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Special Operations 2: Canewdon System – Part 1
Canewdon A
Jazz: No! I can give you the names of the Mandarin leaders! Their Kilrathi contacts! ANYTHING!
Angel: Justice is decided in the court, not with particle cannons.
Tolwyn: Now that we have seen the evidence from the flight recorder, this military tribunal has reached its verdict. Major Zach “Jazz” Colson, you stand accused of murder and high treason. You are hereby pronounced guilty of all charges. For these crimes, you are sentenced to death.
Jazz: This court cannot condemn me! Only history will decide if I’m a villain or a hero. And our history will be written by the Kilrathi!
Tolwyn: Guards, take him away!
Mandarin: The Morningstar Project is nearing the final stages of prototype testing. A squadron of test pilots is being transferred to the Concordia.
Kilrathi: We must have that prototype! Bring me this Morningstar, even if you have to spill blood to get it.
Mandarin: Preferably.
Akko Station, outside the Deneb Sector.
Akko: Colonel, this is Akko Station. Sorry to cancel your leave… You are to escort the prison ship Bastille to a rendezvous with the prison ship Alcatraz. The Alcatraz is waiting at Nav point 1. The Alcatraz will take “Jazz” Colson back to Earth to be executed.
Maverick: Escort “Jazz” Colson to his execution? It’d be my pleasure!
Akko: Affirmative, Maverick. Return to the Concordia after completing your mission.
Freighters: Mayday! TCS freighters Xebec and Delphinium under attack!
Bastille: This is the captain of the Bastille! Mandarin hijackers have taken over our ship! They are attempting to activate our jump drive!
Sparks: Admiral Tolwyn wants to see you in his office immediately.
Ten minutes later.
Tolwyn: How could “Jazz” Colson have escaped?
Maverick: I couldn’t leave those freighters undefended, sir, and there was no way I could have anticipated the situation aboard Bastille.
Tolwyn: No one blames you for what happened. But we are very concerned, Maverick. Just before the escape, Jazz sent us a transmission. You need to hear what that transmission says. You need to hear it right now.
Jazz: It was very touching to see my old friend, Maverick, escorting me to my execution. The last time we crossed paths, Blair, you were lucky. The next time we meet… you’ll be dead.
Canewdon B
Kabla Meth, Kilrathi HQ, Deneb Sector.
Emperor: Report to me of the Deneb offensive. My spies tell me you attacked civilian targets! Was this out of cowardice?
Thrakhath: We attacked the Human colony only after decimating the entire 6th Battle Fleet. The enemy will never forget the death and destruction we caused after our victory. Consider their everlasting misery a tribute to my Emperor.
Emperor: I am touched. What else do you have to report?
Thrakhath: Our agent Major Colson escaped en route to his execution. He was liberated by the Mandarins.
Emperor: Colson could prove useful in gaining the Morningstar prototype. Attend to it.
Thrakhath: Once the Mandarins convene I shall report again.
Emperor: I would remind you of one thing, Prince Thrakhath– Fear is our most effective weapon against our enemy. Continue to use it well.
Canewdon System, Deneb Sector.
Briefing Room, TCS Concordia, 0500 hours.
Angel: We have just entered the Deneb sector. The present location and status of our enemy is unknown. This is only a standard recon patrol, but watch your six. Engage the enemy at your discretion, but be sure you make it back to report what you find.
Maverick listens as Angel gives out the rest of the assignments.
Angel: Maverick, you and Stingray will do a fly-by of your Nav points. That is all. Good luck, and good hunting. Dismissed.
Sparks: You made it back without a scratch, Colonel!
Maverick: I saw you working on that other Sabre earlier. Nice fuselage.
Sparks: Why, thank you, Colonel.
Maverick: I was talking about the Sabre…
Sparks: If you think that’s something, wait until you see the new Morningstar.
Maverick: A Morningstar? What’s that?
Sparks: Word is it’s the new Confed fighter. They’re supposed to shake it down on the Concordia.
Maverick: Where’d you hear that, Sparks?
Sparks: Sometimes you just have to listen. So, was it a rough patrol, Colonel?
Maverick: Not bad. I took out 6 enemy fighters, and there was a Dorkathi at Nav 2. It’s history. It wasn’t enough to make up for losing “Jazz” Colson, though. I wish I’d killed that bastard when I had the chance.
Canewdon C
Maverick: Maniac, you old dog! What are you doing here?!
Maniac: That’s Major Todd Marshall now, Maverick. I’m in command of the Wild Eagles. We’re the hottest test pilots in the galaxy! We’ve got a job to do: shake down this new fighter, the Morningstar. Maybe we’ll let you watch as we punch a hole in the galaxy.
Maverick: Your Morningstar sounds like an impressive craft. Just be sure you win the war in plenty of time for lunch.
Concordia: Major Marshall and Colonel Blair, report to the Bridge immediately!
Tolwyn: Major, Lieutenant Burkheimer reports Captain Grimaldi’s ship didn’t make the jump.
Maniac: Captain Grimaldi’s ship had jump troubles, but they were supposed to be fixed before her departure. The Morningstar doesn’t yet have the capability to rescue an ejected pilot. She’s had it!
Maverick: Sir, there’s a Sabre ready on the flight deck now. I volunteer to retrieve the Captain.
Maniac: Admiral, this is one of my squadron. I request to fly the Sabre.
Tolwyn: In the future, Major, I advise you to keep better track of your squadron. Good luck, Colonel Blair.
Flight Deck, TCS Concordia.
Minx: Thank you, Colonel Blair, for helping me out.
Maverick: Not a problem, Captain. I’m glad I could help.
Minx: At least that Morningstar prototype won’t fall into enemy hands. There was a self-destruct device on board that activated when I ejected from it. By the way, Colonel, you can call me Maria. My callsign is Minx.
Maverick: Minx, what went wrong with your jump drive?
Minx: Apparently the engineers still haven’t found the cause of that random jump failure.
Maverick: It sounds like the Morningstar has a bad case of gremlin infestation.
Canewdon D
TCS Concordia, Observation Deck, 2130 hours.
Maniac: –and so after I destroyed the two capital ships single-handedly– Say, did I ever tell you the story about how that happened?
Maverick: Yes. Yes, you did.
Maniac: Well anyway, after that I was promoted to Major. Actually, they wanted to make me a colonel, but I turned it down to command the Wild Eagles.
Maverick: What exactly is this Wild Eagle squadron?
Maniac: They’re an elite group of test pilots under my command. They want me to train them how to fly exactly like I do in combat.
Maverick: You mean Confed High Command actually approved of training pilots to fly the way you do?!
Maniac: Some have already said that the Wild Eagles may be the model for the fighter pilot of the future.
Maverick: You know, Todd– People say a lot of things.
Maniac: It’s true! And that’s why we have the Morningstar. The fighter pilots of the future need a fighter of the future. So the Morningstar was built to some of my specifications. It has special capabilities that I can’t even talk to you about. Just keep watching me, pal. What you’ll see is history in the making.
Colonel Devereaux’s Office.
Angel: As the Morningstar still appears to be plagued by random jump failure, I would like Maverick to accompany one of the Wild Eagles on a test jump. There will be a special jump recorder on board that may give us the necessary data to correct the problem. I believe Crossbones would be the most appropriate pilot for this mission.
Maniac: Colonel Devereaux, I request to fly the test jump myself. If anything is going to happen to a pilot in the Morningstar, I want it to happen to me first.
Angel: If you feel so strongly about this, Todd, then I have no objection. Maverick, meet Maniac at Nav 1, watch him jump out, patrol your Nav points and return home. Dismissed.
Gamal Gan: We are the Gamal Gan, a Kilrathi freighter from Hhallas! We are unarmed and have severe engine trouble! Do not shoot! We surrender!
Maverick: Concordia, I have a disabled Kilrathi freighter in my target sights. I’m not reading any weapons on it. Awaiting further orders.
Concordia: Maverick, this is Major Edmond. Your orders are to leave the freighter intact – we’re sending a patrol to retrieve it. Continue your patrol, Maverick.
Maverick: Affirmative, Concordia. Maverick out.
Sparks: Welcome back, sir!
Admiral Tolwyn’s Office, TCS Concordia.
Tolwyn: A fine bit of luck, discovering that Kilrathi freighter. We’ve rescued the crew and searched the ship. They had jettisoned their cargo into the sun and their logbook is a blatant forgery. We’ll never know what they were carrying, but we made one discovery. They had a Human crewmember.
Maverick: He must’ve been captured and forced into slavery.
Tolwyn: Not so. This crewman was wilfully working with the enemy. He is a Mandarin. The Mandarin movement has become increasingly militant in recent months. Their tactics have changed from misguided pacifism to passive treason and now aggressive collaboration. We’ve long suspected they had direct ties to the Kilrathi and this is the first concrete evidence of it.
Maverick: They’ve got to be stopped–
Admiral Tolwyn’s Office, TCS Concordia.
Tolwyn: You disobeyed orders again, Colonel Blair, and cost us a valuable prize! That ship undoubtedly contained priceless intelligence information. Your actions have convinced me that you must be working with the Mandarins! You’ll be placed under guard and taken to Confed High Command for your second and final court-martial.
Maverick: Sir! I can explain–
Tolwyn: You can explain at your court-martial, Colonel!
Canewdon (Losing Track)
Kabla Meth, Kilrathi HQ, Deneb Sector.
Emperor: Rise, grandson– What is the current status of the war in the Deneb sector?
Thrakhath: Since our victory, the Terrans have not established any presence that would constitute a threat to our forces here.
Emperor: Surely, there must be some ship brave enough to dare us?
Thrakhath: There is only one. The Concordia.
Emperor: Concordia–? That is the ship of the pilot Blair who gave us so much difficulty?
Thrakhath: Yes, always a destabilising influence. We should eliminate him and the Concordia.
Emperor: But what of the Morningstar prototype?
Thrakhath: We can always acquire the Morningstar prototype through other means.
Emperor: Very well. If the presence of the Concordia disturbs you, grandson, you may destroy it.
Briefing Room, TCS Concordia.
Angel: We have detected a large scale Kilrathi assault force making an approach towards the Concordia. There is no doubt that this is the spearhead of a major military operation intended to drive us from the sector. Until we receive the order, we cannot retreat. Until such time, or until the danger has passed we shall remain on full alert. Maverick, you and Kaiser will fly the first patrol. Good luck.
Sparks: Outstanding, Colonel!
Flight Deck, TCS Concordia.
Angel: How was your patrol, Christopher?
Maverick: At Nav 1, there were three Grikaths moving closer to the Concordia. None of them survived.
Angel: What about Nav 2?
Maverick: There were four Kamekhs escorted by three Gothri aces.
Angel: Do you have anything else to report?
Maverick: Three Sarthas at Nav 3. All in all, I got 7 enemy ships.
Angel: Thank you for your report, Maverick.
One or more Kamekhs active:
Failure
