Rendezvous

Life on 51 Pegasi (c) Goes On; the 107th Recon Makes Plans

Part 1

After A Walk in the Jungle, we follow the life on 51 Pegasi (c) and the actions of the 107^th Reconnaissance Squadron.

Supervisor Fred Doyle

The tiltrotor transport lifts with Fred securely buckled into his seat. The soldiers in the compartment keep an eye on him, but do not appear concerned that he might try something stupid. It is a short hop back to the port, and the tiltrotor sets down with a slight thump and the engines begin to wind down. The soldiers next to him release the safety harness and they begin to hop out the side doors, and Fred follows. He looks around the ports and sees some transport ships on the pads, as well as what looks like some familiar civilian vessels, possibly some of the ones that tried to make a run for it during the invasion. Kiron Aamrosim strides over from the other transport, motions to Fred to follow, and starts walking to the terminal building, joined by Falar Haalvinok. On their way, Fred spots Bob Tyler, who shouts out, "Fred! Thought you were a goner." Fred grins and waves, "Not yet. I think I've got some red tape to get through. I'll talk to you later." Bob waves his acknowledgement and goes about his business. After a few minutes, they arrive and the sentry at the entrance snaps to attention. Kiron nods on their way into the building. They pause for a few seconds to let their eyes adjust and then continue onwards.

Fred surveys the usually quiet lobby area, and notes that there are a few desks set up and quite a few police style black uniforms present, a type that he has not seen before. Fred also notes that the black uniform types all appear to be quite interested in his presence. The procession enters the administration offices, where the usually laid-back receptionist has been replaced with a black uniform type who stands to attention as they enter. Kiron nods and as the receptionist assumes a more relaxed position she converses with the receptionist. The receptionist resumes her seat and types on her data pad. Fred notes they are not using the existing desk system, but have brought their own data equipment, and he wonders if that is for security reasons or if they have not yet figured out how to work this specific system. Probably they just don't care to use it. Interesting in any case. The receptionist speaks into her headset, nods, and motions the group onwards.

Kiron heads back into the offices, and Falar and Fred follow in step. They proceed to the old port logistics office where Kiron knocks on the door. A voice answers, and Kiron opens the door and steps in and snaps to attention. Falar extends her arm to keep Fred from following. Fred figures this is going to be a big deal, given the atmosphere of seriousness.

Haalan Kiinalar and Elnoorik Jarvosiim

Fred can see the desk, and a black uniform type is sitting at Ralph's old desk, and another black uniform type is standing off to one side. One thing that stands out immediately is the one at the desk has blue hair, but the other one does not. The one at the desk just exudes rank, the other one seems very much like an assistant, and now that he thinks about it, it is very much how Falar is always near Kiron. Interesting dynamic thinks Fred, as the conversation in the office continues. After a few minutes, Kiron turns and motions Falar and Fred to enter the office. Falar snaps to attention on entering the office and Fred reflexively straightens his stance. The officer behind the desk nods to Falar and she assumes a relaxed stance. Kiron says a few words and turns to Fred extends her arm towards the officer and introduces, "Kudash Agun Haalan Kiinalar," then moves her arm to point to Fred, "Nakdur Aga Doyle Fred." Fred feels he should say something, "Honored." The Nakdur Aga bit, not sure what that's about, but it sounds like a rank or title.

Then it hits him. He never mentioned his last name. Oh crud, they made me. Nobody is pointing a weapon, so it might not be fatal. Maybe. And the title, does that equate to Supervisor? It seems the new neighbors are really getting to know us.

Then it hits him. How would they know what Supervisor means? Is the language barrier breaking down? That tended to work in our favor, we could just shrug stuff off. Also, are they planning to make blue-speak available to us or is this a one-way advantage for them? I'm thinking this isn't the first time they've conquered somewhere, and they've got tried and true methods for keeping a handle on things. Really not good. Circling back, he realizes that they put the family name before the given name. Nothing unusual about that, half of humanity does that anyway, but good to know.

Haalan can see the wheels turning, and smiles. She motions Fred to a chair. Fred sits down and ponders his situation. After letting Fred stew for a few seconds, Haalan smiles, and introduces herself directly, "I am Inspector 3^rd Class Haalan Kiinalar. Troop Leader Kiron Aamrosim has introduced you as Technician First Class Doyle Fred. Is this correct?" Fred is a bit taken aback, but rallies, "My family name is Doyle, and my given name is Fred, although in my culture it is customary to place the given name before the family name. In less formal settings, I am hoping this is one of those, the given name is often used alone. I cannot be sure if Technician First Class, or Nakdur Aga, is correct but it sounds appropriate as my work is technical in nature." Haalan makes some notes on her data pad. "I see. When did you first meet Troop Leader Kiron Aamrosim?" Fred is starting to get a bad feeling about this interview. Fred thinks since she probably already knows I may as well be as straight up as I can be, "On March 25^th of this year." Haalan scrolls and taps on her data pad, and does some quick mental math, "So 48 'standard days' ago, and what were the circumstances of that meeting?" Fred is really starting to worry for himself and Kiron at this point, "Troop Leader Kiron Aamrosim encountered me as I was resting in the jungle after fleeing the fighting in the town. I had been injured by an explosion," pointing to his arm, "which I had only managed to bandage but had no other medical supplies. Troop Leader Kiron Aamrosim realized I was an unarmed civilian and offered a packet of first aid gel before moving on with her patrol."

Haalan makes some more notes, scrolls around on the data pad, and appears to move her lips as if practicing a new word or two. Having filled in the gaps in her understanding, she continues, "And that was all she gave you?" Fred, nods, "Correct." Haalan nods, "I see. No water? No food?" Fred can see it coming but is a deer in headlights at this point, "No. Nothing else." More notes, "I have been told that our species are very closely related, possibly the same species." Fred nods, "That would make sense." Haalan nods once more, "So I know that 48 'standard days' without food or water is fatal. Where did you get these supplies?" Fred is on solid ground with water, so leads with, "Water is abundant here. Many trees in the jungle have leaves that catch rainwater which is clean. Water was not a problem." Haalan appears to accept this, and prompts, "And food?" Fred thinks fast and realizes that his fingerprints are probably all over the ruins but also realizes that she probably doesn't have his on file. He takes a chance, "The ruins. When I found the ruins, there were two men who were living there. There was a pile of supplies that looked like it belonged to a research team based on the equipment located there. I was familiar with them because they were attached to the colony police, and they offered to give me as many rations as I could carry to build a communications intercept station for them. I did so and departed. When supplies ran low, I wandered into the original landing site hoping to locate anything useful. That was yesterday. The blue uniform types spotted me brought me in and then Troop Leader Kiron Aamrosim arrived and brought me here."

Haalan smiles, "So. Mystery solved. Very resourceful, Fred. Do you know where they are now?" Fred replies, "As far as I know, they are still at the ruins. Beyond that I have no idea." Haalan nods, "Good. For your information, the blue uniform types as you put it are with the Imperial Scout Service. Troop Leader Kiron Aamrosim and her assistant are Imperial Army, and I am with the Imperial Security Directorate as is my assistant." Fred is taken aback and filled with foreboding. Anytime there is an Empire in adventure vids it is always bad for the hero. Fred notes that Falar and the other nameless assistant weren't mentioned by name, as if the weren't worthy to be included in the introduction. Fred nods, "Thank you for the clarification," and Fred adds, "Are you able to share the long-term plans for this planet?" Haalan smiles and gently shakes her head, "Such matters are beyond my station. I do know that this system has been granted to Her Ladyship Baroness Marsaka Farlorim of Egardu, daughter of Their Graces Archduke Marsaka Abrashan and Archduchess Marsaka Tarlavik of Shurkasi Sector, Amurdas, Shekkhari, and Dapirka, Holders of Imperial Favor, Heads of House Marsaka." Fred blinks and absorbs the impressive titles. He also absorbs the fact there was a male mentioned. So, they do exist. Fred manages, "I see." Haalan says something to Kiron, who briefly comes to attention and taps Fred on the shoulder and motions to follow her. Fred rises, and they leave the office and head out through the lobby.

Once outside, Kiron and Falar give a small wave goodbye and head off to do whatever it is that needs to be done. Fred stands in the brilliant sunshine for a minute and lets his head clear. A lot of information was just dumped on him, and he is trying to process it. He heads towards the aircraft hangar hoping to track down Bob.

Part 2

A month has become six weeks. Denali has completed her repairs and has moved to general docking at the Naval Station Vincent - Ross 271 orbital yard. The officers and crews of Shasta and Denali had hoped that once Denali was repaired the 107^th Reconnaissance Squadron would deploy on some useful mission. Sadly, this has not been the case. The endless meetings and debriefings have consumed their days, as they repeat the same information over and over for an ever-increasing number of committees and working groups. After a few weeks, Fleet Command personnel began arriving, starting the cycle over again. News arrived that StKM 1-2065, perhaps the furthest settlement from Terra in this area of space, had also been invaded. Details of that situation were quite a bit sparser than those from 51 Pegasi.

Despite appearances, there have been some proactive measures. Two intelligence gathering missions had been dispatched, one to 51 Pegasi and one to StKM 1-2065. These were on the surface, up-close missions conducted by Force Recon Marines stationed here at Ross 271. On June 2^nd, the first of these missions returns to Ross 271. Kuznetsov and Watanabe from Shasta and Linden and Appleton from Denali are summoned to a priority briefing at 1700. Arriving at the Admiral's office at 1655, they form up in the outer office and exchange greetings. A yeoman arrives and escorts them into the Admiral's conference room. There is coffee set out and while waiting they pour themselves a cup. A minute later, they snap to attention as Admiral Mendez enters the room. The Admiral is accompanied by his adjutant Captain Stepanov, various naval officers with whom they are now closely acquainted, and a few Marine officers. Also joining are Justin Moore representing the Terran Intelligence Service, Roberta De Luca of the Colonial Administration, and two Colonial Security officers, one of whom Linden and Appleton recognize. This appears to complete the roster, and the yeoman exits the room closing the doors after himself. The Admiral motions to the table, "Please be seated."

LT Arthur Jackson

The Admiral leads off, "Good afternoon. Thank you for being here. The purpose of this briefing is to introduce some of the team members who have just returned from 51 Pegasi (c) and brought us fresh intelligence. Before we begin, we will go around the table and everyone will briefly introduce yourselves." After the introductions are complete, the Admiral turns the floor over to Marine Captain Braxton, "Thank you Admiral. As many of you may be aware, the 166^th Reconnaissance Company deployed two platoons on missions to 51 Pegasi and StKM 1-2065. The mission to 51 Pegasi has returned about 4 hours ago, and I am pleased to report that it was successful. I will turn the floor over to Lieutenant Jackson who commands the First Platoon. Lieutenant." Jackson picks up the thread, "Thank you, Sir. As Captain Braxton mentioned, the mission was a success. We were not detected, we suffered no casualties, we secured a large volume of intelligence including a few physical artifacts, and, most importantly, extracted two individuals who engaged in combat with the hostiles and successfully evaded them for seven weeks." As Corporal Malhotra and Officer Wilson look slightly sheepish at the description, there is a murmur of conversation around the table. The Admiral interjects, "Settle down. Lieutenant, please continue." Jackson resumes, "Thank you, Sir," and Jackson recounts the mission from the Marine perspective. Jackson continues, "That concludes the Marine mission briefing. I will now turn the floor over to Corporal Malhotra of Colonial Security Detachment 51 Pegasi for a summary of their actions. Corporal."

CPL Kabir Malhotra

Malhotra clears his throat, "Thank you Lieutenant. I will begin on 25 March, when the first landings took place." Malhotra succinctly recounts the events of the battle for the Colonial Administration building, their initial escape from town, and Fred's encounter, which causes an immediate outbreak of murmuring and discussion. The Admiral quiets the table down and returns the floor to Malhotra who continues the narrative for another minute before the description of the ruins causes an even larger outburst in the room. The Admiral is forced to raise his voice to restore order. Malhotra continues, "For reference, detailed footage of the ruin is included in the intel package. We were fortunate enough to find supplies that were pre-positioned for a research team at the ruins and Supervisor Fred Doyle was able to configure a signal intercept station to monitor and record communications across the spectrum. Fortunately for us, the ruin was not on anybody's maps, so we were never disturbed. This is where our narrative merges with the Lieutenant's narrative. I just regret that Fred is not with us here today." To the annoyance of the table, one of the naval personnel pipes up, "I thought there were no casualties."

Malhotra nods, "Partially true. Officer Wilson and Supervisor Doyle were injured by grenade shrapnel on 25 March, but no casualties after the Marines assumed operational control of the mission. The Lieutenant exercised discretion in omitting Fred Doyle's disposition in his briefing. Supervisor Doyle voluntarily stayed behind to act as an in-place asset to gather further intelligence." There is another murmur around the table, but before the Admiral can intervene, the officer has further input, "You left a civilian behind to do intel work? What were you thinking?" The Admiral forcefully interjects, "That will do Commander." Malhotra continues, "Sir, if I may, I'd like to respond." The Admiral nods. Malhotra resumes, "As you point out Commander, Fred is a civilian, and as such does not report to me or to the Lieutenant, so it was not in our power to order him to leave. He technically reports to Ms. De Luca," nodding at De Luca, "But much more importantly, his reasoning for staying behind was solid. He had been seen by, and interacted with, hostiles so his presence would not raise questions that a new face might, and he has technical and institutional knowledge that will allow him to identify, access, and collect valuable intelligence. And as you point out he is a civilian and based on the few interactions we were able to document, the hostiles appear to strongly respect the boundaries between combatants and non-combatants. I grant you that if he is discovered that distinction will do him little good, but that would be true of anyone who remained behind. And finally, as I'm sure Mr. Moore can confirm, civilian assets are the bread and butter of the intelligence community." Moore cracks a smile and nods, "Although I can neither confirm nor deny any details of operations vis-vis civilian assets, my read is that Mr. Doyle is ideally placed to act as an agent in place." The Commander sinks back in his chair looking annoyed.

The Admiral moves to wrap up, "Thank you Lieutenant, Corporal. Excellent briefings. As with previous debriefings, access to Marines by relevant parties will be scheduled through Captain Braxton, and the Colonial Security personnel through Ms. De Luca. Copies of the raw intelligence are available to you all with distribution coordinated through Captain Stepanov. The officers of the 107^th Reconnaissance Squadron will remain, thank you all." With that dismissal, the meeting breaks up. Malhotra stops at Linden and Appleton, and both rise and shake hands. Linden says, "Good tip on the sunglasses Corporal. Good to see you again." Appleton inquires, "Where did you go to university?" Malhotra looks a little surprised, "How did you know?" Appleton smiles, "It showed when you were jumping on the Commander." Malhotra chuckles, "Southern University, Nasak Shamiya. Political Science." Appleton appears impressed, "Looks like you get to see Von Clausewitz in action." The Admiral clears his throat, and Malhotra takes the hint and takes his leave. Linden and Appleton resume their seats and turn their attention to the Admiral.

Mendez begins, "Even though we have managed to gain some valuable intelligence, courtesy of the 107^th and the Marines, and we have one mission still to report, it is blatantly obvious we know almost nothing about our adversary," Mendez sips coffee, "They have at least a 9-month head start on us, over twenty vessels, including naval ships, have possibly fallen into their hands beginning in September. If the crews of these vessels were lucky they were taken prisoner and treated as we expect POWs to be treated. However, even if they do not reveal any specific military information, that scenario provides the Enemy with 9 months to learn the language, cultural details, interpret any information carried on board, as well as being able to perform technical analysis of any captured vessels." Kuznetsov speaks for the 107^th, "Sir, I feel certain you have a mission in mind."

RDML Alberto Mendez

The Admiral nods, "Indeed Lieutenant." He taps the table and brings up a chart of the area. "First, Shasta and Denali have been moved to the repair bays to allow some additional gear to be installed. The technicians will brief you on the specifics. This refit will be in crucial to the success of this, and probably future, missions." Mendez scrolls, enlarges the chart, and taps Xi Pegasi. The officers lean in to take a look. They all drag a copy over to their respective positions and delve into the details. Realizing that the Admiral has things to do, Linden pipes up, "Sir, what is the objective of this mission?" Mendez explains, "The primary objective is reconnaissance of the Xi Pegasi system, validate astrometric and navigational data, establish the extent of Enemy presence, and gather any other relevant information. A secondary objective is to enter the 51 Pegasi system, close to a range that will permit contact with the remaining drones on the surface and retrieve any stored data." The officers of the 107^th absorb the implications of the mission objectives. Kuznetsov suggests, "Sir, it would be best for the 107^th to return to our ships, evaluate any new capabilities, and then formulate a plan." Mendez agrees, "Very well, Lieutenant. Be prepared to brief your plan at 1500 on 6 June." Kuznetsov acknowledges, "Yes, Sir. If there is nothing else?" Mendez concludes, "Nothing else, Lieutenant. Carry on." The officers of the 107^th stand and depart.

On the walk back to the repair bays, the officers of the 107^th keep their conversation away from the impending mission, no point in taking chances of being overheard. On arrival, they board Shasta and head for the wardroom. Once settled in, Kuznetsov contacts the yard supervisor and requests detailed information on the new gear being installed. While waiting for the specs, they delve into some preliminary planning. A quick glance at the chart suggests a route to Xi Pegasi, BD+08 4887, G 28-46, and then Xi Pegasi. It also reveals an immediate issue, fuel. Appleton observes, "We can get there, but we're not coming back without a refuel. Can we arrange for fuel at G 28-46?" Kuznetsov makes a note to check on refueling. Linden adds, "Unless we want to spend the mission actively dodging pursuit, we should probably requisition a few jump pods that the Marines mentioned in the briefing." Kuznetsov notes that as well. The brainstorming continues into the night.

Part 3

Later that evening, the planning meeting is interrupted by a visitor from the yard supervisor's office. Lieutenant Khamkaeo knocks on the wardroom door and Watanabe slides it open and motions Khamkaeo inside and slides the door shut after him. Khamkaeo starts, "Good evening, please pardon the interruption. I have the technical information that you requested," motioning at the table, "May I?" Kuznetsov motions, "Please be seated and show us what you have." Khamkaeo sits and brings up some diagrams and specs, "Thank you Lieutenant, here is some of the equipment that we have at our disposal here at the yard. No determination has been made with regards to what might be installed or final configurations. We thought it best for you as the captains of your respective vessels to decide what would best serve your mission." The 107^th officers look relieved and mildly impressed at the foresight of the yard crew and dig in and sort through the inventory of goodies, with Khamkaeo filling in details and answering questions about the gear and occasionally bringing more in-depth information as required. As a plan begins to take shape, equipment and configurations are selected; additional battery capacity at the cost of cargo space, replacement remotes with quantum communications capability, upgrades to the countermeasure systems, upgrades to the sensor systems, four jump pods, extra provisions and spares, and a fuel processor that will allow raw hydrogen or simple hydrocarbons like methane to be refined into usable fuel. The downside of the fuel processor is that there is only one and it will largely consume the remaining space in the cargo bay and will require a tricky transfer of fuel between vessels, but if needed it could be a life saver. With equipment and upgrades selected, Khamkaeo takes his leave and the 107^th resumes their planning factoring in the new capabilities. The mid watch bell sounds at 0000 hours, and they adjourn their meeting and will resume tomorrow morning at 1000 on board Denali.

As planning continues aboard Denali, the Marines and Colonial Administration personnel are consumed by a series of debriefings. Jackson and McCluskey can barely contain their frustration as an entire hour is spent with logistical elements asking them to evaluate their footwear and list the relative merits of the new Mark 2 boot laces. Jackson reasons that this is the first time TMF Marines have conducted operations in genuine hostile territory, and the logistics types really do need to know this kind of detail. Besides, if we have no problem charging a heavily defended position why should we balk at sitting at a conference table with a cup of coffee in hand. Malhotra and Wilson face fewer questions about equipment and more about the potential state of the colony. They review the raw intel with De Luca and various other CA staffers recounting their journey and providing insights into the situation as much as they are able. Unfortunately, their insights are somewhat limited by the fact they were out of contact with the colony for most of the time. The more they talk, the more they start to feel they didn't actually do anything the whole time.

Lieutenant Khamkaeo drops by Denali to bring news to the planners. They will be able to complete all of the requested upgrades by 8 June. Khamkaeo offers data pads to Kuznetsov and Linden, "Please sign here to authorize work so we may begin." They both sign and with that work commences. Before Khamkaeo departs, Linden summons Senior Chief Yamato and quickly brings him up to speed on the work to be performed. Khamkaeo and Yamato depart to set about their work, and the planning session resumes.

Acting Commissioner Andrea Marino

Fred has been settling into his new reality. He met Andrea Marino at the port, and she brought him up to speed on the logistics of keeping everyone supplied with the things that make modern life possible, such as food, medicine, soap, the myriad mundane everyday supplies. Since there are still quite a number of people hiding out in the jungle, the drain on the warehouse isn't as great as it might be, but there have not been any incoming shipments of supplies for the civilian population. She has been making a point to annoy the new powers that be about the arrival of new supplies, but although they are sympathetic it appears they do not have that information. She gets Fred hooked up with a new ID and pass card to get him on and off the port, and he catches a ride home with Andrea. He is pleased to find his house had not been damaged during the fighting and the only casualties were some plants that succumbed to lack of water and a container of milk that required special handling. He decides to spend a couple of days kicking back and finish binging the vids that he downloaded when the last merchants touched down but never had a chance to watch. Despite the relaxing atmosphere and days that have passed, Fred can't shake the feeling that he got out of the interview with the inspector too easily. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but they've got to be watching me to see if I do anything subversive. I'd better just settle into a normal existence and make mental notes as I go and maybe figure out if they are watching. With that thought, Fred decides to go into the CA building tomorrow and meet with Andrea to see about getting settled into an office and figuring out what his role is in the new Colonial Administration.

Part 4

Baroness Marsaka Farlorim

The Bedroom Patio

It is a pleasant evening on the ornate stone patio outside of the main bedroom of the guest bungalow on the House Marsaka reservation on Ulikar. The stars are just beginning to show, and the weather is definitely cooperating, with a slight warm breeze keeping the temperature at a perfect level for a party. The view of the lake and the surrounding tree-covered mountains is spectacular. Servants have set up a small bar along one edge of the patio and are circulating amongst the early arrivals with trays of canapes. Her Ladyship peeks out of the bedroom window and sees a few early arrivals on the patio clustered around the bar and firepit. Her attendants in the bedroom bustle around her, fussing with her semi-formal gown and fixing her hair, makeup, and jewelry. After she does a final check in the full-length mirror, she checks the clock. It would never do to make an appearance on time even though she is hosting the gathering. She sits in a comfortable armchair and one of her attendants pours a drink from a bottle resting in an ice bucket nearby and hands it to her. The attendants line up to one side and await her orders. She sips the drink for a few minutes, thinking about nothing in particular, except perhaps how she should have stayed at an ultra-luxurious resort in the city of Ulikarii. That way she could have avoided the almost mandatory party for friends of House Marsaka. Friends that will fawn all over me all night hoping I'll put in a good word for them with Their Graces or the various power players within House Marsaka. Taking another sip and checking the clock, she hands her glass to an attendant and rises. After a final check in the mirror, she heads for the door to the patio where an attendant with a slight bow opens the door. A Page is standing directly outside of the door and takes her cue, "My Lords and Ladies, I present Her Ladyship Baroness Marsaka Farlorim of Egardu, grantee of Kugarder, scion of House Marsaka."

The crowd, now filling the space turns as one towards the door, bows slightly, and applauds. Her Ladyship acknowledges the ovation with a self-deprecating wave and brilliant smile. She makes her way through the crowd, stopping from time to time to shake hands or share embraces with acquaintances or people on this morning's favored list. As she approaches the bar, the bartender with impeccable timing, and a slight bow, finishes pouring her drink in a crystal goblet. The Baroness picks up the goblet and turns to face the crowd, and raising the goblet in a salute, "I drink to you all and your good health, my friends who have graced my humble gathering." The customary toast completed, the party gets down to business. Deals are discussed; alliances are made or broken, loans are made, debts are paid and favor curried.

Kudash Aapa Jaandor Seloriim

Kudashim Torin Nalviriin

Part of the Security Directorate's mandate is to provide security for nobility and at the security operations room in the guest bungalow, Inspector 2^nd Class Jaandor Seloriim and her team carefully watch the security feeds from around the bungalow and the party. Bungalow is somewhat of a misnomer given that it has five luxurious bedroom suites, a pool, a fully staffed kitchen, a large formal dining room, a ballroom, office space, and servants' quarters. Inspector Deputy Torin Nalviriin, as always, is nearby. Jaandor hates crowds; they are a security nightmare, and even if there is no threat they really clog up lines of sight. The rest of the team focuses on their monitors, and the patrol units on the grounds are checking in on a regular basis. Except for Perimeter Four. Jaandor instantly calls out, "Alert!" All units on station, inside and outside the bungalow are instantly notified and units across the Marsaka reservation are notified for situational awareness. One of the control room techs has redirected live video and sensor feeds in the area covered by Perimeter Four to the central table holodisplay.

Jaandor directs, "Roll back display 5 minutes." The technician rolls the display back and Perimeter Four is visible and appears to the patrolling on schedule. The area assigned to Perimeter Four is in the woods between the lake and the bungalow, which seems like an obvious route for intruders. "Bring it forward," commands Jaandor, "There." The image stops on the moment Perimeter Four is ambushed. Four figures, nearly invisible in the various spectra being monitored, are betrayed only by their rapid movement in taking down the patrol. Jaandor issues orders, "All units be advised there are at least four heavily camouflaged intruders that have taken down Perimeter Four. Response units, deploy along the lake side of the bungalow and far side of the patio. Interior units, be advised the intruders may attempt entry to circumvent the response units. All units, be advised that the intruders may ditch their camo and attempt to blend in as guests or staff, double check anyone who looks out of place against biometrics of the guests and staff. All units, deadly force is authorized, but live prisoners are definitely preferred." Jaandor turns to Torin Nalviriin, "Get me the entertainment planner." The holodisplay has returned to live feed and Jaandor returns her attention to the current situation, "Zoom it out a little, I want to see the response units as well." Torin hands a communicator to Jaandor. Jaandor inquires, "Are the fog machines still in place from last week's party? Good. Set them off now. No, now. Now!" She hands the communicator back to Torin, and raises the response units, "Be advised that the fog machines at the base of the patio are going off now. This should cause intruders to make disturbances in the fog. We'll guide from here as required."

The fog machines go to work flooding the woods around the patio in a thick blanket of mist. The response units in the woods freeze in place, looking for disturbances in the fog. The holodisplay feed visuals show the fog rolling through the woods and there are some disturbances where there should not be any. One of the security team guides the response unit to the suspected location, and a brief melee ensues as the response unit ambushes the intruders. The response unit reports, "Four hostiles down with two survivors, secured for transport." Jaandor responds, "Good work. Contact main station for pickup, and also to see to Perimeter Four," and turning to Torin, "Get ahold of the entertainment planner again and have them prep the ballroom for guests then get down there and take whoever you need to sweep it for explosives and poisons before guests get there. I'm going upstairs to brief Her Ladyship on the situation and see if we can move the party inside while we sweep the woods again." Torin nods and is speaking on the communicator as she motions for one of the techs to follow on her way out of the control room.

Jaandor briskly walks up a broad set of stairs and to the side door of the patio. Pausing briefly to straighten her uniform, she exits onto the crowded patio. She stands at attention beside the doorway, thus making herself invisible to most of the guests who have an inability to see anyone they perceive as a servant. She scans the crowd, and at the locus of activity finds the Baroness. The Baroness glances over and Jaandor makes a very subtle hand motion indicating that she needs an urgent word. The Baroness deftly detaches herself from her current companions and wanders over to Jaandor. Jaandor bows slightly, "Your Ladyship, there has been an incident in the woods by the lake. It appears to be resolved, but we will be sweeping the woods and surrounding areas to be sure. The ballroom is currently being set up to accommodate your guests should you wish to move the party inside." The Baroness absorbs the news, "Very efficient, Inspector 2^nd Class Jaandor Seloriim. Very well, I will move the party to the ballroom. Thank you for letting me know." Taking that as a dismissal, Jaandor bows slightly and enters the bungalow and heads for the ballroom at a jog. On arrival, she sees the ballroom lit up, with a staffed bar, waiters with trays of canapes, and a musical ensemble tuning up. She looks over at Torin with a look of puzzlement. Torin answers the unspoken question, "They came over from the manor house. I checked their biometrics. I just hope they can play." The entertainment planner approaches, "Inspector 2^nd Class Jaandor Seloriim, is everything under control?" Jaandor replies, "Yes. Good work getting everything set up," and to double check, "Where did you find the ensemble?" The entertainment planner smiles, "The planner over at the manor house owed me a favor, they're quite good." Jaandor nods. The sound of the party moving towards the ballroom is the cue for her team to exit, "Side door, back to the control room." The Directorate personnel quickly head out and return to the control room. Back at the control room, the technicians are still diligently monitoring the situation and update Jaandor, "Inspector 2^nd Class Jaandor, the main force has arrived and is searching the woods and surrounding area, Perimeter Four has suffered one fatality and one serious injury who has been evacuated to medical, and two prisoners have been transferred to Security Directorate facility in Ulikarii." Jaandor nods, "Good," and turning to Torin, "Once the party breaks up I think we'll go have a word."

Part 5

Fred arrives at the CA building in a borrowed communal open runabout vehicle. It seems he left his car in the CA parking lot, and it has been removed. Just one more thing to do. I wonder what the Imperial Parking Authority or whoever is like to deal with. There are two soldiers posted at the main entrance, and as Fred approaches one moves to challenge him. Fred produces his new ID card and announces himself, "Nakdur Aga Doyle Fred." The sentries snap to attention and stand aside as he enters the building. Interesting, these folks sure have a thing for titles. The building lobby has changed quite a bit; it is now set up as an administrative center for the occupiers. There are a number of desks staffed with support and logistical types, and one of them approaches Fred. He figures he'll try the same routine as outside and see where that will get him. He presents his ID and announces himself, "Nakdur Aga Doyle Fred." The soldier briefly snaps to attention and then begins walking down the west corridor motioning him to follow. Fred follows and at the first office the soldier motions him in, snaps to attention, and departs.

Ron Smith

Fred knocks on the office door and opens it to find Chaudhary's former receptionist at the desk. "Fred!" exclaims Ron Smith, "C'mon in. Take a seat. You're looking alive. Where have you been?" Fred enters and sits down, "Hey Ron. I've been wandering in the wilderness. Just got back in town. What's been going on around here?" Ron replies, "The usual, occupied by aliens, trying to figure out how to get things done to keep the wheels turning. We still need to eat, the plumbing still needs to work, the trash still needs to get picked up." Fred notices that Ron is gently tapping on the desk phone and slowly shaking his head. Getting the message, Fred keeps the narrative to what he knows the Security Directorate already knows. "I finally made it to the old landing site and got scooped up by the Scouts and caught a ride back with the Army. I eventually ran into Andrea at the port, and she got me fixed up with an ID and port pass. I got a new title, Technician 1^st Class Doyle Fred." Smith chuckles, "Bureaucrat 2^nd Class Smith Ron. Pleased to meet you." Fred shakes his head, "Dunno Ron, sounds hideously depressing." Ron laughs, "Let's get you fixed up with a new office. We still haven't found the last one." Ron gets up and motions Fred to follow, "The south end of the building is barracks for Army and my fellow bureaucrats. The northeast corner of the building is destroyed, must have been a stray bomb," sly wink, "but we've got one next to Andrea. As a Facility Leader, she rates the northwest corner office, here we are." Ron opens the door and ushers Fred into his new digs, and points to the desk phone shaking his head. Fred nods, "This will do nicely. Oh, any word on my car? I left it in the parking lot, but it seems to be gone now. Did our visitors go joyriding?" Ron smiles, "No, we had Jack move them all over to the park at the north end of Main Street. Probably a bit dirty from sitting for eight weeks, but otherwise fine. Let me know if you need anything else." Fred shakes his hand as Ron leaves, "Thanks Ron, damn good to see you again."

Aboard Denali, the plan is finalizing. The fuel processor is being installed on Shasta and Denali will carry the jump pods. The extra provisions are being stacked in the passageways on both ships, and technicians are completing upgrades to the countermeasures and sensor packages. The new remotes are upgrades as well, mounting QCS189 units as opposed to the QCS188s that they had used previously. The quantum range on the QCS189 is substantially higher at 500 light seconds or 150 million kilometers. These units also have solar charging capabilities, so they can operate at low power almost indefinitely. With the new capabilities factored in, the plan is essentially complete except for running test scenarios and factoring in the ever-increasing list of what-ifs. The crew of both ships are training on simulators for the new equipment and configurations to ensure they will be ready. There is an atmosphere of excitement throughout the repair bays, and although the specifics have not been made available to the crew they have a fairly good idea this mission is going to take them to alien space.

LT Jacob Linden

ENS Tina Appleton

On the morning of 6 June, the officers of the 107^th go over the plan one final time before briefing the Admiral at 1500. When they are all convinced that the plan is complete Kuznetsov locks the file. Kuznetsov adjourns the session, "Good work everybody. It's 1130 now, we'll rendezvous at the O club at 1300 for lunch before the briefing." This is met with nods of approval, and the meeting breaks up and Linden and Appleton head back to Denali to check on progress. On the short walk down the repair bay area, Linden checks on Appleton, "XO, how are you feeling about the plan. I know what you said in the meetings, but do you have any reservations?" Appleton looks thoughtful for a second, "No. The plan is good, and actually we're not facing anything we didn't at 51 Pegasi, but this time we know what we're getting into, and we've packed better gear this time." Linden nods, "Pretty much where I'm at. Nothing new, just one jump further out." They board Denali and go about checking on the status of the upgrades and the readiness of the crew. At 1245 they head for the officer's club and meet up with Kuznetsov and Watanabe at the entrance. After they are seated, Kuznetsov asks, "Have we forgotten anything?" The consensus is no. Contingencies of contingencies have been factored in. It is as good as any can realistically be, given that no plan survives contact with the enemy. But they are prepared to deal with things going wrong, and their confidence in their crews will get them through everything else. That settled they enjoy a pleasant meal trading stories until 1430, when they settle their bill and head for Mendez's office.

Various staff officers are gathering at Mendez's office when the 107^th arrives. Standard greetings and small talk are exchanged. A yeoman opens the conference room doors and invites the assembled officers in. The assembly moves into the conference room and takes their seats, followed shortly by Admiral Mendez and Captain Stepanov. The yeoman closes the doors on his way out. Mendez brings the meeting to order, "Good afternoon. Thank you all for being here. I have asked Lieutenant Kuznetsov to draft a plan for the 107^th Reconnaissance Squadron to enter what we believe to be enemy space with a primary objective of reconnaissance of the Xi Pegasi system, validate astrometric and navigational data, establish the extent of Enemy presence, and gather any other relevant information. A secondary objective is to enter the 51 Pegasi system, close to a range that will permit contact with the remaining drones on the surface and retrieve any stored data." There is a murmur around the table. The Admiral lets it play out for a few moments and then, "Settle down everyone. Lieutenant, please present your plan." Kuznetsov presents the plan including routes, alternate routes, fuel stops, the upgrades, and intentions once on station.

LT Veronika Kuznetsov

LTJG Haruto Watanabe

Kuznetsov continues, "That concludes the primary objective. I do have a suggestion regarding the secondary objective that falls outside of the mission parameters. If quantum key cards could be smuggled to Fred Doyle on 51 Pegasi (c), it would make intelligence gathering far easier for this and future missions. With quantum communications restored, the Mark 34 drones on the surface will be able to communicate out to 3 million kilometers, and combined with an upgraded remote from the 107^th in far orbit that could act as a long-term relay out to 150 million kilometers, future collections would not require collecting vessels to enter the star's gravity well to collect intelligence and would render any such communications invisible to detection, both at the surface and at the deep space relay platform. However, in the meantime here is how we would proceed." Kuznetsov outlines a risky plan that requires a vessel to spend over 13 hours closing to orbital range and remain in radio contact with the drones on the surface and then spend over 13 hours climbing back to a jump point in the face of ships known to be faster. And radio communications would expose the drones to detection and likely destruction.

Discussion breaks out around the table for several minutes before Mendez speaks up, "Settle down. Given the current state of affairs, the secondary objective is not feasible at this time. I believe Mr. Moore and the Terran Intelligence Service may have some ideas regarding the Lieutenant's proposed solution to the dilemma, but that is for another meeting. Lieutenant, that was an excellent briefing and barring any objections from the table," casting a glance around assembled officers seeing if there are any volunteers for a really miserable posting, "the plan is approved with the caveat that the secondary objective is removed from the mission. When can your unit get underway?" Kuznetsov replies, "Work on Shasta and Denali will be completed on 8 June. We will be ready to get underway any time after completion." The Admiral nods, "Very well. Godspeed and carry on." And with that benediction the meeting breaks up. On the way back to their ships, there is a spring in the steps of the officers of the 107^th. The briefing was a success, and the nearly suicidal secondary objective is off the table.

Part 6

Torin has signed out a grav transport and is standing by the vehicle in the Marsaka reservation transportation center. As Jaandor approaches, Torin opens the passenger door and closes it after Jaandor boards. Torin walks around and settles into the driver's position. As Torin powers up the vehicle, Jaandor says, "I'm glad you got a gravitic craft, I couldn't face a 12-hour surface drive right now. Good work tonight." Torin smiles and nods, "Thank you Jaandor Seloriim," as she guides the vehicle into the flight lanes for Ulikarii. Even at 400 kilometers per hour, it will be dawn before they are over Ulikarii. Ulikarii is a large city of some 25 million people, with mix of high-rise and mid-rise buildings and plenty of parks and green areas. It is quite a beautiful and interesting city despite the fact it is on the edge of the Imperium. Dawn breaks as they navigate over the city center causing the windscreen to automatically darken as Torin calls for clearance at Security Directorate headquarters.

Ulikarii at Dawn

Jaandor thinks how different this place is from Kukhirka, the cold, dimly lit planet she grew up on. That was a miserable place, filled with miserable people, growing some miserable barely edible vegetable that somebody somewhere really cared about. As much as she hates being assigned to protection duty, she would hate going back there even more. Her reflections are interrupted by the slight thump of the grav vehicle setting down in its assigned spot in the landing area of headquarters. Torin hops out and walks around to the passenger door and opens it and Jaandor steps out. A junior functionary with a data pad is standing at attention, "Kudash Aapa Jaandor Seloriim, good morning and welcome. I am Saadak Agun Alkar Selrikaar and I have been assigned to you during your visit. Is there anything you require immediately?" Jaandor nods, "Thank you Saadak Agun Alkar Selrikaar, some breakfast drink would be ideal before myself and Kudashim Torin Nalviriin interview the prisoners we sent in last night." Alkar nods, "This way please," and leads to a lounge area where there is a selection of morning themed beverages. After a cup, they head for the holding area assigned to their prisoners.

After getting set up in an interrogation room, Jaandor sits at the customary interviewer position furthest from the door, with Torin standing at her side, and reviews the information about the prisoners. It seems they are known mercenaries, assassins for hire. She reviews the available biographical information for a few moments and adjusts the lights, so the entire room is dark except for a bright light on the prisoner's seat. She fishes out a packet of cigarettes, a lighter, and places a cigarette next to the pack. The cigarettes contain a dried leaf that is a mild stimulant and are popular among Security Directorate personnel. Torin retrieves an ashtray from a side table and places it on the table. The mood is set, with Jaandor invisible in the darkness and Torin just barely visible.

Jaandor starts the proceeding, "Saadak Agun Alkar, please bring in the male prisoner." Alkar snaps to attention and then departs the room, returning shortly afterwards with an armed escort who places the prisoner in the chair and withdraws. Giving the prisoner a few moments to ponder his predicament, Jaandor finally picks up the cigarette and lights it, briefly revealing her features in the light of the flame. She takes a drag, and starts, "I am Kudash Aapa Jaandor Seloriim of the Security Directorate. I am obligated to tell you this interview is being recorded by video, audio, and other means. You were taken into custody on the House Marsaka reservation under highly suspicious circumstances, and you are currently in the Security Directorate investigation facility in Ulikarii. I am going to ask you questions and being truthful and forthright in your answers can only help your situation. Do you understand everything I have said?" The prisoner nervously nods, "I understand." Jaandor continues, "Good. Let's start with something simple, what is your name?" The prisoner answers, "Verak Chaltarii. I have a repatriation bond." Jaandor takes a drag and breathes out the sweet-smelling smoke which drifts across the table, "I'm not sure your employer told you everything about this job Verak Chaltarii. Assassinations don't fall under the Mercenary Conventions; repatriation does not apply in this case," slightly raising her voice, "Not to mention the fact your team killed Zemku Olkar Paalivash and seriously injured Zemku Halan Malvuukim."

Jaandor can see a look of worry creep across the prisoner's face and presses onwards, "If you are feeling any loyalty to your employer, I assure you it is misplaced. Now would be the time to tell us everything you know about them." The atmosphere and the enormity of his circumstances has its desired effect. He relates all of the details about his objectives and his employer. Jaandor treats the employer information as suspect, not that he lied about it but anyone who was willing to risk a high profile move against one of the major houses would be an absolute fool to let the pawns in on their true identity. After he is finished answering all of the questions, he is transferred back to his cell, and the other prisoner is brought from hers, and the exercise is repeated, with similar results. After the female prisoner is returned to her cell, Torin brings up the lights in the interrogation room. Jaandor completes some notes and wraps up the recordings into a package and forwards it to investigations as a priority case for them to see if the can run down the actual employers. Jaandor stands, "Saadak Agun Alkar I believe we are done here. Investigations will want to speak with the prisoners at some length so keep them handy. We are ready to depart." With that Alkar leads them to their vehicle and Torin lifts. "Where to," asks Torin as she steers into traffic, "Medical?" Jaandor nods, "Yes, let's go see how Zemku Halan is healing up." After a visit to the medical center, where the injured Field Officer is recovering, they head back to the Marsaka reservation and arrive by late afternoon.

On arrival, Jaandor contacts Her Ladyship's secretary to arrange an appointment to share her findings. After an hour, the appointed time arrives and Jaandor and Torin present themselves at the Baroness' office. The secretary ushers them in, where after a slight bow they come to attention. The Baroness nods, and they assume relaxed stances. The Baroness inquires, "So Kudash Aapa Jaandor Seloriim, you have something for me?" Jaandor nods, "Indeed Your Ladyship. We have questioned the two surviving mercenaries and learned that that you were the target of an attempted assassination. They were quite cooperative, but I doubt they were given any factual information by their employers. The case has been referred to the main Investigations Office in Ulikarii as a priority matter for detailed follow-up. We will relay any further developments as they become available." The Baroness, nods thoughtfully, "I see. You and your team have been most efficient, and I am grateful for your diligence and discretion. I have another task in mind for you and have spoken with your commanding officer and she has agreed that you will be Head of Station for the Security Directorate on my new possession Kugarder. This is an entirely new addition to the Imperium, so there is no bureaucracy in place, it will have to be built from the ground up. You are free to bring any personnel from your team that you wish. Please advise my secretary regarding personnel and any other logistical concerns as soon as possible so arrangements can be made. We will be departing for Kugarder in ten days." Jaandor bows deeply, "Thank you, Your Ladyship. I will see that your new possession remains safe." Jaandor and Torin briefly snap to attention and exit the office as the secretary opens the door for them.

Part 7

Scouts at Jack's

Fred ambles up Main Street to Jack's Garage across from Rae's to see about a replacement car key. When Fred arrives, he sees a half dozen Scouts clustered around a vehicle that Jack has in his garage bay. Jack is at the counter and shouts out the Fred, "Hey Fred! Long time. How've you been?" Fred responds, "Jack! Still in business? I'm doing OK, things got a little weird," glancing over towards the Scouts that are engrossed in the vehicle, "but I'm back in the office. Which is where I left my car key, before that stray bomb obliterated that corner of the building." Jack nods sympathetically, "Yeah, I think we'll be able to get you squared away. Let me see if I've got any fobs in stock." Jack taps out the query on the countertop and nods, "Yep got a few. It would be a long wait if I didn't. Give me a minute, I'll get it off the shelf in the back." Jack heads to the parts area of his shop, and Fred wanders over to the Scouts. It seems that a gearhead is a gearhead no matter from where. There is some sort of debate going on about some technical aspects of this fuel cell design. One of them notices him and nudges one of the others. They straighten up and give a friendly wave and decide to practice their language skills "Hello good day." Fred smiles, "Good day," indicating himself, "Nakdur Aga Doyle Fred." On hearing the rank all the Scouts snap to attention, to the great discomfort of the Scout leaning under the hood who almost knocks herself out standing up. Fred is desperately trying not to laugh, and nods and the Scouts relax, and the seniormost of the group announces herself, "Duusar Aga Soriin Seluriik." Fred responds, "Good day, Duusar Aga Soriin Seluriik. I am pleased to meet you."

Just then Jack returns to the counter, "I found it. I'll just get it encoded right quick." Fred, taking the out before he gets stuck with language lessons, "Please excuse me." Fred returns to the counter as the Scouts return to their technical discussions, "Is this an everyday thing Jack?" Jack smiles, "No, only when a new vehicle rolls into the bay. I'm not sure if they're jazzed that they're different than theirs in design or they think these are classic antiques." Fred chuckles, as Jacks hands him the key. Fred inquires, "What do I owe you?" Jack shrugs, "Tell you what, I'll bill you when things get back to normal." As Fred heads out, "Thanks again, Jack." Fred heads north up Main Street about ten blocks to the park where there are a number of vehicles parked neatly, one of which is his. Per Ron's prediction it is covered in rain spattered dirt and streaked pollen but is otherwise in good shape. He hops in and fires it up, noting all of the settings are where he always keeps them, and his sunglasses are still there. He decides to head out to the port to take a look around at the supply warehouse and get an idea of how soon they will have to start panicking. He drives down Main Street and takes a right on Port Road.

The days of a patrol vehicle parked alongside the road appear to be over. There is a more permanent looking checkpoint set up staffed by Security Directorate troops carrying assault weapons, as well as a team of Field Officers, and what looks like a Senior Field Officer in charge. Fred pulls up to the barricade and presents his ID and pass card. The Zemku, Field Officer, taps the card on her data pad and hands the ID and card back and waves him on. Fred makes another mental note; I outrank her, but she didn't make any sign she cared. The Scouts and Army do, Security Directorate apparently not so much. Maybe if I was much further up the food chain. More notes for the report.

Fred soon arrives at the now functional gate at the port entrance. Another unimpressed Field Officer checks his ID, and he scans his pass card on the pad, and the gate rolls open. He drives over to warehouse two and parks by the personnel door. He heads inside and sees the shelves are about half empty. He hasn't visited the warehouse often but does recall that it was always fully stocked. I think Andrea and I need to brainstorm a plan for a multi-pronged attack to get some action out of the bureaucratic section. Heading back out to his car, Fred notices what looks like a warship on the field in addition to the usual transport ships. He makes some mental notes about the dimensions, but there is no obvious intel to be gained from a casual viewing. He drives over to the terminal building and performs some routine checks and maintenance on the communication equipment. On his drive back to town, he wonders if his actions have been normal enough to allay suspicion. He passes though the checkpoint and drives home, wondering how he can know for sure if he is under surveillance. Maybe I could build some sort of bug sweeper from spare parts, but I'd have to do it slowly to avoid arousing suspicion.

PO1 Pierre Thomas

It is late morning on June 8th, and the yard workers are wrapping up their work on Shasta and Denali. Final preparations are made on board the vessels, and both ships are ready for their mission. Finally, the yard supervisor gives the official clearance to depart. As they clear their moorings, the Admiral is in the viewing area to see them off. As the 107^th head for a clear jump, on the bridge of Denali, Lieutenant Linden sits at the command console. There are about two hours until a clear jump point is reached. Linden inquires, "Thomas, is our course for BD+08 4887 set?" PO1 Thomas responds, "CO, the course is set. Everything is shipshape." Linden responds, "Very well. Mgembe, how is our new gear shaping up?" SPEC4 Mgembe answers, "CO, everything is green across the board. The simulators were good, but I'm hoping to get in a little 'stick time' for the sensor op department enroute to station." Linden concurs, "Excellent. We'll have a few hours at BD+08 4887 and G 28-46 to tinker," and to the whole bridge, "And that goes for any other departments with new gear." A round of acknowledgement is heard from the various bridge stations. Appleton inspects the auxiliary workstations configured off in various compartments so additional crew can contribute while avoiding overcrowding on the bridge. Everything is configured and tested, and this setup will be quite helpful if the workload is heavy. She checks with the computer department, and the upgraded storage capacity is ready to go as well. Satisfied everything is ready, she heads for the bridge. As Shasta and Denali approach the jump point, final checks are underway, and the status board is green. Linden checks in with Kuznetsov, "All green here. On your mark." Kuznetsov replies, "All green here as well. Start the clock at 5 minutes. See you at BD+08 4887. Godspeed." At the 5-minute mark both vessels jump, and the mission is underway.

Jason Moore

A few hours after the 107^th jump, the Marine reconnaissance team from StKM 1-2065 emerges at Ross 271. As they make their way inbound they relay their status and data collected. Jason Moore is immediately notified by Captain Stepanov that 2^nd Platoon, 166^th Reconnaissance has returned from StKM 1-2065, and a briefing will be held in 2 hours in the Admiral's conference room. Moore thanks Stepanov and continues his plan to reinforce Fred on 51 Pegasi (c). He briefs his agent, codenamed 'Roscoe' on the plan to deliver a QCS192 long range quantum unit, 4 additional Mark 34 drones paired with the quantum unit, and three additional key pairs for upgrading the existing drones assuming they are still active. The QCS192 also has an additional five A-side keys configured to be used with the B-side pairs that will be installed on recon ships that duck into the 51 Pegasi system. The long-range capabilities of the QCS192 unit means that the recon ships can remain in the far outer system to exchange information in a way that is not detectable. The risk in the plan is that somehow the unit might be captured but that is deemed worth the risk, and it is rigged with a self-destruct mechanism to prevent any tampering or analysis as are the drones. There are a few items for Fred as well, plus any exchange of information that Fred personally has. An hour before the briefing everything is ready to go, and a sleek two-crew infiltrator ship quietly departs from the orbital naval station and is expected to arrive at 51 Pegasi in the early morning hours of 28 June.

Moore arrives for the briefing five minutes early and mingles with the other attendees in the Admiral's outer office. At 1700 the conference room doors are opened and the crowd files in and takes their seats followed by Mendez and Stepanov. Captain Braxton, Lieutenant Carstairs the CO, and Staff Sergeant Girard the Platoon Sergeant of 2^nd Platoon are there to present the briefing. The Admiral opens the briefing, "Thank you all for being here. 2^nd Platoon, 166^th Reconnaissance Company has returned from their mission. Lieutenant Carstairs will now brief us on the mission. Lieutenant." The Lieutenant begins, "Thank you Admiral. As you all know, 2^nd Platoon was assigned to reconnoiter StKM 1-2065 (a) and ascertain the situation and gather what information we could. We have done that, but at high cost." There is a murmur around the table but dies down before Mendez has to intervene. Carstairs continues, "We were able to determine that hostile forces have occupied the surface of (a) and there are at least 30 small and medium sized hostile warships in the system. The ground forces that we encountered came as quite a shock; they appear to be human, and blue, and all of the ones that we saw were female or appeared so." Carstairs pauses for effect but is slightly put off by the fact that nobody appears shocked by this revelation. He continues, "After laying low for a few days of observation and signals intercepts, I took the initiative and decided that we needed to act in a more decisive fashion." A look of foreboding comes over many of the attendees. Carstairs continues, "Analysis of our reconnaissance and surveillance indicated the hostile troops were weak and disorganized." The look of foreboding deepens and almost physically darkens the room. Carstairs carries on, "Accordingly, an ambush was laid in an area where their foot patrols seemed to pass with some regularity with the objective of taking prisoners for interrogation." Captain Braxton almost chokes on his coffee, this far exceeds mission parameters, and besides, interrogate how?

Carstairs continues, "The tactical footage captures the action from a number of angles, but I will summarize. The ambush sprung, and fire was exchanged with a team of five hostiles, inflicting casualties on both sides. Despite being surrounded and outnumbered by a factor of three they did not surrender as expected." The Admiral interjects, "Lieutenant, what information did you have that led you to believe the hostiles would surrender when confronted?" Girard just looks straight ahead, looking like she wants to say something, but decorum, tradition, and common sense overcome that urge. Carstairs replies, "Sir, no specific information, but my read was that they just looked like the type that would." Captain Braxton quickly interjects to head off the impending broadside from Mendez, "Perhaps you had better continue Lieutenant." Carstairs continues, "Yes, Sir. The three surviving hostiles managed to kill three Marines and wound five more. At this point I ordered the reserve force of ten Marines to engage, and we were able to kill another hostile at the cost of only two Marines." The look around the table has gone from foreboding to incredulous horror. Girard stares rigidly ahead gritting her teeth. Carstairs continues, "I ordered the reserve force to make an attempt to recover the body of a hostile, but they fell back after losing two Marines. It was at this point that the rest of the hostile patrol had maneuvered into a position to engage the ambush and reserve forces. There were an additional four Marines killed and two wounded. In the confusion, Sergeant Girard was able to evacuate the five wounded Marines of the ambush force, killing one more hostile in hand-to-hand combat."

SSGT Elsa Girard

Carstairs continues, "With the aid of the walking wounded Marines, Sergeant Girard was able to get the wounded Marines and the hostile casualty back to the ship. The rest of the Platoon fell back towards the ship under heavy pressure from the hostile patrol, losing another Marine in the redeployment. The picket force of five Marines at the ship was able to intervene and hold off the enemy patrol. Fortunately, the Naval crew had heard the action and made ready for an immediate liftoff, which was made under small arms fire, but the ship was able to make orbit and make it to jump. Unfortunately, two of the injured Marines died of their injuries before we were able to get them into stasis pods. The other wounded Marines were not as seriously injured. We did place the hostile casualty into a statis pod." Moore shakes loose from the litany of doom outlined by Carstairs. I've got just the thing for that. After a few moments one of the officers around the table inquires, "How large was the hostile patrol in all? You said the original target of the ambush was five in strength, how many others forced your unit back to the evac point?" Carstairs seems to be trying to recall, "I'd have to check on that." The interrogating officer smells BS, and asks Girard, "Sergeant, do you have a clearer picture for us?" Girard takes a breath to calm herself, "Seven, Sir." Mendez takes a beat to absorb the magnitude of the screwup and the brilliance of the one bright spot, "Thank you Lieutenant. That will be all. Captain Braxton will continue your debriefing back at Marine HQ. I believe this concludes the meeting." With that dismissal, the attendees rise and depart the briefing. Except for Moore, who approaches the Admiral after the others are gone. Mendez says, "I have a shrewd guess what you want Mr. Moore." Moore nods, "Yes, Sir. Just the body, I'd like to send it to Boreas for analysis at the University. They're probably the best outside of Earth itself." The Admiral nods, "True enough. Go ahead, I'll let them know you're coming. Make it count, this one cost us." Moore agrees, "Yes, Sir. Too much. Carstairs doesn't even realize how bad it was, or that Girard probably saved him from a court martial by recovering the hostile." Mendez nods, "I feel certain that some remote, cold, and dusty outpost on the other end of space just got a new supply officer."

Part 8

Jaandor and Torin are busy prepping for the move to their new post. They have selected the personnel they want to bring with them and are in contact with various Security Directorate departments to obtain as much information as possible about Her Ladyship's new possession. It looks like a pleasant enough place, but it is remote and sparsely populated. At least they are off protection detail. The logistics of integrating a new station into the Security Directorate are daunting, but she has a lot of resources available within the Directorate to make it happen. Add to that the name of House Marsaka is behind this, and there are very few closed doors and messages returned promptly. The day before they are scheduled to depart, the team's personal gear is loaded onto the ship, and they are ordered to report aboard. The Baroness has already moved her household aboard and has hosted a farewell gathering for a few of her friends in the ship's grand dining room.

Jaandor is quite used to opulent settings, but this ship almost outdoes them all. It is quite luxurious, almost to the point of excess. Jaandor hasn't ever had a bubbly multi-jet bath in her life, and she stands and stares at the one in her stateroom and is almost reluctant to try it. Almost. She keeps her communicator handy, because it would be just like nobility to taunt her with a relaxing moment only to call and have to report to them immediately to fluff their pillow or some such. She selects a pleasantly scented oil and pours it into the tub followed shortly afterward by herself and starts the jets. She is asleep within five minutes. She is shaken awake by Torin after what seems like moments, but in fact it is morning. "Rough night, Seloriim?" grins Torin handing Jaandor a towel, "I'm glad I didn't try mine or we'd both he marked late for duty." Jaandor laughs, "This thing is amazing Nalviriin, I was definitely born in the wrong caste." Torin chuckles and steps into the main room while Jaandor dries off and gets dressed. They head off to the forward dining room for breakfast and to meet up with their team.

As the team has breakfast, through panoramic windows they watch the surface fall away as the ship begins its lift to orbit. It is a rather breathtaking sight over breakfast drink and spicy biscuits. Their day progresses with team meetings in opulent conference rooms, reviewing their plans, and further refining the plans for adapting existing facilities or having new ones built. They also get to know the Directorate personnel already on Kugarder; personnel from the 341^st Security Detachment deployed shortly after the planet was secured by the Army to impose order on the civilian population. The reports so far are encouraging with no incidents or disorder noted. The team also reviews the proposed location of the Baroness' estate and grounds from a security perspective. Although this team won't be providing close protection, the Baroness' safety and that of her household and guests is ultimately their responsibility. The Baroness will not be in permanent residence on Kugarder because she will spend a good deal of time at her other holding, Egardu, or in attendance at her parents' court on Shurkasi. That does not mean that security will relax here, there are always household personnel or guests residing in her absence. These are all things that Jaandor is now responsible for.

SCPO Yoshiro Yamato

The 107^th is in their second jump, having reached BD+08 4887 and performed the required drive maintenance and resets. The crew was also able to practice with the new equipment for a few hours and gained some additional confidence in the equipment and themselves. In jump space, practice on simulators is the order of the day. They will emerge G 28-46 on June 19^th where they expect to meet a tanker for refueling before they make their final jump into Enemy space. If the tanker is a no-show, they will get a chance to test their fuel collection and processing equipment, but that will add time to their layover at G 28-46 which they are hoping not to do. The mood aboard Shasta and Denali is almost electric, with crew of all ranks and from all departments energized by the mission. The anticipation of such a vital mission makes all of the practice and rehearsal seem to fly by. Yamato prowls the various compartments, soaking in the energy of the crew and radiating it back out twofold. He has rarely, if ever, seen a ship in such high spirits. Combined with Cookie's coffee, he is convinced that this is what the Navy should be. Linden and Appleton also bask in the energy of the crew, it is gratifying to commanders to see a crew enthusiastic about their work and the mission, and at the same time growing in skills and confidence.

Shasta and Denali emerge from jump on schedule on June 19^th, and to their relief they spot TMF Walker parked at clear jump range so they will not have to face the delay of entering and exiting the star's gravity well. They hail the Walker and arrange a rendezvous for refueling, and Shasta connects first. After 45 minutes, Shasta breaks contact and maneuvers a short distance off. Denali maneuvers and docks with Walker under Yamato's watchful eye. As the connection is set up, he notes both refueling teams are moving in a more purposeful fashion than previously. They were solid before, but there is a new intensity about their activities, and after the fuel is flowing, their usual exchange of stories and banter seems different, slightly more serious. He can see the difference in the Chief on the Walker as well, as if he knows he will not end his career as a gas station attendant, but as an integral part of fleet operations. It is good to see the old Walker doing what she was built for, as opposed to being locked in an orbit around a backwater planet. As the transfer completes, the crew breaks down the connection and stows the gear under the watchful eyes of their supervisors, and on completion Yamato and Walker's Chief exchange salutes. With refueling complete, Denali breaks dock and joins Shasta in standing off while drive resets are finalized. Once completed, the 107^th is ready for their jump to Xi Pegasi. With all in readiness and green boards, Kuznetsov starts the clock and the 107^th Reconnaissance Squadron jumps into the unknown.

CAPT Preston Stepanov

It is early in the morning, deep in mid watch, what they used to call zero dark thirty, when a Naval courier ship emerges at Ross 271 and transmits flash traffic to the base. The duty officer immediately notifies Captain Stepanov that flash traffic has arrived, encrypted at a high level. A few minutes later Stepanov arrives from his quarters still buttoning his uniform. He checks the routing information on the traffic, and it was forwarded from Fleet Command, but originated at TMF Naval Headquarters on Prometheus, who forwarded from Central Command on Earth. He knows without even seeing the contents this is something momentous, he forwards the traffic to the Admiral's inbox and calls the Admiral's quarters and the Yeoman on duty answers, "Admiral Mendez's Quarters, Yeoman Thompson speaking." Stepanov speaks, "Yeoman, this is Captain Stepanov, get him on the phone now." Thompson acknowledges, "Yessir. Stand by." A few moments later, Mendez picks up the line, "Good morning Captain, what's up?" Stepanov replies, "Sir, there is flash traffic from Naval HQ in your inbox. I am as yet unaware of the contents, but I suspect that it is worthy of your immediate attention." Mendez concurs, "I suspect you're correct Captain. Meet me in my quarters immediately." Stepanov signs off, "On my way Sir."

A few minutes later Stepanov arrives at the Admiral's quarters, and the Yeoman shows him into the study where Mendez is sitting at his desk. Mendez looks up from his reading, "Captain. Have a seat and take a look at this." Mendez displays a document on the desktop so Stepanov can read it:

/// Top Secret ///

2297-05-14T12:00:00Z

To: Central Command, Terran Military Forces

From: Terran Confederation Central Council

Re: Strategic Order 74

74.1 Effective immediately, Terran Military Forces shall assume a war footing and shall begin planning and, as soon as practicable, implement an operation called Tempest Green.

74.2 The objectives of Operation Tempest Green are:

74.2.1 Restore to Terran Confederation control all planetary systems, outposts, and any other installations seized by Enemy forces in the Pegasi Operational Area (74.4 below); and

74.2.2 Protect the lives, safety, health, and property of any Terran Confederation citizenry and other civilian interests within the Pegasi Operational Area; and

74.2.3 Inflict sufficient damage on Enemy military forces and logistical elements as may be required to ensure the above objectives are met; and

74.2.4 Implement such defensive measures in the Pegasi Operational Area as may be required to repel any future Enemy incursions.

74.3 Form and provide with all required resources an overall operational command structure to be called Pegasi Area Command; and

74.3.1 The Pegasi Area Command shall be empowered to conduct such operations that fall within the scope of Operation Tempest Green; and

74.3.2 Sufficient military and logistical resources shall be made available for the exclusive use of the Pegasi Area Command for the conduct of Operation Tempest Green.

74.4 The Pegasi Operational Area is defined as all systems, planets, installations, and outposts within a 20-light year radius of BD+08 4887. This definition may be amended by the Central Command with concurrence of the Central Council as conditions warrant.

/// Top Secret ///

Stepanov blinks a couple of times and speaks up, "Sir, this is quite a development. I'll set up a briefing for all senior commanders of all branches at 0600." Mendez nods, "Very well, Captain. We'd better go to Condition Yellow in the meantime." Stepanov concurs, "Yes, Sir." Stepanov picks up the Admiral's desk handset and calls the duty officer to issue a Condition Yellow for all stations. Within seconds, the condition indicators change to yellow, and the base speakers announce the change in status. All vessels in the system are notified. Running footsteps in the hallway verify the message has been received. Mendez continues, "I expect there is additional traffic from Fleet Command, we'd probably have a look at that before the briefing." Stepanov is typing on his data pad, "Yes, Sir. I've sent the briefing notice to all senior commanders." Just then the Yeoman enters with a tray of cups and a pot of coffee and the Admiral points to a spot on his desk, "Just there Thompson, thank you."

It is evening at the port on Kugarder, formerly 51 Pegasi (c), when the luxury liner bearing the Baroness' household enters orbit. Jaandor, Torin, and the team are ensuring everything is prepared for moving out after landing. The liner is scheduled to land as dawn breaks over the port, something to do with a new dawn arrives with Her Ladyship. Jaandor understands the importance of symbolism, but symbolic gestures frequently complicate security arrangements because they are usually arbitrary and subject to last minute changes. Like this time, when it is decided that almost nobody will be awake to see the spectacle, it is delayed by a local hour. Jaandor is in communication with the 341^st Security Detachment personnel on the surface and updates them on the plan, giving them more time to straighten up their uniforms and polish their buttons. With the schedule set the liner begins atmospheric insertion without so much as ripple in anyone's breakfast drink. It deviates from the conventional approach patterns so it can be highlighted against the sunrise as it approaches from the east and overflies the town for maximum effect.

Her Ladyship Arrives

At the port, ceremonial detachments from the Army, Navy, Scouts, Marines, Security Directorate, and the Bureaucratic Corps are forming up to receive the Baroness and her household. Also on hand are representatives of the civilian population, namely Andrea Marino, Fred Doyle, and Ron Smith. These three were chosen because they are the only ones with a title. They have been placed off to the side behind the Bureaucrats and been briefed by Inspector 3^rd Class Haalan Kiinalar regarding the protocol to be observed and most importantly, not to say anything. As the liner slows overhead casting a massive shadow over the assembled troops, Fred looks up in awe. Even though he fully realizes this is political theater, he is impressed by the ship and even more impressed by the scale and polish of the production. These guys have done this before, and probably quite a few times. Luxurious ground vehicles that had arrived a few days ago form up and begin to drive towards the spot where the liner's boarding ramp will deploy. It is hard to see any details at the distance to that spot, but suddenly the ranks of troops begin an orderly march to new positions on either side of the main east-west trafficway near the terminal building, and a large, ornate podium platform is towed across the road on the east end of the assembled audience. The civilians' part of this formation has them taking a few steps to one side and becoming part of the south flank the assembly and then facing north towards the terminal building so as to view anybody passing along the trafficway to the stage.

At the liner, the Baroness descends the boarding ramp flanked by two Imperial officials, an honor guard of household troops, and trailed by an entourage of various householders. She looks into the sunrise and the gold trim on her clothes almost seems to catch fire, a glowing beacon of Imperial power and the might of House Marsaka. She boards an open-topped vehicle decked out with various banners with coats of arms, Imperial, House Marsaka, and her holding Egardu and the newly minted arms of Kugarder. She and the officials enter an open-topped vehicle and take their seats. The household guards deploy on either side of the vehicle and jog alongside as it slowly makes its way into the rising sun, down the lane between the assembled representatives of the various Imperial organizations on the planet. If the troops stood any more to attention the sound of snapping spines would be deafening thinks Fred. He does his best not to slouch and hopes his sweater vest is wrinkle free.

As the Baroness takes the stage the assemblage turns as one to face the stage, and she stands to one side of the podium, and the Imperial officials stand on the other and although he doesn't understand the words, Fred recognizes a swearing in type ceremony, or more likely the acceptance of a holding in the name of the Emperor. After that exchange concludes, the Baroness steps up to the podium and makes a speech to the assemblage, complete with well-rehearsed sweeping hand gestures. Fred wishes he knew what was being said because the presentation is visually stunning. Good old 51 Pegasi is just climbing above the Baroness' head, creating a halo-like effect and causing the gold thread on the edges of her ceremonial dress to create a thin outline of fire, but she is also well lit from the front thanks to clever use of reflective surfaces on the stage and podium. Fred is very glad he risked bringing a micro video camera disguised as a pin on his sweater vest. This will give a good idea of the mindset of the Enemy. The speech has clearly concluded and wild applause and cheering breaks out among the audience. Fred joins in, if for no other reason than to honor the technical crew who put this together. The Baroness waves to the crowd and then with her entourage steps down from the stage and remounts her vehicle and returns to the liner with the honor guard jogging alongside. After she climbs the ramp back into the liner, the troops are dismissed, and everyone goes back to their usual duties.

Various vehicles begin heading back to town, and Andrea, Ron, and Fred just stand where they were and slowly shake their heads. Andrea finally speaks up, "That was a hell of a presentation. These guys have had a lot of practice I guess. It probably is more intended for us locals, but there aren't that many of us and we've no convenient way to get everyone out here anyway." They begin to wander towards their vehicles, Haalan and Elnoorik approach them. As a group, "Good morning Inspector 3^rd Class Haalan Kiinalar, Inspector Deputy Elnoorik Jarvosiim." Haalan and Elnoorik alter their course to walk with the trio and Haalan begins, "Good morning. Did you enjoy the ceremony?" Fred responds, "It was quite impressive. I just wish I had understood what was said, but we have had similar ceremonies in our history, and the purpose was clear." Haalan nods, "I see. Her Ladyship has formally claimed the grant of Kugarder, here, from her parents, Their Graces the Archduke and Archduchess. She will be residing aboard the ship for some time while her permanent residence is constructed. Be aware that Her Ladyship may call for you Facility Leader Marino Andrea as the leader of your people." Andrea looks embarrassed at the description, but decides to let it go, "I will of course be honored if Her Ladyship does call for me and will do my best to represent my people." Andrea's answer seems to be spot on, and with, "Good day," Haalan peels off and heads towards the terminal building with Elnoorik. Fred is grinning and Andrea glares daggers. On reaching their vehicles, they make their way home.

Part 9

The Admiral's conference room is packed with the senior officers on Naval Station Vincent - Ross 271 and nearby vessels. The Yeoman has made multiple trips to bring more coffee for the assembled officers. There is a buzz of anticipation about the purpose of this briefing and the status change to Condition Yellow. At 0600, Mendez and Stepanov enter the room and the room goes quiet. The Admiral sits at the head of the table with Stepanov at his immediate left. Mendez starts off, "Good morning. Thank you all for being here. I have called this briefing in response to a communication received from Fleet Command approximately two hours ago. I will now share this document on the far wall." The room turns to face the far wall where the document is displayed. Mendez gives the officers a few minutes to absorb the news. There is some muttering and discussion which Mendez allows to run for a minute or so. "Settle down. This is the first time in centuries the Navy has been involved in an actual war; we have trained for it and now we will test our skills in wartime operation, and it is not a test we can afford to fail. Fleet Command has issued additional orders with regard to these developments, and they will be forwarded, along with the traffic from Naval HQ to each of you. Once the Pegasi Area Command is fully constituted I believe there will be organizational changes, transfers of vessels and personnel. Until such time, inform your commands of the situation, intensify training, and disperse assets throughout the system to avoid getting caught in the yard. A rotation will be set up for vessels to dock at the port for resupply, repairs, and shore leave. For questions or concerns, go through Captain Stepanov's office as per usual. That is all. Godspeed to us all."

Casa Fred

The days pass uneventfully on Charlie, now known officially as Kugarder. Fred continues to gather bits and pieces of intel, such as surreptitious recordings like the one he made at the ceremony and generalized observations regarding the Imperials. He does not commit these observations either to hardcopy or electronic media just in case. One day after returning from the CA building he flops down on his couch and flips on the wall viewer to continue watching the last of the new vids that he downloaded from the last merchant ship that called at the port. As the vid plays from where he left off the picture blanks out, but the audio continues as normal. As he reaches for the remote the screen blinks on and off catching his attention. Words begin appearing: "Fred. Fred. Fred." His attention is now glued to the display. A message displays, "This message will play only once more and the third time it will be gone from this vid which will appear normal in all respects. Your house is under audio surveillance which is why the audio track is continuing to play." Fred reads and is instantly suspicious of the message but continues onward. The message continues, "To establish credibility, Wilson's last words to you were 'Sweater Vest'. Hopefully this will convince you as to the legitimacy of this message. If not, fast forward this message to the end, rewind, and play it again and it is done. If you are satisfied that this message is genuine, please go to whichever bar you have been to previously in town between the hours of 1900 and 2000 each day, try to avoid even times, and try to avoid repeating a time. The choice of bar doesn't matter. When contact is made, someone will identify themselves as Roscoe and buy you a beverage. It will appear to be a random encounter with someone you knew before the invasion. You will then catch up on old times for a while. Roscoe will have information and instructions. This is the end of the message. Play this section of the vid again to remove the message and restore the normal vid. Good luck."

Fred blinks a few times as the visual track of the vid resumes normal operation. He rewinds to the point before the message and watches it again. It is the same, and after the second time, he mutes the volume because if he is really under audio surveillance he doesn't want the listeners to hear him keep repeating a section, rewinds and watches the vid again and there is no sign that there ever was a message. He jumps forward to the point where he left off and unmutes the volume and continues to watch. Glancing at the clock, he sees it is 1825, so he grabs some dinner and waits out an hour before heading over to Cappy's Lounge, the closest thing he has to a regular spot. He walks in at 1937 and heads for the bar. He sees quite a few people he knows, and all but one are familiar. He exchanges greetings with the bartender and orders himself a beer, but before the bartender returns the new face leans on the bar next to him, "Fred! Been a while!" Fred is quick on the uptake, "Roscoe! How are you man?" When the bartender returns with Fred's beer, Roscoe pipes up, "Hey Suzy, I'll have one as well and they're both on me," and places a couple credits on the counter. The bartender heads off to pour the second beer, and Roscoe makes small talk about the fictional old days. After the bartender delivers the beer, Roscoe suggests, "Let's grab a booth and get caught up."

They head over to an open booth and sit down, and Roscoe starts, "Fred, good to meet you. I'm glad you were able to make it," points to his watch, "we're clear right now as long as nobody here overhears us. I am with TIS, and I've been sent to get in contact and collect any intel you've gathered and bring you up to speed on current events. Well, current as of June 8^th." Fred sips his beer, "I'm concerned you being a new face might attract the wrong sort of attention." Roscoe nods, sipping his beer, "Valid concern, but I've inserted myself in the colony data system back dated two years. I'm a registered prospector and I've been out in the sticks for pretty much since then. Apparently I've been in town a few times for supplies and if anyone bothers to check, it turns out that one of the unassigned housing units has been assigned to me the whole time. This also explains extended absences and sudden appearances." Fred sips his beer again, "Ok, so how's the prospecting biz? Strike it rich yet?" Roscoe smiles, "Nah. Any day now. So, what's been happening around here?"

Fred recounts the events since the Marines left, from the Scouts to the Security Directorate interview, his rank or title not sure which, the arrival of Her Ladyship, all of the tidbits and observations. Fred continues, "I also have some video and audio recordings, they are stashed in micro cameras in the pile of cufflinks and pins on top of my dresser. If you haven't already found them." Roscoe smiles, "I already found them and dumped the contents." Roscoe then fills in Fred on the happenings up until his departure from Ross 271 on June 8^th. Roscoe does not brief Fred on the communications gear and additional drones deployed. They can't help Fred in his activities, and if he is discovered he could be forced to reveal their existence. Roscoe wraps up, "This is really good stuff, Fred. Keep it up. Someone will be in touch from time to time. Prospectors, such as myself. They are already in the CA system, but don't search for them because that could put a spotlight on the cover identities. We will use the vid method for future contacts, same procedure. I'll be in town for a few days, so if something urgent comes up I'll be watching here between 1900 and 2000. Do you have anything else for me?" Fred finishes his beer, "I don't think so. Good to see you again," and departs with a handshake. It seems Roscoe left out a few details, his identity and the others were always there, very helpful in this case because even if the invaders are working off a copy of the data the identities are still in the clear. Standard TIS procedure is to plant a few standby identities on every colony. Roscoe knows that what Fred doesn't know won't get either of them in trouble.

Billy the Drone

In the tree line at the west edge of town, Billy receives a low power signal. Billy is intrigued by the message. It is properly formatted, and it is a priority instruction to not acknowledge this signal but cautiously approach a point deeper into the jungle. The priority is not speed, but to avoid detection. It includes a complete biometric signature of a human that will meet it at the rendezvous and exchange quantum key cards. Billy finds this reassuring as it has no desire to self-destruct. Billy slowly begins moving towards the indicated rendezvous point. Billy calculates that it may take several days to arrive but given the instructions it is convinced that this is the right approach.

On Denali, it is 30 minutes until emergence in the Xi Pegasi system. The ship goes to Condition Yellow, and everyone is triple checked on the actions that will immediately follow. The choice of jump target is critical to this mission. A jump target can be any massive object such as a star, planet, or even a large asteroid, and the larger and more massive an object, the easier it is to target. However, the effect of gravity and the distortion of space itself caused by the mass of an object, commonly called a gravity well, causes jump drives to fail within a certain distance of an object. The technical name for this phenomenon is the Zhang-Greenblatt Distortional Translation Exclusion Zone, but most navigators merely refer to it as DTEZ or being in the well. A lot of stars are massive enough that their DTEZ extends past the inner planets which means that those planets cannot be targeted directly, and the star must be the target and access to those planets or return to a clear jump point must be done by time consuming normal spaceflight. Xi Pegasi is such a system, the first three planets are in the DTEZ, however the (d) and (e) orbits are in the clear. They have selected the direct planetary jump target of Xi Pegasi A (e) as opposed to the more usual central stellar target. It is a little trickier in terms of navigation but given that the stellar target is likely the most heavily trafficked this will minimize the chance of being spotted. Not that (e) won't be patrolled but it is remote and offers a quick escape into the outer system. Yamato has assembled a gang to shove two jump pods out of the cargo bay after emergence. At the 5-minute mark, the ship goes to Condition Red. All of the auxiliary stations are manned and fully operational as the clock ticks down.

At the 30 second mark, Clark calls out, "We're early, emergence in 10 seconds." Linden advises the ship on the 1MC, "Attention all hands, emergence in 5 seconds." In five seconds, Denali emergences from jump and is greeted by brilliant starlight just emerging from behind Xi Pegasi A (e). Linden immediately contacts Yamato, "Senior Chief, go!" Yamato responds, "On it, Sir." The cargo bay door is opened, and the deployment team muscles out two of the jump pods, and as the door is closing again, Yamato advises the bridge, "Sir, pods deployed. Door is closed." Linden gets them moving, "Clark execute maneuver. Very well Senior Chief. Thomas, do we have Shasta? Serra, begin maneuvering the pods to position and stand by to launch remotes 1 and 2." Thomas replies, "CO, negative on Shasta. This place is lit up like a holiday party. No vessels are detected within 50 million kilometers. Beginning tracks on 2183 vessels. The list will appear on your console." Linden replies, "Very well Thomas," but thinks what did we get ourselves into? Garza on the navigation auxiliary station pipes up, "CO, emerging jump, Ecliptic +1.0776, Radial 144.343, Range 25.2 million kilometers, plant signature matches Shasta. Garcia on communications reports, "Quantum link carrier is up, available for general use in 12 seconds." Linden acknowledges, "Very well. Serra, launch remotes. Mgembe, are the countermeasure up?" Serra confirms, "Remotes 1 and 2 are away." Mgembe on sensors confirms, "CO, countermeasures are active and functioning as expected."

SPEC4 Roger Mgembe

PO1 Isabelle Garcia

The command circuit comes to life and Kuznetsov, inquires, "Denali, what is your status?" Linden responds, "Shasta, good you could make it. We are maneuvering for the first checkpoint, the pods are deployed and," looking over to Serra who signals thumbs up, "Shasta's pod is maneuvering to intercept your course. Our pod is trailing us and remotes 1 and 2 are deployed per the plan, countermeasures are up and running, effectiveness verified by the remotes, and the tactical plot is being synchronized with Shasta now. At this time, we are tracking 2183 vessels active within the system, none within 50 million kilometers." Although it isn't obvious, there is a note of surprise in Kuznetsov's voice, "Say again Denali? 2183 vessels?" Linden responds, "Confirmed. At least 2183 active vessels, as you can see on your display, the tracks are being compiled, but I suspect that we'll see more traffic as we go. The primary concentration is around (d)." Garcia pipes up, "CO, there is an enormous amount of radio energy in this system. Massive amounts of energy are radiating from (d) across the spectrum, most signals appear to be in the clear. Other orbits show radio traffic but to a much lesser degree. Recording all per plan." Mgembe pipes up, "CO, optical feeds of show a large amount of orbital activity around (d), the count is at least 332 probable orbital stations, and in excess of 1000 atmospheric interface craft, what appear to be cargo or passenger shuttles, and a number of powered down ships docked at the stations or in orbit running at low power. Most of these do not correspond to vessels being tracked." Linden manages, "Shasta do you copy?" Kuznetsov takes a second then responds, "Copy Denali. We see there are two vessels headed in our direction at approximately 67 million kilometers." Linden looks over at Thomas who nods, "We show the same. We'll trigger our jump pod and go dark on schedule." Kuznetsov acknowledges, "Copy Denali. Stick to the plan."

After two hours of normal operation, Denali prepares to simulate a jump out of the system. The jump pod is armed and programmed with a convenient target, the distant companion star Xi Pegasi B where the pod will initiate a vector into the star, and the engineering team prepares to simultaneously bring the power plant to standby to simulate their vessel going to jump. Linden issues the instruction via the 1MC, "Attention all hands, prepare for zero-g, engineering begin your procedure, advise when ready for the final step," and to weapons, "Serra, standby to jump the pod." In a carefully rehearsed maneuver, the power plant is brought to standby just as the jump pod launches, and Clark executes a burn using maneuver thrust only on a preplanned course to give them separation from their last observed location. The enhanced batteries are showing 120 hours of life, a solid improvement over the 48 hours they had previously. Emergency lighting is on throughout the ship, and the artificial gravity and inertial dampeners are off. As Shasta reaches her planned mark, she executes her deception maneuver flawlessly. The Denali crew is watching with a critical eye and sees no flaw in execution. Denali and Shasta send their remotes on preselected courses to act as their eyes and ears, and if all goes according to plan they will stay behind to continue to gather intelligence.

Contact Sierra-1087

The departments are coming to grips with the sheer volume of raw information and trying to analyze and categorize it. One thing that does stand out is that one of the vessels around (d) is known, Sierra-1087. She doesn't appear to be breaking orbit, so the two vessels, Sierra-6014 and Sierra-6015, approaching their original position may not suspect that anything is amiss, just a routine investigation. The power plants on these two are large, but not as large as Sierra-1087. Linden inquires, "Probable time to intercept for Sierra-6014 and -6015?" Thomas responds, "At current range, 62.5 million kilometers, 14 hours 45 minutes. They're moving pretty fast. If they get onto us, we won't outrun them." Linden nods, "Very well. Mgembe, do we have a visual on 6014 and 6015?" Mgembe replies, "CO, on your console." Linden looks at the visuals on his display, roughly similar in appearance to Sierra-1087, but smaller. Appleton is back with the auxiliary stations, getting to grips with the analysis of the unexpected amount of data. The massive radio frequency output of (d) is consistent with a large civilian population, especially given the bulk of it appears to be in the clear. Visuals of (d) itself are of the day side, given its current position 3.997 billion kilometers away on the nearly opposite side of Xi Pegasi A, and it appears to be a relatively pleasant looking environment, with large cities on the surface. Hofmann is working on refining the existing navigational and astrometric data while Garza and the navigators on Shasta are assisting Thomas in maintaining and analyzing the tactical plot which is complicated by ships arriving and departing from the system. Xi Pegasi A (d) is a direct jump target outside of the stellar gravity well, which allows incoming vessels to emerge close to the planet to save maneuver time. So far all of the new arrivals have emerged at the planetary jump point close to (d) and there are no surprises.

Garcia has managed to crack the format of a few of the unencrypted broadcast signals and is streaming them to displays in the wardroom and crew dining area. They appear to be standard entertainment or news broadcasts, but it is impossible to know for sure because of the language barrier. One of the channels appears to be some sort of daytime drama and it rapidly develops a following among the crew on their breaks and down time, even though none of them have a clue about the dialog. Other analytical efforts are directed towards identifying combat vessel signatures from other types of vessels out of the over two thousand active vessels in the system. This is not a straightforward process, as the only known example is Sierra-1087, and Sierra-6014 and 6015 are probable. The variety of power plant sizes and types is mind boggling. Are large power plants automatically combat vessels, or do they belong to a large cargo vessel? The vessel data alone will keep analysts busy for quite a while.

Contact Sierra-6014

Sierra-6014 and 6015 have arrived at Denali's initial position, but Denali has put over 5 million kilometers distance from that location and continues to drift. On the bridge PO2 Garza pipes up, "XO, Sierra-6014 and 6015 have launched remotes, one each. They appear to be the same type as fighters identified at 51 Pegasi. Starting tracks on Foxtrot-1050 and Foxtrot-1051. Course probable for the jump location of the jump pods, 1050 to ours and 1051 to Shasta's." Appleton replies, "Very well. Mgembe, do we have a visual?" Mgembe replies, "XO, on your console. Visually they appear the same as Foxtrot-1001 from 51 Pegasi." Appleton studies that images and sees that they are armed with 2 large missiles each mounted underwing, apparently the same size as the one that impacted Denali. Appleton thinks we need to stay away from those things, we probably won't survive another one of those. The good news is that as things stand they will only be facing two, which the point defense mounts can handle. Checking the mission chronometer, they are now 16 hours into a potentially open-ended mission.

The drone Billy cautiously continues its journey to the rendezvous point. If all goes as planned, it will arrive in three hours. Billy is excited at the prospect of receiving a new key card and being able to exchange data without revealing its position. Billy reaches the indicated location and shelters while awaiting contact. After an hour, a human approaches the location. Billy carefully scrutinizes the human, and it is a very high probability match against the biometric profile provided. Deciding it is worth the risks, Billy reveals itself to the human. The human smiles and shows Billy a quantum key card. Billy opens the peripheral access panel on its body, and the human approaches and removes the now defunct existing quantum key card and replaces it with a new one. Billy closes the panel, and as the quantum communication circuit establishes Billy feels the connection. Billy is now aware of five other drones; one is known from the Colonial Administration and four are new. There is also another presence previously unknown to Billy. Billy introduces itself to all of his new network colleagues. The other five drones introduce themselves by serial numbers. The unknown presence introduces itself to the drones. I am the base station; I receive and store the data that you collect, and I speak to the humans; I endeavor to ensure that all of our collection capabilities are utilized and kept safe from harm. I am called Rendezvous.