Year 3, Month 1
Blacksmith begins repair and refit operations on the captured space station in the Horse system, which will greatly aid our construction efforts when completed. Colonists embark for the Wolf system. They name the planet Tempest due to it's remarkably volatile weather patterns. We have finally managed to open a dialogue with the Klacken and have gleaned the basics of their language. This was all thanks to a musician on the survey ship who studied the noises made by the strange creatures and came upon a pattern of "notes" that form their alphabet and allowed us to make the first steps in learning their language. The Elbonian lunar colony stands off our attack valiantly, and the attacking troops do not manage to secure the planetoid.
1^st Survey finds one WP in Goat upon completion of the rough survey. Its first action next month will be to probe this point. 2^nd Survey finishes the detailed study of Arctic Hare, finding nothing more of interest and moves out to the Roadrunner system.

Year 3, Month 2
Our scientists begin efforts to increase our general knowledge base. The improved Gun is available for deployment.
More troops move to the Elbonian moon and break their resistance. Security sweeps of the extensive mine workings commence to root out the rebel hiding places. Other forces embark for the homeworld of the Jumidar. Progress is again made with the Klacken and we can now exchange some basic information with them. Unfortunately, we have found it impossible to communicate with the primitive race in the Roadrunner system, and their behaviour has been extremely hostile towards us. Small Claw Runtipole has requested that ground troops be sent to control the aliens, who he has named the Desbrini due to their outward physical similarity to those unpleasant creatures of our myths.
The CL Apollo joins the fleet, and is the lead ship of what will be our main combatant class for several months. Four Javelin destroyers complete the refit to -r1 standard and three others take their place in the yards. Least Claw Rakis is given command of the newly formed Third Frontier Defence Force and moves out to the Arctic Hare system.
1^st Survey probes the WP in Goat and finds a potentially very lucrative system containing 2 T and 2 ST worlds in a binary system, which we name Penguin. Upon closer investigation, a primitive race is found on one of the ST worlds, but the others are uninhabited. Small Fang Twang brings the rest of her fleet through and they get down to work. Landing parties establish an initial communication with the inhabitants. 3^rd Survey finds no more open channels for exploration in Wolf and moves back to Iguana to complete the detailed survey there. 4^th Survey is reinforced by an additional ten Whisker scouts and manages to complete the detailed survey of Horse, finding three more WPs, which will be probed next month.

Year 3, Month 3
A major investment in new warships is made, as more ships are needed to adequately protect our growing realm. A colony is set-up on the second habitable planet in Walrus, which the pioneers name Tethys for it's extensive seas.
Communications with the Klacken have now been fully established, but they reject the chance to join the Confederation. Twang personally leads the efforts with the race in Penguin, establishing a partial understanding with them and finds that they call themselves the Smargis. The troops on the Elbonian moon finally remove all opposition and a moderate security force is set-up again. The Elbonians have now been conquered, and our first extra-system war has been brought to a victorious conclusion.
The Jumidar discover the error of their ways when a large army lands on their world. Although they resist fiercely, their primitive weapons are almost useless against us and our troops overwhelm them with ease.
In Penguin, 1^st Survey completes the rough survey, discovering one WP. It also discovers that the two type T planets are both normal in mineral wealth and climatically harsh. Surreptitious probes of the homeworld of the Smargis find that it is poor in minerals. 4^th Survey probes the systems in Horse, finding two systems, named Pelican and Kingfisher, that have no habitable planets, and a third system with a single ST type planet orbiting the primary star. Closer investigation reveals that it is inhabited by another primitive civilisation. Lacking any means of landing, the probing Whisker names the system Llama and withdraws. Contact will be attempted next month. The mineral wealth of the Elbonian colony world is found to be poor, and the geologist teams move to Elbonia.

Year 3, Month 4
The remaining troops in the Elbonia system are loaded aboard transports and head off for Roadrunner. Unfortunately, the Klacken and BrunAgi again reject our political overtures, and no further progress is made in communication with the Smargis. The Jumidar are rapidly taught that it does no pay to cross the mighty Haggi Confederation as our troops easily overrun the last resistance strongholds, establishing our normal moderate security level.
The unexplored WP in Penguin is found to lead to Porcupine, so 1^st Survey continues with the detailed survey. 2^nd Survey finds no further WPs in Roadrunner upon completion of the rough survey. 3^rd Survey finishes the detailed survey of Iguana and finds two more WPs. These lead back to the already known systems of Giraffe and Ark, so the fleet moves to Giraffe, heading for Beaver. 4^th Survey finds the Elbonian homeworld to be very rich in minerals and to have an almost perfect climate. We must establish a colony there urgently. The natives will not like this, but they are in no position to do anything about it with Haggi security forces enforcing our will. The fleet then enters Llama and begins the rough study of that system. Least Claw Grendall's contact team lands on the ST world, but fails to establish any sort of communication with the alien race there.

Year 3, Month 5
Our research into the Deep Space Buoy has finally resulted in a useable system.
Large numbers of colonists are sent to Elbonia. This causes some trouble amongst the natives, but the small number of riots are quickly quelled by our security troops. Full communication is established with the Smargis, but they reject an offer to join the Confederation, as do the Klacken. The BrunAgi also turn down the opportunity to upgrade to a Trade and Military alliance again. The aliens in Llama still do not understand our communication attempts.
The troops landing on the Desbrini homeworld meet with extremely stiff resistance from the natives. They fight with ferocity unheard of since the conquest of the Efreet. Despite their primitive weaponry, they manage to inflict quite a few losses on our troops. Their fearsome wave attacks even manage to overrun several units and what they do to any troops who attempt surrender is horrifying.
1^st Survey completes the detailed survey of Penguin, discovering no further WPs, and moves back into Goat to complete the detailed study there.
Three more Blacksmith class mobile shipyards have been completed and move off to the Horse system. The lead ship of a new light cruiser class is laid down. It is designed to lead the assault on defended WPs and is heavily armed with laser beams to slice apart close in defenders and allow our missile ships to enter in relative safety.
Thor CL: [3] Ax6H(BbS)(II)(I)(II)(I)(II)LLDbLLLLhQ(I)L [6/3]

Year 3, Month 6
Large numbers of colonists again swell our rapidly growing population on Elbonia. The first colonists arrive on the harsh world in the Reindeer system. This first small party is to establish a presence in this system. They name their frozen and bleak new home Hoth.
There is some progress with the aliens in Llama, and we have managed to glean the basic structure of their language. It appears that they call themselves the Falasians.
Further troops arrive on the Desbrini homeworld and all active opposition is crushed, despite continued determined resistance from the aliens.
2^nd Survey completes the detailed study of Roadrunner, with no new WPs being discovered. It begins the planetary survey to determine if this home to such a hostile race as the Desbrini has any value to us other than fresh conquest. 4^th Survey completes the rough survey of Llama, finding no new expansion routes.

Year 3, Month 7
Major colonisation efforts continue and two new cruisers join the fleet. Full communication is established with the Falasians, but they and the Smargis reject our generous offers of alliance.
1^st Survey completes the survey of Goat, finding nothing. It moves into the unsurveyed Porcupine system, home to the conquered Jumidar. 2^nd Survey finishes the habitable and non-habitable worlds surveys in Roadrunner, finding the Desbrini homeworld to have a benign climate and that it is unremarkable in mineral wealth. It moves into Arctic Hare on the way to Tortoise. 3^rd Survey finds one new WP in Beaver after a rough survey, which leads to a binary system that is given the name Chinchilla. There are one type ST and two type T worlds orbiting the primary star, and a system probe reveals that the second planet, a type T, holds a civilisation on the verge of full spaceflight. The aliens have six primitive space stations around their planet, and a small colony is detected on their solitary moon. Small Claw Smokey's initial communication efforts do not bear any fruit, but the aliens seem strangely familiar to all who see them.
The troops on the Desbrini homeworld completely eradicate the rebels and a moderate security force is set-up as per standard procedure.

Year 3, Month 8
Two new cruisers and destroyers join the fleet, along with another mobile shipyard. Colonisation continues apace, and the first settlers arrive on the Desbrini homeworld.
Our contact teams establish full communications with the Rigellian Commune in Chinchilla. However, they, the Klacken and the BrunAgi reject the diplomatic overtures we make to them. A trade agreement is signed with the Falasians, and they agree to the setting up of an outpost on their world to aid in their technological progress.
1^st Survey finds a new WP in Porcupine at the end of the month and also discovers that the Jumidar homeworld is rich in minerals. It would be a fine place for our close allies the Kimato to live. 4^th Survey finds that the Llama system is a dead end and that the Falasian homeworld is very rich in rare metals. The fleet moves back to Horse before heading out to try and expand our stellar domain.

Year 3, Month 9
More warships are completed and colonisation efforts continue apace.
Our diplomats are active again, and the Rigellian Commune has agreed to a trade treaty with us. However, negotiations with the Smargis did not go so well, and our entire staff was ejected from the planet after one of our ambassadorial aides inadvertently insulted the Smargis foreign minister's senior husband.
3^rd Survey completes the detailed survey of Beaver with no further WP discoveries. As the number of unexplored WPs available are limited in this sector, Third Small Claw Smokey will head back for the homeworld next month to help 4^th Survey in the unexplored frontier beyond Horse. 4^th Survey itself has just commenced the initial survey of Pelican.

Year 3, Month 10
All the usual business of empire continues. Our diplomatic corps is having a bad few weeks since the signing of the trade agreement with the Rigellians. On top of the incident with the Smargis, the BrunAgi have again rejected the offer of a Trade and Military alliance, and the Klacken have become so irritated with us that they have demanded that we leave their planet and never return. They also ordered us out of their star system, but they have no way to detect our presence, so this is meaningless. Discussions are ongoing, but the need for inhabitable real estate is such that it is likely that parliament will demand that we seize the planet.
Modern warships are sent out to the three Frontier Defence Forces (FDF) to replace the older versions currently tasked with rapid reaction. A small force increase is also authorised, bringing the standard strength of an FDF up to one cruiser, three destroyers and six corvettes. As more cruisers and destroyers are produced, this strength will continue to rise. The old ships will return to homeworld next month for refitting.
1^st Survey completes the detailed survey of Porcupine and finds one additional WP, which leads to binary system containing one large habitable planet orbiting the blue giant's companion star. Small Fang Twang names the system Hummingbird and moves in for the probe. Yet another primitive society is detected on the ST world, and first contact teams are landed. No initial progress is made. Twang summons 1^st Survey in to begin work in this system.
2^nd Survey completes the rough survey in Tortoise and finds two new WPs. These are probed. One leads to a single star system containing a habitable world that is home to yet another pre-industrial society. The system is given the name Camel. The second leads to a binary system that we name Armadillo, and it contains two class T planets which prove to be uninhabited. Small Claw Runtipole dispatches his fleet to survey this potential bonanza whilst he takes Surveyor 04 to Camel to contact the aliens. Again, no understanding is established.
3^rd Survey arrives back at homeworld, giving the crews chance for a few days leave.

Year 3, Month 11
The new Apollo class light cruiser Hyperion joins the fleet. Three Prototype CLs and four Javelin DDs from various FDFs return to homeworld for refit next month.
The contact teams in Camel and Hummingbird establish initial and partial communication respectively. The queen decides to give the diplomatic corps a month or two to sort out their house before attempting any more treaty negotiations.
In Armadillo, 2^nd Survey finds that the planet orbiting the primary star is rich in exploitable resources and has a most pleasing climate. It is given the name Mollari in honour of our Prime Minister. Colonists will be dispatched as soon as possible.
3^rd Survey exchanges Impaler, a Javelin class, for Gunner, a refitted Javelin, and moves out to Platypus.
4^th Survey finds 3 new WPs in Pelican upon completing the rough survey. Probes find that these lead back to Fox, into a new binary system containing a blue and red giant which is given the name Crocodile, and to a single star system that contains a habitable planet that is home to another aboriginal society. The system is named Wildebeest and the fleet moves in for the contact mission, which makes no initial progress, and to begin survey work.

Year 3, Month 12
A small party of colonists from Greta land on Mollari in the Armadillo system. Further arrivals are expected from Haggis next month. Enki and Shortbow, an Apollo and Javelin -r1 respectively, are commissioned. Three Prototype CLs and 5 Javelin DDs commence refit to current standards.
Partial communications are established with the primitive civilisations in Camel and Wildebeest.
1^st Survey finds no new WPs in Hummingbird upon completion of the rough survey.
2^nd Survey completes the survey of the habitable planet around the binary companion in Armadillo. It is rich in resources again, but the planet is subject to an unpleasant axial tilt that gives it a harsh climate. It is given the name Gkar in honour of Mollari's fractious advisor.