After reviewing the report of your operation on Planet Los Angeles and your proposed course of action, I must confess to a certain wariness regarding too deeply involving ourselves in the intricacies of Maltese politics and the internecine squabbles that in the not too distant past even led to a brief civil war among the Maltese factions. There appear to be schemes hidden within plots, wrapped up in enigmas in abundance surrounding the Oracles. Whether they are responsible for a nexus of power within Maltese society, or vice versa, is not yet clear. I am not certain which is the greater concern: that the Oracles may be directing the Outcasts, or the Outcasts may be directing the Oracles.
I am approving the next phase of your operation as detailed, however I insist that great care is taken to preserve our existing relationships. If at all possible, our ties to Malta should be strengthened and expanded. If this comes at the cost of significant hindrance to this operation, that is a matter than must be considered with both wisdom and prudence. If conflict arises again among our Maltese friends, we must find ourselves at its conclusion on the side of the party most advantageous to our interests.
Greetings, esteemed colleagues. Initiate Maximillian Largo here.
Last days were rather boring, to say the least. I made some runs and assignments here and there, but of very low significance.
However, during these assignments, I managed to acquire the number of 25 captured pilots, whose pods are located within my very own vessel. As my current location is Mactan, I request the transfer of said pods to the nearest interrogation vessel.
In the meanwhile, I will start intelligence recon. I might intercept some transports in the middle.
Greetings, esteemed colleagues. I excuse myself for being unable to use video feed lately. I have had some issues with it.
Anyway, as you remember, I informed of a base known as Fort Sofia, and I was asked to find it.
I was successful in my assignment.
Under the identity of Maxwell Leyton, I was accompanied to Fort Sofia by a Naval lackey piloting an Assault Battlecruiser, named Mrak-Svetlina.
I did some scans of its ID, armor, shielding and defence equipments:
In the meanwhile, I reached Fort Sofia, located approx. 45k above the system plane, looking from Freeport 14.
I took shots of the station. Aside from the station's turrets, it possesses two identical heavy support platforms, designed for anti-capital defence. I suggest extreme caution in approaching it.
A Preliminary Report on the Order Operative Recovered 823.03.10
In a lightning extraction operation on the day of 823.03.10 I recovered the embedded Order agent Jason, alias "Cobalt," assigned to the Bretonian sector and successfully delivered him to Mactan Base in Magellan.
Overall the mission was uneventful from a security standpoint. I rendezvoused with the pilot beyond scanner range of Freeport 4, where he had gone to ground following an end-run out of an unusually aggressive Bretonian quasi-military dragnet. We sighted only one confirmed contact on our flight to Mactan Base, but there was an oddity detected by the agent's scanners that deserves mention. We were able to enter the defensive perimeter of Mactan just after detection, far out of visual or sensor detection range of any hostile ship, but just to be safe I ran a system-wide scan using the Spyglass Network. Lo and behold there was a very unusual energy signature lurking in the edges of the ice field. Going over the records post-fact, I believe that this energy source corresponds highly with the drive signature of a Nomad propulsion unit. I advise any travelers to Mactan to consult with the Mactan Network beforehand to ensure your safety.
The operative himself seemed very forthcoming with his predicament. The agent believes that Nomad infiltrators were behind his detection, and has provided compelling evidence to the fact that Nomad operations within Bretonian-outlying space are increasing significantly, much like the actions we have witnessed within the Oracle cult here in Liberty. He provided us with a map of contacts with suspected infectees that roughly correlates with a space in the "East" and "West" of Bretonian House space. Analysis of the Order data via the Mactan Network's Predictive Travel Heuristic suggests with a high degree of confidence that the origin of the Nomad activity in the "West" is within the systems of Edinburgh or Chester, however activity in the "East" is not so simple. I believe more data is necessary, as the report generated by the PTH suggested that the origin of the anomalous activity is not Newcastle or Coronado, where the incidents take place, but within a third system not detected by our remote scans. There is a possibility that our algorithms are incorrect, but my suspicion is that we do not have a complete picture of events on which to base a proper analysis.
There has been limited overlap in the contested region of the Cardamine Corridor formed by the independent Taus, but I cannot say with any certainty that it is connected with what we are seeing in Liberty. The Order's reports and ours differ significantly enough that I cannot establish a correlation between them as of yet.
A Report on the Order's Nomad Data and Further Cooperation
The Order's data regarding Nomad Hybrids and other infectees has been downloaded to the network for your perusal. I can honestly say that the data was much more important than I first expected, but I'm afraid that my cursory scan of the documents revealed very little on the nature of the type of Hybrid creature we hope to capture. Though the Order has an exhaustive list of the capabilities of all other types of infectee, including a more sinister and subtle type that we have not yet knowingly encountered, we are very much operating in the dark when it comes to the Hybrids, as is the Order.
Thus it was with a great sense of curiosity that our guest took the news of the operation he was helping to achieve. He suggested, and I agree, that it would be in our mutual benefit to transport a select crew of Order scientists to aid us in containing and studying the Hybrid once she has been "collected" by our colleagues. I would like you all to consider this carefully, as I believe agreeing to cooperate with the Order will yield great benefits for both parties, both in the successful interrogation of our prisoner and in the application of pure science and an understanding of the threats we both will face in the days to come.
The agent offered one name in particular that he believes the Order Overwatch will ask to send if further cooperation is approved by our consensus. Her name is Amanda Grey, a scientist affiliated with the Cambridge Research and Education Institutes. I have not yet done a background-check on this individual, but I hope to do so in the coming days as I assume many of you will do as well.
I have appended a link to a summary of the Order's documents below. Feel free to browse them at your leisure. They contain detailed descriptions of the more common types of infectees, which can help us focus the development our countermeasures to some degree.
Quote:The description images focused mainly on the remainder of the Rheinland infectees dating back all the way to the Nomad war two decades back. Their origin now completely unrelated to their occasional sighting locations
An ordinated table-type list displayed each colony's derivate hybrids or infectees. The Wilde were a result of physical intrusion of a nomad incubi in a human host (Emphasys on Rheinland military personel, devoid of any rank discrimination).
The Aoi were the product of the merging between the same nomad parasite and a Kusarian host, additional descriptions also labeling them as the second group to emmerge, and the first to present a new type of soldier - Spectres -> Sleeper agents, devoid of actual physical contamination with an alien parasite, the conversion occuring on the psychic level. Further details missing due to lack of hard evidence and research on live subjects. Anything else is speculation and blind assumption.
Sightings of a new threath from recent months highlights a group labeled Division 9. Fewer details present regarding the culprits other than the fact that they seem to base their origins in Liberty and share same traits as previously mentioned soldiers. Limited encounters and lack there-of bring the section to an end.
A fourth section relates to Bretonian privateers, unknown in actual allegiance and not yet classified under any previously mentioned category. Only speculation presents them as Bretonia's derivate of hybrid/infectee.
The fifth and final section is a recent entry, speculating on a third generation. Although devoid of names or examples, it oulies the possibility of the natural conception of a hybrid, born of a regular human and an infected host's merging. Speculations on the new breed point out that it comes into being without intervention from the nomads themselves, yet rumored to have telepathic access to the actual Mindshare. The details with which this little piece of intel is written suggests actual analysis on a live subject but lack of specific details can also clasify it as assumption.
It is my recommendation that we begin collecting supplies from the Junkers and other contacts in order to retrofit our laboratories to handle a telepathic entity of unknown strength and hostile disposition. I am compiling a list of chemicals and other supplies that I believe will be necessary for the restraint of the subject, and I would like to hear the opinion of a more engineering-inclined Hacker as to what we might construct the experimentation and interrogation rooms with so as to act as a telepathic Faraday Cage to prevent the subject from receiving or sending messages while in captivity.
While the Order provided tangible intel, they did not provide anything on the subject we mostly wanted and that is information about hybrids. That means they either have information that don't want to share with us or they really do not have anything and that speaks volumes about the abilities of the hybrids.
In any case we will have to rely on ourselves for the following mission, the Order cannot be of much use. However, the Senior Professor has expressed his wishes to strengthen our relationship with the Order into an alliance. Subsequently you are instructed to share with their High Command the computer data we saved from the Los Angeles raid, as well as the pieces of information that the former Congress Arbiter McKenna whispered during his interrogation. Furthermore, let them know that they can start preparations to move a scientific team to Mactan which will work together with our own scientists during the examination of the captured hybrid.
Of course all this is dependent on whether we will manage to capture the hybrid or not. We will soon have its location and our strike team is on standby for this mission. Mr Tarn I would like you to join the strike team, if possible.
Buonasera,
whilst visiting our friends in Newcastle on a supply replenishment run I noticed the following.
as you can see my equipment could not determine any IFF broadcast and they were extremely hostile.
In the ensuing attack I managed to defeat the ships and tractored in the the pilots. However, they were in a trance like state and quickly died, cause of death unknown.
Intrigued I patrolled a little and encountered further instances of these hostile ships, this time I switched off the heating coils in the hold. At present I have 20 of these pilots in my hold, they are very cold but apparently still alive.
I am currently docked at Airdrie awaiting instructions.
In the ensuing melee I also managed to acquire an unknown weapon with Medusa being the only identifying markings stamped on the casing.
Hello again, this is Deceiver Wolfgang Weisen hailing from Cochrane Depot.
Apparently I discovered a report I submitted last year at September 7 has been lost due to hardware malfunction. Of course that's not acceptable so I have written a new one about the same events. Events that took place more than half a year ago. So let's begin. I personally intercepted the super agent, Geoff Enfield, in an unauthorized location, just a few clicks away from Mactan. Apparently he needed some technical support and his brilliant mind thought that the best course of action in order to get our attention was to locate and visit our hideout. And he paid for it dearly. 150 million credits were taken just to overlook his trespassing and grease the wheels in regards to his technical support request message. Who am I to refuse an amount equal to one fourth of a year's earnings? [1]
After dealing with Enfield, I was about to join Mr Trigger who was examining Ms Freudenstein. However a BAF ensign of the primary fleet showed up. Even when he was encouraged to leave unharmed he did not. It's obvious that he was a product of Bretonia's mass conscriptions, a boy throwing away his life against three Lane Hackers without any form of backup. So we decided to give him an honorable death, Mr Trigger stood down and Ms Freudenstein and myself engaged him. Though my bomber and Maria's unarmored Bactrian were outclassed by the Ensign's Templar, we had confidence in our abilities. And it was a good chance for Maria to gain some experience. Eventually my supernova disintegrated the Paladin and probably taking away the short and meaningless life of the Ensign. Ms Freudenstein's Bactrian was also lost in the fight but her escape pod was resting safely in my ship's cargo hold. [1 | 2]
Back in Ontario I intercepted in the lane between Hamilton and Toronto an official USI convoy. One was coming from Toronto carrying platinum ore and the other moving robotic supplies to their base in Alberta. I quickly sensed the opportunity to extort both so I blackmailed the first I caught to ask his pal to join our company as well. I was successful so when both were at my mercy I quickly seized twelve million credits before law enforcement arrived. [1 | 2 | 3]
Greetings, esteemed colleagues. Maximillian Largo, hailing from my Scimitar craft docked on research station Heisenberg, Koeln system.
The convoy I organized a small time ago with the Slavers Union Presidium went perfectly. Although we had to make a change of venue, from the sunny California to the dark matter clouds of Kepler.
I met up with the Presidium, on the vessels [SU]-Zebrina, [SU]-Governor.Parr and [SU]-Bannockburn, three Pilgrim Liners, outside Ames. We then proceeded towards Leiden, where they purchased the software successfully.
However, a independent bounty hunter going by the callsign of Cody.Faulkner, managed whatsoever to track us down, and
forced me to engage him just outside Leiden itself. Due to a ship malfunction, I had to eject prematurely, but the Zebrina swiftly picked my pod up and left me on Leiden, where I had to undergo medical checks.
In that meanwhile, the convoy made route to Ontario on its own. After passing all medical checks (which took quite some time) I took a replacement Scimitar and took space again along with Deceiver Weisen, and we met up with the convoy outside Cochrane. From there, we escorted them all the way to Omega-11, namely Solarius, to drop the software they acquired from us. However, in the very last leg of the route, Weisen remained behind as he detected a pursuer in Dresden, and gave me the lead of the convoy. It successfully docked upon Solarius, and paymen was received from both for our escort duties.
Since the convoy was bound back to Liberty with Blood Diamonds, I decided to escort them along as well. However, as we reached the Koeln system, my ships's console went all red and flashing, and I was forced to dock on the nearby freelancer base Heisenberg, along with the Governor Parr.
I will be taking the way back to Liberty shortly, and return to Cochrane.
On a side note, during the previous days, I managed to complete the 'Reputation' achievement to the Interruptor rank.
Attachment below: Click me
Yesterday, during the traversing of Bering, I detected the Unioner base Pacifica on my scanners. It seems like the Unioners managed to build a drydock expansion on it.
I managed to take a clear shot of it.
Also, as I spoke of this Cody.Faulkner guy, I detected this transmission from him to those corrupted Ageira lapdogs. I would like to make the Professorship a request: to hack inside this very comm, and infect it. This happened for it's been my fault, and I want to fix up this matter myself.
I was asked to submit a new report in order to inform the Professorship about my encounter with this "Fallen Angel". I know we have a message waiting in our inbox, but I can't just produce new reports so soon after the previous one. One must enjoy other pleasures in life too.
Anyway. You can read more about the background and circumstances of this meeting by reading Mr Largo's very thorough report I will only add that we didn't initially know who that guy was, so I stayed behind to cover our rear.
At first the pilot in question demanded my name and the organization I worked for, his demeanor being clearly rude. Once I gave him that, he was reluctant to say who he was. Firstly he identified himself as a friend of Interspace Commerce and then he tried to dismiss it by saying that we never had contact with his organization. What a misinformed patsy this one is! My finger unconsciously played with the fire button but I showed restraint for one more time...
Eventually he told me he is part of the remnants of the Reapers of Sirius, now calling themselves as Fallen Angels and they are trying to rebuild their organization deep into the Omegas, at Cayman system. So they have now become a mercenary company. When I informed him that we had an old arrangement between our two factions and that we producing counterfeit software which his organization needs, he responded by saying that Interspace Commerce asked his Archon (?) to bring some evidence of their hostility towards the Lane Hackers but he doesn't have orders to engage Lane Hackers. And the cherry on top of everything he said to me, was his demand for the Lane Hackers to contact the Fallen Angels in order to inform them of the old arrangements! Ludicrous, what can I say... Anyway I restrained myself once more and explained to that this message should be sent by the Fallen Angels. Not long afterwards I departed, my convoy was by then well away and safe. [1]
LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Hello there "A"-Verde.: ?: Eh? LH~Leiden.Interceptor: That's Maltese snubcraft. "A"-Verde.: ?: Who the hell are you? "A"-Verde.: ?: First time I see this signature here. "A"-Verde.: ?: Wait? Cardamine? LH~Leiden.Interceptor: I am Deceiver Weisen of the Lane Hackers. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: And you are? LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Wait. Let me guess. "A"-Verde.: ?: Ahhhh... Impossible LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Maltese mercenary. "A"-Verde.: ?: Lane Hackers? "A"-Verde.: ?: Actually you missed LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Yes, one of the legendary. Of the inner circle. "A"-Verde.: ?: a friend of the IC. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: That doesn't say much. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Tell me your name and organization as I have told you mine. "A"-Verde.: ?: Mhm. Your kind never seen us I suppose. "A"-Verde.: ?: Or at last once. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Try me. "A"-Verde.: ?: Since we are like, Ex-Maltesians. "A"-Verde.: ?: We are remnants of the Reapers of Sirius. "A"-Verde.: ?: Fallen Angels. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: But.. they were extinct. "A"-Verde.: ?: No? LH~Leiden.Interceptor: I heard the Wilde attacked what left of them. "A"-Verde.: ?: Oh what? LH~Leiden.Interceptor: A colleague of mine protected the last Reaper, she is now in safe hands. "A"-Verde.: ?: Si. Lot of Reapers actually were deserting LH~Leiden.Interceptor: But that explains why you are using a Maltese snubcraft. "A"-Verde.: ?: Now wait. "A"-Verde.: ?: The hell you are doing here? "A"-Verde.: ?: All I know about the Hackers, that they are something like special kind of Liberty Criminals LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Escorting a software convoy. "A"-Verde.: ?: Mhm. Haven't seen anyone else except you. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: And we have an arrangement with the Reapers of Sirius. The old ones. I just downloaded the deal on my computer. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Apparently the new ones have forgotten the deals of the past... LH~Leiden.Interceptor: And you are working for Interspace Commerce? I am not sure what your ancestors would say to that... "A"-Verde.: ?: Amm, actually all agreements are outdated. "A"-Verde.: ?: Fallen Angels even revoked some docking rights from known Reapers. "A"-Verde.: ?: All I can say that we have lot of Bounty contracts. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Perhaps it's time to renew our arrangements. "A"-Verde.: ?: And some trade contracts. "A"-Verde.: ?: Not to me. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: We exchanged technology from what I can see here. "A"-Verde.: ?: As I know Interspace Commerce asked Archon to bring some evidence of our hostility. "A"-Verde.: ?: But I don't have orders to engage your vessel. "A"-Verde.: ?: That's I found find.. Odd? LH~Leiden.Interceptor: I am a former Interspace Commerce employee. I know how IC works. "A"-Verde.: ?: As well, I'm less informed. As you can see. "A"-Verde.: ?: All I can recommend you is just contact the Supreme Council. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: It depends on the Fallen Angels to make a choice. Will they honor their past or become the pets of IC? LH~Leiden.Interceptor: This is a choice for you to make, it's not mine. "A"-Verde.: ?: Not really. "A"-Verde.: ?: Honor won't work for sure. We are pretty low of resources. "A"-Verde.: ?: All we are aimed at - restoring the Cayman. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Then you must need software. And we sell those. "A"-Verde.: ?: Mhm. You said you have agreement? "A"-Verde.: ?: Ain't your hacking programs were installed on our stations, in the order of their protection? LH~Leiden.Interceptor: With the old Reapers of Sirius. If you claim to be their legitimate successors, then you should honor their signature. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: I can send the files to your group if you want. The agreement I mean. "A"-Verde.: ?: Sure, bring anything you can to the Supreme Council. "A"-Verde.: ?: They will decide what to do with it. "A"-Verde.: ?: Don't mind If I'll continue huntin'? "A"-Verde.: ?: I'm just a Raider. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: I didn't catch your name "A"-Verde.: ?: Mmm, Serpent Verde. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Mr Verde there is a catch however. "A"-Verde.: ?: Well? Good luck then? LH~Leiden.Interceptor: As I said, there is a catch to what you ask. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Your people will contact mine. We did not disappear, we did not forget the past. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: It's your responsibility to make that happen. "A"-Verde.: ?: Mhm, I guess you shall contact only one person "A"-Verde.: ?: Of the Supreme Council. "A"-Verde.: ?: He's ex-Administator of the known Ghosts of Razgriz. "A"-Verde.: ?: Valente Rossi LH~Leiden.Interceptor: *sighs* Let me repeat myself. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: The Fallen Angels will contact the Lane Hackers. Not the other way around. "A"-Verde.: ?: Mhm. Oh si. I got it. LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Excellent LH~Leiden.Interceptor: Have a wonderful evening, Mr Verde. "A"-Verde.: ?: You don't want to be identified within location. "A"-Verde.: ?: It's alright
I hope I can take my leave now. Real pleasure is waiting.