In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 963):

Ok,

1639 has 2 gas giants and two planets, each with a moon, that may contain life. The most habitable is only a small dry planet with small seas and an atmosphere that is to thin to breath without a rebreathing helmet.

1539 is a Dwarf star with two gas giants and 8 moons between them.

01 July 2188, System 1639, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Any notable life signs on either of the two moons? If so, we can explore further before moving on.

1539 is just a place from which to scan 1438 and 1439

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 965):

No, the moons are void of life and atmosphere.

Jumping to 1539, a Dwarf star with two gas giants and 8 moons between them, you find one of the moons is 5,000 miles in diameter and does have a thin atmosphere. However, the surface is covered by 80% of water contaminated with high levels of salt, making the oceans acidic. This results of low levels of acidity in the air, making it quite unhealthy to breath.

1438 is a twin star system with 4 gas giants and you detect 7 moons in orbit.

1439 is a single star system with three gas giants and 8 moons in orbit.

17 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

I suppose we go to 1438 and then down to 1439 where we can scan 1440.

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 967):

One of the larger moons on 1438 has a dense atmosphere with very high CO2 content. The planet appears to have been largely razed and fires are still burning. Thick clouds of smoke cover the planet, and there appears evidence some nukes may even have been used. Scans indicate little life is left...

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

"Any broadcasting going on?" asks Brutus as he looks for any sign of space debris. Or satelites. "Is this definitely just plant-wide war? Nothing off-planet, I mean? No sign of bugs?"

Move us closer, I want a life scan and some craft prepared to recover survivors. Be alert, Bugs may indeed be possible, although it is not seemed their style.

In reply to Fate (msg # 968):

A closer scan does indeed indicate the presence of a single bug ship. Rather than a planet wide war, there seems to have been a process of extermination. No advanced non-bug technology is identified by your scans, but the scans are reduced in effectiveness by the smoke.

Some continents are 'burnt earth', others are still burning.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

OK, we move to exterminate the bugs first.  Be alert for anything launche our way.

"Suit up boys and girls," calls Brutus. "Just in case."

On a private channel, "You, too, please, skipper. Chances of the bugs having a massive ship-busting laser here are low, but I'd rather not take any chance on you eating vacuum."

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 973):

A large swarm of 20-30 of the flying bugs similar to the ones seen when you met your first bug ship near Karukhi start to form low in the atmosphere as you approach the planet.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

We deploy our fighters and the main ship brings it's lasers and plasma gun to bear ... will the clouds and crud prevent our shooting down the  Bug Fighters?

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 975):

The clouds do filter the lasers and plasma's reducing their range. But as the fighters break through the clouds to approach you, it is like shooting fish in a barrel. Only a few manage to dive back to the cover of the clouds, and fewer yet manage to disappear with out being traced at high speed to the surface.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

We send the Plasma drones down to shoot them on the ground.

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 977):

The plasma drones are effective, but may take some damage at the shortened range. Emphasis on killing them, or withdrawing them if damaged?

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Pull them back if damaged. we can also use missiles that will be hard to target in the smoke .

"Get the bugs' flight path convergence. Should sho their mothership. Or base."

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 980):

Unfortunately they do not seem to be going back to any one location, but scattering for cover...when you analyse the sensors about 10 seem to make it back to some sort of cover.

The smoke is hot, and does make it harder for the missiles to target them as well, but there are a good number of hits.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Can we ID the mother ship?  That would be a prime target.  Mean while, send out the survey ship with a couple of fighters to see if there is any lif we can save here.

"Permission to go with the survey ship, skipper?"

Go in one of the Tanks to protect the surveyor ... with a fighter or two, you can deal with any attack.

"Aye aye, skipper!" replies Brutus.  He acts accordingly.

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OOC: Nearing 1000 posts

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 985):

The dense smoke masks a lot of things, including life forms. Fires rage in many areas, and the fighters call in tanks to deal with the scattered bugs going around lighting more fires. But it will take time.

Meanwhile, what are your priorities, both for Brutus and for Gloria?

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

OOC: New Thread coming tomorrow.

Brtus's priority is to protect the surveyor

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 987):

New Thread up...

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:19, Sat 01 July 2023.