Sender: Capt. Bron Jones, Council Battleship "Redemption"
Location: Unknown sector, Coronado
Encryption: NARROW-BAND TRANSMISSION, HIGH
Priority: Medium
Decrypting Message: {//////////} 100%
Initialising visual: [/////] 50% ERR- VISUAL DISABLED
TEXT ONLY MESSAGE
To the Commander of the Golden Blades.
Forgive my rather dramatic and doom-laden statement to the Colonials. While what I said was true, it was not the olny reason I am here.
Firstly, let me introduce myself. I am Captain Bron Jones, recently - and hopefully one day again - of the Council Navy. I had hoped to find you as part of my mission to the greater colonies, but fortune seems to have accelerated those plans.
Recently I have been rather frustrated with the Council's lack of proactive action to other threats. While the focus on the Gallic threat is necessary and correct, they are blinkered in seeing the threat from other elements, namely the outlaws that spread across the sector.
You fine gentleman seem to be one of the few organisations with the will to push back aginst these vagabonds, while also not being associated with the rumours of corruption and malpractice that taint so many of the houses' so-called "lawful" assemblies.
While my mission to gain support against the Gauls will remain a priority, I feel I would be remiss to not at least temporarily offer my services to you. Your fleet is gaining in strength, but - if you do not mind me being so bold - it does not have the heavy firepower needed to take on some of the outlaws' heaviest ships. Fortunately for us my ship has it by the dozen!
**CHANNEL ESTABLISHED**
**ENCRYPTION: HIGH**
**Source: GBS CC
**Sender: Major D. Montaan
**Recipient(s): Jones, Bron (Captain)
Greetings Captain,
We detected your arrival a short time ago. It is always a pleasure to be contacted by a fellow naval officer, and especially one who believes in the same tenets as ourselves.
Your offer is a very generous one, even if I do believe you are underestimating the strength of our fleet. Official cooperation from 3rd parties is something that is always discussed by our command squad; I cannot confirm or deny the request currently, but I will raise it at today's meeting.
In the meantime, you will be treated as our guest. If you and your crew require any R&R, I have granted you clearance to visit our berths on Pecos, of if maintenance is required, we can contact the Republic to see if they have any spare facilities for your vessel.
We will be in touch shortly.
Major Davian "Spades" Montaan
3IC Golden Blades Squadron
**CHANNEL ESTABLISHED**
**ENCRYPTION: HIGH**
**Source: GBS CC
**Sender: Colonel Andrel Cassidiac
**Recipient(s): Jones, Bron (Captain)
Captain Jones,
As my esteemed colleague has stated, you were picked up prior to your initial transmission. Our Combat Air Patrol has been shadowing you from a distance and observing your progress.
While vessels of your calibre are indeed welcome, we do obviously have some reservations regarding your motives.
To this end I have instructed our CAP to form up upon yourselves and I have dispatched Achilles, Zodiac and Dionysis to escort you to a secure location, where your crew will be securely accommodated while some background checks are made. Our engineers will check your vessel for any irregularities and once these checks and the background has been confirmed your crew will be free to re board your vessel.
As for yourself Captain, myself and my Senior staff would invite you to a formal Dinner, Black Tie, of course where we shall discuss your proposal at length over fine food, whiskey and cigars.
If you are not agreeable to these terms then we ask that you seek alternative options with another unit.
Dinner is 20.00 Sharp.
Colonel Andrel Cassidiac
CO Golden Blades Squadron
Sender: Capt. Bron Jones, Council Battleship "Retribution"
Location: Sabah Shipyard, Coronado
Recipient; Cassidiac. A, Colonel. Johnsons, S. Secretary
Encryption: NARROW-BAND TRANSMISSION, HIGH
Priority: Medium
Decrypting Message: {//////////} 100%
Initialising visual: [/////] 62% ERR- VISUAL DISABLED
TEXT ONLY MESSAGE
Colonel, Secretary.
If that is how you and your squadron regularly condust business, then I must insist on visiting the system and taking dinner with you more often!
By gods, I've not had a hangover like that since I was an ensign! Next time I must bring some of my own reserve of brandy with me, it would be a perfect accompanyment to your cigars.
My ship, fortunately, mostly fares better than my head. Thanks to the combined efforts of my engineers, your technicnans and the tireless efforts of the Colonial mechanics at Sabah, she is now at 75% operational capacity. Only two of the Heavy Trebuchet array remain offline along with a couple of the primary turrets, which I am informed will be repaired within the next 24 hours.
However, this is where the good news end. It appears that the jump and cloak generators are completely non-fuctional - incompatabilities between Council and Colonial tech mean that your engineers simply cannot repair the devices using the materials they have. I have put out word to a few contacts in Roussilon, but since I am out of here of my own volition, they cannot offer any official help.
Unofficially, parts are on their way, but it could be weeks before all the necessary components are shipped to get the generators working again.
It would seem that, for the moment at least, I am to remain your guest. With the cloak and jump generators offline, I am unable to efficiently visit the the relevant persons to discuss the oncoming Gaul threat without tedious questions and threats of conflict from uninformed ship captains.
While such conversations are always amusing - in that they think their cruisers can inconvenience a Redemption-class ship - given the circumstance, this it not the time for them.
So to that end, as my crew are growing restless at practice and drills, is there a way I may be of service locally?
**CHANNEL ESTABLISHED**
**ENCRYPTION: HIGH**
**Source: GBS CC
**Sender: Colonel Andrel Cassidiac
**Recipient(s): Jones, Bron (Captain)
Captain Jones,
Yes we agree that the evening went well, the whiskey and wine did indeed leave a lasting legacy; I fear none of us are getting any younger.
I have checked with the engineers and indeed your repairs go well, we will however ask you to hold on a little longer, while our inquiries are completed.
For the good news, our engineers have looked at your Jump drive and our senior technician believes that one of our own may be adjusted to fit your ship.
The ETA for delivery of the next module is 5 to 7 days, so please be patient fir this.
We would ask your crew to feel free now to mingle with our pilots and crew and I understand several of the Cruiser Captains have expressed interest in taking some of your officers onboard as observers.
be assured that we will complete our checks as soon as is humanly possible.
Yours
Colonel Andrel Cassidiac
CO Golden Blades Squadron