To: 5th fleet Command & LN Command

[BAF Admiralty Board]

Message Class: Audio-Visual
Encryption: Invincible
To: LN & 5th Fleet Commands
From: Fleet Admiral E. Steiner

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You have my sincerest condolences

The losses you have sustained in the defence of New London are staggering, and I personally thank you for it.

However, at long last we are advancing. I have dispatched the Essex (under the command of the newly gazetted Admiral Redmond) and what remains of her fleet to retake the Dublin system and give chase to the Corsair battleship in that system. Macduff has been ordered to Aland for much needed repairs while I myself have taken command of the Norfolk.

Intelligence indicates that the surviving GRN vessels have taken position in the Leeds smog clouds in an attempt to delay any type of relief to Leeds. Before we move on that system I would ask how your own fleets are fairing and what your suggestions are.

Best Regards,

Sir Edmund Steiner
First Sea Lord
Bretonian Armed Forces

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Open to Replies

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[DarkTails]

Communication channel opened...
Encryption: Unbreakable
Origin: Carrier Yorktown
ID: Admiral Miles Prower
Subject: To the bitter end

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Fleet Admiral Steiner,

I'm glad to hear you're still out here among the living. My deepest regards to the families of all lost aboard the Warwick, Suffolk and on the Planet itself. My only regret is not acting fast enough to prevent the bombardment altogether.

To the matter at hand, Battlegroup Ottawa has been assigned the most combat capable vessels from the remaining Liberty forces. At this time I can only provide battlegroups Ottawa and Concord, with the latter in reserve for offensive action, while the Alma will be forced to stand down for the time being. What few survivors we could find were taken aboard, and she rests moored to Waterloo bringing the living to safety. It's likely she and her escorts will be returning home for repairs and reinforcement.

As you're likely already aware, the Royalists have shut down the gate connections between London and Leeds. I find it likely they also shut down the Tau gate to prevent a northern assault aswell. I'm going to be honest. Any way we push through will be a bloody, merciless battle to reach the planet in hopes of saving as many as we can and disrupt any actions they're taking. My analysts and I agree our best bet is to pursue the Dax directly. No doubt she suffered greatly in both evading the bulk of our forces and the attack on Planet New London. Our best chance at a rapid breakthrough would be to continue pressuring them. Especially before we allow them to dig in. Early recon suggests she's by herself defending the New London jumphole while their other force stands ready for a Magellan invasion.

If we're going to bring a quick end to remaining Gallic resistance and liberate Leeds, we must follow the Dax. It will take too long for Ageira to forcefully reactivate the gate, my analysts say, and I'm inclined to agree.

If you and your Admiralty have ideas, please share. Time is short for anyone trapped on Leeds, and we will follow you to the end in ridding Bretonian space of the Royalist menace.

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Admiral Miles Prower
5th Fleet, Liberty Navy

[Victor Steiner]

Message Class: Audio-Visual
Encryption: Invincible
To: Admiral Prower
From: Fleet Admiral E. Steiner

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Admiral

While I am not normally in favour of running headlong into the enemy, I agree. Our options are limited but while the Dax and the Montmorency are separated, we have a chance. I offer you the option of repairing and refitting the Alma at Aland Shipyard in Omega-3 alongside the Macduff. It may prove safer to travel there rather than all the way back to Liberty. The decision of course is up to you.

Before we make any final decisions, we ought to wait on [LN] command, every perspective counts after all.

Best Regards,

Sir Edmund Steiner
First Sea Lord
Bretonian Armed Forces

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Open to Replies

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[Inferno]

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COMM ID: Office of the Admiralty
TARGET ID: Admiral Steiner, BAF
ENCRYPTION: LIBNAV-THETA-14
PRIORITY: URGENT

initializing image feed...
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Admiral Steiner,

. . . . .The losses of war can never be counted in expenses, men, systems, planets, or ships. We have all experienced loss in this war, but we cannot grieve for them yet. The extent of the damages done to the fleet has not been completed, but it is clear that any major damage will require several weeks to tend to, even if in spacedock. Additional combat maintenance platforms have been requested for transit to patch anything that cannot be fixed in a realistic timeframe.

. . . . .What reports we do have, however, show a clear line in the metaphorical sand. Battlegroup Alma is reporting moderate losses in strikecraft and supporting vessels, but nothing to completely put them out of action. Tactical staff onboard Falcon-Class Ottawa is reporting minimal losses, with reinforcing supplies inbound. Concord crews have disputing claims, but overall the strength is enough to enter combat. Simply put, Battlegroups Ottawa and Concord will be in combat condition in standard times, but Alma will be delegated to second-line duty, until we can get an definite damage report.

. . . . .The most logical course of action would be to hold what lines we can, and hope that any sorties that happen past Leeds will be in our favor. Should the Gallic Royal front get any form of reinforcement, the difficulty of breaking the defense will increase significantly. However, war is the game of uncertainty, no matter who - or what - it is against. At the current moment, we have the momentum, and it would be unwise to let it decay. The Royal Navy are no doubt expecting for us to advance, and have most likely formed a final line of defense for Leeds. Whatever time we do spend before operation, it needs to be spent planning our next attack.

. . . . .I will not have my hand forced by the Gallic threat again. Reports of a very thin, or even broken, supply line for the Royal Navy exist. Should these still hold true, then what supplies that remain with these battlegroups will be their undoing. Swift and unending siege against their current front line will be the course of action. Limited supplies, with no reinforcement, and constant harassment will break the morale of the enemy. That is, if the enemy fleet can survive until said point.

We will end this, whether it is at Leeds, the Taus, or His Royalty's doorstep. Gallia will fall.

Kazuo, Jason
Fleet Admiral
Liberty Navy Primary Fleet, Admiralty Office

Important: This communication remains the property of the Liberty Defense Forces and is subject to the jurisdiction of the Neural Net Communications Act 807A.S, Section 30. If you have received this message in error, you are requested to contact the sender and delete the communication.

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[Victor Steiner]

Message Class: Audio-Visual
Encryption: Invincible
To: Admiral Prower
From: Fleet Admiral E. Steiner

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Admirals Kazuo & Prower

I will ask our Northern allies to provide what details they can so we may have a better picture of what is going on. The evacuation of Leeds has been proceeding reasonably smoothly with scattered reports indicating an increased number of desertions from the Gallic front. However I cannot verify these claims, so I am forced to assume that they are, at best, exaggerated, at worst, untrue.

For the time being however, I agree and we must step up our harassment of the enemy without seeking a full engagement just yet. I will forward any relevant information received to both of you.

Best Regards,

Sir Edmund Steiner
First Sea Lord
Bretonian Armed Forces

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Open to Replies

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