5.Whilst citizens of Sol celebrate the traditional Terran New Year, our monitor station bring us the extend of Romulan expansion.
As you can see, they just settled on Kurill. It has dilithium, much like Berentalia, as well as the homeworld of Romulans, the system called Romulus. That means 3 shipyards working at once. We have only one dilithium refinery. Thus, the Hurada system shall be colonized. Even if it has just one oceanic planet, we need dilithium anyway. One of colony ships at Mintaka shall colonize the system.
Starfleet plannists have also a plan:
After we build our first few destroyers, we shall build four transports. Said transports shall create a defense perimeter in a line from Quadra Sigma system to Morikin system. Later, we might colonize Morikin, or even extend the line up 'north'. The proposed for the name of this defense perimeter is 'Romulan Neutral Zone'.
The southern border has been already established by Altec colony&outpost, and the very edge of it shall be - hopefully - plugged by Yridians joining the Federation. Sooner, better.
The news we receive next week are appaling. Ariannus system has been colonized by the Romulans, which is directly at the border of planned Romulan Neutral Zone.
USS Oberth has been recalled to Quadra Sigma system to hold it and intercept colony ships. The same task, but in Morikin system, has been given to Cpt.Cain and USS Biko.
Yet again, we're shifting the main shipyard queue from destroyers to transports. Starfleet is complaining about this, but honestly we're in no situation to consider anything else.
Our Propulsion scientists bring much needed good news. This breakthrough increases the range of yellow-grid ships, including colony and transport ships. This allows us to lay claims on Morikin system faster than anticipated earlier.
And, our non-aggression treaty with Romulans expired. We have asked for signing another documents - this time one lasting almost whole year.
Just as our colony ship arrives at Hurada, it is obliterated to dust by some species calling themselves 'Husnock' who warped into the system. This is a critical blow to our planned dilithium operations. Romulans in the meanwhile rejected our treaty, and we shall approach them with short-term one.
Another breakthrough, this time in Biology. Aquaculture centers are useful food production places.
Just as we offer non-aggression treaty mentioned before, Romulans give the exact same kind of treaty for us. Some slight confusion came out of this, but we accepted it.
Husnock warship have dissappeared and neither subspace scanner at Mizar nor sensors on board USS Osiris have found it. Hopefully it left our space for a while.
An affiliation proposal from Yridians, that's a surprise! But a most appreciated one. Yridians also managed to terraform all except one planet in their system, on their own!
In the same day, outpost at Quadra Sigma is officially finished and brought online.
Of course Romulans are not very happy about this. Romulan Neutral Zone Project shall be continued. As you can see, they are also constructing outposts at their side of RNZ.
I believe that, whilst we're trying to be friendly, we might have reached some kind of cold war on our hands at the moment.
Next week, we receive two diplomatic letters.
One is from Romulans, who demand another contribution, slightly larger than previous one. We have accepted it.
The other came from Federation Ambassador to Takara - the Takarians joined our Federation!
And just as suspected, the level of Takarian technology is far beyond ours. They are eager to share the knowledge with our scientists if we will help them with construction of advanced Physics Institute. It has been scheduled for construction as soon as we finish necessary buildings in the system - aquaculture center, wind turbines and a shipyard.
Scientific exchange with Takarians already helped us finish Construction research several weeks faster than estimated!
And Computers research as well! Construction queues at several star systems have been shifted to accomodate for trade centers and communication grids. This will enhance both our economy and diplomatic security.
This update was also crucial for refit of our Outposts - they are better equipped to deal with small raiding forces.
However, the Romulans were first with their outpost at Ariannus - RNZ shall be pushed slightly toward out inner systems, but only at this and no more points. Diplomatic talks are underway with Yridian leaders to establish them as our members and thus, allowing us to close the RNZ at the edge of galaxy.
As the outposts provided additional range for scoutships, USS Osiris departed from Takara toward the unexplored area, much like USS Biko toward Romulan borders, however...
Due to Earth Orbital Shipyards at last starting the production of Miranda-class destroyers, we seek new captains to lead the first Romulan Neutral Zone Task Force (which will be also reinforced by USS Oberth, after it returns from scouting the outer Yridian space)
There are few independent applicants but first and foremost, Starfleet have forwarded a
command promotion offer to Captain Jarod Cain, who would be transferred from USS Biko to one of the destroyers-in-construction. His manuevering during the encounter with Sheliak could be a proof of his hidden tactical genius.
We eagerly await his response. USS Biko wouldn't be left without a captian, of course - there's one of officers who want to command the ship, he goes by name Neer Dell.
That's all for now.
