Prepping for Invasion...or not
16 Nov 2021Bravo Orionis
The Squadron has been working overtime for several lunar cycles. Dozens of flights that would normally be spread across multiple star systems and patrolling many different planetary shipping lanes have been redirected and applied to one system in particular. The system in question is normally a backwater, not worthy of much attention but seems to have amassed a lot of the 1st Wing's assets. The MCNs presence here has dramatically reduced the quantity of criminal activity in the space lanes and opened up trade in such an enormous and rapid way that it has led to previously unseen levels of prosperity and system order. Having such a large force of the MCN in a seemingly irrelevant system has created a lot of local talk and speculation. The most obvious answer is that a system within range of our forces is soon to be open for invasion. The MCN appears poised to bring another system into the Confederation's fold.
At the moment several of the local populated star systems could fit that description and would be within range of deployment from our fleet carriers in situ. A few of the pilots have been making bets on which system we will deploy to and who will be in Flight when contact is made. Which system is the target, assuming there is a target is anyone's guess at this point. Hard to know what goes on in the minds of those at the top with the Chancellor. Our Flight's last combat deployment ended up with an abrupt withdrawal and change from hazardous operations to escorting cargo vessels transporting huge quantities of meta alloys. While the pay and the trade dividends on escort duty is certainly lucrative, it's as sleep-inducing as the Hutton Run. Our Flight's commercial escort duty was only interrupted with an occasional MCN bounty hunting assignment to break the monotony. The local pirates and boulder bandits don't put up much of a challenge.
The hazardous environment of a combat zone seems inviting at this point. I can see why the rest of the pilots are excited. Let the damn invasion begin. If they stand down again and put us on escort duty, the grumbling in the Squadron will be louder than imperial rails hitting the empty holds of a Type 9.