Tides of Change

[Cat]

The Order agents have been monitoring artifact smuggling activities for some time. And after months of tracking they finally found something interesting: a smuggler, who intended to move a load of some unusual alien artifacts. However, even now the luck was not on the Order's side - the LSF agents managed to intercept the smuggler and capture the cargo. Of course, such potenentially dangerous objects couldn't be left in the hands of governments, because they may be used in a wrong way. That's why the Order agents needed to intercept the LSF transport heading for Willard Research Station.

The entire operation didn't work as planned. First of all, commander Maersk's ship turned out to be malfunctioning. So, commodore Taggart had to take the lead. With colonel Gunson and two ensigns they proceeded to the ambush point in Tahoe Ice Cloud. Things went well so far, but then the worst part began. The Order operatives successfully disrupted the transport. Its escorts consisted of two LSF vessels, but the reinforcements from San Diego showed up shortly. Lucky for the Order agents, LNS-Assault-1 couldn't use the weapons without the risk of friendly fire. The fight was long and tense, but the LSF pilots managed to get the upper hand. Eventually, commodore and colonel were the only ones who made it back home in their ships, the ensigns had to travel in the escape pods in the cargo hold. But from the intercepted transmissions they found out that the LSF have also lost something valuable...

Planet Toledo, Cape Hope, briefing room.
Lieutenant Scott learned that the strike team hadn't managed to take down that LSF transport. He was still sitting in the briefing room, when he suddenly got contacted.
- Lieutenant, check the message on the channel 62-5.
- That's... surprising news. So, have our researchers said anything about it already?
- I'm afraid there's not much they can do. The power cell was damaged severely, it just was shattered. They said that they -could- make some use of it, but nothing really significant.
- Right, we'll talk about that later. I'll compile the reports of the commodore, the colonel and the ensigns, as the Admiralty requested. I have received the data already. Brian Scott out.

At that moment lieutenant Frederick entered the briefing room.
- I assume the operation went well, Brian? I've heard the news that we got one of the artifacts we had been after.
- Well, the success was partial, Henry. The transport reached Willard and delivered most of the cargo. The artifact we got is almost useless now, it's broken. And the remaining artifacts are at Willard... For now.
- For now?
- Yeah, I think they will try to move them to more secure location. And "for now" applies even if they decide to keep the artifacts on Willard.
- Wait, are you up to something? I saw the mission reports. If the LSF protect their convoys that good, Willard will be a space fortress. No way the Order can breach its security by open attack.
- And I didn't say a word about the Order, Henry. However, I might develop a new plan. I was thinking of a force that -could- assault Willard openly. One of them has just come to my mind. Tell me, do you know much about Rheinland Military Intelligence?..

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