Editing Dropzone Commander (section)

==== Solar ====
[[File:Dzc_earth1.png |125px|thumb|right|Earth]]

A cradle world for humanity in the literal sense, Earth was home to the largest concentration of humanity, and therefore now contained the greatest population of Scourge. Reconnaissance operations were sent to scout the system and establish contact with any survivors, but their military might in the system was so great any direct actions against Earth were considered impossible at this stage in the reconquest. Aerial surveys of the planet observed the greatest amount of Scourge infrastructure seen in any of the cradle worlds, with vast breeding hives and seedship production.

Recon forces touched down on Earth and successfully made contact with resistance fighters, and learned that Earth had suffered the lowest survival rate of any of the worlds the Scourge had invaded. Despite this, the planet had been so densely populated that a great number of humans had persisted on.

When preparing to leave the system to report back, one of the ranking officers and his team did not return and were determined to be AWOL. Lt. Colonel James Rodriquez seemingly decided to stay and fight with the Resistance rather than return back to the colonies. He appeared to be directing and coordinating Resistance fighters towards New York City when last observed.

Elsewhere in the system, other teams were scouting the outer planets. They discovered intense mining of hydrocarbons from Titan, as well as water extraction from Europa. The water extraction was hypothesized to be due to a Scourge intolerance for biological contaminants. Given the high value the Scourge seemed to place on this supply, considering the ease with which they could purify water elsewhere, the first military action in the Solar system was authorized against it. Aa rapid strike by light ships against the moon destroyed the extraction infrastructure, but at a great cost, as many more ships were lost than expected to pursuing Scourge as they retreated to their jump marker.

One of the ships involved in the initial reconnaissance, a Lysander stealth lighter, was seemingly spotted and destroyed by a ship of non-Scourge origin near the moon of Callisto. No Lysander had ever been detected in such a fashion, raising alarms back home, with standing orders to avoid Callisto until a better picture of what transpired there can be made.