OOC: I'll include a note about encryption also. Any messages sent between governments I have had direct contact with (currently none) are sent with secure encryption. By secure, I mean that it won't be picked up. Period. Yes, one-time cipher pads are 100% secure, and I will use them, but only in the case that a particular message is expected (i.e. a battle report.) All military messages within my government are by one-time cipher pads, all political messages by rather secure standard encryption. Messages to governments I have not yet had direct contact with are unencrypted.
Some other varied notes about my posts: per realtime day, I cover about a week in story time. Which means that the attack on Histiri Station is due to occur on Wednesday, and my ships will be en route by the end of my Tuesday post. I doubt I'll post every day - I already haven't - but I will try to post whenever something related to me, or my research/production is completed.
(- Source: Halls of the Conclave, Alpha Nexus, Vardamaught, Kayia; South Tip Conclave -)
(- Recipient(s): High Council, Mira; Miranu Star League -)
(- Priority: 1 -)
Corzun Dah,
Please respond as immediately as possible. Our galactic map and long-range sensors determine that a passage to Akrayhek will be dangerous, perhaps impossible. We are unsure as to what lies north-west from our space (directly south from yours), but there may be an alien race blocking your path. Beyond that, the renegade system of Mavs still stands. The Strandless system of Hrinix, of which we are sure you have knowledge, would be an advisable stopping point for your ships before we can secure Histiri Station.
Forgive the hastiness, but we would not want for you to suffer losses against the renegades that you should not have to deal with. Our attack will commence now in seven days - hopefully, victory will be ours soon.
The Conclave thanks you for your offer of equipment to our government. It would be very much appreciated. We are forced to question, however, whether you are perhaps not too trusting - were the Conclave a mask for a renegade organisation, you could very easily be making a grave mistake in your willingness to help us. The Conclave does not mean to refuse your offer, but suggests that you take care in the future.
We hope that in the future, once the path between our civilisations is clear, we can forge a stronger relationship. For now, security as much as anything else demands restraint.
Regards,
Governor Mathuin
(- end transmission -)
Mathuin sighed. So trusting... I almost feel guilty that we are not so, and that we are receiving such largess from them when we could - could, but won't - be unfaithful. He shook his head. "Dammit... how does such a society function? There has to be a line, for security."
"Perhaps," the other Kayan, who he had asked to his chambers earlier, replied. Kataon was an odd figure, always seeming quite unpredictable. Mathuin wasn't sure why he had asked Kataon here, to rant about the situation, when there were many who were much more empathic. "Or perhaps they have achieved a certain level that we cannot yet comprehend. Perhaps they are willing to take the risk." Or maybe I just think so, Mathuin mused.
"Willing to take the risk? Could they be desperate?"
"It hardly strikes me that they would be willing to help the Conclave so if they did not want anything in return. It is of no matter; we shall either fulfill their requests, or we will not. Either way, we will function," Kataon replied. "There lies no shame in refusing a price that you were not told of before the agreement was made."
Mathuin laughed. "Indeed. I still worry."
"You do not worry about the Miranu," Kataon guessed, his voice still as cool as ice. He leaned forward on his chair. "Do you now doubt your own words?"
Mathuin paled slightly, forcing himself further back in his chair. "No...it's just..."
"You took a risk. A greater one than the fleet will do. You risked being ignored by the Conclave, and inevitably, pushed out of the position as governor."
"My success here may only be a sign that when I am deposed, it will be worse," Mathuin predicted grimly.
Kataon smiled; the smile of someone who knows something, or thinks he does. "Some will become heroes, and some will not, Mathuin. As absurd as the possibility of success may seem, it is a greater chance than if you back out now, for then, it shall be zero."
The facility known as Deep Isle was a naval base far from sentient civilisation on the planet of Kayia. With the most advanced equipment and heaviest security of any base under the Conclave, Deep Isle served as the primary research and development facility for the planet. It was there, on one of the lower levels, far submerged by the ocean, that the report of the final beta run came in. A Kayan aerospace stratofighter - a downgraded Crescent fighter, incapable of spaceflight - had successfully flown directly through four of the planet's peri-sensors and long-range stellar sensors. The reports were perfect. While the heavily shielded stratofighter had suffered extensive but not critical damage from several phase batteries placed in precise positions, not even the peri-sensors had detected how damaged the ships were, nor had they been able to register anything but a shield grid, apparently floating. What the Conclave referred to as "peri-sensors" were incredibly sensitive pieces of equipment, more advanced than typical space sensors, but working only over a short range. The success of the design was undeniable.
It took only fifty minutes for the message to carry to the Conclave's forces in the Akrayhek system that the design was successful. Within 48 hours, all Conclave ships were recalled to Kayia, or modified on Bakoom, their shields re-calibrated to mimic the stratofighter's feat. Three days after that, fifty eight Crescent fighters and thirty four Aradas were in DSN-4611. Their secure sensor net relay ensured that they were all capable of identifying each other, of course, and the sensor net was utterly impossible to hack, or to disrupt with existing technology.
The fleet of ninety-two ships was commanded by four Conclave lieutenants; Nhada, Jenra, Azemir and Karatis, with Nhada as interim over-lieutenant. The battle was to be commanded from afar by Taikaenor, one of the members of the Conclave, general of the Conclave's fleet.
"Nhada here. My squadron is ready," Nhada murmured into his ship's computer, the message being rerouted to the other standing lieutenants.
"As is mine," Karatis replied promptly.
"Let us be on with this," Azemir responded.
"Only just ready, Nhada? You're losing your touch," Jenra joked. Azemir's sigh carried over the comm. link, and was met with a laugh from Karatis.
"Let's go, then," Nhada commanded, keeping his voice level. Without further ado, the Conclave fleet entered hyperspace in just under one hundred streaks of light. Their destination: Mavs.
Conclave Shipyards
Four Crescent fighters constructed, two Aradas constructed. (3/12/02 construction)
Fleet Status: 58 Crescent fighters, 34 Aradas in total. All ships in hyperspace, destination Mavs. Will arrive in 24 hours (beginning of Wednesday.)
Conclave R &D; Department (hencefore referred to as "Deep Isle")
Shield Mask; a modification to the phase shield grid which will result in the vessel being undetectable to sensors while shields are operational (and also make it impossible to read the status of the ships shields.)
Begun: 30/11/2002
Completed
Deep Isle (2)
After a short conference of the Conclave, Taikaenor has been given the right to send instructions to Deep Isle directly, providing he forwards the notice to every Conclave member and appropriate departments. Quickly responding to his newfound power, Taikaenor drew out a far earlier concept, that he had originally formulated in his youth, and later expanded upon to make it more possible. Never one to give up on a good idea, Taikaenor sent the data to Deep Isle, and travelled there in person.
Photonic Weapons Project:
The photonic weapons project is a multi-sided project, enhancing and upgrading various aspects of existing phase weaponry in a major modification, and using the results to develop new weapons platforms for the weaponry. The effects of this project are the construction of the following outfits:
Photonic Light Blaster (Invigilator) - Invigilators are designed to maximise the capability of lighter vessels, where an Enforcer could not be installed. Only a quarter of the size of an Enforcer, they are actually more powerful, firing high-power pulses of light, but take some time to cool down between bursts.
Photonic Heavy Cannon (Enforcer) - weighing 12 tons, with a 90ş swivel and firing twin pulses of light at a reasonable rate of recharge, the Enforcer is a heavy, but effective weapon. Note that the pulses move at the same speed as phase (they're both light, after all.)
Photonic Battery (Slayer) - weighing 48 tons, and on a turreted platform, Slayers fire quad pulses of light at a faster rate of recharge than the Enforcer, dealing a very respectable amount of damage in a short time.
Not editting, not changing, I think ive got a good story. :mad: anyone else think so? VAI, prepare to die at the hands of the mighty armies of the Human Empire.