Something of the night (3281)

LORD Gibson is taken to MBH.

DF develop Depender Oiler for export

DF are developing a variant of it's successful Depender multi-role combat support ship dedicated for fleet refuelling and resupply, known as the Depender Oiler. This will be aimed at smaller fleets for whom a full scale oiler like the Extender-E is overkill (plus the Extender is no longer available).

The Depender Oiler will be powered by a Proton RM-01C e-Core engine. This engine upgrade will also be available for other Depender orders.

CIN threaten economic sanctions on Clone Star Empire over Miliaris

The Commonwealth of Interstellar Nations has demanded the Clone Star Empire cease it's attacks on civilians on Miliaris. At a meeting on Starbot, Senator GBH said that economic sanctions would be imposed on the Clones if they did not end the indiscriminate killings on the planet.

GBH did not elaborate on the sanctions but they could include the sale of military equipment and minerals to CIN member states from the CSE. This could cost the CSE economy, which is not in the best state right now, billions of zarks.

DF begins bench testing of n-Core engine

The replacement for the e-Core family of engines, the n-Core (New Core) has begun bench or static testing at a facility in the Solaris system. A modified Proton engine with the n-Core will be run in this way for the rest of the year. If tests are successful then the engine may be fitted in a Pentekonter to begin field tests.

DF are hopeful to begin rolling out n-Core family engines by 2130. n-Core engines are said to be even more efficient but also have improved throttle response and easier (and hence cheaper) maintenance.

Clones launch devastating attack on Miliaris town

The Clones have launched a devastating attack from orbital, aerial and ground units on the small town of Me'Juoui on Miliaris. The town is in a heavily ethnic Eritran area of the planet and said to be a centre for Freedom Miliaris logistics. For several hours the town came under heavy attack, much of the town is now said to be in flames or demolished. A Clone Army regiment is preparing to enter.

The Dinos have called on the Clones to limit civilian deaths and for both sides to negotiate a new peace deal.

Freedom Miliaris launch attack using new rockets

As well as drones, Freedom Miliaris now have a mass produced artillery rocket in their arsenal. This is a fairly crude weapon, but like the drones can be built easily in garages and workshops. The rockets are said to have a range of up to 100km. Guidance is fairly crude but accurate enough as a terror weapon.

Six rockets were fired at a Clone Air Force base on Miliaris yesterday. Damage was caused to the runway though no personnel were hurt.

New type of drone found on Miliaris

The conflict on Miliaris has seen the use of crude, mass produced wooden drones which have overwhelmed Clone defences on repeated occasions. The drones, based on a Molab design, can be built in garages, workshops or even bedrooms out of wood, and are powered by a paraffin engine. Guidance is by a simple single board unit.

However, the Clones have reported a new drone in recent days. This one is largely made out of clear plastic. This has made it lighter, more aerodynamically efficient and also improves the visual stealth. A modified control board includes an altimeter. Older drones relied on a contact fuse built into the wing to detonate the warhead, on a number of occasions the drone did not explode due to how it hit the target. The new drones will explode when they reach zero altitude.

As yet most drones used by Freedom Miliaris are the older type but the Clones are on the watch for the new plastic drones.

DF commit to all twenty Mulberrys, might withdraw Missileer fleet

DF has committed to buying all twenty Mulberry 36A cruisers it has on order, plus may order an extra pair to replace the ships lost in combat a few years ago. The Mulberry is a modified version of the Raegris built Cosmos / Yel'Tema design. They are often used as flagships or command ships for fleet deployments.

It is because of this role that DF is considering withdrawing the Missileer fleet and converting them back into transports and oilers. The need for the Missileer is no longer thought to be essential to DF going forward, though with delays expected in the next generation of heavy transport ships, converting them to transports or oilers could be very helpful.

Three ex-Raegris Quasars enter service

In 2114, NS (as it was at the time) bought back the four remaining Raegris Quasar cruisers (which had been sold to them by the DDS years earlier). Three of the ships have been rebuilt to bring them back to the current MSU16 standard, the fourth is being used for spares.

The three ships have been given new names, not restored names from their DDS days. They are 15-109 Heavy Strike, 15-110 Dawn Light and 15-111 First Response. The ships are likely to be kept in reserve, they are not expected to have a long career as it is thought DF might withdraw the Quasars in the early 2130s when they reach the end of their fatigue lives.

Object of anger (3276)

Can Tiger stop the Tarbotians stealing the Black Triangle?

Tears before bedtime (3275)

A Black Triangle test goes wrong.

Ice arrest (3274)

CSX enter a morgue.

UNDF to conduct review of fleet

Zeppelin has announced a full review of the UNDF Space Fleet. The review will be used to plan force strength and the types of ships to be built in future. Whilst the fleet has now largely recovered from the ravages of the MBO regime, there are a number of pending issues the UNDF need to start preparing for.

One of these is what will replace the Isometric fleet of destroyers. The oldest ships will be approaching their end of service lives in the early 2130s. The Isometric derivatives will also need to be replaced later in the next decade and early 2140s.

UNDF are said to favour a clean sheet new design instead of a development of the Corkscrew platform though there have been few details about this possible future ship.

One new ship that has now been confirmed is the Type 46B, also known as the Advanced Rome. This will be an updated version of the highly flexible and popular Rome 46A. The new ships should enter service by the end of the decade, replacing the Proxima Centauri 42A light destroyers.

Oojok rules out ever returning to the Clone Star Empire

In his first major interview since his ousting as the Emperor of the Clone Star Empire following the military coup led by Admiral Anderson, Oojok said that he and Sleeze were now settled on Dino-Land and would never return to Cloneworld.

"If the regime of Anderson fell and there were calls for me to return i would have to politely decline." he said, "It is time for me to move on with my life, i am basically retired!"

Oojok is understood to have an advisory role with the Dino diplomatic corps, Sleeze was elected to the new Dino Assembly a few months ago. Both roles are said to anger Anderson who agreed Oojok and Sleeze could be left in exile as long as they had no political roles going forward.

Oojok said the situation on Miliaris saddened him. "Clones make up just over 90% of the empire's population but that still leaves many millions of Daggas, Eritrans, humans and other races and they need to be looked after not demonised. The war on Miliaris needs to end and the ethnic Eritrans treated as equals, for the stability of Miliaris and the empire. Anderson needs to understand that, an empire is only as strong as the stability of it's foundations."

Clones massacre Eritran village on Miliaris

News reports from Miliaris, confirmed by UNDF and Dino sources, indicate that Clone Army troops have entered an ethnic Eritran village on the planet and massacred the population. One source (Clone originated) said that villagers were lined up in the village square and machine gunned. No one was spared.

The UNP and CIN have both protested to the Clones, who have denied anything took place. An opposition group on Cloneworld have said Anderson's regime is out of control and must be stopped.

Dozens of CDF officers arrested, some executed

Dozens of CDF officers, including the heads of two Clone Army legions, have been arrested in the latest purge by Admiral Anderson against those he calls disloyal. This is following the mysterious train explosion which is now being taken seriously as a possible assassination attempt against the leader of the Clone Star Empire.

Whilst most officers have been arrested, two were executed in the street. This included the head of air defence in Micom sector on Cloneworld. It is not known why these two were treated differently.