NationStates Jolt Archive

The tiny Thallon system comes into view as a small contingent of ships leaves hyperspace. Most of the ships are military warships though there are a few civilian vessels scattered throughout the group of ships. All of the ships are Schwullundian in origin. Slowly the ships procede into the interior of the System scanning for anything out of the ordinary as they procede toward a dusty little speck of a planet designated as Thallon V. No one really expects there to be any real trouble as this system is well into Commonwealth territory, but you can never be too carefull. This world was receantly discovered when a standered Mapping probe happened to detect what could possibly be another large deposit of Technoligy left over from the numerious wars that have plagued the region throughout history. As such the system became of immeadiate importance to the Commonwealth who quickly sent an expedition to the system to discover exactily what if anything was of value to the Commonwealth and its people. As the ships approach the planet one of the main ships in the group the CSS Anderak moves away from the main body of ships and takes up a geopolar orbit of the world in question. Slowly the Anderak opens up one of its bays and releases half a dozen small Insect like Probes to scout the surface of the planet and look for any possible anomilies that may betray the existance of any Technoligy, as well as to look for any signs of any incampments of any sort friendly or otherwise. The rest of the ships take up various geosyncronous orbits to procede with various mapping and cataloging duties while waiting for the probes to finish their work.

Each of the insect like probes breaks off from the others and procedes off in diferent directions looking for anything of interest. the light from the systems large red star glinting off of their mettalic skin causing each of the probes to look as if its been dipped in blood. The surface of this planet is fairly indistinct as it appears to be almost entiraly barren of any indiginous Flora or Fauna of any kind. Large sandstorms sweep across its rocky surface, sweeping everything not large enough from its surface. several of the probes are battered and thrown around by the gale force winds that seem to accompany such storms. Each probe quickly turns on their tiny shielding devices which glow a fierce blue as wave after wave of loose sand and rock bashes against the opposing force of the shield devices. Slowly each probe makes its way across the surface of the planet occasionally stopping to examine anything that even remotely appears to be shaped by intelligent hands.

Constant streams of information bombard the crew of the CSS Andarak as they attempt to catalogue every bit of information by its appearant usefullness. the shear amount of information is stagering by the depth of its complete dullness. Rock samples follow readings of the composition of various liquads folowed by still more rock samples. the oonly break from this constant stream is the occasional sample of what appears to be the planets main indiginous flora, a hardy form of lichen that barly manages to cling to the surface despite the huge sandstorms that blast its surface with amazing regularity. most of the crew amuse themselves with little side diversions like scanning floating space debree for odd radioactive signatures. several of the other ships constantly change positions above the planet and many of the crewmen abourd the Andarak devise a kind of game of guessing the future positions of each of the other ships with point values assigned to each ship and vigorous betting being set up by the more interprising members of the crew.

suddenly claxons go off as streams of information are displayed on each screen detailing the discovery of what appears to be several squat buildings constructed almost completely out of large blocks of rough cut stone. most of these buildings are almost covered by sand, causing them to appear to be nothing more then a few oddly shaped hills in a strangely organized pattern. If not for the probes detection of obviously manufactured materials mixed in with the rough stone blocks. video streams back from the probe that discovered the site. several other probes in the vicinaty slowly converge upon the site assisting the first probe and adding to the overwealming amount of information detailing the site.

Slowly one of the insect like probes moves through the squat buildings looking for any possible enterance. near to the ground a small hole is discovered and the probe quickly decends into complete darkness. suddenly the hole enlarges into a huge cavaty somewhere beneath the complex of buildings. The probe activates a high intensity search light situated within its body and illuminates the cavern.

In orbit of Thallon V

Images of the cavern burst onto every screen of the cavern. what appears to have been a large hanger bay comes into stark view as the probes light crosses the area of its cameras. the hanger is simply humungous. slowly decending further down the hanger the probe sends back images of hundreds of small craft that appear to be fighters of some kind. The small craft, immeadiately designated as Barracuda appear to be in nearly perfact condition except for a fine covering of dust that seems to have settled across their hulls.

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/5352/barracudalik9.th.jpg (http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=barracudalik9.jpg)