[2 APR 48] Free Star News Service: "Into The Breach: With The 3rd Provisional At Regulus"
The hangar deck is venting into space. This is what they told me, but I wasn't sure what it meant. Isn't that what it's supposed to do? Didn't that happen already when the Caerleon launched? I didn't understand. About the only thing I did understand was that this was a do or die affair. It would be a minimum of 72 hours before the JumpDrive on our transport JumpShip would be recharged to take us back, and in that 72 hours, this battle would be decided.
I'm aboard the FWLS "Harbinger", an Isegrim-class DropShip at the zenith jump point of the Regulus system and I would like to disabuse my reader of the phrase "hotly contested". From my perspective, it's nothing short of utter chaos. From my perspective. In truth, it's a mighty orchestra of JumpShips, DropShips and Aerospace Fighters directed by the fleet command officers aboard the Talismantia, flagship of the Beta Aimag fleet.
Like a single cymbol, in an orchestra of thousands, is me, strapped into this G-couch. Barely able to breath under the weight of eight gravities of acceleration. I can barely lift my hand. I'm aware of heavy breathing and muttered oaths, the gunners, mostly, but occasionally a barked command from Star Captain Wen. a deck up, on the bridge.
Compared to the overwhelming thump and ratcheting industrial-scale noise from the Advanced Tactical Missile launchers mounted in the hull approximately seven meters from where I sit, strapped to a couch in an EVA excursion suit, it's too quiet to even hear. I'm too quiet to even hear.
Star Captain Wen offered me an light Elemental suit, but then I couldn't use my comms gear. In fact, I could have stayed on the JumpShip, or even outside the system, with Captain-General Nikol's flagship, the FWLS Lancelot. With many others of the press pool. But then I would not be able to tell you about the hanger deck, and what it meant that it was venting, or why that was important. Lancelot will be arriving soon.
Before the Captain-General will arrive, the jump point must be secured. For this privilege, this singular honor, crews like that of Harbinger will be laying down the law. With less than an hour in-system, and still shaking off a mild case of Jump Transit Disorientation, I'm grateful for the delicious mix of anti-nausea just delivered to me through the suit and couch. We're in for a ride.
The hangar on the back deck is venting, because we are launching our Small Craft.
There's no point in risking the Caeleron to a hit by one of the incoming White Shark missiles. The freebirth Caerleons of the Subcap Star will fly at a discrete distance until we have cleared beyond the first wave of anti-ship missiles under maximum thrust. After that, we face the Regulan Aerospace Fighters, until finally, their Assault DropShips and Subcaps. There's, really, nothing to do, for me, through all of this, but to observe and record.
IF we have to evacuate the ship for any reason, the crew follows our two stars of BattleArmor marines out the hangar deck hatch and the end of the tubeway. I'm looking at the hatch handles right now over the shoulder of a suited Nova Cat Elemental. I'm not looking forward to the possibility of floating in space for hours or days, but it might be a better bet than trying to cling to broken pieces of a space craft that will attract the attention of target-seeking missiles and over-exited Aerospace pilots and gunners.
As we pass through a screen of ECM coverage, I'm required to shut down my comms. Afterwards, we will be in the mix.
I feel confident. This crew flew with the Republic Navy and have been through three major engagements, already. Maybe our luck will hold.
This is Free Star News Service, reporting to you from the combat zone.
