Persei-Aries War Resumes

FROM: UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL COLONIAL CENTER
21:45 SOL GMT, 14 MARCH 2521
BREAKAUTH: 181072.18J
CLEARANCE: SECRET (NATIONAL)

**UNITED NATIONS COMMUNIQUE**

A major shift seems to be in the making in the ongoing Third Hercules War. Reports continue to come in from the far-flung systems of the Hercules Rim, and the full impact of recent events presently remains unclear. However, observers agree that the United States had undertaken a significant shift in strategy, and made a much more aggressive move in the conflict.

Until recently, the “Coalition of Eagles” (United States, Holy Russian Empire, and supporting factions) have pursued a “siege” approach to the Third Hercules War. With Russian colonies along the coreward shoulder of the Hercules Rim at Kransaya Nadhezda (“Red Hope” at 72 Hercules), and American and Indian Republic colonies along the spinward edge at Vega and Bhogavati (Alpha Lyra and HD 176051), the idea was to squeeze the British and Japanese in their more central colonies until their governments ceded at the peace table.

When the American and Indian Navies more or less smashed the “Black Dragons” (Khitan-Tunguska Free State) out of the war and forced them to abandon their colonies at Khaizan’s Haven (14 Hercules), the moment seemed perfect to expand on this strategy. Seizing this abandoned system would all but surround the British and Japanese with American, Indian, and Russian holdings. However, the Holy Russian Empire suffered a sharp defeat at 14 Hercules when the Arab League abruptly entered the war and signed an alliance with the Renkei Alliance (United Kingdom, Japan).

Acknowledging at last that this “siege strategy” will not work, the Americans have now embarked on a much more direct approach. The newly-arrived “Task Force Liberty” carrier-cruiser group, under the command of Captains Zachary Irons and David Cheatham, is sent directly into the British colonies at Hawking’s Star (HR 6806). To support this effort, a Russian Slava-class heavy cruiser, CPK Rotislav, attacks from the other direction, vectoring in from Krasnaya Nadhezda. The attack takes quite a while to put together (some of these ships have to cover upwards of 18 light-years), and doesn’t actually commence until the middle of March, 2521. Even at this late date, the strike is in fact somewhat rushed. Originally planned as an assault (supported by two Saipan-class USMC planetary assault ships), the time scales were projected out into the beginning of May, by which time any chance at surprise would sure be lost. Instead this operation is to be conducted as a strike, directly it the heart of the Hawking’s Star colony.

As the Americans and Russians converge on the HR6806 system and emerge from their 10th magnitude Darkstar waves (easily detectable well in advance, especially with ships this large), the British mobilize a powerful defense force. The entirety of Cruiser Squadron “A” (Agamemnon) is mobilized against the threat. Of particular note will be the elite aerospace strike group of the large Valiant-class light fleet carrier HMS Vindictive pitted against the elite (some would say nigh-legendary) aerospace squadrons of the Endeavor-class USS Liberty, including Fighter Squadron VSF-221 (“The Dead Rabbits”) and Attack Squadron VSA-193 (“The Eight Ball Express”).

US/Russians: @Oriskany
UK: @Damon
497-point raid

So what does this shattering result mean?  Well, a major defeat in a 400+ point battle means +/-6 campaign points for the factions involved.  The Americans win +4, the Russians +2, and the British lose -6.  The British campaign tracker now has them at -10, the absolute limit of their government’s commitment to this war.  Suffice it to say that debate rages in the Parliament over whether to sue for peace, and the Prime Minister has been subjected to a Vote of No Confidence, which for the moment he has survived … barely.

Along the Hercules Rim, and specifically at Hawking’s Star … while a MAJOR victory of this scale normally gives the star system to the winner outright, please remember that this game was played as RAID, not an ASSAULT.  In campaign rules, the attacker has to declare they’re launching an assault – where victory points are calculated differently and thus tabletop strategy is decidedly different – THEN win a battle of sufficient size (although it doesn’t necessarily  have to be a MAJOR victory).  This represents operational and logistic planning and support for an actual colonial invasion, like the two Saipan class planetary assault ships mentioned previously (these are basically Endeavor class light fleet carriers, outfitted to carry assault boats, troops, and grav tanks instead of fighters and bombers).  So while the Royal Navy has been decisively crippled at Hawking’s Star, the Americans just don’t have the Marines, engineers, and logistic support to mount an immediate invasion, at least not closer than 12 light-years.

So we’re settling on a compromise.  The Americans now have a FOOTHOLD in the Hawking Star (HR6806 system), not at the terrestrial planet itself, but among the moons of the outer gas giants.  In narrative terms, we could have the Marine assault ship USS Tarawa (part of Task Force Oriskany, upgraded with 12-mag Darkstar Waves) get to HR6806 in less than five days, and put a company or two down on these perimeter outposts.  But a destroyer-sized carrier / assault ship like the Tarawa could never boot enough boots on the ground to take Hawking’s Star colony itself, at least not all in one go.

That said, the Americans are dominating in the Third Hercules War, and the British are clinging to survival by the slenderest of threads.  After victories in the Psi Serpentis War, the Second Hercules War, and most recently in Duchess Annabel’s War, are they finally about to lose one?  One more decent American or Russian victory in the Hawking’s Star colonies will lose the system for the Crown, and force the British to sue for peace.