Kansas is too exposed. Too close to hostile nations, too active, and generally a bad spot. I was tasked with investigating possible spots to relocate our activities. Out of all possible options, Omega 49 is the most plausible. It's very much out of the way, and near by two friendly forces- the Zoners and the Mollys.
As seen in this map result, Arranmore base is very near by the jump hole to Omega 49, and this map shows that the entire lower-right quadrant of the system is totally open. The only presence that would be an issue were the Corsair and Bounty Hunter patrols.
Other than them, if we have to pack up shop and move, Omega 49 is our best temporary option.
I went and stirred up the hornet's nest to draw attention away from the California system, where I was chased to by the Admiral himself. I was able to select a target for the next raid.
It started when I launched from Rochester for a brief repair. I was nearly pasted by the planetary defense grid when I passed thirty kilometers from Manhattan. I was cruising down the lane to West Point, keeping seven kilometers to the left (on the sun's side) when I spotted a Liberty Rogue Grayhound being cornered by a Bounty Hunter Fighter, Avenger, Havok 2 bomber, and a Liberty Cruiser. I figured this would be a good attention grabber, so I jumped to the aid of the Rogue and together we were able to flee the scene.
We fled through the Badlands, and I was amazed to see the Admiral himself tailing us! He followed us into the Texas dark matter fields before giving up a chase. If I may say so myself, I really am a great distraction-maker. Riverside station seems the most viable target. It has large cargo containers filled with essentials like oxygen. Numerous pods are filled with Consumer Goods, which would go a long way in boosting morale. But air, air is good. If I get the green light from the higher-ups, I'll take a bomber wing and a transport to grab what we can and scoot. We've been pushed around long enough.
Priority: High
Encryption: Full
Destination: NTF secure comms
Source: Commander Robert Crompton, NTSV Hinton, Omega-50
Subject: Report
The patrol began as normal, up the Barrier Pass to the Taus. I encountered a Corsair in a Titan in Tau-29 of all places. We had a brief conversation as I flew onward to Tau-23. The situation there is comparable to our own in Kansas, but worse. Colonial Remnant forces were busy trying to maintain control of the system, from scanning passing traders to pushing Outcasts back into Tau-37. Groups such as the IMG and ICMG were providing a constant influx of minerals to be shipped away from Java at the same time.
Afterwards I flew to the southern half of Tau-37 and the western half of Kyushu, but considering the lack of anything notable I flew down towards Edinburgh, and Dublin. Edinburgh was quiet. Dublin was the exact opposite. The miners seemed strangely absent save for a lone BMM miner, but the BAF, Corsairs and even the Order were plentiful. I took the long route around the system, passing through several mining fields and eventually reaching the Omega-49 system safely.
Omega-49 resulted in an encounter with a member of the Virulian Council, presumably Archbishop Ryodan, two Corsairs of a 'Benitez' clan and a Freelance Hydra Gunboat going by the name of Kyle Clark. Corsair - Order relations are frosty, with the Corsairs seeking information on the Order ships in Dublin. It seems they have been undertaking missions in Corsair territory without informing the Corsairs themselves beforehand, something which has helped sour relations between the two groups.
The Freelancer had a Derelict Nomad Artifact in his posession. He was more than happy to get rid of it, offering a bargain price of one million for it. Something that our researchers, or more realistically, the Hellfire Legion's, can use to keep themselves occupied. Afterwards I had a conversation with the Archbishop, lasting an hour or more. The Artifact was a cause for dilemma, especially since none have come into the Front's posession before. The Archbishop suggested that I could visit the Virulian Temple on Gran Canaria where I would be able to think about what should be done with it. How could I refuse such an honour? At around the same time I noted a large Order fleet passing through the system, including a cruiser which seemed related to the Ghost of Black Icarus.
The Virulian Temple is a monolithic structure in the middle of Gran Canaria's vast wilderness. It amazes me how they can keep such a massive construction on the scale of the Temple concealed so effectively. It was also as quiet as I had been told it would be; perfect for contemplation of what I should do with this Artifact. Finally, I decided to transport it securely back to Magellan under the security that the Hinton provides. I rendezvoused with the Hinton in the Omega-50 system where the artifact was transferred at Boa Vista station. Hopefully this will be worth the effort of returning it to the Independent Worlds.
Quite a turbulent patrol today. I started from Kansas in my Bayonet, and I was able to avoid most patrols until I got to New York. My lane was intercepted by some loud-mouthed Rogues, who drew a Liberty Navy fighter to me. I decided to fight him until a second appeared and I disengaged. I wasn't there to take on them all.
I ran a basic directional scan, and I saw a weakness in their numbers towards Zone-21. I took a chance and flew that way. They must have all withdrawn from the area, as there was a Civilian Camara in the passage to Zone-21. I deployed ECMs and went into the minefield, deactivating several nonessential systems. My already small and hard to detect ship was further hidden by the reduction of it's silhouette, decoy readings and the fact that I was surrounded by mines.
I decided that I might as well investigate Alaska (perhaps not the best choice) for some evidence as to why the area was deserted. I jumped. On the other side, I saw two battleships exploding. I saw several ship shadows through the nebula, my scanners still deactivated. I turned on my systems again, and was shocked to see that the first battleship was an Osiris-class battleship, the CPW-Havana. Yes, a Coalition attack force was in Alaska. I detected the flaming wreck of the Yorktown, a Liberty Dreadnought. I figured that I could save my skin by assisting them in escaping. I engaged the cruiser obstructing their exit. I set my onboard computer to un-scramble the gate codes.
It took almost ten minutes, of dodging, hiding, being found, and having to run again, before I cracked the gate code. I had moderate hull damage by the time I slipped through to the other side and was able to engage cruise engines. Behind me, a fighter or two trickled through, but I was already away.
I rendezvoused with Commodore Matthews and Executive Commander Rossini at California Minor, and I transferred passive sensor data to the Belisarius. I'm a bit wobbly, but otherwise alright. I'm touched down on Mactan for repairs.
Priority: High
Encryption: Full
Destination: NTF secure comms
Source: Commander Robert Crompton, Planet Quillan, Languedoc
Subject: Report
Today was probably the most action packed one experienced by the Front in a very long time. A mundane trip to Rheinland began with a large Nomad form which did not register in our databases. After reaching Leipzig station with a cargo of Neon, Captain Wyard and I took a quick trip through the Omegas to Bretonia, where we picked up some hull panels at Trafalgar. Hopefully that'll bring us some headway in repairing Junction.
After arriving I took off again, this time in my Sabre for the Languedoc system, Gallia. Turns out the Hinton was missing, so a search was in order. Except for another morph in Coronado and a Tridente in Tau-29, there were no disturbances on the way.
In Languedoc I began searching, and I was immediately hailed by a vessel with the transponder code of 'RNS-Paris,' asking what the NTF were. Turns out it was one of those Royalists, and threatened to kill me if I did not leave Languedoc. Then I ran into a member of the Council. Or rather, another faction called 'The Maquis,' who use terrorism in their efforts to overthrow the Gallic Crown. We were ambushed in a field near the local Maquis base of Limoux by a large GRN force with three bombers and six fighters. The RNS-Paris seemed eager to rid Gallia of me, it seemed, just not in person as would be the norm.
After a brief trip to the Dauphine system, I returned to Planet Quillan, continuing the search for the Hinton. Several hours later I detected the signatures of Commodore Matthews and Lieutenant Commander Drake Averos. They too had noticed the Hinton had gone missing. We began with a trip to some of the more distant planets, expecting the Hinton to be at one of them.
Finally we ran into a group of Royalist Police forces, who demanded our arrest. They managed to cut us off by disrupting the tradelane back to Nimes station. A Council pilot appeared, at which point we were informed of Council reinforcements from the 'Republic de Gaule' that were inbound. By the time the reinforcements arrived it was too late. Already a GRN cruiser was on the scene, and apparantley my name was offensive enough to justify the Police's wing leader choosing me as the first target. The situation was looking grim, and I nearly lost my ship. Thankfully, we took down one of their wingmen and it was the beginning of the end for the Royalists.
Following that, we took out their cruiser with the arrival of a Council bomber, and the battled carried over to the vicinity of Nimes. Another cruiser arrived; that went down as well. Finally a battle towards the Dauphine jump gate resulted in the Police wingleader being shot down, and the remaining forces continuing a reduced battle out of safe range.
We returned to Nimes with a Council and Republic de Gaule ship, where diplomacy opened up for the first time between us and a Gallic group. Finally, we returned to Quillan, no doubt the search will continue for the still missing Hinton.
[color=#FFFFFF]Priority:Extremely High Encryption:Full Destination: All ]NTF[
Source: NTF <strike>Commodore</strike> Executive Commander Greg Matthews, Boadicea
Subject: Victory, news, and changes
As most of you know, the Hinton has long since returned safely to Kansas. Our diplomatic efforts with the Council and the LWB are beginning to pay off. The Republique de Gaule -- a Council-aligned Gallic insurgency fighting to depose the monarchy -- has expressed their thanks to the Front for helping them in an hour of need.
I should also point out that a solo excursion by myself to retrieve Cardamine from Malta was successful. However, this is only about a week's worth of supply, and should be stretched as long as possible, until one of our transports can be sortied for another supply mission of this nature. Those who are not reliant upon Cardamine, I would ask that you continue to be as understanding as possible to those of us who are. Withdrawal symptoms are going to be an unfortunate side effect of our situation.
Finally -- and most importantly -- I must regretfully report that Executive Commander Enrico Rossini is once again missing. He took off about three days ago in his fighter, along with Lieutenant Commander Suzuki, and has not been seen or heard from since then. At this point, I am regretfully declaring both of them MIA, and taking command of the NTF.
As a result, I am promoting Commander Robert Crompton to the rank of Commodore. CAG Russo will be given custody of Enrico's bomber for the time being.
That is all for now. Remember: It's our job to keep Bosch's dream of Neo-Terra alive. Never give up hope, and never lose faith in the cause. We will prevail, no matter the odds.
[color=#FFFFFF]Priority:Extremely High Encryption:Full Destination: Neo Terran Reporting Facility
Source: NTF <strike>Commander</strike> Commodore Robert Crompton
Subject: Successful Shipment, Strange Occurrences
The joys of database errors. It turns out that the original report was destroyed because of a glitch that erased the previous report rather than sending it. Apparantly something to do with the terminal I was using rather than the entire Reports network.
Our route took us up through the Barrier Pass, and made a return through Omicron Beta, the Sigmas and Rheinland. The only true threat encountered on the route was an Orca gunboat in the hands of a Bounty Hunter. Nonetheless, the Grall successfully reached Kansas against all odds after a dangerous and lengthy trip. The Cardamine is in a secure containment room on the Belisarius, and distribution should have begun by now.
Our arrival in Omicron Alpha was greeted by a Nomad Morph, some Outcasts and the infamous armoured transport, CS-E4 "The Wave." The vessel continues to be an enigma, the captain (or whomever is in charge) speaking cryptically, always leaving more questions than answers. The most notable transmission of all was a riddle. "Towards the core you must descend, there the edge of space extends, distance is nothing more than perspective, if the compass spins you head the right direction. Do not trust human logic, only faith and purpose will find the object."
The meaning of the riddle is unclear. It is advised that Neo Terran pilots exercise extreme caution and maintain a fair distance when dealing with this vessel should it be encountered, especially after the previous incidents involving it. The last thing we need is a repeat of the Ensign Price Incident.
- Commodore Robert Crompton
- ]NTF[-Robert Crompton
A trip to Edinburgh yesterday via Dublin lead to an encounter with the organisation known as the Gaians. We discussed traders and what our organisations fought for, and I observed as they forced cargo ships to turn around and not proceed to the Luxury Liner Shetland.
Despite the friendly nature of the Gaians, I wonder if such friendship can last. Notably the Gaians make extensive use of Hogosha technology, such as the Black Dragon Very Heavy Fighter. Yet only the day before, we were attacked by a Hogosha pilot in such a ship after an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the destruction of a BMM Mining Ship by piratic forces in Dublin.
Later on in the day I encountered a "Reaper of Sirius" in Omega-49 while on a recon mission of the western Omegas. Executive Commander Greg Matthews was nearby in Dublin and appeared shortly after the initial encounter. Heavy fire from Bounty Hunters, as well as Corsairs attacking the Reaper forced us to flee to the Porto Novo in the Omega-50 system where we could actually talk uninterrupted. The discussion that followed has lead to the opening of diplomacy between us and the Reapers of Sirius.
I am happy to announce that the NTT Venture has successfully delivered 1800 Hull Panels, as well as 3600 units of Deuterium to fuel the engines of our larger ships. Arthur Bakewell, who was in command of the vessel at the time, reported a very odd encounter while obtaining the Deuterium:
SPAM|Nigerian.Princess: Hello, I am the lawyer of a dying Nigerian Princess. She is rich, but she needs your credits to get access to her
SPAM|Nigerian.Princess: bank account. If you help her by donating credits to a collective fund that will used to gain access to her credits,
SPAM|Nigerian.Princess: she will happily give you her fortune when she will decease so you may give it to charity groups.
SPAM|Nigerian.Princess: You may donate the ammount of your choice, but a higher donation will get you richer.
]NTF[-NTT-Venture: Bakewell: What the heck?
After the encounter, the vessel fled from the area instantly. No damage was done, but there may be more of these lurking about.
I suppose I don't need to tell you what this message is about.
We've lost the Hinton, Junction was stormed by LSF marines, and we've been chased out of Kansas at gunpoint by Liberty's goons.
Even worse, Jered Koth, a member of our High Command structure with intimate knowledge of everything we've done up to this point, is presumed captured.
All Neo-Terran forces who receive this message are to head to Lanzarote Base in Omega-49. We are renting a small section of the station; expect to be bunked with at least three other people per room until we can alleviate the overcrowding situation.
On the upside, we are not without allies in this new hinterland. The Zoners have been friendly to us for some time, and I believe we can make deals with several other factions. Additionally, the Molly Clan Feegle has declared us to be friends of the Clan.
Never forget, though, the lives that were spent buying time for us to escape -- those of us who managed to. We must redouble our resolve, and work ever harder towards Bosch's utopian dream, so that they will not have died in vain.
Debriefing of Alan Gresham, Captain of the Neo Terran Front after almost two weeks of absence
It's good to be back. I won't dodge around with introductions. During the battle in Kansas, I was heavily damaged by a LSF fighter. I only survived by hiding inside of an asteroid. I waited in there, using my entire nanobot reserve to keep my ship together. I had to wait in that asteroid for approximately 24 hours, until the sweeps and patrols dispersed. I powered my ship up and began flying for Magellan. My cruise engines were functioning, and after a brief spat of despair, headed for the Freeport.
Unfortunately, there was an issue on the other side, and my reactor took too much damage and had to cut off power to my weapons. Not that my ship was in any condition to fight. I decided that Dublin would be the fastest way to Omega 49, the rendezvous point that I suggested in an earlier report. I only hope that's where they were headed. I reached the Dublin jump hole without a problem. On the other side, I detected a Hogosha ship on close-range scans. It showed an intercept course, but seemed to lose interest and abandon the chase. I moved counter-clockwise around the sun, headed for the Omega 49 jump hole. I got a bit too close to the Hood, and it opened fire I took no damage from it. There were some miners in the fields, but nothing else of interest, as I reached the Omega 49 jump hole
My spirits were high as I jumped. My ship handled the jump without further damage now that my reactor was committed to engines and shields. But as I approached Lanzarote, I saw No Neo-Terran activity. I swallowed doubt and hailed Lanzarote. The news they gave me was both heartening and at the same time, crushed me. The fleet had indeed stopped at Lanzarote, but had since departed. They informed me that they were headed for the Lower Omegas, in the Rheinland / Bretonia area. They gave my ship a quick repair and told me to acquire local star maps from a man named Hector in the Gran Canaria bar.
I landed on Canaria and searched for Hector. I was given a picture of him, and it was easy enough to locate him. I spoke with him about acquiring the local star maps. He gave me what I needed and set me in the right direction. However, I had gone almost sixteen hours of straight flying in a mostly-broken bomber. I took a night on Canaria, Hector was generous enough to lend me a spare room. His wife was most accommodating. The next day I set off again, for the Omega 47 system. The Zoners didn't have much over there, they were only able to tell me "Search in the left cloud." And search I did. For hours, I strained my eyes to pick up anything. My busted sensors couldn't pick out metallic asteroid from jump hole. I had the good luck to run into a Hessian attack group, en route to Omega 5. They took me along, as far as the jump hole.
In Omega 5, I parted ways with the Hessians, and realized I had no idea where exactly I was going. Always the wishful thinker, I engaged cruise engines, confident that something would come along. After approximately 36 hours of fruitless searching, I nearly died of fright when I received a short-wave communication from Ronneburg, a Hessian base. I had drifted so quietly, their sensors had not detected me, and I was too tired to see them until I was nearly on top of them. I don't know how they understood my exhausted babble, and I spent several hours on the station recuperating. They didn't ask many questions, and gave the information I needed Omega 11 is where I set off to when I was ship shape again.
When I jumped to Omega 11, Freital base told me that Ronneburg had signalled ahead, and that the main fleet had entered Dresden, and I sped off in pursuit. I was intercepted by a Hessian patrol, who donated 25 nanobots to repair any damage the radiation did. However, it was the the radiation affected first And I was overjoyed to see the Dresden hole appear. Shortly thereafter, I was able to clearly see the Belisarius in the distance, and I docked with it as I caught up. Now I'm back, and ready to serve.
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