Diary of Cuvier's Captain

[Starfish]

***

After successful completing mission to Provence I don't made new records for a pair of weeks. Cuvier was returned to old triangle: Picardy - Berry - Maine, superconductors - robotics - cryocubes... There were no changes - until now. Today I was asked again to visit office in closed area of Mortagne Production Facility. I was sure that I'll get a proposition for another run to Provence - but I was wrong. Route under consideration was the flight to Sirius!

Of course, I knew about Reconquest, as well any other inhabitant of Gallia. Royal Navy recently defeated their opponents in neighbouring systems - Tau, seems, - and took those systems under own control. Now I learned that one of former opponents, Kusari Shogunate, not only signed a peace agreement with Crown, but already established several trade contracts with Gallic companies. And, of course, Solar couldn't miss the opportunity.

Syrians were inferior to Gallia in terms of technical progress. The reason, in my opinion, was that they were wasting their resources on infinite war between each other. Either way, they could not produce a holo-tainment bands and were very interested in purchasing this our high-tech. So, Cuvier had to go to Kusari capital, planet New Tokyo in the system with the same name. Returning cargo should be an exotic kusarian food product, Kyushu rice, that recently gained great popularity at New Paris.
The trip promised to be a long, dangerous... and profitable.

***

I went to preparing. At first, route. This time was no chance to avoid borderworlds. Well, be it so. Gallic part was obvious: Maine - Ile-de-France - Burgundy - Dauphine - Languedoc. Then through minefield. Well, if battleships could went through passage, Vache will make it also. Then fast march through Tau worlds. This part bothered me mostly. I was sure that former owner of captured worlds unlikely will appreciate trader ship from enemy side. So if any resistance still exist, Cuvier can become a target. Well, somehow it will be... Then should began a Kusari space. I hoped that syrians maintained a certain level of order and security - maybe not as high as in Gallic Core worlds, but at least some police forces must exist in the Sirius!

After that I went to check cargo. Apart from holo-tainment bands in main hold, Cuvier carried a little quantities various goods for ship's crew: oxygen, water (and wine also, why not...), food, pharmaceutic, my personal weapons - long-established symbol of Captain's power, something that I never used yet and hoped never to. Engineer has checked electronic equipment and targeting system, mechanic - engines and ship weapons. All was in range. Cuvier was ready to the her most remote route...