The Union is still using Council Technology to oppress it's people. The Maquis won't have this. We will be moving onto The Champagne system to take into our hands what we can, and disable what we can't.
The "northern" systems that garrison old and directly compatible ex-Council technology are inded so badly guarded that civilian vessels are at the vanguard of on-the spot defense and patrols. Onto the next phase!
This is absolutely incredible. I almost don't want to believe this. On a silver platter! But I am getting ahead of myself.
I have met some NX-01 Starflier Leon person. Thought nothing of it. He says he can do surveys of ANYTHING. Yeah...right...just map entire areas where we couldn't get to, swarming with Union agents, mon pote, whatever you say. Nevertheless I have commisioned a contract to get surveys of our potential targets.
To my shock, he delivered, right afterwards!
Needless to say - our vessels greatly appreciated this and we have sent more scouts to examine both locations while having precise coordinates, making sure our scouts stay safe.
Change of plans
First of all De Grasse is a no-go. Yes our SHF provocative strikes have shown that it is guarded by civilians. But it is very much active and could be able to defend itself. We would need a massive infiltration operation that would cost many lives just for one battleship. Instead our target will be
Chalons-en-Champagne Station and Planet Marne's orbit:
Our luck is incredible.
Champagne has historically been the stronghold of the Maquis. The Council may have betrayed us, but the people have not forgotten. What happened at Mazagran resonated throughout the system and made vast amounts of people feel for our cause. We don't expect heavy militant resistance from civilians that don't belong to the EFL and IDF. On the contrary possibly - we will see if there's support with our contacts on the planet.
The station is amost undefended! The Union treats it as a scrapyard, and defend it like a scrapyard. Yes there are planetary defenses, military staff overseeing the operation, but nothing we can't handle easily.
There are entire two fleets being decomissioned - The Chaumont and Combrai battlegroups.
These two we expect to be in advanced stage of salvaging materials - but our goal will be the battleships who's names we don't know yet and that will be re-christened by the FLG that are being stationed there for decomissioning. Whether they were part of said battlegroups or not.
Drawback
Undefended battleships waiting to be put to sleep, people that are likely to not go out of their way to harm us or die for The Union - they might actually actively support us - seems like an easy operation right?
The operation itself will not be an issue at all in terms of forces needed. What will be a massive issue is time. We are talking about towing multiple battleships - some might have their reactors shut down. This will take us many hours, days potentially - more than enough time for Union loyalist reinforcements to arrive from Picardy and Orlenais.
An unprecedented distraction
We will need a distraction. One of massive proportions. Orkney was a child's play next to this. Every piece of our propaganda machine will need to be at work, a lot of money will have to be spent, the Liberated Gallia thruth spreading outlet will be told to go into overdrive. We will hire multiple 3rd parties.
It is a crazy, bold and complicated plan, but if succesful it will buy us more than enough time. Even if somehow The Union sniff our or plan, they will have no choice but to move their forces away from Champagne, or risk a massive political blow to their entire regime. I am not ready to reveal said plan until I confirm the High Command that it is even feasible. But stay tuned.
In the meantime - stay away from the Champagne system in terms of large scale operations in the open. We won't want them to suspect a thing. Leon of NX-01 has done all the work for us and our Orlenais strike might make the GN and GNI suspect DeGrasse might be our next target.
. .
I have received word from Leon to chart out the Champagne System. Two hours ago I have arrived at Planet Marne. Over the next couple days I shall map out and report on all entities I come across. My next transmission will include my report, plus any additional information that I may find. . .
Boucher just arrives to Verdun Dockyard in Lorraine, he starts wiping the blood off his hands and face as he turns on his messages. A feeling of remorse is long gone when it comes to Gauls that wronged the Maquis - so much gore, so much brutality desensitivised him so much that there isn't even a slight hint of emotion when he thinks back to the Gallic Union haulers he just killed on their way to Supply Metz.
What are a few civilian lives in the light of stopping genocidal war criminals that once again engulfed most of Gallia and might cast a deathly shadow over Sirius when and if they manage to rebuild their Gallic Navy.
The message from Halpert reaches the queue. Lionel was disilusioned at first when it came to Sirians. The Front being open to them and ditching the Gallic Xenophobic tendencies and air of superiority came out of the Council heritage and from sheer weight of having no choice - they cannot go it alone against the Union Juggernauts. Besides the Gaians who know their joint enemy up close, the only active and heavily directly involved ally turned out to be of Gallic leadership as well. The murders he just commited didn't make him flinch, but a sentimental tear and a relieved smile appears on his face when he listens to the Starfliers' message - maybe the Sirians do care. The immense service the Starflier Sirians are doing for The Front saved many Maquisard lives. The operation the Maquisards have been leading up to all year will go much smoother. Does this Halpert even realize that he might just save hundreds of millions of Sirians down the line with his work?
Boucher, hopeful, tries to look all business like and composed, and just replies"Understood, Halpert of the Starflier Silverstone. We have no doubt of your success. Boucher Out."
Launching from Planet Marne, Halpert takes one good look at the system he's in. Gallia... a place that's both beautiful and housing an overzealous navy fleet. They have had interactions with the Starfliers before, and Halpert wasn't one to get in their way again. During his flight around the Champagne System, he's noticed several wrecks, most likely from a civil war of some kind. As the designs of all the ships were similar, unlike the other Houses. There was one vessel that stuck out to him. Boucher did ask for any intel on old designs and hardware, and Halpert wasn't quite sure what he was looking for exactly. Examining this Battleship, he sees the name "De Grasse" printed on it's hull. Further scans show it was a Battleship that participated in a handful of wars. Eventually taking too much damage and retreating for repairs. Perhaps there's still some useful munitions inside? A flight plan? Black box? Halpert's scanners were tuned to pickup objects at further distances, not to deep-scan vessels. The other wrecks in the system could also provide some useful information that the Silverstone couldn't obtain, but at least Boucher will have the co-ordinates to these wrecks and his friends can do what they wish. He records this in his system report and keeps flying along. Once a lap of the system was completed, Halpert flies back to Planet Marne for a drink. He opens his comms device and tunes his frequency to Boucher's signal.
"The job is done, and all information has been attached in the report. Invoice is included, be sure you pay after the job is done next time. Leon will be updating the Maquis server with your Rift-Jump information shortly, the access code is below. You'll find a few destroyed ships floating in numerous locations. One point of interest is a vessel in Sector H5 called the Danube. I'm returning home. Godspeed, Boucher."
Thoughts: Carrying explosive munitions, what kind? I cannot tell. Scans show this vessel has been here a long time, maybe this is the kind of tech Boucher would like to investigate.
Thoughts: Royal Navy gunboat... don't see that everyday. Seeing as it's a bigger ship and probably full of goodies, I'll leave this one to Boucher as well.
Thoughts: Well now, if there's a source for old tech, it'll be this Battleship. Hiding under the Chalons-en-Champagne for repairs, it'll be vulnerable at this time.
Boucher upon reading about DeGrasse starts to grind his teeth. DeGrasse will always be tied to the greatest disaster in Maquis history. The Mazagran massacre.
On one hand this was the turning point where perception of us, the Maquis, shifted in the public eye from the deluded Council attack docks to someone who actually can be fighting a just fight against the greater evil. I have always seen it ironic that some believed the propaganda that called the Maquisards "terrorists" and "the mad ones" in relation to The Council. The so-called "compromising moderates" nuked their own people in such an overkill manner that nothing will be able to breathe on Tolouse for generations. They assaulted, gassed and finally used the putian DeGrasse we helped to save many times to destroy the headquarters we were told we can build in the open, with tradelane access. We could have trusted our Council friends that wanted to reward us for all our service right? My family was lost that day, and now the symbol of Council betrayal, Confederate and Union oppression and the wrong ways of compromise with the devil himself stands in our way once more.
From a strategic standpoint we should try to capture it too. But FUCK THAT, FUCK IT, IT has to be gone, wiped from memory for what it stands for. That it is being held in a system with public support most favourable to us, with few defenses just means it will be that much easier. There is plenty to take, yes, two entire fleet remnants are just floating there, ready to be scrapped, and DeGrasse's escort are bound to be floating by too. The Front's military and Support arms people can have their way with them and take as many as they can. But DeGrasse belongs to the hardcore Maquisards, those repelled and betrayed by the Council, to use their flaming rage on. Yes, when the raiding party is gone, and the rusting and unwanted battleships take their long journey to be attempted to be made operational at Caussade, me and my most loyal will have their way with the symbol of threatchery. The Lorraine Uprising will provide plenty of time not only for that, but for me to stand on the bridge of DeGrasse. To see the world from the same perspective as the fucking spineless cunts did when they decided to wipe those I held so dear with no remorse in the name of "compromise" that actually meant personal gain and comfort. I yearn for the feeling of my pain leaving my dark heart as I plant the explosive. I can't wait for the day to come. And it is nearing swiftly. He remembers that he is the so called "leader" of The Front although he never asked for it, and proceeds to do what is necessary:
"Halpert of the Starflier Silverstone, you have really out-done ourself this time - even if we had open access to the system we would not be able to collect information with such impeccable detail. You have pleased us, this is exactly the rusting Council technology the Union wants to discard but that is beyond prescious to us we were looking for. We can't wait to work with you some more"
He then sends a communication to the fellow leaders of The Front:
"Balian, Amiral Louis Guillaume - the time will come soon for the people you lead. Please command your units to begin the move onto Chambery and Eplessier and Brigand bases that surround Champagne quietly. I can't promise you the exact time and date of when the Lorraine fireworks will begin, but when they do you must use the time and space provided for you wisely, swiftly and decidedly. The Pamiers fleet will soon be complete once more and The Front will pose a threat not only when striking from the darkest shadows"
Lionel is restless, it seems like he hasn't slept in weeks waltzes into the Epernay Base bar. Although he usually does not drink he orders a cognac and he sees the ageing angry explosives expert.
Anzi Rachette? Je n'ai pas le temps pour les plaisanteries. Nice of you to join The Front, blah blah. Bottom line is, I have something for you to blow up. Something big. We will have several uninterrupted days to have Champagne undefended if our Lorraine plan goes well. We will tow what the Gallic cunts call space junk, but we call hope - entire decaying armada of Redemption class battleships from three separate fleets being dismantled there.
Now. One of them is the DeGrasse. The same DeGrasse that killed my entire family and all I knew at Mazagran, ceremoniously. I do not want it towed. I want it dead. I want it dead in a spectacular fashion after I walk on it's bridge one last time. I want it dead at an exact time right after our heist is complete. But I want it also dead in a way that obliterates it and the corporate and GN cunts but doesn't leave any hurling debris that could cause damage to Planet Marne, the bastion of Maquisard support within the populace.
Hell, if we have time we might tow it right next to the Mazagran Wreck, leave the crew to see it one more time before their existence gets ended so we can really go nuts with the yields.
It's a lot I ask of you, I don't want any bullshit, I just want to know if you can do it, how long until you can do it, and what supplies do you need from us.
He talked with passion like a machine gun, continuously looking over his shoulder to make sure nobody is near to hear what he just said in the dark corner of the almost empty bar. He abruptly stopped his frentic speech and started staring at the ageing Maquisard infront of him, waiting for an answer.
I was not expecting someone such as you to come bothering me so soon, in my old age. And you’ve come with quite a proposal.
You want to kill a battleship, yes? Well, there’s many ways to do that – ways that I will provide. The DeGrasse is essentially scuttled already – and as I have my own grudge to settle with this ship, I will front the necessary materials. An easy job if ever there were one, you need only to provide your plans – and the execution.
I shall ready my workshop, Garcon. I will be waiting for further instructions.
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Mapping: Champagne System
