D-69: Naegarn starship "Silk King", Captain Torlen Shadth, parsec 0804, contact

Status: M-drive running at full power for seven hours. Engineer reports that we can do this for another forty-eight hours if need be. After that we would not have enough fuel to jump to any system. Jump drive is out of commission due to damage to its containment but this is being repaired as I write. No significant injuries.

I directed the ship to make a closer pass on the Uridae cache, with the intention of ascertaining the quality and content of the materiel. The Ursidae destroyer on station was not manoeuvring at all and not using active sensors, thus it seemed possible we could close with the cache and make an undetected pass at visible range. I ordered the navigator to place the cache between us and the destroyer and to move into that position by occluding as few stars as possible. We subsequently moved onto that vector and commenced to close with the cache under silent running orders.

We closed sufficiently to make a more meaningful study of the cache. We observed a number of fuel bladders that were large enough to contain an estimated four thousand tons of fuel. There were also forty to fifty containers that we did not recognise. The marking on them do not match anything we have in the language program on board, but we have pictographs stored analysis.

I ordered a reverse in direction intending to return to a safer observational distance. Within minutes of the course change Dr Hill burst onto the bridge warning of the imminent arrive of one or more ships. I kept the ship on course but had the engineer shut down the Manoeuvre Drive.

Three minutes later Dr Hill's warning proved correct. Two more destroyer class war ships and five more transports exited jump. I'm now convinced that Hill is onto something of vital importance with his detection gear.

The new arrivals were all within line of sight, only the original ship was occluded by the cache. One of the destroyers immediately pinged us with active sensors and we were detected. I ordered full power and launched a missile on the cache. 

We were pursued by a single destroyer that also intercepted our missile. We were grazed by a single laser battery before outranging them. We continue at full speed and the enemy ship pursues. I intend to jump for Sunodar as soon as the jump drive is back on line.

D-69: Sunodar, Coded Communique, To General Mandah Sunodar, From General Markus Ghilan Military Command Covuni

The tank plant was battered in an Ursidae bombing run, and from what I'm hearing they couldn't be back up and running for months. I've standing orders to save what of the equipment I can and send it deeper into Neagarn space, not quite a burnt earth policy but not far from it.

We've had five heavy hit and run raids in the last three days. Naegarn navy took the brunt of it, but the Corvuni still took a dose. We won’t be able to ship you any more grav units for some time, if ever.
The tempo of raids here is increasing, I'm under pressure to retain all the military cargo we were going to ship your way. We got an infantry-transport away before the last raid but as usual it'll be routing via Trants, expect it in a couple of weeks.

The raids haven't hit any of the orbital fighter factories. I'll insist we send you the promised fighters as soon as we get transport for them. Can't promise anything after that.

Intell' dropped a bombshell that I thought you should hear. They give it 50-50 as to reliability as it comes from apparently uncensored mail found on a captured Ursi' boat. Could be a set-up. The mail claims there are "big ships" coming up to the front. Intell' are being sketchy but are giving me estimates on tonnage that I find it hard to believe. They're talking of 10+ 500k ton Super Dreadnoughts. Make of that what you will.

D-70: Havakurl, Field Marshal Pater Napier's private notes

In transit for Shula. Made a point of using the king’s yacht for this journey. As expected the nobles kicked up a stink, formed a blasted posse. There was even talk by some that they'd use their personal militias to blockade the port against us. Didn't materialise.

Yesterday's press was predictably anti-empire, kicked into a frenzy by the nobles. That kind of talk this close to the front isn't good. I had Monkton give a few prompts to the propaganda unit. I suggested they play on the idea that the aristocracy were guarding their ships so they could run away when the Ursidae come and leave the populace to die. Won't hurt to put those stuck-up idiots in their place.

Note: Send word to General Burlinski, Havakurl, to run his eye over those militias for possible conscription.

Reports from Faslane came in last night. Two weeks old, they didn't have any comms-boats with long legs. Two weeks! Ursidae are keeping pressure up with raids. Not so much action at Betria.

Note: Have Monkton ensure Faslane gets at least three of the jump-4 comms-boats. they'll be able to reach Shula in a week instead of two.

Monkon's worrying about Faslane. He's right. The ship yards there are a rich target for the bears. The pressure there might be part of a softening up exercise. I'm not convinced. The yards are a good target but not critical, they're not building anything big. Could be a distraction. They might be trying to draw us forward before jumping behind.

Note: Get intel/analysis to cover the raids on Faslane, is it indiscriminate destruction, or targeted. What are they not attacking?

Note: Look up scout reports for 0508-0510.

The King lambasted me for being "defensive". He was angry about his yacht, but he has got me thinking. If we mount something a little larger than a raid, we can maybe pull the pressure of Faslane. Brendelane and Karlyn have my attention, both within reach of jump-2 ships. Maybe two raids?

Note: Target Analysis on Karlyn and Brendelane.

D-70: Chobos, Naegarn scout ship Haylen Jules, comms transcript

Speech is tagged with the recording station.

[Captain] Twenty four seconds to jump exit, all stations report.

[Engineer] I'm showing green across  my board.

[Pilot] Ready to engage manual guidance.

[Gunner] All weapons powered, sandcasters prepped for immediate firing.

[Navigator] Course looking good, jump calculations prepared.

[Captain] three, two, one.

[Pilot] Entering real space.

[Captain] Sensors passive sweep. Navigator, plot us a way out of here.

[Sensor Op] Sensors show nothing in our immediate area. Extending sweep.

[Captain] Engineer, how's it looking?

[Engineer] Jump drive in the green, five minutes until reset cycle is complete, power to the jump grid is in the green.

[Sensor Op] I have a return. Its moving, designating bogie one.

[Captain] Have they seen us?

[Sensor Op] Can't tell, no course change, no active sweeps.

[Captain] Pilot, minimum power, move us directly away from bogie.

[Sensor Op] Three more bogies sir designating two through four. Oh. Bogie one is pinging on active.

[Captain] Gunnery disperse foil! Sensors do we have a path in-system?

[Sensor Op] Only by skimming past bogie one.

[Captain] Navigator plot the course. I want a long range laser shot at the bogie as we pass. Sensors at full active power, we need the intell, it's why we're here. Pilot, flank speed. Engineering, what’s the status on the jump drive?

[Engineer] All green, four minutes.

[Pilot] Give me that course.

[Navigator] Sent.

[Sensor Op] All bogies are vectoring on our position.

[Captain] Can we maintain the in-system course and avoid getting raked by the other ships? What are those ships?

[Sensor Op] Yes sir. They're reading as SDBs, we have the legs in the race.

[Captain] Send the long range feed to my console.

[Sensor Op] Sent.

[Captain] Gunner, warm up the missiles I'm going to send you multiple long range targets. Pilot how long until we're in laser range?

[Pilot] Two minutes sir.

[Captain] Gunner, targets marked, run the missiles silent until within two hundred clicks. Launch and prepare for the laser pass.
...
[Pilot] They're firing!

[Captain] Open fire.

[Gunner] Firing.

Confused speech from multiple sources.

[Captain] Get down there Jon, I have the sensors.

[Sensor Op] On the way!

[Captain] Engineer is the jump grid still online? Engineer? Missile incoming, Pilot evade.

[Gunner] Captain, he's dead.

[Captain] Okay Jon, is there a breach?

[Gunner] Err. Looks good. No pressure warnings.

[Captain] Is the turret operational?

[Gunner] Not without. No.

[Captain] Check Engineering, then get back up here.

[Pilot] Missile passed to port and detonated.

[Unidentified] Captain, no comms in engineering no damage down there.

[Captain] We have the intell. Pilot are we still at a safe jump distance?

[Pilot] Yes sir. We're outpacing the SDBs.

[Captain] Navigator, is the computer prepped for jump?

[Navigator] Sir.

[Captain] Jon, go tell engineering to initiate jump.

D-72: Sunodar, General Mandah's personal diary

The news from Heart, or rather the lack of it, is worrisome. The days of the daily comms-boats have long gone. We lost regular comms with them a couple of weeks back and only the odd ship has come our way since, and every time they do come its with bad news. It must be hell out there. We're definitely next on the Ursidae menu, they're squeezing the salient, Once they've snuffed Heart they'll aim for us.

It's started already, they made a raid out at the jump point and took out one of the supply runs from Trants. I think we only lost one transport, but it was one of the big liberty ships. The manifest listed mixed cargo, but it was all intended for us. I've gone over it more than once. The ground to air missile batteries, and the platoon of grav tanks will be missed. I've had training running double time on the simulators to get the crews together, but now there's no kit for the men. I've repeatedly told the civs we need manufacturing capacity for the grav-tanks. Do I return them back to their units or assign them to a provisional block as replacements?

The deep bunker construction continues. I have two companies of grav tanks safely underground in the new holes, both on the northern continent. None of the other units have anywhere to hide yet. They are dispersed, and that should reduce casualties from any strikes but you can't hide a battalion from orbital cameras. Oh, there's a thought, we could hide them in commercial structures. They'll be dispersed just as they are now, so I won't lose any additional unit cohesion. I'll have Folah look into it tomorrow.

Tomorrow is going to be another long one. Need to chase the sappers about the buried comms.  Blasted meeting with Northern Command will waste half a day. The press were harping about arming the populous again. I'm starting to think they may have a point.

D-70: Sunodar, Liam Hilders, Void-Traffic Manager, Courts Martial

Court:  Please state your name and occupation and duties at the time.

Hilders: Liam Hilders, Void-Traffic Manager on Ghian station. I was working on the observation deck, overseeing the scope operators.

Court: Do you operate the sensor arrays yourself?

Hilders: Not normally. Well, only if we're short-handed or sometimes if someone on the team is on a break.

Court: Are you saying you were understaffed? It seems odd that you should be carrying out the work of lower ranks.

Hilders: No sir, I'm not normally understaffed.

Court: And on this day?

Hilders: Normal, sir.

Court: In your pre-court submission you claim you were working a scope.

Hilders: Yes, sir, but not because we were understaffed. One operator was on a break, and I dropped into his seat. I often do that. It means I can double-check the situation as relayed to my own screen.

Court: I see. Tell us what was on your sensors

Hilders: We had a normal traffic situation and were expecting the transport from Trants. The only unusual thing were the rocks coming in from the belt. But even they were not that unusual.

Court: These are the rocks that turned out to be the Ursidae ships?

Hilders: Yes.

Court: Why were your suspicions not aroused by these rocks?

Hilders: The belters would sometimes sling rocks into long orbits to get them back to ore processors further in-system.

Court: Surely that's a traffic hazard.

Hilders: Yes sir it is, but they normally advise us when they're about to do it.

Court: Did you have such an advisory?

Hilders: No sir.

Court: Interesting. What is the standard procedure when unexpected rocks appear on your sensors.

Hilders: We dispatch an SDB to intercept.

Court: Had you dispatched a System Defence Boat to intercept these rocks?

Hilders: No. Sir.

Court: Explain yourself.

Hilders: I have no excuse sir.

Court: The court appreciates your candour, yet we would like to hear your rationale and reasoning.

Hilders: Sir. I. My wife is an engineer on one of the SDBs.

Court: Continue Mr Hilders.

Hilders: She told me that the SDB crews are run ragged sir. They don't have enough boats to do the duties, and the crews. Well, they've been thinned down. They don't have full relief crews on any of the boats. Her boat has missed the last two maintenance periods and it’s the same story for most of them.

Court: Was your wife's SDB on duty?

Hilders: No sir.

Court: So, if not your wife, what was the reason for failure to order an intercept.

Hilders: It didn't seem warranted sir. The belters have forgotten to file flight paths before, that happens sometimes. These rocks weren't on one of the usual orbitals but it wasn't far out. I assumed they'd just forgotten to file, and anyone that sloppy might have got the orbital wrong too. It made sense.

Court: And the SDB?

Hilders: I wanted to let them have a rest. I didn't want to scramble them for a bunch of rocks that weren't a danger to anyone.

Court: But they weren't rocks.

Hilders: No sir.

Court: You saw these rocks on your screen?

Hilders: Yes sir.

Court: And what happened when the freighter appeared.

Hilders: It exited jump right on time, within a few kilometres of the point.

Court: You saw it on your screen?

Hilders: Yes sir. The transponder on the ship was broadcasting and our active sensors registered a L'Ouverture class liberty ship a few seconds later. It's all in the recording.

Court: The court is not ignorant of that fact Mr Hilders. Might I remind you, we are here to ascertain your part in the affair, and what you perceived and understood at the time. It is you that the court needs to understand, not the intractable recordings.

Hilders: Yes sir, sorry.

Court: Tell the court what happened next.

Hilders: The rocks changed vector. I saw it straight away. They'd turned towards the Dunning-Star, the transport. I hit the alert, and focused my sensors on the rocks. There was a lot of interference, which I think was the camouflage. But I could see there were at least three ships. Then I saw them launch missiles at the transport.

Court: Then what did you do?

Hilders: I warned the Dunning-Star, then I vectored the duty SDB onto the Ursidae, and then put out an all-points-assist request.

Court: The Dunning-Star was destroyed.

Hilders: Yes. Three home fleet ships responded to my all-points broadcast, but the Ursidae turned out-system and jumped before any Naegarn fleet ships got close enough to engage.

Court: Thank you Mr Hilders. Do you have anything else to add?

Hilders: No sir.

Court: Very well. Mr Hilders retire from the court while we confer.

Verdict: Guilty of gross dereliction of duty. Mr Hilders to be stripped of all rank and privileges and to serve a sentence of not less than ten years in a penal battalion, followed by termination from the service.

D-76: Heart, Northern Continent, Audio diary recording recovered from remote farmhouse

I was in the upper field when I saw an Ursidae starship. It was too big to be a shuttle, it had to be a bulk transport or maybe a military ship. It whisked overhead and disappeared into the clouds over Athios mountain. It came from the south, no idea if it came from one of the ports down that way or if it had just dropped into the atmosphere. I didn't recognise it as being Ursidae, but only realised what I'd seen when I saw them on the hillside later. At the time I thought it might have been one of ours or maybe a Naegarn.

I'd been out hunting all day, had a couple powdids butchered and stashed that I intended to pick up on the way home. They're still out there, I'll grab them tomorrow. Anyway, I saw movement a while later on the mountain side. Just dots at the distance but they didn't move like goats. I couldn't make it out at first through my scope either. I watched them down all the way to the bottom slopes before I realised what they were.

It was Ursidae, when they got closer I could tell. Great lumbering brutes on all fours. What had me confused was the guns. They run on all fours and the guns are on their backs. After I killed one I got a good look at it. I couldn't get the gun though, its mounted on the suit it was wearing. It’s like a turret sort of thing on their back.

Anyway soon as I realised I was seeing the brutes coming my way I ducked into the bushes, and loaded up the one ploder round I had left. I always keep one on me in case I see something big to bring down. I saw a few big things today! They move fast those Ursidae, less than half an hour later they appeared across the field, marching in a line. They're big. On all fours the shoulder was level with my head. They are shaped like bears, I never really believed it until now. They were wearing suits, black with patches of grey hear and there., and that great gun on the back. I let them go past, didn't even breath. When they were past, I took a bead on the furthest away. Aimed for the visor. I figured, even if the ploder shell  didn't kill him, it'd bust his suit maybe suffocate him.

The ploder took his head off. I was grinning like crazy as I headed down the Tilders Brook beating a rapid retreat. They were shooting the whole area up for while then moved on.

I went back after scouting around and found the body. The head was a mess. They don't have fur, I thought they would have. Its scales they have, all over, at least everywhere I could see through the neck of the suit. The suit was a solid thing looked like metal or ceramic maybe. The rifle on the back was welded into place. Must be part of the suit, I couldn't get it off.

Just before I got home I saw some lights over towards Hargreave town, then heard some bangs. The power was off at home, so I guess the Ursidae's must have taken out the hydro plant.