Retrieval of the Hel class cruiser was successful.
The convoy was small. Other Raiders were caught up in different duties, and the Hessians could only assign a single fighter to escort.
We took a considerably safer route, avoiding lanes and gates, but we were still sighted as we crossed a the path of a lane to get to the Hamburg hole by the Federal Police. They were talkative, and that was their downfall. We managed to take the hole to Hamburg, and cruise just out of disruptor range. They pursued. Paddy and Siegfried Draay broke off to fend of the Officer and their hired bomber support, while the Hel cruiser remained about twenty klicks away from the battle. We got hits on long range scanners as the fight continued, making us anxious, to say the least. We did not need Battleships breathing down our necks.
The pair eventually fled however, Paddy and Siegfried proving to be more than a match for them, and left us with an opening to the Bering system.
The Hel cruiser has just arrived in Kansas as I transmit this report. She needs a proper name.
=== Incoming Transmission ===
== Encryption: Very ==
An emergency came up on New Westminster and I was unable to escort the Hel. I apologize for my lack of presence.
Thanks to the efforts of those involved, especially Marauder Shade, the cruiser's hull is now in our possession and ready to be fitted with the parts we have for it, whatever those are. The project has now formally been turned over to Vagrant Raiders Research and Development.
As for the name, I think it should honour one of our fallen cruisers of the First Vagrant Fleet. VCS Black Cloud II sounds good. Her sister ship, should we get around to producing her, shall be the VCS Silver Lining II. Any objections?
So other than the eventful return trip from rhienland with the Hel Cruiser. I did a patrol today for any bases, Found two vessels inside the Tuttle Creek Nebula, Freelancers 'Fish' and 'Chips'. I ordered both vessels to leave and they complied, said they were hunting for an unknown jumphole. Might want to bring it up with Merak squad, I chased them until the edge of the Nebula until they went off scanners then I continued my patrol. I picked the vessel 'Chips' back up near the Magellan Jump hole so I can safely assume they left Kansas space.
Paddy again, you people need to stop waking me from the bar to do this patrolling and security stuff. Didn't we hire Bandits for this? An ageria transport captain buzzed me from the bar, saying about a Universal fighter flying around Kansas, asking questions. Launched out and there was a discussion about surveying and such. He asked a couple of questions, I just told him all about Natio and such and he continued on his merry way. We might see more of him, he was quite surprised about it all. Anyway I'm going back to my corner of the bar, hire a bandit or something to do this talking malarky' for me.
We need to keep a careful watch out in the future.
I went to the bridge of the Black Cloud to recalibrate the scanners. We were getting odd blips in the system. An alert went off as we picked up ... something close by on the scanners, but outside of Seasons, there was nothing to be seen.
We began cruising away to see if the scanners were on the fritz still, and as we moved away from Seasons, we picked up the signature of another cruise engine charging-- Not ours, not any civilians.
Someone had a cloaked vessel in Kansas.
I'll be forwarding the detected signature to the OIC.