[sachmo]

Things quiet down

2413.7

The work of the Research Guild continued to reap benefits for the Remorhaz Society on both the home front and the front lines. The advances in computer technology and scientific theory made possible a new research system that would instantly link all of the research done in one lab with what was being done in another, allowing efficiency of the research done in the labs to be increased by twenty percent. The new lab system was being installed first on the planet Hera, and would not be complete for another eight months, but the researchers were predicting a major increase in productivity.
Another successful project completed this month was the application of contra-terrene propulsion technology to missile weapons. These engines, which has already increased the range of the ships by fifteen percent, increased the missile range by twenty percent while also allowing a larger warhead to be mounted on the missile.
While experimenting with missile propulsion, a new class of missile was manufactured. Taking the principle of the emergency propulsion pod and its anti-matter core and combining it with the anti-matter warhead from an anti-matter torpedo produced a smaller but faster missile called the plasma missile. The biggest drawback of the plasma missile was its short range and lower damage at long range, but its quickness was a significant improvement.
The Design Bureau immediately upgraded all of the plans for the missile-carrying ships to incorporate the new generation of capital ship missiles, and began exploring the options that the plasma missiles would give them.

More mining plants opened on Correlia as the lull in fighting continued. Thanks to the exploits of the Navy in the many space battles over the planet, colonists began to arrive in greater numbers, eager to start a new life on the frontier. As more workers came, new industries had to be created to support them, and Correlia was rich in minerals, making mining the industry of choice on the planet.
The Ukra-Tal sent yet another single ship into the system. It moved to within one sector of Correlia before Rear Admiral Hitcher ordered the entire fleet to intercept the ship.
Over Iolo V, they caught up with it. The Ukra-Tal ship was yet another new design, the Hvittingfoss. It appeared to be yet another armed colony ship, this time a gas colonizer, and it was packed from bow to stern with Ukra-Tal colonists.
Hitcher ordered the ship to be hailed and offered surrender terms. This was, of course, not answered. The Remorhaz fleet destroyed the enemy colony ship in short order. The system was clear once more.

The feared and anticipated showdown in Lenoltris was not to be. Fleet Admiral Reed watched as the enemy fleet slowly withdrew closer to the Yukra wormhole, where he expected them to adopt a defensive posture. Instead, within a week, the entire enemy fleet entered the wormhole and headed back into their system. While it was true that they had a numerical advantage over the Remorhaz fleet, Reed had hoped that they might be able to goad the Ukra-Tal into attack Highrock, or splitting their fleet to go after multiple objectives, allowing his own forces to meet them on a much more even footing. Their retreat would allow him to absorb the ships from task force 1.1, and after that point if the Ukra-Tal came back with another large fleet, he could have more hope of meeting them on an even footing.
Two weeks later, Santos arrived at Highrock with his task force. Task Force 1 would be able to hold its own, now.

In Fezzran, the local industry worked feverishly to manufacture space mines. If they could get them built and launched in the next few months, they would be able to close the Last major hole in the Lenoltris front line. After that, the Ukra-Tal would have to fight to get through to the rest of the society.