Kommandant Otto Brandt's report... But you already knew that. During our holding pattern in orbit of Planet Bremerhaven, we spotted what appeared to be some "Dromedary"-class freighter with an empty hold scattering to the Westerstede Nebula opposite Munster. Hardly a priority target, but it gave the gunnery officers some target practice.
I have always been curious about that nebula. The rest of the crew treats it as if it's haunted; all sorts of ghost stories about it and "curses". All complete rubbish, of course.
Another Borderworlds freighter... Perhaps even the same one. She attempted to turn tail and flee but the Weiden's pulse cannons disabled the ship in seconds. I then ordered the tractor beams to interdict his ship and any possible cargo.
The freighter was piloted by a crew of three, likely with some moderate autopilot assistance. Two of them surrendered and were apprehended without a fight, but the third attacked my contingent of soldiers.
I believe that I have far, far more to gain through this one's life intact... For now. I ordered the soldiers to apprehend the unarmed dissident using only physical force. I believe he won't soon be recovering from those injuries.
The freighter was hauling highly suspect cargo; highly illegal bootleg and unregistered weapons, munitions, and countermeasures. They must be linked to one dissident hive or another.
The three are prisoners and will remain so until I have no further use for them.
It has been an entire month and scarcely anything has been gleaned from the three prisoners. Denial of prison rations, threats, and physical discipline has produced only one valuable piece of information; that the three originated from the Westerstede Nebula. The very same nebula that many of my men consider "haunted", amusingly enough.
Something must be hidden within there. Unfortunately I am under orders not to divert standard patrol protocol from Bremerhaven.
Damn the Orders. In the meantime, I will resort to any and all measures to extract the precise information I want from these three. Personally, if I must.
