Basing out of Battlecruiser LeHigh, I made my first patrol into the border systems of Bretonian space, first moving to Manchester without detection or anything eventful, then moving into New London and Leeds. I got curious about exactly what could be happening around the restricted Edinburgh disaster site and while somewhat to my chagrin, nothing was there, coming down the trade lane in the opposite direction was a SCRA marked vessel, regrettably too fast for me to take a reconnaissance image. I hadn't expected much from my first sortie but needless to say, this piqued my curiosity.
I nosed my way around the Leeds system a little more, unable to find the SCRA vessel in question, however with a little luck I came across a BAF bomber, presumably responding to the Coalition. I was hardly subtle with my tail, however the BAF offered no words and its only attempt to shake me was a somewhat pitiful display of running up and down the same trade lane, past a somewhat bemused and confused Molly in the process, three separate times.
With my somewhat unsubtle tail firmly established, I followed the bomber in to the Newcastle system, whereupon it rendezvoused with the HMS Naseby, a destroyer of the Crecy type. Said Molly was still tailing the Bretonian, obviously spoiling for a fight and awfully confused why the BAF was seemingly running. I saw no reason to do the BAF's job for them, and thus I left the Molly alone and saw little reason to interact with it.
My tail continued until the Manchester jump gate where some brief but untimely engine troubles caused me to lose the BAF squadron. Upon jumping through, however, and later upon continuing my route to New London, I did encounter a KOI agent of unknown intent. At this moment in time, we exchanged no words and left each other politely alone.
To respect the brevity of this already-long report, I shall skip much of the nothing that occurred for the next ten-to-fifteen minutes whereupon I simply scouted Bretonian space looking for either the SCRA or BAF, which I eventually did in the Poole system. I had almost given up on my search whereupon I ran once more in to the selfsame KOI agent as before. I made a simple inquiry as to whether they were aware of the BAF's location, and they responded with a surprisingly accommodating answer that they figured the Bretonians had failed to capture 'at least two' Coalition vessels they had spotted.
I had intended to continue the line of conversation to see if the KOI would let any small details slip about anything particularly relevant, they seemed quite cooperative and I would recommend making contact with them should the opportunity arise, however the BAF politely obliged with my search and decided to show up once more. The Bomber's pilot did not engage us in conversation for long, and in fact seemed rather eager to escape the watchful gaze of two separate intelligence agencies, but a Gunboat and its escort arrived soon after.
The commander of the gunboat seemed to be the first BAF determined to do much about me. I had sensed something of a change in the wind, but the Gunboat disrupted my charging cruise engines. It was something of a bold move, far more than I had expected from a BAF that until now had been keen to backtrack at any given opportunity. He questioned my reasons for being there to which I naturally responded that they shouldn't harbour insurgents and hiding it if they don't want the LSF poking around. I will include full text logs for any who wish to study the interaction in detail, I wish to draw special attention however to the threat of weapons fire should I not assist them against the Coalition.
Shortly after the verbal cut-and-thrust began, however, the Coalition squadron that the BAF had presumably been chasing before made an appearance. I decided not to intervene on Bretonia's behalf for four reasons:
1) The Coalition had superior numbers and I wasn't going to risk my ship to save some Bretonians.
2) Liberty has already helped Bretonia win one war, and there has been a distinct lack of gratitude.
3) Any Bretonian vessels destroyed are Bretonian vessels that won't be engaging LSF or Liberty Navy assets.
4) It provided a unique opportunity to examine Bretonian competence at arms, and view their tactics first hand. I will proceed to provide a brief summary.
Most notably, HMS Triumph, the Gunboat that had cruise disrupted me, either attempted to test a malfunctioning capability to transit to atmospheric flight, or forgot such a capability didn't exist, and his hull was rent asunder by the thin atmosphere and gravitational forces around Planet Studland. Bretonian forces did show some limited coordination, however as they were met with an overwhelming force I did not pay overmuch attention to the performance of the doomed snubcraft. My primary attention was on the tactics used by the gunboat, and while it is possible it was either crewed by rookies or simply a one-off tactical error, I do not assess a particularly strong threat from Bretonian small capital vessels.
The KOI agent had also offered assistance to the Bretonians, though this is to be expected as, to my knowledge, Bretonia and Kusari share at least cordial relations.
[27.02.2023 20:03:34] BAF|MN-HMS-Triumph: Henry: And this is...?
[27.02.2023 20:03:39] =LSF=Raven: None of your business.
[Triumph cruise disrupts my engines]
[27.02.2023 20:03:51] =LSF=Raven: Well.
[27.02.2023 20:03:59] =LSF=Raven: You have my attention.
[27.02.2023 20:04:01] BAF|MN-HMS-Triumph: Henry: Cut the engines.
[27.02.2023 20:04:12] =LSF=Raven: Are you quite sure you know what you're doing?
[27.02.2023 20:04:42] BAF|MN-HMS-Triumph: Henry: Yeah, you'll explain this now and here. Ensign, pin down the other agent.
[27.02.2023 20:05:01] =LSF=Raven: Tell your government not to harbour insurgents in the future, and we won't have to go looking for them.
[27.02.2023 20:05:31] BAF|MN-HMS-Triumph: Henry: And that warrants such unexpected visits?
[27.02.2023 20:05:47] =LSF=Raven: What's unexpected is finding Libertonian property in Bretonian hands for months at a time with no notice.
[27.02.2023 20:05:57] =LSF=Raven: Not just anything, an Overlord, at that. Who knows what else you might be hiding?
[Mollys and Coalition appear on long range scanners]
[27.02.2023 20:06:09] =LSF=Raven: Although, it seems you have larger problems.
[27.02.2023 20:06:31] BAF|MN-HMS-Triumph: H: If you're a diplomat, then let us make this clear. You will either help us here or you will be fired upon.
[Molly Bomber engages HMS Triumph with torpedoes and Antimatter Cannons.]
[27.02.2023 20:06:48] =LSF=Raven: Hey, Triumph? I think you've got bigger issues than a single agent.
[27.02.2023 20:03:34] BAF|MN-HMS-Triumph: Henry: And this is...?
[27.02.2023 20:03:38] BAF|Ens.Edwin.Johnson: Stay there, please, I'll have to make a serious check on this... situation here.
[27.02.2023 20:03:39] =LSF=Raven: None of your business.
[27.02.2023 20:03:44] BAF|Ens.Edwin.Johnson: But I have more important business right now.
[27.02.2023 20:03:51] =LSF=Raven: Well.
[27.02.2023 20:03:58] Hannya: That fully depends on who you are, Triumph actual.
[27.02.2023 20:03:59] =LSF=Raven: You have my attention.
[27.02.2023 20:04:01] BAF|MN-HMS-Triumph: Henry: Cut the engines.
[27.02.2023 20:04:12] =LSF=Raven: Are you quite sure you know what you're doing?
[27.02.2023 20:04:13] BAF|Ens.Edwin.Johnson: Oi guv, do we have the time to take a look at what these two agents are doing here?
[27.02.2023 20:04:21] [M]-Gold.Defender: Ma go friends nau!
[27.02.2023 20:04:42] BAF|MN-HMS-Triumph: Henry: Yeah, you'll explain this now and here. Ensign, pin down the other agent.
[27.02.2023 20:04:49] Hannya: An Ensign, on me?
[27.02.2023 20:04:55] BAF|Ens.Edwin.Johnson: Aye, guv. At once.
[27.02.2023 20:04:56] Hannya: Oh Mr. Johnson, I won't bite.
[27.02.2023 20:04:59] Hannya: *She laughs*
[27.02.2023 20:05:01] =LSF=Raven: Tell your government not to harbour insurgents in the future, and we won't have to go looking for them.
[27.02.2023 20:05:07] Hannya: That's quite cute, honest truth.
[27.02.2023 20:05:10] Hannya: An Ensign.
[27.02.2023 20:05:18] BAF|Ens.Edwin.Johnson: I'm within CD range, but I'll refrain from firing unless they attempt to cruise.
[27.02.2023 20:05:29] Hannya: Are you citing the handbook?
[27.02.2023 20:05:31] BAF|MN-HMS-Triumph: Henry: And that warrants such unexpected visits?
[27.02.2023 20:05:32] Hannya: Aww..
[27.02.2023 20:05:37] BAF|Ens.Edwin.Johnson: All you have to say you direct at me guv, sir, ma'am, whoever you are. I'm just an ensign.
[27.02.2023 20:05:47] =LSF=Raven: What's unexpected is finding Libertonian property in Bretonian hands for months at a time with no notice.
[27.02.2023 20:05:57] =LSF=Raven: Not just anything, an Overlord, at that. Who knows what else you might be hiding?
[27.02.2023 20:06:02] [M]-Gold.Defender: Ha!
[27.02.2023 20:06:04] BAF|Ens.Edwin.Johnson: I shoot when told and speak when not supposed to, that's all I do.
[27.02.2023 20:06:04] [M]-Gold.Defender: Here ya are!
[27.02.2023 20:06:09] =LSF=Raven: Although, it seems you have larger problems.
[27.02.2023 20:06:16] SCRA|Gvardeyka: Liam: Enemies on scanner. Targets locked.
[27.02.2023 20:06:20] [M]-Gold.Defender: Da dirty lads!
[27.02.2023 20:06:21] Aegis|Inaros: E.: Brought some friends, I see.
[27.02.2023 20:06:21] [M]-Gold.Defender: Ya die here!
[27.02.2023 20:06:29] SCRA|Pyotr.Nechayev: Hello, imperialists.
[27.02.2023 20:06:31] BAF|MN-HMS-Triumph: H: If you're a diplomat, then let us make this clear. You will either help us here or you will be fired upon.
[27.02.2023 20:06:31] Hannya: Uh.
[27.02.2023 20:06:34] [M]-Gold.Defender: Eat tha!
[27.02.2023 20:06:36] Im.Ha-Yun: Hostiles on radar
[27.02.2023 20:06:43] Comrade.Red: Alright, we have hostiles on scanner!
[27.02.2023 20:06:45] Hannya: Coalition vessels and not even a few.
[27.02.2023 20:06:48] BAF|Ens.Edwin.Johnson: Oi guv, it seems we've got something more important than these two lovebirds approaching.
[27.02.2023 20:06:48] =LSF=Raven: Hey, Triumph? I think you've got bigger issues than a single agent.