$W 15th $W January $W 2368
$W 30 $W days $W after $W the $W Exodus

$W Roaming $W Fleet $W War $W Council $W Holo-conference
$W Fleetmaster $W Tyrone's $W office $W Ready $W Room
$W ORD $W Ironclad

$R Shipmaster $R Jeremy $R Wisniowiecki: ...following the destruction of the SD Abhoth, the Roaming Fleet has entirely secured Delta Lacertae and formed a blockade of the Terminus jump node. Fleetmaster Caliphtys has already arrived with reinforcements and the Colony Fleet's passage to the Terminus system is now 90% complete. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: A job well done, Jeremy. We will have a much easier time holding the Shivans here knowing the civilians are safe in the next system. Le Brunon? 

$G Shipmaster $G Desmond $G Le $G Brunon: We have pacified the reavers for now. We have provided the refugee convoys safe passage to Delta Lacertae. The last civilian convoys are en route now. The Harmattan is ready to reinforce you at any time. 

$R Shipmaster $R Wisniowiecki: It's high time you joined us, Horatio. I know you're pushing your old destroyer and your crew to the limits. I know you're holding where any other commander would have lost long ago. But don't stay too long trying to slow down the pursuit. We need the Ironclad at full strength. We need you in one piece, not another hero who died bravely...and stupidly. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: I will stay as long as needed. Every second we spend slowing down the Shivans here means more time to get the civilians away from harm.

$R Shipmaster $R Wisniowiecki: Ah, it's so good to see the old Tyrone I knew from the Rim Conflict. Still stubborn, still willing to sacrifice, and still hopelessly foolish. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: If you were any other shipmaster, I would punish you for insulting your CO. 

$R Shipmaster $R Wisniowiecki: Ha, but unfortunately you have no one to replace me, old friend. And so, you're stuck with me. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: Indeed I am. Very well, shipmasters, that will be all. I expect a status report once the entire Colony Fleet is safe in the Terminus system. I will not leave this position until then. Is that understood? Good. Tyrone, out. 

$E Signaller: Fleetmaster, Rear Admiral Leibniz is standing by to speak with you.

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: That was fast. Patch him through. 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Victor $b Leibniz: Fleetmaster Tyrone. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: Ah, Rear Admiral. I was looking forward to speaking with you. 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: This false civility does not suit you, Fleetmaster. I definitely prefer the tone of your voice I heard when we were still at war with each other. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: You really seem to want to convince me that Caliphtys made a mistake accepting you into the Exodus Fleet. Have you Federates learned nothing from the Rim Conflict? 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: Let me get to the point, Fleetmaster. You and Caliphtys have just redeployed EFN warships throughout the Fleet. I had eight frigates and four cruisers that escaped Earth under my command. Most of them are now under ORS command and the EFD Redemption -- my own ship! -- is subject to Caliphtys' orders. What's the meaning of this? 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: You tell me, Leibniz. You know the reasons far too well. You are too smart to expect an explanation. 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: The Midwinter's mission. You think I betrayed you. You think I conspired against the Exodus Fleet. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: Am I wrong? 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: The Midwinter's CO was given orders to retrieve the Minerva. But engaging the Halifax was his own initiative. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: After everything that's happened, you're still trying to fool me, Rear Admiral. Do you think you can dupe me with this fairy-tale you pulled out of your ass? Do you think I don't know that there are no known records of the Minerva entering Cor Caroli with the Fleet? Yes, Rear Admiral. The Minerva was reported destroyed after an attempt to crash-jump from an engagement with the ORD Sultan at Charon's Passage. Back in Sol, before the Shivan incursion. 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: We had our...suspicions that some Federate ships got here before us. I attempted to verify them without attracting your attention. I am a Federate officer, Fleetmaster. If some EFN ships had gone rogue, I wanted to settle this matter amongst ourselves. It is a matter of honor. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: The situation has changed. Your Federate honor means nothing to me. Here are the facts. The Minerva was not a marauder. She's been here. She's been here before we arrived. We are trying to find out what happened to the crew, but one thing we know: it carried technology we would never allow to be brought to the Fleet without screening it first. The Minerva carried a transmitter of unknown type that lured the Shivans to its position...and made them treat the Minerva as one of their own. 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: What are you saying? There could be some secret Federation projects I knew nothing about. Projects involving Shivan technology.... But we must not let our speculation get too far ahead of us, Fleetmaster. What are you implying? How could the Minerva have survived here, so far from home? Why do you think-- 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: Because there is another party involved here. Someone we underestimated. It is long past time we got rid of our secrets, Rear Admiral. We need each other. We are on the trail of a mystery far greater than one we could ever have anticipated. A mystery that could cast new light on the entire Shivan invasion of Sol. A mystery that could explain why both Earth and the Syndicate worlds were doomed. 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: We will find out, Fleetmaster. And...I am sorry I did not trust you. I was blinded by ways of the past. I see now that if we are to survive, the remnants of the Federation and the Syndicate will have to settle their differences. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: People usually decide to act reasonably only when there is no other choice. Thank you, Rear Admiral. You may have some of your ships back once we reach Delta Lacertae. 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: No, Fleetmaster. I want them to remain under ORS command. Many of my subordinates still do not accept that the Federation died with Earth. They see we had no choice other than to join you, but they still secretly despise you...and despise me. We will all have to change. Mixing our fleets will be the best way to accomplish that. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: We both have old wounds that need to heal. This should help both our peoples resolve their differences and cooperate. By the way, what's the status of the Redemption? 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: We are racing against the clock to restore the Redemption's combat capabilities. We are almost finished repairing the damage we took back in Sol, but our greatest problem is a lack of ammunition for our primary torpedo batteries. Warheads from your factory ships turned out to be somewhat incompatible with our Federation capital ship turrets, but we should be able to jerry-rig a solution. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: I hope so, Admiral, I hope so... 

$E Signaller: Fleetmaster Tyrone, a large Shivan flotilla is approaching the blockade. They will be here in five minutes. 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: Fleetmaster, I can deploy the frigate Andrasta to help you. You were smart enough to leave it under my command... 

$B Fleetmaster $B Tyrone: Very well, Admiral. We will hold the line as long as we can. 

$b Rear $b Admiral $b Leibniz: Godspeed, Fleetmaster. 
