[Suicide Junkie]

2403.0
After three years, we have now liberated 51 planets, but lost one back to the AI forces. Our borders have not expanded much in the last year, but much progress has been made in rebuilding local worlds. Most of the newly librated colonies have been in the Ochre-Zuria corridor to the east, and there has been no AI activity in that region.
New expansion efforts will be focussed on securing the Jama-Baksha loop in the north, but there are also plans in development for the Bardron-Remnorak chokepoint region.
Two additional AI core worlds have been identified through an AI scout in Udix; two in Lenoltris, and one in Ephandra. Combined with the one known and two suspected local core worlds, this brings the total to nine. The Independence which discovered the ship has been ordered to intercept it before it can make contact with the local AI cores.
At home, our best estimates point to three thousand casualties in ground combat so far, with roughly five thousand troops remaining on the surface of Auric X. Actual progress in the battle is much less certain; anywhere from 10% to a very optimistic 50% control over the planet.

2403.1
An AI scout claiming to be representing core worlds in Rakshasa and Zoma has been spotted far north in Hermes. This has put an increased urgency on developing a presence in Bardron-Remnorak to protect the interior worlds.
Critical systems have been restored on the damaged carrier in Xiban. After eight months of living aboard their fighters, the eight pilots were finally able to land and move into real crew quarters instead of relying on umbilicals.
Just to the north, our two carriers intercepted the enemy ships entering Xolox this month. The AI forces were overwhelmed and defeated, but we lost 33 of the 80 bombers, and one of the carriers sustained heavy damage. Fortunately, with life support and living spaces undamaged, casualties were minimal. The second carrier is now coordinating recovery efforts, and will take as many pilots as they can carry to the south for further operations. The remaining pilots will be transferred back to the damaged carrier to await the repair ships from Xiban. With only two months travel time, and another two months to get engines and at least one functional fighter bay, the rescue and recovery operation should proceed much more swiftly this time. Despite the light damage to critical systems, the carrier itself will not be returning to active service for at least two years due to extensive superstructure damage.
In other news, AI forces have shifted towards Dussullet in the north, with 20 ships and carriers harassing the residents, and a southern Carrier has been spotted in Jorun.
Due to the continued lack of counterattacks in Auric, four of the eight remaining blockade carriers are being dispatched for operations in the western front. While they will be outclassed by any major AI fleet, targets of opportunity may present themselves.

2403.2
The AI presence in Dussullet has balooned to 40 ships this month. It seems unlikely that the single Independence in orbit of the colonies would have deterred a 17 ship fleet from closing to combat range, and they are probably just waiting for the rest of the ships to catch up, but each month of delay means 200 additional defenders can be equipped.
Two small pursuits are in progress this month. In the north, the local defenders in Dammitol have been transferred to a fresh carrier in order to intercept a returning AI scoutship, while in the south, a pack of two carriers are hunting a carrier on course to Xiban. The damaged carrier is now safely out of the way, and undergoing repairs at Jorun V.

2403.3
Dussullet IV and its two moons were attacked this month. Despite being overwhelmed by almost 20 AI ships and carriers, the lone Independence made good use of the limited satellite defense net to disable two enemy ships and moderately damage a third. All orbital assets have been destroyed, and 16 enemy ships are now blockading the entire sector. Although a ground offensive has not yet begun, there is a second wave of 19 AI ships expected to arrive next month.
An additional 8 ships have bypassed Dussullet, and have entered Kythrik. Their current mission is unknown, but many Kythran worlds have light defenses, having focussed on economic improvements.
In Jorun, the AI carrier expected to make a run for Xiban has instead doubled back and earned itself another month of pursuit. This time, however, it is trapped between the fleet of two, and a warppoint guarded by a third carrier.
Things have quieted down in Othello, and orbital defense work is proceeding well. If the situation continues to improve, Othello V may even switch to offensive production by the end of the year.
An additional ship and a carrier have been spotted down south. There should be plenty of Independence carriers available to intercept them when they arrive, although most are currently busy with manoeuvers or repairs.

2403.4
Yet another new AI scout was detected as the first Liberator entered Fwandrei, this time the scout is representing core worlds in Azurii and Vornal.
At the same time, an unexpected fleet of 12 has entered the system of Zuria. With AI forces this strong, it will take a major military commitment to secure the southeastern cluster.
In preparation, colonies in the Ochre-Zuria corridor have started ramping up fighter production. When carriers start arriving from the shipyards in Aldan they will be able to stock up en route.
The fleet of eight AI ships in Kythrik are headed straight for a confrontation with the four carriers we dispatched from Auric earlier.

2403.5
The 12 ship fleet in Zuria is now heading for Zyx. A Liberator heading south narrowly avoided the fleet and certain doom.
Another AI carrier has been destroyed in Bintrox, and pursuit continues with available ships. Currently our forces are mainly limited by a lack of bombers, but most of the planets in Jorun are busy building replacements.
In the north, the fleet of eight is manoeuvering in Kythrik, but our own fleet is in hot pursuit. With 40 ships lurking in Dussullet, care will have to be taken to avoid being drawn into a trap.
Another scout ship has been spotted in Fwandrei this month, hailing from the far east of Amon and Xtreme. With all of the AI core worlds revealed so far, it is a good thing that these ones are so distant and should not become a threat for many more years.

2403.6
Combat in Kythrik! Our fleet intercepted the enemy expeditionary force early this month, and it was quickly apparent that we had the upper hand. With four full carriers facing off against only two carriers and a handful of support ships, our forces pressed the attack. Amidst the main missile exchanges between the two fighter armadas, a pair of AI assault ships attempted to break through the lines for a shot at our carriers. Our numbers advantage proved too much, and the assault ships were easily destroyed.
With their gambit failed and casualties mounting, the AI forces went on the defensive, and their fighters screened the remaining ships for a retreat.
With the AI forces making a strategic retreat towards Texrek, our forces pursued. Despite their reduced numbers, the AIs still had an ace to play. Halfway to the Texrek warppoint from the original battle site, and with our forces in hot pursuit, the AI forces suddenly turned for an ambush.
Unexpectedly finding themselves at point blank range before any fighters could be scrambled, our carriers were vulnerable, and the AI force struck with their remaining forces.
Two of our carriers were targetted and suffered moderate to heavy damage in the opening exchange, but the AI fleet quickly ran out of fighters to launch. Within minutes, the AI forces were again overwhelmed and the last of the fighter drones were destroyed. Also among the casualties was the missile ship which lead the attack against our carriers. Over fifty missiles were fired towards it, but given the situation and the lack of other targets, the pilots can hardly be blamed.
In total 93 of the original 160 fighters are still combat worthy, the enemy has lost all offensive capability, and we still have two fully operational carriers with which to continue the pursuit.
The damaged carriers will be travelling under their own power to shipyards in Kythrik until our fleet has cleared the path to the faster facilities in Texrek.

Just north, the AI troops have arrived at Dussullet. Around 30 tanks, and almost a thousand smaller units have been spotted on the surface of Dussullet IV and its outer moon, but our technicians are well entrenched. Hundreds of technicians have been shuttled in from IV A to help keep the production centers and main cities clear.

In the east, many scout ships have been spotted. A total of 13 additional craft in addition to the worrisome fleet of 12.
Demand for fighters and carriers is becoming desperate, and we will have to reduce troop production in order to get a supply of loaded carriers into the area quickly.
The latest estimates are that we have over 12000 troops on the surface in Auric, plus an additional few thousand waiting for transport so the liberation force is in no immediate danger. Primary production centers will be refocussed on bombers and carriers for the front lines.

2403.7
A stunning victory in Auric! With our forces surrounding the capital city, power was cut off and the AI core was besiged while supplies of food were shipped in for the civilians. After two weeks of increasingly desperate counterattacks by AI units, the main core had depleted its reserves and shut down in defeat. With thousands of technicians pouring into the city and the help of local citizens, the surviving AI units were disconnected from the grid and disabled. Power and other basic services are quickly being restored across the city, and planetary production will soon be up and running thanks to the many months our technicians have had to prepare for this day.
Our blockade fleet in Auric has gathered seven of the troop transports and is now heading north into Xuberra. Striking AI forces from behind and liberating some additional worlds may hopefully disrupt the blockade in Dussullet and allow us to provide reinforcements against the AI invasion there.

With this victory, it seems the AI forces have upped the stakes as well. The fleet in Dussullet has begun a concentrated bombing effort on the free moon of IV A, drawing troops away from the invasions on the other two worlds. To the south, AI forces bombed our liberation force on Quikil I, and we lost contact shortly afterwards.
At the same time, AI recovery and repair teams have infested colonies in Nibbrix, and attack forces have started flowing into the eastern systems of Dornot, Zuria, Fizbon and Baksha.

Fortunately, the southern AI forces are at the limit of their range, and the two largest fleets, comprising 30 ships total, have turned back.
We have a two-carrier attack fleet moving to intercept the carrier in Dornot, but few forces available for the other fronts.

2403.8
Minor skirmishes this month, with an AI scout destroyed in Texrek and a second in Dornot. The AI carrier in Dornot fled the system before it could be chased down.
In the north, the bombardment of Dussullet continues, but our ground forces have been able to keep the enemy fighters from damaging the local production centers. Troop casualties are light enough for a trickle of stealthy reinforcements to the main planet each month.
Our fleet entering Xuberra has identified three AI held worlds as soft targets and plus a fourth, larger planet which is likely to put up some resistance. We will be taking a few months to free the AI worlds and send liberators to the other inhabited planets before the fleet moves on to the north.
In the south, an AI fleet of 18 has been spotted in Quikil, heading for Nibbrix. The Nibbrix system itself has been scouted by one of our Liberators, and it is definitely under active AI control. We may still have a window of opportunity to easily free the planets before the AI forces gather too much local strength.

2403.9
Our fleet in Xuberra has successfully captured the smallest colony. A tiny, nearly useless ball, the lack of facility space means that this colony will never amount to much, but now fourty nine million more people are free. Only 3000 of the 4200 troopers available were needed in this operation, which lasted only a week.
In stark contrast, we suffered high casualties in Fizbon when an AI carrier ambushed our force at the warppoint. Although the enemy carrier was destroyed, we lost more fighters than they did and both of our own carriers were seriously damaged. The main bridges on both carriers were targetted and destroyed early in the battle, so they are limping back to the shipyard in Dornot.
We also lost a carrier to the local militia forces while dropping troops on Nibbrix IX; although the fighters valiantly defended the carrier long enough for it to reach the drop point, they were outnumbered and destroyed.
Our forces did manage to shoot down an anti-fighter destroyer in Telome, but we lost 20% of the carrier's contingent.

Some changes in strategy are required, and a commission has been launched to investigate new military options made available by the new facilities and databases discovered in Auric.
In the short term the ground battles in Dussullet are shifting gears. Our analysis of the AI forces indicate that mostly light units are on the planet along with a smaller number of medium bots. The heavy AI forces, on the other hand, have been concentrated on the moon, with over a hundred medium bots and 25 laser tanks to complement the light units.
Our main strength is on the planet, since our facilities can support a far greater number of troops and the enemy forces there are weaker.
Our main weakness is the lack of facilities on the moon; our logistics have been strained for months.
The new plan for Dussullet is to shift all of the available heavy weapons to the moon, and transfer the excess light equipment to the planet wher it can be used.
In addition, some suborbital skimmers will be constructed on the moon, armed with chainguns. The innovative development making this design worthwhile is the nanotube sheathed bullets; when fired at AI units, the nanotubes will short out any electronics exposed by the bullet holes. With a far faster rate of fire than the EMP charge-guns typically used by heavy troopers and a much better kill rate than the basic plasma rifles of light troopers, these skimmers will allow small crews to deliver far more damage.
Downsides to the skimmers include a long assembly time for the firepower; small arms can be mass produced twenty times faster, and no armor to speak of.
Given the situation on the moon, these craft are perfect; high attack power relative to their logistical demands, which is absolutely critical here, and their defensive weakness is mitigated by our strong fortifications.