File: hollowearthschematic.jpg (34 KB, 780x480)

34 KB JPG

>OP is exactly the same as last time edition.

Threochts planet does indeed contain a builder facility. The planet isn't hollow, it merely seems that way. If the energy field that maintains the interior in its out of phase state were to shut down the results for everyone inside would be disastrous. Having no interest in being buried under tens of kilometers of molten rock you made contact with the locals and descendants of the scientist Threocht.

They've agreed to aid in your exploration. In return you and the Krath will remove an infestation of creatures called blight scales, the Krath's less advanced ancestors. Getting in contact with the Krath Union and the Rovinar Federation you struck a deal with them. They'll remove the proto-krath in return for you keeping quiet about the whole affair, and promising to support your claims to the facility.

With the assistance of the locals and the Krath government secured you began wider exploration of the facility interior. The sphere Caretakers in your team have established tentative contact with a number of the ancient caretakers who once instructed the Neeran in the spheres operation. A few of the incorporeal entities placed themselves in stasis, presumably to help and warn future generations about various dangers posed by this place.

With intel and warnings in hand you and your allies have been preparing to breach the facilities core. Inside there may be a sphere builder shipyard, or at the very least a ship. There may also be hostile life forms, like the Leviathans and more of the proto-Krath. To head off the possibility of them escaping the western gate facility has been modified to only open a wormhole large enough for drones and personnel.

More precautions are almost ready to help counter a worst case scenario. Containment shields to isolate the region around the gate. Tanks, troops, repulsor bikes and weapon emplacements surround the area ready to engage anything that might come through. E-beam weapons which the Rovinar may have developed specifically to counter Krath and their Leviathan hosts are ready to go.

>>3714430
FOR HOUSE AND DOMINION

File: community_image_1424948838.jpg (243 KB, 900x900)

243 KB JPG

FOR HOUSE AND DOMINION. STEAL ALL THE TECH AND SALVAGE EVERYTHING ELSE EDITION

The shields still require another day or two of setup time. Rather than spending days or weeks shipping them into the interior one shield unit was brought in and then copied by Tereoct and his people, using their larger manufacturing centers at the tower in the south. Your shuttles and a few produced by your allies are being kept busy ferrying the components.

With the delay until the shield is ready many of your people posted to the interior are being kept busy helping the tower guard warn nearby villages. You've taken the opportunity to visit the surface once more and check in with the fleet. Things are going well for the lost part. The Ulgean are making some concerning fleet movements at times but the Alliance and Dominion forces have been quick to counter.

Of course the real reason for the visit tot he surface is to make use of reestablished communications to the J-D homeworlds. This close to the front lines special care still needs to be taken to maintain OPSEC. Despite this the Alliance is allowing officers to call home. It's a sign that the overall campaign must be going well.

With Troy's reassignment here to help ready the repulsor bike units he's gone to the trouble of prepare a com room that can take advantage of the holographic inputs back home. Currently busy he's left a message that he already talked to the kids in the morning.

After checking the time difference you place a call and soon enough are able to see Eleanor and Leon. They're going to be 4 years old soon enough and have grown quite a bit since you left. That or Rufaro has been messing with the scale of the holoemitters on the drone. It's been at least 4 months since you set out from Rioja and you were a little worried they might have trouble recognizing you if you were gone too long. Fortunately you did send off some messages just before crossing the crystal sea.

The twins were apparently expecting you to call and were looking forward to it. Probably having been told by their father when he saw them earlier. With the drone you're able to follow them around the house and let them show you what they've been up to while away. Even play with them for a few minutes.

Anything specific you wanted to say to the kids?

>>3714555
>Anything specific you wanted to say to the kids?
That we miss them but we will be back home in not to long time. Then we can play all day long.

>>3714555
>Anything specific you wanted to say to the kids?
Ask if they have been nice to their caretakers and if they would like to visit their grandparents again when we're back.

>>3714555

>Anything specific you wanted to say to the kids?

||Do they want a puppy?||

Aside from telling them we love them and that we promise to be return home. And like >>3714609 anon suggested, ask if they want to see their grandparents again. (Both sides or just our side? Because god knows the Harmen side may have murderous relatives) Also if they have made any friends, either with the helpers or any other kids nearby.

"Have you been good to your caretakers while we've been away?"
They're quick to respond yes though Ella Rufaro, watching from the doorway, is quick to cough a "mostly."

"Well if you behave yourselves maybe we can see about getting you a puppy. Do you want one?"
Predictably there is disagreement. Leon is quick to shout "Yes!" while Eleanor responds with a more subdued "No."

"Why not?" you ask.
"We saw a dog and it barked at us. It was scary."
"Not all dogs are scary. Maybe we can do see a few and you can make up your mind then. Okay?"
"Okay."

"Did you two want to visit your grandparents when we're back?"
They seem to be okay with this idea. Troy's parents are a bit more distant and dont call as often so they're not quite as certain about visiting them.

They've made a few friends among some other children about their age. Not a lot of friends but a few. Most are a little bit older but that hasn't really been an issue. Mostly children of the other nobles on Rioja. Rufaro later quietly assures you that every security precaution has been taken regarding other kids they've been interacting with.

"Your father and I will be back home soon enough, then we can play all day long. I love you!"

>>3714699
Make sure to thank Rufaro for taking care of the kids.

After a few quick words of thanks to Rufaro you sign off.

Once that call is done you head into orbit to make use of slightly more secure communications infrastructure. A coded message is sent to the Emperor detailing what you can about the situation. Also included is information regarding potential to strengthen ties with the Krath or cause them to waste more resources out here.

Looking over various reports after the call you realise that the Emperor is fairly close to the front lines, not back in the homeworlds. The Ruling House has moved a mobile fort that has recently been refit to the edges of the Neeran Empire's former borders. It must be acting as a command and control ship for multiple Houses. Its presence may be a sign that Ber'helum is close to securing SP weapon technology.

You get some sleep in a normal bed for once without the continuous glowing light of the planet's interior. That has to be annoying for some of the troops. Maybe you can arrange for some non-essential supplies to help them out and boost morale?

Returning to the planet, then the interior you catch a lift with one of the inbound cargo flights. Tereoct has regained consciousness and has looked over your suggestions, thinking they might be possible. The converter artifact might be able to help but Tereoct is concerned it might be harmful to the old caretakers in their current state.

At any rate he gained no additional items worth worrying about regarding the core. The current preparations should be sufficient. He simply asks that you not get any of his relatives killed trying to explore it.

"I'll be preparing to temporarily shut down many of my experiments. Be aware that there is a chance that stray weapons fire striking the core, if sufficiently powerful enough, could activate system defenses. There is little risk of this with your guns in my opinion. Most would be attenuated by the atmosphere. Just be aware."

"What level of defenses are we talking about?"
"First level, a simple energy drain. Possibly making the transit chamber to the exterior more difficult to activate. I hadn't tested that part. These I can disable on my own, it is simply time consuming."
"Are there other levels of defenses?" you ask, wondering if Threocht could have used them.

"I believe the next level would have created a shield around the core that would cut off the interior from its light source and disable the transit chambers entirely. I am not entirely certain. It wont interfere with wormhole gates previously connected to the core, that much I do know."
"Third level defenses?"
"Would shut down the phased space time field."
"So in other words we're talking escalation by an order of magnitude here."
"Correct, and so would be the force required to activate it. Anything that might trigger such a reaction should already be capable of annihilating most of the planet."

>Cont.

You consider the implications of that.
"What were to happen if something that destructive happened inside the core?"
"If we are lucky it would be contained and then dropped to what you consider real space to dispose of it."

The problem there is if for instance a giant stockpile of antimatter were to drop to real space inside the planet's core, the entire thing might be destroyed. Both in this space and real space. You'll try your luck with fusion rounds for the 20mm guns if necessary but nothing so crazy as an AM weapon in this place. Even if it might be the only thing that could cut through builder structure.

Tereoct needs another day to finish preparations as he hadn't counted on being so badly exhausted by the conversation with the caretaker.

Arriving at the western gate you check in with the scientists, specialists, allies and the troops. The Rekesh army and tower guard have finished notifying the surrounding towns within a few hundred kilometers. Some were understandably angry that a bunch of outworlders were going to potentially put them all in danger again. Regardless they know to be ready and have begun efforts to dig deep shelters to hide in if the worst happen.

Along the shield perimeter a number of locals have gathered to watch what's going on. Some are attempting to sell goods to the troops, others are evacuating having realised they're among the few living inside the edges of the shield. Those ones are not terribly pleased but aren't willing to tangle with the tower guard. A few repulsor bike units are assigned to watching the perimeter and planting markers so that no one is hurt when the shield goes up.

The shields are ready on time and tests show them to be fully operational. Veod, Uller, Af Ied and the scientists perform a series of tests on the modified gate in the lead up to the actual activation. Between tests the shields are shut down to let more rekesh civilians flee the area.

Power up tests put the wormhole gate to the core opening more than 20 kilometers up in the air. This might be an ok distance for any ships leaving it but most of your weapons wouldn't be of much use at that range. Given the smaller size of the gate being opened its decided to be safe enough to bring it down to 2,000 meters.

"That's not going to create an airburst is it?" asks Valeri and you quickly catch on.
"Right, if it does two klicks is going to suck. Even for the tanks."

Af Ied doesn't believe there will be any noticeable pressure difference, though there may cause atmospheric vortices.

"Get someone familiar with tornadoes to make sure our troops are ready for the possibility of some shit weather." you order.

>Cont.

The next few tests at the reduced altitude do cause some strong winds but nothing the army isn't prepared for. Once Tereoct is finished making preparations you send the signal for the rest of the bike units to get in here. Soon they're arriving in large groups, having crammed as many of the smaller vehicles into the transit chamber as they safely could.

"Who will be first through the gate once it opens?" asks Akyarres, the Rovinar seeming uncharacteristically excited.

[ ] Small recon drone
[ ] Larger scout drone
[ ] Torpedo style science probe
[ ] Manned jump jet or flight suit
[ ] Small manned volunteer craft

>>3715135
Is there a sweet spot in size where things don't register as a threat to the blight scales so they don't cause the Leviathans to notice?

>>3715135
>[ ] Torpedo style science probe

>>3715135
>[ ] Larger scout drone
not a person and not something that looks like a weapon

>>3715155
Smaller objects would of course be harder to spot. Then again the simple opening of the gate might get their attention.

>>3715180
Thanks. Going with the torpedo style science probe in that case.

>>3715135
>[ ] Torpedo style science probe

A science probe similar to those that can be launched by a ships torpedo launchers is readied. It should have enough power, fuel and longer ranged repulsors to explore a substantial void. The longer ranged transmitter should also be able to cut through most interference. The science team equips the probe with a few detachable communication relays just in case.

Finally zero hour arrives. The gate facility powers up and once everyone is certain the systems are in the green tears a tiny hole in the sky. Predicted atmospheric disturbances take place creating a twisting whirl of clouds around the outer edge of the gate. Otherwise things remain fairly clear. No telling how long things are going to remain that way.

"If the gate remains open we may be looking at the formation of a localised lightning storm inside of an hour." reports the weather specialist.

With the gate still remaining stable you give the order to launch the probe. A few stations with faction equipment set up in the gate facility control room display the probes progress and sensor feeds. Its telemetry shows similar readouts to transport through other builder gates. The edges of the wormhole look slightly unstable but then again you usually didn't have time to take in the particulars when using the ones on the sphere.

Emerging on the other side the probe sends back images similar to the ship dock that had been described by Tereoct. A six sided structure many kilometers deep subdivided by walls creating several cells facing the gate. The interior looks dark at first until you flip through a number of different wavelengths. Theen you can see the outer most sections closest to the gate give off a deep red glow. It might be heat from the core, you're not certain, but it does help to illuminate the rest of the area slightly.

Veod points to what looks like rows of bumps or nodules around the edges near to where the glowing sections meet the rest of the docks.
"Matter siphons."
"Isolate those." you order the scientists.

One of them is illuminated on the screen and brought up in greater detail. Sure enough it looks to be a scaled up version of the device at the tower. It appears to be inactive at the moment, as does the rest of the facility. Taking passive scans the docks appear to be in rough shape. Damaged or picked apart in places. Not uniformly but most have damage of one kind or another. Clouds of scrap and larger pieces of debris float loosely in several of the docks.

>Cont.

You're about to ask if anything resembling a ship is present when movement is detected towards the back. At the back of an upper cell closer to the outer wall something is shifting back and forth. There isn't time for the words "active debris" to form in your mind as an armored wedge shaped object emerges trailing more of itself behind in a sinuous ribbon.

"Is that a giant snake?" you wonder aloud.
"Leviathan confirmed!" shouts Sirocco, the Krath attache.
More than a few scientists begin cursing others keep their eyes glued to the screens.

"Do we shut down the gate?" asks Uler.

>Your orders?

>>3715531
>>Your orders?

If it moves towards the portal how long would it take to shut it down? Can we afford to leave the probe in there long enough to get some active scans of the interior of the room and of the Leviathan. Before calling it back and shutting the portal down.

If we must close the portal now, how long can the probe last without us commanding it and can we reenable contact with it if we do reopen this portal?

As for actual orders. Focus on the Leviathan we have seen, track it, make sure it is not heading this way. Try and get an idea for how big it is. And also if the scanners can find anything else similar to it among the debris. There is a chance this is a dead Leviathan floating in the debris field. Or it is a distraction for more Leviathans around the portal. Now that we know what to look for we can hopefully find/ track more of them if there are any in here.

>>3715605
>the portal how long would it take to shut it down?
10-20 seconds.
>Can we afford to leave the probe in there long enough to get some active scans of the interior of the room and of the Leviathan. Before calling it back and shutting the portal down.
That is entirely your call. You haven't observed it enough to know how fast it is.

>If we must close the portal now, how long can the probe last without us commanding it
Weeks easily provided the right commands are given to keep it out of trouble.

>and can we reenable contact with it if we do reopen this portal?
Yes.

>>3715531
>"Do we shut down the gate?" asks Uler.
Yes

>>3715605
>>3715709

Set the probe to pretend to be debris for awhile and close the gate?

>>3715916

That works for me. Leave it to passively scan the interior for a few days as we leave the portal closed. This will also allow us to tell if there is any time anomalies in there. If the probes internal chronometer is off from our own then we know there is time fuckery going on in there.

Also we can better plan around there being Leviathans, now that we know that there is at least one in there. We can confirm with the Krath from their own personal data whether the one we saw was an adolescent or a dead Leviathan. We can also use what data we got to try and determine how best to proceed in the time between closing the gate and when next we open it to retrieve the probe or have the probe send us its data back.

>>3715916

This works. Gate must be closed either way.

>>3715531

>Your orders?
>"Do we shut down the gate?" asks Uler.
I am going to go with fucking yes on that one.

>>3715916
Works for me. Is there a chance to get rid of these things without killing them? Do the Krath have a reservation planet or system for Leviathans where we could dump them?

me new, me join can?

>>3716745
I suggest starting at the beginning:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=House%20and%20Dominion
https://houseanddominion.fandom.com/wiki/HouseAndDominion_Wiki

>>3716745
You can but good luck friendo.
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/567757/
Try to read this for a general overview of what happened for a while. We're kinda past the events detailed there for quite a while but it helps a lot.

>>3716745
Heck yeah my dude. Everyone is welcome here.

What you need to know is the follwing. Sharks are cute. Salvage everything that you can, even if it's nailed down or not physical to begin with. Terrans bad and they should feel bad.

>>3716745
>>3716749
>>3716753
Reminder the summary page does exist.

https://houseanddominion.fandom.com/wiki/Summary_Page

>>3715916
>Set the probe to pretend to be debris for awhile and close the gate?
Yes.

Given all the warnings we've received, maybe it's wise to call off this operation?

>>3716844
Nah. The Krath are totally going to want to capture any Leviathan we find for their own vampire needs. Besides did you see that treasure room? There is row after row after row of Matter Siphons in there. And that's just the entrance.

>>3716921

I don't think the Krath want lose untamed Leviathans. At least not when they cant hide them in plain sight or sneak them out and back to their homeworlds. Which being so close to the front, is going to be a monumental task to accomplish if we even COULD kick them out of the holding facility.

>>3716841
I genuinely forgot that that's a thing.

>>3716928
Well it all depends on what the Krath can do about it. I ASSUME they have some way of keeping them contained, docile or otherwise submissive considering they have some on their homeworlds still.

As for transport. If we play with the idea that the Krath could capture the Leviathan(s) then perhaps we could build another portal large enough to house it and then set the exit somewhere in deep space where they could bring in their ships to pick them up? The only other alternatives besides that is bringing them out piecemeal or using the BIG gate.

>>3716934

I would hope they have a means to keep them tame or docile. I just don't think they have a means to do so available at the front lines. Or at least it would take longer and draw more resources then they're willing to expend just yet. And if they do wish to move these Leviathans out eventually, that's going to be a part of that whole 'distant future projects'. Sort of like moving all the proto-Krath out of this facility. Only removing these Leviathans would be a larger undertaking and consume far more resources and be much more difficult to conceal. Even if they did have the assistance of the Dominion and Rovinar.

I would like to be rid of these Leviathans as they're in our way to what could be a massive treasure chest. But as it is, the cost and difficulty is astronomical at the moment. I still think we could sneak in some unamanned drones to go in and steal stuff. And get us data. Maybe risk sending in a small team for a few days.

But getting rid of the Leviathans now just aint gonna happen.

>>3716969
>But getting rid of the Leviathans now just aint gonna happen.
The Leviathans are said to be malicious, not self-destructive or stupid. If we could manage to communicate with them and offer the choice between being caged in the mini sphere or getting their own planet somewhere, they might be sensible enough to choose the latter?

>>3717066
It was also said they're incredibly intelligent. If we do manage to communicate with it, it's probably just going to lie until it gets free.

>>3717066

Tl;dr: Leviathans are murderous manipulative assholes who may or may not be immortal and we should not deal with them.
The Leviathans are manipulative ass holes who I had been hoping would have died off from starvation or isolation. But apparently, they are manipulative ass holes who are immortal as well. Unless there is time fuckery going on inside there. They will negotiate so long as it benefits them. And once they’re free they’ll backstab and go murdering once again.

They care not for other races as the Krath have stressed and that the Rovinar and previous Caretakers have experienced. They’ll play along for as long as they think they need to in order to get what they want. But once they get it all bets are off.

Sure the factions could very well genocide the Leviathans as a species. But at what cost? Billions if not Trillions of lives lost as they pollute the atmosphere of faction worlds with poison and proto-Krath to murder indiscriminately.

Which beyond keeping their past as a race of murderous scales created from space abominations that don’t give a fuck about you but were uplifted by the Rovinar to deal with their Leviathan creators. They don’t want to fight their own kin or be ostracized as a race because they are technically the same race as the proto-Krath.

The Leviathans from all accounts are worse ass holes then the Empire Neeran. Yes the Empire Neeran have destroyed worlds and large civilian populations. But they are tyrants. And tyrants want people to obey them.

Leviathans are just manipulative ass holes who think everything else is beneath them and all creation exists for them and them alone.

>>3717097
As long as they get in the portal we should be able to come up with something that doesn't rely on their cooperation. Like a smaller cylinder made of builder material with a gate on each end. One connects to the mini sphere and the other dumps them on a designated preserve. Or some other uninhabited placer where the Krath can pick them up.

Honestly, I don't understand why we should want or need to negotiate with Leviathans in the first place.

Simply call in Krath animal control teams and request them to remove squatters from our latest salvage.

>>3717245
Amen. Get in. Kill or make them submit by force. Proceed to roll around in salvage.

>>3717245

Because that is something the Krath are not equipped to do right now. As their resources are focused in fighting a war and also recovering their proto-Krath kin. The recovery of their kin is turning out to be a more arduous task than expected. And their representative has hinted at the fact the Krath Government does not want knowledge of the Leviathans existing becoming known among the factions. Even if it is highly classified info.

So even if we could convince the Krath to remove Leviathans from our loot. It isn't happening anytime soon.

Unpopular and sacrilegious idea. We sell this loot stash to the Emperor for however much. Saying with the threat of the Leviathans within, we cannot safely access it until the Krath remove them from it. Giving him a chance to further relations between Dominion and Krath. In having the Dominion assist the Krath in removing these monsters for untold loot that could very well assist the Dominion long term.

>>3717292
>So even if we could convince the Krath to remove Leviathans from our loot. It isn't happening anytime soon.

Honestly this is not something we can know until such a time as we've had the discussion with them. Assuming ofcourse nothing insane happens like the Leviathan managing to get through the gate. Cause... ehh.. .that uhh.. would be really bad.

"Yes, begin shutdown procedure. Set the drone to to play dead. Act like debris while collecting data. We'll pull a dump of its sensor logs if we open the gate again."

"Is there a chance the leviathan is dead? Just drifting?" asks Ten Zohn.

Sirocco points out the creature is changing course, pushing off the wall in the direction of the gate. That would seem to indicate it's most certainly alive. Despite picking up speed there's no way it could make the gate entrance in time before it closes.

"Incoming projectile!" shouts Akyarres.
Sensor readouts track an object hurtling towards the gate. Before it can reach the entrance the wormhole snaps shut.

You activate your communicator and switch to the command frequency.
"Reynard to ground forces, remain on alert. Possible hostiles were detected on the other side of the gate. Begin sweeps to check if anything came thorugh. Report anything out of the ordinary."

It looks like the gate was closed in time. Within a few minutes it's been confirmed that nothing made it through the gate. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Af Ied contacts her grandfather while Sirocco talks to the rest of the Krath forces.

Science teams get to work on the few seconds of scans they were able to take of the interior as well as the Leviathan. The damage to the docks seem to be similar to scrapping operations you've seen at the salvage yards which is concerning. The Caretakers confirm that sections have been stripped of materials. It doesn't take long to figure out where they've gone.

Sirocco brings up historical comparisons of Leviathans alongside those of the skeletons found in the north. Everything seems to match up. When comparing to the one in the dock there's an immediately noticeable difference.
"This one's armored." you realise.

Ten Zohn confirms this.
"It has armored much of its head with builder material stripped from the docks. Sections of the body are also carrying pieces reinforcing the protection offered by its scales."
"This is not an ideal turn of events." states Uller.

While true you still have a few priorities in mind.
"What about the ship?"

The Rekesh scientist brings up the few scans of the debris in the docks. Some are simple scrap piles floating loosly but one looks to be relatively intact.
"Bottom left cell. That looks like a ship to me."

There isn't much to see. The probe didn't have time to get more than a simple head on view of it. Based on the minimal data it looks to be roughly the size of a medium cruiser or a bit smaller. It might not be the heavy cruiser you wanted but it's still a builder starship.

>>3717775

Did any of the scientists notice any time fuckery? Can the Krath confirm if the Leviathans are immortal assholes? If they are not immortal how the fuck have they lived in there with no outside resources or have they turned cannibalistic?

>>3717775
Was the probe able to detect what that smaller projectile approaching the gate was?

>>3717814
They're supposed to be able subsist (largely?) on minerals, iirc.

Once everyone has had time to make calls and go over collected data you call a meeting.
"What are our options people? Besides just closing it up and never opening it again."

Ten Zohn points out that the Leviathan is much too large to make use of the smaller gate. It might be able to force blight scales through, or whatever kind of projectile it launched, but you're well prepared to resist it.
"The sooner we deal with it the less damage it can inflict on the docks and other infrastructure."

"With all due respect, that's going to be like having a firefight through a keyhole." points out the officer in command of your ground troops.

Next you look to Sirocco.
"What can the Krath realistically do against that thing?"

"Ideally we would do what our ancestors did to help the Rovinar. Attempt to physically link with the scales and subvert them, turning them against their Leviathan. This is not an easy thing to do and hasn't been done in a very long time. At present I dont believe we have enough experienced personnel yet to pull off a proper highjacking."

"How long would you need?" you ask.
"It could be weeks or months until we've gained enough experience with the local blight scales. Even then we'll lack a great deal of common ground. They've been trapped in there with their leviathan for who knows how long? They'll be hard to communicate with."

"About that, is there a stasis system in the core? How has it stayed alive for so long? Presumably without access to food."

"It may have gone into hibernation." Sirocco postulates. "Even that would only last them for so long."

"There have to be food dispensers in the facility." Af Ied suggests. "There are some here in this gate structure but we've kept them offline except for water in order to conserve manufacturing capability. They dont always produce the most pleasant foodstuffs either."

The Krath representative considers this.
"If that's true they could be using their scales to forage for them in the smaller corridors. Leviathans dont like sending out their scales to do tasks for them, as they dont always return, but they will if desperate enough."

"Speaking of detaching things, what was that incoming projectile?" you ask the scientists.

A readout appears on the central projector showing an armored almost leaf shaped object. Akyarres believes it was a construct made up of armor and blight scales acting as a sort of fin or short limb. It looks like there are more than a dozen of these in three rows spaced along the length of the body. While the Leviathan was twisting to push off from the wall it hurled one of these in the direction of the gate. Faster than it should have been able to.

Estavan speaks up. "It probably used a few of the scales along the back of it to act as biochemical thrusters. With that much thrust it probably would have killed them in the process but the others attached to the fin would have survived to reach their target."

Af Ied brings up the tower staff weapon and newer plasma upgrade version on the display.

"The radiation emitted by these weapons is capable of penetrating the armor the creatures have grafted on. We also know that in sufficient quantities it can kill the larger ones. I would be willing to outfit a number of Krath personnel with these weapons if it would be helpful for them to get in close enough to try killing it."

You look to Sirocco.
"Would the Krath government be willing to entertain the idea? I know you'd prefer to get it alive but you've already admitted that's going to be difficult."

"If necessary we will agree to killing it if it's too dangerous. Better to prevent it from causing more harm. We will need to get final confirmation from our government and senior commanders that are with us."

That's something at least. Getting permission to kill it and actually doing so are two different things, especially with that armor. You bring up the possibility of communicating with it but most are against this.
"Any agreement you make with it will not the worth the air it takes to speak it. The moment it has the opportunity to escape without harm or consequence to itself it will betray you. Even Leviathans our people might consider domesticated are still treated as dangerous."

Jan has a suggestion.
"What if we just ignore it?"
"It's kind of hard to ignore a terrorizing monster the size of a starship Jan." you sass.
"Let me rephrase that. What if we go in stealth and just do whatever we need to do inside? Like you said it's the size of a starship, it cant go or see everywhere. We just stay out of sight. Maybe fight a few blight scales if they get in our way."

"Your Faction recon armor, would they be able to see it?" asks Uller.

Sirocco isn't 100% certain but seems to think it would work if the probe managed to fool them. Suit repulsors could potentially give away your position but only if used for thrust.

>Any other crazy ideas?

>>3718145

>Any other crazy ideas?

I may be forgetting. But, can we just put a very high yield AM torp/ guided bomb to the thing and blow it up? Or is the builder material strong enough to resist it? Thinking we get a couple of those high yield bombs in on that side. Let the thing get close. We activate their after burners and guide them in all the way to Leviathan blowing the fuck out of it.

Or we do as Jan suggested, we send a small cloaked team in. Maybe keep it distracted with something or other. While we get two teams in. One team, the Krath team, will try to get in close and disable/ incapacitate it. While the other, our team and us goes and grabs that builder sized ship and whatever else is not nailed down.

>>3718145
>Any other crazy ideas?
Use the builder production pads to build a probe that can survive inside the core of the planet and give it the ability shift between this dimension and real space? It might be able to enter the sphere without using a gate.

>>3718145
>Any other crazy ideas?
That link between the Leviathan and the blight scales... would it be possible to use sphere tech to hijack that and subdue the Leviathan's intellect? Maybe use a Neeran or Krath as a sort of control system?

>>3718182
>But, can we just put a very high yield AM torp/ guided bomb to the thing and blow it up? Or is the builder material strong enough to resist it?
Antimatter is one of the few things that can destroy builder material. It's also why attacks with large amounts of antimatter are likely to trigger system defenses.

See:
>>3714959
>>3715132

>Or we do as Jan suggested, we send a small cloaked team in. Maybe keep it distracted with something or other. While we get two teams in. One team, the Krath team, will try to get in close and disable/ incapacitate it. While the other, our team and us goes and grabs that builder sized ship and whatever else is not nailed down.
Parts of this could work though as Sirocco points out, the Krath team will very quickly become a secondary distraction team.

>>3718194
>Use the builder production pads to build a probe that can survive inside the core of the planet and give it the ability shift between this dimension and real space? It might be able to enter the sphere without using a gate.
Penetrating the core alone would be difficult and time consuming even if a mantle probe could be built. The locals aren't sure what the minimum possible field projection size of the system is but it may be in the tens of kilometers. Not easily transportable.
They're not even sure if they could duplicate the feat of creating the core's secure area.

>>3718229
>That link between the Leviathan and the blight scales... would it be possible to use sphere tech to hijack that and subdue the Leviathan's intellect?
Not with sphere tech. Or if you did find a way to do it you'd be unlocking sphere tech for the Leviathans to use.

>Maybe use a Neeran or Krath as a sort of control system?
Communication yes. Control wouldn't be possible for a Krath. A group of Krath probably. With Neeran you'd potentially run into the telepath problem trying to take on a Leviathan's intellect.

I just had a terrible idea: recruit Neeran POW's for this.
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG!?

>>3718145
shaped charge Veckron torp the inside

>>3718398
I occurs to you that the Krath and Rovinar have access to Veckron weapons. With their fleets nearby or hidden in orbit you could obtain a number of specialist Veckron munitions. Or if necessary produce the necessary parts here and hand it off to them to have experts ready outside the system.


Stepping out for no more than an hour I hope. Will probably be putting up a survey with the different options when I get back.

>>3718362
>Nope
Well, that's unfortunate. Can the Krath ambassador share anything about Leviathans that might help us with this situation? Do they go into hibernation if we were to simply cool the interior of the high security facility to something close to zero kelvin, for example? Beryl was able to disable a murder krath by freezing it with super cool *something* during that horror side story. And builder technology is supposed to be super resistant. If the core facility has an AC, simply turn it to super freeze? At some point blight scale and Leviathan mobility will be impacted.

>>3718441
>Do they go into hibernation if we were to simply cool the interior of the high security facility to something close to zero kelvin, for example?
Normally they either adapt to the cold environment using their scales or move somewhere else. Lacking either of those options, especially if you drop the temperature well below anything that they could reasonably resist, it could drive it into hibernation.
Or that's the theory. In practice who knows, and it could take time to subdue it via this method.

Maybe some of our subordinates have a few ideas?

>>3718770
>In practice who knows, and it could take time to subdue it via this method.
It seems preferable to throwing around v-weapons or risking operatives. At least in my opinion.

>>3718441
>>3718779
>>3718804
Taking this idea further Dave points out one of the lesser used artifacts is in essence a cooling laser. Just looking at it was enough to point Helios towards holographic cooling systems for their siege weapons.

"Might it be possible to direct not just laser cooling beams but a stream of gas or liquid into the core to flood it? Make it harder to avoid the low temperature?"

All eyes turn to Af Ied.
"It might be possible to set up these ice beams here but the manufacturing reserves at this site are limited. We couldn't produce enough gas or liquid in large enough quantities. The ship docks are too massive."

"We could inside." Uller points out. "If enough of the manufacturing pads are in operation there are more than enough Matter siphons."

Lock it up forever
Sell this loot stash to the Emperor. Long term diplomacy
Krath subverts scales. Long prep time
Attempt to kill Leviathan with artifact radiation weapons
Kill using AM weapon *
Kill using Veckron munition *
Recon team infiltration
Attempt communication

2nd question will have additional options for a distraction or setting up cooling lasers. Were there any options I missed? I dont want to have to remake the survey again because I'm locked out of most editing options. Got too many surveys archived/used.

>>3718996
>Kill using Veckron munition *

SURVEY

surveymonkey com/r/ QCJMYXF

Link is up on the wiki and twitter.

>>3718996

>Recon team infiltration
>Sell this loot stash to the Emperor. Long term diplomacy


Emps is the one who told us about this place, might as well call it a success and get out of this huge interfactional clusterfuck while we can still come out with a great rep.

>>3718145
How come this one didn't make it out to die with the others?

A Leviathan contingency plan?

>>3719410
I personally highly doubt it is the only one around. here

>>3718145
>Any other crazy ideas?
Nanites made out of sphere material.

Top votes were Recon team infiltration followed by Krath subverting scales. Unsurprisingly the majority voted for all of the above for the second question.

>I'm surprised nobody has suggested the use of stasis fields, either as a means of imprisoning the Leviathan or cutting it into pieces.
They were looked at as a form of containment but they lacked the range necessary. The Krath team will see about taking one of the smaller more portable stasis shields along with them.

Two of the e-beam weapons are switched out for more powerful cooling laser projectors on the larger vehicles. They should have enough power to fire continuously for 30-40 minutes. A warning is sent out that when these guns are active they'll be dropping the temperature around the gate facility quite a bit too. Anyone operating inside the range of the containment shield will probably see some inclement weather once active.

"Isnt there a weather control system on this facility?" you ask.

"Not one powerful enough to override the beams where they strike." Explains Uller. "That is a good thing. Even if the Leviathan somehow has overridden the environmental controls inside it wont be enough."

It's going to take the better part of a day to get everyone equipped with cold weather gear. While not technically necessary with modern suits and armor there are minor modifications that will cut down on problems operating in the cold. As a few veterans tell you operating in the cold can be worse than vacuum.

Recon and commando suits are brought in and more thoroughly fine tuned for the operation. Tests with a builder material version show that their sound and vibration dampening systems dont work quite as well. It might be best to take your own gear.

Flight packs used by your army are powerful enough to give the recon teams enough range and speed to get through the gate. They're being fitted with additional holographic camouflage. It's recommended that you ditch them after landing, though it might be a good idea to remember where they're parked if you have to go back. Krath teams will be using similar flight packs as well.

Just in case the suits are being fitted with a small backup thruster and mobility pack that can mostly run off the suit reactors. "Mostly" because they primarily rely on jump repulsors and dont have much reaction mass.

I probably dont need to ask the next part but you never know:
1) Is Sonia joining the Recon team? Y/N?

2) And if so what suit are you taking?
2A) Classic Recon Suit with upgrades
2B) Builder Recon suit (not as quiet)
2C) Builder armor (loud)
2D) Medium jump jet suit (very loud) + Recon suit
2E) Other? / write in

>>3721780
>1) Is Sonia joining the Recon team? Y/N?

Yes

>2A) Classic Recon Suit with upgrades

>>3721780
>1) Is Sonia joining the Recon team? Y/N?
Yes
>2) And if so what suit are you taking?
2A) Classic Recon Suit with upgrades
maximum sneak

>>3721780
>1)
Yes
>2)
Classic Recon Suit with upgrades. Do we have something similar available for our Neeran allies? I remember that we restarted faction power armor production for Neeran at some point.

"There's no possibility you could be convinced to stay here is there sir?" Ruiz asks as you suit up.
"Not a chance."

Valeri speaks up while you're going through diagnostics.
"Eventually she'll figure out there's a better chance if she has one of the higher ranking officers or allies ask you."
"When has that ever worked?" you ask.
"Only a couple of times."

Sam and Dave initially go over the power armor you brought along for them but it isn't really going to be suitable for flight. They'd be farther ahead using a shuttle or other light vehicle but there's no way you'd be able to hide if effectively. Instead they help make sure the entire team is able to make use of control consoles you encounter. Most of them at least. Some higher level ones might be locked out that even the Caretakers would have trouble overriding.

"Basic controls are little different from somewhat more convoluted faction holographic interfaces. More difficult ones will like using artifact weapons."

You make sure to commit all of this to memory.
"I know we had a crash course on the sphere for some tech but why couldn't you teach us more of this before now?"
"We had a hard enough time with sphere tech ourselves to be honest. Also we weren't familiar what might be in here so we didn't want to give any of you the wrong idea on what to do. Uller and Veod had to communicate with us the various minor differences in the local systems."

Stepping outside your recon units and the Krath teams get some practice in while waiting for everyone else to get into position. Despite not wearing Recon armor Jan and Estavan will shadow your teams and be ready to provide assistance. They'll have some protection from the camo system on their fligth packs.

Sirocco finishes talking to the other Krath personnel then informs you they're ready. He's clearly considering saying something about Jan and Estavan but ultimately decides against it and heads inside.

"They're not pleased having you here?" you ask them.

"Me more than him I think." replies Jan. "Which is surprising, I figured I'd be a known quantity to them."
"It's because they kept any knowledge of the Leviathans from expendable field agents like you." Estavan points out.

Jan isn't certain if that's a good thing or a bad thing causing the other Krath to remark; "If it makes you feel any better they do still hate me for being here too."

As the gate powers up once more a recon trooper from the second team speaks up.
"Sir, are you planning for us to sneak in so we can construct a giant ship sized mech to fight that thing with?"

>What say?

>>3722177
"Someone's getting promoted."

>>3722177
>>What say?

"That would certainly be something worth making a movie about."

>>3722177
"Is your family name Zvonimir?"

"That sounds like a movie worth seeing. Be careful or you might be promoted to PR."

With a tear opening in the sky the remaining vehicles still armed with e-beams open fire. Hopefully it will force back anything near the other side. Drones launch as soon as they cease fire. Mostly infantry support drones, they flood through the gate and spread out. While this is happening the probe is contacted and its logs downloaded.

Your HUD updates with a map of the interior and current location of the Leviathan. It has positioned itself towards the middle of the docks and may be hanging on to the structure with the tail end of its body. By your estimation it looks ready to push off but seems to be waiting.

"This is Reynard, are we clear to launch yet?"
"Not yet, hang on."

Continuing to watch the displays you see small sensor contacts appear, closing with some of the drones. Then another one of the fin like armored structures sweeps in from the side of the docks and knocks half of the drones out. A second flashes towards the gate entrance.

"Incoming!"
"Recon teams hold position, we're raising local shields." warns Uller.

Only part of the fin structure survives the trip through the gate, much of it having been shorn off by the edges of the vortex. Every vehicle with a clear line of sight opens fire as soon as it emerges above the facility. Enough weapons fire including some missiles strike it to knock it off course. It slams to the ground after ricocheting off of the shields, embedding itself 200 meters outside the inner shield perimeter.

Krath soldiers rush the crash site, soon confirming that nothing has survived.

"We're sending up a second drone wave. Recon teams recommend you launch." Akyarres advises.

The shields drop and you immediately get airborne, careful to stay out of direct line with the gate until you're closer. Krath personnel do much the same. A few surviving drones inside open fire with phase rifles set to stun. No threat, but a good distraction. The second wave does much the same.

"Camo up." you order when closing with the gate. "We're about to go secure coms. Control, what's that Leviathan doing?"

"Being a cagey bastard by the looks of it sir." replies one of the immortals.

At any rate with no immediate threat to the gate itself and the second wave of drones now drawing attention your team goes all in. Control calls out for the subsequent teams to begin entry, each a few seconds apart to avoid collisions.

>Cont.

File: Crucible_Interior_W_1.gif (12 KB, 776x730)

12 KB GIF

Once in you push hard to get away from the gate and into cover. Initially aiming for the Matter siphons you're soon trying to simply stay out of the way of the drones and blight scales. The drones have ceased fire and are playing keep away but there are quite a few scales moving in to try and deal with them. It takes some fairly serious evasive maneuvers to stay out of the way.

Eventually you get past them and are faced with the issue of where to land. Your planned landing zone turns out to be much farther from cover than you thought. There isn't much between the matter siphons and the dock structure. Then again you're invisible, you should be fine, but it is a long walk.

You almost slap yourself. The real question isn't invisibility but your thruster and repulsor emissions and how much that thing or the proto-Krath can detect.

Where the hell are you landing?
By the matter siphons, or somewhere in the docks? If the latter, where exactly?

>>3722586

>By the matter siphons, or somewhere in the docks? If the latter, where exactly?

I want to say as close to the docks as possible. Unless we can somehow reprogram the matter siphons to suck the Leviathan out of this subspace area into reality inside the planets core.

>>3722586
>Where the hell are you landing?
I'd go for the closest area that's not damaged.

File: Crucible_Interior_W_2.gif (13 KB, 776x730)

13 KB GIF

>>3722604
>I'd go for the closest area that's not damaged.
That would be about here.

File: Crucible_Interior_Side.gif (10 KB, 1644x520)

10 KB GIF

And a side view just in case its helpful.

>>3722649
>>3722695
Are there any undamaged entrances or structures visible? Can we see where that hole in the north west leads?

>>3722743
>Are there any undamaged entrances or structures visible?
You managed to catch a good part of the download from the probe. The 2 outer cells lacking debris and most of the center one look fairly intact. There are what would appear to be walkways or access passages at regular intervals throughout the walls that divide the docks. Some of these interior hallways are exposed in the damaged areas.

>Can we see where that hole in the north west leads?
It's backlit by a red glow similar to that coming from the walls gate side of the matter siphons. While the hole is ragged its surprisingly clear of most loose debris.

>>3722787
I'm surprised they even managed to punch a hole into the structure. Anyway, no idea if there's a better course of action but let's find a control room or something.

File: Crucible_Interior_W_3.gif (13 KB, 776x730)

13 KB GIF

>>3722885
Landing is still a thing that needs doing.

>>3722597
>>3722604

A) Is fairly close to the nearest point that seems undamaged and is part of the docks.
B) You could check out that hole in the structure while the flight packs still offer mobility.
C) Go for the ship first and backtrack from there.

>>3722931
>A) Is fairly close to the nearest point that seems undamaged and is part of the docks.

>>3722931
>A

>>3722931
A) Is fairly close to the nearest point that seems undamaged and is part of the docks.

>>3722931
>B) You could check out that hole in the structure while the flight packs still offer mobility.

>>3722931
>B) You could check out that hole in the structure while the flight packs still offer mobility.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWmfIacPS94 [Thor - Earth to Asgard]


While tempted to check out the hole in the wall you decide it best to reach the docks as quickly as possible. Maneuvering closer to the outer wall you try to use as little repulsor power and thrust as possible. Gravity is a bit odd in here. Quite low but not nonexistent.

Despite wanting to get there as soon as possible you know full well you'll have to decelerate for landing. Overall speed is kept low. Off to the left the Leviathan is keeping watch on the gate, watching intently. It changes position every once and awhile but never takes its attention off the wormhole for long.

Ruiz gets your attention, signaling that your landing zone is coming up. Swooping in you look for access points or walkways that are wide enough for you to set down on. Rather confusingly some walkways are aligned with the length of the docks and others horizontally.

Whatever, you can sort it out once landed. Cutting your forward movement with as little thrust as possible you swing in and latch onto the walkway with suit repulsors. Skidding to a stop down the length of the walkways is like landing a wheeled aircraft. Taking in the surroundings you spot a nearby entrance and duck inside.

This corridor seems to run through the structure to the neighbouring dock with a number of side passages intersecting it. Detaching the flight pack you look for a good place to stash it, gun at the ready. The floor here has a low level gravity field near it making things more convenient.

"Second squad has landed safely." reports Valeri.

After a minute of searching you find a door leading into a side room. There is still some power getting to the doors at least. Inside looks to be an equipment bay extending downwards aside from a catwalk that runs along the wall. Machinery inside looks similar enough to equipment and maintenance arms found in shipyards. Doors that must open to let the arms work on ships seem to be locked down.

"This is as good a place as any to stash our gear. Let's do a sweep to check that there are no blight scales in here, then see what we can get out of nearby systems and terminals."

As you'd suspected this part of the dock is still fully intact. There are no signs that anything has been in here for a long time. The few terminals in here are intended exclusively for maintaining the work arms so you'll have to look elsewhere for controls or data.

Jan reports that the control center is going to close the gate. A number of blight scales have come through, and though they've managed to wipe them out they're worried about keeping it open too long.

How often are they going to open the gate to check on your progress?

>>3724187
>How often are they going to open the gate to check on your progress?
Check in in 6 hours? Gives us time for a assessment of this place perhaps?

>>3724187

Every 24-48 hours?

>>3724187
>How often are they going to open the gate to check on your progress?
Roughly every 12 hours. Make it look like different attempts at exploration. Send larger unarmed drones towards the leviathan and the hole, for example. Maybe we'll manage to keep that thing interested.

>>3724236
>12 hours
This would seem to be a good in between number. Unless there are any objections?

What's your immediate objective? Trying to find a terminal that can give you some system access in the immediate area? Or trying to push on towards the suspected location of a control center or atmospheric system?

>>3724187
>>3724236

12 hours sounds like a good idea.

>>3724268
>What's your immediate objective?
Getting a map of this place would seem like a good first objective.

>>3724268

Immediate goals?

Finding a terminal filled with Sphere tech data.
>>3724281
>Map

As well as terminals to activate this facilities defenses against threats that don't involve activating the energy drain or shoving this facility out of subspace and into real space, really just activating whatever drone/ turret defenses are in here if any.

Maybe even a large/ huge build pad that can build a giant lightning tower that we can use to injure the Leviathan. Or to use to build a giant mech to grapple said Leviathan and beat the crap out of it.

>>3724268
I am down for it.

Immediate goal should be to gain access to a map or schematic on this place. Possibly sensor data before everything went dark.

"Step one, start looking for anything that might give us an accurate map of this place. That should shorten our search for the environmental controls or command center."
With the 8 of you Jan recommends 2 man teams to cover more ground while still making sure there's enough backup. A rally point is selected in case anyone gets separated, with the flight pack locations as an emergency fallback.

"If retreating here make sure you're not followed."

Eager to get production data along with any potential map you and Ruiz head out and try to figure out the location of a local shipyard controller. It or something nearby will probably have the map data you're looking for. While it's certainly possible that all of the yards could be controlled from a single point, it's unlikely that there aren't other secondary controllers.

Roll 1d100 for Sonia's team

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>3724360
>Roll 1d100 for Sonia's team

Dice time.

Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>3724360
>Roll 1d100 for Sonia's team
Dice gods please be kind to us in this trying time.

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>3724360
>Roll 1d100 for Sonia's team
Gib stuff pls.

Heading back outside you see that the gate is closed. The Leviathan hasn't moved far from where it was before but it is still watching for the gate to reopen. There are no signs of the sacrificial drones, they must have all been taken out. Fortunately you dont see signs of the Krath fighting either.

Turning back to the immediate task you trace edges of a number of the bays that house construction arms. You also spot a few larger manufacturing pads though there are no evident controls nearby. Despite this you use it all to build up a better picture of the layout of each yard section. Occasionally you'll have to stop because of a wandering blight scale but for the most part

"If I'm right there should be a secondary control room about here." you decide. Finding the nearest entrance you head back inside, eventually locating a door into the approximate area. A few are just storage or non-essential areas but eventually a control room is found. It's quite minimalist though there's easily enough room for ten to twenty caretakers to work in here if necessary.

"Was there a window here on the outside?" asks Ruiz.
You hadn't noticed one, in fact it had looked like ordinary builder material on the other side. This isn't a display screen either, or you dont think so. Something to look into later.

Calling up the system there's isn't much in the database here on ship construction. It seems to be more set up for editing designs sent from elsewhere. Fortunately it is able to point you towards the main operations centers for each of the yard docks along with environmental systems and facility control.

"This looks like the main control room is in lock down." you tell Ruiz.
"Do you think there could be survivors?"
"No idea. I dont think we have the clearance to override the lock down but if I'm reading this right we can change the environmental systems manually."

There are red blinking indicators at a number of points throughout the facility map. If you're reading this right there's been an unauthorized tap into one of the gate safety controls that would prevent it from closing. Maybe it was originally intended to prevent it from severing a ship that was passing through it but that's not what it's doing now.

It may have affected the gates on both sides of the facility. Fortunately it doesn't seem to work on the smaller gate opening your allies set up.

"I'm really glad we went with a smaller gate to get in here."

Once the team is gathered where do you plan to go next?

[ ] Main control room
[ ] Shipyard berth control
[ ] Environmental controls

>>3724500
>[ ] Environmental controls
This should be the most reliable way to hamper the blight scale infestation. Did the Krath infiltrators bring winter gear?
Aside from that, is there a security station nearby where we could tap into the local sensors and footage archive?

>>3724500
>[ ] Main control room

Lets find out what this facility can do. And if it has anything inside it beyond the medium cruiser sized ship that we can use against that Leviathan. Like building a giant mech or creating a giant stasis bubble focused around it. Like with the Sphere having multiple stasis layers. Just one very powerful highly concentrated bubble on the Leviathan so a second for us is a year for it.

>>3724517

Got that backwards, while it thinks it is moving in real time. We are actually moving far faster than it. Us moving in one year which turns out to be a minute for it.

>>3724500
>gate safety controls

>>3724548
>gate safety controls
We'll put that as option 4.

>>3724500
>[ ] Shipyard berth control

[1] Environmental controls
[1] Main control room
[1] Shipyard berth control center
[1] gate safety controls

Can we get a tie breaker anyone?

>>3724668
>Environmental controls

>>3724668
>1 vote for each
I remember that discussion on making an AI Sonia once. Every consciousness core would vote to go a different way.

Linking up with the other teams takes the rest of the hour. A few of the others have found map data as well but even the best is about the same as yours. By the time the group moves out you have roughly 10 hours before the gate reopens again. With luck you can get to the environmental controls and make some progress on floding the interior. Of course you may need to factor in giving the Krath teams some warning.

Valeri directs everyone towards a lift that he spotted earlier. At the moment it doesn't seem to be operational but the conduits used for transport are more likely to be clear of blight scales and give a more direct route. It's a long hike with no artificial gravity present but the straight tunnels and little risk of being spotted mean you can use suit repulsors to build up some speed.

It takes less than 20 minutes to reach the same level as the back wall of the docks. Once there the team is forced to decelerate quickly. A number of the lift tunnels are sealed off forcing you to find an exit and proceed through the normal corridors. Here there are signs blight scales have passed through at some time or another.

"Watch your spacing and be ready to get out of the way if you see any headed our way. Engage them only as a last resort. We dont want the sound of weapons fire to alert others."

Closer to the environmental controls you begin to encounter first one, then several blight scales at a time. A few are carrying or dragging containers and dont seem to be able to spot your through your camo. Jan and Estavan likewise avoid detection.

"This is going to be a pain if there are more of them ahead." says Valeri.

Checking the map you're on the most direct route. It also seems to be part of a main thoroughfare for foot traffic. There is a longer way that might be able to provide more cover but by the looks of things it would better suited to a smaller team. With all 8 of you there wouldn't be much room to maneuver or back track.

[ ] Stick with direct route
[ ] Longer route, full team
[ ] Send a smaller team on the longer route

>>3724820
>[x] Send a smaller team on the longer route

>A few are carrying or dragging containers
Does that mean these ones are smarter than the feral ones or is it because the Leviathan gives them more detailed instructions?

>>3724820

>[ ] Send a smaller team on the longer route

Those who can't deal with vacuum, and poison made by these things go around, those who can go forward.

>>3724834
You probably got it right with the Leviathan giving them specific instructions. If it doesn't need them to be any smarter then gathering and hauling. These might be 'dumber' then the proto-Krath outside.

>>3724820
>[ ] Stick with direct route

"Team 2, wait here with Jan and Estavan. We'll signal if we run into trouble."

One of the people on team 2 begin to protest that they should go but is quickly silence by their squad leader. You ignore it and push on.

The side passages you're taking cut through side areas and presumably act as maintenance access for some equipment. even a single blight scale would completely block passage. Fortunately they're either really easy to spot, or they're avoiding using these passages completely so they can go where they're needed more quickly.

You're starting to wonder if you got turned around when finally you reach the entrance to environmental control. Getting inside takes a few minutes to avoid alerting passing blight scales. Eventually you make it and secure the door.

"Should we signal the others?" asks Ruiz.
"Not until we know what we have here. Better not to waste their time. Especially if we need to go to another location."

Passing through a second set of doors you enter into a control room overlooking a half sphere shaped pit. As soon as you put your hands on the controls the pit lights up showing a detailed cross section of the facility along with atmospheric data.

Steady air currents rotate, sweeping out to the warmer glowing areas on the other side of the matter siphons then back again. What look to be force fields in a number of areas filter out contaminants and dust. It also shows airflow disruptions such as the structure breach in the one ship dock.

Valeri looks at one panel which brings up bio hazard warnings throughout the facility. Automated filtration subroutines have apparently been attempting to combat the ever present hazard but without much success.

"Neat. Keep looking through that and gather as much data as you can. Like if it can pinpoint other Leviathans. I'll see if we can crank the controls to what we need."

Valeri is only at it for a few seconds before he speaks up again. "Someone tried to activate a sterilization routine but it looks like it didn't get the job done. Or was too limited in scope."

"Give them a bronze star, at least they tried."

>Cont.

It looks like you can control the temperature but it will only drop it to the levels you want for a minute or two at a time. After that it automatically resets to standard. It looks like an override is possible but you're going to need to keep someone near the control panel to refresh it every so often. Not the worst thing but it could be a problem.
Once the cooling lasers have done their work it would be good to be able to count on the Leviathan remaining cold.

"One problem sort of dealt with. Any chance we can dump massive amounts of nitrogen into the system?"
You look to Valeri first who can only answer that he hasn't found it yet. Ruiz finds the atmospheric chemical composition but there are limits to how much of a particular gas can be pumped in.

"I can max out the nitrogen levels which will help but I can't increase pressure beyond four or five standard atmospheres with that much in the air. It sets off all kinds of safety warnings and will begin to add helium into the mix."
"Great." you mutter.

"We could still use one of the ship docks to mass produce liquid nitrogen." Valeri points out.

[ ] Temperature control is enough
[ ] Let's try to do both
[ ] Other?

>>3725042

>[ ] Other?

What was the sterilization routine set to? Can we modify it or change it so it can recognize the Leviathan as a foreign contaminate that needs to be removed? I'd say program it to read the proto-Krath as contaminates but that would be bad to all the Krath in this part of the facility.

If it can't be changed or modified then how about disabling the safety features? So we can dump just a shit ton of nitrogen into the facility and ensure that the thing remains cold/ frozen with a good alpha strike from the cooling lasers.

>>3725042
>[ ] Let's try to do both

>>3725071
>What was the sterilization routine set to?
Looks like it was mainly heat based.

>change it so it can recognize the Leviathan as a foreign contaminate that needs to be removed?
It seems to have that part down. Or at least that it's surrounded in contaminants.

>disabling the safety features
The best you're capable of is the override which needs to be manually refreshed.

>>3725042
>>3725087

Okay, then lets do both.

But program the system and docks to produce and dump the nitrogen so that facility is cold in time for the portal to open. But before the safety features activate to thaw it.

Deciding that it would be best to combine these two methods you set about contacting the other team to bring them up to speed. The only problem is that someone will need to stay here to refresh the override while the rest of you head to the shipyard.

Who will be remaining behind? One or two people, or a team?

>>3725138

One of our Krath team members, have them rock, paper, scissors for who gets the "fun" job of watching the station. And making sure none of the proto-Krath come snooping around.

>>3725140
Objections?

>>3725166
None from me but I'd like to maybe add a second person to the mix, regular Dominion trooper if possible. Have them remain cloaked as a contingency if the Krath team member gets incapacitated.

Jan and one of your people from second squad use the same approach your team did. Once they arrive they're shown what needs to be done.

"The rest of us will set a few com relays nearby so we can still warn you once we're ready at the shipyard."

"What about the Krath teams?" asks Jan.

"We'll have to try and raise them once we're ready to go, even if it does attracts the Leviathan's attention. If that doesn't work the temperature suddenly dropping should give them a clue."

Heading out you link up with the other team then back track to the docks. Or to the dock you entered through. Finding a route to this berths control center is complicated by closed blast doors. There are a few blight scales to avoid on the way there of course but they're the least of your problems.

"You know how some of the walkways were vertical and other horizontal?" asks Ruiz.
"Yes?"
"These ones with the control center are arranged to that the berth is above. We'll need to come at it from a different direction."
"Why would they do this?" you ask no one in particular.

"Two or more different species were supposed to work here." is Risto's take on it.
It seems to fit but you'd think the disadvantage of doing it this way would outweigh any benefits.

Despite difficulties you find a way in. This control center is a much grander affair, clearly meant to be operated by a larger team. The result is that things take a bit longer but eventually the yard controls begin to come online.

"We have 23 starship grade manufacturing pads operational." reports Valeri.

Next is looking through options to produce the bulk liquid nitrogen you need. Most options have it contained in insulated tanks with built in cooling systems. It seems the yard doesn't want you to just have thousands or millions of liters floating off the pad.

"Okay, I'm open to ideas here." you admit.

"I remember back in school we were allowed to launch bottle rockets fueled with liquid nitrogen once." suggests Ruiz.

"Make some big water cannons?" offers someone from second squad.

Any suggestions for how to get the liquid nitrogen off the pad?

>>3725305

>Any suggestions for how to get the liquid nitrogen off the pad?

Liquid nitrogen bombs/ torpedo's?

They don't have to be particularly smart. Just enough to carry a payload and be pointed in a direction and told to detonate once they reach the destination.

>>3725305
An imploding canister. See if we can trick the system into putting it in a material that shrinks as it gets colder, so the pressure grows even greater till it cracks and makes an even more spectacular cryo-bomb.

>>3725310
>>3725332
Going with a mix of Torpedoes and mines looks like.

It should be possible to build these in large numbers made of low quality materials. Of course once the Leviathan notices what's happening its not likely to sit idle, even if your current position is behind an impenetrable wall.

How long before the next gate opening did you want to begin building these weapons and dropping the temperature? The manufacturing pads should be able to build quite quickly, but you dont know how long it will take the environmental controls to have an impact.

1) Manufacturing: When

2) Temperature: When

3) You still have a number of hours. Did you want to explore other locations or rest up?
3A) Main control room
3B) The ship
3C) Rest up
3D) Other?

>>3725422

What is our window to the next opening?

>>3725429
At least 6 hours.

>>3725422
>>3725435

>1) Manufacturing: When
1-2 hours before opening

>2) Temperature: When
2-3 hours before opening

>3) You still have a number of hours. Did you want to explore other locations or rest up?

If we have time to get there and back,
>3A) Main control room

If not, tell the pair near to the environmental controls the plan and sync our clocks to get as close to synced for when we activate the plan.
>3C) Rest up

Resuming tomorrow.

>>3725422
>3D) Other?
Are there any emergency stasis shelters or stasis storage rooms in here? If anybody survived the initial Leviathan situation, they're probably cooped up in there.

>1) Manufacturing: When
>2) Temperature: When
I'd allow another activation cycle before putting the plan into motion so we can run our idea by the rest of our expedition.

I feel like this arc in the quest. This is the arc that will cement Sonia as legend known to all. And it all has my so hype. Builder fleet soon.

File: Spoiler Image (77 KB, 1016x566)

77 KB JPG

Every time I get a sunburn I swear I shed enough to print a copy of the Lex Imperialis.

Okay things have not gone according to plan today but I'm back now and I am writing.

>>3725450
>>3725770
With only 2 votes on course off action we have failed to meet anything even approaching minimum quorum. I can only put it to survey in the hopes that someone somewhere responds.

>>3726652
SURVEY!

surveymonkey com/r/ LNRTTG8

Survey links, twitter, wiki, etc

>it's another episode of anons hiding when forming battle plan but will definitely be here when it comes to choosing a dress

>>3726688
Or matching grenade accessories.

>>3726652
Sorry. I planed to help out but I was to tired and had to pass out instead. Being in the EU is a pain when it comes to participating in quests.

File: Travel Methods.png (18 KB, 801x600)

18 KB PNG

I was wondering, if the Sphere builders were able to mess around with subspace tech and build constructs like this facility in layers of subspace. Could we make a House and Dominion version of Warhammer 40K's Webway?

Sure that isn't going to be completed anytime within Sonia's lifetime. But this facility has shown that the technology to make subspace facilities is possible. And I would not put it past Terran's to take this idea and run with it, if they have not already been fucking around with the idea before.

Since we can travel through subspace to reach faster than light speeds. What about making more stable paths through subspace using this sphere builder facility. To make a subspace highway as it were.

Of course with wormholes, such an idea would be useless. But what if the worm holes acted as the on/ off ramps to this subspace highway for ships to enter the new subspace. So that way you can enter through one wormhole into a hub or highway in subspace. And then take another wormhole out to another region of space?

>>3727826
Long term I also want a wormhole gate in the Run and one in Rekesh space to truly cement our links to them. Turn the Run and Relay into a wormhole transportation hub.

>>3727987
Well I am not sure if we can get a connection that long. Perhaps we would need to Stargate it and put two of them in the middle of intergalactic space. In any case this gate system could probably do wonders for Dominion deployment and trade if we got it going. Imagine if we had one in every DRH relay and then connected to the Centri cluster.

Quick question for everyone out there, when did you pick up the quest? I'm wondering if we still have any of the old /tg/ crew around.

>>3733417

Tail end of the Civil War arc. When we were chasing down the one heavy carrier and debated using the OH and its Lightning Cannons on it.

>>3733417
About 30 seconds ago, wondering if I can learn enough to vote for a battle plan in an hour or two.

>>3733417
Back during the first Neeran invasion when we lost the Unnamed Guard.

>>3733417
The very first thread... its been a long but wonderful road.

>>3733417
Pretty early, either the first or second thread. I missed out on character creation and ship selection but I remember posting when we set up that match against the mechanic.

File: Abaddon's gate.jpg (35 KB, 1000x558)

35 KB JPG

Sorry I've been away. Was dealing with some shit and losing my goddamn mind. Kinda hard to focus during that.

>>3727826
Expanse Season 3 spoilers below

So like the ring station / slow zone in the Expanse?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPZmBoySjFg

File: Spoiler Image (116 KB, 1174x706)

116 KB JPG

So I've been playing some Stellaris on slightly higher difficulties with some mods. Wanted to play the Systems Alliace from Mass Effect and did my best to build my fleets to their standard. Pretty early on I fell behind on research and economy. Because of this I was quick to sign a defense pact with my egalitarian neighbours the Andigonj Commissariat.

I was in a decent position and secured choke points early. A non agression pact secured my western border, or so I thought. The way south was blocked by an Enigmatic Fortress.

Pretty soon we were having trouble in the north with the LOGH Galactic Empire. We almost got our shit pushed in just from 1 war. After forming a Federation my ally and I invited in other egalitarian nations. This was probably a mistake. The UFP was getting its ass handed to it repeatedly by the Dominion, while the FPA seemed to be doing okay in its section of the galaxy.

In fact that FPA was doing so well it decided to start rivaling everyone, which I'm certain caused half the flurry of wars that followed. That plus the Andigonj being repugnant. Wish I had noticed that earlier. Our Federation spent the next 60-70 years in a state of non stop war. Usually with 3 or 4 out of a possible 6 other empires at any given time. We'd get one empire to sue for peace then 10 years later they'd rejoin the fighting.

The Galactic Empire didn't last long as the khanate within their borders woke up. Which was hilarious right up until I was the one holding back their primary invasion corridor. Then the empire surrendered to the Khanate becoming their vassal and things got really bad. My fleets were forced to use hit and run tactics through the corridor, whittling them down.

Charge forward and secure a few systems, set up defense stations then lose them to the next wave. Got pretty good at baiting their fleet groups into splitting up so I could engage them one at a time with local superiority. Good thing too because I was constantly hovering around 0 minerals and my energy situation wasn't much better.

By this point the UFP was getting kicked to the curb by the Dominion rather badly. So it was quite a surprise when a massive UFP/FPA fleet showed up. We pushed into Khanate territory, finally got the upper hand, and there was a Federation leadership change. FPA was now the leader and declared war on a Fallen Empire. Somehow. I didn't vote for it.

The Galactic Empire suddenly decided to contribute to their overlord's war and suddenly I was on the back foot again. To top it all off they'd taken out all of my troop transports, including my Titanic beasts. That was a clusterfuck until the next leadership change and the Andigonj finally got off their asses. Secured the Khanate and then the Empire, as thankfully I was the next Fed leader.

File: Spoiler Image (199 KB, 1600x900)

199 KB JPG

By then the FPA was at war on 3 fronts, 2 of which were fallen Empires. It's a wonder neither of them awakened. I took out the 1st fallen empire (which the FPA claimed) then pushed up into Dominion territory.

By this point 3/5 of the UFP was occupied by the Dominion. Rather than dealing with that directly I pushed into a weaker part of their territory and cut the Dominion in half by taking a key choke point. At which point the Dominion pulled their fleets off of both fronts to try and hammer and anvil me. It only partially worked. I beat them back inflicting heavy losses but logistics problems were starting to catch up to me.

I didn't have gate tech yet so my reinforcements were having to cross the entire galaxy to get to me. This persisted for most of the campaign. When I did weren't any friendly ones near the front. The reinforcements still had to enter from FPA space in the south, though this cut the travel time in half.

The UFP did have a gate towards the start of the wars but it was now in Dominion territory they had captured between ceasefires. I scraped together the remnants of the badly mauled 1st fleet and used the also weakened 5th fleet to punch a hole through Dominion lines. They were able to get in with my limited available ground troops and capture the system. At least that way if a cease fire was declared we'd be in a good position to prepare for the next war.

It looked like the Dominion would try to retake it but instead they continued to launch assaults on the choke point system. After wiping out what looked like most of the Dominion fleet during another attempt to take back the choke point I counterattacked to try and take this main shipyards. This went badly and of my 3 fleets that took part only 1 was left in fighting shape by the time we retreated.

Things got really dicey for a bit. By this point reinforcement were taking too long to arrive and half my small corvette only raider units were dead. Half of FPA space was occupied. I re-hired mercenaries to bulk up my fleet despite them being light weights. Fortunately the Dominion didn't seem to bounce back this time. Or it took a really long time. I suspect they were focusing on their west front. The eastern occupied region was now all but undefended.

Every patched up fleet I had either held the point or helped the UFP liberate their worlds. We were getting into the 95% war exhaustion range by the time they had all been retaken. Now able to combine all of my fleets together I smashed through the center and surrounded the Dominion capital. Before my allies or I could get to the point of putting boots on the ground they capitulated.

Apparently the UFP had declared war on them first and had included the war goals of switching their government type to egalitarian. It didn't stay that way for long but it kept them allied to us.

After that we completely stomped the southern empire and bottled up the second fallen empire until they peaced out. The FE ended up awakening 30 years later but that was a fairly short war. 30 years of peace after 70-ish years or wars.

I had a bunch of Admirals I recruited at the start of the war. They finally started to die of old age in their 140's after it was all over. UFP quit the federation and began to rival the FPA. I tried to kick the FPA out of the federation several times. Beldross joined us after turning the Khanate and Empire into vassals. Whatever.

When the end crisis kicked off it ended up being contingency. I had put in a mod that replaced them with the Reapers but it failed to work properly. Ended up having to disable that mod completely so that the Contingency at least worked normally.
I lost more ships taking down each of the first 2 contingency hubs than I did in the rest of the game combined. My allies were next to useless, far more than before, and in the end I simply brute forced them with 8 fleets. Each of which were reduced to 20-40% fighting strength after each hub was taken down. It took years to rebuild in between.

Finally became federation leader just in time to use the big Fed fleet to stomp the 4th hub and the final one. Even in the middle of a contingency crisis the FPA were still trying to declare wars on other minor empires. I think I'll run a no federation game whenever I play Stellaris next.



>>3735214
>>3735218
These images were reversed.

>>3735196
That one was supposed to be spoilered.

"Here's the plan. An hour and a half before the gate opens we'll begin mass producing nitrogen mines and torpedoes. I want to build up as large a stockpile as possible before the Leviathan notices what's up. Fill the dock pit out of its line of sight with as many as we can.
One hour before we're going to begin dropping the temperature. If that sets them off at least we'll have some weapons ready to go."

Gas thrusters on the mines should be more than capable of letting you deploy them in whatever custom formation you decide on when needed. That just leaves the question of what to do for the next four and a half hours.
"Lets see if we can investigate the main control room."

Valeri speaks up.
"We should leave a message or a retransmitter in case the Krath find a way in here. That would let them know our plan."
"It might even be worth leaving them in a few other shipyard control centers." adds Estavan.

"Let's not split the team further. If there's extra time on the way back we can do it then."

With the message left behind you head out. Now having figured out how to get into the yard berth control area more easily it doesn't take long to get back to the core of the station. 90 minutes later the team approaches what the map indicated was the main control room. There were a few sections that had to be avoided because of blight scale activity but here you only have to keep watch for the occasional straggler.

"The system wasn't kidding. This thing is locked down tight." says Ruiz as she scans a blast door.

You shake your head.
"I dont get it, if the Leviathan was able to damage or strip parts off the dock why weren't they able to get through this?"
"I think it's reinforced with a stasis field sir. I'm having trouble getting a good reading."

"We know the outer shell of the Sphere was supposed to be able to switch on a stasis field. Maybe this is the same?" wonders Estavan.
It would certainly make sure no-one could get in. The question then is how does the command crew get back out? Especially if time is all but stopped inside.

You spend an hour investigating other approaches and find that there are signs of damage, or at least carbon scoring, to indicate someone tried to get in. Failing to make any further progress you head for the nearest shipyard control in the hopes of leaving a message there and returning to your outer yard on time. On the way a message is relayed to Jan letting him know the timetable.

On entry into the next yard center you're greeted with raised weapons from what turns out to be a third of the Krath unit.
"Okay, friendlies here. Weapons safe please."

>cont.

Once the door is closed you deactivate your camo. You and the other team's CO take turns bringing each other up to speed. They've scouted much of the docks and some of the interior. There are signs some of the local blight scales in here have gone feral, but a majority remain under the Leviathan's control. They've also had sightings of what may be more advanced forms but they were unable to get close enough to find out more.

Perhaps most importantly they've seen groups of scales working together using cutting devices that can shear through builder material. It's an exceedingly slow process fortunately, and requires they draw power from the station grid, but it does get the job done eventually.

"What? Is it an antimatter beam? How could that work without setting off defenses?"
"I dont know, there were too many scales to risk trying to capture one. We did notice that the devices are only used in pairs. We're considering that one may act as a backstop?"

Investigation will have to wait as you need to get back to the other yard pit to get your plans in motion. The Krath are interested in your idea but have something else in mind for this yards manufacturing pads.
"What's your plan?" you ask.
"We're going to be firing jets of water and LN2 at around one million kpa at it."

Huh... okay. Hopefully that works out. If it doesn't you'll still have the mines and torpedos to rely on. Or vice versa. The Krath briefly looked at possibly activating defenses to counter the Leviathan and scales but were concerned doing so might kill everyone inside the core. Best to stick with the original plan and get the Leviathan to chill the fuck out.

Getting back to the yard controls you're running a little late but not by much. It's still an hour and twenty minutes until the scheduled gate activation when the pads power up and begin to print off the first wave of mines. A few of the others take up control stations to steer them to out of the way locations, keeping them out of view.

Twenty minutes later you order to begin stocking up on torpedoes for an opening barrage. Soon enough you have 3000 LN2 torpedoes ready to go. As more of the mines and torps are built there is an increasing risk of collision. Eventually you're forced to move more of the stockpile closer to the edges of the dock. A few are given a very slow tumble to look like some of the debris.

At first there is no sign of movement from the Leviathan. It remains unmoving, silently watching for the gate to open once again. It doesn't seem to have taken notice of the dwindling temperatures approaching the freezing point of water.

That changes the instant a liquid nitrogen tank gets high enough out of the dock pit that it enters its line of sight. Flaring its various fins it stretches outward for a better look. Soon it directs a number of blight scales clustering around the docks near it towards your yard pit.
"Debris disguise isn't working, launch torpedoes!"

>cont.

The first wave of admittedly poorly guided warheads fire out of the dock. The Leviathan is quick to pull back, using its anchored tail for leverage. Fifty or so torpedoes sail past harmlessly.

In its efforts to avoid your fire it is caught completely by surprise when a dozen high pressure streams of liquid strike its side. The Krath soon broadcast that their water jet turrets are being deployed. As the number of streams striking it increase in number several focus on its lower tail, forcing it to let go of its anchor.

Torpedoes smash against the giant creature a dozen at a time, showering it in freezing liquid. Many are still missing the mark but enough are getting through that it can't focus on fending off both your attacks and the jets at the same time. Combined, the various impacts are forcing it out away from the docks, leaving it thrashing in mid-air in the low gravity.

"I'm deploying the mines in a grid to protect the docks." announces Risto. "How dense should I make the minefield? I dont want the torpedoes to hit them."

>Choose a number between 1 and 20 the higher the number the better the density but higher you'll need to roll to get your torpedoes through.

>>3735242
10.5

>>3735242

10-15

>>3735291
>>3735251
So around 11, or maybe have sectors with less heavy concentrations of mines to fire torpedoes through?

>>3735331

That works for me. Also, while I have not watched the Expanse. That is sorta the idea. Just a big hub area with portals leading in and out of it to all corners of creation. If the Sphere Builders hadn't already built one then we should try to do so as well. Well not us us but us as the Dominion or as the Factions Alliance.

Roll 4d20 for continued torpedo barrage

Rolled 19, 15, 10, 6 = 50 (4d20)

>>3735354

>Macross Missile Massacre Intensifies<

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxnC6jkJyEM

Rolled 6, 14, 20, 14 = 54 (4d20)

>>3735331
I'm okay with either option. Whichever works best.

>>3735354
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNcyzVTVMT4

It's best of three, so could somebody please roll a third set of dice?

"Spread out the mines a bit so we dont have to worry about collisions as much."

Mines drift up toward the mouth of the dock pit using basic gas thrusters. The majority of them pouring over the walls into the other slipways. Keeping them more spaced out seems to be the right call at first. There are enough gaps for the torpedoes and water jets to continue firing without causing much in the way of losses.

Your people are getting better at steering the warheads. After a dozen or so collisions the rest start to get through unmolested. The Krath also seem to be doing well, keeping pressure on the Leviathan. The creature however isn't going to be so easily defeated. It twists and turns, using the jet impacts to right itself and swats torpedoes out of the air with the tip of its tail. They're still hitting but it's hard to tell what impact they're having.

After a minute of this it begins to slow down a bit but it is far from stopped. Extending its fins it thrusts forward on biochemical thrusters, diving towards the docks once more. Retracting its fins once more make it a harder to hit target but everyone is getting the hang of the various weapons. Impacts slow it down but fail to completely cancel out its momentum.

Once it has regained its hold of the dock the Leviathan swings its body into the central pit. It must have decided that the water jet turrets are the bigger threat. Swatting down dozens of mines at a time it tries to wear down the minefield and clear a path to its adversary. It isn't the one one targeting the mines. Blight scales that had been on the docks are now attempting to detonate the mines and torpedoes any way they can.

"Krath team to Reynard team, be advised scales are attempting gain entrance to the yard controls. Report status."

Your suit sonar detects multiple impacts at either of the main entrances to your own control room. It's going to take a lot more than that to threaten you while there are doors made up of builder material keeping them out. As a precaution you activate additional lock safeties on the doors to keep them sealed. Just in case some of them know how to operate the door controls.

>Cont.

"Jan to Reynard, we have scales trying to retake the environmental controls."
"Lock the doors and keep them out." you advise. Glancing at the temperature readouts you see that the average for the interior is now at -40 degrees and still falling quickly. Of course its much colder anywhere the mines or torpedoes are exploding.

Impacts on the doors change pitch slightly. They're not the heavier strikes as before.
"They're not trying to get in anymore, they're trying to distract us." warns Estavan.

One of the door overrides keeping them shut turns off and you quickly reenable it. Fortunately they would need to take down several at once to get the door open but you'd rather not bet against this right now.

[ ] Keep watch for entry attempts but keep focus on the Leviathan
[ ] Have a couple of people ready to fend off hostiles
[ ] Form a perimeter, 1 person operating torps and mines (accuracy drop)

>>3735512
>[ ] Have a couple of people ready to fend off hostiles
Their whole behaviour makes me wonder if we should have kidnapped and interrogated a blight scale first.

>>3735512
>[ ] Have a couple of people ready to fend off hostiles

>>3735512
>[ ] Form a perimeter, 1 person operating torps and mines (accuracy drop)

"Team two, I want you ready to fend off any hostiles that get in here."
"Aye sir!"

The rest of you work diligently at the controls, continuing to construct and direct more missiles towards targets. While clearing mines the Leviathan continues to be hammered from all sides. Blight scales seem to be appearing from any gap in the docks and continue attempts to disrupt your work. One group goes so far as to latch onto a torpedo and redirect it into a manufacturing pad. It doesn't look like it has done any damage at first but soon you're getting alerts that the pad is offline.

"What happened?" you shout over renewed banging from the doors.

"The pad isn't liking getting doused with that much freezing liquid. It's going into a maintenance cycle to clear it."

Two more pads are hit soon after in a similar manner, though one is only partially shut down. About this time you get another signal from the Krath.
"Be advised, we're switching all of our jets to water. It can seep between scales and expand as it freezes. We're also having to direct more of our guns towards the scales on the docks."

"Understood. Someone build a similar water gun and start blasting blight scales in our dock pit." you order.
Ruiz acknowledges and soon enough a quartet of the mobile turrets are operational and safeguarding the torpedoes. Estavan follows up by smashing a few mines into these areas to snap freeze the water they'd been hit with.

Despite their best efforts the Leviathan gets past the minefield and begins tearing into the Krath turrets. It isn't just targeting tose but the pads as well. You doubt anything it can do will destroy them but it is forcing them to shut down to prevent serious harm, or recalibrate following impacts.
It isn't liking the combination of high pressure water and freezing temperatures. With ambient air temperature now passing -80 C it is continuing to slow down.

"What is that noise?" asks Estavan, sounding rather alarmed.
You switch your sonar through several ranges and find what he's talking about. It's coming from above one of the doors. Both members of second squad take up positions covering that approach in a crossfire.
Half the locks on both sets of doors disengage causing you to curse while resetting them.

"So what's the noise?"
"They're cutting above the doorway."
Great.

Checking the clock on your HUD it's still at least 20 minutes before the gate is set to open.

"Climate team to Reynard, we're under attack, position compromised."
In the background you can hear weapons fire reverberating through the suit of the Recon trooper reporting in.
"Status?"
"Jan is tearing through most of them in melee. I'm going to run out of ammo in about ten minutes."

Not good. Watching the displays you're seeing a lot less movement from the Leviathan.

>Cont.

"What's the freezing point of air?" you ask.
"Boiling point is -183 oxygen, -195 nitrogen."

Shit. You're barely crossing the -100 C range. It's getting difficult to hit the Leviathan now without worrying about striking the turrets.

"Screw this. Cluster bomb the fucker with the remaining mines."

"Got it." answers Estavan. "Hellzone Grenade!"
"Hell what?"

The minefield in the central dock collapses inward on the Leviathan, striking it from all directions. Dodging is impossible for it and any that miss are a lucky few. As the mines disappear into clouds of frozen liquid and rapidly expanding debris it also creates more of an opening for the torpedoes.

Jets of water striking near its head manage to get beneath the indestructible plate protecting it from serious damage. As it rapidly freezes sections of the armor are broken off in places. The monster has a few last gasps, smashing two turrets and crushing a third in its jaws before it seems to lose consciousness.

"Did we get it?" you ask.

The sound on your sonar spikes as a beam of some kind becomes visible, cutting through a corner of the ceiling near the door. Judging by the angle once they're finished the cut there might be enough room for a blight scale to get inside.

"Reynard to Krath team I think we might have to abandon our position. Our control center is being breached."
"Copy that Reynard team. Ours is being breached also but we're preparing to hold. Recommend you evac."
"Understood."

But evac to where?
>Your orders?

I've got to run and do my laundry in case I get called in to work tomorrow. Don't know what my internet access situation is going to be like there so may not be able to post further tonight.

>>3735742
The builder ship.

We should build a Spinal Mount phase cannon turret if we have any time left. Just throw everything at this thing.

>>3735742

I am up for heading to the medium cruiser, and as >>3735757 anon suggested, have the dock build and then attach some cryo turrets on it if it still can. While we gtfo towards the ship. Maybe dumping some super charged stun grenades? Wont get all of them and will likely be a one time use thing. But aught to buy us enough time to get away from the scales and to the ship.

>>3733417
During the Smugglers run campaign. Been a long run.

>>3735196
I like this idea. Sounds fancy as fuck.

>>3735742
>>Your orders?

I agree here. Get to the Builder ship and see if we can get in it.

>>3735742
>>But evac to where?
>Your orders?
Either the Krath team position or the builder ship. I'd say go for which is closer. Also, make sure to keep the climate team updated. If we can cause a temporary lockdown of the controls here it would probably a good idea to do so.

>>3736905
>I'd say go for which is closer.
The Krath team would be closer but it might be faster to get to the ship. Especially if there are blight scales converging on their dock control at well.

1) Immediate exit?
1A) Door opposite where they're cutting through
1B) Door below where they're cutting

2) What to do about Jan and the Recon trooper with him?
2A) Tell them to abandon their position
2B) Tell them to hold
2C) You'll pick them up along the way
2D) Ask the Krath teams to send them help

>>3737743
1B) Door below where they're cutting
2C) You'll pick them up along the way
We run towards them. Give em some ammo. Then run downstairs in a fighting retreat together.

>>3737743
>1B)
>2C)
They're free to retreat at their discretion if our team takes too long to get there. Both of them are professionals and this is not an objective that needs to be defended to the death.

>>3737743

>1B) Door below where they're cutting
>2C) You'll pick them up along the way

>>3737743
>1B) Door below where they're cutting
>2C) You'll pick them up along the way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKPkjPrPk_A [Rise Above - Two Steps From Hell]

"We're moving out. Prepare to breach, we'll exit through the door they're cutting above. Maybe they wont expect it."
As everyone abandons their stations except the one closest to the preferred exit you try to raise Jan.

"Jan this is Reynard, we're coming to bail you out. Try to hang on."
"I'll tell him sir."

Readying grenades you're somewhat worried that they may not hold out that long. They might have minutes worth of ammo and you'll need the better part of an hour to get there at a forced march.

"Breaching in five."
"Disable camo. Drop stun pulse on the way through."

When the count reaches zero everyone throws grenades and Risto hits the door control. Your group is charging forward shields raised before the door even begins to retract. The mix of grenade types sail through at it opens, scattering the twenty or so blight scales on the other side with their blasts.

Suit repulsors to maximum the group punches through, most of you leaping over the alien bodies crowding the floor and walls. Knocking scales aside with shield, helmet or shin guards. You drop a stun pulse grenade behind you when landing, breaking into a sprint to get clear. It's hard to tell if it had any effect or if they were more stunned by the wave of explosions. Regardless those you can see in your rear helmet cam soon begin to right themselves after a moments pause.

Estavan leaps over your group and speeds ahead indicating which passages are clear. Or perhaps the least full passage. Around the next corner you spot a few scales headed this way or that, some headed in your direction. Valeri pings three of them with a 20mm round each. You meanwhile realise that there are a number of fast movers coming up behind the group.

"I knew I should have practiced sprinting while shooting behind me." you mutter.
A fuel cell's worth of plasma pistol shots takes out the leading elements and the rest seem to slow their advance. It gives your group enough time to duck down another passage and reactivate camo. Keeping up the fast pace you try for the shortest route to weather control.

"If you have to deactivate your camo to fire heavier weapons, signal the rest of us somehow."

Charging through intersections that had been busy hours earlier you find that many are deserted. Others are home to a steady stream of scales clearly headed for the docks. The docks on both sides of the facility. Opening a channel to the Krath units you report what you're seeing in between breaths.

"We think there may be another Leviathan in the eastern gate side of the facility." they reply. "The rest of our people are searching for it."
"Kinda hard to miss." you point out.
"It may be a juvenile."
Oh great, so it might even be able to get places the bigger one cant.

>Cont.

"Estavan watch out! Breaking camo!" warns Valeri, before becoming visible and emptying a magazine of high explosive incendiaries into a crowd ahead. They seem to be having trouble dealing with the rapid temperature change between the air temperature and weapons fire.
You vault a few of the scattered blight scales, deactivating camo yourself long enough to put a few pistol shots down the corridor.

"Team two we're almost there." you warn.
You'd noticed frost covering most surfaces when you left the yard control. Now the air itself is condensing or sublimating into snow. It's getting impossible to hide your movements. All anyone needs to do is follow your tracks.

"Is there a suit setting to obscure footprints?"
You get a reply "yes" but no other details.

Estavan doubles back once close to your target.
"Gun please!" he asks and one of the others toss him a repulsor pistol.

As soon as you reach his position he ducks out of cover and begins firing, putting down a steady stream of projectiles. The hallway outside of environmental control is packed nearly floor to ceiling with scales. You can still detect sporadic weapons fire and a noise that sounds similar to a blender.

On seeing how large of a crowd is waiting most of you think this might be the time to discard subtlety.

"Phalanx? Lock our shields and use them for cover?" asks the other squad leader.
"I brought Fusion rounds." Valeri reminds you, though the space in here is a bit tight. You'd have to pull back a bit.

[ ] Phalanx
[ ] Fusion round
[ ] Other?

>>3737954
>[ ] Other?
Does the lightning artifact work on these things?

>>3737954

A mix of [ ] Phalanx and >>3737975 anons suggestion of lightning gauntlets. Set up a barricade. Open fire and when they get close. Melt them with lightning.

>>3737975
>Does the lightning artifact work on these things?
Presumably, and of the artifacts you would be most likely to take along it's one of the 2. Since we didn't do a whole loadout thing before the mission.

>>3738017
In that case, I'd say we should give it a try. We don't actually need to kill the scales, scaring them away or disabling them would be enough.
If we make it out of here alive, we should try adding the features of the republic's ship mounted top of the line lightning guns to these artifacts.

Roll 2d20

Rolled 13, 11 = 24 (2d20)

>>3738038

File: teslatrooper.jpg (485 KB, 800x600)

485 KB JPG

Rolled 12, 3 = 15 (2d20)

>>3738038
Commencing shock therapy

Anybody up for the third roll?

Rolled 19, 9 = 28 (2d20)

>>3738038

>>3737954
>"Is there a suit setting to obscure footprints?"
>You get a reply "yes" but no other details.
Didn't Sonia's suit have repulsor skates?

>>3738070
>Didn't Sonia's suit have repulsor skates?
Yes. That might have been better but even upgraded the recon suits aren't set up for the same maneuvers as your medium jump jet suits.

"We'll do a phalanx but use it to cover me while I use the lightning gauntlet."

It takes a few seconds to forming up the group and get the shields interlocked correctly to provide enough cover. It's not a trick used very often by your recon teams in simulations.

Once the group swings out into the hall your shields begin to be struck by projectiles. Some of the blight scales are launching spines. Estavan ducks down, grabbing one to inspect it.
"It's okay! They haven't figured out submunitions yet, just keep your shields up."

"Let's see if they like to ride the lightning."
Opening enough of a gap in the shield wall you extend the gauntlet, letting loose a veritable storm of lighting arcs into the crowd. You're certain that it is killing some and knocking others out of the way, but there's a lot less exploding than with other times you've used it.

When you let up Estavan informs you that it wasn't quite as effective as he'd hoped but it is getting the job done. The others put some rounds down range, providing cover while you prepare to fire again. This time it's enough to clear out the door frame of the short hallway leading to environmental control.

There isn't a chance to fire a third time. An explosion sends a wave of shattered blight scale corpses flying out of the hall. It's soon followed by slicing and stabbing noises drawing closer. Jan appears looking worn down and battered, covered in freezing blood, fingers extended like blades through multiple blight scales. Hurling the bodies farther down the corridor he turns back to you and tries to say something, only for no sound to come out.

Jan taps the side of his head and gestures back inside. It's slow going making your way over the burnt remains of piles of corpses but you make it and the door is sealed shut behind you. It looks like the recon trooper survived too, though his armor has damage in places.

"Bringing the room temperature up to standard." he reports.

It takes a few minutes but soon enough things are back into what you would consider the habitable range. So is the air pressure which you now realise had dropped quite a bit outside with so much of it having been reduced to liquid or solid form. Jan is finally able to speak again. His communicator was destroyed in the fighting.

"The Leviathan is down?"
"Seems like it. Are you okay?"
"I'd like to avoid doing that again. I should probably... clean up. In this room at least. If the rest of you wanted to look away I'd appreciate it."

You look around at the remains of what you think are ten blight scales scattered around the room. It's hard to tell. Most are in small pieces except those few riddled with bullet holes.

"Take your time. Let us know if you need food or medical supplies."
"Thanks. I think I'll be good. You might want to kill the audio."

You give him a couple of minutes to get something to eat and clean up the blight scale remains in the process. With that accomplished you let the rejoined members of the team know that you're headed for the ship next. Before you can head out the Krath team contacts you. The gate has opened.

"Finally."

With the cooling laser focused on the leviathan they've hitting it with more water. Encasing and securing it to a point on the docks. While your personal plans haven't changed regarding the next destination, the others back in the gate control want to know if they should send reinforcements.

[ ] No reinforcements yet, reopen gate in a few hours
[ ] Yes send more people (Who?)

>>3738256
>[x] Yes send more people (Who?)
We'll need recon drones to scout for the immature Leviathan. It might also be a good idea to get a few Rekesh keepers in here. This is their home, they'll probably appreciate to get involved in exploring this place as early as possible. Also, if the people in charge of the manufacturing pads could come up with infantry or vehicle equipment for our troops to safely freeze and handle blight scales it would be appreciated.

>Junior Leviathan
Are these guys more sensible when they're not a thousand times bigger than every other form of life?

>reopen gate in a few hours
Set gate openings to a lower interval. Once every three hours but keep the gate open for a shorter amount of time.

>>3738256

>[ ] Yes send more people (Who?)
Drones
Power armor troops
Another Krath team for the junior Leviathan, if they can spare another team.

Out fit drones with cryo ammo, if they don't have it ready. Tell them to use the pads outside and send them in once they have enough ammo for them.

Send a report of what we've seen and encountered. That we need troops to hold both the manufacturing control center and environmental control center.

Also, have either of the two Wizards talk to the previous caretakers on how to deactivate the security system on a control system from outside of the main control room.

>>3738268
If we can provide decent environmental suits for our Neeran I'd like to have them in here as well. Just in case any sphere builders are in that command center.

File: The ship2.jpg (14 KB, 970x306)

14 KB JPG

"Reopen the gate at regular intervals. Maybe 3 hours. Send through more drones for scouting work and prepare some vehicle and equipment designs for use in here. We'll need a way to contain the blight scales that are in hibernation. Make it easier to store and secure them."

"We'll get to work on it." answers Uller.
"Oh and it anyone from the tower or science teams want to have a look around in here make sure they bring vacuum and environment suits that are rated for extreme cold. That goes for your people as well. It is COLD!"

"We know. It's causing a severe atmospheric disturbance outside the gate on our end. Drones are on the way along with a shuttle with decontamination facilities aboard."
"Will a shuttle fit through that gate?"
"Barely."

Akyarres speaks up.
"Your suits life support wont last forever and you'll need a safe place to rest if you cant get inside the ship. We refit the shuttle appropriately."
"Alright understood. Those of you that are coming in with the next group, see you in a few hours. Until then, any tips on how we can keep the temperature in here from returning to normal? It keeps resetting every minute or so."

Veod thinks he could do it but would need to be there in person to institute some of the overrides. Fortunately he and Uller quickly think up a cheat. Disabling the systems that would quickly warm the facility back up will ensure it will still be cold for quite awhile. Long enough for one of them to arrive with the next group and find a more permanent solution.

"There's still a lot of heating from the walls on the other side of those matter siphons." you point out.
The Caretakers believe they'll only need 6 hours at most. Jan estimates the docks should still be well below -100C by then. It will have to do.

Closing out the channel you set out for the ship. Most of the surviving blight scales in the area have fled, probably looking for shelter. Only two have to be taken care of before locking down the environmental control room.

While not sprinting this time Jan and Estavan are more than happy to set a faster pace if it will get them out of the cold sooner. With the assistance of the new drones Krath teams report that they have encountered a pair of smaller leviathans and have subdued them for now.

Eventually the team arrives at the edge of the dock pit with the ship. From here you finally get a good look at it, illuminated by the red glow in the distance. It seems to be made up of 3 main sections, each assembled from sub units. What you can only assume to be the aft has a ring of 8 smaller identical engine modules. Larger sturdier blocks make up the center section, while the bow is more of an elongated diamond shape. There looks to be damage in places, though its possible some of it may be the result of design features.

"Let's find a way in."

[ ] Try the docking connections
[ ] External airlocks
[ ] Look for a hole in the hull

>>3738621

[ ] Try the docking connections
[ ] External airlocks

>>3738621
>[ ] Try the docking connections

>>3738621
>[ ] Try the docking connections
Most obvious place for a... you know, actual door.

>>3738621
>[x] Try the docking connections
You know, if the Leviathan needs a safe place for its young, this ship would probably make a pretty decent nest. I would appreciate if we could have one of the nearby manufacturing devices produce a few cryo guns.

>>3738621
>[ ] External airlocks

Signaling the shuttle you let them know you'll be trying to locate an entrance via docking connections first. If that doesn't work you may just withdraw to the shuttle to rest up. You've been going for over a day now without much sleep.

Marching through the snow with it crunching underfoot, there's no signs of blight scales here. No point in covering your tracks. You've looked up the routine that could do so if it becomes necessary again. Both Krath lead the way, occasionally taking injections to better deal with the environment. They'll be fine for awhile though they'd like a break from this.

Reaching the docking connections your team splits up to search them all. They're scattered between two or more levels and there is damage to the docks in places. The first two you check have been severed from the ship with a substantial gap in between. Otherwise intact consoles are without power.

Eventually you locate one with a solid connection and activate nearby controls that should open the doors. Instead it flashes various biohazard alerts. Several other docking points, including the damaged ones, have been locked down as a result of toxins detected. A quick check shows that local decontamination was attempted but that it continued to reoccur. As a result the system put the connections in permanent lockdown.

"Shit."
Stepping away from the console you turn towards the dock, looking through windows at the rest of the connectors.

Ruiz steps over to the controls.
"Maybe if we re-run the decontamination it will detect there aren't any blight scales present?"

"Maybe Jan and Estavan should pull back out of range. Wouldn't want them getting picked up or killed." suggests Valeri.

[ ] Worth a shot (local decontamination)
[ ] See if there's a decon function for the entire dock
[ ] Move on to External airlocks
[ ] Rest up aboard the shuttle

>>3740006
>[ ] See if there's a decon function for the entire dock

>>3740006
>[x] Worth a shot (local decontamination)
And get Jan and Estevan on the shuttle.

>>3740006
>[ ] Worth a shot (local decontamination)

Get our Krath out for a minute. Tell them to rest up in the shuttle. It's not like we're going to be able to fly this thing out of here as it is. We'd need a crew of hundred if not thousands to fly it properly.

>>3740006
[ ] Worth a shot (local decontamination)
Here we gooo. What's the worst that could happen?

>>3740006
>[ ] See if there's a decon function for the entire dock

Having your Krath companions retreat to the shuttle you see about activating the local decontamination systems. Team 2 is initially warned to keep an eye out but they have concerns the system might trip an unknown response. You hold off until they arrive nearby. Ready to assist in getting your team out of trouble.

"Looks like we'll have to go through multiple stages of decontamination." warns Ruiz.

Energy beams and force fields light up the entrance way, boiling off the snow drifts that had collected. Sensors show that your suits should be able to survive the beams without damage. With each pass the force field advances containing more of the swept area. Your suits heat up but you've taken worse than this as splash damage from fusion guns.

"We're good so far."

Once all three of you have been cleared the beams remain active but the door responds to the commands to open. Additional sweeps immediately begin, flashing over the docking umbilical from outside. Looking out the first external window you come across you see that equipment arms have extended to help sweep the docking point. As a result the internal temperature jumps, vaporizing any remaining liquid or solids back into a more normal atmosphere.

"Looks like our suits are holding up." reports Valeri.
"True, but we're going to start having cooling problems eventually if this keeps up." you reply.

Reaching the far airlock the three of you make several attempts to open the next lock. Initially it stubbornly refuses to open, still detecting a biohazard. Dumping your gear, harness and doing some calisthenics to expose more parts of your armor it eventually clears you.

Passing through the final lock you find yourself inside the ship. Like with the facility itself the corridors here are large enough for Neeran. Air reads as stale but breathable in an emergency. There are hallways that extend some distance to the left or right before veering off towards the interior. Opposite the entrance is a chamber enclosed by sliding transparent doors. Looking inside there are markings on the walls similar to the tower's smaller transit gates.

[ ] Explore on foot
[ ] See if you can use the gate

>>3740290
>[x] Explore on foot
The teleporter is not going anywhere and who knows what will happen if the location it's supposed to transport us to is damaged. We're not in a hurry anyway.

>>3740290
>[ ] Explore on foot

If the gates in here are anything like the ones elsewhere. Usage will mean anyone who is in control of the ship can track us. So lets go on foot for now.

>>3740290
>[ ] Explore on foot

>>3740290
>[ ] See if you can use the gate
Let's go fast-mode.

"Let's not take any chances, we'll explore on foot. We dont know for sure where that thing leads."

One thing for sure the ship definitely has some power. Or parts of it regained power when it detected entrance via the docking connection. You have light but still no airflow. Heading down the corridor to the left towards the bow the team encounters a number of work stations set into the outer wall. All of them are enclosed similar to the small gate chamber, their internal lighting dark.

Doorways on the inner side wall are rare and largely lead to machinery spaces. After the corridor turns deeper into the ship it intersects with another. A quick check down the outer hall shows similar stations and an airlock like the one you came in through. There seem to be indicators to show how far forward or aft in the ship you are.

Deeper into the interior the passages and corridors lead into what you presume to be living spaces. Crew quarters split off of central halls which include food dispensers. Forward and aft of these you locate what look to be armories similar to those at the west gate facility. They're equipped with similar small manufacturing pads.

"Offline. Looks like they're not getting any power." you conclude.
"It looks like the whole ship is in a low power state." agrees Valeri.

"We could be exploring this place for a couple days. Let's get a map."

Back in the crew area the three of you manage to locate a terminal that is both operational and can actually help you out. Deck layout through the central sections seems similar enough to a lot of Faction ships. Making use of artificial gravity to allow decks perpendicular to the direction of thrust. There's only a little information on the aft and forward sections.

What seems to be the top of the ship is home to a protrusion you'd seen on approach in the dock. It may be a command deck. This doesn't make a lot of sense to Ruiz.
"Why would they put a command section on the exterior? It would be vulnerable to weapons fire and radiation."

"Some of the Alliance Capital Ships have an exterior command module with additional armor, shields and coms that can detach in an emergency." Valeri points out.

You shrug.
"Or maybe they didn't want it to get in the way of the machinery and crew spaces in the middle of the ship?"

With map in hand now might be a good time to check in with the rest of the team and the shuttle now.

[ ] Head for the bridge
[ ] Pull back to the shuttle
[ ] Try to find/open a shuttle bay
[ ] Other ideas?

>>3740526
>[ ] Pull back to the shuttle

Regroup and rest up. Make sure to lock the doors on our way out so no scales come in while we're not here. Also we can make plans on how to explore the ship after we rest up and rearm. Maybe even see about working something out with the Krath team in developing a large stasis container for the big Leviathan or even the smaller ones. Or even figure out a way to get into the command center with its lock down in place.

File: taytay.jpg (18 KB, 200x200)

18 KB JPG

>>3740526
>Crew quarters split off of central halls which include food dispensers.
Does any of this look like it's ever been in use?

>[x] Other ideas?
Does the terminal have something like an interactive guide available?

>>3740526
>[ ] Head for the bridge
Maybe we'll find a friendly VI to direct us around?

>>3740570
>Does any of this look like it's ever been in use?
There are remains of a few badly corroded objects believed to have been metal scattered around parts of the common areas. There's not much left of them.

>Does the terminal have something like an interactive guide available?
Unfortunately no. Or you can't find the access to it.

>>3740616
>There are remains of a few badly corroded objects believed to have been metal scattered around parts of the common areas.
Any chance these are the remnants of metal-oxide-based life?

Anyway, going for
>[x] Pull back to the shuttle
A couple hours of sleep will help and I'd prefer to have Neeran keepers to back us up during the exploration of this vessel.

>>3740627
>Any chance these are the remnants of metal-oxide-based life?
Unknown. On the way back out to the shuttle you make sure to take samples to be looked into.

Heading back the way you came in, the decontamination system is once again activated. Team two reports that a few blight scales have approached their position while you were inside. They may have been attracted by the heat from the sterilization fields.

Exiting the docks through a nearby gap you jump across to the shuttle and load up. The krath built system takes a bit longer to clean your suits and gear but it was meant to ensure they could use it as well.
The team member with the damaged armor who had stayed at environmental control can't be fully decontaminated. Jan is forced to exit the shuttle via a smaller side airlock and re-enter via the back one to rejoin the teams and help out. Determining the extent of the damage takes half an hour. Eventually the damaged shin guard is detached and taken outside to be destroyed. Everyone finally gets inside without further incident.

The aft compartment is filled with medical equipment, suit maintenance bays and cots with sleep headsets so that the team can rest. Shuttle crews let everyone sleep through the next gate opening when it goes off without incident.

Uller arrives with Af Ied, first getting the weather into a more sustainable state before linking back up with the shuttle. Veod decided to stay outside so that both of them wouldn't be trapped inside if anything went wrong.

By the time you wake up they've started construction of segments needed for a large scale stasis containment field that will surround the frozen Leviathan. It's now buried beneath layers of ice, though the Krath remain worried it's merely playing dead. No chances are being taken. The shuttle crew assures you that no one has attempted to enter the ship while you've been out.

"Anything else to report?"
"Just that the Krath are setting up their blight scale packaging operation. Also a few of their operatives are MIA but they may have been taken out or wounded early on when you entered. Some of the drones are being used to search for them."

As soon as they can reasonably step away from the shipyard and stasis construction operation Uller and Af Ied link up with your shuttle. Uller has been able to confirm that there is a decontamination sweep on the docks that could check the entire ship, though at this stage it could attract more blight scales. Alternatively there may be an internal only sweep of some kind that could be activated once the ship is secure.

1A) Sweep from the docks
1B) See if there is an internal sweep later

2) Will Jan and Estavan be joining the team exploring the ship? They have vacuum suits available.
>Y/N?

>>3740844

>1C) Other

Can we wait for the decontamination sweep? If we do it to the whole dock we're going to thaw out the Leviathan. If we do it to the ship it will attract scales to it and we don't know where all of the breach points are on it. I'd rather not light it up and risk scales getting inside of it and us needing to have the Krath do a sweep of the ship.

Lets instead just explore the ship as is and try to find a control station inside of it to get a more complete picture of the ship and its systems. As well as what parts of it are damaged and needing repair.

>2) Will Jan and Estavan be joining the team exploring the ship? They have vacuum suits available.
Yes. Just in case we encounter blight scales inside it or we need them for something else.

>>3740844
>1A) Sweep from the docks

>2) Will Jan and Estavan be joining the team exploring the ship? They have vacuum suits available.
It's their choice. Since they are both now technically members of the Dominion, it would be good to have them along, especially if they've had enough dealing with Krath weirdness.

>>3740844
>Just that the Krath are setting up their blight scale packaging operation.
Did they manage to secure the younger Leviathans?

>1
Do the Krath think it would help to set up a warmer area close to these docks to intentionally attract scales instead of having them swarm the ship during the decontamination?

>2) Will Jan and Estavan be joining the team exploring the ship? They have vacuum suits available.
If they're interested? They've definitely proven their loyalty and I'd expect any type of builder system should be advanced enough to realize they're not like the blight scales.

>>3740865
Estevan isn't a citizen of the Dominion, I think. He could have realistically ended up with the Watchers, Kavarians or watchers when the union remnant rejoined the factions.

>>3740871
>Watchers, Kavarians or watchers
*or Krath

>>3740860
>1C)
>Can we wait for the decontamination sweep?
Yes.

>If we do it to the whole dock we're going to thaw out the Leviathan.
It is possible to just do so in the area immediately around the ship.

>>3740865
>>3740871
Estevan is still a registered citizen of the Kavarian Protectorate and is an employee of Reynard Security Systems. Though it would be fairly easy for you to get him Dominion citizenship once back on Rioja.

On the one hand both Krath are wary of being confined to vacuum suits, especially if deciding to breach them to fight better might have them targeted as a threat. On the other they'd really like to have a look around.
Jan is the more reluctant of the two thinking it might be best if he were to conduct sweeps of the exterior where there are signs of damage. However drones could be assigned to do this.

>>3740889
>Jan is the more reluctant of the two thinking it might be best if he were to conduct sweeps of the exterior where there are signs of damage.
If he prefers that I'm okay with it.

>Though it would be fairly easy for you to get him Dominion citizenship once back on Rioja.
Does that even make sense with how secretive the Krath are? I mean, we can't even provide effective healthcare for Krath and we don't have the slightest clue what healthy social interaction looks like for them. We keep treating them like slightly weird humans when they're the result of a desperate experiment on weird symbiotic crab things from an ecosystem that must be absolute hell in order to produce something like them and their hosts.

>>3740924
>Does that even make sense with how secretive the Krath are?
I never said it was a good idea.

>>3740889
>especially if deciding to breach them to fight better might have them targeted as a threat.
That's a very good point. For now, until we've secured the ship from a biohazard standpoint, keep them away.

>>3740871
>Do the Krath think it would help to set up a warmer area close to these docks to intentionally attract scales instead of having them swarm the ship during the decontamination?

You contact the Krath and ask them about establishing a warm zone to attract blight scales. If it might draw them away from the ship while it's being swept. While it might work for a time they would realise it's meant to draw them away once the exterior of the ship were swept and heated. So much for that.

Jan will stay outside and help survey and guarding the exterior. Estavan will go with your team heading inside. Large scale sweeps will be held off until it can be determined if they're needed.

Meeting up with the new arrivals you proceed through the airlocks once more. Estavan's suit seems to do well enough against the heat and he's not singled out. Good news on that front.
Once inside Uller takes a few minutes to look over the transit gate. According to him it should be able to move the team anywhere aboard almost instantly. Or at least to similar chambers scattered through the interior. With power aboard the ship at low levels you point out your reluctance to trust the thing.

Going over the map you locate two good routes to the bridge. What should be a vertical shaft that may be for a lift, or where some of the decks merge farther aft. The lift is closer and gives the new party members a chance to look over the living area. Af Ied quickly discovers that many of the seemingly featureless walls can be made to display images of the exterior.

"That should make it easy to tell when the next gate opens." you decide.
"It should open again in 20 minutes sir." points out team two lead.

Locating the lift shaft you find that, not only is there a lift car, but that sections can be extended outwards from the walls forming a staircase.
"It must be for low power use or something."

Uller thinks the lift is more for cargo use, specifically equipment that cant or shouldn't be teleported. Af Ied however is far more worried by how easily the stairs can be retracted again from the lift control panel. A touch of a button and you could be in freefall. This makes a few of you rather nervous about the prospect of using them.

"I dont think there's enough power to safely run the lift either."

Uller grips his staff and places a hand on the console. A few seconds later he declares that now there is enough power. Riding the platform upwards the shaft merges with another one before halting in the upper reaches of the ship. An emergency bulkhead seems to be blocking the way.

After exiting it doesn't take long to locate a ramp leading upwards into the bridge section. You're required to pass through another round of decontamination and scans. Things go fine at first then alarms and warnings appear on the display. The scanners dont seem to like Estavan very much even with the suit on.

"Okay, let me out. Let me out! I'm going back down the ramp!" Estavan pleads sounding increasingly worried.

Uller and the Lady each attempt an override, and while it stops the alarms and any immediate action, it wont open the bridge while the Krath is present. Re-opening the door behind you he very quickly hightails it back to the lower levels.

"Team two you're with him. I dont want him alone if security or defenses start to act up."
This seems to disappoint some of them, clearly wanting to see the bridge, but they follow orders.

The next round of scans eventually clears the team for entry. Doors into the bridge open and allow you access. The interior is made up of two levels looking large enough that creatures larger than Neeran could make use of them if necessary. Unusually it doesn't seem like one is made to look down on the other. Rather they could be sealed and either of them used in an emergency. Both feature expansive windows that wrap around the front and sides.

A quick search reveals that many systems have been shut down or placed in low power mode. The umbilicals connected to the dock are still drawing a small amount of power and seem to be responsible for most of the systems that are online. A number of the few that are still fully powered have security locks in place.

"What do we have?" you ask.

"Most of the power from the station is directed to the engineering section even though it's totally dark." Uller observes. "According to this it requires power in order to remain in a shut down state."
"That's odd."
"Indeed."

Af Ied locates the wormhole FTL control. There is data from two locations that are flagged as recent. Or at least they were the last to be looked at. One is outgoing coordinates to another builder facility. Another is for an incoming micro wormhole similar to the one you constructed above the western gate complex. The last is much more recent.

"Does this mean anything to you?" you ask Uller who walks up the ramp to the second level to look it over.

"This date is familiar to me. It's when the inner northern gate at the sphere was sabotaged, or very near to it. Someone may have been trying to escape from there to here, for all the good it did them. There was no one to accept receipt of signal and the automated responses that might have been able to accept in an emergency are powered down or locked out."

Any systems you're interested in? Did you want to attempt powering up the ship or other things?
>Your orders?

>>3741343
Hammer the big red button to fire up that reactor.

>no one to accept receipt of the signal
So, whoever, or whatever sabotaged the gate might still be 'stored' in some kind of wormhole purgatory?

>>3741343

Get a detailed map of the ship. Also, if the systems can tell why the ship needs power to remain in low power mode. Maybe it is a different type of reactor/ engine? Or maybe there is a nest of whatever back there.

Download the ships travel log if that's even possible. And see if there is something similar to an AI interface, in the off chance they used AI for these things.

But mostly interested in the engines. And the engine room right now. I want to know what makes this ship tick back there. And I want to make sure we wont wake up any dead things that are hiding back there and drawing power.

What if the power draw is for a stasis containment system to keep whatever power source they use from going critical?

>>3741343
Check out what kind of weapons it's packing? Just in case something goes wrong with the Leviathans.

>>3741363
>So, whoever, or whatever sabotaged the gate might still be 'stored' in some kind of wormhole purgatory?
No, the gate tried but failed to connect to one on this end.

Interestingly it looks like the ship can remotely send commands to nearby gates. If you could exit the core the ship could then use the western gate without requiring anyone there to make use of it. Though they could certainly override and prevent it from opening.

"This thing can create a wormhole on its own without a dedicated gate right?"
"Yes it looks like it is equipped for it." answers Uller. "Though this would require a great deal of power. More than I would think a ship this size should be able to store."

"Let's focus on getting a detailed map of the ship, a log of its travel, and finding out why this thing needs power to remain in a low power state."

You meanwhile look for a station that might give you a hint of its weapons. It takes a few minutes but eventually you and Ruiz begin to realise that there are several systems that may be intended to double as weapon arrays.
"What the hell are these?"
They look to function similar to a few other builder technologies. Possibly able to transmute material from one form to another, maybe even into builder material.

"This seems downright overpowered." states Ruiz. "What if someone just decided to transmute part of a ship or a planet into antimatter?"

The structure making up the bow of the ship seems to be tied to the wormhole generator. It also has quite a variable projection range, which if you're right can be scaled rapidly. You could just put a hole in a target, it wouldn't matter if it was shielded or not.

"How could they have not wiped out the Leviathans with this?" you wonder.

"Maybe nobody could get to it? Or they evacuated the core too quickly to launch it?"
More than likely the thing was too powerful and dangerous to risk using here.

Travel logs are found showing the ship had been to a number of systems in this galaxy as well as the location of the outbound gate in another galaxy. One of the local planets listed is the Rekesh homeworld. Perhaps they were observing their ancestors? It should be interesting to see the reaction of their government.

>cont.