"Victory at any cost." - Admiral Sexta Lamponius before the Pulsar Incident.
Stardate: 01-10-2348
As the months turned to years it appeared at least for the moment that the Fox Cartel's golden age would continue for many years longer than anyone would have dared hope. They did however face one critical challenge in their new approach to interstellar diplomacy, at best they were viewed with suspicion and at worst they were outright despised. This was of course in large part due to their extensive ties and use of the galactic underworld and their use of criminal elements within their previous dealings. Which in itself ensured any diplomatic relationships that they had formed as part of their new inititiave were very much arms length.
Even within their own population now there was a growing interest in altering their ways which was a source of alarm for many on the board of directors as differing political factions began to gain more and more support. It became a genuine concern that civil unrest or even outright rebellion would erupt, plans were proposed to construct planetary fortresses and massively increase garrisons to reduce the risks. The plan was given limited approval and was code-named 'Safeguard' and it was now mandatory for all planetary governors to ensure at least one fortress was present on their worlds.
Whilst it was debated for almost an entire month in closed sessions the notion of a government reform was deemed too costly, the very notion of abandoning their criminal roots deemed to not be worth the risk for fear of losing their vast underground intelligence gathering network. If their neighbors and rivals would not acknowledge them as allies through diplomacy then they would be convinced through military might.
The sheer volume of traffic moving through Cartel space at several points become difficult for traffic controllers to manage as star-bases were constructed at key points within their territory for either economic benefit or defensively to shield their rapidly expanding economy.
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| The second fleet patrolling the trade-routes that run through Cartel space. |
The plan that had been code-named 'Olive Branch' was overall so far considered to be a massive success at least within the projections that had been offered regarding the economic improvements. It was however deemed minimally successful on the diplomatic front, enough at least to give them some breathing room from the growing federations emerging within the galaxy.
Colonies within Cartel space began to not only grow but flourish, moving from dependence on resources from the core worlds to supporting themselves or even adding to the growing wealth the Cartel was accumulating. Piracy also became less of a concern as star-bases and trade hubs were constructed and most vital systems had extensive fighter patrols and the newly constructed 2nd fleet actively prowled the hyper-lane network giving pirates little chance to organise into any serious threats along the main routes.
Technological discovery continued at an ever increasingly rapid pace further widening the gap between the Cartel and it's neighbours. Many military leaders wanted to press the advantage and perform pre-emptive strikes on the Uri Suns and Alvothari Hegemony but such plans were dismissed by the board of directors as too risky without the conclusion of 'Olive Branch' to ensure Cartel space was fully fortified to thwart inevitable counter-attacks.
An alternative offensive action was instead proposed, Targon and Karizit, two systems long since considered off-limits for all Cartel ships due to an infestation of hostile crystalline entities. The board of directors deployed the first fleet as a test of recent advances in weapon and shielding technology as it was unlikely to draw the ire of other races. It would also prove a suitable test for the first fleets new admiral, Sexta Lamponius whom was all too eager to prove herself.
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| A caravaneer fleet fleeing Cartel space with the second fleet close behind after they are found to have stolen credits and materials from the Flerm star-port. |
A caravaneer fleet uses the departure of the first fleet to it's advantage however distracting docking and customs officials in orbit of Flerm to steal from Cartel reserves and manage to flee into Uriy Suns space before the high speed ships of the second fleet can give chase. The incident prompts all planetary and instellar defence forces to be put on alert with orders to shoot on sight should that particular merchant fleet return for any other reason than to return what they stole.
The first fleet enters the Targon system and immediately engages the first crystalline entity fleet, it wasn't so much a battle as a slaughter. Crashing through the first group without so much as a change in course two more crystalline fleets enter the battle to little effect. All three groups of crystalline entities were soon little more than shards of red crystal hanging in the void, overwhelmed by the firepower of the Cartel's fleet. In less than a month the entire Targon system is cleansed leaving the debris to be picked over by the science ships that followed in their wake. It was even discovered that one of the worlds within the Targon system was gaia class, something that had been impossible to determine before due to sensor interference from the crystalline creatures that called this system home. Were they defending it or was it merely a coincidence?
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| The battle of the Targon system, the first fleet engages the crystalline entities. |
The first fleet moves on to it's next target in the Karizit system where the crystalline entities congregated around what could only be described as a planet sized meber of their species, realising too late they were hopelessly outnumbered the first fleet is engaged. Under fire from every direction the battle descends into chaos, many newer inexperienced captains panic, fleeing the battle as the admiral attempted to pull the fleet back into some semblance of order. The battle rages for several weeks seeing massive losses before a reluctant retreat is ordered, almost twenty ships including a Sylo-class cruiser among those destroyed by the sheer number of crystalline entities in a battle that would later become known as the 'Pulsar Incident'.
As the remnants of the first fleet return to their home-station of Capella the second fleet moves to engage a band of pirates whom had avoided detection from patrol craft in the Jor Mon Dir system by shielding their base in near-orbit to a gas giant. The second fleet proving itself to be a sound investment, making short work of the unshielded and make-shift ships of the Fell Company pirates.
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| The battle in the Karizit descends into chaos around the pulsar in what would later be known as 'The Pulsar Incident' |
With the first fleet suffering horrific losses in the 'Pulsar Incident' and it being projected to take nearly twenty more years for planned fortifications to be completed it is decided that a restructuring of their main offensive force is neccessary. To date the first fleet had relied upon a large force of Cunning-class corvettes to strip away enemy defences whilst larger ships provided the killing blow. It was decided a shift to destroyers as the work-horse class was the best approach and plans were set in motion to design a new class of corvette and destroyer based around long-range engagements and overwhelming firepower as their primary doctrines.
The Pulsar Incident was the worst military engagement the Cartel had suffered since becoming a space faring power. Whether the Cartel would recover from the set-back or rivals would take advantage of their weakened military only time would tell.
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| The second fleet makes quick work of a band of pirates called the Fell Company. |
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