Message to: RHA & Ghosts
Comm ID: Leutnant Conrad Egon
Location: RHA Eismaid, Dresden
Though I enjoyed my stay in Alpha, it is good to be home. And on the way home, my ice maiden got her first blood. I was speaking with Rekrut Aufgeben over long-range comms when he asked who Roy was. I told him, checked my scanners, and saw that Roy was in Dresden! Aufgeben gave chase from his end, while I set myself to cut him off in the Sigmas.
Credit goes to Aufgeben for guessing correctly that he was headed to Kyushu to sell his cargo of ill-gotten diamonds. I proceeded through Omicron Beta, Sigma-19, and Sigma-13. I caught up to him at last just inside Chugoku, and immediately opened fire.
His armored transport's shields and hull were no match for the Eismaid's newly-upgraded weaponry, and he found each attempt to enter cruise foiled by my disruptor.
Me: Roy, you're in trouble.
Roy: No
The Hokkaido jump hole was very nearby, and he managed to make it through. I followed in full thrust, and disrupted his engines as soon as I came out on the other side. I demanded payment for the Hessian pilots he sold to the Rheinland battleship weeks ago; his silence was all I needed to hear.
It was immensely satisfying to hunt this cretin down, and show him what happens to those who sell our brave pilots to be tortured or killed by the Rheinland Government's heartless corporate masters. The cold, quick merciful death offered by the void was more than he deserved.
After that, the rest of the journey home was uneventful. I met Aufgeben in Sigma-13, and we disrupted some Daumann shipping in Dresden, then landed for the night.
Looped video on the news monitor above the bar showed an old asteroid-scarred freighter approaching Vogtland under heavy Hessian escort. The audio was turned off but a text marquee at the bottom of the screen scrolled the top story:
... reported to be in fair condition. The exact sequence of events that brought the Kapitan back to Vogtland aboard this vessel is not yet fully known. What is known is as follows:
Fleet Kapitan Moritz launched from Vogtland in his light fighter several days ago on a Recon and Systems Test flight plan within the Dresden System. About fifteen minutes after launch a severely garbled radio message from his Loki emanated near the New Berlin Jump Hole. Computer enhancement of the message revealed little and his transponder quit broadcasting seconds later.
It is suspected that he engaged an enemy vessel on the other side of the jump hole as it has been reported that his Loki was found damaged and on emergency life support nearby in New Berlin, wedged in a crevasse of a large asteroid.
Junkers from Kruezberg salvaged Kapitan Moritz's ship and tended to his injuries which were extensive. Word of his retrieval and and his stay at Kruezberg were kept quiet for security reasons.
The Kapitan is allowed no visitors at this time but doctors are confident that he will fully recover and should be more accessible after a day or two of tests here at Vogtland Base.
"To gain a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence;
to subjugate the enemy's army without doing battle is the highest of excellence."
With the recent departure of Major Faber and the injury to Fleet Kapitan Moritz, Leutnant Egon has been elevated to the rank of Hauptman and given the role of Squadron Leader in the RHA. Emergency orders which were unsealed and accessed 72 hours after contact was lost with the Kapitan specified Egon's promotion.
RHA-RG013.43.7a == Squadron Leaders are empowered to recruit pilots, gather and distribute equipment & resources, and initiate strikes on any enemy. They also are authorized to make Command Staff decisions when no member of the Command Staff is available.
"To gain a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence;
to subjugate the enemy's army without doing battle is the highest of excellence."
Message to: RHA Command
Comm ID: Hauptmann Conrad Egon
Location: RHA Eismaid, Sigma-13
A profitable day today in the busiest system in Sirius. I was present only for an hour or so, yet we successfully acquired donations from two traders, totalling nearly ten million divided amongst five of us. Besides myself and Leutnant Krupp, there were two bomber pilots from the Blue Lotus Syndicate (Tacgnol and Zapp), as well as an independent pirate in a Rogue Gunboat. (Rogue_9x)
We let two traders go without paying, simply because they had so little to give us. We did succeed in stopping a heavy tanker and an advanced train, however...and then a container transport decided it would be better to be destroyed than pay. He even told us "I have good insurance, destroy me." And he sat there without shooting as we did so.
Shortly afterwards, a Brotherhood gunboat showed up; but Tinky got more than he bargained for when he was engaged by my gunship as well as Leutnant Krupp and one of the BLS Falcata bombers. He concentrated his considerable firepower on me, inflicting significant damage before we finally succeeded in finishing him off.
I docked for repairs and resupply, and encountered technical difficulties when I attempted to launch again. The repair crews are working on it as we speak, and I expect to be back in Dresden by sometime tonight.
Message to: RHA Command
Comm ID: Hauptmann Conrad Egon
Location: Vogtland Base, Dresden
Quite a day today...after I launched, repairs complete, another Corsair gunboat called "Chaos" came into view of one of our BLS allies. We engaged with all possible speed; this one was poorly piloted, and didn't last nearly as long as Tinky had. My gun camera was malfunctioning at the time, unfortunately, but this time I had the honor of giving the killing blow. As before, however, it was a team effort and credit goes equally to all participating.
We then decided to part ways for a time: Nathan decided to go check out the Unioner force fighting RepEx Security in New Berlin, while the rest of us regrouped at Vogtland for resupply and re-arming. Three of us (including me) went for the Omega-54 jump hole to upgrade a few of our weapons while the others stayed at Vogtland...Nathan's bomber was destroyed.
And then the Unioners invaded.
Their force consisted of:
1x Corsair Lunchbox Gunboat
1x IMG Pancake Gunboat
4x Fighters...Eagles, presumably. Possibly a bomber as well.
Our force consisted of:
1x Hacker Gunship (me)
2x Falcata Bomber (one of which lacked an armor upgrade)
2x Odin VHF (though one was sorely under-armed, our newest Rekrut's fighter)
Now, this might have been an ALMOST even fight...but for the fact that the Hacker Gunship was designed to destroy fighters, bombers, and transports. It is the most weakly-armored gunship in Sirius by far, and when in direct conflict with other caps...well, being the only gunboat present, they concentrated their fire on me. A freighter launched in the confusion to rescue myself and my small crew's escape pods.
One by one, Hessians and Outcasts fell. They took us by surprise and with a superior force. Had these traitorous dogs not chosen the Fatherland's worst enemy to side with, we might have been allies. Instead, we fight each other and then RepEx came in to mop up the pieces.
There were no Unioner losses in this fight. They caught us divided...we expected them to keep busy with RepEx, their primary enemy.
When we were down to one fighter and one bomber, I used the freighter's comm system to cal for a general retreat to Vogtland, just one or two K distant from the scene of the battle. But nobody got away. Our new Rekrut, David, lasted the longest but was destroyed before he could return home. When the Unioners finally left, we went back out to pick up the escape pods. It was cramped in the freighter's hold on the way back to Vogtland.
Message to: RHA & Ghosts
Comm ID: Hauptmann+ Conrad Egon
Location: Aboard the RHA Eismaid, above Malta, Omicron Alpha
I finished my dash to Alpha today, and met only token Corsair resistance. Those few that tried to stop me are now tilling the fields of Cardamine on Malta. I'll be staying here long enough to re-arm the Eismaid, and then will return to Vogtland. Please look after my Odin for me, eh? I think my kids have been sneaking into the hangar to play on it when the lights are dimmed for the night...I keep telling them that the hangar is a dangerous place, but they refuse to listen.
Message to: RHA and Ghosts
Comm ID: Hauptmann Conrad Egon
Location: Vogtland Base, Dresden System
Ahh, it's good to be back home again. And I come bearing gifts! Two Paralyzers, a BLOODSTONE, and a Reaver turret to put in the armory. As soon as possible, I would like for someone to help me in transferring these items from the Eismaid to the armory ship so that I can take her out again; I dare not do anything dangerous with valuable cargo onboard.
Message to: All RHA and Ghosts
Comm ID: Fleet Kapitan Conrad Egon
Location: Vogtland Base, Dresden System
Friends, comrades, brothers, sisters...I come to you today bearing dire news. Our medical personnel did their utmost, but in the end it was all for naught. Our dear Kapitan Moritz passed away last night, at 2152 due to his injuries. As those of us that knew him would have expected, he died as he lived: with pride and dignity. In the end, the decision to cut off the life support was his...I urged him to reconsider, and he did, but came to the same conclusion as before. I respected that, and was at his bedside when the plug was pulled. He took his last breath mere moments afterwards.
There will be a three-day period of mourning; during this time, no RHA ship will venture beyond systems one jump away from Rheinland space, including a few of the Sigmas and Omegas, and Omicron Theta. I hold no authority over the Ghost wing, but as Kapitan Moritz was Nightblade's brother, I expect he will impose a similar mourning period - or some other action of recognition - for his own pilots.
But do not lose hope at this tragedy, my friends. It is not the end; it cannot be the end. It will not be the end. For in his last moments, he bequeathed upon me the rank of Fleet Kapitan, and in so doing named me his successor as leader of the RHA. I had dreamt of such a thing, but needless to say, under very different circumstances...I gave him my word that the Red Hessian Army would not only live on, but thrive and grow under the ideals of our forefathers, the founders of the Hessian movement...the poison that eats away at our beloved country will be vanquished!
Greetings, brothers, today, after reoutfitting at Malta, I took my crow to Siagma 13 to get the feel of things, and encountered a corsair Bomber (one of there new ones), Jose_Carlos. After a long hard fight, I finnally downed him, and my ship barrly made it to Yanagi before I was forced to eject.
There is nothing worth living for, unless it is worth dying for. -Elizabeth Elliott
Message to: RHA and Ghosts
Comm ID: Fleet Kapitan Conrad Egon
Location: In orbit over Malta, Omicron Alpha system
The holidays are over, gentlemen, and the time has come to get back to work. The refitting of our flagship continues, and she will soon have a new name in addition to the new hull plating and turrets. I have sold our faithful old Rheinland gunboat; we had no replacement parts for the old girl, and she was in rather sad shape. Using the money from her sale, I purchased a new Thor bomber; and, out of respect for the RHA's first capital ship, I have affixed the gunboat's name to the bomber.
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