The Ystarr Border Incident #01

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

"The court of enquiry will come to order !

"Lieutenant Commander Serkk, we have studied your formal report and your Flanker 0305's validated data recordings. We have studied the other survivors' reports. You are, however, the Task Group's senior surviving officer. So, in your own words, please describe the recent Ystarr Border Incident.

"You may refer to your notes."

"Thank you, High Admiral Addikk.

"KREB_01001 is a small, red-type flare-star. It has a small, inner, rocky planet, face-locked hot and cold. There is a thin, rocky asteroid belt in the narrow temperate zone. Two mid-sized gas-giants beyond ice-line have varying numbers of small ice-moons. The system has no beacon, patrol-station or industry. Strategically, the system is a place-holder for our glorious empire's core-ward treaty border with the Ystarr.

"Word came from a 'Usually Reliable Source' that an 'Out-lander' group had put a station in orbit around the outer giant, was gleaning resources. A former pirate / corsair, now 'beached', and his crew, attacked that apparently un-protected station, had their tails handed to them...

"They'd launched, docked two eights of 'Breachers' without opposition. Inside, most of their boarders were soon lost to small-bore 'infantry' weapons. Survivors disengaged, retreated. Some of their under-crewed 'Breachers' were destroyed by coherent beam weapons from the station. The rest by similar weapons mounted on a utility craft of unusual design, but evidently a 'Heavy Hauler'. This craft then chased and over-took the fleeing pirate ship. After destroying the pirate's two pulse turrets, the 'Hauler' targeted its six Drive nacelle pylons. Cut away three, then abandoned the attack to salvage those nacelles. Without the mass-haul of their lost 'Breachers', the pirate craft managed to engage 'Over Drive', escape...

"Such Out-landers, such a station, such attitude could not be tolerated within our glorious empire's borders. Commodore Henkk and Task Group Zero-Five were despatched to destroy them.

"Our convoy reached the system without incident, headed for the outer gas-giant. The station was clearly visible in high orbit, in a 'normal' tide-stable configuration. As big as reported, it had many docking legs, but no Impeller pods or Drive nacelles. The station soon began transmitting in multiple formats that our 'Intelligence' team identified as elegant 'First Contact Code'."

"Primitives ? Perhaps a 'generation' ship ? Lacking Drive technology ?"

"High Admiral, that was the logical conclusion: A few survivors would suffice for interrogation, the station must still be destroyed.

"The Task Group deployed from 'Convoy' formation to 'Attack'. The 'Carrier' un-docked our 'Flanker Leader' and six 'Flankers'. As our Group's Junior Commander, my sixth 'Flanker' was allocated the honourable role of spin-ward over-watch, our wide separation ensuring Commodore Henkk aboard his 'Command Heavy Brawler' 'Imperial Pride' would have perspective data across any 'Fog of War' such as ionised clouds and chaff dispersal.

"As the Task Group approached, the station continued to transmit their 'First Contact Code'. Our sensors showed no evidence of targeting systems or pulse turrets. Perhaps the pirate had exaggerated, or described improvised weaponry such as mining equipment ?

"Our 'Flanker Leader' advanced, supported by five 'Flankers'. The 'Carrier' launched three flights of eight swift 'Strikers'. The 'Silo' ship salvo'd three eights of 'Doom_0101' missiles, which soon over-took the 'Flankers', came level with the 'Strikers'.

"The Group core of 'Command Heavy Brawler' and two 'Medium Brawlers' cleared their weapons and prepared to provide fire-support...

"With respect, High Admiral, it seemed excessive over-kill: A few 'Breachers' with Heavy Marines seemed more appropriate...

"We... We soon discovered otherwise...

"The station, flagged as 'Hostile_01' on our displays, suddenly switched to match the 'Imperial Pride'. This was surely impossible, our beacon-codes are heavily encrypted. Yet, there it was. And, targeted upon a 'Friendly', with no alternative designated, every 'Doom' missile automatically self-destructed.

"Commodore Henkk immediately ordered 'Flankers' and 'Strikers' to engage with local fire control. They swooped in.

"Then, 'YANG !' A Drive Impulse of great severity, it severely rattled my distant 'Flanker'. The swiftly closing 'Flankers' and 'Strikers'...

"High Admiral, they broke, blew like a busy bar-shelf's collapse...

"As we watched, their debris cloud parted, passed safely around the station. The cloud continued towards the gas giant, plunged into atmosphere, briefly sparkled among the zones and bands.

"Commodore Henkk ordered all 'Brawler' turrets to engage with local fire control. Though the range was still extreme, most of those ship-killer plasma pulses were well aimed. Commendable straddles, if not strikes. None reached the station. From our wide flank, we saw each pulse refract wide, or 'rainbow' down to infra-red short of the target.

"Now, the station began to swing from its tide-stable orientation. The long axis tracked towards the big ships...

"A coherent, axial beam reached, swung, found the 'Silo' ship. It 'popped' their strong energy shield, carved Impeller pods and Drive nacelles from that flank. Struck thus, the ship tumbled across the terrible beam. Which cut it apart...

"Reloads blew. As few life-pods ejected into the spreading debris, the beam tracked onto a 'Medium Brawler'. Which fared no better. The second 'Medium Brawler' soon followed. Commodore Henkk's Flag-Captain maneuvered violently, but could not evade. The beam then sought, found, cleft the 'Carrier', spilling its vast Flight Deck and hangar spaces into the void..."

"It was a 'Photon Drive' ?"

"Insufficient data, High Admiral...

"I... I was stunned. Though a 'Flanker Leader' is equipped and provisioned for routine interstellar flight, my 'Flanker' was not. We could transit far, but only for utmost necessity, such as this. Worse, we would need every whiff of fuel, every morsel of delta-vee.

"High Admiral, trying to rescue any of the too-few life-pods on our displays would deplete our scant reserves. I had to turn my back on them. As utility craft from the station investigated the spreading debris field, I doused our beacon, went cold and dark, coasted wide beyond that outer gas-giant.

"We did our best to lighten ship, dumping non-essential mass while eclipsed from that 'station'. We had two ready missiles plus four re-loads. We salvaged their power cores and Impeller fuel, dumped the rest. The two lateral pulse-turrets were both heavy and easily jettisoned. They went. The tail-guard kinetics-turret was low mass, not easily shed. Its ample ammunition was a different matter. We discarded all but one part-drum. After that, using a whisper of Impeller thrust, we gradually altered our course to meet, sling-shot around the inner giant, go up and away...

"I thought we were clear. Then, a few days from engaging Drive, our passive sensors reported a potential interceptor. It was boosting at about twice Standard gravity. It would reach us a full day-cycle before we reached a sufficiently low gravity gradient.

"The craft, one of the Heavy Haulers from our briefing notes, caught up, crossed, over-shot. Pulling almost three Standards, it slowed, came back. With 'Two Rings of Five Spheres Joined By Thick Tubes', it seemed equipped to ferry five outer cargo pods and one axial, each comparable to a 'Flanker Leader'. Now, it had only the axial...

"Our instruments showed the craft was not running on Impellers, but two fives of Drive nacelles, some-how carried internally.

"A small turret deployed, fired twin coherent beams across our path. Their intensity was far beyond our energy shielding and hull-armour thresholds. Even one targeted pass would wreck enough Impeller pods and Drive nacelles to cripple us...

"We were coasting, could not cut our Impellers, but the craft had our attention. To our surprise, they beamed the start of their 'First Contact' code, then switched on their work-lights. Big eclipsing stars, the lit craft was even bigger. I authorised powering our navigation and docking lights, also our beacon. A few moments later, they matched it before changing to a longer, un-related data group, perhaps their own call-sign.

"High Admiral, I lack clearance to evaluate implications of this new data-group *also* check-summing correctly...

"Their craft slowly pulled ahead by about half its length. Now visible, the stern of their cargo-pod opened as a large hatch. We feared they would disable us, cut off our Impeller pods and Drive nacelles, then take us aboard. I prepared to trigger our self-destruct charges. But, no. An articulated arm pulled out a rather dinged life-pod, pushed it towards us. I ordered a security detail to our forward port as it approached then auto-docked using cold thrusters.

"The life-pod held three g-weary Drive Engineers from the Carrier, and one body-bag. As the Hauler's arm deployed a second life-pod, my crew off-loaded the first's power core, medical and consumable stores, modular life-support unit and spares kit. Disengaged, that pod was replaced by the second, with seven Carrier Artificers. Five more life-pods followed. We soon had all eight of a 'Brawler' turret crew. Five Steward / Medics from the 'Heavy Brawler'. Six Missileers from the Silo ship. Five 'Striker' pilots, who'd closed helmets as their Carrier came apart, found a way from depressurised 'Ready Room' to that pod on their suits' 'pony bottles'. A sixth pilot, injured by debris, now wore a body bag.

"And last, Commodore Henkk's Flag Lieutenant Stennt plus a Senior Security Agent.

"As a Flag Officer, he declared himself senior, demanded I ram the other craft. When I referenced standing orders that returning our combat data took precedence, he specifically ordered me to attack. Also, the Agent to draw his weapon to kill me and any other who demurred.

"I sounded the acceleration alert, gave our 'Flanker' a VIFF-jolt. The Hauler side-stepped our approach with ease. 'Again ! Faster !' Unaccustomed to small craft, Flag Officer and Agent failed to brace sufficiently, went flying. They suffered catastrophic injuries. Again, the Hauler side-stepped with ease. Then it gathered up the stripped life-pods, doused its work-lights and beacon, left at three Standards.

"We de-volatilised the dead, ejected all four with due ceremony.

"Then we organised ourselves to cross the 'Deep and Dark', brought our data home.

"High Admiral, may I place on formal record a Unit commendation for '0305' officers and crew, and the Task Group survivors, who all worked tirelessly together in the highest tradition of Fleet service to achieve this ?"

"You may, Lieutenant Commander Serkk: Let their commendable team-work be so recorded.

"Court Marshals will escort you back to your ship. Remain available should clarification be required.

"The court of enquiry will adjourn for today."

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

The Ystarr Border Incident #02

There was no utility buggy at the Transit halt, so it was a long, long walk down that deserted docking leg to our remote 'quarantine' bay on the station rim. The three Marshals did not hurry me, as they could see I'd lost much muscle-mass. As had we all...

Also, though they hid it well, their posture, their body-language conveyed deep respect...

0305's epic return, after nearly twice eight-eights of day-cycles, was already the stuff of Fleet legend. Packed in like dried Breen fruit, we'd come very, very close, time and again, to over-whelming our atmospheric and re-cycling systems. Despite those modules and spares kits salvaged from the life-pods, intended to ease such contingency, and our best efforts, our small ship stank. Beyond endless maintenance, desperately trying to stay ahead of critical system failures, or at least in their 'progressive / reversible' zone, we'd little else to distract us. The emergency rations barely sufficed. Other than medically essential isometric exercise, we could not spare food or atmosphere re-processing capacity for more. Worse, a 'Flanker' lacked the media library of even a 'Flanker Leader'. Official manuals and personal packs were all. Perforce, we ran many cross-training sessions in our various technical disciplines...

So, we had ample time to collate our observations, both instrumental and personal, make what deductions we could...

First, the 'Out-landers' had matched Commodore Henkk's 'Imperial Pride' beacon-code. Our math claimed breaking such 'rolling' encryption was 'impossible' before Imperial Centre's home-star guttered to a cinder. Clearly, we were wrong. How wrong, and how achieved, were far above my pay-scale, a world beyond my training. Our two Comms technicians, who understood a little more of the encryption's arcana, had simply wept...

I had not lied to the High Admiral: We truly lacked the data to determine if that terrible axial beam was indeed a 'Photon Drive'. Theory was a different matter. The station's parking orbit was simply not appropriate for such. It should have been much, much further out, at the very, very edge of the gas-giant's influence. Nor was the coherent beam's wave-count optimal for either photon-propulsion or weapon.

We reluctantly surmised it was an interstellar communications device-- Yes, who-ever or what-ever those 'Outlanders', they'd *shouted* at us.

And the 'YANG' ? That terrible Drive Impulse which slapped our converging 'Flankers' and 'Strikers' to so much scrap ? Analogous to the vicious VIFF-jolts I'd used to disable the Flag Lieutenant and his murderous Agent, it betrayed utter confidence in their hardware.

More, if the 'Heavy Hauler' could somehow carry two fives of Drive nacelles internally, what was hidden within the many boxes and booms of that big 'Station' ? Perhaps it was not a 'Station', but a great star-ship in its own right, a vast Hauler / Carrier which had just stopped off at a deserted system to quietly replenish volatiles...

If so, that parking orbit made sense. And, it permitted wary extrapolation of potential performance. Even the least such was humbling: We were the 'Primitives'. The Task Group ignored their 'First Contact' overtures, attacked with missiles, small-craft and pulse-guns. Yet, they'd gathered up the few, far-scattered life-pods, brought those out to us...

There was a detail: Those life-pods' occupants had glimpsed Out-landers' nimble utility craft collecting beam-shorn Impeller pods, Drive nacelles and such, in addition to much macro-debris. They'd also collected numerous life-pods whose beacon status-codes showed empty or occupants non-viable. So, our anatomy and such were now known to them. And, at the very least, our salvaged tech was of interest...

But why had these Out-landers not brought us any empty life-pods ? Logically, the extra resources from even a few would have significantly eased our flight. Of course, without extensive quarantine or analysis facilities, or eyes-on from escaping crew, we could not be sufficiently sure those un-crewed pods' contents were not contaminated or trapped. We would have to shun them. Which refusal could betray our need for 'Operational Security'. That the Out-landers may have deduced this was deeply unsettling...

Another detail: Neither the Flag Lieutenant's primary nor alternate egress routes from his duty station on the Flag Bridge beside Commodore Henkk were to *that* life-pod. And, unlike the Striker pilots, who'd worked through decompressed wrack and chaos on their suits' 'pony bottles', the pair had remained in full atmosphere. At first, it seemed just 'Fog of War' that none of the eight crew allocated to that life-pod had boarded. Nor any crew other than the Flag Lieutenant and Agent. Then our elderly Weapons Chief remembered Agents' hand-guns logged usage. Took him a while to access, but the terrible truth eventually lay bare: It had been fired numerous times between the onset of disaster and that life-pod's closure, ejection.

Yes, my second VIFF-jolt had disabled the pair. Yes, my bridge crew then performed sufficient 'Percussive Maintenance' to be sure, to be sure. But, given that hand-gun's damning log, the pair's subsequent, painless 'Easement' now seemed too kind. Much too kind. Had I known of their shameful atrocity, we would have 'de-volatilised' them *before* they were dead...

Should this gun-log be published, there would be terrible scandal. It would shake our Empire to its core. Well, yes, our proudly resurgent peripheral shard of that truly glorious former empire shattered, imploded by vicious succession disputes thrice eight-eights of annuals ago. I knew of at least two other extant shards, distant pretenders to our title, with whom we had scant, uneasy contact. Apparently, our cultures had diverged too far for more than a similarity of names, an implied alliance. Via the enigmatic, nigh-incomprehensible Ystarrians, we'd heard hints of further shards, even stranger, and with their own problems. Also, that the original Centre and its near-by systems had all reverted to primitive savagery, their ravaged -unto- nightmare planets' still-squabbling factions now reduced to noisome tribes warring with sticks and stones...

Our Task Group's defeat would be reported as 'Lost to a Superior Force'. Such happens. Not so the Flag Lieutenant's craven flight. His High Family would surely send Agents to kill us for revealing such dishonourable conduct. The Senior Agent's grim colleagues would surely kill us for revealing the atrocity. So, what to do ?

There's an ancient Truth that such evidence will so come back to bite your tail. The Weapons Chief knew, I knew and the hand-gun knew. I could trust the Weapons Chief with my life, which gave me a solution. From time to time, we further 'lightened ship' by dumping non-essentials, recalcitrant waste and scrap. Duly logged, the hand-gun went thus. Spaghettified at the interface between Drive Bubble and 'Reality', it was safely lost to the void...

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

The Ystarr Border Incident #03

I was pleased to be met at 0305's air-bridge by my First Officer, our Chief Engineer and the Weapons Chief. They looked glad to see me, given the non-zero probability that High Admiral Addikk would order me shot, 'To Encourage The Others'. In fact, he might do the deed himself, there and then, as he'd famously done to several others. Though I would not dare hope the High Admiral approved of my personal conduct, he certainly agreed with my unit commendation request.

But why were my senior Officers so glum ?

"We have a problem, Commander," my First stated. His formality suggested a dire threat to the ship. "Weapons ?"

"Commander, a Tarbal janitor delivered another big pallet of surface cleaner, plus a crate of fresh VOC-filters." We might never rid 0305 of our now-ingrained body odour, but we'd certainly try. "The Tarbal had some interesting news. Apparently an unusual group of Agents has gathered at the next Transit halt: Heavy armour, breaching weapons, clearance charges."

My tail twitched. It could be coincidence, perhaps a contingency plan against my possible refusal to surrender to these Marshals tomorrow, but I doubted it. And so, by their expressions, did the Marshals. There was no love lost between them and Agents: Marshals were sticklers for 'Due Process', Agents not. To the point that Marshals often suffered 'accidental deaths' when Agents wanted custody.

I took a slow breath, looked to the Marshals, saluted, said, "Thank you, Officers of the Court: Your duty today is complete."

They returned my look. They knew I knew they knew I knew those Agents were coming for me. Why, better not to know. Plausible deniability was not a complete defence against becoming collateral damage, but it helped.

They gave me a long, long salute, turned, left rather faster than we'd arrived.

"The Agents may be coming for you," my First cautioned. "But they cannot allow witnesses. So, breach the port-lock, clear all compartments, explosions void hull to vacuum. Blame a dock-side mishap, strained wiring or spilled chemicals..."

"Evacuate ?" I shook my head. "No. We'd be hunted, destroyed in detail..."

My First made a rude noise. The Chief Engineer fingered his cubit-length multi-wrench in its belt-loop.

"Weapons Chief ?" I asked, "They know we're unarmed ?"

"Yes, Commander, that even our parade weapons went to lighten ship, along with our formal uniforms. Sadly, we have only galley knives and," A respectful nod to the Chief Engineer's implement, "improvised bludgeons..."

"However," I mentioned, "I have the six remaining rounds from the Agent's hand-gun, and we have the tail-guard turret's part-drum. As I recall, both types are electrically triggered. And, both types fit standard pipe sizes."

The Weapons Chief's eyes widened, he whispered, "Single shot ! Like historical 'gun-powder' weapons !!"

"Yes. Shall we get to work ?"

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

The Ystarr Border Incident #04

As the Sage put it, there’s nothing like the prospect of being shot at dawn to focus the wits. The Weapons Chief figured optimal firing arcs. Artificers ‘liberated’ cubits of large-bore pressure tubing, briskly welded threes together into flanges, added simple breeches and the necessary electrical connections. More welding emplaced five of these ‘Point Defence’ volley-guns. The Weapons Chief carefully loaded them, checked for continuity. Meanwhile, slimmer pressure tubing became six hand-guns, two for me and the rest among my officers. My crew rigged ‘distraction’ devices, trip-wires, and several very nasty traps...

The armoured, heavily armed Agents rocked up in a convoy of utility buggies at their preferred, thus predictable time of oh-dark-thirty. They seemed surprised we'd not set a harbour-guard on the air-bridge, and that the port-lock stood ajar.

At this point, they should contact Dock Control to alert the ship, read their warrant, be it for search or seizure, and be invited aboard. No, they were Agents on a rampage. They simply crowded up the air-bridge and into the lock. Throwing open the inner valve without announcement or ceremony, the point-team glimpsed coveralled figures ahead, opened fire. As bedding fragments showered from those dummies, they knew we'd wikk-trapped them.

Our first salvo of tail-guard rounds launched from three improvised gun-barrels welded into a knee-high wikk-hole hastily cut in the facing bulkhead. These load-outs were intended to fragment in flight, kinetically damage or destroy in-coming missiles before critical proximity. At this knife-fighting range, they simply went through the lead Agents' body-armour and riot shields. That passage sufficed to begin dispersal, exploding into the face of the second rank.

Our second salvo crossed waist-high above their bloody strew, swept the air-bridge clear.

The Agents were mostly torn to shreds. It was my happy duty to assess, despatch the two merely wounded with single shots from my brace of improvised 'retro' pistols.

Usually, swabbing fouled decks, bulkheads and/or overheads is a punishment chore: Today, my entire crew volunteered.

We had those extra cleaning supplies, the fresh VOC filters. There was soon no evidence of massacre beyond a lingering smell of surface cleaner and that row of now-neatly parked buggies. We'd salvaged what weapons and equipment we could, stuffed the rest, including sundry disarticulated body parts, into the dock's efficient waste-disposal system. The Agents had, of course, disabled security monitoring. To all intents and purposes, their entire squad had simply shipped out on yet-another undocumented mission...

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

The Ystarr Border Incident #05

Come the morning, three clearly puzzled Marshals delivered me not to the court itself, but a small side-room. It had one table with a few document folders, and one chair, occupied by High Admiral Addikk.

He studied me for what seemed a lifetime before, slowly and calmly, he spoke.

"Lieutenant Commander Serkk, beyond Fleet's terrible materiel losses, the Ystarr Border Incident has cost the Imperial 'Militant' faction their favourite Commodore.

“And their sponsor, the out-spoken Imperial Second Daughter, her pet Flag Lieutenant.

"Further to numerous ship-board casualties, the Agency has now misplaced an entire 'Breacher' team..."

The silence stretched, stretched, too much like those long hours waiting for those Agents' raid. If asked, I could not lie. I would take full responsibility, plead for the lives of my crew.

Instead of pursuing the matter, the High Admiral glanced down at his folders before asking, “What do you know of the 'Far Strider_4' ?”

"The new survey ship, High Admiral ?” I managed to add, “Recently completed acceptance trials ? By all accounts excellent, if not superb ?”

“Those reports are correct in every aspect.

“As I speak, Captain Sartekk, whom you served as his Light Brawler's First Lieutenant on anti-piracy patrol, is urgently preparing 'Far Strider' for a diplomatic mission to these 'Out-landers'.

“With ample dock space for utility craft, 'Far Strider' can also ferry a small guard-ship...

"What is required to sortie 0305 ?"

"High Admiral..." I needed a breath before I could arrange my whirling wits, reply, "First, expedited 'Replenishment and Re-Supply', currently deferred pending result of the enquiry.

"Second, the spares, tools and materiel listed in my report's Appendix Four, 'Essential' and Appendix Five, 'Urgent'. Plus what is available from Appendix Six, 'Recommended'.

"Third, both lateral pulse-turrets from Flanker 1216, currently air-docked due to pylon fatigue micro-fractures.

"Fourth, a fitness waiver for the crew, the additional food-stuffs and dietary supplements specified by our medical assessments, plus exercise equipment.

"Fifth, an augmented media library, with reference, training and entertainment material.

"I estimate between three and five day-cycles."

“That is acceptable.” The High Admiral pushed one of the folders towards me, stated, "As Captain Sartekk speaks well of you, and your 0305 is known to these 'Out-landers', you are to further serve as the mission's 'Military Attaché'.

"Your orders and authority, Commander Serkk."

[Belushi TD]

YAY!!!!

I am so glad to see there's more chapters of this. I did a deep dive on your Reddit postings, and I only saw the first chapter. This is very good stuff, and I really hope there's more to it in store!

Belushi TD

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

Glad it amuses.

To my surprise, several tangentially related implications aligned to a wry three-part sequel.
When second is tidied, I'll post first.

Meanwhile, sight still wonky, I'm struggling to research the 'braided river' of Fresno stuff...
eg Yes, yes, logically, 'buckets' for toting molten iron must have a fire-brick or similar lining...

[Belushi TD]

For the Fresno story, you may want to look into high temperature ceramics in addition to run of the mill "fire brick". I'm not 100% certain of the chemical composition, but I think most of the elements involved would be found in limited numbers in an iceball, mostly as gleanings, I'd assume.

Belushi TD