BSE: Battle in Forus System - Wk22

From: kerry@freeside.fc.net (Kerry Harrison)

Date: Tue, 14 Jun 1994 20:08:16 +0000

United Press Intergalactic - News Update
  Forus system, planet New Boston - 194/22

Imperial Military sources announced today that the only pirate ship to
have escaped the devastation inflicted upon the RIP fleet in Old World,
was caught and destroyed.  The RIP Commerce Interceptor (699) took off
from New Boston and entered orbit, only to be met by an Imperial Fleet
consisting of the ISP Pommern, ISP Hannover, ISP Schlesien, ISP
Schleswig-Holstein, ISP Helgoland, & ISP Thuringen.  The battle lasted
only 1 round as the pirate tried to flee the Imperial fleet, however it
was vaporized after taking approx. 9500MU damage in Main and over 6000 MU
of damage in it's Engines.  The Starcaptain of  this pirate ship was Ens.
Olaf Steen-Jensen.  This reporter wonders if there are any surviving
members of the "Jensen" family left, and how many family members it has
to bury before it forsakes piracy.  This family which once rivaled the
Kriegers in size, is fast becoming extinct by the guns of the ISP.
While  Star Admiral von Ludendorf refused an interview, sources close to
him indicate that the Imperial Offensive against the RIP is based on 2
things.  First, the ISP PD wishes to present these Imperial victories to
His Highness, the Emperor, as a birthday present, and second but most
important, the Empire has awakened after a long sleep, and doesn't like
what it sees, and the the RIP are simply the first of the Emperor's
enemies to fall.

Joe Bob Briggs, UPI

UPI News Service is pleased to present the public with this audio
interview with a colonist at the FET colony Salem, on New Boston:

I was in the starport, working, when it happened.  First we all heard the
explosions, and then we looked up and saw it, a RIP corsair fleeing at
top speed across the sky, at low altitude,  and behind it, 6 huge ships.
I had always heard about the Imperial Dreadnoughts, but I had never seen
one of them before...and here were 6 of 'em chasing this pirate.  And
shees, the firepower they had; their misses were destroying mountain
ranges.  I had always heard rumors of a pirate base here on New Boston,
ever since I first was assigned here 1.5 years ago, but the FET had
always denied it, and I had never believed it...now here were the ISP
themselves.  Maybe there is some truth to the rumor about the existance
of a class 3 RIP colony (RIP Slave Driver <1864>) here on New Boston.  A
crewman off of a recently landed AFT ship also told me that there was an
even larger ISP fleet blockading the space square, and that there was a
3rd fleet with ITS transports nearby too.  He also mentioned something
about something called an "assault tank", but i ain't too familiar with
that item and don't remember what he said.  I sure am glad that the FET
is freindly with the Empire, however, I wouldn't want that firepower
turned loose on us.
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...................... end transmission from FET Salem
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