The major source of discrepancies in SMC is that whoever compiled the timeline kept dating events to the date they were reported in the newsbriefs, completely overlooking the communication lag that would require events happening elsewhere to take place an appropriate number of days earlier.
Here are the ones I've identified:
186-1107: News of Zhodani fleet at Ruie reach Regina carried by detatched Scout/Courier Wayward Dream. [JTAS9:5 & FFW:5]
186-1107: Zhodani battle fleets appear at Ruie. [SMC:16]
This overlooks the communications lag. FYI: In
Sword Worlds, p. 21, the date is given as 179-1107.
187-1107: Zhodani declaration of war delivered. [SMC:16]
This happens a few minutes before midnight, so technically it happens on 186-1107.
201-1107: News of invasion of Regina, capital of the Spinward Marches reaches Rhylanor by fleet courier. [JTAS9:5]
Regina is not the capital of the Marches. OTOH, the TAS newsbriefs are viewpoint writing and it may or may not be acceptably explained as an in-universe mistake by the newsbrief writer.
[Also note that the news are false; On 210-1107 Regina reports no invasion to date. [SMC:16] ]
201-1107: Imperium begins evacuation of Regina in anticipation of Zhodani invasion. [SMC:16]
If we assume that this event is the source of the false report above, there's another com-lag mistake here; if that is the case, it should be two weeks earlier.
204-1107: News of attack on Lanth by Sword World forces has reached Rhylanor. [JTAS9:5]
204-1107: Imperium announces presumed state of war with Sword Worlds. Lanth under attack. Efate under Zhodani siege. [SMC:16]
Com-lag mistake. 192-1107 is the l latest date the Sword Worlders can attack Lanth if news is to reach Rhylanor by 204-1107, and that only if two couriers both had 6-day jumps. FWI: SW uses 190-1107 for the date.
14-1108 Yorbund falls to a small Vargr flotilla. [HRM]
035-1108: Admiral Santanocheev on Regina announces that Yorbund has fallen to Vargr forces and Ruby, Emerald, and Lysen to Zhodani forces, but that fighting continues on Jewell and the other worlds of the subsector, as well as on Kinorb. [JTAS13:5]
035-1108: Yorbund taken by Vargr. [SMC:16]
036-1108: Ruby, Emerald, and Lysen taken by Zhodani. [SMC:16]
Two com-lag mistakes. In the case of Yorbund I've been elaborating on the conduct of the Vargr campaign and would like to suggest 014-1108 as the date when Yorbund falls. I haven't done any work on the Jewell campaign, so I will just suggest that Ruby, Emerald, and Lysen may not all three have fallen on the same day.
338-1108: TNS on Rhylanor reports that Heya and Beck's World have fallen to Vargr forces. [JTAS15:5]
338-1108: Heya and Beck's World capitulate to Vargr invasion fleets. [SMC:16]
Another com-lag mistake. If Heya and Beck's World fall to Vargr forces on 310-1108, the news could two jumps to get to Regina and two more jumps to get to Rhylanor. If it is known on Rhylanor on 338-1108, it must haven happened 28 days or more earlier (jump variation and administrative delay may push the the date back a bit.)
362-1108: IN at Regina announces that Mirriam/Vilis and Calit have fallen to the Zhodani and that there is fighting in the Denotam and Frenzie systems. [JTAS15:5]
362-1108: Mirrian occupied by Zhodani fleet. Calit under attack. [SMC:16]
Com-lag mistake again.
021-1109: IN at Regina announces that the Naval Base at Ghandi is under attack by Zhodani naval and ground forces, including several units of the Consular Guard. Ghandi is said to have been recently reinforced. [JTAS15:5]
021-1109: Ghandi attacked by Zhodani fleet and forces including the Zhodani Consular Guard. [CLFA!] [SMC:16]
Another one.
More to follow; I'm taking a little break now.
Hans
