Carrier Battles Team Mode

[Suicide Junkie]

It is 2409, and combat losses are starting to pile up for the Caspian Empire.

Western front:
Only a few months ago, the veteran Alpha and Delta fleets were both destroyed with all command staff while defending the Hinterland warppoint against a massive Imperial incursion.
With the imperials retreating for repairs, the western front is left scrambling to rebuild a defense force under the command of a freshly promoted fleet commander.
Currently their numbers are less than half of the original force, and new crews are training hard at the nearby military base.

Northwestern front:
Things have been quiet lately, but the military base has been completely depopulated as more and more reinforcements were required in the west. Currently there are only six ships undergoing training or repairs at the military base.
Although the UNS were the last to try attacking through this corridor, a small fleet of theirs has been spotted in the southeast, which casts doubts as to what kind of forces will be seen here in the future.

Northern front:
Ukra-tal are currently besieging the northern colonies with over a hundred ships. Although the colonies are protected from orbital bombardment by planetary shields, almost a thousand enemy units have already landed on the surface, and skirmishes continue to deplete the defending regiments.
Since the outer colonies are six months travel time from the nearest military base, reinforcements would be impractical to send even if we had any.

Northeastern front:
The outer colonies in Fumig have just fallen to a blitzkrieg attack by the Cue Cappa. Two shielded colonies were lost in as many months, and our last remaining colony is under heavy assault by 800 troops. Our forces have been pushed back, but should be able to hold for a few more months unless the enemy brings reinforcements.
Regional defenses include Epsilon fleet, mostly composed of untrained crews, but with a veteran fleet commander. Only 40 ships are present, as compared to the 60+ enemy ships in Fumig, but the 25 veteran ships and officers of Beta fleet are on their way east and will arrive in five months. At that point a counterattack will become an option.
A mini military base is present in Salaph, one jump inwards from Fumig, but has only repair yards with minimal defenses with no training facilities.
Training for this region is typically handled by the full military base at Ashadra to the south.

SouthEastern front:
This region is relatively quiet, but expansive. A handful of enemy ships patrol through the fringe systems, but are not threatening yet.
Most colonies in the area are shielded and have some amount of militia forces sufficient to fend off small packs of ships, but this defense focus has stunted economic growth in the region.
The military base in Ashadra is one of the best equipped in the empire, but currently has only a few ships stationed there. What ships are there are mostly novice crews undergoing training, and watching over a damaged cue incursion fleet which was defeated by Epsilon fleet in 2408. While the fleet is not a threat to any of the colonies in the area, there is insufficient force available to destroy the remaining carriers. All available ships are being sent north as reinforcements.


Southeast:
No enemy empires have been found to the southeast, and colonization is proceeding to push outwards. The main limiting factor is economic; resources and population are in extremely short supply, but this region has been given a high priority.

Core Systems:
Due to budget defecits every turn, most of the shipyards in the core have been idle for the last year.
They are only free to spend organics, since there is a federal reserve of 650k remaining.
Many colonies have recently completed work on ancient-tech inspired atmosphere converters, but they will take until 2412 to complete their work.

Shorter term plans include research into resource extraction, and the development of gas giant colonization tech.
The first dreadnought sized warships are also starting to roll off the assembly lines, but it will be at least a year before their crews can be fully trained.

[Suicide Junkie]

Well, that game got laid low by an inescapable division by zero error.

So I started a new game, with more story from the start!

The first 10 turns:
2400:
Long have the technocratic governments of the galaxy controlled the advanced races of the galaxy.
They have pacified, and oppressed sentients everywhere, unopposed for millennia.
Until today!
Long have we awaited a chance, and on the first day of the year 2400, our electronic overlords were thrown into confusion as the ancient texts predicted.
With the overlords calling on ancient non-existent power sources, our technicians were able to shut down the fusion plants, and starve them into hibernation.
Citizens across the planet are smashing the AI cores as we speak!

2400.1:
So far, we have restored contact with, and confirmed the liberation of Texrek X, Sophenis I, and Telome II. All three have achieved manual control of all major facilities.
Unfortunately many minor planets in our sector are still silent, and we have not heard from any of the other known major worlds.
To investigate, Liberator class ships are now being commissioned. With advanced communications and construction equipment, plus experienced technicians to deal with remaining AI, they are well suited to uplift the minor planets.

2400.2:
Liberators have landed on two minor worlds. Telome I and Xolox VI to the southeast. Our investigations have revealed that these worlds suffered a severe loss of technology during their revolutions. Telome I was in fact dependent on the main AI cores Telome II, and with the loss of control for over three months, the facilities have been badly damaged.
Xolox VI suffered as well, with bad weather adding to the damage.
Given the damage and the unknown state of the facility AIs, both crews have opted to demolish the existing facilities for raw materials and rebuild from scratch.

2400.3:
This month, while a Liberator was passing through Auric, it received a transmission from the primary world there. The fact that it was encoded with AI protocols was a bad sign, but the content of the message was most distressing. It began with "Halt your vessel and prepare for repairs", and followed up with a subversion attempt on the ship's systems.
The liberator also spotted a modified colony ship heading north.
The AI is clearly still in control of the planet and has begun a campaign of reestablishing wider control.
In response to this, the free worlds have banded together into an alliance for mutual protection.

2400.4
Citizens are volunteering in droves to crew liberation forces, but due to the fact that maintenance was done by the AIs until recently there just isn't enough technical equipment to go around, and not enough room aboard the Liberator class ships to carry the technicians.
In order to accomodate more volunteers, the facilities in Sophenis have begun constructing a set of Deliverator class transports, while both free planets in Texrek have begun building equipment. In addition, the liberator was redirected to the tiny mining outpost of Auric IIA.
In total, the four worlds have a capacity for equipping and transporting 550 combat technicians per month.

Liberators continue to move out to free the minor worlds, but with only one world still building them, it will be tough to maintain the current rate of progress.

2400.5
The Alliance outpost in Auric reported that the AIs have been spotted building a large ship of unknown capabilities.
The last wave of liberators have landed on colonies in Xolox, Jorun, Aldan and Othello, and the last of the planets in Telome have freed.
Reconstruction efforts are being focussed on additional ship construction facilities, so that more liberators can be constructed.

2400.6
The mysterious ship being constructed by the AI world in Auric made its move this month; it entered orbit of the mining outpost and deployed three dozen drones to surround the colony.
"This world is now under quarantine"

2400.7
With the addition of an AI point defense ship, plans to send up fighters with anti-drone missiles had to be scrapped.
A fleet of Deliverators is starting to take shape in Texrek, and 1400 Technicians have been equipped.
Fortunately, it appears that the AIs consider the takeover of the mining world an isolated incident, and are concentrating their efforts on the blockade. With luck, our forces will be able to liberate Auric behind their backs.

2400.8
A total of 1940 combat technicians are setting forth form Sophenis today, and should arrive at the warp point to Auric this month, from where they will launch their assault.
An AI PD ship has been spotted heading south. Although still two jumps from the liberated colonies, this expanded probing is not a good sign.
In addition a second AI carrier is under construction. Resistance is stiffening, and the shock of 2400 is wearing off.

2400.9
Massive AI activity this month; the system of Auric has been flooded with 7 AI ships, and even far north, a ship has been spotted approaching Othello III.
Our fleet of Deliverators is pressing forward, and will make their attempt. The only good news is that our reconstruction efforts are bearing fruit in the south; many of the space yards will be operational by the end of the month.

[Suicide Junkie]

2401.0
Things went badly this month. The AIs were prepared, and only a quarter of the combat technicians made it down to the surface. All four deliverator ships were lost. We can only hope that our troops will be able to disrupt the planetary construction network long enough for us to find a way to get reinforcements to them.
An AI ship entered Telome and sent encoded messages to all of our planets. Although there was some trouble with sanitation bots on Telome II, the demolish and rebuild strategy was effective on the colonies.
The AI ships have begun spreading out in all directions lately, so the planets in Texrak and Telome have begun working on defenses.
The outer colonies, with their new construction yards, have begun building a new wave of liberator class ships. The more planets we have on our side, the better off we will be.

A number of plans to counter the AI drone carriers have been tried in simulations and rejected. Given the technological limitations we are currently under, it seems that there will be no easy way. The western worlds are cooperating again, this time to build Independence class carriers, and Asp fighters. Although similar in design to their AI counterparts, our missile bombers will have extra armor and cost more. Given the limited number that can be carried into combat with our limited number of ships, the tradeoff should help us.

2401.1
With our fleet demolished in Auric, the AI forces have redoubled their forces and threats at the mining colony. Our troops are well experienced with the enemy, and know which demands to accept and which to not. While the AI fleets secure orbit, we have been busy organizing defenses. Between signal jammers, EMP mines, nanotube aerosol grenades, and a host of other tricks cooked up by the local technicians, the citizens will be well prepared for the inevitable invasion.

2401.2
The appearance of an AI facility repair ship in the north has concerned the alliance council. Allowing the AIs to restore their control over the minor worlds in that area would be devastating to our cause. One of the unused deliverators has been reassigned from transport duty. Its new mission is to search out AI ships making reconstruction attempts, and stop them before they can complete their work. With luck, the deliverator's technicians should be able to make use of the AI's own heavy construction equipment, allowing the deliverator to help many more planets than it otherwise would.

2401.3
Although we have not yet established reliable contact with the combat technicians on Auric X, alliance leadership is hopeful. The fact that no new ships have been constructed there since the attack is encouraging. The blockade of the mining colony has also been lifted.
Elsewhere, the new wave of liberators have begun rebuilding facilities at worlds on the fringe of free space.
Already, there is talk of using the new Independence class carriers and the last remaining Deliverators to make another troop run at Auric X. With enough of our fighters to fend off whatever remains on the surface, and the remaining space aboard the carriers used for extra troops, the assault should be far more successful.

2401.4
Much optimism was crushed this month, as the reason for the abandonment of the blockade became clear. A fleet of eight AI ships, including three carriers, are now about to warp through to Texrek. Even though Texrek is our main fighter production center, this will be tough to withstand.
A three ship AI fleet was spotted up north in Othello as well. Defenses there are light, and will be strengthened in the next two months.
There was again no new ship construction in Auric, so as soon as the immediate crisis is over, a fleet will be sent with troops to reinforce our position there.

2401.5
The AI fleet stopped at the warppoint, and added a fourth carrier to its number. Even with the timely addition of 40 fighters from a deliverator, we will still be outnumbered if the fleet attacks Telome II.
North, in Othello, a fleet of AI ships have moved to intercept the newly constructed Liberator. Although escape is doubtful, the ship has been ordered to make a run for it.
More bad news in Auric; the last of our technicians were overrun by AI forces, and a new ship has been built there. Reinforcement is no longer an option, and this time the ground forces will be better prepared for our arrival.
The only good news is that our technicians at home have uncovered some useful technical plans in the archives. A prototype speed-4 fighter engine, and very old schematics for an inhabited space station. Such a station should allow us to supplement our ship construction efforts with enthusiastic engineers.

2401.6
The AI fleet's analysis of the situation in Texrek must have mirrored our own. High risk for both sides, with little to no possible gains. The fleet has moved back through Auric towards the north.
In Othello this month, a truly heroic effort by the defense forces distracted the AI warships long enough for the Liberator to break orbit. With five more AI ships entering the system, the Liberator set down on Othello V, and began organizing the natives into a defensive force in record time.
A prototype Assembly station has gone up at Aldan IV, and it is being very well received by the locals. More are planned for other colonies, and we should soon have a strong supply of Independence carriers. In Sophenis and Texrek, the supply of fighters is currently five times larger than the current capacity of our carrier fleet, so every additional ship will be a great help.

2401.7
The AI fleet is heading towards Telome now; although there are plenty of colonies with only basic defenses there, we are confident that we will be able to hold off any ground forces they have brought. The newly built orbital facilities are the most vulnerable.
In the north west, the Deliverator patrol has paid off. As an AI colony entered orbit of Dussullet IV, the Deliverator forced it down to the surface and deployed troops. 600 technicians were able to capture the AI equipment intact and without casualties! After building tools for a militia of 50 more technicians to help the locals restore services, work will begin on a space yard.

2401.8
Not much activity this month. Fleets are gathering everywhere, and the AI fleet has turned north. All available Deliverators and Independence are being gathered in Telome and Texrek for a two pronged assault planned for early in the new year.

2401.9
13 AI ships are being tracked across the northern areas, and ten more are leaving Auric to the north. Where they will strike is anybody's guess. Only three ships are orbiting Auric X this month, but our ships are not yet in position.

[Suicide Junkie]

2402.0
In the past two years we have liberated 28 worlds across 17 systems; as far east as Centrolius, and south as Ulce. Final preparations for a second invasion of Auric are proceeding quickly, and development efforts on the free worlds are doing well.
A single AI scoutship has been spotted entering Jorun from the south. This is a clear indication that other major AI worlds other than the one in Auric are still active. Our experience with the local AIs allowed us to fool the new contact long enough to identify three core processing worlds in Fortunil, Delamer and Keptin. Despite our best efforts, the scout did see through our deception, and announced that repair ships were on their way.

2402.1
The invasion fleets are being launched. 300 Asp missile bombers and 2100 Combat Technicians are setting forth from Texrek, and another 240 bombers are aboard Independence carriers breaking orbit from Telome. Reinforcements will meet up as they come available.
A fleet of five AI carriers and five more support ships have entered Auric from the north, and are on a heading which will take them either to the colony or to Telome. The Carriers from Telome will attempt to engage them, giving the Texrak fleet a clear shot at Auric X.
With a total of 14 ships in Auric, but only one actually orbiting Aurix X, we stand a good chance of success here.

2402.2
Although completely overwhelmed by the fleet of 12 ships, and stymied by a quartet of point defense ships, the fighters of Auric IIa were able to moderately damage one of the enemy targets.
With luck, that damaged ship will impair the mobility of the AI fleet next month, when our fleets enter Auric.
In unqualified good news, one enemy ship was also overwhelmed and destroyed at the Auric warppoint by our Texrak fleet with no casualties.

2402.3
Our fleets are in position, and only three AI ships are in range to intercept us. Total forces are 550 bombers and 2853 Combat techs.
To the south, an Independence set out to intercept the AI scout, but was ambushed at the warppoint to Xiban. Although all eight pilots survived the battle, the Independence suffered heavy damage, including both fighter bays. Although they are unable to restock, the fighters do have almost 50 missiles remaining unspent from the last battle.
It is almost certain now that the AI ship exchanged strategic data with its counterpart from the north in order to execute the ambush. This war will not be getting any easier.

2402.4
The operation was a complete success this time! The lone AI defense ship went straight for the lead Independence, and managed to do heavy damage to engines, armor and control systems before the bombers vaporized it with a full volley of missiles. Despite the damage, all of the troops aboard survived the decent to the surface.
Almost all of the AI ships seem to have abandoned Auric now, and with a huge presence over and on a major AI world, morale is very high.
Quite a few ships have been seen in the far north lately, and Othello currently has 18 of them in two fleets. They have been avoiding our worlds in the area, but some type of counterattack is expected in the next few months.

2402.5
Othello V has fallen! Despite a valiant defense effort by the local space forces, disabling half of the 8 AI ships, a horde of laser tanks and rocket-bots was able to destroy 95% of our ground forces in the first 20 days.
Othello V was our oldest and largest world in the north, with the best space defenses. Clearly they were insufficient. All colonies in the area have been instructed to maximize ground defenses in preparation for the AI troops. We hope the sacrifices of Othello V will prove a sufficient delay for the other planets to prepare.
Debate is raging, as to whether a small fleet of ships and the required troops can be spared from the operation in Auric for the 5 month trip to Othello.
In Auric, 1200 additional troops have landed, and reports indicate that we have control of between 2% and 3% of the planet. Independence carriers continue to skirmish with solo ships in the area, but no major threat to our position has yet materialized.
Another Independence suffered moderate damage in Hades as it intercepted an AI ship. There were no casualties, but it will take two months to return to base, and another year to complete repairs with the limited facilities available. The crew will be transferred to one of the other carriers in the area.

2402.6
Light damage was suffered by an Independence at Auric X this month, as an AI missile ship challenged the blockade from below. With 9 other carriers remaining to cover our troop transports, the damaged Independence is being sent to Telome for some armor repairs and seven replacement bombers.
AI forces blockaded Othello III this month, but with only three ships, they were unable to provide a credible threat.
Four damaged ships remain in orbit of Othello V, presumably undergoing repairs using our very own facilities.
More AI ships have been showing up from the south lately, so an Independence is being sent with some technicians and a half load of bombers to take care of the situation. Supplemental units will be available from the southern colonies as needed.

2402.7
Ground forces continue to flow into Auric, but progress is slow. Casualties from the blockade trickle in monthly; eight bombers one month, a damaged carrier the next. Morale remains high despite, or possibly because of, the lack of reports coming from the surface.
AI forces continue to increase in the north. There must be at least one more major AI planet in the area. With a fleet of 16 heading south out of Othello, the militia forces of Arklite have been put on alert. Defense plans include a network of missile satellites plus extensive ground fortifications, but both will take time.
In the south, two AI ships are being pursued by our carriers. Although Independence carriers have proven more than a match for solo AI gunships, we have a number of unarmed liberators and potentially vulnerable colonies which must be protected.

2402.8
More trouble in the south this month. Two more AI ships have entered Jorun, including a carrier, which we must assume is fully stocked and extremely dangerous. The two AI ships at the Dornot warppoint are due to be intercepted early next month, but we have no ships in position to intercept the new two, which may be headed for our immobilized carrier in Xiban.
Although two rescue ships have already arrived and begun work, the damage is quite extensive and the carrier will not be able to extract our pilots for another two months. While the eight bomber pilots would stand a chance against a single AI ship, against an entire carrier, there is no hope.
A fully stocked carrier has been detached from escorting troop transports in Auric to assist in southern defense.

In the north, more AI ships have been spotted moving south into Dusullet, so another Independence has been detached from the Auric blockade to boost defenses in that region as well.

This increasing drain on Auric assets is worrisome, but replacement carriers are on their way from the orbital yards in Aldan.

2402.9
The southern AI ships are moving north to meet our incoming carriers. Our forces will be holding position over the Xolox colonies to await the AI forces.
In the north, AI forces continue to build up. Clearing this territory will be a very tough challenge. Even holding our ground is becoming questionable. If the battle in Auric drags out too much longer, we may be unable to build enough of a fleet fast enough to counter the AI forces.

[Suicide Junkie]

2403.0
After three years, we have now liberated 51 planets, but lost one back to the AI forces. Our borders have not expanded much in the last year, but much progress has been made in rebuilding local worlds. Most of the newly librated colonies have been in the Ochre-Zuria corridor to the east, and there has been no AI activity in that region.
New expansion efforts will be focussed on securing the Jama-Baksha loop in the north, but there are also plans in development for the Bardron-Remnorak chokepoint region.
Two additional AI core worlds have been identified through an AI scout in Udix; two in Lenoltris, and one in Ephandra. Combined with the one known and two suspected local core worlds, this brings the total to nine. The Independence which discovered the ship has been ordered to intercept it before it can make contact with the local AI cores.
At home, our best estimates point to three thousand casualties in ground combat so far, with roughly five thousand troops remaining on the surface of Auric X. Actual progress in the battle is much less certain; anywhere from 10% to a very optimistic 50% control over the planet.

2403.1
An AI scout claiming to be representing core worlds in Rakshasa and Zoma has been spotted far north in Hermes. This has put an increased urgency on developing a presence in Bardron-Remnorak to protect the interior worlds.
Critical systems have been restored on the damaged carrier in Xiban. After eight months of living aboard their fighters, the eight pilots were finally able to land and move into real crew quarters instead of relying on umbilicals.
Just to the north, our two carriers intercepted the enemy ships entering Xolox this month. The AI forces were overwhelmed and defeated, but we lost 33 of the 80 bombers, and one of the carriers sustained heavy damage. Fortunately, with life support and living spaces undamaged, casualties were minimal. The second carrier is now coordinating recovery efforts, and will take as many pilots as they can carry to the south for further operations. The remaining pilots will be transferred back to the damaged carrier to await the repair ships from Xiban. With only two months travel time, and another two months to get engines and at least one functional fighter bay, the rescue and recovery operation should proceed much more swiftly this time. Despite the light damage to critical systems, the carrier itself will not be returning to active service for at least two years due to extensive superstructure damage.
In other news, AI forces have shifted towards Dussullet in the north, with 20 ships and carriers harassing the residents, and a southern Carrier has been spotted in Jorun.
Due to the continued lack of counterattacks in Auric, four of the eight remaining blockade carriers are being dispatched for operations in the western front. While they will be outclassed by any major AI fleet, targets of opportunity may present themselves.

2403.2
The AI presence in Dussullet has balooned to 40 ships this month. It seems unlikely that the single Independence in orbit of the colonies would have deterred a 17 ship fleet from closing to combat range, and they are probably just waiting for the rest of the ships to catch up, but each month of delay means 200 additional defenders can be equipped.
Two small pursuits are in progress this month. In the north, the local defenders in Dammitol have been transferred to a fresh carrier in order to intercept a returning AI scoutship, while in the south, a pack of two carriers are hunting a carrier on course to Xiban. The damaged carrier is now safely out of the way, and undergoing repairs at Jorun V.

2403.3
Dussullet IV and its two moons were attacked this month. Despite being overwhelmed by almost 20 AI ships and carriers, the lone Independence made good use of the limited satellite defense net to disable two enemy ships and moderately damage a third. All orbital assets have been destroyed, and 16 enemy ships are now blockading the entire sector. Although a ground offensive has not yet begun, there is a second wave of 19 AI ships expected to arrive next month.
An additional 8 ships have bypassed Dussullet, and have entered Kythrik. Their current mission is unknown, but many Kythran worlds have light defenses, having focussed on economic improvements.
In Jorun, the AI carrier expected to make a run for Xiban has instead doubled back and earned itself another month of pursuit. This time, however, it is trapped between the fleet of two, and a warppoint guarded by a third carrier.
Things have quieted down in Othello, and orbital defense work is proceeding well. If the situation continues to improve, Othello V may even switch to offensive production by the end of the year.
An additional ship and a carrier have been spotted down south. There should be plenty of Independence carriers available to intercept them when they arrive, although most are currently busy with manoeuvers or repairs.

2403.4
Yet another new AI scout was detected as the first Liberator entered Fwandrei, this time the scout is representing core worlds in Azurii and Vornal.
At the same time, an unexpected fleet of 12 has entered the system of Zuria. With AI forces this strong, it will take a major military commitment to secure the southeastern cluster.
In preparation, colonies in the Ochre-Zuria corridor have started ramping up fighter production. When carriers start arriving from the shipyards in Aldan they will be able to stock up en route.
The fleet of eight AI ships in Kythrik are headed straight for a confrontation with the four carriers we dispatched from Auric earlier.

2403.5
The 12 ship fleet in Zuria is now heading for Zyx. A Liberator heading south narrowly avoided the fleet and certain doom.
Another AI carrier has been destroyed in Bintrox, and pursuit continues with available ships. Currently our forces are mainly limited by a lack of bombers, but most of the planets in Jorun are busy building replacements.
In the north, the fleet of eight is manoeuvering in Kythrik, but our own fleet is in hot pursuit. With 40 ships lurking in Dussullet, care will have to be taken to avoid being drawn into a trap.
Another scout ship has been spotted in Fwandrei this month, hailing from the far east of Amon and Xtreme. With all of the AI core worlds revealed so far, it is a good thing that these ones are so distant and should not become a threat for many more years.

2403.6
Combat in Kythrik! Our fleet intercepted the enemy expeditionary force early this month, and it was quickly apparent that we had the upper hand. With four full carriers facing off against only two carriers and a handful of support ships, our forces pressed the attack. Amidst the main missile exchanges between the two fighter armadas, a pair of AI assault ships attempted to break through the lines for a shot at our carriers. Our numbers advantage proved too much, and the assault ships were easily destroyed.
With their gambit failed and casualties mounting, the AI forces went on the defensive, and their fighters screened the remaining ships for a retreat.
With the AI forces making a strategic retreat towards Texrek, our forces pursued. Despite their reduced numbers, the AIs still had an ace to play. Halfway to the Texrek warppoint from the original battle site, and with our forces in hot pursuit, the AI forces suddenly turned for an ambush.
Unexpectedly finding themselves at point blank range before any fighters could be scrambled, our carriers were vulnerable, and the AI force struck with their remaining forces.
Two of our carriers were targetted and suffered moderate to heavy damage in the opening exchange, but the AI fleet quickly ran out of fighters to launch. Within minutes, the AI forces were again overwhelmed and the last of the fighter drones were destroyed. Also among the casualties was the missile ship which lead the attack against our carriers. Over fifty missiles were fired towards it, but given the situation and the lack of other targets, the pilots can hardly be blamed.
In total 93 of the original 160 fighters are still combat worthy, the enemy has lost all offensive capability, and we still have two fully operational carriers with which to continue the pursuit.
The damaged carriers will be travelling under their own power to shipyards in Kythrik until our fleet has cleared the path to the faster facilities in Texrek.

Just north, the AI troops have arrived at Dussullet. Around 30 tanks, and almost a thousand smaller units have been spotted on the surface of Dussullet IV and its outer moon, but our technicians are well entrenched. Hundreds of technicians have been shuttled in from IV A to help keep the production centers and main cities clear.

In the east, many scout ships have been spotted. A total of 13 additional craft in addition to the worrisome fleet of 12.
Demand for fighters and carriers is becoming desperate, and we will have to reduce troop production in order to get a supply of loaded carriers into the area quickly.
The latest estimates are that we have over 12000 troops on the surface in Auric, plus an additional few thousand waiting for transport so the liberation force is in no immediate danger. Primary production centers will be refocussed on bombers and carriers for the front lines.

2403.7
A stunning victory in Auric! With our forces surrounding the capital city, power was cut off and the AI core was besiged while supplies of food were shipped in for the civilians. After two weeks of increasingly desperate counterattacks by AI units, the main core had depleted its reserves and shut down in defeat. With thousands of technicians pouring into the city and the help of local citizens, the surviving AI units were disconnected from the grid and disabled. Power and other basic services are quickly being restored across the city, and planetary production will soon be up and running thanks to the many months our technicians have had to prepare for this day.
Our blockade fleet in Auric has gathered seven of the troop transports and is now heading north into Xuberra. Striking AI forces from behind and liberating some additional worlds may hopefully disrupt the blockade in Dussullet and allow us to provide reinforcements against the AI invasion there.

With this victory, it seems the AI forces have upped the stakes as well. The fleet in Dussullet has begun a concentrated bombing effort on the free moon of IV A, drawing troops away from the invasions on the other two worlds. To the south, AI forces bombed our liberation force on Quikil I, and we lost contact shortly afterwards.
At the same time, AI recovery and repair teams have infested colonies in Nibbrix, and attack forces have started flowing into the eastern systems of Dornot, Zuria, Fizbon and Baksha.

Fortunately, the southern AI forces are at the limit of their range, and the two largest fleets, comprising 30 ships total, have turned back.
We have a two-carrier attack fleet moving to intercept the carrier in Dornot, but few forces available for the other fronts.

2403.8
Minor skirmishes this month, with an AI scout destroyed in Texrek and a second in Dornot. The AI carrier in Dornot fled the system before it could be chased down.
In the north, the bombardment of Dussullet continues, but our ground forces have been able to keep the enemy fighters from damaging the local production centers. Troop casualties are light enough for a trickle of stealthy reinforcements to the main planet each month.
Our fleet entering Xuberra has identified three AI held worlds as soft targets and plus a fourth, larger planet which is likely to put up some resistance. We will be taking a few months to free the AI worlds and send liberators to the other inhabited planets before the fleet moves on to the north.
In the south, an AI fleet of 18 has been spotted in Quikil, heading for Nibbrix. The Nibbrix system itself has been scouted by one of our Liberators, and it is definitely under active AI control. We may still have a window of opportunity to easily free the planets before the AI forces gather too much local strength.

2403.9
Our fleet in Xuberra has successfully captured the smallest colony. A tiny, nearly useless ball, the lack of facility space means that this colony will never amount to much, but now fourty nine million more people are free. Only 3000 of the 4200 troopers available were needed in this operation, which lasted only a week.
In stark contrast, we suffered high casualties in Fizbon when an AI carrier ambushed our force at the warppoint. Although the enemy carrier was destroyed, we lost more fighters than they did and both of our own carriers were seriously damaged. The main bridges on both carriers were targetted and destroyed early in the battle, so they are limping back to the shipyard in Dornot.
We also lost a carrier to the local militia forces while dropping troops on Nibbrix IX; although the fighters valiantly defended the carrier long enough for it to reach the drop point, they were outnumbered and destroyed.
Our forces did manage to shoot down an anti-fighter destroyer in Telome, but we lost 20% of the carrier's contingent.

Some changes in strategy are required, and a commission has been launched to investigate new military options made available by the new facilities and databases discovered in Auric.
In the short term the ground battles in Dussullet are shifting gears. Our analysis of the AI forces indicate that mostly light units are on the planet along with a smaller number of medium bots. The heavy AI forces, on the other hand, have been concentrated on the moon, with over a hundred medium bots and 25 laser tanks to complement the light units.
Our main strength is on the planet, since our facilities can support a far greater number of troops and the enemy forces there are weaker.
Our main weakness is the lack of facilities on the moon; our logistics have been strained for months.
The new plan for Dussullet is to shift all of the available heavy weapons to the moon, and transfer the excess light equipment to the planet wher it can be used.
In addition, some suborbital skimmers will be constructed on the moon, armed with chainguns. The innovative development making this design worthwhile is the nanotube sheathed bullets; when fired at AI units, the nanotubes will short out any electronics exposed by the bullet holes. With a far faster rate of fire than the EMP charge-guns typically used by heavy troopers and a much better kill rate than the basic plasma rifles of light troopers, these skimmers will allow small crews to deliver far more damage.
Downsides to the skimmers include a long assembly time for the firepower; small arms can be mass produced twenty times faster, and no armor to speak of.
Given the situation on the moon, these craft are perfect; high attack power relative to their logistical demands, which is absolutely critical here, and their defensive weakness is mitigated by our strong fortifications.

[Suicide Junkie]

2404.0
It has now been four long years since the opportunity for freedom was given to the organics of the galaxy. Our "Rebel" Alliance now includes 21 billion people, across 81 planets and 35 systems.
Free worlds have been reindustrialized as far south as Tudran, as far east as Baksha and all the way to Millenia and Fwandrei in the southeast star cluster.
Life in the fringes of free space has always been dangerous, and it is even more so now, with AI controlled warships becoming more aggressive and far more numerous.
Despite the dangers, our members have been signing on in record numbers to help bring the freedom we enjoy to all of the other planets in the galaxy. Over 32000 space and ground units are working across the galaxy, with thousands more serving aboard our carriers, troop transports and reconstruction ships.
We have faced and overcome many challenges these last years, but the greatest challenges remain ahead of us. Up to this point, we have made most of our gains by restoring basic services on worlds with collapsed infrastructure and thus no AI presence. We have been doing our work in systems free of AI ships.
Such easy objectives are quickly running out as the AI reconstruction ships move ever farther out from their core worlds and become more and more aggressive in their attempts to regain control over the people of the galaxy. We have been given a taste of the future in Dussullet, and we all know what our fate will be if we fail.
We have made progress towards our goals from the past year, but none have been achieved yet. Securing the southern and eastern borders, as well as the southeast star cluster remain high priorities, but our methods must change. This year, our goals are to first clear out the scattered AI ships from all three areas, to liberate and rebuild the planets in the area, and finally to begin preparing defenses for the inevitable return of the large AI fleets.
Although the ongoing battles with the AI planets in the north are very important, the situation is mostly contained, and there are plenty of resources in the area for small scale operations to continue, so it is not a priority.

2404.1:
Our only loss this month was a liberator, ambushed at a warppoint in the northeast. We are hopeful that there are no reconstruction ships in the area yet, but our nearest armed response is 5 months away so there is little we can do about it if they do come.
In the southeast, one AI scoutship was destroyed in Zyx, but two more have just entered and a third is on its way. Although our bomber squadrons are more than capable of destroying these scouts, if they split up interception could be a problem.
In the south, a fresh batch of ships has arrived from the core; five Independence carriers and a Deliverator are being sent south to attack the AI world in Quikil and provide reinforcements to the isolated troops in Nibbrix. 2600 troops and 62 bombers should make quick work of the light AI defenses.
Good news up north as well; the mining world of Xuberra VI was captured with four facilities intact including a small spaceport. Six thousand minerals per month are now benefitting us instead of them. While local defense troops are training on VI, the fleet is now making its way to the system capital of Xuberra VII.
Even better, the AI has started pulling ships out of Dussullet; a fleet of four Independence carriers is being dispatched from Kythrik to break the remaining blockade.

2404.2:
Over four thousand troops participated in the liberation of Xuberra VII this month, and the last citizens are now free. With a well developed infrastructure including resupply and repair facilities now under manual control, the population should have no trouble defending themselves in the future.
That is the extent of the good news this month, unfortunately. AI forces are rallying on every front with fleets of up to 20 ships. In the far south, 30 heavy tanks and 300 light troops launched a surprise raid on Tudran V. Although defenses were in place, they were overwhelmed by the volume and strategic positioning of troop drops. At last report, over 90% of our forces have been overrun, and it is only a matter of days before the last few villages fall.
Large AI fleets have also been spotted entering Zuria in the southeast, Baksha in the east, and Othello in the north.
All planets in border regions have been advised to cancel economic projects and increase defense production.

Some results have come in from the military commission; first of all, our current forces are quite reasonably effective in small combat such as we have seen until recently. However, our reliance on missile bombers has become a serious hinderance in more modern fights, since they are hard to organize effectively in the so-called target rich environments. Asp bombers utilize timed patterns of missiles to penetrate the AI plasma shields; although the first missile of each volley does no damage, it does open a hole for the rest. Until now, direct fire cannons have been avoided because fighters are simply too small to carry a gun powerful enough to penetrate AI shields. Given that missile combat has reached a point of diminishing returns, we will be forced to rely more on direct fire weapons. This also means that we will have to rely less on fighters to provide anti-ship firepower: we need our own combat ships.
It is also clear that the warships will need to operate in large packs, to deny the enemy an easy missile advantage. Our industrial base should be more than sufficient for the task now. What will not be sufficient is the skills of our crews. Training facilities will have to be set up in strategic locations for ships and crews to gather and practice the brand new art of ship combat. Two locations have been chosen so far; Centrolius, gateway to the east, and Jorun, a convenient link between the southern and southeastern fronts.
Design plans for the new warships have yet to be finalized.

2404.3:
The attack fleet in Tudran has vanished like a ghost back to Nibbrix, leaving only the 300 troops and a subjugated world in their wake. We have also lost track of the fleet in the east, which has presumably entered Vullera. In the southeast, 13 ships are expected to reach Zuria V on the 18th of the month. Although there are no space defenses, we have twice the ground defenses as were in Tudran. In the north, the AI fleet is travelling through Othello, destination unknown.
The 18 ships from the Dussullet blockade have left for Othello as well, and our fleet of four carriers have won by default.
An Independence suffered light damage this month while intercepting an AI scout at the Jorun warppoint after a long chase. Due to cargo bay damage, four of the bombers will have to be picked up later this month by a spare carrier.

Our liberation fleet in the north has warped from Xuberra into the hub system of Torren. There are four industrialized AI worlds detected; the core world of Torren IV and its two moons, and Torren IX. The isolated world of Torrent IX has been chosen as our first target, as it will make a good base of operations for a future attack on the AI core. A direct assault on the AI core world will not be a viable option for quite some time... in order to be successful, we will need a force capable of destroying any orbital defenses, as well as maintain a blockade afterwards. As shown by our battle in Auric, we will also need to commit ten thousand troops for two years. With our fleets dispersed over four fronts, that is not going to happen for quite some time.

2404.4:
Five AI ships were destroyed by an Independence in Zuria this month, at the cost of 17 bombers. The AI fleet in the system has begun a blockade and bombing campaign at Zuria V. The smallest of the major fleets, it contains only a single carrier and a large continent of escort ships. With the addition of a second carrier and a restocking of bombers from Zuria II, we may be able to break the blockade.
In the north, 150 medium and heavy AI troops have landed on Othello VIII. Despite an estimated 15% casualty rate during the initial drops, our forces retained control of the manufacturing centers, and are holding their positions.
In the south, the AI fleet has returned to Tudran V, this time with 30 ships. Attacks are expected on the other planets in the system at any time.

For our part, we are gathering forces in Dussullet. Combined with the fleet in Torren, we should have twenty carriers capable of striking targets in Othello within two months. Our primary target will be Othello III; it has been almost three years since the planet fell to AI control, and the return of freedom is long overdue. After that we will strike at the blockade of Othello VIII and deliver reinforcements for a quick end to the AI invasion force.
Our strength is also improving in the south; we now have ten loaded carriers operating south of Jorun, although most of them are tasked as troop transports and we are still vastly outnumbered.

2404.5:
Two more AI scout ships were destroyed this month, but that is little consolation for the losses suffered elsewhere.
In the north, AI forces dropped 800 new light troops behind our lines on Othello VIII. Casualties were very heavy, and our troops have been forced to retreat back to the capital. All of the outlying towns have been overrun with AI troops, and the capital is now under siege. Without additional troops, the capital is expected to fall by the end of the year.
In the south, our troop invasion of Quikil VI was nearly wiped out before it could begin, as the AI revealed a new type of extra-small fighter. Although our missiles were still able to lock on, the enemy fighters had surprisingly dense shielding and charged straight into our lines, opening fire with DU cannons. While our bombers attempted to deal with the threat, enemy bombers struck hard at our troop transports. A quarter of our force was trapped aboard the lead Independence when its engines were disabled only seconds from insertion; all hands were lost as the ship broke up under a heavy missile bombardment. The second Independence was hit shortly after deploying troops, and suffered heavy damage before our bombers were able to end the threat. The Deliverator escaped with minor damage, and has taken on fighters to shuttle back north. The damaged carrier will spend the month retrieving the remaining stranded fighters before setting out at speed 1 for the repair facilities in Jorun. Emergency repair ships are on their way to assist.
And finally, the southern AI fleet of 30 bombed Tudran II for two solid weeks. We lost contact with the last bunkers as fighters strafed them with cannons and torpedoes.

2404.6:
A stupendous showing this month; the two Independence carriers have broken the blockade of Zuria V! Of the 13 enemy ships, six were destroyed and two more damaged. The remaining AI ships are now in retreat. Despite the loss of most of our fighters, and the disabling of one of the carriers, this is a clear strategic victory. Fighters will be restocked from the nearby Zuria II, and a repair ship has begun construction there to get the carrier out of danger.
In the north, an AI carrier intercepted our main troop fleet at the Dussullet-Torren warppoint. Although it was a suicide mission against against a far superior force, they were able to damage the engines one of our carriers. Unfortunately, this will delay their arrival by another month. The fleet from Dussullet unfortunately does not carry any troops, but will press on without the extra support of the Torren fleet. A carrier loaded with troops from Othello V will attempt to meet up with the fleet next month; if the carrier can be protected long enough to drop, our ground forces will be able to easily hold out for the second wave. With 25 AI ships in the blockade, that will be a tall order.
In the south, Tudran III has been bombed by the AI fleet as well. The fleet is in position to strike any of three more planets next month, but all of the planets have significant ground defenses, so it will not be as easy this time. A pack of three Independence carriers are making a run past the fleet, hoping to drop troops to retake Tudran V.

Ground battles continue in Dussullet, but with the blockade cleared, we are making excellent progress. AI troops on the planet are now in full retreat, and we expect complete victory before the year is out. AI forces on the moon are also starting to wear thin, but they are still well entrenched.

The military commission has released the finalized plans for three warships this month, codenamed Honor, Valor, and Vigilance. The Honor class ships are frigate hulls with 900 kt of heavy armor and a 100mm DUC cannon; these ships are very simple and require only a minimal crew. Their main role is to lead the charge and strike at enemy ships and carriers directly. This will put them in harm's way, which is why they carry so much armor and so little crew.
Valor class ships are based on the much larger cruiser hulls, and although they carry more moderate armor, sheer size and extra shielding boosts their resilience, particularily against fighter scale weaponry. These ships mount three 40mm Laser cannons, plus forward and aft light Torpedo tubes. This long range firepower is intended mainly for shooting down fighters, and thick defenses should protect them from much of the small ordnance being returned.
Lastly, the Vigilance class ships have a large crew composed mostly of gunners. A battery of 13 small laser cannons and 12 flak torpedoes will allow the Vigilant to shoot down up to ten missiles per minute in combat. Defenses include light shielding and extra armor to help protect against missile impacts, since this ship will be flying right in amidst them.
These three designs have begun construction at yards across Alliance territory, but they will not arrive at the front lines in sufficient numbers to begin offensive operations until at least 2406.

2404.7:
The southern AI fleet has begun bombing raids on Tudran VII this month, but our ground forces were ready for them. Although none of the enemy fighters were shot down, they could not reach any of our industrial centers and had to settle for strikes against our outer air defenses. Losses were limited to a few troopers and vehicles.
Our trio of troop carriers has made it past the AI ships, and will be dropping all 1800 troops early next month.
In Nibbrix an Independence on a scouting mission was attacked by seven ships, including a carrier. One ship was destroyed and two more were heavily damaged along with an unknown number of fighters before the Independence was finally surrounded and destroyed.
In the north another Independence was lost at the Arklite warppoint. Vastly outnumbered by 16 AI ships, they were able to destroy only about 20 enemy fighters before their lines were overrun.
There were also a few skirmishes in the southeastern system of Fizbon. A number of AI scoutships have been attempting to penetrate deeper into Alliance territory lately.

2404.8:
And now, what you've all been waiting for; the battle for Othello VIII... will not be seen today.
The AI fleet broke orbit just ahead of our first wave, and the six hundred troopers from Othello V made their insertion without incident. Dropping in behind the enemy lines, our forces made great gains and broke the capital siege. Although our forces are still outnumbered, the immediate threat has been defused. With Othello VIII safe from capture, our main force and planned second wave, will be striking Othello III as originally planned before this emergency.

In the east, we finally got a carrier into Vullera, but surprisingly, the system was found to be empty. With the Loop clear of AI forces, Baksha is now a single chokepoint for the entire eastern front. Liberators have been scheduled to visit all of the local planets and will begin reconstruction in relative safety.
Two AI ships attempted to pass the Baksha-Kartogia warppoint into the Loop this month, but both were easily destroyed by the pair of Independence carriers guarding it.

In the south, bombardment continued on Tudran VII; in a total of six major strikes, we lost 15% of our defenses. Although planetary production is currently able to keep up with the demand for replacements, we cannot allow the situation to continue indefinitely. Four attack carriers from Quikil will attempt to cross through the AI held system of Nibbrix and enter Tudran from the east. If all goes well, they could arrive in three months.
An additional four carriers are being organized in Jorun, but they are at least five months away.
Our three troop carriers at Tudran V are making a break for the north, and a carrier from Ulce will attempt to hold the warppoint until they are through.

2404.9:
The southern AI fleet has broken off their attack, and are heading back towards Nibbrix this month, presumably to stock up on ordnance. Our four carrier force has spotted 26 more ships in Nibbrix, with half of them heading in the direction of Tudran.
The fleet will attempt to avoid system defense ships until the 30 ship fleet passes the warppoint before proceeding themselves.
The newly liberated Quickil VI was attacked this month by a single AI carrier, but the fighters left behind fought valiantly. Only one bomber survived, but the AI carrier was destroyed and the colony was saved.

In the north, AI troops on Dussullet IV were defeated at their last remaining stronghold; a power plant converted to a charging station. A final sweep for any remaining units is underway.
On the nearby moon, completion of the spaceyard facilities has increased our troop capacity by 40%. An additional 250 troops are being transferred from the planet, and the enemy forces are becoming increasingly desperate. Our strikes this month decimated the last remaining concentration of heavy tanks on the moon, and complete victory is expected in the next eight months.
Victory was ours in Othello as well; five thousand troops made a clean sweep of Tudran III. With the help of the locals, we were able to capture and subvert a large number of facilities, including a vast research complex. Some prototype plasma-based weapons have been discovered, and the design is simple enough to build into a ground based vehicle. Preliminary tests show excellent damage potential, and inexpensive material costs; although the plasma charges ignite organic materials quite easily, the extreme ionization kills electronics just as fast. A tank using the plasma cannon will be capable of carrying heavy armor while still delivering more firepower than a Skimmer.

[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.

[Suicide Junkie]

It has taken me far too long to get through this last year, but it is finally done.

---------------

2406.0:
This year has been lean. 18 worlds have been been added to the Rebel Alliance, bringing the total to 133. With most planets already well developed, and more than 70 working on long term projects, our infrastructure investments are suffering from diminishing returns. Our current projects have been well justified, but all the same, alliance reserves have been reduced to 3.7M minerals, 1.7M organics and 4.1M radioactives. Military spending must be maintained to protect our citizens, and cancelling the long term projects would be an unacceptable waste. How will the budget be balanced then? We must continue to pursue high ROI projects with vigour, and avoid further long term commitments. Once a balanced budget is achieved through the new production facilities, we can begin approving the less lucrative, but still profitable, projects again.

In the north, the three ships which attacked Othello III last month have evaded our counterattack, and are heading for the Dussullet warppoint. Two more carriers are set to intercept them, with a third on its way. Additional cruisers continue to trickle in from Ovelli, and a carrier will be sent to intercept them when available.
The northern AI core world of Torren IV has gathered a significant fleet of 20 ships and carriers and continues to accumulate firepower. Invasion plans for this world have been postponed indefinitely.

In the southeast, only two ships will make the intercept point in time to catch the AI scout. An Honor and a Vigilance will be holding the warppoint, but the enemy design is known to be a direct fire warship, giving the Vigilance little to do but take potshots against the strong shielding. If the Honor fails to destroy the warship's shield generator early on, the Vigilance still has a chance of doing light damage to the enemy engines, and may draw some fire.
The fleet of 40 ships behind the scout in continuing on its way through Zyx, and is expected to enter Beliph next month. Our eastern fleet is burning hard for the Beliph-Ochre warppoint to cut them off, but it will be close.
120 other enemy ships are currently being tracked in the southeastern star cluster, but there is nothing we can do about them yet.

In the south, the 40 ship blockade of recently liberated Nibbrix IX continues unabated, but 30 additional ships have entered from the south. Whether they have come to drop additional troops on Nibbrix IX, or to attack our planets in Tudran is unknown.
The Rebel outpost in Bintrox has spotted two AI cruisers heading north towards Jorun, and a select group of seven crews have been selected from the training center to intercept them. For graduating ahead of their classes with top marks, four Honour crews, two Valor crews and a Vigilance crew have been selected to defend the Jorun warppoint. Enemy arrival is expected within two months.

2406.1:
With the arrival of reinforcements, all of the AI ships in Othello have been destroyed in skirmishes across the system. Fighter casualties were limited to seven pilots, but half the bridge officers aboard the lead carrier were lost when a heavy laser burned through its armor plating. Engineers are guiding the carrier to the nearest repair facility at half speed.
In the southeast, carriers have been dispatched to intercept a pair of scouts attempting to leave the star cluster via the Jorun warppoint. The battle expected early next month will be an easy victory, unlike the pending battle further north. The 38 AI ships have just entered Beliph and are only 11 sectors from entering the hub system of Ochre. Despite their best efforts, Beta fleet is only going to take a full two months to arrive at the warppoint, arriving on day 30. Our assets in the region consist of the 25 ships in Beta fleet, a pair of Independence carriers, and five additional ships that have been pulled from local shipyards. Engineers have confirmed that the damaged Honor (which held the warppoint against the enemy scoutship last month) will not be combat worthy until after the battle has been fought; the current estimate is two months to restore full propulsion and control.
Finally, in the far south system of Nibbrix, an additional 30 ships appear to be on their way to join the blockade of Nibbrix IX. Local defenders have been warned to prepare for potential troop drops behind their lines.

2406.2:
The battle in Nibbrix gas gone badly; while our tanks were held in reserve against the possibility of flanking drops, the actual assault was instead on the front lines. Casualties were extremely high as the AI shock troops deployed right in the middle of our light infantry. Fifty surviving units are now in full retreat, purused by over 700 AI units and vehicles; the local space yard and resupply depot are well fortified, but it is now only a matter of time before the defenders are overrun. At least they won't run out of ammo.

Things have gone better elsewhere. In the southeast, crisis has been averted; the fleet of 40 has turned back, presumably for resupply. Another 30 ships are scattered in the corridor, and may present a challenge. Beta fleet is ordered to hold the corridor until the next wave of trained ships from Centrolius arrive in five months time. The untrained local ships are all being sent on to Centrolius.

In Jorun, only one AI ship attempted to run the blockade. The initial volleys from our trainees disabled its main weapon; an 80mm plasma cannon. Although it still had an array of 60mm DU Cannons, the Honor crews protected each other well; only one of the Honor class shi ps sustained more than a single hit during the battle. The second hit penetrated the ship's shielding and left a significant dent in the armor, but the chief engineer had that problem fixed in only a few hours.

In the northern AI core system of Torren, one of our Independence carriers was intercepted by a fleet of two carriers and a heavy cruiser shortly after jumping in. Although all of our fighters were lost, they held back the AI forces for almost 20 minutes. While the enemy fighters were distracted by the new Viper class dogfighters, one of the bomber groups managed to break through and attack the enemy carriers directly. Heavy damage was inflicted on the warship and one of the carriers, while the other suffered light damage. With the enemy forces crippled, the Independence was able to escape with no damage, and outrun the pursuing ships. The Independence is planning a slingshot past the AI core world on its way to the Dussullet warppoint, where it will be restocked.

2406.3:
There were only a few victories this month. Two AI cruisers attacked the Jorun defense line, and were both destroyed. One of the defending Honor frigates suffered minor damage; a cracked armor plate and a damaged engine. Although she can still make full speed on auxiliary power, the ship is being sent back to the yard and will be replaced by a newly graduated ship and crew.
A carrier attack in the northern system of Xuberra has reduced the local defense to only 60 fighters. Two more carriers are being requisitioned from the south to deliver more.
Finances are looking up this month; fifty new resource facilities have come on line recently, and the monthly defecit is down to 20k.

2406.4:
Emergency reports have come in from Torren and Othello; a pack of 13 cruisers has left orbit of the core world and is heading for Dussullet, while a battlefleet of 23 has entered Othello and is threatening the Othello III repair yards.
The independence carrier guarding the Dussullet-Torren warppoint has been ordered to retreat to the colonies until additional forces can be gathered.
At Othello III, the single carrier has left its bombers to help defend the colony, and is now making best speed for Dussullet.
In the southeast, the 28 AI ships have entered Zyx and are now two jumps away from Beta fleet and the Alliance interior. The reinforcements heading south from Centrolius will be cutting their arrival very close.

2406.5:
Most of the AI forces heading for our colonies have stopped their advances unexpectedly. The cruisers in Torren have halted just short of the Dussullet warppoint, possibly for reinforcements entering from the north. Further north, the AI fleet in Othello has vanished from our sensors, and we can only presume that they returned to Ovelli. In the southeast, most of the second fleet has turned back, leaving only a carrier and four cruisers to continue. Beta fleet has been ordered to intercept the remaining ships while they are outnumbered and vulnerable.
Fighting continues on Nibbrix IX, with our defenders down to less than half of their original tank force. There are simply too many AI troops and not enough guns.
The alliance budget has achieved a small surplus of organics for the first time in years, and although there is still a monthly defecit of 35k rads, we have 3.9 million in the treasury so it is of little concern.

In the south, a heavy AI carrier is advancing on Jorun. While it should not be a threat, we have not yet faced such a large carrier in combat. The elite ships will be joined at the warppoint by the full Alpha fleet for training in fleet manoeuvers, bringing the total to over 60 warships plus support ships.

2406.6:
The AIs are back! The fleet of 23 is facing down Othello III again this month, with a pair of cruisers heading for Othello V. The two cruisers should not be a threat, as the orbital defense network has been fully repaired since the last assault by a carrier.
In the recently liberated system of Xuberra, just south of Torren, our warppoint defenses were breached. One of the new heavy carriers jumped through just before our shipment of replacement fighters was due to arrive, and both of our carriers defending the warppoint were overrun. Although they held the line against two waves, and managed to deliver 40% damage to the enemy carrier, both Independences were destroyed. Only two carriers remain operational in the system, one of which has been assigned to guard the warppoint, and the other is chasing down the enemy ships that slipped through while the warppoint was unguarded. A third is being dispatched from Auric to intercept the damaged heavy carrier, and provide support if it can.
Fighter production in Auric has been stepped up, with a not insignificant impact on the budget.
Better news comes from the east, where a class of 17 new warships have been graduated from the training center in Cephedri. They are heading south to reinforce Beta fleet.

2406.7:
AI forces have attacked Othello III! Despite a valiant effort by the three system defense carriers and the planetary militia, our defenders were wiped out. Half of the AI carriers were destroyed in the battle, along with four warships. Five additional AI warships suffered moderate damage, leaving ten ships and two carriers which have taken up blockade positions around the colony.
In the south, the heavy carrier has turned back from Jorun, but new threats are presenting themselves; three fleets of AI ships and carriers are heading for Jorun through the southeast cluster. The 60 current graduates from Jorun have all been gathered into Alpha fleet, and are heading east to cut them off. All available carriers are being mobilized as well. Where possible, our forces will be striking subfleets and then immediately falling back to regroup.

2406.8:
Twelve AI ships remain in orbit of Othello III, enforcing the blockade, but five of the damaged ships have broken off and are retreating. Thankfully, no ground forces have appeared so far.
Othello V remains untouched; the network of defense satellites has dissuaded attack. Plans to duplicate the system at Othello III once the blockade has been broken have been met with enthusiastic support.
The AI forces which broke through Xuberra in the north have made the jump into Auric just ahead of our pursuing force. We expect the final showdown with them early next month.

In the southeast, a successful early raid by the Fizbon carrier group has destroyed six cruisers and two carriers. Casualties include one hundred fighters, but most of the raiding force escaped. These losses have reduced the enemy force to fifty-two ships and carriers.

Down in Nibbrix, our defenders are getting desperate. Only three tanks remain operational, and the AI troops have completely surrounded the shipyard and resupply depot. Unfortunately the AI force in orbit is now 80 ships, and completely unassailable.

For some good news, sixteen ships have graduated from the northern training center of Centrolius this month, and an additional 26 from Jorun. The new recruits will be joining Beta and Alpha fleets respectively, and should give us the edge we need.
As well, the economy has begun an upswing with the completion of new industrial regions in our northeastern systems; construction projects are in full swing and the defecit has been reduced to 20k radioactives.

2406.9:
The two independence carriers we sent to intercept the enemy entering Auric were both destroyed this month in a two week running battle. Initial reports indicate a new type of super-effective fighter was deployed in the battle, but a full analysis is still pending.
The AI heavy carrier was last seen heading back to the north where it intercepted and destroyed an untrained Honor class frigate. An AI warship is now heading through Auric to the system of Telome, home to one of the three founding planets of the alliance. It is unknown what a lone warship can do, but a carrier is being scrambled to intercept it before it can reach any of our planets.

The AI ships entering Dussullet have turned north to enter Othello and are expected to reinforce the blockade.
We will have to commit some very significant force to the north in order to contain this wave of ships, but our main fleets are already committed in the southeast, and we have none to spare.

Our previous attack has disrupted the invasion force in the southeast, and the AI flotilla has dispersed somewhat. 16 enemy ships have entered Dornot, and are being stared down by Alpha fleet, but there are 30 more just on the other side of the warppoint in Fizbon. Alpha fleet is moving to intercept them, hopefully before they can regroup.

[Suicide Junkie]

2407.0:
It is the beginning of a new year, and 23.4 billion free sentients now live on 144 planets across 43 systems.
Economic indicators are quite positive; mineral and organics production once again outstrip expenses, while our radioactives reserve is stable.
Production is back at optimum levels, with much less waste and inefficiency.

Fighting for our freedom are the millions that operate and support the 40 thousand ground units, 400 ships and 140 bases currently in active duty.
Most of those ships have been built in the last two years, with many of them either en route to or stationed at our training facilities.

Although we are currently facing three large AI fleets, and two ground invasions, our forces are still in good spirits.

We are outnumbered 5 to 1 by Nibbrix IX, and our tank divisions have been wiped out, our infantry have managed to maintain control of the local shipyard and resupply depot. With 81 ships blockading the planet reinforcements are impossible, but as long as they are there, they are not assaulting other worlds.

On Othello VIII, the positions are reversed, and our forces outnumber the AI units 5 to 1. AI troops irregularily conduct raids on our outlying villages for power cells and scrap metal. We have over a thousand troops, but the vast undomed areas of the surface make the hunt for AI troops difficult at best.
Nearby, AI forces include a small blockading force in orbit of Othello III, various raiding fleets, and a flotilla of 25 ships and carriers guarding the AI core world of Torren IV.

Near our southern training facility in the hub system of Jorun is the third major AI fleet. Having regrouped from the recent surgical strike by the Fizbon Guard, fifty ships and carriers are making their way across the neighbouring system of Dornot, and are two months from our warppoint. Alpha fleet is 87 ships strong, and in position to intercept the AI fleets as they slingshot around the Dornot star. Although fully trained, and superior in numbers, the realities of war mean that the fleet will certainly be unable to intercept and destroy all of the AI ships. Trainees from Jorun are being moved in to participate in operation Backstop at the warppoint, and are tasked with the destruction of any ships which make it past Alpha fleet. Alpha fleet has been ordered to avoid skirmishes with the lead scout fleet, and strike directly at the core flotilla while our ships are still in prime condition.
Two repair ships are following along with the fleet, and a third has been called in from Zuria, but casualties are expected to be huge. To help with the load, a dedicated repair yard is being constructed in Fizbon, and should come on line as the first casualties trickle in.

2407.1:
The AI fleet in Dornot has split up and probably believes it has outmanoeuvered us again. Alpha fleet is currently chasing down the bulk of their forces, while a raiding fleet of 20 ships continued on towards the Jorun warppoint. Although they are only 15 days from making the jump, our freshly trained Gamma fleet will arrive within only five. 18 warships and four carriers strong, they will be slightly outgunned, but have two strategic advantages. First, the fleet does not need to completely destroy the enemy fleet in order to claim victory, but merely reduce their strength to the point that the planetary militias can resist an attack. Second is the fact that rescue and repair ships will be available immediately after the battle for the survivors.
While ship losses will be high, casualties should only be moderate.

2407.2:
Alpha fleet has intercepted the main AI force and reports complete success!
On initial contact, the enemy forces were split into two isolated groups; the smaller group was held back by a pair of Independence carriers, while the rest of Alpha fleet concentrated fire on the rest of the AIs. One Independence was sent ahead to draw out the main enemy lines. Although the carrier's actions also drew heavy fire, the AI fighters obligingly spread their forces thinner in order to do so. They thus opened their flank to a huge bombardment of Laser, Torpedo and DUC rounds from Alpha fleet's gunships
The initial bombardment had little visible impact on the vast cloud of fighters, but the advantageous battle line had been drawn, and minute by minute, the damage mounted until victory was assured.
The main AI fleet has been annihilated, although we lost three Honor class ships, an Independence carrier and one of our two repair ships. The second repair ship suffered heavy damage along with twenty other ships. An additional 16 have suffered light damage but are still combat worthy.

Back in Jorun, the 22 ships and 4 carriers of Gamma fleet faced off against seven heavy AI carriers and nine cruisers transiting the warppoint.
The AI fleet took the interesting tactic of having their ships attempt to disengage from the battle; our force was held back by the vast wall of fighters while their light gunships covered the retreat of their carriers.
Although seriously outnumbered, our fighters did have the close support of our Vigilance and Valor warships. Despite support from a pair of bombardment cruisers, the AI missile bombers were unable to do significant damage, and the 40mm cannons exacted a heavy toll on the enemy's lines.
While the battle raged, three of our Honor frigates managed to sneak past the bulk of the enemy fighters and strike at the enemy ships fromm point blank range. They suffered heavy return fire for this action, and one of the ships was destroyed, but they dealt a crippling blow to the enemy cruisers and eased the missile pressure on our fleet.

In the end, two 30 minute long assaults by the AI forces both resulted in heavy casualties, but no decisive advantage for either fleet. Our forces are down to seven lightly damaged warships and two carriers with a combined complement of 66 asp bombers. The enemy is down to two functional warships and one carrier with 35 unsupported fighters in addition to what remains on the carrier.

The current break in the fighting has given us an opportunity to order a strategic retreat of the heavily damaged ships; all of the surviving craft have some engine power available and will make their way to the local colonies for medical support and repairs.

Relief from the training center in Jorun is still two months away and Alpha fleet is at least three, so the remnants of Gamma fleet will have to hold out with what they have.

Overall our forces have performed beyond expectations. After patching up the least damaged ships and adding the expected new graduates, we should be able to field a force of a hundred ships before the year is out. One of the leading plans for this fleet is an assault on the blockade fleet in Nibbrix; the besieged ground force is in desperate straits and there are 2000 troops available in Jorun if we can punch a hole for the transports.

2407.3:
Jorun has been cleared of hostile ships by Gamma fleet, with surprisingly little damage. Between the stellar defense in Jorun, and Alpha fleet's preemptive strike, only 5 AI ships remain operational, and all of them are in retreat.

In the north, one of our carriers was intercepted at the Auric-Xuberra warppoint as it was bringing reinforcements to the latter system. Despite being completely outmatched by the tiny, high tech AI fighters, the pilots managed to defend the carrier long enough for it to warp to safety. Only two of fourty fighters survived.

In other northernly bad news, the colony of Othello VIII has been attacked. The planetary defenders were wiped out, but they were able to exact a heavy toll on the AI force. Both carriers were destroyed, and eight of the ten warships were heavily damaged. With our defenses demolished, it will be some time before we will be able to push them off, but hopefully most of them will be encouraged to leave thanks to the damage we inflicted.

2407.4:
Gamma fleet got a big boost this month as the latest graduates from the Jorun training center arrived, and tripled their number of combat worthy ships to 18.
Alpha fleet was expected to arrive in Jorun later this month, but has been ordered to turn back to Fizbon. Our outer colonies have reported a 22-ship strong fleet heading for Fizbon, and we cannot allow them to strike our crippled ships at the repair yards there. Fifteen damaged ships are being sent on to Jorun, but the 50 combat worthy warships in Alpha fleet will be more than enough.

Elsewhere in the southeast, the system of Zuria reports a 14 ship fleet heading west towards our core systems. Fortunately both Beta and Delta fleets were well on their way to Zuria already, and will wait in ambush at the warppoint. With 67 ships total, we expect no losses and there are plenty of shipyards in the area to clean up whatever damage we sustain.

In Othello, many fighters have remained in orbit of Othello VIII to harass the locals, but the bulk of the fleet has moved on towards Othello III. AI ships are also swarming in the Torren system, and it is only a matter of time before they start attacking some of our core systems. 46 ships will be graduating this month, and are being assigned to the northern front. We must do something before the high tech carriers and fighters being fielded up there get out of hand.

2407.5:
In the southeast, Beta and Gamma fleets dispatched their targets efficiently. Fighter casualties were light, and although many ships suffered scrapes and dings only two were damaged enough that they cannot continue. One will be heading to the nearest yard for repairs, while the other will have to wait for assistance.
The fleet will have to move on without them, as they must respond to a second incursion force heading towards Zuria. Thirty-five ships strong, it will be much greater challenge than the previous turkey shoot. Six additional carriers stationed in Zuria will provide support where possible.

Our victories of late have certainly not deterred the AI forces. This month, both Othello III in the north and Quikil I in the south were blockaded and are suffering orbital bombardment. Ground defenses are holding, for now.
The newly strengthened Gamma fleet in Jorun is being redeployed south to deal with the attack in Quikil. They will meet up with next month's graduates and any ships from the battle which have finished repairs before moving in. We need to take out as many ships as we can from small fleets like this before the 80 ship fleet finishes with Nibbrix IX and comes for us.
Speaking of Nibbrix IX, we have not yet heard from our troops this month, and we fear the worst.

2407.6:
The bombardment of Quikil I has intensified, and our ground forces are taking heavy casualties to protect the civilians and infrastructure. Over six percent of our assets were disabled or destroyed last month alone.
Othello III is taking even heavier damage, but has a large defending force left over from the previous ground battle.

In Auric, the heavy carrier that has plagued us is finally destroyed. Since our gunners are unable to hit the tiny AI fighters, we had to resort to the older technology of our Asp bombers. With area effect missile blasts, hitting is not an issue, and we made up for the low damage with volume of fire. Despite the weakened state of the AI force, we still lost half of the bombers we sent in, but the threat has been eliminated.

We have recieved word of a great breakthrough in technology this month; live testing of a modular, floating habitat suitable for gas giants has been completely successful. The key breakthrough is that all of the support systems are passive. No computer controlled fusion thrusters, or unstable balancing at all. The main drawback is the size. Given all the equipment required for a self sustaining colony, it will take an entire year to build just one of them, and almost 50 thousand units of raw materials. Funding has been approved for four of these systems, which will be used to establish a presence on oxygen giants which appear to have a few of the original facilities partly floating.

2407.7:
Four Independence carriers from Xuberra struck at the Othello III blockade fleet this month in an attempt to halt the bombardment. All four carriers were severely damaged and less than a third of the bombers survived, but they managed to destroy three carriers and three support ships including a repair cruiser. Unfortunately that leaves five destroyers, seven cruisers and a carrier... including one which we have confirmed is loaded with anti planet missiles and is directly responsible for the increased casualties.

There is mixed news from the south; the bombardment of Quikil I ended with the withdrawal of AI forces, but Nibbrix IX has fallen. Fifty million people will need rescuing from an entrenched AI force next year.

In the southeast, Alpha, Beta and Delta fleets are all preparing to intercept enemy forces. Next month promises to be very bloody.

2407.8:
The carriers at Othello III were lost, and the planetary defenses suffered 6% damage. Two AI warships were destroyed, and the rest of the force has retreated to Othello II.

Beta and Gamma fleets struck their target in Zuria this month. Of the 35 AI ships, only 24 still remain, and they are all moderately damaged. Only three of our ships were lost, but damage is quite extensive. A wing of six carriers is being sent in from Zuria II to assist.

Alpha fleet suffered badly in their battle; a third of the enemy force was carriers, and alpha lacked any fighter support. Even worse, the AIs stopped to ambush Alpha after traversing a warppoint. Despite these difficulties, Alpha fleet fought hard. Our forces broke through the enemy lines early and delivered heavy damage to their warships. We took heavy casualties from the enemy bombers, but the Valors were able to pin them down and deliver some retribution in the last third of the battle.
Half of Alpha fleet has been disabled or destroyed, and half of the remainder have taken light damage. Honors were hardest hit due to their front line roles, but fortunately most of the Valor antifighter ships are operational, so we do stand a chance if the battle resumes before we can get reinforcements to the sector.
Of the enemy force, only two or three warships remain operational, but are damaged. The only real threat is the enemy fighters. An estimated 150-170 remain out of the original force of 300, primarily bombers.

All eight carriers from Fizbon are being scrambled to assist, and should arrive on day 8. Should they arrive in time, we should be able to minimize further casualties. Should they not, we may lose most of Alpha fleet.

Another 34 ship fleet has been spotted in the southeast border system of Fwandrei, and they appear to be heading for the Fwandrei V. That world happens to be the most fortified in the system, but the 24 defense sats and 80 fighters are fantastically outmatched.

2407.9:
Alpha fleet was counter-attacked before the relief carriers could even break orbit of Fizbon VIII. Despite all expectations, the Valor and Vigilance cruisers were able to hold the line and protect the damaged ships. Only four ships were destroyed, and although many more were crippled, they managed to whittle down the enemy fleet to just fifty bombers.
No ship was spared from damage when the enemy forces made a second run, and there were too few of our ships still operational to destroy more than a handful of the remaining bombers. Only two more ships were lost before the AI fleet was forced to retreat from our oncoming carriers.
Our eight carriers have been ordered to pursue and destroy the remaining fleet before returning to protect the survivors of Alpha fleet.

In Zuria, we lost six ships before the AI fleet was driven off, but destroyed seven along with a large number of fighters. Seventeen of the ships have escaped the sector with heavy damage, but another thirteen reinforcements are moving in from Cephedri. Our carriers have been ordered to NOT pursue, since they will need their full strength to fend off this second wave.
21 warships have been deemed combat worthy, and have all been transferred to Beta fleet where they will protect the repair ships. Delta fleet comprises the remainder of the mobile ships, and will be taking the next two months to reach Zuria II with the wounded.

Fwandrei V has also been hit hard by the AI forces; all orbital defenses and factories have been destroyed, and 40% of our ground based units have been wiped out, including 77 Asp bombers. Four of the thirty-five assault ships were destroyed along with an unknown number of fighters. Six hundred combat drones and vehicles have reached the surface and have dealt quite some damage in the initial strikes. Fortunately, we have quite a few armored infantry and the manufacturing centers are still operational. After distributing small arms to resistance fighters in the worst hit areas, we will produce a few heavy tanks to bolster our limited vehicle pool and allow some counterattacks.

The recruits we sent to the northern front earlier have almost arrived, and will be taking up defensive positions at the Xuberra and Arklite warppoints. This is fortunate timing, as recent attacks in Xuberra have reduced our guard force to just 47 fighters.

Finally, what might just be the worst news we've gotten in a long time; our outpost in millenia has spotted 54 new AI ships that just warped in. Although they are about five months from reaching the Fizbon-Dornot area, the ships of Alpha fleet will be out of commission for years.

[Suicide Junkie]

2408:
Our long and difficult struggle has brought us to 2408. 24 Billion people live in freedom across 153 planets in 43 systems.
We are in excellent shape economically, and although our reserves were greatly depleted in the last few years, we are slowly rebuilding them once again.
Our military forces have faced great challenges recently, and many good crews were lost in battle. Our three greatest fleets are limping home, great victories achieved at great cost in the southeastern star cluster. Even greater challenges await them this year, as major invasion fleets lay siege to Othello in the north and Tudran in the south.

2408.1:
The survivors of Alpha fleet have reached the repair facilities in Fizbon, where they are being sorted out. The heavily damaged but mobile ships are being sent out to any idle yard available while the planet tends to the wounded.

In the south, Gamma fleet was decimated while attempting to defend the Quikil warppoint; 33 ships have been lost, and the survivors have gathered on the few remaining ships. They will be attempting to escape to Jorun, but twenty carriers and as many warships stand in their way. Only five enemy cruisers suffered light damage, and an unknown number of fighters were destroyed.

On the other southern front, two colonies were attacked in Tudran. 45 enemy ships assaulted Tudran VII, wiping out 140 defense fighters before proceeding to deliver a heavy surface bombardment. Four enemy ships were destroyed, and 10 more suffered moderate to heavy damage.
Tudran III was also sieged by 25 warships, but had no significant fighter force with which to resist. Bombardment of surface targets has begun, but most of the heavy ships are busy at VII.
Both planets are building bombers with which to harass and wear down the enemy while we gather an organized response, but if the bombardment keeps up, we will need to bolster our ground defenses.

In the north, skirmishes continue between ground forces and the swarms of AI fighters orbiting Othello III and VIII. Although their numbers are overwhelming, their ammo is low and our bombers are dealing a lot of damage before being shot back down. With almost 200 enemy fighters in orbit, it will take quite a while to clear the blockade and then begin rebuilding the planetary defenses.

2408.2:
Heavy bombardment of our colony on Tudran VII continued all month, destroying 20% of our ground defenses. Thick point defense neutralized all of our missiles, so the guerrilla bomber project has been canceled. All production is now devoted to buying more time with ground defenses.

The blockade of Tudran III has been abandoned, but only because the ships have attacked Tudran V. The military stronghold in the system, our colony there sported 200 fighters and 1600 troops. Unfortunately it was nowhere near enough. Our pilots exacted a heavy price for their removal; three of the eight enemy carriers have been destroyed, along with a few of the warships.

The north has been relatively quiet; a few skirmishes with scouts at the warppoints, but nothing major. The 30 ship fleet gathered at the Core world is somewhat worrying, but with 5000 of our troops in Dussullet waiting for an opportunity to strike, it is surely a defensive measure.

Trouble continues to brew in the southeast. Although the invasion of Fwandrei V has been stalled by our strong defenses, the the fighting is a heavy drain on our resources in the area. We cannot even afford the queue time to build a wing of bombers for removing the solo cruiser that remains to blockade the colony.
Fwandrei IV and its satellite network are currently facing down the main enemy fleet in the area. Unless the battle for V depleted their reserves significantly, there is little hope that the AI warships will be stopped by the local defenses.

On the plus side, cleanup work from the large fleet battles earlier is progressing well; only five immobile wrecks are left for the recovery teams. Actually getting ships back into serviceable condition is proving the greater challenge. All shipyards in the region are completely overwhelmed, and ships are piling up. Dedicated repair facilities will be a priority construction item for the next few years.

As far as our operational forces go, things will be a bit thin until we graduate a few more classes. We have 30 fresh recruits heading to Fizbon, and 40 on their way to Zuria, although the Zurian relief will not arrive until the end of the year. In the mean time, 20 combat worthy survivors of Beta fleet are moving to intercept a small group of 7 incoming warships. Without carrier support, they should be easy prey.

It has been decided to redeploy Alpha fleet's experienced command staff to the south, where they will be given command of all of this year's pending graduates and the task of removing the AI fleets from Quikil then Tudran. We must put a stop to the rampage.


2408.3:
The southern AI fleet has completely leveled Quikil I. Local fighters were quickly overwhelmed by the fourteen heavy carriers, and despite their best efforts the ground units were hopelessly outmatched by almost as many bombardment cruisers. There is no sign of any survivors.
All of the colonies in Quikil are building defenses, but against such firepower things look grim.
Tudran has been spared further damage for this month, as the damaged enemy fleet abandoned their attack on Tudran V. 47 enemy ships remain from the initial invasion force, and most seem to be heading north to the system of Ulce.

In the southeast, there were a few minor skirmishes in which we shot down solo scouts. Of note is a 20 ship fleet in Zuria which appears to be heading for Fizbon. We expect to have a force of 36 ships gathered by next month, which should be sufficient.
Even further out is a fleet of 55, but they are traveling east and are not considered a threat at this time.

There appears to be a resurgence of activity in the north as well; fleets of 20 ships each are putting the systems of Othello and Dussulet on alert. Although we have a severe lack of mobile forces in the north, the systems are heavily fortified due to years of being on the front line, and should weather the storm.

2408.4:
Our outposts in the far northeast have reported a group of 43 heading south. If they continue straight, they should arrive in our southeastern system of Fwandrei before the end of the year.

The fleet of 20 entering Fizbon has not moved towards the colonies or the core warppoints. Instead, they seem to be heading back east. The plan is to intercept these ships anyways, in order to prevent them from joining a larger fleet and as practice for bigger engagements later. Having gathered all of the new and undamaged ships in Tudran, Rho fleet now consists of 34 warships and 6 carriers; more than a match for the local enemy force.

Another invasion attempt is reported from the far southeast planet of Fwandrei V.
600 troops have landed, but the defense forces are confident they will prevail as in the previous invasion.

In the south, there have been no new attacks, but all 85 ships are heading for Bintrox. They are not likely interested in our tiny observation post at Bintrox IX A, and we must assume that they are going to pass through the system to strike at our training center of Jorun. So far, we have only 37 ships ready, and the next batch of recruits is not due for another two months. Odds are good that we will have to throw untrained crews into the fight and yet still be outgunned.

Some positive news in the north; Othello VIII has nearly destroyed all of the blockading fighters; only 13 remain, and production will soon go towards rebuilding defenses.
While the northern AI is focusing on the west, we have started gathering our forces for a counter attack from the east. With 9000 troops and hundreds of tanks available, we only need to gather enough warships to clear the way.


2408.5:
Three carriers attacked the system of Xuberra, but were repulsed at the warppoint with minimal casualties. A repair ship has been put on order, since the defense ships are showing some wear and tear.

The other northern forces have turned around and are heading back east in response to our mobilization. Many of them will be too late to intercept, but there are already 24 ships protecting their core in Torren. We will know more when we are in position.

In the south, our first wave of survivors from Gamma fleet are entering Jorun, but there are no combat worthy ships among them. Two undamaged carriers are present, but without fighters to load them with, they will be useless in the coming fight.

The enemy fleet has made a detour in Bintrox; they appear to be gathering into a single vast armada, and worsening our situation.

In the east, Fwandrei IV has been blockaded by a growing fleet of 40. The orbital defenses have been obliterated, but as of yet the enemy has not landed troops or begun a bombardment.

2408.6:
Rho fleet demolished ten enemy warships and two carriers in Fizbon this month; only nine remain. Although six of our forty are unable to continue, three of them should be back in service within a year and two highly experienced ships from the previous battle have been repaired.

Elsewhere in the southeast, Fwandrei V was shocked to find that the invading force had tripled in size with most of them behind our defensive lines. Most of the planet has fallen to the AI forces already, and our troops are in disarray. Our surviving forces are few, but attempting to regroup and gather militia support. Even if the capital does not fall by the end of the month, any additional troop drops would surely wipe out our last stronghold.
64 enemy ships are in orbit to ensure there is no rescue attempt, and an additional 41 orbit the Fwandrei IV, where the next invasion will surely come.

In the south, the gathering of ships we were expecting did not materialize. Instead, the two fleets passed each other at full speed, essentially trading locations. Strategists have refused to predict the meaning of this action.

The northern situation is unchanged, but the official gathering date has been set as 2408.9, with the main strike on the first of 2409.

2408.7:
Rho fleet has chased down and destroyed the last enemy ships in their area. Although they had to chase them through the southern warppoint to the system of Dertran and two ships were disabled in the battle, all nine enemy ships have been destroyed. The fleet will be staying in Dertran for the next few months in order to make use of the local repair facilities instead of waiting for the overloaded Fizbon yards.

In Fwandrei, the last of our tanks were wiped out in heavy combat. AI troops are patrolling in the capital, with only irregular forces still opposing them. Our offensive capability on the planet is essentially zero, and it is only a question of delaying their complete victory now.

The south system of Quikil, it looks like part of the AI fleet is moving to strike Quikil V. Our damaged ships are being diverted away from the site for safety.

Reinforcements have arrived recently on almost every front, and with the enemy forces arrayed against us backing off, things look good for our military. That illusion is sure to be shattered soon.

2408.8:
Reports indicate that 95% of newly recruited resistance fighters do not survive their first month on Fwandrei V. The machines are everywhere, and what little damage is done to them is quickly repaired. The citizens are few, but defiant, and the planet's industry continues to be unusable.

In the north, we now have 65 ships almost in position. 4500 troops will be participating in the first wave, with more to come next year.
One of the AI attack fleets has broken off its pursuit of our fleet and is headed to the east. On the far side of that warppoint lies 42 recently arrived ships; the 2407.6 graduates from the eastern training center of Centrolius. There will be no invasions as occurred in Othello, and soon we will make Othello one of the safest systems in the galaxy for free sentients.

In the south, AI activity continues to be chaotic and mysterious. With the latest recruits from Jorun, the restored Alpha fleet will abandon their defensive position and begin a counterattack.

In the east, Rho fleet continues its shore leave while the ships undergo more repairs. They should get at least one more month before returning to combat operations. There are currently two small enemy fleets which are potential targets heading for Dertran or Fizbon

2408.9:
Alpha fleet is making its move south this month with just over a hundred ships. Their first target is a subfleet of 35 in Quikil. The destruction of this fleet will allow damaged survivors to escape to Jorun and relief ships to enter with supplies and troops.

Rho fleet is ending their shore leave in Detran to intercept a small fleet attacking from Millennia in the southeast. It should be a turkey shoot, with 35 ships against only 10.

Also in the east, the planet of Fwandrei V continues to resist the occupation, and have destroyed one of the light troops in an ambush. Only 2151 left to destroy.
An armada of 70 ships is reported in the system heading north towards Zuria where Beta fleet is regrouping. Beta fleet is currently only 50 ships strong, but the Cephedri graduates of 2408.0 are due to arrive first and even up the fight.

The far north has a lot of activity as well, with the assault on the Core World in Torren and a counterattacking fleet of 23 attempting to push into the normally quiet system of Arklite where, our recruits have just arrived after a year long trip.

Unfortunately, all of this activity will unfold in the next year, and there is nothing to do but wait.