Message:

From: Admiral E. Rice-Burroughs, CinC Martian forces, MSS 'Odin', Baldar.

To: Supreme Commander Joint Allied Command,

Admiral Burwasher, ESS Alligator in transit to Potomax.

Sent: 3198.050

Admiral, a brief reply to your communique.

>The Aim of the Joint Allied Command is to destroy all Exterminator units in Quadrant 7.

>OVERALL MISSION PRIORITIES ARE:

>1st Maintain a fleet in being.

>2nd Defence of Human Colonies

>3rd Destruction of Exterminator units

Understood.

>JOINT ALLIED COMMAND STRUCTURE

>1. (snip, GCHQ Potomax initially but probably mobile)

>2. The ships of the JAC will be organised into fleets of comparable size, and sufficient force to defeat one Exterminator super-battleship, code name "Viking".

This is the principle we have been working on. The problem of course is that Exterminators don't always cooperate by working singly, as we learned at Balder. I think we need a central fleet capable of dealing with two of them at once that can be sent to known locations.

By the way: I thought that 'Viking' was the term you had used for the individual modules of a Exterminator? I'd hate for us to confuse the two!

(snip - other races deployments)

>5. The Martian ships should form one fleet based on Baldar, responsible for the sector from S5 to Flash Peek, including Matanzas.

>ACTION: Martian CinC to deploy and name the fleet, and report progress.

Current fleet deployment:

Force Midgard (Balder M25 limit) - currently assumed capable of tackling one Exterminator

1 BB (Odin) - Flagship

8 CV (Archangel, Behemoth, Commissar, Conqueror, Defiant, Dominatrix, Sovereign, Suzerain) - all with full complement of Pacifiers

2 CH (Fury, Phoenix)

1 CL (Hero)

4 DD (Battleaxe, Banshee, Backlash, Blatant)

1 ALS (Intrepid) - plus full Marine complement

8 LSS (Flint, Haleakala, Irkut, Olympus Mons, Pechenga, Phobos, Utopia Planatia, Yakutia)

Other elements:

3 CV under repair at Xynam (Fearless, Overlord, Superior)

1 DD picket duty at Thor (Brilliant)

1 DD ex-picket at Valhal, en route to Baldar to rejoin main force (Brazen)

1 LSS en route to Potomax via Xynam, carrying military and diplomatic staff to Allied HQ (Severnaya)

>OPERATION "WILD GOOSE"

>My analysis is that the Dark Nebula is probably the nub of Exterminator operations. It is probable that more non-aligned colonies than Nebok, The Joint and Gander have been attacked. It is probable that the Exterminators have bases and that they are in the Dark Nebula. OP Wild Goose is to test this theory.

I would use the term 'possible' rather than 'probable'; we have no idea of their logistical requirements or need for supply/comms lines, but otherwise I think it's a good idea.

(snip fleet deployment) - again a reasonable move and much what I would do under the circumstances.

>8. The Martian fleet is to detach Task Forces to recce systems Gander, Kragg, The Flats etc. Report to JACHQ and Esteeler fleets. This Fleet may also engage at the commanders discretion.

I would remind you, Admiral, that we have an estimated 3 Exterminators in our sector. I have no problems with chasing down the damaged one that we encountered at Baldar, but the two last presumed at Gander are 'fresh' and way beyond our current capabilities.

We have been closely monitoring comms from posssible destination systems, and I have been using some destroyers as picket ships but will put more out as per your instructions.

Admiral Rice-Burroughs

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