Menkent Bombed!

[DeJaVu]

[31 October 3069; FSP] The peaceful morning calm of Menkent was shattered today by a surprise bombardment by orbiting DropShips assumed to be under the control of the Word of Blake. A series of missile strikes was fired from orbit against several cities in Menkent’s northern hemisphere over a period of several hours. The DropShips fired several barrages and then broke orbit and returned to the jump point, where they escaped aboard their recharged JumpShips. Scrambled aerospace defenses from Menkent militia outposts were too slow to engage them, although other ships in orbit were able to take several long-range still photos of the attackers.

Computer-enhanced photos show a trio of Mule-class DropShips firing capital missiles at the surface, which has led many observers to conclude the attack was carried out by Blakist “Pocket WarShips,” commercial DropShips converted to carry capital weaponry in disguise. Although no identifying marks can be discerned, it has been the practice of the Word of Blake in recent months to bombard planetary targets with little or no warning.
No frontline LAAF units were based on Menkent at the time, and the LAAF liaison has not announced the presence of any units in transition at the time. The targets bombarded by the DropShips were not military—they ignored the open militia defense positions, for instance, in favor of striking civilian infrastructure targets like the Kluge City hydroelectric dam and the Acropolis fusion substations outside Athens.
Any information on the whereabouts of the jump convoy that departed Menkent 29 October is requested by the LAAF.