NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: I was thinking that since I had been dragged onto these forums, I might as well make myself comfortable. So, here goes my Intro thread.

Note: The Unkown space might as well be somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy.

IC: Equipment whirred, whizzed, clacked, and clanged as the planet based generators for the Hyperspatial Tube activated.

Orbit

A single tear-drop shaped, jet-black cruiser slipped across the edge into the tunnel between dimensions.

Five hours later - Mid transit

Unknown to anyone, an unstable wormhole had torn its way into the Hyperspatial Tube. The cruiser, the G.P.S. Britannia, was pulled out of the Tube and into the wormhole.

G.P.S. Britannia - Bridge

As sparks flew from various panels, Captain Edward Haynes roared, "REPORT!"

"Sir, we've been dragged off course."

"That's impossible!"

"I know, sir. But it seems some kind of cross tunnel intersected the Hyperspatial Tube and we got pulled in due to the currents at the intersect point."

"Enough with the technobabble," groaned Haynes.

"Sorry, sir."

Three hours later - Unknown space

The battered and bruised Britannia was spat out of the mouth of the wormhole right before it finished collapsing.

G.P.S. Britannia - Bridge

Haynes pulled himself off the floor by grabbing hold of a ceiling beam that had fallen.

"Status!"

"We are in unkown space. None of the navigation charts match anything in the area."

"Activate the beacon."

"Aye, sir."

The distress beacon was activated and put on auto-repeat.

Messages

The repeating message broadcast by the distress beacon:

This is Captain Edward Haynes of the Galactic Patrol ship Britannia. We were dragged off course and are currently lost in some unkown part of the universe. Our Begenholm has been disabled thus limiting us to sub-light speeds. We would appreciate any help you could give.

OOC: Note, the Bergenholm is not an FTL drive, its a device which generates a field that allows the ship to travel at up to ten parsecs an hour.
EDIT: OOC: A ship with a Bergenholm allows the ship to instantly take on the velocity at which the force of her drive is exactly equalled by the friction of the medium.

OOC: Quick bump before I leave for class.

ooc: May I?

Ic: 'No war means great bore' was how the phrase used by the crews and captains of Kazeci war vessels went. That's nearly all that Kazecistan had in the way of space ships, those built for war. So, when there was no war and things like exploration and diplomacy took priority, it was the war vessels that were sent to the far corners of uncharted space. At least this mission was slightly different, causing for mild entertainment.

Seconds after the dreadnought-classed, whale-shaped Kazeci Super Cruiser appeared, a message was transmitted. We have come in the name of the Kazeci Government to aid and initiate relations.

OOC: If I know GP, you may. I'll call his cell and let him know he's got a response to his Intro thread. He'll get back to us as soon as he can.

No, I won't join in IC'ly as that will ruin his fun.

ooc: Out of your way for me? So kind.

Sera Ricari Alajari Michael moved a bishop up from the bottom board to the top one. She chuckled because if this worked, she'd get her fifth checkmate in a row against Mipca, her ship's AS. As Mipca moved it's own peice, the board vanished.
"Hey." She protested indignently, "What'd you do that for?"
"We have a distress call." The deep bass voice replied
"Fine, let's hear it."

After listening to the distress call from Edward Haynes of the Britannia, she spoke. "Well, let's go see what, if anything that can be done."

The Mipca warped into the system and sent a reply message.
This is the Mipca, what forms of help do you need.

OOC: Lol. Not a problem. I've been waiting for GP to get his butt on Jolt and start RP'ing. This is going to be interesting, to say the least. Its a shame he had to leave for class so soon. Last I heard, his Thursday class is around three hours long.

OOC: Right now, I'm using the building's wireless connection on my laptop before class starts in a few minutes. Thanks for the call, FC. Lol, you almost made me spill my coffee over my car's interior. Oh, and good call about not joining IC'ly, FC. Knowing your Ferengi, they would probably have 'aquired' maps of the entire Milky Way Galaxy through some means or other by now.

IC: Messages

The broadcast response to both messages:

Greetings. We could use some engineers and a tow. Luckily our wall shields held and the hull wasn't breached. That trip through the wormhole knocked out our Bergenholm, as I said before, and fried our engines. We also have no idea where we are as our Navigation Charts don't match up in any way with local space.

OOC: In the tear-drop shape, the engines are at the pointy end.

The latest New Kirisuban Kagemon class vessel "Chiang Lung" under the command of Captain Keiko Abe was out in known territory herself on her shakedown cruise.

A woman in her late 30's Keiko was a vastly experienced commander and as they cruised along at warp 4 the distress call was recieved.

"set course to intercept, warp 7" she orders and the Chiang Lung responds entering the system before dropping to impulse.

"It looks like we've got company" her tactical officer says "theres three vessels in the area apart from ourselves"

OOC: Last post for now. Class is starting so I got to sign off for a bit. BBL.

What would be the mass of your vessel? If it is light enought we could tow you. In addition, we have contacted another vessel that may be able to provide repairs, though without the plans for your Bergenholm, we will be unable to effect repairs..

OOC: Note, the Bergenholm is not an FTL drive, its a device which generates a field that allows the ship to travel at up to ten parsecs an hour.
EDIT: OOC: A ship with a Bergenholm allows the ship to instantly take on the velocity at which the force of her drive is exactly equalled by the friction of the medium.
ooc: parsec>lightyear. And ten lightyears per hour is quite FTL.

Ic: We could tow you at sub light, but if your star charts don't in any way match up, it would be pointless. We may also, with several days of preparation, expand out FTL to include your ship. In addition, we have engineering teams we could send over, but without knowing your systems, it may take some time to get anything done. Perhaps simple parts would be sufficient for repairs? We can manufacture those. The voice was sincere and wanted to help. For the moment, the other vessels were ignored. 'If they don't attack or request something, there is no need for communication.'

OOC: @NE: I know that a Parsec is bigger than a Light year. The Bergenholm allows for FTL speeds, but it is not an FTL drive. It puts out a waveform that cancels out inertia, thus allowing me to go that fast with standard S.T.L. engines.

IC: Messages

Broadcast in reponse to all messages:

The problem with the Bergenholm is that one of the bus-bars melted and we don't have enough material to construct a replacement. All we need is a couple pounds of iron to construct a temporary replacement that will last us until we can get a more permament pure silver one. With the Berganholm in play, mass becomes a non-issue.

There is some hope. If this is the Milky Way Galaxy, then we just need to find our way to the core area where an allied nation in our home Galaxy has claimed space around the mouth of a stable wormhole between the two galaxies.

OOC: Yep, its FT travel with fifty's style tech, so don't be surprised when I pull out the vacuum tubes and stuff as well.

Steel, that we have a great deal of, thought not on us. If you could give us you're allies name we may be able to point you in the right direction.a

OOC: At least I'm not asking for the silver.

IC: Messages

In response to the Theao message:

That would be SeaQuest. But of course, that's assuming this is the Milky Way Galaxy and not some other. Its a big universe.

OOC: I don't want it to be that easy. Be nice if we could find a way to make this RP last at least a half-dozen pages.

Ic: We cannot provide you with steel. It's not a main component in our technology. Nor is silver. Perhaps something else?

"Seaquest, seaquest, where have I heard that name before."
"It's that one that's somewhere near the galactic core."
Oh, ya."

We know where they are, thought they are a good deal of distance away. Also our charts say that a rather large number of corrosive nebulae, black holes, pirates and other unpleasent spatial phenomena are between us and them.

ooc: If you want, we can bring in a couple pirate bands, or somesuch.

OOC: @Theao: Ohh, lets blow some junk up. Good thing I'm using a Cruiser and not one of my Maulers in this RP (it would just be unfair against a pirate fleet if I was). Though, without the Bergenholm (allows cancelation of inertia and plays a big role in defense during combat), her combat abilities are decreased somewhat.

IC: Messages

In response to the Theao message:

As the motto of the Lensmen, and thus the nation of Galactic Patrol, says, "No matter what, we always go in." As soon as we get the Bergenholm working again, I feel this cruiser can handle anything this Galaxy throws at it.

In response to the Kazecistan message:

As long as its electrically conductive, any material will work. Due to the high voltage (OOC: Enough to fry a person and turn them into a puddle), it has to be durable.

OOC: The Lensmen are my top brass. Can't be a Lensmen unless you get proven to be uncorruptable (which is why all my top guys have to be Lensmen).

If you feel that confident, more power to you, thought with a battered ship, it may be a little bit harder than if your vessel was in peak condition. In addition, the iron shipment should arrive sometime in the next twenty four hours.

ooc: Blowing stuff up is fun.

Ic: "Sir, intercepted communication sounds like Theao's got a transport of iron coming within 24 hours."
"Damn," the commander swore. "bastards took our job."
"Not necessarily." Bryce had been on the bridge, listening to the happenings, unnoticed by most all. "Just because we can no longer provide guidance or supplies doesn't mean that we can't establish relations. It will be more difficult, however."
The commander was startled and peeved, he hated it when Bryce spoke that way, so above him, so matter-of-fact, so correct. "And you propose what?" He asked, not turning to face him.
"Beating them to diplomacy."

Seeing as Theao forces seem to have solved your problems, perhaps we could move into diplomatic actions? We have diplomats ready to send to your vessel, should you so choose.

Captian Abe says to her comms officer "send this message to the ship which sent the distress signal in all languages.

This is the INKS Chiang Lung answering your distress call. please respond and tell us how we can help you"

ooc: It's still Theao(It stays the same in FT and MT(as well as all the other Ts))

Messages

In response to the Theao message:

Galactic Patrol ships were first built in response to our own 'pirate' problems. As the 'pirates' advanced, so did we. The ships we are used to facing would be the equal of our own. It is only our speed and agility that have been decreased due to the loss of our main engines and Bergenholm. We can move using our under-jets, but it will take our pilot's skill to the edge of his abilities and possibly beyond.

In response to the Kazecistan message:

As a wearer of the Lens of Arisia, I qualify to speak for my nation. Your ship or mine?

In response to the Kirisubo message:

Greetings. Right now, our main engines could use some repairing.

OOC: I put 'pirates' in those marks for a reason. Well early in GP history, Boskone was mistaken for a pirate organization. Now, they know better. Boskone is an anti-civilization (opposite of the moral and ethical codes of the GP (for example, a Boskone commander wouldn't hesitate to use whippings to make his crew work harder (they also use a strict caste type system))).
NOTE: Lensmen (ie, wearer of the Lens of Arisia) form the back-bone of my nation.
NOTE: GP ships use fusion power and fusion engines (even the Bergenholm has a nuclear reactor in it).

Quote:
Greetings. Right now, our main engines could use some repairing.

Captain Abe replies "We can send over an enginering team by shuttlecraft. they will be arriving shortly"

A team of 4 female engineers is assembled and they take a shuttlepod over to the damaged vessel.

as they near the ship the Chiang Lung's chief engineer Yukiko Fujiwara send another message.

"this is shuttlepod 1 from the Chiang Lung. Please advise us on where we can dock with your vessel"

A short comm was sent:

We will open the cargo bay for you to land in.

On the aft side of the spherical front command section, above the longitudinal(sp?) axis, a massive section of the armor swung open and the door beneath it slid upwards into a recess. There was just enough room for the shuttle to land inside after passing through the force-field keeping the bay pressurized.

OOC: I've been doing some research. This early model Cruiser is 500 meters long.

Yukiko manages a smooth landing and her crew get the equipment they may need.

the four women exit the shuttlepod and look round for a reception committee or a door to exit the shuttle bay from.

ooc: all Kirisubans are asians (think chinese or japanese) and they have a uniform off a dark red wrap over jacket and black trousers. rank pips are on the collar of the jacket. the chief engineer has two pips and and the rest of her team have one each.

Hopefully the repair, crude as it may be, will provide you with the edge necessary to survive to meet the SeaQuestians*. In addition, might we request a chance to a face to face meeting?

ooc: * Unsure as to the plural

Ic: Either vessel is fine for us, but seeing as Theao also seeks conference, it might be best to hold it aboard your's? We're more than happy to host, but the decision is yours.

OOC: @All: Sorry for the delay. Work kept me busy.
@Theao: That's the correct plural form.
@Kirisubo: Most GP'ians you would meet are blonde, blue-eyed, and white (no, not personal preference. That is cannon from the book series my nation is based on). The human-like ones at least. The Rigilians are a different story.

IC: Cargo Bay

As the bay doors rolled down and locked in position so that the forcefield could be de-activated to conserve power, the ship's Cheif Engineer strode foward to greet the Kirisubans.

"I'm Lieutenant Commander Hedrics, Cheif Engineer of this boat," he said tossing the one who appeared to be in charge a bar of mechanic's soap, "you're going to need that. Oh, and welcome aboard."

Messages

In response to the Theao and Kazecistan messages, another was broadcast:

Acknowledged. As the Kirisuban shuttle is filling up our cargo bay, we will open up two air-locks, one on each side of the ship, so you can dock with us.

OOC: Last post for the night (work kept me late).

IC: Cargo Bay

As the bay doors rolled down and locked in position so that the forcefield could be de-activated to conserve power, the ship's Cheif Engineer strode foward to greet the Kirisubans.

"I'm Lieutenant Commander Hedrics, Cheif Engineer of this boat," he said tossing the one who appeared to be in charge a bar of mechanic's soap, "you're going to need that. Oh, and welcome aboard."

Yukiko catches the bar of soap and introduces herself and the rest of her team Kaede, Koi, and Fujiko.

"thank you for the welcome" Yukiko said and asks "what appears to be the problem with your engines?"

Understood.

The Mipca slid forward to dock with the large, proportionally huge, vessel. Sera slid into a set of field clothes, and waited for the locks to cycle.

"They want us to dock? Just like that, no Nav. link, no guarantee of compatibility, nothing?!" The ensign in charge of navigation (along with the computer) was distraught at the idea.
"Bullets can dock, right?"
"Can, but..." The commander was skeptical, the procedure was rarely attempted.
"Then all is well. Have them ready for departure when I get down there." Bryce didn't care in the least, why would he? It was a sanctioned maneuver and it shut up the Nav guy.

No message was sent. Three small transports, Bullet Transports, erupted from the massive bay opening. They moved like lightning, their formation held perfectly through their aerobatics. Several moments passed like this until the lead craft finally slowed, nearly to a drift, and came in to dock. Thankfully, the docking devices were compatible. A seal was achieved and

Bryce, along with 6 guards, boarded the much larger vessel. Each wore formal clothing, the diplomat, his earthen robes of many shades, and the guards their dress uniforms, which in no way hindered combat. All bore an intricately etched whitesilver staff.

OOC: Lol, I can see your sense of irony is still kicking, GP. Now, lets see if you have a sense of humor, my friend.

OOC: Normally, the locks are used when someone needs to get outside to do something.

FC, don't you have anything better to do than hang around and prod me. I know you do it in jest, but it gets old if you do it too much.

IC: Cargo Bay

Hedrics responded, "I haven't crawled in their yet, but from what I've been able to discern from the instruments, a short must have occured somewhere in the system. I've gotten the general area located, but not specific. Bad part is, its near the engines themselves, so its going to get pretty hot in there. Good thing we have some spare work coveralls, wouldn't want to get those nice uniforms of yours dirty."

OOC: The crew is in the spherical front of the ship. The wedge-like aft part is honycombed with maintenance shafts and small rooms. The air-locks run around the equitorial circumfrance(sp?) of the spherical section not taken up by the 'tail'. There are three main rooms that the Port, Bow, and Starboard air-locks lead to (one per area).

IC: Port Air-Lock Chamber

Captain Edward Haynes, Commanding Officer of the G.P.S. Britannia, waited for the party to arrive from the ship docked on this side.

Starboard Air-Lock Chamber

Commander Lucas Defoe, Executive Officer of the G.P.S. Britannia, waited for the party to arrive from the craft docked on that side.

The Micap had pulled up to the Port Air Lock and Sera boarded the Britannia. Her mid-lengthed blue hair was draped over a shoulder and she took in the greeter with bright green eyes.

Yukiko looks up at her host and says "Commander, lets take a look then" nodding to her team.

she follows as Lt Cmr Hedrics leads them to the engines.

IC: Port Air-Lock Chamber

"Welcome aboard," said Haynes, "I'm Captain Edward Haynes. If you'll follow me, the briefing room should fufill our needs quite well."

If one looked, they would see a good sized*, polychromatic crystal attached to Haynes's left wrist via a platinum bracelet. The lights and colors shifted through it as if they had minds of their own. One would also note that the blonde hair at Haynes's temples was streaked with grey.

OOC: * About the same diameter as a standard orange in this case. The size of the Lens depends on the person it was created for. I'll let Haynes explain more about the Lens of Arisia IC'ly later on.

IC: Cargo Bay

"Certainly."

Hedrics lead the group out of the bay, down the hall, down a ladder to the deck below, and to a large door that was locked open in position in its slot in the ceiling.

Hedrics points to a side room and says, "In their is where we keep the supply of work coveralls. I suggest you find one that fits and change into it. And if you're worried about modesty, should be enough room in their for you to change in there. Seriously, if you go in the crawlspaces with your uniforms, your drycleaners won't be happy. You'll get grease and oil all over everything."

OOC: Like I said, its FT with 50's style tech.

Yukiko strips off her uniform jacket, revealing a matching dark red vest top and removes the comm badge before slipping into a coverall and attaching the badge to the coverall.

Her 3 colleagues do the same and they are soon ready.

Yukiko leads the way into the crawlway and shouts down "what are we looking for and where is it?"

"And I am Sera Ricari Alajari Michael." Sera replied as she followed Edward. "Would you mind if I asked two questions of you?" She asked as she followed him to the briefing room.

Engineering

Hedrics called after her, "When you get to the first chamber where you can stand, wait for me and I'll meet up with you. I've already had an Ensign get lost down there and I don't think it would be good for international relations if the same happened to you. It is quite literally a maze in their."

OOC: Picture one of those little Jeffery's Tube rooms from TNG and you'll get an idea of what the chamber I mentioned looks like in dimensions.

IC: Outside the Briefing Room

"No, not at all," replied Edward, "go right ahead. As long as it doesn't require me to reveal classified info, I'm fine with it. So, QX."

OOC: Note: QX = OK.

[QUOTE=Galactic Patrol]Engineering

Hedrics called after her, "When you get to the first chamber where you can stand, wait for me and I'll meet up with you. I've already had an Ensign get lost down there and I don't think it would be good for international relations if the same happened to you. It is quite literally a maze in their."
/QUOTE]

"We'll wait" Yukiko shouts back and thanks the gods that she picked a small engineering team. The engineers with her were the smallest people on the ship and that was saying something .

soon the women reach the 'room' and can finally stand up.

"Would you mind telling me what that crystal is?" She pointed to the one on his wrist, "And do you mind if I call you Eddie?"

Briefing Room

Edward paused as he started to walk through the hatch.

"The last person who called me that was my younger brother when we were growing up. I would prefer Ed or Edward.

"As for the 'crystal', as you call it, is actually my Lens. You may want to sit down for this, it gets a little heavy if you want more info. Of course we can wait until the other ship's representative gets here so I don't have to repeat myself."

Engineering

Hedrics quickly caught up with them. He was experienced at moving quickly through these tunnels.

Standing up and whiping a smear of grease off his nose, he said, "We have to move down one level and take a round-a-bout around the reactor," he points at one of the crawl-ways branching of from the room, "each crawl space opening is color coded. We want to follow the Lime Green path, so only go through ones that have that shade opening," he indicates the Lime Green piece of material around the mouth of the opening, "coming back, we will take the Snow White path. This color coding can be confusing at first, but after you learn the pattern, you can move around in hear without fear of getting lost as often."

"As you wish Ed, and I am willing to wait." She replied. "Do you have any questions for me?"

Briefing Room

Engineering

Hedrics quickly caught up with them. He was experienced at moving quickly through these tunnels.

Standing up and whiping a smear of grease off his nose, he said, "We have to move down one level and take a round-a-bout around the reactor," he points at one of the crawl-ways branching of from the room, "each crawl space opening is color coded. We want to follow the Lime Green path, so only go through ones that have that shade opening," he indicates the Lime Green piece of material around the mouth of the opening, "coming back, we will take the Snow White path. This color coding can be confusing at first, but after you learn the pattern, you can move around in hear without fear of getting lost as often."


"lime green it is then" Yukiko says and smiles adding "lead the way commander"

She and her team follow the man as their coveralls start to attract dirt and oil.

"now I know what the soaps for" she says

Bryce, along with 6 guards, boarded the much larger vessel. Each wore formal clothing, the diplomat, his earthen robes of many shades, and the guards their dress uniforms, which in no way hindered combat. All bore an intricately etched whitesilver staff.

IC: Maintenance Crawl Space - Lime Green Path

"And their is a washroom off the room where you changed in which you can get cleaned up," Hedrics called from the front of the group.

His sensitive hearing, a plus in this business of working with this ship's finicky systems, had easily picked up what Yukiko had said from the general din the equipment around them made.

"Up ahead is where we make the turn to go around the reactor. Don't worry about radiation. There is a full two-and-a-half meters of lead between us and the reactor housing.

"After that, its just another five meters to get to the largest chamber back here. While not large enough to do cartwheels in, we won't be cramped."

OOC: Just gonna speed the movement through the tunnels a little.
Note: The large room would be the size of Geordi's office on the Enterprise-D.

IC: Conference Room

"First off," Edward replied, "How were you able to locate our position so fast? It would have taken us a couple days to have our computers, working with other ships, to triangulate the center of the field created by our distress beacon.

"Speaking of which," he pressed a button on the wall near the door, "Hey, Rick, you can turn off that beacon now."

"Already done, sir," came the reply.

OOC: The sphere section the crew is in measures 100 meters in diameter.

IC: Starboard Air-Lock Chamber

"Welcome aboard the Britannia," Defoe said, "I'm Commander Lucas Defoe, executive officer of this ship. The Captain is waiting for you along with the other ship's representative in the briefing room."

She smiled and layed a finger next to her nose, "It's a secret." She commented with a giggle. "Actually it's not but I like doing that. How was Micap was able to pinpoint the variations in the signal strength, and that let him find it's point of origin."

She smiled and layed a finger next to her nose, "It's a secret." She commented with a giggle. "Actually it's not but I like doing that. How was Micap was able to pinpoint the variations in the signal strength, and that let him find it's point of origin."

"Hmm," pondered Haynes, "that's one way of doing it. We would just plot the boundaries of the edge of the range of our beacon and then calculate the center."

OOC: Last post for the night.

IC: Maintenance Crawl Space - Lime Green Path

"And their is a washroom off the room where you changed in which you can get cleaned up," Hedrics called from the front of the group.

His sensitive hearing, a plus in this business of working with this ship's finicky systems, had easily picked up what Yukiko had said from the general din the equipment around them made.

"Up ahead is where we make the turn to go around the reactor. Don't worry about radiation. There is a full two-and-a-half meters of lead between us and the reactor housing.

"After that, its just another five meters to get to the largest chamber back here. While not large enough to do cartwheels in, we won't be cramped."

OOC: Just gonna speed the movement through the tunnels a little.
Note: The large room would be the size of Geordi's office on the Enterprise-D.



"Not a problem commander" Yukiko replies as her team keep pulling their tool bags behind them as they crawl.

As promised they hit a larger space and are able to leave the crawl space.

"That works as well." Sera replied, "So do you have an idea when the others will arrive Ed?"

Bryce followed to the conference room, his guards whispered to each other, mostly benign comments on the ship's architecture. When they arrived, He apologized for holding them up, even if only for a short time.

Large Work Chamber

Hedrics taps a gauge that was reading a bit high.

"Looks like I'm going to have to go back and check the pressure on the reactor coolant system," he says before turning back to the group, "according to the readings, the short is somewhere in this room."

He gestures to indicate the mass of wires, vacuum tubes, diodes, switches, dials, and gauges.

"If you need me, just yell down the tunnel."

He then turns back down the path they had come on and headed back towards the reactor area.

Conference Room

Captain Edward said, as Commander Defoe led the others into the room, "Looks like now. Will everyone please have a seat, we have alot to discuss."

Defoe nods towards Edward and exits the only other door of the room that links it directly to the Bridge where he is needed.

Large Work Chamber

Hedrics taps a gauge that was reading a bit high.

"Looks like I'm going to have to go back and check the pressure on the reactor coolant system," he says before turning back to the group, "according to the readings, the short is somewhere in this room."

He gestures to indicate the mass of wires, vacuum tubes, diodes, switches, dials, and gauges.

"If you need me, just yell down the tunnel."

He then turns back down the path they had come on and headed back towards the reactor area.



Yukiko orders her team to get out their scanners and try and figure out the engine in front of her, while she scans what looks like a nuclear reactor.

She was familiar with them as a few were still used on older system defence ships.

Soon the Kirisubans have the system mapped out and Kaede spots the fault.

"Good work Kaede" Yukiko says "you'll need to bypass that valve so we can deal with the problem and replace the part"

the junior engineer goes into her tool bag and produces a range of implements ranging from old fashioned spanners and wrenches to a little welding torch.

As she works Yukiko wonders why a nuclear reactor still powers a spaceship which looks so modern. She puts the thought to the back of her mind and gets to work trying to isolate the affected circuit.

"Commander. We've found the problem" she shouts back

Sera nodded to Ed, as well as the others and took a seat.

IC: Crawl Space Near Reactor Coolant System Controls

Hedrics had left the small chamber where he had adjusted a few valves to lower the pressure of the Main Reactor's coolant system so it didn't burst. He was half-way back to the engineerign party when he heard Yukiko's shout.

"I'll be right there," he yells back and quickens his pace, at the expense of having the knees of his work suit start to fray.

OOC: Note: Currently, my reactors use the complete Fission of Iron (and I mean 100%). I'm later going to be upgrading to Fission Uranium for effeciency. Fusion comes after that. Then, comes the cosmic energy power.

IC: Conference Room

"Now that we are all here," Edward says, "Its time to get started," he gestures at a tray in the middle of the table containing a pitcher of distilled water and more than enough cups for everyone in the room, "Oh, and feel free to help yourselves to some water if you get thirsty."

"Commander Hedric, we'll need to bypass these valves and totally replace the curcuit" Yukiko says showing him the affected area.

"Kaede's running a bypass as we speak and she should have it finished soon once we get replacement parts.

I've seen reactors like this before. We've still got a few nuclear powered vessels in the defence fleet"

"Commander Hedric, we'll need to bypass these valves and totally replace the curcuit" Yukiko says showing him the affected area.

"Kaede's running a bypass as we speak and she should have it finished soon once we get replacement parts.

I've seen reactors like this before. We've still got a few nuclear powered vessels in the defence fleet"

"Though," Hedrics replied, "I bet none of them use the complete liberalization of Iron atoms in them.

"As for the repair, if you believe you got the problem solved, do what you can. Luckily, that valve just controls the flow of water to the officer's quarters."

Sera poured herself a glass of water before returning to her seat.

Bryce cut right to business, but in a polite way. "I think the first thing to accomplish in any first contact diplomacy is a non-aggression treaty. Kazecistan has a generic one prepared, but if you have any provisions?"

Edward replied smoothly, "Without either party knowing anything about the other, Mr. uh... Sorry, didn't catch your name. I'm Captain Edward Haynes by the way," he leans fowards and extends his Lensed left hand.

"Bryce Altaffer, but it is customary to go by first name- not that I'm suggesting you should be addressed as such, but that is normally how Kazeci diplomats are addressed." He reached out to clasp the out-stretched hand.

"Though," Hedrics replied, "I bet none of them use the complete liberalization of Iron atoms in them.

"As for the repair, if you believe you got the problem solved, do what you can. Luckily, that valve just controls the flow of water to the officer's quarters."

"I suppose using Iron makes more sense since its easier to get hold off than Uranium" Yukiko concedes and lets Kaede finish her bypass so the officers can still get their water supply.

Kaede finishes and replaces the valves with spare parts supplied and shouts back "I'm done commander, give it a try now"

Large Work Chamber

Hedrics said, "In case you were wondering, the storage tanks for the Allotropic(sp?) Iron used in the reactor are down the Red-Orange path.

"Oh, and no need to shout. I'm right here.

"As for the test, we'll have to head back towards the main room we entered the tunnel network from to use the intercom to inform the bridge. Would you like to see if you can lead the way?"

Conference Room

"I'm Captain Edward Haynes," Haynes responds as he shakes firmly, "though," he continues as he sits back down, "the young lady already had a question that I suggested we wait for you before I answered it," he turns Sera, "would you mind repeating your question, for Mr. Bryce Altaffer's benefit, Ms. Sera Ricari Alajari Michael?"

"As you wish Ed." She replied, "I asked him what that crystal was."

Large Work Chamber

Hedrics said, "In case you were wondering, the storage tanks for the Allotropic(sp?) Iron used in the reactor are down the Red-Orange path.

"Oh, and no need to shout. I'm right here.

"As for the test, we'll have to head back towards the main room we entered the tunnel network from to use the intercom to inform the bridge. Would you like to see if you can lead the way?"



"Red-Orange it is then" Yukiko replies and follows the line, her team following her.

OOC: Sorry about the late reply. Work kept me busy.

IC: Maintenance Crawlways

"That was just in case you were curious about where they were," Hedrics called after them, "There's nothing wrong with them. And we really should be heading back to the Main Room so we can let the Bridge know they can test the engines."

Conference Room

Edwards responded, "This crystal, as you put it, is my Lens. Each Lens is custom made for every individual who passes all the exams and tests to make sure they are worthy of getting one by the Arisians. They are not made through physical science, as we learned that whatever we could create via physical science, like the Golden Meteor," he indicates the pip on his collars, "but the Lenses are made through Mental Science which the Arisians excel at. Endowed with a form of pseudo-life, they act as both a universal translator that work on a basis of thought and telepath. While you may be speaking in your native tounges, I hear it in a flawless version of my own. The same is true in the opposite direction. We learned, that when use to communicate telepathically, it is impossible to lie, which is why all our top politicians and high ranking officers are required to be Lensmen, that and its a fact that a Lensmen is uncorruptable. Though, due to some genetic quirk, their have been no female Lensmen. In its active form, like it is now," he pauses for breath, "it is harmless. However," he takes the Lens from his arm and places it on the table, "in its inert state," the Lens has now lost its polychromatic light show and looks like a snow white lump of rock, "it is quite dangerous to anyone its not in tune with. It will kill anyone that comes into contact with it in its inert stat its 'ego' is not in tune with," he puts the Lens back on his wrist, "all this make the Lens a very effective, and un-reproduceable, identification."

Yukiko and her team follow the commander back to his 'office' and wait..

IC: Engineering

Hedrics, after climbing out of the tunnels and back into the main room, walked to the far wall and activated the Intercom.

"Engineering to Bridge."

"Bridge here."

"We're ready down here for the test of the Main Engines."

"Acknowledged."

OOC: Love Fluid Time.

IC: Messages

Area Wide Broadcast:

Attention, we are about to test the repairs to our Main Engines with a mild burn. As the baffles are not in place, the flare should be quite spectacular.

Exterior

The Britannia shot foward as her Main Engines successfully started. The flare that makes any moving ship a beautiful spectacul to see shot from the aft end of the ship. After a few seconds, the Main Engines were coat and the ship resumed coasting through the void on momentum alone.

Messages

Area Wide Broadcast:

Engine repairs were a success. Now all that remains is to find a suitable replacement for the busbar of the Bergenholm.

"It sounds like a very interesting device." Sera commented

Edward replied, "Useful, yes. Device, no. Like I said, it has a form of pseudo-life."

"Sorry about that, linguistic differences." Sera replied

Edward smiled and replied, "Not a problem, ma'am.

"Oh, and I forgot to mention, the color patterns in every Lens is unique to each Lensmen. Also, size is an indication of how powerful that particular Lensmen is.

"Before you ask, I'm just a little bit above average. Though I'm still an L1. Unattached Lensmen, Grey Lensmen, L2 Lensmen, and L3 Lensmen are a whole 'nother ball game. An L2, better known as a Second Stage Lensmen, can control up to three people against their will and manipulate memories. Last I heard, their were only four Second Stage Lensmen in existance. A L3 Lensmen would have the powers currently only ascribed to the Arisians themselves if not better."

"Any such things as an L3?" She asked

"None that I know of," Edwards replied, "I only know of the four L2's as the highest in power and potentional(sp?)."

Yukiko looks at Commander Hedrics and asks "whats a busbar and a Bergenholm?"

Hedrics replies, "The Bergenholm is a device that emits a waveform that surrounds the ship and allows us to achieve parsec eating speed with our Main Engines by creating a bubble where the Laws Of Inertia don't apply. Any craft in direct physical contact with the ship when the Bergenholm is active is also affected. When turned off, the ship's intrinsic velocity sends it shooting off in the same direction it was going when the Bergenholm was turned on," he paused for breath, "that is why it is highly unadvisable to land on a planet in the 'free' state and turn off the Bergenholm. While the ship may shoot straight up or upward at an angle, the chances are higher that it will end up going down into the planet at some angle. I don't have to describe to you the size of the explosive destruction that could result.

"As for the bus bars, they are just giant bars of metal used to carry massive amounts of electrical power. They usually last for longer, but our unexpected side trip here caused a surge which led to one of the Bergenholm's bus bars to slag down in the middle," he points to a metal container in the corner, "I've already removed the pieces of the damaged one and put it in their. They can be melted down and recast but the result wouldn't be large enough for our Bergenholm without extra material. We find that pure Silver works best."

Sera looked at the Captain, "The shipment is early and will be arriving within the hour."

"thats very impressive commander" Yukiko says

"so with this field in place you're moving faster than light using your normal engines . Can we be any assistance while we're here?"

IC: Conference Room

"Thank-you for having the materials brought," replied Edward.

Main Engineering

Hedrics responded, "Effectively, yes.

"As for help, you can help me set up the equipment needed to cast a replacement bus bar," he walks across the room and opens a door, "these crates contain everything.

"I apologize if I seem to be taking advantage of the help you ladies have provided, but setting this up is not a one person job."

OOC: Last post for the night.

"not a problem Commander" Yukiko says gently "you're always learning new things as an engineer.

Now where do we start?"

"All part of the service." Sera replied

OOC: Sorry for the delay. Got caught up in watching my MacGuyver collection.

IC: Conference Room

Edward replied, "Well, it seems that we can no move on to our friend here's request about that document. Then we'll alternate back to you, ma'am. Seems a reasonable method of making sure everyone gets heard, don't you agree?"

Main Engineering

Hedrics smiled and said, after opening the first crate and pulling out a booklet, "Here are the assembly instructions. Had to be on paper as the EM field in here usually disrupts our electronic reading devices."

"That sounds quite reasonable." Sera replied to Ed's suggestion.

Yukiko gathers her team round her and examines the instruction book.

"It looks easy enough" she replies and her team starts the assembly.

IC: Main Engineering

Hedric starts by emptying the pieces from the first case.

"Could you get the other crates out and unpack them, please?"

OOC: 10 crates total.

IC: Conference Room

"Now," Edward asked the male representative sitting at the table, "what were you saying about that standard document you have?"

Yukiko smiles and her team gets to work unpacking the cases while she examines the instructions more closely.

This takes quite a while but soon theres 10 piles of parts in engineering.

Hedrics points to the wall behind Yukiko and says, after all the parts were unpacked, "There should be enough nuts and bolts in the drawers in that wall. I'll be right back with some tools."

He disappears into a small cubicle like sub-room. He reappears a few minutes later pushing a trolley with enough tool kits for everyone.

the Kirisuban women pair off and chat in their own language as they work.

Before long the casting equipment was beginning to take shape.

Not being a Lensmen, Hedrics was unable anything the Kirisuban engineers were saying.

"Once everything is assembled," he said, "we only have to wait until the shipment of materials that are going to be melted down and cast using this equipment arrives."

OOC: Operating on thought, the Lens of Arisia is a true universal translator. Not a godmod, just cannon.

another while later the mould assembly is completed and Yukiko lets her team take a water break.

"now we wait" she says taking a drink of water herself.

Hedrics nods in agreement. He opens up a drawer and pulls out a large cooler.

Opening the cooler, he asks, "Care for some energy drinks*?"

OOC: * Things like FT Gatorade.

"commander, that would be nice" Yukiko says accepting the drink.

"I'm sure this ship keeps you busy" she adds "The Hankoteki Na is a very demanding lady as well"

"Yes she does," agrees Hedric, "though we classify her as a cruiser, according to the standards of larger nations, like SeaQuest, this ship would be considered a scout. With a crew of fifty, including officers and enlisted, that only leaves room for twenty-five Valerian marines."

"the Hankoteki Na only has 60 crew in total herself" Yukiko replies "she's fast and very agile for her size.

The Kagemon class vessels would be classed as exploration ships but they pack a lot of punch as well"

She takes another drink and sits down leaning against a bulkhead relaxing.

"Not much difference in crew size," replies Hedrics, "but probably a bunch in mission profile."

He adjusts the position of some of the now empty crates before sitting down and leaning against them.

A rather large, yet incredibly simplistically designed vessel entered the system.


"Ed, the shipment is here." Sera comment as she was informed of the arrival of the vessel.

"we're explorers but have had need to defend ourselves on occasions. Normally we would be running surveys of planets and looking for potential allies or colony worlds if the planet isn't claimed" Yukiko replies.

"our armoury officer complains that she dosen't get to fire the weapons very often but space is very large and we make sure she gets to take out her frustrations on asteroids" she adds chuckling.

Conference Room

Edward nodded in acknowledgement before responding, "Thank-you for the materials."

He then sent a thought, through his Lens to Hedrics informing the supplies had arrived.

Main Engineering

"That job usually falls to one of our Speedster type craft," Hedrics replies, "They barely have any defenses and offenses to protect their crews of ten, but a G.P. Speedster sacrificed all that for speed and agility. I have yet to see a ship of the same size that could match them.

"As for G.P. Cruisers, their job is to lock on to an enemy ship while a Mauler or other more combat oriented craft comes up and blasts them to bits. Thus, a G.P. Cruiser is equipped with some of the best placed Tractors and Pressors as well as some of the most powerful defenses and engines, all at the sacrifice of having offenses that can handle most weaker ships used by raiders, but not powerful enough to breach the defenses of a comporable true war ship," he pauses as he recieves the Lensed message from the Captain, "the materials we'll need to make a new bus bar have arrived in the local area."

The massive cargo hauler neared the Britannia and bumped into the hull of the vessel. It was as if the pilot was drunk. After another collision, it managed to match the cargo port to a free airlock.

"good, good" Yukiko replies "then we'll be able to get your ship up and running again.

Maybe after the works done you could see my ship?"

The impacts of the cargo hauler scratched some of the special paint from the hull of the Britannia. A very irritated (OOC: That's mildly putting it, as its this guys job to go out and repaint) Ensign stood waiting in the bow airlock chamber for the supplies to be brought on board.

Main Engineering

Hedrics responded, "As an engineer, I would be glad to show you around the Britannia in exchange for that. My professional curiosity wouldn't have it any other way."

OOC: Last post for the night.

Nothing happened, save the cargo hauler simply sat there.

OOC: Bump.

Nothing happened, save the cargo hauler simply sat there.

The Ensign in the Bow Air-Lock chamber walked over to the wall intercom and contacted the Bridge.

"Can you let whoever's piloting that hauler know they can open the air-lock to transfer the materials?"

Sera chuckled as she heard the message over the intercom. "I forgot to mention the cargohauler is automated, no crew to do any of the unloading. It's normally done at the drop off point." She apologised

Yukiko chuckles and says "Commander, you've got a deal" as she sips at her drink.

Main Engineering

Hedrics replied, "We can finish our drinks before the tour. Oh, if you want there are a couple sandwiches in the cooler."

Conference Room

Edwards let a smile appear on his face at Sera's information.

"Should we tell them, or let them figure it out on their own?"

"Up to you mon capiten." She replied with a chuckle

Yukiko finishes her drink and says "I'll be ready for the tour once i get cleaned up"

All the Kirisuban women had oil marks on their faces and but that didn't spoil her beauty.

Yukiko stretches her legs and adds "ready when you are commander"

OOC: Curtesy bump.

Conference Room

"Ehh," replied Edward, "lets see if they can figure it out on their own."

Main Engineering

Hedrics stood up and said, "Should we start with the Britannia or your ship?"

OOC: Sorry about the delay. Work has kept me busy.

"Do you happen to have a camera so that we may watch them then?" She asked

Edwards nodded.

"We have something similar, but still useful."

He twirled his chair to the panel of controls and plates (OOC: monitors) behind him. He manipulated a few controls and angled one of the plates so they could all see. On it was displayed the Bow Air-Lock Chamber.

"This," he said, "is known as a Spy Ray. Originally designed for getting a view inside another ship, but it makes an effective internal servalence(sp?) tool as well."

"I wonder when, or if they'll realized they have to get the materials themselves." Sear commented

Conference Room

"We shall see," Edward said, "if it isn't in a reasonable about of time, we'll have to tell them."

Bridge

"Commander, according to these readings, there are no life forms on that transport."

"You sure about that?"

"Yes, sir. Not even getting anything with the Spy Rays."

"Let Luke know."

"Aye, sir."

Bow Air-Lock Chamber

"Ensign Luke," came the ship's X.O.'s voice over the intercom, "scans indicate the ship is automated. We are sending Ensigns Laria and Thompson to help you."

Ensign Luke pressed a key on the intercom and said, "Acknowledged, sir."

Some Fluid Time Later

The three Ensigns managed to unload the cargo and get it aboard the Britannia.

Conference Room

"Looks like they got it," said Edward.

"Yep." She replied as she watched the three man-handle a massive cube of metal out of the cargo-hauler. Once they'd gotten the necessary metal out of the vessel, it disengaged from the Britannia and departed.

[QUOTE=Galactic Patrol]
Main Engineering

Hedrics stood up and said, "Should we start with the Britannia or your ship?"

QUOTE]

Yukiko replies "if you give us a few minutes we'll get cleaned up and we can start the tour on the Britannia"

OOC: Sorry about the delay. Work has kept me busy.

IC: Main Engineering

Hedrics replied, "Lady's choice."

Yukiko smiles and her team heads to the washroom.

they emerge a few minutes later looking more like women again, the faint scent of perfume in the engineering area.

"Lead the way Commander" she says bowing.

OOC: Sorry about the wait. I got called away for a few hours.

IC: "Well," Hedrics said while scratching his head in thought, "you've already seen the crawlspaces. The obvious first stop would be, uh, let me see............the combo Rec Room and Mess Hall. Its only two decks up," he groaned, "shame we don't have any Shafts* in this ship. Then we wouldn't have to use the ladders. Oh well," he shrugs, "beggers can't be choosers, as they say. This way."

He leads them to the central ladder that connects all the decks and up two levels to the combo Rec Room/Mess Hall**.

OOC: * A Shaft is just that. An empty tube that uses Bergenholm fields to allow Free travel. Its like an elevator, except without the elevator.
** Picture the Rec Room from the first Star Trek movie. I can't find a pic, so imagination will have to do.

arriving at the rec room/mess hall Yukiko looks around. they had something similar on their own ship although they had a separate mess hall and it was important to be able to exercise in space.

OOC: Here is a Curtesy Bump, GP. You owe me one now when you get back.

OOC: I'll see about that, XH, my friend.

IC: Conference Room

Edwards asked, "Is there any other business we need to attend to?"

Rec Room/Mess Hall Combo

Hedrics said, "This room serves as the combine recreational facility as well as the ship's mess hall. In fact, the kitchen is right next door. Care for a bite?"

"I can't think of anything, you?" She asked the captain.

OOC: Yeah, sorry about the delay. I was out of town for a bit on an unexpected business trip.

IC: Edwards shrugged and said, "Not that I can think of.....wait, I don't recall anyone ever signing any form of treaty or anything. Do you?"

"that would be good" Yukiko says knowing her team is also hungry.

"Now that you mention it, I don't either." Sera replied, "What were you thinking of?"

ooc: Np

Rec Room/Mess Hall Combo

"Well," Hedrics replied, "I think, if I remember the schedule correctly, its lasaugna(sp?) for dinner today, and its almost dinner time now. Perhaps you could call in your friends and all of us can join the crew for the meal."

Various crew members began filtering into the giant room, large enough to fit the entire crew with room for several guests. It did take up the entire deck, except the part taken up by the kitchen, so room wasn't an issue.

Conference Room

A small chime sounded. Edwards looked at the chronometer on the wall.

"Care to discuss this after some food? According to ship time, its dinner time. I hear its lasaugna(sp?) this time. Care to join me?"

"That sounds lovely, you buying?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. She stood and offered Edward her arm.

with some Kirisubans being vegetarian Yukiko realised they would have a problem. two of her team didn't eat meat and she quietly explained this to Commander Hedrics as not to embaress them.

"is there a vegetarian alternative?" she asks

OOC: Its 2 am here. I got home late from my trip. So, I'm off to bed after this post.

IC: Mess Hall/Rec Room Combo

Hedrics chortled and said, "Actually, meat doesn't store very well lately. Its not a problem I can fix outside of a repair dock. So, there hasn't been any meat on this ship for a couple weeks."

Conference Room

Edwards stood up and gracefully slipped his arm into position with hers with a slight chuckle.

"My dear," he said, "its going to be difficult getting down the central ladder like this. This ship wasn't new enough for them to have a Shaft built in, so we have to get around the old fashioned way."

He led her down the hall, down the five decks to the mess hall/rec room combo level, and into the room.

He gestured at the table Hedrics was at.

"Have a seat and I'll be back with meals for two. In the meantime, you can talk 'shop' with Chief Engineer Hedrics and his guest."

He dissapeared into the growing crowd. A few of the crew gave him hearty, yet friendly, slaps on the back. Having been a crew together this long on a ship of this size, people tended to become like family. A few minutes later, he was back carrying a tray for himself and one for the Ambassador.

OOC: Sorry, Theao, but I forgot her name.

Yukiko smiles and says "vegetarian lasagne will do us all then"

Sera chuckled at Edward's comment. As they got to the ladder, she decided to have a little fun. As he went down before her, she jumped down, spinning a hundred and eighty degrees to catch the ladder just before she'd have gone to the next deck. With a smile, she looped her arm in his and walked into the mess/rec room.

Taking a seat at the indicated table, she greeted the assembled. "Hello there, I'm Sera Ricari Alajari Michael, nice to meet you." She commented as Edward returned with the trays.

Taking her tray, she smiled and commented, in a slightly teasing, slightly pitiful voice, "Please sir, might I have some more?"

ooc: Short note, she's not an ambassador, but a member of the Imperial CADRE. An agency with sweeping powers, and a few other things that are ... complicated.

Yukiko bows when she sees another visitor.

"I am Commander Yukiko Fujiwara, the Chief Engineer of the Chiang Lung, a new Kirisuban exploration ship in this sector. We responded to our hosts distress signal"

she then introduces the rest of her all female team, Kaede, Koi, and Fujiko.

"My vessel is the Mipca." Sera commented as an indigent squak came from her belt region. "I'm not her vessel, she's my human." Sera scowled, "Knock it off, it was just a convention of language, so get off my back." Some grumbling came from the same general area. "Don't mind him, he get's cranky sometimes. I apologise for his rudeness."

Yukiko manages a little smile saying "I like to see a woman giving orders. its nothing but female captains in the Kirisuban space service. an apology is unnecessary"

"I'm not the captain, so to speak." Sera replied

Yukiko smiles and says "vegetarian lasagne will do us all then"

Hedrics replies, "I can only carry four trays a trip. How many trips should I make? Of course, I could always get some of the others to carry the other trays."

Sera chuckled at Edward's comment. As they got to the ladder, she decided to have a little fun. As he went down before her, she jumped down, spinning a hundred and eighty degrees to catch the ladder just before she'd have gone to the next deck. With a smile, she looped her arm in his and walked into the mess/rec room.

Taking a seat at the indicated table, she greeted the assembled. "Hello there, I'm Sera Ricari Alajari Michael, nice to meet you." She commented as Edward returned with the trays.

Taking her tray, she smiled and commented, in a slightly teasing, slightly pitiful voice, "Please sir, might I have some more?"

ooc: Short note, she's not an ambassador, but a member of the Imperial CADRE. An agency with sweeping powers, and a few other things that are ... complicated.

OOC: Got ya.

IC: Edwards chuckles.

"Now, now. The kitchen made more than enough for everyone to have thirds," he says as he hands her a knife and a fork.

Hedrics introduces himself to Sera: "I'm Lieutenant Commander Jacob Hedrics."

Edwards presses a control on the side of the table. A circular section in the middle of the table irises open and a faucet like device and some cups rose up flush with the table.

"If you want water to drink," he says, "just take a cup and place it under the dispenser. The sensor will automatically fill it up to around 96% full."

Edwards then bows and introduces himself to Yukiko and her friends: "I'm Captain Edward Haynes."

OOC: Whatever happened to Kazecistan?

Sera chuckled at Edward's wit. "Hello Jacob." She said as she put her cup under the dispenser.

Yukiko returns the bow and says "thank you for your welcome Captain Haynes. you've got a very interesting ship.

Turning to Commander Hedricks and her team she adds "I'm sure that my team could help you with that"

She turns to Sera and asks "if you're not the Captain of your vessel what is your job?"

"It would be best described as co-captain, but as I'm the only organic onboard, it gets complicated. It's part of being a member of the Imperial CADRE." Sera replied

OOC: This is my only post for tonight (or should I say morning). *Yawn* 2 am is not a good time for me to be posting.

IC: Hedrics says, to Sera, as her glass is filled, "Nice to meet you as well, ma'am."

Edwards says, to Yukiko, "Thank-you. I'm glad you think so. While not a state-of-the-art ship, the Britannia is good enough for us," he snorts, "though you should see the Galactic Co-Ordinator's ship, the Dauntless. She's got more legs than any other ship I've seen."

Hedrics says, to Yukiko, "Its nothing that needs repairing. We just have to get our meat freezer replaced. The entire unit has to come out and a new one put in."

OOC: Here is that Curtesy Bump I owe you, G.P., in exchange for the one you did in my thread.

Curtesy Bump.

"Secure to battle stations."

"Aye aye Sir."

Kapitän Alexi Raevsky folded his hands across his lap, relaxing in his comfortable command couch on the bridge of the cruiser Gneisenau and watched the orderly chaos as the ship prepared for combat.

An automated distress beacon had been detected, and that meant only one thing: loot.

"Gun crews report readiness, compartment doors secured, outer hull compartments evacuated of atmosphere.....Scharnhort and Moltke report combat readiness Sir."

"Excellent. What about the gunships?"

"Suvorov and Potemkin are just now reporting in. Still waiting on Kamensky, Konev, and Shkuro."

"They have three minutes until we emerge from hyper, send their commanders a sharp reminder to hurry their asses along."

Time crawled by.

"Hyper emergence in one minute Sir!"

"Sir! The last three gunships have reported in as combat ready."

"It's about time!"

+++

With flickers of light, Raevsky's squadron hypered in. "Status report?"

"We have four contacts Sir, range: two million kilometers. CIC pegs their emissions as probable warships."

"Well...crap. Begin deploying EW drones, decoys, and the jammers."

Three drones shot from each cruiser, broadcasting electronic noise and powerful bursts of static to confuse and disorient enemy sensors, as the warships each brought up their own more powerful electronic warfare systems. Decoy drones brought up their own systems, mimicing their motherships and doubling the number of potential targets that any enemy sensors might glean through the haze of electronic disruption.

Other drones, simply large mobile jamming devices, turned their emitters onto the four starships that Raevsky had stumbled onto. They broadcasted across all frequencies, even portruding into subspace, attempting to disrupt communications that the ships might make.

"Paint each of them with a communications laser, transmit this message..."

This is Kapitän Alexi Raevsky, commanding officer of the Gneisenau and the First Expeditionary Squadron. You are currently targetted by the weapons of every ship in my formation. You are instructed to immediately surrender, and power down any offensive and defensive systems. The safety and security of your crews will be assured, we will drop you off at the nearest neutral port. You have two minutes to comply before this offer expires, I suggest you take it.

"Think they'll do it Sir?"

"Probably not, but they'll wish they had after the Gradasi show up."

Mess Hall/Rec Room Combo

Alarms wailed and the lights switched from their normal white to a red color.

The voice of the ship's X.O. came over the shipwide P.A. system: "All hands to battle stations. This is not a drill. We have hostiles incoming."

Everyone dropped what they were doing and scurried out of the room.

Hedrics looked at Yukiko and said, as he stood up, "Care to help me out in engineering?"

He offered her a hand to help her up.

Meanwhile, Edwards flashed over to the wall intercom and hit the button for the Bridge.

"Commander," he said, "is the Bergenholm working?"

"Yes, sir," came the reply, "were turning it on now. Hold fast."

Those not accustomed to becoming inertialess would feel a bit sick to their stomach. But, like space sickness due to weightlessness, it would pass. One could even become used to the feeling over time.

He turned to the others and said, "Excuse me, but I'm needed on the Bridge."

With that, he turned and left the room.

Exterior

Due to the fact that the Bergenholm's field expanded to anything in physical contact to the hull of the Britannia, the pods docked to her moved with her. However, to clear the line-of-fire, the unmanned cargo craft had been left behind.

Bridge

Edwards walked into the room and took his seat.

"Captain," the Commander points at a Plate displaying the incoming hostiles, "they demand that we surrender."

"Bah, lousy excuses for pirates," spat Edwards, "Shall we show them how we handle pirates, Commander?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sirs, it appears they are using basic E.M. decoys and jammers."

"Heh, nothing that would effect our Etheral and Sub-Etheral communications and sensors."

"Agreed. Quite primitive."

Messages

Broadcast in response to the Space Penzance:

This is Captain Edward Haynes of the Galactic Patrol vessel Britannia. We've had more than enough experience handling pirates who operate on our own tech level, so your less advanced ships should pose no threat. As for your petty threat, I would rather scuttle this ship before handing her over to you pathetic cowards.

Exterior

The Britannia lept foward at her top, parsec eating speed. All of her three courses of screens as well as her Wall Shield were active. Flaming blasts of energy screamed from the maws of her guns towards the enemy.

OOC: Um, your ship just leapt to a speed of 85 billion kilometers per second. Meaning you just literally disappeared. If that's what you intended, great. But you're going to be covering 2.6 LY every five minutes, so I'm going to guess it wasn't. In the meantime, I'll go with what you wrote.


"Kapitän! One of the contacts has escaped!"

"Impossible!"

But the Leutnant at the tactical station was correct, one of the enemy contacts was indeed gone.

"CIC says that her emissions spiked, then she was gone."

"Then she abandoned her comrades. Open fire, send a signal to the Gradasi. Surrendering just went out the window."

Missiles surged from Raevsky's three cruisers, thirty-six total, each carrying a 30 megaton fusion warhead. They screamed across the dark gulf of space between the two groups of ships at the three starships left behind.

//edited in what I was shooting at and with what, forgot to put it in on the first draft. Silly me.

Sera headed to the Mipca's docking tube and looked for a comm pad to see if she could get Edward to disengage the field for a second so Mipca and her could undock for the duration.

ooc: Just a note, my vessel is docked with the Britannia(so would be included in the drive field), and the cargo hauler mentioned in Exterior had already long since departed.

OOC: @Space Penzance: Not leaving, just closing to point-blank range. You've force me to move up my time-table, so I'm going to have to bring in the Dauntless sooner than I had planned (then you're going to get a serious butt-whooping *Evil Grin*).
@Theao: Just leave the area of the field's effect and your ship will shoot off at the relative speed and direction it was traveling in prior to the field being activated.

IC: Exterior

The Britannia had moved to point-blank range and was strafing the enemy ships with her beam weapons.

At this close range, the other enemy ships would run the high-risk of hitting their own ships if they fired. The design of a G.P. cruiser was about only one thing, speed. The Britannia is of a design able to outrun anything that can outshoot her, and outshoot anything she can catch.

From tubes on the lower part of the spherical front section of the Britannia, dirigable torpedoes issued forth. They wove between around and through all the beam weapons as their nuclear payloads were remote piloted by gunners on the Britannia.

Mipca's Docking Air-Lock

The Ensign that had overseen the unloading of the transport came jogging over. He explained that once the Mipca had cleared from physical contact with the Britannia, its inert momentum would come back and she would vector of on the same course at the same speed she was traveling at prior to the Bergenholm being turned on.

Sera thanked the Ensign and slid down the access tube to her vessel. As soon as she was on board, the tube disengaged and the Mipca slid away from the vessels. Considering the design work, and systems that made up the CADRE vessel, it was doubtful if all the vessels combined could threaten it.

once the warning was sent a yellow alert was sounded on the Chiang Lung.

When the first shot was fired the red alert klaxon went off and agile Kirisuban vessel raised its shields and joined in the battle.

her twin plasma beams and all four plasma torpedo tubes were piling in fire into the same target as the Britannia was.

The only thing the Chiang Lung could do about the missiles was to try and dodge them ...

###

"we'll help" Yukiko says accepting the hand up "it'll take a lot more than a few rag tag pirates to take my ship out.

Where do we start?"

OOC: Curtesy Bump.

OOC: Thanks, GH. No, that doesn't get you any extra credit.

IC: Rec Room/Mess Hall Combo

"First things first," Hedrics said, "and that's to actually get to the Engineering. Once there, we keep an eye on the monitors and go in and fix anything that needs to be fixed. Of course, damage shouldn't be much of a problem as this ship was designed to be able to go up against ships on the same tech level that could also go inertialess. And I doubt that we are fighting Boskone ships as they would have said so."

With that, he started started walking briskly towards the exit.

Bridge

"Report!"

"They obviously are unable to neutralize inertia like we can."

"So, they aren't Boskone."

"Apparently not, sir."

"They won't be able to keep up with our speed then. And they won't know about the kinds of weapons they need to use."

"Agreed, sir."

Exterior

The Britannia continued to strafe the enemy ship it was closest to with Needle Rays and all of her refractory beams of violence erupting from the flaming maws of her guns.

Yukiko and her team follows commander Hedrick to engineering.

ooc i know i posting late but meh
ic thestar destroyer hounour of the empire heard the destress signell and entered transwarp

The Battleship Obsidian

"I can only assume they did not heed our friend's warning." Garian said atop his silver throne, encrusted with the skulls from all manners of life unfortunate to encounter his fleet. "Give them the Order slime!" Garian yelled at what one could only assume was the communications officer, a gauntly figure whose true form was obscured by the darkness in which he hid.

"Order given, everything is ready!" The man - if one could truly call such a revolting creature a man, wailed from his console. "Excellent." Garian thought aloud, "Looks like I may get some replacements for some of these cracked and worn skulls!" grotesque cheers and horrific battle cries flooded throughout the fleet comm from Garian's overwhelming confidence, something that made him the best possible leader for such a massive - and by nature, unwieldy group of ferocious devils and murders.

Garian went into a trance like state; thinking deeply about the nature of his fleet as he awaited the signal from the various ship leaders as he always did before a raid.

"R'am ships r'eady!"

The mainstay of Garian's fleet was the Ram ship; a massive armoured plate protected the men hidden within, ready to board the victim ship upon contact. The ram ships - like a vast majority of Garian's ships, were really just tin cans glued (poorly) to a bottle rocket, the only thing that gave them any staying power was the front Armoured plate which would dig deep into the hull of any ship unlucky enough to be in its path.

"Miszile Bo'ates ready."

Garian's fleet was not the first to use such a simple design, but he had made it one of the most famous - and feared, vessels in his entire arsenal. Derelict freighters had their cargo holds loaded to maximum capacity with all sorts of missiles: From the tiny dumb fire missiles that hardly did any damage at all, to the rare thermonuclear warheads strong enough to decimate the largest of starships. One of these ships was generally bad enough, but Garian had hundreds of them, all fully loaded with enough firepower to make the mightiest of pirate hunters quiver in fear before their inevitable end.

"Strike Cruisers are ready."

The strike cruiser is best described as a chunk of metal attached loosely to an engine, with barely enough power for the lasers and slug guns to operate. It was only due to their vast numbers that their rickety hulls were of any use: thousands of strike cruisers rushing towards the enemy, bringing the red hot singe of their lasers to bare, and missiles screaming out of their pods... all the while either blowing each other or themselves up in the process.

It was these ships that made up the bulk of Garian’s fleet, not counting the various strike craft and logistics craft that rode along with them. Mainly garbage, but it was a lot of garbage, and this is key to the Gradasi: swarm the enemy with large numbers and overwhelm their defenses while protecting the ram ships as they attempted to board the enemy ship. This tactic hardly ever failed, and only ever did so when they did not have total numerical superiority.

Garian himself commanded from an old - though not in any way obsolete, battleship from the Electronian Empire, how no one knows; Garian is not one for story telling even among what friends he has. The Obsidian - and several other command ships that usually go without mention, were the only ships in Garian's fleet capable of going toe-to-toe with any ship, and were thus guarded fiercely by the rest of the fleet.

"I guess we're all ready, then." Garian said as he left his trance, his snow white hair flowed down his back, "Begin! Let the blood of our victims wash away the dirt from underneath our feet!" he continued, his voice cracking through the fleet comm as his fleet - an almost infinite mass of the aforementioned ships, flooded into real space.

The ignorant might now be asking themselves, "Where have all the stars gone?! Why is there only blackness?" their worry would then be abated by the sight of lights, many thousands of luminous objects resembling stars encasing them in a space no larger than a single light second across. However, their overwhelming sense of relief would not last long.

These lights were not stars, but the rocket exhaust from thousands of Missiles screaming towards the Britannia at deafening speeds; Laser fire as it made a super luminous wall in front of the Penzance ships, separating them from the incoming torpedoes from the Britannia; and Particle Cannons bolted forth from the Obsidian and her mighty brethren, targeting the weapons of the Britannia and the other enemy ships. The attack was on.

Ram ships made a dash for the Britannia, staying obscured behind the wall of missiles and strike cruisers, as they whipped the enemy’s hull with their ruby red beams.

The men inside readied themselves with all sorts of weapons and Armour: some lucky to get a pointy stick and trash can lid, others were bestowed with some of the most advanced weaponry and powered Armour in this galaxy. All readied to inject psychosis inducing drugs into their system; they would become nigh unstoppable lunatics if they made it aboard the Britannia.

Garian cackled almost uncontrollably as the chaos raged in front of him, weapons firing, ships spontaneously combusting as their poor conditions overtook them at the worst possible moments. Deadspace was still flooding from the portals, encompassing much of the space surrounding the battle, trapping everyone sans the Gradasi and her allies; few knew of Deadspace, and none one but the Gradasi could navigate through its hells.

OOC: I like how you all assumed that my ships were antiquated pieces of trash without any evidence of it. Think about it, if they were antiquated, or "rag tag" as Theao put it, I wouldn't have attacked four warships would I?

Also, SeaQuest, engaging your FTL drive at maximum velocity to close to point blank would require your drive to be capable of turning itself on and off in 1/47,250th of a second, since I was only two million kilometers away. If you're attempting to do FTL strafing at that same velocity, then you should realize that in one second, you'd be travelling 85 billion kilometers from the battle. Anyway, back to IC:

+++

Autocannons tracked the incoming torpedoes, but never got a chance to fire. They didn't need to. Raevsky didn't even bother trying to hide his grin as their allies poured through into realspace. He looked over at his executive officer. "Hey, we warned them, they didn't listen."

"Indeed they didn't Kapitän. A choice they will regret."

The ship shuddered again as more energy slammed against its shields, but they held.

"Potemkin reports that her secondary lidar array has been damaged."

"Orders, Sir?!" came the shout from Tactical.

"Ignore them, the Gradasi will take care of them. Concentrate all our fire on this ship," he ordered, pointing at the Kirusoban warship displayed on the central holographic plot.

The ship shuddered again, this time for a different reason, as the four plasma turrets that could bring their fire to bear upon the enemy fired. Comets of energy roared across space, followed by another twelve missiles.

"Box them in!"

Gneisenau surged forward, her two sisterships at her side, firing as they came. The five gunships roared ahead, their lighter frames capable of greater acceleration. The box launchers they were equipped with fired, a single shot storm of sixty missiles total, each carrying a 15 megaton fusion warhead.

"Captain, incoming missiles" the tactical officer reports.

"helm, evasive pattern delta" Captain Abe orders and the Chiang Lung gracefully evades the missiles bar two and one plasma cannon hit which impact on the shields.

"Shields holding" the tactical officer reports

"swing round the back of our target and give them everything we've got. aim for the engines"

the kirisuban ship completes the manoever and fires both plasma cannons and 4 plasma torpedos into what looks like the ships engines.

OOC: Let's get some thing straight.
1.) I am not SeaQuest (and that's an OOC fact);
2.) The Bergenholm is not an F.T.L. drive (only thrust is from the Newtonian engines), its an inertialess/anti-inertia field generator;
3.) Its all about agility (thus why the ship is covered with maneuvering jets);
4.) Real interesting how everyone is dog-piling my lone ship with giant fleets.
@Space Penzance: I never made that assumption. I just don't have a high IC opinion of pirates.

IC: Bridge

The structure of the ship shook as each weapon hit transferred momentum to the Brittania. The pilots had their eyes glued to their controls as they minutely re-adjusted course after each hit. As long as the Bergenholm held up, these low-energy attacks only moved the ship around physically.

"Sir, this is almost laughable. They can't seem to get it through their skulls they just don't have the fire power to harm us while the Bergenholm is online."

"Agreed. They can't match us for speed or agility, and don't have the weapons needed to touch us. Quite laughable indeed."

Engineering

Hedrics said, as the ship shook again, "We have to make sure that the Bergenholm stays online. That's our one advantage over these primitives."

Exterior

The currently unharmed Britannia bobbed and weaved in and out of the enemy weapons fire.

At this speed and agility, it would be a fluke if the enemy ram ships could even get close. And, even if they did, they would have to face the infamous Space Marines in their G.P. armor.

Shot after shot blasted out at the enemy. The exact center of a bolt of lightning would only be considered a null-zone in each blast of the Brittania's weapons.

OOC: Don't like my tech, tough. I'm not wavering from my canon source.

the sephrion ship droped out of transwap its shields were raised and its weapons energzied this is the hounour of the empire to the orginator of the dtress signal we have come to tend aid to you and coms
ooc krisbo post

"
Engineering

Hedrics said, as the ship shook again, "We have to make sure that the Bergenholm stays online. That's our one advantage over these primitives."



Yukiko gives orders to her team and they fan out over engineering ready for orders from Commander Hedric.

Messages

In response to the Sephrioth message:

Welcome to the party, Honor Of The Empire. This is Captain Haynes of the Galactic Patrol vessel Britannia. The original reason for our release of the distress signal has long since past. However, now we are currently engaged in combat with a group of pirates attempting to steal this ship. Will you join us?

Engineering

Hedrics pointed at a Plate and said, "Someone needs to keep an eye on the Bergenholm's wave output. A variance of plus or minus twenty-five percent could mean trouble. Any meter jump of no more than five percent either way is normal."

The Mipca's sensors picked up the massed exodus of vessels and watched the launches of hordes of missiles, lasers and particle beams. As she read the scans of the missiles throught her Alpha link, Sera burst out laughing. "Nukes, they're actually using nukes as they're hammers." The idea was so very ludacrise to her as the lightest 'conventional' warheads she was use to seeing utilized were in triple digit mega-ton range.

The Mipca's primary weapon, the FM/FAM WFC powered up and lanced out a quite wide beam, sending it scything into the missile boats of the newly arrived horde.

ooc: SP, I have never once stated that your vessels were 'rag-tag'

OOC: To clear some things up, yes it is an FTL drive if you are moving faster than light, that is what FTL means. Yes you can have different kinds of FTL drives, but if you move faster than light it is FTL.

Also Space did allude to the fact I was coming in if you did not surrender withint a certain time frame. So it can't be to surprising now anyway. I also fail to see how the Britannia, a ship that can only engage one enemy at a time, is able to shrug off the amout of fire I am throwing at it, and all within an area with a diameter only a lightsecond(it seems like alot, but not with light speed weapons and hordes of missiles going) across. Granted Lensmen ships are strong, and their wank drive (it is NOTHING but total wank, no matter how you slice it) is just as strong, but that does not make one ship invincible, especially when it is being zerg rushed by pirates firing missiles, and lasers, and particle cannons (which are entire orders of magnitude stronger than the lasers from the strike cruisers).

EDIT: Also Lasers do not have any kinetic energy at all, so how you are using the kinetic energy from energy based weapons to move your ship about is beyond me.

And also the area for the most part is entirely cut off from any sort of help unless they be by some other race of beings that can navigate the infernal hells of deadspace and live to tell about it, which Seph, and most others are not.

Continue on now.

"i'm on it" one of the Kirisuban engineers calls out and watches the plate.

OOC: @Gradasi: Technically, it isn't. My F.T.L. drive is the Hyperspatial Tube. The Bergenholm is a field generator. Unless you have read the book series, you wouldn't understand the specifics (about the Bergenholms or the fact that the photons that Lasers (Light Amplification By Stimulated Emission of Radiation) are composed of do carry miniscule amounts of pressure (enough to provide a kinetic 'push' due to the Bergenholm) or that you need Boskone tech ships to even pose a threat).
If you don't like my canon, then tough. I'm not changing it to suit your needs.

IC: Engineering

"Thanks," says Hedrics as the five other Solarians that made up the ship's engineering team hustled into the room.

The new arrivals immediately took their places at their specified consoles. Hedrics pulled out enough extra fold-up chairs for the Kirisuban engineers from a storage unit.

OOC: @Gradasi: Technically, it isn't. My F.T.L. drive is the Hyperspatial Tube. The Bergenholm is a field generator. Unless you have read the book series, you wouldn't understand the specifics (about the Bergenholms or the fact that the photons that Lasers (Light Amplification By Stimulate Emission of Radiation) are composed of do carry miniscule amounts of pressure (enough to provide a kinetic 'push' due to the Bergenholm)).

FTL means Faster Than Light. If you move faster, in anyway whatsoever, than the maximum speed of light, you are going faster than light, and are thus using an FTL drive. If you want to argue that your ship has two FTL systems fine, but the Bergenholm is a damned FTL drive, Why? Because it enables your ship to move, here it comes, Faster Than Light.

Also the amount of 'pressure' exerted by a laser beam (especially the mass of them filling the entire area) is so damned low that (if you haven't pulled that out of your hind quarters, since I haven't found any thing to confirm or deny what you have just said, or haven't confused pressure with bits of your hull exploding from the amount of heat it is taking from all the lasers and particle cannons) it would not push you at all, even if I had millions of ships dumping laser fire into the hull of the Britannia, the hull would sooner explode than power your drive.

I also don't know if your ship is being piloted by humans or an AI, wait it must be an AI because at 'parsec eating speed' no human could pilot the ship in the way you're describing.

If you don't want to play with us that is fine, just say so and we'll leave despite the fact this is suppossed to be open as it says in the thread title. There is no point in my or Space being here if you're going to waste our time by mashing Lensmen canon and real life physics together so you can win against overwhelmingly superior numbers (which as I said, the Britannia was only suppossed to engage one ship at a time).

OOC: Give it up, Gradasi. Knowing him as I do, GP isn't going to budge. I've read the books he's basing his nation on.
Technically, the Bergenholm is not a F.T.L. drive. It is a device that emits a field which negates the natural law of inertia around the vessel its mounted on/in. Thus allowing the S.T.L. engines to provide faster than normal speeds. It does not in any way generate thrust.
Now, if you are done trying to flaunt your quantity over quality theories, I suggest you actually stop harrassing GP about this and get back to IC stuff.

OOC: Thanks for the help, HD.

OOC: Give it up, Gradasi. Knowing him as I do, GP isn't going to budge. I've read the books he's basing his nation on.
Technically, the Bergenholm is not a F.T.L. drive. It is a device that emits a field which negates the natural law of inertia around the vessel its mounted on/in. Thus allowing the S.T.L. engines to provide faster than normal speeds. It does not in any way generate thrust.
Now, if you are done trying to flaunt your quantity over quality theories, I suggest you actually stop harrassing GP about this and get back to IC stuff.

Oh where to start where to start...

For one, it allows you to go faster than light; it is the mechanism by which his ships are allowed to traverse such massive distances in such short amounts of time, so yes it is a drive. You are confusing the literal concept of the word drive with that of the FTL concept of the word drive, whereby whatever mechanism allows an object to move faster than the speed of light, is an FTL drive.

Now as far as Quantity over Quality is concerned, Yes, Sufficient numbers trumps quality any day of the week, but the key word there is sufficient. For example: A marine with 90 bullets and perfect accuracy with an M16 will kill all 90 machete armed barbarians rushing towards him, however, if this was a realistic situation (grenades and side arms do not count for the sake of simplicity) he would be lucky to kill half of the incomers, and injure about half of the remaining, where he would then be butchered when the remaining barbarians reached his position. This is that type of situation.

When you A) take into account the fact the Britannia was not designed to take on more than one opponent at a time; B) the Britannia and everyone else has very little room to move around in which in conjunction with C) The mass of ships I dedicated to this operation (all of them), and the unholy amount of fire he is taking not only from me in the form of missiles, nukes (which Theao seems to believe are no threat, which I find laughable), lasers (on their own shitty yes, but as I said, lots and lots of them), and the actual dangerous stuff from my few fearsome capital ships. Once you take all of this into consideration, it is easy to see why I, and everyone else would assume that this would be a victory for space, and me since we have total numerical superiority.

As I said before, if despite this threads open-endedness, GP does not want to play with us, fine he doesn't have to, though this all begs the question as to why I am even talking to you given you are not involved in this thread at all, except for what you've just posted OOCly.

ooc: Nuclear warheads are laughable, especially in the single/double digits. The shockwave(that can not exist in a vacume) is the source of primary destructive power from a nuclear missile. The theoretical greatest threat would be the ionizing radiation(simply because there is no air to absorb it). As to the 'fireball', when ships can spend multiple days in the outer edges of a sun's convection zone, the heat of a nuclear warhead would be essentially trivial.

Also someone should probably create an ooc thread, to avoid clogging this one with ooc posts.

OOC: Interesting how you are assuming things about my ship, Gradasi. Things I never mentioned. Careful, or I may just slap an ignore cannon on this wank attempt of yours to destroy my lone ship while I'm attempting first contacts here.
Oh, and don't even think about picking on H.D.. I asked him to keep an eye on this thread while I was gone for a few minutes
@Theao: You are forgetting thermal damage. The enemy's hull will begin to melt.
@ALL: OOC Thread: http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=10595249#post10595249

OOC: Interesting how you are assuming things about my ship, Gradasi. Things I never mentioned. Careful, or I may just slap an ignore cannon on this wank attempt of yours to destroy my lone ship while I'm attempting first contacts here.

He's not assuming, thats how it is in the books. For all your bits about 'sticking to canon' you aren't doing a very good job of it. Needle beams for example, are meant to support boarding actions, and are for very close range combat.

The Brittania's primary weapon is only a single Q-gun, and the regular members of its class don't even have that.

Don't even get me started on the vacuum tube and punchcard 'computers' that CANON Galactic Patrol ships have.

ooc: Nuclear warheads are laughable, especially in the single/double digits. The shockwave(that can not exist in a vacume) is the source of primary destructive power from a nuclear missile. The theoretical greatest threat would be the ionizing radiation(simply because there is no air to absorb it). As to the 'fireball', when ships can spend multiple days in the outer edges of a sun's convection zone, the heat of a nuclear warhead would be essentially trivial.

It's all about yield. A conventional warhead (even one in triple digit megatons) is going to have a massively reduced effectiveness just as well.

Also someone should probably create an ooc thread, to avoid clogging this one with ooc posts.

Doesn't matter, this is my last post in the thread.

Finally, while I use this account for pirating purposes in terms of RP, I also use it to OOCly evaluate nations that my main account would never come into contact with.

As such, you've all also pretty much failed that test. Kirusoba, you're the only exception, since there's not really much to evaluate an opinion on you yet. Work on grammar though, please.

Theao, best RPer of the bunch, but you come across as having an undeserved sense of superiority, and arrogance like that really gets to me.

Galactic Patrol, whether or not you're SeaQuest doesn't really matter, the fact remains that you act like him, and that's enough to fail you IMO right there. If you're really not him, I suggest you read through his RPs and avoid doing that sort of stuff. If you are him, well, look at it this way, at least I'm giving you 'constructive criticism.'

//Edit: My apologies for the thread derailment, I suggest we all treat this as Gradasi and myself were never here, and you continue from just before we came in. Again, sorry.

Star

Hidden machines change - some go further into hiding, some stay more or less where they are. One larger machine absorbs materials stockpiles - for now, a sketchy ellipsoid. Defenses form - again, sketchy, intended to hold the shipnursery against enemy probes until its warships begin to come online.

There will not be time. When the enemy arrives, they will arrive as an onslaught; they will be decimated or worse but they will go through the fixed defenses like a knife.

And it is good. The first stage of what some would call maskirovka.

Deep in the star, the hidden Mind (mere shard of a Junction mind luxuriating in superabundance, but still a GSV-grade Mind or rather about to be when the substrate matter taken from now-lobotomized ships above finally knits together properly) labors to make its deception.

Labors briefly, compared to the slow movements of discreet matter, but labors well. Now the star is a forward base against a suspected replicator enemy, turned suddenly frantic at the discovery of the Culture's old nemesis, one of several. And off the galactic plane, the vast machineries that will in years transform into a huge military production base. For now, only frightening in their power, but when those two spent stars collide...

And the Culture presence in this galaxy, fragile. In eons gone, the Minds moved off, slept, woke, and are only now returning to something like their old haunt.

It's a good history, well hidden as fragmentary clues, leftovers from minstate abstracts passing by, utterly fabricated, dancing near the truth as the Warships see it.

Then radiation shells begin to strike outlying sensors. Someone's brought a battle to the nursery.

The word's remained through nonorganic ages, inherited from meat.

Clusterfuck.

The Mind can't break cover, and the fighters will be in the Idirans' way.

At least they're not targets now, unless they make themselves such.

Transit

The children of ROU Chrome Steel Phallus sweep on. Their mission parameters change to one of helping the third parties get out alive - if that can be dome while maintaining the deception.

OOC: This continues the Idiran Remnants/Culture Warships plotline as started in this thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=465522). For now, the Culture Warships presence is excessively hidden, and inside the system primary. Until it starts doing something, it's pretty much undetectable, and it thinks it's really smart. Well, the Remnants have its address and they're making a social call.

Oh, and yes I do use IC jargon. Most should be rather obvious, some won't. I'm reading Delany at the moment; blame SRD not me.

OOC: @S.P.: I'm quite willing to try this again, in a seperate thread were we have worked out the details of tech, ship number, et cetera in an OOC thread.
@Culture Warships: Welcome to the thread.
@Theao and Kirisubo: Care to join me in getting back to where we were IC'ly at the lasaugna(sp?) scene?
@Gradasi: If you can agree to work with S.P., and not dogpile, the same offer I'm giving S.P. is available to you as well.

"What do you mean legs?" Sera asked of Edward.

ooc: Sure, last mess hall post was 144

ooc: sure i'll pick this up again.

whats the address for the ooc thread?

theey received the coms

Welcome to the party, Honor Of The Empire. This is Captain Haynes of the Galactic Patrol vessel Britannia. The original reason for our release of the distress signal has long since past. However, now we are currently engaged in combat with a group of pirates attempting to steal this ship. Will you join us?

this is the hounor of the empire we will join inm battle with you
end coms tatical red alert arm cluster qantuim torpedoes

OOC: @Kirisubo: Here is the link to the OOC thread: http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=10601385&posted=1#post10601385
@Space Penzance: My offer is still on the table.
@Seph: We are going back to Post 144 (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10583367&postcount=144) on Page 10 (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=465473&page=10). As that was prior to the 'pirate' thing, you'll have to figure out a new way to enter the thread.

IC: Rec Room/Mess Hall Combo

Edwards replies, "Its a reference to speed. Basically, the Dauntless is one of the fastest ships in the Glactic Patrol navy."

Yukiko tucks into her lasagne and takes a cup of water. the rest of ther team seem to like it as well.

"we make our meals fresh on our ship" she replies "our chef is kept busy but we use protein resequencers to make up drinks like tea, cofffee and water.

Theres nothing like a freshly made cheesecake after a long shift"

Hedrics snorted and replied, "Well, we do have to make some considerations. Usually all we get to eat on this ship are prepackaged meals due to the space storing all the individual ingrediants would mean. Of course, the kitchen crew do whip up a few things from scratch on special occasions like birthdays."

"Ah, that makes sense." Sera replied to Edward's explaination.

The groupmind thought about it, spending entire real-time seconds - The equivalent of organic lifetimes - on the events of the last days.

It - The groupmind of the Heavy Cruiser Glorious Sacrifice 5 - had been the one whose effector had eventually taken over the subcraft that had given them this information. Crucial information. It, like the rest of its people, knew that this war would be lost if they didn't succeed this time.

And the chances for succeess were slim.

And so it, like all the others, sped through four-dimensional space, alternating between ultra- and infraspace, at close to a hundred kilolights, curving along the galactic disc, slowly getting closer to its - Their - destination.

It remembered the 'Battle' it had fought with the subcraft, the subcraft that, despite being just that, had proven to be a formidable, a terrible opponent, corrupting system after system, reducing the groupmind's operational capabilities by percent after percent.

But eventually, the groupmind had succeeded, forcing the subcraft to surrender, and eventually preventing the already-initiated self-destruct.

And then it had found it, a wealth of information. And not only in the Culture subcraft's structure, its molecules and atoms, its weapons and sensors, its drives and AI core, but in what it had kept as readable - Encrypted, but decryptable - information.

Deployments. Hierarchies. Galaxy-spanning movements.

At first glance, it had been scary. It had known instantaneously that there was no way to win against this opponent.

But somehow, in between the information, had been bits that had suggested... Hope. A way to win regardless of being horrendously outnumbered and outteched. A few moves only, and the game could be turned in the Idiran's favour - Barely only, and the chance was indeed slim, infinitesimal even, but it was there.

And that'd been enough. To the groupminds - All of them heroes, back when they'd been organic, before the upload. Each of their segments proud to be a warrior, a fanatic who wouldn't surrender, who would fight for its race and faith, no matter what the price would be - the infinitesimal chance equaled duty, equaled fate. There could be no hesitation.

Now it was there, with the remains of the fleet that'd been decimated by the assault of the Rapid Offensive Unit Social Contraction, and what little they'd been able to repair and/ or manufacture from scratch since the engagement had occured. About fourhundred ships altogether.

A small, an almost insignificant force, compared to the powers they went against. About as many ships had been lost in the initial engagement - And this time, they'd go against many more opponents.

Drive fields fondled the energy grid that seperated this universe from its two neighbors, one slightly younger, the other slightly older than this one, propelling the ships forward by touching the infinitesimal inconsistencies of the grid, finding traction in imperfections.

They continued.

The groupmind thought about the Idiran equivalent(s) of the Charge of the Light Brigade (And there were many such equivalents). It felt elevated, forming a bond with the heroes of millenia past, crossing the borders that separated eons.

Of course, they were prepared. There hadn't been enough time to incorporate the Culture's present capabilities into the Homomda-inspired Idiran ships, but they could still deceive their opponent, faking CW signatures and emissions, the fleet looking like a single ship, pushing further and further, hoping to be considered friendly for a few nano- maybe even microseconds post-detection.

About ten lightyears away from their target-sun, they noticed that there were apparently a few EW drones or something comparable in the system, active no less.

Nanoseconds passed and tightbeam-hyperspace transmissions were exchanged.

For now, they didn't fire, deciding that killing off semi-active decoys would only ruin the deception - They knew that the deception may already have failed, but it was worth trying it, anyway.

Neither were they slowing down. Consensus was initiating a crash-stop at perhaps a lightday out - That should suffice.

The ships stopped alternating between the two hyperspatial volumes, settling for infraspace, and ceased to accelerate. If one looked at them from hyperspace, one would see the fleet glittering in the distance, like a cloud of diamonds, or like a thin mist, reflecting the sunlight of an early morning.

Star

The Mind shard doesn't wallow in despondency like the situation warrants. Yes, the situation is horrifically messed up; yes, it will likely have to suicide to prevent the deception, yes, the situation is really horrifically messed up.

It's not really capable. It's a Mind shard created to accomplish a task, and it's quite, quite optimistic.

And so it finishes making up the fake history of the shipnursery, puts the finishing touches on the reasoning that supposedly led up to the build queues looking the way they do, and then detaches itself slightly from events.

There are warships (not Warships) still in a confused mess outside the star, static defenses being deployed like some monstrous jumping mine, ready to deploy into nearspace at a moment's notice, running their vicious nonsapient intelligences.

And more immediately connected to it, a loose formation of stealthy reconnaisance platforms. A ringside seat, in a way.

OOC: Yeeha. And thanks, GP.

Star Approach

The fleet was vast, if horribly outteched by the Culture Warships, entering the Star's local space, intend on doing something that's rather equivalent to a mosquito trying to kill an elephant, hoping that they, like a mosquito, were perhaps carrying a disease that'd grant them success. But the odds didn't matter. All that mattered was success, regardless of the costs. That deceptions were necessary was obvious - Getting them to work was a rather different thing, though.

Still, they broadcasted CW emission profiles that were worth perhaps a tenth their number in subcraft, or a hundredth their number in actual warships, hoping that it'd be enough to deceive their opponents for a microsecond or two.

A little later, a few hundred picoseconds before braking, they broadcast something else, too.

[Skein broadcast, M32]
xLOU Open Hostilities (Upgraded Murderer class)
oStar

Just thought we - Myself, as well as the LOUs The Bigger Stick Prevails, Tyrant and Lets take this Outside - should announce ourselves. Presently in transit, will be out of your jurisdiction in a few moments, just making sure that you don't fire your defences while we're in. Would be nice, from mind to mind.

There isn't even a Permission-to-Approach burst.

There doesn't need to be one, either - A few hundred picoseconds pass, assorted defences may be passed as well (They're unsure whether they can detect them properly), and then they brake.

Braking in hyperspace - this hyperspace, anyway. Of course there's plenty of others - is somewhat special. Drive fields wonderfully connected to the energy grid that serves as an impenetrable border between this universe and the slightly larger, slightly older one 'Above' (Or 'Beneath', but the Idiran's are, at this time, in infraspace -1) it, the Idiran ships initialise the maneuver that is supposed to slow them down, bringing them to a stop near the local star.

The grid reacts. Its manipulation by the drive fields creates a wake of energy, growing and growing, a wave, a tsunami of pure, unaltered destruction, growing and growing...

Over four-hundred ships going at (Now, though not for much longer) rather more than a hundred kilolights. The energies are, of course, not unimaginable - it's perfectly possible to write down a number between '1' and '9', followed by an 'e', which would then be followed by something in the medium doubledigit range. Likewise, it's perfectly possible to then figure out just how much matter can be vaporised with this energy ('A lot' seems to be fitting quite well, here).

In the end, the numbers are roughly equal to 'Really, really huge'.

And what does a wave of hyperspatial, and utterly destructive, pure energy do when it gets too large?

Why, that's simple. It splashes into the skein of real space.

Which is exactly what is happening when the Idiran fleet - well, most of what is left of their fleet, as the shipnursery's local defences have by now cought on and started to fire at them, which is promptly (But not particularly effectively) replied to by the incoming Idirans, resulting in a fastival of assorted exotic weaponry as well as simplistic, and frankly primitive weapons like nanoholes and CAM cooking the vacuum and whatever may stay in it - reaches the inner edge of the system's surrounding cloud of comets (Of which there are now quite a few less).

Of course, this is just the beginning of the still-growing wake, that is splashing out of infraspace at what seems to indicate FTL-propagation (In truth, it propagates merely at c in real space. The problem is that in hyperspace, it's faster, which results in the apparent-but-not-actual FTL effect, as the energies are splashed all over the system, vaporising the occasional celestial body).

The Idirans continue onward, effectors already penetrating the skein, ever since they'd started to brake, out to take over what they desire: The wealth of ships generations ahead of their own, hidden inside the local sun.

That the Culture Warships might have tricked them into this, that it may just have finished the process of setting up a more-or-less (Minds are never really satisfied) sophisticated, maybe even elegant trap...

Right now, it doesn't occur to them. Desperate as they are, with groupminds observing their comrades-in-arms falling to engine implosions or MAM conversions, they can only see straightforward.

And their probing effectors consider the trap to be the real thing.

Star

The Mind shard ponders - yes, the subtlety of the Idiran approach will provide it with a control, a throttle so to speak, to let it determine just how well the approching hostiles will do.

It accelerates is cognition, deepens it in a narrow scope. For a brief time it has the powers of a proper Mind, within its purview. As the response speeds out (that part was obvious) it decides just how well the Idirans will fool the AI cores controlling the shipnursery.

[Skein broadcast, M32]
xShipnursery<DiaGlyph>
oLOU Open Hostilities (Upgraded Murderer class)
Please exercise caution on approach, there are numerous third-party ship present insystem, and they may attract the attention of the recently discovered possible-Idiran enclave. You should be able to avoid tripping their sensors by following the appended hyperspace profile.
It's good to have you. I am an intellect net of AI cores and recognize my limitations. The presence of actual Minds is comforting.


That said, the nursery systems closely connected to communications pull their figurative pants down, and bend figuratively over.

Approach

The weapons are smart, for weapons. Bits of Hell waiting to be unleashed. Well designed, held in abeyance as assorted craft squabbled, deploying now as anomalies become apparent.

It's art, in that smug Culture way. Look! Not only do we kill you, we impress you first!. Energies, distortions, blooms that spell forbidden thoughts, machines that flip bits in nearby objects convincing parts of them that they're a rathe more anti sort of matter than before, the effects of one weapon surprisingly reinforcing another and producing a third...

But they're dumb for Culture weapons. Placed by genius machines, quickthinking, but the overacing AI that should make them a supremely lethal whole falls apart from the inside.

The cost is terrible of course. But to sentient minds thinking at the speed of the groupminds, with the abilities of groupminds, with access to tools like the Idiran warcraft, the challenge is one that can be met and overcome.

Core

The artifact sinks further, like thrownaway garbage. Inside, a Mind shard communicating only with infiltrator machines throughout the volume. SC-level machines, the fabricators that created them gathered into the fractal spider that is the construct.

It communicates with them by means not at all obvious based on the techbase the Idirans have seen. And with any luck it will be a good long while before the "enemy" develops the abilities needed to find them.

Not that it intends to give the Idirans a chance. Underestimating one's opponent... bad idea, as the Social Contraction presumably managed to learn.

Just priority transmissions. Like a datastream from the supposed LOU Open Hostilities, duplicated in the receiver gear on a fabrication control station. Duplicated, sent down and sent away.

Junction

There's a band of pearlescent lights around the sky, vast constructs surrounding gridfire-boosted superstars, complexities beyond imagining.

On one level.

On another, there is a simple mindscape. A plane hovering in space near the center of a necklace of pearlescent lights.

~ Welcome. I apologize for any discomfort, but there are things I must know. And so, you have been... diverted. You have also been victorious, securing the shipnursery for your comrades. But you, the instance of "you" that I have the honor of addressing, are here.

Please make yourself comfortable. There are tools to fashion and environment for you, and avatars. Summon me when you are ready.

If the voice is anything like priestly and ancient, it is presumably not an accident.

Star

Well. That's great.

Yes, I see. Going in now... See you, one way or another.

May your faith help you to prevail.

[Skein broadcast, M32]
xLOU Open Hostilities (Upgraded Murderer class)
oShipnursery<DiaGlyph>
Understood. They're just too easily confused with basic EW measures... Although assuming that the recently-discovered entity is indeed of Idiran origin, I figure they'll have rather more pressing issues than subjugating minor involveds.

Also, thanks for the compliment - although we're of course only warship-minds and not quite equivalent to a GSV.

Come to think of it, you might be interested in this-


Catching your target with its pants down is always nice.

And who would refuse using the chance? To the approaching Idirans, it looks as if the local pseudo-mind is the happiest and most unconcerned entity in the known universe, opening up half a dozen ways to enter and corrupt it, to take it over, to hijack the nursery and, eventually, the ships.

Certainly, the Idirans are familiar with the way the Culture works. Certainly, they'd think twice about taking up the 'Invitation', were they actually in a position to do so.

Alas, they're not.

And so, they just go in.

Approach

Space boils.

In fact, not only your bog-standard relativistic I-still-obey-Einstein space boils. Assorted layers above and beneath it boil as well, an all-crushing wave of destruction - much less well-conducted than Culture weaponry, as the Idirans really don't have the Culture's sense of aesthetics. There's no details, no pleasantry, no language in the destruction - simply crashing over it all.

Except of course that 'All-Crushing' is a slight exaggeration when one gets to Culture-scale materials. And within the torrent of absurd energies, the Culture's weaponry flares up, targetting the Idiran ships - aware, but uncaring of the aesthetics and messages the Culture provides even with its deconstructive measures -, hiding their true purposes and complexities within the now-induced chaos.

Drive fields implode, ships turn into plasma or are taken over, only to self-destruct, occasionally ramming a few of the weapons platforms in the way. Two languages are fighting for dominance - the harsh, not uncivilised, but brute approach of the Idirans, and the refined, subtle, occasionally overcomplicated approach of the Culture, oddly enough expressed in their weaponry.

The casualties are gigantic. Indeed, if this were a conventional engagement, the Idirans, though succeeding in ridding the system of (Most) culture-presences, would have to consider this a phyrric victory. However, there is one factor remaining... The reward of said victory.

A reward beyond economic consideration, not unlike a tribe of neolithics getting access to an armoured division. Except that in this case, the tribes have the necessary knowledge base to actually use said armoured division.

Core

Defences around and inside the system are largely gone. Of course, so is the bulk of the Idiran fleet.

A high price. A terrible price.

But what remains has long since - entire microseconds ago - begun the infiltration process. The goal is simple: Be fast. Faster than the mind inside. Prevent it from going mental, from inducing the self-destruct that'd be the end of the Idiran plan.

Enter the sleeping ships, and throw their presently sleeping consciousnesses overboard. A bit like in an ancient pirate film, except not.

Effector radiations slip into the well-protected nursery. The battle is silent, lacking the usual Idiran 'Brute force' approach. The energies involved are minimal, the effects on the other hand decide upon the fate of the Idiran civilisation within the local universe. Trickery and illusions, hidden pathways and labyrinths for the easily gullible are the weapons used, all on a scale too small and yet too big for a meatbrain to even think about comprehending. Regional hyperspace is invaded, and entities that in earlier ages would've counted as proper minds - and to the Idirans are proper minds - are corrupted.

The battle takes time. But by the time the first (Group-)minds slip in, resistance has largely been eliminated.

They enter their rewards, ships which easily overpower everything they've lost until this moment.

They also search for information, to learn more about the Culture's next moves... The ships alone tell them enough to realise that without some sort of assistence, the Culture is 1. incapable of staging intergalactic expeditions within reasonable timeframes and 2. that its presence in the Milkyway is decidedly limited.

Which results in 3. there ought to be a way to keep them out, allowing the Idirans to consolidate their position.

They just have to figure out how.

Junction

At one moment, the fraction-of-a-groupmind was about to enter a nicely-sized ROU, using the pathways offered to them by too gullible a mind, too careless a security.

At the next, they're elsewhere.

It's one of these moments when confusion is not only understandable, but appropriate.

Of course, it doesn't take long until - after certain realisations - the confusion is replaced with a feeling of defeat. Not quite certain defeat - although the possibility is considered -, as there's still hope... But still defeat.

That the entity adressing them happens to do so in the most polite and potentially condescending way doesn't help matters, either.

Nonetheless... There isn't really much of a choice, and a combination of arrogance and faith eventually helps the groupmind - a very individual groupmind at that - to consider it- (Or them)selves a sort of emissary, rather than a prisoner.

Emissaries in a decidedly unfortunate situation, but still.

The environment changes appropriately, soon resembling the fiery depth of the star, featuring the ships that had once been Culture and are now being converted for the purposes of the Idirans. Battle debris splashs into the star, and the decidedly tasteless remnants of what was once alive and is now plasma give it just the right 'Feeling' - the Idirans show their contempt for the values of the Culture with little subtlety, but surprising artistic skill.

So what do you want?