[Pt2] The Murder of Lord Lowfer-Ferres [19:00 UTC, 27/08/23]

[jammi]

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The murder of Lord Lowfer-Ferrers, Part 2
Sigmas, Kusari, Taus, Bretonia
A freighter interception event

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Overview

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If at first you don't succeed; try, try again.

Lord Lowfer-Ferrers is a man living on borrowed time. A mysterious figure known as The Benefactor is committed to seeing him dead, and while their machinations initially failed, they are nothing if not persistent. The Bretonian lord suffered a 'medical emergency' on his Cambridge estate, and was successfully rushed to Atka Research Station for treatment, dodging Corsairs, Mollys and Gallic Royalists along the way. The life-saving procedure was successful, and he is now in a stable condition and beginning to recuperate.

You will conquer, never fear; try, try again.

Concerned about the apparent assassination attempt but unable to overtly send forces

into Kusari, the Bretonian Intelligence Service has dispatched two undercover officers to act as decoys and a security detail for the journey home. The trio of Clydesdales hope to secure the assistance of the KNF, and arrange a handover to Bretonian forces in the Taus. Unfortunately for Lord Lowfer-Ferres, The Benefactor has also been busy, and the tracking device placed on the Meles has not been detected or removed...

Time will bring you your reward; Try, try again.

Event Details:

• Three Bowex Clydesdales will be departing from Atka Research Station, Sigma 17 at 19:00 UTC, Sunday 27 August 2023. These are the Meles.Incognito, Badger.Catcher and Pontypridd's.Pride
  
• Each freighter will be carrying 1 Diplomat and 1 Mobile Medical Unit; two are decoys, one carries Lord Lowfer-Ferres.
  
• An individual known as 'The Benefactor' has tipped off various unlawful organisations along the route.
  
• The tracking device has not been detected on the Meles. Sending the Meles.Incognito a message saying 'ping' will provide you with its current location and heading.
  
• Freighters can only dock to resupply if there are no hostiles on sensors. They must remain docked for at least 5 minutes when resupplying.
  
• If a freighter is drained of nanobots and shield batteries and its hull is dropped to 25% or less, its engines will fail. At this point, you can either 'board' the freighter (capturing the passengers), or destroy it (killing them). Alternately, a 'disabled' freighter can be sent a group invite and 'towed away' using formation flight.
  
• Anyone with ZoI along the route is welcome to participate.
  
• Event ends when the freighter arrives at Cambridge or is boarded / destroyed.

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Outcome

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While Lord Lowfer-Ferres would survive experimental surgery, he would not survive the journey home. Despite many stumbles along the way, The Benefactor has finally executed their grim ambitions. The Meles Incognito and undercover BIS vessel Pontypridd's Pride departed from Atka Research Station with the intent of burning a path through the Taus at best possible speed, before linking up with a waiting BAF security force. Almost from the outset it became apparent that the intelligence leak was very much still in effect.

The jump to Honshu would reveal a Corsair raiding party lying patiently in wait, with deadly intent. While the pair were able to slip away with the assistance of the Drengr escort company, the Corsairs gave chase, only being shaken loose in New Tokyo. Upon entering Kyushu, the group would encounter the IKN Haruna - a battlecruiser of the Kusari Naval Forces, who demanded that the Clydesdales dismiss the Drengr and comply with an order to proceed under escort into the Hayate Dust Field.

Elsewhere in Kyushu, running battles between the KNF, Gallic Royalists, Golden Chrysanthemums and Blood Dragons would wreak carnage. However, it was in the Nayate Field that Kusari's duplicity would be revealed. Haruna had led the convoy close to the New Tokyo Jump Hole, from which the Corsair raiders would launch their ambush... at the behest of their Kusari paymasters. Drengr forces once again leapt into the fray, while the freighters deployed evasive manoeuvres and broke for open space towards the Tau 29 gate.

Following emergency resupply at Freeport 6, the pair were detected by GRN scouts. The Meles broke towards Nago Station, drawing the Royalists away from the Tau 31 trade lane. This allowed the Pride to slip away... for a moment at least. As more and more Royalists converged, the Pride would also be intercepted in Tau 31. In short order the Meles would be disabled, with the IKN Haruna and HMS Sovereign arriving moments later. As a tense hostage situation evolved, the chilling news would arrive over the radio: the Pride had been mistakenly destroyed by Gallic forces, killing Lord Lowfer-Ferres in the process.

The Meles had mere moments to digest the magnitude of this failure before they received one final transmission: incoming torpedo. With a flash of light, the Haruna ruptured the damaged Clydesdale with predator missiles, intent on obliterating the evidence of their treachery. All hell broke loose, ending the sorry affair with the shedding of yet more blood. As the smoke eventually cleared, no party would emerge covered in glory.


With thanks to @Tomtomrawr for piloting the Pontypridd's.Pride

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