To: Earther Imperial Governor General Sir Mario Menendez GCMG, Dolha.
Earther Deputy Governor General Sir Humphrey Fulbright CMG, Dolha.
Esteeler Governor Rhett Elgon, GFA starship 'Draconis'.
Sirian High Command, Gryt.
Centauri, Venerian, Wolfer and Zionist Authorities
Date: 3198:030
Fellow participants in the struggle;
Martian Naval Intelligence has now completed its (disappointingly short) report on the Baldar incident, and I here present its findings.
My attention has been drawn to the more comprehensive Earther reports from the 116AL and Dyme encounters posted on the Interstellar Network (InterNet), for which we are grateful to Earther High Command, and particularly the 130th Marine Regiment.
I am afraid that owing to the total destruction of the Exterminator at Baldar by nuclear weapons, little can be added to what the Earther techs
have already discovered except to confirm that the vessels encountered were of exactly the same configuration as those met by the Earthers. The combined firepower of the eight 'Viking' modules when linked together to form a Exterminator is reckoned by my intelligence staff to be the equivalent of 6-8 full battleships! It is small wonder that human casualties have been so heavy to date.
On a supplemental note, we have made some studies of bombardment patterns at Baldar that suggest the ship(s) circle in a low orbit, training their numerous PADs on the planet and keeping up a continuous fire, 'scanning' across it, descending by a couple of degrees each time with, dare I say... machinelike precision? This form of attack thus takes several days or even weeks to completely destroy a colony.
Our analysis suggests that it is possible to partially 'harden' the most vital elements of a colony against such attack, at least perhaps delaying eventual destruction until any rescue fleet can arrive.
Accordingly, we have begun work on such 'deep fortifications' at our southern and eastern border worlds: Meo, Korrmanshar, Pindar, Sil and Baldar (and of course the captial, Xynam), since this direction is where the Exterminators seem to be coming from.
Finally, we have had no contact reported from the independant colony at Gander since 3198:009, and suspect that the two (assumed) Exterminators from The Joint have now moved on to there. There are no reports as yet on the 'missing' Exterminator in our area and Force Midgard, under Admiral Rice-Burroughs, remains on station at Baldar, but is ready to be placed under the command of a Joint Authority as soon as one can be agreed, and the immediate threat to Martian colonies is neutralised.
My current understanding is that: Mars, Earth, Sirius and Asteel are all agreed in principle on the joint military command; that a site has yet to be agreed but Potomax and M'Drid have both been proposed (casting vote to Earth and Sirius?); and that Asteel has proposed and Mars agreed to making Earther Admiral Burwasher supreme commander. We should move forward as quickly as possible on this.
I further recommend that future intelligence reports be circulated only to those who have agreed to join the Joint Military Authority.
Others should not be able to count on our continued cooperation if they will not support us.
Yours in comradeship,
Supreme Councillor Bradbury.