Some time in the near future of Man....

Plot Blurb
__________

It's the year 2358 and Man dominates a strife torn Solar System. 
Powerful corporations, despotic governments, rebel installations and
neo- renaissence dissidents struggle for raw materials, survival and
ultimately control of the Solar System in the largest secessionary war 
in history.

Plot in a nutshell
__________________

In the twenty second century the small moons and asteroids near the large
gas giants became economically desirable due to their immense mineral
wealth. Early pioneers were Earthborn, but later as the larger asteroids
developed, they became home to many people who started families in
space. As the early astronauts were selected for endurance, intelligence
and reactions, they quickly came to the opinion that they were better
than their Earth (and now Moon) born cousins.
    Great Mining companies were formed, sending large robotic AIs to
collect and gather the raw materials needed for space flight; gasses and
metals as well as carbon (needed to combine with the gasses to form
organic compounds and plastics.) They became more and more efficient at
their operation, regularly sending vast transports back to the inner
system, filled with processed goods and raw materials.
    Although the Outer System was opulant in minerals and metals, it had
poor food sources and had to rely on shipments from an Earth already
swelled by large populations. A famine on Earth and a panic in the senate
saw food exports dropping drastically.
    When the Asteroid Belt's second largest biodome was hit by a meteorite,
causing exenstensive damage, their food and oxygen supplies started to
dwindle, and disaster beconed if the dome was not repaired. People
started dying, and out of desperation a belt controlled ship hijacked a
large food transport in transit between Earth and Venus. A vengeful Earth
hit back, capturing a large shipment of hydrogen isotopes in transportation
from Jupiter. The Government stated that it was a military target, but the 
Belt claimed that it was civillian. The Outer System seceeded from Earth
control, forming a hazy conglomerate of independant nations. These were kept 
stable by; the continuing changing physical positions of the bodies in the 
solar system, their own economics, and mutual technological respect.
    The Earth Government along with the colonies on the Moon, Mars and
Venus amalgamated strategically to form the United Earth Alliance (UEA).
They started expanding their military for the first time in centuries, 
and their now heavily Belt plundered trade routes started being protected 
by powerful craft. Naturally, the Belt responded by upgrading their 
hardware, and lessening the number and increasing the intensity of vital 
raids. Also, working on improved biodomes, they had the prospect of complete 
self sufficiency- if they could survive long enough. The mutual dislike grew, 
and behind the scenes, the Belt started to build a large armada of ships 
capable of fighting the deadly UEA Military to a standstill.
    Several families in the Belt along with some of the larger terrestrial
companies saw room for self improvement. They attempted to re-establish a
Feudal Empire in the solar system, basing themselves not on planets or 
asteroids, but housing themselves in space craft or moving cities. They 
quickly became significantly more than a minor annoyance to both the Belt 
and the UEA. And when they started poaching leading scientists with better
'virtual' real estate, a real technological race started, with the small 
Royal Families in the lead.
    The UEA sent out several probes to the closer stars at near light
speed. The results took decades to return, and were heavily encoded so
that only the UEA Military could glean the much sought after information
from them. They denied the existance of any discoveries.
    Meanwhile, the Belt governing powers deemed the Outer System self
sufficent, and pledged to remove the Government from Earth and the inner
planets. They started to amass their fleets near Jupiter and Saturn where
most of their population, mining and military centers were located. 
Quietly, and out of the public eye, the UEA increased it's production of 
craft and formed an armada of it's own. 
    The game opens with a massive task force suprising the Belt ships in 
poor strategical locations and forcing the Belt to abandon their postition 
as controllers of Saturn space.

Mission Types
_____________

RECONNASANCE:
Patrol          : Fighters vs fighters. A few at a time.
Furball         : Fighters vs fighters. Many fighters involved.
Culling         : Take out disabled enemy craft before reactivation.

OFFENSIVE:
Surgical Strike : Fighters vs few capships. Light fighter cover.
Large Strike    : Fighters vs many capships. Lots of fighter cover.
Fleet strike    : Capships vs Capships. Lots of fighter cover.
Boarding        : Rape ships attempt to capture an enemy capship.
Bombing         : Destroy enemy cities/ installations.

DEFENSIVE:
Ambush          : One wing of fighters is suprise-attacked by another.
Escort          : Protect one or a few capital ships from destruction.
Small Convoy    : Your ships are en-route and fall under attack.
Large Convoy    : Same as above, but with more firepower.
Air Cover       : Protect your cities/ installations from bombing.
Fleet Protection: Guard a fleet from attack, possibly even from another
                  fleet.

Mission Stratagies
__________________

Thrust          : Several wings of fighters or capships fly deep into
                  enemy space doing as much damage as possible before
                  retreating or dieing.
Feint           : One group manouvers enemy fighter cover away from its
                  charge, leaving it defenseless, then friendly
                  reinforcements arrive to take it out.
Parry           : Friendly ships move to intercept an enemy thrust so as
                  to stop it in it's tracks.
Probe           : Scouting to assess enemy strength. No real attacking.
Back Peddle     : One side retreats in an orderly fashion
Rout            : One side retreats in a disorderly free-for-all.
Reinforce       : More ships of one side arrive from hyperspace, or are
                  launched from a carrier to bolster forces.

Mission Locations
_________________

Ground          : In the atmosphere of, or very near the surface to a
                  planet, moon or large asteroid.
Asteroid field  : In an asteroid field.
Cloudtops       : Very near a planet.
Local           : Within sight of a planet.
Deep Space      : No planets within sight.

Belt Plot Tree
______________

                      .....Saturn.........
                      :                  :
              .....The Rout....  ...Above the Ecliptic.......
              :               :  :                          :
              :               :  :                          :
              :               Pants Down.....    ......Sneak attack..
              :               :             :    :                  :
              :               :             :    :                  :
              :  ......Regrouping...  ..Trailing Trojans.. ......Mars...
              :  :                 :  :                  : :           :
              :  :                 :  :                  : :           :
              :  :  ..............Ceres.....  .........Saturn. ....Defence
              :  :  :                      :  :              :.:..... ...:
              :  :  :                      :  :  ..............:    : :
       ...Defending Jupiter...         ...Aliens....      ........Uranus...
       :                     :         : .....     :      :               :
       :                   Defeat  Invasion  :    War 1 A Shot  ..Mop it up.
       :                                     :          :     : :          :
       :                                     :..........:    War 2         :
  The Small Things                                                         :
                                                                       Win 1


1 Saturn:
  The Belt is forced to abandon it's bases around Saturn and regroup it's
  Saturn fleet far above the ecliptic.
  Belt Fleet is in disarray and needs to retreat and regroup.
  4 UEA, 1 UEA+Royal.
  1 Patrol. You outnumber UEA enemy. Several wings.
X 2 Convoy. Belt transports and corvettes are under attack from wings of
    medium and heavy fighters as well as a wing of 2 pickets.
X 3 Surgical Strike. Take out an enemy frigate. Protected by 3 wings
    of mediums. You have escort of light fighters.
X 4 Ground/Moon. Escort three corvettes on an attack run on a captured
    installation. Four wings of fighters. One per corvette and one for
    your wing.
  5 Scout out a fleet; destroy one wing of enemy fighters. Royal reinforce
    ments arrive to do the same. Do not engage the fleet. Far away. Some
    bigger ships; ie destroyers.

2 Above the Ecliptic:
  Belt ships have succesfully abandoned thier posts around Saturn witohout
  too much damage and are mopping up the rest of the UEA strike force. The
  Royal House shows it's face, and rumors of a disaster near Uranus surface.
  3 UEA, 2 Royal.
  1 Fleet protection. Cover a large conglomeration of friendly ships with
    your large wing of fighters. Enemies hyperspace in with mediums heavies
    and bombers.                                                     exe
  2 Furball. Your wing of heavies are under attack from several waves of
    royal fighters.
  3 Surgical Strike. Three frigates are attacking a UEA destroyer. Protect
    them from the destroyers fighter cover and assist. You're in a medium.
  4 Convoy. Escort three damaged transports from a UEA attack
    consisting of 3 frigates. The enemy is following and closing only
    slowly. Light fighter cover. You're in a heavy.
  5 Royal heavy fighters are attacking a Belt destroyer. Kill them.

2 The Rout:
  Losing the Saturn Battle, Belt ships flee under consistant attack.
  4 UEA, 1 Royal.
  1 Fleet protection. Rout. A large amount of small to medium belt ships
    are entering hyperspace whilst under exensive UEA attack. It is your
    task to wipe out 2 wings of fighters.
  2 A Royal cruiser is attacking a convoy. Take out it's fighter cover and
    leave. The convoy is corvettes and transports and is also doomed.
  3 Fleet strike. You must protect corvettes frigates and a destroyer
    from attack by an enemy fleet. Your only charge is the destroyer.
  4 Furball. UEA heavy fighters threaten to overpower you in your light
    fighters.
  5 Big Convoy. In your bomber, take out enemy frigates whilst many large
    capital ships enter hyperspace.

3 Neptune Sneak attack:
  Belt ships have to destroy a UEA reinforcement fleet before they move
  on the innter planets.
  3 UEA, 1 UEA+Royal 1 UCorp
  1 Furball. Mix it up with large numbers of fighters some distance away
    from an enemy fleet. The fleet is not a target, although it could in
    theory be taken out if enough of your side survives.
  2 Convoy. Attack an enemy convoy in a heavy fighter. On your wing are
    another 5 wingmen. Very light fighter cover
  3 Fleet Strike. A Belt destroyer wing falls foul of several UEA frigates.
    and fighter cover.  After some time, a UEA battleship arrives. You and
    your fighters are then ordered to retreat and regroup.
  4 Fleet Strike. Flying a corvette with 4 wingmen and 2 destroyers, attack
    the a UEA fleet with intent to destroy it. Heavy fighter cover, but
    several enemy pickets arrive. Some Royal interferance
  5 Capture a UEA destroyer. Protect the boarding vessel from destruction.
    Light fighter cover, but plenty - o - UCorp reinforcements.

3 Pants down:
  A UEA reinforcement fleet suprises the belt fleet, and they must fight
  them off from badly defended positions. A new enemy shows it's face.
  3 UEA, 1 UEA+Royal, 1 UCORP.
  1 Ambush. Patrol an asteroid field for deactivated UCORP fighters around
    a ucorp attack ship. Some are ambush, reactivate and scare you.
  2 Convoy. 3 Ucorp attack ships are on attack runs on a convoy. Protect
    several convoy transports and destroy the attack ships + fighter
    cover.
  3 Escort. Protect a destroyer from attack from an enemy surgical strike.
    about 10 stings and 6 bombers make your life hard.
  4 Thrust through enemy lines with your fleet in convoy mode. A large
    amount of capital ships fight. After they have broken through, the
    surviving Belt ships hyperspace out. Destroy fighter cover and do what
    you can. Fly a Heavy with several wingmen.
  5 Convoy. The remaining ships are once again being attacked by both UEA
    and Royal fighters. Destroy all fighters. Protect the carrier.

4 Mars:
  Belt ships attempt to liberate the Red Planet. It appears that the UEA could
  be fighting 2 wars . . .
  3 UEA, 2 UEA+UCORP.
  1 Mars orbit. Strike. Hit an enemy convoy. Fly bombers. 1 wingman, several
    escorts. Heavy enemy fighter cover. Some reinforcements.
  2 Furball. Mars. Several wings of fighters engage over the ground. A Belt
    Carrier is in the upper atmosphere. Protect it.
  3 Bombing. Mars. Take out a large military installation and some buildings.
    Protect a wing of 4 bombers with 3 medium wingmen from substantial air
    resistance.
  4 Air Cover. Protect a beach head of buildings from attack. UCORP invades
    with full compliment of attack ships and fighters.
  5 Mars orbit. Hit the local UCORP Beserker. Kill it.

4 Trailing Trojans
  The Belt ships defend their mining facilities near Jupiter.
  3 UEA, 1 Royal, 1 UCORP
  1 Escort. Assist a corvette wing in taking out a carrier. Several fighter
    wings are targetting the corvettes. Destroy them.
  2 Strike/Furball. A strike wing of fighters and bombers has intercepted a
    Royal Cruiser. Heavy fighter cover. Destroy the royals.
  3 Fleet protection. 2 Destroyers are under the attack of 4 UC attack ships.
    Avoid fighter cover and protect the destroyers from destruction.
  4 Fleet protection. 2 Destroyers are under attack from 5 UEA frigates with
    light fighter cover. Take out them all.
  5 Fleet strike. With the same 2 destroyers, attack a UEA taskforce consisting
    of fighters, pickets, frigates and a destroyer.

4 Regrouping:
  The belt ships must regroup to be able to launch a satisfactory attack
  on the inner planets. It's now or never.
  3 UEA, 1 Royal, 1 UCORP.

5 Defence
  The UEA launches a vast attack on the belts newest aquisition: Mars
  4 UEA, 1 Royal. 1 Look at an alien destroyer totalling somebigshit.
  1 Furball. Scramble - Royal fighters are attacking one of your cities.
    Destroy them. On Mars.
  2 In Mars Orbit, a UEA fleet is assembling. Just cause havoc for a bit;
    do as much damage as you can with your wing of heavy fighters.
  3 In Mars Orbit, your wing of bombers has been dispached to destroy one of
    the taskforce convoys heading for the surface.
  4 On Mars. Strike. UEA fighters escorting a surface attack fleet towards
    one of your cities. Protect the city.
  5 Mars Orbit. Culling. A UEA destroyer is being boarded and reactivated.
    Destroy the Rape Class ship, which is under heavy escort, and destroy
    the destroyer.

5 Saturn
  The Belt tries to retake Saturn, and is suprised to see it almost already
  out of UEA's hands.
  2 UEA, 2 UCORP, 1 UEA+Royal+Ucorp. 1 Look at an alien destroyer.

5 Ceres
  After loosing the Trailing Trojans as well as a large number of ships,
  Belt craft have to defend Ceres.
  3 UEA, 1 UEA+Royal, 1 Royal+UCORP+alien fighters.

6 Uranus
  Belt forces have enough ships to spare to launch a search near the outer
  planet Uranus to corroberate rumors of a deadly force.
  3 UCORP, 2 Alien.
  1 Fleet protection. Your task force is attacked by several attack ships
    and a full compliment of fighters. Take out the attackships, and protect
    the larger ships on your fleet too.
  2 Strike. Attack a UEA beserker. It launches wave after wave of fighter,
    and the battle is fierce.
  3 Convoy. En rout to Triton, 2 alien fighters and an alien destroyer exit
    hyperspace and attack the fleet. They take out a destroyer and leave.
    The corvettes scramble, and several attack ships attack. Kill them.
  4 On Triton. Strike. Destroy the north ridge buildings in your bomber.
    Heavy attack ship and fighter air resistance.
  5 Furball. On Triton! Aliens! A wing of alien fighters must be destroyed
    by four wings of your belt medium heavy and bomber fighters. Booyah!

6 Aliens
  Outnumbered, belt ships start to fall afoul of a strange entity.
  1 UEA, 1 UCORP, 1 3 Alien

6 Defending Jupiter:
  Defending their main base from a UEA onslaught
  5 UEA

7 Mop it up
  Taking out the final reminants of the UEA military, the Belt trys to
  establish the Free Governing Force to help defend from new maurauding
  ships. Earth Orbit.
  1 UEA, 1 Royal, 2 UCORP, 1 Alien
  1 Moon. Earthrise. The Royals have captured a base on the moon. Take out
    Royal Air resistance and protect several corvettes attack the base.
  2 An Alien incursion deep into the world of man. It must be stopped.
    Against several alien fighters and a destroyer, lead a wing of fighters
    against the fighters whilst a battleship and 3 destroyers attempt to
    destroy the destroyer.
  3 Furball. Scraps of the UEA fleet are massing for a last offensive. Some
    ships are passing through this area. Take on many UEA fighters with your
    wing, as well as some Royal and UC interferance for fun.
  4 The local UC threat must be squashed. Lead an assault on a beserker flight
    squadren whilst destroyers attack the mothership. Take care of attack ships
    bringing up the rear.
  5 Fleet strike. The Final Offensive. Furball. Lots of UEA and Belt ships
    are engaging in a fire fight. The UEA are attempting to break through
    Belt lines and escape into hyperspace. They must all be destroyed.

7 A Shot
  Belt ships launch a last ditch offensive to take out the UEA military
  and defend Man.
  2 UEA 2, 1 UCORP, 1 Alien


Endings:
Win 1
  The aliens are destroyed. The Government is defeated. The Robots sleep.
  Peace.

War 2
  After defeating the alien penetrative force, Man prepares for our first
  interstellar war whilst still attempting to quench the mad machinery of
  the last one.

War 1
  With several of the major Alien craft destroyed, the Belt ships prepare
  for the second, perhaps more deadly wave . . .

Invasion
  Aliens successfully establish a perminant precense in our solar system.

Defeat
  UEA Achieve dominance in the solarsystem, but the Belt lives on...
  at Jupiter alone.

Death 1
  The UEA Destroys the Belt and you. A her her her.

The Small Things:
  After the Belt Fleet's destruction at Jupiter, you and your own unit
attempt to evade detection and attack.


UEA Plot Tree
_____________

                      .....Saturn.........
                      :                  :
              ....Backtrack....  ....Cleaning out............
              :               :  :                          :
              :               :  :                          :
              :          Above the ecliptic..    ....Belt main fleet.
              :               :             :    :                  :
              :               :             :    :                  :
              :  ...........Mars....  ..Trailing Trojans.. .....Ceres...
              :  :                 :  :                  : :           :
              :  :  ...............Moon.....  .........Saturn. ....Jupiter
              :  :  :                      :  :              : :         :
              :  :  :                      :  :              :.:..... ...:
              :  :  :                      :  :  ..............:    : :
              :  :  :                      :  :  :                  : :
              :  :  :                      :  :  :                  : :
       ...Defending Earth.....         ...Aliens....      ........Neptune..
       :                     :         : .....     :      :               :
       :                  Defeat   Invasion  :    War 1 Uranus  ..Mop it up.
       :                                     :          :     : :          :
    Death 1                                  :..........:   War 2          :
                                                                           :
                                                                       Win 1

1 Saturn
  The UEA Attacks Saturn with a lot of vigour
  4 Belt, 1 Belt+Royal

2 Cleaning out
  Most of the Saturn system belongs to the EUA, but there are still a few
  pockets of resistance.
  3 Belt, 2 Royal

2 Backtrack
  After loosing the battle at Saturn, UEA ships must backtrack towards
  Earth.
  3 Belt, 1 Royal, 1 UCORP

3 Belt main fleet
  Saturn belongs to the UEA, and now they move on the Belt main fleet
  on route to Ceres.
  3 Belt, 1 Belt+Royal, 1 Belt+UCORP

3 Above the ecliptic
  The war is getting messy. The UEA is forced to engage the Belt main
  fleet above the ecliptic.
  3 Belt, 1 Belt+Royal, 1 Belt+UCORP

4 Ceres
  The war is going well, and the UEA attacks Ceres, home of a large
  percentage of the Belt economy
  4 Belt, 1 Ucorp.

4 Trailing Trojans
  The UEA engages Belt forces in their mining centres near Jupiter
  3 Belt, 2 Royal

4 Mars
  Belt ships attack Mars, and the UEA is forced to defend.
  5 Belt.

5 Jupiter
  Continuing thier successful campaign, the UEA launches an attack on
  Belt Central. Jupiter.
  5 Belt.

5 Saturn
  Still with it's twos and fros, the war continues. Belt ships are moving
  to retake Saturn. They must be stopped. But are they stopped already?
  2 Belt, 1 Belt+UCORP, 1 Belt+UCORP+Royal, 2 UCORP

5 Moon
  The Belt continues it's campaing, attacking the Moon.
  4 Belt, 1 Royal

6 Neptune
  Reports of mass destruction come in from the outer systems. UEA sends
  an expidetionary force to investigate.
  2 Aliens, 1 Royal, 2 UCORP

6 Aliens
  An unwanted presence starts to force itself into the conflict.
  3 Aliens, 1 UCORP, 1 Belt

6 Defending Earth
  The UEA has lost it all except for the heavily protected Earth
  2 Belt, 1 Royal, 1 UCORP, 1 Belt+UCORP+Royal

7 Mop it up
  The Belt is in tatters. Only a few taskforces remain
  2 Belt, 1 UCORP, 1 Royal, 1 UCORP+Belt

7 Uranus
  The UEA Must take out the mad machines at Uranus.
  4 UCORP, 1 Alien

Endings:
Win 1
  The UEA holds the whole solar system once more.

War 2
  Having defeated the Belt, and the others, a shaky peace settles on Man,
  and a concern for the years to come.

War 1
  Full scale war engulfs the solar system. Warlike aliens keep attacking,
  the Belt won't stay dead, robots keep on doing their thing and the Royal
  family grows in power.

Invasion
  The Aliens take out Earth first, then the Belt. Mankind is invaded.

Defeat
  The UEA is forced to surrender control of Earth to the Free Governing
  Force.

Death
  You are all dead.

