NationStates Jolt Archive

A space station bearing the markings of the Crimmond Sol Fleet Command has been sighted by several independant ships heading on a course that will put it in orbit of Mars. It does not respond to hails and is apparently either being modified or repaired enroute, as there are automated work machines crawling all over it's surface.

Approaching opposite the station, which came from Earth, are eight ships. One dreadnaught, three heavy cruisers two light cruisers and a superheavy carrier. They also are apparently ignoring hails and are accelerating towards the planet 100% power.

Both are less than six hours from the mostly red planet.

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CSS Kaliningrad
Superheavy Carrier

"ETA to Mars orbit?" Commodore James Dix asked his helmsman, who was fresh out of the academy. A new crew for a new ship. This was the Kaliningrad's first deployment.

"Five hours, fourty-two minutes."

Dix nodded and stood, walking past the uppwer stations. "Science officer, any sign that we will meet any resistance or that Wanderer is beating us there?"

"Besides the normal defense patrols, no. We can procede without difficulty. I doubt we've been noticed by the Martian defense systems just yet. Another hour or so and we will be. Wanderer should not have changed speed, but we can't tell with Mars between us."

-Taggy

OOC: Given that I have no idea what Wanderer is, and that Crimmond ships are welcomed (At least by Sunset) I don't see SDF assets attempting contact. However given the crowded nature of Martian orbital space one could assume MAC (Martian Airspace Control) will be contacting the group before they enter orbit to make them aware of current conditions, orbital regulations concerning the nations they will overflight, etc. I'll watch until such becomes needed however - with interest of course.

OOC: Not many outside the APTO know what the Wanderer is, but it isn't good.

The ships and the space station reach the four hour point and both begin to power up their weapons and shields, intending to reach the planet no matter what.

The Wanderer is large enough to hold ten cruisers inside it's holds and is bristling with weaponary, enough to fend off a small fleet... that is, if over half wasn't allready expended.

The fleet shooting towards Mars were among the best in Crimmond's fleet, less armed than the station, but still formidable.

<Analyzing Ship Profile... Complete.>
<Adjusting transmission frequencies to Crimmond hailing and civilian channels.>
<Initiating standard orbital approach communications.>

A silky female voice shot through the ether towards the incoming Crimmond task force. Comm ID's tagged it as originating in Martian Airspace Command and there was a data wave riding underneath the voice traffic in case the ship didn't want to bother chatting.

'This is Martian Airspace Command hailing Crimmond vessels. Might I inquire as to your registered names?'

The Crimmond ships did not reply, but the Wanderer did. In the form of a high speed binary message detailing that it would only be in orbit a short time, using one of the earliest methods of travel throughout the solar system. Slingshoting around planets. A human would hear a loud squelch, but the computers would be able to read it easily.