanks and a set of 40 powered armor suits, typically used for EVA work on the orbital factories.
Eleven assault carriers are being sent in from Othello VIII, and the remaining 8 are being sent to safety in Dussullet, being mostly troop transports.

2405.2:
The organics defecit has increased to 100k over the last two months, so our reserves will last another two years. Development of organics-rich worlds is being prioritized.
The northern AI fleet has begun a blockade of Othello III, and our fleet is in pursuit. Additional bombers are being built locally to assist the fleet when it arrives.
In a surprise warppoint battle one of the new vigilance class point defense cruisers was attacked by an enemy carrier. Fortunately, there were two independence carriers in the area to provide offensive strikes against the enemy force. The design performed extremely well in this empirical test; an estimated 40 enemy missiles were shot down or absorbed by the Vigilance, and although she suffered extensive damage, many lives were saved. The ship is continuing under its own power to the training center where repairs will be conducted.

2405.3:
Two major battles occurred this month, at Othello V and Othello III. The big fleet action was at Othello III, where our nine carriers, 360 fighters and a handful of planetary units faced off against almost 30 battle-worn AI ships. Our fighters were sent in with the daring strategy of targetting the carriers and support ships before the enemy fighters.
Casualties were high in the first thirty minutes of combat as the AI fighters struck mostly unopposed, but only six capital ships escaped our attack. We lost two carriers with a third severely damaged, and 75% of our bombers in return.
The initial sacrifices paid off in the second wave after our fighters returned to rearm; with most of the AI force unable to restock, and our fighters packed with missiles, we had a decisive advantage. The remaining AI capital ships were destroyed, and the helpless AI fighters continue to be hunted down.
At last count, 150 AI fighters remain, and with only 15% of our own fighters still functional, it will take some time before the sector is cleared for civilian traffic.

The other battle in Othello occurred when an AI carrier tested the defenses of Othello V. Only three bombers were stationed at the planet, and they were quickly destroyed by AI cannon fire. The orbital defense net satellites opened fire immediately, and the heavy missile bombardment overwhelmed the AI point defenses. Five defense satellites suffered light damage and a sixth was disabled, but they were able to wipe out the enemy force before it could do any significant damage. One of the orbital factories was hit by a torpedo during the fighting, but its armor held and no internal damage was reported.

A small force of counterattacking AI ground units has established a foothold on Nibbrix IX, and the planet is now being blockaded by the 40 ship fleet. Although the ground force is not a serious threat at the moment, AI reinforcements could arrive at any time from the neighbouring worlds. This distraction should give us time to build up defenses in Tudran.

2405.4:
The remaining AI fighters in Othello have been whittled down to less than 20, but our own fighters have been reduced to a mere handful. Another carrier was lost in the fighting, so our last three carriers are retreating to Othello V. All 40 of the fighters from Othello VIII are being brought in to finish the job, and the other empty carriers are heading back to the core worlds to restock.
The skirmish on Tudran V has been resolved in our favor with the destruction of the last AI ground troops. Our four carriers successfully slipped past the AI forces in Nibbrix to take up orbit of Tudran V, and are currently holding back four AI ships from the planet.
A trio of AI ships is heading north through Bintrox; our new ships should be devastatingly effective at defending the warppoint, and will be sent in despite having not yet completed their training. Two repair ships and two independence carriers will be joining the fleet to ensure a minimum of casualties during this live fire test. In addition to the support ships, one Vigilance, eight Valor and sixteen Honor class ships will be participating.

2405.5:
This has been a quiet month. Two AI scout ships were shot down, and the AI fighters in Othello have been reduced to only six. The last few should be caught in the next few days.
Resource extraction facilities are sprouting all over the galaxy, but spending continues to grow just as fast. Organics continue to run at a 100k defecit, and radioactives spending is now starting to exceed income by a small margin. With 4.3 million rads in storage, there is no worry on that front.
Our fleet of ships in Jorun have gathered and are taking up positions around the warppoint; all that remains is to await the AI carriers' arrival.

2405.6:
The new recruits were very enthusiastic, and only about half of the ships had an actual target to shoot at rather than a cloud of vapor. Most impressively, there were no friendly fire incidents despite the storm of ordnance, and the enemy carriers were unable to launch any of their fighters.
The fleet is now returning to Jorun V to resume training while our tacticians pour over the data collected.
Othello III has finally been cleared of AI fighters; research supplies have begun flowing in and organics are flowing out again. As well, all damaged ships in the system are being sent to make use of the advanced repair yard facilities captured from the AI forces. Although not entirely trustworthy, the repair yards operate twice as fast as our own yards, and with full automation our technicians have plenty of time to inspect the work.
AI numbers continue to grow in the south eastern systems. At last count there were over 110 ships and carriers scattered through the star cluster. The big question is why they have not attacked yet.

Organics storage dipped below two million this month, but the organics defecit has been reduced to 65k due to a boom in farm construction projects. Similar increases in mineral and radioactives production have been completely offset by additional spending, but those storage levels are stable.

2405.7:
It has been a relatively quiet month.
Funding has been approved for additional facility construction in the interior systems and fighter/troop construction on the borders. We are peaking at a 100k defecit in both organics and radioactives this month.
In the northern AI forces have been spotted gathering in Torren to protect their core world; 17 ships of various sizes are currently in orbit and a few more are on their way. The eventual assault will probably require a fleet worth of our new direct-fire warships to help clear the defenses.

2405.8:
The last AI stronghold in Dussullet has fallen to our forces. Casualties were light as 60 Tesla class tanks rolled in and demolished the primary defenses. Another 60 Skimmers followed up the assault, picking off any surviving AI units. Technicians are now going through the rubble to ensure that all of the debris is inert.
Fifteen new resource facilities and two new spaceports have come online this month, and combined with shifts in manufacturing, have slashed our defecit to 50k organics and 15k radioactives.
Of some concern is a 30 ship fleet penetrating the southeast star cluster, and heading for the north. There is not much we can do to stop them, short of a suicide mission by the northern Fleet.

2405.9:
There were two major combats this month. In the southeast, a task force of four independence carriers was sent to clear a blockaded warppoint of AI fighters. Although the enemy force was eliminated, 38 bombers were lost, and the Vigilance class PD ship with them suffered heavy but non-critical damage. With the warppoint cleared, the main route to the repair yards in Jorun is now safe.
The second battle went far worse. Two AI ships attacked the repair yards at Othello III, where three Independence carriers were undergoing minor repairs. Facing a heavy point defense cruiser and a plasma cannon warship, the six defense fighters were overwhelmed. Heavy flak and antifighter torpedoes quickly neutralized our fighters, and although the fighters did manage to score a hit, it failed to penetrate the warship's armor. In the end, the empty carriers managed to evade for just over a week before they were destroyed.
The northern AI forces aren't done yet, however. A fleet of 21 has been spotted entering Arklite; their course appears to be taking them to our research world of Arklite VIII. Defenses include 85 bombers and a satellite network of 18 Guardian class missile pods. The two carriers stationed there have been ordered to leave thier fighters and head east for reinforcements. Beta fleet from the east is being redirected north; with 25 ships and two carriers, they should be more than a match for and damaged AI forces which remain after their assault.

In the southeast, our battlegroup of 6 carriers was stymied in their pursuit of a small AI fleet when it joined up with 30 more ships at a warppoint. Our carriers are falling back to a shield-disrupting storm in case of pursuit, but it is likely the AI force will head deeper into our territory. The lead scout has already entered the system of Beliph and is one jump from the hub system of Ochre. Scattered ships en route to the training facilities in Centrolius are being gathered to intercept the scout, but the main fleet is only two months behind it.