Captain's logbook, date 19 of February 3309
19 Feb 2023Kavaan
"War is hugely profitable."So said a rock musician once.
He wasn't wrong.
However, in the context of what he meant, it was something quite different.
The companies that developed war materials made a huge profit every time there was war. But for the average soldier, he was told to take those materials and go die in a ditch for a pittance.
That still happens. But this is probably the first time in history that the soldiers are raking in huge profits too.
The Pilots' Federation is throwing out credits by the trillions, in exchange for proof of defeating Thargoid vessels out there.
And I... I found my coping mechanism.
It bothers me. The noises, I mean. They still haunt my dreams, but I can at least dismiss them now. Because for each Thargoid I shoot down, I receive millions of credits. And with that money...
Originally, I had signed up with a certain system to arrange for a carrier to serve as their Navy wing base. But, it is gone now.
Even so, a promise is a promise. As we had agreed on, I baptized her with the name Shoukaku. Like their system's name, a reference to old history.
Now I don't know how, but apparently word of it got to the people I had evacuated from the system. Quite a number of them volunteered to be part of the crew. How could I refuse?
And in these trying times, a vessel like this is invaluable. Though displaced from their homes, they find solace by soaring through space and assist in defense of others. In particular, defend those currently under Thargoid attack.
However.
"War is hell"
So said a famous general once.
He wasn't wrong.
This war is truly hell.
I wish I could be optimistic, I really do. I mean, I just went through how the war can benefit even us small-time pilots and enable old dreams to come alive.
But though that may be true, it does nothing to change the reality of the situation.
We're losing.
There's always a big celebration every time we successfully repel an invasion attempt from one system.
But for each system we preserve, another 10 fall to the aliens.
Our lines of defense are overstretched as is. We simply don't have the manpower and supply lines to prevent all.
Meanwhile, it is stipulated that the aliens are mostly seeking systems that enables them to set up their barnacles for faster replenishment. Logistics must be an issue for them too, and if they're allowed to gain footholds in such places, that's yet another way we cannot hit them.
I recall reading through recovered Guardian information published by one of the Xeno Specialist scientists. According to it, the Guardians did defeat the Thargoids and ended the war, but only because the Thargoids withdrew, which was presumed to be over their lack of ability to withstand a protracted war.
Now they've had thousands of years to fix that flaw, and seem to be applying it.
And as for us, it seems we have not learned a damn thing.
Recently, Azimuth Biochemicals pushed out a new upgrade to enable ships to carry more AX weaponry. A rather paltry attempt at trying to create something of benefit out of this gigantic shitstorm their attempt at xenocide has wrought on.
I want to say this will at least help us even the odds just a little, but it does nothing to address the overall situation: unless we deal with the Maelstroms and prevent the Thargoids from expanding, we're going to be stuck fighting an endless wave of reinforcements forever.
However, not all is grim. There is yet a glimmer of hope.
Aegis has been officially re-established by the combined agreement of all 3 superpowers. And, if I may be so bold, I can honestly say I'm proud to have played a part to it, no matter how small.
Already they have announced plans to research and create materials capable of resisting the corrosive effect of the Maelstroms' clouds.
This, I feel, is a step in the right direction.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
So said another famous general once.
His words still carry weight into military doctrine thousands of years later. And it's about time we started trying to understand what is it we're even fighting.
Aegis, I hope, will light the way.
End of log.