MARS: 11 - 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 - TITAN Contractors
20 Jun 2022Aurora Adair-Levine (Radiumio)
NOTE: This story contains themes of violence and strong language.
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DATE: 14th of June, 3308 [01:07 UGT]
LOCATION: T.O.C. Solaris Q4V-40N, IC 4604 Sector HR-W D1-68Seven hours is all it took.
Seven hours is all it took for the Solaris to fall. There was no more gunfire. No more screaming. Just silence. A consequence the squadron would remember forever.
Bodies littered the various hallways throughout the Solaris. From CSF soldiers to crew and divisional personnel, no one was left undamaged by the disaster. Entire rescue teams had been lost when the crew suddenly snapped and went rogue... but nobody quite understood why. Those who returned from combat against the rogue forces hardly fared any better... even though they had survived. Everything had been taken away in those seven hours. Friends. Family. A home for many.
The few hundred survivors that remained trudged to the evacuation vessels, whisked away to the squadron's rescue carrier positioned in the system. The hours and days that followed were spent picking up the pieces, as they prepared to leave the Solaris behind... but not much was left to be saved. In one, fell swoop, it had all come crashing down.
TITAN Contractors, and the Solaris flagship, had failed.
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The 15th of June was the final goodbye to the Solaris. The CCV Katana - an Anaconda-class vessel serving as the command center for SOF Tethys - finally arrived, along with its escort. Whatever personnel, crew or Commanders remained aboard the Solaris were transferred to the Katana, and the ships left behind were brought along as well. With one final sweep of the carrier, spec-ops teams wiped entire databases, recovering physical hard-drives and critical hardware while destroying the rest, essentially scuttling the carrier.
With the Solaris now declared lost, the Katana - as well as every other vessel in the proximity - turned and disappeared with a flash of light. The carrier was left there, to float endlessly in the void of space. Damaged, and alone. Lost, but never forgotten.
A day after the official abandonment of the Solaris, a lone, mysterious Anaconda once again emerges from supercruise. It slowly cruises to the wreck, before opening its cargo hatch and launching a series of limpets. The first limpet flies to the ATC and carrier command tower, placing a plaque on top and welding it to the superstructure. The rest deposit data beacons, each containing part of the known casualties list in remembrance of those lost aboard the carrier.
Finally, a singular nav beacon is launched from the Anaconda, impacting the hull and nestling in, looking like merely a part of the wreckage. Once all the limpets have returned, and all but the final beacon are online and transmitting, the ship slowly turns its nose away from the derelict. Hardpoints deploy, and a railgun salute is fired, before a storm cloud begins to materialize with a flash of lightning, and the Anaconda vanishes through the dark clouds.
Having left a proper memorial documenting the story of TITAN for those who would discover the carrier in future years, and ensuring that proper respect is paid; the wreck is now finally allowed to rest in peace...
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DATE: 20th of June, 3308 [10:15 UGT]
LOCATION: 'Templar' TR-03X >=>:[DOCKED TO]:>=> CCV Katana, Unknown SystemAurora Adair
Gunfire broke out as she listened to the shouts of the CSF soldiers, taking cover behind a pillar in the hallway. The fireteam leader she was following peeked the corner, sending a volley of shots down the corridor before he took a round to his helmet, his shields luckily saving him as he recoiled and cursed loudly. He ducked back to reload, but those footsteps kept getting closer and closer.
Ditching his magazine, he stepped out from cover and charged the approaching enemy, throwing his weapon to try knock them off balance. Aurora just froze there, listening to the ensuing struggle as several shots rang out, someone crying out in pain and anger. It prompted her to peek around the corner, but it was too late. The gunfire went quiet as she watched the threat fire shots into the CSF soldier's helmet, his body going still.
Without a second thought, Aurora charged from behind the figure, slamming into them as she tackled them to the floor. Her body screamed with pain from the injuries she had sustained throughout the fight aboard the carrier, but she powered through. Struggling with them as they both tumbled, Aurora soon found herself on top, pinning the figure to the floor as she reached back to grab her sidearm... and then froze.
It was Isabella. She could see her angry, focused face through the visor, undeterred as she struck. Before she could react, a fist found itself in the center of Aurora's blacked-out visor, prompting a yell as she recoiled. A knife came out from a sheathe on Isabella's belt, stabbing for Aurora's throat as she just barely knocked it away, fumbling to gain control over the knife. Her heart pounded in her chest, shaking with fear. She... she didn't want to fight her.
The two battled between the knife, Isa trying to release her grip as she punched Aurora in her injured side. She cried out in pain, trying to keep Isa pinned to the floor. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out a way to stop this as she screamed out in desperation, fighting to keep the blade away from her. She was panicking, and her calls and screams went unheard.
"ISA STOP!"
Aurora's eyes suddenly shot open as she sat up in her bed in a cold sweat. Her hands trembled as her heart pounded in her chest, trying to control her heavy, fast breathing as she quickly glanced over next to her. She slowly relaxed as she saw Isabella still laying there next to her... her beautiful lover. Snuggled underneath the sheets as her long, flowing chestnut hair splayed out over the pillow, Isa stirred, opening her groggy eyes a bit as Aurora looked down at her.
"Hmmm... hun... you okay...?"
With a sigh, Aurora slowly laid back down in the bed and stared at the bunk ceiling, closing her eyes for a moment.
"Yeahhh... sorry. Just panicked, thought I slept in and missed today's briefing. You can go back to sleep... I need to... get up and do stuff."
Aurora hoped Isa would buy her white lie. While it wasn't entirely a lie, she didn't need to burden her lover with what she experienced again in that nightmare. What mattered to her was that they made it out of it... that Isa snapped out of whatever was happening to her at the time. They were okay.
"Mmm... didn't know you had a briefing today."
"Yeah, they... uh... asked me yesterday if I'd be willing to come in for a chat or whatever... now that we've both been basically discharged from the medbay. But you should get some extra rest in, honey. I'll be back before you know it."
Isa smiled warmly, closing her eyes again with a soft hum. Aurora exhaled quietly to herself, unconsciously smiling herself as she looked down at Isa, before slipping out of the sheets and clambering out of the bed. Standing up with a stretch, she soon continued over to their locker in their small, cozy quarters, opening it and digging inside for her PDA. Switching the screen on, she checked the time... still ample time until the scheduled briefing. But... maybe they wouldn't mind her showing up a bit earlier.
Moving over to their equipment locker, Aurora quickly retrieved her black Maverick suit and slipped it on, following up with one of her outfits as she covered her suit with an orange jacket, and fitted on matching pants, finishing off her outfit as she tucked them into her magboots. The last thing she did was strap her PDA over her right forearm, before walking over to their bunk again.
"Be back soon, honey. I love you."
Giving Isa a quick, gentle kiss as she responded with a warm hum, Aurora swiftly turned to their quarters door and departed their room, starting to walk down the small, winding hallways of the Templar. She proceeded to the rear of the ship, approaching its airlock as she stood outside and checked the console, verifying the state of the docking tube linking them and the CCV Katana.
With a soft sigh, she opened the airlock doors and stepped through, her magnetic boots allowing her to traverse down the flexible corridor, following the turn as she walked over to the Katana's airlock door. Opening it with ease, she soon stepped into the ship itself, immediately coming face-to-face with a CSF guard standing across the hallway, in front of the airlock.
He saluted as Aurora closed the door behind her, addressing her as she stepped closer.
"Commander Adair."
"Hey... uh... I was wondering if Captain Faust is around? He said he wanted to see me later, but I thought I'd do so now if he's available..."
"He should be in the briefing center with the other Captains now, ma'am."
"Thanks."
With a smile, Aurora took in a breath and started to walk down the side corridor of the ship, glancing out the viewport as she passed by. She saw her golden ship floating there in the void, perfectly still relative to the Katana. The paintjob was extensively withered and damaged, but... it made her smile. She forded the galaxy with the Templar, with her partner by her side. For them, it was a home. It wasn't quite like the Solaris, but... it was a cosy getaway. One she loved to share with Isabella.
Releasing a sigh as she continued down the corridors, Aurora passed guards and signs occasionally as she made her way to the briefing center. It wasn't a long walk, as she soon came to a stop outside a restricted door deeper inside of the ship. Two guards flanked the doorway, glancing at her as she came to a stop.
"Here to meet with Captain Faust."
She stood there, looking between the guards just staring at her. She found it a bit unsettling as her own reflection stared back in their visors, but she didn't show it, waiting for some kind of response. Nothing was said, but after a few moments, one of the guards turned to the door and pressed the console, opening it. With a nervous, uncertain smile, Aurora nodded and looked down, slowly stepping forth into the cold-lit briefing room.
The door closed behind her, as she stood there and looked around the room. These briefing rooms weren't too dissimilar to the one aboard the Solaris that she often frequented, except this one was maybe a little bit smaller, and fully illuminated with cold, white lights, allowing her to see the dark, grated floor. In the center of the room sat a holographic briefing table, surrounded by four figures as they spoke.
Carefully approaching as she placed her hands behind her back at ease, Aurora dawdled towards the group, the conversation stopping before she could make much sense of it. A man with smooth, brown hair brushed back looked up at her, past one of the figures. She recognized him - Captain Meddley Faust, the first person she spoke to from the CCV Katana when they departed the Solaris.
"Ah, Commander Adair. You're much earlier than expected."
"Yeah. Sorry, uh... I thought I'd see if I could come by earlier. I can come back later if you're busy."
"No, actually, it's likely better if I discuss matters with you. Give us the room, please. Captain Asper, if you don't mind staying."
As two of the figures turned and swiftly walked past Aurora, heading for the exit, she found herself glancing at the armour of the last masked Captain standing by the table, taking in subtle notes before she was interrupted by Faust, looking over at him.
"Holding up alright, Commander? I heard you have a... tendency to charge into battle and risk your life."
Aurora chuckled, looking down at the table as she folded her arms.
"Ha... yeah, I suppose I do. I'm okay, all things considered. Everything's just been a... a blur lately. But I... wanted to say a proper thank you for all your help. Tethys saved a lot of people..."
"Hm... not as many as we hoped. Unfortunately, it is likely the best outcome considering the circumstances. We need to discuss what happened, Commander. As you know... we've effectively lost the Solaris, the majority of CSF and... well, I don't need to tell you how bad it is. We're on our knees. The Katana and its escorts are the last standing forces we have. There's no extra help coming for us, and nothing our Commanders can provide makes up for the shortfall in specialized equipment and skilled manpower."
"However, we know this is more... in-depth than just a simple attack. SOF Tethys was created publicly with the goal of hunting you down and eliminating the Crimson Venators for good. However, Captain Asper here has been a strong advocate of working to understand the whole situation we've been placed in. I hope you don't take the squadron disavowing you personally... since with what remains of CSF, many still look to you as our leader. And... we know you were placed in that position for a specific purpose."
Crossing his arms, Faust leant back and gestured to Captain Asper, allowing her to take over as she stepped into the blue light of the holographic table, leaning on the edge as she looked over at Aurora.
"Commander. Forgive me for the sensitive topic, but your father was a crucial lead regarding this entire situation before he died. We know that he, along with Commander Quinton Marshall, tried to stay hidden in order to collect information regarding what was vaguely referred to as a 'corruption plot' in the Federation. With Commander Marshall faking his death, you were then placed into the position of SC to take over leadership via Quinton's will."
"This brings us to now. With the datapad containing the will stolen, we can only assume the enemy ultimately got their hands on it. They have sought to shut down any possibility of its existence getting out, but they have done so by proxy. We suspect that all these groups against the squadron - Paladin, EMBER, the Crimson Venators - they have all been cleverly manipulated in a way to expose how we operate and respond to threats, leading us to unknowingly play right into the enemy's hand so they knew exactly how to strike us, and take us down."
"This enemy, the 'Syn Group', is the only name they are known by. We know they field a carrier, which we believe to be their base of operations. We know nothing more of their capabilities other than the fact that they are very resourceful, and may be in possession of a classified weapon, which is likely responsible for inflicting the massive damage aboard the carrier, jamming our forces and even causing crew disturbances. We believe that's how the rogue forces came to be... there's no other possible explanation for why so many crew went insane, all at once."
"And... we think your past with the Red Hunters has something to do with it. Commander Adair, we need you to tell us what you know. You went back to Sol, correct? Commander?"
As Captain Asper stood there, Aurora just stared blankly, re-living it all in her head again... what she did as a Red Hunter, what happened aboard the carrier to all of them. To Isabella. She snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the question, nodding slowly as she looked down at the table.
"Y-... yeah I... I went back to my parent's place. I was... hoping to find them there, to see if they'd let me... dig in my father's stuff, I guess. To see if I could find anything. Isabella came there with me, but... my family wasn't there. They were just... g-gone and... I haven't really had time to think about it. Either the Federation took them in or..."
Aurora sighed, shrugging her shoulders. She didn't want to talk about this right now... but there was not much of a choice.
"Doesn't... doesn't r-really matter I guess. I... lost my family a long time ago. When I went to their place... and... s-searched my father's office, I... I did end up finding something. I already have someone I trust helping me try crack it... wanted to figure out what it was first before sharing anything."
"Commander, I hope you realize that this information is cr-..."
Aurora clenched her fists, glaring at the Captain as she let her anger get the better of her.
"Don't. This is personal to me. It's the o-only thing... I have left of my father. I'm not f-fucking doing hand-outs. You'll know about it if I find anything important on it..."
"... Fine. Sorry. But your past as a Red Hunter. Why did they defect, exactly? What did they find out that made them want to defect and 'solve corruption' in the Federation?"
Aurora sighed, relaxing her hands as she shook her head, folding her arms again.
"... The Red Hunters realized that... we were fighting for a false Federation. A Federation that didn't give a damn about us. We were j-just... used... like fucking pawns. Most of the operations were... 'counter-terrorism' but t-that was just a pretext. Someone slipped up... and... used us for their dirty work. Destroying compromising intel and evidence of a 'weapons project'."
"So... the Venators knew about the Syn Group? Is that why they defected?"
"I never heard the name mentioned while I s-served... nor did I ever know what this 'weapon' was. They just said the Federation was u-using us... that we killed innocent people. I j-... just wanted an out, okay? S-so when they... defected... I left. As time went on it... it s-started to make sense. And there's... there's not a day that goes by where I don't... r-regret what I did."
"I never wanted to... to drag the squadron into this. I w-wanted to start a new life... and just... l-leave everything behind. I should've disappeared but... w-when my father approached me a couple years after w-we defected with a job offer for this sq-... squadron... I just... took it. Wanted to... make my family proud again, and just... ended up getting u-used again. Quinton j-just... dropped off the grid... my... my father d-died... and... and now we... lost our h-home..."
The room fell into silence as the Captains just stood there, looking between each-other. Aurora stared at the table in front of her, finding herself choked up as she thought about everything again. Maybe she should've just stayed in her room with Isa today. Eventually, Captain Faust sighed, and spoke once more, placing his hands at ease behind his back.
"... Commander, we know it's been a difficult road for you. However... we also strongly believe you're the only person capable of leading us out of this. Not only do you now have knowledge that might give us a fighting chance against our enemy, but you stepped up against all odds and led the squadron through its most troublesome times, despite having little prior experience. You have tremendous weight on your shoulders, yet you're still standing. In my eyes, there's no one better suited for the job than you."
Aurora smiled weakly, letting out a chuckle as she shrugged softly, looking up a bit again.
"... t-thank you... just w-wish we... c-could've saved the Solaris. All those... p-people on board... and... w-what about the... the Federation? I'm still a... a w-war criminal..."
"The Federation is clearly not providing us with all the facts, and unsurprisingly, our Federal liaisons aren't interested in assisting us or communicating with us further. We're unsure if this is a result of enemy interference, but regardless we've cut all communications. Even if the Federation was aware of your presence, it's extremely unlikely, if not impossible, that they'll be able to find the Katana in empty space."
"Sorry for upsetting you with this conversation, Commander... but you should know that we trust you. We know your past has been a difficult one, and in typical Federal fashion, the Federation has picked the Red Hunters to misguide and blame for their own illegal actions. And, how deep the Syn Group's involvement runs, who they are, what they're doing and why, we'll figure it all out. We won't let them get away with what they've done. But... you're the only one capable of helping us accomplish that, with whatever you discovered."
Aurora just nodded and sniffled, clearing her throat as she shook her head and wiped her eyes, sighing.
"Thank y-you. I'll... uhm... let you know when we... decrypt what I found... if we manage it. No pressure at all..."
"We'll be waiting. You should get some rest. Take it easy. When we're ready... we'll strike back. You just have to say the word..."
Raising their arms, the two Captains saluted at Aurora, a smirk crossing Captain Faust's face.
"... Squadron Commander."
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Credit:
This story is only possible thanks to our squadron and community. Join TITAN Contractors, a diverse and talented squadron, and experience our custom lore and events. This logbook/short story as well as other associated images and story is property of TITAN Contractors, CMDR Radiumio. A massive thank you to CMDRs Isabella Levine and SpectreKryik for their involvement in the story. Thank you so much for reading!
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