The Ukrainian battle fleet dropped just outside of Mars' orbit. The 15 or so ships were not all that the exiled people had to offer but it was what they had to spare. New Kiev could not be abandoned while the fleet was elsewhere. Dmitri Tartarkov stood on the bridge of [i]The shield of the people[/i] the bridge officers went about their duties as the fleet began to slowly advance on Mars. The fleet entered into orbit around it and dispatched probes to the surface. The three dreadnoughts and two carriers that comprised the core of the fleet were protected by the various other ships. A mining ship was sent to the asteroid belt to recover useful material. Now they would wait for contact. [spoiler]Open[/spoiler]