Promise Under Siege

This thread traces the connected military and civilian crises that make the Gulf of Promise a contested battlefield rather than a single fleet engagement.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Warning Signs

A Threat Approaches War Reaches the Gulf Reports of refugees and fighting elsewhere suggest that Promise may soon face the expanding war. Roland and Novac are initially occupied with flight tests and a rescue signal rather than an imminent fleet battle. A False Civilian Story A supposed civilian flotilla approaches, but its order and behavior raise suspicions. The apparent evacuation is part of a Union deception meant to conceal a large force until it is close enough to strike.

The Battles Over the Clusters

The Fleet Is Overwhelmed Multiple Fronts The Union attack unfolds across colonies, docks, and the main fleet battle. Impervious and other Tharcian ships are destroyed, while assault landers threaten settlements and refugee traffic. Local Resistance TNV Blackwater and its small number of pilots protect the anchorage and later strike at isolated enemy forces. Their actions cannot prevent widespread damage, but they help stop the attack from becoming a complete and immediate defeat.

A Limited Victory

The Attack Falters Concealed Resistance Survivors use hidden positions, improvised tactics, and local navigation knowledge to avoid destruction. Union forces must search dangerous terrain while managing mines, wreckage, and uncertain intelligence. The Strategic Picture Tharcian reinforcements arrive and force the Union to withdraw from the immediate battle. Promise survives the assault, but the civilians remain displaced and the wider war continues without a decisive settlement.

Morning and afternoon on 2 November 2135

Evening on 2 November 2135 across Promise

Morning on 3 November 2135 in the shoal zone