Mon Aug 02, 2004 11:44 am by Solar Pilot
Nathan Edwards/Patriot/San Diego Border Station/Liberty Police
This was a mess. A royal mess.
After managing to get the Liberty Navy Defenders to break off and follow him away from the battle, he'd ordered them to the California Jump Gate. Needless to say, the flight leader wasn't all that pleased Edwards had ordered him away from such a "target-rich" environment. But Edwards wasn't in the mood for any of the pilot's macho flyboy crap. After giving the threat that his actions might've just finished ensuring a potential war between Liberty and Bretonia, he noticed the Defender pilots more eagerly turned eastward towards the California Jump Gate. Whether it was becasue they were eager for battle or fearful that the entire Magellan System would try to smite them he couldn't tell. Either way they were out of his hair.
After passing by Freeport 4, and hailing the station's commander to check on the progress of the Curacao evacuees, he docked his Patriot into the Trade Lane to the California Jump Gate and waited. On the way, his comm flared to life. It was a prerecorded transmission... from Chief Constable Alistair Grey.
"Nate! I can't talk long. I'm running this through an encrypted channel over Freeport 4's comm network from the Yorkshire . Listen to me... I found out the battle plan! Our fleet is supposed to team up with several groups of Liberty Rogue fighters in both Magellan and Cortez! The BAF admiral on the Yorkshire told us all, as he marshalled as many BAF and BPA forces as he could in Manchester, New London, and Leeds. I'm trying to countermand his orders and keep all the Cavalier squadrons out of the fight, but the pilots aren't all that willing to listen. I promise I'll keep trying. Get as many defenses as you can to the California System! Get those gates shut down! Keep them on this side! Do whatever you can to keep our forces out of Liberty!"
Edwards had sat there in frozen shock for a moment at the information he'd just received. How soon until the attack? How many ships? So many unanswered questions.
He pushed the memories out of his mind as he approached the lieutenant in charge of San Diego Border Station in the Operations Center of the outpost.
"Lieutenant, I'm taking command here." Not waiting for the young lieutenant to reply, knowing the subordinate wouldn't question his decision, he made his way to the comms officer. "Get me Governor Farrell!" Minutes later, California System Governor Jameson Farrell's image was playing across the central viewscreen, the backdrop of Los Angeles City adding atmosphere to the governor's image.
"Captain Edwards, I hope this is important."
"Governor, it is imperative that you move as many forces as possible to the Cortez and Magellan Jump Gates. The entire system must be put on red alert."
Farrell seemed unimpressed. "Captain, I'm well aware that the Bretonian Armed Forces are massing a fleet in the Cortez System. What makes you think they're about to be bold enough to move against us?"
"Sir, I have a very reliable source within the Bretonia Police Authority-"
"The police!?" Farrell reacted as if Edwards had said the dumbest thing to be heard in all the universe. "The Bretonia Police Authority is the lapdog of the Bretonian Armed Forces. What makes you think he can be trusted?"
"Governor, he's a high-ranking officer within the BPA. What's more, he's with a BAF task force that just entered the Magellan System at least 30 ships strong. Now that's not as strong as the force mounting in Cortez, but they're going to have help as they punch through the Magellan line. My source said that the BAF has brokered a deal with a large group of Liberty Rogues and are going to be coming through the Magellan Jump Gate soon."
"How soon?" Farrell asked, now appearing to think about Edwards' report.
"I don't know, sir. Hours, one hour, maybe less. I didn't receive that information. Sir, I would not be contacting you if I thought that our current blockading forces could handle the attack. We need more reinforcements at the gates. I suggest pulling more Navy forces from the New York System and getting them here as fast as we can."
Governor Farrell seemed to sigh at this. "All right, Captain. I hoped I wouldn't be getting a report like this, but I know you're not the type to blow things out of proportion. I'll place the system on alert and request more Navy forces from Admiral Baldwin on Manhattan. In the meantime, I'm putting you in charge of an operation. If we're going to surely keep the Bretonians on their side, we have to shut down the gates from their side. Closing our gates down would only keep ships from entering Magellan or Cortez. We need to render the gates in those systems useless. I'm ordering a Navy detatchment of Defenders to go through the Cortez Gate. They'll shut down the California Gate on the other side with the emergency seizing codes. I'm transmitting a copy of those codes to your Neural Net directory. When you get to Magellan, use those codes to shut down the jump gate. Your best bet is to put the command on a time-delay, giving yourself time to get out of Magellan."
Edwards nodded. "Understood, sir."
"Good luck, Captain. Farrell out." The screen went blank and Edwards turned to the lieutenant previously in command. "Take us to Red Alert and arm all defenses. Advise all Navy and Police units in the area to rally at San Diego or the Cortez Jump Gate post haste."
The lieutenant nodded and turned to work. Edwards turned and headed down to the hangar bay, once again restarting his Patriot. This day was not done yet.