┝┅{Sender: Commander Corella Sonata ┝┅{Recipients: Deterrence High Command ┝┅{Location: Planet Crete, Omicron Gamma ┝┅{Subject: Second Convoy to Gallia
Hola Commanders,
Commander Sonata reporting in with our largest convoy to Gallia yet, consisting of no less than three commercial ships!
While most of the journey has been quite uneventful, I'm glad to inform you that we've arrived home safely with a significant amount of Military Salvage, dropped off at Tripoli Shipyard. In addition to the cargo, we've gained the trust of Lt. Rafael Peres, last of the ECG, who joined forces with us and is now a full member of the Deterrence.
Here's the full log:
Our convoy began with Reincarnation Outpost in Planet Knossos' atmosphere, where the DTR-CCS>Megisti.Anesi formed up with DTR-CCS>Kingsdown and DTR-CCS>Desolation.
We were joined by two escorts, the gunboat DTR-CNS>Scorcher and the bomber ECG|Lt.Rafael_Peres. We were later joined by the escort ship DTR-Sigma4.
Our path to Zurich through the Omegas was as clear as midday's sky on Crete! I guess that little freelancer from last time has learned his lesson.
One thing that was definitely a nuance was Marco's blabber in the radio frequency, causing an overload to the systems and nearly crashing our computers! Good thing Eros was able to predict that and install a proprietary "spam protection" module on the Kingsdown so that we wouldn't have to hear the entire thing. Bless Ravenna for recruiting such talented and resourceful commanders.
Anyways, we've arrive there fairly quickly and ascended the Zurich corridor into Gallic space.
The moment we reached Ile-de-France, the Gallic Navy's alert went off and the came to check what's going on.
They were so nice as to escort us throughout the entirety of our trip within Gallic space. What a lovely bunch! We should visit them more often.
Our return trip through the Omegas was also clear and quiet. What a pleasure.
However, I must apologize, I forgot to bring Baguettes again. More of an incentive to do that again, right?
The following transmission has been redacted by the Deterrence Office for Public Communications in order to protect Military and Commercial secrets.
The original document has been destroyed to prevent the leakage of possible information.
┝┅┅┅[Latest from the Newsroom!]┅┅┅┥
Outrageous Outcasts Organise Olive-Branch as Ravenna Nagash signs Mystery Agreement
by Petroula Carvos (Unofficial Corsair News Network)
The Unofficial Corsair News Network has been around for a long time. Sure, we're a two-bit gossip rag that started off talking about the the latest flings and fads of the great families of Crete, a tradition that we will no doubt carry on, but we have have always taken reporting seriously.
That is why I am proud to say that after our harrowing coverage of the recent fight with the Outcasts and the more humorous encounter with the Auxo, we have managed to get out hands on the scoop of a lifetime. Bear with me folks, as this is going to be a big one.
As everyone who hasn't lived under a rock for the past year would be aware, Deterrence is an up and coming force amongst the Corsairs. With a wide range of connections, vast military might and an employee benefits scheme to protect the families of fallen warriors; Deterrence has been making waves wherever they go.
Not everything has been a walk in the park for this quasi-military fleet though.
Deterrence has invested a large amount of time and money into mining and trade, with a focus on the Nomad Ruins in Planet Knossos atmosphere and the relics found within.
While other Corsair forces have long since abandoned the ruins, Deterrence has moved in. Building a forward base a mere stone's throw from the ruins. This reporter was actually given an early tour of the facility, but was forced to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. While this has never stopped me before in the past, it appears that Deterrence takes their agreements very seriously. No sooner was I going to publish my article, than I had special forces knocking on my door to confiscate my equipment and material.
Needless to say, the base has been opened to the public since then, but they never did return all the materials I had collected.
"But what about the headline?" I hear you ask. Well folks, I am working up to that.
It is now common knowledge that there has been a cold war in place around the Nomad Ruins, ever since a Deterrence vessel attacked an Outcast mining party tagged as █████████████████.
Corsairs shooting Outcasts is nothing new, different or newsworthy. So, what happened to make this situation?
The ████████████████ declared a siege on the Deterrence base, claiming it was a military threat.
Normally, this would be a "defend to the last man" situation where either the base is lost, or the Outcast force is completely annihilated.
Yet, purportedly while raiding Malta, Ravenna Nagash herself made some sort of business deal with ██████████████. These guys are a neutral, highly organised force of █████████████████████ who specialise in ███████████████████████.
Likewise, these █████████ also seem to have business dealings with the Outcasts.
As such, in order to prevent their own business interests from being affected, ██████████████ have mediated some form of temporary cease-fire treaty around Planet Knossos. To my thinking, this sounds very much like a thing the ever "diplomatic" Zoners would do.
Regardless of the reasons, this is first such treaty that this reporter can nominally find between the Corsairs and Outcasts in recent history. To date, most agreements of this nature are only verbal and soon forgotten once tensions rise.
Yet this agreement has been officially drafted, with copies kept by all three parties. This determined reporter managed to get a brief glimpse of the treaty and found a few of nuggets of interesting information.
The treaty is not a peace treaty. We are still at war with the Outcasts.
Deterrence will not attack specifically flagged Outcast vessels within the atmosphere of Knossos. Provided they, or their companions, are not shot at first.
Both the Outcasts and Deterrence have independantly signed this agreement with ██████████████ and very specifically, not with each other.
It seems this deal may have deprived us of the glorious battle that was to come, but has opened a new chapter of history. Is Deterrence trying to turn us into a nation of corporate weaklings?
For answers I turned to the leaders of Deterrence itself. After much determination, getting caught in the middle of some "investigative journalism" and sufficient monetary persuasion; I managed to score an interview with an unassuming woman who hid the lower half of her face behind a bandanna, but her dark and piercing eyes stared at me as she introduced herself as Ravenna Nagash.
While I initially doubted this fact, the precence of known DTR Commander Multannus Cerratus made it clear this was not a joke.
Hi! I'm Petroula Stavros from the Unofficial Corsair News Network. Do you have time to answer some questions? I don't normally talk to the media but yes, I suppose I can answer some questions. I trust you will understand that I can't provide information on anything sensitive or implicate our military.
What were your first thoughts when you heard that the Starfliers wanted you to make a treaty with the Outcasts? That of distrust naturally. We Corsairs are a proud people and we tend to keep to ourselves. However, I value the lives of my men and crew more than my pride. A full blown war with our hated enemy would have only weakened us at this time. Not to mention, the collateral damage could have destroyed the source of our relics. Given our location, we cannot afford to disrupt one of our most profitable business ventures. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer, as the saying goes. It's also nice to have a look at your enemies - get the measure of them.
And here I always believed that dying on the battlefield is one of the greatest honours, for a corsair.
You mentioned the source of the relics, are you saying that the reason you opted to not go into glorious battle was primarily because of some money? Dying on the battlefield honorably is something that any Corsair can aspire to. In death, may we find wisdom. There's virtue in battle, that's true. But out here, we live through the ingenuity of our people, their unyielding determination. Every life is precious to me. One should have the providence to look into the future. That's why one of the chants is - Today, Tomorrow, Forever.
While it's true that a battle would have been glorious - the risks were too great. The potentiality of losing the main driver of our economy was too high. I am not going to gamble with the future of our people. As you are well aware, out here, we need every edge to survive. Unlike the inners, our money buys precious commodities without which we can't survive.
You recently had a battle with Outcasts in Omicron Delta, was your the loss in that battle part of a greater plan to extract favour from the Outcasts? As mentioned, I would never sacrifice lives needlessly, especially for cheap political gains from our hated enemy. Saving everyone only happens in the vids. There will be deaths. Being in charge means making sure they lead to the greater good, that they mean something. That's a reality shared by every Corsair. Anyone who gave their life that day was a hero - all of them. They paid the ultimate price for our continued survival. More importantly, that day wasn't about spite, it was about standing up and forging our own path. We took a tragic vacuum and created an opportunity. To change something, one must be prepared to pay the price of their convictions. Unless you are saying that DTR and our many partners don't deserve that chance. In war, many battles are fought - you can't win them all. However, our resolution has never been stronger.
How does this treaty affect the rest of the Corsairs, is everyone expected to put down their guns? Yes, and then we can invite the cardamine addicts for a party and crack open a bottle of whiskey. Before your viewers reach out for their guns and start shooting up the vid display, I am joking. A united Hispania is an interesting concept but let's get not ahead of ourselves. Similarly, while Deterrence holds considerable military power at this stage, we do not speak for every Corsair out there. Our partners and allies are free to do as they wish according to their own will. Unfortunately, I can't discuss the nature of the treaty and its contents due to security reasons. Naturally, my jurisdictions at this stage extends only to the Deterrence. As usual, I welcome any of our partners to speak to me directly should they have any concerns. However, I am happy to confirm that with the reduction of tensions and hostilities, our base would be resuming normal operations again. Xeno Relics are highly profitable and I encourage the trade. A lot of inners love them and they pay handsomely. The fruits of our investments speak for themselves.
Did you get to meet the leader of the Outcasts? If so, how did you manage to resist shooting them on sight? I can neither confirm nor deny.
What was your opinion of the Outcast "Diplomats", are they really as arrogant as people say? I can neither confirm nor deny.
You mentioned not attacking for fear of damaging the source of the relics. What if the Council of Elders orders Deterrence to attack the Outcasts in Knossos? I would trust that the Council of Elders, in their infinite wisdom, understand that potential destruction of the only currently known source of Xeno Relics is unacceptable. No military victory in Knossos is worth such risk, if it means losing our main source of acquiring funds and commodities. The survival and future of our people depends on it. We cannot afford to treat lightly with such realities, lest we endanger all Corsairs and threaten our self-sustainability.
What about continued hostilities in Omicron Beta and Alpha, is the Deterrence fleet going to stop fighting there just to please the Outcasts? While I generally prefer non-violent and more elegant solutions to any of our competitors, if it does come to conflict, the Deterrence fleet stands ready. Rest assured - every man and woman active in the Deterrence will engage any enemy that wants to challenge our path.
To those that choose violence upon us - we are going to fight them with all our strength and we won't rest until we have secured the safety our people and destroyed every single one of them.
While we believe in co-operation and negotiation - no nation will prevent our self-determination, our future, and the survival of our people as long as I stand.
----
As you can see from the interview and from our recent articles, this doesn't affect hostilities between the Outcasts and Corsairs. Yet it does show that the two sides are capable of... Well, ignoring each other while independently working with the same third party.
All we can do for now is wait and see. We’re in it for the long haul people.
Reported in 828AS by the Unofficial Corsair News Network
With much pleasure I'm reporting to you the success of my first relics run!
Everything started smoothly, smooth as all of the aspects of being a Corsair, at Reincarnation Outpost. The boys made sure that the cargo hold was packed full of top-notch Xeno Relics, and off I went. Destination: California!
My planned route took me through the Omegas. I chose this route since we have a sizeable presence there, and so I made sure that the first part of the journey will be smooth, and it was. The first obstacle was coming, Bretonia.
This was also thought in advance, since I'm aware the Armed Forces are busy in the Orkney system trying to prove a point to our amigos, though I doubt they will, so I had before me open space. Smooth sailing, like a real Corsair. So, the second obstacle was in sight, Liberty space, my final destination. Well, it's too much calling it obstacle knowing the ways of the Liberty Military. I'd rather call it a walk in the park.
As previous agreed, I was to meet the middleman on Fontana Freeport in California. From there he would take the cargo to the final destination, Manhattan. Good taste these libertonians have, they fancy our Xeno Relics very much, and they never have enough! With the Navy busy in New York, most likely harassing a honest trader about a faulty navigation light, I enjoyed a glass of spirit while the autopilot took me right to Fontana. I guess Corsair traders have an easier life while traveling through Liberty than their own corporations do. Gracias, Navy! Keep it up.
Unloading procedures also went smooth, just like the flight through California. Middleman was happy about the cargo quality and happily paid up. Now, question was what to haul back to the Empire. My first thought was Helium since the Zoners value it very much and pay well. So off I went to Pennsylvania to get some. Rumors has it there are a group of Freelancers there who would sell it to anyone, no questions asked. Perfect moment to test this out. Satisfying my curiosity and chip in the profits to Deterrence. Do I have to say that the flight from California to Pennsylvania was smooth? No, I don't. It's obvious. My hint is Navy got a lead on a trader having it's insurrance expired, so they commited their full fleet to find this thug.
So there I was in Pennsylvania, looking for the misterious station that would sell to everyone. As I was wondering blind, not having a course, I recieved an encrypted message, saying " set course to 4B, it will be worth it.". Roger, señor! 4B, here I come! And there was this misterious station, time to check the rumors. I must admit, this was the first rumor that I could confirm. Those guys were doing real businesses, like the ones Interspace do on Alabama Shipyard. While I was negociating the transaction, a thought came: Do we really need the credits? Not really. Maybe I can find something more valuable than credits...I KNOW! SCRAP! Not realising I said this loud, the local boss came to me, and said: "You'll find what you're looking for in Texas, E6. You will be expected." Off I was, again, on the short run from Pennsylvania to Texas. I have to admit, flying though Liberty is less challenging than flying back home. Usually you run into a lost Bounty Hunter, but out here, no Navy in sight. Next time I'll bring more spirits with me to pass the time faster through Liberty. Even flight school is more challenging than this. Short run to Texas via California. Once the jump was completed, I was stunned, wherever I was looking I would see scrap. No, Premium Scrap! How could the libertonians just leave it all there, doing nothing with it? They call it scrap, well, I would call it Grey Gold. All the way to E6 I had my mouth widely open, astonished of the ammounts of metal floating in space. While closing on E6, there it was, the "candy store". Docking procedures were smooth, so I was to find the local shot caller. A full load of Premium Scrap was negociated, price was fine, so I hasted the loading operation.
So, next, time to plan the trip back to Crete. I prefered the safest way. Witch is that? Through Virginia! But wait , how can Virginia be safe? You might ask. Well, I'll tell you, it's the Navy's home system. And this means there's no Navy around! Also, there was another rumor I wanted to check. They say there's a huge jumpgate in Virginia, called Supergate, that will jump you to the Omicrons. They also say that most of the system is off limits. Perfect! If that's the case, there will be no traders around with broken navigation lights, so there will be no Navy around!
How was my trip from E6 Texas to the Virginia jump gate? Smooth, exactly. I didn't even bothered to use the jump hole, went right through the front door. Once in Virginia, there it was in the distance, the huge jump gate. Charged the cruise engines and vectored in. While on autopilot, a code red alarm engaged: NAVY! I said ok, this needs some maintenance, so I scheduled my Pilgrim on Rhodes for a maintenance check. Right after this was done, radar broke down. It was indicating a Navy ship in Virginia. Yea, sure. In the meantime I reached the so called Supergate, and I'm telling you, this thing is huge! Oh, strictly off limits. While I took a moment to gasp at it, I saw the Navy ship closing in. WOW! This was more impressive than the Supergate itself. Time to jump fast, didn't wanted to risk the precious cargo.
Yes, this rumor was also true. After the jump I found myself in the Omicrons, a short run from home. I was hoping that here I would find some challenge on the way, like a Bounty Hunter, a Core, anything, since Liberty was dry. Sadly, I didn't had this luck, so the way back to Gamma was smooth as those through Liberty. While entering Gamma, I was told to unload the Premium Scrap at Tripoli Shipyard. T'was smooth as the entire trip was.
My conclusions: Liberty is a nice park I will surely return to! Until next time.
Posts: 1,029
Threads: 63
Joined: May 2011
Staff roles: Coding Developer King of FLServer
┝┅┅┅{INCOMING TRANSMISSION}┅┅┅┥
┝┅{Sender: Administrator Achates Galatas ┝┅{Recipients: Deterrence High Command ┝┅{Location: Reincarnation Outpost, Planet Knossos, Omicron Xi ┝┅{Subject: Orbit readjustment
Greetings, High Command!
I'm pleased to inform you that our commercial results here at Reincarnation have reached a satisfactory level. That said, our location makes it hard to find for clients. There's hardly a day where I don't receive a report from our patrol forces that they've had to lead a ship to our location, or that the captain of said ship was completely unaware of our existence. As such, I provide the following proposal:
Our engineers at Tripoly informed me that an orbit-correction can be easily achieved using externally-mounted, Praefect-class thrusters. Given the station current mass and desired the burn would take roughly 53 hours, consuming one thousand units of fuel per hour. As for the location I propose the following location, on the same altitude as the excavation zone, near the atmospheric entry point:
It should be within visual range for all ships descending into the atmosphere, without affecting any ships simply passing through. If approved, I'll commission the thrusters to be sent from Tripoly and await shipments of MOX fuel. We already have around 10 thousand units stocked on the base, but that fuel is reserved for keeping the shield online in case of an attack, and as such, will not be used for this project. We will be ready to begin once we have 63.000 units of MOX loaded onto the base. Looking forward to your response.
┝┅{Sender: High Commander Eros Galanis ┝┅{Recipients: Administrator Achates Galatas ┝┅{Location: Tripoli Shipyard, Omicron Gamma ┝┅{Subject: RE: Orbit readjustment
Senor Galatas,
In order to get enough thrusters for the base to move, we'll have to suspend cruisers from our fleet. It can be arranged, but I'll have you know that this operation would put us at risk. Should at least one of our many enemies show up at the doorstep, there's no guarantee that we'll be prepared for battle.
However, due to the relatively short timeframe, it is a cost we're willing to pay. The importance of our running commercial operation at Knossos does not shy from the importance of fleet readiness. After all, it'll allow us to afford the construction of many more thrusters and ships to mount them on.
The most effective way to move the thrusters would be to disassemble them at Syros, and have transports from our commercial fleet haul the components over for reconstruction aboard Reincarnation Outpost. I suggest we begin moving cruisers for thruster disassembly immediately. We don't have much time to spare.
Posts: 1,029
Threads: 63
Joined: May 2011
Staff roles: Coding Developer King of FLServer
┝┅┅┅{INCOMING TRANSMISSION}┅┅┅┥
┝┅{Sender: Administrator Achates Galatas ┝┅{Recipients: Deterrence High Command ┝┅{Location: Reincarnation Outpost, Planet Knossos, Omicron Xi ┝┅{Subject: Orbit readjustment
Commander Galanis,
Deconstruction of an existing warship is unnecessary, we can simply use engines that would be used on Praefects currently in construction on Tripoly. Thankfully I received confirmation from our shipwrights over there that we can lease 4 of them. A single Essedarius can store an entirety of such thruster in its belly, assuming it's properly disassembled. As such, on top of the fuel we'll be expecting a shipment of 17.600 Engine Components.
Main defense-related issue will be the fact that we will need to re-calibrate our weapon platforms once the operation is complete, which will take time and a non-trivial amount of resources. However, I'm certain that won't pose too much of an issue.
DTR's Nice New Naval Novelty!
by Gustavo Almadovar (Unofficial Corsair News Network - Apprentice reporter)
This is Gustavo Almadovar with an exclusive report for the famous Unofficial Corsair News Network from the Rhodes Shipyard here in the marvellous Omicron Gamma!
We received word from one of our sources that a new - and by that I really mean un-new-usual - ship has been seen around lately, flying under the colours of the Imperio del Corsario.
Hermanos y Hermanas, it seems the DTR is sporting a carrier vessel in their ranks - asombroso, si?
By mucho fortuno (y mucho bribing) I happened to find the Capitan of the warship in question: Felipe Sanchez.
It was possible to get a few words out of him for the UCNN, before he could hurry off:
---- Hola, Capitan! ... Wait please, Capitan! I am from the Unofficial Corsair News Network - an interview por favor! Hola, hermano. I am very busy at the moment. Can we do this quick please?
Surely, thank you for stopping. I want to ask about the new ship under your command, do y- Si! I was able to secure command of this beauty, praise the Executor. She is a work of art! See?
Image courtesy to: Capitan Felipe Sanchez
Well, maybe it is. But where does it come from and why is The Deterrence using it? You see, hermano - we ...found... her. And she was in quite a good state at that. So we towed her here to initially be stripped and used for spare parts. But me and some other Capitans were thinking otherwise.
And unbeknown to us Executor Nagash had the same thought: Repairing and putting to good use. And you keeping me occupied here is proof that the engineers of the shipyard succeeded in their task.
You have not answered my second question yet, Capitan. Why use such a ship at all? Have you not taken a good look at it? It is a Carrier! ... You don't get it, do you, hermano?
I am deeply sorry, Capitan, but you must see something in this ship I don't understand. Please tell me and the viewers. Very well, in easy words: It's a Carrier. It carries what? Si, ships. It carries ships into fights - and back. This is it's primary purpose, me entiendes? Good, now listen:
She, my Artemis, is the first of her kind in our fleet. Something we have been lacking so far without even noticing it all these years. Our pilots pride themselves with crossing the void in just their Jets,
but it is nonetheless a dangerous flight every time they take to the stars. Imagine you are one of those pilots and you're hit in a fight, a raid, whatnot.
Here is where the Executor intends the DTR-CNS>Artemis to shine! She is supposed to be a safe haven, a respite for all pilots that pledged themselves to Crete. A beacon to turn to! A litany of-
Excuse me for interrupting there, but you needn't scream in my ear, I'm standing right next to you! Uh, ehm ... I may have gotten a little carried away there. Where was I?
Gracias, Capitan. You were telling me about the function of the ship. Please be so kind as to proceed. Si, continue...si... I should not say too mucho about what we intend to achieve with her, I guess...
But Capitan, allow me a last question, if you would be so kind? Si? Okay, bien! Why produce so much effort to repair and outfit such a big ship? I could give you a funny answer: Because we can! Business is booming with these Xeno Relics from Knossos again and our economical reserves are plentiful right now.
The Artemis is an endeavour-made-possible, to quote the Executor.
Filling a gap in the fleets of Corsairs that was left open for a long time. We can now sport all branch of arms as is expected of us, The Deterrence!
And once she is finished, her duties will be duly appreciated in no time, mark my words!
"Once", Capitan? You say the ship is not ready yet? But I heard reports of sightings in battlefields. How come? Lucky as much as unlucky coincidences I must say, hermano. We have embarked on two supposed maiden voyages, but got entangled in raids and fights on both occasions.
Soon we will give it another try to finally have a mission without much interference. And I suspect the Executor has already something on her mind for us...
Alas this is none of your business, compadre. I am sure you understand this.
Now I need to make haste, else some cabron with a wrench might hurt my bambina! Hasta la proxima!
----
And with those words he was off into the tangle of workers, engineers and pilots.
I will stay on this curious story to shed more light on this subject.
For UCNN, Gustavo Almadovar.
Reported in 828AS by the Unofficial Corsair News Network
As per your orders, Administrator, I have paused the mining operation and will not be shipping any new Relics aboard to make the station lighter.
I took this opportunity to pilot one of our stolen Bretonian transports. First time piloting that mini-Barge, one heavy beast! Very efficient, I must say. His face shines with a wide smirk: I'm glad I ordered these stolen. Nothing like long-term benefits from well-earned trophies.
I've moved all the required Engine Components from Tripoli to the base, and added 2400 MOX fuel pods to fill in the empty space. Should be enough to start engine construction. If you need extra hands on board with that, let me know and I'll reassign some of the sorting machinery workers over to do the heavy lifting.
Attaching proof of delivery. Not that I don't think you trust me, just standard procedure, you know...
Lazar out.
Posts: 1,029
Threads: 63
Joined: May 2011
Staff roles: Coding Developer King of FLServer
┝┅┅┅{INCOMING TRANSMISSION}┅┅┅┥
┝┅{Sender: Administrator Achates Galatas ┝┅{Recipients: Deterrence High Command ┝┅{Location: Reincarnation Outpost, Planet Knossos, Omicron Xi ┝┅{Subject: RE: Orbit readjustment
Overseer Lazar,
I can confirm that the engine parts have been delivered, and are being reassembled as we speak. We need only sufficient amount of fuel to uplift the station to desired position. Meanwhile the station could use a bit of Relics loaded, as we just ran out. Before you concern yourself with our ongoing efforts, we still have around 40.000 units to work with after including space reserved for the fuel.
Posts: 1,029
Threads: 63
Joined: May 2011
Staff roles: Coding Developer King of FLServer
┝┅┅┅{INCOMING TRANSMISSION}┅┅┅┥
┝┅{Sender: Administrator Achates Galatas ┝┅{Recipients: Deterrence High Command ┝┅{Location: Reincarnation Outpost, Planet Knossos, Omicron Xi ┝┅{Subject: RE: Orbit readjustment
High Command,
Shipments received in full, with a bit of spare parts for good measure. The thrusters are reassembled and ready for the ignition, with any luck, I'll be sending the next message from our new position.