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Xavier sits at the head of the conference table, greeting officers as they arrive. As the last few settle into their seats, he brings up a map of the local area and begins
We are currently located here, grid coordinate C3-7. The nebula is providing some cover, and keeping the ships in silent running will make it difficult for the Rumarians to detect us unless they manage to get close.
The map zooms out to show a wider view of the explored areas of Arcturus system.
These are the sectors in Arcturus that we know about. At the moment, we don’t know the full extent of the system. Based on previous sensor readings of the area around the gate, there are no more sectors of interest to Rimward or Spinward, just deep space. The system does continue to extend both Corewards and Trailing though.
Our first priority needs to be to find out what has happened to the jump point. The jump tether was knocked offline because of the shift in the natural jump point. It seems the gravitational storm that moved through this system caused the gate to lose connection with the jump point, either shearing it from the tether due to the gravitational shifts or…
Xavier pauses.
… or the natural point has gone.
For the time being, this means we are completely cut off from Hjorden and command. We need to come up with a plan. Remaining here in this nebula is not an option. The risk the Rumarians will discover us is too great, and without regular resupply or reinforcements we are going to start to find ourselves in a situation I would rather avoid.
Any suggestions?
Wilcon stands up in one corner of a room, preparing to speak
As we were traveling rimward from the previous location of the Hjorden gate, there was a large force of Rumarians that were following us, although many had been completely deterred or destroyed. One major problem I see is that we don’t know what the Rumarians are truly capable of, especially in the realms of communication, science, and technology. It is possible that the Rumarians have a communication system that we can not detect, and as such the fleet sent to chase us away, as it were, may have been continually communicating our actions to their form of central command, of course that information may have also been directly relayed from the ships that were willing to surrender.
In any case it would be reasonable to presume that the Rumarians know we are in the sectors rimward of our previous base. A reasonable action would likely be to move trailing, coreward, and then spinward to position ourselves in the opposite direction of where we were headed at last Rumarian sighting, coreward relative to the previous positioning of the jump point. If the Hjorden fleet that was unable to make it through the gate in time includes some of the mining and/or production facilities that were with the initial fleet, then it is possible that we could home-brew our own armaments with the materials in the sector, of course if that is actually possible would be at the knowledge and specialization of the engineering, and science teams of the 4LD and Hjorden fleet.
Wilcon sits down and waits for the next person to speak
It’s a long way home if we’re limited to warp drive.
starts running mental calculations, using assumptions for Arcturus Sector’s position relative to “known” space.
We’re talking measurements in years, not weeks or months.
Until we’re able to reliably resupply, I recommend the fleet adopt strict conservation measures – restrict to Delta engagements, with the use of heavier ordnance to be saved for extreme circumstances. Perhaps the length of any engagement where there is the possiblity of the loss of even a single DamCon should be re-evaluated. Survival-level water and replicator rationing should be implemented immediately. We should also re-analyze the sensor readings of the planet we discovered to see if there are any biological or technological resources we may be able to scavenge.
Exploring the unknown sectors is a calculated risk – we may encounter more enemy ships and hostile cosmozoa, but we must weigh that against our need to locate raw materials and the means to refine and utilize them. Search grids should also be executed in each sector to detect any possible natural jump points.
Recommend we do what we can to boost our sensor and communications systems. Any advance intelligence from sensors or intercepted communications could mean avoiding a costly engagement. At the same time, we should engage Silent Running as much as possible. Coded, data-stream burst communication between ships should be the order of the day to avoid detection by hostiles.
Before we encounter any more Rumarian vessels, Command should also evaluate whether our ideals for preserving life are overriden by our own need to survive.
Donovan half-notices heads turning towards him and imagines the judgment behind the stares as comprehension of his train of thought sinks in…
Respectfully, Sir, a single Rumarian ship, even though it has offered to surrender, could alert their fleets to our presence and put us in more jeopardy. At the very least, we should actively jam their communications channels while in proximity. If we let them leave, we should offload engineers to their surrendered ships to sabotage communications systems and sensor logs.
nods in agreement
If we move to another sector in search of resources and to avoid obvious pursuit by Rumarians as Wilcon suggests, we need a Rumarian response policy as Donovan implies. In the new sectors where we wish to establish mining operations or fallback positions for repair and resupply from our remaining assets, we should consider a harsher stance: Surrendered Rumarians to be boarded with intent to learn language, decode/extract/interpret any data stores, interact with those willing to talk but not to let any Rumarian vessel exit the sector. We would host any Rumarian remaining from surrendered ships, perhaps in their own life pods if our biology differs significantly. For other sectors, we could release surrendered Rumarian vessels.
gestures vaguely towards the local map
We all want to return to known systems. However, we must face the very real possibility that we will remain isolated in the Arcturus system for an extended period of time. We must plan for just such a circumstance. We cannot emulate the Flornix of Danae prime and bury our sensory organs beneath the regolith.
These are my ideas. I defer to the wisdom of the group and to the directives of the Fleet Captain.
stands and half turns to Donovan
With respect to shooting down surrenedered vessals, I do not think we are anywhere near that point. The nice thing about space is that its realy quite big, if we are found, we move, even if we have to skulk around the outside of the system for a month or two as we atemept to locate the jump point I think we can make it quite hard for them, and whilst we are NOT blowing them up we stand a better chance of comeing to peacefull relations with them. Its risky but I would surgest a mission to the rendevus point that we went to talk to them last time.. a single ship perhapse not even a TSN ship as I will explain in a moment. peace is preferable to pew pew.
We have a Hijordan task force with us.. that is both a benifit and a curse.. in the event we have to return the long way around unless we are willing to leave our allies.. Its going to take not years at warp speed but the best part of a decade at high impulse. The Hijordan do not have warp drive for one very simple reason however…. The Hijordan have stealth technology that is significantly ahead of our own … ever wonder why we only see cruisers? It comes at a draw back however – No Denabite fule containment fields, meaning no warp drive. I am sure they will be willing to help us improve the steathyness of our ships and shipyard, its posible that one of the cruisers has a full stealth suite onboard as well and that could be very handy for getting to hard to reach places. Its a shame the full on cloakning device also precludes gate travel.. a Hijordan Super Dreadnaught squadron is something to be very very afraid of even if your a TSN Battle Division! but I digress..
With reguards to finding the location of the jump point unless we happen to stumble apon a quantom signature we are going to have to take many readings at many locations to piece togeather the topography of the area and narrow down the likely locations. Probes will help here but they need to be launched a ways from our base or they will to easily be tracked back to us.
Donovan I agree whole heartedly with your sentiment on ration reduction, we should take steps towards it yes, but I feel the moral not to mention the reduction in the physical ability of crew that will result from going all the way to survival levels is too great, at least until we have exhausted the imediate posibilitys. I would say we start rationing at full rations imediatly with Luxury items at the descretion of the CO and CMO (I have heard that Dr Hosman has survived … so dont think sick call is going to be an easy option!).
Of more imediat concern.. I think we should re-locate any surviving Sensor bouys, and if posible find a way to move the gate some where secure.. we are going to need it and if the Remains try disasemble or open fire on it… the consquinces are going to be serious for us.
consults his tablet….
thats all my prepared comments. thank you.We could task off-duty personnel with sufficient fabrication experience to retrofit several probes with reaction control systems. That would allow the onboard sensors to track the telemetry and alter its course, so that two intercepted probes would not just reveal the intersecting origin and point of launch. That would allow us some measure of security in expanding our net to locate a jump point. Furthermore the probes could be fitted with storage tanks and filled with a neutral element or compound, possibly two. A helium trail would allow us to better observe the gravitational effects while also being more susceptible to solar radiation, eddies from the storm, or any other environmental effects. As a second option, something with more mass would likewise be more resistant to those forces.
It may also be worth considering misdirection maneuvers to draw Rumerian attention away from our intermediate and/or ultimate destinations. We are small in number, which impresses even more the need to be perceived as somehow both everywhere and nowhere.
Perhaps the Hjorden, under stealth, could spoof 4LD ship signatures and quietly slip away. We could even go as far as dispatching TSN Lancer with her superior speed to penetrate deeper into Rumerian space under silent running to create a ruckus, and then sneak away again to rendezvous with the rest of the division later on.
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