Vega Log Team Mk 1.7

[RedEclipse]

Vega Log Mk 1,7
Log Report 15
James Mace
Position: Vega captain; Lyra Defensive Wing technical supervisor
Topic: First flight tests; reaching Livadia Shipyard for final repairs

All simulations were successful, and the team worked with the utmost care-the last thing we wanted was to further delay the queue for maintenance and repairs at Carthage Shipyard. And although the dry dock was not actually occupied by Vega, virtually all of the shipyard's capacity was focused on maintaining all work on our ship, and abusing the hospitality of our allies was not part of our plans. The task was set: once launched from the Carthage slipways, Vega would be able to operate autonomously and relocate to the Livadia Shipyard, since with the new installation, the Omicron Kappa jump would not be a problem, but before that, we needed to conduct field tests.

The fuel was loaded into the reactors, and the entire team of engineers, together with the Vega team, boarded the ship. We were preparing for the first test flight while our transporters worked in two shifts to unload all the equipment from Carthage and Memphis. During the repair period, we had accumulated a huge amount of scientific and engineering equipment and provisions that had to be taken on board. And although my reports had to be as concise as possible and without strong evaluative judgment, my nerves were on edge. For some reason, Burton decided to inspect the work at the most crucial moment, so my team and I had no chance to make a mistake - the boss really didn't like it when a project went over budget and/or was delayed. And although everything had been checked and tested multiple times - when you work with such an ancient machine that has been battered by life and had a rough time, you can't be sure of anything, as it rebuilds itself so often that it is more like a glittering misery of wire and microcircuits than actual blueprints when you give a glance.

So, all provisions and tools were transferred aboard Vega, and we began to launch all systems in normal mode. A slight tremor ran through the ship, and the engine, as if reluctantly awakening, switched to standby mode. All rigid couplings with Carthage were dismantled, and the magnetic anchors were turned off. Nothing was holding Vega back, as if it were in no hurry to say goodbye - gravity still pulled us together with the shipyards. I ordered the maneuvering engines to be turned on, and the ship began to gracefully move away from Carthage. All core systems signaled normal operation, the amperage on the maneuvering engine line did not drop at all - the reactor was coping with ease. At a sufficient distance, we started the main engine at 10% thrust, simultaneously turning off the maneuvering engines, having stabilized the trajectory in advance. Now we could begin comprehensive testing… In a short time frame.

The Order, seemingly concerned for the integrity of the ship, deployed several heavy lifters from Vega. Apparently, they don't have much faith in our luck, but we'll see who was right. From the bridge, I gave the order to engage the main engine at full thrust. Apart from some unusual safety system malfunctions, the flight continued without incident, as we were able to rely on backup systems, and this breakdown, like all the others, would be Livadia Shipyard's headache. Next, we calibrated the guidance systems and avionics, synchronized them with the Phoenix Fleet database, and then began testing them, checking the fire control systems and power wiring along the way. To do this, we moved to an asteroid sun’s belt opposite the planet Jerba. After conducting test shots at various targets, from large to small meteorites, one meter in diameter, everything went smoothly as the guidance systems were recalibrated. Next, we complicated the work of the guidance system and began maneuvering at the maximum thrust of the maneuvering engines, moving away from the target - this task was also completed without any problems.

Next, we had to test the cruise speed. This is where we encountered our first difficulties. During acceleration, the engine module lost power and Vega continued moving toward the sun's corona. It was a somewhat nervous moment, but knowing that heavy lifters would come to the rescue in case of problems gave us ability to do full wide tests. While we were studying the logs to find out what the problem was, the engine restarted and successfully accelerated to its maximum design speed. We remained in it for several hours, and everything went smoothly. Although there were some warning-level errors, this was to be expected given that some decks were still sealed and not working. In any case, the entire flight was logged with the maximum possible detail. All of this will be thoroughly studied at the Livadia Shipyard.

And the final stage of testing - after more than several years of painstaking work, Vega is ready to leave Omicron Mu. The jumpdrive was launched, and we successfully arrived at Omicron Kappa, en route to Livadia Shipyard. And although we still face tasks that are practically unsolvable due to the secrecy of Bismarck's technologies, the heart of this titan has already been reconstructed, which is a great success for us, all thanks to the joint efforts with ALG Waste Disposal.