Today marked the beginning of the Stilat's first official mission, although this was little more than a final test run. Since Bretonia abandoned Omega-49 entirely, We've had to go to the Poole system, to test the ship.
Our first objective was Broadstone, where we've deployed the new VO-9 UKHO Automated Listening Post. Upon approaching the planet, we've engaged the Polychromatic Coating, to avoid detection. After deployment, we've approached Luxury Liner Shetland as close as 8,6 K, they've failed to notice the Stilat.
The next target was Studland, where the test of our new TSIKADA drones happened. The drones successfully employed both their own Polychromatic Coating, and their point to point communication, but the sensor's quality leaves a sour aftertaste. Passive sensor's effectiveness remained the same as with the old KUZNECHIK drones, about 6,7 K. The TSIKADA can negate these shortcomings to an effect, however. It's size is half of the KUZNECHIK's, and the new stealth systems give an edge over anything the Bretonians had in the AO.
Our final objective was Battleship Ark Royal, at the Cambridge gate, where we could test our Polychromatic Coating, and sensor suites properly. For an 8 hour period, we've stayed within the Ark's 7 K vicinity, witnessing and recording multiple patrol launches and returns. The bretonians couldn't detect our vessel, even while in active maneouvering, therefore it's safe to say the coating passed the test. Upon our return home, we've collected the UKHO, which managed to give evaluable data in a 23.2 K radius. The TSIKADA's long range engines need some fine tuning, as the four drones produced noticable differences in terms of speed, and fuel consumption.
The ship's systems are working well within the allowed parameters, although Senior Lieutenant Tichy wants to make some fine tuning on the Stilat's systems, before we'll ship out again. The next two days should be enough for him to collect everything he wants to adjust. I'm sure he'll work on optimizing the Stilat from the moment we'll dock on Mykolaiv, where we'll spend the next four days until the ship is fully loaded and prepared.
Captain Pieter Valinsky
Signal lost..
Closing Display..
Transmission ended..
We're at the end of the first day of our deep recon mission into the treacharous region of the sector commonly known as The House of Liberty. Our mission is far from simple: carry two infiltration teams to Liberty, and extract the teams they are replacing, as well as to survey the activity of their border systems.
Our flight path will enable us to survey a large section of Bretonia's borders as well, it would be a mistake not to use this opportunity to properly assess the security and Bretonian presence of those systems. Our current flight path will take us thorough Dublin, Leeds, and Magellan to the California system, to our first main objective: retrieve and replace an infiltration team on Los Angeles. But before that, we'll take a quick detour to a place called "Halifax Freeport" both for information, and to top off our food and water supply.
With that in mind, I've decided to make an equipment and personnel list for the Stilat, just to keep in mind who and what can we operate with:
Maxim wasn't happy about me leaving for a 6 month mission and frankly, the thought of not seeing him for such a long time twists my entrails. I told him I was thinking about of passing this command, carreer be damned, but he told me it was stupid to think about it. I guess he's right.
The crew seems to find their place pretty quickly, I've seen a couple plans for off-duty assigments, and I'm looking forward to get to know them better.
I've already known Tichy and Burror. Dubov already set up his little operation in one of the empty cargo holds near the engineering, and I can't wait to see what kind of impossibly good drink he's going to distill there. Burror and I are already conspiring on the terms of where to lose our food supply, and replace them with something edible. Whoever made these food packs, should be punished to eat only them for the next 6 months. We've planned to stop on Halifax anyway, maybe there are some Mollys who never had the misfortune of eating these, and there we can get something more decent... Khosa joked he could gather information with the stuffed Cabbage from pack 2. With a little luck, they'll have Bretonian or Liberty rations if not decent food.
The command staff works pretty well together, as well. Tichy and Rama are talking shop most of the day, Voronoff and Dorgan have the same taste in music, and everyone seems to just generally decent. Khosa was a big question mark in the equation, but thankfully he has a sense of humor and a pretty good set of social skills as well.
If it weren't for the homelust, this would be perfect.
Captain Pieter Valinsky
Signal lost..
Closing Display..
Transmission ended..
Our recon in the Bretonian borderworlds was a success. Scans confirmed that Bretonian Armed Forces, along with the Police Authory is unable or unwilling to secure Dublin in it's entirety, and is not present outside of the immediate surroundings of Trade Lanes in Leeds. The Enclave however had a few raiders in the Western Smog Cloud, suggesting that they still form claims for the system.
Halifax Freeport seems to be as expected. The facility is largely ran by civilians, mostly by Bretonian refugees, and lawless individuals. The facility offers a variety of goods, and more importantly, information. Stationing a few people there would be beneficial for our intelligence services. We've topped our supplies here before continuing the mission. We've also picked up information regarding the frontier systems of Ontario and Alberta.
Magellan has changed since the end of the Gallic War, with the wreckage of Freeport 4 cleaned up, and a transport facility raised in it's place. Samples of cargo from a captured USI transport confirmed that the facility is indeed for civilian cargo. The captain of the vessel identified the facility as Cordova Shipping Platform, but couldn't give information about the capabilities of it. We've deployed a squadron of TSIKADAs to monitor traffic, and due to the central location of Cordova, this will also provide an accurate estimation of Magellan's traffic in general. The captured USI vessel was sent back to home with a skeleton crew. It's a valuable resource, and I'm sure our industry and people could benefit from both the ship, and it's cargo.
The jump to Cortez, and the journey to the California jumphole was uneventful.
Captain Pieter Valinsky
Signal lost..
Closing Display..
Transmission ended..
Significant traffic in the California System required the Stilat to maintain total radio silence, until We've left the system. California is full of life, even compared to neighboring systems, for example, we've witnessed 67 vessels entering and leaving Los Angeles' Trade Lanes in the twelve hour period we aproached, and left the planet.
Our infiltration team did not had any problems unloading, both the personnel, and supplies were loaded with optimal efficiency. Their shuttle was not detected, and there were no indications that they were expected.
The extraction team had difficulties evacuating. One of their members, namely Christian MacHale, had to be taken from a local hospital's intensive care, where he spent the last several weeks after an accident. His team managed to get him without being exposed, posing as relatives and medical personnel. According to the hospital's records, he was transferred to a private clinic.
Comrade MacHale was left completely disfigured by the accident, but Doctor Usmanov is optimistic. According to the Doctor, MacHale has a good chance at full recovery, but his face will require extensive plastic surgery to be the same again. A minor note by Doctor Usmanov, that MacHale's DNA slightly differs from his previous sample, possibly due to the radiation involved in his accident.
After leaving orbit, we've used a ballistic path towards the Ontario Jumphole. The Sierra Ice Field has unexpected level of activity, we've detected several Rogue, Xeno, and bounty hunter patrols, along with a good number of smugglers. The level and type of activity suggests at least one non-House controlled station in the field, may worth on future.
Captain Pieter Valinsky
Signal lost..
Closing Display..
Transmission ended..
![[Image: h3xjRTS.png]](https://i.imgur.com/h3xjRTS.png)
![[+]](/forums/images/collapse_collapsed.png "[+]")
Personnel![[Image: 5d8xqBm.png]](https://i.imgur.com/5d8xqBm.png)
![[Image: 3aP0T3H.png]](https://i.imgur.com/3aP0T3H.png)