The doors of the airlock opened and Dubois stepped out of the repair vessel. It was a tough day but the work was worth it. To think of it that in a small gravitational pocket a whole foreign warship would be found! Surely, it was a great opportunity for the company to carry out the repairs, and under the supervision of ex-Royal specialists, now serving with the Enclave. Surely, there would be a thing or two to learn, and money to make. Perhaps he could get a promotion in "Montluc Advanced Engineering". Since the exodus from Orleanais alongside Baron Montluc, the job had been paying well yet Quillan is a remote mining world and a lot of goods are more expensive.
Despite the thoughts going round his head, Dubois was a professional and quickly reached the debriefing room where the rest of the extraction team and the representatives of the Enclave convened. He was to make a short presentation on what had been done and what was still to be carried out. Door opened, Jacques Dubois noticed that almost everyone had already taken their places and was awaiting the briefing. Not to delay those present, Dubois transmitted the data to the presentation computer and cleared his throat, calling for attention.
"Mesdames y Monsieurs,
Today, according to my evaluation, the operation was a full success and carried out without any complications.
Our task was to recover the hull of a derelict warship of foreign design. According to the military data kindly shared by the Enclave representatives, it used to be "Overlord"-class Liberty dreadnought. The ship was slightly damaged and was missing significant part of equipment. The expedition teams managed to recover some ammunition and inactive turrets left by the crew. From what it appears, the crew left the ship in a hurry and uninstalled all the equipment they managed. According to our radiocarbon analysis, the ship is approximately 30 years old and predates the war with Liberty. Whatever happened, the ship found itself stranded among the asteroids, some of which are assumed to have damaged its engine. However, it is also possible that the ship was thrown out in the asteroid field as the result of some experiment on FTL travelling. The ship is currently being scanned by the Enclave specialists whether there are any suspicious organic signatures inside to avoid possible infection.
The ship was first seen by the Enclave Expeditionary Cruiser in a small pocket-system linked to Brittany. Montluc scouts that entered the system upon hearing the rumours about the system also spotted the ship and came with the suggestion to recover it, repair it, and use for the protection of Quillan. This being a risky undertaking and happening in proximity to the Enclave territory, the representatives of the Enclave were contacted to assist in the matter to which they kindly agreed on conditions of Enclave having access to the technologies of the ship and deciding its ultimate fate while Montluc become the exclusive contractors on repairing and maintenance in this operation.
Enclave Expeditionary Vessel scouting the derelict ship MAE scout inspectingthe ship
Once the agreement was reached and when the package with the details on the date and location of the operation were exchanged, the operation was set in motion. It was decided that since the hull of the derelict did not show any sings of losing integrity external additional drives would be established next to the ship's primary engine to move the ship, and the hull would be patched in case of any damage inflicted by the collision of the asteroids. The ship's hull integrity intact, it was expected to endure the jump through the jumphole to Brittany without losing any parts to meta-space.
Today, on the 27th December of 742 A.G.S, a mover, a repair ship, and a transport with the repair crew of Montluc Advanced Engineering alongside Gallic Enclave guard cruiser entered the pocked system and reached the derelict ship approximately at 9:30 AM, Bordeaux Standard Time. The mover "Le Corbusier" used usually for establishing mobile platforms and bases was used to secure the integrity of the hull, and the repair ship "Montpellier" strapped external additional engines to the main engine of the ship. The hull of the ship was slightly damaged in the process near the engine while piercing the hull to install the drives, however the damage was insignificcant and would be easily repaired.
"Montpellier" strapping external drives
Having secured the ship and reinforced its hull, we used the external drives directed by the navigation buoys to the jumphole to Brittany. Despite small external damage sustained while moving through the asteroid field without the repulsion shields, the hull successfully reached the jumphole and made it to the other side. Contrary to the prediction, the communication antennae of the derelict ship was lost to metaspace. However, the integrity of the hull was still at acceptable level. The ship was towed to planet Rennes in the orbit of which a transport "Diabolique" with a team of engineers was awaiting. The team carried out manual fixing of smaller hull breakages that were incapable to be fixed by the automatic repair tool of "Montpellier" and "Le Corbusier". Enclave cruiser "Somme" was proving cover and guarding the area.
Derelict ship being escorted in Brittany
Repairs being carried out by "Montpellier" and "Le Corbusier" alongside the ground team
The repair works were a success, increasing the integrity of the hull to 93.43% deemed acceptable to further work in a shipyard. However, as the decision to repair the ship on an Enclave facility fitting for works with a dreadnaught-type ships has not yet been reached, the ship was moved into the orbit of planet Lannion where it currently awaits its fate. The integrity of the hull is sufficient for the hull to last in the orbit and solar radiation, as well as sporadic asteroids should those pass by from the nearest asteroid field. MAE under the agreement will be proving the maintenance for the hull.
This is the report, esteemed Mesdames et Monsieurs. If you have any questions regarding the operation, please, address them to me, foreman Jacques Dubois."
Dubois finished the presentation and switched on statistics concerning the state of the ship on the screen in case of questions.
"Oh, by the way. Do not take it as hubris or out of subordination conduct, but I am kindly to remind you, Mesdames et Monsieurs, that now it is the time to come to the conclusion as to what to do with the ship, where to repair it, if to repair it, and its fate following the works".
Dubois finished and stood next to the screen to provide details in case of inquiries.
The derelict dreadnought has been moved to Brittany
There, at the conference room, was a young man with black hair, a short bristle and bushy moustache. The man's pale green eyes were watching at the big presentation where a large Libertorian warship was being shown with Enclave and MAE ships escorting it out of distant and uncharted star system. He wore a grey pilot suit with white letters "MAE" within the blue square at right shoulder. It was Antoine Seydoux - the pilot of "Le Corbusier" platform. He was there and had the most difficult job one could have had during the operation. Now he was sitting at a simple but comfortable table and was listening to the report of another corporation employee.
Monsieur Dubois' report was ample with details. He almost did not miss anything as the engineer of a repair vessel. Enclave men as well as MAE - all were listening to Dubois. Unfortunately, Seydoux himself was not interested a lot. His part of the work had been done, and done well: the ship was delivered safe and sound and this meant a reward for him from the corporation or even a career promotion within the ranks of MAE. At least Antoine believed that he deserves it.
Finally, the man stopped to speak. So Antoine rose and went to the presentation to add a few more words to what had already been told. The last slide was showing a big silhouette of Liberty dreadnought surrounded with Enclave and MAE ships, slowly moving closer to the planet Lannion. It was really magnificent view. Even in comparison with le Roi's finest ships, the dreadnought still looked impressive.
"Dear Messieurs," - Antoine always worried about speaking in public and this time was not an exception. - "It was really an honour to work with all of you. Together we conducted a bold operation indeed and now have an example of Liberty's shipbuilding industry in our hands. It is outdated, well-damaged but is still can be used with profit for us."
"We have not checked their navigation computer and other data storages for the useful information but I suppose it will contain no useful data or no data at all. As Monsieur Dubois mentioned, it seems that the crew was leaving the ship in a hurry and removing or taking with them everything that could be useful."
He switched to the next image. It was taken by one of MAE drones. The drone was launched to keep area secured and warn about foreign ships which were visiting the system pretty often.
"Because of a possible biological hazard inside the vessel we had no possibility to launch the reactor and dreadnought's primary engines and thus we used auxiliary engines to move the ship out of the system. They were set around the engine tube and a few more at the middle and nose parts of the ship for maneuvres. We believe we should have no issues with energizing the reactor and turning on the engine. Whatever happened there, the ship, as it seems, still has a working engine and reactor which we can try to adapt with our native Promethene fuel."
"Not to mention the defence system itself. Part of the light-defence turrets was actually not removed but destroyed with an unknown type of energy weapon. I believe if we can recover the Captain's log we could get knowledge about what happened there long ago but all this will be possible only after the decontamination." - Soydoux turned to Dubois and asked him: - "How do you think, could we get some useful data at the ship? Do we have any chances?"
On opposite side to the speakers in company of a few of her colleagues from le Roi's finest intelligence agents and engineers has been sitting a woman in her twenties. While most of the people in the room cared enough to change their clothes to something more or less official, of course taking into account the realities of the war and impoverished choice, she was wearing the uniform of the Enclave officer, as if she was displaying some kind of scorn to everything going on here. Different speakers with their presentations filled with abnormal number of technical details also didn't seem to interest her.
"At the end, if I really need to know something exact, I might just contact our engineering corps and ask them to provide me a full report on the matter" - she thought and took another sip from the cup of coffee, this little addiction she couldn't get rid of. A random individual could call her a grey mouse or an arrogant prude and to certain degree it would be the truth, but in reality the officer was nothing, but tired and now she had to force herself to take the next step - to inform their colleagues from the Montluc Advanced Engineering about their decision. For some reason, for her it felt like she was leading the attack on which depended the lifes of the millions of her frères d'armes.
Grande responsabilité et grande opportunité so to say.
Finally, when the last speaker finished his presentation, officer stood up from her chair and gracefully walked towards the lecturer chair. After placing some hand-writings and reports together with a half-empty cup of coffee on it, she looked around the audience again, catching some excited, trustless or interested eyes.
- Mesdames y Monsieurs, it is a pleasure for me to see you again. Allow me a quick introduction, in case someone isn't acquainted with me yet. My name is Claire Ambrecoeur, Capitaine of Enclave Defense Authority, the commanding officer of Royal Enclave Ship Somme, the former captain of Leeds garrison and the person, who was appointed to protect your personnel from any odds and do my best to ensure, that the battleship leaves the system in one piece. Let me congratulate you all on the success of this mission.
She made a few claps, followed by the audience, and continued:
- Now, when the ship is in safety, you all are interested in what is going to happen next. The captured battleship is indeed a very interesting and powerful piece of technology, but there are several reasons on why we are not going to keep this ship for ourselves. First of all, even by Libertonian low standards, we assume, that the ship itself is heavily outdated and can not match with our superior military technology. Secondly, while we will not mind any heavy asset in our ranks, this derelict will just take precious place, reserved for our mighty class "Valor" dreadnoughts. In other conditions we would probably just blow up this hull or melt it into something useful, but considering your request...
Claire took another pause, looking at the reaction of the audience. The degree of tension was getting higher and higher.
- We have decided, that you can have this ship. Of course, you will have to fulfill certain obligations to the Crown, but it is the matter which will be discussed later. Apart from this, you will have to get this ship back to life by your own means. The most we can do for you in further steps is provide your people with all required skills, needed to use a battleship, as well as we might share some technical details. The rest is up to you. The derelict will be towed to Issoudun Drydock, where the mixed teams of your engineers and ours will conduct additional analysis, remove not-essential Liberty military hardware for research purposes, and intelligence agents will try to recover any useful information from the databanks of the ship, as well as they will check the hull on subject of any alien infestation. After this, we will leave systems only required for moving ship to one of your facilities and that is it. Merci for your attention, if you have any questions there are some of my frères d'armes, who will answer them. That is all from my side for now.
Officer bowed slightly and, taking another sip of coffee, left the podium, heading towards her place. After taking a seat, she took the previous pose, waiting for what is happening next.
As the royal officer concluded her remarks, Dubois already well knew what to do next as it had been prescribed in the instructions from the headquerters for multiple possible outcomes. He thanked captain Ambrecoeur and assumed his previous place of a presenter in front of the briefing board.
- "Then we have the plan of action and clearance to proceed. Upon the completion of the primary check of biohazard, the hull is to be towed to Issoudun Drydock. I will notify the HQ to send more specialist on ship design and construction engineers to assist with the works. According to the suggestion of the esteemed Enclave's side, the major repairs and outfitting will be conducted by MAE Inc. under the supervision of the Enclave's specialists and security. Enclave reserves the right to carry out the initial swoop of the interior in search of any valuable intelligence, ship design insights, equipment, and data, and keep them if so require. MAE will carry out the subsequent swoop of the ship in search of any hull breaches and other damage that might need to be repaired and prepare the plan for repairs based on the observations. All the items and data found by MAE following the initial swoop by the Enclave are to be reported to the Enclave's side, and those of interest shall be transferred in the possession of the Enclave."
Jacques stopped and took a look at his PDA to make notes and ascertain some details. He wasn't nervous, but the word did require precision, especially in front of the Royal Officers, more especially if he wanted to get a promotion. No mistakes could be made.
- "We would expect our engineer teams to arrive in the following two days. After the repairs at Issoudun Drydock are completed, the ship will be refitted with Gallic armaments and to be powered by Promethene. The works are expected to be concluded within a few weeks, depending on the scope of interior damage evaluated and duration of the search operations inside. Well done, Mesdames et Monsieurs!"
Following small token applaud, Dubois with a slightly nervous facial expression uttered:
-"Now, I would request the Enclave stuff to escort out everyone who is not high rank to consider information I am to present next."
He was nervous. Never in his life was he to make a request to royal officers who might ignore his "authority".
-"Or, I suppose, everyone here has the necessary clearance. The corporate representatives convened have all been informed and are trustworthy. I have a special request from Baron Montluc himself. The battleship would be the property of MAE Inc. with the primary purpose of protecting Quillan and Languedoc in case of fallout with Minarchy, as well as to protect corporate interests. We have a competent and trained crew consisting of ex-Royal navy servicemen. In this regard, Monsieur Montluc made two request to the Enclave side:
to carry out a small military maneuver training with the Enclave in a remote and secure place due to the expertise of the Royal officers and necessity of the crew to get used to a technically Libertonian ship.
to allocate a small team of Enclave officers, preferably intelligence service officers incognito to the ship once it is completed."
Silent attention after the requests was unbearable for Dubois and he, preserved the logical pause for the audience to think over the heard information, continued, visibly sweating.
-"The first request is easily understandable and the tricky part will only be for the ship to get into Enclave's territory unnoticed and the operation should to be carried out most discretely. It is the second request, however, that might raise questions. Baron recently became concerned that his public speeches, pretty much evidently supportive of the Royal regime can raise unnecessary interest of the Office of Confederation Intelligence. The latter, comprising mostly of ex-Conseil members is likely to spy on us with fervor. We need people who can provide appropriate level of counter-intelligence, especially in terms of disinformation to lead the investigators into a false case. The crew in question would also be able to provide tactical assistance should the need arise. The Enclave, in return, will possess the means to collect intelligence within Confederation space. Of course, the members of the crew are to be provided with forged identities to present them as MAE employees to cover all links to the Enclave and strengthen their position on the ship and on Quillan. Should this be interested to the Enclave, the Baron asked me to convey that MAE can have a deeper intelligence cooperation proposal which he can address privately provided that Enclave expresses interest today. The response can be addressed either to be as to an entrusted envoy of Monsieur Montluc, or in a personal message to the Baron."
Dubois finally exhaled with a relief. The most difficult part of his work was over.
- "Merci beaucoup for the attention. The briefing is over."
Jacques made a polite bow, and returned to his seat.
It was almost evening at planet Quilian when two tugboats and one Gallic armored transport flew up from the surface. They stoke right to brown skies filled with the orange light of the sunset. A convoy shows no identification signs except very simple Freelancer codes. However, these ships belonged to MAE and everyone on boards was loyal to Baron. No need to mention that most of them were doing it for future benefits as the minor noble ranks or more close connections with the nobles of Gallia.
However, they all were united in pique toward the Minarchy which took control over their privileges, their good name and their influence in society. They have realized who is real control of the so-called Minarchy and that these mafioso won't allow anything out of their control.
First trade lane: a tube full of light and shine met a convoy and they passed it without issues. Right to them, Interspace transport was trying to dock with Nimes station. A large "Mastodon" was clumsy and have not entered to docking corridor the right way. Pilots quietly chuckled while passing next to the station. One of them, a middle-aged woman with a short ginger hair, tied up in a tail, has spoken a short vulgar joke about the size of man's honor and liberty transport size.
Communication channel, established between the ships, has filled with another wave of a laugh. Even stupid should be understood - the peace has not changed a lot. Gallic aristocracy and their supporters still disliked outlanders and this xenophobia towards their former enemies will be wiped in centuries, but not in decades of years.
Followed with the laughs they have entered the next trade lane, which was leading to the jump gate to the Tau-23 system. However, ships have not reached the gates and left the lane somewhere in the middle. The convoy turned right and charged cruise engines. Scanner showed clear area but they knew what is waiting for them ahead - a large minefield, through which they have to pass. The field had been laid not so long ago: right when a connection with the Sirius has been established and first gallic ships entered the former Orkney system.
Many of the crew members felt concern when their ships reached it and were not surprising, - an incredible amount of mines were floating around and every single one can blow up almost any small craft without issues. This minefield was a passage to the Gauls, their compatriots, loyal to the King and royal family for the end and a death trap to the filth of Sirius like Outcasts or similar to them.
"This is 'Paon Un', we reached the jump hole. Entering sequence initiated." - a pilot of one tugboat reported about the successful reach of the heart of minefield. A few moments later it disappeared from the radars - the first one is gone to Brittany. In a minute the second tugboat reported about reach and jumped out too. Finally, the third ship - a transport, has reached the jump hole. The pilot has been set an entering vector and in a few everyone on board could observe blue light of jump tunnel.
On the other side, they have been met by another minefield: the number of mines was even higher than the similar field in Languedoc. The tiny corridor was an only exit out of it and was heavily secured by Enclave weapon platforms. Slowly, ships began to move through the field, following the orders received from outside it. The pilots and the captains have no doubts in it, every new order -, because every of it contains an electronic signature of the Royal forces.
The ships reached out of the minefield. A white planet, Lannion, was on the right side. Two large enclave installations orbited it. The pride of Gallia, a Valor, was protecting the minefield as well as the nearby facilities, fearing or eliminating any who dare to come here without an invitation.
"Logistic Vessel 'Giffard' is speaking on behalf of MAE. We hail the Enclave and request the clearance to proceed further in the vicinity of the Lannion area." - transmission was directed to the patrol cruiser which has expected them next to the exit of the minefield. A moment later, the head of the convoy received a conformation and 'green light' to them all. Ships began to move forward the other side of the planet, where their destination was.
In a few, they reached the designation and everyone on board could observe a big ship, secured by Enclave forces. It was an Overlord - Liberty dreadnought. The ship was looking lifeless: hangar bay was closed, the main engine disabled, even a shield was turned off.
Tugboats came closer and dropped connectors with the ship. It took a while but the hull has been connected with two platforms. Their pilots were waiting for orders to start a move but before proceed both sides should be sure in the safety of passage. The convoy's head - the 'Giffard' requested an escort. Shortly, they have been responded and a convoy of Enclave navy ships surrounded the hull, tugboats, and transport itself.
Navigation between tugboats has been synchronized and now they were as one. The pilots reported success and launched the engines after an order from headship. The whole convoy: MAE tugboats, armored transport operating as a headship, the Overlord itself and Enclave escort started to move toward Fort Albi and Aquitaine jump hole.
Soon, the convoy has reached it and after a short identification, they jumped to the head of the Enclave. The most worry moment was only ahead and everybody understood it. Far away people could see planet Bordeaux and silhouette of Issoudun shipyard. A large ship has been moored with it - it was even bigger than a Valor battleship, guarding a safety of it next to the shipyard.
They passed the planet and reached the shipyard in silence: nothing important happened during the route. Finally, the moment they were waiting has come - convoy came to Issoudun and after communication with the shipyard command, tugboats received orders and docking vectors to place an Overlord in free drydock.
February 15th, 743 A.G.S.
Captain's Room, RES-Intrepide
Ariege Nebula, Roussillon
Maximilian sat at his desk, going through the plentiful reports. Although he could be doing it from the comfort of Bordeaux, now that the capital settlement was well on its way, the colonel still found his destroyer a better place to be at. With the crwe loyal to a fault, and away from all the meetings and micro-management of every issue on Bordeaux. There he was, going through the list of messages he had received, when he noticed one from Montluc Advanced Engineering.
The colonel remembered them: a corporation that sought to build its own pseudo-utopia in one of the Gallic systems and secede from the Minarchy of Provence. Apparently, the hastily-founded Parisian Assembly (the collective organ representing the many new Gallic states) saw this as a dangerous precedent and decided to nip it in the bud. Baron Fabian Montluc was forced out of his home yet again (he had previously come to Languedoc from the now-Council-controlled Orleannais), and the Gallic Hebrides was the only logical destination.
On the one hand, the colonel was disappointed with losing a powerful ally with access to the resources of Gallia. On the other hand, the Enclave benefitted greatly from having Montluc specialists assist with ground and space infrastructure in Enclave systems. However, there was another thing that kept the colonel thinking about Montluc: a derelict Libertonian dreadnought that the Baron's men had found in the end of last year.
Montluc had originally wanted to move the derelict to their facility in Languedoc, but the Enclave was cautious. That's why a compromise was reached: the ship would remain in Enclave space, the Enclave would skim the cream off any technolohy aboard, and the hull would then be handed over to Montluc for refitting in Languedoc. That seemed like a fair trade off at the time. However, the involvement of the Parisian Assembly put a stick in the wheels of that plan.
The dreadnought reached Issoudun, and work was underway to strip it off anything important for the Enclave. But the eviction of Montluc Advanced Engineering from Languedoc also meant that their fabrication facility, Kerguelen, was lost to the Confederation. Its systems were shut down, equipment evacuated, and for all intents and purposes it was an empty hull of its former self. Although that saved the derelict from falling into the hands of the Confederation, it also meant that an obsolete Libertonian dreadnought would soon be dead weight on Issoudun. That is something that the Colonel would have to discuss with the Baron eventually.
However, for the time being, technicians from Enclave and MAE were working at Issoudun together on the ship, and the Baron needed to know about the progress and the Enclave's findings. That's why Maximilian had spent a better part of the evening going through the reports and crossing out the parts that he deemed classified. In the end, he had a couple of documents at his disposal:
According to preliminary estimates, this ship is more than 30 years old. Many of the ship's systems are broken beyond repair, but some can be restored. With enough work put into it, it might fly once again. For a ship left in the asteroid field for so long ago, the hull is surprisingly well-preserved.
The hull is made of 2-meter thick light-weight aluminum, coated with with 1-meter thick layer of titanium carbide fiber. This allows the ship to remain quite light, while being resistant enough to most weapons. The significant drawback of the coating is that it could be broken down easily in nitric acid. This should be considered when developing weapons to counter such vessels.
Electronics and software are an outdated version of the Libertonian tech we encountered during the war. That, and due to prolonged exposure to radiation in outer space without maintenance, the electronics is beyond repair. It will take quite some time and effort to replace it with Gallic electronics, but it seems feasible.
The life support system, on the other hand, can be restored. This must become our first priority, if we are to restore everything else. The search for the black box proved futile. Apparently, the crew had taken it with them, knowing that the ship would remain in place for a long time. Or it could have been destroyed.
Tactical analysis is not my primary field, but the derelict apparently could be classified as a light battleship. With good maneuverability and small size, it can evade enemy fire and return it from a great distance. Further tactical analysis is best left to the officers who encountered this ship in battle.
The profile of the derelict is similar to that of every Liberty Dreadnought we encountered: sharp, small, well-suited for evading fire. That is, assuming the crew know what they're doing. Our Valors and Obstinates usually handled those ships with ease, unless faced with a Captain competent enough. In that case, we had to take a punch.
Liberty Dreadnought is always referred to as "Overlord" by Liberty Captains, so we can assume it's the class name of this "iconic" vessel. Its slim profile makes the Dreadnought very flexible and agile. ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋
The Dreadnought is mostly an frontline battleship: its turrets cover the top, sides, bow and aft well enough. The most unprotected side is the bottom, especially the engine section. That's what bombers can exploit, unless the battleship makes a turn before bombers go for a strafing run.
II. Weaponry
▋ ▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋ ▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ Admittedly, the profile is small and can be compered to Corsair Murmillo class. But as we observed in the war, the Overlord can mount up to three heavy weapons, rather than two on the Murmillo. However, the Murmillo ▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ can equip only six ▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ mid-range primary turrets, whereas the Overlord can mount up to four only and everyone of them can shoot backwards and forward.
Let's also not forget about the light turrets designed against fighters, bombers and gunboats. In earlier stages of the war, the Overlord had about six light turrets. But by the time Liberty forces arrived in New London, we encountered Overlord refits with up to nine light turrets. That didn't change the ship's performance against our forces drastically, but it's worth mentioning.
III. Tactical performance
The Overlord class was always seen with an large escort of assault battlecruisers, siege cruisers, and gunboats. This fleet composition is deadly, especially with the right coordination. ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋
If we ever put the derelict to use, I recommend heavy guard of Obstinates accompanied by a squadrons of gunboats, bombers and fighters. ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋
IV. Warship in Question
This warship is thirty years old, and probably was lost in a jump gate or jump drive incident that didn't receive wide exposure. The vessel is mostly outdated ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋ ▋▋▋▋▋
Having checked the attached reports one more time to make sure he had removed everything sensitive, the Colonel hit the "Send" button. Soon the baron would receive the reports, without the parts that Maximilian had crossed out. The colonel leaned backwards in his seat and took a sip of coffee from his mug. Hopefully, Montluc personnel would manage to find a solution that would prevent the Overlord from overstaying its welcome at Issoudun.
26th February 743 A.G.S. MAE HQ, Uxeau-de-Bordeaux, Planet Bordeaux
Day for the secretariat was a busy one. Settling on a new planet under a different legislation always required a lot of bureaucracy, many documents going in and out. But the document with *CLASSIFIED* mark was expected and processed quickly. Finally, the Enclave engineers have completed swooping the “Overlord”. The decision was in favour of MAE - the ship will be given over for further repairs. Many things have changed since the find itself, and the ship certainly would not be able to perform the originally envisaged duty of protecting Quillan. Still, the ship is of quite value to an exiled corporation that might face a backlash from anyone outside of Gallia, and harassed in Taus by various unlawful elements. And certainly the ship would benefit later ambitions regarding the colonisation of a new world.
Secretary Bonheur was excited - Baron would be pleased to hear the news. However, she had to do her job first according to the previous instructions. Namely, she had to do the roadmap of what was to be done with the ship. She quickly skimmed through the instructions and started preparing the message to the Enclave.
Quote:
Mesdames et Messieurs of the Royal Enclave,
We have received the confirmation of your works with the “Overlord” and are grateful for your decision to transfer the hull of the ship to Montluc Advanced Engineering, Inc. The esteemed Enclave’s side can be assured that it would be put to the best use and for the benefit of the Crown and the Royal Enclave.Given on the circumstances that Montluc Advanced Engineering, Inc. no longer is in possession of active assets in Languedoc system and the territory of the illegitimate state of Gallic Confederation, we propose for your consideration the following roadmap.
The ship will be unmoored from Issoudun shipyard and with the assistance of towing ships akin to used during the initial recovery of the ship towed towards quadrant 7A where at the moment the construction of Tromelin Observatory is taking place.
Due to the initial stage of the construction of Tromelin Observatory being completed, the station is capable of supporting the a small crew of specialists. The station is still being equipped with specialised scientific equipment and thus is not yet fully ready for its original purpose. Because of this the station can operate as ad hoc shipyard.
Because the ship’s hull integrity is relative unbreached, major shipyard works are not needed. The hull will be placed in the vicinity of Tromelin Observatory and the repairs would be carried out in space. Once the integrity of the hull is fully restored, the engineers would fit the ship with basic life support systems and power supply, the repairs will continue from inside of the ship. The oxygen will be supplied to the ship using cargo vessels.
During all the stages of the repairs the ship will be adapted to Gallic technology so that its maintenance does not differ from the maintenance of any ship in our flotilla.
Once the repairs are complete, the ship will be equipped with the best technologies available to MAE to make for its obsolete inferior Libertonian design and keep the vessel useful for the purposes previously outlined, predominantly for providing security to corporate assets and serving as mobile HQ for corporate security. The ship will render assistance to the Enclave in case of emergency. Ship’s primary dislocation after the repairs will be Tromelin Observatory.
We hope you find our roadmap agreeable and, should there be any concerns, you are invited to address them herein and we will adjust the roadmap accordingly.
We are looking forward to your reply,
MAE PR Secretary Josephine Bonheur
Josephine looked at the letter again, checked for any mistakes, and signed with the relief. Perhaps, the developments with the “Overlord” will finally be over and the staff will not be afraid of messing things up to be reprimanded. Now, that they no place to retreat to, it certainly was not the best option.
March 3, 743 A.G.S.
Captain's Room, RES-Intrepide
Planet Bayonne, Aquitaine
The icy world of Bayonne engulfed almost the entirety of the observation window. Despite having a constant flow of matters to attend to (or maybe due to it), Maximilian now found the time to stand up and take in the view. Even then, he couldn't fully distance himself from the day-to-day concerns. The Enclave's colony on Bordeaux grew, production chains were being established and extended. Maximilian himself was getting a better hang of things. But with the basic needs addressed, the residents of the Enclave found more and more time for politics, intrigues, and squabbling.
The amount of work didn't diminish, it just shifted into other areas. The colonel's computer aboard the Intrepide had a week's worth of correspondence to sift through. Maximilian returned to his desk and took a look. Suggestion for a shorter shifts? Denied. Permission to extend the military compound and cut down a part of a nearby forest? Granted. Request to establish a military academy? Curious, but probably a bit too soon. On hold. News about an extra shipment of farming equipment? Not a concern, but at least the news was good, and no action was required. Montluc roadmap?..
The fate of a derelict Liberty dreadnought had been slipping Maximilian's mind lately. He knew he should have replied earlier, but the ship was due to stay at Issoudun for at least a few more days, so no harm was done. Skimming through the message, he noted the key points: the wreck would no longer occupy a valuable berth on Issoudun, Montluc would handle the repairs themselves, and it would serve as additional protection for their station. A good deal all around. Especially after the colonel's engineers had taken a look at the derelict and stripped it of what little valuable there was for the Enclave war machine.
Maximilian was happy with the outcome. Hopefully, the Baron would be too, once he got his hands on the obsolete vessel. With a quiet chuckle, Maximilian sent a single text message: "Approved."
![[Image: BJtUdbj.png]](https://i.imgur.com/BJtUdbj.png)
![[Image: z5ghcRT.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/z5ghcRT.jpg)
![[Image: 5VxG9EX.png]](https://i.imgur.com/5VxG9EX.png)
![[Image: JC9vc2X.png]](https://i.imgur.com/JC9vc2X.png)
![[Image: Ubxu1DU.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Ubxu1DU.png)
![[Image: IG14KGx.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/IG14KGx.jpg)
![[Image: 4eH2myv.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4eH2myv.png)
![[Image: SU4Xcls.png]](https://i.imgur.com/SU4Xcls.png)
![[Image: nvrsig2.png]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/381547380740194315/626953928524824599/nvrsig2.png)
![[Image: 3NLdYa0.png]](https://i.imgur.com/3NLdYa0.png)
![[Image: uB5eb0u.png]](https://i.imgur.com/uB5eb0u.png)
![[+]](/forums/images/collapse_collapsed.png "[+]")
Coste Report, January 25, 743 A.G.S.![[Image: lqE5xz3.png]](https://i.imgur.com/lqE5xz3.png)