Something I've been writing up for the FreeSpace Wiki (and possibly FSURP). I'd like to write histories of every Orion mentioned in FreeSpace, and possibly a few non-canon Orions as well. From there I might jump to Hecates.
I really like writing stuff like this, because it a) gets me more familiar with the sequence of events in FS and b) fleshes out the universe without getting too non-canon. I hope the embellishment I've done here makes sense, even though it is a work in progress.
GTD Cyrene
February 2nd, 2330 – November 7th, 2367
2330-2331
February 2nd, 2330: Laid down at Han-Ronald Shipyards in Earth orbit.
June 15th, 2331: Completed and christened the GTD Cyrene, after the ancient Greek city of Libya. After completing trials, Cyrene is assigned as flagship of the Terran 2nd Fleet, HQ Delta Serpentis. CO is Admiral Halkins.
September 4th, 2331: Participates in first major engagement in Delta Serpentis, repelling a major assualt by Vasudan fighters and bombers (assisted by the GTC Oberon.
2332
February 13th: GTD Cyrene and remainder of 2nd Fleet redeployed to Vega, a major battleground.
February 20th: Cyrene's Angel scout fighters discover a major Vasudan supply depot. The Cyrene herself is deployed and crushes the Vasudan fighters and freighters at the depot, capturing the valuable cargo. This has the effect of weakening the overall strength of the Vasudan forces in Vega.
March-December: Stalemate. The GTA and PVE are unable to force each other out of Vega. A war of attrition develops, with dozens of "slow-bleed" raids on isolated enemy outposts. No major engagements for nearly a year.
2332
February 2nd: The arrival of the GTD Eisenhower as flagship of the 4th Fleet heartens the crew of the Cyrene and the remainder of the 4th fleet. Their strength bolstered, the combined GTA fleets begin a steady advance towards the Vega-Antares node.
March: The first Typhon, PVD Typhon, leaves the Altair shipyards. Its first assignment is to take Vega.
April 2nd: The GTA 4th and 2nd fleets (flagships Eisenhower and Cyrene, respectively) have narrowed the Vasudan stranglehold into a small pocket containing a minor planet and the Vega-Antares node. Admiral Halkins believes victory is imminent.
April 14th: The Vega Engagement. Preoccupied with the Vega-Antares node, the GTA fails to notice the arrival of the PVD Typhon from Deneb. The first encounter with the Typhon-class destroyer ends with the destruction of the GTD Eisenhower and the 4th Fleet.
April 18th: The remnants of the 4th fleet are folded into the 2nd fleet, which is forced to retreat to Beta Aquilae. The Cyrene survives the retreat, although receiving heavy damage from the Typhon's escorting cruisers.
April 30th: The 2nd Fleet launches a counter attack on Vega, forcing the Typhon to retreat but taking horrendous losses in the process. Cyrene overheats her reactor and engines in the course of intense combat and eventually has to be towed from the field of battle. She is relieved as flagship of the 2nd Fleet by the GTD Soyakaze.
May-December: GTD Cyrene undergoes refit and reactor replacement in Delta Serpentis.
2333
January-December: Cyrene reassumes her role as flagship of 2nd Fleet in Delta Serpentis. Admiral Halkins remains her CO. No notable engagements occur during this period, as Delta Serpentis is mostly secure, although several Vasudan raiding parties are destroyed.
2334
January 6th: Along with other warships from the 2nd Fleet, Cyrene is transferred to 5th Fleet, which is in intense need of reinforcements after going on the offensive in Antares.
January 14th: Cyrene and her battle group arrive in Antares and are almost immediately attacked by Vasudan bombers and cruisers. Her Apollo fighters perform poorly against Vasudan Seth heavy assault fighters.
January 15th: Admiral Halkins is relieved of duty after physically assaulting an Apollo squadron leader and is sent to Tombaugh Station in Ribos. Replaced by Vice Admiral Hendryk Snow.
August: A massive assault is launched on the Vasudan holdout of Antares IV, led by the GTD Cyrene. Heavy damage is inflicted on both sides, but the attack appears to be gaining ground. The Vasudans prepare to deploy their trump card, a Typhon-class destroyer.
September: The Typhon is destroyed by the Cyrene and her bombers, in an action that is surprising to both sides. This is only the second Typhon ever destroyed. Heartened, the 5th Fleet pushes the Vasudans nearly to the base of their logistical lines, this time being sure to secure their flanks.
October-December: Multiple assaults are launched on the Vasuda-Antares node, led by the Cyrene and Galatea. All are repulsed with heavy losses as the Vasudans flood the system with reinforcements.
2335
January 8th: GTA launches Operation Thresher, also known as the Fifth Battle of the Vasuda-Antares Node. Initial losses cause Thresher to be declared a failure only two days after it started. GTA command estimates 504 pilots dead, fourteen missing (and presumed dead). Vice Admiral Snow is killed after a Vasudan Amun bomber smashes into the bridge of the Cyrene. He is replaced by Admiral Daniel Darvay.
January 15th: The Shivans attack Vasudan and Terran forces near the Antares-Ribos node. The loss of the PVC Taurus and GTSC Plato leads toward a cease-fire proposal on the 18th by the Vasudans.
January 25th: GTA and PVE sign a cease-fire and non-aggression pact in the face of the Shivan threat. The 14-Year War officially comes to an end.
The history of the Cyrene during the Great War and Reconstruction is still being written.
2357
March 10th-August 3rd: The Cyrene undergoes a major refit in Beta Aquilae. Her reactor is replaced in order to support new beam weaponry. Cyrene is only the second Orion, after Repulse, to be equipped with the new beam technology. Cyrene's interior is also refurbished, and the bridge is totally replaced.
2366
January 1st – March 25th: Flagship of Terran 9th Fleet, HQ Sirius. CO Vice Admiral Giovanna Gismondi.
March 17th: Admiral Aken Bosch, CO of the Terran 6th Fleet secedes from the GTVA and forms the Neo-Terran Front in Polaris. Cyrene and the majority of 9th Fleet (minus GTD Jacobus and Battle Force II) ordered to blockade Regulus-Sirius node.
March 20th: 9th Fleet blockade in place. Secret negotiations ongoing between Admiral Bosch and Vice Admiral Gismondi.
March 23rd: The government of Regulus (and most of the Terran 8th Fleet) joins the NTF.
March 25th: A large NTF strike force arrives in Sirius from Regulus. Cyrene and her attendant forces blockading the node do not open fire. After a short meeting between Gismondi and Bosch, the 9th Fleet defects almost entirely to the NTF. Upon hearing this news, the regional government of Sirius swears allegiance to Bosch.
March 26th-April 15th: Officially rechristened NTD Cyrene and flagship of Neo-Terran 3rd Fleet. Blockade of Regulus-Sirius node lifted. Cyrene and 3rd Fleet undertake intensive operations to cleanse the system of GTVA loyalists. Several cruisers, wings of fighters and bombers destroyed. Tabarin Station (Arcadia-class) seized by force. Blockade of Sirius-Deneb jump node established after infiltration of Vasudan raiding parties from Deneb. Admiral Bosch visits inhabited planets.
April 16th: Cyrene and most of NTF 3rd Fleet begin massing at the Sirius-Alpha Centauri node. Supplementary forces from NTF 2nd Fleet in support.
April 17th: Cyrene and NTD Jacobus send specialized Loki recon units through node to Alpha Centauri. Those that return report that GTVA defenses are haphazard and not fully equipped.
April 19th: Cyrene, Jacobus, and much of the 3rd and 2nd Fleets smash through initial GTVA defences in Alpha Centauri.
May-June: The NTF consolidates control over Alpha Centauri. Although the government does not immediately capitulate as in Polaris, Regulus and Sirius, the Terran population is mostly subservient after GTVA forces have been removed from the system. A spaceborne insurgency based around the moons of Alpha Centauri VII, a gas giant, proves extremely difficult to suppress and torments the NTF throughout their stay in the system.
July 4th: Admiral Bosch and the Iceni arrive, along with the NTSC Hinton and multiple assault transports, loaded with NTF Marines. After consultations and planning with Vice-Admiral Gismondi, the 3rd Fleet forms up at the Aldebaran node. Advance teams of Zeus bombers equipped with intersystem subspace drives neutralize Vasudan defences on the other side of the node.
July 10th: The Cyrene and the 3rd Fleet burst through the Alpha Centauri-Aldebaran node. Avoiding the powerful 1st Vasudan Battle Group, the 3rd Fleet leads the enemy on a wild goose chase around the system, occasionally provoking the enemy with an attack on an installation. Meanwhile, the Iceni and her attendant forces plunder Ancients archaeological sites throughout the system.
Some work is still necessary here - a year is missing.
2367
August 21st-26th: Defends Sirius (along with rest of NTF 3rd Fleet) against Vasudan 11th and 13th Battle Groups. Heavy fighting near inhabited planet of Sirius III.
August 28th: Major push by 13th Vasudan Battle Group into Sirius defeated, moderate damage inflicted to and taken from GVD Psamtik.
August 30th – November 1st: Intense fighting against the GTVA in Alpha Centauri and Deneb, with Cyrene taking the offensive in Alpha Centauri, and Jacobus leading in Deneb. Cyrene’s offensive is eventually blunted by strong resistance and she is forced to retreat. Jacobus is destroyed in Deneb while attempting to retreat by the 11th Vasudan BG. Admiral Bosch escapes Deneb and arrives in Sirius in his command frigate, the Iceni.
November 7th: Sirius falls. NTD Cyrene destroyed by GVD Psamtik. Majority of crew makes it to escape pods, and is thence recovered by the 13th Vasudan BG. VA Gismondi escapes, current location unknown, wanted for purported war crimes.