The Hades group, which appeared in 830 A.S., along with several other research and expeditionary units of the "30th", earned not only its number - "34" but also the task of exploring distant Sirius. So if others did not go further than the "limit" of one ten light years, then Adam got the honor of going into the unknown itself, leading not only a cruiser, but also many other research and support ships.
In 833 A.S. his unit went hundreds of light years beyond the Sirius sector. Led by a mission to explore distant worlds and study the Nomads threat, which in theory could appear where no man had gone before, researchers, scientists and militants of the Order encountered difficulties grewing with each passing day. The meters covered turned into a real test and sweet victories acquired a much stronger bitterness than the most terrible defeat.
Madness, real massacres, unbearable psychological conditions, intrigues, riddles, treachery and betrayal surrounded Hades from the first month of being "beyond". Unraveling the mysteries of an ancient civilization seemed to immerse people in something more perfect than anything they had lived before, and this, without a doubt, helped them stay afloat. Having survived another battle, Adam made a wise decision: return home while it was not too late, and not to die the death of a foolish hero.
So they returned to Sirius. After a long rest, well-deserved rewards for the information provided, and extensive repairs to the cruiser, his group re-entered the game, surviving a series of skirmishes in the Tohoku system. Working in his profile of fightihg the Nomads, Adam found a new place for himself and his team in Eclipse Vanguard, a new division of the Order that matched his profile of combating the alien threat.
No matter how many mysteries they solve, there will be more. And now they will have to work on another one: an old enemy of humanity has decided to declare itself again, and Adam's squad cannot remain on the sidelines. Tohoku was a test of their old skills and abilities in combat. Today's events will test their scientific talents. The enemy is still strong but Adam does not intend to retreat.
New part of Hades group story begins here.
INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION
To Hades squad.
In the middle and beginning of the second half of November combined forces of the Order and Blood Dragons were able to thwart the plans of the Nomad followers, the so-called infected (their Kusari-cell) in the Tohoku system. All reports showed positive feedback on the activities of our group, as well as the successful completion of all assigned tasks, albeit at the cost of proportionate losses.
However, since November 25 of this year, there have been more frequent cases of minor clashes between the Order's ships and our alien opponent. In addition, long-range observation posts and Reseph cruisers on combat duty have been able to detect numerous enemy movements deep into the Sirius sector. Every day the enemy ships became more numerous, and at some point small skirmishes grew into fierce battles. The last large-scale battle took place in the borderland between Omicron- and Tau-worlds about a week ago. After that, the enemy retreated and made no more attempts to move into Sirius sector.
The silence was broken two days earlier, before the publication of this log. According to the information we received that Nomad forces have once again decided to return to operations inside the Sirius sector. According of Order agents and allied organizations reports, our enemy has not yet brought in large vessels, but using mainly small-tonnage ships. When our allies trying to force them a battle, Nomads tries with all its might to leave a battlefield and goes either deep into the Omicrons or Sirius, dissolving among the stars.
Such behavior bears the character of an intelligence operation with as yet unspecified targets. Some military analysts claim that the enemy is preparing for a major invasion, while others believe that the Nomads are looking for something of particular value to them. There are also those who believe that the enemy has accumulated enough forces to carry out daring raids into Sirius and therefore another "cleansing" is required, so there can be no talk of any intelligence operation.
According to the new order, the mission to establish the truth was assigned to our group and some numbers of Order tactical units transferred to us. Taking advantage of my new powers and relying on all relevant and actual information, I order:
Transfer all tactical units to temporary combat duty in Sigmas, Omegas and Taus.
Form new patrol squadrons of Hades group and strengthen their control in the inner Omicrons, namely in the Omicron Delta, Omicron Zeta, Omicron Theta and Omicron Mu systems.
Redeploy "Hades" cruiser to the Omicron Delta system as the most advantageous one in terms of tactical maneuvers.
For tactical groups: Carefully monitor the movement of Nomad ships to Sirius or, conversely, to Omicrons. Engagement in combat allowed after a direct order from squadron commanders.
For "Hades" squad squadrons personnel: Follow standard protocol regarding Nomads.
For scientific staff: Conduct activities to prepare research operations related to current events and propose them to squad command by Monday evening (09/12/834, 21:00).
The above instructions shall come into effect upon publication of this log. Unit commanders shall convey the tasks to their subordinates and begin to carry them out. All incidents shall be reported immediately.
Also, I remind you that our task is not only to fight aliens but also to study them. Follow the mission objectives and do not take unnecessary risks.
Lieutenant Commander Adam Helson ECLISPE VANGUARD, HADES SQUAD
08/12/834
//Everything you've read here applies only to the "Hades" group and all those who wish to play with us during this event. Do not take these orders on account of the Order and certainly not on account of the official faction. If you want to participate, feel free PM me on forums or in Discord: perfectgentleman8088.
I hope I can do something interesting and worthwhile. Either way, it won't be boring, if I'm bad at RP, I'll try to prove myself in PvP.
MISSION #2-834 - RESEARCH PROJECTS FOR OFFICIAL USE
Adam Helson.
I enclose for Hades Squad Command a log of future research and experimentational projects related to current events. As a reminder, my team reserves the right to add new projects as events unfold. We also request that we be given control of at least two squadrons of the Tau task force.
Control over two squadrons (3rd and 4th) has been transferred into your hands. Please note that this should not affect their combat coherence and effectiveness. Otherwise, I will dismsiss you from research. I remind you that if you need people from other tactical groups, you should contact me directly.
Lieutenant Commander Adam Helson ECLISPE VANGUARD, HADES SQUAD
09/12/834
The following projects are our attempts to understand the Nomads goals and motives in light of current events. As you know, the enemy is once again attempting to go deep into Sirius, and we must establish their true plans. The data we obtain will not only help us better understand their nature but will also improve our tactical capabilities and bring us one step closer to victory.
The 3rd and 4th Squadrons entrusted to us are to be our eyes and ears, not our weapons, and therefore all their actions in our operations must be of an research nature only. Any actions that pose an unreasonable risk and threaten their lives will be considered an attempt on their lives with the aim of sabotaging our operations.
Operation goal: Establish possible routes of enemy movement from Sirius back to Omicrons (and vice versa), get closer to understanding the motives of the Nomad activities.
Special equipment used: None.
Ships used: 3rd and 4th squadrons of Tau task force.
Opertion task description.
Forces from 3rd and 4th Squadrons should scout the Tau worlds for any signs of Nomads ships, scan their energy signatures, and relay data to Hades.
After this, Hades Command is to relay the data to other tactical groups under its control. Unit pilots and their commanders are to match the detected energy signatures to those previously provided by Hades and relay the information to the bridge.
Jinna Leons Wrote:- I would need other ships from the neighboring groups as observers. They would need to relay all the necessary information to me, nothing more. I also require the cruiser's assistance in transmitting all necessary information.
Adam Helson Wrote:- I have notified the group commanders of your request. My senior communications officer will provide you with a temporary frequency to communicate with them. Hades will transmit data to (and receive data from) squadrons via the Mafdet cruiser placed in Omicron Theta.
Opertion results.
The squadrons conducted a thorough patrol of the Tau worlds and made contact with several Nomad ships. As stated earlier, the enemy did not attempt to engage in combat, but tried to move away from the Order ships. However, this did not prevent the energy signatures of about 10 ships from being preserved and sent to Hades.
After some time, neighboring tactical groups reported that five of the ten signatures matched. A few hours later, two more were confirmed, and then the remaining three. According to the reports received, four Nomad ships were attempting to make a daring attempt to break through patrols, using an unconventional trajectory of jumps between systems (choosing the longest and most unpredictable path instead of the shortest). Sometimes the same ship could appear three times in the same system where it was detected, indicating an attempt to confuse pursuers.
All four ships were given the opportunity to pass deep into the Omicrons, something that the main units of Hades Squadron were also aware of. A day later, on December 10 834 A.S., their energy signatures reappeared at the borders between the regions of the sector, all with the same goal: to break the blockade.
Six remaining ships were never detected attempting to break through the blockade. Instead, they appeared in other systems and then headed back into Sirius.
Jinna Leons Wrote:- It seems that the data from our allies is reliable: the enemy is active in all parts of the Sirius sector and, moreover, actively avoids any attempts to catch itself. This is indicated by the fact that if the enemy moved only within the borders between Omicrons and Sirius, then we would track it constantly but Nomad ships were sent to each of the nearest Houses, and then returned after a very long time.
The coincidence of signatures indicates that the enemy is leaving Omicrons, making a forced march through Sirius, and then moving back. However, it is still unclear to me why they are trying to avoid combat. Their ships are operating alone, which means that the theory of daring raids is excluded. This is clearly some kind of intelligence operation.
Our people must take the risk and come closer. I requiring conduct a thorough scan of the Nomad ships that return from Sirius and compare the data obtained with the results of scanning the Nomads that do not go beyond Omicrons. Also, I need biological material from both.
Adam Helson Wrote:- I will give you that opportunity. Our tactical groups will conduct a detailed scanning procedure with the enemy ships and learn their energy signatures. At the same time, Omicron patrol teams wll get those signatures and engage the enemy directly and salvage what is valuable to us from the remains.
I'll ask regular Order squadrons located in Omicrons give us biological material of Nomad ships detected since 08/12/834.
Operation goal: Compare data of the Nomad ships operating in Sirius and Omicrons.
Special equipment used: None.
Ships used: All tactical groups and Hades squadrons.
Opertion task description.
All squadrons are to establish a security blockade around Omicrons and track any approaching Nomad ships. Patrol ships are to let the enemy get as close as possible, and then attempt to intercept it in order to further scan the enemy in detail.
After scanning, the enemy ship should be given the opportunity to retreat to Omicrons, where it will already be attacked by the main Hades squadrons. This will again confirm the theory that the enemy is heading deeper into Omicrons, and the tactical situation will not allow the enemy to go even deeper, or turn back.
By comparing biological material from Nomads ships whose energy signatures were not detected outside of Omicrons and material from Nomads attempting to break in, it may be possible to determine the enemy's true objectives.
Jinna Leons Wrote:- If the enemy has differences, they are inside! If this guess is not confirmed, then we will have to inspect the space of the Houses personally.
Opertion results.
All units, including tactical ones, collected 37 energy signatures and briefly analyzed their evasive maneuvers to determine the "easiest" target for capture.
Of the 37 ships, only 5 fit this category. Using previous experience in surveillance and pursuit, the Order's forces were able to overtake each of the specified targets, but when they came too close, the Wanderers opened return fire. The squadron commanders took the following initiative: several pilots distract the enemy, and one of them scans the enemy ship.
Despite the accompanying difficulties, all enemy ships were successfully scanned, pilots managed to "retreat", due to so enemy rushed into the Omicrons. There, Hades' units were waiting for them, who already knew the flight path of the targets and were able to successfully destroy them one by one. Collected biological material and scan data were successfully sent aboard the cruiser Hades to the Omicron Delta system.
Jinna Leons Wrote:- Now we have some leads! The cargo of these ships is what distinguishes them from the rest! This is not reconnaissance, this is the delivery from Sirius deep into the Omicrons.
The biological data of the shells of these Nomads and those that always live in the Omicrons are completely identical in their structure. They may have different shapes, as always, but their material is completely identical.
However, what was inside them is the very reason why they so diligently avoided battle. They cannot lose it, and "it" came from the depths of Sirius, not Omicrons. This is evidenced by the fact that we did not find anything similar in the remains of the ships that were caught in Omicrons no earlier than December 8.
Everything that happened weeks earlier is just preparation for this operation, which our enemy has been conducting for two days now. I request the permanent delivery of unknown objects on board our cruiser for further study.
Adam Helson Wrote:- I have received your message and will order our people to capture "valuable" Nomad ships to extract the material you need from them. Keep in mind that the flow will be inconsistent, since not every Nomad is ready to die so easily.
It appears that we have managed to establish the true motives and actions of the Wanderers, although we will only be able to say for sure after studying what the pilots of the Hades squadrons have provided us. At the moment, we know that enemy is actively moving unknown artifacts from Sirius deep into Omicrons. This is indicated by the fact that the signatures of alien ships leaving Omicrons do not have these artifacts with them, but when they return, they carry such cargo.
It is worth noting that the enemy values this cargo very much. The ships we attacked showed different behavior but they pursued only one goal: break through the blockade. It seems that the cargo is something valuable that we could use for our own benefit and turn against the enemy.
In any case, only a detailed examination will shed light on another mystery. Following this, the scientific staff should remain at Dabadoru Station, entrusting Hades and his tactical units with the task of finding and capturing the Nomad ships. All further research and experiments concerning these artifacts will be recorded in a separate section of this journal.
Object #2834-A - It is a dark-gray sphere with a loose organic surface. According to preliminary measurements, each of the spheres has its own diameter and mass, which mass from 8 to 32 tons and from 2 to 4 meters in diameter, respectively. As expected, the size of the sphere is directly proportional to its mass and vice versa.
The organic surface of the sphere has a similar composition to the surface of the Nomad structures, which allows to conclude that they are of extraterrestrial origin. This also allows draw conclusions about the potential strength of the shell. The shell thickness, as a rule, is no more than 10% of sphere radius, while the rest of space is a homogeneous crystal lattice. The scan confirmed the theory that sphere consists of only two elements. Any attempts to open the shell, at this time, require permission from the leading scientist at Dabadoru Station.
Jinna Leons Wrote:- During all research operations we have suggested that spheres represent information banks used by the Nomads. Thus, the organic shell must act as a "conductor" of information between the sphere and those who want to learn its secrets. Simply talking, any touch to this sphere will mean an instant transfer of information "from hand to hand".
According to security protocols, any physical contact between humans and Nomad artifacts is prohibited. Direct and constant observation of the artifact is prohibited. Only work with manipulators and video surveillance cameras is permitted. All actions with the artifact must be recorded for future archiving and use by the scientific corps of the Order. To strengthen security measures, additional security was assigned to artifacts storage. The security is divided into shifts, each of which is on duty for exactly 24 hours, and then must have a 24-hour rest without being involved in any work.
All incidents related to Nomad activity, starting from December 10, 834, must be reported in detail to the higher command of Hades cruiser. Data from research, experiments and particularly important incidents will be reflected below.
[1] - Rep. of 11/12/834, 15:37, Omicron Kappa - Battle encounter: Nomads [2] - Rep. of 12/12/834, 19:11, Dabadoru St. - Incident with working personnel [3] - Rep. of 14/12/834, 16:00, Dabadoru St. - Extract data experiment #1 [4] - Rep. of 15/12/834, 16:00, Dabadoru St. - Extract data experiment #2
Omicron Kappa - Battle encounter: Nomads Rep. of 11/12/834, 15:37
REPORT INFORMATION
On the morning of December 11, 834 A.S., in 11:23 Task Force "Sigma" successfully intercepted and destroyed a group of small Nomad vessels carrying artifacts needed for research. Although some of the artifacts did not survive, the rest were enough to fully load one of the transport frigates and begin preparations for its departure into the Omicrons.
Four Anubis-class fighters were deployed as an escort for the frigate. At 14:00, the transport group moved out to Omicron Delta and traveled most of the way without incident. As soon as the group crossed half of the Omicron Kappa system, sensors detected several Nomad squadrons, consisting primarily of light fighters, heading to intercept.
Immediately sending a distress signal, group attempted to delay the battle but was still forced into an unequal fight. Enemy concentrated fire on the transport frigate. Timely reinforcements allowed to repel the attack, although the enemy managed to destroy the frigate.
Some of the artifacts were destroyed in the explosion of frigate, enemy has managed exctract several artifacts and escape in an unknown direction. All remaining artifacts were successfully loaded onto other ships and delivered to Dabadoru Station.
Jinna Leons Wrote:- It seems that our opponent values these spheres very much.
Adam Helson Wrote:- Interior units sent to patrol Omicron will be required to provide additional forces to rendezvous with the transport group at a pre-arranged location and escort it to its destination.
NOTES
All transport groups must receive additional escort ships.
Before moving, the transport group reports a rendezvous point to the cruiser Hades, from where all information is sent to the nearest squadrons. Their goal is to reach the rendezvous point before the transport group arrives there.
The transport group and the meeting squadrons form a "transport pair", which is given a password word for identification and to avoid interception of transport ships by third parties.
Dabadoru St. - Incident with working personnel Rep. of 12/12/834, 19:11
REPORT INFORMATION
During the daytime on December 12, 834 A.S., one of Hades' patrol squadrons in the Omicron Delta system managed to intercept and destroy one of the Nomad ships that was transporting the artifacts being studied. The squadron members decided to request a temporary replacement for their patrol and to deliver the artifact to the station.
The request was approved, and at 15:28 of the same day squadron ships landed at the station, handing over the artifact to the loading teams. Due to the rush caused by returning to patrol, the squadron carried out an urgent technical inspection, refueled the ships, and within an hour (16:30) returned to their tasks.
At the same time, the loading personnel transferred the artifact to the distribution warehouse, after which the people responsible for the final distribution assigned the artifact the status of "Standard" and sent it to the wrong storage point. The storage facility in question met standard requirements and had no additional precautions, which is why the artifacts were considered the safest for humans and were not subject to any restrictions on touching.
The artifacts located in the above-mentioned warehouse were usually used by the Order's novice scientific personnel to familiarize themselves with alien objects and understand the principles of working with them. The senior researcher of the training group added a group of artifacts to the training lists, among which was the erroneously transferred one. The artifact was not listed as dangerous in the documents, and therefore the researcher, until the moment of visual contact, could not know what exactly he would use for training.
At 18:30, the artifact was in the training center among junior researchers, completely free of any protective measures against touching and eye contact. The senior researcher, at that moment, was busy with other duties, entrusting the transportation of the artifacts to his assistant, who was also not aware of the potential danger of the artifact. At 19:00, the study group arrived at the site and began to familiarize themselves with the artifacts under the guidance of an assistant.
One of the study group members violated the rule for working with artifacts, deciding to touch one of them before the senior researcher arrived. The choice fell on the sphere. The assistant managed to intercept his hand, but he himself touched the artifact, which is why its effect was transmitted to two people at once. The assistant to the senior researcher and the junior researcher lost consciousness. Rescue teams immediately arrived on the scene and ordered everyone to leave the premises. A senior researcher who arrived on the scene immediately identified the artifact as dangerous and should not have been in a classroom.
The moment of contact is at 19:11. Both victims fell into a coma with no signs of waking up anytime soon. The person who assigned the artifact to the wrong storage location was sent for questioning, during which he cited high workload and an error in determining the type of artifact. The question of his imprisonment is pending.
The question of sentencing the senior researcher is pending. The artifact was sealed and delivered to the proper storage location.
Jinna Leons Wrote:- Now we know that these spheres do not kill when touched. I think with proper preparation, any consequences can be avoided. I wouldn't be surprised if eye contact was the reason for breaking the rule. I strongly remind all senior members of my staff to observe all precautions. Since the work area is usually unoccupied, anyone entering without my personal permission must be considered a saboteur by security.
NOTES
Any transfers of the artifacts in question must be carried out in person under the supervision of the scientific staff of the Hades group. This instruction only applies to units controlled by Hades.
Security is not allowed into the work area by anyone other than Lieutenant Commander Adam Helson and Senior Researcher Jinna Leons.
All others have the right to enter the premises only with the personal permission of one of them with subsequent notification. If there is no permission, the security has the right to detain the stranger.
Dabadoru St. - Extract data experiment #1 Rep. of 14/12/834, 16:00
REPORT INFORMATION
After preparing all the necessary equipment, Hades scientific staff received approval to conduct the first experiments in attempts to extract information from the artifact. It was proposed to use so-called neuro-connectors as information conductors. For the record: the essence of the neuro-connectors' work is to convert impulses of living tissue into digital data, which then undergoes a formatting stage and is displayed on the screen as a finished image.
On December 14, all preparations began. The artifact was transported to a free room, the neuro-connectors were connected to the computing equipment isolated from the Order military neural-net network. Thus, only the equipment itself would be in danger, and not the entire Dabadoru station. The neuro-connectors were connected to manipulators that were controlled remotely.
Because of the theoretically enormous amount of data contained in the spheres, it was decided to use the computer as a "conductor" of information that would cycle from the artifact to the computer and back. The data will be extracted in particles that will be decrypted. A script was developed for decryption, based on the Dom'Kavash language.
Jinna Leons Wrote:- Are you sure this will help us?
Sam Chages Wrote:- We're testing all the possible options, ma'am. In the end, the more information we can extract, the better.
The experiment began at 14:00. The installation of connectors resulted in instantaneous transmission of information, however, the method of "circulation" of information used allowed the process of work to be stabilized. Due to a sharp jump in computer temperature, it was decided to stop the experiment and strengthen the cooling systems. Thirty minutes later, at 14:30, the experiment was restarted: the connectors were reinserted into the Sphere, and this time the computer maintained a stable temperature of around 60 degrees.
The extracted information was not amenable to standard decoding methods. Also, several experimental methods unrelated to the above-mentioned script were used. Unfortunately, any attempts to decipher the information were futile.
The second option for deciphering was to use a script, which was supposed to, using the Daam K'Vosh language, “rebuild” the code in such a way that it would be understandable to humans. Unfortunately, this also did not produce results.
The experiment was terminated by removing the connectors at 15:30. No information was left on the computer, despite the fact that it was supposed to "stop" at the end of the "circulation".
Jinna Leons Wrote:- From what we know. Firstly, we cannot decrypt this information. It is an encoding that is beyond our understanding and cannot be decrypted. Secondly, the Dom'Kavash language is also didn't helped us at all. We simply do not know how to make a decryption key code based on it, since the script was used precisely for this purpose and tried to find a solution to the problem based on its data.
Sam Chages Wrote:- What if we try to “listen” to this sphere?
Dabadoru St. - Extract data experiment #2 Rep. of 15/12/834, 16:00
REPORT INFORMATION
One of the scientific staff at Hades, Sam Chages, suggested trying to "listen" to the contents of the artifact, rather than trying to extract the code and try to decipher it. Sam argued his proposal by the fact that, according to some experiments, Nomads use phonetics and telepathy more than writing and coding in the traditional human sense. The proposal complied with security measures and also provided an opportunity to explore the artifact's capabilities in more detail. The experiment was scheduled for the following day, December 15, 834 A.S.
The experiment was conducted with the same artifact, however, this time, the information from it was to be provided through audio speakers, using adapters connected to the same neuro-connectors. As a precaution, the volume of the speakers was reduced to the minimum possible and the room was cleared of people. If necessary, the volume of the speakers could be adjusted remotely. Also, it was decided to use a script with the Daam K'Vosh language in one of the experiments.
The preparation of equipment and the creation of safety measures were completed at 13:30. The experiment began at 14:00. As expected, the information was also subject to encryption at the phonetic level. Since the volume of the speakers was minimal, the test results could only be heard after increasing the volume, which showed that the information received was a sound similar to a scream.
An attempt to decrypt using a script also did not bring results. The experiment was ended at 15:30 without incident for the personnel.
Sam Chages Wrote:- For the record, what we get remains a flat sound wave of screaming. That is, even with the script, we cannot achieve any periodic changes that would allow us to work in this direction further.
Jinna Leons Wrote:- I think we can end our experiments here. Don't get me wrong, but to make more progress I need more professional brains in this matter, as well as more advanced equipment, which neither we nor Dabadoru have. A whole year has passed since the end of our expedition, and the enemy has a tendency to evolve. I wouldn't be surprised if the spheres are a more modern version of their "data banks" that are not so easy to decipher.
Adam Helson Wrote:- I will send all research data to Overwatch. I think it would be useful to offer you and a few others to gain additional experience with them.
You have one more week to conduct any research or put forward your ideas regarding these artifacts. After that, they will be removed from our inventory and sent to other Order scientists on Akabat.
NOTES
Hades scientific personnel have at least one week before artifacts will be send to Akabat planet.
A candidate of Jinna Leons and Sam Chages must be nominated to the Order Overwatch scientific specialists for increase their research experience and skills.
Further mission log entries will focus on any indirect events that occurred this week. Additional reports are required from all units under Hades command.
![[+]](/forums/images/collapse_collapsed.png "[+]")
Readme