Chronicles of the Errai

[Karmotrine Dream]

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[18/12/827]

As we record , it occurs to us it has lain forgotten for longer than anticipated.
The exertion of hard work and dutiful planning caught up to us with greater haste than our obligations to posterity.
We rectify posthaste.

A clear path has been charted and pursued, arduous as it is.
As the sister first called for, what could be salvaged and repurposed was, and what could not was sold for scrap to our Rheinlander acquaintances at ALG; ever friends of our noble father, and just as friends of the bounties of vanquished metal he would return.
They offered fair prices, we took them; with the credits, we secured one of their older heavy transports of the Uruz class, and upon it laid the foundation of our future work.

Independence has ever been a tenet of our Kith, a distinctive element; whereas many would settle and weave intricate schemes and alliances, we moved on the wings of fortune and opportunity.
To do so effectively we relied on great convoys and the Forgeships, great mercantile and war vessels modified to bear industrial machinery, mineral refineries and production lines. Limited arrays, for we had proper stations to rely on as they went; alas, that is no longer a possibility.
The Uruz would follow in the Forgeships' steps and tread them all the heavier, Rheinland craftsmanship being almost naturally suited for heavy industry; the great struts once holding containers shall now bear assemblers and manipulators for both internal and external use if need be, and the interiors shall be turned to the traditional mineral and manufacturing facilities.
Space within shall be scarce, yes, but we will bear the discomfort - for possessing our own shipyard grants us the boon of putting all space without in reach.

With work on the Forgeship underway and those among us that may assist the ALG craftsmen already engaged, our attention turned to the next issue in line - how would we sate its ravenous appetite, once ready?
This question proved rather more easily solved, in truth, as the IMG had already approached the issue of owning and moving mining fleets; their answer was to make their worker vessels lithe and nimble enough to navigate the densest of asteroid fields like the busiest of hangar bays, and the much-celebrated Annapurna was testament to their ingenuity.
We purchased two, with what credits remained, and their gear.

Lastly, with independence being bolstered both on the front of autarchic capabilities and resources acquisition, came the final step towards ensuring it - strength.
Or a measure of it, anyway.
With the Sabik gone and its many escorts vanished, and our finances strained, there is very little we could field as a credible deterrent, even more so when there are so few veteran combat pilots left.
A different approach was needed.

As we reflected upon future routes and inquiring about potential contracts, after many days of pondering, we came to the conclusion that only with significant time and investment would we be able to mount the aforementioned forces; in the meantime, our best defence shall also be our most storied one, mobility and a far reach.
The Uruz (we have yet to find a suitable name for it; the brother is consulting his tomes) will be outfitted with what defences it can take, vast arrays of flak and point-defence batteries, but those would merely be a last resort, as the two Manaslu we acquired would serve both as surveyors, patrols and recons.
They will forewarn the fleet of movement, hostile or friendly, and afford us the time to act accordingly.

As we record, all this is little more than planning - and yet, after long languishing, a spark of excitement lights the kith's spirits.
There are goals in sight, tangible, and a path forward.

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