To: Liberty Navy High Command From: Battlegroup Harmony Command

This is Rear Admiral Knight speaking.

Yesterday, two of my pilots and the unassigned second fleet pilot Ivy Grant encountered something that might be way more important than I initially asumed. After a regular patrol, my pilots went to stop intercept and stop an autonomously operating drone with the callsign "XT-8". It appeared to be a common Bayonet class heavy fighter apart from the overabundance of tech. It freely shared some basic information but when it was asked to reveal more, it tried to escape and when it was stopped it opened fire, forcing my pilots to destroy it.

You will receive the report of my pilot attached to this transmission but here are the logs of the first encounter:

Vidcom Logs

This would already be enough of a concern if not suspiciously soon after a Freelancer appeared, freely sharing a lot of information about these drones. The LSF or ESRD might want to look into it. Here are these logs as well:

Vidcom Logs

You see I wouldn't really be worried but the danger of heavily armed ships, preparing to bombard our homeplanets is no threat we should just disregard. My Battlegroup has already been made aware of the danger these drones pose and we will fend them off where we can. But I should share the last encounter my pilots had that day too. First a coalition ship that may or may not be related tried to breach the Manhattan defense perimeter and was quickly dispatched by Ensign Thistle. While busy with the Coalition pilot, another drone managed to sneak past and my pilots managed to locate it within time, not able to extract any information or the illegal cargo it transported because the damned Junkers allowed it to dock on that cursed installation of theirs in the debris field.

Vidcom Logs

I suggest to take swift action. We are standing ready to receive orders in case we are going for something less passive.

Rear Admiral Knight out.

823-02-10 Report by Ensign Mikel Thistel, Battlegroup Harmony

Report

Incident Report
Your callsign: Mikel 'Navy Fighter' Thistle
Shiptype: Guardian
Short report:

Don't judge me... the Commander ordered me to do it. You better not make the name stick, ok?

Commander O'Brien and Ivy Grant were in a deep discussion, and given the fact an unescorted convoy carrying a huge amount of ore had passed through, she thought it best to put me on patrol duty. Patrol duty is splendid; put your feet up, punch in the route and keep at least one eye open. This wasn't a specific gig so Hawkins and Moose were most likely grabbing the R&R they could. I don't blame them. O'Brien pushes us hard.

The convoy made it clear through Colorado no problem, despite a shifty looking Junker vessel. Satisfied no innocents or gold was lost to some bandit-scum, it was almost muscle memory plotting the patrol back through to California. That's... where things got interesting. Out of nowhere some 'XT-8' jumps through like a tractor into the broadside of a barn, enters the lane and drops traffic, thinking it'd get out of dodge. Not on Harmony's watch it wasn't. Directly outside Manhatten, O'Brien and Ivy intercepted the AI vessel. After a bit of probing... *the sound of mutted chuckles come through the vidcom*, it spills the beans on some kind of 'Protocol 7' before engaging. The rustbucket is space dust now, but it left behind some charred materials. O'Brien's taking it to the bigwigs to get it analysed.

Vidcom Logs

That would have been enough drama for one patrol, if it weren't for some Freelancer with a callsign of 'Catharsis' showing up and dropping some intel on these XT rustbuckets. Turns out there's a group of these pests roaming around Coronado and Liberty dropping off nuclear arms. I don't like the sound of it... too convenient and sounds like a trap but it's O'Brien's call.

Vidcom Logs

*A yawn echoes through the vidcam* I'm not done just yet. A Coalitioner by the name of Yuriy Gagarin flew into Manhatten space, and after a little facy flyin decided to engage us. Seems the Socialist got lost and wanted to get some of his disappointment out? Unclear, but he engaged O'Brien - enough said. The job done, yet another XT showed up, this time carrying Artefacts and weaponry. After the information from earlier that patrol, we were having none of it. The rustbucket docked up in Rochester so there's nothing we could do about it...

Vidcom Logs

Ensign Thistle, signing off.

Guncams: 823-02-10