Iron Stars - august

"August. Time to get up. They need you for the flight test" There is a loud bang out on the hangar floor, through the thin wall. In this enclosed space it sounds like a miniature explosion. Someone has dropped the tool rack over again.

8:22 AM

There is never any light on Acastus, without your watch you are not sure what time it is, but the rain is ever present and you can hear it tapping like thousands of tiny drumsticks on the aluminum hangar dome

August snaps awake. In his groggy state, he momentarily forgets where he is. He hadn’t meant to doze off and the flight manuals on the desk in front of him still lay open. “Right! Yes. Be right there.” He hastily changes into his flight uniform before exiting his cramped quarters.

The uniform is rumpled but otherwise fine, and heading out into the main hangar you see the tumble of half ruined parts is much smaller. In its place, cannibalized from the working parts of at least a dozen different airframes, a space capable fighter sits , out of the rain

His anxious habit of attempting to smooth the wrinkles on his uniform disappears when he sees the fighter. August's step slows as he approaches the crouched ship, and he runs his fingtertips along its flank. Spotting the crew chief nearby, he asks, "She's ready then? Won't quit on startup this time?"

"Shouldn't. We replaced the cowling and the fuel intake lines this time, and new pumps just in case. I don't think they looked bad but..." the tech shrugs "Either way, they're in. Just some trials today, nothing crazy. Some atmo tests, up to space, and back"

August can’t hide his smile, “Thanks. I’ll try to bring it back in one piece.” It takes a few minutes for August to don his armored flight suit and he takes the time to perform each safety check. With that completed, August begins his preflight check; taking two circuits around the craft in search for anything amiss. Once he’s finished, he climbs up into the cockpit of the prototype with the help of the ground crew. His hands glide over the the switches as he settles into the seat. He begins powering the fighter up, waiting for the go-ahead to taxi.

The tower is a crackling voice over a flawed communications link. You're fairly sure they said it is alright to take off. The night sky above is finally clear, but the rain never goes away for long on Acastus. The third moon is up now, casting its pale green light on everything.

August flicks the radio dial a few times, but gives a mental shrug when it stays garbled. He makes a quick note on his kneeboard before replying, “Tower, Lancer 1-1, launching.” The cockpit vibrates as the engines spool up. With a roar, the engines open up and shoot the craft into the air.

Ash City is an endless landscape of wet neon from above, the lights of the various businesses reflecting off the pools of constant water on the ground. Even during the nominal day, the city always seems a bit sleepy, like it is hiding something. Airspace is clear, with most of the traffic being space-side, rather than in atmosphere. This being the only large settlement , and indeed only one of two inhabited places here, means that there is not much commercial atmoflight occurring.

In order to take advantage of the empty airspace, August enters a slow turn around the perimeter of Ash City. The perpetual night continued to intrigue and disorient him. It was so different than his previous experience on Suha, and his short tenure on Acastus had done nothing to normalize the sensation. After a few minutes of stable flight and admiring the view of the city, August radios down, “Tower, 1-1. I’ve entered my track, beginning atmospheric tests.”

"Copy. Check your boards. If you see amber, or red, get back down here. We don't have rescue equipment that works that high up"

August grimaces, "Received, Tower. Here we go!" He throttles up and with a roar of the engines, he begins throwing the prototype through the planned maneuvers. After each sequence, he takes time to interpret the various readouts before moving into the next gut-wrenching move.

(Pilot/dex or int)

(9)

The engines sputter, and the board lights an angry red as you put it through an aerial corkscrew. The #2 engine blows out in a plume of fire and smoke. thinking quickly, youre able to roll the craft into a glide, buying you time for the restart procedure.

7:34 AM

We saw the fireball The tower broadcasts Lancer 1-1, respond. Are you alright? Medical attention is standing by when you landU

“Had an engine flameout. I’m still in control, working on restarting it,” August’s voice is calm as he shuts down the affected engine. He attempts to restart it once he’s sure the other engine is operating nominally.

(fix/int)

(8)

There is a whine and a greasy fireball as the engine fires again, burning off the last of the carbon scoring. True to word the fuel pumps weren't working, seized with the byproduct of burning fuel. It seems like the self cleaning system is working fine now, and engine 2 re-lights. The aircraft is back under control.

August radios down, “Tower, 1-1. Engine relit and I’m back in control. Looks like a fuel pump malfunction, but it’s functioning properly now. Do I have orbital clearance?”

"Orbital clearance granted. You're cleared to make an orbit around the third moon. On the return pass there are going to be 5 targeting buoys. We'd like you to give the onboard weapons a few test fires

“Received. Beginning orbital transfer.” August gives the engines time to throttle up before hitting maximum power. He puts the craft into a steep climb, gravity and thrust forcing him back into his seat.

This time, the ship handles as expected, the twin engines roaring as you reach escape velocity. The pull of gravity gradually peels away, and the flight surfaces transition into deep space flight, rather than atmospheric.

August relishes the feeling of vacuum flight, and puts the fighter through some warm-up maneuvers. Satisfied that the transition occurred without error, he contacts Acastus traffic control, "Acastus Orbital, Lancer 1-1 out of Ash City. I'm out for a stroll around the third moon before reentry. I'll be passing through, and sure to avoid the traffic lanes."

He enters a comfortable cruising speed and slots into his course.

"drones will be activated on your return pass. They will dogfight, feel like stretching your limbs?"

“Been itching for a run since I got here. Let’s see what she can do!”

(Lets get initiative, and we will use ship combat rules, they just wont get as much CP as you)

(7, are we using the new Acastus fighters for this?)

(Yeah)

(Sweet) August powers up his weapons and shifts the control surfaces into attack mode as he enters the engagement area.

(Youre up first) Two of the target drones vector in, on intercept courses for you, the other three holding back outside the area cleared for your weapons tests

(7CP + 2CP from Star Captain Evasive Maneuvers -2CP (6 dex/pilot + 5 from ship speed= 11 vs 9 success) AC improved to 19 until I'm up again) August kicks in the main thrusters, attempting to get a speed advantage. As he closes with the drones, he locks onto the closest and lets loose a burst from his primary cannons. (Fire One Weapon -2 CP (16/12) Fire One Weapon -2 CP (19/9) 3 CP remaining) (I think I did this correctly? I assumed the drones were fighter class, so rolled the to-hit twice with the flak cannons and the damage three times due to flak and Overcharge. We can only target one ship per turn right?) (edited)

(theyre also fighters yes)

12:23 PM

(and you can split your shots but you have to assign them all at the start of shooting, you cant ripple fire until you kill it and then move on, just like mechs)

(Ok! Will keep that in mind for the next round)

The flak cannons, a pair mounted in the craft centerline, boom and alternate between firing and reloading. Splashes of blue tinted cloud and explosive metal fragmentation shards spin into the drone, cutting it to pieces and sending it corkscrewing away under its now uncontrolled intertia.

(Do you want me to finish out the CP or is that all from me for this round?)

(you can finish it out since you didnt know how it was done)

(Fire One Weapon -2 CP (8/9)) August whoops loudly and tries to catch the second drone with a poorly aimed burst as they enter the merge.

(End turn)

The drone swerves aside during the merge, firing its own weapons several times in reply, but misses. With a last moment change of routine, it attempts to focus power on evading your inevitable return fire

A quick course correction aided with the firing of vector thrusters brings August about for another attempt. He keeps the ship aggressively turning and burning to throw off return fire. (7CP + 2CP from SC Will be spending all my shots on this drone. -2CP Evasive 9 pilot dex + 5 speed 14 v 9 success) The targeter growls a hard lock tone and August squeezes the firing stud. (-2CP Fire one Weapon 22/18 (crit) -2CP Fire one Weapon 15/11 -2CP Fire One Weapon 22/14 (crit) End Turn)

(Hasn't been an issue with the speed bonus from the fighter, but I gotta remember I have Specialist (Pilot) lol) (edited)

(You're same speed so its flat rolls here)

(I mean the bonus for piloting checks)

The second drone ignites in a twisting fireball and spins clear of the firing zone, and the all clear is broadcast across all channels (3xp, 5000 credits)

August makes his weapons safe and sets course to return to the airfield. “Orbital control, Lancer 1-1. Returning to Ash City. Thanks for the run!”

(Level 2 2 SP into Lead 0 -> 1 1 SP into CHA 13 -> 14 1 SP (Expert Class) into Program -1 -> 0 New Focus: Authority 1 - Lead 1 -> 2) (edited)

(not sure if you had a direction or we are waitig to see how unity council goes for GS)

(Once the corvette(s) get refitted, I was planning on going on a circuit around Greystar space. Alternatively, ruttering new spike routes from Acastus. If there's anything I can do in-system to boost the shipyard capability I'd love to do that, though.)

12:56 PM

(Unless there's places that might benefit from a directed patrol)

(Heads up the corvettes will take a while to get refit for Greystar)

12:57 PM

(assuming you mean the pocket carrier versions we had been working out)

(I was. Thanks for the head's up. I'd like to boost production or go scouting then.)

(Guess we're going to Pelgason!)

(Was this in unity council? Not caught up)

(Yeah, Eisheru suggested it) (edited)

(Works for me) One of the refitted frigates is set aside for the trip, one of three currently out on mission right now. It seems as though you've been given at least a partial command of the operation once the trip gets to Pelsagon itself.

August stows his bag in the cramped quarters assigned to him. Satisfied, he heads to the bridge to acquaint himself with the crew and to begin the trip to Pelasgon.

(So is this one of the refits with a fuel scoop? Trying to plan my route)

(One of the recon models has one yes)

(Awesome, let's bring a fighter along with us for the extra coverage.)

(This'll be my first time potentially ruttering new routes. How far is the range for Spike-3? Could I jump all the way to Pelasgon for example?)

(3 hexes per jump. Must land in a hex with a system)

(Thanks!)

When he reaches the bridge, August introduces himself, "Morning all. I'm August Braddock, and I'll be tagging along for our jaunt down to Pelgason. I'm looking forward to break the refits in as it should be an excellent oppurtunity to field prove some new theories for how our Navy will be operating in the future. We'll have Lieutenant Jagged in Lancer 1-2 tagging along with us for some close in protection, should we need it." (edited)

“What’s the mission once we get to pelsagon? Are we expecting trouble. Are they?” The crew is concerned, some still worried about shapers or unable to get used to the idea of being off war footing

“Our mission is to offer any assistance CBSS may require in training up their Officer corps, or in any other assistance Greystar may be able to provide. They suffered at Benavides just like we did, and the council would like to see them as allies in the south rather than potential enemies. In regards to trouble,” August gives a lopsided grin, “I tend to expect trouble so that I’m pleasantly surprised when there’s none to be found. A secondary benefit of this trip is ruttering some new Spike routes. Consider it a dress rehearsal for further expeditions north into former Shaper territory. We may not be at war any longer, but that doesn’t mean the sectors are safe. Any other questions, comments, concerns, or death threats? ” He waits patiently. (edited)

Everyone seems to be on board with the mission,a nd understands what to do. (we have some downtime on the way_

Satisfied, August hands transfers the flight plan he created to the pilot's station. It has the recon corvette jump to Bourgani, then Iloz. They'll refuel in the corona of the second system's star before the final jump to Pelgason. (Is it 7 days for each new rutter? Also the book says 4 days to refuel with scoops. That'd be 25 days with the spike map in roll20.)

(We're changing things a bit, its just one day per hex now, absent any space hazards. This route has none. It's getting to be wayyyyyy too much admin backlog to keep track of all the routes)

3:44 PM

(We're updating a few things in the rules doc. We did A LOT of back end stuff over the last couple weeks)

(No worries! Happy to take less time lol, does the fuel scoop time delay still apply?)

(That does, yes. The focus is more on setting up the space infrastructure to refuel without scoops, and the delay is enough of a time cap on these long ass jumps)

(I've been meaning to add that on my goals, too. Thanks for inadvertantly reminding me! 9 days for spike, 4 for refuel in the middle. 13 days total. 13/30 Slyth)

August spends the time in transit mingling with the corvette's crew. He runs them through a half dozen scenarios, making sure to compliment their efforts. Some time is set aside to speak with Lt. Jagged and her fitters in order to gauge their thoughts on the developing Flight Corps. What free time he has is spent reading up on Slyth.

Arriving in Pelsagon space, you see most of the fleet save two corvettes at anchor over the planet. A practice engagement between two small groups is being conducted near the planet's barren moon. A comm light activates on the terminal as soon as you arrive in system

A quick gesture indicates for the comms officer to send it to his terminal, “Pelsagon control, GSN Corvette. Go ahead.”

"State identity and business in CBS space." the terse controller says. Two of the corvettes participating in the war game now break off, on intercept routes

“Good day, Pelsagon! We’re here on business from the Greystar Council. Simply a diplomatic endeavor and checking in on our friend we haven’t seen since Benavides.”

"Proceed to station GSN 1, deviation from the route will have you fired on:

“Appreciate the head’s up. Heading in now. GSN 1, out.”

12:11 PM

August turns to nav, “You heard our hosts. Let’s stay on the course they’ve laid out for us.”

The platform is blocky and under construction, as you arrive in orbit over Pelsagon. Two other peerless classes comprising a major shipyard and heavy space defenses are also under construction. Over a million men and women have mobilized to fortify the capital world of their emerging power bloc, and their welders, cutters and fasteners light up the void like miniature constellations of blue spark

August lets out an incredulous laugh as they slide into orbit. Doesn’t look like they need our help at all. We could probably use theirs, he thinks. To the bridge he says, “I’ll disembark shortly. We’ll rotate watches if some of you want to go see the sights. Just travel in pairs or more whenever possible.” Satisfied, he heads to the airlock. (edited)

(Dressed in GSN uniform with datapad and that’s it. We’re heading to the station or to the surface?)

(You guys are faster than me. I’m working through threads now)

7:30 PM

(And to the station)

(No worries! Just realized I might be stepping into vacuum haha)

The CBSS station designated as your arrival point is still under construction but seems to be the most far along Two of the bays are entirely finished and you are given docking in one, while a ship is being repaired in the next one over. A CBSS commissar and four soldiers from the foreign affairs office are waiting on the deck, gathering themselves as the ship comes in.

“Good day!” August calls from the airlock with a raised hand in greeting. He takes an unhurried pace down the gangway. Upon reaching the assembled party, he extends a hand to the commissar, “August Braddock, Greystar Navy.” (edited)

"Commissar Valor, CBSS Foreign Office, Welcome to Pelsagon. I'm here to be your liaison for the duration of your stay. Anything you might need, I will ensure we get you an answer or what you are requesting. Greystar is an ally, especially after the fight at Benavides. On a personal note I am relieved we are all able to stand here freezing our asses off in the dockyard , and not dead in space somewhere

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Commissar. I’ll have to agree with you on that last point. It’s a better future where our two polities can grow together rather than slowly consumed by monsters in the Dark.” August takes a moment to look at the dockyard interior, admiring the work being put in, “You don’t waste opportunity here do you? It’s amazing what you’ve accomplished in such a short time.”

"With so many people unemployed, and now with the secrets of the spike drive, getting into space, and getting a space industry working again was really not something we needed to debate spending resources on. Over a million men and women mobilized in short of a year, can you believe it?"

August shakes his head, “Honestly, my mission here might’ve been soaked in some unintentional arrogance. We thought you may need help rebuilding after the Shapers War, but being here,” he gestures broadly, “I think we could learn from you. Is there someone I can talk to about how you managed to mobilize such a significant portion of your population? I’d appreciate an opportunity to learn.”

"If you'd like to come down to the surface we can get you in front of the chairman. It might be a day or so before we can arrange a meeting, but if you're willing to wait a little bit it might be a good conversation. What do you think of that?"

“I think that’d be excellent. Thank you, Valor. That’s very generous. Will my crew be allowed to disembark and get some shore time?”

"Yes, they'll be given an escort, you understand we can't go wandering off. If that is something we can agree to, I'll get them set up for landing"

“That’ll be fine. I’m sure they’ll appreciate being able to stretch their legs. Thank you again. Should we head out?”

He nods and you’re brought over to a blocky looking launch vehicle that will bring you down to the surface. From here it resembles something like a reusable rocket capsule. He gestures for everyone to get in to the well used and slightly distressed faux leather seats

6:44 PM

“I’m going to have to ask for no photos or anything of that nature to be taken when we hit the ground. Standard disclosure I give to everyone “

“Understood, look with my eyes, not my tech.” This last part puts August a bit on edge but he does his best to hide it. The launch vehicle reminds him that up until a very short time ago, Pelsagon struggled to put anything into orbit, never mind Spike capabilities.

The capsule begins heading planetside, the windows slowly growing redder with the heat of re-entry. Valor for his part looks quite calm. "You look like your'e about to lose your last meal. We're perfectly safe

4:09 PM

he smiles, with a full set of teeth

August raises his eyebrows, “That obvious? You’d think this would be more fun for me, it’s not like it’s my first time in reentry. How go the refits on your ships? Are you putting Spikes in former system ships?”

“That’s been completed. All the ships you saw at Benavides were refits. Not sure when we will be rebuilding more. It’ll be some time to muster those kinds of resources”

“Is it funds or raw material you’re lacking? I’m sure more than a few companies would be happy to pursue trade with Pelsagon.”

“If the materials come in we can keep things going, but if the work on Mehani goes right, we might be coming out of the resource slump”

“Your colony experiment has been successful then? I’m glad to hear it. Is there anything you can think of that your people or armed forces are lacking? I’m personally happy to help develop your naval officer corps in any way I can. Greystar is very interested in keeping CBSS a friend and equal on the sector’s stage.”

"I wouldn't say successful. They're not starving to death, but they're not exactly living better than we are either. I appreciate what you're coming out here to do, and appearances matter for keeping the alliance strong, but we're still an independent country. Telling you what we're lacking is just as good as telling you how to hurt us the most. You can try asking the chairman when we land, which should be in a few minutes- but he's probably going to feel the same Comrade"

"Absolutely, I appreciate that you've humored me this far. To change the subject, are there any places you recommend I visit during my stay? It sounds like I'll have this evening free at the least while I wait for an audience with the Chairman." August attempts to get a view of the planet below as they descend from the upper atmosphere.

“The precognitive conclave is always a very interesting tour. So is the people’s history museum and the party headquarters. There isn’t much by way of amusement down there. Not yet anyway. Maybe soon.

“Educational is better than nothing. I’ll give the precog conclave a tour once I’m settled in.” (I don’t have anything else I want to talk to Valor about. All my questions are probably better for the Chairman)

The capsule deploys a trio of parachutes and after a bumpy descent, you find youe way to the ground, in the midst of a large space-factory yard. Technical crew race over, and help you out of the pod. A small truck with an open back seat pulls up, clearly for your use

“Is this where we split up or are you acting as my escort? ” August asks while tossing his small duffel into the truck. (edited)

"I'm going to be sticking with you for the duration of the visit. You understand of course. When we meet the chairman, youll have some privacy"

“It’s been sometime since I’ve had a babysitter, but yes I understand.” He turns to the driver, “Please take us to the precog conclave. My friend here said it’s worth a visit.” (Valor is the NPC Hailey interacted a lot with right?)

(yeah he was her basically aide-de-camp when she was out here, helped her compromise with the government censors to get her TV station going)

(Nice. His name sounded familiar before and it clicked this morning haha)

August takes a seat in the open air compartment, and settles in for the ride.

The trip is twenty minutes through crowded streets though there is not much in the way of vehicle traffic- aside from a handful of blocky trucks carrying supplies, and one small armored car belonging to the military. A gated district opens its doors, though the homes are about as utilitarian as the rest of the city around it- the only true noteworthy or nice looking building is the multi leveled conclave itself, in a stunning red with ivory trim, and tall swirling domes on its many towers and office circulars

August allows himself to be led inside. His focus is on the architecture and its uniqueness from the surrounding buildings.

"So this is the conclave, where we figure out how to direct the limited mean we have. Most of the psychics are busy most of the day, studying and meditating. we try to encourage them to develop that one skill, at the expense of others"

(Is this place like the bizarro version of Reg’s Psychic Academy?)

8:15 AM

He nods, “Are we allowed inside?”

there are a few off limits areas, but you are more than welcome to look around"

8:45 AM

(not sure what you mean by that, but ill answer once i figure it out haha)

(More like half expecting to walk in to a messed up situation. I need to lower the paranoia level I got used to playing at with Dorian lol) At that, August makes his way to the door to begin touring the conclave. (edited)

(No. They just really need precogs so they try to push it over anything else)

(Ah that makes a lot more sense than what I was picturing)

The building is ornate, but the materials used are no different than any of the local buildings. The difference, in this case, was the time spent on making it beautiful. The psychics of the precognitive enclave serve their nation in the highest possible way- even when their predictions are wrong- as even the chairmen past and present know that the future is something that turns on a string. The psychics themselves do not go out of their way to bother with anyone, but are respectful and either nod or bow shallowly when you pass

“How often are their predictions accurate?” August asks as they pass another group. The atmosphere reminds him of college campuses on Suha and he can’t help but keep his voice respectfully low. (edited)

"Depends what it is. if its a short term forecast, within the coming days, or week, usually pretty well. When we start looking at things like a year out from now, that's when things get a bit murky

1:05 PM

"More time for unforseen things to happen. You'd drive yourself crazy trying to factor in every possible variable... so I've been told at least" Valor says

“What’s the process for obtaining a prediction? Does the enclave decide what they’re going to divine?”

"The chairman or high level local officials can submit a request, the Chief Psychic Intelligence Officer will go through the requests, see what information needs to be obtained from local expert or official data, and from there they'll decide what psychic or group of psychics should make the prediction. Sometimes they'll elect not to make one, or the request might not be specific enough for them to really do anything"

“It’s all very fascinating, I appreciate how forward you’ve been with all of it.” August continues following, his curiosity abated if nothing else exceptional occurs during the tour.

The tour continues without much else of note, before youre whisked away to the chairman and his impressive office. The chairman’s office is a complex and elegant melange of dark wooden paneling, cooper busts of past pelsagon and now cbss leadership , and marble columns. It was once the throne room of the former king but was changed promptly after the successful communist rebellion some decades ago. Chairman Yuri Oktobreskyea is one of the last of such brave soldiers who had fought in that revolution. Older now even with long lost now rejuvenation treatments, he is still a mix of rapidly aging man and slowly obsolecing machine

August comes to attention in front of the chairman out of respect for his station, “Chairman Oktobreskyea, my name is August Braddock. I’m an officer of the GSN and representative of the Greystar Confederation. I’m here to offer my services in assisting your growing Navy or government.”

"Assistance from a stellar friend" he chuckles and gestures for you to sit down. "Valor, get lost. Go get a drink or something" He throws the young commissar something resembling a gold coin chit. "Use the special taproom. My treat"

A grin, “A succinct way to put it, Chairman.”

"Benavides" he says, just the word on its own by way of opening the conversation. "Many lessons learned from that one. For Greystar too I wonder, even with that shipkiller of yours. Veles? I think you called it. A thing of beauty"

August doesn’t grimace, but his face hardens, “A lesson I’m glad we won’t have to repeat thanks to the combined efforts of the sectors’ psychics. Veles is indeed a beautiful weapon. She’s saved our asses more than once already.”

"It is admirable. It was a lesson in looking into the past. I am trying to direct CBSS to begin doing the same- but it is hard to go forward when you are weighed down with such heavy resource concerns"

"Anyway, I'm not sure what there is we would trust a foreigner with friends or not. We banded together to face the shaper threat, and we did. I hope this peace lasts, war is bad for progress, and bad for everyone. We aren't planning on waging any, but We're only responsible for our side of the border

2:06 PM

"Wedged between you, and the UNW is not an enviable place to be"

He stops a shrug, “At the least I’d hope this visit is a demonstration of Greystar’s intention to keep friendly lines of communication with the CBSS. Are help is offered and we’re not going to take offense if you’re in a position where it’s not required. This is simply a neighbor checking on another after a time of crisis. We’re weary of conflict and wary of imperialism.”

"As are we. We are not bringing in any worlds that do not ask. And why would we. More mouths to feed, it hurts the people who do want to work towards this great dream."

2:39 PM

"Since you've come all the way out here, i will show you sometihng though, if you'll come back to my planning room with me

“I’m glad we’re of similar temperaments. Please, lead the way, Chairman.”

He presses down his vodka glass in a particular spot on his desk, and says out loud "No Ice" the bookcase behind his desk swings open, to a very modern looking situation room, with a 3D plotting table in the middle.

2:41 PM

"There are better drinks in here if you want one, Don't drink that piss I told Valor to go get as a treat"

August takes a glass of a local vintage, and nurses it.

He motions for the bookcase to close, and once he hears the mechanical locks snap into place, he activates the table A large transport ship, still about free merchant sized but heavily modified begins to render.

8:07 AM

"Something we're working on. The last battle saw most of our small ships torn apart by bombers. You probably noticed your assault group did not see many fighter craft"

“I did notice that, and the toll the bombers took on your ships.” August studies the projection, attempting to figure out what he’s being shown.

the free merchant projected ramp lowers, and something that looks like a light mech begins to tumble out the back. "Mechanized suits, in place of fighters, but still capable of landing to support ground forces. We're going to combine vehicle transport fittings, and pack as much cargo space in as we can- to make something like escort suit carriers"

10:47 AM

(yeah, theyre going to use mobile suits)

(Is that a Gundam?!? Haha)

(They'd look like the Leo or Ares , probably more the Ares, since its got void thrusters too)

10:48 AM

(otherwise just a machine gun and some missiles, pretty basic fighter)

10:49 AM

"Mechs are something we've been fortunate enough to retain the plans and expertise for, once we get the resources, we're going to start making these. A space capable mech that lands, and can support ground troops, or deploy in the heat of battle to strike enemy ships, and even board if the situation allow. We were foolish to not develop the capacity sooner. It's the best way to do more with less"

He leans in, “Have you boosted the cargo capacity of your transport ships? I assume they just sit in the hold, so they don’t need specialized docking equipment like a traditional fighter would?”

10:58 AM

(Am I able to tell what class of mech they are? I’m assuming the suit kind but want to make sure.)

(no, not from the projection, since the scale is weird)

11:18 AM

"We found that the fittings normally used to more efficiently transport vehicles work here as well"

“This is fascinating, and ingenious. How effective are they against fighter craft? Do you notice decreased mobility in comparison to dedicated strike craft?” August is circling the display, thoughts racing.

"We haven't tested this. We're working on prototypes now. This is as close to the real thing as we will get for the moment"

11:21 AM

"once people get back to work, we can collect tax, we can begin building ships"

He’s silent for a minute, “Chairman, please don’t think me forward, but I believe Greystar would be interested in assisting development of these suits. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be as altruistic as my own presence here. The design and implementation of these suits would be beneficial to us as well. Would a joint development effort be something you’d consider?”

"I can't stop you from implementing what you've seen here for yourself, but for now this is our 'edge'. This is what we're pinning our hopes on, and I've probably already shown too much. You presence here might be out of true concern for a neighbor. I am not questioning your motives, but those above you? the decision makers...." He sits back in his chair for a moment. "Its too great an opportunity for interference. A setback now could be years to recover from'

August doesn’t stop the shrug this time, “I understand. I’d’ve been wary if a CBSS delegate came to my prototype division asking to help. In any case, thank you for sharing what you already have. CBSS should consider Greystar’s offer to assist an open one if anything changes, not just with your mech project here.”

(of course, this wasnt a waste, seeing what they're planning, and of course its an idea for you to try yourselves)

(I feel like I’ve made progress in improving the relationship between GS-CBSS)

(speed works the same mechanically across ships/vehicles/fighters in terms of how a to hit roll is changed by it, mechs have a comparable stat line, only difference is some of the fittings)

(I can see how flooding the battle with them would be useful, but that it’d be hard for the HMGs to get through starship quality armor without mass firing. It’s definitely something to bring back to the council. And the mass industrialization combined with the chairman’s “we only liberate those who ask for it” line isn’t anything to be worried about haha)

(they'd try to board with them rather than outright destroy the ships. Fits their combat doctrine of trying not to waste things)

(I see. August will do what he can to memorize what he sees, and continue small talk until he’s dismissed. I don’t really have anything else planned for the CBSS trip)

(3xp, 5000 credits) Talks continue for a bit longer, before finally losing their momentum. The chairman dismisses you and a slightly rosy cheeked Valor returns, ready to escort you out, and back to your ship safely

(Level 3 3 SP + 1SP expert Administer -1 -> 1 Know -1 -> 0 HP 10 -> 16) August bids farewell to the Chairman, thanking him again for his time. Then he allows Valor to lead him back to the orbital shuttle and back to the ship.

(heading back to Acastus?)

(I think there was talk about sending a scout to Espinoza? We’ll go back to Acastus to refuel and hand off the information found at Pelsagon. Then up to Espinoza and make sure there’s not an NMC evac ship stranded near the system)

(Aris is in the system, there's no ship, theyd have detected it)

(Ah got it. Iloz->Bourgani->Acastus. Then probably head north and see what’s in the nearby, unclaimed systems. Unless there’s some other stuff available to do that you think might fit.)

(Iloz is barren, Bourgani is still under a bunch of storms and is still primal soup)

(Nice. I think it’s a 9 day trip since we won’t have to refuel in a System? I’ll add to Slyth for 22/30)

2:58 PM

(Also since we were docked at a foreign station, let’s do a sweep through the ship to make sure we don’t have any stowaways or bugs)

(correct)

3:01 PM

(nothing for either)

Once they return to Acastus System, August addresses the ship’s commander, “We’ll refuel at the Hab. After that we may have some new orders. Have the crew get some shore leave and we’ll head back out after.” He also releases Lieutenant Jagged and her riggers back to the aerospace hangars, he’ll request another one when needed.

(did you have a direction or did you need something?)

(What do you have? I’d like to get around to scouting north at some point)

(Well, sounds like we have a route, i dont know if you want to play anything out before we do)

(Will I have command of this next mission and will that count as completing a goal? I wouldn’t mind naming the corvette. I don’t really have anything to do in Acastus, my update was enough I think)

(yes and yes)

(GSS Kestrel or whatever prefix we’ve decided on)

(GSCN or GCN i think would make most sense. Greystar Confederation Navy)

(Greystar Confederation Naval Ship?)

8:36 PM

(GCNS probably better)

(works for me. I'll ping our group chat so we can get a consensus)

(GCNS Kestrel)

Eisheru, et al. pinned a message to this channel. 4/23/2020 9:39 PM

(I'll update our list)

The crew of the Kestrel, August included, are given a few days to rest and recover after their latest mission. After checking in at the aerospace hangar and catching up with some friends, August spends the majority of his time off at the Hab. He plots the route and refueling stops, intending to lay the groundwork for further expeditions north. Several hours before the crew’s expected return to the Kestrel , August is already aboard. He’s on the bridge as the ship’s compliment arrives.

The crew begins filing in, you hear the sounds of ruck bags and travel trunks being stowed and fastened to the floor. Someone clanks cabinets shut in the galley, and the final count of stores and meals planned for the trip is sent to the bridge. Engineering reports begin coming in, the ship vibrating a bit higher as ground power is disconnected and the ship's own reactor now provides everything the mighty vessel needs to get going

With his hands clasped behind his back, August stands on the bridge. The thrum of the reactor vibrating through his deck boots. Bridge read outs start reporting in the green, and August addresses the bridge crew, “Alright, folks. The trip to Pelsagon went well, so this time we’re going to stretch our legs a little further. I’ve already uploaded the route to your handhelds, so nothing there should come as a surprise. Order of the day is to scout through the northern border systems, and make sure nothing there is lurking as a threat to us or others in the sector. We have another Lancer with us for the trip. As always if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or death threats; I’m all ears.”

(the lancer is the name for the fighter?)

(Yeah if that’s alright)

(thats fine just wanted to make sure I understood)

(Cool beans)

There are no questions from the crew now that they have copies of the route. Everyone is eager to be underway and see what might be out there now

"Excellent!" August smiles, "Let's get out there then. Nav, you know the drill. Set course for Espinoza."

7:31 PM

He settles into the command chair.

The planet is a tropical world much like the UNW’s terezinho, though the land masses here are far smaller. The abandoned NMC outpost nav beacons are off now, but agent Aris has found information showing the collective is clearly not coming back to this world. There are no signs of other ships or recent visits to the area

“Doesn’t look like much has changed since Agent Aris’ mission. Let’s scan the planet as a matter of course and continue on our way.”

8:55 AM

(25/30 Slyth)

The planet is not touched by shapers and appears uninhabited with the NMC staff and follow up Greystar exploration party off the planet. The small outpost below chimes a welcome message- though from Aris’ report aside from the machinery needed to keep the building running, the NMC stripped everything of value

7:09 PM

A return to this place now would be impossible for them with no chance to refuel in between here and their home cluster

It’d be useful to turn this into a Greystar base. We could put a refueling depot in orbit and a small team on the listening post, August thinks. Otherwise, nothing else in the system holds his interest. (edited)

(yeah, uncharted ocean world. NMC didn't get to settle down there long enough to get survey data)

7:53 PM

(but something to visit, certainly)

(Does the survey scanner reveal anything interesting or just an ocean world that would need more direct investigation?)

(nothing aside from whats already in the scouting report. You'd have to actually do something)

(Cool, we’ll mark it down as needing further exploration and make our way to the edge of the system and jump to Dura In)

Dura-In is a five planet system, on approach. A thick asteroid belt separates Dura 5 from the rest of the system, the remains of some far distant stellar calamity. Dura-In 5 for its own part is a barren world of storm lashed rock, radiation blasted and entirely unsuitable for life. Dura-In 4 is a gas giant, without moons or other distinguishing orbital features. Its cloudy depths are occasionally lit with the violent ion storms raging under the high pressure atmosphere. Dura-In 3 is a volcanic world with the thin scrapings of an atmosphere. It has a generous pangea like landmass, with a warm sea. One day, this planet may support life. Dura- In 2 is not returning any sort of scan data. Dura- In 1 is too close to the sun to sustain life, existing as a sun scorched ball of disappointing rock.

(27/30 Slyth) “Comm, what’s going on with the second planet? Why aren’t we getting data back?” August furrows his brow over the scan data.

“Not sure. The sensors are fine. Nothing comes back though, not even a return wave. “

“That’s peculiar. Can you pick anything up on visual?”

“Nothing coming back from the long range. It’ll be about six hours to make it that far into the system. I’d be ready for anything when we get there”

“Helm, bring us in silent. Comm, put Lancer 3 on standby. Passive sensors for now. We’ll go to Action Stations as we enter the region.” August leans forward on his right arm, staring intently at the displays within the corvette’s command deck. “Let’s go through a modified watch on our approach. Make sure everyone gets time to grab some food and rest if they need it. No need to run into this tired and hungry.”

Within an hour of visual range (Program int

(Can I let the NPC perform it? They’ll have a better bonus)

(Yes just need a value

(8)

(vs 10, initiative)

(9)

(6) Two patrol boats that look like former NMC sloops, now remodeled with scavenged metal and other shards of technology begin powering toward you on an attack vector as you approach the second planet. There was no hail, or call for a comm channel to be opened, and judging by their formation you can see that youve stumbled into a pirate ambush

“Here we go. Action Stations, launch the alert fighter.” The bridge is bathed in red light. “Nav, bring us up to flank speed. Comm, play some music for our new friends. Weps, Fire at will.” (CP 7 + 2 from Star Captain Evasive maneuvers 2 CP 9 vs 9 (+1 AC) Sensor Ghost 2 CP 8 vs 9 Fire One Weapon 2 CP 5/19 Fire One Weapon 2 CP 8/14) (How long will it take to launch the fighter?) (edited)

(one round)

(attacks from the NPC gunner are at +3 not +2, not that it affects anything this round)

10:50 AM

(+1 Dex, +1 AB, +1 shoot)

(Ah thanks! I’ll keep that in mind for the next one.)

1

(14/8 AP15, base is 13, the +1 is 14, ties hit) The plasma beam on the first of the patrol boats makes a direct hit on the hull, the second one snapping wide, and and scattering as the light loses its coherency.

10:56 AM

(back to you)

Kestrel rocks from the hit and damage alarms start wailing. August’s voice cuts over the noise, “Nav, sending you some plots. Keep our speed up and start pulling us back. Comm, keep the music playing. Weps, fire a spread between the two. Lancer, pick your targets and engage.”

(did you want to go out in the fighter yourself?)

(Yes but also I can handle crises in the corvette to keep it alive longer. And also, it’s the only way to get out of the system lol)

(makes sense just wanted to make sure i knew whos where)

(Kestrel 9 CP Support Department (Bridge) 0CP Evasive Maneuvers 2CP - 2CP 9 v 9 (success, rolled 7 + 2 speed) (AC+1) Escape Combat 4 CP (13) Sensor Ghost 2 CP 11 v 9 (AC +1) Fire One Weapon 2 CP (right target) (9/12))

11:07 AM

(Rolling Lancer now, do NPC ships have a different base CP?) (edited)

(still 5 since its a combat ship)

(Lancer Fire one weapon (right target) 12/8 Fire one weapon (right target) 12/5))

The patrol boats hang back, one of them hit badly by the approaching fighter. Evenly matched, and with about even damage, the pirates begin likewise disengaging as the fight is not the easy knock over they were expecting

“Let’s keep heading back out-system. Bring the Lancer back.” August sits back in his chair, and begins pulling up damage read outs on his screens.

The damage has several systems in the yellow, but the ship should hold together for a short spike jump to more friendly skies

“We’re going back to Espinoza to refuel and affect what repairs we can. Then from there we’ll determine whether or not we continue on to Koffa.” August doesn’t let his frustration show to the other crew members. Instead, he spends the travel time to Dura-In’s System rim moving about the ship and checking in on those working elsewhere than the bridge.

(i tihnk it would be about now the CSF message hits Galnet)

(We’ll spike to Espinoza and refuel. Then to Koffa. If Kensh or Eisheru want us to divert to check it out we will)

1:11 PM

(Can we make repairs during Spike travel?)

(No, has to be done in realspace)

(Alright, lets refuel in Espinoza, repairs 4 hull points for the 4 days we’ll be in system, rearm/repair/refuel in Acastus Space, then Shaila -> Koffa. I think that’ll make it 18 days total.)

(alright, anything you needed to do at home before we do the Shaila/Koffa jumps?)

(I’ll write a quick thing to post in the group meet chat about pirates in Dura-In and the need to clear them out.)

2:17 PM

(Otherwise no)

August finishes his report to the Greystar leadership during their short stay in Acastus. He spends some time meeting with friends again, hosting a dinner at his apartment in Ash City while the ship undergoes repairs. The crew are allowed time ashore as well.

(Kelvin is on Shaila now, going through that academy and possibly dealing with a raider problem, thats something to be interacted with on the way if you like, otherwise, we can jet on through)

(30/30 Slyth, 4/90 Connect)

3:11 PM

(I'm good jetting through. Not really interested in getting into ground stuff right now)

The trip is a blur as you barley stay in the Shaila system long enough to even make contact with the ground element. Spiking into Koffa system space the sensors begin slowly coming back to live status. Information is slow to come in. Two suns shine on a temperate planet with two moons. There are no signs of habitation

(9/90 connect) August stares for awhile at the binary system in appreciation of nature’s beauty. Finally he begins issuing orders, “Lets bring us in to scan range of the habitable planet, see if there’s anything in orbit or on the surface.”

(Program/int)

(11, is this for scanning or for something else? If it's with scanning, I think the survey scanner makes it 13)

(scanning since you wanted to get a read of the planet, it makes it 13)

(Noice, good job comm guy. Makes up for whiffing the sensor ghost haha)

There are megafauna on the planet below, both on the surface and in the seas. There is no sign of human habitation, now or formerly

(You did it! You crazy sonuva bitch did it)

10:02 PM

"So, we'll mark Koffa down as dinosaur planet. I'm sure the zoologists back on Acastus would love a sample of the animals here."

10:03 PM

"We'll refuel here and get some more data to bring back home before continuing on." (RP mainly, I want to make sure we have enough fuel to jump out of the next area if we need to leave in a hurry)

(where next? just so i can plan out scouting reports and stuff)

(Helga -> Phegus -> Olar. Cutting out Hrefna for now)

(I've seen this, I'm making scouting reports and maps)

(I see you)

(Alright, flight to Helga)

11:36 AM

the drive sputters, and fails for several minutes at the extreme edge of Helga system space. Technicians begin scrambling to try to re-start and troubleshoot the device, and you're roused from your quarters almost immediately on the nearly-failed translation into the area.

August hurries to the bridge, and finishes zipping his uniform as he passes into the command deck. “Status report.”

"Drive failure. The whole deck's been powered down, and the tech's are having trouble re-lighting it. We haven't been able to get a scan in, the first mate thought going sensors hot without you might be a bad idea. We don't know whats out there

“Good call. Do we have have an idea on how long it’ll take the techs to get the drive up?”

“Also, lets get the Lancer out there and start running sensor coverage until the Spike drive is up again.”

The lancer launches, and almost right away undergoes the same electronic interference. "Captain" the pilot radios in "Its chaff, billions of metric tons of it. Some kind of countermeasure. Whole system is lousy with it. "

"Does it seem like artificial chaff or debris from a natural process? Are you having any difficulty maneuvering?" He pulls up the repair progress for the Spike drive while speaking with the fighter.

"It is so dense, I worry something is going to get into the intake and blow an engine. It's all artificial, I can hear the tin strips scraping against the hull. The drives are so loud on the mothership you probably can't hear it in there"

August grimaces, "Bring it back home, then, Lancer. We'll leave as soon as the drive is back up and functional. We're not here to risk our ships, just to bring back some sort of information for our fleet. We'll come back when we're better equipped for a push into the system."

There is a judder as the Lancer makes its way back inside the bay, and the rattle of the shutters closing behind it. The pilot clicks his commlink twice, signaling he has returned back to the ship safely. The chief engineer sends a quick report, asking for your attention down in the drive bay

August leaves the bridge in the hands of the first officer. Upon arrival in the drive bay he says, “What do you have for me chief?”

"Something fried the power as soon as we finished the jump" He holds out a small device, something like a blasting cap and ablative jelly, though scorched and no longer able to hold its shape in a moldable cube.

1:29 PM

"Its manufactured. Clearly manmade, but the materials aren't local or anything we have here on the ship"

With a furrowed brow, “Is this the chaff we’re dealing with outside? Would you have noticed if it was planted before our arrival?”

"We analyzed some when it got pulled into one of the intakes. It's been here for a while"

(To clarify, he’s saying it’s not from this system?)

(it is from this system, the bomb you found was not)

(Ohhh ok I understand now.) (edited)

“Will you be able to fix the damage it caused enough for us to get back to Olar* or Acastus?” (edited)

"We can make it to Olar, that course is less turbulent. Joshua Collins is a friend, and his people might be able to help us."

2:27 PM

(Trivedi Tech has technical expertise, so his base of influence there can help with repairs, even though the world is not TL4)

2:28 PM

(but you might want to call him before coming to his house, hes about done on Phegus, so he might be able to meet)

“Good. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. The crew won’t be happy about the more stringent security measures until we get back home. Let me know if you need anything else from me, Chief. I’m heading back to the bridge to plot our course.” (That’s a good idea! I’ll shoot him a message.)

2:48 PM

(Helga->Phegus->Olar. Will we run into them in Phegus?)

(oh yeah, you will)

(Sweet. Ping me in his page when it’s time?)

3:01 PM

Prior to the spike to Phegus, August orders the chief engineer to work with the Lancer’s flight crew in going over the fighter. It’s a different Lancer than the previous two, but he still wants to check it for sabotage before potentially launching the fighter. Satisfied, despite a deep anger over the sabotage of his ship, August orders the jump to Phegus; mildly interested in his impending first trip to UNW space.

He sends a report to Acastus for the Director only, detailing the sabotage and intent to repair at Olar.

(So Olar?)

(Yes sorry. I was out for the evening)

10:03 PM

The planet Olar is primitive as you had been warned. Trivedi tech has a small base set up in a village close to the center of the planet. The village here was once trapped in something like an entropy zone where no stone could be laid on another , but with help it was dispelled. The villagers here are all almost universally working for the company and have been among the first to welcome modern conveniences back into their lives

“Open a channel,” August orders. “Trivedi Station, GCNS Kestrel in from Phegus. We’re requesting permission to dock at whatever repair capable platform you have available. We’ve sustained damage to our drive deck, no casualties. I’m attaching Mr. Collins’ permissions.” (edited)

A landing vector is displayed, showing a very shallow and roundabout course to help get you to the surface.

8:20 AM

"Get to the pad, we'll take it from there, do you need medical assistance?"

“Received. And no, not at this time. Appreciate the offer, though. We’ll see you dirt side.” August gives the pilot permission to facilitate their landing.

the Trivedi Tech base on Olar is situated in a clearing, in a bunker that once sent out pirate radio signals to the rest of the planet. A conflict between the former worldgov and a group of psychic authority extremists divided this world and the common folk were caught in the middle The base is a paved runway with two small hangars, a small above ground office, and the actual radio bunker itself which has acted as your control tower for the approach

As the Kestrel settles on her landing gear, August praises the pilot for the smooth approach. Turning to the XO, he says, “I’m going to take the Chief Engineer with me. Everyone else is to remain aboard and continue their sweeps for foreign contaminants. Also, lets make sure anything of a sensitive or secure nature is locked away from prying eyes when the techs come aboard.”

"Is there anything we should consider destroying? or just keep it hidden?"

“I don’t think so. Our data on the systems we’ve scouted so far are useful for navigation purposes.” He pauses to think, “Honestly, we should tell them about Helga. It’s two jumps from UNW space and poses a potentially serious navigation hazard. Just keep them out of the computers for routine use. Can you think of anything that might be a concern?”

"No, but youre the captain. We'll keep an eye on them, do what you need to do on the ground"

“Thank you. I’ll be back soon. I don’t intend to spend more time than necessary off ship if the crew is stuck here, too.” With that, August head’s down to the engineering deck to fetch the Chief. He asks them to bring the sabotage device with them when the pair meets with Trivedi’s representatives.

3:17 PM

They depart the ship via the cargo ramp, hoping to catch whatever delegation prior to their arrival at the Kestrel.

August, this is Director Kensh. This concerns me greatly, especially if it was caused by who you're thinking. Stay sharp and keep a close eye on your crew, just to be safe. Contact me when you're back on Acastus and we can discuss this face to face.

A group of a foreman and three technicians is walking out of the bunker, with two security in tow, weapons held a rest positions. The foreman waves over the sound of the ship engines powering down

7:51 AM

other small vehicles are beginning to turn their engines on, heading out with fuel, parts, and food for the crew

August approaches the foreman, extending a hand to shake his in greeting. He shouts above the noise, “August Braddock. Thank you for taking us in!”

"Can't say no to a spacer in distress. Bad Manners, Bad Karma, whatever you wanna call it. just glad you got back dirtside alright. So what's going on in there? Just want to know where to send my guys here so we dont go tracking our dirty boots all over your ship"

“Have your guys head to the drive deck. We have some temporary repairs that need to be made more permanent. My crew will direct them to where they need to be. As for what happened,” August gives the foreman a more serious look, “Do you have somewhere more private for us to speak?”

He nods, and directs the remainder of his men aboard the ship, taking himself aside to speak with you

August gestures for the CE to show the foreman the device they found, "Do you know what this is?"

“Looks like a plastic explosive. Homemade. It doesn’t have the mark of an exceptionally skilled machinist. Maybe that’s why you didn’t find it though. It just looks like junk”

Well, shit, he thinks, why the hell did someone try to break my ship? Out loud, he asks, “Do you have the capability to run an analysis on the material here? It didn’t match anything we had access to on the ship.” (edited)

“Sure. It’ll be about a day if you want it done right, but I’m happy to help”

“I’m not really going anywhere,” he says while generally motioning towards the Kestrel. “I appreciate your help. We’re not exactly equipped for a full lab work up.” (edited)

“What are you suspecting?” He asks “it might help us know what’s important and what to disregard”

“I’d like to know if you can narrow the composition down to a region of space or a specific polity. I’m just spitballing here, but I imagine different manufacturers have their own secret recipes for plastic explosives. This ship has only been docked in Greystar and CBSS space, so being able to narrow it down between those two would be ideal.”

"I think that all makes sense. Alright, leave things to us, I will come get you for another one of these private conversations when we have an idea of just what exactly we are dealing with"

7:37 PM

"I do hope you understand that as a Trivedi Technologies employee, the contents of my report are logged in company systems. I will need to lets Mr. Collins know what the end results of our workup are"

“That’s reasonable. I’m sure the information would work it’s way back into UNW hands regardless. This’ll just speed the process up.” August shakes the foreman’s hand, “I’ll be aboard my ship for the duration, so you can find me there. My crew will be doing likewise.”

(anything you wanted to do on Olar? or do we want to skip to following day)

(Not really. Going through Olar was just kind of like saying hi to the neighbors haha. I’m not even really sure what’s on planet beyond largely TL3)

(gotcha) The next morning, there is a short, two word message on your pad from the chief engineer. SEE ME

After a small breakfast, August tracks down the foreman. “I got your message, what do you have for me?”

"you'll be pleased to know this was not the work of the CBSS. The chemical cocktail inside is entirely wrong, and far too advanced for their factories to make. The downside is, you might have some domestic issues. This came from Acastus"

August, this is Director Kensh. It's come to light that there are cultists active in our shipyard. Could be the source of your malfunction. I'm after raiding a facility of theirs on one of the moons, I'll look into the shipyard worker's records on the way home, see if there's anything suspect. Keep an eye on your crew, just in case.

(edited)

“I was afraid you’d say that, but not entirely surprised. Do you mind transferring your findings to me? It’ll be useful to have an independent source on this, especially if we’re worried about trouble back home.” August grimaces at the last part.

"Of course, I'll get things uploaded to you right away. Aside from that, repairs are complete"

“That’s a relief. Is there a particular watering hole you and your crew prefer here? I’d like to send some cash ahead to buy their first rounds. You all do great work.” He pulls his compad out expectantly.

“Just the base here and there isn’t much alcohol coming in. Just glad we were able to keep anyone else from harm. Dying in space isn’t a way any of us would want to go”

August snorts, “Putting it lightly. If you find yourself on Acastus or Suha, and I hope you do because they’re beautiful planets, I owe your crew more than a few drinks.” August transfers his contact information to the foreman, “We’ll be our of your hair shortly. I’m sure you’re not surprised when I say we have some business to attend to back home.”

“When you find them, throw them out the airlock and don’t think twice”

August laughs, not a little darkly, and buds farewell to the foreman before returning to Kestrel.

Back on the ship, August calls a meeting with his department heads. He lays out his suspicions about the possibility of a terror cell on the Acastus shipyard and the potential for crew member involvement in the drive deck’s sabotage. He informs them that they will be making the Spike back to Acastus with a strict communications blackout when they return to the home system in order to prevent any word from reaching less than desirable ears. He’s not sure what’ll happen once they dock again, but suspects that the crew will he questioned. (edited)

3:54 PM

(17/90 Connect for Helga-Phegus-Olar trip) (Ready to head home if there’s nothing brought up by the crew) (edited)

As the Ship heads back to Acastus, after the final jump before home, you're awoken from your sleep by the sound of alarms , and a loud bang from the deck below you. The deck plate in the floor near your bed is slightly indented

(Is this back in real space?)

(noooooo)

August’s tired brain takes a several heart beats to process the new bulge in his room’s deck plating before hurrying to the door. He checks to make sure there are no hull breach warnings on the other side before opening it. At the door, he radios to the bridge, “Sitrep, now.”

There is a brief hiss of static, and gunfire in the background. Someone shouts about sealing the blast doors. "Sir! some kind of mutiny! We hit the alarm as soon as we could."

8:09 PM

Outside, there is a bang, this one much closer, and the sound of a body hitting the decking

“Lock everything down. All compartments. Emergency seal.” August swears, and moves quickly to the back of his stateroom where he grabs his duty pistol. Then he stands just inside the private head (I imagine he’d have one even on a smaller frigate) waiting for whoever was outside to open the door.

8:17 PM

(Waiting with pistol drawn)

(yeah captains quarters would)

(Would there be a way to tie into security cams in the corridor outside via his compad?)

(I would say not as a default, but with a program/int)

(4)

The cameras are not responding to your attempts to log into them

August swears and puts his compad away. He waits a minute longer to see if anyone outside tries to bypass the lock on his door.

There is a scrape against the door, following by a pair of dull taps, before the noise stops entirely

(Is there any chance I might know what that was?)

(not without being able to see outside, which you cant since the cameras cant be accessed)

(Any other way out of the stateroom?) (edited)

(just the main iris door)

(Can I trigger the door to open from where I am? Via verbal command or otherwise?)

(I guess so. Nothing specifically says how the doors work)

With no further noise from outside, August walks to the door. He stands to the side so that he's not directly in front of anyone standing on the other side and opens the door.

A body tumbles inward, shot several times in the back. The engineering rating could have been saved, and has been deceased just a moment

3

Coward, you could have saved him, August directs at himself. He does what he can to pull the body into his stateroom and clears the corridor outside. His heart thuds painfully in his chest, blood roaring in his ears. (edited)

Outside, the corridor is silent now. There is a rhythmic bang from above, as someone seems to be trying to ram the bridge doors open on the deck upstairs

“Conn, Captain,” August radios again, “Can you isolate the group outside the bridge? Seal the area on either side?” (Did I recognize the voice I spoke with initially? Also, is the ship big enough to have a dedicated security force?)

(it would be small, you're just on a corvette, and you dont know their status or if they were targeted. The voice was the comms officer)

2:26 PM

(on a ship this small it would only be a handful of people)

(Figured, but wanted to clarify.)

2:27 PM

August begins making his way towards the command deck while waiting for a response.

The stairwell outside leading up is dark and winds in a corkscrew pattern. Two voices carry down it. They are harsh sounding and not speaking English , or any language you know

8:53 AM

The percussive bang sounds once again. As another attempt on the nearby bridge doors is made

August double checks the charge level on his pistol as he nears the sounds. He tries to steal a look of the pair without being seen.

(Sneak/dex)

(7)

1

(They don’t see you) One of them is the ship sergeant at arms. The other is a low deck rating , barley out of being a recruit

(Is there any wall panel or something where I can drop an emergency door? Like in case of hull breach or fire but repurposed to seal them in?)

1:45 PM

(Also did the bridge not respond to my query, or did the question get lost in all the text we’ve been posting?)

(They’re not answering and not in the stairwell without cutting yourself off from them)

I'm not thrilled the bridge hasn't responded. Time for a gamble. August takes a breath and comes halfway around the corner, ready to jump back if things go badly. He points his pistol at the pair and shouts, "Hands up!" (Love not knowing who's against me and who's with me) (edited)

The two men round on the sudden sound, and upon seeing you level their weapons. A voice crackles on the ship intercom. Attention apostates. We have no interest in culling you, though that is what you deserve. We just want the ship. If you surrender you will be brought to the lifeboats and permitted to leave. We have no reason to spill more blood. We just want the ship. Hostilities must cease now, or we will continue our purge of the vessel

Shit. Out loud, “I said, hands up. This is my ship and I won’t be disobeyed.” His tone is authoritative and level.

(initiative)

(8)

(You’re first. )

(Seen. Been a little busy today and will get to it)

August sees the pair not backing down, and fires a shot off at the sergeant of arms. (11/6) He ducks back behind the corner. (Does cover play into rolls at all?)

12:55 PM

(Also, can I try radioing the Chief Engineer?)

(Nothing RAW but I usually give them a slight penalty to hit rather than fiddle with variable AC)

1:23 PM

(Hard cover matters for the purposes of heavy weapons and suppression from them but otherwise isn’t mentioned a lot)

1:24 PM

The shot goes wide, hitting the ceiling above the sergeant , and sending a shower of sparks down on the two men. (Talking is a free action. One or two sentences )

“Chief!” August says a little breathlessly, “you there?”

There is a crackle of someone about to talk and then an alarmed cry followed by brief gunfire , and the link cuts again.

2:27 PM

If the Chief was hit you are unsure

(super)

(17/4, the other is a definite miss) they return fire down the corridor at you, trying to end the firefight quickly before others are alerted

August takes the shot on his shoulder, causing his next shot to go wide again (6/4). He coughs out a swear, and calls the bridge again, "Conn! You have two outside your doors, I need help taking them down!"

10:31 PM

(if that's too much to say, let me know)

“Last chance captain. We don’t have a problem with you. We just want the ship” the sergeant calls out.

7:49 AM

“You can even take the fighter if that’s what’ll clear you out”

“What about the other crew? If all you want is the ship, shouldn’t they be allowed off, too?”

(They made a general announcement. You haven’t seen anyone else, so you don’t know if they’re honoring it or not

11:30 AM

“Any who surrender peacefully will be allowed off with the lifeboats., as we said”

“In Acastus space,” August clarifies. I cant believe I’m even considering this. But I need to get those I can to safety.

"No, Buey. There's no fleet or defenses at Buey, and nothing to interdict us there. Its a Greystar world, you'll be treated fairly."

12:44 PM

"We just want the ship. We have no need of further bloodshed"

“Why are you doing this? You’ve killed your colleagues and people who trusted you to watch their back.” August’s shoulder hurts, his mind races, and he’s struggling to find a way out of the situation that doesn’t involve him surrendering the Kestrel. (edited)

'We have our own reasons. The Lady is gone, most of those who believe in her, and her message are also gone. We wish to go elsewhere, to live our lives of worship peacefully, away from these sectors"

“Then why didn’t you ask for help? We’re not in the business of killing people who want to start over. The Confederation would have helped you relocate. This didn’t have to happen.” (I don’t think that’s a lie, and I think August legitimately believes it)

1:13 PM

Theres pain in August’s voice. Pain over the loss of his crew and from the physical toll the fight has taken.

"Greystar would never let believers settle somewhere else. You know this. We're simply ending the cycle, here and now. We have no need for further violence. Stand down, and you'll be taken to Buey, or we finish this, one way or the other"

This isn’t over. Live to fight another day. August throws his pistol to the ground, away from him, “This was the wrong way.”

"Perhaps. This will be returned to you when we make our destination"

2:14 PM

"You were a good captain. You took care of the ship. The Cult could use someone like you, but I sense we have done enough for one day"

2:15 PM

Over the next hour, the bridge is officially taken and you can see about a third of the crew has joined you in this imposed exile. Everyone is made to sit in the hangar, under guard from other cult members. Despite the level of gunfire, only a handful have died, and losses seem to be spread even between the uprising and the loyal crew

2:16 PM

Personal effects are taken from bunks, and packaged up. Weapons have their ammunition stripped, and power cells taken, but are otherwise not violated beyond making them useless in these moments.

The Confederation could have used you, August thinks bitterly. He’s compliant with the cultists, only speaking up to ensure injured crew members receive treatment. (edited)

1

The remainder of the trip is swift, and at the edge of buey space, the cultists begin taking people a few at a time to the lifeboats. Each is filled to the brim, ensuring there are a few left over for them, if needed. August is the last to be taken, and is unceremoniously stuffed into the pod. His weapon is tossed to him, empty of ammunition, and the seal is closed.

2:39 PM

There is a soft bump, as the lifeboat is jettisoned, and automated systems inside both make contact with the ground for rescue, and correct the course to ensure a safe landing. On the ground, Buey search and rescue helicopters are scrambling

August organizes the pods’ occupants to as much of a cohesive group as he can in order to expedite the process of being brought back to the city. When the helicopters arrive, he asks for the pilot of his craft to patch him in to whatever command channel is present. “This is August Braddock of the GSN. My ship, the GCNS Kestrel, should be considered hostile and not to be engaged without superior force. I’ll need transport out-system ASAP for my crew and me to Acastus.” (edited)

2:47 PM

(Did they let the fighter go, too?)

(Everyone went to the pods, so they kept it. You were the only one they were going to allow to leave at first, since you guys were in the middle of a standoff, but behind the scenes when word spread the captain appealed to his better judgement, the rest of the loyal crew did too)

(That’s reasonable, er as reasonable as being MUTINEERS is haha)

(2 days of time here before a transport comes)

11:18 AM

The crew is picked up by a corvette running with a skeleton crew so there is enough room aboard for all of you. It’s a matter of just a few hours to get you all aboard. The lifeboats have served their purpose and are largely disposable , the ship breakers in the buey shipyards agree to buy them

(19/90 Connect) August’s fury over the loss of ship isn’t mitigated much by the time spent on Buey. To try and curb the feeling, he spends the two days speaking with the Buey shipwrights and asking if they need anything else from Acastus. He’s aware that Chris is coming back soon, but still wants to put a good face forward for the Confederation. The trip to Acastus is spent reviewing the plans he’d been working on for Dura-In and adjusting them for the loss of the recon corvette.

The shipwrights are waiting to hear what the council decides, and as both parties now know, there are some agents from Greystar coming to take a look. For now they just express happiness that no one was harmed in the incident.

His mind flashes back to the rating’s body falling into his quarters and the gunfire heard over the Chief engineer’s radio, but he just gives the shipwrights a tight smile. It’s not their fault and he’s thankful for the help they provided his crew. When he arrives back in Acastus, he transmits a message ahead to his direct superiors in the GSN detailing the mutiny and loss of the Kestrel. (If the time jump is ok)

(yeah nothing planned for way home, you've had enough haha)

(20/90 Connect for the one day trip)

(I think from here rooting out the problem would be a coordinated effort and something the polity would do, I don’t know if you’ve got interest in doing an investigation or maybe you and Kensh in tandem?

(Yeah, figured it's a symptom of the insurrection problem more than anything. I know the Bastion is on assignment so can't really use it to go bully the Dura-In folks. Scanning Pittheus 94R or trying to figure out what's up with Helga are appealling, but also happy to go root around the shipyards to find some details on the cultist gangs in the meantime)

(Yeah, CSF is an unknown factor, they're not going to send a ship that might not survive to jump back into spike if it gets bad)

(Seems prudent. I’m pretty much up for whatever)

(New endeavors for GS are up, any of those pique your interest? )

Upon return, you are called to the main fleet plotting room aboard the Greystar Space Hab, where a small conference room has been set aside. The tagline for the invitation only said that they wish to discuss a matter of import, and mentioned nothing about what happened with the Krestel

August raises his eyebrows at the message, before giving a mental shrug. After ensuring the remainder Kestrel crew is off loaded without incident, he makes his way directly to the meeting.

A map of the Dura-In system, offloaded from your records, spins gently on the wall, along with capture data of your encounter with the two pirate boats. It appears force projections are calculating off on the side, and several naval officers are looking on. Xu'Ganara, the new First Warden of the Void Wardens is also on this task, apparently, and from Galeta, a small conference call box with his name, and the words VOICE ONLY underneath, along with the Void Wardens logo, appears in the corner of the screen

“We’re going back?” August says after greeting the assembled officers.

"Pirate this close to friendly space is something of a concern. We're going back, and we're going with help this time. The Void Wardens have agreed to send some of their finest, and some of their ships to assist us"

“What do we have to spare on our end? I saw Bastion and her escorts are out on a mission after we Spiked back.”

"The cruiser, and two frigates have been sent out on another errands. We have the rest of the Greystar fleet at home, plus the support Xu will detail for us in a moment. I'm convinced between our space arm, and their reinforcements, we will have more than enough firepower"

“That’s not an insignificant force. They may just run instead of squaring off for a fight. Truth be told, we could probably use the ships they have, whats the brass’s opinion on offering them a job instead of fighting it out? Seems like they could use some official support if they’ve made it this long on their own.” August is reading the reports about the Patrol Boats as he speaks.

“We can’t trust those within our own spacer ranks as it is, command has decided on driving them out or destroying the ones that don’t scatter. The Wardens of course may not have the same concerns that we do. We won’t stop them from boarding actions or any other attempts to change the enemy flags”

9:58 PM

“Greystar just doesn’t have the resources to sweep our own planets for internal problems and then monitor an influx of pirates “

“That seems prudent. What’s my role in this?” He tries to hide his optimism.

"Xu is recovering from his recent brush with death in space, and is likewise trying to ensure the Wardens continue to run smoothly after the untimely death of First Warden Tanzer. He won't be leading this one personally, and we'd like to tap you to do it, as acting fleet admiral, for this operation

8:21 AM

"you demonstrated a level head when faced with a tough situation during the Kestrel crisis, you kept your crew alive, and you made the hard choice, even though it was an emotional moment"

All he can do is blink for a moment before August is able to process the information, “I..” he starts, stops, then clears his throat, “I’m honored. Thank you. When will the Task Force leave for Dura-In?”

"The wardens ships arrive in five days, they'll need a day here to refuel, and we will set out from there"

11:19 AM

(sending 3 patrol heavy frigates, and the one of them is packing Robert's old ID fighter, so if you want to go play fighter ace this time, you can)

1

"Then I'll make sure our contribution is ready. Will you send me a list of the available vessels?" He's already begun typing into his compad, sending out queries for ship readiness statuses.

11:26 AM

(Definitely going to have to try that, might not get another shot at flying an ID fighter haha)

(Putting a registry together, standby)

12:30 PM

Void Wardens: 1ID fighter, Robert's Rise Beowulf, Wotan Frija 3x GSN Shield 1X GSN Trader (for logistics, and any kind of rescue)

(Is the other recon corvette available so we can bring a bomber and survey equipment for the bizarre planet?)

(it went with Kelvin to Shalla)

(Got it)

12:45 PM

(If the wardens don’t have fighters of their own, can we toss a bomber into the frigate not carrying the ID fighter?)

12:48 PM

(Nothing like overdoing it)

(the Wotan has a single fitghter bay, If you want to pilot robert's ID fighter, you'd need to leave the Frija's alone) (edited)

12:51 PM

(the Beowulf has no bays)

(That’s what I was thinking)

(If we're happy with the force disposition, we can handle anything you need to during the 5 days for the VW ships to get here)

(Yeah that sounds good)

(anything you want tod o, or 5 days of downtime?)

(Buy a personal combat shotgun for my quarters. Otherwise 25/90 Connect)

10:46 AM

(Actually Spike Thrower if it’s available)

The three Void Warden Heavy Frigates arrive on schedule, declaring their names and flag at the edge of the system, before being welcomed to close in and dock with the Starhab. The hulls are clean, though each has a black slash painted on the prow, still mourning for their fallen founder. Flocks of lighters, lifters, and tiny EVA craft for engineers begin swarming them, ensuring they have everytihng they need before the formation sets out again to Dura-In

10:47 AM

(spike thrower is good)

(Love the imagery of the black slash)

(Level 4 HP 16 -> 17 Pilot 1 -> 2 Notice -1 -> 0 Spike thrower -600 credits Ammo 20 x3 -30 credits Armored Undersuit -600 credits)

August stands on the observation deck, hands tightly clasped behind his back. He watches the activity along the ships, and wracks his brain for anything he might have missed in the hurried preparation over the past five days. Satisfied that they were as prepared as they could be, August left the deck to meet with the leader of the Void Warden detachment.

Xu himself has arrived to take this on, and a small delegation, including him boards a shuttle, arriving to the station to meet with you. Their own shuttle, the Starhopper, remains with the fleet for the moment, moving some last minute personnel between vessels

"First Warden! A pleasure to meet you," August steps away from his own staff, hand extended, "I'm August Braddock." (Is Xu the hive mind?) (edited)

(yes)

“And to meet you. I understand you’ll be leading the Greystar contingent of the combined fleet”

"That's right. It's my return trip to the system, the pirates there managed to fight me to a stalemate last time I was there. I'm optimistic about our odds this time given how much hardware we're bringing."

"I agree. It is good you called. So what can you tell us about the situation there, as someone who saw it first hand"

“It’s a largely unremarkable system save for one entirely remarkable finding. The planet the picket ships were guarding is dark to all scans. We know it’s there, we can see it, but we can’t get any sort of reading from it. It’s really one of the most bizarre things I’ve seen.” August gives a small laugh, “As for the pickets, the ones I saw were a pair of patrol boats armed with plasma beams. They attacked us with out warning and were firing to destroy, but they didn’t pursue us after I started to disengage. Whatever they’re guarding seems to be more important than letting us escape. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have more ships in reserve, either.”

"I'd expect more, and certainly heavier ships. We're essentially here as a recon-in-force. Hopefully we have enough metal in the void to solve the problem, but if we don't, I'm not expecting the fleet to stick around and die in a last stand. If they're protecting something, we can take our time and pick them apart if need be"

“I’m glad we’re in agreement. I want to know what’s on the planet, but not so bad that I’ll throw our people away.”

"We agree there as well. First Warden Tanzer left a legacy of trying to preserve life,a nd work with people first. we will try to honor that here as best we can"

A bit ironic he died in a last stand then, August muses. "While I'm not against destroying these ships, what is your opinion on offering them a peaceful option? Would the Wardens take the crews and ships into their service?"

1:29 PM

(Bad time for not knowing if Xu is a telepath or not hahaha)

(for mechanics purposes Xu is a 4 everything, but he is ethical in the use of his powers)

(polypath)

"We would if they surrender peacefully, and if we get a chance to board, we would attempt to, the wardens could use the ships"

"Then I'll make sure the GSN does what we can to facilitate that. I have no illusions about this mission, we're certainly the aggressors at this point and killing people defending their home doesn't sit well with me. That being said, they can't operate so close to our borders without some semblence of peaceful intention."

“They’ve shown none so far per your report. They fired first. We have to go in assuming they will do the same this time”

6:25 PM

“We have some heavier displacement ships that should be done by month end. I understand you have something of super heavy displacement as well, should we need it”

“We can file that under Plan B. If there’s something we can’t take with the ships we have on hand, we’ll break off and try again with heavier tonnage. I don’t think the council and director would approve of the Veles being deployed without some discussion.”

He nods. “I suppose we have done all we can do for the moment. Until we get there at any rate”

“I understand you’ve brought Mr. Tanzer’s personal fighter? I was hoping to get a look at it.”

“When the fleet exits spike at Espinoza for the last leg of the trip we will have you transfer over to the Beowulf, and you can see it then”

"That works for me. I'll go ensure the corvettes are ready to launch, and we'll see you at the assembly point."

The initial jump is smooth, and you emerge at Espinoza to find nothing has change since the preliminary scouting expedition. The weather down below looks perfect, and the crews whistfully look out viewports at the sun soaked ball below them, and its flawless seas

I need to come back and explore the planet some more after this, and August adds Espinoza to his growing list of systems to return to. During the transit to the next jump point, he travels to the Void Warden’s flagship.

Xu is there to meet you as the Starhopper brings you over, and under some kind of shroud it is clear there is some kind of craft parked on the deck with its landing gear down. It is large, not the agile space dart you were expecting , but its true shape is obscured

“Is this the fighter? Though it’s not like you have many other craft covered with tarps around here,” August adds with a laugh.

The curtain is lifted on Xu's command, and underneath the aggressive bat like form of the Imago Dei fighter, flown by Robert Tanzer himself is revealed. It still has his original paintwork, and his original settings are still loaded in the cockpit computers

3

He lets out a low whistle, and ensures he has Xu’s permission before approaching the fighter. Gingerly, August runs his fingers along the hull to get an idea about what sort of material it’s made of.

The alloy composition is unique, it feels firm, and tough under your applied pressure, but has the lightness of aluminum

12:01 PM

"It really is something of a wonder"

“Did the UNW build this? It’s amazing.” August doesn’t try to hold back his awe.

"They did not, not originally, at any rate. The materials and the plans were provided by that unique shipyard they now operate. The material science behind it is op secret, even to us"

“I can understand why, but i still want one,” he laughs.

“Does it have a Spike drive?”

"It does, but it will be remotely disabled for the operation. Greystar is an ally but we know the capabilities of these fighters. We can't risk you running off with it" (edited)

“That’s reasonable. I hope I can put it to good use. What’s it armed with?”

(ill post you the stat block before we do anything)

4:25 PM

"A torpedo launcher , and reaper battery, you should be able to handle any threat you find"

August snorts, “Hopefully when it’s packing heat like that. I guess I’ll spend this next spike familiarizing myself with the controls. Mind if I step inside?”

4:27 PM

(Also 28/90 Connect for Acastus to Espinoza)

"I'd expect while we refuel and take stock of things before this last jump, you might want to give it a test run

“Not a bad idea. Let me get my kit on and we’ll stretch her legs.”

The cockpit is opened and systems begin coming on as you sit down inside. Sensors and throttle controls are beginning to likewise come online. Weapon systems show a full load

August settles into the pilot seat and follows the prompts for preflight.

It seems intuitive, and after a moment the hangar crew clears you for launch into the emptiness of space

With a quick salute, August opens the throttles and jets out of the bay. He spins the fighter around and enters a holding pattern around the frigate.

(up to you if you want to fast forward this or not, unless youre planning something idk if we need paragraphs of exposition for saying 'this fighter is really good'

(Nah, I don’t think the ensuing war is worth stealing it haha. We can fast forward)

The six warships make the entry to the pirate system first, the free merchant and shuttle set to arrive in about an hour when the fighting will have moved away from the edge of the gravity well. Systems begin coming online as sensor veins and detection wands slide from ports on the hulls of each vessel.

From the fighter, August keys up the task force’s command channel, “Silent running until we’re spotted. Let’s see how close we can get before the game’s up. With any luck, the surprise might keep them from fighting.”

(lets get a program int, and ill oppose with them)

(Any bonus for running silent?)

4:38 PM

(not unless any of the attached fittings provide one, which I don't believe they do)

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 5/17/2020 4:38 PM

(Low emissions does add +2 to the DC for the observers at least) (edited)

(then theres the answer)

(8, I’ll use the expert reroll if it fails)

(Fails. You would have a 10, it adds +2 for your result in the opposed check, but i was able to get a 13)

(Damn odds are pretty against me rolling high enough then. I’ll try it for giggles at least.)

5:12 PM

(10 with the +2 again.)

5:13 PM

(Expert reroll done for the scene)

The two patrol boats once again detect your formation, though the signal must have been boosted with whatever is behind the null field. The boats are a mix, one is a NMC pattern patrol boat, little more than a sloop with high energy cannons, the other is a more standard pattern, the former Remnant iconography scraped off as much as time has allowed

“Here we go. Action Stations.” August switches his radio to transmit in the open, “Dura-In pickets, this is acting Admiral Braddock of a combined Greystar-Void Warden Task Force. I request you reduce your engines, and come about.”

The comm link opens this time, and the harsh voice of a possible augmented captain or comms officer returns your call "Joint fleet, this is Blue Rain Freeguild territory. This is a haven for those lost in space, and who wish only to be left alone. Come about now, and we will not have to destroy you"

_Austin wracks his brain for any knowledge of the group, but assumes they’re a symptom of the Shaper War and its aftermath, “Freeguild, nobody has to die today. You’re operating on the edge of Greystar space, and fired on one of our scout corvettes. If you’re operating as an independent government, I’m sure we could come to some agreement.” (edited)

"There is no reason for us to concess anything to you through negotiations. Come about, and turn from your attack heading"

“Negative, Freeguild. If you have no interest in peaceful parlay, then you’ll be considered hostile to Greystar and other free polities in the Sectors.”

(initiative)

11:18 AM

"So be it, Greystar"

(4) “Alright folks, watch your sectors and we’ll get home. For Greystar and the Confederacy.”

(5) PB1 Fire all Guns at GSN Corvette 3 (Miss beam 1) (16/10 AP 10 Beam 2) Evasive maneuvers (sucess 9 v 9, +2 AC) PB 2, Same target (Miss, 13/11 AP 10) (13 v 9 for evasion, +2 AC) (Aside from your ship, no crisis on NPC, your turn)

(When I’m back at a computer I’ll roll the other stuff. Am I doing Void Wardens too?)

(yeah, lets just go step by step, maybe treat this as 3 distinct groups, of Blue , GSN and VW)

12:04 PM

(as far as rolling the steps out)

(How much CP do NPC ships get again?)

(still 5)

12:20 PM

(goes by what kind of ship they are, these are all military)

(Thanks! Rolling now)

12:27 PM

(August: Targeting the first PB)

12:30 PM

(August 7CP + 2CP from Star Captain Fire One Weapon 2 CP + Target Systems (Engines) 1 CP = 3CP Torpedo Launcher: 17 to hit (after +5 bonus and -4 for Target Systems)/4 (after halved damage rounded down) with AP 20 17/4 Fire One Weapon 2 CP Torpedo Launcher: AP 20 14/15 Boost Engines 2 CP 10v8 success +2 Speed until next round Evasive Maneuvers 2 CP 19v9 success +2 AC) August Turn Complete (edited)

(That boost engines gave me a total +8 to my extra bonuses when coupled with the ID fighter's speed so that was awesome)

The first patrol boat is rocked by two hits, engines sparking twice, before shutting down. The second slides to hit it amidships, sending burning metal and venting gas out into open space

(GSN CorRon Turn, Targeting the second PB)

12:49 PM

(Shield 1 5CP Fire One Weapon (Flak Emitter) 2CP + Target System (Engine) 1CP 17/4 AP 10 Evasive Maneuvers 2 CP 7 vs 9 failure)

12:50 PM

(Shield 2 5 CP Fire One Weapon (FEB) 2CP + Target System (Engine) 1 CP Evasive Maneuvers 2 CP 12 v 9 Success +1 AC) (edited)

12:52 PM

(Shield 3 (damaged 40/50 HP) 5CP Fire One Weapon 2CP (FEB) MISS 8/6 Damage Control 3 CP 11 v 7 SUCCESS +3 HP 43/50) (edited)

12:56 PM

CorRon Turn Complete

The second patrol boat likewise is forced to come about as its engines are targeted and temporarily shut down

1:16 PM

(Wardens up)

(Beowulf, Wotan, Frija)

1:18 PM

(Beowulf targeting weapons on 1PB)

1:20 PM

(Beowulf 5 CP Fire One Weapon 2CP (Plasma Beam) + Target System (Weapon) 1 CP MISS (assumed) 5/6 AP10 Crash Systems 2CP (10 opposed roll)) (edited)

1:22 PM

(Wotan targeting weapons 2PB) (Wotan 5CP Fire One Weapon 2CP (Plasma Beam) + Target System (Weapon) 1CP 9/4 AP10 Crash Systems 2CP (8)) (edited)

1:23 PM

(Frija weapons on 1PB) (Firja 5CP Fire One Weapon 2CP (Plasma Beam) + Target System (Weapon) 1 CP MISS lol 0/7 AP10 Crash Systems 2CP (11)) (edited)

1:28 PM

(Void Warden Task Group complete, just need the opposed crash system rolls. Each success is -1 CP for their next turn)

(11/12/11)

1:30 PM

The shots from the warden vessels go wide, as new crew get used to firing their weapons in anger for the first time. The crashsystems results are likewise blunted by the well trained pirate crews.

1:32 PM

Aboard PB1, the engineering team springs into action to try to get the engines running again. Someone has to get away, someone has to spread the news. (Emergency repairs, 10v 8) Its plasma beam spits fire back at GSN 3, trying to capitalize on previous damage (Fire one gun, 2cp) but the crews are too distracted by their plight, and are unable to get a target lock. Aboard PB 2, things are much the same but their engineers are far less skilled, and are unable to relight the engines or complete any repairs the plasma beam likewise misses, sending a neon slash into the night, far from any kind of harm

August transmits in the clear again, “Freeguild Patrol Boats, you can let us pick you apart all day, or you can strike your weapons and power down. Live to fight another day.”

1:39 PM

(Trying to give them an opportunity, maybe dying doesn’t seem so glorious anymore)

The patrol boat running continues doing so, engines burning as furiously as they can. Something is attempted transmitted from the second boat, but the line crackles out amid gunfire and shouting

(Will roll in a bit. Doing some stuff around the house. August and CorRon going after the runner, and VW to secure the floundering PB)

On the command link August says, “Run her down.” (August 9CP Fire One Weapon 2CP (Torpedo) 21/14 Fire One Weapon 2CP (Torpedo) 19/20 Boost Engines 2 CP 8 v 8 Success? Evasive Maneuvers 2 CP 14 or 16 v 7 success regardless) (edited)

The torpedo slams home on the running corvette, sending it breaking apart silently in the void. Debris spreads in an expanding cone like buckshot from a 00 shotgun shell. some of those floating hunks are crew. (yeah a tie is a success for the action, you have to meet or exceed the DC)

“Shield Squadron, you’re on survivor pickup. Grab anyone who’s broadcasting a beacon.” August’s tone is grim, and he begins to turn the fighter about to return to the second PB. (Void Warden turns now? I figure the corvettes are busy trying to scoop people up if they can find any.)

(theres an opposed check for boarding that im looking up right now)

11:15 AM

(that we can roll in the background)

(Works for me. Would Xu still be willing to board the ship? I don’t want to force the Wardens’ hands if they’d rather just blow the thing up)

(I'd think its a more peaceful solution to try to take prisoners than just to consign the 40 people on board to instant death, if they decide not to keep the boat they can always sell it or scrap it)

(Cool, as long as it’s within their normal MO. Killing the first patrol boat was a bummer but we couldn’t let them run :/)

The boarding action is fierce by time other ships get into position to help the Wotan. 60% of the Wotan's marine compliment is killed during the vicious compartment by compartment fighting. Several of the Blue crewmen are captured, most of them are strong, ex military men. A handful even have stripped down exosuits, powering legs and arms for enhanced motion, and more power. It was in close combat with them that the Void Warden marines suffered the most. PB1 is dragged into formation, a skeleton crew of its own officers working under heavy Void Warden guard.

11:22 AM

(so we're at system edge here, it'll be hours before the patrol going missing is noticed, due to the distance and just general interference of the area's magnetic fields)

11:22 AM

(you have some time to consolidate)

August requests that the Void Wardens interrogate the prisoners and PB1’s systems for any indication towards what force might remain around the planet. He doesn’t want to go in blind.

11:26 AM

The corvettes, when their finished searching for any survivors of PB2, are directed to scout the immediate area and ensure nothing sneaks up on the Task Force. (edited)

After several hours of what you hope are humane negotiations, the survivors are taken aboard other VW vessels, and almost all but three take the oath. The three who don't will be remanded to Greystar custody when this is over. You are summoned aboard the Frija, urgently.

2:41 PM

Xu's personal mark is on the request

August touches the fighter down aboard the Frija and doesn’t waste time doffing his flight suit. He walks briskly to the meeting place Xu defined.

The meeting room is the rear galley, cleared of its normal sailor compliment, and sealed off by guards for your meeting. One of the prisoners is inside, chained by the ankle to one of the tables in the center of the room. He has a small tray of food in front of him, and a water bottle that is half finished. One of his eyes is purple and his bottom lip is split.

August notes the injuries, but doesn’t say anything in the moment. He turns to Xu (or whoever is meeting him), “What do you have for me?”

(It’s xu)

8:09 PM

“The charge here has something to discuss with you. He didn’t want to spill anything without both of us here”

“Let’s not keep him waiting then,” August motions for the guards to open the doors for The pair.

He looks up from his meal, and sighs as he sees the both of you enter. He sets the fork down in a bit of a huff. "I said no green Jello. Why did you give me the worst flavor"

“I hear it’s the Wardens’ favorite flavor. We can take it back if you’d prefer.” August’s voice is firm, but not aggressive.

There is a snort from the prisoner. "Alright, alright. They were kind enough to give me my compad back, though with restrictions. I just want to show you something we might be sailing into"

8:16 AM

8:17 AM

"There is a research station over the planet. A large one, and they're working on something in the core levels. The outside is your normal station, pirate hangout, bar, all that"

“Obviously,” August says in a measured tone, “I have some questions. What sort of fleet presence does the Freeguild have over the planet protecting the station? Do you know what they’re working on? Even a rumor you’ve heard in the bar.”

"Does the term Bruxelles mean anything to you?"

(Would it?)

(It's a ship class)

9:21 AM

"It's the flagship. smaller vessels aside from that..."

(Is it in a book or would August know more specifics about what it can mount?)

(August would just have heard rumors that it was a very destructive type of battleship)

9:29 AM

(Most of them were kept on the fringes of civilized space, fighting back horrors)

August’s blood runs cold, and he sets his jaw, “Yes it does. I’m surprised you all managed to get ahold of one.”

he shrugs "it was there by time I joined. That ship is the cornerstone of the fleet. Everything else is light"

“I can’t imagine they’d have resources to maintain much else. Do you know what they’re working on in the core of the station and if the station has its own defenses?”

"Not sure what they're working on down there. The station has guns. Plenty of them"

August notes the information he’s received in his data pad. “What can you tell me about the Freeguild leadership? How’s it organized and who’s at the head?”

"All the ship captains get a voice. Flagship captain forces the vote if needed in the case of a tie. "

9:46 AM

"Everyone meets on the station to talk"

(Would August have heard about Eisheru’s discovery of RANA? I don’t think this guy will know anything about it but probably won’t hurt to ask)

(i dont think so, you left around the time the prisoners came back)

“Have you ever heard of a ship called Kestrel?”

"just the bird, not the ship" he coughs again, and it seems like shipboard life has been steadily making him sick for some time.

“Why are you telling us all of this? I was under the impression you all were willing to fight to the death to protect your holdings.”

"I am a realist. Even if you are beaten here, you will be back. Or you will come back with more allies. Eventually, you will overwhelm what we have built"

“I was honest about what I told your captains. I didn’t want to kill your crew mates. There are other options than fighting. Do you think the other captains would be amenable to that?”

"No, they value their independence, and you would never let them have that. We gave you the option to turn away and you returned with allies"

August nods, "You're not wrong. It may be our hamartia, but you're operating too close to Greystar space and apparently hostile to our exploration efforts. We'll make these systems safe for our trade and exploration. Either the Freeguild will faciliate that, or I will."

"It's not my decision to make. I'm just a deck rating who overheard things he wasn't supposed to"

“One thing I’ve learned lately is never underestimate ratings. Now,” he says, changing the subject, “would you like some medical attention? If you’re not swearing in with the Wardens, I’ll have you transferred to one of my corvettes and get you attended to.”

"I am planning on joining the Wardens. your companion here has agreed to get me scene, but wanted to bring you in to talk first

“I appreciate you being cooperative, and I truly am sorry we had to meet this way. I hope you’re able to find success with the Wardens, and I hope you realize you’ve saved some lives today by talking with us.”

He nods, beyond tired from the last several hours, and seems to be on the verge of nodding off into the off-white pile of mashed potatoes on his lunch tray

August gestures for Xu to follow him into the corridor outside the mess, leaving the rating to the guards. When they're alone, August asks, "Do you believe him?"

"I do. A jamming field backed by a station reactor, or both the station and a ship that size is perfectly capable of fouling our sensors. Quantum technology surviving the scream even. If the pirates did indeed take a ship like that, I would imagine they lack the technological skill to operate it entirely. One of more of its systems may be inoperable, but it would be a big gamble. We may lose ships finding out"

"I'm sure we'll lose ships regardless. I don't think we have the manpower to take the station regardless, especially after the losses you suffered securing the patrol boat. Throwing a handful of corvettes and a division of light cruisers against a potential pre-Screm battlecruiser doesn't bode well with me; not to mention whatever escorts she may have." August leans back against the bulkhead after looking to make sure they were alone. He crosses his arms before continuing, "I think our mission is complete here. We've reconed in force and found valuable intel. We know who's running the show in the system and their potential strengths. At this point, Greystar is committed to taking the system regardless as we can't risk reprisal from a Bruxelles running through ours or the UNW's territory. I think the prudent move is to leave while we're still ahead, and determine if the Greystar board is willing to commit the Bastion and Veles."

"We may need to get the UNW involved as well, with Olar so close. Its my duty to warn them that their border systems are in danger, and I hope you can understand my mandate is free of territorial concerns the two of you may share"

12:05 PM

"If the presence of warships in either group sparks a border conflict, we will take no favorites in ensuring it comes to a swift end"

"I understand, and wouldn't ask you otherwise. Mr. Collins helped me when I needed it without hesitation, and it'd be against all of our honor not to warn them." August pushes himself off the wall, the weight of the armored flight suit weighing heavily on him after the prolonged time in the fighter, "Will you return to Acastus with us? Your crews have earned more than their share of shore leave." (edited)

"We will be heading to Galeta, to formulate our next move, and to warn the UNW about the threat to their border as well. Next month our heavier vessels will be fit for combat, I would suggest any combined action waits until then"

“That seems prudent. It may be worth asking the UNW to reinforce their border worlds’ defense fleets in the meantime. Just because they haven’t raided our systems, doesn’t mean they won’t. If there’s nothing else, let’s start the task force towards the Spike point. Give me some time to get out of my kit and I’ll head over to one of the Shields.” August extends a gauntleted hand to Xu, “It’s been a pleasure fighting with the Wardens. I hope we lived up to Tanzer’s expectations. We’ll be in touch to coordinate the next phase.”

(3xp, 5000 credits)

9:02 AM

(I'm going to probably have Xu getting everyone aware of this in the news, given how we're mid game month already. Any response from your border allies would take about that long to get out to you and do anything effective anyway)

(Makes sense. I’ll take the Shields and Logi ship back to Acastus and start getting ready to propose my Dura-In plan to Eish and/or Kensh if they’re available after their threads.)

12:28 PM

(Good fights though)

(we can always do it through messages back and forth if its not going to slow things down)

(Thatd work too. I’ll just write up a quick IC thing to get their thoughts on and then we can do a quick side mission? Maybe go check out the black hole since I don’t think anyone has been there yet)

(anything works, whatever you want to jump into. Most players are in the middle of things right now on your side, so if youre planning to make group missions out of whatever you've got going , some people may need to set things down if we're going now)

(I’ll post a Dura-In update to the Agents Roundtable thread. I’ll mention going to Maitena as well if anyone wants to join.)

1:48 PM

(Err I mean the blackhole. AT is building a lab ship apparently so that might be better off going to Maitena when it’s built)

(33/90 Connect) Upon their return to Acastus, August orders the damaged Shield to the starhab for repairs. A quick report to the security forces informs them of the embarked prisoners from Dura-In. Satisfied that the corvettes are situated, he requests another ship for an exploration mission to Pittheus 94R while the necessary forces for the Dura-In battle are accumulated.

The ship is inspected several times over this time by different crews and finally by you yourself, as a malfunction that close to a black hole would be fatal. For right now at least it seems the Lady’s last supporters haven’t adopted the suicidal fanaticism so common of other cult like organizations.

August feels the suspicion of the crew as a quiet voice in the back of his head. It’d been largely silent during the Dura-In mission since he’d been surrounded by other ships that would likely not experience mutinies. Here he was again, though, commanding a lone ship. At least the crew seemed diligent enough this time around. On the bridge, he addresses the crew, “As you’re all aware, we’re about to undertake a journey no one in living memory has completed. We’ll Spike to Suha, top our fuel off, and Spike into Pittheus 94R’s sphere of gravitational influence. We’ll spend some time in system obtaining scans of the singularity and anything else of interest in the area before Spiking back to Suha to refuel. If you have concerns or questions, voice them now.”

The crew is eager to be underway, and to see a black hole close up for the first time. A final check has all systems working properly

"Helm," August orders, "Take us out-system to the Spike point. Sending you the course to Suha." He settles into the command chair, intent on witnessing the Spike transition first hand.

Nothing explodes, the crew remains where they are, and this leg of the voyage goes smoothly, back to the homeworld of Corporal Smorkle. The Suhan defense fleet comes to greet you as you enter local space, broadcasting a welcome, and offering aid if needed

"Suhan defense, how've things been on the homefront?" August can't hide the joy at being home from his voice. It's been too long since he'd been home.

"Not bad. New line of protein drinks came out. Allegedly Pizza is my new favorite, you can tell the factory isnt even trying anymore"

1

"They named it Allegedly Pizza? I've been craving Might-be Potatoes lately."

"I Can Believe Its Not Real Meat was banned, finally. Anyway, if you want to set down, there are two pads clear for your ship. Food, fuel, and repair crews are all standing by"

"Appreciate it, Suha Defense. We'll touchdown shortly." August allows the pilot to bring the ship in. Free from the responsibility for the orbital insertion and subsequent transition to atmospheric flight, August watches his homeworld approach.

(36/90 Connect)

Setting down outside the breaker gun itself, you are not met by Coporal Smokle. As you are a Suhan yourself, this is not a diplomatic visit, but rather a homecoming, and the wisecracking public face of the planet has seemingly other things to do.

August notes the obvious disappointment the crew has since Smorkle's reputation precedes him, and smiles inwardly. Once the ship is situated and handed off to the dockyard teams, August goes towards the breaker gun to fraternize with the gun crews and whoever else might be in attendance. (I have nothing particular to do. Going to the cities is on my to-do list but not this time around)

You socialize while the repairs and work are completed before launching back up into Suha space. The wafting smell of Allegedly Pizza , purchased in quantity by the crew is going to haunt the air recyclers for weeks. The ship makes spike a few hours later as planned

After witnessing the Spike transition, August returns tours the ship to check on the departments. He sets an alert on his compad to remind him to be at the bridge for entry into Pittheus 94R.

(Pilot/int)

(8)

The spike alert chimes on cue and fifteen minutes before translation you are on the bridge. The crew are talking their positions and those without jobs to do at the moment are locked down in their cabins. Morale aboard the ship has been steadily deteriorating over the last few days, as lockdowns are common and duty is the only reason permission is given to leave individual cabins

Hopefully this’ll give them something to celebrate. Maybe the fleet needs sort of celebration after we’re wrapped at Dura-In. Might be time to start organizing some annual celebrations. August’s mind focuses on the translation as the countdown reaches the final minutes.

The timer ticks down to zero and the ship begins to shudder as it exits spike space. The crew straps in and the massive black hole sits , ahead and dominating the entire forward viewports of the ship

6:18 PM

Shutters begin to winch up and the engines strain as the move you to the edge of the gravity well

August watches the read outs scroll down his command screen. Looking to confirm they’d have enough power to extend away from the singularity. “Helm? Talk to me.”

“Power is good. We are free of it now. Sensors aren’t brining anything back. Too much in the way out there”

“Let’s give the sensors some time to filter through the mess then. If we’re not in any eminent danger, we can take our time to sort through the mess.”

(Did you have a specific thing you’re looking for?)

(Not really. Just wanted to be the first ones to get an in person scan of a black hole and the space around it. Sounded fun and dangerous haha)

(Program/int)

(11)

You appear to be alone this close to the black hole, though there is some compacted junk very close to the event horizon of it all. the sensors have moved to passively recording their readings, rather than trying to interpret them. More powerful planetside labs will need to do that, another time.

“Are we able to clean up the readings on that junk closer to the event horizon?”

"Nothing coming out of it, its showing as solid, and there, but nothing electronic. It's compacted quite heavily. I'm getting at least 20 different base metals or alloys in there"

“What are we looking at if we try to pick it up? Can the ship’s engines handle that strain?”

"Can;t really tell, it depends how good of an anchor point we get, and the angle we approach it at. This could be dangerous"

August doesn't respond for a few minutes while he considers their options. Finally, "Could we use the ship's computer to help calculate a route? I realize some of it would be by the seat of our pants, but anything to mitigate the risk would help decide our course of action here." (edited)

"Thats with our best information already sir" sensors calls back (the 11 is a good roll, but an escape vector for a chunk as heavy as you are, plus you, in a gravity well this dense is beyond what it can calculate with lasting accuracy)

(TEMPTING. I want the mystery metal blob so bad hahaha)

9:39 PM

(How big is the blob in comparison to the corvette? Probably going to come back with something a little better equipped for picking things up near grav wells.) (edited)

(Could I roll a pilot/int check to get an idea on how difficult this might be? I assume very but I wonder if August would have better insight)

10:34 PM

(Pilot/wis would probably say "this is stupid" lol)

(we can do pilot/wis)

(12)

There is a route plotted, but if the engines arent fired at the right time, for the right burn duration, you will not be able to escape the event horizon of the black hole

(Could I use "Boost Engines" from Engineering actions, and the ship's Emergency Thruster Boost to give me a +4 to the ship's speed for the maneuver?

(we'd need the actual fix check to do it, but its an option)

(With 9CP do I get 4 chances? Basically spending the whole time trying to boost the engines.)

(i guess its just an artificial stumbling block for me to impose a check with that many chances)

3:01 PM

The emergency lights turn on, as the ship enters battle stations, but for a very different purpose than actual combat

August gets up and takes the helmsman's seat, "Take the copilot seat, I'll handle the engines." Over the shipboard comms, August says, "Prepare for emergency thruster boost. We're about to put some stress on the ship. Secure anything loose and all crew to your crash seats." (edited)

Sections report status green as a whole minute goes by, and everyone is locked down, waiting to see what comes next

With all sections reporting ready, August takes a deep breath to steady himself and grips the control sticks. "We're going in, we'll grab the metal hunk in the forehold. Then use the gravitational pull to cut our way back out and across the singularity's influence. I'd usually add something about luck, but this is the best damn crew in the Grey Navy and I know we won't need that. On my mark. Three. Two. One. Mark." August kicks the Shield's engines onto the course plotted, slamming the crew into their crash couches as the inertial dampners strain to keep them from being pulped.

THe hold catches the mystery hunk, wedging it between the forehold door and the actual mass of the ship itself. The ship bucks wildly at the impact, but the sensors show you're pushing this, and your ship, away from the event horizon, and the ship is working normally

August maneuvers the Shield into a stable orbit around the black hole, making sure they’re near a jump point. Satisfied, he releases the controls and hands them off to the pilot. “I’m heading to the forehold to see what we managed to scoop up. XO has the conn.” He makes his way through the ship, radioing ahead to the Chief Engineer that he’s on his way.

The Chief engineer is shaking his head, looking at the amalgam that is literally wedged between the forehold and neck of the ship. It is too large to fit inside, and momentum is the only thing keeping it in place

August grins, “Well? Can you tell me what we hooked?”

"I have no idea what this even is. It might be one ship, or it might be a sad pancake stack of many. We can't bring it into the hold, its too big. This might be something we mag lock with recovery ropes and jsut hope it stays attached for the spike jump home to get it looked at"

"Do what you can. If you think it might damage the ship in Spike space, we can park it in a stable orbit. Ideally, though," August says, looking at the blob, "I'd like to bring it with. Take the time you need, there's nothing else we'll be doing until its secured."

It takes the better part of a day for them to secure the hulk to the base of your ship, though the forehold still will not close. The bulkhead is going to be sealed behind the engineers when the job is done, so the greater parts of the ship arenot left to open space during a spike jump. By evening, the "go" is given from engineering

August takes a last look at the singularity, before addressing the bridge, “Helm, take us back to Suha. Fantastic work, everyone.”

(lets get a pilot/dex or int, for this, since the ship's flight profile is a bit awkward)

(11 with +2 for ship speed. Otherwise 9)

(its just for a spike jump, we arent using speed here, 9 is still good, needed an 8)

12:24 PM

The trip to Suha is eventful and you find yourself on the bridge, unable to get to your private studies for nearly the entire time, as the flight profile of your ship constantly changes as the super-dense metal artificial asteroid tumbles and shifts. Everyone is exhausted by time they reach Suha, and your hands practically fall off the controls, leaving what will likely be permanent sweat stains behind on the foam grips

“Let’s not do this again,” August mutters. His eyes are red with exhaustion and he can’t hide the trembling of his fingers now that they’re not gripped to the controls. “Comm, ask Suha Defense for a ship that can handle the block in its hold for a Spike to Acastus. I’ll transfer to that ship. Meanwhile, you all take a few days here on Suha to recover and refuel.”

(Do you think that qualified as my "Scan a black hole" goal?)

(yes)

1:07 PM

(I've updated RP at the ulimer research center, we have the chance to unlock something big at new month)

(

)

1:08 PM

(I want to get the metal thing back to the starhab so we can figure out what the heck it is, otherwise nothing else planned for now)

(Level 5: HP 17->21 Authority Level 1->2 Pilot 2->3)

(can't take rank 3 In a skill until level 6)

(Bah)

1:50 PM

(Talk 0->2 then)

1:51 PM

(Thanks for keeping me honest)

( ❤️ ) (edited)

(Maybe I can convince a deck crew to help me turn one of the corvettes into a weird prototype without Kensh or Eisheru becoming wise to it)

(Good luck

)

The jump back to Acastus is once again full of dangers, but over a shorter duration, and you've once again worn out a pair of control handgrips. It went fast, as you were constantly busy. You briefly remember one of the bridge officers feeding you something from home. Allegedly Pizza, perhaps. The crew relaxes, as you're finally back in home space

This time August slumped against the seat, breathing deeply. He sits there for several minutes before standing again. “Bring us to the shipyard. I’m going to use the head and then sleep for what feels like a day.”

The ship docks, with help from expert systems aboard the shipyard as well, while the hunk is offloaded and brought into a different work-bay for analysis.

After his power nap, August takes his time refreshing himself. Once he’s satisfied the ship is secured, the crew is released for a few days R&R. Dura-In weighs heavily in August’s mind and he wants to give the crew some respite before the battle.

12:35 PM

He sends a request to the deck chief in charge of the metal hunk to inform him when the preliminary analyses are complete. Otherwise, he updates his availability status with his commanders and makes his way to his quarters aboard the hab.

(We are close to the end of the month so I would say you’ll get a report around flip time)

8:02 AM

(Kensh and finius aren’t finished running down info about the Kestrel 2 yet so going after that isn’t quite ripe either )

(Kind of an awkward period of time then. Is there anything I could do to train some of the pilots so they get a better than +2 to their piloting rolls?)

(Npcs are generally going to stay where they are outside of your authority foci or henchkeeper stuff. I’ll have news up in about an hour and you should have plenty to discuss)

August spends time on the Hab checking in on the Lancers and friends stationed in system. Following the Agency meeting, he starts making preparations to bring Sokol up to readiness. (Would we know that Maitena is full of derelics?)

(Not yet

(Then he’ll request a bomber accompanies them on the scout corvette)

(I'm a bit lost on what we decided, because some of the infiltration group is now going on a totally different mission)

(My trip to Maitena got extended to Musheera)

(Theres a group thread then)

1