Defending the Delta

[Sombs]

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These log entries are created in secret and aren't available neither to the Core nor any other entity.

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Captain's log - Ezrael Vertiga

The Apahanta is repaired. Some new crewmen, lots of new robots. I think it's always a good thing not to have too many robots on the ship, as long as encounters with AI ships have a slight tendency to be unpredictable. Fortunately, I made only good experiences with those, but others in the Core didn't. But, seriously, it doesn't make me wonder.

We left the Alabama Repair Bay as fast as possible to return to Freeport 11. I had to find out what happened after my ship was shot down. When we arrived, Freeport 11 was alright. Minor damages to the hull, and most of the debris from the battle were removed. Also, the Eidolon and Joshua Hunt in his little snub were still there. The Eidolon told us what happened: the nomad warship was destroyed, the Wilde bomber was able to escape. Eh, note to myself: I better recap what happened since we're on our FP11-Patrol mission. That Sapphire Raven on the Eidolon is a big topic. And it's better if my Core comrades don't know that she's more often in Delta than they know.

My participation in this whole crazy thing began just some days after we began the Delta patrol mission. Eh, some of inferiors are not happy with my interpretation of my orders, but I joined the Core to protect humanity from the nomads. And to get this awesome Mako. I made a clear announcement why I don't feel like shooting Order and AI ships whenever we encounter them. There are much more important things to do in these systems. So, I established some contacts. Most of them started with a conversation about how rare and unbelievable it is there is a Core guy sitting in a big ship, respecting the No-Fire-Zone of Freeport 11, talking to Order pilots, Zoners and even Bundschuhs in a polite and peaceful way and not looking for the first best reason to engage anyone. Well, that's not the last time I'll hear those things. But that's something I can deal with.

However, three days before the Apahanta got shot down by the nomads, there was the first sudden strike of a nomad marduk ship we witnessed. Like the incident three days later, the nomad warship decloaked right above Freeport 11. At that time, the freeport was well visited. Freelancers, some kusarian, rheinlandian and borderworld snubs were lurking around, chatting. I think there were one or two bigger ships on the radar, but we never got the opportunity to scan them. The marduk appeared, speaking to us in it's telepathic weirdo-speech, and instantly opened fire. Some of the snubs near the freeport began to fire at each other. I was a big mess, and I gave the order to fall back to Yaren, calling for assistance. About five minutes later we returned to the freeport, a bomber and a destroyer joined us, and we managed to destroy the marduk. But in the meantime, Wilde also joined the battle to support the nomad warship. A kusari capital ship and a rheinland corvette, the RNC Nestor. I'll never forget this name. The RNC Nestor was a Rheinland Militär Cruiser in the nomad war and was said to be destroyed by Edison Trent when he and his supporters managed to eliminate the entire RM battlegroup. Everyone and their mother know that story.

Two days later this corvette named after the cruiser showed up again in Delta, very next to Yaren and the Bellona. The Apahanta was about to undock when the captain hailed us. He asked me about the name of the current Core Guildmaster. I didn't respond to that, because that was too suspicious. Everyone in the omicrons knows Nodtviet. Later he asked me if I have seen a girl named Saphire Raven - the prior guildmaster of the Core - but I didn't play his game. I already knew that she is frequently visiting Delta, and even Rho. We had a funny first meeting near Freeport 11, when an other Core captain told me to kill her and Joshua Hunt. But that whole situation with Raven and the Core is not my business, so I told the captain of the Beast to do it himself if he is so eager to see her dead. That's why I don't like this captain. He's not my superior.

Anyway, hours after the RNC Nestor disappeared again, leaving Yaren in direction to the Rho Jump Hole, Raven and Hunt entered Delta using the Jump Hole behind Tuvalu. I'm convinced the Nestor is under nomad influence, so I contacted the Eidolon Wraith, Raven's ship, and told her the story. She then told me her story, why she left the Core and what she's still doing here in the Omicrons. A sick ship she has. Our scanners didn't work on it. Weird technology on a ship with a weird crew. But I'm sure we share the same motives: Protecting mankind from the nomads. I trust her.

Whatever. Duty calls...

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