>>2430742
>>Well, there was that one time...

>>2430742
>>Well, there was that one time...

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>>2430742
>Well...

"Actually, I might know why." You briefly sketch out your interactions with Zusya, and his anger at the fact that you technically revealed the presence of the Order while helping the humans of Olympus... over a year ago, now. Doesn't seem so long.

"He was always a little disdainful of humans." Darius remarks when you're finished. "Never quite to the level of a Shepherd, but..." He pauses thoughtfully, but seems to shrug it off and continue. "Anyway. The system he lists is inside Legion-held territory a ways, but close to one of the flanks we're patrolling to make sure they can't expand- that's where most of our strength is tied up in, and the rest is still searching for Rubin really. I can give you some additional assets potentially, but not very many- that'd risk uncovering Bastion and the surrounding systems, and I need to assume that this is some kind of feint to draw out forces away."

"I understand." It's a pain, but what can you do.

"Right. So let's get down to business."

In the virtual space you share, Darius calls up the Order's records for the system in question. It hasn't been surveyed since the start of hostilities, so you don't have any data on Legion forces. Any Knight-brothers patrolling the area might be able to help you there, the abbot notes.

"As I see it, you have three options." He continues. "You can go in just yourself, and hope that Zusya will honour this agreement long enough for him to release Rubin before he presumably jumps you. You can go in hard and fast with as much as we can muster and hope that Zusya doesn't eliminate Rubin or if he even has him there. Or..." He trails off. "Honestly, I don't know. Do you have any ideas?"

>Go in on faith.
>Go in with strength.
>Suggest another option.

>>2430961
>Go in with strength.

>>2430961
>>Go in on faith.

Do we have any stealth capability at all?
If so
>Go in on faith while keeping our stealth force ready to counter-ambush them

Otherwise
>Go in with strength as I expect we have missile superiority

>>2431027
You don't, but certain allies do...

>>2430961

> Go in on faith, with some allies in stealth.

>>2430961
>> Go in on faith, with some allies in stealth.

>>2431036
Then I vote
>>2431053
>>2431079

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>>2430961
>Get some very stealthy friends

"Can't risk going in with tons of ships." You reply, thinking it over. "There's too many things that could go wrong if he spots somebody else."

"That I can help you with. I think I have some reinforcements for you. I can probably spare... two, but no more. As I said, we're stretched thin."

>Choose two allies.
Paladin Cabot, Stealth Swarm
Radically different ship designs, making use of lots of small, stealthy ships fitted with antimatter torpedo systems. Immense alpha damage, but vulnerable to counter-attack. Their choice of smaller ships and slow-charging weapon systems makes them far less useful in a direct fight, but lucky opening salvos can obliterate fleets.

Paladin Sable, Stealth Strikers
Much the same as Cabot, though their force has many larger ships that at least have broadside laser weaponry to enable them to fight head-on in an emergency. However, they're still lacking compared to standard Order ships.

Rear-Admiral Weston, First OSN Expeditionary Force
Because of their much lower power outputs, human vessels are actually very stealthy while powered down. 1st OEF has a higher proportion of capital vessels, including a pair of new carriers whose fighters, while not as capable as Order vessels, are more than able to provide anti-missile duty. Their ships still have the standard unique nuke missiles that make them so useful in fleet battles.

Rear-Admiral Tourville, Second OSN Expeditionary Force
Unlike 1st OEF, second fleet is mostly comprised of lighter cruisers and destroyers. As a result, they can almost keep up with your ships in terms of acceleration. They can otherwise perform similar duties to 1st OEF, though Admiral Tourville has been relentlessly drilling his crews on their new Time On Target tactic.

Knight-brother Canopus, Escort Force
Smaller Order vessels, when powered down, are more or less capable of stealth. Canopus makes use of cruisers and destroyers, providing excellent screening and anti-screen capabilities, though is lacking against enemy capital ships.

>>2431224
Paladin Cabot, Stealth Swarm
Paladin Sable, Stealth Strikers

>>2431224
>Paladin Cabot, Stealth Swarm
>Rear-Admiral Weston, First OSN Expeditionary Force

>>2431224

>Paladin Cabot, Stealth Swarm
>Rear-Admiral Weston, First OSN Expeditionary Force

Seems like a good mix of alpha strike and sustain. Plus, with all those human fighters to bolster our own numbers we should have enough in the way of defense against Legion fighters if they show up.

>>2430961
>>2431224
Was hoping to go in on one of those stealth spheres we ride in at the start, or maybe a small fleet of them under our command.

Paladin Cabot, Stealth Swarm
Paladin Sable, Stealth Strikers

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>>2431224
Okay, Paladin Cabot seems to be definitely coming along, but for your second choice let's do another vote:

>Paladin Sable
>Rear-Admiral Weston
(I'll roll it off if there's another tie within twenty mins or so).

>>2431429

>Rear-Admiral Weston

>>2431429
>>Rear-Admiral Weston

>>2431429
>>2431429
>Rear-Admiral Weston, First OSN Expeditionary Forces

Zusya didn't say anything about bringing humans now did he?

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>>2431450
:thinking:

>>2431429
>Paladin Cabot
>Rear-Admiral Weston

You make your choice and inform Darius. "Fair enough." He seems to agree. "Cabot is on patrol, but first OEF is currently resupplying." You already noticed them on your way in. "I'll contact Cabot."

Several hours later, the almost hundred-strong battlegroup of Paladin Cabot carefully decelerates into orbit near Bastion and begins resupplying. The Abbot calls you, Cabot and Admiral Weston into a conference. He explains the situation to Weston, who hasn't actually yet been told.

"So that's what had you all in such a tizzy?" He grunts- you're pretty sure he's sat in some kind of office aboard ONS Ranger, one of the two new human carriers. They're the size of your battleships, but with far less volume. There's a blunt mushroom cap forward, and the rest of the ship is a spindly length behind it, with several rotating modules hanging in the shadow of the forward cap. There's some hefty box-looking things mounted to the spine like outriggers, though still in the shadow of the forward cap. "Well, what can we do to help?"

You finish telling the pair of them about the message from whatever being is calling itself Zusya, and its ultimatum.

"So you want us to sneak in with you in case you need support." Cabot muses. They've been silent until now, a subdued presence over the link.

"Exactly." You send the impression of a nod. "We can't risk something happening if we tried a full-frontal assault."

"Very well." Admiral Weston sits back. "How do you want to handle this?"

Abbot Darius presents the system you'll be operating in: an utterly worthless piece of interstellar real estate. A small red dwarf circled by eleven rocky and ice planets barely worthy of the name, with a Neptune-sized gas giant its only real draw. There isn't even a convenient debris belt closer to the star than the Kuiper belt in the outer system. Completely worthless, so you're left to wonder why Zusya chose to set up shop there in the first place.

"Unfortunately, we don't have recent intel on any Legion movements. Knight-brothers Valiant and Montagu are currently on deep patrol in the area you'll be operating in, so if you come across them they may have some updated intel for you."

>Ask Weston and Cabot if they have any suggestions.
>Suggest a strategy (write-in)

>>2431630
>>Ask Weston and Cabot if they have any suggestions.


>He did not say no humans.

I'm meant to be getting up early tomorrow morning to take my parents to the airport, so I'd best be getting to bed now.
I'll resume posting in 8-9 hours will run the rest of the day from there.

>>2431630
>>Ask Weston and Cabot if they have any suggestions.

>>2431630
Send the stealthies in first have them take position and then go in ourselves. Try to talk if things go bad blow up the bad guys with a massive surprise attack.

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>>2431630
>Ask the other two for advice.

"So what do you both recommend?" You ask them.

"I should go in first." Cabot replies quickly. "I'll insert dead slow and scout it out. Whatever the tactical situation is, I'll send a drone back to you and maneuver in-system to support you as best I can. The humans should wait on the other side of the jump point as a reserve with Valiant or Mantagu, if we can find either of them."

"Now wait a minute." Weston sits forward, a frown on his craggy features. "There's no point in leaving us behind. If something goes down, assuming you can even get the call out, we'll be way too far away to help. I say you go in, blow away any fort or picket they have at the jump point, then we and Cabot will follow you in, fully stealthed."

You consider both approaches. They're both workable, though Cabot assumes there won't be anything poised to blow you away as you come in.

>Go with Cabot's suggestion.
>Choose Weston's strategy.
>Decide on something else (write-in).

>>2433255
>Decide on something else (write-in).
What if the meeting location doesn't have rubin there, and its to ensure we arrive in system alone.

>>2431648
>He did not say no humans.
This.

>>2433255
>Decide on something else (write-in).
We enter with everyone and cabot braks off in stealth with the other two distracts? Dunno.

>>2433255
supporting: >>2433522

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>>2433255
>Something else

"You know, he said no other AIs." You say thoughtfully. "Well, Admiral, you're not an AI last time I checked."

Weston's face splits into a crafty grin. "No, I am not."

"Then it's settled. You'll come in with me, and Cabot, you should follow behind us in stealth."

"Roger." Cabot leaves the conference to concentrate on resupply.

"I'll expedite anything you need. Just let me know." Darius also disconnects, leaving just you and Weston.

"Dauntless... I don't like this." Weston frowns at the pickup, giving the impression he's looking right at you. "I mean, it's obviously a trap. I don't really understand all this Shepherd business but it's clear this guy, if he was one of you, he's gone off the deep end. Why are we doing this?"

>Because you need to get Rubin back.
>Because you want revenge.
>Because you need to know.

>>2433569
>>Because you need to know.

>>2433569
>>Because you need to know.

>>2433569
>Because you need to know.
Know your enemy and all that. And hey, we know that this is quite likely to be a trap.

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>>2433569
Wow rip Rubin, you guys are dicks

>You gotta know.

"Because there's something very strange and potentially very dangerous going on." You reply after pausing a moment for Weston's benefit. "Whatever it is, we need to get to the bottom of it."

Weston nods slowly. "I see. Well, you know better than I do I suppose. The fleet will be ready to move in a day at most." He signs off with a polite nod.

It actually takes two days to move, because ONS Langley, the second human carrier, developed a minor fault with its fighter launch systems that had to be correct. Soon enough you're underway, the human fleet formed up on one flank and Cabot's ships keeping pace. They're strange to say the least, lots of small frigate- and destroyer-sized ships gathered into a loose ball. As you head towards Bastion's jump point, you run a final check of your forces.

>TF Dauntless
1 CV, 2 BB, 6 BC, 6 CVE, 13 CR, 18 DD, 192 GF, 12 GB, 2 AX
>1st OEF
2 CV, 10 BC, 6 CR, 12 DD, 48 SF (Strike Fighters)
>TF Cabot
27 DD, 51 FG

Everything seems to be in order. You're pretty confident that your combined forces can at least match anything the Legion throws at you. Hopefully.

---

The next week passes in transit, which Admiral Weston uses to drill his crews, giving you a chance to see their fighters. They're undeniably crude, but they're also remarkably nimble, if somewhat constrained by fuel. There's not much to see otherwise, as you take something of a looping course in order to avoid any attempted Legion break-outs. Finally, however, you're only a couple of systems away from the given location and you call a meeting to check your allies are ready.

"I don't like this." Cabot tells you after only minor prompting- they must be worried. "We haven't seen any traces of other AIs."

"Do you think we should look for them before we move in?" Weston asks.

You could, since the Abbot gave you their patrol routes. Cabot's right, you should have met at least one of them by now. But you may well lose valuable time looking for them...

>Hold your rescue effort for now, see about finding the missing Knight-brothers.
>You don't have any time to waste, you can look for them after you've dealt with whatever surprises Zusya has in store.

>>2433651
>Other
Adjust course for a high-speed flyby of a few of the systems the missing knight-brothers were set to patrol and drop drones for them in lieu of a full search. We can look for them after we spring this trap.

>>2433728
Sure, supporting.

>>2433651
>spoiler
It COULD be rubin, but until we see them I don't want to trust anything from legion.

>>2433728
Supporting

>>2433651
>>2433728
This. Also Rubin is likely dead by this point or molded into jerkass’s image.

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>>2433651
>Other

"Let's run through a few systems along their routes, drop some drones to keep an eye out. We don't have time to do a full check."

"Roger."

You drop one to start with, then set course. It takes another few days to drop courier drones in another 3 systems along their patrol route - all you're willing to spend time for - and loop back at high speed. Still no sign of either knight-brother, which is worrying to say the least. In the second system you dropped a drone in, however, there's something... strange. The drone is missing, but in its place is a small flotilla of Legion ships. Screening vessels, from the contact size. They're not doing anything, just... sitting there.

>No point in letting them get away. Launch fighters.
>Move in to missile range.
>Maybe this is connected to the disappearance of your comrades. Move in and investigate.

Sorry guys, but I'm going to have to disappear for a while, I put aside the whole weekend but things just keep coming up. Next post won't be until sometime around 6pm GMT!

>>2433886
>Maybe this is connected to the disappearance of your comrades. Move in and investigate.
But stay away as far as possible.

>>2433951
Have our sneaky friends do a recon run as best they know how. We'll meet them at a predetermined in-system location by a deadline time, exchange intel, and decide from there. If they fail to meet by the deadline, we go in.

>>2434053
meant to tag >>2433886

>>2433886
>Maybe this is connected to the disappearance of your comrades. Move in and investigate.
sneaky

>>2434053
Seconding

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>>2433886
>Investigate.

This is bloody strange to be sure, and you should take a look. You flash instructions to the humans and Cabot to start decelerating, but Cabot flashes back a quick message-

"I can investigate and link up with you later by the jump point."

Well, she does have the stealth here. If there's something really spooky - the raid on Olympus comes to mind - perhaps it would be better for her to check it out instead. Then again, Cabot doesn't have the forces for any kind of direct battle if something goes wrong.

>It's too risky. Head in yourself.
>Let Cabot investigate.
>Send Cabot in, but keep some fighters nearby for reinforcements.
>Other (write-in)

>>2433886
>>Maybe this is connected to the disappearance of your comrades. Move in and investigate.
Stealth ships first

>>2434330
>Let Cabot investigate.

>>2434330
>>Send Cabot in, but keep some fighters nearby for reinforcements.

>>2434330
>>Let Cabot investigate.

>>2434330

>Send Cabot in, but keep some fighters nearby for reinforcements.

Don't send any bombers, but the regular fighters are disposable enough to buy time if things go wrong.

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Rolled 23 (1d100)

>>2434330
>Send Cabot with fighters for backup.

You give Cabot the affirmative. Your and the humans' ships decelerate harder, while Cabot's go on ahead- after several minutes of sharp deceleration they shut down their engines, the dark, light-drinking nanoflage coating of their hull making them utterly undetectable at anything closer than short range. Then Cabot shuts down her IFF beacons and they vanish from your screens.

>Roll 1d100, best of 3

Rolled 95 (1d100)

>>2434371

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>2434371

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>2434371

>>2434330
>>Send Cabot in, but keep some fighters nearby for reinforcements.

>>2434386
Very nice

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>>2434371
>95 vs 23

Light delay starts to set in as you continue to decelerate while Cabot continues, ballistic, on her current course. Several squadrons of fighters stream from your escort carriers to lurk behind her- again, ballistic to hopefully avoid detection by the Legion ships in the face of the massive drive plumes your ships are putting out. An hour ticks by, then two. They should have seen your decel burn by now, and you their reaction, but so far... nothing.

Your tactical systems plot where Cabot should be, and you make sure to stream it to Weston as well. Need to keep the humans in the know. In any case, your tac systems alert you when she should be passing. Over an hour passes, and then the light finally reaches you- a rippling tide of detonations sweep through the formation. A few minutes after a short, terse lasercom reaches you as well.

"Purposefully revealed a ship. Enemy didn't react so I took them out."

Weird.

>Meet up by the jump point as planned to continue your mission.
>Investigate the wreckage, maybe it can tell you something.
>Leave one of your allies behind to investigate while you continue (which?).

>>2434529
>>Meet up by the jump point as planned to continue your mission.

>>2434529
>other
Dock with a legion wreck and tow it to the jump point so we can investigate on the way. Or use it as projectile.

>>2434529
Leave a drone in system to record goings-on and any legion response, then continue the mission.

We need to know what the hell's going on with the rogue abbot and Rubin.

>>2434552
Every time we dock with a legion wreck we end up with a shipboard fight and maybe a core we can't use. I'm not sure it's useful to risk getting hacked right now. We have plenty of projectiles.

>>2434601
I'm sure our battleship crew can handle one of their frigate's

>>2434612
We can, it's just going to take time we should probably spend rescuing our oldest friend. Didn't Rubin pull our ass out of the Legion's hands a while back after we lost the fight to them in space? We owe him our attention.

>>2434618
We do, that's why we need to know what's going on
Though this matter of the 2 missing patrols my be entirely unrelated to the Rubin affair

>>2434601
It's Cabot's fleet doing it this time, might have more luck

>>2434645
Cabot doesn't have any ship larger than a destroyer, so they don't carry any assault drones. Your capital ships carry them, and the human carriers also have marine detachments.

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>>2434529
Okay so since there's a tie:

>Continue the mission, leaving a drone in the system to keep an eye out
>Delay the mission while you match course with the wreckage and see if you can find anything

>>2434686
Then just use tow cables or something to get those wrecks along

>>2434738
>>Continue the mission, leaving a drone in the system to keep an eye out
this.

>>2434740
There's no reason to do that. Just wastes time. Our weapons are better than wrecks.

>>2434746
The projectile option was only meant as a "fuck you, have it" option in case the Legion interrupts our in-flight investigation.

>>2434738
>>Continue the mission, leaving a drone in the system to keep an eye out

>>2434752
We have weapons for that. Works better with weapons.

>>2434752
You'd still have to spend as much time trying to get a wreck under tow as you would investigating, and considering it's ballistic it wouldn't make a very good projectile...

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>>2434771
even 40k gets this right

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>>2434738
>Continue with the mission

You consider trying to match courses with some of the bigger pieces of wreckage and investigating, but you don't want to waste more time. Your steer your ships onto a course with the jump point you need, and the humans follow in your wake.

As you reach the vicinity of the jump point, Cabot turns her IFF beacons back on- disturbingly close. But then, if you can't detect her ships, then neither can the Legion.

"I'll follow you in, dead slow." She informs you. "Just stay relatively slow so I can keep up and cover you. The more I have to accel, the more likely it is that I'll be detected."

"Right." You sign off and spend some time with the various helmsmen (and rather stupid AIs) of the human vessels, getting them integrated into your task force. Finally, as one, your ships light off their drive and through the jump point.

---

Twelve light-years distant, your ships break back through into n-space. Screening vessels fan out wide, probing space with their sensors as the heavy zero-point energy plants of the capitals come online after a minute or so. Drifting forward on ballistic, your sensors drink in the current state of the unnamed system you're in. Several of the ice planets and the kuiper belt are further out than the jump points, a minor curiosity caused by the relative proximity to a neutron star a few dozen light-years away and the way its gravitic waves interact with the red dwarf in the system. The jump point doesn't appear to be picketed, have a fort, or even mined. It's when you turn your attention to the inner system that you get a surprise.

Only the third worthless rocky planet seems to have anything worth something, aside from the gas giant, which appears to have a minor gas mining operation. But that rocky planet, about the size of Mars, is literally surrounded by what appear to be rings in geosync orbit as well as several massive forts in higher orbit and swarming with signatures. You can't even pick up individual ships- but that's true for the other concentrations of ships around the system. It's not quite the jamming of those EW cruisers you've seen before. You're picking up something, it's just... impossible to pick out any particular signatures. The closest group, designated Alpha by your tac systems, might have some cruisers.

"I don't like this." Weston remarks. "It's spooky."

After a moment, you catch onto what he means- none of the concentrations of ships are actually moving. They're in solar or, in the case of those around the third planet, stable planetary orbit.

>Move into the system. Carefully.
>Light off drives and make a course for the third world.
>Stay where you are and see what happens when the light of your arrival reaches the Legion ships.
>Other (write-in).

>>2435057
>Stay where you are and see what happens when the light of your arrival reaches the Legion ships

>>2435057
>>Stay where you are and see what happens when the light of your arrival reaches the Legion ships.

>>2435057

>Stay where you are and see what happens when the light of your arrival reaches the Legion ships.

And keep trying to get a fix on them with scanning.

>>2435057
>>Stay where you are and see what happens when the light of your arrival reaches the Legion ships.

>>2435057

>Stay where you are and see what happens when the light of your arrival reaches the Legion ships.

Also, let's have Cabot disperse a bit from out main force. The whole point of bringing them was to make sure that the Legion are looking right at us as they sneak about.

>>2435298
Supporting

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>>2435057
>Stay for now.

"I don't like this either. Let's stay here for now."

"Roger that." Weston replies with considerable feeling.

Minutes start to tick by as you wait motionless relative to the jump point in its lonely solar orbit. You receive a brief lasercom message from Cabot to inform you that she's dispersing towards the inner system. Fair enough. The waiting become tense, enough that even you can detect it from Weston's flag bridge as he does paperwork on some kind of tablet. Frankly you're almost impressed at his composure. An hour after your arrival, you see group Alpha begin to move... towards the inner system.

"Maybe they're scared of us." Weston remarks.

"Something doesn't feel right, Admiral." You hear his ops officer reply.

Weston grunts in response, and you go back to waiting. The reactions of Beta and Gamma come through next, and they immediately... start going straight for you. What? Hundreds at least of ships start streaming up from the orbit of the third world. Alpha is still moving away.

"I wish you weren't right all the time, Shannon." Weston sighs, and glances at the pickup. "Dauntless? Are we pulling out?"

Before you can reply, your sensors start to scream in alarm- proximity alarm!?

Legion ships are streaming from the jump point. How the hell did they evade your sensors? That minor matter is put to one side, however, as a radio transmission reaches your ships from the direction of the third world. A voice you were really hoping never to hear again.

"Hello, Dauntless." Zusya says. "If you surrender, then I'll kill you and your human pets quickly."

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And that cliffhanger seems like a decent place to stop for this evening! I hope you all enjoyed the thread tonight.

Also good news: it's spring break for me, so I'll be running an extra thread of Fleet Maidens on Wednesday at the usual time. Follow the twitter for details and all that.
Since it's also not very late yet I'll stick around for a little while for questions or complaints.

Why did we feel the need to rush to the destination? Why not go around and clear the surrounding areas first?

>>2435521
Okay, that's a question I can't answer.

>>2435536
This just raises more questions dammit!

>>2435472
Thanks for running! Guess we'll just have to sort this out next time.