Tau Leonis

[Crash Override]

off: Can i play too?

[Prototype]

On board the Midas, a level 7 emergency was sounded.

The pilot code named CLIMAX had been unexplainable destroyed during the recon flight, and military forces were closing in on the remains of the BR-45 bomber.

The protocol here was to destroy the remains, but this could not be done without compromising the vessel's location.

There was only one option left, and it went against all NSCD protocols.

"Load GODEYE's bomber with a warp missile, obliterate the remains of CLIMAX's bomber, GODEYE will have to unclear to launch the missile, they might see us, but that is better than them recovering the remains"

"But sir, they could work out who we are if the see the bomber, we are not well known, but there are people who dedicate their lives to studying our technology, and three of said people reside in this area"

"It is a risk we have to take" Theta replied.

GODEYE brought the BR-45 back on board, where an automated loading system loaded the single warp missile into the bay of the bomber, and promptly turning the craft round to face the launch strip.

"GODEYE you are cleared for launch"

"GODEYE launch successful"

"GODEYE within firing range, preparing to de cloak"

The bomber briefly de cloaked, launching the warp missile at the remains of CLIMAX, the recovery drone would be destroyed, but the salvage ship would not be harmed.

"GODEYE confirming hit on CLIMAX, returning to base"

The warp missile struck what was formerly the left wing of the bomber, a bright blue light engulfed the bombers remains, and the recovery drone that had been sent to recover the wreckage, vaporising everything.

"Mission accomplished"

Theta began laying out drastic plans, he knew they would eventually work out the location of the Midas, if they engaged engines, they would be spotted and destroyed, they may have to abandon ship

"Sir, we were too late, another ship picked up part of the wreckage"

"Oh for F***s sake, raise the alarm to level 8"

[Professor Fenway]

OOC: Application, lightspeed. And grammar. You must have it. Follow proper application and I may allow you in.



A small ripple went through the ship as the warp missile's blast hit it.

"What the hell was that?" The captain marched up to the sensor console. It didn't show anything.

"Sir, I have no idea." The Lieutenant responded. "Nothing registered on any sensor nets." The captain sighed. He walked up to the command console, but was stopped short from a message from the cargo bay.

"Captain, the wreckage is not a drone."

"What?"

"It appears to be a bomber, not Terran in origin."

"If that's the case, then... they would want to cover up their tracks." He turned to Error.

"You're still here? Well, we have some work for you. We'll ignore your trespass of our No-fly zone, and we'll repair any damaged equipment at our station at no cost. My apologies for the misunderstanding."

Error nodded at this. "And the work?"

"If you're correct about this cloaked ship, then we want you to find it. If this was a bomber, then whoever this is could be heavily armed."

"Understood. I'll follow you for repairs." Error signed off.

The ship pivoted around and returned to the base. Error's ship trailed behind.

On the Harmony, noticed by no one, a small ticker on the reactor glitched out and changed values, slightly. By coincidence or deliberate act, it precisely matched the ship's self-destruct code.

[Chairman_Tiel]

ooc: Sweet Jesus Fenway. You should really write one of those modern-conspiracy novelettes.

[Crash Override]

Name: William C. Grey
Age:19
Species: Human
Role: Cadet
Rank (If applicable) Officer In Training
Short Bio: With the premature death of the parents,William became a millionaire with the money left by his father. Always curious,read a lot and have some little experience in piloting a fighter,well,in simulators in the Academy. With 18 years he entered the Officers Training Center in Beta Caeli System.
Personality: Generally shy.hate very crowded places and have eye for strategy. Dont have the " Voice of command" that make others obey him and is very friendly
Other Info: xxx

[Sorry for any mistake,my english is not so good,any problem with it?]

[Chairman_Tiel]

I hate to be the bearer of terrible news, but Fenway said that there can't be any more military characters.

Maybe corporate security or something of that nature?

[ACH0225]

I don't really know if anything is directed at me yet, so I'll pretend nothing has been.

Aygyrn watched from his command console as the Terran ships searched for a different cloaked ship.

"Good thing I cloaked before I was in sensor range... Better to be sure"

At that, the scout ship launched a small drone, barely a meter long. The drone was equipped with a 1 minute cloak, and basic stealth ablative coating. The drone launched using tiny, and very powerful, Polonium chemical thrusters. The drone was cloaked from the start, and flew out, launching the occasional cloaked, delayed, missile flares. The flares would attract attention far away from the ship, allowing it to deploy its other drone, a tracker drone. As the clumsy Terran ships turned to point their main weapons at the seemingly random anti-missile drone, the scout ship launched a camera drone onto the destroyer, and then sneaked away to the gas giant, where it would be obscured by the magnetic radiation and thermals from the ball of hydrogen. There, Aygyrn could compile a report for Strigiforme command, an also refuel and recharge the ship and it's cloaking system.

[Crash Override]

I hate to be the bearer of terrible news, but Fenway said that there can't be any more military characters.

Maybe corporate security or something of that nature?

Name:William C. Grey
Age:19
Species: Human
Role: technology specialist
Rank (If applicable)
Short Bio: Son of the head of a security corporation,he is billionaire and from the childhood,he gets everything that wanted. However,this dont turned him in a "richie". He is a very good person and was developing technology for helping the Beta Caeli colonists. When all contact was lost,he was in the corporation HQ branch in Tau Leonis system. Now the local commander of a security corporation,he have to learn [very fast] how to deal with the dangerous corporative world.
Personality:Curious,friendly and very charismatic. Has an eye for business and military strategy. Recused before in the Military academy,receiving training with ex- officers.
Other Info: Arspace Dynamics,a affiliate of the Darkstar Corporation,is in the current command of the William.

[Error]

Error turned off his comms system and vented for a few minutes, then turned his attention to the task at hand. If I empty the Polaris, I can kit her out with DRADIS and a mineral scanner, and go prowling. Yeah..that might work. Onwards.

[Prototype]

:::EMERGENCY LEVEL 8:::

The senior officers on board the Midas had assembled in the panic room.
"They know we are here, they won't be able to detect us, but we can't run the cloak forever"

"Could we make a run for it?"

"Negative, we would be seen and shot down"

"So we just sit here?"

At this point Theta stood up.

"We are not going to sit here and die, I can cope with the loss of the Midas, but I will not allow my crew to be slaughtered"

"What are you suggesting?"

"We abandon ship, there are enough craft here to evacuate all personnel"

"But what about the Archetype files, if they find the Midas, they will eventually get hold of those files" one of the officers asks

"Well then we destroy the Midas and the files"

"The self destruct has to be activated from inside, who will do it"

"Well, as the old Terran saying goes, a captain should go down with his ship"

"But sir-.... Are you sure? We could easily sacrifice a grunt"

"Negative, if we have to blow the ship, I'll be the one to press the button"

"Ok, so what if we blow it, what if we escape, how will we defend ourselves from the forces patrolling this area"

"Don't worry about that, I can make a... Distraction"

[Error]

OOC: For reference, Error sensed the Cyuuth ship, but he doesn't know who it is, just that they're there.

[Iv121]

Finding a decent job in Antioch was not as easy as Nathan expected. He took a temporary job at a local café while searching for a better job. The month slowly passed by. The quiet life on the planet took him away from the smell of the oil and the burnt fuel of the flight deck. He didn't have to look at the exploding fighters anymore which filled the cockpit with imaginary smell of burnt flesh. He missed the speed though. Ms. Hatchet was a decent woman. She helped Nathan to find his way around the city. Nathan was glad there was a human behind the person he pays his bills to, someone to talk with . He didn't see her often but when he did they usually held a nice conversation. It wasn't bad to live on the ground once again, all he needs to do now is to find a permanent job and set his life here.

Nathan checked his Email as always to pay the bills. His eyes went through the row of letter describing how much money he wasted this month. Suddenly his eyes stopped on one of the letters. It wasn't a bill, it was a letter... from Presley. Nathan knew Presley, he was one of his old wingmen, they flew together a lot. He retired a few months before Nathan. He opened the letter. It contained a recorded message.

"Hey Nathan, its me, Presley.

I heard you have trouble finding work here and I have a proposal for you. If you want to know more I can arrange a meeting between you and my new bosses. They are interested in your skills as a pilot and are ready to offer a lot for you. They also said they have another reason why you might be interested to work for them, personal issue ... Anyway send me an answer if you want to hear them out and tell how you have been. "

Nathan played the letter again. He didn't want to fight anymore, he had enough during those 15 years in the Navy, yet maybe they are looking for a pilot for something else besides piloting a fighter. It could be a good job for Nathan. He began to record a reply, asking for a meeting. The answer didn't take long to arrive, he was invited to a luxurious restaurant for a meeting.

Nathan left the cab and entered the restaurant. Near the booked table set a man in a suit. "Good evening Mr. Anderson, please sit down". Nathan set in front of the man. "We are a bit short in time so lets get to business. I'm Mr. German, representing Agrus Corp. We are searching for talented pilots to fly for us. We are looking for good and dedicated dogfighters to work for our company. As you are aware we are one of the leading providers of security solutions and hireable forces and security assets." "Do you want me to fly fighters for you ?" "Correct, we can’t talk specifically about your role yet, but we will make sure to generously pay you for your efforts" "I'm not interested in fighting anymore, I quit armed service not long ago" "We are ready to pay you a lot for your efforts" "No" "Then maybe I can interest you with something more personal. In exchange for your service we will share with you information that might interest you - the fait of your family." Nathan jump up. How did he know about his family ? It might be his chance to find out more, what happened back at Signus ? "Alright, I agree." "Good, please be at the space port at 17:00 February 13th, we will inform you about the payment and conditions together with the ticket to your flight via mail service"

Nathan arrived at the port on time. A space liner was docked at the gate, the flight he was searching for. He boarded the liner and the liner took off. After a few hours of flight the liner began to descend at Tau 2. When Nathan left the4 terminal Mr. German was already waiting for him. “I hope your flight to Tau 2 was comfortable Mr. Anderson. Now we will board the shuttle that will take us to the planetary Agrus Corp. facility”. The shuttle was waiting for them outside, “The planet is mostly uninhabitable but basic atmospheric conditions are recreated within the colony shields, A similar shield is present above our facility. I highly suggest avoid leaving the shield dome without proper equipment though.”

The shuttle soon reached the facility. It consisted of series of large and small buildings linked with walkways and bridges. The facility was rather large and heavily protected by sentries and combat drones. The shuttle flew through an open door leading to a large hangar bay. The shuttle landed inside and the large doors began to close. “Welcome to the Agrus Corp. Tau 2 facility. This place will be your home for the next months. Here is your identification key, each key is marked by a letter representing your level of clearance, the doors to closed zones also have letter markings. We keep strict security protocols on this facility so please try to avoid accessing secured areas above your level of clearance. This key will also unlock areas you have access to. Please follow me to the living area”

Mr. German led Nathan to the barracks. They were larger and better equipped than the Naval barracks. He also got a separate room. Nathan placed his things in his cabin and went outside. Presley was waiting for him there “Long time no see Nathan” “So this is your new outfit ?” he pointed at Presley’s uniform “Yea, sits much better than the naval one. There is something I need to show you , then we can have a long chatter with a cup of drink.”

They went through the walkways to a large building. They kept walking forward until they reached a locked door, with a large C glowing above it. Presley took out his key and opened the door. “They showed it to me two days ago, I didn’t believe it when they gave me the files on her” he opened another door “Walla !”. Inside the room stood a large fighter. It had long flat wings mounting large weapon platforms and missile banks. The fighter had a very smooth shape and the armor plates were well welded together leaving no gaps between as if the fighter was made whole. “She’s a beauty isn’t she ? This is probably the best stealth fighter in the galaxy, and we are going fly her “

Spoiler:

[Professor Fenway]

OOC: Lightspeed, I suggest less- military oriented. We've already got plenty of those. I suggest something more subtle.


Kayne observed the progress of the salvage vessel. After replaying communications, he understood why the civilian vessel was trailing behind though. He was agitated that the base commander had only sent a few fighters, not a destroyer as he asked, but there was no trouble. And he had been right- It was a destroyed fighter, or bomber if you prefer that.

That drone deserves a promotion, eh? Maybe senior illusion officer.

Kayne ignored this and switched views. He observed a private-military compound on Tau II for a while. It was a bit more heavily armed than he would have liked, but since the Terran Military can't accomplish every conflict, it was allowed. Begrudgingly. He attempted access into some of the security units, and was incredibly surprised to find himself locked out. Past that, he couldn't gain access. Maybe it was running on traditional manual systems. He tried several access points. The closest he got was a small freighter. It showed very little. Kayne clicked and disconnected. He was wasting time.

He switched views toward the asteroid field again, near what was the destroyed wreckage of the fighter. A drone provided this vision. As he watched, a particularly large asteroid approached from the distance. Kayne considered moving the drone, when something flashed bright blue. The asteroid shattered, and a circular wave pulsed around a small area. One big enough to hold a battleship. Inquisitive, he replayed the feed. Several times. There was little probability of that being an illusion. Or a glitch.

He considered his options. Someone was hiding from them. But why? There was no reason to hide. The military could use all the hands it could get. So, destroy or convert?

Deciding, he opened up a manual communication channel. After analyzing the reflective surfaces of several asteroids, he decided on a pulsed signal. It would saturate the ship's location. And only that location. He composed it and sent it.

It's contents:

Greetings. This is Kayne, Admiral AI of the Tau Leonis system. I have recently become aware of your presence, and we may have recovered one of your fighters. As you may know, the Ionic Storm has isolated every system from each other. There is simply no reason to hide from each other. If you are willing to join us, we may have refuge for you and your crew, along with other suitable rewards for work. If not, that is understood. I will grant you access to system resources, but you may not interfere with any civilian or military operation if you refuse, and you must leave No-Fly zones imposed by our military. I do not wish to be enemies. That is not efficient, nor is it reasonable. I am including a highly-detailed ping map. If you wish to contact me, send a centralized signal through one of these reflective channels. It will reach me, and only me.

[Error]

Error fired Polaris' maneuvering engines, accelerating towards the asteroid belt. He flicked on his transponder and began scanning the asteroids for minerals, occasionally pulsing the ship's radar. He set the automatic systems, then stood up and walked back to his newly repaired shuttle. He placed a sensor-spoof device, simulating a human life-form, inside, then launched it on autopilot and set it to do a circuit of the system.

[cats]

OOC: Look, I'm back! Now read this wall of dialogue that contains minimal relevant information, for I command it!

'Narek sat in his private quarters aboard his new Demersa-class mining vessel, monitoring it's harvest sweep. Just as the ship's tiny holographic representation was about to make another dip into the planet's swirling atmosphere, the door of his quarters slid into the wall, revealing a human officer.

"Sir, we've picked up a strange energy reading, your presence is requested on the bridge." The ensign said.

"Why have you disturbed me without warning?"

"Your fleetmaster believes it urgent."

"Very well. Take me to the bridge."

'Narek stood from his seat and deactivated the holoconsole before following the ensign to the command deck in silence. The double doors of the bridge slid open and the ensign stood aside to allow 'Narek to pass through the entrance. Sitting in the command chair was Leonidas Akinway, one of the few that 'Narek considered in his trusted ring.

"Hello, 'Narek."

"Akinway. Why've you sent for me?"

"We've picked up some odd energy sigs emitting from the mid-belt. This new ship's sensors picked it up even before the station's. Very powerful for a mining craft, even better than most war-" 'Narek gestured to cease Leo's babbling.

"What kind of energy signatures?" 'Narek said, lowering his hand.

"Realspace frequencies indicate something radiation based, but hyperspace and subspace overlays are far too prominent for most cataloged weapon systems."

"A weapon? Maybe a Feles slip-merge bomb or a yttrium torpedo portal?"

"It's possible, but unlikely. It could just be a failed hyperjump, but the signals probably wouldn't be this uniform."

"Hmm. Ready a transport for us and send a message to my orbital docking station. Tell Nik'Hal to ready one of my old warships. Leave your second-in-command in control of this vessel."

"Done. You chose 'Hal for your dockmaster?" Asked Akinway, motioning for the man at the nav console to take his place.

"He was the best mechanic in our sect." The two left the bridge, moving toward the vehicle hangar.

"He was inexperienced, would've eaten that merc's nanoblade in his first battle if you hadn't been there."

"We were all inexperienced, once. Anyway, that fight left me with one of my best scars." 'Narek said as he traced the white line that ran down his neck.

"Speaking of scars, looks like you have a fresh one."

"Noting escapes your observation, Leo." 'Narek said, with a touch of sarcasm.

"Nothing, indeed." Akinway said, tapping his prosthetic eye. "May I ask?"

"It is classified, my friend. Even to you."

"Truly 'Code Black' then? I can only assume it has something to do with something highly illegal and involves that something that you hide away in your impenetrable boxes."

"Your assumptions might be correct, Leo."

"Then you haven't forgotten all of our old ways, eh?

"Take your mind off of it, you'll need to pilot." Narek said as they entered the hangar and crossed to their shuttle.