Dipping the toes
25 Jun 2023Claude Lecardunoie
Taking my share in the effort against the Thargoid's threat... I had this thought in mind all the way back from my exploration to the Bubble. And now that I was here, I didn't have a clue on where and how to start.Not knowing what to expect, I flew close enough to Taranis maelsrom front line and landed on Revin Hub, in Phrygiang, an independant facility.
Although not attacked then, you knew that war was near. Station's bulkhead and concourses' walls were partially covered with anti-corrosion screens, malls ans shops windows reinforced with tape. Even in the poorer residential districts, sand bags were stacked, which seemed useless to protect from Thargoids weaponry but giving these areas the look of some earthling city before war in the 21st century.
Circulation was also made difficult because of the many check points and blocks on the main road's hubs and rings interchanges of the station, as the local police were controlling everyone passing by to prevent any Far God Cult extremists demonstration or even worse: a terrorist attack.
With all this confusion, I decided to remain on the docking pads level. I didn't even look for a place where to sleep, as I anticipated that all hostels and temporary accomodations would be occupied by refugees from systems controlled by the Thargoids or from destroyed stations. I would sleep in my ship.
There was also unusual activities on the pads: local AX defense force pilots being briefed right next to the maintenance workshops, body bags taken out from a Galactic Red Cross vessel, while another one was loaded with medecines containers. But most of the people there were independants from the pilot's Federation. All of them were wearing their respective squadron's badge on their anti-G suites: fighters and gunners from AX combats groups and first responders from Rescue squadrons and their escort pilots.
My first thought was to talk with some of them and ask them if I could enroll in one of their squad. But by looking at them, I quicky realised that I wasn't ready yet: you could read in their eyes that these guys had already seen too many fights against the Thargoids, too many death in the most horrific ways. And when their body language was not speaking for themselves, their ships would: Krait and Alliance Challengers corroded to the bone or a vessel so damaged that I could barely identify it as a Federal Assault.
No, before applying to a squadron, I had to have an AX record for myself.
I was walking amongs these AX ships, taking notes on how they were fitted and engineered, when I heard the docks public annoucement system calling "Commander Lecardunoie, please, report immediately to the Spatioport Marshall's office". Damn, what did I do this time?
When the marshall's office doors opened, it was not to let me in but actually to let the marshall himself out. He didn't even look at me as we crossed. Then a familiar voice came from inside the office: "Come in commander, glad to meet you again". No mistake, it was Imran Boyangi...
Imran, a senior manager at Sirius Corporation, but more importantly, a Spy Master for CEO Li Yong-Rui. He gave me some good advices a while ago and even offered me to work for Mr Yong-Rui. Job offer to which I never answered.
- "To my great disappoitment and in spite of the help I gave you and discounts you had thanks to Mr Yong-Rui, I haven't heard from you in the last months", Imran started, "But let's put that aside for now. Our, and when say 'our', I mean mankind's main problem is the war against the Thargoids..."
- "Well, I am very well aware of that. And I am decided to involve myself, but you know my fighting abilities, well..."
- "I know", Imran said, "But there are other ways. Some installations need to be repaired and restarted. Maybury Enterprise in Trianguli Sector GG-Y c18, for instance. Intel says that Thargoids are not threatening there anymore, and people desperatly need raw materials for reparation: Gallium, Indium, Palladium etc. Helping them with that would be for you like dipping the toes in the battle against the thargoids.
But more importantly, I'd like you to take a journalist with you there. You see, war is also about communication..."
- "Propaganda, you mean?"
- "Call that whatever you want, but in this fight, we need people to get passed their division. Federation and Empire never really agreed to set up a conjoint war effort, corporations like Azimuth and Aegis didn't manage to cooperate together. So I want someone on the front line able to report the situation there, around the maelstoms, someone able to highlight independants Pilot's Federation deeds, so that the average Federation citizen or Empire subject support them, beyond any allegiance. People need to know that Pilot's Federation are Mankind's spear head in this war.
So, tomorrow, you will welcome on your board a guy from Rewired: Rufus DeNeuville. And 'no' is not an answer."
Imran, Li Yong-Rui, Sirius Corp., all of them together, they certainly have enough influence to get me blacklisted from main corporations and factions and banned from Federal and Empire systems. 'No' was not an answer, indeed.
That same night, in my Krait MkII ops room, I did some research on this Rufus DeNeuville tío. Apparently, he was then kind of a has been at Rewired, and according to rumors on the net, desparate to make the headlines again. The perfect recruit for Imran Boyangi's weird communication plan, I thought.
I was having my breakfast in the galley when I received his text message on my pocket terminal: "Waiting outside your ship...":
- "Good morning Mr DeNeuville", I said as I walked down the access ramp.
- "Oh, that is the Redeemer", Rufus answered, looking at my ship, "I expected something better".
He was waiting, in a fancy anti-G suit. The kind of suit that looks good on the pictures, but not the best when it comes to absorb important accelerations. Around him, his bags and equipment and behind a woman, in her twenties.
- "And who is she?", I asked, nodding toward her.
- "She's my photographer, Almonda... euh...", the reporter started
- "Almira Keita", she sighed
- "Yeah, Almira Keita. I call her 'pixie'. I call all my photographers 'pixie', anyway. I've teammed with so many of them, that I gave up on remembering their names. Now, commander, would you, please, carry our bags inside your ship", he said while walking toward the Redeemer.
Pixie, she just followed him, shrugging her shoulder when she passed in front me. A sign of lassitude, I thought. Okay, not a good start, but well, I was hoping I could use Rufus' future articles to feed this logbook, saving me time from writing it.
Both of them were sitting in the cockpit when we took off, after I strapped their luggage in a storage room. I explained that we were heading for Trianguli Sector GG-Y c18, to help Maybury Enterprise recovery and that there were not supposed to be any Thargoid threat anymore.
- "Perfect", said Rufus, "We first want to cover damaged installations, know how rescues are organized and find out about the casualties. I also want to focus on the Pilot's Federation. Who are these independant pilots: pirates, smugglers, guns for hire? what are their motivations? What do they think about their fellows followers of the Far God and Xeno friendly? etc.".
No Thargoid threat there, according to the intel... Well, as my Krait dropped from gliding above Maybury Enterprise, that was far from obvious, as I realised that Thargoids were still raiding the installation. Alarms were bipping one after the other: "Warning! Under attack", "Warning, taking caustic damages"...
Fight was still very much raging over Maybury Enterprise... Damn it, Imran! You got this one wrong
As much as Almira kept her composure, I felt that Rufus was not as self-confident as when we met earlier.
- "Okay", I said, "no worries. We just need to reach that landing pad as soon as possible, so please, buckle up". And then, I pushed my throttle and manoeuvred my ship toward Maybury spatioport.
'Dipping the toes', said Imran... Well, it might just be taking a dive into a blood bath instead!!!