Seven Days

[Desperta Ferro]

REPORT: Case "INS Repulse"

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June 15th - 830 AS | Logbook Captain William "Talon" Lexington

We got beaten.

A single siege cruiser, the Savannah, got us. Took out our last fighter, Diamante. From that point, I realized we couldn't beat her. Whoever was piloting that thing, they knew how to outmatch us in every conceivable way. I thought we had them when our missiles hit twice, but they adapted and lured us into the Barrier. A few lucky hits from her, that was all it took. Magazine breach. She didn't even bother finishing us off. There were bigger fish around.

Engine's broken, we're running on emergency power only. Not enough to get us out. We crashed head-first into some rocks. Hull breached on multiple decks, casualty report has yet to come in, but we know already half are gone, half of the remaining half is incapacitated, and half of that half remaining knows we're done for.

Some took the escape pods mid-battle. Right now, there is no way left to leave the ship. We're all sinking with her.

June 16th - 830 AS | Personal Log Quartermaster Serena "Robin" Carlyle

Yeah, I dunno whadda say. Radiation patches were a'rea'y runnin' lo' when we launched. With the a'rea'y decreasin' number of crew left, we might buy ourse'ves a few mo' days, bu' what fo'?

At this poin' I could start makin' bets on what's it gonna be that kills us. Radiation, starvation, dehydration, asphyxiation, hell, earlier this mo'nin' Decker got crushed to death by the gravity pads havin' an energy surge. Nasty wa' to go, but quick. People startin' to go mad, fightin' over food and meds.

Might be m' final log.

June 17th - 830 AS | Audio Footage, Canteen

Captain's orders.

I don't care if it's Captain's orders or the President's or Locklear's or Knight's. If we're going to die, then at least with a tiny bit of dignity left!

I'm not going to repeat myself.

We both knew these people, Mick. I'm not going to do that to them!

You will.

They were our friends and brothers in arms! You can't ask me to desecrate them!

Nobody asked. It's an order. Their meat will buy us time.

June 18th - 830 AS | Personal Log Life Support Specialist Kevin Hendriksson

Nobody has seen the Captain in two days. XO doesn't answer any questions about him. Wouldn't be surprised if he killed him. More rations for him.

We're down to about one dozen. Morning report said two dozens died of radiation sickness during the night. Burghess is floating outside the ship. Tried his luck in the last remaining EVA suit, drowned in his own vomit. He laughed right before it happened. Whoever thought it was a good idea to power ships with power cores that irradiate the entire crew in case of a little meltdown, fuck you. Might just see you in hell.

Fitting way to leave this plane, though. We joined the Hellfire Legion, now the entire legion is getting consumed by nuclear hellfire. It's actually amazing. We're stuck in two rocks of ice, and they cool down the ship just enough to counteract the heat from the meltdown. Had it been different, we'd all be boiling.

I somehow managed to reroute life support to make sure we have some rooms left to hide in. Not that it is good for anything. Comms are down, we're blind. Nobody knows where exactly we are in the Barrier. That being said, most likely far away from Magellan's infrastructure. Although, I think it would be comedic if we were actually just a few kilometers away from the lanes.

I'm going to check out the canteen in a few minutes. Apparently one of the dead cargo technicians was stowing away some cans of prepared meat.

June 19th - 830 AS | Personal Log Gunnery Sergeant Camilla Tiihonen

Quite the irony. Took us a sealed fate for Jane to finally say yes.

I took our food to the hallway and sat down. Nobody else was around. Despite having only one arm left, she seems to cope well with the situation. She always has that smug smile on her lips. No idea how she does it, but I won't complain. Seeing that smile gives me hope that something will happen to save us. Maybe it's just the fact that she is stuffed with painkillers. Maybe she won a bet. She won't tell me.

She said when we're done here, we should leave for Stuttgart. She said it's lovely there, with all the green and the blue. None of us speak their gobbledegoo, but she said she just wants a little cabin between woods and ocean. I like that image, really, although I don't think she will be able to do much work with just one arm. Maybe we can get her a cybernetic arm.

I feed her. We both know what it is. I try not to think about it. For all we know, it could be the Captain. All other food supplies got irradiated or sucked into space or got burned. What it takes to survive. Mick and Patrick were found dead, so I guess whoever I was eating in that moment, was going to be the last decently prepared one.

Jane kept smirking. I asked her why. Once more, no response. Instead, she told me about her wanting to get one of those little puppies from Denver. She described them to me. Small little dogs with incredibly floofy fur, especially at the butt. So when they walk, it always looks like they are provocatively shaking their little dog butts.

I told her to stop making me laugh, because every time I ran risk to spit out some blood. I started to cry instead, because I knew I wouldn't get to see these little floofy dog butts.

She hugged me with her one arm, and pecked my cheek. Both of us were stinking from sweat, grease and blood. But in that moment, it didn't matter. She told me not to cry. We need to preserve every bit of water in our bodies. If I didn't stop crying, she would make sure I would get out there and bring some ice rocks on board.

So I laughed once more. Once more, blood.

I held her. She said, for what it's worth, that she loves me. And that she would beat me if I would die before her. So I am trying to stay alive. We're going to have a dinner tonight. She said she will look for that chocolate bar that probably fell off her pallet a week ago. So, it's either another bit of crew, or a bit of chocolate this evening.

I hope it's the latter.

June 19th - 830 AS | Audio Footage, Deck 3 Crew Quarters

Jane, can I ask you something?

Sure.

Why now?

Might as well go out with a bang.

[...]




You could have had that so much earlier, though.

Yeah.

What stopped you? We could have had a secret romance. Nobody would have cracked down on us.

... You wouldn't like the answer.

Tell me anyway. We're about to die, why not just talk everything off your soul?

I'd rather have you know me as what you thought I am, not what I really am.

... Tell me anyway.

No.

Jane... just tell me.

No.

...

...

I love you.

I love you, too.

...

...

...

...

...

There is an LSF cruiser right behind us, waiting to get their agent back. The LSF Perseverance.

...

It's me.

...

...

...

Camy?

...

...

...

... Can't believe you die on me like that.

June 20th - 830 AS | Logbook Commander Sean "Cabbage" Field

We're down to three. Just me, Jane Hale and Tom Schuler.

Jane's probably the one to outlive us, despite her having gone mad after Camilla died. No idea how her body does it, but her symptoms are quite weak. Tom on the other hand looks like he's falling apart any second, and I'm afraid I won't win any beauty contests either.

I'll do it like Bill. He simply put on that holotainment band, set the intensity to max, looked at the pretty lady at the beach while his finger pulled the trigger. Bloody coward didn't even think about staying with us through the final days.

I don't know why we've been trying to stay alive. Whoever would have found us would've stuffed us into a prison compound. If they would feel any mercy, they would at least execute us before that.

Well. I'd say it's been an honor. But there was nothing honorable in the past two years. Nothing at all. Just pawns left and right fighting for their two kings. And nobody knows where our king went. Locklear is dead, Knight is dead, they left us with West. That's where the honor vanished. West, that bitch. My god, what a graceless way to fall.

You win, Liberty! Hipp hipp, hooray!

Well, Sarah, I'll join you in a moment. I've been missing you. I've tried what I could to make them pay for Veracruz and you. But I've failed. I hope you will still welcome me.

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June 21st - 830 AS | Personal Log Security Officer Thomas Schuler

...

Mum...

...

Mum, please...

Mum!

I need you...

Save me...

Mum...

Save me...

I don't want to die...

June 21st - 830 AS | Communications Log: Agent Winter Queen - LSF Perseverance, Agent Solaris

>> Winter Queen reports complete termination of crew. Requesting exfiltration and medical assistance.

Solaris to Winter Queen, copied. Exfiltration in ten minutes. Anything we should be prepared for? <<

>> Radiation levels are lethal in most areas. Decontamination possible. Send augmented personnel only. Internal defense is offline.

Roger that, Winter Queen. Prepare to come home. Another successful job well done. <<

>> Looking forward to have a few weeks off. By the way, my left arm is missing.

I will send a note to Chadwick to prepare a replacement, Winter Queen. An arm for a battlecruiser. Good deal, if you ask me. <<

>> With all respect, Solaris, but I had to give up a bit more than just an arm during this mission. At least do me the favor and save the comments for another time.

Copied, Winter Queen. Now, come home. We're marking the exfiltration point on your PDA. <<

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