NationStates Jolt Archive

The server had the previous thread for lunch apparently, as its completely gone. So here's a basic summary of what happened in the thread before it was deated.

The Verniian garrison at Yalta surrenders to Valinor forces, and are transferred to a dungeon ship. Colonel Anderson, the Verniian CO becomes somewhat friendly with the Sarduakar CO. Then the Valinor find out about the Verniian bombardment of Valinor cities on Earth, are really outraged, and the POWs are transferred to a ESS prison world.

The shuttle carrying Anderson, Mayer, the other Verniian officers, and Sturmbannfuehrer Seredrin seems to settle to a stop. Seredrin stands and replaces his peaked cap on his head. He turns to the Sturmann serving as the immediate gaolers of the Verniians.
"Prepare the prisoners!" he snaps, and activates the egress ramp. A wave of hot, humid, thick air sweeps through the shuttles main compartment, and Seredrin descends. He is closely followed by Anderson and Mayer, shoved along by their ESS escorts regardless of whether they need it or not.
The sight that reaches Anderson's eyes is grim, a half-hearted village of prefab structures has been erected from a circle cut from a vast, endless jungle that borders a strange gray-green sea on the side behind the shuttle. Several other transports are unloading additional Vernii prisoners, although it is clear not all of those captured at Yalta are present as Anderson surveys the men of his command being marshalled by the ESS Nightwatchmen in front of the shuttles.
The "camp," if it can be called such, has apparently seen better days and has apparently known more of a population than it does now. Judging from the number of prefabs that appear uninhabited. But it seems like some sort of inspection is going on as well. The camp inmates are a mixed lot, most appear to be from Old Earth Asiatic extract, many with strange electric blue tatoos detailing dragons, phoenixs, lions, and more. But others are tall and appear to be very much like the Valinor Nightwatchmen guarding them.
A man dressed in a paramilitary uniform patterned off a safari outfit from another age on Old Earth marches in front of the assembled ranks holding a riding crop short whip. Twelve prisoners stand out from the rest, and the man in the safari outfit looks away from them and turns toward the Verniian POWs. He moves rapidly toward them
Seredrin snaps to an eerie attention, "Brigadefuehrer Stuttgart!"
"These are the prisoners from....the Gregor Sector are they not?"
"Yes, Mien Brigadefuehrer!"
Stuttgart's eyes sweep over the POWs, eyes so blue they appear to be that of the deranged. His body is thin, skeletal really as if he is a dead person barely warmed over from the grave.
He clears his throat, "Prisoners! Welcome to Camp 337-A. From now on you live at my personal sufferage and at my personal whim," he paces in front of the ranks. "You see, here I am God, and your lives have been consigned to me on the personal authority of Director Ziegler. And now it is time for your first action as my incumbents. Sturmbannfuehrer!"
"Yes, Mien Brigadefuehrer!" Seredrin says.
"Select eight men from this lot. I want at least four to be officers, nothing above the rank of captain or whatever the equivalent may be."
"Yes, Mien Brigadefuehrer!" Seredrin moves rapidly, signaling to several other ESS officers and Sturmann under his command. They rapidly begin to sort through the Vernii POWs.

The men selected are: Lt. Colomb, Lt. Turner, Warrant Officer Mahan Sergeant Berten, Sergeant Adler, Corporal Pestrano, Private Percy, and Private Simmons.

Lt. Colonel Mayers looks confused at first as the men are selected, but then his face turns pale red with anger as he starts to suspect that something unpleasant is going to happen.

Stuttgart walks in front of the prisoners, evaluating with a cold predatory gaze.
"Good, very good," he says then spins on his heel turning to another man dressed in a uniform like Seredrin's.
"Sturmbannfuehrer Holtzmann!"
"Yes, Mien Brigadefuehrer!"
"Return the prisoners to their quarters," he nods toward the ragged looking group of older inmates. "I have all that I will need."
Holtzmann clicks his heels, "Yes, Brigadefuehrer!"
Stuttgart smiles as Holtzmann starts to shout orders, and the ESS begins to break up the gathering in front of the decaying camp.
"Sturmbannfuehrer Seredrin," Stuttgart says standing before Seredrin, "integrate your new arrivals with the rest of the camp. If they give you any problems deal with them....appropriately."
Seredrin clicks his heels.
Stuttgart turns to a young Sturmann at his side.
"Richard, bring me my gun."
"Yes, Brigadefuehrer!"
Stuttgart hands his riding crop off to another Sturmann then walks in front of the selected Verniian POWs.
"Let us test this new crop shall we?" he says, standing before Corporal Pestrano.
The following movement is quick, lightening fast. Stuttgart grips Pestrano's head with a single, long-fingered and wide palmed hand veins stand out in his neck and a wet snap fills the air seconds later. Pestrano falls to the ground, neck broken.
"Acceptable, I suppose," Stuttgart says, he accepts and antiquated shot gun from Richard.
"Richard, prepare all the candidates for the hunt. I want to start in no more than twenty minutes."
Richard clicks his heels, then moves with several other Sturmann to lead the selected prisoners of both groups away.

Colonel Anderson gasps in shock as Pestrano is murdered. Mayer looses his temper and tries to storm away from the group. He shrieks at Stuttgart, "What sort of lunatic are you?! You call yourself an officer!? Murderer! I hope you remember that at your trial after this war!"

Stuttgart turns on Mayer, his gaze cold and imperious.
"Trial?!?!" he then laughs, a sound as cold and chilling as his eyes. "A trial? I have been master of this world for ninety-seven years, since before the last round of the Outer Dominion Wars. And there are prisoners here that can remember my predecessor and his predecessor before him. There are prisoners here who can remember the Third Ironholm War, and that was 198 years ago. There is no law here besides my law and the law of the ESS."
Stuttgart pulls out a pair of shells and inserts them into the shotgun, then snaps the gun shut with a single quick movement.
"Your lives have been consigned to my charge. Like all those other enemies of the Aldermans and the Fatherland that thought they could violate the code that rules the Star Armada and the Sardaukar. They found out that when they violate the armed forces code of honor, the Valinor have their own way to respond in kind. And you will find this out as well."
Stuttgart cocks his gun, "Enjoy your stay on my planet. If you are lucky it will be short."
A rover pulls to a halt behind Stuttgart he climbs in the back. The twenty-four selected prisoners are lined up near the edge of the forest, half of them have long combat knives, and the other half long metal sparring polls.
"Are the nerve collars in place?" Stuttgart says to Richard.
"Yes, Mien Brigadefuehrer."
"Good, let them go," Stuttgart watches as the prisoners run off into the woods. The Verniian POWs have to be goaded by several Sturmann.
Stuttgart holds up his wrist chrono, waiting for a good half hour.
"Release the d-wolves!" he shouts, several reinforced cages are unlocked and things that look like a cross-breed between an Old Earth wolf and a puma stalk out. Stuttgart nods to several attending Sturmann, who have the creatures smell pieces of the selected prisoners clothing. After a few more minutes, the pack of thirty race off into the jungle.
"Follow them!" Stuttgart says, gripping one of the rovers support rails. Two other rovers join his as they race off into the jungle, following the d-wolves.
Meanwhile Seredrin signals to his men, they rapidly move to begin to disperse the Verniian POWs. Several of the now empty transports begin to lift off, as the Verniians are shown roughly through the decaying streets of their new "home."

OCC: I still have some Naval Infantrymen on Yalta, remember? The LRR fleet helped capture the planet. I believe the naval infantrymen were the first or some of the first troops to descend onto the planet. Would it be acceptable that mabye an LRR military attache is in the camp? Sorry for my lack of involvement for so long.

IC:

Commander Franz Deitrech watches in horror as Stuttgart not only kills corporal Pestrano, but releases the d-wolves in pursuit of the Vernii POWs.

He calls after Stuttgart, but is not heard over the rover engines. Fortunately, it appeared that he was the highest ranking officer around, an LRR commander being roughly equivalent to a Colonel. He sees a Sardaukar sargent.

"Sargent! I need a radio!"

http://www.uottawa.ca/services/markcom/gazette/021025/images/021025-dallaire.jpg

Commander Deitrech

OOC: Not to brush you off, LRR, but this isn't on Yalta anymore. God, curse the Forums for eating the thread, it makes this so much harder to understand. The POWs that you didn't take were taken aboard a dungeon ship in orbit. When the Valinor found out about the orbital bombardments on Earth, the dungeon ship left Yalta and took the Verniian POWs under Valinor jurdistiction to a Ministry of External State Security Nightwatch penal "colony" that has been in existance for the better part of close to 200 years. And the ESS hates letting even the Star Armada and the Sardaukar know where its little "happy" worlds are, so I don't think you would be there.

OOC: Not to brush you off, LRR, but this isn't on Yalta anymore. God, curse the Forums for eating the thread, it makes this so much harder to understand. The POWs that you didn't take were taken aboard a dungeon ship in orbit. When the Valinor found out about the orbital bombardments on Earth, the dungeon ship left Yalta and took the Verniian POWs under Valinor jurdistiction to a Ministry of External State Security Nightwatch penal "colony" that has been in existance for the better part of close to 200 years. And the ESS hates letting even the Star Armada and the Sardaukar know where its little "happy" worlds are, so I don't think you would be there.

OCC: Ok, sorry. But I still have Vernii POWs in my custody on Yalta, so should I RP from there? Perhaps an LRR sailor on a Vernii ship was accedentally taken into Valinon custody.

I can't think of any RP idea with the other group of POWs, since your government would undoubtably treat them better then the ESS is doing. I'm open to suggestions though.

I can't think of any RP idea with the other group of POWs, since your government would undoubtably treat them better then the ESS is doing. I'm open to suggestions though.

OCC: Perhaps the Sardaukar raid an LRR camp on Yalta, citing "incompetence" on the part of the LRR naval infantrymen, and take the Vernii prisoners there into custody as well as the Naval Infantrymen. The Sardaukar could probably dissappear them without the somewhat inept LRR intelligence services knowing about it.

OOC: Frankly, LRR, the Valinor in this case wouldn't want to take any more Vernii POWs. Emperor Rowald would know how much he could get away with, and both he and the government would know that if your POWs disappeared the whole situation would look really, really suspicious. I actually figured that you and Vernii had just negotiated some sort of exchange and you had gotten rid of the POWs, and that it was already settled. It seemed that was my mistake.

OOC: Frankly, LRR, the Valinor in this case wouldn't want to take any more Vernii POWs. Emperor Rowald would know how much he could get away with, and both he and the government would know that if your POWs disappeared the whole situation would look really, really suspicious. I actually figured that you and Vernii had just negotiated some sort of exchange and you had gotten rid of the POWs, and that it was already settled. It seemed that was my mistake.

OCC: Well, the Vernii POWs are being let go. Once a Vernii-bound vessel comes by, the Vernii prisoners will be released. They are pretty much free to come and go.

Colonel Anderson sighed and looked at the other five officers sharing their prefab shelter. "We're going to have to get out of here. That Stuttgart is completely insane, if we don't do something, I don't think there will be any of us left to return to Vernii."

Mayers nodded. "I want a piece of that inhuman bastard."

Another of the officers with them, a major, spoke up. "Sir, if his comment about there being prisoners still here from 198 years ago is true, it's going to be pretty hard to escape. I'm sure it's been attempted before."

Anderson again nodded in acknowledgement, "We should ask around about previous attempts, if they've been tried, be careful of implanted moles though."

The door to their prefab suddenly opens, or as suddenly as it is able to continuing the mild short in it.
"We will need to have that attended to," says the man stepping through the entrance way. He is one of Japanese-looking POWs from earlier, dressed in an obviously locally made black and blue trimmed uniform.
"Hai, Sho-sa," comes a reply from behind him. The man pauses and stiffens to attention, and bows.
"Gentlemen, I am Sho-sa Kakita Kujo, formerly of the Crane Clan and the Dominion of Outer Centauri. Though I seriously doubt if the Dominion even exists any more. And at this time Sho-sho Akodo Kaneka and Overbefalhaver Pieter Magnus wish to see the senior most officers among you. They apologize to rush you so soon, but they also told me to say they doubted you would find much in your quarters to welcome you."

Anderson stands up and politely bows in return. "Ah, welcome to our humble abode. I am Colonel Anderson of the People's Army of Vernii, and this is Lt. Colonel Mayers." Mayers stands up and mutters a welcome to Kujo. Anderson continues, "I'm afraid I don't know much about the Centauri system, but I don't think the Dominion is around anymore. I'm sorry. I take it you became a guest here during it's war with Valinon?"

OCC: I have an idea. What if an LRRSF patrol ship crash-lands on the Valinon prison world? LRRSF patrol vessels are most of the time on their own, and the fleet would scour the depths of space looking for a derelict or disabled ship when it was really crashed on a planet. The LRRSF would eventually determine it a destroyed vessel, and the crew's names would be added to the LRRMF memorial. How's that?

"Yes," says Kakita moving with Anderson toward the center of the camp at a leisurely pace. "I was captured in the first round of the Outer Dominion Wars actually, when the Blood Marshal took our capital and almost captured the Lord Daimyo. The nearest we can tell that has been over seventy years ago."
He looks at Anderson, "As for Vernii, I am sorry, Colonel, but I have never heard of it. But it seems you too have fallen prey to the darker side of the Valinor, and to some extent no doubt the darker side of your own government. For it is not an easy thing to earn the amount of loathing it takes to get the Valinor to send prisoners to the ESS's 'care'."

OCC: I have an idea. What if an LRRSF patrol ship crash-lands on the Valinon prison world? LRRSF patrol vessels are most of the time on their own, and the fleet would scour the depths of space looking for a derelict or disabled ship when it was really crashed on a planet. The LRRSF would eventually determine it a destroyed vessel, and the crew's names would be added to the LRRMF memorial. How's that?

I don't think that would work, if this planet is anything like the planet from the HH books it's based on, then it has an insane amount of automated orbital defences, the ship wouldn't make it into low orbit.

OCC: I have an idea. What if an LRRSF patrol ship crash-lands on the Valinon prison world? LRRSF patrol vessels are most of the time on their own, and the fleet would scour the depths of space looking for a derelict or disabled ship when it was really crashed on a planet. The LRRSF would eventually determine it a destroyed vessel, and the crew's names would be added to the LRRMF memorial. How's that?

I don't think that would work, if this planet is anything like the planet from the HH books it's based on, then it has an insane amount of automated orbital defences, the ship wouldn't make it into low orbit.

OCC: I have an idea. What if an LRRSF patrol ship crash-lands on the Valinon prison world? LRRSF patrol vessels are most of the time on their own, and the fleet would scour the depths of space looking for a derelict or disabled ship when it was really crashed on a planet. The LRRSF would eventually determine it a destroyed vessel, and the crew's names would be added to the LRRMF memorial. How's that?

I don't think that would work, if this planet is anything like the planet from the HH books it's based on, then it has an insane amount of automated orbital defences, the ship wouldn't make it into low orbit.

If it called out SOS, it might not get destroyed. Can you just humor me?

OOC: It could still broadcast the SOS, it would still get blasted at. But I might entertain a lifepod or two slipping through to the planet.

"Vernii is a world in the Gregor system, we recently launched a military campaign to secure star systems around it to add a first line of defence to our home system. Valinon and Taka declared war after a skirmish between our forces in one of the star systems. I was commander of the Yaltan garrison when the system fell to Valinon and Taka. We were transferred to a dungeon ship, then the Valinor found that my government had bombarded two of it's cities on Earth, so we were sent here. I started out with 500 men, now there are 292 of us, although not all ended up in Valinor custody. How many men do you have?"

OOC: It could still broadcast the SOS, it would still get blasted at. But I might entertain a lifepod or two slipping through to the planet.

OCC: Ok, here goes.

IC:

Out of hyperspace, the LRRSV Orion unexpectedly appears, gushing gasses and with many major components missing.

"Mayday, mayday! This is the mining cruiser LRRSV Orion. We are sufferimg major systems malfunctions! We cannot survive for much longer."
"Abandon ship! Abandon ship!"

A spread of escape pods fly away from the LRRSV Orion before it explodes. The pods broadcast their neutral intentions and a mayday signal. They automatically orient towards the nearest planet, doing the utmost not to look like a missile. They wait to be picked up by a ship from the presumably occupied planet. Little did they know they were headed for an interplanetary devil's island.

Several of the orbital weapons' satellites move to intercept a few of the pods moving toward more sensitive areas and camps. Flares of energy and interception missiles trace after them, rapidly annihilating all but three life pods. One life pod is on a course toward what is known as Third Rook, the mountain command center of the ESS prison camp, and a group of rovers leave the subterrean facility toward its landing point. The other two fall undisturbed toward the planet onto the island continent the camp the Verniian POWs led by Anderson are on.

**********

"Now?" Kakita looks at the ground for a moment. "After today's hunt there are still 873 or 874 of us left. It is hard to believe there are that few. When we were first landed here, there were easily 2,000 of us. And at that time there were still a fair number of Ironholm POWs, but there numbers have been shrinking even faster than our own."
He glowers off to the north, "Stuttgart and his predecessor have almost feasted upon us for as long as they can. I wish others did not have to share such a fate along with us."

Several of the orbital weapons' satellites move to intercept a few of the pods moving toward more sensitive areas and camps. Flares of energy and interception missiles trace after them, rapidly annihilating all but three life pods. One life pod is on a course toward what is known as Third Rook, the mountain command center of the ESS prison camp, and a group of rovers leave the subterrean facility toward its landing point. The other two fall undisturbed toward the planet onto the island continent the camp the Verniian POWs led by Anderson are on.

**********

"Now?" Kakita looks at the ground for a moment. "After today's hunt there are still 873 or 874 of us left. It is hard to believe there are that few. When we were first landed here, there were easily 2,000 of us. And at that time there were still a fair number of Ironholm POWs, but there numbers have been shrinking even faster than our own."
He glowers off to the north, "Stuttgart and his predecessor have almost feasted upon us for as long as they can. I wish others did not have to share such a fate along with us."

In their last moments of existence, many LRR crewmembers watch the missiles and energy beams arc towards their defenseless craft.

The 45 total occupants of the surviving 3 escape pods watch in horror as their friends are killed, or sent flying off into space with only suit-contained life support.

"Turn back! Can't this thing change direction?"
"We're too heavily influenced by the planet's gravity! We can only prolong our orbit, and hope the planet shrinks or something."
"Its worth a try!"

The thrusters on Captain Gerald's escape pod come to life for a second, but an explosion follows.

"What was that?"

One of the crewmen watches as the thruster block blows off. A second later, the craft starts buffeting violently.

"RE-ENTRY!!!!!!!!!!!"

The crews brace themselves. Outside the viewports, the occupants of Gerald's pod watch as the other two pods streak into the atmosphere. Then, suddenly, the ride calms down. Only for a second, however. The pod's parachute deploys and the 15 sailors are thrown against the pod's ceiling. The pod drifts down onto a large mountain, and gets caught on rocks. Captain Gerald looks outside onto the barren landscape.

"Where are we?"
"Vehicles!"

A spaceman 1st class spots a group of vehicles, quickly identified as Valinon rovers, approaching.

Meanwhile, on the prision island, the other two pods descend. One drops right into the center of a camp.

Commander Henry Meher gains conciousness after the hard landing, and looks around to see the rest of the 15 sailors in his pod either with minor injuries or doing alright.

"Let's get outa here. The atmosphere generator looks like it is dead."

The atmosphere vents on the side of the pod start pouring a purple haze into the cabin. The 15 sailors inside the pod, which happens to be Escape Pod G, unscrew the hatch, and jump down onto the ground.

"Where in the galaxy are we?"

Their attention is quickly turned to a crowd of shabbily clad men approaching them, in what appears to be old and worn military uniforms.

ba-da-bump

Anderson's conversation with the "natives" is interrupted by the loud thump outside. "What was that?" he asks, and him and Mayers stand up and move outside, noticing the escape pods and the uniformed LRR crewmen.

Commander Meher walks over to Colonel Anderson.

"Where are we?"

The rest of the 15 crewmembers stretches their legs outside the capsule.

The rovers from Third Rook rapidly approach the LRR survivors, the first class spaceman notices that the men riding on them are heavily armed and armored. He glimpses and sudden movement, and then rapidly falls to the ground as he and the surviving prisoners are all hit in rapid succession by Nightwatchmen armed with sonic weaponry powered to full stun.

**********

Kakita looks at the LRR personnel, then at the pod.
"To be quick, a private hell designed by the Valinor. And judging from your method of entry, you must not have come here by choice. And I don't recognize your uniforms either, tell me were you here to try and attempt a rescue of some sort and recover lost personnel of your own?"

The rovers from Third Rook rapidly approach the LRR survivors, the first class spaceman notices that the men riding on them are heavily armed and armored. He glimpses and sudden movement, and then rapidly falls to the ground as he and the surviving prisoners are all hit in rapid succession by Nightwatchmen armed with sonic weaponry powered to full stun.

**********

Kakita looks at the LRR personnel, then at the pod.
"To be quick, a private hell designed by the Valinor. And judging from your method of entry, you must not have come here by choice. And I don't recognize your uniforms either, tell me were you here to try and attempt a rescue of some sort and recover lost personnel of your own?"

The sailors in the pod that crashed on the mountain wake up hours later <wherever they were brought>.

Commander Meher and the sailors in his pod take in their surroundings. One of the crewmembers takes a screwdriver and remove's the pod's sub-etha transmitter, another takes out the radio, and others remove cushions, spare clothes, and food.

"Oh. We have a sub-etha transmitter with us. We're from Lunatic Retard Robots. Our ship blew up over this place, and most of our escape pods were blown up. As far as I know, only two got through."

Commander Meher thinks about all the crewmembers that died. He stis down on the ground and starts to cry.

The other crewmembers strip the capsule dry of anything useful, and distribute the stuff among the other prisoners. Senior Chief King walks up to Kakita, holding the sub etha transmitter.

"Commander, sir, we recovered the sub-etha transmitter. Is there a soldering iron around? It appears to have been shaken up."

OOC: LRR, the prisoners near Third Rook will come into play later. For now let's focus on the camp itself.

"There isn't," says Kakita eying the device. "And even if there was I wouldn't recommend activating that device unless the ESS where to lose control of the planet. The last time someone crash landed here and activated a beacon signal, the entire area they were in was burned to ash by an orbital bombardment. We here tell that there is still a crater on the eastern most continent where the ESS used a fusion warhead to 'make an example' of the refugees."

"Oh. I was under the impression that since we are friendly towards Valinon we could, er, get out?"

Kakita looks grimly at the LRR officer, "Being on good with the terms with the Valinor does not mean you are on the same terms with the under side of the 'Star Empire.' The ESS is a law unto itself, and they do not allow friend or foe alike to leave their kingdom if they enter unannounced. The rest of the Empire grants them this policy by not interceding against it, even the 'vaunted' and 'honorable' House Alderman often ignores many of the skeletons the ESS has managed to accure."

DOUBLE POST

"Looks like we will be here for a long time, sir."
"And you, I didn't catch your name, where should we set up residence?"

Anderson steps forward, "You are from LRR correct? I find it delicious irony that the soldiers of an enemy nation are trapped along with us."

Anderson steps forward, "You are from LRR correct? I find it delicious irony that the soldiers of an enemy nation are trapped along with us."

Commander Meher is taken aback by this remark.

"I didn't know you guys were still enemy. We don't have any enemies, or at least we like to think we don't. Well, we're all it the same boat now."

"Perhaps," Kakita says, "although that is something of a naive philosophy to say the very least. Now," he turns to Anderson, "I have already kept the Sho-sa and the Overbefalhaver waiting longer than I had anticipated, perhaps we could move along?"
He turns toward Meher, "You of course are invited to come, and I urge it. The respective commanders of our own factions in the camp will want to meet with you as well."

"Thanks for inviting me to come. King, you have command from here."
"Aye, sir."

OOC: LRR, this takes place shortly after the Second Battle of Yalta. So during this RP, the war between our nations was still going on.

"Yes, lets go meet the camp leaders. Mayers, you should stay behind and keep the men in line." Anderson follows Kakita and Meher, while Mayers walks away.

Commander Meher reaches the large prefab building where the camp leaders are meeting. He brushes off the dust from his sweater and green work overalls, and waits for Anderson or Kakita to open the door.

Kakita opens the door for the two, and then follows them in. The shelter probably started off life as any of the other dormitory style buildings around it, but it has clearly been massively, if crudely, modified. The bunks, "living areas," and all other amenities are gone. Instead a half circle table sweeps across the prefab's main dome area, with two chairs sitting above the table. Most of the chairs at the circular table are filled, although a few are empty. Old men of various nationalities sit there, although most appears to be Valinor or Dominion extract.
But above the rest of the "council" sits the obvious pontiffs of this small realm. One is a man of the same extract as Kakita, and behind him is a banner bearing a crudely manufactured lion and sigil insignia. He appears to be in his late forties or fifties and appears still be in a relative fighting trim.
But his colleague is another story. An ancient, stooped figure is dwarfed by the chair he is setting in. His hair is pure white, and blue eyes watch with a gaze partially glazed over with age as the two newcomers to the camp approach. Behind him a threadbare banner of red with a single gold star is draped. And at his left, stands a man that appears to be in his late fifties or early sixties.
Both wear haphazardly assembled uniforms, and the ancient man appears to be more "ornate" if such can be applied to the Dominion Sho-sho.
"You are the newcomers," says the Japanese man on the left. "Thank you, Sho-sa Kujo. You are dismissed."
Kakita Kujo bows lowly and steps back against the prefab's wall.
"I am Sho-sho Akodo Kaneka, of the Dominion of Outer Centauri and the Lion Clan. I bid you whatever greetings you are willing toaccept under these dubious conditions."
The other man beckons weakly to the man standing beside him, and the man standing leans in closer. Words are mumbled, and it is obvious speaking is a task for the older of the camps two commanders. The man nods, and then stands back up.
"Overbefalhaver Pieter Magnus, of the Collective Guard of the People's Collective State of Greater Ironholm, likewise extends his greetings. He also wishes to inquire how you came to arrive at this slice of hell."

"A pleasure to meet both of you, while I would perfer it be under less....imprisoning conditions. We are here as the result of a powerplant meltdown on our patrol ship. The safety mechanism on the hyperspace drive dropped us out of hyperspace at the nearest planet, which just happened to be this one."

"Greetings. I am Colonel Anderson, of the People's Army of Vernii. "I wish I could say meeting you is a pleasure, but under the conditions I can't, but I do find it an honor. My nation is currently at war with Valinon, I commanded the garrison on Yalta, and we were forced to surrender after the fleet had to withdraw under a Takan and Valinor assault."

"I remember that....I was the XO on the LRRSV Kenny Jones just before the assault on Yalta, when I was transferred onto the patrol ship which just blew up. So, what is this meeting for?"

Meanwhile, on Starchaser 5, the battlecruiser LRRSV Mark Knopfler, passing through to drop off maps and data, is re-routed to the source of a somewhat weak sub-etha transmission from a patrol ship operating near an obscure solar system in deep space.

The cruiser pulls away from the dock, and charges up its hyperspace engines.

(If you want to ignore this, fine. Even if you destroy the Knopfler, the LRRSF's gonna get curious as to why it is loosing so many ships in one spot and send a fleet, in which case the jig is up for the prison world.)

OOC: Don't worry LRR, Valinon and I haven't forgotten about the thread. Stuff keeps getting in the way of posting though.

OOC: LRR, the ESS will continue to eliminate any ships that come to the prison world. And more than likely if you continue to annoy the Nightwatch your government will suffer an en masse wave of assassinations until the point is final gotten across for you to avert thine eyes or your nation has become an anarchy.

Akodo Kaneka arches an eyebrow, "No offense, Colonel Anderson, but the Valinor do not just send all of their prisoners to this particular prison or deliver them to the benevolence of the Nightwatch. No, nations that have their captured personnel sent here do something that the Valinor have deemed so vulgar in their eyes that they deserve to spend the rest of their lives in a hell of the most sadistic nature. In the case of the Dominion it was because a Crab Clan commander got in his head the idea to kill the Cardinal of Proxima III, along with several priests and two Archbishops."
"And in the case of our own nation," says Magnus' aide, "it was because we were backed into a corner, fighting for our very survival and independence. We had no choice but to turn to nuclear weapons to try and stave off the Imperial army sent against us."
Kaneka nods, "So, Colonel Anderson, what has your government done that the Valinor see as an attrocity?"

Anderson coughs somewhat nervously. "Um..well, according to the prison ship captain, our navy bombarded two Valinor ports on Earth, killing a few thousand."

OCC: So I take it it is not ignored. Well, it is completely oblivious to the presence of a prison planet in the area, and it is not looking for it, so if the planet's defenses lay low and don't attract the cruiser, it would probably not notice the planet.

IC:

A safe distance from the prison world, the LRRSV Mark Knopfler drops out of hyperspace, completely unsuspecting.

"This is where the signal came from."
"Its a solar system. How long ago?"
"A week."

The on-hull cameras spot a reasonable-sized chunk of wreckage from the obsolete Rockland class destroyer.

"Woah! What happened to this thing?"
"Its headed away from one of the planets."
"Send out a tug to take a look."

A large tug, slightly smaller than a frigate, designed to move around freighters and asteroids, emerges from the docking bay of the cruiser. It motors over to the chunk of hull and drags it into the cargo bay of the cruiser.

A navigation buoy is deployed (a corvette full of sub-etha equipment and such) at the cruiser's position. The cruiser begins moving back out into more empty space. The LRRSF always feels more comfortable away from solar systems.

On the bridge, a circle of engineers and sensors operators meet at one of the tables. A CD of Dire Straits plays softly in the background, accompanied by an off-duty Sherpa pilot and his well-polished squier strat.

"There's no black holes, no possible natural phenomena that could have caused the accident here."
"The hyperspace drive in the old Rocklands was fast, but not of particularly good workmanship. The H-39 model was taken out of service several years ago, but this ship might have missed refit."
"So, hyperspace drive failure is the main culprit."
"We'll have to wait for the analasys to be done before we can really draw any conclusions."

Meanwhile, back planetside, Commander Meher felt out of place.

"My ship crashed here. I've never actually killed anyone."

Hauptsturmfuehrer Deritziner looks with glazed eyes at the Knopfler as it investigates the wreckage of the destroyer that he and the other two ships of his small heavy cruiser group had drug away from the second world of the Sun-Yat system.
The three heavy cruisers temporarily in the system to oversee a prisoner transfer convoy were headed out to meet up with the transports due in from Kellinger's Star when the LRR battlecruiser had exited hyperspace. Deritziner had order his ships to cut their impellers and bring up their stealth systems. They now were drifting without power on a course roughly 14 million kilometers way from the battlecruiser.
Deritziner turns away from the feed of both the cruisers passive sensors, and the systems own SatCom feeds.
"What word from Third Rook?"
"We are to stand down, Hauptsturmfuehrer!" says the young officer at the ESS ship's comm. "They say the planetary defense network is being taken down to passive sensors and repositioned momentarily to avoid detection. We are not to move to engage unless the battlecruiser detects our presence or the presence of the base."
Deritziner gives a bored nod, "What is the ETA for the transport convoy?"
"Nine hours, twenty-eight minutes, three seconds, sir!"
Deritziner gives another nods, and continues with his bored view of the enemy ship, absent-mindedly swinging one after he folds his legs.

**********

Magnus gives a cough, Kaneka raises an eyebrow.
"Indeed...," he says his voice drifting off. "Yes, certainly that is something to awaken a burning desire in the Valinor to see your nation ground to dust. Pray to whatever gods or God you believe in, Colonel, that the Valinor never reach your homeworld after this. It would not be pleasant for your people's sake."
Magnus whispers to his aide, who turns to Anderson when he is done.
"Overbefalhaver Magnus says that the Valinor will not hesitate to decimate a nation completely once they see that the nation in question has drawn the first 'illegal' blood. And that it was bad enough when the Valinor empire of just over a billion turned against the Collective with a rage after our attack on Keigersburg. Now he fears it would be even worse."
Kaneka nods his solemn agreement, "As for yourself, Commander Meher, it seems you have been caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. My deepest apologies that innocents must be trapped with us. Many have tried to escape from this world, and so far all it has brought is death and the wrath of whichever ESS commander we find ourself under."
For the first time, Magnus' voice rises above a whisper. But his voice is still dry and fragile, a thing almost swept away by the mere circulating air of the prefabs decaying ventilation system.
"At least....Stuttgart is....not as.....bad...as...as..some of....his.....predecessors..." the ancient prisoners voice fades, and he slumps back into his chair.

"Well, Vernii does have extensive orbital defenses, pluse Home Fleet. I'm sure the Valinor Armada would get its nose bloodied if it attacked. So there have been others that attempted to escape? How did they attempt it?"

FIRST DOUBLE POST

DOUBLE POST

TRIPLE POST

"Hey, what if we get some outside help? You know, the patrol ship has a distress beacon. If the fleet has not sent something to discover what happened to us, I would be very surprised."

He looks out the door, half-expecting a flight of dropships to descend from space and whisk them all away.

What luck, he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, on the Knopfler, the engineers examine the chunk of wreckage from the patrol ship, by now identified as the David Crosby.

The examination team was finding disturbing evidence of an attack. Scars probably caused by lasers or other beam weapons, and dents and holes probably caused by torpedos. The examiners notice several escape pods missing from their launchers.

"Clear the bay! Clear the bay!"

One of the robots comes across a live, unexploded torpedo embedded in the hull. The alarm is sounded, and the examination bay is cleared of personnel.

"There's live ordnance in the ship!"
"What's so special about that? It was a combat ship, after all."
"No, a torpedo of foriegn make embedded in the hull!"
"We better get a drone out there."

A small drone flies out from its bay along the side of the small bay. It motors up towards the torpedo.

"What does it say?"
"This can't be! Valnor navy, third rock! It looks like someone got a bit patriotic on the paint job."
"Great scot! The Valnor destroyed the Crosby?"
"It appears so. Bridge, plot a course out of here!"
"Right away!"

Within minutes, the entire crew (not much more than 100) is fully aware of the probable fate of the Crosby. The ship is on full alert. Sensors start sweeping the area as the Knopfler speeds out towards space at maximum acceleration. Then, it winks into hyperspace, headed towards Starchaser 6.

OOC: LRR, Sun-Yat isn't a naval station. It is completely run by the ESS Nightwatch, and the warships operating on any extended duration there are all Nightwatch ships. Star Armada and Sardaukar ships would be a rare occurance, that's why having the dungeon ship come directly to the planet was such a tense situation. Frankly, there is no love lost between the Nightwatch and all branches of the armed services. And even the ISS doesn't get along with it.

Kaneka looks uneasy for a moment, "There have been other attempts, Colonel Anderson. Other attempts that have failed. The largest revolt happened several hundred kilometers west of here, and the ESS answered by nuking the island continent the camps were on back into the prehistoric ooze. Our own knowledge of the attempts are sketchy. Most appeared to have been grassroot movements, trying to seize control of assets from ESS resupply or 'survey' shuttle runs to the camps. One did involve an actually run at a ESS satellite garrison, but it failed."
"As long as the ESS controls Third Rook, and the orbital defense network their position is very secure. And actually, we no longer know how many camps are left on this planet any more. Judging how much our own camp's population has dwindled in the last few years, I am sure that the rest of the planet must not be fairing much better."
Kaneka eyes Meher quizzically, "Commander Meher, the ESS keeps an orbital defense network we know to be capable of repelling a large flotilla of warships. I know because I was captured in an attempt to liberate this world once before, as you can see the results were not examples of success. Plus there are usually a few ESS warships to support the defense grid in-system as well. Help from the outside is not an illusion those with a firm grip on reality usually entertain."

**********

Hauptsturmfuehrer Deritziner watches as the LRR battlecruiser disappears into hyperspace.
"They were in a hurry," he mummers to himself. He looks with his glazed-over eyes at his tactical and gunnery stations.
"Get a firing pattern on the wreck when we get into range. Use nuclear warheads. Helm, take us to three-fourths maximum power and set us on course that will put that destroyer in our missile envelope. Comm, I want the Dermont and the Ictizan to do the same."
Deritziner watches his displays again as his three cruisers accelerate toward the wreckage of the LRR destroyer. Seventeen minutes later, the destroyer is engulfed in a fireball spawned by three quartets of 3.8 gigaton fusion warheads. The remnants of the wreckage is reduced to the barest amounts of cooling liquid metal in the vacuum.

OCC:

Would it be fair to say that there is some sort of identifying mark on the torpedo?

OOC: Not really, when your nation produces missiles by the gross lot everything is fairly standardized. They would have a serial code something like this: USEV-A-337, SCL-33345. With maybe a few basic storage warnings and what caliber of tubes they should be loaded in. Also you might fine places were techs had penciled in weapons' check numbers and pass/fail marks.

OOC: Not really, when your nation produces missiles by the gross lot everything is fairly standardized. They would have a serial code something like this: USEV-A-337, SCL-33345. With maybe a few basic storage warnings and what caliber of tubes they should be loaded in. Also you might fine places were techs had penciled in weapons' check numbers and pass/fail marks.

OCC: Would the USEV or tubes caliber be any indication?

OOC: Tube calibers wouldn't be that telltale, partially because Vernii, Wick, Falasmayon, and others use similar systems. But USEV is a somewhat uncommon shorthand for the United Star Empire of Valinon.

Ok. So the torp is ID-able?

IC:

Back at Starchaser 5, engineers continue to study the wreck.

"We must consider every possibility!" said Admiral Kucinich as he walks down the long corridor, flanked by a group of engineers. The senior admiral, Ix, was always out in deep space or in the more luxurious starchasers with his battlefleet, so Kucinich was left in charge most often.

"It could be a rebellion, a pirate fleet. But we must contact the Valinon government as soon as possible!"
"Word has been sent to the government back on earth."
"Ok, they will be taking care of it then."

Outside proxima centuari, a large, lavish cruiser, shaped like a Gibson Flying V guitar, emerges from hyperspace. The LRRSV Awesome is the courier ship for the LRR government.

"Attention, Proxima Centuari control. This is the LRRSV Awesome, requesting landing clearance in Valinon, over."

The sudden, unexpected arrival of an LRR courier ship to the Fatherland of the always somewhat reclusive Valinor sends the network of official and unofficial communications in the Valinor government afire. Before the Awesome has cleared the orbital defenses, the centers of Valinor political power on the isle known as Imperial Centre are already spinning their machinery in motion, trying to delve into what the government of LRR could deem so important.
When the courier ship makes its final approach to Gustav Alderman Imperial Aerospace Port, a small reception party awaits it. Lady Diedre Rolt, formerly the Valinor ambassador to the UN and now the perceived successor to Count Viktor Leopold, stands with four Imperial Soveriegn Protectors swathed in the scarlet and gold formal uniforms of their service. The compact battle armor they wear under the Prussian-style uniforms is retracted, with only glimpses of flashing metal visible at the collars and sleeves. Still their demeanor is that of cool, detached predator protectors.
Lady Rolt stands in a simple dress of jade green, her curly hair flowing awkwardly in the wind sweeping across the Valinor capital of New Koln as a spring storm rides the air from the north. She awaits the disembarkment of the LRR representative with a poise and grace that has passed from many societies that still reside in Sol and Old Earth.

Ambassador Don Plant walks down the Awesome's ramp and onto the tarmac of the spaceport. Clad in a heater suit, robot EVA equipment to keep them heated in the cold near-vacum of space, he would appear to be any LRRSF sailor if it were not for the purple suit jacket worn over the sky blue heater suit, embroidered with various designs, and the ceremonial Native American headdress.

He walks over to Rolt, with a file folder in his hand.

"Greetings, lady Rolt. I come bearing bad news."

He hands the file folder to lady Rolt. Inside, there is a high-resolution photo of a torpedo with USEV written on the side, along with some various shipping instructions and such scrawled over its surface.

Lady Rolt takes the offered folder and flips through it with hurried care. She scrutinizes the pictures with a calculated gaze then closes the folder.
"Ambassador, I think it might be wise at this time for you to visit the Centre. I am sure that Crown Prince Gustav, Duke Sterling, and Count Leopold would like to discuss this information with you and make some additional inquires."
She steps aside and gestures to an awaiting aero-car, "If you would be so kind as to step this way, Ambassador, we can be at the Centre in only a few minutes."

DOUBLE POST

"Oh, why thankyou. We do not contemplate foul play on the part of a government-teathered organization, if you find any comfort in that. We can not believe that any government would destroy an LRR ship, as we currently have no enemies."

Ambassador Plant steps into the aerocar, much more comfortable than LRR models.

If the meeting had been on LRR soil, they would probably be riding in a ZIL-131! Such were the ways of LRR, never ready to give up soviet trucks. In fact, the M113, while by no means the original, barely even resembling an original model, was still in service nontheless.

The aerocar rapidly lifts off, sweeping into the upper level traffic patterns of New Koln reserved for the expediated service of the government and the military. The aerocar moves with a no nonsense course toward a destination slightly off of the center of the sprawling metropolitan capital of the Valinor empire.
Dominating the chilling blue-green water of the Nundine as it roughly bisects the imperial city is a massive island. The island is Imperial Centre, at one end dominated by the sprawling Imperial Palace and at the other the vast domed structures of the Imperial Congressional Building. In between the two lies a vast fieldspar paved square and avenue lined with statuary and the offices of the various ministries that run the bureaucracy needed to keep the empire afloat.
The aerocar banks of its course, moving away from the center of the island toward the imposing structure of the Palace and the apparently seamless wall of a metalesque looking stone surrounding it. As they aerocar comes closer, the fine details and ornate grounds of the Palace become apparent. Emphasizing that the Aldermans have had now over 1,000 years to play with the details and small bits of decorum on their ancestral home. The aerocar skews to a descent vector and glides gently down to a landing on the opposite side of the Palace. There two additional Protectors wait.
One dressed with the rank insignias of a Oberleutnant comes forward, snaps his heels together and bows.
"My Lady, Mr. Ambassador. His Lordship, Duke Sterling, and Count Lepold await your arrival. If you will follow me."
Soon Plant finds himself swept along at a brisk pace into the winding halls of the Palace.

**********

After a few minutes, Plant is escorted into a somber room that is heavy with the smell of old books, paper, and tobacco. An antique clock announces its presence with its modulated rhythmn as its weights and mechanisms spin about the bottom of its glass and gold trimmed case. A large, but surprisingly spartan, desk dominates the room best described as a study along with half a dozen armchairs and several low tables.
Lights cast shadows in the room, as the grey dark of a spring storm has swept down upon New Koln from the northlands of the Fatherland. Although the room appears to have been well-used, it has a certain air of neglect and forlorness about it. As if it has been some time since it knew the true devotion of solid occupancy.
Two of the chairs on the left side of the desk are already filled. Both men are dressed in the formal and ornate dress favored by the Imperial Court. Their waistcoats, fine linen shirts, and great coats a throwback to the society of Old Earth's Age of Imperialism. One has aquiline features, and cool blue-grey eyes. He eyes Plant with the cautious gaze of a career politican. His fellow is a man of considerably older age who stares with vague interest at a lampshade in front of him and appears to be contemplating mysteries that may or may not actually exist.
The last occupant in the room is dressed in clothing that appears quite plain and unadorned next to the formal attire of those in the armchairs. But his posture and quite authority radiate outward from behind the desk, and enforce his own status through sheer presence and character rather than with the other two's attire. But perhaps the most notable feature of the man behind the desk are stunning blue eyes, eyes so blue they look like that of a maniac or some predatory cat.
"Ah, Ambassador Plant," says the man behind the desk. "Count Leopold and Duke Sterling have informed me that you have a matter of considerable urgency and duress to address on behalf of the government of LRR. Please have a seat so we can attend to this in something of comfort."
As Plant moves toward the chair, Gustav takes the folder and documents from Lady Rolt and begins to thumb through them. Eyes moving with nymph like speed over their words and pictures.
He removes the picture of the missile and lays it aside for closer scrutiny for a few moments before handing the material over to Duke Sterling in the next closest armchair.
"Well, Mr. Plant, that is an interesting discovery to say the least. I don't suppose you can be so kind as to divulge where your people managed to stumble over what seems to be an erstwhile child of our own material factories?"

"Embedded in the armor of the LRRSV David Crosby (or whatever I named it), near this area here."

He points to a newly-marked area on a map, from the LRRSV Mark Knopfler.

"Interesting," Gustav says, his eyes moving to lock briefly with Sterling's and one eyebrow elevates by just a few degrees.
"Allow me a few moments, Mr. Plant."
Gustav begins to manipulate the inset comp-pad in the desk. A holographic map of the galaxy comes into view. Many of the stars have small notations and other information scrawled in minute font on them. Then colorations begin to shift, coding the stellar lights to their national affiliations and status. The astromap spirals and swirls rapidly, moving to zoom on Alpha Centauri, with its connections to the Raumreich Oversector, Sol, and many other key star systems. Small pinpoints fill the area, and Gustav hits another sequence in. And the view moves back outward.
"Interesting, yes, very interesting," Gustav gestures to the map. "Mr. Plant I apologize, but I cannot account as to how this missile came to be involved with an attack on an LRR with absolute confidence. Currently the resources of the Star Armada are deployed more to meet our growing commitments to the nations of the Gregor Sector Alliance here," he points toward the area of the map near Verniian territory, "and several other long-standing arrangements with nations in Sol. The area you pointed out has been mapped by the IAIA, though, and we have detail astronavigation and mapping records on them. But most of those reports are half a century or more old, and the most recent action in this area of space have been several independent Inter-Solar System Security Force operations to break up piracy elements. I'm afraid that all I can offer you and your government, Mr. Plant, is that it appears the Crosby was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and most likely fell prey to a pirate group using older military hardware that they came to illegally. I would like to extend condolences to the families of the crew, both on behalf of myself and my father. Rest assured, I will alert Grossadmiral Forrest and Director Ziegler to this situation and have the Star Armada and Ministry of External State Security launch an investigation into how this missile was accquired and more importantly who fired it."

"According to our investigative team, the Crosby was not actually destroyed in that area, but suffered a hyperspace drive malfunction, being an old ship with an old hyperdrive, and automatically jumped into the closest system. Either the ship was fired on immediately before being destroyed, or pieces of wreckage were fired upon. However,"

Plant takes out several photographs out of his briefcase.

"Almost all the escape pods are missing. While we have found wreckage of escape pods, it is not nearly enough to account for all the pods. Also, the cruiser sent to investigate found one of the ship's astronomers alive, though in bad shape. His heater suit apparently kept his vital systems alive, and we are waiting for him to recover to a point where he can give us a good account of what happened. When the Knopfler was in the area, it detected signs of settlement on one of these planets, but the sensors did not make any effort to survey the planets in depth. We think it plausible, after reviewing the data brought back by the Knopfler, that some of the ships' crew may be on these planets. If you would allow it, we would like to have the Knopfler return to the system and use its powerful sensors to try and locate any landed escape pods. If our crewmen are still alive, we would hate to leave them in the hands of pirates."

"According to our investigative team, the Crosby was not actually destroyed in that area, but suffered a hyperspace drive malfunction, being an old ship with an old hyperdrive, and automatically jumped into the closest system. Either the ship was fired on immediately before being destroyed, or pieces of wreckage were fired upon. However,"

Plant takes out several photographs out of his briefcase.

"Almost all the escape pods are missing. While we have found wreckage of escape pods, it is not nearly enough to account for all the pods. Also, the cruiser sent to investigate found one of the ship's astronomers alive, though in bad shape. His heater suit apparently kept his vital systems alive, and we are waiting for him to recover to a point where he can give us a good account of what happened. When the Knopfler was in the area, it detected signs of settlement on one of these planets, but the sensors did not make any effort to survey the planets in depth. We think it plausible, after reviewing the data brought back by the Knopfler, that some of the ships' crew may be on these planets. If you would allow it, we would like to have the Knopfler return to the system and use its powerful sensors to try and locate any landed escape pods. If our crewmen are still alive, we would hate to leave them in the hands of pirates."

"According to our investigative team, the Crosby was not actually destroyed in that area, but suffered a hyperspace drive malfunction, being an old ship with an old hyperdrive, and automatically jumped into the closest system. Either the ship was fired on immediately before being destroyed, or pieces of wreckage were fired upon. However,"

Plant takes out several photographs out of his briefcase.

"Almost all the escape pods are missing. While we have found wreckage of escape pods, it is not nearly enough to account for all the pods. Also, the cruiser sent to investigate found one of the ship's astronomers alive, though in bad shape. His heater suit apparently kept his vital systems alive, and we are waiting for him to recover to a point where he can give us a good account of what happened. When the Knopfler was in the area, it detected signs of settlement on one of these planets, but the sensors did not make any effort to survey the planets in depth. We think it plausible, after reviewing the data brought back by the Knopfler, that some of the ships' crew may be on these planets. If you would allow it, we would like to have the Knopfler return to the system and use its powerful sensors to try and locate any landed escape pods. If our crewmen are still alive, we would hate to leave them in the hands of pirates."

Gustav raises a hand, "Please, Mr. Plant, allow me one moment. Although it may not have been a warship that fired that shot at the Crosby, I still feel responsible for a missile-even a dated one-being used to destroy a ship of a nation as friendly as LRR."
He shifts the papers back into their folder, "Allow us to undertake the bulk of operations and expenses for this recovery operation. It is the very least we can offer to you for this grevious accident. I will see to it that a personal representative of House Alderman is sent to oversee the integrity, and I will contact Grossadmiral Forrest and tell him to select a representative of the Star Armada as well. Finally, I will dispatch a ship to transport a LRR representative to this system in time to observe the activites investigating this planet. Would this be acceptable?"

"Yes, it would be very good. The captain of the Knopfler, Georges Legumes, is the most convenient. His ship is currently not on any voyage and he is very skilled in engineering."

"Very well then, Mr. Plant," Gustav says as he rises from his chair. "A cruiser will pass through the system and collect Captain Legumes before moving to rendezvous with the rest of the task force in the..," he glances at the file, "Sun-Yat system."
As the others finish rising to their own feet, Gustav II takes Plant's hand in a firm handshake. To the surprise of the LRR ambassador the hand feels quite cool.
"Mr. Plant, I apologize that we had to meet under such unpleasant circumstances. But we will be able to reach a conclusion to this matter as quickly as fate allows it. Until then, Godspeed and have a safe journey back to LRR. Oberleutnant Vasterdon will escort you on the return trip back to the aerospace port."
With that the Crown Prince of Valinon turns, and leaves via a door hidden in a wall next to a bookcase.

**********

As soon as he left the room, Gustav is approached by Aitrus Gehn, his longterm servant and majordomo.
"Your Majesty?" Aitrus says, noticing his lord's look of extreme disatisfaction and anger.
"Aitrus, have Director Vacit meet me in my rooms in fifteen minutes. I must speak with that fool Ziegler before, thought, and see if there is a way to salvage this situation before LRR learns of his stupidities."

Plant, along with the Oberleutenant, walks out to the aircrars which take him back to the aerospace port.

Plant bids the Oberleutenant goodbye, and boards the Awesome, which takes off for space.

Meanwhile, Captain Georges Legumes waits in the lobby of Starchaser 5 for the Valinon cruiser assigned to take him on the investigation of the destruction of the Crosby. His ship, the Mark Knopfler, has gone out towards earth under the command of the ship's AI, the official XO.

Before the cruiser and its pair of escorting destroyers leaves Alpha Centauri, before Grossadmiral Forrest even receives the tranmission from Gustav telling him to set the wheels of this bold illusion into motion, a new ship exits hyperspace in the Sun-Yat system.
The ship glides through space like some predatory of Old Earth's sailors' myths toward the planet. Its grey-black hull turning it into a phantom of the void. Its hull is unadorned, devoid of any markings save for a single V-like insignia on the foremost sections of the ship's sides.
In the bowels of the ESS garrison and control center in Third Rook, Brigadefuehrer Stuttgart rushes into the center, rage in his eyes as he glowers at the on-duty staff.
"And what is of such importance that you called me away from my....duties!"
"Brigadefuehrer, we have an incoming ship...it's...it's..."
"It's what!" he says, fire pouring onto the sensor officer. The nervous watch officer gestures at the control center's main screen. Stuttgart feels his rage evaporate and a cold feeling rise in his chest as he sees the ship moving toward the planet.
"We're being hailed, Brigadefuehrer! Priority Vermillion level communique link!"
"Vermillion....ver-," Stuttgart's stutters are cut off as the image of a man in a black uniform fills the screen.
"I will speak with Brigadefuehrer Stuttgart at once," says the cold, clipped, and formal accent voice. The face is that of an older man, his hair rapidly becoming more iron than black, and his eyes have a dark, predatory intelligence about them.
"Director, I am Stuttgart," the Nightwatch Brigadefuehrer says nervously. "This is an unexpected...ah...surprise."
"Prepare yourself a transport, Stuttgart. And meet me at the following coordinates. I will be departing for planetside once the Archon enters orbit."
"Yes...Director."

http://www.delos.fantascienza.com/delos60/img/singer/magneto.jpg
Director Toni Vacit

http://mods.firstones.com/buda5/iwar/screens/warlock.jpg
The Archon

**********

Jack Ziegler falls to the floor of the cramped room inside the Imperial Palace. Sweat pours off of him and his mind feels as if thousands of razors have pierced every corner of his being.
Gustav Alderman climbs to his feet from the chair and approaches the shivering ESS director.
"Let that be a lesson to you, Mr. Ziegler. There will be no deceptions while I control the throne. And now you will do well to remember that the lenience you enjoyed under my father's mismanagement is at an end. Aitrus?"
"Your Majesty?"
"Signal Mr. Ziegler's aerocar, and have Hauptmann Ridon escort him back to his apartment."
"Yes, Your Majesty."

**********

Shrieks of shuttles tearing through the atmosphere fill the camp. The observers posted by the camp's "council" look up. A man dressed in a cruel parody of an Ironholm uniform looks at his ex-Dominion colleague.
"It's to early for another supply run."
"And to early for another hunt," says the Dominionite with a cool voice. "Alert the council, tell them we have company. I suspect its about the crash survivors."
The former Collective Army soldier rushes off toward the habisphere where the new arrivals are meeting with the council.

Captain Legumes waits impaitently at Starchaser 5 for the Valinon cruiser assigned to take him to the Sun-Yat system.

Meanwhile, in the prison camp, Commander Meher looks apprehensively at the firey streaks of the shuttles (dropships or corvettes in LRR terminology), and the small black dot descending towards the surface of the planet.

"What is that?" he askes the nearest prisoner.

someone walks by and accidently bumps captain legumes's chair.

Colonel Anderson walks up next to Meher. He squints at the sky, "Looks like dropships. I would doubt they are friends of yours though, and I doubt they want to be. I'd hide if I were you, at least until we know their intentions."

The quartet of black, insect-like assault transports settle down on the landing pads near the camp's fringe. Several anti-personal and anti-vehicle batteries rapidly come to bare on the assembling prisoners as the disembarkation ramps descend. Troops dressed in battle armor trimmed in crimson and gold storm out from three of the transports. The last smaller shuttle disembarks only a squad of these troopers with four men and two women dressed in black, military cut uniforms. The shuttles and black-garbed party have only V-like emblems for markings. The armored troops have small lion's head crests on their armor and in their rank insignias.
A graying haired man among the black-garbed party is obviously in command of the group. His eyes are half-closed and the sweep lazily across the camp. A faint smile touches his lips.
"Hautpmann!"
"Yes, Director!" says one of the armored troops, coming to a painfully straight and rigid attention before the older man.
"Search the main hab area and the central area of the camp. The men we are looking for are there, and in LRR uniforms as well. Any easy enough task made even easier."
"Yes, Director!"
He turns to his men and barks orders in German, four squads of men move into the camp. They begin to seek out the LRR refugees among the regular prisoners, stun and lethal weapons at the ready. Another squad moves toward the council habisphere. Meanwhile the two remaining squads stay with the shuttles and the black-garbed men. It is noticed even by the scattered Verniian POWs that something is different about these armored troops. At the most basic they move in squads of twelve men, as opposed to the known Sardaukar preference for smaller eight-man squads.
As for their black-garbed compatriots, a vague feeling of unease seems to eek out from them. And in the scattered Dominionite and Ironholm POWs, one expression is unmistakable as they look at them--a look of terror and fear.

**********

The static view on the passingly functioning viewscreen in the habisphere of the camp's council shows the approaching men and the landing pads.
Magnus coughs, a hacking, wet sound at the sight of the black-garbed men and women, "Mmm....Mmm...Myrmidons....," he rasps, fear filling his voice.
"And Protectors," Kakita says. "The Aldermans come, this does not bode well."
He turns to Meher, "Prepare yourself for the worse, Commander. The personal servants of the Valinor despots have come to collect you in the very least, and possibly you as well, Colonel Anderson. This will be a meeting you wished had never happened."
Additional shrieks fill the air as shuttles baring the Nightwatch crest and markings sweep in, bringing in additional forces and a very, very nervous looking Stuttgart.
"At last though," says Magnus' aide, "something that loathsome bastard even fears. It is almost worth it."

DISREGARD

Colonel Anderson walks up next to Meher. He squints at the sky, "Looks like dropships. I would doubt they are friends of yours though, and I doubt they want to be. I'd hide if I were you, at least until we know their intentions."

"Where should my crew and I go..."

But the viewscreen cuts him off. Meher calls for his subordinate, and instructs him to take care of the rest of the crew in case he is called away.

But the Senior Chief does not get far before being carried away by two burly Sardaukar. Meher looks out the door just in time to be hit by a stun round fired by a Sardaukar trooper. He falls to the ground, unconscious.

Meanwhile, captain Legumes begins to doubt weather the Valinon cruiser assigned to pick him up will ever arrive. He wakes up in his chair to the sound of techno-funk, and walks down to the galley to get a bite to eat.

bump

*And the Sultans, the sultans played creole*