Arrh what a lovely thing to say 
thanks a bunch Drengin...and not just Altarians required for the great constructor fleet. Oh one thing: Drengi not allowed though.... 
The following was a transcript taken from the Lilac House Triangular Office 2nd Jan 2237. Attendees: President Benis Mue III, Lilac House Chief of Staff: Heath Bartmanis, Chief of the Star Navy: Admiral Deg'ho Sinsa and Marine Commander: Lt. General Dul Tarot.
NB: This transcript was only made available after the ruling Populist Party passed a new law; the Freedom of Information Act 2300, to celebrate Republican rights and freedoms for Altaria's 24th Milennium. (BM): Goddamit I'll have his frakking balls ripped off for this! How dare he portray this Administration as dithering and weak just because the Torians got to Antares first! Heath you read the little rat the riot act goddamit!
(HB): Yes Mr President, though the press are bound to cry foul if they see us leaning on one of their own. I would advise caution Mr President-we can handout payback at a time of our choosing: The Editor of the
Decius Declarer will leave himself exposed soon enough..
(BM): It's frakking intolerable! First we lose Antares V to the Torians then this diatribe in the Capitol planet's most popular e-rag: I have an election to fight next month godammit!
(HB): Yes Mr President.
(BM): Well? I take it there's a reason that you've marched the Chiefs of the Navy and the Marines into my office? Tell me the good news!
(HB): There is a reason Mr President. Admiral please outline your plans.
(DS): Mr President first may I offer my sincerest apologies for our failure to take Antares V. It will not happen again-
(BM): Frakking right it won't Admiral-not if you value those bars on your shoulder and that 6 figure salary we pay you! Go on.
(DS): Er. We may have lost Antares V Mr President but I believe that the greater prize lies many parsecs to the East in the heart of Terran space. There we have Iconia V: a class 12 Planet with a population of 6 billion: most of whom we believe would be militarised by the Terran Alliance Defence Force. We have ordered 2 Fleets to make best speed to Iconia V: the first is the famous Task Force 1424-
(BM): Enough of the military acronyms Admiral-give it to me in plain Altarian!
(HB): That's the
Rajak's Claw Battlegroup Mr President.
(BM):
Rajak's Claw...hmmm. Commander Thom I believe. The legendary Ship's Captain. Didn't he once take on 3 Drengin Frigates with just one Cruiser and win?
(DS): That's him Mr President. He has 8 new Mark 8's in his fleet and he will be joined by Task Force 758-er the
Spiro's Beak Battlegroup led by Vice Commander Sirita Muun and her fleet of 6 Mark 6 Cruisers.
(HB): Mr President she recently attacked a Terran fleet off Antares; a Battleship and its' escorts and resoundingly won. She was then ordered to stand aside and let pass a second fleet similarly configured but she attacked that fleet and destroyed it too. She's a bit of a loose cannon if you ask me and she hates Thom.
(DS): I would suggest she used her initiative Heath but I won't deny that there is no love lost between her and Thom. We-ah-feel that their rivalry will keep them both fresh and on the edge.
(BM): Do you indeed Admiral? And what were the losses in her 2 attacks? Would she not have been better waiting for the more heavily armed ships of Thom's Battlegroup before pressing home her attack?
(DS): She lost 2 Cruisers in both attacks but the Terran Fleets outgunned hers: it was a brilliant Fleet action in my opinion.
(BM): Goddammit Admiral can you not even control the Senior Officers in your Fleet? What you mean is that she wouldn't wait because waiting would have placed her under the command of the more senior Thom-is that it? What were her losses man!
(DS): There were 226 souls lost on both ships but more than 300 managed to escape in the lifepods and were rescued....
(Long Silence)
(DT): Mr President if I may?
(BM): Yes please go on General-I was just wondering whether the Admiral is going to personally respond to the families of all those who perished or whether we should get Vice Commander Muun to do it if she ever returns. Go on.
(DT): Mr President we have a following Fleet of 5 Advance Troop Transports each carrying 1 billion Altarian Marines, many of whom have been trained in Tir Qu'an offensive techniques. We are confident that we will be able to take Iconia V, then Slepur II and finally Heinlein V with these Troops. We can then pause or augment that force with Rapid-trained reinforcements from the worlds we take and press home our attacks on the remaining Terran worlds. We know the Torians have already started to appropriate the Terran planets well to the North so time is of the essence-we must not delay!
(BM): You know the Terrans are our genetic cousins?
(DT): Mr President sir?
(BM): The Terrans. We are related to them-a link whose origins stretch back to before records and only remain as legend. President Allan Bradley reminded me of this as he tried to sue for peace for a second time yesterday you know? It will be a tragedy of epic proportions this conquest.
(DS): I would remind you Mr President that it was the Terran Alliance who declared war on us-a completely unprovoked act and one steeped in greed. We must prosecute this war to it's natural conclusion-now is not the time for weakness.
(HB): Watch your tongue Admiral: it is the President you address not some witless naval rating!
(BM): It's ok Heath, old friend. The Admiral is right-now is not the time for doubt but hear this gentlemen: our lives are fleeting when compared to the span of the stars, whose galaxies we inhabit. It may be the right thing to do now but history will judge us more harshly, I fear.
(DS): But Mr Presid-
(BM): Enough! I approve your plan-do your best Admiral. Gentlemen you may leave.
(DS): Mr President.
(DT): Mr President we will not fail you.
(door shuts)
(BM): Goddammed military men Heath! They are such boors! Mindless killing machines that's all they are. Listen: Dr Hansa is outside: show him in. He says he has found a way of constructing true capital ships using what he calls a Q Field-says he has started work on constructing a Battle Cruiser that will make our Mark 8s look like a Tinsser kitten-this I have to see!
(Transcript end)
