THE FINAL BATTLE
23 Jan 2023Jav Marlo
THE FINAL BATTLE8 AUG 3308, HIP 22460.
This is commander Jav Marlo, recording this log on board the Perseus.
(Deep sigh) I think I’ve never been so tired in my entire life. (Deep breath) They say the war might end today... I’m not so sure about that... my faith in Salvation is not strong... too obscure... too secretive... but I’m sure about something... we held our ground at HIP22460... it took a great toll, but we held the Thargoids... we protected the damn Proteus Wave site... and I hope it was for good... because I don’t know if we can hold much more.
Jav Marlo in the docks of the Bright Sentinel
Six weeks ago I was one thousand light years away in the fringe of the Bubble helping a group of slaves in their rebellion against the pirate clan that had them prisoners. In that forsaken asteroid of Lemmy’s Rock, my partner Ayumi reunited with her sister and finally found the peace she had been seeking. She is more balanced now... focused, after the hell she has lived. We took the former slaves in a distressing trip on a falling apart Imperial Cutter to the California Nebula where, under the leadership of Ayumi and her sister, they sought asylum with the Exemplars. I thought that Ayumi would want to remain at the Darwin Research Facility that was once her home, or hideout, but she chose to come with me... and that made me immensely happy. So we left the Cutter there and travelled to Copernicus Observatory in Asterope to recover the Perseus, my Thargoid hunter Chieftain.
The Perseus leaving Copernicus Observatory
Twenty jumps and several hyperdictions later we arrived to HIP 22460, the system where the self proclaimed savior of humanity, the obscure Salvation, leading the even more obscure Azimuth Biotechs faction, was preparing his mysterious Proteus Wave, the definitive weapon that is expected to wipe out the Thargoids from the Galaxy, and all that counting with the support of all the mayor powers. Even if nobody knows what the Proteus Wave is or how it works. Some even claim that Salvation is only feeding and old Thargoid installation with Guardian artifacts hoping to unleash a huge reaction. (sighs) Curiosity overcame me, and I tried a recognition flight over the site, but the planet 10b was under a heavy blockage and we could not see anything.
The Perseus attempting a recognition flight over HIP 22460 10b
After our unfruitful recon attempt, we flew to the Bright Sentinel to register and join the combat efforts. The megaship was crowded with commanders coming from all the Bubble, mostly independent. Adventurers, mercenaries, seasoned Thargoid fighters carrying advance Guardian weaponry, like I do, the megaship was hectic with activity. There were several task forces, and we were assigned to the Musashi.
Jav Marlo at the Bright Sentinel concourse
There was the rumour around that Salvation himself might have been directing the final stages of the deployment of his super weapon from the Bright Sentinel bridge, so I tried to check on him; but security was tight, and not even my Triple Elite credentials left me pass into the command deck.
Jav Marlo attempting to get into the Bright Sentinel command deck
And that is how the most intense combat I have ever experienced commenced. There were skirmishes all over the system, but the main resistance was concentrating around the capital ships armed with experimental weaponry that the superpowers had sent to represent them in the conflict.
The FNS Fortitude attacking a Thargoid
There was the FNS Fortitude, commissioned by the Federation, that had experimental kinetic weapons that caused havoc specially on the small Thargoid scouts.
The FNS Fortitude firing its kinetic weapons
The Inv Audacious Dream, commissioned by the Empire, and armed with experimental heavy lasers that melt the Thargoid interceptor shields.
The INV Audacious Dream firing on a Thargoid interceptor
And the Oath of Tyrandeus, a megaship sent by the Alliance, that carried an experimental missile rack attack system.
The Oath of Tyrandeus
Week after week, wave after wave, the three ships have managed to survive the Thargoids offensive. We held our ground. (Deep breath) Only one megaship was lost, the Overlook. But it was lost way before the system unlocked for the independent pilots. It was weeks ago when they discovered the derelict with corrosion marks all over the hull. Who owned the ship or what it was doing here has not been clarified yet.
The Overlook adrift on HIP 22460
Lots of commanders have lost their lives defending the Proteus Wave site or the megaships… (sigh) I have never seen before so many Thargoid interceptors striking at the same time; I even got to see two Hydras attacking together. And those monsters can cripple a whole fleet on their own. I have fought them before. You can count with the fingers of one hand the number of commanders in the galaxy that can face one of those things solo. They require a lot of heavy sustained fire by many ships at the same time to fall. And they were coming in pairs!
Independent commanders attacking a Hydra on HIP 22460
But, truth be told, the Hydras I have seen before were different. And I know what I am talking about, even if no one wants to listen to me. I am a seasoned Xeno Hunter that has killed more than a thousand Thargoids in the Pleiades… (sigh) I don´t know… it could be related with whatever Salvation is doing down there, but there was something strange about them… I mean, they are still incredibly dangerous at close range and extremely resistant to damage. But the Thargons… I don´t know how to explain it, the Thargons were behaving erratically. Most of the time they just follow their Hydras without engaging. And that is not normal. I have seen those critters launching themselves towards vessels piercing through the hull and them exploding destroying in a single volley heavy armored Cutters and Anacondas. It is not that I expected to see that on HIP 22460. Hydras are still a formidable enemy without their drones, but something feels out of place in this system... in this war.
A Hydra on HIP 22460
Anyhow, tomorrow it won´t matter anymore. If Salvation is right, this war ends today. And it is about time. I really hope he is right and his Proteus wave wipes out the Thargoids from the galaxy. I really do. But somehow, I feel that we have not seen everything that the Thargoids have to throw into this conflict. I hope I am wrong. The Proteus wave deployment is scheduled to happen in the next minutes. Xeno hunter squadrons have been called to their megaships to witness the historical moment. But I do not intend to be in the system when that happens.
The Perseus landed at the Musashi
Whatever occurs when Salvation activates his superweapon, I prefer to be at some light years of distance. So I checked for any bases or vessels in the vicinity to watch the fireworks, and found a nice surprise. The surrounding systems are crowded with vessels and carriers, both official and independent that have come to support with the war effort. And among them I found the carrier of my brother Zal, the Meganeuropsis. I have asked him for safe harbour and he has granted it.
The Perseus approaching the Meganeuropsis
We landed minutes ago and ran towards the bridge. The count down for the deployment of the Proteus wave has started. Humankind is holding its breath…
Jav Marlo signing out
Jav Marlo and Ayumi in the bridge of the Meganeuropsis