I'm a bit worried about these guys. They're too close to Roussillon, the Royals are gonna notice.
But I should start at the beginning.
The Newcastle situation is stable, for the moment. We should probably offer some assistance there, but that's not my field. So I went out to check on Leeds. Situation's bad.
GMS has already gotten to work using the old BMM miners. I don't know if they hijacked the ones in use or just blasted them and launched new ones. Either way, what's a few more crimes on Gallia's list?
Found CFV Dauntless, Thanatos-class, engaged in some behind-enemy-lines raiding. We didn't talk long, both of us had to keep moving. Seemed to be going well for him, though.
EFL lane construction is fast, but the lane to LD-14 is incomplete. Something's going on aboard LD-14, but I couldn't pick up much more than vague movements.
No significant developments in Edinburgh, but the privateers at Providence are in a bad position. With Royalist forces pushing into Roussillon, it's only a matter of time before they get tired of supplies being intercepted. But they're pirates, not military; hopefully they're smart enough to run instead of trying to fight it out.
[11.12.2018 02:26:51] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: <:: [awareness] New vessel in area. ::>
[11.12.2018 02:27:30] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Hm.
[11.12.2018 02:28:04] NO-Harold.Kane: Oho!
[11.12.2018 02:28:10] NO-Harold.Kane: I knew I saw something.
[11.12.2018 02:28:38] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: [stands up from meditation] - Yes, an expected-unexpected surprise.
[11.12.2018 02:28:45] NO-Harold.Kane: Good... morning? Evening? Whatever time it is.
[11.12.2018 02:28:47] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You said you wanted something? [they adjusted their robes]
[11.12.2018 02:28:51] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Morning - for us - at least.
[11.12.2018 02:29:18] NO-Harold.Kane: Yes, something of a state of affairs meeting. Specifically affairs in and around this region of space.
[11.12.2018 02:29:34] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We should move in that case then, just incase of eavesdroppers.
[11.12.2018 02:29:38] NO-Harold.Kane: Indeed.
[11.12.2018 02:30:06] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We can make use of the Citadel, unless you don't have the I.F.F database updated.
[11.12.2018 02:30:31] NO-Harold.Kane: That'll work.
[11.12.2018 02:30:43] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So how goes it?
[11.12.2018 02:31:07] NO-Harold.Kane: It goes. Some days it's great, some days it's hell.
[11.12.2018 02:31:22] NO-Harold.Kane: Some days the Zoners ask if they can deposit ten thousand people on your station.
[11.12.2018 02:31:33] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh, the Omega-49 scenario...
[11.12.2018 02:31:50] NO-Harold.Kane: Indeed. It's become something of a mess down there, apparently.
[11.12.2018 02:32:04] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: [sighs]
[11.12.2018 02:32:13] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: The Overwatch isn't helping either, they're trying to aggravate it.
[11.12.2018 02:32:31] NO-Harold.Kane: I had asked Holliday if he needed a more neutral arbiter but by the time I had made my call, things had apparently already
[11.12.2018 02:32:32] NO-Harold.Kane: become heated.
[11.12.2018 02:32:42] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Hm. Oh well.
[11.12.2018 02:32:46] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: There is only so much that you can do.
[11.12.2018 02:32:54] NO-Harold.Kane: So the Overwatch was involved, eh?
[11.12.2018 02:33:02] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I assume that the blues - the aliens now - haven't visited you?
[11.12.2018 02:33:14] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: They were present at the talks and insisted on hostility against Bretonia.
[11.12.2018 02:33:20] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Of course they're going to brown nose for the Corsairs.
[11.12.2018 02:33:29] NO-Harold.Kane: Not since the first and last time we saw a suspected infected ship in Tau-44.
[11.12.2018 02:33:35] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Ah...
[11.12.2018 02:33:52] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Bio signatures in this system had rapidly increased, along with an attack on New London.
[11.12.2018 02:34:07] NO-Harold.Kane: Fascinating.
[11.12.2018 02:34:28] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Ish'tar along with some infected subordinates.
[11.12.2018 02:34:35] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Now... about the thing you wanted to talk about.
[11.12.2018 02:34:37] NO-Harold.Kane: That's not usually my field of study, so it's always interesting to hear of the goings-on of the omnicidal.
[11.12.2018 02:35:02] NO-Harold.Kane: Yes... A little bird told me that things are complex in this region these days. A few little birds, these days.
[11.12.2018 02:35:21] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You're going to need to explain this one, complexity?
[11.12.2018 02:35:30] NO-Harold.Kane: Have you seen any oddness out of Vespucci lately?
[11.12.2018 02:35:46] NO-Harold.Kane: Both in the "Vespucci system" sense and "Vespucci's current inhabitants" sense.
[11.12.2018 02:35:53] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Er.
[11.12.2018 02:36:03] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Gaians, Hellfire... No, it seems the usual.
[11.12.2018 02:36:19] NO-Harold.Kane: Hmm. You're still on decent terms with Hellfire, though?
[11.12.2018 02:36:23] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes.
[11.12.2018 02:36:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: They are still considered our allies.
[11.12.2018 02:36:52] NO-Harold.Kane: And, sorry to be inquisitive, but, Harmony? What are your thoughts on them?
[11.12.2018 02:37:01] NO-Harold.Kane: This will all circle back to a point, I assure you.
[11.12.2018 02:37:06] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I can't figure out what to think of them so far.
[11.12.2018 02:37:21] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: If they're against Order, maybe I'd think a bit more highly of them, but I don't know.
[11.12.2018 02:37:31] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: They're against the Gaians and Liberty, so...
[11.12.2018 02:37:36] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: maybe that's a good thing.
[11.12.2018 02:38:13] NO-Harold.Kane: Interesting. I've not had much to do with them myself either.
[11.12.2018 02:38:34] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Their organisation claims to be fighting the infested, particularly those within the ranks of the Navy.
[11.12.2018 02:38:36] NO-Harold.Kane: One little intelligence run through Bering, in which they seemed very hostile but stopped as soon as the Lane Hackers appeared.
[11.12.2018 02:38:39] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So far, they haven't got in our way.
[11.12.2018 02:39:38] NO-Harold.Kane: Interesting.
[11.12.2018 02:39:49] NO-Harold.Kane: I'm wondering about their overall motive. They seem to be against an infestation that they cannot prove.
[11.12.2018 02:40:09] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: No, we know one of the major scenarios that occurred,
[11.12.2018 02:40:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: infectees, by the name of Rosalina Romanov and er....
[11.12.2018 02:40:42] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Trying to remember what that Order overwatch infectee was called... hmm.
[11.12.2018 02:40:58] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: ERI, check the database please.
[11.12.2018 02:41:01] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: <:: Affirmed. ::>
[11.12.2018 02:41:04] NO-Harold.Kane: Do you know if they still have an officer in their ranks by the name of...
[11.12.2018 02:41:09] NO-Harold.Kane: Hrm, what was it...
[11.12.2018 02:41:12] NO-Harold.Kane: Linford?
[11.12.2018 02:41:17] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes.
[11.12.2018 02:41:21] NO-Harold.Kane: ...concerning.
[11.12.2018 02:41:23] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We spoke to her when she manned a war ship.
[11.12.2018 02:41:28] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: That was the one in alpha that you said about.
[11.12.2018 02:41:33] NO-Harold.Kane: Indeed.
[11.12.2018 02:41:40] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Infact, we... have a suspect in our database under Harmony's flag.
[11.12.2018 02:42:01] NO-Harold.Kane: See, we tried to warn the Legion.
[11.12.2018 02:42:09] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I think the other Order infectee that infiltrated and kidnapped a Liberty Navy Admiral was er...
[11.12.2018 02:42:15] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Milly Stone? No - that doesn't seem right.
[11.12.2018 02:42:19] NO-Harold.Kane: They didn't even acknowledge our comm.
[11.12.2018 02:42:24] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: "Jeremy Hunter's mother was kidnapped. "
[11.12.2018 02:42:44] NO-Harold.Kane: *cough*
[11.12.2018 02:42:50] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: They didn't?
[11.12.2018 02:42:55] NO-Harold.Kane: Ack, tea is for drinking, not breathing.
[11.12.2018 02:43:02] NO-Harold.Kane: Jeremy Hunter. That's a name I haven't heard in ages.
[11.12.2018 02:43:10] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes, he's dead, supposedly.
[11.12.2018 02:43:24] NO-Harold.Kane: No. We provided them the same information and footage we provided to you, but heard not even a read-receipt.
[11.12.2018 02:43:48] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh.
[11.12.2018 02:43:59] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We have three suspects within Harmony.
[11.12.2018 02:44:00] NO-Harold.Kane: We have... tense history with the Legion.
[11.12.2018 02:44:04] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: That you do.
[11.12.2018 02:44:16] NO-Harold.Kane: Long ago we were allies, alongside the Lane Hackers.
[11.12.2018 02:44:17] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I must ask of you, how do you feel about the Lane Hackers...?
[11.12.2018 02:44:24] NO-Harold.Kane: Well, that's the thing.
[11.12.2018 02:44:35] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Do you... really... trust them?
[11.12.2018 02:44:46] NO-Harold.Kane: We trust them a hell of a lot more than we trust the Legion.
[11.12.2018 02:45:04] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: And are you sure that they're not trying to manipulate and drive a wedge between all the groups?
[11.12.2018 02:45:08] NO-Harold.Kane: I believe that Locklear may know about the suspected infection in Harmony.
[11.12.2018 02:45:13] NO-Harold.Kane: And is covering it up.
[11.12.2018 02:45:17] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I can find out, I have personal ties.
[11.12.2018 02:45:43] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I'm sure I can entice him with wine or some sh--... t.
[11.12.2018 02:45:52] NO-Harold.Kane: I've known the Inner Circle for over a decade. There's two things that drive them.
[11.12.2018 02:46:11] NO-Harold.Kane: Making Libertonian corporations upset, and making money.
[11.12.2018 02:46:33] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I'd like to think that they like to sit in a seat of power, a place of a high moral ground.
[11.12.2018 02:46:38] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So.
[11.12.2018 02:46:54] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Does your organisation deal with Nomadic influences then?
[11.12.2018 02:47:05] NO-Harold.Kane: We try *not* to.
[11.12.2018 02:47:13] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: This conversation is going to get personal, and it's going to remain between us.
[11.12.2018 02:47:16] NO-Harold.Kane: We aren't equipped or trained to handle with anything that's blue and glowing.
[11.12.2018 02:47:32] NO-Harold.Kane: If it is blue and glowing, we call someone who is trained to deal with it who we can trust.
[11.12.2018 02:47:48] NO-Harold.Kane: Which, since Golanski's head is still firmly attached to a warm body, immediately discounts the Order.
[11.12.2018 02:48:23] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I get some manner of disbelief when I recall seeing Order infected vessels.
[11.12.2018 02:48:45] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Regardless, have you heard the Overwatch spouting anything about Ingenuus?
[11.12.2018 02:49:19] NO-Harold.Kane: Not personally. Though I have had reports out of the Octavarium Intelligence Commission of Ingenuus vessels behaving oddly.
[11.12.2018 02:49:32] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Right, let's not worry about that then.
[11.12.2018 02:49:53] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You said about Harmony and these groups linking to a bigger picture - no - you said there was a new
[11.12.2018 02:49:55] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: guest in Vespucci?
[11.12.2018 02:50:17] NO-Harold.Kane: There was definitely a hint of that.
[11.12.2018 02:50:27] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Hint of...?
[11.12.2018 02:50:39] NO-Harold.Kane: It is... foreseeable that in the future, a new player in the Vespucci system could be appearing.
[11.12.2018 02:50:48] NO-Harold.Kane: One that stands before you at this moment.
[11.12.2018 02:50:52] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: What? Gallia? Unioners?
[11.12.2018 02:50:55] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh, you?
[11.12.2018 02:50:58] NO-Harold.Kane: Indeed.
[11.12.2018 02:50:58] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You've said that before.
[11.12.2018 02:51:11] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Stop trying to spoil my fun, I was hoping for something exciting and new.
[11.12.2018 02:51:24] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: It gets boring up here, the connection to reality shows is awful.
[11.12.2018 02:51:24] NO-Harold.Kane: I haven't mentioned the backing power, though.
[11.12.2018 02:51:55] NO-Harold.Kane: The Crayterians have interest in the system as well.
[11.12.2018 02:51:56] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Maybe.
[11.12.2018 02:52:01] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So.
[11.12.2018 02:52:14] NO-Harold.Kane: I'm not sure what they want out of it.
[11.12.2018 02:52:20] NO-Harold.Kane: They've been tight lipped.
[11.12.2018 02:52:27] NO-Harold.Kane: An unusual thing, for them.
[11.12.2018 02:52:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: About Vespucci?
[11.12.2018 02:52:32] NO-Harold.Kane: Aye.
[11.12.2018 02:52:34] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Crayterians. Vespucci.
[11.12.2018 02:52:39] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: [grumbles] oh for flying.
[11.12.2018 02:53:07] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I'm afraid I will not allow... the Order's Overwatch to allow their proxies to do their hard work for them.
[11.12.2018 02:53:12] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: At least when it comes to the Crayterians.
[11.12.2018 02:53:19] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: They still have yet to amend for backstabbing us, both of them.
[11.12.2018 02:53:29] NO-Harold.Kane: That's fine. We don't intend on letting them have anything more energetic than a sneeze.
[11.12.2018 02:53:39] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Hellfire, Crayterians, they're all another form of a greedy government.
[11.12.2018 02:54:07] NO-Harold.Kane: The Commission sent an agent into Vespucci recently to do a stealth survey of the system and update our maps.
[11.12.2018 02:54:16] NO-Harold.Kane: Can you believe that in almost ten years, not a damn thing has changed?
[11.12.2018 02:54:22] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes, I can believe that.
[11.12.2018 02:54:30] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I've seen it years ago.
[11.12.2018 02:54:52] NO-Harold.Kane: The only thing that Crayter needs to know about the system is that there's a planet in it with water and air and tillable soil.
[11.12.2018 02:54:58] NO-Harold.Kane: And they'll be happy with that.
[11.12.2018 02:55:01] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: And what of the Gaians then?
[11.12.2018 02:55:14] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: It's evident that they're not all rebelling for the preservation of nature.
[11.12.2018 02:55:21] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: There's a higher agenda.
[11.12.2018 02:55:35] NO-Harold.Kane: Atacama's forces seem primarily focused on the Legion.
[11.12.2018 02:55:54] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: As they do, I do not like the Gaians scuttling around with transports.
[11.12.2018 02:56:07] NO-Harold.Kane: Neither do I, frankly.
[11.12.2018 02:56:19] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Protecting unique natural sites is one thing that I agree with, but, murdering people?
[11.12.2018 02:56:20] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: No.
[11.12.2018 02:56:22] NO-Harold.Kane: They're still connected to the cannibal empire of the Omicrons.
[11.12.2018 02:56:25] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes.
[11.12.2018 02:56:33] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: That's majority of the reason why we're hostile.
[11.12.2018 02:56:35] NO-Harold.Kane: That's not something I can condone.
[11.12.2018 02:56:55] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: And that they're arrogant as fuck.
[11.12.2018 02:56:57] NO-Harold.Kane: Their connection to the greater Gaian effort, though...
[11.12.2018 02:57:05] NO-Harold.Kane: I believe it to be very thin.
[11.12.2018 02:57:14] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We've had Gaians try to assault our station.
[11.12.2018 02:57:25] NO-Harold.Kane: If a revolution were to happen in Vespucci, I believe Atacama would suffer a schism.
[11.12.2018 02:57:26] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Gunboat class. Attempted to escape. Cloaking technology was inferior.
[11.12.2018 02:57:40] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Four fighter classes, or was it three? attempted to destroy our people right here.
[11.12.2018 02:57:56] NO-Harold.Kane: That's... frankly stupid of them.
[11.12.2018 02:58:07] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: For the most part, they seem to stay out of our way.
[11.12.2018 02:58:19] NO-Harold.Kane: We don't believe them to be a major strategic asset.
[11.12.2018 02:58:20] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Except when they harrassed our civilian arm and almost followed them all the way from Inverness to the Omicrons.
[11.12.2018 02:58:38] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: They're nothing more than a nusiance.
[11.12.2018 02:58:48] NO-Harold.Kane: Ablative armour.
[11.12.2018 02:58:50] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I do not understand why the Legion is incapable of dealing with them.
[11.12.2018 02:59:01] NO-Harold.Kane: Because the Legion is busy pretending that they're a government.
[11.12.2018 02:59:05] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes.
[11.12.2018 02:59:09] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So.
[11.12.2018 02:59:16] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Out of all of this, what did you want from us?
[11.12.2018 02:59:23] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Our non involvement - our view - or?
[11.12.2018 02:59:35] NO-Harold.Kane: We wanted to know if you would actively oppose the system changing hands.
[11.12.2018 02:59:41] NO-Harold.Kane: To us.
[11.12.2018 02:59:44] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: To you?
[11.12.2018 02:59:50] NO-Harold.Kane: *nods*
[11.12.2018 02:59:50] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Ohhh, let's hear your policies.
[11.12.2018 03:00:08] NO-Harold.Kane: No addictive substances, no slavery, no glowing blue crap.
[11.12.2018 03:00:17] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: That is what their policy is too...
[11.12.2018 03:00:27] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So how will it be any different from the Legion should you take Vespucci?
[11.12.2018 03:00:41] NO-Harold.Kane: The Gaians will cease to be a thorn in your side.
[11.12.2018 03:00:53] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: And inevitably, Liberty will want to forcefully take that system, how will you deal with that?
[11.12.2018 03:01:00] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Or even the Gauls?
[11.12.2018 03:01:16] A/)-Katar: Mm, seems I'm late. Good evening Mr. Kane.
[11.12.2018 03:01:33] NO-Harold.Kane: If Liberty were to decide they wanted the system -- good evening -- they would have a wall to smash through.
[11.12.2018 03:01:51] NO-Harold.Kane: A wall being held by parties not currently being decimated by the Gallic fleet.
[11.12.2018 03:02:04] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Hm.
[11.12.2018 03:02:11] NO-Harold.Kane: If the Gauls breach the system, well... we have options.
[11.12.2018 03:02:23] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: What of the Order Overwatch?
[11.12.2018 03:02:29] NO-Harold.Kane: Fuck 'em.
[11.12.2018 03:02:34] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: The Atum still resides here. Yet, I do not see them attacking the Nomads.
[11.12.2018 03:02:37] NO-Harold.Kane: Golanski's a genocidal maniac.
[11.12.2018 03:02:38] A/)-Katar: Heh.
[11.12.2018 03:02:46] A/)-Katar: Thats accurate.
[11.12.2018 03:02:53] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: If the branch for Atum was sensible, we perhaps could have made a non aggression pact, but you know how
[11.12.2018 03:02:54] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: they are.
[11.12.2018 03:03:01] NO-Harold.Kane: I'm convinced he had someone present at the Gran Canaria talks so he could have a spotter on the ground.
[11.12.2018 03:03:07] NO-Harold.Kane: Since he failed to properly nuke the planet the first go round.
[11.12.2018 03:03:13] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: He did have Overwatch present there, yeah.
[11.12.2018 03:03:19] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Inquisitor Valkyrie.
[11.12.2018 03:03:28] NO-Harold.Kane: I'm not familiar with the name.
[11.12.2018 03:03:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We're in belief there was an undercover one too.
[11.12.2018 03:03:40] NO-Harold.Kane: Now I'm really sad I missed that party.
[11.12.2018 03:03:46] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: It was really worthless.
[11.12.2018 03:03:52] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: No fun chaos, nothing.
[11.12.2018 03:04:09] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I'm a little disappointed we sent observers there, what a waste of my money.
[11.12.2018 03:04:56] NO-Harold.Kane: Heh. I'm not surprised, though. That meeting was doomed from the start.
[11.12.2018 03:04:57] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So. How do you think you're going to stop Gaians?
[11.12.2018 03:05:04] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: They're just going to switch targets from Legion to us.
[11.12.2018 03:05:13] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Despite our quite nature friendly policies.
[11.12.2018 03:05:21] NO-Harold.Kane: A full war in Vespucci? I think the Gaians aren't going to make it out of that one.
[11.12.2018 03:05:36] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh but they will, they're just like cockroaches.
[11.12.2018 03:06:03] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: There's the Manchester branch being close, and they have their Overwatch friends in this system.
[11.12.2018 03:06:06] NO-Harold.Kane: If they do persist... we are not opposed to taking up arms against them.
[11.12.2018 03:06:30] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: If the Order continue to fail to persist against the Nomads in this region, we will have to take action.
[11.12.2018 03:06:42] NO-Harold.Kane: We are also very nature-friendly -- our interests in planetary colonization died with the first Natio -- but the Gaians are
[11.12.2018 03:06:59] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I... we have overheard Gaians having 'friendly-friendly' talks to Crayterians in Coronado.
[11.12.2018 03:07:08] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: The Order. The Gaians. The Crayterians. They're all bloody friends.
[11.12.2018 03:07:19] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: This is our greatest concern, there's no way in hell they're not going to take this chance to try and wipe
[11.12.2018 03:07:20] NO-Harold.Kane: --Corsairs to be of use to us in the long term
[11.12.2018 03:07:25] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: their enemies off the map.
[11.12.2018 03:07:52] NO-Harold.Kane: Hrm. This is interesting news indeed.
[11.12.2018 03:08:06] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You taking control of Vespucci may put it in difficult times for us too.
[11.12.2018 03:08:07] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: May.
[11.12.2018 03:08:12] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: But I can foresee it happening.
[11.12.2018 03:08:26] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: If the Order are not doing their jobs, they need to leave, immediately.
[11.12.2018 03:08:34] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Infection rates are getting higher.
[11.12.2018 03:08:48] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Assaults on public lines increased by at least 100%
[11.12.2018 03:09:03] NO-Harold.Kane: A potentially infected Legion and Harmony alliance being bolstered by inactive Order assets...
[11.12.2018 03:09:06] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We can't focus on securing this system if they're getting in the way.
[11.12.2018 03:09:06] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh.
[11.12.2018 03:09:14] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh shit. I just realised...
[11.12.2018 03:09:23] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We caught the SIS talking with Order Overwatch in Drake...
[11.12.2018 03:09:31] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: And they just built a station in this system.
[11.12.2018 03:09:32] NO-Harold.Kane: This is the quintessential charlie foxtrot.
[11.12.2018 03:09:38] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: I can pull the file on that encounter.
[11.12.2018 03:09:40] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Shit.
[11.12.2018 03:09:50] NO-Harold.Kane: And Bretonia is grabbing the Omegas by the balls.
[11.12.2018 03:09:54] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Okay, well, this is worse than I initially thought.
[11.12.2018 03:10:08] NO-Harold.Kane: They'll want to play a game of grab-ass with the Taus again.
[11.12.2018 03:10:11] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Bretonia getting cocky and wanting to grab more turf, and we have Golly's underdogs here.
[11.12.2018 03:10:32] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So, that's Crayter, Gaians, SIS, and the Order to deal with. Maybe even the Lane Hackers might turn on this.
[11.12.2018 03:10:57] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Bretonia could even invade to evict population from the region to safehouse their civilians.
[11.12.2018 03:11:21] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh damn, this is so bad...
[11.12.2018 03:11:30] NO-Harold.Kane: We need a way to win this.
[11.12.2018 03:11:42] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes, we really do. War will cause another war.
[11.12.2018 03:11:57] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: we have yet to test if we can properly disable anomalies, hmm...
[11.12.2018 03:12:09] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Jumphole, disruptions, hell, we can even open up jumpholes forcefully.
[11.12.2018 03:12:17] NO-Harold.Kane: There's a nine sided clusterfuck about to emerge centered on this system and its neighbours.
[11.12.2018 03:12:19] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Bretonia allowed us to test it in New London. You can thank us for that.
[11.12.2018 03:12:44] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: For the er - increased Cultist presence and the Nomads. Whoops. But new materials found and science progressed.
[11.12.2018 03:13:00] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: [sighs heavily under their mask]
[11.12.2018 03:13:06] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Ok.
[11.12.2018 03:13:09] NO-Harold.Kane: The Cultist tech is some fascinating stuff.
[11.12.2018 03:13:22] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Your actions will really need some background research.
[11.12.2018 03:13:39] NO-Harold.Kane: We're weighing our strategic options.
[11.12.2018 03:13:44] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You said you heard Crayter being interested in grabbing Vespucci, what if Liberty and Crayter both force their way in?
[11.12.2018 03:13:51] NO-Harold.Kane: That'll be a fun fight to watch.
[11.12.2018 03:14:01] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: No, they're... working together, supposedly.
[11.12.2018 03:14:08] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: [puts their feet up on the desk, leaning back]
[11.12.2018 03:14:17] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: It's possible that their egos will get in the way, yeah.
[11.12.2018 03:14:36] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Territory struggles always end up that way. Liberty doesn't like sharing.
[11.12.2018 03:14:48] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: The same goes for their offshoot Commonwealth. They don't like to share, either.
[11.12.2018 03:14:51] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: But they could possibly split it.
[11.12.2018 03:14:55] NO-Harold.Kane: Liberty and Crayter almost came to blows over a transport.
[11.12.2018 03:15:02] NO-Harold.Kane: A planet?
[11.12.2018 03:15:04] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: That's a regular thing.
[11.12.2018 03:15:27] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Back when I was still in the service, we regularly redirected Crayter warships from California.
[11.12.2018 03:15:30] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Some unwillingly.
[11.12.2018 03:15:37] NO-Harold.Kane: Crayter will suicide bomb the Liberty Navy fleet to hold a planet.
[11.12.2018 03:16:03] NO-Harold.Kane: Thus dealing with multiple sides of that charlie foxtrot in a single go.
[11.12.2018 03:16:05] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: [muttering to themselves] Think, think, think, connections... Nomads, Gaians... uhm...
[11.12.2018 03:16:17] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Are the Unioners going to get involved?
[11.12.2018 03:16:31] NO-Harold.Kane: Not in Vespucci.
[11.12.2018 03:16:33] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: They have been seen as far as Texas, or even Kansas so say some Legionnaires.
[11.12.2018 03:16:40] NO-Harold.Kane: That's the ticket.
[11.12.2018 03:17:12] NO-Harold.Kane: It turns out if you tell the Unioners, "finders keepers is a fun rule to play by", they'll sign up to do just about anything.
[11.12.2018 03:17:27] NO-Harold.Kane: Now... whether or not they'll actually make it that far.
[11.12.2018 03:17:41] NO-Harold.Kane: They're being hammered left and right in Bering.
[11.12.2018 03:17:42] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: What of the Liberty Rogues?
[11.12.2018 03:17:56] NO-Harold.Kane: I've got nothing on the Rogues.
[11.12.2018 03:18:05] NO-Harold.Kane: I don't usually deal with street thugs.
[11.12.2018 03:18:10] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh yeah, hey, Bennett, do you remember when that Alexis Hunter got kidnapped?
[11.12.2018 03:18:21] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Do you remember what infected Romanov fell for? Something Stone?
[11.12.2018 03:18:27] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: That Order Overwatch infectee.
[11.12.2018 03:18:35] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Hm.
[11.12.2018 03:18:38] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: MILLY STONE.
[11.12.2018 03:18:39] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Aelita?
[11.12.2018 03:18:41] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: It was.
[11.12.2018 03:18:43] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Or that. Both.
[11.12.2018 03:18:45] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Something stupid.
[11.12.2018 03:18:53] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Whatever. Milly Stone. Just saw the screen.
[11.12.2018 03:19:02] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Thanks for reading it out ERI [sarcastically]
[11.12.2018 03:19:07] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: <:: [You're] welcome. ::>
[11.12.2018 03:19:27] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: ...you better not developing a sense of humor, you've been watching too many Humans.
[11.12.2018 03:19:30] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: I wouldn't know the details on all those cases. I specialize in fleet strategies. That's yours and Leviathan's things.
[11.12.2018 03:19:43] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Ah-ah-ah!
[11.12.2018 03:19:50] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Fleet strategies! Yes boy!
[11.12.2018 03:19:57] NO-Harold.Kane: We are all strategists on this blessed day.
[11.12.2018 03:20:14] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Tomorrow, Order's underdogs invaded, what would you do?
[11.12.2018 03:20:27] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Crayter, SIS doing covert, Gaians doing skirmishes.
[11.12.2018 03:20:50] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: You're talking about running scenarios for invasions. We do that regularly for drill work.
[11.12.2018 03:21:06] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes, but you have to factor in that Hellfire may be useless here.
[11.12.2018 03:21:16] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We'd be up against an impossible force.
[11.12.2018 03:21:17] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: That's part of every strategy we have.
[11.12.2018 03:21:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Really? I don't remember.
[11.12.2018 03:21:37] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Hmmm, short term memory loss...
[11.12.2018 03:21:44] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Getting worse.
[11.12.2018 03:21:45] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: We've spent enough time on our own, fighting with our backs to the wall to know not to put our faith into others.
[11.12.2018 03:22:27] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: If it comes down to impossible odds, that's why we have an arsenal of weaponry at our disposal.
[11.12.2018 03:22:33] NO-Harold.Kane: ...Sorry to interrupt, but you mentioned you've done some weird jump anomaly things before, yes?
[11.12.2018 03:22:35] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Or experiments.
[11.12.2018 03:22:36] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes.
[11.12.2018 03:22:41] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We can open up jumpholes, why?
[11.12.2018 03:22:47] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: although sketchy.
[11.12.2018 03:22:50] NO-Harold.Kane: Have you ever ripped a jump hole open large enough to fit a station through it?
[11.12.2018 03:23:11] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Why not just disassemble and relocate?
[11.12.2018 03:23:22] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: No, we're not really minted to test that out, but we've thought about it.
[11.12.2018 03:23:31] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Trust me, if we had the resources to experiment at will, we would.
[11.12.2018 03:23:37] NO-Harold.Kane: Because we aren't quite sure if we can put it back together again.
[11.12.2018 03:23:56] NO-Harold.Kane: Also, it houses most of our population.
[11.12.2018 03:24:00] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Although the Anomaly we made was large enough to fit Ish'tars and multiple war ships through soo...
[11.12.2018 03:24:23] NO-Harold.Kane: Turns out those cultists made their shit bigger on the inside than it looks.
[11.12.2018 03:24:25] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I wouldn't know, but hyperspatial technology is another thing we have access to.
[11.12.2018 03:24:52] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Encase an object around with a shield, place devices to triangulate the matrix,
[11.12.2018 03:24:58] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: effectively like jumping another ship.
[11.12.2018 03:25:23] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You'd need another ship to sustain the power requirements though.
[11.12.2018 03:25:31] NO-Harold.Kane: Make sure the gravitics are working double time to make sure that no one gets hyperspace-sick...
[11.12.2018 03:25:35] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Two jumping vessels working on the same anomaly.
[11.12.2018 03:25:45] NO-Harold.Kane: It'd take a lot of power, yeah.
[11.12.2018 03:25:58] NO-Harold.Kane: Food for thought.
[11.12.2018 03:26:01] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We have the theorhetical power to produce masses amounts of energy.
[11.12.2018 03:26:08] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You know, that thing we do, alien research?
[11.12.2018 03:26:13] NO-Harold.Kane: Yeah.
[11.12.2018 03:26:24] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: but I'm not sure if you'd really want to reside in Vespucci from Tau-44.
[11.12.2018 03:26:31] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Do you think Crayter will turn on you?
[11.12.2018 03:26:41] NO-Harold.Kane: We don't believe so.
[11.12.2018 03:26:47] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Hah/
[11.12.2018 03:26:52] NO-Harold.Kane: But we like to have options.
[11.12.2018 03:27:06] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Word to the wise: Don't trust them. They've stabbed us in the back in the past and are quick to change their minds.
[11.12.2018 03:27:37] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: The first opportunity they'll get to take advantage, they will.
[11.12.2018 03:27:59] NO-Harold.Kane: Aye. We aren't quite sure if they're letting us stay in the system out of the goodness of their hearts, or if they're hoping we
[11.12.2018 03:28:13] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: They're most likely using you against the Gallic tide.
[11.12.2018 03:28:16] NO-Harold.Kane: will be a good pile of ablative meat in case the Baguette Brigade decides they want a second shot at taking the system.
[11.12.2018 03:28:34] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: They used us as a thin line to shield themselves from the Nomads in Coronado.
[11.12.2018 03:28:40] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Mmhmm.
[11.12.2018 03:28:47] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Then shot us when we weren't needed anymore.
[11.12.2018 03:28:55] NO-Harold.Kane: They're not the smart--
[11.12.2018 03:28:56] NO-Harold.Kane: Oh!
[11.12.2018 03:28:58] NO-Harold.Kane: That reminds me.
[11.12.2018 03:29:01] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh yeah, don't forget that Golanski himself came down to do it too.
[11.12.2018 03:29:05] NO-Harold.Kane: Did you know we have one of their cruisers?
[11.12.2018 03:29:09] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh.
[11.12.2018 03:29:22] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: ...can we scan it? [cheekily]
[11.12.2018 03:29:40] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Okay, maybe the museum collection can be finished later.
[11.12.2018 03:29:44] NO-Harold.Kane: Dinner and a movie first.
[11.12.2018 03:30:10] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Sounds like a good deal. Wait, that would depend on the movie.
[11.12.2018 03:30:15] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Although, mind you, Helios.
[11.12.2018 03:30:22] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We recently found that in a wreckage.
[11.12.2018 03:30:37] NO-Harold.Kane: We could watch the combat footage of that. I'm sure that'd be an entertaining couple hours.
[11.12.2018 03:31:03] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: It was found in Tau-29,
[11.12.2018 03:31:10] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: did it try to fight the Gauls?
[11.12.2018 03:31:15] NO-Harold.Kane: Helios?
[11.12.2018 03:31:20] NO-Harold.Kane: Oh.
[11.12.2018 03:31:21] NO-Harold.Kane: Oh no.
[11.12.2018 03:31:24] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes. Wreckage was found behind Baffin jumphole.
[11.12.2018 03:31:25] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: No?
[11.12.2018 03:31:26] NO-Harold.Kane: That wasn't the Gauls.
[11.12.2018 03:31:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: What?
[11.12.2018 03:31:29] NO-Harold.Kane: That was Malta.
[11.12.2018 03:31:30] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Kusari?
[11.12.2018 03:31:31] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh.
[11.12.2018 03:31:40] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Wait - how did they... without Gallia or Kusari - what?
[11.12.2018 03:31:44] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Interesting.
[11.12.2018 03:31:54] NO-Harold.Kane: Element of surprise, I think.
[11.12.2018 03:32:00] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Space is dangerous.
[11.12.2018 03:32:16] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: [sarcastically] thank you for the enlightening fact of the day.
[11.12.2018 03:32:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: *ahem*
[11.12.2018 03:32:32] NO-Harold.Kane: I don't know the exact details, but the Crayterians told us that the Basilica's flotilla took out the Helios a few weeks ago.
[11.12.2018 03:32:39] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh.
[11.12.2018 03:33:21] NO-Harold.Kane: They had given us free reign to use the carrier as a rest stop.
[11.12.2018 03:33:46] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Anything else that we should know about the Vespucci situation?
[11.12.2018 03:34:29] NO-Harold.Kane: I don't think so. I'm... thinking the Legion might have just firewalled out our comms entirely.
[11.12.2018 03:34:33] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Harmony possibly being contaminated, Legion being corrupt, Crayter wanting to get in on this,
[11.12.2018 03:34:35] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: hmmm.
[11.12.2018 03:34:38] NO-Harold.Kane: I'm not even sure if they know we're at war.
[11.12.2018 03:35:03] NO-Harold.Kane: The Bretonians concern me.
[11.12.2018 03:35:12] NO-Harold.Kane: They have an installation in this system, you say?
[11.12.2018 03:35:19] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: With how they arrogantly plant a station in this system without consulting us, yes.
[11.12.2018 03:35:27] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: And they have the charm to say the purpose of the station is classified.
[11.12.2018 03:35:33] NO-Harold.Kane: Spooks, then.
[11.12.2018 03:35:37] NO-Harold.Kane: Fascinating.
[11.12.2018 03:35:37] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes. SIS.
[11.12.2018 03:35:47] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: As I said before, I saw them talking with the Overwatch.
[11.12.2018 03:35:52] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Immediately will not trust them.
[11.12.2018 03:36:08] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Infact, when I undocked from Birmingham, I heard a Gaian trying to ask about me - or well us -
[11.12.2018 03:36:22] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: obviously they cut the conversation off when they saw me.
[11.12.2018 03:36:30] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So. SIS. Bad people. Annoying.
[11.12.2018 03:36:31] NO-Harold.Kane: Would you be opposed to us stationing an agent out of Invergordon to ascertain some information about the SIS operations here?
[11.12.2018 03:36:57] NO-Harold.Kane: I'm curious myself as to what Bretonia wants here.
[11.12.2018 03:36:58] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You can do whatever you want here if it isn't to A) Cause harm, mainly to us.
[11.12.2018 03:37:08] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: B) to let another party gain control of this system
[11.12.2018 03:37:14] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: or C) let the nomads get more influence.
[11.12.2018 03:37:22] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Otherwise, by all means, do as you will.
[11.12.2018 03:37:22] NO-Harold.Kane: As far as we're concerned, Inverness is yours.
[11.12.2018 03:37:32] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh, D) Getting in our way.
[11.12.2018 03:37:38] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: That's kind of important. We don't like being looked at.
[11.12.2018 03:37:45] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Yeah that last one is a big deal.
[11.12.2018 03:38:00] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Usually we just shoot people that come out this far.
[11.12.2018 03:38:05] NO-Harold.Kane: And if we see anything blue and angry-looking, we'll give you a ring.
[11.12.2018 03:38:43] NO-Harold.Kane: I mean, hm.
[11.12.2018 03:38:53] NO-Harold.Kane: We're in a strange position with Bretonia.
[11.12.2018 03:39:05] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Bretonia itself is in a strange position.
[11.12.2018 03:39:22] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I'd like to say I wish I could do more for my motherland, my heritage but...
[11.12.2018 03:39:25] NO-Harold.Kane: If we weren't very tactically-minded, we could probably actually just *ask* them what they're doing in Inverness.
[11.12.2018 03:39:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: they're really going to dig their own grave.
[11.12.2018 03:39:33] NO-Harold.Kane: And they'd probably just lay the cards on the table.
[11.12.2018 03:39:40] NO-Harold.Kane: But where's the fun in that?
[11.12.2018 03:39:48] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Well, we tried asking, so you know that answer.
[11.12.2018 03:40:07] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: We could just sit outside and stake the place out.
[11.12.2018 03:40:14] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I...
[11.12.2018 03:40:15] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Watch traffic, see who comes and goes.
[11.12.2018 03:40:23] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I saw them escort a Gallic Royal Navy pilot to the station.
[11.12.2018 03:40:25] NO-Harold.Kane: Ah, but do you have the neural net address of a personal an SIS liaison?
[11.12.2018 03:40:30] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Interrogation possibly.
[11.12.2018 03:40:37] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Highly likely, they were on secure comms.
[11.12.2018 03:41:35] NO-Harold.Kane: We'll see if we can figure out what Bretonia's angle is.
[11.12.2018 03:41:38] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: As for an inside contact, I prefer doing things the old fashioned way.
[11.12.2018 03:41:53] NO-Harold.Kane: We'll let you know what we figure out.
[11.12.2018 03:42:04] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Show them my gun, give them an ultumatum, shoot them if they decline.
[11.12.2018 03:42:50] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So...
[11.12.2018 03:42:56] NO-Harold.Kane: So.
[11.12.2018 03:43:01] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You sure that this is everything concerning this mess?
[11.12.2018 03:43:05] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I feel like there's something missing.
[11.12.2018 03:43:09] NO-Harold.Kane: Other than the fact we haven't decided on a movie.
[11.12.2018 03:43:30] NO-Harold.Kane: Oh.
[11.12.2018 03:43:31] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: The question is, how many is going to be at this dinner party?
[11.12.2018 03:43:34] NO-Harold.Kane: Oh, right.
[11.12.2018 03:43:41] NO-Harold.Kane: We have a defector.
[11.12.2018 03:43:46] NO-Harold.Kane: Specifically, we have acquired one.
[11.12.2018 03:43:48] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Defector? From?
[11.12.2018 03:43:50] NO-Harold.Kane: The Legion.
[11.12.2018 03:43:56] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Legion? Ah.
[11.12.2018 03:44:07] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Curious, why didn't they go to the Gaians?
[11.12.2018 03:44:07] NO-Harold.Kane: For obvious reasons, his clearances are... curtailed.
[11.12.2018 03:44:38] NO-Harold.Kane: Our synthetic intelligences have been analyzing his behaviour and actions over the past few weeks and his psychological
[11.12.2018 03:44:54] NO-Harold.Kane: state indicates that he likely isn't a spy.
[11.12.2018 03:45:15] NO-Harold.Kane: All the same, we're playing it cautiously.
[11.12.2018 03:46:27] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Interesting.
[11.12.2018 03:46:35] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: but I suppose it's little concern.
[11.12.2018 03:46:43] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Now, I hope you aren't planning to do anything with Helios.
[11.12.2018 03:46:44] NO-Harold.Kane: Indeed. More of a side note than anything else.
[11.12.2018 03:47:13] NO-Harold.Kane: We were going to send the Crayterians a "sorry for your loss" card.
[11.12.2018 03:47:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh, I was referring to that fresh specimen of a corpse floating around.
[11.12.2018 03:47:36] NO-Harold.Kane: I take it you want a sniff.
[11.12.2018 03:47:37] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We're kind of into looking into their architexture.
[11.12.2018 03:47:40] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yep.
[11.12.2018 03:47:42] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Big old whiff.
[11.12.2018 03:48:03] NO-Harold.Kane: By all means.
[11.12.2018 03:48:50] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Ah. Yes.
[11.12.2018 03:48:53] NO-Harold.Kane: Maybe we'll bring OCS Unforgiven, our Thanatos-class cruiser, down to visit one of these days.
[11.12.2018 03:48:53] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: The gate in Coronado.
[11.12.2018 03:49:11] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I'd be wary of that, the Bretonians still think that they own this system.
[11.12.2018 03:49:18] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: If they assault you, well.
[11.12.2018 03:49:24] NO-Harold.Kane: You get much better data out of a ship with the keys in the ignition than a husk.
[11.12.2018 03:49:42] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You can say you're crossing the turf to our land.
[11.12.2018 03:49:43] NO-Harold.Kane: If the Bretonians decide to spark a war over a cruiser, well...
[11.12.2018 03:49:57] NO-Harold.Kane: That's their loss.
[11.12.2018 03:50:02] NO-Harold.Kane: In more senses than one.
[11.12.2018 03:50:03] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Quite.
[11.12.2018 03:50:37] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: And, well, it'd be quite wasteful to let it float there.
[11.12.2018 03:50:45] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I wouldn't want Gallia or Kusari repurposing the remains.
[11.12.2018 03:51:07] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: There's some high quality material in there that we're going to snag if we can.
[11.12.2018 03:51:16] NO-Harold.Kane: Out of curiosity, whereabouts *is* this spooky scary space station of the Grand Ol' United Empire-Kingdom of Bretonia's?
[11.12.2018 03:51:28] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: The moon of Forres.
[11.12.2018 03:51:28] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You know the Drake hole location - by that planet?
[11.12.2018 03:51:35] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: It's in the old place. The anomaly moved.
[11.12.2018 03:51:40] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Cromarty.
[11.12.2018 03:51:45] NO-Harold.Kane: Well, then.
[11.12.2018 03:51:55] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Imagine our surprise when we thought we were going for a jumphole.
[11.12.2018 03:52:09] NO-Harold.Kane: Much as I hate Ageira, some days I start to think that their propaganda about jump holes being dangerous isn't all that far off
[11.12.2018 03:52:26] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We could suddenly be cut off one day.
[11.12.2018 03:52:36] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: I wonder what would happen if a jumphole shifted inside of a station.
[11.12.2018 03:52:38] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: No food, no oxygen...
[11.12.2018 03:52:46] NO-Harold.Kane: You wake up one morning and find that the next system over is now a two year journey if you redline your cruise engines.
[11.12.2018 03:52:52] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh, it'd probably blow up and end up in wrecks.
[11.12.2018 03:52:54] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Well.
[11.12.2018 03:53:01] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Cruise technology is faster, so there's that.
[11.12.2018 03:53:15] NO-Harold.Kane: Been there, done that, wrote the book, lost a few thousand people in the process.
[11.12.2018 03:53:16] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Fortunately for us, our experimental pieces allow us to go /way/ further without fuel at all.
[11.12.2018 03:53:59] NO-Harold.Kane: Once you exit a system's heliosphere, you can remove some of the gravitic field limiters on cruise engines and increase your
[11.12.2018 03:54:02] NO-Harold.Kane: top speed.
[11.12.2018 03:54:18] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Or optionally, we can open jumpholes or employ jump technology.
[11.12.2018 03:54:20] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We have the coordinates.
[11.12.2018 03:54:27] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So we're quite well prepared, I'd think.
[11.12.2018 03:54:29] NO-Harold.Kane: I mean, that's the best way to do it, yes.
[11.12.2018 03:54:42] NO-Harold.Kane: We were not quite that fortunate.
[11.12.2018 03:54:49] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Or the technology to pinpoint coordinates based on a beacon.
[11.12.2018 03:54:57] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Just send one scout in, deploy a fleet.
[11.12.2018 03:55:08] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Be anywhere instantly.
[11.12.2018 03:55:13] NO-Harold.Kane: It's impressive technology.
[11.12.2018 03:55:28] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Expensive to maintain and use though.
[11.12.2018 03:55:42] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Mmm.
[11.12.2018 03:55:46] NO-Harold.Kane: Indeed.
[11.12.2018 03:55:56] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: We'd have to evacuate Kansas though in this circumstance, maybe.
[11.12.2018 03:56:11] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: No, we wouldn't.
[11.12.2018 03:56:33] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: "Maybe. "
[11.12.2018 03:56:35] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: It's split.
[11.12.2018 03:56:45] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Ataraxia was cleaned out a long time ago. All that's there is just supply and military personnel in a bunker that can-
[11.12.2018 03:56:50] A/)-ACV-Andraste: submerge if the water gets too deep.
[11.12.2018 03:56:50] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: If the anomalies in the Independent -
[11.12.2018 03:56:53] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: ...no?
[11.12.2018 03:56:53] NO-Harold.Kane: Theoretically, if this system's connections to Cortez and Drake were severed...
[11.12.2018 03:57:09] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You forget about our shared labs.
[11.12.2018 03:57:37] NO-Harold.Kane: You'd end up with a pretty scary funnel of Nomads going lengthwise through Vespucci.
[11.12.2018 03:57:44] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Uh.
[11.12.2018 03:57:50] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: The hive is... erratic.
[11.12.2018 03:57:56] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: It's both active and low in activity.
[11.12.2018 03:58:01] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: It's some kind of hub.
[11.12.2018 03:58:11] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Drake is the real deal.
[11.12.2018 03:58:31] NO-Harold.Kane: Hrm.
[11.12.2018 03:58:36] NO-Harold.Kane: I've never been, so.
[11.12.2018 03:59:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: So, anything else before I head to medical for a camp night out?
[11.12.2018 03:59:33] NO-Harold.Kane: When we held -- in a sense -- the Kansas system we knew the hive was there and we watched it, but we never pressed in.
[11.12.2018 03:59:40] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Er, sleep over. hm.
[11.12.2018 03:59:44] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Hive, Kansas, what?
[11.12.2018 03:59:59] NO-Harold.Kane: Gate. My bad.
[11.12.2018 04:00:06] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh. The Shrine.
[11.12.2018 04:00:14] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I've been through there many-a-times, yes.
[11.12.2018 04:00:25] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: A price to pay but the curiosity was too great to not reward
[11.12.2018 04:00:32] NO-Harold.Kane: The Order attempted to establish a presence in the system at one point to monitor it.
[11.12.2018 04:00:39] NO-Harold.Kane: Attempted.
[11.12.2018 04:00:46] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I heard about Harbinger.
[11.12.2018 04:00:56] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: I remember talks of their ships being in the borders back then.
[11.12.2018 04:00:57] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Infact, the Order caught me conversing to Harbinger in Delta once upon a time.
[11.12.2018 04:01:03] NO-Harold.Kane: Turns out a Spyglass will make a Geb decide it doesn't want to be around.
[11.12.2018 04:01:18] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: You see that Overwatch News article claiming that they "found proof that I'm infected"?
[11.12.2018 04:01:25] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: That was when I was talking to that beauty of a beast.
[11.12.2018 04:01:33] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I don't know why it didn't murder me there and then.
[11.12.2018 04:01:49] NO-Harold.Kane: Their propaganda is amusingly simplistic.
[11.12.2018 04:01:53] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes.
[11.12.2018 04:01:59] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Oh no... Tundra. Flashbacks.
[11.12.2018 04:02:04] NO-Harold.Kane: Tundra.
[11.12.2018 04:02:06] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: I remember being held in its tentacles at the front of the gun.
[11.12.2018 04:02:11] NO-Harold.Kane: That's a name I haven't heard in a long time.
[11.12.2018 04:02:16] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Coronado.
[11.12.2018 04:02:22] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Two years ago.
[11.12.2018 04:02:26] NO-Harold.Kane: New York. Eight.
[11.12.2018 04:02:34] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Egh.
[11.12.2018 04:02:46] NO-Harold.Kane: That was a mess.
[11.12.2018 04:02:48] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Okay, erm.
[11.12.2018 04:02:51] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Anything else?
[11.12.2018 04:02:51] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: It was last spotted in Leeds.
[11.12.2018 04:03:03] NO-Harold.Kane: Nope. I think we're all good from my end.
[11.12.2018 04:03:23] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Should I send a copy of all this data off to uh, you know who?
[11.12.2018 04:03:25] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Good, because I'm struggling to keep up the fight, I'm sure Venator Bennett and Venator -
[11.12.2018 04:03:36] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: ...Jay?
[11.12.2018 04:03:38] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Him?
[11.12.2018 04:03:42] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Yes.
[11.12.2018 04:03:48] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: [sigh] Yes.
[11.12.2018 04:04:02] NO-Harold.Kane: Your archivist, I take it?
[11.12.2018 04:04:07] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Leviathan.
[11.12.2018 04:04:13] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Yes, Joshua.
[11.12.2018 04:04:35] NO-Harold.Kane: Ah. He's still... upright.
[11.12.2018 04:04:54] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: [shying away from the conversation] I don't know how talk about it right now.
[11.12.2018 04:04:57] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: but anyhow...
[11.12.2018 04:05:03] NO-Harold.Kane: I understand.
[11.12.2018 04:05:11] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: SIS, Order's hooligans, if you find out anything, we can keep in touch.
[11.12.2018 04:05:16] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: likewise if we find something.
[11.12.2018 04:05:24] NO-Harold.Kane: You'll be the first and only people we call.
[11.12.2018 04:06:26] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Alright. Have fun with the Venators, but not too much fun without me, gossip is to live for.
[11.12.2018 04:06:31] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Off to med' we go.
[11.12.2018 04:06:37] NO-Harold.Kane: I need to start heading back home anyways.
[11.12.2018 04:06:43] NO-Harold.Kane: I'm going to hold you to that dinner and a movie.
[11.12.2018 04:06:49] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Farewell, Keeper.
[11.12.2018 04:06:56] NO-Harold.Kane: Safe travels to all of you.
[11.12.2018 04:06:59] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Well then. You decide on that, hah.
[11.12.2018 04:07:03] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: I'll fly you out.
[11.12.2018 04:07:11] NO-Harold.Kane: Appreciate it.
[11.12.2018 04:07:11] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Good luck, and farewell.
[11.12.2018 04:07:13] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: *ahem*
[11.12.2018 04:07:24] 2018-12-11 04:07:23 SMT Traffic control alert: A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith has requested to dock
[11.12.2018 04:07:54] NO-Harold.Kane: It's a nice corner of the sector, this system is.
[11.12.2018 04:08:05] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: It keeps us far away from trouble.
[11.12.2018 04:08:16] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Granted trouble always has a way of following a lot of people here.
[11.12.2018 04:08:48] NO-Harold.Kane: Considering trouble follows my people around, I understand.
[11.12.2018 04:09:24] A/)-ACV-Andraste: *Bennett chuckled* I don't think you do.
[11.12.2018 04:10:17] NO-Harold.Kane: I flew alongside Leviathan, Venator. Trouble follows us around.
[11.12.2018 04:10:21] NO-Harold.Kane: *chuckles*
[11.12.2018 04:10:30] NO-Harold.Kane: The good ol' days.
[11.12.2018 04:10:31] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: I guess so, but he /is/ trouble.
[11.12.2018 04:11:07] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Trouble doesn't follow you if you're making it everywhere you go.
[11.12.2018 04:11:15] NO-Harold.Kane: Amen to that.
[11.12.2018 04:11:25] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Now we're out two Venators and a dozen personnel.
[11.12.2018 04:11:32] NO-Harold.Kane: Well, I appreciate the hospitality, and the escort out.
[11.12.2018 04:11:50] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Anytime.
[11.12.2018 04:11:57] NO-Harold.Kane: Let's do this again sometime. Hopefully with less pressing political matters behind it, though.
[11.12.2018 04:12:06] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: Life isn't always so permitting.
[11.12.2018 04:12:15] NO-Harold.Kane: Don't I know it. Save travels, lads.
[11.12.2018 04:12:22] A/)-ACV-Andraste: Bennett: You too.
[11.12.2018 04:12:31] A/)-Katar: So long, be safe.
Taskmaster Harold Kane Fourth Octavarium Fleet, Home Division
To: Octavarium Intelligence Commission, Taskmaster Harold Kane
Subject: "Outer" Rim May Be An Understatement Encryption:Significant Location: The Spider's Watch, Canberra Star City, Tau-44
Picked up some comm chatter from our buoys in 23, but everything was gone when I arrived. Boss, maybe we should dial back the psy-ops. We get a lot more intel when people just talk to us.
I did find one thing, though.
From the name, that's either Maltese or Corse. We should probably find out what exactly is going on, before Crayter makes a scene about it.
As per my orders from the Fleet, I have moved my ships to Planet Toulouse to assist the Council in their defence of the Roussilon System. Facilities on Toulouse are a bit spartan, but should be adequate to our needs. The Gallic Royal Navy has tasked the Montmorency Battlegroup with taking the system. Between the Council's forces, our own, and hopefully the Crayter Military, we should have enough to hold the line. I think we can expect to take some losses, though.
One more thing, on a personal note. I appreciate being moved out of 44 before Premier Selim's visit. I'm not sure if he remembers me, but it's probably best not to take any chances. Also, I have enough medication to last me about two months at my current rate of consumption. Should my nerve staple start acting up, though, I might run out sooner. If more could be sent along on the next supply shipment, I'd very much appreciate it. Details on what's needed can be found in my medical records.
Specialist Kim Ye-jin
Специалист Ким Е Чжин
스페셜리스트 김예진
Today at 1600, the Council called an alert after they received intelligence about impending raid on the Roussillon System by the Gallic Royal Navy. Myself, a number of CR bombers, and the CR gunboat Tyche scrambled to meet the incoming force. We were joined shortly after by a pair of Maquis fighters and ships from the Maltese Opposition Army.
The enemy force consisted of the Valor-class battleship Sarcelles, the Obstinate-class battlecruiser Grenat, the Perilous-class gunboat Bronzite, and a fighter flown by MRG pilot Pierre Vaillant. We moved to engage the targets as soon as they appeared on sensors. The bombers and gunboat focused fire first on the Bronzite, then the Grenat, and finally the Sarcelles. The fighters focused on the lone MRG fighter. The final tally of the battle was as follows.
Subject: Webs and Those Who Weave Them Encryption:Adequate Location: The Spider's Watch, Canberra Star City, Tau-44
Good day, gentlemen.
Call me Weaver. I will be filling in for Escher while he's away.
Oh don't worry, he's alive. People that paranoid don't die easily. He's away on a special project, investigating what went wrong and, more importantly, who went where.
In accordance with contingency plan Ceti Alpha V, I have been entrusted with leadership of the Commission while he's absent. This posting may be permanent, depending on several factors.
I don't expect any significant changes, internally or externally. The Commission will function as it always does, you're just reporting to me or Sundog instead of Escher.
Incoming Transmission from Canberra Star City
Tau-44, Natio Octavarium
20. May 826 A.S.
To: "Taskmaster" "Weaver" Priority: Utmost Topic: Webs and Those Who Weave Them
Message Contents:
Taskmaster,
You have a great deal of explaining to do. I am willing, for the moment, to acknowledge your leadership of the Commission, but that is contingent on you first answering some questions, and on me being satisfied with said answers. If I'm not, you can find yourself a new line of work. Perhaps something like stamping number plates for personal shuttles. Are we clear? Good.
Most of my questions concern the bombshell you so casually dropped. What proof can you provide of Taskmaster Escher's survival? Every piece of information at my fingertips, all of it, tells me that Escher was on board the Redshift during that absolute cock-up of a demonstration. The crew manifest says he was there, and he was witnessed boarding alongside Taskmaster Kane and the rest of the previous Administration. His face was even briefly visible on the video feed from one of the Canberra News cameras covering the demonstration. He is listed as MIA, along with every other person on that ship, and up until now, I've had no indication to the contrary. Now, you come and tell me that not only is he alive, but he's conveniently absent, and left you in charge. And it may be permanent? Put yourself in my chair, and tell me that doesn't seem more than a little suspicious.
Assuming you can prove to my satisfaction that Escher is alive, and this isn't a poor attempt at self-promotion on your part, other questions come in. I would prefer to hear these answers from Escher himself, but I'll ask you for now. For example, how was he not on that ship? Did he know something was going to happen? If so, why did he not halt the demonstration and evacuate the Cabinet? Was he involved in the disappearance in any way? If he wasn't, why did he not come forward immediately in the aftermath? His presence could've gone a long way to stabilising the situation.
Finally, if everything else checks out, I want regular updates on his investigation, the second he learns anything at all. Assuming they survived the initial jump, and it's likely they did, Fleet estimates that the Redshift has enough consumables to sustain the crew for eighteen months with proper rationing. Almost six months have passed now, so we have about a year left to locate our people. The clock is ticking, and a even a few hours might make all the difference.
Subject: Rumors Of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated Encryption:My encryption is maximum. Location: Canberra Star City Hangar, Tau-44
Hello, Riley. Weaver tells me you don't believe him. You're interrupting my preparations, but for stability's sake you'll have your answers.
Did I know something was going to go wrong? No. But I expected it. I always expect it. That's literally part of my job. I hoped there would be no problems, that my fears were unfounded, and so the Commission had one of the crew made up to look like me. Incidentally, I see the AI filled you in. This was for appearances, to make it look for the rest of the world like nothing was wrong, because I hoped that was the case.
I was on one of the escort craft, hoping that the nagging paranoia would turn out to be about nothing more than a small Royalist raid to swat aside. You hadn't heard from me because I got sent to Omega-41. I was stuck in a medical ward on Gran Canaria for several weeks making sure the radiation sickness wasn't going to be fatal. And no, they're not there. First place I looked. Freeport 5's still sending out scouts just in case.
Lastly... "was he involved in the disappearance in any way". Riley, if it were someone else suggesting I intended to harm Kane, they would be on a quick trip to the airlock. Congratulations on your promotion.
Identification:[CREDENTIALS EXPIRED] Taskmaster Rodney Miller Affiliation:[UNVERIFIED] Octavarium Fleet, Away Division
To: Consul John Riley, Taskmaster Weaver
Subject: Well, that was an "enjoyable" vacation. Encryption:Yep. Location: Orbiting Canberra Star City, Tau-44
Riley, Weaver,
Apologies for the disappearance. It seems we have had something of a problem with that of late. I suspect that the verification warnings I received logging into our communications network means that my credentials have either been revoked or were otherwise allowed to lapse; in either case, I feel confident in saying that it is in no small part due to my absence.
It appears that it was fortuitous that I was on the front lines getting my shit pushed in by a rabble of unpleasant Frenchmen and then promptly spent the next five and a half months in a makeshift prison, as the Gallic idea of a field prison is not entirely unlike the Kusari idea of an unpleasant night out for a businessman except with a ration of hobo wine instead of endless hot sake and plain sandwiches of pasteurized deli meat on rapidly-approaching-stale baguette rounds instead of being dared to eat fresh sushi out of a Golden Chrysanthemum prospect's twat -- there's no beatings, but there's certainly a sense of dread and regret that you can neither remember all of the details of the previous night nor are you sure what they'll mean for you in the near future.
Also, you know, it appears I missed being sucked into the goddamn void by an apparently-failed jump drive experiment.
Anyways, the prison station got raided by some Libertonians who were pleasant enough not to just blow the place to bits like the last one I remember seeing erected in some asscrack of the Independent Worlds, and after they gave me a quick medical and dropped me off on a refugee camp slash resettlement opportunity slash manual labour rotation on California Minor I grabbed the nearest and cheapest ship I could find and put the charge on an old credit account that probably won't hold up for transaction processing for much longer and made my way back home.
Either way I'm pretty sure that my return is going to be seen as unexpected and suspicious, so I'm going to go ahead and offer myself back to the fleet with something of a reduction of rank. No doubt you've filled the position of Taskmaster of the Fleet while I've been savoring dainty sandwiches and pretending it's hot Japanese box, courtesy of everyone's favourite north-weastern foreign superpower, and even if you haven't, I'm not entirely sure I'd want it back. Guys with that rank have a tendency of getting captured by the enemy or sucked into a negative space wedgie or being replaced by an advanced AI prototype in their sleep by Escher.
Assuming I'm not disbarred from the Natio, that is.
Let me know how you want to work this out.
Yours in hopefully not being sent to the salt mines,
Commander Rodney Miller Fourth Octavarium Fleet, Away Division
PS: We're probably gonna have to change the serials on this ship. No way in hell does that account actually have a hundred and eighty thousand credits in it.