Quote:The Normandie class was designed in the 660s as a versatile battleship capable of both offensive and defensive actions. Since 670 AGS until 710 AGS it was produced in massive numbers by the Royal Navy shipyards, but the battles of the Second Gallic War revealed several critical flaws in the ship's construction. After that, no new Normandie ships were built. However, existing ships were retrofitted to install better power arrays, improved offensive capabilities, and better internal security sensors to prevent capture. Normandie battleships form a bulk of Gallia's Sirius invasion forces, along with more recent and better equipped Richelieu battleships and rearguard Charlemagne battleships.

Nogent-le-Rotroi is the flagship of the Gallic Royal Navy forces in the Maine system. It is a recently retrofitted Normandie-class battleship with impressive offensive and defensive capabilities. The ongoing invasion of Sirius made the Core Systems vulnerable to a rear attack from the usually calm Normandy border. In order to secure the system, Gallia stationed several battleships in Maine and strengthened its patrols near other gateways leading into the separatist worlds. Intelligence does not report any increase in military activity in Normandy in the recent months, and aggressive actions from the separatists' side are considered unlikely.

Quote:The space fort named Segre is the first line of Gallic defense in case of an attack from the Normandy separatists. Its first incarnation was built in 530 AGS, four years before the peace agreement between Normandy and Gallia was signed by the belligerents, ending the First Gallic War. Segre was (and still is) a multi-role installation with facilities devoted to supplying local Navy patrols, coordinating the Navy battlegroups stationed in its vicinity, and controlling the jump gate itself, since the agreement with Normandy prohibited its usage for any armored ships above a certain size and cargo capacity, except for in an emergency. The gate itself was mined with several powerful explosives that could be instantly detonated in case of a suprise attack from the Normandy side.

Despite some border incidents that rarely ended in fatalities, the area next to the jump gate was relatively calm. Seemingly the separatists apparently had neither the intention nor power to breach the isolation. In 599 AGS, when the separatist threat was no longer considered an issue by the Crown, the fort was completely rebuilt into a more modern defensive facility. In addition to improved shielding and weaponry, the station also received better habitats and amenities for Navy soldiers and officers. Renewed docks allowed battleships to dock and undock with relative ease. Segre Outpost mostly operated on half capacity with no more than 500-600 people permanently onboard, but recent Sirius developments forced the Royal Navy to tighten the security and increase the personnel number to 1,000.

Quote:Chateau-Gontier was built on the spot where Craon Station was located before 505 AGS. That year, the Normandy separatists launched several surprise attacks against Royal Navy and corporate targets across Maine. Craon, located deep inside Maine, was one of the more vulnerable targets. The station was blown up by several torpedo volleys which targeted its fuel storage. Most of the station's inhabitants managed to escape (since the separatists made no attempt to destroy escape pods and civilian craft), but Craon itself was completely destroyed.