Fleet Conference 12721-2239

[Xavier]

The fleet conference software starts up and the officers assemble around the table.

As you are all well aware, we have found ourselves in a less than favourable situation. The deception played by the pirates compromised our systems and has resulted in the loss of the base in Onwia. It leaves us in a much weaker operational state, however our orders still stand.

Lets take this time to review the status of the division and come up with a plan. We need to establish our supply situation, status of each ship and then find a place to relocate our resources so that we can continue operation in this area as long as possible.

[Yooey]

A main area of concern with regard to choosing a location is early warning. As we will have all noted, our advanced warning for our most recent home away from home was barely adequate despite having half a sector of open space in the way of warning. Few if any other potential locates improve on this level of notice of incursion. Some attractive sectors feature nebula ribbons that connect to several adjacent sectors; however, whereas we would enjoy obscurity while based there, so too would inbound patrols combing the system for just our sort of riffraff. Even if we were to eliminate these patrols silently, it wouldn’t take long for them to figure out which ribbons tend to result in their ships going MIA. If we wished to seek out locations similar to the one we previously enjoyed, there are a few comparable ones.

The asteroid field in Onwia II offers us a similar threat detection perimeter, and the asteroids themselves offer a kind of passive drone screen for the base as well. However, that screen works against us in a defensive scenario as well, getting in the path of our own ordnance as well as presenting another reason for our shields to fail besides enemy fire while maneuvering–sorry, helm officers, but it happens to the best of us. Another asteroid field in Drenan IX by and large gives us all the same opportunities and consequences as Onwia II.

Onwia IV features a sparse debris field and spotty off-cast nebula. Not much to hide behind, and mighty close to our previous location, this is perhaps not our best option. Conversely, depending on what our fleet alien psychology students have to say, the ill suitability may be the best way to go unnoticed.

The disconnected ribbon in Drenan XIII features a slight improvement upon most nebula ribbon locations. There’s plenty of open space on most sides for us to detect inbound patrols, and the ribbon does have that breakage in Drenan X that affords us the opportunity to catch patrols that are routed along the nebula.

A final technique we might employ is to simply forego a stationary base of operations and run with a mobile one for a time until either the heat dies down or we find ourselves simply unable to continue our mission. A supply convoy kept mobile along the adjoining ribbons and asteroid field throughout Drenan III, IV, VII, and VIII gives us numerous intersections around which we might juke Hegemony traffic. This would give us the option to not necessarily destroy warships on approach, so that we cannot be triangulated from our wake of destruction.

Then again, there’s also the option of bugging out to Ibroan and commuting to our assigned target area.

[Pierce]

A lot of options to choose from of course. To me personally, I would suggest going the commuting option and establishing ourselves in a different area than our area of operations.

While we didn’t get much warning, that was to be expected, we didn’t prepare for the fact that the pirates would betray our location and that the Hegemony would get ships there this fast.

If we establish ourselves in the Ibroan system we remove ourselves once again from our main area of operations which is a good thing. If we stay in Drenan after an attack, they will probably highten patrols and find us faster.

Of course the mobile base is also an option to take into consideration, like Lt. Yooey described.

[Xansta]

Typing frantically on his pad,

The options raised are good ones. ONI considered most of these, but Yooey raised some additional considerations along with Mr. Pierce. I’ll be sure Command gets this additional information so that they can consider it before drafting orders for the Fourth Light Division.

Looking up,

Any additional input? Now’s the time

[Author]

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