[101st] Flight Operations Records

[Shazbot11]

[TRANSMISSION INBOUND]

ID: Devon Xaero
ORIGIN: Malta, 101st Barracks
DESTINATION: 101st Command
ENCRYPTION: Class-S

<Beginning Playback>

This is Devon Xaero reporting in to the 101st Command. What follows is a report concerning an unidentified signal source and message concerning the 101st and/or the Nation of Malta. I will report my findings to the best of my abilities.

My sortie began with reports of Order personnel entering into the Taus, namely 23 and eventually 37. Their proximity to Alpha warranted a mobilization of our armed forces to run interdiction on the intruders. After a stand-off with three of them at Freeport 10, an abrupt ion storm passed through the system; when our sensors and flight systems rebooted after the storm's passing, we found that the Order pilots used the opportunity to escape back into Tau-23. We gave pursuit through 23 before they escaped beyond our reach, and a general RTB (Return-To-Base) command was issued for all pilots.

This next segment contains the heart of this transmission. After our return to Alpha, Senor Salieri joined me on patrol; Malta Naval Dispatch had us perform a few sweeps through Alpha, typical search-and-destroy for Bounty Hunter intrusions. During one of these patrols, though, I received a very unusual comm transmission. What follows are transcripts recorded by my Saber's black box:

I could not entirely understand the initial purpose of the transmission. In an attempt to find answers, I traced the signal's source back through the relays to make contact. Luckily, my trace worked and the transmission made it back to the source. The reply I received is as follows:

By now I had managed to identify the signal source's ID stamps that piggy-backed each transmission, a '167th'. I can only imagine it to be identification of a squadron of some sort. This person also made a reference to a man named "Al'Kazadh", claiming that he was a traitor to the Outcasts. Upon pressing him for further details, he uploaded a comm excerpt from Al'Kazadh:

The situation had become more complex as the excerpt conveys a potential attack against either the Spirits and/or the Phantoms. This person stated that he/she had more details about this alleged traitor, but would only surrender the information if we found him/her. I considered these details to be a sensitive matter, and kept whatever information I had confined between myself and Senor Sallieri; I questioned the other pilots active around Malta if they had ever come across this '167th' or Al'Kazadh. A Shadow Outcast made mention that he had seen the 167th before, though he did not remember many details about that. As for Al'Kazadh, no one had ever heard about him.

Though I was skeptical about the information I could not risk being wrong, as well as passing up the chance to get more details. Triangulating the previous transmissions from the 167th through the comm relays, I managed to locate the source in Manchester. I plotted a course through Tau-37, -23, -31, and Newcastle and departed shortly thereafter. Senor Sallieri joined me for this flight, and we initiated a silent run through the charted systems; care was taken to avoid densely-traveled flight paths and House transit lanes to reduce the risk of drawing attention to ourselves. I also enacted defensive rules of engagement should we encounter any hostiles; we were looking only for data, not a fight.

As we arrived in Newcastle, I received yet another transmission from the 167th. Somehow, he had been tracking our progress in our pursuit and issued the following warning:

At this point, Senor Sallieri and I agreed that attempting to pursue this person further would be an unacceptable risk to ourselves and the 101st. We immediately plotted a return course back to Malta, where I proceeded to write this message.

Based on the data present, the following questions must be asked:

-Who/what is the 167th?
-How did they manage to acquire this supposed transmission log?
-Is the 167th in league with the person stated within the transmission?
-Do they have any other allies?
-What would the 167th hope to achieve with this?

Though details are lacking, it can be assumed that the 167th is an organized group; the Shadow Outcast pilot that mentioned his encounter with them stated that there were three of them that flew in formation. As for the acquisition of the transmission log there exists the possibility that it was merely found amongst wreckage, or it was given to them. The breaks in transmission quality do seem analogous to the typical decay in data storage found amongst vessel wreckage; however, such transmission artifacts are also found in comm sources from within areas of intense radiation or spatial phenomena. If this transmission log was given to the 167th, it would also lead us to believe that they may be cooperating with this Al'Kazadh. Likewise, as seen in the last transmission excerpt, the 167th pilot reveals his path towards Omicron Gamma and Crete. It can also be assumed, then, that the 167th may be allied with the Corsairs or at least maintain some level of diplomatic understanding with them. The goals of the 167th, however, remain completely unknown. Such an act may be an attempt to extort the 101st somehow, or attempt to pull us further into another conflict. Dealings with such elements almost always result in their benefit.

I submit this information to the 101st Command for analysis and deliberation. I also understand that I may have breached operational protocols by taking a wing out of Alpha and into the edges of Bretonian space; I will personally assume full responsibility for any disciplinary actions if they are dispensed. My actions were based on instinct, and I apologize that I could not gain more data to definitively identify whether this situation requires our attention or not.

For the 101st and the Nation of Malta,

Devon Xaero

<End playback>

[DISCONNECT]

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Maybe some day, they'll see a hero is just a man who knows he's free.