GOLDMINE Reporting Center, Kodiak Reporting Station

[Guthixibis]

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¤ Source: Terminal B27-3 [Hunter’s Hangout Saloon], Battleship Arkansas, Texas
¤ User: J.Blau
¤ Priority: Low
¤ Classification: Routine
¤ Subject: Princess’s Initiation

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White returned to the nest as promised. Given the expedited nature of her recruitment, I figured it would be best to get her a ship that properly displayed her new allegiance. Juneau recently discharged a few of the old testbed Sentries for field use, so I took up BLUEBIRD and SNOWHAWK. As well as our old pal SOLIE. Doesn’t seem right to let it hit the scrapyard given how Lee died

I left BLUEBIRD on Chadwick for anyone’s use, SOLIE is scheduled for the next transport to Katalla. SNOWHAWK was transported to West Point where Catherine picked it up.

Juneau Proving Grounds Manifest 813-18

Project BLUEBIRD

An “original” defender from the late 700’s with virtually no service record. Project BLUEBIRD is one of the last vestiges of a time when Liberty deigned an interest in monopolizing the fuel trade. What few records remain of the project indicate that this vessel’s production flight was initially destined for an expeditionary fleet stationed in Texas. For reasons unrecorded, none of the vessels were ever recorded as delivered and were instead largely retained at the production facility. The engine assembly bears markings indicating that it was in use at Ithaca Research Station for some time. How the vessel ultimately ended up at Juneau is unknown.

Note by Blau – Found an old maintenance log while I was inspecting the hold. Lot of Ageira technicians on here. Could be worth a checkup?

Sentry Very Heavy Fighter

xBDR-609 “Sentry” Very Heavy Fighter

An intermediate design intended to bridge the gap between the original BDR-337 “Defender” Block I craft and the Hudson Conflict-era BDR-804 “Guardian” upgrade package (now the BDR-337 “Defender” Block II). The Sentry was designed with Rheinland’s newest generation of bomber forces in mind, sacrificing shield integrity for the sake of bringing more firepower to bear – though the Defender’s admirable armor plating enabled initial prototypes to shrug off blows and rejoin the fight again. An initial flight of 60 fightercraft were constructed at Kodiak Research Station, with an additional production block of 177 craft completed at Juneau before production was halted. The project saw cancellation due to safety concerns regarding the craft’s weaker shielding and overcharged batteries, as well as the end of the Rheinland-Liberty War pushing up production of the Defender Block II. A number of 609’s still remain in service as LSF testbeds and auxiliary unit craft.

Project SNOWHAWK

A Sentry (xBDR-609-72) registered to Chesapeake Research Station. Recently refitted for active service.

Note by Blau – Seems like this was being used to test out some of the weapons we recovered from the Zoners that came to Erie. Doesn’t look like anything too crazy’s been done to it.

Project SOLIE

One of the first production-variant Sentries, xBDR-609-43 bears a modest service record with recent service in the Omicron Nu system. A cursory inspection indicates heavy damage around the cockpit from Liberty-made weaponry. An LSF after-action report claims that the prior pilot was killed in an “unexpected decompression”.

Note by Blau – Shame what happened to Lee. He was the best of us. We ought to find someone good to fill his shoes.

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Maiden Flight

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We met at the usual spot, as discussed. After the detour to the Academy, we crossed the line into 21. I’m sure it was a momentous occasion for Catherine. More of a pain in the ass to me at this point, to be perfectly honest. Our ever-efficient and absolutely kind people over at Chadwick routed us to the Alaska gate. Eventually.

We took the northern route by Prudhoe and the Supergate, terminating at Chesapeake. After our turn on the graveyard shift, we took a trip down to Texas. You know, after the Chadwick thugs shook us down for the second time.

White took a particular interest in an IMG transport hauling nanocapacitors. She was quite insistent in the usual checkpoint protocol – manifest, neuralnet identification, the works. Probably a holdover from her stint in the LPI, but worth working out of her. Not a real good way to make the kind of contacts that we need in our line of work.
Our ships ran low on fuel, so we docked on the Arkansas. I had some prior business with the Hunters, so I let her loose in Texas.

Agent John Blau
Starcat
Liberty Intelligence Bureau

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Mission Results

• Catherine White returned to LSF custody
  
• Assets transferred – BLUEBIRD, SNOWHAWK, SOLIE
  
  

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Black Box Logs

[14.12.2023 20:08:39] Starcat: Catherine.
[14.12.2023 20:09:00] Catherine.White: oh! Blau?
[14.12.2023 20:09:02] Starcat: You're early as usual.
[14.12.2023 20:09:05] Starcat: Mhm.
[14.12.2023 20:09:28] Catherine.White: Well, what can I say? *she grins widely*
[14.12.2023 20:09:31] Catherine.White: How are you?
[14.12.2023 20:09:39] Starcat: You could start with what the hell *that* thing you're flying is.
[14.12.2023 20:09:51] Starcat: I know we said a civilian ship, but... Jesus.
[14.12.2023 20:10:17] Catherine.White: *bursts out into laughter* "Well, what better way to be...inconspicuous?"
[14.12.2023 20:10:35] Starcat: Right. It's a problem we'll fix anyway.
[14.12.2023 20:10:44] Starcat: Form on me.
[14.12.2023 20:10:53] Catherine.White: *her brow raises curiously* "Understood Blaue. So, you've been well?"
[14.12.2023 20:10:59] Starcat: Relatively.
[14.12.2023 20:11:15] Starcat: Busy, unfortunately.
[14.12.2023 20:11:23] Catherine.White: Work keeping you busy?
[14.12.2023 20:11:27] Starcat: Mm.
[14.12.2023 20:11:32] Starcat: Mostly work.
[14.12.2023 20:11:46] Catherine.White: ooo~ Mostly work?
[14.12.2023 20:11:47] Starcat: But what about you?
[14.12.2023 20:12:00] Starcat: When did you get in?
[14.12.2023 20:12:25] Catherine.White: "Not long ago... perhaps... a cycle ago? I visited home briefly."
[14.12.2023 20:12:47] Starcat: That's good. You run into any trouble on the way back?
[14.12.2023 20:13:25] Catherine.White: "No, not a dickybird."
[14.12.2023 20:15:01] Catherine.White: Where are we headed?
[14.12.2023 20:15:07] Starcat: We're already here.
[14.12.2023 20:15:20] Catherine.White: Oh, right! *chuckles*
[14.12.2023 20:15:23] Starcat: Dock in the visitor's lot, I'll meet you at the security point.
[14.12.2023 20:20:20] Snowhawk: "Snowhawk, reporting."
[14.12.2023 20:20:21] Starcat: A little heavier than you're used to, I imagine.
[14.12.2023 20:20:36] Snowhawk: "It is but... it feels right. Thank you." *She beams a bright smile.*
[14.12.2023 20:21:12] Starcat: Alright. It's time to cross the line, then.
[14.12.2023 20:21:20] Snowhawk: *her eyes widen* ... really?
[14.12.2023 20:21:31] Starcat: No reason not to.
[14.12.2023 20:21:37] Starcat: Well, plenty of reasons.
[14.12.2023 20:21:42] Snowhawk: *her eyes brighten up no end*
[14.12.2023 20:21:56] Starcat: But we might as well get it over with.
[14.12.2023 20:23:32] Starcat: The station coming up is Chadwick. The operators there manage the defense lines, yield to their directives.
[14.12.2023 20:23:45] Snowhawk: Understood, Chadwick is king.
[14.12.2023 20:23:53] Starcat: Bank left.
[14.12.2023 20:24:48] Snowhawk: "This really is a metric ***tonne of mines."
[14.12.2023 20:24:59] Starcat: This is nothin' compared to what's next.
[14.12.2023 20:25:09] Snowhawk: *looks quizzically into the vidcomm*
[14.12.2023 20:25:39] Snowhawk: "What the....
[14.12.2023 20:25:45] Starcat: Yeah.
[14.12.2023 20:25:57] Starcat: Obscene, iddnit?
[14.12.2023 20:26:17] Snowhawk: "How the... but.. wh...why? How?...Is there even that amount of metal in the world?!"
[14.12.2023 20:26:44] Starcat: There's not a whole lot'a space for cruising here, we'll have to take it slow.
[14.12.2023 20:27:00] Snowhawk: "Understood... yeah... dyamn that's tight."
[14.12.2023 20:27:11] Starcat: You know they run carriers through here?
[14.12.2023 20:27:19] Snowhawk: "Carriers?! Bloody nora."
[14.12.2023 20:27:21] Starcat: Convoys.
[14.12.2023 20:27:24] Starcat: Everything.
[14.12.2023 20:28:05] Starcat: You given any thought as to your future?
[14.12.2023 20:28:20] Snowhawk: "With the LSF, of course." *She beams a smile.*
[14.12.2023 20:28:41] Starcat: Right. But how?
[14.12.2023 20:28:51] Starcat: LSF's a big organization.
[14.12.2023 20:29:00] Starcat: Lot of roles need to be filled.
[14.12.2023 20:29:09] Snowhawk: Honestly Blau? I'm not sure. *her smile falters* What's needed the most, do you know?
[14.12.2023 20:29:47] Starcat: Hold the thought - this is Prudhoe.
[14.12.2023 20:30:04] Starcat: It's Ageira-run. This is the end of the line for most corporate interests.
[14.12.2023 20:30:21] Snowhawk: "Ageira huh? What do they do here?"
[14.12.2023 20:30:54] Starcat: From what I know, mostly a bunch of jump research.
[14.12.2023 20:31:36] Starcat: The more "interesting" stuff happens deeper in, but we won't be touching it today.
[14.12.2023 20:31:43] Snowhawk: "huh... well, more than a safe place for it I suppose. Ah, ok... you tease!"
[14.12.2023 20:32:02] Starcat: As far as what we need?
[14.12.2023 20:32:16] Snowhawk: "mm?"
[14.12.2023 20:32:29] Starcat: Navy's more than capable of fighting against most things we run up against.
[14.12.2023 20:33:10] Starcat: Recent events mean that a lot of our budget gets sent towards research endeavors.
[14.12.2023 20:33:21] Starcat: Lot of open jobs there.
[14.12.2023 20:33:36] Starcat: But a lot of our hands-on agents have left.
[14.12.2023 20:33:56] Starcat: Or uh.
[14.12.2023 20:33:58] Starcat: Well, died.
[14.12.2023 20:34:05] Snowhawk: "... i was going to ask."
[14.12.2023 20:34:58] Starcat: But we offered you the chance to do what you want.
[14.12.2023 20:35:11] Starcat: Serve how you want, anyhow.
[14.12.2023 20:35:20] Starcat: What strikes you the most?
[14.12.2023 20:36:07] Snowhawk: "Honestly, whilst I could get into the role of researcher.. I'd prefer something more hands on. Is there an intelligence -
[14.12.2023 20:36:16] Snowhawk: operative role open? Analyst? Anything of that ilk?"
[14.12.2023 20:36:25] Starcat: Always, unfotunately.
[14.12.2023 20:36:51] Starcat: Especially after the Erie fiasco.
[14.12.2023 20:37:03] Snowhawk: *goes to speak, but falls silent and nods.*
[14.12.2023 20:37:05] Starcat: Lot of folks had a real change of heart. For the best, I guess.
[14.12.2023 20:37:22] Starcat: Right here's the center of it all.
[14.12.2023 20:37:41] Snowhawk: "ur... it's registering as a... super...gate?"
[14.12.2023 20:37:55] Starcat: Mm. It's beyond me.
[14.12.2023 20:38:08] Starcat: We're not authorized for a looksy at the moment.
[14.12.2023 20:38:16] Snowhawk: "Ah, shame~"
[14.12.2023 20:38:38] Starcat: Navy sends scouts through every so often, but it's a one-way.
[14.12.2023 20:39:01] Snowhawk: "how, ur... do the scouts come back? Where does it go?"
[14.12.2023 20:39:06] Starcat: Couldn't tell ya.
[14.12.2023 20:39:33] Starcat: Ageira and the usual suspects are authorized to use it, everyone else ain't even supposed to be here.
[14.12.2023 20:39:53] Snowhawk: "... and just when you think you've crossed the line, there is another one!" *laughs*
[14.12.2023 20:40:07] Starcat: You joke, but it really is that way.
[14.12.2023 20:40:29] Snowhawk: "Suppose I'll just have to earn my way passed this next line." *beams a grin*
[14.12.2023 20:40:55] Starcat: Ain't really a matter of earning as much as necessity.
[14.12.2023 20:41:40] Starcat: We'll get our shot eventually. But it might take a bit of waiting.
[14.12.2023 20:41:57] Snowhawk: *smiles warmly* "It'll be worth it."
[14.12.2023 20:42:22] Starcat: So who's this Daros guy you ran into?
[14.12.2023 20:42:46] Snowhawk: *raises a brow* "Daros? Ur... long story, but a Corsair who I think has a crush on me."
[14.12.2023 20:43:06] Snowhawk: "Or at least, fancies the idea of a romantic elope"
[14.12.2023 20:43:47] Starcat: ...Odd.
[14.12.2023 20:43:58] Snowhawk: *snorts* "A little."
[14.12.2023 20:46:07] Starcat: You familiar with the Virginia system?
[14.12.2023 20:46:17] Snowhawk: "Virginia? ur... I'm not actually."
[14.12.2023 20:46:24] Starcat: You won't be, then.
[14.12.2023 20:46:36] Starcat: Used to be our center of production
[14.12.2023 20:46:54] Starcat: We pulled out a year or two ago, moved most of Chespeake here.
[14.12.2023 20:47:00] Snowhawk: "Ah, how come?"
[14.12.2023 20:47:15] Starcat: Costs mostly.
[14.12.2023 20:47:29] Starcat: There were some... extenuating circumstances.
[14.12.2023 20:47:41] Snowhawk: "Dyamn, that's a beautiful ship. Extenuating? Conflict?"
[14.12.2023 20:47:53] Starcat: Used to have another supergate there, led all the way out east. Towards where you were.
[14.12.2023 20:48:17] Starcat: The locals had some "interesting" proclivities.
[14.12.2023 20:48:41] Starcat: The whole thing ended up being way more trouble than it was worth.
[14.12.2023 20:48:57] Snowhawk: "so cut the costs and move things here... yeah, sounds like it makes sense."
[14.12.2023 20:49:00] Starcat: Even ended up having some of your Corsair buddies coming through the other side.
[14.12.2023 20:49:18] Starcat: On top of that, well.
[14.12.2023 20:49:27] Starcat: Like I said, not all Libertonians are good people.
[14.12.2023 20:49:37] Rules Tip: This is a roleplay server, so keep your ship's name in line with the setting. Do not use references to pop-culture such as memes or distasteful subjects.
[14.12.2023 20:49:49] Snowhawk: *nods curtly.* "hmm... true."
[14.12.2023 20:49:58] Starcat: There were some renegades holed up there. You can read about it most places.
[14.12.2023 20:50:28] Snowhawk: "In Virginia? Is there a way to get there?"
[14.12.2023 20:50:35] Starcat: Nope.
[14.12.2023 20:50:42] Starcat: They shut down the gate from Texas.
[14.12.2023 20:51:01] Starcat: Used to be a jumphole somewhere around here, but it's inaccessible for the obvious reasons.
[14.12.2023 20:51:01] Snowhawk: "Oh right, fully cut it off."
[14.12.2023 20:51:19] Snowhawk: "to think that jumphole might still be out there."
[14.12.2023 20:51:40] Starcat: Could be. Plenty of other places to stick our noses, though.
[14.12.2023 20:52:01] Starcat: Anyhow, Chesapeake's the main nerve center for the LSF as a whole.
[14.12.2023 20:52:43] Starcat: We primarily report through Kodiak, though.
[14.12.2023 20:52:52] Snowhawk: "I see, what's Kodiak?"
[14.12.2023 20:53:02] Starcat: Old research station. Way off in the oort cloud
[14.12.2023 20:53:21] Starcat: Now it's mainly just a stack of servers.
[14.12.2023 20:54:51] Starcat: There's some other stuff around here, mostly Navy involved.
[14.12.2023 20:55:49] Starcat: Fairbanks is the main prison for anyone we really need to get a firm grip on.
[14.12.2023 20:55:57] Snowhawk: "So this system is a joint venture? Who knows about what's in Alaska?"
[14.12.2023 20:56:53] Starcat: It's been fairly publicized lately. Not our biggest secret anymore.
[14.12.2023 20:57:04] Starcat: Virginia was an attempted answer to that, but didn't work out.
[14.12.2023 20:57:41] Starcat: Before the mines, we used to have a small Xeno population.
[14.12.2023 20:57:42] Snowhawk: "Oh, I see. Just well guarded... makes me wonder if there is a truly secret nexus to the service somewhere."
[14.12.2023 20:58:12] Starcat: A few foolish smugglers used to try and use the system as a shortcut - that was before Chadwick sealed the exit.
[14.12.2023 20:59:04] Starcat: Other than those, plenty of government contractors are around.
[14.12.2023 20:59:09] Snowhawk: *raises a brow* "That's pretty brave of them. Or foolish. Surely that's an easy way to get tagged at the least."
[14.12.2023 20:59:12] Starcat: Ageira, DSE, all them.
[14.12.2023 20:59:21] Starcat: It was, but Alaska's a big place.
[14.12.2023 20:59:33] Starcat: And smugglers aren't always the smartest folks.
[14.12.2023 21:00:12] Snowhawk: "hmmm, true. suppose it's natural selection at work."
[14.12.2023 21:00:43] Starcat: That would imply that the navy is breeding smugglers, which is absolutely hilarious.
[14.12.2023 21:01:05] Starcat: Or is that artificial selection? Either way.
[14.12.2023 21:01:15] Snowhawk: *grins mirthfully*
[14.12.2023 21:09:40] Starcat: Evenin'.
[14.12.2023 21:09:44] IMG|Hard.Work: P: Hello
[14.12.2023 21:10:10] Snowhawk: "SKipping the land gate?Odd."
[14.12.2023 21:10:17] Snowhawk: *lane
[14.12.2023 21:10:24] Snowhawk: Nanocapacitors, huh?"
[14.12.2023 21:10:41] IMG|Hard.Work: P: I dont like to make to much maneuveres
[14.12.2023 21:10:55] Snowhawk: *shrugs* "Your ship doesn't like it does either."
[14.12.2023 21:10:58] Starcat: I don't blame him.
[14.12.2023 21:11:03] IMG|Hard.Work: P: this thing has a heavy bottom
[14.12.2023 21:11:17] Snowhawk: "Mind submitting your ident and manifest?"
[14.12.2023 21:11:43] Starcat: Manifest? You think he's smuggling nanocapacitors?
[14.12.2023 21:11:47] IMG|Hard.Work: P: Philip Steiner, en route to kyushu
[14.12.2023 21:12:19] Snowhawk: "No, the protocol is the point, ey? Philip Steiner... let;s see... well, nothings coming up. Ring a bell Starcat?"
[14.12.2023 21:12:21] Starcat: *Laughs* You already know what he's hauling.
[14.12.2023 21:12:41] Starcat: Not particularly. Well, Steiner does.
[14.12.2023 21:12:45] Starcat: But not this Steiner.
[14.12.2023 21:13:10] Starcat: He's an independent, if he's not on our list then he's not done anything.
[14.12.2023 21:13:18] Snowhawk: "Well... thanks your Stei- time. Thanks for your time. Off you pop."
[14.12.2023 21:13:24] IMG|Hard.Work: P: well "officers" i dont understand a shit what are you talking about
[14.12.2023 21:13:35] IMG|Hard.Work: P: Have a good day, officers
[14.12.2023 21:13:44] Snowhawk: "Tschuss"

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