Story thread - chronicles

[Growltigger]

THE FIRST WAR IN THE STARS

On 15 September 2403, the Discovery transitted the warp point leading to Sigma Draconis. Its sensors showed no Centauri presence in the system, and the colonisable world, which had been christened Xanadu, sparkled on the sensor viewport. Discovery launched a courier drone through the warp point. Minutes later, the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, comprising the light cruisers Acheron, Argonaut and Bellerophon, appeared in the darkness of space, escorting the larger bulk of a Nova class colony vessel, crammed with 1 million Federation military personnel.

Operation Retro was a bold plan, but one which had nearly toppled the most powerful parties in the World Senate. The Federation had made repeated gifts to the Centauri Republic, and had offered numerous trade or non-aggression treaties. The gifts had been accepted with appropriate thanks and platitudes, but all treaty offers had been rebuffed. In addition, the Centauri attitude toward the Federation was moving from angry to positively murderous. Still no face to face meeting had ever taken place between a Centauri and a Human, and it was becoming doubtful that it ever would.

Operation Retro had been invented by the military hotheads at Battlefleet, who, following the Battle of Avalon, were enjoying a renaissance and surge to prominence in the war rooms at Federation Command. It was obvious that the Centauri claimed the Sigma Draconis system, but they had taken no action to colonise the mineral rich and valuable Earth-like planet christened as Xanadu., and therefore Earth would. A military colony would be landed on Xanadu, who would construct resupply and construction facilities. Battlefleet light cruisers would build up at Xanadu, and as this was the only known point of contact between the Federation and the Republic, any Centauri response would hit Battlefleet heads on. And if a science vessel like Discovery could take out a Centauri frigate, then surely several cruiser squadrons could thrash the whole empire.

Xanadu was established on 15 October 2403. The colonists immediately commenced with construction of the refuelling facilities, guarded by the ever watchful Federation cruisers in orbit. Discovery meanwhile boosted out toward the unexplored warp point in Sigma Draconis.

In the meantime, Avalon had constructed ship and fleet training facilities, and the 1st Cruiser Squadron, 2nd Cruiser Squadron and 4th Cruiser Squadrons (comprising Theseus, Odysseus and Ares) were in orbit, conducting wargames and increasing their experience. Repairs were also being completed to the light cruisers in the 1st and 2nd squadrons, as these ships had been refitted to include the latest armour and phased beam technology.

Earth, meanwhile, was continuing to construct light cruisers. The 5th Cruiser Squadron was finalising construction in geostationary orbit round Earth. The warships, Thetis, Atalante and Apollo, would be boosting out to Avalon as soon as construction was completed.

Colony ships had been sent to Sirius to colonise the habitable worlds there, although it would be another 4 months before they reached their destinations.

Mining colonies had been established on New California and New Arizona, mineral rich planets in the Epsilon Eridani system. A research base had been built on Artemis, and the scientists had discovered the remains of a huge shield generator, with apparently the ability to project an energy defence field around the whole of a planet. Construction of such a huge facility would be time consuming and expensive, but plans were made for these defence works to be constructed at Avalon and Xanadu. No remains of alien life forms were found, but the engineering designs of the ruins did not match those found on Asgard. This was obviously another alien race.

The Asgard Enigma deepened, and was augmented by what was called the Artemis Conundrum. Whatever had wiped out the warlike aliens on Asgard, may have lived on Artemis, but if it was them that lived on Artemis, what had the power to punch a whole through a huge planetary shield facility, and who had destroyed them? This implied that something more powerful was out in the galaxy.

Research on military projects, and the development and training of combat troops and mechanised vehicles, was continued.

[Growltigger]

CHARYBDIS

The second warp point in Sigma Draconis system was christened Charybdis. Discovery boosted through the warp point on 3 November 2403 and was never seen again. No courier drone or message was received from the crew. She simply disappeared.

Scientists wracked their brains for the reason for the disappearance. The military assumed it was the Centauri, but the scientific establishment pointed out that not much was known about warp points. Humanity may have been lucky to date, but perhaps Charybdis was a new type of gravitational whirlpool which did not offer a short cut to other stellar systems, but which destroyed ships instead. The military pointed to the presence of the Centauri frigate in Sigma Draconis. It came from somewhere, and unless there was some invisible warp point in that system, it could only had come through Charybdis.

This viewed was reinforced when a Centauri battlegroup jumped through Charybdis. The battlegroup comprised 5 frigates and a larger vessel, half again as large as the frigates, but still three quarters the size of the defending light cruisers. The battlegroup ignored all hailing signals, and advanced on Xanadu.

The 3rd Cruiser Squadron deployed in orbit round Xanadu. After furious consultation with the planetary commander, it was agreed that the warships should boost out to meet the Centauri battlegroup as far out in space as possible. Xanadu had no defences other than the warships, and any battle should be kept as far away from the planet as possible.

The squadrons closed, the Centauri ignoring all Messages sent to them by the Federation cruisers. The large Centauri vessel opened the battle at long range, by volleying off 3 missiles. The remaining frigates closed the distance to the Federation ships. TFN (Terran Federation Navy) Bellerophon was leading the Federation fleet. At long range, she opened fire on the frigates. Three of her four phased beam arrays struck the frigate, and it could be seen that its armour was destroyed and it was streaming atmosphere. TFN Acheron fire next and the wounded frigate was destroyed. TFN Argonaut directed her fire at another frigate, and caused heavy damage. The Centauri missiles sped toward the Federation squadron, but were engaged by the point defence batteries on the ships. All missiles were destroyed at extreme range from the fleet.

The Centauri frigates moved to attack range, and the three undamaged survivors fired their linear accelerators at TFN Bellerophon. The ship shuddered as multiple hits rocked its armour, but the plating held and the warship powered on. She fired her beams at the nearest frigate, and almost destroyed it. Acheron finished the Centauri off, and Argonaut blew the damage frigate apart.

The remaining two frigate continued to fire at Bellerophon, smashing her armour and damaging her engines. She started to stream atmosphere. She continued to fire her beam weapons and disabled a further Centauri vessel. At point blank range, the phased beams were far more powerful than the cannon on the Centauri ships, and Acheron and Argonaut destroyed the Last two vessels.

Meanwhile, the Centauri destroyer fired its missile batteries. The missiles were destroyed at long range by the squadron's point defence batteries, and it was obvious that the missiles were no threat to the well defended warships. The cruisers closed, and after having demands for surrender ignored by the Centauri vessel, they blew the ship apart.

The first battle of Xanadu was a Federation victory, and hopefully, the first of many.

[Unknown_Enemy]

It's cool to see a new story thread.