Counterstrike or Diversion?
22 Sep 2024Jana Razeki
... or maybe something else entirely.
Journal entry
September 22, 3310
V886 Centauri, aboard rescue ship Cornwallis
So, the Thargoids decided to attack the Pilot's Federation headquarters. Have been, for a few days now, so it's very unlikely to be news to anybody at this point.
I can't really say I actually care about the system too much, personally. Really doesn't have a lot of meaning to me, but decided to take part anyway, mostly because of the rewards on offer. I mean, get toys from Azimuth and Sirius without having to pretend I'm a corporate shill, and do something that helps defend humanity's territory at the same time? Don't need to ask me twice... if it's the only thing drawing me there.
Should've figured I was going to walk right into insanity... they weren't lying when they said that a massive Thargoid fleet had appeared in the system and bushwhacked it almost immediately before any defense forces could be scrambled out there. I don't think I've seen that many of the bastards in one place, except maybe around a pissed Titan trying to find the human ships poking around near it. Observer counts - as much as you can rely on those - claim that over three-hundred thousand Thargoids - ships - have already been shot down in the system and they're still flooding into it to attack that station. Frankly, I'm surprised it was even still in one overall piece by the time anybody got there.
But, yeah, if I had one situation to describe total bedlam - or the worst I've experienced, anyway - I'd point at this system, this moment in time. Worse than any other invasion I've personally experienced*. Would've ignored it if not for some shiny stuff, but, well, here I am. Not that it means I'm going to sell out my morals for an improved Guardian weapon, if Azimuth offers that in exchange for support, all they get is a middle finger.
Anyway. Lots of fighting, many dead Thargoids, probably even more dead humans. Myself, fought mostly around the station, helped take one trio of Hydras down at one point, otherwise moved on to support ships caught in skirmishes elsewhere in the system or got some repairs done, then headed back in once the big bastards were down. Only slight signs in the assault weakening are beginning to show, some people think the fleet will be done for or retreat by Monday. Maybe they're right... I'm not sure, though. They already sent big enough of a force in to take days of really damn intense fighting to even put a dent into it, enough to ward off many of their ordinary attacks at the edges of the Bubble, several times over, so are they really going to just let all that go to waste?
Perhaps I'd believe it, but the world hasn't exactly given me many reasons to be an optimist, and I've just got a bit of a feeling that this attack isn't actually about to be over. Could still be wrong, but let's just say I'm keeping myself ready to cover for evac transports if I need to.
That feeling also leads me back to why I started writing this down in the first place, because as I said... can't say I really care about Pilot's Fed HQ much. Maybe I should have some kinda loyalty to it, but... yeah. No, I don't. I got my permit from them and didn't care for the rest, since I had what I needed to set my life up exactly as I wanted from there, nobody else able to mess with it directly. Just me and my own decisions. And idiocy, but at least I'm not insane like that moron Salvation.
So, what am I thinking? Well, really, I'm not sure this is the counterattack Aegis warned us of. One system, even if it's deep in the core of the 'Bubble'... not going to change much, we'd still go back to hitting the Titans until they're down after that. A delay of a week, at most. And a diversion... I might be no military analyst, but considering both Titans launched their usual set of attacks on populated systems this week alongside that big fleet showing up in Shinrarta, without doing anything else out of the ordinary or to make use of the distraction which that core system assault provides, I somehow doubt it is one either. And with Aegis forces still watching over those other two Titans left, we'd - almost - definitely know about anything suspicious going on over near them.
But if it's neither counterattack nor diversion, then what... I can only guess considering how clueless we are about Thargoids, but I'd suppose that they're just testing the waters. Seeing what they would need to dedicate to a well-protected system in order to take it over, or at least cause some real serious damage, and considering how they almost managed to overrun the system immediately, I think they got their answer. Also shows that they do have a clue what is important to us, unlike some people that claim they are mindless insects, would like to say. And on top of this, it sets a sign when they can pull this kind of fleet out of seemingly nowhere without any kind of negative impact on either of the two remaining Titans, when one of them has been getting pushed back for a few weeks, and lost all of its spires at that. Nevermind the six that already exploded.
If that logic follows, we might find ourselves facing a lot worse than just the Pilot's Federation headquarters coming under attack. Would I defend any of the superpower capitals if they were hit? Maybe, the Alliance... if only because they haven't fucked me over in some way. The Imps and Feds, pffh, they can sort out their own shit after they dug a pit, filled it up with biowaste and jumped right into it by pissing off the Thargoids. And I might still prioritize any unaffiliated systems before the big three that control the majority of human space. Or at least most of its core.
Anyway, I probably rambled on about this enough. I'm sure somebody's going to tell me it's going to be nothing and I'm just needlessly worried, but I didn't survive to this point by not being wary. Will be going back out there soon, the Thargoids aren't going anywhere yet, and at worst what forces remain will be more prepared for any second wave that might hit when the first one is defeated. But would it still be enough?
*I was not present in my home system when Oya arrived nearly two years ago now, so I have no firsthand experience of that onslaught. And gladly so.
PS. Should probably have paid that Jameson whoever a visit before the Thargoids arrived, I had access. Oh well, don't need those upgrades that bad anyway...
PS 2 - I am absolutely going to have those Azimuth guns checked before getting them installed on anything. Got no reason to have Sirius upset at me, but given who I'm friends with and what those morons from Mister Rademaker's company already tried once, I'll be real fucking careful with their stuff. Probably wouldn't hurt to get the shard cannons I have from them checked either.