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>>6033436
Financial Report
Fabfeed/Scraps: 158 units
Balance: 248,100 Directorate credits
Recent transactions:
Annual hedge fund ROI: 11,500 credits
Laying-low funds for Salzar's parents: -1,400 credits
Silas' modernisation plans for the Vanilla skyline: -272,000 credits (12,000 credits over budget)
Bounty collected, 2 Ter-clan military light cruisers: 20,000 credits

Current tasks
Directorate Navy Bounty on all Qyngur vessels (50% for civilian, 80% for militarised auxiliary):
>1,000 for all sub-frigates
>2,000 for frigates
>5,000 for destroyers
>10,000 for light cruisers
>20,000 for heavy cruisers
>100,000 for capital ships (triple for clan flagships) (don't even think about it)
Yamir-Hysret
>Sabotage intersystem communications infrastructure (Easy, 50 scraps. Automatically complete as you move through the sector.)
>Scout the military build up around Melasthemae. (Easy, 50 scraps. May be useful for base bounty later.)
>Destroy a convoy carrying military goods. (Medium, 75 scraps + 25 scraps for each destroyed freighter.)

War Report
Current Liteian Navy readiness status: red
Domestic news:
Stiefenholm orbit secured! Calls for planetside surrender rejected.
>2 battleships from First Fleet in position, ready to repel Qyngur counterattacks.
>Hawaian MP facing backlash after comparing Mir incarceration to the Reservation.
>Exclusive interview with foreign volunteer captain picketing Tama-5.
International news:
>Arrest warrants for Tasseled Coup leaders from Special Court for New Taiwan.
>Unprecedented free trade agreement signed between Bolivarian Alliance and Tandong Republic.
>Assasination spree against Macpherson Family continues, now 5 dead. Saak patriarch denies involvement.

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>>6033437
“Are you certain about this, Commander Thornton? Over.” Damnit, he's the leader here, don't go undermine your confidence like that. “Affirmative. Sure beats sitting here waiting for their sidewinder to break our backs. Over.” Ienaga comes in before you even have a chance to ask him, “I regret to say this, but the Yushi and Shishi cannot join your charge. We will still provide all the fire support we can. Over.” Disappointing, but understandable.

You can't hear Silas, but he must be cursing his throat out at Achebe right now. Torpedoes are normally too slow to get caught on electron shields (by design, of course), but by flying full throttle towards them, the relative velocity may be high enough, barely. Naturally, Achebe will not be blubbering any mays and barelys once your first officer is through with him.

“I will rendezvous with you in ETA 10 minutes ." Jean-Pierre does not sigh, but his tone alone is disheartening enough. “The Directorate endures. Over and out.” Suddenly, the comms console lights up. A tightbeam message, ”This is Hara, of the Shishi. We will follow your lead, Vanilla Skyline. Over." The nimble light cruiser quickly takes its new station. An angry voicemail should hit your inbox any moment now.

“The Shishi has disobeyed my orders to follow better commands. Please take care of her. Over.” He sounds almost happy. So it's not just you who are insane. “Don't worry, Ienaga. Over.” On the holoprojector, the twin dots representing Liu and her accomplice have started to turn back. Too late, this is your show now.

Moynihan tries to encourage you with a forced smile, which alone beats out the dozen questioning stares from everyone else in the CIC. “I can talk a lot, but it will roll off your illiterate hog ears anyways." A few chuckles, good. "So let me make this quick. 6 destroyers and a light cruiser are burning bright for us, with death riding shotgun. If we run, it will not be a long chase before he catches up to us. You might ask me then, I haven't screwed my highschool sweetheart yet, what should I do?" Salzar steals a peek at his wallet.

A particularly brazen cadet hoots out to you, “Pay ‘er by the ’our.” You silently thank him for the roaring wave of laughter he causes. It's pure bad manner to die with a stiff upper lip. “Yes, you do you, Midshipman Fock.” Yet another wave of laughter at the cadet's unfortunate name.

"Before all that, we must call death's bluff. And to paraphrase a holier man than I, the only way to keep our pulse is to bet it. You lot are the shittiest, most mutinous crew I have ever seen. You are also the only people I would trust to bring us out of here still breathing. So keep to your station, watch out for your fellows, and you will see your girl, or boy, in the flesh again before this year is out." You retire to your chair amidst cheers and whistles.

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>>6033440
The three ships lined up in a triangle shape with the Armitage as the vanguard. It's strange that the most reluctant captain should take the lead, but you've seen stranger things in the short time you are out here on the rim. “Enemy 800,000 klicks out. I will accelerate to 600 klicks per sec. Keep close. Over.” Right in front of you, every drone from Okwonko's kicked beehive is already speeding along, oblivious to their own death as long as they can edge in a sting.

“Target speed reached. Redirecting thrust to directional exhaust. Don't put me in plaster again, Sylvie.” Tim sneaks in a stretch before the ship reaches the half-million waypoint. You would imagine crossing a threshold, a point of no return, but the truth is, the line is all the way back in Tan Hoi. “Think of this like a last sprint of sorts. The cup's in sight,” Tim's face is graven. “If we trip and fall here...” “We won't. So stop blabbering.” The floor groans and crackles a little at the main gun's compressive recoil.

1 light-second, the true tidemark. A poorly-trained destroyer captain would dump his entire load right now and starts running. “Heat signatures from Hummingbird-1 and 2, 8 of them, no, 10 in all.” Vuylsteke calls out in her scratchy voice, “All laser and railgun PD engaged. Flares ready.” None of the torpedoes even makes it close, the latency on command line-of-sight system still too high at this range despite what the manuals say.

Your battle-screen outshines the clear night sky as the drones launched their dumbfire rockets and bombs. Okwonko is too much of a cheapskate to arm them with proper guided missiles, if he even has any. “Hummingbird-2 hit, falling out of formation.” The destroyer was still reeling from the gaping hole amidships when your lasers finish the job. “Well done on the skewering, Skyline. See you on the other side. Over and out.”

“Armitage speeding up, 750 klicks.” You grind your teeth in impotence. “What kind of show is this, Jean-Pierre? No time for heroics. Over.” There is no response, 800 klicks, all comm channels have gone dead. “Sparrow-2, 3, and 4 releasing their fish, 42 in all. My God.” Half of the welcoming party were aimed at the Armitage. You close your eyes, already teary-rimmed. One thought alone dominates your mind, “At least there are no Marlins.”

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>>6033441
“The madman, how is he still alive after that?” His voice rings clear again over the tightbeam, “Took a near-hit. Superficial damage only. Over.” The enemy was nowhere near as lucky: Sparrow-3 has snapped in half from one of Jean-Pierre's torpedoes while Sparrow-4 is getting a pounding from the railguns. Your and the Shishi's combined PD net has taken out a handful of fish, but there is no time for more. Moynihan breaks up his call-outs with a scream, “Brace for impact.”

You land face-down on the cool metal floor. Every light briefly went dark before returning to their usual selves. The last voice you want to hear blares over the PA, “Oblique hit. Deck 5-10 to 5-14 spaced. Lost 2 secondary lasers.” Goldsmith finishes his report, “Explosion contained by bulkheads. Sending team to assess the situation. Over and out.” You make a reminder to have Silas go easy on Achebe after this. The Sparrow captain has intentionally set his torpedoes to low speed.

With the getting hit part of the way, now it's time for you to return the favour. This close, no need to bother with walking in the shells or leading the target. Elysium can just boresight all the way through. First target, the only destroyer which has not launch its payload. “Albatross-1 down, no torpedoes detected.” With help from the Shishi, Armitage also quickly finishes off Sparrow-4. Quivers now empty, the last 2 destroyers have no choice but to retreat as fast as they can.

"Let them run. Regroup on me. O-" Okwonko interrupts him, “Get back here. Fight's not over yet.” The 70,000 tons of death known as Snapdragon-2 is bearing down on him, only backing down whenever the Yushi makes a mock torpedo run. “Heavy resistance. Requesting immediate assistance. Over.” Liu ignores Ienaga to go after the crippled Snapdragon-1 instead.

You will never make it in time to save Okwonko, unless Ienaga risks a real torpedo attack. But doing so will leave the Yushi open to reprisal. He is unlikely to respond to Jean-Pierre's orders, but maybe you can sway him...
>"Ienaga, the Occupation fails because it divides itself. We must not repeat their mistakes."
>"Ienaga, remembers the spoils from last time? You can have all of it, and more."
>"Ienaga, you are a samurai, right? Look within yourself, and fight for what is right."
>"Ienaga, do what you must. I never expect everyone to make it out alive anyway."
>Write-in

Rules for the thread:
>Writeins are encouraged, even if it doesn't win I might work it into the final decision.
>Votes should be in greentext and linked to my post, otherwise I might miss it. Also I appreciate including your reasoning for choosing your option, just a sentence or two will do.
>When changing your votes, link both your original post and my own to help me keep track of things
I will post updates every other day around 23:00 JST (should be 10:00 EST), if I don't post it at that time for whatever reason I will get the post in around 12:00 JST the next day instead.

>>6033436
Why do the ships have eyes?

>>6033443
>"Ienaga, you are a samurai, right? Look within yourself, and fight for what is right."

>>6033443
>"Ienaga, the Occupation fails because it divides itself. We must not repeat their mistakes."

>>6033479
I didn't mean for them to look like ships, but sadly my artistic skills just aren't there. I just figure some blokes would paint shark eyes on torpedo tips to add that extra morale damage.
As for ships, you will find shark's nose surprisingly popular as a prow decoration, especially for those captains seeking to signal their cultural identity.

>>6033443
>"Ienaga, the Occupation fails because it divides itself. We must not repeat their mistakes."

>>6034343
Don't worry QM, I like it

>>6033443
>"Ienaga, you are a samurai, right? Look within yourself, and fight for what is right."
Time to embrace our inner chuuni

There is currently a draw between
>Appeal to honour
>Appeal to history
Since I'm going to be quite busy tomorrow the update will probably come in later evening.

>>6033443
>"Ienaga, you are a samurai, right? Look within yourself, and fight for what is right."

Sorry for the late update, work finished later than I expected.
>>6033479
>>6035205
>>6035433
>Appeal to honour

>>6033735
>>6034703
>Appeal to history

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>>6036020
Words on a screen alone won't do. You have to do this face-to-face. “How do I look?” Tim hastily wipes the camera lens with his handkerchief. “Splendid as always, Commander. If only some idiot has not swiped his filthy paws across this thing while bracing earlier.”

“High-bandwidth comms array aligned. At this distance, there will be a 3-second light lag. Proceed?” Before you can nod, Moynihan looks up from the screen with raised eyebrows, “Ma'am, incoming video transmission from the Shishi, seems urgent. Should we...” Tim snaps at him, “Put it on speaker, he better makes this quick.”

You are greeted by a scene straight out of a crime movie. “C-Captain Thornton, I'm afraid the Shishi won't be of, of, any further use. This battle.” A fit of coughing bends low the proud commander. “GO help someone else, I'm fine.” He spats out some blood before standing up again, as tall as he still can, “Two, three, maybe four torpedo hits, still assessing the damage. Autoloaders blasted to all hell, Sparrow-4 was the last missile barrage you will see from us. Engine seems to be in good shape, however...”

You interrupt Hara's train of thought before it can wreck itself, “Commander Hara, radio the Armitage and get permission to retire. You have done more than enough. Over and out.” You cut off the transmission link before he can protest. “Moynihan, get Ienaga on screen right now. If he figures out how fucked his sister ship is, Okwonko is as good as dead.”

Ienaga looks at you incredulously, as if beholding someone who should have stayed dead. “Captain Thornton, that was the ballsiest move I have ever seen a big-bird commander makes. And you even live to make it again in the future. Over." You try to relax your tense muscle as much as you can, “What is ballsy for me is routine for you tin-can folks. I won't lie, we need you right now. You have to buy Okwonko time until we return. Over.”

“And why should I do that, Captain? Remember, he sold you out to the stragglers over there. Over.” He points out the two dots on his tactical screen speeding to intercept the wounded Snapdragon. “He sacrificed his own fighter and bombers to cover for us. There, is someone worth saving. Look within yourself, and fight for what is right. Over.”

His palm squeezes around the longer sword's hilt, “Samurais are dead for nearly a thousand years now, their ashes now blowing across an equally dead world.” You lean in close to the webcam. “No, nothing is dead as long as it is not forgotten. I haven't forgotten you. You haven't forgotten yourself. That makes two of us.” Ienaga voice suddenly sounds so distant, as if you two are divided by a bitter wall of years, “What do I remember, but a bastardised, banal version of the real thing? Better to stay dead."

>>6036025
After a brief silence, he lets go of the sword, "Fine then, I'll do this. But only because I don't want to be outdone by my second-in-command. Won't look good on me to walk out here without so much as a paint scratch while his interior gets a complete makeover.” So he has known about the Shishi's condition all along. “I will dry hump them as many time as I can until you can come to deliver the load. Over and out.” You both share a wry smile before the comm link closes.

True to his words, the Yushi swings a half-arc behind the Invincible to face the pursuers. The ruse does not need to last long: Albatross-2, the last remaining escort destroyer, would rather gingerly hide behind its mothership than face the same fate as its brethren. Combined with your barrage steadily zeroing in, both ships quickly call off the chase and start retreating towards the station's safety. The Razorback and Scarface still show no sign of relenting their chase of Snapdragon-1.

With the enemy retreating in disarray, now's your chance to deliver the finishing blow. However, the more time you spend here, the harder you would have to fight to get past Hyros. Unless... “Captain, coded message from the Hys: Acheron alert delayed, now or never.”
>Chase down both Snapdragons. Your side is still in good shape, and they are your original objective after all.
>Take out only Snapdragon-2, let the other one retreat. The extensive damage would prevent it from fighting for a long time anyhow.
>Start scavenging and making spot repairs. Even with the occasional barrage from Heart's Perch, this is as safe as it gets.
>Call for a retreat. Even with Yamir's intervention, you are unlikely to push past Hyros fast enough with the Invincible in tow.
>Rally everyone and head straight for the exit. Now would be a good time to split off damaged ships. (Choose ships to send back)
>Write-in

>>6036028
>>Chase down both Snapdragons. Your side is still in good shape, and they are your original objective after all.

>>6036028
>Chase down both Snapdragons. Your side is still in good shape, and they are your original objective after all.

>>6036028
>Chase down both Snapdragons. Your side is still in good shape, and they are your original objective after all.

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Shit I just realised that I have completely forgotten to post an update yesterday... I'll post an update this evening
Consider your choice carefully, as the map shows once we jumped into Melia there will be no retreat. The standing force at Acheron is also significantly better equipped and trained than this small blocking force.

>>6036028
>Take out only Snapdragon-2, let the other one retreat. The extensive damage would prevent it from fighting for a long time anyhow.

>>6036900
>>6037032
>>6038242
>Finish the job

>>6038802
>Prioritise the largest threat.

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>>6038802
“We can't let them disengage like that, Commander Jean-Pierre. Think about it, every ship we don't knock out now is another ship the Ter can spare for the Kaskandir front.” Around you, the room continue to roll back and forth under roaring guns. “Besides, Liu won't retreat until she has her share of blood anyway. Over.”

“Too aggressive, Commander Thornton. Too aggressive. Liu can go dig herself out of the pit if she won't listen to me. O-” That silky-smooth voice cuts in, “-nwards! This is the real de Tassigny here. We'll show these bugs the cost of opposing us glorious humans, just like the holovids, eh? Over.” Maybe Fleet Intelligence does include slight insanity in their hiring requirements.

Snapdragon-2, realising it cannot run, banks hard right on a parallel course with your ship. Its sixteen coilguns can dish out a heavier weight of fire than your twelve railguns, but superior Terran engineering tips the scale of shot momentum in your favour. “Zeroing in... We've got a hit! First rapid fire salvo, too!" Not to mention better fire control units.

“Uh, sorry Commander if I was too loud.” You can't, his cowering is just too funny. “It's fine, Elysium. But only barely so.” Snapdragon-2 does not even bother to evade, determined to return the favour first. Silas snaps on comms, tone slightly stressed. “Shield integrity at 60%. We can only take a couple more hits like that.” A classic gun duel, if only your side does not have the advantage in tin-cans. “Torpedoes away. Yushi, disengage with me. Over.” Only a handful of fish, they must be saving for what lies ahead.

Escape pods start ejecting from the doomed cruiser long before the torpedoes even activate their impulse boosters for the final approach. Albatross-2 scoops up only a few as a formality before running headlong for Heart's Perch, chased by 12-inch slugs. In the distance, Razorback pulls out from another fake run on Snapdragon-1. A now-familiar voice jeered, Midshipman Fock's, “Must have forgotten to strap-on today, hah.”

Tim whispers something into his ear, something along the line of keep your trap shut. Indeed, Liu today, the Director tomorrow, by the end of the week he would be facing a wall. The kid turns deathly pale and stays silent for the rest of battle.

The Yushi and the Armitage make chase while your Skyline stands by for long-range fire support. You would take a more active role in the engagement were it not for your depleted magazine. Taking advantage of the brief lull, Goldsmith works to reinforce the bulkheads keeping the rest of Section 5 from baking in stellar radiation while repair drones seal in the gash in your armor from the outside. 20 minutes later, the verdict comes in, “Sorry, capt'. Gonna have to buy new lasers once we dock.” Tim clicks his tongue in disdain.

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>>6038923
By this time, Elysium is already heating up the barrels again for the next round of herding. Determined to make up for Albatross-2's lacklustre performance, Stork-1 has been a constant thorn in your light forces' side, dashing in and out of their attack vectors and using its numerous laser mounts to intercept incoming ordinance. “Pull out, we'll go in again from delta angle. Over.”

As the Saigonnese love to say, much to Shanghaian chagrin, “One lone swallow cannot make spring.” Likewise, one Stork cannot keep up the bluff. Soon, the Armitage's gunnery radar detects a pattern in the bird's insufficiently random manoeuvres and gets a lock-on. The next salvo pops the destroyer like a soap bubble. Without its escort, Snapdragon-1 swiftly meets the same fate as Snapdragon-2.

The field is yours. However, time is running increasingly short. Indeed, the window to pass through Hyros unopposed may be entirely closed already. Even so, there's a chance that the Acheron commander has been intimidated enough by your victory to keep clear of your path. You roll 2d100 three times to soothe any premonitions.

You have a few options in the immediate aftermath of the battle. The more you choose, the tougher the next fight. This will be checked against the first dice.
>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)
>Finish repairs on your ship. Another hit into that spot will be devastating. (DC 40, +15 to next roll)
>Recover Hummingbird-2. Moynihan has detected enough energy signatures to be confident that many systems are still running (DC 80, +20 to next roll)
>Call in Thanaret. His fast cruiser should have no trouble catching up to your force later. (DC 60, +10 DC to next roll)
>Regroup immediately. Going backwards or forwards, there's no time to waste (-10 DC to next roll)

One final decision. This will be checked against the second dice
>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)
>Retreat. There is no shame in walking away from an unwinnable fight (base DC 20)

Rolled 76, 60 = 136 (2d100)

>>6038926
>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)
>Finish repairs on your ship. Another hit into that spot will be devastating. (DC 40, +15 to next roll)
>Regroup immediately. Going backwards or forwards, there's no time to waste (-10 DC to next roll)

>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)

Rolled 80, 79 = 159 (2d100)

>>6038926
>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)

>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)

Just a quick clarification.
>Regroup immediately. Going backwards or forwards, there's no time to waste (-10 DC to next roll)
can't be combined with any other options since you will be exiting the system post-haste.

Rolled 52, 4 = 56 (2d100)

>>6038926
>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)
>Recover Hummingbird-2. Moynihan has detected enough energy signatures to be confident that many systems are still running (DC 80, +20 to next roll)

>Retreat. There is no shame in walking away from an unwinnable fight (base DC 20)

>>6038926
>Finish repairs on your ship. Another hit into that spot will be devastating. (DC 40, +15 to next roll)
>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)

>>6039800
OK, drop that from my vote. Pls thx

Alright we are having a tie every which way so I will wait until morning tomorrow to see if there's any 'breaker

>>6040099
I assume you are >>6039015, correct? Noted in any case

>>6038926
>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)
>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)

>>6038926
>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)
>Finish repairs on your ship. Another hit into that spot will be devastating. (DC 40, +15 to next roll)

>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)

Just finished catching up on archives. This quest is all sorts of weird cool

Since we still have a tie, I will resolve this by picking every options which receive supports from more than half the posters (3/6)

>>6039015
>>6039774
>>6039831
>>6040824
>>6041305
>Salvage destroyed ships
>>6039015
>>6040099
>>6041305
>Finish repairs

>>6039831
>Recover Hummingbird-2


>>6039015
>>6039774
>>6040099
>>6040824
>>6041305
>Push ahead

>>6039831
>Retreat

Just realised I fucked up by not making it clear every option except for regroup are INCREASING your DC, probably why nobody chooses to call in Thanaret. Well, thankfully you guys roll well enough that perhaps, maybe, a death-trap is not waiting for us in Hyros anyway.
Rolls:
Salvage: 80 vs. DC 50 - Major success
Repairs: 76 vs. DC 40 - Major success
Push ahead: 79 vs. DC 70 + 10 + 15 - 5 (Jean-Pierre's bonus) = 90 - ???

>>6041305
Thanks a lot for the comment! Mind telling me more about the parts you think are cool? I'm always happy to get feedback.

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>>6041342
“New armor spot-welded onto Deck 5-12 breach. Should hold up to rough inspection. Materials salvage still-ongoing, 10 min left.” It's a bit odd for Goldsmith to type out messages like this. Then again, you are technically off-duty right now, a short break to cram as much food into your stomach as possible before taking the first watch. You envy Silas' and Tim's more deliberate approach; unlike you, they can afford all the time to play around with their brunch.

Silas' spoon falls back into the bowl and immediately starts sinking into the beef congee. “That bitch! She did jack shit and how much scrap is she claiming?” He raises his voice to a mocking pitch, “The entirety of Dandelion-1, half of Snapdragon-1, at least 40% of Sparrow-2's destroyer task group. You weren't even in the same zip code, for fuck's sake.”

Tim stops blowing on the steaming hot congee for a second, “Don't read while eating, O'Keefe. Besides, who cares? De Tassigny already hands over most of his share to her. As a naval officer, he doesn't get to take any spoils on top of his monthly paycheck anyway.” Silas' ire is now redirected to the man sitting across from him, “And tell me, Johnson, am I a proper naval officer to you? Or does your boy's club only admit the realest officer with sparkly ribbons and shiny medals.”

Your second officer picks up his whole tray. “I will not argue with you while the Commander's watching. But know this, Lieutenant Commander O'Keefe, by the letter of the Naval Code, I am four years your senior. Yet in many cases, seniority rightfully starts long before the letter of marque. I hope you will one day extend to me the same consideration.” He leaves without another word.

Silas also puts away his tablet before taking off, leaving you without a conversation partner. You wonder whether he is simply too proud to admit he has made a mistake hiring Tim. “A better question, my little mouse, is what you should do when those two finally draw swords on one another.” Damnit, shouldn't have jinxed it like that.

“How did you get on my ship again, the real Commander Jean-Pierre de Tas-si-nie?” Like a haughty cat pretending to paw away the hand giving it a good neck scratch, the man raises his ears in protest, “I cannot reveal the secrets of my trade just like that. Where will society go?” You parry the pathetic attempt and go in for the full cuddle, “You care for society?”

>>6041391
Whether the U-shaped line of his mouth actually represents a laugh, you dare not assume. “Good grief, kids these days. And to think you once spoke so eloquently of your own patriotic desire to, quote, apprehend subversive elements.” You never expected Jean-Pierre to leave you out of his report for the Hermes incident, but this man must have dug deep indeed for that one remark...

Gnat, you have let your guard down, allowing the cat to learn your true feelings of him just like so. “Having second thoughts? Don't worry, not many can live up to their ideals. I'm more interested in your successes anyway.”

He settles down into Tim's old seat, right across from you. “Your break just got extended, Commander Thornton. I'm sure your subordinates will understand that the Director's need far outweighs this rustbucket's punch cards.” You smile as he snatches your cup of coffee and examines it for lipstick marks.

Satisfied with the result of the inspection, he takes a sip before taking out a paper file, “I recommend you start talking about your Qyngur, oh I forget, Mir ‘source.’ Everything you do not say can and will be used against you outside of court.” He idly flips a coin while waiting for your answer, pausing to check the 1d2 three times.
>Shift the responsibility onto your late father. Perhaps, a half-corrupted address hidden deep in the ship's databanks.
>Tell him everything about Yamir-Hysret's crusade against the Ter in the region. But leave out your part in it.
>Remind him of proper decency. He has nowhere to run and frankly no one to care were he to suddenly disappear.
>Demonstrate your loyalty. You know a winning horse when you see it.
>(Optional) Give him a couple phrases of Mir speech. Maybe this show will distract him from the real question.
>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.
>This encounter, someone else must have gone through it all a long time ago, in another world. If only you can remember their choice... (write-in)

>>6041394
>Demonstrate your loyalty. You know a winning horse when you see it.
>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6041653

>>6041394
>Demonstrate your loyalty. You know a winning horse when you see it.
>(Optional) Give him a couple phrases of Mir speech. Maybe this show will distract him from the real question.
>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.
On our own ship, this upstart navy man dared steal our cuppa. What a dude.
Some honesty about ingratiating ourselves to a pretender Qyngur-sect, learning a few phrases, though it took some doing and Thornton has made her own promises in order to keep this.

>>6041342
The dice roll introductions are interesting and add some humour. The ship tactics are neat too.
The speech sections can be a bit jarring though since it takes some insight to remember who is who, and talking about who else.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>6041394
>Tell him everything about Yamir-Hysret's crusade against the Ter in the region. But leave out your part in it.
>(Optional) Give him a couple phrases of Mir speech. Maybe this show will distract him from the real question.
>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6041394
>Demonstrate your loyalty. You know a winning horse when you see it.
>(Optional) Give him a couple phrases of Mir speech. Maybe this show will distract him from the real question.
>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.

Sorry I have a major report coming up so I won't be able to post today. Hopefully I will have everything finished by tomorrow so the quest can continue.
>>6042040
Thank you for the clarification, it's a question I have been wondering over as well. It seems I will have to write more lengthy reminders whenever someone who has disappeared for some time from now on.

>>6042987
QM, Are you alright?

>>6045561
Thank you for asking. As everyone might have guessed, the curse struck again. Earlier this week, a library shelf filled with decades of red tape crashed onto me while I was doing research for my report. Thankfully, I only (emphasis by my doctor) got half a dozen broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
I'm currently recovering in the hospital. If I feel well enough, I'll try to get an update in either today or tomorrow. I might consider shortening the quest if this keeps happening.

>>6047289
Damn. My best wishes to you QM.

>>6047289
Have a good rest and get well soon.

>>6047289
Hope you are doing better qm

Sorry for the delay, I was busy strangling my doctor for jinxing my recovery. I won't go into too much details to avoid self-doxxing, but in short they missed a piece of my ribs during the initial surgery so I had to go back under the blade again.
>>6042040
>>6042090
>>6042608
>Tell him everything about Yamir-Hysret's crusade against the Ter in the region. But leave out your part in it.
>(Optional) Give him a couple phrases of Mir speech. Maybe this show will distract him from the real question.
>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.

>>6041653
>Demonstrate your loyalty. You know a winning horse when you see it.
>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.

Rolls: Heads - Success!

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>>6054984
“Coffee. Give me back my coffee, goddamnit.” The agent leans back against his chair, his momentary confusion soon replaced with curiosity. “I still have an 8-hour shift after this, and I don't care if you are the Director or even God, I will strangle that smirk off your face. Get me another cup of black. Right. Now.” This is not a joke, you are prepared to dig those damn blue eyes out of their sockets if you have to.

He carefully wipes his own lip marks from your old cup of coffee with a napkin before trying to push it back over to your side. “Are you deaf? Get me a new cup." The stubborn cat refuses to budge, arms folded over crossed legs. “I don't think you quite understand who gives the order here, Commander Thornton. I can have you killed with just a snap of my finger. Just like so.”

You will not let this slide. “And I will snap more than just your fingers even if that's the last thing I ever do.” In your mind, the standoff lasts for days. In reality, the lazy hand on the cafeteria clock has barely moved. He reaches deep into his coat pockets. “Alright then. Consider these nicotine patches my apology.” His eyes narrow with a glint not unlike a surveillance camera. “Don't push your luck.”

After feeling the burst of energy hits your bloodstream, you start retelling the adventures in Citar Quadrant. “No, no need for that. Skip to the part where we part ways after raiding that research station.” You nod and wind forward to your discovery of the half-corrupted coords in a frigate's dead databank. “Interesting... And you did not find it important enough to report this back to Fleet?” Shit.

“Well,” you stall for time while thinking up a plausible explanation, “you see...” His spindly fingers motions to stop you. “I'm not here to cross-examine you. Move on.” The tip of his fountain pen scratches gratingly against the rough paper. It can't be a coincidence, nothing's ever a coincidence with this man.

He did not interrupt you again as you described your meetings in the Hysret base and its commander Yamir, taking care to skip over the xenological details. His left hand raises slightly, a signal to slow down as the pen in his right struggles to catch up. “The Hysret commander's name. Can you say it again?”

“Certainly,” you smirk devilishly before crooning your throat, “His Lowness Yamir-Hysret” The pen falls onto the polished floor with a clang. The agent leans down to pick it up. “Great. Now I only have 2 spare tips left.” What should clearly be frustration, delivered in synthetic monotone. A rare mistake.

“I took a couple survey courses in Xenolinguistics back in college, you know? Never expects those liberal arts credits to become the single most useful skill I learned there.” The corners of his eyes rise slightly before falling again. Have you made a mistake of your own?

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>>6054987
Finally, you show him the tasks you have accepted on your tablet. After making a few more notes, he safely stows away the pen and paper in a messenger bag slung across his shoulder. The agent loungingly finishes his coffee (formerly yours) in silence, sloshing the bitterness around his mouth before the last swallow.

“I have made a decision, Commander. To reassign myself to your ship. Expect an official notification, 2 hours from now. This lead is simply too promising to be handled by a merc. No offense.” You nod with a thin smile. Not like there is a choice anyhow.

He stands up and looks around for a sink to return the coffee cup. “As for the name... Hmmm, yes. I shall be Richard Ergos, 1st Left-tenant. Ominous." He pushes the chair back into place, a surprising show of decency. “I suppose intel like that should not come for free. Ask me anything you want. Think carefully."
>Ask him about the men on your ship. You never quite feel at ease, even after putting down Chernov's mutiny. (choose one person)
>Ask him about the other privateers. Silas and Tim are clearly too biased in this matter. (choose one person)
>Ask him about the state of the Directorate. It's rare to get an insider willing to speak like this.
>Ask him about your father. You pray the two never crossed paths, but the deepest part of you knows better.
>Write-in.

>>6054984
Oooofff

>>6054988
>Ask him about your father. You pray the two never crossed paths, but the deepest part of you knows better.

>>6054988
>Ask him about the state of the Directorate. It's rare to get an insider willing to speak like this.
Good to see you back qm

>>6054988
>Ask him about the state of the Directorate. It's rare to get an insider willing to speak like this.

>>6054988
>Ask him about the state of the Directorate. It's rare to get an insider willing to speak like this.

Sorry for the late update, the painkillers are seriously screwing with my sleep schedule.
>>6055972
>>6056352
>>6057477
>the Directorate

>>6055035
>Father

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>>6057614
“The Directorate, huh. Tch, tch, quite unambitious, little mouse. Why ask me when just a couple evenings reading through publicly available records would tell you everything you need to know?” Richard looks down on you, quite literally. “I'm not interested in that, lieutenant. They are outsiders, you are an insider. Surely there are some unclassified tidbits you can tell me?”

“Well, I suppose there's no point in hiding this, it should be obvious anyway.” Walking around the table, the agent bends his head in every direction, smiling, waving, taunting every cameras and voice recorders in the room, known and unknown to you. “The Director of Lighton is a spineless puppet, and the Directorate is still little more than the cackle of freebooters, separatists, and clanless it was 50 years ago. Everything has simply gotten a shinier coat of paint, is all.” Disgust bends low his every vowel and consonant, stress and pause, to a depth you once thought impossible for this shameless man.

He stops, a deliberate silence in the painstakingly rehearsed plan. His left hand curls into a fist. “And yet, we have broken countless attacks from these insects, and even driven them back. Kaskandir, Hac-thach, Birtoren, these victories are no coincidence. Nor are they miracles. For in truth there is a hidden strength at our core...” You interrupt the cat before his paws can pummel the innocent table. “I don't care for the idle philosophising of a lion, Richard. Facts, give me facts.”

Evidently surprised, the man does not even try to hide his satisfaction at the unearned compliment. “Well, then, you already know the major players in Liteian politics, at least?” Of course, Silas made you memorise them by heart. “Lightonians, New Cantonese, Hawaiians, Cubans, and Kinois. But how do you balance these petty republics against the Core powers they broke away from?”

“We don't. There are plenty enough existing rivalries to force their hands. For example, Tandong transnationals were spooked into lifting their embargoes against the errant salariats of New Kanton just from us ‘considering’ to expand the Shanghaian military concession alone.” He turns away, seemingly to hide his face. If there is anything this man believes at all, this is it.

“In any event, history has already shown the real value of overstretched Coreworld expeditions in the face of a determined foe. In their place, these ‘petty’ states are the only strength we could rely on. With their men and their valour rests our sole hope of a lasting victory in Liteia and a future for the Directorate.” His eyes rest on the cafeteria clock for a long time, waiting for the stumpiest hand to budge. “It would be unfair to call the foreign garrisons at Nghe-tae and Batavia anything but brave now, isn't it?”

>>6057618
You detect the slightest twitch of his mouth muscles, another tongue click foaming up before abruptly dissipating. “Commander Thornton, I mustn't detain you any longer. You certainly have better things to do, say, attending that debriefing with the other captains.” You look at the clock again, now for its intended purposes. Oh no.

With the application of proper incentives, the shuttle pilot arrives at the Armitage just in time. The ensign receiving you seems to have other opinions, however, commenting on ‘womanly make-up’ with passers-by as he leads the way to Jean-Pierre's more humble combat information centre. Unfortunately for him, one of those bystanders happens to be Liu, who quickly grabs the lout.

“Say that again, you little shit." Her left hand holds the kid aloft by his ear. “Let see if we can also put some makeup on your manly face.” While her right repeatedly boxes his face, opening bloody fissures with every strike. ”That's enough, Liu. It was just a comment." She stops her assault for a brief moment. “No, he was attacking your womanhood. The very thing that makes you you." You find no fake teeth in her grin. "That will make you mine. And I can not allow that.”

Liu finishes up with a haymaker before allowing the boy to stagger away. “Now, where were we at? Oh yes.” She leans in close, prompting you to raise your hand in front of your chest in anticipation. “No, no that. Later. I mean the package. Do you have it?” You would roll a couple of dice here, but you think better than to bet against the house.
>Play dumb. There are a million ways for a drop like this to go wrong, after all. (Lie)
>Threaten to expose her. She's playing with fire, let it singe that smugness off her face.
>Blame it on agent Richard. You doubt even she could stand up to his ‘techniques.’ (Lie)
>Tell her the truth. And make it clear you want no part in this.
>Lean in and kiss her passionately, French-style. Hopefully that will distract her. (???)
>Write-in

>>6057620
>Tell her the truth. And make it clear you want no part in this.
We aren't playing her games

>>6057620
>>Tell her the truth. And make it clear you want no part in this.

Reminder to post your vote even if it seems hopeless. Who knows, maybe I'll find a way to work it into the final post.
>>6057716
>>6058376
>the truth

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>>6059026
It's best to be direct with these sorts, to not let them drag you down to their level. “No, I chuck it into a star a few ‘years away from here. What about it?” Liu is slightly taken aback. “That wasn't funny, Thornton.” You snigger a little, “Well, I didn't mean for it to be funny. But whatever suits you.”

Next thing you know she was pinching your ear the same way she did that poor ensign. “Ow, ow. Hell really has no fury like you, ahh.” Your hands frantically pry each of her fingers open before she can send another wave of pain through your body with a twist of the wrist. She backs off a little, face red-hot. “What did you say again, you cunt? Do you know how much that shipment costs?”

You flick the safety switch on your derringer off while pretending to regain your composure, just in case. “Screw you, and your boss. Should have gotten a better courier. I'm not getting spaced over a fistful of malacitite.” Hell suddenly freezes over. “Don't say that word, I warn you. Not on this ship you don't. Do you know how many...” Liu's spidery finger traces an invisible guillotine blade clean across her hickey-dotted neck.

“Jean-Pierre won't touch me. Doesn't take a genius to figure out you're the one he has an executioner's axe to grind with.” Imagining the Frenchman coolly cocking his revolver before blasting molten bits and pieces of Liu all over is undeniably guilty yet pleasurable. “You're an even dumber whore than I thought. God must have put all his blessings below the neck, eh? Get this at least, he'll put a slug through both our skulls, thick or not.”

“I'm surprised you're not delighted we'll be sharing the same gravity well. So much for women's solidarity, I guess.” The abyss' glare isn't as scary as philosophers made it out to be. “It still isn't funny.” Suddenly, Jean-Pierre appears behind the corner, walking swiftly towards the two of you. Crap, why is the strap suddenly so tight around the gun?

“No need, Commander Thornton. I got this.” He ceremoniously lowers his revolver until it lines up with Liu's temples. “I guess this is the end of the line, then.” She closes her eyes, though her eyelashes continue to twitch. “Of all the people I thought I would die to, John, you're the most... normal of them. At least I know you have the decency to make it quick.”

The veteran hesitates a little. “Where's the usual backbiting, Liu? You should have made at least half a dozen quips by now about how my ensign has it coming.” Oh, thank God, he didn't hear that. “Let me fill in instead. Your gun safety is very poor, Jean-Pierre. Revolvers aren't toys, don't point it at people, or things, you don't want to shoot.”

>>6059028
“Heh, your father has a much better sense of humour, Commander. Or maybe we're just both old. Back in our time jokes used to have punchlines, you know?” The pistol finds its way back into in the holster. “Nonetheless, I still want an explanation from our pirate-queen herself.” Jean-Pierre makes a visible effort to push down the welling anger. “Why did you physically assault my ensign, Commander Liu?”

“He is a misogynist who spent most of his time attacking women more competent than him.” You nod to Jean-Pierre's inquiring glance. “Just figured he needs some tough love. Wouldn't do if he starts harassing his female colleagues.”

“I'll file yet another case with Fleet. Doubtless they'll slap you on the wrist again, Liu.” He turns round and start strutting down the corridor. “Follow me, Commanders. We don't have all day.” Liu gives you a ‘we’re not done here' glance before following the icy command.

You cough and hack from inhaling the bitter grey mist. Jean-Pierre's planning room apparently doubles as the crew's smoking room. Ienaga immediately jumps up to greet you, his cigarette butt still smoldering in the ashtray. You can't see who is behind the constantly regenerating cloud of steam in the corner, but there's only one possibility. The warlord does not make any move, however, his body rooted to the lamplike contraption. “Opium,” Jean-Pierre whispers to you, “the fool's a hopeless addict.”

The hologram shines hazily behind all the smoke, but you can still make out the dancing pips of colour. “We don't have much time here, so I'll be brief. How fast or slow should we be pushing through this?”
>As fast as possible. Chain the Invincible to your ship, you'll pull it through this if you have to. (smaller enemy force, lower manoeuvrability in battle)
>Take some precautions. No point being stingy with time, any ship the Ter wants to raise should be in place already. (larger enemy force, risk of reinforcements)
>Ambush any pursuers from Melasthemae first. You can't afford to be pincered while fighting in Hyros (largest enemy force, no reinforcement)
>Defer to Jean-Pierre. He's the more experienced commander here, not to mention the elected leader of the force.
>This talk can wait. Announce Liu's malicitite smuggling operations to everyone (this will have serious consequence)
>Write-in

>>6059028
>God must have put all his blessings below the neck, eh?
Hehe

>>6059030
>>As fast as possible. Chain the Invincible to your ship, you'll pull it through this if you have to. (smaller enemy force, lower manoeuvrability in battle)

>>6059030
>Defer to Jean-Pierre. He's the more experienced commander here, not to mention the elected leader of the force.

>>6059030
>As fast as possible. Chain the Invincible to your ship, you'll pull it through this if you have to. (smaller enemy force, lower manoeuvrability in battle)

>>6059030
>As fast as possible. Chain the Invincible to your ship, you'll pull it through this if you have to. (smaller enemy force, lower manoeuvrability in battle)
Speed is our strength

Sorry for the late update, went out with my colleagues last night and forgot to check the time.
>>6059397
>>6059770
>>6060774
>Fast is smooth

>>6059541
>Pass the buck

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>>6061227
Your first instinct is to rely on Jean-Pierre's keen battle sense, but more likely than not he would argue for turning back. Captains don't get to survive as long as he does by being overly aggressive. Before anyone else can raise their own doubts you seize the initiative, “As fast as possible. There's a slim chance we can make it through without too much resistance.”

Liu grabs your shirt, “Are you born yesterday or something? Or are you only too blind to see the two military bases within a comet's swing from here, Thornton?” You make no move to resist her sudden onslaught. If the cunt wants rough play, there are plenty of men in this same room willing to do all the rough play in the world to her.

Jean-Pierre is the first to pull her off. “That's enough, Liu. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but I will not stand by while you assault yet another person on my ship.” Natural, he's much closer to the two of you after all.

“Nonetheless, I must agree with Commander Liu's assessment. Any hopes of avoiding a fight is nothing more than a pie-in-sky. If we are going through the Curtain, then we will be doing it in full combat station.”

You flick bits of nail polish on your shirt back to its owner, eyes sweeping the room. “That's why I said ‘slim.’ Even so, the faster we go, the less time these insects will have to tip the scales against us.”

“But how will we go fast, pretty girl? My rickety box only has so much acceleration to give.” Okwonko remains surprisingly lucid for someone in opium-fueled euphoria. You wonder how many more secrets this mahogany-skinned mercenary conceals.

“Please address me by my name and title, Commander Okwonko. That's the least respect us privateers owe one another.” You delight in the hateful attention Liu's showering on you.

“Commander Tho-thronton, please, enlighten this dull mind.” The corners of his lips and eyes raise slightly. Has he already guessed what you will propose?

“Not on your own power, you won't be fast enough. But if someone is to tow you...” The smirk turns into a full blown smile. “I know how dangerous cruising in such tight formation is. That's why the Vanilla Skyline will volunteer for this task. Everyone else can help by screening for us.” The room falls quiet for a moment. Ienaga has made his way next to the holo-projector and is now carefully examining the twinkling dots, occasionally waving clear some of the accumulated smoke.

Weighty decision completed, he finally speaks up, “Then the Yushi will volunteer to scout out Melia. It is a one way trip, so don't leave us dry. No amount of respect owed can compel anyone in this room to risk their necks for these bones, but I hope you can look within yourself and do what is right.” Now that's a man who know where to prick, echoing your own words like so.

“If there are no other questions, then we can adjourn the meeting.” There are no other questions.

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>>6061228
“All the chains are in place and secured. I sure hope you know what you are doing, Capt'. Over.” Great, just the confidence boost you need.

“Acknowledged, Goldsmith. Over and out.” You turn to Dornholm, who has relocated from her usual station in the ship's rear. “Ready for drive synchronisation, Dornholm? I don't want to see any bits of the Invincible, or worse, the Skyline floating past these windows.” Her uniform is wrinkled and grease-stained, clearly something thrown on at the last minute. Half of the buttons on the shirt are undone, giving it the appearance of a loose-fitting blouse.

She exchanges one final glance of understanding with Moynihan. “Yes, everything's ready to go, Captain. We'll be accelerating slowly, less than a klick per sec at first. That way bolts won't go their merry ways even if things go tits up.”

Both ships accelerates in tandem at first, before your own stronger engines take over the lion's load. There is a slight, almost imperceptible, jerk as the chains draw taut, but otherwise no signs of trouble. Perhaps you have underestimated Dornholm, more capable than her young age would suggest. Everything is clear enough that you feel safe handing over command to Tim to catch a quick shut-eye. Ironic since the ship would be in better hands afterwards.

In the meantime, the Yushi is pulling farther ahead from the main formation, now poised near the edge of Molosses' gravity well. You miss his final tightbeam, “See you on the other side,” but make it to the bridge just in time for the first q-pulse transmission, “Surrounding's clear. But jump in quick. Multiple energy signatures detected closing in. One capital-class vessel.”

Moynihan dutifully relays the message to the rest of the formation while Dornholm detaches the chain in preparation for warping. No time to spread out, Ienaga needs you now.

Tim shouts, pointing to one of the video feeds, “What the fuck are the Scar and Razor doing?” They are making a 180 degree turn. You grab the voicepiece and starts blasting on all channels at Liu's ships. You sure as hell won't let them bail on you now.
>Threaten to expose her smuggling operations. She won't live much longer than you if she runs.
>Appeal to her lust for battle. The upcoming fight will be better than sex, even, though you can only guess.
>Promise her a special ‘favour’ if she sees this through. What that is exactly, you can work out later.
>Order Elysium to give her a half-salvo. Nothing helps discipline more than getting shot at.
>Ask Jean-Pierre for assistance. He knows what to do in these situations (delays jump)
>Write-in

>>6061229
Oh I forgot one last choice
>Let her run. Cowards will only get in the way in the coming fight anyway.

>>6061229
>>Appeal to her lust for battle. The upcoming fight will be better than sex, even, though you can only guess.

>>6061229
>Promise her a special ‘favour’ if she sees this through. What that is exactly, you can work out later.
Take her to a brothel

We currently have a tie between
>Special favour
>Lust for battle

>>6061229
>>Promise her a special ‘favour’ if she sees this through. What that is exactly, you can work out later.

>>6061229
>Appeal to her lust for battle. The upcoming fight will be better than sex, even, though you can only guess.

>>6061229
>Appeal to her lust for battle. The upcoming fight will be better than sex, even, though you can only guess.

>>6061680
No, you can't do that anon! You must know that girls can't love girls, right?

>>6061520
>>6062502
>>6062560
>Lust for battle

>>6061680
>>6062482
>Special favour

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>>6063269
“Is this the dauntless Commander Liu I know, running from a battle so fast? Over.” You opt for a half-sarcastic, half-sincere tone, hoping that it will cut the deepest. Your voice must carry the day here, there is simply no time to establish a video feed.

“Are you deaf as well? It's a capital ship, to cry out loud. I'm much happier alive than dead, Thornton. Over.” A reminder that her miserable life lasts only as long as you choose to keep the smuggling operations covered up would fit nicely here, but you would rather use the carrot than the stick, give her something to fight for. Such as you... Liu's warm finger sliding down the cool skin of your back, tracing the outline of each disc before finally digging deep into the tailbone...

You unwittingly lets out a gasp before returning to reality. No, that was just a gust of wind from the overhead vent. You will do her one better than sex. “Don't bullshit me, Liu. You know full well that each battle could be your last. Why deny yourself a good fight? Over.”

“I pity girls like you who will never get the enjoy the finer things in life. No I simply love living too much. Over and out.” Her flagship Razoredge completes the turn and starts burning away from the system's edge.

“Ma'am, incoming transmission from the Armitage. Patching through now.” Jean-Pierre sounds significantly less annoyed than you have guessed, “Let her go, Commander Thornton. She'll be back soon enough, once she meets my insurance policy. Over.”

Great, he has a secretive streak as well, why does everyone you meet has to be shady? “What do you mean, insurance policy? Surely you don't happen to have an asset in the Terret fleets? Over.”

“You'll find out soon enough. Go ahead and jump. I won't be far behind. Just have to make sure he shows up. Good luck. Over.” You don't like this, but unlikely he'll leave you in the lurch with his handler still aboard your ship. Probably snoring in some nook right now, that fool cat.

“Good luck to you too. Over and out.” The Invincible continues its precisely controlled bursts to aim its bow towards Melia, heedless of all that happened around it. Is Okwonko truly committed to your cause, or does he realise that he can't run anyhow?

“Alignment complete. Warp drive powered up. Starting countdown.” Moynihan crosses himself. “5. 4. 3. 2. 1.” The jump is over before it began. In the far distance, the blue supergiant Melia burns bright.

The Yushi quickly makes contact. “Took you long enough. We are transmitting everything that our sensors have picked up. But where are the destroyers and the Armitage? Over.”

“Liu and her dogs ran. Jean-Pierre is trying to wrangle them. He'll catch up to us later. Over.” Your own significantly more powerful radar, lidar, and thermal arrays quickly turn towards the direction highlighted by Yushi's sensor feed.

“1 capital. 1 heavy cruiser. 5 destroyers. Lord protects us."

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>>6063272
You toss the smothering blanket off of you. No, that is not distant explosions that you are hearing, Sylvie. No sound can travel across the vacuum. Still, you can't just sleep while Elysium and Tim are still hard at work fending off the constant stream of missiles coming from the Hyena-class light battleship.

True to its designation, the ship has opted to shadow your task force, now bolstered by the Armitage, and constantly pepper you with missiles to sniff out any weaknesses in the PD grid. For now, the salvos remain small and poorly guided, its mothership still too far to provide rapid course corrections but as the range steadily closes, no doubt their accuracy will improve.

Unfortunately, the enemy holds the upper hand here. The damn thing can simply sit back and slowly builds up a massive, unstoppable barrage before sending it your way and there's not a damn thing to do but hope your point defense can weather the onslaught.

Both the Yushi and Shishi have keyed their own autofoundries to produce as many anti-missile missiles as they can manage in preparation for the looming deluge. You want to also help by harassing the behemoth's approach, but Jean-Pierre has forbidden you from firing the main guns. “There is only one target worth shooting down, and your guns are enough for that," he said. Frustrating, yes, no choice here but to trust your crew and your ship to him and his secret plan.

The hallways are nearly deserted. The changing of the guards won't be 9 hours from now, and anyone who isn't at their station is resting, as they should be. The Ter commander wants to wear down your men most of all, and you cannot allow that. But this is merely survival. How can you win?

You wander, deep in thought, seeming to all the world a sleepwalker. Unconsciously, your feet carry you all the way to the quarters for the engineer's mates. Pahan-Hysin's new bunk. The Mir's sleep cycle is widely different from humans, so maybe he's awake as well...

You instinctively spin your heel round to catch the stalker. “You scared me, Pahan.” The soldier's massive bulk shows no signs of movement. You lower your voice to a whisper to not disturb the sleeping crewmen, “Here danger?”

His voice is as distant as a coy lizard, always slinking just out of grasp, “Yes, danger. How do you a-ccept thiss?” You cock your head a little to the side, “Accept what?” He raises his left claw slightly and motions it around, “Thiss. You can't ssave you-self. Your life no more in your hand.”
>"Well, you have to learn to trust. Faith. Do you understand?" *points to heart*
>"You just do your job, and hope everyone do theirs. No point overthinking it."
>"We always depend on someone else for our livelihoods. War just makes that more clear."
>"I don't. I'm always afraid I will die because someone somewhere failed. But I can't run now."
>Show Pahan around the ship. Seeing is worth hearing a thousand times over. (becomes tired)
>Write-in

>>6063273
>>"Well, you have to learn to trust. Faith. Do you understand?" *points to heart*

>>6063273
>"You just do your job, and hope everyone do theirs. No point overthinking it."

>>6063273
>"Well, you have to learn to trust. Faith. Do you understand?" *points to heart*

Sorry got caught in the rain while going for a walk today, now feeling a little unwell. I'll try getting the update in tomorrow afternoon.

>>6063273
>"You just do your job, and hope everyone do theirs. No point overthinking it
Hate to draw this out but our bug boy is not gonna understand human emotions like faith and trust

>>6063273
>"You just do your job, and hope everyone do theirs. No point overthinking it."

Thankfully I only caught a sniffle from the rain, still annoying.

>>6064008
>>6066340
>>6066847
>>"You just do your job, and hope everyone do theirs. No point overthinking it."

>>6063713
>>6064735
>>"Well, you have to learn to trust. Faith. Do you understand?" *points to heart*

File: cagedsnake.png (1.95 MB, 1276x808)

1.95 MB PNG

>>6067271
Trust, faith, camaraderie, what men live by, but not necessarily what bugs live by. Even if some of that bug blood is now flowing through your veins (you stop yourself from reflexively retching in front of Pahan), how larger Mir vessels are commanded and controlled is nothing more than vague images to your mind.

After some consideration, perhaps it's best to sidestep the question for now. “You just do your job, and hope everyone do theirs. No point overthinking it.” In the not too distant future when you are not literally under fire you can give him a complete tour of the ship, show him how it's properly done.

Pahan ponders the answer until he realises it was a non-answer. “Reaally? This ‘hope’ Sivia Totonret do too?” You have no need for such nihilistic coping strategies, your men would never... Would they?

Yes, they would. On a certain level, you had trotted out such a non-answer time and again to push back the doubt gingerly gnawing the corners of your mind. Chernov's actions, Tim's too, certainly didn't help. “Yes, keep this between you and me: sometimes I don't trust in my own men either. Yet I must, I have no choice. And neither do you. If only there is no war...”

“There is war, always. We don't deal in hypotheticals here.” Silas pops out from behind a conveniently obscured doorframe. “But I won't fail a student who's still learning. Honestly? I would be more concerned if you still naively cling on to some ideal of this crew after all that have happened." He quickly shoos the soldier-caste back into his bunks. “Don't worry, I won't tuck you back into bed like, him.”

“So you're here to continue that talk we had earlier, Si? I don't remember anything particularly urgent being discussed when the new recruit Richard sneaked up on me.” You can barely make out Silas' frown under the mellowed light.

“Remind me to talk to you about that Richard Ergos after this battle. We need a job, something that could chain that viper to a desk while at the same time giving his hawk eyes no paperwork to read. But for now? No, nothing urgent.” Silas quickly notices your knitted brows.

“Sorry for interrupting you earlier. It's dangerous to say those ideas out loud. I do hope, nonetheless, that you find better reasons to stay on this ship than learning more about a man who could only be called father in the barest sense or winning a war which will never threaten your homeland anyway. Good night.” He makes a casual salute before leaving.

You hope your own ‘good night’ manages to chase him down around the tight corners inside this hull. With nothing else to do and a sudden sense of weariness overcoming your senses, your mind waste no time drifting away into a blessedly dreamless sleep once snugly it was snugly fit onto the soft pillow.

>>6067282
After chowing down scrambled eggs on toast, you let out one last yawn before entering the bridge. The men quickly snaps to attention before returning to their duties while Tim gives you a sitrep. “de Tassigny's sleeve-ace jumped into the system a few hours ago. Come here, O'Keefe, you need to hear this too.” Silas meanders over, cup of coffee still in hand. “No, I don't like black coffee, thanks for the offer. Anyways, as I was saying...”

He quickly brings up three silhouettes. “The Razoredge and Scarface, escorted by yours truly, Thanaret. Or should I say frogmarched? Look at those fresh laser burns on their hulls.” The light cruiser Ayutthaya is now on flank accel, but judging by the distance it wouldn't be another two or three hours until it catches up with your group. “ETA 140 minutes.”

You feel cold sweat rolling down your nose as you look over. The Hyena was much closer than before, now barely an AU away. “Hyena-1 is trying to stop that happening, of course.” The thundering of explosions now washes over the deck in short, violent bursts, or at least you imagine so. “It will soon throw all it's worth at us. Every interceptor drone on the Invincible now flies extended sorties. Anti-missile missiles stockpiles on Ienaga's ships still full. That's about it.”

Silas points at the smaller pip accompanying the battleship. “This Komodo's the real threat. Thanaret won't be able to make an attack run on the Hyena with those guns still in the way. Do we have permission to fire at will?”

“de Tassigny gave us the greenlight an hour ago. We can shoot at anything we want, except the battleship. Problem is, that damn heavy cruiser seems to know this as well, so it keeps on dashing behind the Hyena whenever we start straddling it.”

"No need to straddle if we can nail it on our first shot." Both men look at you incredulously as you toss several 1d100 onto an empty dish left there for that exact purpose. You will only have one chance, so choosing the correct approach would be vital.
>Wait for the Komodo to wander far enough from the Hyena before opening fire. (DC 80, Thanaret will be delayed)
>Aim for the gap between the two ships, let see where it can run now. (DC 90)
>Move out of your formation to line up the sun behind the Komodo, increasing your optical sensor's effectiveness (DC 70, your ship is more vulnerable to missile attacks)
>Shoot some smaller fish instead. Even if you miss, you can disrupt their approach (DC 90, Thanaret will be delayed)
>Hold fire for now
>Write-in.

Everyone rolls 1d100 with their vote. Every roll that passes is a hit.

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>6067284
>Wait for the Komodo to wander far enough from the Hyena before opening fire. (DC 80, Thanaret will be delayed)

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>6067284
>Aim for the gap between the two ships, let see where it can run now. (DC 90)
Nice

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>6067284
>Aim for the gap between the two ships, let see where it can run now. (DC 90)

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>6067284
>Wait for the Komodo to wander far enough from the Hyena before opening fire. (DC 80, Thanaret will be delayed)
How many hits will we need to disable that heavy cruiser?

we currently have a draw between
>Patiently wait
>Aim for the gap

>>6068544
At least 3-4 hits for firepower kill, more if you want to knock it out entirely. We fought another Komodo in the convoy ambush with Ienaga and suffice to say these escort cruisers are built like brick shithouses.
Don't worry however, we have 12 guns, and I will roll the rest of our batteries (with a -5 penalty) if there aren't enough votes.

Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>6067284
>Wait for the Komodo to wander far enough from the Hyena before opening fire. (DC 80, Thanaret will be delayed)

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>6067284
>Wait for the Komodo to wander far enough from the Hyena before opening fire. (DC 80, Thanaret will be delayed)

Rolled 14, 13, 31, 42, 4, 97 = 201 (6d100)

I will roll hits for the rest of our battery now but feel free to continue voting

>>6067496
>>6068544
>>6068782
>>6069239
>Wait

>>6067723
>>6068169
>Aim between the lines

Results table:
>1-5: Critical failure
>6-59: Miss
>60-69: Near miss - 25% damage
>70-79: Glancing hit - 50% damage
>80-89: Direct hit - Full damage
>90-94: Critical hit - 150% damage, one component disabled
>95-100: Critical component destroyed - Catastrophic kill

Rolls:
94: Critical hit! Shield disabled.
86: Direct hit. Two adjacent turrets destroyed.
67: Near miss. Unprotected sensors destroyed by shrapnels.
60: Near miss. Several PD guns disabled by shockwave
10: Miss.
27: Miss.
14 - 5 = 9: Miss
13 - 5 = 8: Miss
31 - 5 = 26: Miss
42 - 5 = 37: Miss
4 - 5 = 1: Critical failure! Own turret jammed.
97 - 5 = 92: Critical hit! Engine disabled.

That was one rollercoaster and a half.

>>6069371
“Guided shells loaded. Ready to fire on your command, over.” Silas quickly shouts acknowledgement into the voicepiece.

The Komodo hesitantly darts back and forth, less dragon, more anxious buffalo staring down a hound. Every now and then, it would stamp and roar with its light railguns in an attempt to scare off the circling predator. No matter, Thanaret knows full well what he must do: either he draws out the foolish grass-eater or dives in under the full might of its horns and hoofs, an unacceptable risk even for the reckless old hand.

You, the hunter, observe the delicate dance through the scope of your long-barreled rifle. Tim has moved a chair right next to Moynihan and is now acting as your spotter, “6500 klicks away from Hyena, just a bit more. They're turning back in. Range, 7.5 million klicks, still closing in fast.” In the meantime, Silas has wandered off to the gunnery section to get a closer view of the action.

“They're moving back out again. 4000, 5000.” Thanaret makes his boldest move yet, speeding into a torpedo attack run, Liu's destroyers following close behind.

“7000. 8000. Come on now." The first salvo of 7-inch shells harmlessly zips past his merry attack force.

“8500. 9000.” Initiate target lock, words that must have tasted like ambrosia to Elysium. With that, the first stage of your rifle's match trigger is set.

“10000. Movement vector still heading outwards. Should we fire?” Take a deep breath, calm down. Your finger rests perfectly still, its warmth slowly radiating onto the cool steel crescent.

“11000. They're decelerating.” One shell from the third salvo explodes just 300 metres away from the Scarface, showering its shield with fragments. However, Tim would not tell you this until after the battle. No one spoils the marksman's shot.

“11400. Reversing course.” You squeeze slightly, “Fire.” The sear breaks with a crisp click. “Acknowledged. Fire!” All across your ship, 12 hammers fall in unison onto the waiting tungsten-tipped round. That is, all except for one.

Silas quickly reports the problem child, “Damnit. Turret A-1, gun Beta jammed. Hatch connecting to improvised shell elevator blown out. Damage control underway.” You curse your luck. Hopefully its brethren will avenge this failure.

The Razoredge and Scarface quickly ditch the run once they detect your firing. The Ayutthaya continues to lunge forward, entrusting its life in the hands of its master. On the other side, the Komodo immediately stops firing and starts evasive manoeuvres. Too late, foolish prey, too late.

Unlike a dirtside hunt where the animal would (ideally) drop without realising it has been shot at, here it can watch toward the bullet speeds toward its heart and die in spirit before its body dies. “Four, no, three hits. Assessing damage... Engines disabled." The last thing it sees? The loyal hound dumping half a dozen torpedoes as the world falls into darkness one last time.

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215 KB JPG

>>6069375
forgot pic

>>6069377
Thanaret's raspy voice echoes all around the bridge, “Catastrophic kill to Komodo.” You breathe out in unison with everyone else, a short-lived relief. “Maintaining momentum for attack on Hyena. Provide fire support, keep destroyers away. Please. Over and out.”

Jean-Pierre quickly jumps into the silence, “You have permission to blast that light battleship. This is our only chance to bring her down. Over.”

Before you can order Elysium to lock your guns on the pack leader, Tim brings another overlay onto the holo-projector, “Large missile salvo incoming. Our PD net is inadequate. We need to load our main guns with AA rounds.”

Your tablet softly chimes. As you open it, you feel a gaze intensifying behind your back coming from an underlit corner. How long has he been here?

It is a communique from Yamir-Hysret containing a series of scrambler keys. Inserting these into known Qyngur evasive algorithms will produce complete flight plan projections for every single ship opposing you, save one, Heron-2... Needless to say, a massive tactical advantage, but one you cannot utilise without piquing the cat's interests.

You must decide now, before automated clamps can latch onto the appropriate ammo type in the magazine and deliver them to their respective shell elevators. Which target will you take down?
>High-Explosive. You need to sweep Thanaret's approach corridor clear of enemy destroyers first.
>Kinetic Shield-piercing. Jean-Pierre is right, Thanaret's laser needs some help getting through the Hyena's thick hide.
>Fragmentation. Parry the enemy's missile attack first, then deliver your own blow.
>Guided. Because there is someone's day you must absolutely ruin. (choose one. limited ammo, no resupply until end of sortie)
>(Optional) Utilise Yamir-Hysret's intel to nail some unlucky bastards. (reduced straddle time, will raise Richard's suspicion)

>>6069379
>Fragmentation. Parry the enemy's missile attack first, then deliver your own blow.

Lol just a few hours after I posted Battleship New Jersey uploaded this. What a funny coincidence.
https://youtu.be/Ot07mYVEcAw?si=o7LkLd4uU3L_6FTa

>>6069379
>High-Explosive. You need to sweep Thanaret's approach corridor clear of enemy destroyers first.

>>6069379
>Fragmentation. Parry the enemy's missile attack first, then deliver your own blow.
>(Optional) Utilise Yamir-Hysret's intel to nail some unlucky bastards. (reduced straddle time, will raise Richard's suspicion)

>The normal options will be chosen as normal
>The optional option will be picked only if it is included in more than 50% of votes

Technically using these rules we already have a winner in the form of
>Fragmentation
But since the margins are fairly thin I'll let the votes run a little longer to see if there's any upset.

>>6069379
>High-Explosive. You need to sweep Thanaret's approach corridor clear of enemy destroyers first.
>(Optional) Utilise Yamir-Hysret's intel to nail some unlucky bastards. (reduced straddle time, will raise Richard's suspicion)
I am the upset. We should focus on shooting enemy ships and leave the point defense to our light cruisers.

Hmm we have here a proper four-way Mexican standoff. I will let the vote run for another few hours. In case there is no tiebreaker, I will chalk our decision as
>"Uhh, target both, gunnery. Half AA and half AP, you know. Should work, right?"

>>6071762
New thread?

Another thread end curse?