The radar was up and running early in the second week of its construction effort. The colonists of First Impact powered it on, and it began broadcasting microwave frequency radio waves, sending and receiving, searching the skies above for threats. It didn't immediately find any, which was a plus, but given its relatively limited range, it wasn't absolutely certain there wasn't anything close by that could rain death on the colony. Still, it was a start.
The distillery, too, was fixed and put into full operation, reinforced with newly-fabbed piping. It began accepting stocks of greenhouse-grown wheat and barley in one vat, and various other mashes were made in the three others. The basics were covered - beer, wine, vodka, rum. It would take up some of the colony's food production, but a decent amount of valuable intoxicants could be produced for local consumption - and, of course, trade.
The colonists also produced a pair of Gauss Rifles, augmenting their defenses with the addition of the two powerful weapons. Though heavy and bulky, they were capable of punching fist-sized holes in a foot of concrete, which meant they could also deal with light armor. They were less assault rifles, and more anti-tank rifles, given their slow firing rate, but they would be well-appreciated.
The barricades also went up, though it was a near thing. The effort was almost called off after two of the rescued settlers and one colonist were nearly crushed by a toppling barricade segment. The segment had been improperly constructed, and the weight of the earth inside of it caused the support members to buckle, leading to the collapse. Thankfully they escaped with only moderate injuries - flying support bars went through the leg of one settler and the arm of the other, and the colonist received a glancing blow to the head which left them with a concussion.
The colony's research team had a good week of it, researching medical technologies the colony would need and could make use of. The technologies could be built now, but would need to be placed in an actual Laboratory due to clean-room requirements.
Several colonists took it upon themselves to organize a drill group, training in combat techniques to improve their skills. The effort was met with success, and the colonists took away valuable lessons in team movement, shooting on the move, and tactical disposition.
The aliens hovering just miles away continued to do so even as the colony fortified itself, but a tension in the air said the situation wouldn't last much longer...
(exploration to come)