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eigos · (This post was last modified: 01-28-2024, 01:34 PM by eigos.)

Unknown	╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ INCOMING TRANSMISSION [LIVE] AUDIO FEED: [ENABLED] VIDEO FEED: [DISABLED] MESSAGING: [AVAILABLE] Date: 25-JAN-823; Time: 23:41 Subject: [UNKNOWN] Priority: █ █ █ █ █ Encryption: [HIGH] ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝	Cpt. Kadego Sudrossa
Sector N/A, Lorraine	│SENDER├─────── RELAY ONLINE ───────┤RECIPIENT│	Sector 3C, Lorraine

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Monsieur Kadego, we finally meet! I was wondering if you were still alive out there. Now, you must be dying to know –

*Secure Channel* Kadego: …WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!!

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Magnifique! Monsieur Diego Rojas said you were a man of exact words, much like himself! Captain… right now, it is in both our best interests to keep my identity hidden. Suffice to say, I work for monsieur Rojas and my assignment is to keep you alive and lead you out of gallic space as soon as possible.

*Secure Channel* Kadego: WHAT?? WHERE ARE YOU!! HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO CONTACT ME?!

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Isn’t it obvious? That was the whole purpose of your secondary transponder. Captain, I shall answer some of your questions when I can, but now it’s not the time! Please, give me a quick status report, where are you and what is your situation?

*Secure Channel* Kadego: Mhh, doesn’t really matter if I tell you… there ain’t much else left for me to do now. Alright, man… the situation is this: I am somewhere in sector 3C, heading straight to an asteroid field in the 2D direction. My ship is still in an alright shape, but that’s about to change in less than 2 minutes, as I’ve got a freak show worth of police fighters at about 5k behind and they are really starting to close in now. Any interesting suggestions, mon homie?

*Secure Channel* Unknown: These coordinates are very critical, mon ami! I am sending a raiding party in your direction, they have orders to engage the Royal Police and save a smuggling transport…that would be you, captain. The group has already left and are on their –

*Secure Channel* Kadego: Damn it, incoming cruise disruptors! I am all out of countermeasures… dude, whoever you are, make sure those raiders of yours get over here ASAP, I am about to fight for all my money’s worth! Die, you suckers!!

The captain killed the engines and made a 90 degree turn shortly before the disruptors could arrive. This maneuver gave him a little more time for the turrets to power up and effectively turned away the pursuing police, who were not in a good position to charge in the wake of the thick firepower. There were 4 more incoming hostiles on the radar, which turned out to be Cougar bombers. In the face of that force, the destroyer’s shield quickly went down and prompted for immediate shield battery deployment. With this heavy reinforcement, the police was starting to gain the upper hand, as the turrets were focused on keeping the bombers away as much as possible. With every minute, their tactics were getting more sophisticated and the only hope for survival for the outcast was for the promised help to arrive in the next minute…

Maquis Raider-1: Le transport civil, votre sauvegarde est arrivé!

Maquis Raider-4: Pour l'honneur et la liberté!

*Secure Channel* Kadego: Was that my backup? Who are those –

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Monsieur Kadego, start your cruise engines immediately! This is your only chance to escape now, quickly! I have changed my position and I am about to jump to the Lyonnais system. I am sending you coordinates and access codes for the jumpate to the northern part of the system. DO NOT talk to anyone on the open comms and DO NOT take the trade lane to the gate. I will do my best to scout ahead and I will keep in touch if I detect any police forces on the other side. May the luck be with us both…I am jumping right now.

eigos · (This post was last modified: 01-28-2024, 01:39 PM by eigos.)

Date: 25-JAN-823; Time: 23:58
ON THE RUN

There are none more fierce and dangerous groups in Gallia as The Maquis – a fact which the Royal Police knows too well from personal experience. Their very arrival on the battlefield was enough to turn the lawful attention away from the destroyer, because to turn your back on terrorists was equal to suicide. If there were 4 arriving from one side, you can expect this number to triple in a matter of seconds from all other sides too. And this is exactly what happened – the police found themselves swarmed from every direction, which thwarted any chance for them to continue their pursuit on the runaway ex-outcast destroyer.

*Secure Channel* Kadego: Now THAT is what I call some proper mash potatoes right there! The Po-Po ain’t got a chance of getting outta that…. Errrm, dude….? Ghost-man, can you read me….? …guess that’s a no-no, then.

*talking to himself* He did mention he was about to jump to that system, what was its name again… something that sounded like a heavy brand of old-man glasses or some crap. *takes a look at the navmap* That jumpgate should be pretty close now… there it is. Man, that thing is H-U-G-E. Way bigger than what they’ve got in the other houses! *yawns* Wow, it’s almost tomorrow now… I haven’t had anything to eat the whole day, besides that short “breakfast”… *opens some food rations* …and I have no idea when I am getting to sleep. I need caffeine…and I need it fast. Dock….dock..! I said dock now, god damn it!

VOX System: *bleep* Docking sequence engaged. Access codes accepted. Initiating for system jump in 5….4….3….2….1…. commencing. *bleep* Jump successful… welcome to the Lyonnais system, commander.

As the ship exited the wormhole, the horizon ahead revealed the true beauty of the Lyonnais system. For a few seconds, captain Kadego forgot about his drowsiness, rubbed his eyes and a smile crept onto his face. After a very long day, this sight had an exhilarating effect on him and he started his cruise engines, heading in a direction far away from the nearby trade lane.

*Secure Channel* Kadego: This is Kadego to Ghost-man….do you read me? I am currently in the Lyon- whatever the name is- system… do you copy?

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Monsieur Kadego, welcome! I hope you weren’t followed… you should head to the following coordinates that I am sending you right now. It is imperative that you remove yourself as far away from the system’s traffic without delay.

*Secure Channel* Kadego: Way ahead of you, I am already 10k away from anything that resembles civilization. Listen man… I think now it’s a good time for me to say a big THANK YOU for saving my ass out there. If it’s not too much to ask, why are you helping me? And how do you know Diego…?

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Oh, you are very welcome, captain! As I said earlier, your friend Diego is the reason I went to such lengths to keep you alive… you see, I am doing this to repay him for saving my own life a couple of years back. Two days ago, I received a message from monsieur Rojas, asking me to honor my debt and help someone who was about to go on a mission in Gallia. He provided your personal transponder’s signature and secure channel codes and told me to stand by in case it was activated. This would mean you were in trouble and my service would be required. But I never in my wildest dreams imagined you to get into THIS kind of trouble that you currently are.

*Secure Channel* Kadego: And what trouble am I in exactly…? I mean, sure – half the population in Lorraine wanted to kill me and my base command basically told me to kiss my ass goodbye when things hit the fan proper… what else is new?

*Secure Channel* Unknown: He he he, that is a good way to put it. But you are obviously wrong about one thing – it was not “half the population” that was after you. It was going to be “all” of them. Are you aware that the Maquis raiders I sent out to help you are actually the closest allies with the Unione Corse?

*Secure Channel* Kadego: They are…? Why did they let me escape?

*Secure Channel* Unknown: That’s because I did what was required – I paid them. There are two more unlawful bases in the Lorraine system, monsieur. One of them that is close to the minefield from the northern side belongs to the Corse. The other one, Verdun Base – you might have guessed – was in the asteroid field where the raiders found you. I was on that base when I contacted you. I lied to the base commander and told him you were a smuggling armored transport who got caught by the police and paid them quite a hefty sum of money to save your neck AND to leave you alone after.

*Secure Channel* Kadego: And here I was, thinking those guys were warming up to me and wanted us to become best friends…. Pheh. Good thing I didn’t stay there to help ‘em.

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Monsieur, there was a reason I told you to get out of there. If The Maquis found out that you were wanted by the Unione Corse… you have no idea what they are capable of doing. This is also why I had to leave their base before the battle started… if something went wrong and they found out I was helping a runaway outcast, my head would be served on a silver platter with garnish and a glass of champagne for the Corse.

*Secure Channel* Kadego: To think that we let that Anrie guy from the Corse escape… he must be itching to get his pervy hands on me now.

*Secure Channel* Unknown: What makes those shady types so dangerous is their connections throughout Gallia. The only faction that is not really affected by them are The Council. But as you know, those guys have already signed up every outcast on their kill list. The only way for you to stay alive is to remain undetected until you get out of gallic space. You have all the waypoints you need in your navmap right now and the journey should be fairly long for you… a small price to pay for surviving. Put your ship on auto pilot and get some sleep, captain. I will call you tomorrow when I figure out which of the exit points would work best to get you through all this. Good night!

eigos · (This post was last modified: 01-28-2024, 01:44 PM by eigos.)

Date: 26-JAN-823; Time: 14:16

They say the deepest sleep comes after a good day of hard work and a job well done. Or in captain Kadego’s case – after a near bodily collapse from exhaustion, lack of nutrients, overdose on adrenaline and an emotional rollercoaster that few pilots could survive without getting a permanent heart condition from. After little over 10 hours of sleep, the captain woke up, checked the ship’s course and made breakfast. He was in no hurry to call the mysterious person, as there was still quite a bit of journey ahead to the last waypoint. A time most welcome to reflect upon the recent events and think about one’s future.

VOX System: *bleep* Incoming transmission…link established.

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Good afternoon, captain. How was your night of sleep? …I was waiting on you to contact me and after each passing hour I was starting to get a little worried. Is everything alright?

*Secure Channel* Kadego: Hey there chief. Everything is fine, I was just taking a little time off to think about things. There really is a lot to think about…

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Of course, monsieur. But looking on the bright side, I’ve got some very good news… as of a few hours ago, I was given solid information that the jumphole to the Rishiri system is in fact phase-aligned and this is the best possible way out of Gallia for you right now. We couldn’t have hoped for a better turnout than this. I am uploading data on that system for you right now. Your best bet would be to jump to Hokkaido from there… have you decided where you will be going after that?

*Secure Channel* Kadego: Hokkaido…hmmm… I have been there before when me and my friends went to that GC base for a party a couple of years ago. Those were some fine girls there, you know…good times. I remember the old jumphole to Kyushu and from there it should be an easy ride to the Tau-29 system, then Baffin and on to Coronado. Do you know the Barrier Gate? That is the best god damn place if one wants to lay low. Reeeally low.

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Won’t you be returning to Omicron Alpha, monsieur? I assume your mission yesterday was a success and there should be no problem for you to –

*Secure Channel* Kadego: But there IS a problem. A lot of problems, even. Here is what is gonna happen:
= First of all, I promised Diego I was quitting this god forsaken “security job” back there at Torino – ain’t no way for me to risk my butt for a meager salary and some stupid rank promotion, only to end up dead the next day.
= Second, if I did really quit, I am losing this ship in the snap-of-a-finger. THAT same ship I kept from being captured OR destroyed. I could have fricken’ crashed it into the sun and catapulted out, for all I care – it wouldn’t have made a difference to the base command. I am not getting paid to survive or to make sure the ship survives….me and this machine, we are the same – expendable. Like some sort of trash. We survived together and there ain’t no way I am giving it up for free, only for them to tap me on the shoulder and say “Good job out there, son! We will find someone else to fly it for us and you can find yourself a job as gardener if you want!”
= Third problem – I need papers for this contraption. Right now, all I’ve got is my Outcast ID Card along with a civilian transponder... if the Maltese Navy sees this, it would take a miracle for me to explain how I am -not- some sort of imposter. And again, they will totally seize the ship! They've got ZERO data on it, since its from a classified unique project. But there is good news… this ship is rated as a Heavy Escort. It ain’t no capital vessel, this thing… they have cut out the capital parts of it. All I need is my man Diego to send me a couple of certificates – those will be used at the Barrier Gate to forge me a new ID card as a freelancer, flying a custom-built ship that noone knows anything about, only that it classifies as a breed between a battle transport and a gunboat. Most of the parts – engines, hull panels, computer systems – they are all border world series and you can buy those from everywhere. Capeesh?

*Secure Channel* Unknown: If I may be honest, that does sound like something I would have done myself, if I were in your shoes, captain.

*Secure Channel* Kadego: After checking my systems, it turned out this love machine will need some extensive care at a repair station. Thing is, the cash that I have on me is kinda tight. However, I CAN afford to pay for an extended stay at The Barrier thanks to the loot I gathered onboard from yesterday’s party in Lorraine. I got some guns here, hull panels, a heavy fighter shield generator… loads of scrap that I will need to take a closer look at later… and believe it or not, there is a load of booze in one of the cargo pods! Must be from that police guy I blew up. The plan of action will be to dock this hulking beast, sell everything in the hold for top dollar, get a Freelancer ID and find a job somewhere as a hired transport pilot until I can buy a cheap one myself. From there on, a couple of well-paid semi-legal contracts would be just enough to get the “shovel” fixed up and ready for some serious bounty hunting – that is where the real money is.

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Oh, ha-ha-ha-ha, what will you do once you get that kind of money, mon ami?

*Secure Channel* Kadego: The first thing I am doing is paying back my old pal Diego. He went to hell and back to upgrade this ship before the mission, just so I can stand a better chance of surviving out there. Now I am going to make sure he doesn’t have to work for the rest of his life. Although he probably will… that bastard’s got more energy in him than three of me.

eigos · (This post was last modified: 01-28-2024, 05:09 PM by eigos.)

Date: 26-JAN-823; Time: 21:30

The two men kept talking through the day and the journey was going smooth. In the late evening hours, the vessel reached its final waypoint, only moments away from the jumphole to the Rishiri System.

*Secure Channel* Kadego: Here we are, man… I am already at the jumphole. Time sure flies by while you’ve got something to talk about. Even though we have never met and I don’t know your name. What a ride…

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Some day we will meet in person, monsieur. You don’t have to worry about my professional field, as I am neither a hitman nor a criminal. What I do for a living is ferrying essential goods between the less known bases throughout Sirius – no contraband involved. Much as yourself, I am currently making my own plans to disappear, as surely my stay in Gallia would be quite compromised given yesterday’s course of events with The Maquis. For now, all I ask of you is to not talk about my part in your escape, to anyone. I will do the same for you, so we both may survive this.

*Secure Channel* Kadego: This whole thing will stay between me, you and Diego - that’s a promise. Once again, thank you for your help… my systems are ready for jump here. If you ever get to The Barrier, leave a message for me at the bartender. God speed!

VOX System: *bleep* Jumphole status – phase aligned. Preparing for jump…

*Secure Channel* Unknown: Best of luck, monsieur! Give my regards to senor Rojas -- *static*

VOX System: *bleep* Transmission signal lost…jump initiated.

END OF MISSION LOG

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