Section 8 - Mission Reports

[Toaster]

Section 8

Mission Report

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Login ID: "Solemn"
Entry #: SOL_01
Encryption: Citadel

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16. Nov. 828

I deployed on a routine patrol of the Kepler system yesterday, 15. Nov. 828, at 1838 hours SMT. The route from Nome Base to Ames Research Station was clear, so I continued on to K1*. There I made contact with A/)-Revenant, who was already present and observing the trinary anomalies. As instructed, I inquired about any recent developments. Revenant denied there having been any of note.

At 1918 hours SMT, I was joined by Order operative callsign Empress. When asked as to what she was doing in the system, she replied that she had previously pursued Vincent Abrams into Kepler. I did not press the matter.

At 1943 hours SMT, we detected a spike in activity within K1*. I approached to perform EMR analysis but was warned by Revenant to stay away. When asked why, they replied only with "You're making it angry." I disregarded that. I continued to approach and let my sensors work. Radiation levels were high but within previously recorded parameters. I switched to gravimetric analysis and found gravitational fluctuations far in excess of what had been previously recorded. I requested Empress to approach and confirm, when a sudden malfunction caused by maneuver thrusters to go offline. The anomalies' gravitational well pulled me in before I could reboot the systems and I was...

Transported.

At 1957 hours SMT, I found myself in unknown space. My navigational computer was unable to place my location relative to the Sirius sector. Shortly after, Vincent Abrams and Empress appeared as well. Abrams appeared very concerned with our new situation, but seemed familiar with the area. We entered a large dark matter cloud, following Abrams' guidance. He indicated that the storm had grown since his last visit, but I was unable to make sense of most of what he was saying.

Abrams led us into an area of concentrated dark matter. At 2014 hours SMT, we found the wreck of a large vessel. IFF identified it as the Canaan. How this is possible, I don't know. Abrams could not explain it either. The wreck was emitting several unintelligible signals, but our ships were rapidly deteriorating in the storm. We had to abandon any further investigation of the wreck.

Supposed wreck of the Canaan

At 2021 hours SMT, sensors detected a hostile contact - a Sentinel warform, similar to a Nomad Nammu-type form. Our status was too precarious to engage, so Abrams led an escape towards a jump hole anomaly he had found on previous visits. At 2024 hours SMT, we found the jump hole and proceeded to enter. The Sentinel warform did not pursue.

Empress, Abrams, and I exited hyperspace in the Sigma-17 system, near Planet Kurile in the Kunashir Cloud. We had little time to get our bearings, as two smaller Sentinel warforms appeared nearby and laid in for pursuit. We chose not to engage, and instead fled across the system to the Sigma-21 jump hole. Again, the Sentinels did not follow us through.

We were able to take a brief rest in 21 and decide our further proceedings. The Order listening post Port Said was nearby. Despite the risk of further pursuit by Sentinels, we decided to make our way there for emergency repairs and refueling before setting out for Kepler. At 2038 hours SMT, we made visual contact with Port Said. We found it under siege by a large force of Sentinel warforms, ranging from bomber- to cruiser-analogues. Disregarding by instructions to flee the area and return their gathered intelligence to our operations in Liberty, Empress and Abrams followed me into the battle in an attempt to secure the station. With the garrison, we were able to neutralize a first wave. However, a larger warform - similar to a Marduk-type form - appeared nearby. Unable to assist Port Said further and with no time to dock and resupply, Empress, Abrams, and I retreated towards Sigma-15 and Freeport 8.

Battleship-analogue Sentinel warform

There, we were able to refuel and perform field repairs before continuing our retreat through Rheinland space. I started suffering mild hallucinations, which I believe were related to increased stress levels. I cannot exclude the possibility that they may have been induced by Nomad - or perhaps Sentinel - telepathy.

We rerouted to the Hudson system. None of us were in a condition to cross Liberty space to reach Kepler. Abrams made port at his personal outpost while Empress and I set down on Barrow Base. I instructed Empress to forward a full report of the day's events to Captain Hawkins.

I will submit to a full examination once I return to the Unto Nightfall.

A full guncam recording of the events post-transportation and complete comm logs are attached below. I recommend immediate further analysis of K1* and questioning of Vincent Abrams, as well as an investigation into the apparent double-appearance of the Canaan.

Attachments

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Recordings

Communication Logs

[15.11.2021 20:02:27] Vigil-1|S8: Abrams?
[15.11.2021 20:03:45] Vigil-1|S8: Status?
[15.11.2021 20:04:03] Empress: Vigil?
[15.11.2021 20:04:09] Vigil-1|S8: Status, Empress.
[15.11.2021 20:04:18] Empress: Empress is intact. Barely.
[15.11.2021 20:04:28] Empress: Navigation is.. All over the place.
[15.11.2021 20:04:33] Empress: Can't seem to pin-point our location.
[15.11.2021 20:04:38] Vigil-1|S8: Same.
[15.11.2021 20:04:41] Empress: Head's.. spinning.
[15.11.2021 20:04:58] Vigil-1|S8: Abrams. /Status/.
[15.11.2021 20:05:25] Empress: You got him into this mess in the first place.
[15.11.2021 20:05:31] Empress: Abrams?
[15.11.2021 20:05:35] Vigil-1|S8: Contact!
[15.11.2021 20:05:54] Vigil-1|S8: Never mind. False positive.
[15.11.2021 20:06:19] Vigil-1|S8: Where are we?
[15.11.2021 20:07:00] Vigil-1|S8: In practice?
[15.11.2021 20:08:02] Vigil-1|S8: Related to Kepler?
[15.11.2021 20:08:40] Vigil-1|S8: Fine.
[15.11.2021 20:09:20] Vigil-1|S8: Empress. Keep your eyes peeled.
[15.11.2021 20:09:39] Empress: Yes.. Yes. Still feel like everything's.. Upside down?
[15.11.2021 20:11:10] Vigil-1|S8: We /want/ to enter concentrated storms?
[15.11.2021 20:12:26] Vigil-1|S8: Where are we headed?
[15.11.2021 20:13:14] Vigil-1|S8: Hm.
[15.11.2021 20:13:17] Empress: What's changed?
[15.11.2021 20:14:18] Empress: Right. Shields reinforced. Remaining power to cruise engines.
[15.11.2021 20:14:27] Empress: Hope you know what you're doing.
[15.11.2021 20:14:44] Vigil-1|S8: What...
[15.11.2021 20:14:49] Vigil-1|S8: Impossible.
[15.11.2021 20:15:56] Vigil-1|S8: What is the Canaan's wreck doing here?
[15.11.2021 20:16:18] Empress: The Empress is getting ripped to shreds.
[15.11.2021 20:16:22] Empress: Can't stay here long.
[15.11.2021 20:16:38] Vigil-1|S8: The Canaan is supposed to be in O-Zeta...
[15.11.2021 20:17:07] Entity: [a faint lone comm signal made out from whe direction where wreck is located, heavily distorted by the storm]
[15.11.2021 20:17:45] Vigil-1|S8: /What/ is going on here, Abrams?
[15.11.2021 20:18:33] Empress: No.
[15.11.2021 20:18:38] Empress: No, I really can't say I do.
[15.11.2021 20:18:38] Vigil-1|S8: I don't understand much of anything.
[15.11.2021 20:19:07] Vigil-1|S8: Confirmed.
[15.11.2021 20:19:49] Entity: [another signal made out and went silent for good]
[15.11.2021 20:20:08] Vigil-1|S8: How?
[15.11.2021 20:20:39] Entity: [few seconds later more signals, a very different kind but familiar to Ridge, from no particular direction, all around them]
[15.11.2021 20:20:46] Vigil-1|S8: What the-...
[15.11.2021 20:20:53] Empress: Sensors are overloaded.
[15.11.2021 20:21:09] Vigil-1|S8: Routing power to weapons.
[15.11.2021 20:21:34] Vigil-1|S8: What is going on, Abrams?
[15.11.2021 20:22:02] Vigil-1|S8: Hostile contact.
[15.11.2021 20:22:24] Empress: Steady at five clicks. We're slowly gaining distance.
[15.11.2021 20:22:34] Vigil-1|S8: Nammu type...? No, wait.
[15.11.2021 20:22:38] Vigil-1|S8: Abrams, is that a Sentinel?
[15.11.2021 20:23:09] Vigil-1|S8: It's closing.
[15.11.2021 20:23:33] Empress: Bastet's in no shape to fight.
[15.11.2021 20:23:44] Empress: Three clicks.
[15.11.2021 20:23:48] Vigil-1|S8: Something up ahead.
[15.11.2021 20:23:51] Vigil-1|S8: An anomaly!
[15.11.2021 20:24:05] Vigil-1|S8: Abrams. You first. Empress, next.
[15.11.2021 20:24:15] Empress: No. Abrams.
[15.11.2021 20:24:19] Empress: You're going in.
[15.11.2021 20:24:39] Vigil-1|S8: In there. Now.
[15.11.2021 20:25:01] Vigil-1|S8: Status! /Now/!
[15.11.2021 20:25:12] Empress: [She exhales slowly, suppressing her shakes.]
[15.11.2021 20:25:20] Empress: We're good. We're good.
[15.11.2021 20:25:26] Vigil-1|S8: Abrams?
[15.11.2021 20:25:26] Empress: Got a large planetary body here. Kurile.
[15.11.2021 20:25:48] Vigil-1|S8: Astrographical computer places us in ... Sigma-17.
[15.11.2021 20:26:10] Empress: Still nowhere /near/ Zeta.
[15.11.2021 20:26:17] Empress: How'd the Canaan end up.. Wherever that was?
[15.11.2021 20:26:19] Entity: [jumphole visuals distorted, blinked once, twice, deforming into something resembling kepler anomaly lights]
[15.11.2021 20:26:58] Vigil-1|S8: Where are we going, Abrams?
[15.11.2021 20:27:34] Vigil-1|S8: Incoming.
[15.11.2021 20:28:12] Empress: Those aren't Predators. Not by a long shot.
[15.11.2021 20:28:31] Empress: Not in this state I'm not.
[15.11.2021 20:29:52] Vigil-1|S8: They're faster than us.
[15.11.2021 20:30:30] Vigil-1|S8: I'm in the best shape. I can distract them.
[15.11.2021 20:31:06] Vigil-1|S8: You first.
[15.11.2021 20:31:45] Vigil-1|S8: Sigma-21.
[15.11.2021 20:31:54] Vigil-1|S8: Stand by.
[15.11.2021 20:32:07] Vigil-1|S8: Abrams, hold here.
[15.11.2021 20:32:30] Vigil-1|S8: The Order maintains a listening post nearby.
[15.11.2021 20:32:56] Vigil-1|S8: Will they keep following us?
[15.11.2021 20:33:24] Empress: I'm not one to run. Get the Empress back up and running. We stand our ground.
[15.11.2021 20:33:36] Vigil-1|S8: I doubt we could.
[15.11.2021 20:33:51] Vigil-1|S8: But none of us are in a condition to keep going, either.
[15.11.2021 20:34:37] Empress: We're lingering too long.
[15.11.2021 20:34:38] Vigil-1|S8: He's right, Empress. We are not equipped to take them on.
[15.11.2021 20:35:04] Vigil-1|S8: Your call, Abrams.
[15.11.2021 20:35:07] Empress: We're trained for exactly this, Vigil. Fighting the unknown.
[15.11.2021 20:35:18] Empress: If we can't do it, who can?
[15.11.2021 20:35:30] Vigil-1|S8: The Unto Nightfall /has/ fought the Sentinels.
[15.11.2021 20:35:41] Vigil-1|S8: She was nearly crippled and lost five men.
[15.11.2021 20:36:10] Empress: Fine, fine. But we need to move.
[15.11.2021 20:36:13] Empress: Staying here does us no good.
[15.11.2021 20:36:29] Vigil-1|S8: Abrams, will they pursue us all the way back to Kepler?
[15.11.2021 20:36:48] Vigil-1|S8: We can't risk that.
[15.11.2021 20:37:15] Empress: A stray shot can take out the Empress in her current state.
[15.11.2021 20:37:22] Vigil-1|S8: Hm... I'm taking the lead.
[15.11.2021 20:37:24] Empress: Can't risk another encounter.
[15.11.2021 20:37:30] Vigil-1|S8: We're going to Port Said.
[15.11.2021 20:37:30] Empress: Not without a refit and repair.
[15.11.2021 20:37:38] Empress: Go. I'm right behind you.
[15.11.2021 20:37:43] Vigil-1|S8: Follow closely.
[15.11.2021 20:37:47] Empress: Thirty-four clicks out.
[15.11.2021 20:38:09] Vigil-1|S8: We will perform emergency repairs and resupply. Then we head out again.
[15.11.2021 20:38:46] Vigil-1|S8: Shit.
[15.11.2021 20:38:58] Vigil-1|S8: Hold!
[15.11.2021 20:39:00] Empress: It's.. Under siege.
[15.11.2021 20:39:13] Vigil-1|S8: Ridge, Empress. Head back to Kepler.
[15.11.2021 20:39:15] Vigil-1|S8: Immediately.
[15.11.2021 20:39:22] Empress: And you?
[15.11.2021 20:39:27] Vigil-1|S8: Empress, send a full report to the CO.
[15.11.2021 20:39:35] Vigil-1|S8: I will do what I can to assist Port Said.
[15.11.2021 20:39:48] Empress: What the hell do you plan on doing?
[15.11.2021 20:39:48] Vigil-1|S8: Like Empress said, this is our job.
[15.11.2021 20:40:05] Vigil-1|S8: I'm giving you orders. Follow them.
[15.11.2021 20:40:27] Empress: Leave it. Best you can do is call for support in their stead.
[15.11.2021 20:40:41] Vigil-1|S8: Empress. Deliver. That. Report.
[15.11.2021 20:40:48] Vigil-1|S8: Abrams. Get out of here.
[15.11.2021 20:41:08] Empress: Abrams. Keep your distance.
[15.11.2021 20:41:17] Vigil-1|S8: Port Said, this is Vigil One. Moving in to assist.
[15.11.2021 20:41:32] Empress: I'm not going to watch you kill yourself.
[15.11.2021 20:41:56] Vigil-1|S8: God damn it.
[15.11.2021 20:42:39] Vigil-1|S8: Status!
[15.11.2021 20:42:42] Empress: Area clear. For now.
[15.11.2021 20:42:52] Vigil-1|S8: Great.
[15.11.2021 20:42:54] Empress: Scratch that.
[15.11.2021 20:43:21] Empress: Vigil! Back up. You're of no use against /that/.
[15.11.2021 20:43:31] Vigil-1|S8: I need scans.
[15.11.2021 20:44:07] Empress: You've got what you wanted. Get out.
[15.11.2021 20:44:19] Empress: There's nothing left for us to do here.
[15.11.2021 20:44:52] Vigil-1|S8: Damn it.
[15.11.2021 20:45:35] Empress: Keep moving.
[15.11.2021 20:46:05] Vigil-1|S8: We /need/ to restock.
[15.11.2021 20:46:38] Vigil-1|S8: There is a Zoner freeport in Sigma-15.
[15.11.2021 20:47:36] Vigil-1|S8: [Silence.]
[15.11.2021 20:47:43] Vigil-1|S8: They'll manage.
[15.11.2021 20:48:03] Empress: Two contacts. Three.
[15.11.2021 20:48:07] Empress: Go through.
[15.11.2021 20:49:35] Empress: We're still in one piece. Stay focused.
[15.11.2021 20:49:47] Empress: You said they chased you to Kepler last time. We're not clear yet.
[15.11.2021 20:49:55] Vigil-1|S8: Both of you dock, repair, and resupply.
[15.11.2021 20:50:03] Vigil-1|S8: I will patrol the perimeter.
[15.11.2021 20:50:39] 2021-11-15 20:50:38 SMT Traffic control alert: Empress has requested to dock
[15.11.2021 20:51:26] Vigil-1|S8: Stand by. Docking.
[15.11.2021 20:51:35] 2021-11-15 20:51:33 SMT Traffic control alert: Vigil-1|S8 has requested to dock
[15.11.2021 20:52:54] Vigil-1|S8: So.
[15.11.2021 20:52:56] Empress: We're still in the clear.
[15.11.2021 20:53:10] Vigil-1|S8: Not here.
[15.11.2021 20:53:10] Entity: [falling into pressure Vigil may see hallucination: Nordsee cloud shifting, transforming into the pitch black storm from...]
[15.11.2021 20:53:18] Entity: [...the anomaly system]
[15.11.2021 20:53:26] Vigil-1|S8: Hrmpf...
[15.11.2021 20:53:37] Vigil-1|S8: Empress.
[15.11.2021 20:53:40] Empress: Vigil?
[15.11.2021 20:53:44] Vigil-1|S8: Seeing that?
[15.11.2021 20:53:48] Empress: Seeing what?
[15.11.2021 20:53:58] Empress: No contacts close by.
[15.11.2021 20:54:00] Vigil-1|S8: N-... nothing.
[15.11.2021 20:54:01] Empress: Some civilian traffic.
[15.11.2021 20:54:18] Vigil-1|S8: We... have to keep moving.
[15.11.2021 20:55:06] Vigil-1|S8: [Muttering.] That's not right...
[15.11.2021 20:55:24] Vigil-1|S8: Hm? Yeah. Yes. I'm fine.
[15.11.2021 20:55:33] Empress: You don't seem fine.
[15.11.2021 20:55:39] Vigil-1|S8: Long day.
[15.11.2021 20:55:43] Empress: Keep yourself together.
[15.11.2021 20:55:49] Empress: So, Abrams. Frankfurt it is?
[15.11.2021 20:57:09] Vigil-1|S8: [Muttering, barely audible.] That is /not/ right...
[15.11.2021 20:57:20] Empress: Speak up, Vigil. Something's bothering you.
[15.11.2021 20:57:30] Vigil-1|S8: It's nothing. It's fine.
[15.11.2021 20:58:26] Vigil-1|S8: Just get us back.
[15.11.2021 20:58:57] Vigil-1|S8: God damn it!
[15.11.2021 20:59:23] Empress: Not quite what we need right now.
[15.11.2021 20:59:40] Vigil-1|S8: We stay clear of the lanes.
[15.11.2021 21:00:00] Empress: I'm more concerned about the military.
[15.11.2021 21:00:02] Empress: Keep a low profile.
[15.11.2021 21:00:51] Empress: We can worry about that once we're somewhere more secure.
[15.11.2021 21:00:52] Vigil-1|S8: It's just combat stress. Don't worry about it.
[15.11.2021 21:01:39] Vigil-1|S8: Where are we headed?
[15.11.2021 21:02:00] Vigil-1|S8: If the Rheinlanders find us there...
[15.11.2021 21:02:08] Empress: You'd rather go through the capital?
[15.11.2021 21:02:24] Vigil-1|S8: Higher odds of survival.
[15.11.2021 21:03:25] Vigil-1|S8: Hm.
[15.11.2021 21:03:34] Empress: "Somewhat allowed".
[15.11.2021 21:04:04] Empress: Suppose I'll take your word for it.
[15.11.2021 21:04:59] Vigil-1|S8: Empress. Status update.
[15.11.2021 21:05:14] Empress: I'm.. Good. Holding up.
[15.11.2021 21:05:15] Empress: You?
[15.11.2021 21:05:20] Vigil-1|S8: Fine.
[15.11.2021 21:05:23] Vigil-1|S8: Abrams?
[15.11.2021 21:05:24] Empress: Uh-huh.
[15.11.2021 21:06:02] Vigil-1|S8: Shit.
[15.11.2021 21:06:05] Vigil-1|S8: Keep moving.
[15.11.2021 21:07:55] Vigil-1|S8: Could be worse.
[15.11.2021 21:10:17] Vigil-1|S8: Empress. Anything on your sensors?
[15.11.2021 21:10:23] Empress: Nothing.
[15.11.2021 21:10:38] Empress: Think we're clear.
[15.11.2021 21:11:00] Vigil-1|S8: Too preoccupied with Port Said.
[15.11.2021 21:11:47] Vigil-1|S8: Abrams. Expect a transmission from the CO.
[15.11.2021 21:11:55] Empress: Hope they're holding up at Said. Support was a ways away.
[15.11.2021 21:11:57] Vigil-1|S8: Empress. Send a report ASAP.
[15.11.2021 21:12:43] Vigil-1|S8: You're the expert.
[15.11.2021 21:12:49] Empress: You'll get the report. Don't mistake our relationship for a hierarchy.
[15.11.2021 21:13:38] Vigil-1|S8: Civilian expert.
[15.11.2021 21:13:58] Vigil-1|S8: Prefer 'Xeno'?
[15.11.2021 21:14:22] Vigil-1|S8: Hm.
[15.11.2021 21:14:45] Vigil-1|S8: Empress, there is a Xeno base nearby. They will let us set down.
[15.11.2021 21:15:40] Empress: [From her pilot chair, she reaches out above her, grabbing a clipboard and pen.]
[15.11.2021 21:15:52] Empress: Just a moment.
[15.11.2021 21:16:04] Empress: Not quite used to mingling with the Xenos yet.
[15.11.2021 21:16:28] Empress: I'm sure they're not.
[15.11.2021 21:17:17] Entity: [focusing on the events of a short while ago leaves a strange sense, an acute nausea, lingering on, like a mark]
[15.11.2021 21:17:36] Vigil-1|S8: [Muttering.] I need a drink.
[15.11.2021 21:18:09] Empress: Head's.. Spinning again. Still?
[15.11.2021 21:18:26] Empress: Maybe I /should/ get my feet on some solid ground. Even if it's starbase flooring.
[15.11.2021 21:18:34] Vigil-1|S8: Mhm.
[15.11.2021 21:18:39] Entity: [sequences blur into a mess, the odd signal from the ship wreck and the 'responding' signals, like it was a trap]
[15.11.2021 21:19:15] Vigil-1|S8: Urrh... Damn headache's setting in.
[15.11.2021 21:20:13] Vigil-1|S8: Good to go?
[15.11.2021 21:20:38] Empress: Yeah. Can't seem to write down anything coherent.
[15.11.2021 21:20:41] Vigil-1|S8: So should you, Abrams.
[15.11.2021 21:20:49] Empress: Let's go.
[15.11.2021 21:21:33] Vigil-1|S8: Get some sleep.
[15.11.2021 21:21:50] Vigil-1|S8: Empress.
[15.11.2021 21:21:57] Empress: Mhm?
[15.11.2021 21:22:08] Vigil-1|S8: Do not talk to /anyone/ outside of Section 8 about this.
[15.11.2021 21:22:33] Empress: Ugh. Not planning to.
[15.11.2021 21:22:49] Vigil-1|S8: Can't let this get to the public.
[15.11.2021 21:23:07] Empress: It'll be enough of a challenge to make it all into a coherent report /once/.
[15.11.2021 21:23:22] Vigil-1|S8: Hm. Sleep on it.
[15.11.2021 21:23:30] Empress: I'll try.
[15.11.2021 21:23:45] Vigil-1|S8: Good. Go ahead and dock.
[15.11.2021 21:23:54] Empress: Right. I'm going to see if I can find my way around Barrow.
[15.11.2021 21:23:59] 2021-11-15 21:23:58 SMT Traffic control alert: Empress has requested to dock
[15.11.2021 21:24:00] 2021-11-15 21:23:59 SMT Traffic control alert: Vigil-1|S8 has requested to dock

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Olivia Sable