Orion Federation

Part Four

In 381 we initiated the siege of Juseki. We attacked the system and defeated its space born defenders at Juseki I without loss. However when our army attacked the planets defenders we were repulsed! The gas bags are screwing us up by having so many of their ships in our battle zone, crowding out our transports. The next year a second army attempted an attack and we gained a solid foothold. Two more years of ground battle on Juseki I and we have still not captured the planet. The people on the street are starting to refer to Juseki as a meat grinder, and I am afraid that I would be hard pressed to disagree.

By the year 384 one of our Antaran expeditions brings back one of the fabled X’s. People are excited about the prospect of learning some of the fabled and ancient technologies and this provides a wonderful piece of information for our people to celebrate. Encouraged by the success of this expedition, Admiral Greer dispatches another armada on a new Antaran Expedition to find more of the ancient technologies.

Reinforcements for our troops on Juseki-I finally arrive. The general on the ground expresses his confidence that the reinforcements are exactly what he needs to bring home victory this year. After a very vicious series of land battles the general is able to gain more ground, after two years of stalemate, but the enemy still maintain control over a significant portion of the world. The next year, after a total of five years of fighting the planet finally falls to our troops.

After being attacked by Gamro troops through a worm hole in the Hatir system we pull three armadas out of reserve and launch a powerful attack at the Gamro worlds on the other side. After defeating the defending space forces our ground troops land and attack with a level of ferocity and valiance like had never been seen before. Even being outnumbered on the ground they were able to establish a solid foothold and avoid being driven off world entirely. The next year our troops are reinforced, and in 396, after three years of fighting Phlgyes II falls.

Given that the Phlgyes system is located near the heart of Auarhciniala empire we contacted our informants in that empire to determine our relative strengths. We are shocked to learn that the gas bags have 2,722 active warships to our 384. They also command three times the number of votes in the Orion Senate. In the region of space where we have seen many of their fleets going to many systems are now turning white on our tactical maps indicating that these once vibrant systems are now lifeless. When the defense committee of congress is briefed with this information the congressmen are shocked.

Several of the ranking and junior members on this committee openly ask if we shouldn’t increase our military spending once more to a status of holy war in order to catch up with our neighbor. Ambassador Williams however suggests that such a move could be seen as provocative. Besides, with that much of our total resources being dedicated to the military, not only would our economy suffer slowing growth and expansion, but money for research would also be limited. With the Admiral Greer steps forward with an assessment of the strength of the gas bag individual warships in relation to our own. With that assessment he points out that although our newer fleet is significantly more effective than our older designs, thanks to new technological developments, the gas bag warships that we have seen thus far are at least equal to our most modern and powerful designs. If we have to wage war against the gas bags in the future then we will need all of the technology available to us if we hope to survive, much less win.

Hearing this quiets talk about increasing the military budget for now, but it is agreed that we will be checking on the gas bags much more regularly in the future. This is an area of concern, and given the shaping of events in this region of space, combat with them is definitely becoming more likely than not as time passes.

Two years later, in 398, the Auarhciniala ambassador delivers a stern warning to Ambassador Williams. The message is very cryptic and we are unsure exactly what we are being warned about, but the warning alone from such a powerful nation sends alarm bells off in all levels of government. Our relations with the gas bags are weakening with our Casus Beli rating slipping to 89 while our current relations score remains at 174. Even with last years news that a second Antaran X had been discovered, the mood in public and government is somber. We do not want bad relations with the gas bags, but it appears that there is nothing we can do to revers the current slide in relations.

Alarmed that a war might start before we are prepared for it President Winters calls Admiral Greer to her office for an urgent meeting. “Admiral, I am hereby ordering you to cease and desist with our secret policy of colonizing Auarhciniala outpost.”

“Madam president, ever since we secured a solid foothold in the Fieras sector we more or less stopped that policy. We have not actively pursued this policy for nearly a hundred years now. I honestly do not know of any reason why they would start beco9ming more belligerent towards us.”

“Perhaps they just don’t like that we are starting to come into our own.”

“Yes Mam. That could very well be it. In a few more decades we will have completely conquered the crystals and our military will be significant enough to give them pause. But right now, we need to do whatever we can to keep them pacified. If it come to war, we could consider finding a way to re-establish contact with the New Orions. If we give some of our frontier world to the Orions then perhaps the Orions can pull some of the gas bags away from us.”

“Admiral, I do not think the people would be too happy to have us just give some worlds away to the New Orions.”

“No mam, I am sure they would not. But for the sake of our nation, we might as well gift a few worlds to the Orions on the possibility that it would work that simply lose the same worlds to Auarhiciniala anyway. Having the Orion White fleet fighting for us could prove to be a great benefit.”

“Ok Admiral, I’ll keep that in mind. But for now we need to maintain the peace until your fleet is strong enough to deal with the gas bags without resorting to gifting worlds to the Orions.”

In the standard year 400 celebrations of the Orion Federations 400th anniversary are held on every world. When later in the year it is announced that the first
Antaran X had been fully deciphered and decoded only increased the joy of the people. The Antaran Scientific approach is now ours to use and our researchers are overjoyed at the technological edge this will give them in developing newer and more powerful technologies in the future.