Defending the Delta

[Sombs]

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These log entries are created in secret and aren't available to any other entity.

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Log - Ezrael Vertiga

Weird things have been happening recently. I don't really know how they are connected, but the frequency of those things happening is rather concerning. A week or so ago, I decided to make a little sight-seeing tour through the Taus with the old drone. Leon figured out a way to increase the controlling range by connecting us via neural net with the gates and lanes. Works well in house space, and partially even in the Taus, so I was able to sit back in New London in the Bishamon and use the drone to scout and see how Gallia is progressing. It is concerning, to say the least. They established one line of gallic lanes in Leeds and placed a new battleship infront of it. I hope Nancy doesn't get the idea to go there again in her little ship, but I think I have a good grip on her, now that she is part of the Apahanta's crew.

Anyway, I noticed a gathering of all kinds of groups in Tau-23. I mean, Auxesia knows I use this drone every now and then as they found it together with Maren in Inverness once. Thinking of it, I decided to buy a few more minor crafts that are currently refitted into remote-controllable drones. They are tiny enough to fit into the small hangar bay of the Mako, so we kind of have a little surprise with us. That's quite good. Anyway, that gathering in Tau-23 was connected with a nomad incursion in that system - although I wonder whether the nomads came for them or the people for the nomads - after all, the nomads arrived after them. Looking at the fact that Auxesia deployed the Andraste in a dense asteroid field, I do wonder if they caused that. IMG was present, the Forlorn Hope guys, some civilians, Gallics, even a Rheinland Battleship and that new IRG leader had the brilliant idea of bringing a Nephilim into the asteroid field. Like, that ship was slowed down to your-dead-mother-without-legs-is-still-faster speed.

The nomads arrived, first with small forms and then with another Ish'tar that in the end managed to escape. They created some sort of giant rift to enter Tau-23, one that quickly turned unstable after the Ish'tar left. It affected our shields, forcing us reboot them manually. Later it was gone, without any trace. I'd like to bring the Apahanta into Tau-23 once the new cloak is ready, IRG is currently finalizing it. Finally. Took them only more than six months to get their butts up to do it. Feels like they are pretty useless without Finn McCumhail. Apparently, Finn is sort of missing in action. And that is bad and a big setback for Sirius. I liked that guy. A good man.

Another good man is the Molly jeweler I hired to make four rings for Maren and me, a pair of engagement rings, and of course wedding bands as well. They looks incredibly good. Had to pay 90.000 Credits for them. Cian O'Connor. Maybe I can hire him more often, now that I lead a company again. Great man, incredibly friendly. I have to say I was pretty impressed by Arranmore itself. I had the priviledge to visit it, and I liked it. The Mollys are nice people when they aren't throwing Gunboat Razors at you. If Bretonia doesn't show more cooperation, I might contact them to have at least a few hide-outs in Bretonia.

Which reminds me! Today I have a meeting with Admiral McIntire of the Bretonian Armed Forces in Newcastle at the Arc Royale. I'll take the Bishamon for that, and he asked whether I could bring a few crates of Curacaoan tea with me. Bloody Bretonian cliché, but I can't blame him. I feel like we have hundred crates filled with tea bags and a few instant tea bottles on the Apahanta, all from Curacao. I guess vitamine B will be a necessary treatment to get a compromise. They took two months just to deny my request again, and I am really losing my patience. Frucking Raven, all that because of her spreading rumors.

Anyway, I made a counteroffer to Bretonia. I mean, we have common enemies, and I have one of the, in theory, best suited ships to fight Valors. Practically, I'd need to train the crew, get more people, the weaponry needs a good check-up... I do hope I will never need to actually fight Gallia, to be honest. However, recently they managed to destroy Freeport 4 in the Magellan system. That is very bad. They are one jump away from Curacao. I mean, my homeworld is protected by the Hellfire Legion, Liberty, Crayter and Bretonia, and OSC. And it is very unlikely Gallia knows about the Cortez jumphole in Magellan. Liberty even relocated the Yukon to Curacao.

Facing the threat, I feel like I have to do something. Anything. And I mean, we have the Apahanta exactly for that. I will defend Curacao, be it with or without Bretonia's permission. I need to. The plan right now is the following:

- Convincing Bretonia to allow the Apahanta at least passage to Cortez. The entire shelter thing isn't really necessary anymore, as we figured out to survive in the Omicrons and Omegas quite well, with Canaria being our sanctuary. If necessary, I will support Bretonia's efforts against their enemies, however only to an extend where I can allow that to happen. As long as HG isn't covering more than the very maintenance, I need to be careful with how I spend the money, or I might lose my title as billionaire. Maybe I need to take some more riskful jobs or hire additional transports and pilots like Sombs to help out. I need to make more investments, but they need to be profitable.

- Contacting Crayter and the Junkers in Inverness. Those two groups have shipyard facilities only one jump hole away from Cortez. Inverness might be a problem because of Auxesia, but at some point they should just shut their mouths and collaborate when facing the gallic threat. Crayter might be the better option, but I would like to have both. If not even Bretonia allowing the Apahanta to use the Southampton Shipyard.

- Contacting Liberty to ask them for support and coordination. When Gallia shows up, we need the combined efforts of all the big powers in the systems around Cortez. I think those three are the most likely to show cooperation. The fourth group would be the Hellfire Legion and their Commonwealth. I mean, I have Commonwealth Citizenship. Maybe I can make use of it. The only two other groups in the are would be the Rogues of Montezuma and the Lane Hackers of Mactan. While the Rogues are somewhat intransparent, we might be able to get them into fighting Gallia as well. The Hackers, I don't know. They surely still want to kill Maren and me, and I doubt I am in any position to get them to cooperate in any way to protect Curacao. Maybe someone else could do that. I mean, they have their people down there as well.

I will continue later. Better prepare myself for the meeting with McIntire now.

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