$W 18th $W January $W 2368
$W 33 $W days $W after $W the $W Great $W Exodus

$W Fleetmaster $W Caliphtys' $W office $W Ready $W Room
$W ORD $W Demetrius

$V Fleetmaster $V Caliphtys: Have you made any progress, Fleetmasters? 

$G Fleetmaster $G Raji: I am afraid not, Fleetmaster Caliphtys. We have inspected hundreds of subspace anomalies in Terminus. We must face the truth: the Mastermind was mistaken. There is no jump node to the Messier 80 star globular cluster. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: My pilots were also unsuccessful in their attempts to find a stable jump node. Even worse, some of them have begun to suspect the real reason for our delay. Panic is beginning to spread in the fleet. We have to take action now or everything we built here will be for nothing. 

$V Fleetmaster $V Caliphtys: High Magistrate Al-Zardari, you are responsible for the Mastermind. You insisted on full autonomy. I followed your advice and led the last of humanity along the path your navigators set. This is your responsibility.

$E High $E Magistrate $E Al-Zardari: I do not deny my responsibility for Mastermind, Fleetmaster. 

$G Fleetmaster $G Raji: Did you get any indication that Terminus is a dead end? 

$E High $E Magistrate $E Al-Zardari: I have been overseeing communications the interaction between Mastermind and our systems ever since we left Sol. I have completed an extensive review of our records and I have not discovered any anomalies. I do not believe Mastermind is mistaken. You must continue scanning the system. There must be a jump node to Messier 80. 

$V Fleetmaster $V Caliphtys: Unfortunately, we have already wasted too much time and too many resources looking for that jump node. The Mastermind led us into a trap. I don't care whether you believe it or not. I trusted you, and that was the biggest mistake in the history of our species. We put our civilization at risk, and now, we may perish thanks to your recklessness. And thanks to mine...  

$G Fleetmaster $G Raji: The majority of the Shivan armada, including the Tyrant, is still in Delta Lacertae. We can fight our way to Mi Arae, return to Delta Lacertae and then move to V371 Carinae. 

$E High $E Magistrate $E Al-Zardari: That route is far too dangerous. The fleet will not survive without Mastermind's guidance! I beg you for more time, fleetmasters. I can still-- 

$V Fleetmaster $V Caliphtys: Enough! I put too much trust in you and your games with alien technology, High Magistrate. We are surrounded by the enemy and it is up to us to break out. We must prepare the fleet to set off as soon as possible, but by the time it is ready to depart, the enemy will have already attacked us. Therefore, we must strike first. Fleetmaster Raji, you will secure the Mi Arae jump node and maintain a blockade there at all costs. Fleetmaster Tyrone, I want part of the Roaming Fleet to harass the Shivans that enter the system from Delta Lacertae. The Ironclad, the Redemption and the Demetrius will stay with the Colony Fleet to repel the primary Shivan attack. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: Very well, Fleetmaster. I will assign Shipmaster Wisniowiecki and our vanguard to lead a tactical strike. 

$V Fleetmaster $V Caliphtys: Good. Transmit departure orders to every Colony Fleet rally point, and be sure that the convoys are ready to move once the path is clear. As soon as we push the main Shivan force back, we will direct the fleet to Mi Arae. Any questions? Good. Let's get to work. History awaits. 
