phongn wrote:"In other words, sensors, it'd be bad to try and shoot at them and there's no way we could hide if she decided to kill us anyways. I figured that out already!"
"Like lambs to the slaughter. You would think the Star Kingdom, so prideful, would remember to teach it's little one's the most basic aspects of other species' biologies." Reflected the Captain of the Unjust. To describe the braking maneuver that followed as 'violent' and 'foolhardy' would be severely lacking, as the collosal 'frigate' suddenly dug it's fields deeper into the grid, kicking up massive amounts of energy in it's sudden attempt to lose speed. As the ship careened, nearly uncontrolled, into Realspace, it's ion beam stabbing out from it's front, tagging the Archon for the split-second it needed to before the ship had to flail and spin in an attempt to regain control.
As the Unjust closed in on it's prey, the ion beam stabbed out again to keep the ship from escaping. The psudeo-battleship was ignored; was it an Alliance trap, or had there genuinely been a trader? "A sentient female Kzin, dear Queenie's?" Asked the accented by clear voice of the Captain as she chuckled into the comm unit, using the most derogatory name for those of the Star Kingdom. "Did you fall asleep in xenobiology? Since you have so graciously prepared to be boarded.. That Ethercannon will be ours."
Manic Progressive: A liberal who violently swings from anger at politicos to despondency over them.
Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.
FROM: Navy Command, Isis Prime
TO: Commonwealth Navy Command, Desjardins
SUBJ: Deployment Status
-::-
-: Cygnus Expeditionary Force :- on station.
All vessels supplied and fueled.
Army and Marine forces in coldsleep.
Army vessels supplied and fueled.
Jump coordinates laid in.
Awaiting conformation for Operation Masamune.
-:ENDMESSAGE:-
---------------------------------
FROM: Commonwealth Navy Command, Desjardins
TO: Navy Command, Isis Prime
SUBJ: RE: Deployment Status
-::-
Operation Masamune confirmed.
Go with the blessings of the Admirality and the Senate.
Glory to the Commonwealth!
Ambassador Durgas sat up at the meeting table as his security team walked in
"There's a Xeno here?"
"Whe think it's a full on infestation"
a security officer handed Durgas a plasma pistol
"Ask if the other nations need any help securing the station"
"We were sent to protect you"
"That is an order. I can protect myself"
"I'll leave two guards here and take the rest of the squad"
"Very well"
And this is why you don't watch anything produced by Ronald D. Moore after he had his brain surgically removed and replaced with a bag of elephant semen.-Gramzamber, on why Caprica sucks
On board the station, the fledgling queen was in no condition to defend herself. During the night she had matured and tore through the chest of the hapless cook. Leaving the corpse of the facehugger she quickly gorged herself on the corpse, and any other meat she could find in the galley. food was plentiful, and she now rested in a ventilation shaft, her growth quickening. She felt sinews stretching, plating forming, cracking. she quickly molted through the first stages of her life when she detected....
Danger.
The invaders had Rip-tears. They were coming. She could taste it in the air. She had to move quickly. quietly, slowly, she slinked along the ventilation shaft, deeper into the station. She was careful to disturb nothing as she crept. Surely the man-things would find her if she destroyed any of their precious wind machines. The young queen came to the end of a shaft, sealed by a door. A quick study of the sliding door revealed it's method of passage. She grasped the handle and turned, shutting the portal behind her. The temperature in here was high. It is loud. moving along a corridor, the shaft dropped off some 30 feet. the queen lept doen off of the ledge into.....
Waste.
This was man-creature waste. the queen looked around, surveying the area. Deeper into the sewer she moved when a blinding pain flashed through her body.
It was time.
The queen began secretion. She anchored herself to the floor of the sewer. soon, there were easily twenty more eggs gestating. With no stasis fields to keep them at bay, they would quickly mature. Then she would be safe from the man things and their rip-tears.
Aquarian oort cloud
The queen and her drones did what they knew to do. Begin the colony. shaking off the freezing temperatures and the effects of the drugs, they glanced about the upflit chamber. There was no way out. Slowly terror took it's grip. This colony was finished if they could not get out. Suddenly the gamber filled with gas and the queen slipped into unconciousness yet again.
While asleep, the queen had dreams as memories were implanted, her neural pathways altered. she beheld the wonder of the images before her. no longer was she driven to colonize, destroy. she was aware there were things larger than that. larger than her. Larger than all the hives. She was consumed by a desire to know. to know all things. she no longer recognized the singular entity of the hives, but of herself and her hive being an individual. An individual part of a larger whole. millions of images were implanted within the queen like so many embryos. she felt herself.......
Awaken.
slowly the room came into focus. her vision returning. she sent out psychic feelers for her drones. and they answered her call. they were inside the chamber with her. They sent her images of what they had seen while in the dream world. the strange sensations they now felt. they knew where they were now, it was all clear. The ones called the "Aquarians" had brought them here. She sent out a message to the ones who had brought her to sentience. It was an image.
Dressed in what looked like black stormtrooper armor, fitted for a Tritaran anatomy, the Aquarian Heavy Infantry adjusted the sensors in their helmets to detect xenomorph lifesigns. Nothng within their sensor range, so they moved on. They continued until they came to a computer terminal.
"Computer, check for xenomorph life sins throuut the station, and for movement in any non-public area please."
Scanning......
*Xenomorph lifesigns detected in waste disposal unit AA-47 ventilation shaft a1 b5 c9...*
GALE Force Biological Agent/
BOTM/Great Dolphin Conspiracy/ Entomology and Evolutionary Biology Subdirector:SD.net Dept. of Biological Sciences
There is Grandeur in the View of Life; it fills me with a Deep Wonder, and Intense Cynicism.
Dr. Mestaphales was pleased. regardless of what heppened on that station, the staff had agreed to continue wth the uplift. And it was a success. Already the queen was sending im mental images depicting freedom.
"It is time to make contact with them... "
They swam to te chamber, and looked in at the xenomorphs... beautiful creatures, from a scientific standpoint of course.
An Cephepod got into a full suit of acid resistant power armor, and went through a tripple chambered waterlock to make preliminary contact wh the xenomorphs.
GALE Force Biological Agent/
BOTM/Great Dolphin Conspiracy/ Entomology and Evolutionary Biology Subdirector:SD.net Dept. of Biological Sciences
There is Grandeur in the View of Life; it fills me with a Deep Wonder, and Intense Cynicism.
"Sir, it looks like the Aquarians have picked up the Xeno"
"Good, ask them if they need any help taking it out"
"Yes sir"
The team moved twards the aquarian soldiers, preparing to render any needed assistance.
And this is why you don't watch anything produced by Ronald D. Moore after he had his brain surgically removed and replaced with a bag of elephant semen.-Gramzamber, on why Caprica sucks
Alyrium Denryle wrote:Captain Neval looked over at the SKE marines and basically noeded in approval... they would need as much help as they could get.
Captain drake turned to captain Neval
"We'll move around and try to flush the Xeno out twards you"
And this is why you don't watch anything produced by Ronald D. Moore after he had his brain surgically removed and replaced with a bag of elephant semen.-Gramzamber, on why Caprica sucks
The man-creatures were close now, the queen thought. This was good. She sent message to the newly hatched drones to proceed towards them. Their instructions to protect the young hive at all costs. Facehuggers now freely dropped throughout the station, onto the sleeping staff. They were unarmed, perfect for impregnation. Even now, preatorian larvae gestated inside their human hosts, and waste disposal unit AA-47 was a fully functional, albeit small hive.
A drone sent a message through to the queen: the fish things and man creatures were together. and near the hive.
"Kill" the queen sent.
The aquarian soldiers picked up the drone as it dropped through the ceiling behind them. It quickly decapitated an SKE guardsman with a swipe to his neck. Too slow were the Aquarian's reactions to save the man, who dropped to the floor in an expanding pool of blood.
The Drone, satisfied it had the creature's attention, darted down the corridor in an attempt to draw them away from the hive....
Aquarian Oort cloud
The heavy cruiser Relentless, a femto second earlier in orbit around Avalon, translated right besides the science station. For a translation almost half a galaxy long, it was not bad indeed. Unfortunately, the crew had to spend the most subjectie time in stasis, as it would have been to long for the crew to live through in real time. If the jumps were instantaneous for the crews as well, it would make for really comfortable traveling...
A channel was opened. "Captain Frichard speaking. Senior Science Advisor Hamme requests permission to enter the research station."
The request was given, and soon a shuttle crossed the few kilometers to the station. As he was greeted by the head scientists, both Stuartians and locals, he looked for the chief researcher.
"CEO Gladstone wants an update. Especially after this debacle at the conference."
***
Diplomatic Station XT 10-23
3 Assault shuttles raced from the Assault Carrier near the Station, racing for the docks.
"Director," the carrier's captain called over a direct link, "help is underway. We'll get you out as soon as possble. Unfortunateyl it seems to be a bit tense up here. If you could hurry up, I would appreciate it."
The Director activated his personal armor, and a slick, oily substance flowed all over his visible body parts.
"I'll do my best, Captain. But prepare a bio isolation for me. I don't want any nasty surprises."
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC GALE Force Euro Wimp Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
Chardok wrote:The man-creatures were close now, the queen thought. This was good. She sent message to the newly hatched drones to proceed towards them. Their instructions to protect the young hive at all costs. Facehuggers now freely dropped throughout the station, onto the sleeping staff. They were unarmed, perfect for impregnation. Even now, preatorian larvae gestated inside their human hosts, and waste disposal unit AA-47 was a fully functional, albeit small hive.
A drone sent a message through to the queen: the fish things and man creatures were together. and near the hive.
"Kill" the queen sent.
The aquarian soldiers picked up the drone as it dropped through the ceiling behind them. It quickly decapitated an SKE guardsman with a swipe to his neck. Too slow were the Aquarian's reactions to save the man, who dropped to the floor in an expanding pool of blood.
The Drone, satisfied it had the creature's attention, darted down the corridor in an attempt to draw them away from the hive....
"Movement, four meters, Watch out Zell"
Commander Zell quickly moved to the side, avoiding the Xenomorph's attack. He pivoted and blasted the xeno twice with his plasma rifle.
The squad moved on
"watch out, there may be more of them"
And this is why you don't watch anything produced by Ronald D. Moore after he had his brain surgically removed and replaced with a bag of elephant semen.-Gramzamber, on why Caprica sucks
Was the last message to come through to the queen. before the Drone's link was severed.
Very well, thought the queen. More.(ooc[/smith])
as the foolish squad advanced deeper into the infested corridor. The motionless drone waitied.
As soon as one was underneath the vent he slashed through the vanes, grabbing the hapless victim, sinking his claws deep into his neck, dragging him into the shaft, darting backwards through the hail of plasma, And dropping the lifeless body of the man down the hole previously torn through by the drone, his corpse landing in a pool of acid, quickly eating away the floor, and the flesh of the victim. The broken man creature would not serve as a host now.
We must defend. Was the message sent to the queen by the drone.
Was the last message to come through to the queen. before the Drone's link was severed.
Very well, thought the queen. More.(ooc[/smith])
as the foolish squad advanced deeper into the infested corridor. The motionless drone waitied.
As soon as one was underneath the vent he slashed through the vanes, grabbing the hapless victim, sinking his claws deep into his neck, dragging him into the shaft, darting backwards through the hail of plasma, And dropping the lifeless body of the man down the hole previously torn through by the drone, his corpse landing in a pool of acid, quickly eating away the floor, and the flesh of the victim. The broken man creature would not serve as a host now.
We must defend. Was the message sent to the queen by the drone.
Lieutennant Garbes barely had time to scream before the Xeno grabed him.
The squad turned, firing at the Xenomorph, frying it
then they retreated back into the non-infested corridor and set up a chokepoint
And this is why you don't watch anything produced by Ronald D. Moore after he had his brain surgically removed and replaced with a bag of elephant semen.-Gramzamber, on why Caprica sucks
It doesn't look good, Captain Trellis thought. If they only could get the Director out...
He looked at his repeater plot, swarming with ships. All nervous, as he was. And the very undiplomatic arrival of the assault ship didn't improve the situation, either. He sighed one last time.
"Sound general quarters," he told his XO. "But don't open the weapons ports yet. Prepare for battle."
Klaxons whailed, and weapon stations were manned. The shield generators inside the assault carrier's massive bulk hummed to live, sheating the sip in protective fields.
"Ship is ready, Sir," Commander Methis announced.
"Good." Trellis thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Bring up the Torch. Just in case."
"But sir," Methis interjected with a slight tinge of disbelieve in his voice. "So close to the other ships and the station? I doubt they'll like it..."
"This place is already going to hell in a handbasket. I don't want to rely on thrusters alone. And it might encourage other ships to give us more space. Do it."
Soon he felt as the Grav torch summed to life. Massive gravitonic shields were erected to protect the ship from its own drive unit. Gravitic fields streched out from the little drive unit at the end of the ship, getting stronger, but so far unfocused and giving no thrust.
"All nominal. Strength 2.5 Volkovs, rising. The other ships should by now register it..."
"Very well, reports from the marines?" he turned to his com officer.
"They closed on the Director. He seems in good shape. They're bringing him to shuttle 2 right now."
"Launch a fighter squadron as escort."
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC GALE Force Euro Wimp Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
"You stupid twat! I told you they didn't exist! Now look what mess you've gotten into!"
"I failed xenobiology! What do you expect of me"
"Shut the fuck up and get us out of this mess! Maybe if we live I won't space you!"
"Fuck! That ion dissipator's breakers blew! Engineering is on it."
Fortunately for the crew of the Archon, the engineers who had originally designed the old carrier understood the risks of war. Ion cannon had been in use for longer than anyone cared to remember ... so ships had been equipped with reinforced systems to protect the ships. As for extras, the crew had purchased an ion dissipator which would hasten their reentry. That ion dissipator was ... off.
Suddenly, the videocomm flipped on as a transmission appeared from the Star Galleon. Showing a very irate - and very female - Kzin. The Unjust momentarily stopped - presumably those pirates just got the transmission as well. "Pirates! Stealing my cargo! And before anyone of your out there say something stupid, yes, you are seeing a sentient, female, Kzin. Genetically modified by the Atlanteans so we females wouldn't be stupid wallowing breeding stock. And yes, the Patriarchy knows about us. Now, pirates, YOU DIE![/b]
The Archon had barely restored her shields (no hypershields here, no sir) and engines when that Star Galeon opened up with a full broadside of naval turbolasers, crashing into the fields of that pirate frigate. In fact, a couple of light turbolaser hits had slammed into her aft shield sextant and nearly knocked it out.
"We unjammed the ethercannon! It's good to go! The ion dissipator is back online, the engines are warming up, the reactor is on, the ion cannon and all the other weapons are good!"
"Well, don't just sit there, weaps, you heard the woman! SHOOT ALREADY!"
The pirate frigate suddenly found its fields bracketed by somewhat poorly-aimed ethercannon hits. The field distance was far enough so that the shockwave effect didn't really affect the ship, but the depletion on her shields wasn't too fun - nevermind the constant, well-timed and aimed broadsides from that Star Galleon. Getting hit by ion beams themselves always sucked, too.
"Torpedo salvo one away. Fish 1 and 2 are running normal, fish 3 is a damned dud."
"Weaps, you do understand that those frigates have no less than twelve octuple-gatling-railguns for point-defense?" Her comment was punctuated by the bright flashes of a pair of antimatter torpedos going up. "Incoming salvo, Hellhound-type missile. Point-defense is on it..."
The ship suddenly shook all the way to CIC as an enemy missile broke through. "Ventral shield sextant is down! Hull breaches in multiple areas, blast doors are sealing off. Enemy shields holding, but she's taking a pounding...damn! She just got smacked by that plasma cannon!"
phongn wrote:
"They're actually proposing a joint mission? In time of crises with little time to spare? Ludicrous!" The Terran was clearly not amused by the antics of the others.
"Indeed. I've just activated my emergency beacon now that there's an actual infestation rather than a single one of those ... creatures. A Royal Marine assault ship shall be here momentarily to cleanse the station."
Dellstar saw the Royal Marines begin there sweep of the station, he had a much more practical way of handling this problem. He activated his wrist mounted comm unit, "Lieutenant Frees here sir. We picked up the transmiossions by the other powers, what do you want us to do?" the LT was the commo officer onboard the TNS Retribution, a Carlson class Heavyt Crusier assigned to him as his escort vessel and flag. Dellstar also held the rank of Rear Admiral in the UTRN.
"Detach a platoon of Marines to escort me out of here and then bring the ship up alert condition one."
"Aye, aye sir. The quick response platoon is boarding as we speak and the cpatain is bringing the ship to combat readiness." A few minutes after the end of that exchange a Republic Marine assault shuttle grounded hard against the station.
A full platoon of Marines in complete Nano-Armor disembarked and began to amke there way toward the ambassador. Their faceless black forms moved quickly through the hallways of the station. Theyr eached ambassador with no rpoblem and returned to the shuttle with ease adn quickly took of for rendevous with the Retribution.
"Captain Seetur, mainatain combat readiness and lets see how this works out for now. Allow no one else to board or leave the ship for now."
The Unjust's Captain was not pleased. A female Kzinti? And in a ship potent enough to threaten her own? This needed to be changed. The Queenie's could wait; their torpedos were being swatted away, and the fire from their new toy erratic enough for the Fields to handle. The Galleon, however.. "Full about! Face the cat-bitch, show her that we are far more than ordinary pirates!"
The Frigate swung about to the eldest of the ships fighting here, unleashing another swarm of it's lethal Hellfire Missiles against it. The rifle emplacements swatted at the swarm, depleting it's numbers greatly, but several impacted with the shields, illuminating them as brilliantly as the plasma cannon had illuminated the larger ship's fields.
"Captain, the Archon is preparing to strike our exposed aft sextant. Our fields are weak there!" Yelled the sensors operator as the battle raged on. The Captain merely snorted. "Insects. Displace the Privateers. They'd be fodder for those tricoder-guns, but against those.."
A full squadron of the Alliance's primary fighter-bomber design were 'launched', not through the two boxy hangars on the front of the ship, but out of the Displacers, appearing right on top of the Archon. The tiny craft spat railgun fire and plasma charges at the Kingdom craft, more in an effort to make it leave than anything else.
The plasma cannon of the Galleon spoke again, like the anger of ancient gods, tearing through the frontal fields. The blast earthed itself on the twin box-hangars that sat ahead and below the main ion array, and a split-second later, explosions signaled that the shot had started fuel and ammunition cooking off. As the pirate vessel shook and shuddered from the destruction, it's ion array came to life, unleashing a coherent beam into the Galleon.
"Enemy shields falling.. Fallen. Maintaining beam. Reactor should go dead in T-minus twelve." Reported weapons as the big ship shook from turbolaser fire, knocking large chunks off her armor belt. "Enemy ship is dead in the water." The fire had stopped, aside from an occasion spit from the Archon.
"Displace the Kzinti ship into Secure Cargo Three. Retrieve the fighters.. Dammit.. Into Cargo Two. Then get us out of here. The Queenie's can wait for another day. And get some security to the galleon once it's aboard." A dark smile crossed the woman's face. "The Patriarch will most likely be interested in this one."
The big ship gripped the energy grid with it's fields and sped off, away from the scene of the crime.
*******
The battle in the secure cargo area was a brutal reminder why the Alliance so rarely went after the Kzin. Five dead; twenty rifles depleted. But the Kzinti woman had finally fallen, and the craft she had cobbled together was even now being carefully examined and worked on for salvage and value.
"Set us a course for the outermost Kzin outposts. Inform our contacts that we have a Kzinti who was warped by the Atlanteans, and are willing to turn her over to the Patriarch." A small smile appeared on the Captain's face. "Emphasize the 'her'."
Manic Progressive: A liberal who violently swings from anger at politicos to despondency over them.
Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.
The Marine Colonel and his squadron plowed through the corridors from where the shuttle had cut its way into the station to the position of the Director. Occasionally some panicked people stepped into their way, but power armor saw to that.
He estimated it to be another 5 minutes until he reached the Director. He just hoped nothing happened to him on the way.
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC GALE Force Euro Wimp Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
From: High Command UTRN
To: Commander Third Fleet
Subject: Operation Leapfrog
As shown in the orders received under the codename "Leapfrog." The Third Fleet is to prepare a medium striking force for offensive operation beyond current UTR territory.
Said force should conform to the directives given and should consist of Six Light Carriers, One Battlecruiser, Six Heavy Cruisers, and Twelve Destroyers. Further orders will follow, after the start of operation Renewal.
From: High Command UTRN
To: Commander Second Fleet
Subject: Operation Renewal
Second Fleet has been tasked with the support of the UTRDG in operation renewal. For this mission the Second Fleet has been tasked with the creation of two mobile response forces to operate byond the UTRs southern border.
Each Force should consist of Four Light Carriers, Two Heavy Cruisers, Four Light Cruiser and Ten Destroyers.
From: High Command UTRDG
To: Commander Patrol Division, Second District
To: Commander Patrol Division, Third District
Subject Operation Renewal
The UTRDG has been tasked with Operation Renewal, an antipiracy sweep in force through out the space to galactic south of the UTR. This operation is beeing conducted in tnadem with the Three Suns Commonwealth, but is not a joint operation. All ship captains should be briefed on the area's or responsibility.
UTRN assets will be available if Guard forces encounter a target that is to heavily armed or armored. Any pirates captured will be summarily shot under UTR law. All confiscated good will be shipped to the UTR. All bases will be either destroyed by bombardment or Marines operating from UTRN vessels.
The goal of Operation Renewal is to make a permenat change in the pirate situation along the UTR southern border. As such the DG is ordered to assign all Frigates, Gunships and Corvettes assigned to the Second and Third Districts.
Guard vessels will be transferred from the Fourth District as well as the Home District to cover the Second and Third Districts during Operation Renewal. At this time all UTRDG actions related to "Renewal" will be of the top priority, until the beginning of Operation Leapfrog.
The top story today is the surprise emergence of a xenomorph infestation on the diplomatic station where a high level summit meeting was just finishing up. SKS marines have quickly reacted to attempt to neutralize the menace.
In other news, yet another colony world has decided to join the People's Republic of Corneria. This occured while the PRC's 1st Fleet was in nearby space conducting wargame exersizes.
"preemptive killing of cops might not be such a bad idea from a personal saftey[sic] standpoint..." --Keevan Colton
"There's a word for bias you can't see: Yours." -- William Saletan
"Captain, I found our ... problem. Look." in the main hanger an odd assortment of parts lay strewn around. "Microburst subspace transmit beacon. Tight-beam. The damn thing even had override hooks into the main passives - no wonder we never caught them. The sensor dishes are 'leaky,' too. Every damn piece of kit we bought from the Alliance had a big, fat shoot me sign on it. Fuckers. We stripped it all out, ran independant tests for the last 48 hours, rebuilt them, hell, the two Verpine we have completely rewrote the code - and I think they got a 3% boost in acuity, a 2% boost in range.
"We're clean, now, though. The stealth gear's also working better."
"What happened to the ethercannon? I've seen the RN at work, their guns aren't that inaccurate. We barely made one hit in twenty."
"Those god-forsaken Black Alliance sensors were designed to partially ignore or miss ships they considered 'friendly.' You can tell what happened then. That's fixed, too - our friends managed to broadcast a few too one too many IFFs in the clear when they did that trick with the fighters. I doubt they'll use that code anymore, but we used them to confirm operation."
"Good. We haven't been able to find any buyers for our cargo. A rifle here, a crate of grenades there - nothing more. All that god-forsaken work, for nothing. But I found a dealer. Trader, not for purchase, but he'll install a couple more ion guns and give us some old Corellian turret mounts with a narrow-field sensor package. He claims they're taken off the T-65XJ3: with our luck they'll be from Z-95s but it's better than nothing.
"So this is what we're going to do. We sell a quarter of our stuff to him for the gear. We take a page out of a Ms. Kitty's book and install eight twin turrets. Then we head to Marankov --"
"Maronkov?? That thief? "
"We need him, and he's got kit. Don't tell anyone, but he's got a few SPHA-Ts. He'll put a pair of those guns, turreted, on the sides for another quarter of our cargo. "
"That's fine, Captain, but the crew - and me - wants cash. Upgrades to the ship are nice, but we can't live on powercells. "
FROM: Cygnus Fleet Command, CNV Jean D'Arc
TO: Commonwealth Navy Command, Desjardins
SUBJ: Principality of Maharashtra, Police Action
-::-
SITREP: The Principality of Maharashtra is a fiefdom 5,000 lightyears G-north of the TSC border. Formed by renegades following the Great War, the Principality exists largely by raiding shipping and border worlds.
STATISTICS:
Government: Theocratic Monarchy
Population: 6 billion
Holdings: Brahma System (1 habitable world)
Bethesda System (No habitable worlds)
Naval Forces: 12 armed freighters, 1-1.5 KM in length
2 refit old-model UTR frigates
Ground Forces: 10,000 trained raiders
est. 6 million PD soldiers on homeworld
Trade Partners: Limited to other local fiefdoms, though some Gorn goods are imported.
Industry: 1 badly damaged old UTR orbital space dock (civilian, 2 operable frigate-sized slips. Limited heavy industry on planet
Planetary Defenses: TSC manufactured gun sattelites (second hand)
Ground-Orbit missile tubes
Beta Manipule -:Cygnus Expeditionary Force:- accompanied by the 3rd Kelian and the 60th Santander, to be dispatched against the POM homeworld, Mahrashtra.
Fleet elements to lure enemy naval forces away from homeworld via raids at system-edge space colonies and mining facilities. Once pulled away from planetary defenses, ambush squadrons to destroy enemy fleet. (chance of defeat in space combat: extremely low. Enemy vessels poorly manned, trained, and equipped.)
Following destruction or routing of enemy fleet resources, CNV Panthesilea (DD) to commence orbital bombardment in support of landings around New Delhi and Catalonia. Ranger teams to be inserted across the countryside, equipped to call down precision bombardment on any mobilized enemy formations.
Bombardment and jamming to be utalized against enemy communications. Chances of destroying enemy C&C ability: very high.
Estimated time till capitulation of planet: 72 hours.
phongn wrote:"That's fine, Captain, but the crew - and me - wants cash. Upgrades to the ship are nice, but we can't live on powercells. "
"Right. So this is what we're going to do..."
Some hours later, the crew of the Archon were somewhat surprised when a Marauder-class corvette, smaller and older than the Star Galleon that the Kzin had dug up, showed up at one of their rendezvous points.
"Now what?" the Archon's captain exclaimed. "Not another pirate, I hope..."
"I'm reading its weapons as in standby," the sensor operator reported. "It has a pretty fair complement of turbolasers, not as many as that Star Galleon but still quite a few and they look like they're in pristine condition. It's got an expanded hangar bay with what look like a couple of old Quaynar H-wings inside."
"Well, hail 'em and see what they want," the captain ordered. Moments later, the holoprojector came to life in response.
"Hey, I recognize that face from some of the history vids..." a crewman exclaimed. "He was wanted by the NRMD or something about... oh... three hundred years ago..."
The Captain motioned for the crewman to shut up as the person in the holo began speaking. "I was referred to you by a couple of scavengers. I'm in the market for kit, so maybe we could find something?"
SirNitram wrote:"Set us a course for the outermost Kzin outposts. Inform our contacts that we have a Kzinti who was warped by the Atlanteans, and are willing to turn her over to the Patriarch." A small smile appeared on the Captain's face. "Emphasize the 'her'."
The contacts in the Patriarchy were humans, of course. It was impossible to find a Hero willing to sully his hands dealing with privateers or smugglers or other criminal elements. This was something that was farmed out to humans, who would act as more palatable minutemen and pass whatever was needed on to their overlords. In this way the Kzin would never engage in distasteful acts; they merely supported the activities of their subjects who performed them for them.
Crime among Kzin was nonexistent. Crime among subject peoples was common and syndicates even received tacit support from the Heroes. The great cats, whose understanding of crime was distant at best, saw only organizations which governed a certain economic area. Provided that A) violent and economically destructive activities were kept to a minimum and B) no Hero was ever harmed, the Kzin did not care.
The shadowy Mafiosi syndicate had once tried to infiltrate the Patriarchy, but they had not the experience to deal with the Kzin properly. A Kzin officer of the peace, veteran of many combats, was shot by some foolish Mafia gunman. What followed was a ruthless hunt which ignored any law but that of honor. The Mafiosi Capo who had been sent to take charge of the infiltration was hunted and eaten alive, as were many more lieutenants and others. And the native humans remained in control of organized crime in the Patriarchy, understood the limits of Kzin patience, and followed the unwritten rules.
The human contacts would purchase the female, and sell her to the Kzin. She would travel up the ranks until she was "clean" enough for the Patriarch to hear of her. She was not the first sentient female to be found, nor would she be the last. But study was always necessary.
"I am gravely disappointed. Again you have made me unleash my dogs of war."
--The Lord Humungus
