Tour 5 Op 1.  Contact.  (Replaces TOD 1, Op1: Defect)

Using the tactic of deploying fighter docks, we continue to expand our territory.  Your sector of expansion is the Illini system, a group of 5 planets and an asteroid belt with a central sun.  Three of the planets are inhabited, but only one is significant.  Illini is a planet of humanoids with a breathable atmosphere, and is the colonizing civilization of this system.  The other two planets, Kalaan and Otawan were only recently colonized for their resources and are nearly inhospitable except in the mines and small domed and shielded cities. The other two planets, Na and Natoor are the closest and farthest planets from the yellow star.  Na is a somewhat burnt relic of the formation of the system and is a molten place too close to the star to be approached.  Natoor is a small ice planet too far from the star to get much light, and too cold and small to be of any use. Illini is being besieged by the Empire, who have deployed about one half of their strength in the area to the seige.  Illini is a very warlike planet, and although they only recently mastered interplanetary travel, they have battled each other since the beginning of sentient existence on the planet.  They have developed an astonishing array of offensive and defensive weapons and an incredible productive capacity for food, people, and war material in that order.  A planet of some 4 billion persons, they found it necessary to expand their resource base in order not to despoil the main planet.  For this reason minning and space resource stations were set up on the other twin planets Kalaan and Otawan about 75 years ago when a peace was reached and war was replaced with exploration of the surrounding system.  Because of the warlike nature of the people and their large numbers, the Empire decided to cut them off from their interplanetary resource base and then attrit their space forces and attack their cities.  At first they tried direct attacks on the resource outposts in sub-atmosphere attacks and were hurled back losing most of their walkers and about 20% of their fighter strength.  The Illinii were so outraged by this attack from an Empire they had heard of but never seen, that they fought back with everything they had, and it cost them dearly.  Though their spacecraft were few they were effective.  The people of Illini had some contact with other systems and so space technology was progressing though still in its adolesence.  In the end, they had not nearly enough offensive spacecraft, and no starfighters.  Most offensive spacecraft were wiped out.  However whenever the Empire entered the atmosphere they were crushed.  The Illinii atmospheric weapons were plentiful, varietous and awesome and they had long ago mastered killing on a planetary scale so in their own sphere each was king, and a stalemate ensued.  

Illini soon learned to build pirate freighters to run the blockade and provide needed resources. They have mastered a production technique that can only be called "atmospheric replication" in which a mix of materials is vaporized by a laser blast and "precipitated" into the finished product by projected holographic reproduction of the highest order.  This, and whatever blueprint they could get kept them going.  The Pirates of Illini, as they are called by the Empire, have raided our supply ships occasionally, but taken only things that can be said to be "new" to them, and not harmed any Alliance personell seriously in the process.  They have taken ywings from us and from the Empire in the past, but not for about a year.  Alliance Intelligence purports they stole different models of ywings on purpose to size them up and try to produce them.  

The decision was made to press our attack in this sector and put in three more fighter docks in addition to the six farther back in the neighboring sector.  These new fighter docks and three to the rear are all about three to five minutes hyperspace distance from each other, and can support each other to bring in a lot of firepower swiftly.  These outposts barely enter the Illinii system, but we must put pressure on the Empire here so most of your missions will be of a "forward" variety.  We do not really want to engage the Pirates, but will do so if attacked.  The Empire on the other hand is fair game, and is attacked whenever we can bring sufficient force to bear, or when we are forced to defend our supplies or position.   

In this mission you will defend a supply column of transports and a frieghter with replacement fighters destined for your forward fighter docks from an attack by Imperial gunships.  Be on the lookout for pirates, but do not attack them unless you are threatened with destruction.  The Illinii have probably heard of the Alliance, but you can't tell what they've heard or how old the information is.  If possible, we would love to talk to the people of Illini, but we have never been this far, they have never left their system before, and the opportunity never arose.  We have no direct contact with these people, and cannot say how they will react to another set of players in their drama.

  