Author Topic: The Twelfth of May (Episode IV: Lantern Ash?)  (Read 3414 times)

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Offline Theodidactus (OP)

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The Twelfth of May (Episode IV: Lantern Ash?)
« on: May 17, 2014, 07:58:59 PM »
Bridge of the Coronado, May 12th, 1:21 ( Jameskiller, 3_14)
Nearly two weeks pass without event, without incident. You go about your duties, fufilling them to the best of your ability. Every action seems to be part of the calculated, deliberate plot set in motion on the 1st...every small favor a crewman grants you, everything cordial greeting and bought drink in the cantina, feels like enforced favoritism from on high. Every slight, critical glance, or poor evaluation from a superior  feels like an elaborate attempt to compromise the conspiracy. At all times, day or night, you fear they'll come for you, and take you away...whoever THEY are. The paranoia is worsened by the fact that you are not contacted, not called upon to do anything outside the ordinary, even as the concordant's ship jumps into the system. Even as it makes for the second fleet, even as it comes to a halt in a long period orbit 200,000 kilometers over the north pole of Monticello, close enough to see the command fleet like hot blue unblinking stars through the glass of the officer's lounge. 2 carriers, 4 destroyer escorts, and the most advanced battleship ever constructed by humanity. Not a superior force to the second fleet, but probably an equal one. You are uneasy.

The civilian team is loaded into a fast burning recon craft at 0:01 zulu, bound for a many days long conference. It is may 12th, the day of Coronado's planned execution...but absolutely nothing seems to be in place as planned. Admiral Griffiths has boarded the Raphael, he will be out of communication, and  close to the concordant all day. He's left Lt. Co. Hutchinson in his place aboard the Coronado. As the hours pass, you begin to doubt anything will happen...perhaps this is for the better. Your doubts crystallize around an absolutely critical point at about 4:50 Zulu, after the preliminary meetings between Franca, strategic command, and several politicians from Earth, Mars, and the distant world of Tiamat, long before he's had a chance to meet with the officers of the second fleet, or the civilians who have been your guests  all this time.

The announcement comes from a news network on Montecello, citing an unnamed staffer aboard the Raphael but blazes like fire across the Epsilon Eridani system. Civilian ships at the edge of space will take the news to other worlds...within hours, the entirety of inhabited space will know: Franca has called off the fourth fleet. They have been ordered out of the Kuiper 75 system, out of the dangers of Ophiuchian space. Franca's mad brinksmanship with the enlightened lords has ended, the human blinked. In two meetings, the entire cause the conspiracy was structured around has evaporated.

Perhaps its a rumor? A ruse? It hangs in the ether for less than an hour before it's confirmed by  Lt. Co. Nathalie Seamore, Franca's aide de camp and press secretary, the public face of the Concordant himself. Doves and War Hawks alike are ecstatic....there is a chance of peace! Our heroes will be safe in a matter of hours!

You, however, are confused. Has the whole thing been called off? Will it proceed anyway? You have no way of knowing.

Do you do anything with this new information, or simply await whatever may come on this auspicious day?


High Orbit over Monticello, the same time (Jacehan)

You are attending to ordinary duties aboard your spacecraft as the news of Franca's tactical retreat is passed from satellite to satellite. Excellent news, of course, despite the momentary strategic setback. The actions of many are now rather predictable: the colonial guard will be expected to remain vigilant for the Ophiuchian counterattack. The third fleet will likely be dispatched to help guard the Fourth, as it limps back to earth. Officers of the First fleet will be told to redouble their efforts to overhaul their fleet in time to defend Sol, should the absolute worst occur...

however, your role in all this is considerably less clear. Will the conspiracy call upon you now that their primary rallying cause has evaporated? Will something happen today anyway? In the midst of your confusion, a coded order arrives from an unexpected source that does nothing to simplify matters. Fortunately for you, only you can see it.

Respond to the secret orders you have been given via PM.

Ojo De Dios Rapid Recon Shuttle, in transit between the Coronado and the Raphael, just a little bit earlier that morning (Semetary, Malikane, Zebulon,Magnus XIX)

The shuttle is packed, the crew rather tense, as it rolls out in what would ordinarily be the dead of night, for most spacers. In addition to the civilian detachment from montecello, the shuttle carries the brightest minds of the second fleet. most bear grim news: force depletion reports of likely engagement scenarios off Alpha Centauri and Ross 154, discouraging maintenance reports calling for more manpower than has been provided, logistics demands for more cobalt torpedoes in less time than is possible. For some reason that has only been explained in the most cursory possible way,   Lt. Co. Gregoire de Saint Pierrie was ordered aboard the shuttle just an hour before its departure. He carries a sheaf of papers from a higher up who never said his name. he has instructions to meet the admiral on board the Raphael, and attend several low level meetings concerning the missile interception capabilities of several obsolete models of laser turret. If this is what he volunteered for, it certainly wasn't what anyone was expecting.

The mood swiftly changes as the news of Franca's retreat come in over the comms. The ships of the fourth fleet will be safe inside terran space in a matter of days. The atmosphere is practically jovial, there are cheers,  a few back slaps. You practically sense the mental politics of the room shift as well: Franca, while a bit heavy handed and reactionary, is perhaps not such a bad leader after all.  

Most of the civilian detachment is silent, but this in itself is not that unusual. Today they will have a very full day. At 9:00, Dr. French will be briefing most of the senior command staff on Ophiuchian physiology, including their reaction time and visual acuity (regrettably, must more advanced than a humans). He'll be sitting less than 10 feet from the Concordant himself, as well as ranking members of the command fleet, and politicians from Earth and Ares. At 11:00, Alexander Peacock will be participating in arguably the most critical defense briefing in human history; he will be present in the Concordant's situation room, where Admiral Kyle Griffiths, the Concordant, Duke Stephen Lowe of the Colonial Guard, and a dozen other men of various distinguished rank will draw up the primary defensive plan should the Ophiuchians invade. Through all this,   Lt. Co. Renee Claude will be expected to await the return of the civilian detachment, as Lt. Co. Gregoire de Saint Pierrie, the volunteer without a task, will be sitting in mind numbingly dull meetings, only meeting the admiral to exchange papers at about 13:00...

Movement within the political section will be difficult without sticking to a precisely arranged schedule. There are numerous security checkpoints and everyone is quite on edge.  Renee Claude's rifle will not be taken, but every other member of the detachment will be searched. Still...it might just be possible to move somewhere where you are not supposed to be. You have no idea where might be most useful, but the option is certainly available...if only you knew what was going to happen. You can't help but shake the feeling that someone, somewhere, has colossally screwed up.

As the clock runs down, where do you go and what do you do?
« Last Edit: May 18, 2014, 07:23:23 PM by Theodidactus »
My Theodidactus, now I see that you are excessively simple of mind and more gullible than most. The Crystal Sphere you seek cannot be found in nature, look about you...wander the whole cosmos, and you will find nothing but the clear sweet breezes of the great ethereal ocean enclosed not by any bound
 

Offline Malikane

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Re: The Twelfth of May (Episode IV: Lantern Ash?)
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2014, 02:35:24 PM »
Lt. Co. St. Pierre attends the meetings on obsolete laser turret PD systems without complaint.  His background as an analyst in civilian weapons allows him to participate and comment on several innovations that the civilian sector was able to accomplish with the publicly available commercial models primarily intended for debris protection. While waiting for his time to come, he keeps the communicator close by.  He is mentally conflicted--his pragmatic streak wants to convince him that the plan is off, or at least highly altered to account for the shifting of the Fourth Fleet back to friendly space.  The side of him that wants to sincerely make the galaxy a better place does not believe things will be that simple. Either way, he does his duty and makes the most of his scheduled meetings.
To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.
 

Offline MagusXIX

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Re: The Twelfth of May (Episode IV: Lantern Ash?)
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2014, 06:15:42 PM »
I'm confused.  Is Lt. Col. Claude on the recon shuttle with the civilians she's meant to escort (the line about her rifle not being taken) or is she on the bridge of the Coronado (where you mentioned my name?)  To which portion am I supposed to respond?
 

Offline Theodidactus (OP)

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Re: The Twelfth of May (Episode IV: Lantern Ash?)
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2014, 07:23:38 PM »
Sorry magnus, I had you in the wrong place. You're on the shuttle.
My Theodidactus, now I see that you are excessively simple of mind and more gullible than most. The Crystal Sphere you seek cannot be found in nature, look about you...wander the whole cosmos, and you will find nothing but the clear sweet breezes of the great ethereal ocean enclosed not by any bound
 

Offline Theodidactus (OP)

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Re: The Twelfth of May (Episode IV: Lantern Ash?)
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2014, 01:03:32 PM »
Something will happen at midnight tonight (11 hours from now)

...be ready.
My Theodidactus, now I see that you are excessively simple of mind and more gullible than most. The Crystal Sphere you seek cannot be found in nature, look about you...wander the whole cosmos, and you will find nothing but the clear sweet breezes of the great ethereal ocean enclosed not by any bound
 

Offline 3_14159

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Re: The Twelfth of May (Episode IV: Lantern Ash?)
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2014, 01:20:34 PM »
"It's too late for that now," Lt. Co. Luciana Tourinho thought. Even with the fleet withdrawn, there was nothing he could do. No matter his own convictions, the Incident would go through, or it wouldn't. And in the former case, the only way for the Human race to not completely fragment would be to play his part. He was ready.
 

Offline hunter james

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Re: The Twelfth of May (Episode IV: Lantern Ash?)
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2014, 09:47:19 PM »
Lt. Co. Andre Rochat decides to follow through on his promise to the coup and stands vigilant trying to find any encrypted signals he also decides to try and communicate with the leader of the coup on an encrypted channel and while doing this monitoring fleet communications