The Torment

[Torment]

INS-Torment

CAPTAINS LOG - Entry #26: Exodus
Date: June 21st, 829 A.S.

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It took the bigger part of a day to find the most able bodied, and willing, refugees left on Vespucci, let alone get them onboard.
Add on another day for some bare minimum training and I gave the order to depart.

Unfortunately our trip took a turn for the worst the moment we loaded in the last supplies from Veracruz.
A Liberty scout designated 1st|Gold-7 seemingly launched an assault on planet Veracruz by his lonesome, clearly a suicidal madman.
I gave him a chance to back off, a snub vessel is no match for the Torment, even in our damaged state, but he refused and insisted on sabotaging any attempt to leave.
Left with no other option I gave the order to launch T-Alpha-1 to run interference, something which seemed to catch the bothersome little nat by surprise.

WIth T-Alpha-1 engaged, we were clear to leave the area and resume our exodus.
By the time we were halfway across the system we received a transmission from Marshalls that Alpha-1 went down,
fortunately thanks to the overzealousness of that navy pilot the combat had taken place right next to the station and Alpha-1 was able
to eject from the ship. We didn't know at the time, but the pilot is doing well and currently on his way in a replacement ship, I should buy him a drink when he catches up.

As we were going through the system my tactical officer suggested the Liberty pilot might not have been suicidal after all, but rather a scouting party.
While I doubted it, I could not take the risk of facing a Liberty force at the moment, especially not with so many refugees onboard.
Left with no other option, I gave the orders to activate the salvaged cloak, a mercurial thing at the best of times but all it had to do was get us through the jump hole and out of the system.

Turns out my tactical officer was right, something which I should be careful saying out loud, she'd never let me hear the end of it.
There was a Liberty bomber parked near the jump hole, waiting for us. It didn't take long for that other Liberty pilot to show up on scanners as well.
The cloak held and we managed to slip right by into the Kansas system. We were lucky they didn't catch on and follow us, as the cloak gave out shortly after.

The final part of the journey to the first waypoint was quiet, too quiet. Nothing but the rumbling of the engines and a constant reminder that we fled like cowards.
The only solace I have now is that the Liberty vessel saw us leave, with a bit of luck they'll deviate some resources to try and chase us, thus buying some more time for our friends back home.

In the end we arrived at Galveston Outpost safely, a bittersweet reunion.
We'll resupply here and wait for T-Alpha-1 to rejoin us before continuing.

I wonder what will become of this station in the coming days.

Captain Lucian Perez,
Signing off.

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