Diana nodded in turn.

- "Regardless, if it is our task to review the Talos' performance, it would be all the more reason to have her travel with the Squadron as a whole. We cannot review what we do not have eyes on."

Visarch Essna Valna steps through the hatchway onto the deck of the ready room, flanked by Captain Quarnstrom and a man you have only seen referred to in fleet paperwork, Captain An'bhaird. A short man, with green eyes and thinning hair, he favors his left side as he walks with a limp. Despite how he is overshadowed by the two women, there is a quiet composure and surety to him that speaks to his experience. He has campaign medals going back almost a decade and his tattoos on his neck and wrists mark him as a Toasaan.

"Your task will be to form a reinforced element of Ninth Fleet and travel to the Sternguard Sector of the Trailing Frontier where we are expanding our operations against the Rudgrani forces as part of Operation Snowstorm." She takes the lector and with a few gestures a star system appears on the holodisplay as the two captains sit down to begin this briefing. "King Squadron will meet up with Jade Squadron in the Estrella Segura system near Toassa. Along with the Talos, Commander Hersson will take command of newly formed Task Force 27 and patrol and defend the four systems in the Sternguard sector." The display shows four systems:

-Estrella Segura, home to the Agriworld of Toassa which was only now recovering from the bombing by the Brotherhood. Much of the old stellar infrastructure was destroyed in the war.
-Extranus, a mostly unihabited system that has only just been surveyed for mining operations and potential colonization.
-Lokichord, a binary star system with unusual gas-belts and a listening post and refueling station.
-Nu Epilison, a recent colony expansion from Toassa to help the recovery efforts. The beginnings of a new naval port are under construction in this system.

"We have intelligence reports that lead us to believe that at least one enemy battlegroup is recently in operation in that sector or are en route. The primary objective of Task Force 27 is to protect our colonies, our shipping and our stellar infrastructure from attack and in the worst case, deny them to the enemy and prevent the Sternguard Sector from being used as a staging ground against the Hegemony. Your secondary objective is to seek out the enemy battlegroup and destroy them or failing that, drive them out of the sector and secure it."

Her eyes flash towards Hersson and then Gryphon.

"While we will be awaiting your report on the Talos, that is not your primary concern and evaluations of her performance will be carried out by the team of engineers and analysts assigned to her crew. The Talos will assist you under your command of Task Force 27, but she remains a member of the Ninth Fleet and has not officially been inducted to King Squadron."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:10, Thu 28 Oct 2021.

"Hmmm....a task force spread between four systems? What are ze travel distances between ze systems and what is ze approximate ship count of the task Force?

I am thinking ze low profile fueling station at Lokichord would be a logical staging point.

- "I would prefer setting up at Nu Epsilon, actually. It is important to the recovery efforts at Toassa, and once the naval base is complete it will have a defense fleet of its own. In addition, the state of Toassa's infrastructure makes it a poor choice for staging attacks from, though it will receive our full efforts either way. How long is the naval base from full operational status, and what is the composition of Jade Squadron?"

Diana looked from Captain An'bhaird to the Visarch.

- "On the subject of performance evaluations, may i request an evaluation team be posted on the Rospolis to review the heavy modification thereof as a potential new line of Frigate for the Hegemony? In addition, given that our orders imply we are to assume a state of war with the Rudgrani, i would like to request a Telepath to serve as the ship's Psych Officer in case there is a repeat of the Sigfred, and to communicate with any potential POWs we might encounter along the course of our mission."

“I would also request the current status of any ground forces in the sector. Have there been any major shifts to or from the garrison forces on the established infrastructure we will be guarding? It would be good to know assuming that this enemy battlegroup will have boarding elements.”

Oscar turned to Diana, “Commander, static defenses should be a priority in the event we must split the Task Force. A force multiplier like mines or heavy weapon emplacements can help supplement any garrison fleet or ground forces defending while we are hunting down the enemy.”

Diana nodded at Oscar.

- "Indeed. As our latest refits gave King Squadron two ships equipped with camo fields, if we could outfit them with messenger drones they could act as spy satellites of sorts notifying us of enemy presences, and could evade detection while also being at the edge of the system ready to spike out in the event of danger. It would deny our opponent the opportunity of defeat in detail as well as grant us a far swifter response time as long as we remain prepped for spike, so we may arrive long before the enemy can secure their objectives."

She then turned to the Visarch again.

- "Which systems in the sector have the ability to send out messenger drones already?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:07, Thu 28 Oct 2021.

"Other elements of the Ninth Fleet will be available for reinforcement in the coming weeks and months and there are local forces which will be able to assist you under the authority of the local lords and governors." She glances to Zazan.

"Estrella Segura is centrally located among the other three systems and is a strategic location to secure travel back from the frontier towards the interior of Hegemony space. House Vakagn in a joint effort with the Hajime Transtellar Corporation have been moving assets into the system since the end of the UB War and from there they branch out to the other systems. Lokichord and Nu Epsilon are a single standard 'Hex' away from Estrella Seguara on the charts, although Extranus is Two 'Hexes' away from all three systems. Lokichord and Nu Epsilon do not have any recently charted jump lanes, but it's possible to make the two Hex jump from one to the other and bypass Estralla Segura with a good navigator and some luck."

She turns her head to Commander Hersson,

"The base in Nu Epsilon, Port Lacheur... a historic, if ill-named moniker... should be ready within a standard month, according to the Hajime Transtellar engineers. At that time, you can expect emergency repair, rearmament and refueling to be available along with some maintenance. Within three standard months, Port Lacheur should be fully operational."

"As far as Jade Squadron, the latest reports put her at 4 light warships, corvette-class. Jade Squadron is House Vakagn's contribution to their interests in the Sternguard sector and have been placed under the commander of the Ninth Fleet, and subsequently, you. Their squadron commander, one Albert Lacheur, will have more information for you when you rendezvous in system."

"Unfortunately, Special Intelligence Agents at this time are at a premium. There are too few of them coming out of Prometheus II and too many places we need them. You will have your ships computers and translation torcs updated with all the linguistics data we have gathered on the dialects of Hindi and Urdu that they speak so you will be able to communicate with them."

She then addresses Oscar's questions.

"Information is spotty due to the general strain on our communications network due to increased activity in all sectors gearing up for war with the Rudragni Star Kingdom, however, our latest reports are that the marine compliment aboard Listening Post 75 in Lokichord has been reinforced. Conscription is underway in Toassa and planetary defense forces have been supplemented with two Regiments, the 554th Astral Orbital Assault and the 981st Interplanetary Rangers under the banner of 11th Division are digging in to the system. The 1st Toassa Defense Squadron is also standing by to provide orbital fire support and defense. The remnants of the space station are essentially salvage at this point, but there is one functional mooring and pressurized compartments in the case of emergency. If possible, this station must be protected to allow for a new orbital elevator to be installed and restore the agricultural exports vital to the core worlds."

Hersson adds more and Valna responds.

"Commander, I would not recommend fitting your ships with ship hangers simply to mount courier drones. If you need to get a message back to the Hegemony, either use the courier systems in place or send one of your ships in person. Listening Post 75 has a short range emergency drone that can relay to the Gateway courier station in Estrella Segura that keeps Toassa on the galactic net."

"There are number of Hajime Transtellar ships operating in the sector, involved in construction, surveying, mining and other industrial operations. They will heed your commands in regards to imminent danger, but you are to stay out of their way as much as possible and if it comes to it, protect them from attack as they are the lifeblood of that sector, if we ever want to get the infrastructure back online."


OOC: Apologies if I haven't made this clear: Messenger/Courier Drones are full-scale Fighter-class starships with Spike-Drives and a complicated dedicated navigation VI. They're quite pricy and very inflexible (basically they have a pre-plotted course they're optimized for) used almost exclusively for regular system to system communication and in emergencies from listening posts or starbases. You could put one on your ship, but you'd need the the Ship Bay/Fighting fitting for one of them and then the cost of the drone itself.
This message was last updated by the player at 06:57, Fri 29 Oct 2021.

Oscar fidgeted with his mustache for a moment in thought before looking at his dataslate. ”It sounds like a decent defense force but we will likely have to provide dedicated warriors in the case of an actual invasion force. Ideally the Task Force will be able to cripple any invasion before it can get into a position to land. We can deploy some of the warbots to the station as guardians. They are able to enter an autonomous patrol to repel or deny assets. We have enough for a 4 unit fire team backed up by a fire support centaur. That would allow the marine detachment a force multiplier in the even of a boarding.”

Chander smiled when luck was mentioned. Fortune will often save a man if courage and skill will keep him holding on long enough. Usually 30 minutes was his time frame. That was the closest his flashes could come. Moving slowly in hostile territory, under stealth, was what saved more of his troops than most. Practice, discipline, and a lot of patched up flesh wounds. Too frequently on people held together by his force of will while the medic packed them with chemicals and plastics to get them functional again.

He snapped back to the present meeting though, and delivered another sagely nod to cover the fact that he was certain he had missed a little bit. He would catch up later.

Diana mulled over the information for a moment.

- "Hmm... Yes, Port Lacheur would be a priority, at least until the end of the month. Also, if Jade just has Patrol Boats and we are not expected to review the Talos' performance, i've half a mind to assign her to Jade Squadron to even out the strike power a bit. It seems our biggest concern here is response time after detection of the enemy Battlegroup."

She looked up again.

- "Do we have an indication of its composition? In our previous encounter the Rudragni fielded no Spike capable ships, though i do not know the extent of these intelligence reports. The shortage of Special Intelligence Agents is regrettable, though understandable -- what of the request for an evaluation team for the Rospolis' mnodifications?"

"In ze interest of information gathering, I would propose having a stealth ship check-into ze listening outpost at Lokichord and employing picket ships around Port Lacheur and Toassa.

With the stellar layout of ze systems, a few pickets at Estrella Segura should be maintained as well.

"As I mentioned earlier, the 554th Astral Orbital Assault and the 981st Interplanetary Rangers Regiments are already deployed to the Estrella Segura system to defend the Planet Toassa along with other strategic assets in system. It is the position of High Command that these elements of 11th Division will be adequate to hold Sternguard Sector with support from the Ninth Fleet and in particular Task Force 27."

The Visarch turns to Diana,

"I will remind you that Talos is under your command, nominally. Her evaluation is not your concern, but but her survival and safety is."

She continues.

"As far as your request goes, please submit your combat data or at least three months of operation data to the admiralty review board and we will make a determination. If you do still want a dedicated review staff for your ship, we can provide this for you."

- "As is all of Task Force 27. Orders will of course be given that the Talos' survival is paramount, but part of her evaluation as a military vessel must include her ability to hold her own in combat situations. I feel that having Jade Squadron act as her escorts would allow us to satisfy both this goal, as well as add some staying power to Jade Squadron overall."

Diana nodded.

- "In that case, as the new design incorporates no prototype technology, a dedicated team will not be necessary. I will submit all operational data to the admiralty board at the end of this mission and have it go through the proper channels then."

Oscar set his data slate down and nodded at Diana. “I think I have what I need to prep any boarding operations and Alamo contingencies we may need, Commander. I’ll have them to you before the squadron shoves off. I don’t have any other questions at this time.”

Zazan nods, "I believe ze final deployment strategy will require input from local forces and in-situ assessment. I request Astronomic information of ze systems but have no other questions.

- "There is actually one more thing i wished to double check."

Diana tapped on her datapad to bring up the relevant information.

- "In the overview of the abilities of individual ships within King Squadron, i couldn't help noticing the Talos... lacking mention of Lifeboats being installed. Was this accidentally redacted?"

Not being part of the squadron command structure, nor indeed even a captain of her own ship Sara mostly observes the decision making process unless directly queried about something within her area of responsibility.

”As the Talos is not intended to engage in conflict when operating alone it was determined that the likelihood of any crew requiring the use of lifeboats in a situation where other rescue operations were not available was low enough to allow for a higher focus on equipment more essential to the ship's successful function over planning for its failure.”

"Ms. Gryphon is correct. The Talos does not maintain lifeboats. Due to the experimental nature of the vessel and critical value of this ship, she is under standing orders to avoid capture or recovery."

She has a stern expression on her face.

"In the even that rescue is unlikely or impossible, she will be scuttled by the crew before capture."

- "...W H A T ?"

Diana took a careful deep breath, bringing a hand to her forehead to mitigate an oncoming migraine. Taking a couple more deep breaths, she managed to school her features, and slowly and deliberately placed the datapad down before folding her hands on the desk in front of her.

- "Then i am left with no other choice than to ground the Talos until such a fitting can be installed. A warship intended to participate in potential combat situations with no basic safeguards for its crew is a liability to the commanding officer responsible for the survival and safety of said crew, regardless of whether said ship is a corvette or the biggest baddest battleship in the Hegemony. It has cargo space, it has fuel bunkers, therefore it has plenty of room for such a system to be installed without impacting its overall effectiveness."

She looked at the Visarch.

- "Permission to speak freely, ma'm?"

Zazan catches on and nods. "While I share the Commander's concern regarding deploying the Talos effectively and securely, I do understand Intelligence iz valuable.

At times more than lives.

"Permission Granted, Commander."

The look on her scarred face narrowed as she focuses her entire attention on Diana Herrson and her posture of that tense jungle cat.

- "This, the Talos design i mean, it reads as if... Hegemony engineers figured out a Spike-3 Drive. A couple of VIPs then got wind of it, and began arguing about what components should be added to it just to have their names associated with the project. Next, an independent committee of bureaucrats was formed to try and reach a decision of which components would ultimately be included, but the selection process was mostly based on prestige and political power of the ones suggesting it. And thus, we ended up with this abomination of an upscaled corvette, whose main defining trait is that it's able to run away faster than any other ship in the fleet."

Diana motioned at her datapad, showing to her the design specifications that she had been made privy to.

- "It is a recon vessel with fuel scoops and fuel bunkers, but its lack of extended stores does not give it the staying power to actually make full use of it. It has good combat evasion, but those same defenses -- Augmented Plating, unless i miss my guess -- also renders it incapable of outrunning anything faster than a bulk freighter, meaning it has no ability to escape what it cannot outfight. It is a design that speaks to me a tale of someone wanting their ship design to be able to do everything at once, and predictably ended up sub average on all counts. There is nothing it does that couldn't have been done better by a corvette design, and for a fraction of the cost besides. But that's not all. By some Herculean mental effort which us mere mortals cannot hope to comprehend, it was then decided that a component vital to retaining as much of the crew's valuable expertise as possible for the Hegemony in case of a disaster was deemed merely optional..."

She motioned at Sara and Anika in the room. Her temples had reddened a bit in anger, though she was careful not to aim it at anyone. The gesture still did little to hide her agitation however, her movements just a little too brisk to appear calm.

- "...Valued expertise which includes present company, of course. And since the Talos includes a number of prototype technologies that will no doubt interact with one another in exciting and unexpected ways, the odds of a technical cascading failure taking place cannot be dismissed out of hand. And the only option available to me to try and save its crew in such a situation, is to risk sending another corvette next to it and aggressively engaging it with gorram Boarding Tubes, since that is the only way to get the crew evacuated anywhere near fast enough and still clear its potential blast radius. Something that could easily be done by Lifeboats. But nooo, giving a warship the option of playing Space Truckers dragging twenty tons of someone's personal dildo collection through the Void was deemed much more important, because anyone on board that ship is right fucked in case of trouble."

She turned to Valna again, taking a few seconds of deep breaths to help collect herself again when she noticed her language had started getting coarser again, the way it did when her level of annoyance was threatening the limits of her ability to care to suppress it.

- "I would be remiss as an officer and a member of the Hegemony Navy if i would remain silent as a ship design lacking such a basic safety precaution would enter mass production. The resulting brain drain from vessels sunk with all hands would cause untold damage to the Hegemony. Less than half an hour ago we held a memorial for the fallen of the Sigfred, and sixty percent of its former crew was alive to witness it. If the Sigfred had lacked Lifeboats that would have been less than a handful, so i cannot in good faith remain silent in the face of such an atrocious design choice."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:50, Wed 03 Nov 2021.

Visarch Valna never once takes her eyes off Diana as she launches into a lengthy objection in front of the senior officers of the Talos and King Squadron. "Your objection is noted, on the record, Commander. Will that be all?" The rest of her reply is unspoken, but clear: a chance to save face and back down from direct conflict with your commanding officer. She is almost stone faced, but there is a tension around her mouth and eyes that shows her displeasure at being addressed in such a way in front of her subordinates that even she cannot fully disguise.

Anika glances to Sara and then back at the Visarch, her own face an unreadable mask.

Unreadable or not Sara seems to interpret the glass as permission to speak, although she does so considerably less freely.

”Perhaps it would be appropriate to reiterate the purpose of including Talos in this mission, as a deliberate choice instead of an older more conventional Corvette that might be able to perform the same role with similar success.

This deployment is as much a field test of the Talos to determine if it is a viable ship in a conflict zone, it is not intended to be a trial by combat and indeed would likely be considered at least a partial failure if any enemy craft is ever close enough to force any kind of evasion at maneuvering speeds.

In the unlikely event that failure occurs it will be the responsibility of the combat proven craft to avoid a catastrophic loss of all mission objectives.”

Sensing the mood, Diana nodded in response.

- "Yes, Visarch. I have no further comments regarding the Talos."

There would be no point in arguing the case anyway. Her objections had been noted and put on the record, so as far as she was concerned the matter had been addressed, even if it hadn't been dealt with. For much the same reason, she decided against commenting on how the Talos' mission itself made it a poor choice to be matched with a Task Force intended to hunt down an enemy battlegroup. Best to move on while she was still ahead by a nominal margin.