Preparations for Core Expedition
23 Jan 2021Junagu
Since returning to our home systems last year I've been involved in almost an endless spate of engineering, setting up new ships and refining others. The main new ships have been a Mamba, set up for core region exploration, an Anaconda (my first, at long last) which is loaded up as a self-sufficiency vessel, another Cobra MkIII, An Asp Explorer and a Type-10 Defender. The last in particular, which wasn't cheap, was bought specifically for Anti-Xeno duties. Another outbreak of Thargoid attacks at both the Witch Head and Coalsack nebulas saw a lot of forces drawn into the battle and The Silverbacks participated heavily in the Wellington system. I had found that my own vessels had hardly been tested and needed a good deal of work doing to them. I now have 6 dedicated AX ships, up from 3, and I have a feeling that they shall see heavier fighting yet. For the time being the Thargoids seem to have been driven back and the work repairing the stations begins.
Not for us, though. A long, slow-burning idea has finally started to come to fruition: an expedition into the Core Regions. The last time I was there was over a year ago and having taken the new fleet carrier out on a journey down to the end of the Outer Arm we're going to push it some more and do a somewhat more ambitious journey. We've a lot more CMDRs on board this time and hopefully will start to pick up a few more in the next few days. I'm very pleased to have the two CMDRs who were on board the last long journey: CMDRs Godthab and Robyobson, both SVBK stalwarts and great company. They both added invaluable support the last time and have been helping to develop the detail of the expedition on the bridge.
Currently anchored in CD-47 8991. A fairly benign independent industrial democracy.
It's a quiet system that gets few visitors from outsiders and since we are protected here it should provide a good spot for the fleet to assemble. A few in-system jumps for the carrier crew to do some checks have been made. All good so far. The crew is getting very busy now that ships have started to be brought on board; the shipyard is a-buzz and starting to get a good vibe going; same with the outfitting crew. In fact the Blodeuwedd's Branch is fair starting to pop with activity.
Whilst all that has been going on I've made a few trips out in The Medicine Cabinet
Some essential last-minute meetings. I've been for one last visit to the Bank of Zaonce, to put in place some of the financial underpinnings. There were some odd clauses I wanted to include that made the executives get a bit quizzical but once I'd laid out my credentials they were assuaged in their concerns. Though this is a mostly private enterprise, I've always gone through the formalities of assuring financial connections. It helps clear the way.
Then, on to Brett High in Tionisla to meet with some old associates from New Caledonia; no longer spacefarers, having retired to the sea of their world, but nonetheless deeply concerned with the legacy of their own journeys. Having had a much more detailed look at the journey ahead I had some questions for them; a couple of critical points needed their perspective.
Recent approval of the expedition with EDSM has given us a countdown to launch.
