GM Note: Sorry for the delay... Crusader Kings II had its hooks in me last night.As tensions run high, most of the focus in the system turns to defense. A Mine Corvette is proposed, which will work very well with existing combat missile drones developed a few years back and scattered about the system for defense. The ship, roughly 40 feet in length, contains shields, absorptive stealth coating, and bays and external racks holding the combat missile drones. The first model will be available next month.
The shipyard continues to expand, and is now able to handle ships up to 150 feet in length. Most of its production goes towards fighters and rigates, the first of which are undergoing trials at the end of the second month.
A planetary defense system is fabricated using nearly all of the remaining industrial power of the system, and it is formidable. Aries is covered, as is Gaia, at this point. Several dozen small laser stations are created, with power provided on the station by a fission generator. Larger laser and mass driver stations are also created, powered by ground-based fusion and tethered with a space elevator.
Unfortunately, all the system's industrial efforts are directed to this project, so some wish-list items for the colony (a new orbital lens for Gaia, new fusion reactors for the bunkers, more nuclear warheads, and specialized warheads for asteroids) are put on hold, as they are seen as lesser priorities for the moment.
Research is directed in two directions: modular ship building and self-regenerating carbon. The first priority does not go well, as it seems to offend several of the ship designer's sense of propriety. They prefer specialized designs and make a persuasive case as to why that is the best for future ship designs. The second priority goes poorly as well, when a laboratory fire douses a potentially successful avenue of research. Further research is not able to get started on the subject while the lab is cleaned up. Thankfully, the fire does not spread any further and is easily contained.
The giant telescopes are trained on the moonies, and the results are quite terrifying. They appear to be amassing a store of asteroids, hundreds in fact, that were not present in orbit of the gas giant moons previously. Whether these are for defense or attack is not known, but by observing them, it is clear the Moonies possess some sort of gravity manipulation technology, as they move the giant rocks without any clear thrust or impetus. Attempts to re-establish contact with the Moonies fails miserably, and the linguists now doubt every single conversation they ever "had" with the aliens.
Checking the solar outlook goes substantially better, as there are still no likely issues predicted in the form of solar flares or mass coronal ejections.
Back on ground, a test evacuation to the bunkers is performed, and it all goes smoothly on both planets.
The new defense system is put to the test, as well, when a volley of 10 asteroids is detected heading towards Aries by the telescope. They are coming in blisteringly fast. The system is up to task, however, and all 10 projectiles are struck down well before they threaten the planet. However, the attack shakes morale severely, as this is the first openly hostile act towards the new colony. The system is officially at war.
Time lapsed in system: 3 years, 4 months- Controlled Infestation on Aquarius
- In orbit of Aquarius
- Basic in-system commerce
- 2 Nano Factories
- 6,000 person colony on Aries
- Two Settlements (400 people total) on Gaia
- 10 person Xenocommunications team on Aquarius
- 10 Pre-Mavens
- 101 dead
- Bank of animal and plants
[spoiler=Ship Types]
- Freighters (variable size; no armaments; no defenses)
- Frigates (100 ft.; mass drivers, missiles, lasers; shields, absorptive stealth coating)
- Fighters (15 ft.; lasers, missiles; absorptive stealth coating)
- Mine Corvette(40 ft.; combat missile drones; absorptive stealth coating)
- Genetic manipulation of complex organisms
- Human Cloning
- Electrochemical Ammunition
- Aerotransmission
- Strong Magnetic Shields
- Basic medical robots
- Deep Land Drilling
- Combat missile drones
- Mass drivers (orbital)
- Mass drivers (planetary)
- Sensor Probes
- Construction and miner bots
Note: if no location is given, resource is
on ship- Nuclear weapon (1) on Aries
- Shipyard (150 ft. max length) above Aries with small space elevator
- Orbital lenses (Several orbiting Aries and Aquarius)
- Combat missile drones in space around Aries
- Small defensive fleet orbiting Aries
- Small fleet of freighters
- Giant telescope in orbit of Aries
- Orbital defense systems (lasers and mass drivers) around Aries and Gaia
- "Gaia":
- abundant minerals
- 50% water,
- genetically modified, unintelligent animals
- Earth-like atmosphere
- dangerous temperature maintenance systems
- Two Settlements
- Planet B: ash, acidic atmosphere, radioactive, weapons testing platform, small mining operation, nuclear and geothermal generators
- "Aquarius": aquatic world, savage aquatic life, pack-like nomadic intelligent Avians, virulent bacteria, algae infestation: 6% of surface, small harvesting operation, Wrinkled Suckfish Cloning industry, Avian Contact Center
- "Aries"
- Some minerals
- Mars-like with basic atmosphere
- Some bacteria
- Some moss and fungus
- a few trees
- Medium mining operation
- Arcology and colony with survival bunkers
- Medium industrial base
- Small brewery
- Thriving insect creation industry
- Small clinic
- Human cloning and fertility center
- Grand Parliament
- Basic School system
- Space Academy
- Planet E: abundant minerals, inhospitable, small mining operation
- Abundant Asteroids
- Gas Giant A: mysterious interference, intelligent life
- Gas Giant B: mysterious interference, intelligent life
- Can communicate through mental implants
- Produces own electricity via small organ
- Can be given programs to augment skills and knowledge
- Small amounts of Personality Bleeding
- Pack dwelling
- Near-human intelligence
- Nomadic
- Capable of tool use
- Quick breeding rate
- Teach new generations
- Learning sign language
- Dwell on multiple moons around Jovian planets
- Appear isolationist
- Possess at least rudimentary space flight
- Possess gravity manipulation technology
- Maintain an economy between multiple moons (evidenced by traffic between them)