Whew! Caught up on week 5 now for the journals. Only the last week and week 4 to do for the Speradon/Circe missions. I should have the last week journals done some time soon I hope since today and Sunday won't see any WC: Prophecy action except my upload of the intro.
Telamon 1
Pliers is admiring the fancy high-tech fighters we captured. I see a large disk object on a table that Pliers is standing in front of. I ask him what it is, but he admits that he does not know yet. Pliers points out a complete cloaking capability on this ship, and tells me not to worry about him stripping down the ship for parts. Another feature of the fighter that Pliers informs me about is the power plant. It uses antimatter, so that means unlimited afterburning for the engines. The shields and weapons may take a drain, but the speed of the fighter is sure to be impressive. Pliers says that he can have one of these fighters ready for my next mission. I ask him if he ever thought about pilots from the Border Worlds trying to shoot me down, and he thinks it’s a small price for the speed and power of this fighter. I tell Pliers to go ahead and get one of the high-tech fighters ready.
Lt. Sosa alerts me to an SOS message being received by the Intrepid. There is a terrified woman on the screen saying that unmarked ships are attacking and many people are dying. The woman is begging for immediate help, and believes any delay will be doom to their planet. Vice Admiral Wilford comes on the communication line to ask us to investigate since we’re the closest ship. Telamon is a frontier system that still has the discovery numbers for the planets, and the Vice Admiral wants us to put out any ‘fires’ that may be going on in the system. I tell the navigator to plot a course for Telamon, and ask Wilford if there has been any news about Captain Eisen. Wilford does not have any news, and the Intrepid jumps into the system. I give the briefing and explain that we’re heading into a situation where we don’t know what’s happening. We’ll sweep the area for any hostile forces and see what we can learn to evaluate the situation. Dekker asks if his Marines will be coming along, and I confirm this as well as my wishes to also see what happened firsthand. We’ll escort Dekker’s shuttle with two other wingmen, and we’ll be trying out these new fancy fighters called Dragon.
Unfortunately, Border Worlds fighters perceive my ship as an enemy threat and I have to attack them. The Banshee fighters fall very quickly to the firepower of this ship. I’ve never seen this type of combat capability in anything I’ve been in before. A wave of the same fighters I’m in show on the radar scope, but they consider me friendly. I encounter another wave of Border Worlds ships with two Banshees and two Vindicators. Due to the dangerous situation, I use a missile to eliminate a Banshee almost immediately. The other Banshee rapidly follows his fellow in destruction, and a Vindicator can’t evade a missile at very close range. The other Vindicator takes heavy damage in only a few gun volleys. I finish him off, and Dekker and I start our landing approach on the surface.
Upon landing, Dekker and his Marines exit their craft and I exit mine. Some people come out of a nearby tent to greet us with guns, and I tell them to take it easy. I try to diffuse the situation by saying that we’re responding to the SOS sent earlier. The leader of this group says that fighters exactly like the one I was in were responsible for what happened to them. Dekker tells the group that the fighter I have was commandeered. After a few moments of hesitation, the leader relaxes his offensive posture and says that we’re too late to help. There are not many people left after the attack, and it did not take long for people to start dying after bombs were dropped. I ask how it is possible for the tent to be around and the nearest airfield untouched if bombs were used. A doctor explains that nothing was blown up, but that bioweapons were used. Dekker asks how the doctor and us are still breathing, and he believes that there is a pattern at work. The doctor asks what I know about nanotechnology and bioconvergence, and I admit my lack of knowledge. The doctor thinks that billions of replicating nanobots were released in the atmosphere. These microscopic machines do a comparison of a person’s DNA against the standards that have been programmed into them. If the match does not return favorable results, the nanobots attack the RNA in a person causing their cells to stop replicating and to kill each other. The doctor shows me the grim results of this bioweapon, and the body is a disturbing sight. Dekker just nods as if he’s seen similar things before. I ask the doctor why we’re not dead as well, and he thinks that the nanobots will ignore good characteristics and only go after bad ones. Apparently the nanobots can be programmed to look for any characteristics, so this is a dreadful weapon. One of the other personnel points out that unmarked ships like mine came from the skies dropping canisters with a biohazard markings on them. I ask how many people on the planet were affected, and the doctor estimates 90% of the whole population has been killed. Dekker tells me that he’s seen similar situations and that it’s imperative to evacuate all of the remaining people from the planet before they commit suicide due to survivor’s guilt. I tell the doctor and his group that Vice Admiral Wilford will be informed and act in the appropriate manner. Dekker comments that it’s hard to say what appropriate action means for an act of genocide like this, and he’s glad the Kilrathi never learned to make bioweapons as successful as this. The doctor thanks me, and I take the Dragon fighter back to the Intrepid. I have plenty of time to feel guilty flying the same ship associated with such atrocious acts.
Axius 1
Lt. Sosa is in the hold lighting candles. She wishes she could light a candle for everyone that died on the planet, and I reply that it would take a much larger space than the hold. Sosa has never heard of anything the Kilrathi did to be as hideous as what happened on Telamon. Pinpoint killing of the innocent using DNA to determine life or death. I reply that evil is the only word for something like this. Sosa ponders her fate if she had come along with me to the planet. Since the doctor mentioned one of the targets being poor eyesight, I have no doubts that she would have ended up dead. Maniac is in the CIC, and he’s trying to do Lt. Sosa’s job for communications. I ask him what he’s trying to do, and he says that he might do better if the communications station had a flight stick. He’s trying to decode a message from Wilford that we received a few minutes ago. I intervene before he can do any damage, and Vice Admiral Wilford tells us that our intel has been able to link different elements together. He thinks that we might have been able to figure out our potential breakthrough during our time in Peleus. Our ship’s position when we acquired the unmarked high-tech fighters as well as other hot spots has led Wilford to believe the calm at the center of the rogue Confed faction storm is in Axius. Maniac says that there is nothing in this system. Vice Admiral Wilford admits that Axius is a guess on our intel’s part, but he’s sending us all of the data we have about the system. It would be a perfect place to stage a massive force since the planets are all unpopulated, and there was a report of a large capital ship moving into the system. Maniac feels it would be a wild goose chase to investigate Axius. He thinks we’ll be heading directly into the system, but I decide that caution is better. We’ll enter the system closest to Axius, and I’ll do some reconnaissance to see what is in the system. We jump into Callimachus, and Maniac emphasizes that he’s ready to go with his body language. He tries to high-five the other pilots coming in for the briefing, but they all ignore him. I explain that I don’t want to risk the ship by entering Axius. Although the planets are uninhabitable, a space-based force can’t be ruled out. Due to the debris floating thru the system as well as comets, any force in the system would have to stay mobile. Dekker proposes going in with the new fighters we have and surprise any welcoming committee in Axius. With no idea of what kind of reception there will be, Hawk feels the better option is to do reconnaissance first. I’ll be taking two wingmen to escort me to the jump point into the system. I’ll go in alone to not attract attention while I snoop around. Panther points out that if I’m captured as a spy, I can expect to die. I feel that this is our best chance at finding out about the operations in this system. Dekker says that his typical behavior saved Hawk plenty of times, and I get ready to launch.
Blade and Primate are on my wing, and we encounter enemy Dragons. I’m pursuing one, and Primate destroys the other. Blade and I combine for a kill on the other Dragon. At the jump point, there are two more Dragons making a run for the jump buoy. I launch a full missile salvo at both of the enemy Dragon fighters. Both of the enemy Dragons are destroyed by my missile salvoes, and I’m about to jump into Axius. Lt. Sosa comes on the communication channel to send me coordinates for a starbase we just detected. The starbase is far too big to attack, so I’ll take a landing approach to the starbase. After my jump, enemy Dragon fighters don’t perceive my ship as a threat and I arrive at the starbase without incident. The starbase requests clearance, and it accepts my clearance code.
Axius 2
I land the Dragon fighter in the super starbase. I’m very fortunate that all of the personnel think it’s another routine landing, and they all turn their attention from my fighter. I get out of the fighter without being seen, and use one of the oldest tricks in the book by attracting the attention of a nearby person by making a noise. I slug the unsuspecting person, and knock him out to take his uniform. I cautiously peer around the corner, but nobody is around to notice me. I see more of the discs I saw with Pliers, and there are dozens of the canisters I was shown on Telamon. An even bigger shock is when I see the Vesuvius docked near this starbase. I see some people head up the stairs, and I decide to follow them. I notice more personnel heading to a specific area, so there must be a meeting of some kind going on. I can hear a voice talking about a group adopting a life of hiding after being murdered at the hands of savages. One person found this group to nurture them, and had provided the tools to let them achieve their natural birthright as rulers of the universe. The voice continues on and says that operations in Telamon were a rousing success, and congratulates all who were involved. I can spot the speaker who is none other than Seether, and he introduces the leader. I receive the equivalent of the Temblor Bomb when I see that it is Admiral Tolwyn! Tolwyn congratulates the personnel for their valiant efforts, and this ‘Black Lance’ will be humanity’s first line of defense. Elements of Confed have tangled with the Black Lance, and are aware of their capabilities. Tolwyn says that he will soon reveal the existence of the Black Lance to the Confederation, and that they will receive the praise they deserve. The Admiral congratulates the efforts of Seether in working with the Black Lance, and then reveals that Seether is a product of the Genetic Enhancement Program. That bastard lied to me directly, and I wonder how many other people in Confed have been duped by Tolwyn. Tolwyn emphasizes that the primary universal law is for the strong to survive. Tolwyn thinks that a weak species faces certain extinction, and not long ago we were put to a test for survival by the Kilrathi. Tolwyn says that our victory over the Kilrathi was not a clear verdict of our superiority, and that it was a temporary purchase of time. Tolwyn feels that we will eventually meet a race far worse than the Kilrathi, and that it is our duty to prepare by being strong and vigilant. In the Gen-Select device, the Black Lance has the tool to separate the ‘chaff’ of society from the wheat. The weapon was tested on Telamon, and Tolwyn promises to use it again. The Admiral points out that the Border Worlds are an enemy birthing in the midst of Confed. We’re a threat to unity, strength, and humanity. Tolwyn’s duty is to ratify the foundation lain by the work of the Black Lance, so he’s obviously out to achieve war between Confed and the Border Worlds. Tolwyn says that when their moment comes, the Black Lance must fight hard. Seether is pumping his fists in enthusiasm, and our eyes lock on each other. I know that I’ve been recognized, and I need to get out of here as quickly as possible. Seether motions for the guards to pursue me, and I do my best to evade them. Fortunately, this starbase is large and with a lot of side passages making pursuit difficult. I evade multiple direct encounters with the guards, and get a surprise when a hand reaches my shoulder. I turn around and see the scientist I rescued on Tyr 7, and she tells me that she has become a prisoner and is being forced to make the nanobots used in the Gen-Select devices. She knows that I’m on the side of the Border Worlds, and emphasizes that I will be killed if I’m found. I tell her that there is a fighter waiting, and my intention is to reach it. The scientist points out that she knows a better way to reach the hangar bay of the starbase. We both manage to make it to the hangar, and another patrol of guards passes by without finding us. We make a break for the fighter but another patrol comes behind us in pursuit. I take a shot at a guard and hit him in the chest. The scientist is hit in the back, and I kill the other guard. The scientist hands me a data device, and emphasizes that it’s important for the right people to see it. The scientist dies, and I briefly regret yet another life lost to the Black Lance. I realize that I could easily be the next victim, so I get in the Dragon fighter to get out of Axius as quickly as possible.
I engage the cloaking device of my Dragon and engage its autopilot. At the jump point, there are four other Dragons seeking to stop me. I get behind one, and let him have it with a missile. A second Dragon runs right into me, causing serious damage to my ship but destroying his. I finally get a third Dragon with a missile, but my ship is dangerously damaged. The fourth Dragon takes a lot of punishment from my guns, and I accidentally run into his ship to finish him off. I jump out of Axius, but there is a reception committee on the other side. A transport with more Dragons are here to intercept me. I nail a Dragon with a missile, but it does not destroy the ship. I finish off that fighter with my guns, but expose myself to dangerous fire from my rear. Fortunately, my ship does not take damage and I quickly eliminate the other Dragon with a missile. Two more Dragons attack, and I use a missile on one to destroy it. I try to use my guns on the second, but very good accuracy is needed to punch thru the shields of the enemy fighter. I switch to my Dragon’s alternate weapon called the fission cannon. It’s a charged attack, so I have to make my shots count. My first hit only damages the shields of the Dragon, but the second one gets thru to do damage. I make a few more hits as well as multiple misses, and a fully charged double hit from the fission slays the Dragon. I arm a torpedo and match speed of the transport and get just within torpedo range. I then afterburn and let the torpedo loose at close range. The transport is destroyed, and I head back to the Intrepid. Sosa comes on the communication line telling me that she’s glad that she does not have to light a candle for me. A large capital ship was detected leaving the Axius system, so that means the Vesuvius must be on its way to Earth.
Ella 1
Dekker is waiting outside the CIC to find out what I uncovered. I tell him that Admiral Tolwyn is behind all of the efforts to start a war between Confed and the Border Worlds. Dekker points out that he was right in his statement that I’d regret letting him go, and I show him the data device the scientist gave to me. I find that it has the schematic details for the Flash-Pak discs. Dekker sees the schematics also and comments that I should have killed Tolwyn. Pliers comes down a ladder leading to the hangar bay, and he tells me that he figured out how the discs work although he has a hard time believing it. I tell him that he should be prepared to believe anything. He tells me about the punch the Flash-Paks are capable of, and I tell him that I’ve seen them in action. I ask him how many we have, and there is only one. Pliers offers to make more, but it would take a week to have a few more ready. I tell him that there’s no time left, and turn back to see the testing authorization from Admiral Tolwyn for the Flash-Pak. Another little bonus from the data device is ship data concerning the Vesuvius. Hawk points out that its maneuverability and acceleration far exceed that of the Intrepid. I reply that I saw it under construction and had no idea that it would be online so quickly. Panther says that the Vesuvius is on a standard jump point route to Earth. We have an option to catch up to them, but it would mean risking the Intrepid by going thru the Ella system. There is a starbase there that would muster a lot of offense unless we used the Flash-Pak. Panther says using the Flash-Pak would mean killing thousands of civilians on the starbase. I saw that loss of life when Seether blew Orlando to bits, and I’m determined not to use the same methods. Despite the fact that we can save millions of lives, if I can avoid further loss of life it would be ideal. Hawk points out that the forces the base can send our way would be massive, but Panther feels it’s morally wrong to target civilians. I give the briefing in the CIC after our jump into Ella. Panther and Hawk are still arguing about the choice for us to either kill civilians or try to outrun Ella. I state my belief that this will be the hardest mission we’ve undertaken. We’ll escort the Intrepid to the jump point out of Ella and towards the Earth jump point. It’s going to take a lot of effort on our parts to defeat any forces that come our way, but the alternative is unacceptable civilian casualties. I emphasize that we can be successful in this mission and maybe stop a war from happening.
I chose the Dragon fighter and Maniac to come along. I feel we’re going to need as much of an edge to survive. At the first nav point is a frigate with Hellcat fighters. Maniac and I combine on a Hellcat kill, and Maniac makes another kill as I target a Hellcat ace. He decoys a missile I send his way, but the firepower of the Dragon rapidly reduces his Hellcat to a pile of debris. Maniac and I again combine on a Hellcat kill, and another wave of Hellcats are approaching. I again go after an ace in the group, but he also decoys a missile I launch. My guns and a ram from my Dragon finish him off. I can also see the frigate taking damage, so it looks like Maniac is going after it. I use guns on another Hellcat, but notice some fire coming from behind me and use a missile to quickly take down the Hellcat I’m pursuing. I blast another Hellcat to bits using the firepower of the Dragons guns. The Intrepid scores a Hellcat kill, and Maniac and I combine to finish off the last Hellcat. At the next nav point is a cruiser with Hellcats and Longbows. I get on the tail of a Hellcat ace, and take him down with a missile. I quickly take down another Hellcat with my guns, and then prioritize a Longbow for elimination. The guns of the Dragon make a quick kill of the Longbow, and another one is trying to use the Intrepid as a shield to block my attack on him. I decide the Longbow is a higher priority over another Hellcat ace, and fry his bomber with blasts from my guns. Maniac and I combine on the Hellcat ace, and I see another Longbow. Maniac and I combine to let another Longbow join the growing list of lost ships. I use a missile on another Longbow, and Maniac also gets a kill. I can also see the Intrepid chewing chunks out of the cruiser with its turrets. I arm a torpedo on my Dragon and get in range. The cruiser is seriously damaged by the time my lock on is achieved, but I use the torpedo any way. We head onward to the next nav point, and there is a destroyer with Bearcats and Longbows. I use a missile to quickly wipe out one Bearcat, another soon follows suit from another missile. I pursue and gun down a Longbow with help from the Intrepid. I go after a Bearcat, and fill that fighter with holes. Sosa makes a communication that the Intrepid needs my help. All I see left is just one Bearcat, so I wonder where the opposition is. I go after the Bearcat, and Maniac and I make a combined kill on the fighter. I ask Maniac for a damage report, and he chides me for acting like a mother. There are no more forces mustered from Ella to stop us from reaching the jump point. Sosa tells me to make a quick landing since the Intrepid will jump out in sixty seconds.