EEEF "Cold Embrace" Wing Recon Report 3303/9/30
30 Sep 2017Rescindent
Ship Name: "Eirene's Promise"Ship Model: Core Dynamics Federal Dropship
Ship Configuration: Surveyor
In light of unpredictable Thargoid behaviour I visited Alcazar's Hope, Merope, where 'Eirene's Promise' was refitted with anti-Thargoid missiles and experimental scanning equipment.
Today's survey mission began with investigating reports of Barnacle, "Forests", in Hyades Sector AQ-Y d81 C 2. A Thargoid was present when I exited hyperspace and I used this opportunity to deploy the newly-fitted scanner. Unfortunately it proved difficult to chase the Thargoid, who was preoccupied following another Commander, flying an Asp Explorer. The Asp pilot escaped in supercruise, forcing the Thargoid to end its pursuit and attempt a hyperspace jump. I managed to close the distance with the Thargoid just as it was to enter hyperspace. The forces surrounding the entry point repelled my ship and collapsed, preventing the Thargoid from also entering. The Thargoid made a second attempt at higher velocity and escaped before I could close the distance. I intend to replicate these conditions again and confirm that Thargoid hyperspace entry points can be disrupted by our ship's proximity.
Returning my attention to finding the Barnacle Forest, a yellow glow not dissimilar from previous alien sites confirmed that I was in the correct location. There were a number of other Commanders in various ships already investigating the site. The Barnacles looked identical to those already found in various nebulae and were arranged in lines extending outward from a larger, central, Barnacles. From the arrangement of spikes and Barnacles it would appear that they have grown outward from the central Barnacle, but further observation is required to confirm this hypothesis. The presence of Scavengers, machine-like beings that have been seen tending to other alien sites, was puzzling. They appeared to be patrolling, but otherwise inactive compared to other aliens sites. How they came to be at this location is worth investigating; were they transported or grew here not unlike the Barnacles? Nevertheless, hostilities from a few Commanders prompted me to leave the site.
Several planets in systems surrounding Hyades Sector AQ-Y d81 were also checked for signs of Barnacles, but visual inspection did not yield results. Before concluding the operation I discovered two unknown signals, both containing the wreckage of Federal Corvettes and one a Thargoid. "Thargoid Interceptor, Cyclops variant", was the output from my first scan of the Thargoid ship. I managed to collect damaged escape pods and black boxes from both encounters and will return them to the relevant authorities in due course.