Drama in Wandrama
13 Nov 2022Claude Lecardunoie
The title of this logbook entry sounds like a bad spy novel's one. But that was pretty much how it started in MacLean City, Wandrama, in the beginning of November 3308.I reached MacLean City with a T-7 full of power generators which I wanted to deliver on the Musashi, an Azimuth Biotech owned megaship, there in Wandrama. Azimuth's goal: collecting enough components to build a base in order to produce AX weapons.
"Marco Polo Merchantman, you're on the correct vector, please land on platform 25. Welcome in MacLean City".
That would be the friendliest words I would hear there, and they were coming from an anonymous traffic regulation operator of the Royal Phoenix Corporation, who controlled the station.
I stopped there because I knew Wandrama would be somewhat hostile to pilots supporting Azimuth Biotech, and therefore I wanted to have The Monitor my combat ship transfered there. You never know.
I had to spend the day there, so I took a walk by the station main plazza, but it was tense. There was a big demonstration against Azimuth: "Not in our System", "Azimuth, your presence here makes us a Thargoid target", "Thargoids are my friends" or "Give Xenos a chance" were among the slogans. It was clear that I should better not talk about my activities here in Wandrama, even though MacLean City's local authorities were, if not pro-Azimuth, at least neutral. Why would they had let me land my ship otherwise?
Ok, civilians protesting against one of the main AX weapons manufacturer, with the Thargoids at their door, I could understand. But it got worse in pilot's hostels and bars around the docks. I had my room booked in one them, so I went out for a meal and then for a drink in a bar. They were playing Cail Reddi free jazz. I don't really like that, but that was not the point.
The place was full of war ships crew members: pilots, chief engineers, gunners, communication officers... but instead of being lively and noisy, as usual in these kind of places, you could only hear wishpers from small groups and inquisitive looks to one another.
The explanation was simple: one third the people, there, were contracted by Azimuth while another third sided with the Wandrama Purple Council, an anarchist group against Azimuth, the last third being local combat pilots of the local authorities: the Royal Phoenix Corporation.
The atmosphere was so thick, that I just had a glass there, not talking to anyone, not even to the pretty barmaid. Who knows? She might have been a Purple Council spy. Anyway, one wrong word to the wrong person and I could have ended with a poisoned glass of Eranin Pearl Whisky or a knife in my back. Even on the way to my hostel, I made sure not to be followed in the station corridors.
I shipped my first cargo on the Musashi the day after. As a reminder of the threat that was pending on all of us, I picked up some scaring communication thread from other pilots:
- "I'll tell you what, Florencia, this time Azimuth's better not fuck up. A friend I have in the Alliance Defence Force told me that it is only a matter of months for the Thargoids to reach Alioth"
- "Months? No, way less, I'm afraid. Listen, just 5 days ago, I was escorting a maintenance expedition in Alpha Caeli for Galectric, you know, the power distribution company. Well, I spent my time pressuring their engineers to set up whatever relays or electrical transformers they had to install as fast as they could, because I kept receiving unknown transmissions that may really well have been Xeno's coms. So if they already are in Alpha Caeli, I'd say they'll be in the Federation and Empire main systems in a couple of weeks!!!!"
On the Musashi, I made my first delivery and I was paid a shit ton of money. Were did it come from? Well I guess that when they are threatened enough, the Empire, the Alliance, the Federation and all the main corporations, banks, mining conglomerates etc., then they don't mind dropping money! They were paying so much, that I decided to buy a T-9, the "Jacques Coeur Merchantman" and with it I tripled my income. About 21M Cr of benefit for each cobalt delivery.
Cobalt delivery on the Musashi
Then I was contacted by Azimuth Biotech staff of the Musashi. They needed fighter pilots to secure Wandrama from anarchists squadrons and the Wandrama Purple Council fleet.
- "Well, I actually prepositioned my Vulture in MacLean City, just in case. So no problem", I said.
- "MacLean City?", said the Azimuth Security Officer of the Musashi, "Well, Lecardunoie, you'd better be discrete when taking off. Just submit a fake flight plan to their Spatioport Authorities. MacLean City Traffic Control is a nest of spies these days. So many leaks there, that you wouldn't stand 10 light seconds out of the station without having these Wandrama Purple Council terrorists on your back."
Well, I did provide a fake fight plan, and joined an Azimuth fighting squadron. They were under fire already. As usual, my Vulture did well and I took down several ennemy vessels. Not without damages on my side which was why I withdrew from the main combats. My shield was reloading when I scanned a communication from a Purple Council Crusader war ship:
- "Captain to Chief Engineer, I want a status on damaged modules. Now!!! Ilia, damn it! I need max power on systems. Drop the weapons group for now..."
Ilia... Was it the Ilia, my friend from Veroandi. I knew she joined the Anarchist Armed Forces. But was it her, on this Alliance Crusader? I suddenly didn't feel like going back in battle. Anyway, the route to the Musashi was secured enough. I retracted my weapons, engaged supercruise and flew back to MacLean City. I kept a low profile there, of course: Azimuth Biotech contractors were definitely not welcome.
I had enough drama on that day.