NationStates Jolt Archive

ASI Oceanus, Distant Solar Orbit, SR-2091, Associated Systems of Klonor

Commander Endard Fuw entered the central operations room of the Oceanus with a slight smile on his face. Nothing extravagant, he had far to much self-control to actually bare his teeth or make an audible sound, but those who knew him well could tell that something had happened to substantially lighten his usually dower mood. Unfortunately, nobody who knew him that well was present, and the other officers on duty saw nothing more than their commanding officer making a surprise appearance in the nerve center of the Installation. The Ensigns and Lieutenants sat a little bit straighter, the Marines at the entrances looked a little bit more closely at every visible surface, and Lieutenant Commander Dol Carby, second-in-command of the Oceanus, rose from his chair and offered Fuw a salute that gave credit to his instructors at the Facility.

"Commander, I didn't expect you this early, the third rotation doesn't begin for another hour. Is there anything wrong?"

"No, Dol, nothing wrong. Just felt like running through the station one more time before the Duke arrived."

"I know what you mean, sir. We just finished a systems diagnostic and I'm tempted to start another one just to make sure."

"Just make sure we keep from spiraling into the sun and everything will be fine."

"I'll do my best, sir, but no promises."

After a few more minutes of minor banter, unusual in and of itself, the Commander gave the crew a quick salute and exited the operations center. The Oceanus was a large station, and he would have to rush if he planned to finish before it was time for his rotation on the bridge.

As he walked down one of the countless identical corridors that ran the length of the station, still sporting that slight smile, he had to lean forward slightly to avoid brushing his head against the doorway leading into one of the lifts. These stations were still constructed primarily with humans in mind, and there were times when an Elf just felt cramped. No matter, he felt that he wouldn't aboard for much longer, anyway.

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ASF Eceni, Deneb V Planetary Orbit, Deneb, Associated Systems of Klonor

"Another delay, Captain?"

"Sir, please forgive me, but the repair crews on the TLMDG still have another 23 traces to complete. It won't be active until they're done, and we don't have any other options."

"I was told that they only had 19 traces total, and that they would be complete yesterday."

"Those were, sir, but the operators were a bit concerned when they learned you'd be going to SR-2091 and they initiated a full-system operation scan; they discovered some minor irregularities and thought it better to fix them before certifying the Gate operational."

"We're already an hour behind schedule, how much longer?"

"Only another fifteen minutes, sir."

"Well then tell them to get on with it!"

"Yes, sir."

Saluting promptly and spinning on his heel, the Captain of the Eceni exited the rather plush quarters and left its remaining occupant to wait in solitude. For his part, the remaining occupant sank into a rather large chair and proceeded to swear quietly. This was his first journey to SR-2091 and it was already going badly.

Slowly, after a few minutes passed and he saw that continuing to mope wouldn't really accomplish anything, he rose from his chair and approached one of the various cabinets that covered the walls of the cabin. The first proved empty, as did the second, and the third.

"Oh, come on! I thought this ship was supposed to have been stocked for this mission!"

Growling to himself, he pressed a button on one of the many control panels adorning the walls and contacted one of the stewards waiting outside.

"Can I get a scotch in here, or will I have to make the trip sober?"

Outside, he could hear the stewards actually arguing over who got to bring it to him.

Not to surprising, actually. When you consider that he's regarded as a nearly divine being, the fact that the Grand Duke Solomon Klonor has to pick from a myriad of waiters is a rather logical eventuality.

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"It's about time, Captain, we're long overdue."

"I understand, sir, but a lot of these problems couldn't have been forseen. With all the precautions we were taking, I'm surprised even more didn't show up as suspect."

"Regardless, we're set now, right?"

"Yes, sir. Everything has been checked out, including the diganostic programs themselves. We're set."

"Very well. Captain, take us to the Gate and get us to SR-2091, I'm long overdue for a visit."

"Yes, sir."

With a curt nod to one of the attending pilots, the Engines of the Eceni brightened to an almost painful blue and the Frigate, the second of the Iceni class, began to slowly accelerate towards the Trans-Light Molecular Deconstruction Gate that was floating several kilometers distant. The Frigate transmited its identification code, received the automated response, and passed through the massive transpotation device. Less than ten seconds later it emerged from an identical Gate within the SR-2091 system, more than 1.5 million light-years from Deneb.

"Welcome to SR-2091, sir."

"It's good to be here, Captain, and I figure it's long overdue. Activate one of the Vidscreens, I'd like to take a look at the newest of the Klonor systems."

Almost instantly, the large clear screen at the forefront of the bridge activated with a burst of light and began to display a view of space out before the Frigate; a portion of space that was occupied solely by the flaming wreckage of the ASI Oceanus.

ASF Eceni, Distant Solar Orbit (Former Location of the ASI Oceanus), SR-2091, Associated Systems of Klonor

"Sir, we've determined the cause of the explosion."

"And?"

"From wat we can determine, it looks like somebody fused the Phase Initiator aboard the station and channeled it into the artificial gravity generators. The floors tried to Phase, the rest of the station didn't, and the entire Installation ruptured."

The Duke paused for a moment, struggling to understand what exactly he'd just been told, and finally turned to look at the Lieutenant that had brought him the message.

"Lieutenant, I might not be completely up to date on matter conversion theory, but I'm pretty sure that that statement makes absolutely no sense. The artificial gravity generators are in now way connected to the Phase Initiators, and share nothing on the component level beyond similar wiring. How would the artificial gravity generators make the station Phase, they have none of the Phase equipment. I mean seriously, using common sense alone invalidates that theory; they're two completely independent systems. Just what the hell are you trying to tell me?"

The Duke was usually polite to even his most junior of subordinates, after a millenia of ruling he'd seen Privates and Ensigns turn into Generals and Admirals and he never underestimated even a Lieutenant, but he was understandably upset at that point in time. After all, he'd entered the system just in time to see several thousand loyal subjects die in a rather disturbing blaze of glory, and his supposed triumphant voyage had taken a bloody turn.

"Sir, the Engineers don't understand it either, but the LORTAT reports both Phase and Gravity distortions in the same portion of space and the Galatea, which was patrolling towards the edge of the system, claims that they received a brief transmission before the Oceanus detonated. It was only diagnostic information, likely one of the positronic minds trying to let somebody know what was happening, but what little bit got through before it cut off clearly shows a transference. The best explanation that they could come up with is that this little touch of sabotage has been in the works for years, somebody must have modified the generators with Initiator parts. This wasn't a spur of the moment attack."

Once again the Duke struggled to wrap his mind around the little scientific technobabble he'd just been served, again failing to completely understand exactly what he'd been told, but he decided it would be better to move past it for now.

"Do we have any idea who initiated the detonation?"

"No, sir. The Viceroy received no demands or threats before the explosion, there's been even less Seperatist sentiment than we've had in Deneb for the past century, and we haven't had even a hint of an alien nation planning an invasion."

"Any idea at all what the purpose was, apart from murdering 10,000 members of the Corps?"

"Yes, sir, there is one theory. Assassination."

"You can't be serious."

"There are to many coincidences to pass the thought by. This is your very first visit to SR-2091 in the centuries since its discovery and colonization, you would have been aboard the Oceanus if we had not been delayed, and the only possible target here is yourself. The loss of the station is lamentable, and its crew even more so, but neither presents any significant threat to either this system or the Association as a whole. With nobody making any claims to responsibility for the attack, nobody trying to capitalize on the deaths of its crew, it's clear that whatever they were going for they didn't succeeed."

"Yes, and there are plenty of organizations and individuals out there who would be quite happy to have me out of the way, but what sadistic group would be willing to kill 10,000 innocent people just to get me? Even Salm didn't go that far. Are you seriously suggesting that somebody hates me so much as to cut down even the innocents in their path?"

"It's not me suggesting it, sir, this is straight from General Ihm. He thinks the threat is serious."

That gave the Duke pause, Ihm wasn't one to overreact, but it still didn't make much sense.

"Keep looking."

"Yes, sir."

OOC: Massively enjoyable, as is everything of yours I read. I don't believe anything you've ever written, Klonor, is worse than the finer sci-fi and fantasy writers have written.

OOC: Good morning NationStates! Ahoy one, many, all, and everyone else in-between! It's been nine months since my last RP related post, I've lost touch with pretty much everybody else on here, but I'm back! I am ready to take these forums by storm and will wow all of you right out of your socks, so get ready to lose yourself in my awesomeness...okay, maybe you'll keep your socks, but I'm still putting my money on getting lost, cause these forums are just crazy. Poor directional sense aside, hello again, good to see you all, and what do you think of this post that has been practically a year in the making?

IC:

ASI Ilium, Solar Orbit, Tau Ceti, Associated Systems of Klonor

Captain Nirol Lie sat aboard the bridge of the Ilium and waited for his shift to end, patiently watching the seconds tick away on the various clocks throughout the stations command center. He bore a small smile on his usually dower face, much like Commander Fuw’s, but this smile did not go as unnoticed. Major Joleran Lon, his personal assistant and long-time shipmate, was familiar enough with the Captain to know that something had occurred, though whether it was good or bad remained to be seen. Still, he knew it was something.

When the small tone which signified a watch change sounded throughout the bridge, hailing the arrival of a dozen fresh officers to replace the haggard and worn staff that currently manned the many control consoles, the Major felt that he had the opportunity to ask his superior what was going on. He caught up with the Captain just outside the bridge, when the station commander was about to enter a Phase Gate and disappear to some distant corner of the vast outpost.

“Sir, may I have a word?”

“Of course Joleran, what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing important, sir, but you seem to have something on your mind. I was wondering if there was something wrong.”

The smile disappeared slowly and was replaced by an expression of minor confusion, again so small that only an intimate friend could notice it.

“Sir, what is it?”

“Nothing, Joleran, it’s….it’s nothing.”

“Are you sure, sir?”

“Yes, I’m quite sure. I was just…remembering something.”

The Major could clearly see that it was something larger than a surfacing memory, but he knew better than to pry into a superior officer’s personal matter.

Probably some news from home, he told me a few days ago that his sister was ill.

“I understand, sir, sorry to have disturbed you.”

With a quick salute, the Major turned to a nearby Phase Gate and transported to his own quarters, ready to get some sleep.

Captain Lie, however, seemed rooted to the spot, and his confused expression did not get any calmer; instead growing more pronounced. Whatever it was that had made him smile a bare few minutes earlier, it was clearly causing him great distress at the moment.

Unfortunately, he could not recall what that something was. He remembered that there was a sense of urgency, and a feeling of great anticipation, but after that…nothing. Truly perplexing. Fortunately, the confusion did not linger, and a few moments later he was smiling again, his thoughts of worry fading from his mind and he again turned to the Phase Gate he had been about to enter when Major Lon had interrupted him. Finishing the combination, the Captain entered the Gate and appeared several kilometers way, near one of the rear fighter bays, moving with a purpose that, if Major Lon had appeared again and attempted to question him, he could not have explained. Ducking his head, a frequent inconvenience for the Elvish members of the Corps, he entered the docking bay and went about his business.

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ASF Eceni, SR-Prime Planetary Orbit, SR-2091, Associated Systems of Klonor

“You have news, Ensign?”

“Yes, sir, a direct transmission from General Ihm. He thinks he might have found a culprit.”

“Another culprit, Lieutenant? It’s been two days since the Oceanus went down and he’s brought me a dozen candidates, all of whom didn’t have the resources, motivation, or skill to pull this off. He’s just trying to keep me entertained while he drags his feet.”

“He says he has a verifiable source on this one, sir.”

“Very well, who’s the latest suspect?”

“Commander Fuw, sir.”

“What? He thinks Endard had something to do with this?”

“He thinks the Commander was the instigator behind the entire accident.”

“Give me the report.”

“Yes, sir.”

Grabbing the small Padd from the Lieutenants extended hand, the Duke began to quickly scan through the entire report. In minutes he had finished the lengthy communication and, with an expression that seemed to be trying to decide whether it should be shocked or horrified, the Duke leapt to his feet and ran past the still waiting Lieutenant. Reaching the exit to his large suite, the Duke paused at the door and pressed a sequence of numbers into the buttons inlaid against the doors frame. Stepping through the door and emerging onto the bridge, he quickly turned to the Captain of the Eceni.

“Captain, contact the Viceroy on Prime. Notify him that we are leaving the system and that the New Dawn is to resume our investigation into the destruction of the Oceanus. Advise Captain Unil to be alert for future attacks and to raise her ship to Tactical Alert Beta. Once the Viceroy has been notified, bring us to Gamma Draconis.”

Captain Era barely had time to acknowledge the Dukes presence before he was gone again, out the same door he had come through and just as agitated.

“You heard the Duke, get moving!”

In minutes, the Eceni was at the TLMDG and made the transition to the Gamma Draconis star system.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ASI Florence, Klonor Space Corps Central Command, Gamma Draconis, Associated Systems of Klonor

Supreme General Richard Ihm, Commander of the Klonor Space Corps and military representative within the Association government, sat behind his ostentatious desk and positively gleamed in his immaculate uniform, practically the entire surface of which was covered in various medals, ribbons, and insignia of every imaginable size, shape, and color. Still, despite his impressive appearance and even more impressive composure, the room was dominated by the simply dressed Duke sitting across from him on a small, plastic chair, and who had the appearance of a teacher scolding an unruly student.

“Richard, I hope you appreciate the gravity of what you’re saying. Accusing a member of the Klonor Space Corps of treason is not a decision to be made lightly, and when he’s the Commander of an Arcadia Installation you better have a damn good reason. Endard has been in the Corps even longer than you, and I don’t think I need to remind you of the consequences if you’re wrong. Something like this could tear apart the Association.”

“I know, sir, and I wouldn’t bring this up on a whim, but there is no other explanation. I’ve personally gone over the command orders from the past three months and Commander Fuw had engineering teams working around the clock modifying the gravity generators on the corridors from A-11 to H-3, which covers nearly a third of the station. If we go back farther, I’m sure we’ll find the rest of the station on the work list. The generators weren’t scheduled for maintenance for another year or so and there’s no documentation of what, exactly, the work crews did. A Lieutenant Dos, who was transferred to the New Dawn from the Oceanus a week ago, said that his supervisor had received personal orders from Commander Fuw, and that even he didn’t know the entire picture; the Commander had each team working on individual components. Dos says he was told that the modifications were preparation for your arrival.”

“That’s your evidence? Mysterious work orders and coincidental timing? There are over 10,000 people an Arcadia and it’s got more complicated equipment than the Constantine, there are times when standard maintenance schedules don’t apply. For all we know he wa--”

Before the Duke could even finish his hypothetical explanation, probably just as well because it would likely have involved an extremely implausible and unbelievably complex series of events to explain away Commander Fuw’s actions, an alert klaxon began to ring throughout the station at a volume and pitch that seemed to actually transcend painful boundaries.

With reflexes that did justice to his times serving on the front lines, the General activated the communication lines to the stations bridge before the Duke had even had time to categorize the alarm.

“Commander Shaw, why the Alpha alert?”

“Sir, we have a priority transmission incoming from Tau Ceti reporting hostile engagement! Captain Lenson aboard the Ionia reports the loss of the Ilium with all hands. Identity, composition, and objectives of hostile forces is unreported.”

The look exchanged between Ihm and the Duke contained what almost seemed to be a telepathic message.

“Shaw, initiate a fleet-wide Tactical Alert and inform the Assembly of the situation. Prepare for immediate engagement with force or forces unknown and activate a DBT with Captain Lenson.”

Closing the channel before Shaw even had a chance to respond, General Ihm and the Duke both rose from their seats without a word and went to the rooms Phase Gate, both conscious of the obvious implications that there was more going on than had previously been suspected.