In the vacinity of the Federation outer-rim planet, Ishw VI, fourteen Federation cruisers, twenty six Federation frigates, two Federation carriers and the the Federation Flag-Ship "Falcon" engaged in an extended skirmish with a rebel fleet. The rebel fleet numbered twenty cruisers, thirty frigates and four carriers. Mid-way through the battle Rebel reinforcements arrived and despite the Federation managing to hold off up until that point, the retreat was sounded. The rebels suffered heavy casulties. The Federation pulled off a heroic victory and stalled the rebel push into Federation territory, however Ishw VI. The populace was not fully evacuated and it is estimated over twenty percent, around 500,000, of the population was either killed or taken prisoner. Portions of the fleet including scouting ships, fighters and bombers were unable to return their carriers. Figures are still being investigated but early estimated count it at around a hundred small ships. To protect the location of the retreating Federation Fleet, all communications between these small ships and their carriers has been teriminated. We can only hope that they can find their own way back, or in the case they are about to be captured, sacrifice themselves nobly to halt the rebel advance.
Signed,
Commander-in-Chief Gremmel
SECTOR I - The Ishw Cluster
Crew Status of The Forgotten
Pilot - Captain Nicolas Fren - Alive
Gunner - Luietenant Anne Fren - Alive
Engineer - Sergeant Jackson Doyle - Alive
Tactical Responder - Private Frank Doyle - Dead
Tactical Responder - Private Ewan Trent - Dead
Tactical Responder - Private Jenny Trent - Missing
Medic - Emma Aansley - Dead
Captain's Journal - 3450.OT.1
We have been seperated from the rest of the Federation Fleet. An after battle assessment does shine our hopes of survival very high. The entirety of our anti-boarding personel has either been killed or has gone missing. Prviate Frank Doyle unfortunately suffocated whilst fighting an anti-personel drone which had been beamed aboard. The Cameras show that he managed to take the drone down before a missle penetrated our shields and ripped open a hole the size of a whale in the side of the cabin. Automatic systems locked the room and the vents. He surprisingly managed to stay in the cabin despite the pressure forcing the air into the cold, dark space surrounding us. We have yet had time to make repairs, meaning...ah yes...his hand is still tightly wrapped around one of the ships supports. We will have to sort that out once we managed to land and make repairs.
Private Ewan Trent took a hull cutter to the...everywhere. The laser shot right through our shields, through the hull..and through him. His body is missing. The Camera feed, before it got taken offline shows him simply disintergrating. The laser broke his body down to the smallest form of particles. His sister...according to our cameras went AWOL. The last we saw of her, she was getting herself into the only escape pod designed for six...by herself. She is considered traitorous until further notice.
The medic is also dead. Very much in an ironic fashion, a blast to the hull managed to shake the ship enough that she tripped and injected herself with enough painkillers to stop her heart. I would like it noted that on return to Federation territory I will be formally complaining about safety standards within the small arms vessels. I don't think it very amusing that our own medics end up killing themselves in combat because of insufficient stabilisation technology in our smaller ships.
It is lucky that we are a scouting vessel instead of a cruiser of a frigate class warship. It is my hope that we can sneak by the patrols and sensors of the rebels. In the aftermath of the battle, we have yet to see a sign of rebel activity. However, it is my desire not to find out where they are. Along those lines, I shall be taking a detour through Zoltan and Engi territory. This will also involve us in venturing through known pirate outposts, but it is the best option we have at the moment.
Will report back in next week as per protocal. Not really seeing much point at the moment...
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Captain's Journel - 3450.OT.2
We successfully docked at a neutral dock. We gave our dead the funerals they had earnt. When the locals found out we were from the Federation they asked us to move on as quickly as possible. We didn't wish them any harm and so complied. It took us about ten minutes trying to remove Frank's hand from the support he was clenching. It felt like in his last moment he had focused his entire being into holding on...as if that would somehow save him. A pity really. He was a good man. Leuitenant Anne, my wife, managed to smooth talk the engineers at the dock into fitting our ship with a small assortment of laser weaponry. On top of the missle silo we have, I would say we are in a reasonable shape for making a dash through pirate territory. We were quite low on scrap after the short stop but we walked away from it with a good weapons array, a repaired ship and an improved power generator to support the new laser weaponry. Overall, a pleasing result.
Tomorrow we plan to make the jump to Ishw II, only two beacons away from the next sector. Lets hope that we can hold out till then.
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Captain's Journel - 3450.OT.3
Engaged with a rebel un-manned scouting ship. We disabled it's weapons fairly easily and destroyed it without any damage. The ship was armed with an ion emitter and a fairly weak laser. It did a number to our circuit boards. For future engagements, we will act on the assumption that un-manned ships are equipped with ion weaponry. We used about a tenth of our missile supply during the engagement and this will obviously become a problem in the near future unless we find supplies of missiles along the way. As it stands, The Forgotten will not proceed on the assumption we can waste the missle array. Altercations being made on the rules of engagement include only using missiles on armed ships and only when the engine has been taken down to ensure a hit. Status of the crew. Despite minor depression in those still alive, they are holding up well. Jackson is still mourning the loss of his brother but he is coming to terms with it.
One more jump and we will be out of the Sector and into Zoltan territory.
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Luietenant's Journal - 3450.OT.4
Anne Fren reporting in for update. Captain Fren has contracted an unknown illness following us aiding a small Federation ship that was relaying a distress beacon. Said ship was under assult from an un-manned rebel scouting ship. We dispatched it with no issue. System analysis of the Federation ship showed it to be one that had taken part in the recent battle. Our communication with the ship proved fruitless. We decided that we would board the ship and investigate.
Upon inspection we found the ship was empty of all life. The crew were missing but the escape pod was still stationed. On top of this, logs on the helm's databanks showed that we were the only vessel to board it since and prior to the battle. We prepared to leave when a large insectoid creature appeared from the vents and attacked us. Before we had drawn our weapons it had managed to sink it's teeth into the arm of the captain. He dispatched it by putting three shots through it's head. However he fell sick shortly after. We can only assume it was the creature. He gathered the data-banks of the ship and disembarked from the vessel. Reading through the records showed us that the creature we encountered had managed to find it's way onboard when they landed on Ishw I to make emergency repairs. I can only assume it is a native animal to the planet. The following are the records of the ship we found to be called the "Desolate."
Crew Status of The Desolate
Pilot - Captain Roger Derm - Alive
Gunner - Luietenant Wilkens Derm - Dead
Engineer - Sergeant Taylor Hwen - Dead
Tactical Responder - Private Rose Hwen - Dead
Tactical Responder - Private Paul Wiles - Dead
Tactical Responder - Private Jenny Wiles - Dead
Medic - Robert Gawkens - Dead
Captain's Journal 3420.OT.124
This will..be my last entry. Whatever it is that has been killing my crew one by one it is certainly not of rebel origin. Hehe...just when I thought we finally had a turn of luck. We had fixed our ship...and now this. If anybody ever listens to thi...when somebody listens to this...I would ask that they remember my crew.
Hissing begins to dominate the recording...
Glory to the Federation!
Several shots are heard before the recording cuts out.
It is my intention that we have a funeral for the crew at the next possible oppertunity. Once the captain is back to health again. He is already showing signs of improvement. It is only a matter of time now. Unfortunately...that isn't something we have in bundles at the moment. We have heard reports over the short-range communication array from nearby docks and planets that the rebel fleets are on the move once more and making their way to the SECTOR beacon. Estimates from the computer show that we have around five days until they arrive at our location.
We can only hope Nickolas is well again by then...
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END OF PART ONE.
