@zacturnez
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Leaning forward in his chair, Turnez indicates to the maps of the local areas explored.
The fact that pirates were operating in this area is a fortunate discovery. We have destroyed their ships and neutralised the base in the sector rimwards of our position. I imagine the hegemony are aware of these pirates and have been hunting for them. For the time being, I think as long as we are careful to leave no traces when we attack, we could mask our operations by making them look like random pirate attacks. We could hit some lower level targets as well as some of the military targets. With any luck, the Hegemony will put those higher stakes attacks down to the pirates becoming more bold.
Turnez pauses, and sits back in his chair.
It is a double edged sword though. Eventually, the hegemony will want to find and flush out the pirates, which may well mean that their patrols increase. That will have a knock on impact for us. And of course, the hegemony may have already started to increase patrols to deal with the situation. There was an attack that we witnessed towards the end of our accounting mission. Though the pirates didn’t seem too powerful, I doubt the hegemony would tolerate them for long.
Turnez tosses the pad onto the bar and sits back, rubbing his temples. He takes a sip of his coffee and sighs heavily
I have been looking over the most recent data dump from the sensor packages we smuggled into Ulikai space last mission. There are most definitely traces of TSN origin in there. It has to be from the Sabre – there’s no doubt about that
What I can’t figure out is the state she might have been in. The readings also give some indication of a general direction of movement, but that gives an area of location that covers almost half of this known system.And the thing is, this could all be for naught. These trace readings could easily come from debris that has been gathered and transported aboard a small convoy.
Turnez glances at his pad again, frowning this time
There is also another signal in there. It’s strangely familiar, but I just can’t think what it is. It doesn’t match any record I can get my hands on, but yet it looks… I don’t know, maybe I am just tired.
Is there an alternative entry point to the base? AR – Average; DR – Average; Roll – 25; Result – Yes
Is there an undefended entry point (e.g. an escape hatch) AR – Average; DR – Average; Roll – 6; Result – E. Yes
Is it within sight of the team? AR – Average; DR – Average; Roll – 85; Result – No
Searching through the scan data, Turnez pinpoints several different possible entry points around the base. One highlights as an emergency hatch.
Here. This looks like it might be our best point of entry. Its on the other side of the base though. We’ll have to take it steady and move around the perimeter. Glade, take point. We’ll bound from cover to cover until we reach the escape hatch.
Lets get moving!
Glade bounds ahead of the team, the rest of the marines forming pairs and moving steadily from cover to cover, keeping to the rocks to remain undetected.
Ahead of Turnez is a grey an desolate landscape, with small islands of jagged rocks breaking the pitted surface of the asteroid. A few hundred metres ahead, a Turnez sees a large, rocky face, in which an entrance to the research base can be seen. The installation itself is half buried into the asteroid base, the Kralien structure stretching the width of the horizon.
Is there evidence of external automated defenses? AR – Average; DR – Average; Roll – 5; Result – E.Yes
Magnifying his helmet display, Turnez surveys the entrance. The airlock into the facility is set back into the rock, and defended on both sides with automated turrets. Across the top, Turnez can also see an gantry with Kralien surveillance equipment overlooking the plain. Ducking back behind the lip of the crater, Turnez takes a moment to review the images captured on his helmet cam.
Looks like this is pretty well covered. If we try and attack this entry point, we’ll never get through.
Sam, take a look through the sensor data we have. Were there any escape hatches or other entry points that we could use?
Glade, Wren,check out the edge of this crater. Take it easy – we’ll be operating in low g until we get to the base.
Glade and Wren move out, bounding across the crater until they reach the easy slope.
Is Sam able to report a fix on the location? AR – Above Average; DR – Average; Roll – 52; Result – Yes
Is there an entrance to the base close by? AR – Average; DR – Average; Roll – 33; Result – Yes
Sam gains a fix on the teams position and forwards the data direct to Turnez’s datapad. Checking it carefully, Turnez pinpoints an entract to the base a few hundred metres beyond the crater edge.
Great work! It looks like this entrance is out point of access to the base. We’ll move up and clear out any defences quickly. Its likely that there will only be automated defences to contend with. Lets go!
Standing, Turnez begins moving slowly and carefully towards Wren and Glade. Both have taken up flanking positions at the top of the edge of the crater, either side of the gradual slope. Behind Turnez, the rest of the team follow, scanning the crater edge continually.
Turnez know it is imperative to get into the base as soon as possible. Though their environmental suits protect them from the hazards of space, a single hit would be fatal.
With the size of the base, it is likely that most of the defenses will be automated. We’ll have to make sure we deactive them as soon as possible, without triggering any alarms. We won’t be able to stay undetected for long, so every minute counts.
Reaching Glade, Turnez pauses to survey the asteoid ahead.
Leading his team onto the asteroid, Turnez scans the terrain ahead. Low, jagged rocks litter the crater where the transport dropped them. No more than 200m ahead is the edge, a slope leading gently to it before terminating at the base of a steep, rocky step several metres high. The shuttle behind them takes of swiftly as soon as all the marines are offloaded, and disappears silently into the darkness.
Taking a knee, Turnez scans the rim of the crater looking for an exit point from the crater.
Does Turnez see an easy way out of the crater?
AR – Average; DR – Average; Roll – 40; Result – YesOver there…Turnez points to a break in the rocky step where a gradual slope leads from the crater. Looks like the easiest way out.
Sam, do you have a fix on our location? We need to figure out where we can enter this research base.
Turnez continues to scrutinise his data pad, scrolling through various screens of sensor data and stellar cartography maps and pausing every so often to type a few notes before continuing.
What mandate? We have no mandate here. We were dragged to this universe by accident. There was no plan of action, no orders, no outline of our objective or position in this universe. What we DO have is our oath to the TSN – our TSN.
I will never turn from the right path, never follow fear, never enable an injustice.
I will stand in truth, serve with honour and fight with courage.We’ve taken part in operations that have aimed to kill innocent people. When the Fleet Captain was here, he did everything possible to stop that from occuring. He knew the consequences of his actions, and so did all the Senior Officers who are being detained now.
To sit by an allow the ISN to continue exploiting the Caltrons and supressing their own people, we are breaking our own oath. Its not a question of one weapon or another, but a question of its use… in our own universe or in this.
We cannot hide behind politics, legalities, or our desire to return home and use them as an excuse not to do what is right. Our oath doesn’t just make us swear to protect ourselves, but protect anyone from an injustice. The TSN exists because our officers first laid down their lives to protect others who were under threat and unable to protect themselves.
Turning to address Quinn
Look at the evidence we have before us and the facts. The TSN we have met in this universe… look at what they have done so far – attacked us when we have threatened innocent civilians, rescued our officers when they’ve been in need, cooperated with us when we’ve needed to cover our tracks. We don’t have to join them, but we can seek their help.
And if you are worried about choosing a side, we cannot sit neatly on the fence in the middle. We cannot make it home on our own. By staying in the ISN we ARE choosing a side and making it hard to achieve virtually anything. We are also allow an injustice to continue.
From what I understand, Hamilton left because she disagreed with the decisions made. However, she is TSN. I wouldn’t be surprised if she contacted us; infact if I were a betting man I’d say its only a matter of time.
If we start requisition surplus supplies, it won’t go unnoticed long. We’re already under heavy scrutiny – that damned Commadore seems to show up everywhere. With the ISN holding multiple fronts and staving off a civil war at the same time,I am sure they’ll be questioning every single torpedo and energy cell requisitioned.
Hamilton has gone AWOL. She is probably headed to make contact with the TSN forces we’ve encountered. I doubt they’ll let her just walk in and join them without interrogating her first. However, she might just convince them to let her join. With the way the ISN operates, I wouldn’t be surprised if it isn’t the first time and officer has defected. If she does, she might be a way to make contact with them. We need all the help we can get, and so far they seem to have been the ones who have tried to kill us the least.
Turnez takes a long drink before dropping heavily on to a bar stool.
I’ve been working overtime, sifting through sensor logs and comms traffic for clues… any clues… as to what is happening to our SOs. ISN seem to be very good at making people disappear. So far, all I know for definate is that they were escorted by marines to Atlantis command. I have been trying to determine whether they’ve been moved, or are still being held there.
Turnez runs the data through a Signature Analysis suite. The raw data begins scrolling across one of the data screens and Turnez watches the other screens closely as individual signatures begin appearing on the other screens.
I just need to find and isolate the right signatures.
Can Turnez identify the signatures from the TSN vessel? AR=High DR=Average Roll=64 Result=Yes
Turnez carefully scan the monitors around him, checking the different signatures. He selects one and open the information across the various screens. One shows a rotatig image of a ship from visual sensors, another data readouts on mass, energy levels and other live data. A time stamp indicates the start and end of the sensor record for the signature
Well, well, here we are.
Turnez enters, looking fatigued, but still with a grin on his face.
Ah, I thought there might be some familiar faces here. How’s everyone holding up? Rather strange situation we have going on isn’t it.
Taking a seat nearby he accepts the drink offered by the bar keeper.
We’re still trying to figure out the influx of sensor data in the computer records. Ths biggest problem is that telemetry only recorded as we left the jump. Everything before that is gone. We’re also trying to figure out where we are still. Navigational sensors are down, so unless someone is willing to stare out of a nearby window and match star charts by eye, then we’ll remain officially lost in space.
Gesturing towards the discarded datapad on the table.
This piece of crap was pulled out of stores whilst mine is in for a fix. Last shift, the whole system infection from the Caltrons seemed to have impacted my datapad’s interface protocols. I’ve had to leave it with the techs whilst they rebuild it. In the meantime, I am stuck with an older pad, which seems to take an age to do anything.
For the past hour, I have been trying to review internal sensor analysis from last shift in the hopes of helping solve the mystery of the Caltron software virus aboard the Viper. So far, I’ve got nowhere. On my own ‘pad, I had a whole host of sub-routines and analysis programs, some of which I designed myself… but I have nothing like that on this piece of junk.
