Gratuitous Federation & Empire

 We have massed everything we have that is still intact on the Kzinti Front, and head straight for the planet of Lumien, which our forces just failed to take on a previous occasion. This time, though, we are confident in our numbers. Since the Axe Guard  is the best escort vessel in the fleet, I am assigned to defend the D6 CV Carrier on the line, along with a much smaller E4E Carrier Escort.  Our group does quite well, managing to force an enemy Destroyer to disengage with heavy damage. However, our fleet takes quite a pounding, and after destroying our lightest vessels, the Kzinti Strike Carrier Group turns towards us. I've seen what those things can do, and this one is accompanied by a couple of Medium Escort Cruisers. That's a lot of Phaser-1s. Fortunately for us, though, Admiral Ulorf gives the command to retire. I have survived my first battle as commander of my own vessel. The second battle is equally as tough, especially for the Axe Guard . Our carrier commander h...

 The second major campaign for Autumn 170 gets under way, with the Klingons massing to assault Lumien once more: This one goes well for the Kzinti. They manage to strip the F5 Light Carrier of its Escorts and then blow it with a drone wave, the second time this tactic has been used. In total, they wipe out the Klingon fighters; destroy the F5V and a D5C War Cruiser Leader; cripple the Orion and a D5; and inflict heavy damage on a D7 Battlecruiser. In return, the Klingons destroy fifteen fighters and force a Destroyer to retire with heavy damage - so not a lot. They do, though, get a lucky hit on the Flag Bridge of the Kzinti Dreadnought, wounding old Admiral Mr'iarr and putting him out of the campaign. His replacement has a bit more energy: The Kzinti have an extra ship in the line this time, but overall there is little change for both sides as they regroup for round two ... ... and so it goes. This time the Klingons wipe large numbers of fighters - 37 in total. They also manage to...

 Campaign losses have resulted in my being promoted; I am now Leader of the Second Flight of three assigned to the CVL Light Carrier Tempest . CVL is something of a misnomer in this case; it is a Light Carrier because it only carries nine fighters, but it also has the firepower of a Battlecruiser. Sr'esint is Squadron Leader. We wait our turn in the fleet reserves as the Lyrans attack the planet of Zimdars, the last bastion between them and our home systems. The initial Lyran attack almost breaks through to the planet itself, but is only just beaten back. Attrition mounts as our pilots are fed into the defence in waves, until eventually, for the fourth engagement, the Tempest  is assigned to the main line. We deploy together with a Fast Battlecruiser and the flagship, a fully-kitted Battle Tug, and set up well off to the port side of our defensive line. The Lyrans opposite us comprise a War Cruiser Squadron; the rest of their fleet is heading straight towards Zimdars. We are g...

 The Coalition's planet-hopping campaign is now in full swing on the Kzinti Front: These are the forces for the initial engagement at the planet of Zimdars, which is pretty much all that now stands between the Lyrans and the Kzinti capital - well, that and the Count's Fleet stationed there. The initial stages are usually when the Lyrans are at their most powerful; it can take a while to degrade the Kzinti combat power because of all those fighters. The Kzinti prefer not to offer approach battles because against Lyran combat capabilities they need all the fighters they can get, and the two squadrons from Zimdars will be most useful. Evem so, the Lyrans nearly take the planet on their first attempt, wiping large numbers of fighters (26) and forcing two Battlecruisers and the Orion mercenary to retire, heavily damaged. In return, the Lyran Dreadnought and one of their Heavy Cruisers have to leave with heavy internals, and all of their fighters are destroyed. A little bit of luck g...

 High Command decides that we can afford to mount a counter-offensive, so all of the ships on the Klingon Front are amalgamated into one fleet and ordered to descend on an enemy Battle Station at "The Elbow". This is the bend in the border at the narrowest point of Klingon space, and I know from my studies at the Academy that the station here is a possible major staging-point for any Klingon offensive towards our Homeworld. It seems to me that we are going to take advantage of three factors that are, at the moment, in our favour: the Coalition is not yet fully ready to mount an offensive, which means we have a moment of opportunity to make a lightning attack that could disrupt their plans even further; we have the new generation of impressive Stinger fighters; and we have the first true carrier in the navy. Although the Uhlan is only a Destroyer-class ship, it carries twelve Stinger-IIs and four Hellbore fighters, supplemented by another six fighters on its accompanying Escor...

 The Hydrans mass everything they have to assault one of the Klingon Battle Stations at "The Elbow" as it is affectionately known, the odd bend on the border that marks the narrowest point of Klingon territory. The reason for choosing this one as a prime target is because it is the only Klingon base within normal striking distance of the Hydran capital; if they can take it out, the Hydrans reason, they will put a serious crimp in the Klingons' plans for their offensive. The Klingons are well aware of its usefulness to them, so they react in with loads of ships of their own. Even if the Hydrans don't blow the station, they will hope to trade fighters for ships: The Klingons spend all of their time wiping fighters in this approach battle, and an impressive number it is too: 39  Stingers bite the space dust. However, the cost to the Klingons is considerable: they lose all of their fighters; a D5 War Cruiser; D5C War Cruiser Leader; F5 Frigate and E4E Escort Frigate go to...

 We are joined at the second main Battle Station on the Hydran Border by the Enemy's Blood Fleet and the Foremost Fleet, which has just been constituted by new builds from the homeworld. It seems to me that the Emperor is being especially canny, because there is an old Lyran proverb that a three-legged cat is more stable. Roughly, this means that three relatively balanced Dukes provide stability, while two or four tend to cause civil wars and unwanted alliances. If three are in the same sector, none will ally with any of the others for fear that the third will call upon the Emperor. The Foremost Fleet was in reserve awaiting events on our front, and the fact it has arrived suggests that the Hydrans are heading this way. Their preponderance of fighters gives them the opportunity for a decent counteroffensive, and we are still building our forces here - the Foremost is just the first of a series of scheduled reinforcements. The Hydrans are going to try to keep us off balance. Sensors...