(Apologies for my lateness in reporting, Hara-san. I stopped to buy KNF Officer Osamu a drink..)
During routine patrol today, I detected two GC vessels on long-range scans.
After clearing Shinegawa and Planet New Tokyo, I proceeded towards Shinjuku station. KNF Pilot Etsuko Osamu contacted me at this time, inbound from Kyushu. We met at Shinjuku just as the GC ships appeared on short-range scans. They were attacking a destroyer patrol in the vicinity of the Samura's station.
The two GC pilots flew dragon bombers. As the engagement began, they focused their attention on the Osamu, as the larger of our two ships, allowing me to get on the tail of the Ryu Saiba and slowly wear down her hull.
Eventually, the Ryu.Saiba bomber succumbed to our combined attack, and we turned our fire on her sister, the Kurokawa.Keiko.
Another long tailchase ensued for me as the Osamu jousted with the bomber Keiko. Once again, I was able to stay on the bomber's six and chew slowly away at her hull plates. the KNF warrior also scored good hits on each pass.
The [KSP-Y]Yakaze arrived in support just as the final blow was dealt to the Kurokawa.Keiko. After refitting my Wyrm, I joined Yakaze on a patrol for smugglers in Shikoku. (See previous report.)
My compliments and thanks to Etsuko Osamu of the KNF.. a valiant and persistent warrior.
Today was an eventful day.
As I took of in the Yakaze for the first time since I left space-service for special affairs, I immediately caught a known criminal vessel by the name 'Job' holding up traders. Since he is known to fly a Corsair M26 Gunboat, I called the KNF for support, and Chujo Chijin responded within minutes. As I found Job, I first confronted him, but he ignored me and attacked a passing trader. As I engaged, Chujo Chijin arrived, and Job fled towards the Honshu system.
Around this time, a Hohosha and the AFA's flagship joined the hunt. As we followed Job to Honshu and engaged him, he returned to New Tokyo once again, and gave us the slip. After searching for him in New Tokyo, Chujo Chijin found and destroyed the pirate.
At this time, yet another gaijin pirate in a M26, Erik-Syon attacked Chujo Chijin without warning and then fled to Honshu, where he hid. As the KNF searched for him, I spotted a traders flashing a LPI IFF and mounting a LPI ID, carrying Military Vehicles. I explained to him that he was not allowed in Kusari, and escorted him out. However, it became clear that he was unrepentant, and even stated that he did not care what we thought and that he would return.
The trader's vessel was named 'Canine', a Transport, and I would not be upset if he was destroyed the next time he poked into Kusari space - or maybe a hefty fine and escort out could do it.
Just as I returned to New Tokyo, a new vessel named Job appeared, robbing traders. He seemed to be identical with the old vessel. It seems the pirates are bringing backup craft now... As he moved to Honshu he was engaged by the Yakaze, the AFA flagship and several KNF officers. After a short hunt, he was destroyed by a KNF pilot.
A while later, Erik-Syon was found and forced to exit Kusari by the KNF, and a Zoner IFFed Cardamine smuggler was pursued into Hirosima, but these are issues for the KNF more than the State Police.
The Yakaze is now moored at Aamori to sort out some issues with a bug in the IFF software.
-- End patrol log --
John Johnson - Master of Synth.Foods-Convoy|049
Hans Adler - Synth Foods escort wing
I scrambled my fighter and headed towards the Kyushu system after being alerted that an IND trader was spotted carrying plutonium, and had been stopped by an AFA member. Once I got there, I found [AFA]Taishi.Barak and [|]Hakatoa_Yamota in orbit around Planet Kyushu, where [IND]Naked.Ambition was sitting. My own scans confirmed the plutonium in the trader's holds.
Technically legal, but why was he in Kyushu then? After quite a long conversation, threats and accusations from all sides, I ordered the trader to offload his cargo at Roppongi Station. He did so, and did a very short transport hop, carrying food rations from Roppongi down to the surface of New Tokyo.
He left towards Honshu, where apparently he sat outside Akita border station for a while and complained over system comms about Farmers attacking his ship. He asked me for assistance again, and I told him that another police officer, [KSP]Tomimoto.Tachiko was in the area and would be able to assist him sooner.
After that whole episode, I started back towards the New Tokyo system, when I spotted an independent trader, comm ID "Jeff". I asked him to stop for a cargo scan, and he refused, tossed out an insult, and fled. I pursued, and caught up with him in New Tokyo's orbit.
I ordered a nearby Hogosha, [|]Hakatoa.Yamota to assist me destroying his ship and apprehending him, but he apparently suffered a control failure and plunged into the atmosphere of the planet.
Then, kicking and screaming as he was picked up by authorities on-planet, he had some choice words to say over the comm 1 2 3
Needless to say, Jeff will not be welcome in Kusari space again. The Hogosha and AFA have expressed interest in "dealing" with him, but I believe the A.D.M.I.N.S. will get to him first.
Another day, this time the log ends on a less upbeat note and with an upbeat Yakaze.
The patrol was fairly ordinary to begin with, although pirates and known criminals sniffed our borders they fled when the State Police or Navy showed up. The first change was that the pirate Erik-Syon yet again has managed to obtain a M26 gunboat, and was sighted in the Honshu system.
When I launched the Yakaze from Akita where I had moored for rest and rearming, the pirate had moved on to New Tokyo, and I followed and called the KNF officers currently doing war games in Hiroshima to aid. A KNF officer was first on the scene, and the pirate was encouraged to pay his fines and leave Kusari. However, instead he suddenly ejected most of his crew and suddenly opened fire. With several KNF vessels present, including a gunboat, the pirate was swiftly destroyed. Survivors were picked up and shipped to New Tokyo to await judgment, but it seems the captain evaded custody once again.
As the patrol continued with traffic control in New Tokyo, KNF officers engaged a Blood Dragon Red Catamaran in sector C6. At first I did not take notice, as some gaijin traders were particularly bothersome, but then I was informed that an officer was down, and proceeded to support the KNF.
Another Blood Dragon bomber joined the fight shortly after, as did Doshin Ezra Kilo. While the bombers were taken down, both the Nazonazo and the Yakaze was heavily damaged by nuclear mines employed by the enemy, and both myself and Kilo-san was forced to eject.
I have now returned to Osumi, and the gearheads tell me the Yakaze should be back in shape in a day or two.
Signed,
Tameichi Hara
--- Log entry ends ---
John Johnson - Master of Synth.Foods-Convoy|049
Hans Adler - Synth Foods escort wing
While I regular patrol, I spotted a trader carrying plutonium in the Kyushu system. His id was "Indiferent_Sun" and he captained a Whale. I confronted him over the cargo, and he was very cooperative about paying the fine and dropping the cargo off at Tsushima station. Far different from most of the gaijin I have encountered.
Later while patrolling New Tokyo, I got a tip from several traders that there were Corsair pirates at Akita Border Station in Honshu. Me and several KNF officers proceeded to investigate.
When we arrived, we saw three corsair pirates, a =CR= tradeship, a bounty hunter bomber, and several independent traders all held up at Akita. We engaged the Corsair in the gunboat, and quickly took him out of the fight. The other two Corsairs, in fighters, started to run. I left the pursuit to the KNF, and started to deal with all the traders that had piled up at Akita.
ID of the Corsairs were: |Freelancer|, [M.B]Waazaa, and [[M.B.]Hellmaker]
Finally, just before my patrol finished, I spotted another plutonium trader, ID comicu. I asked him to stop and offload the cargo at Shinigawa station, and pay a fine of 1 million credits. He paid the fine, then docked on Shinigawa to presumably offload the cargo. However, I was called away, and could not finish checking up on him.
I was told a bit later by a KNF officer that he had, in fact, not offloaded the cargo, and escaped with it. I suggest that comicu be put on our watch list, and dealt with more harshly next time he is spotted with illegal goods.
I received a notice from a passing trader that there were two Lane Hacker vessels spotted in Shikoku. Normally, it would be the Navy's job to deal with Lane Hackers, but since they were in Shikoku, my mandate permitted me to go confront them. I asked [KNF-K]Satoru to come assist me, and he gladly accepted.
Once we were in Shikoku, we quickly found the Hackers, travelling in the Lanes that give them their name. Their IDs were Phate.:. and Seraffimo.Spang.
They were flying some new kind of light fighters that were unmistakably Lane Hacker in origin and technology. Scans follow: Seraffimo.Spang Phate.:.
We paired off for battle, I took Seraffimo.Spang and [KNF-K]Satoru dueled Phate.:.. The honorable KNF officer quickly downed his opponent with a mine, and moved to assist me. Phate.:. is defeated
After a few more minutes of fighting, the second Hacker succumbed to our combined gunfire. Seraffimo.Spang goes down
With that problem taken care of, We both returned to our respective duties.
Later, as I was patrolling the Kyushu system, i had just finished up a cargo inspection of a RepEx vessel, when I spotted a Sentai-86 Blood Dragon on my scanners. His comm ID was [Sentai-86]Yuici.Sawada and he was flying a vessel I had never seen before, which scanned to be some sort of Blood Dragon variant of our very own Wyrm! The "Tanto"
Of course, he was carrying a dishonorable weapons loadout of shieldbusters, missiles, and nuclear mines. A coward's weapons
We sparred verbally for a few seconds, then he attacked me. I sent notification to several nearby KNF officers, who offered their assistance. I refused, but asked one of them to stay in Kyushu as overwatch, in case Dragon reinforcements arrived.
The battle commenced in earnest. The Dragon, so different from his honorable predecessors, engaged me with a flurry of missiles and dropped mines at every opportunity, showing both his cowardice and his lack of skill. On more than one occasion, I shot his mines just as they were exiting his min dropper, and did significant damage to his ship in that manner. In addition, he was not skilled with his missiles at all, and after expending his entire storage of 70 missiles, did not manage to hit me even once.
Near the end of the battle, I took a scan of his ship, and noted that he was completely out of missiles, and had but one mine left. It was at this point that the Dragon, abandoning all honor, decided to run. I allowed him to escape, satisfied that he would be sufficiently chastised by his superiors for failing to win a fight in which he held such equipment advantages, doing considerable damage to his own ship, and running from a fair duel. I managed to get this guncam shot as he was running away.
It it perhaps telling that the Sentai-86 Blood Dragons are sending out such unskilled pilots. It appears that our continued efforts are having a significant effect on their pilot pool. Let us hope that this trend continues.
Yesterdays patrol went with little friction. The day started with traffic control in the New Tokyo system. Some gaijin traders seemed to be lost, but there were no hostiles or contraband to be seen.
As I patrolled the lane to the Kuyshu gate, I was informed of a NovaPG incursion into Honshu space. I went to the jump gate to Honshu, where I joined up with a KNF pilot before jumping to Honshu. Alas, as we arrived, the Blood Dragons had already left.
I continued my patrol through the Honshu, New Tokyo and Shikoku systems. Still only traders, and while some gaijin came with strange IFF transponders, all were respectful and responsive to my instructions.
As I returned to New Tokyo, I was informed by a Samura pilot that an Outcast had been seen making his way towards the Honshu gate. I jumped to Honshu and patrolled the circuit, but then had to dock at Akita for resupply, without finding the Outcast.
Signed,
Tameichi Hara
--- Log entry ends ---
John Johnson - Master of Synth.Foods-Convoy|049
Hans Adler - Synth Foods escort wing
Unfortunately, the enemies swarmed Satoru after that, and his ship was disabled. I managed to pick up his escape pod safely, however.
Seeing the way the battle was going, and my retrieval of the escape pod, I received orders to retreat from the battle. I told the Hogosha about my orders, and suggested that he withdraw as well, since he would then be fighting alone against four enemies. After receiving no reply for quite some time, I was forced to leave him behind. I managed to draw one of the attackers away for a while, but he broke off the chase and returned to the battle.
I returned to New Tokyo safely, dropping off the escape pod with the Naval station there. I was then taken off duty and asked to file my reports, after being told that the Naval Forces were sending in more ships to take care of the situation. as of yet, I am still unsure of how the battle turned out.
It has been a quiet couple of weeks. At least until today. Lots of action happened earlier today.
First, as I was starting my patrol, I caught a very large unidentified sensor contact near New Tokyo. I proceeded closer to investigate, and was shocked to find a Blood Dragon Battleship! He didn't seem to be interested in blowing my ship to pieces, but the captain did seem fairly angry when I engaged him in conversation. A full log of the proceedings is currently available at Kansai Research Station.
A few minutes into our verbal jousting, I was contacted by the battleship KNF-Tawakemono, asking me for hostile ship's loadout and location. I provided these, and waited for the battleship to show up.
Soon enough the Tawakemono came upon the scene, and engaged the BD Battleship. The Dragon captain must have been too busy foaming at the mouth to order a response, as his ship simply sat there for a full minute while the Tawakemono's gunners sighted and started firing.
When the Dragon ship finally did respond, it was by fleeing. They headed for the Honshu jump hole, and then on to Chugoku. The Tawakemono pursued, but turned back as the Dragon ship jumped ito Chugoku.
Shortly after this encounter, there was a strange transmission over system comms, a pilot with a warbling voice, speaking about strange things. The Tawakemono reported that it was sighted near the New Tokyo jump gate in Honshu, so I proceeded there as well. I spotted the ship on long-range sensors as I was coming in through the lane, and the Tawakemono asked me to get closer for more detailed scans, as it was keeping its distance from the mighty battleship.
Quite surprisingly, the ship was a Naval Forces bomber! More scans showed the strange loadout of the ship, as well as unidentifiable life signs inside.
As our conversation progressed, the strange pilot revealed more information, eventually allowing us to realize that this was a Nomad-infested pilot! It gave its former name as Ichi Kintaro, who was reported missing in action in Tau-31 at the Newcastle Jump Hole. This was indeed disturbing information, and called for action. The Tawakemono ordered me to engage the vessel, and try to disable its engines so that the pilot could be captured and brought in for study. I did so, and the gunners on the Tawakemono assisted as best they could. A short while into the battle, the hostile ship suddenly exploded into thousands of tiny fragments, the result of a direct battleship razor hit.
According to the captain of the Tawakemono, a trigger-happy gunner landed a solid hit on the bomber. The captain was very upset, but they tractored the wreckage anyways, and was able to retrieve a small bio-sample. We proceeded to Kansai Research station to deliver the samples and sensor logs. I have been asked to remain at Kansai for a while to answer some questions, while the scientists examine the battle damage on my ship to see if they can learn anything about the strange weapons I scanned. I will return to duty as soon as I released from these commitments here.