Chronology of Specific Events Relating to Observation of Military Action in Batarian Space
Presented below is a summary of information which has been assembled in a chronological arrangement of excerpts received from intelligence community sources and public sources. The chronology is somewhat incomplete because it does not include: (a) all of the information believed to have been submitted to the Alliance's executive agencies during the period of military activity observed in Batarian Hegemony space, or (b) significant information in the files of the ASC Special Group on intelligence and covert actions relating to batarian affairs.
1. 9/03/86 – In a briefing provided to Messrs. Coyne and Walter, the Director, AIA, reported that intelligence identified the rapid and systematic destruction of the batarian comm buoy network, with an estimated total of 13 clusters cut off from mainline communications.
2. 9/08/86 – The Director, AIA, also reported that photographic evidence reflected that the Hegemony had recalled the bulk of its military forces back to the batarian home cluster (the Kite's Nest), leaving its colonies along the Skyllian Verge and the Outer Rim virtually undefended; there are indications that additional military forces from the rest of its colonies may be in the process of being readied for shipment to the Kite's Nest.
3. 9/09/86 – The batarian state-sanctioned press reported that the Hegemony "is the greatest military power in [galactic] history"; the official explanation for the erratic movement of the batarian fleets was given as a series of comprehensive but ultimately routine military exercises.
4. 9/14/86 – ARO reported the following: "...the Skyllian Verge worlds are alive with rumors, and it is difficult to sift the facts out of the stories of the large batarian military buildup still going on. Some of these stories tell of a coordinated attack against the batarian government by a yet-to-be-identified aggressor, while other accounts state the occurrences are best interpreted as a coup."
The responsibility now falls on this committee – in conjunction with the various intelligence and information-gathering agencies – to determine the exact nature of the occurrences currently taking place the Batarian Hegemony, and to assess whether these forces at work could in turn pose a threat to the stability of the Systems Alliance.
-Excerpt from a confidential report distributed among members of the Alliance Parliament's Select Committee on Intelligence, 2186
Systems Alliance Action Memorandum No. 185 - Department of Colonial Affairs, Colonial Defense Administration
From an analysis of the situation and the reports in our possession, we consider that aggression from a third party is almost imminent within the next two or three weeks.
There are two possible variant scenarios: the first and likeliest one is a coordinated orbital attack against various colonies in one strike, singling out certain targets of value with the limited objective of destroying them. The second, less probable, although possible, is invasion. This variant would call for a high number of forces, which the aggressors appear to possess, as demonstrated by their course of action in the batarian space...
We are recommending the following be circulated among the various authorities responsible for the governance of the colonies and extra-solar holdings, in order to provide guidelines, establish parameters, and set recommendations, in the extra-ordinary case that the conditions arise which may demand for it.
Such actions may include, but are not limited to: mobilization of the colonial militia (or local law-enforcement officials), the setting of rationing/commodity controls, the reviewing of current emergency and evacuation plans or the establishment of them in the case of their absence, and the enactment of (temporary) measures to prevent mass panic and/or civil disorder. In accordance with Response Scenario 1 guidelines, the Fleets (1st - 8th) are to be recalled back to the Arcturus Redoubt as soon as possible: as a result, and for the time being, the Alliance cannot currently guarantee the expected frequency of patrols, nor the security of those colonies beyond the designated confines of the redoubt.
-Excerpt from a confidential memorandum distributed to various colonial governors, 2186
TOP SECRET
In connection to the possible encroachment of Earth Systems Alliance territory by the same party currently engaging in military maneuvers against the Batarian Hegemony, we strongly recommend the immediate undertaking of urgent measures to increase combat readiness and to repel the enemy by the efforts of the Alliance Fleet. There should also be an organized effort to inform the governments of the Citadel Council of the urgency of action on their part.
-Recommendation from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Office of the Prime Minister, 2186