I successfully negotiated the minefield in Omicron 80 after bribing a local Outcast to advise me how to safely pass through. I entered the jumphole to the system called "Lorraine", and was met by another minefield on the other side, and some Gallic Royal Navy bombers who responded poorly to my presence. They didn't hail me, they simply tried to kill me.
I eventually lost my pursuers and was able to take a system scan:
I locked in on some Sirius-coded signals, in English, and found, of all things, a Junkers base, named Lixheim!
This fact by itself, is very disturbing. It indicates the Junkers have had contact with Gallia with some time, but have not shared this knowledge with the rest of Sirius!
I stayed a night at Lixheim, received repairs to my Arrow, and asked the local Junkers about Gallia. They reported that Gallia is not unified in its opinion regarding the rest of Sirius. One organisation in particular, the Council, favours a state of openness with the rest of Sirius, but the Gallic Crown, backed by powerful Gallic Royal Navy, is particularily xenophobic.
I believe the price the Junkers have paid to do business in Gallia is their silence. I fear also the possbility that the Gallic Crown has used their contacts with the Junkers to learn far more about us than we know about them.
Day 2
I was advised by the Junkers to make my way to the nearest Council Base, Verdun, in Lorraine. On my way there, I stayed clear of Gallic Royal Navy Patrols, but felt compelled to scout, and scan the nearest Gallic Royal Navy Battleship, "Valor" Class, the Epinal.
I would like to report that our nations are peers in technological prowess, but this is quite definitely not the case. The Valor Class is superior to our mighty Dunkirk in almost every respect. The armor is almost twice what the Dunkirk is equipped with, and I counted 17 turret mounts, and the weapons technology appears superior. I barely escaped with my life, and did not get a scan of the mighty vessel.
I made my way to the Verdun Base, and landed there.
I was able to establish contact with Council representatives, though I did not reveal my true identity. I have kept my cover so far throughout the entire assignment. Since people here are so unfamiliar with the rest of Sirius anyway, I could likely pretend to be a Corsair and it would make no difference.
The Council favours closer relations with the rest of Sirius, but frankly, they are heavily repressed. I am not confident in their success. I have not learned enough (yet) to make policy recommendations to our Government.
Day 3
The Council revealed the location of a jumphole to the Champagne System. I took that route, and upon entering the system and performing several system scans I was able to learn that the system is firmly in Council hands. They are not the underdog here. Consequently, i was received warmly on several major bases, and was able to learn more about their culture and technology.
Their wine is also ekschull (hic) exshullant...
Day 4
I was advised by a paid informant of the location of a wrecked ship, which contained technological secrets for the taking. I went to the location of the wreck, and was able to glean two advanced Brigand weapons from the wreckage. The Brigands are common criminals, whom are loosely allied on the side of the Council, against the Gallic Crown. Following are the specs for the weapon:
While somewhat inferior to our own Advanced Splitter, for mere criminal weapons these are impressive. I was able to return to a hanger on a Council base, and equip them to my Arrow:
I was impressed with the weapons performance. They certainly exceeded the performance of the Zoner weapons I had equipped.
I am unable to keep them mounted, however, as they energy usage signature would eventually have harmed my power supply harmonics. Some say, if you keep such weapons mounted, you may eventually lose all credits and guns, but the mechanism how remains a mystery.
Conclusion:
I have managed to make progress in Gallia, and will continue in my primary objective; to learn more about the politics of the various Gallian factions with an emphasis on their intentions vis-a-vis the rest of Sirius, to explore their territories, and to learn more about their military capabilities.
I believe I have an opportunity for a secondary mission which may be very useful. I have begun to acquire Gallian weapons for study by our scientists and engineers. I will return with as many as I possibly can.
Information is coming in slowly. 008 has yet to contact me. My Offshore Account is a tad bit running dry.
Cover has yet to be blown. Successfully moved to new mission location. Awaiting for the target to come back around. Other Investigation is running smoothly. Operation Gathering is a success. Found a contact.
A new message appeared on M's desk. This one arrived through normal channels, suggesting the agent who sent it was no longer on assignment.
He opened it up and read.
Agent 004 successfully extracted. I am currently researching my next assignment. I will need a new identity for this one, as the target organization is a difficult one to crack. I am requesting standard plastic surgery, including necessary genetic alterations, as well as a full background file.
I will report when that has been completed, and I have begun my infiltration of the target organization.
As always, loyal to Her Majesty,
004
M signed off on the required plastic surgery and identity forgery. Given the nature of the target, 004 was taking a huge risk, and would probably end up dead if discovered. No need to take more risks than necessary.
A new message appeared on M's desk. This one was clearly a message from a field agent. M opened it and began to read.
M,
I have successfully infiltrated the outer portions of the target organization. I will begin a "training phase" shortly, during which time I will be unable to report. Assuming my cover remains intact, I will resume reports once training has been completed.
As always, loyal to Her Majesty,
004
It wasn't much of a report, but considering that he was getting a message from this one at all suggested some degree of success. At least, he wasn't dead. In the spy game, that counted for something.
M was sorting through his endless mound of paperwork when a new report appeared on his desk. After reviewing the header information, he saw that it was transmitted through the comm relay at the Tau-31 Gate Construction site during a raid on the base by a lone Colonial fighter. Of course, the BMM personnel at the construction site were quite unaware of any such use of their comm relay. M then reviewed the message itself.
M,
I can now confirm the existence of a peace settlement between the Outcasts and the Colonials. It is by no means a warm relationship at all. More like a cold war than a true peace. As a result of this, Colonial diplomacy is a mess. They've upset a few of their formerly staunch allies, such as the Corsairs, who are threatening to take up arms against them now. In addition, the Independent Miners Guild has also elected to deny docking rights to the Colonial Remnant, severely curtailing the amount of space the Colonial military can actively cover. There is also some indications that Colonial relations with the Kusari government have also cooled somewhat, though not nearly as bad as it has with others.
I will report again as soon as I am able. Engineering such distractions at to allow it is exceedingly difficult, however, at least for one in my position.
As always, loyal to Her Majesty,
004
M was quite pleased with this information, as it confirmed some rumors they had been getting from other sources. 004 had taken quite a chance in sending along this information, hopefully, it would pay off in the long run. M began to compile his report to his own superiors.
M opened the next message in his pile of paperwork. This particular field agent hadn't reported in a while, though M hadn't yet begun to suspect his death, with such delays being a part of deep-cover intelligence work. Besides, if the Colonials had discovered his true identity, they would have likely shouted it from the rooftops for everyone in Sirius to hear. He put that thought aside, and began to read the message.
M,
I have graduated from the Colonial War Academy, and am now of sufficient rank as to allow a reasonable degree of personal freedom. As a note of interest, the Colonial government has just signed a treaty with the Kusari Empire, which I have included here in it's entirety.
' Wrote:Treaty of Tau-29 - 817 A.S. -- Forward -- By the vision of the Emperor divine, the Colonial government, and the will of the people, the House of Kusari and the Colonial Republic wish to bring to fruition a formal agreement to confirm what has occurred as a natural evolution over the course of the last years, their friendly relationships. -- Backgrounds -- The Imperial Nation of Kusari (クサリ 帝国 Kusari Teikoku) is a culturally, technologically, and economically thriving House of Sirius. Kusari is a constitutional monarchy headed by the Emperor and his Council of the Rising Suns. In command of the formidable Kusari Naval Forces is the Shogun. Kusari boasts the largest corporation in all of Sirius - Samura Industries, and one of the most technologically advanced corporations in Sirius - Kishiro Technologies. The capital of Kusari is New Tokyo, named after the capital of the Kusari's Terran origin, Japan. The second settled system of Kusari was Honshu, former home to the lucrative fishing industry of Kusari.
The sovereign nation of the Colonial Republic is a relatively small nation in House terms, but one on the rise nevertheless.
It is a democratic nation headed by the government consisting of the president and commander in chief, prime minister, and Quorum delegates.
It possesses a strong and still growing economy, with such prominent corporations like Conveyor Mineral Incorporated, Integral Systems Engineering, Intersun Luxury Liners, and many other smaller ones. It's capital is located in Tau-44, on the planet of biologically diverse planet of Borneo.
And lastly, the Colonial Republic is currently in a process of fast expansion and trying to expand in other Tau systems. -- Section One --
1.1
The Colonial Republic recognizes the House of Kusari as an organized political and military institution.
Sovereign nation with stations, ships and influence on the portion of space known as the Crow Nebula.
1.2
The Colonial Republic vows to never claim any right on already controlled Kusari systems, station or ship and any eventual system or asset the House of Kusari may obtain with diplomatic endeavors or during actions of war on their own.
The Colonial Republic shall allow Kusari State Police and Naval Forces patrols to extend their area of operation to Tau-23 system.
All Kusari assets who are found by the Colonial Republic are to be turned over to the nearest Kusari station.
1.3
The Colonial Republic hereby pledges to fight alongside the House of Kusari in it's conflict with the House of Bretonia and to assist Kusari vessels where required in the Taus, Kusari and Bretonia Space.
1.4
The Colonial Republic shall allow any Kusari vessel up to gunboat class* to dock and resupply on bases belonging to the Colonial Republic, with the following exceptions:
Singapore Shipyard*
Sarawak Station
*Special operations may be granted for ships in need of heavy repair which otherwise cannot reach Kusari shipyards. -- Section Two --
2.1
The House of Kusari recognizes the Colonial Republic as an organized political and military institution
Sovereign nation with stations, ships and influence on a portion of the space known as the Tau Sector.
2.2
The House of Kusari vows to never claim any right on already controlled Colonial systems, station or ship and any eventual system or asset the Colonial Republic may obtain with diplomatic endeavors or during actions of war on their own.
The House of Kusari shall allow Colonial Navy patrols to extend their area of operation to Kyushu and Tau-29 systems.
All Colonial assets who are found by Kusari vessels are to be turned over to the nearest Colonial station.
2.3
The House of Kusari agrees to fight alongside the Colonial Republic in their conflict with the House of Bretonia and to assist Colonial Republic vessels where required in the Taus, Kusari and Bretonia Space.
2.4
The House of Kusari shall allow any Colonial Republic vessel up to gunboat class* to dock and resupply on bases belonging to the House of Kusari, with the following exceptions:
-Research stations
-All stations and battleships located in the Hiroshima system
-All stations and battleships located in the Fukuoka system
-Hiroshima and Fukuoka systems are no-fly zones of the House Kusari Core Space
*Special operations may be granted for capital class ships above gunboat in need of heavy repair which otherwise cannot reach Colonial shipyards.
It is an honour for me, Shogun Hikaru Sulu, to apply the will of the Emperor signing this treaty between the House of Kusari and the Colonial Republic.
I, Fleet Admiral Karl Meek hereby sign this document on behalf of the Colonial Republic. May it live long and grow stronger with time.
The above information is quite disquieting, to say the least. I await further orders.
As always, loyal to Her Majesty,
004
M review the terms of the Treaty before composing a report on the subject to his superiors. As 004 had said, it was disquieting. He had heard from other sources that the treaty had been signed, but this was the first chance that the Her Majesty's Government had to review it. He would have to begin considering ways to drive a wedge between Kusari and the Colonials.
I have spent some time on routine patrols in the Tau-44 system, and have collected the following data. It appears that the Colonial infrastructure is not quite as well developed as we had previously expected, leading me to believe that nearly their entire economy is devoted to military purposes. I also found few signs of purely civilian structures, which suggest a similar military commitment from the Colonial populace. I do not believe they posses much in the way of uncommitted reserves. Installation and fixed defense data follows.
Weapon Platforms:
There are two of these for each jumphole into the system. They appear to be only a lightly-armed token defense, not really capable of much damage on their own.
Sulawesi Station:
This facility is primarily used as a military defensive installation, as well as a resupply depot. Colonial fighters routinely operate from this station. Sulawesi Station's armaments are typical for an installation of this type.
2 x Small Station EMP Turret
2 x Small Station Turret
2 x Mk. II Small Station Turret
Sarawak Station:
This facility's original function was as a research facility for the nearby Planet Mindano. (Image) Mindano contains unusual amounts of Uranium and other fissile materials, but emits extremely high amounts of hard radiation, making any mining operations nearly impossible. Also housed on Sarawak Station is the Colonial Military's research and development facilities. This stations is equipped with civilian-level defenses, perhaps to avoid drawing attention to it's R&D functions.
2 x Small Station EMP Turret
2 x Small Station Turret
3 x Small Station Civilian Turret
Singapore Shipyard:
Singapore Shipyard is the Colonial Military's primary construction facility for capital-class warships. Every capital-class warship in the Colonial arsenal is produced here. It is hidden behind a nebula in a remote corner of the system. This nebula contains large amounts of explosive gases, so any approach through the nebula is not recommended. Singapore is the most lightly armed installation in the system, relying on secrecy as it's primary defense.
1 x Small Station EMP Turret
3 x Small Station Turret
Minato Harbor:
Minato Harbor serves primarily as a processing and distribution facility for the Colonial food supply. Most of the food is collected from Planet Borneo, although some is grown in the station's biodomes. Planet Borneo is a nearly limitless source of food and water, and serves as one of the Colonial Government's primary economic resources, as they trade surplus food to the Independent Miners Guild. Were it not for these food supplies, the Colonial Government would have a very difficult time supporting it's population base. As a result, Minato Harbor is a well defended station.
3 x Small Station EMP Turret
3 x Small Station Cerberus Turret
I will report again as soon as I have something pertinent to report.
You are receiving this report as a matter of important affairs. The report is to follow.
Operation Righteous Chariot
The system is a large nebula filled with mining operations from three different factions. Along the main route lies three asteroid fields, assortment of mining vessels, and three bases, as well as two jumpholes located in the southern part of the system.
The total population of the system is 975.
Freistadt Base, Independent Miners Guild, Population 300 workers
Elbich Mining Facility, Kruger Minerals, Population 400 workers
Briesen Mining Facility, Daumann Heavy Construction, Population 275.
I am unaware of the population onboard the assorted asteroid mining vessels, but I must say that the crews probably are part of the total population already estimated.
There are five wrecks located within the nebula itself, three corsair fighters to the south, one silver transport to the north, and another transport located in the south. Known environmental dangers aside from asteroids would be volatile gasses to the north and south east.
The two jumpholes need to be made aware of are the Omega-5, to the south west, and the Omega-11 to the south east. Main focus would be any Corsair presence engaging any vessel along the Omega-3 line. Hessian presence picks up past Freistadt, along the Stuttgart line.
System Transversal: Will be included within the next report. However, I do believe a fair number of transports pass between Bretonia and Rheinland through these system.
Threat Levels witnessed: I encountered Rheinland Military patrols within the system, cleaning up Corsairs. Threat level would be blue to orange.
Conclusion - Any passage of ships through here for any reason, would need to be aware of the risks, including natural dangers, and unnatural dangers.
Total Threat Evaluation: Yellow
Can expect hostiles within system at any time, combat is likely to break out.
I shall report back with further information regarding the immediate surrounding systems around Omega-7, excluding Omega-3, as Division 5 should have that covered.
Tactical data will be included in next report.
Long Live Her Majesty,
002
M, turns the file over to see yet another, smaller piece of paper.
M, Operation Swift, and Operation Gathering have been put on hold. It seems our terrorist friends has dropped off the radar, to where even I can't find them. These have also included both of the known contacts. It is up to you if you wish to close both Operation Swift, and Operation Gathering.