[002] Away Boarders!

[Tiglath]

Foix takes a breath and replies “Madame, your lives have all been spent within this hull and it is true that I know little of it. However, I live in the universe outside it and so, in turn, I have knowledge and perspective that you lack. You may ignore my rank just as you seem to choose to ignore reality but it does mean I am qualified to assess your military situation here and that I represent the forces outside your hull. Also, unlike yourselves, I am unburdened by the legacy of two centuries of conflict. We are not reinforcements for your war but an opportunity for you to finally step away from it”. Gesturing at the townsfolk he urges “Have you invested so much in the journey that you can't face the destination? Let these people live!”

(OOC: Foix has Medic but assuming these casualties are stable (via a frontline triage & medevac) he's currently being a General and trying to save sixty lives instead of one).

[joertexas]

Rock
A cursory assessment of each of the patients will take rock at least an hour at a mere 60 seconds each! In practice, it's more likely to take a whole shift. As a standard procedure, Rock will gat their name, scan them for injury and take a DNA sample. The group size suggest that there should be far more children than we have found so far. As Rock progresses through the patients, he will start to ask about their roles aboard ship. however, in the mean time...

Has anyone else got first-aid abilities. We should see what we can do to move some of these to the shuttle, but unless we start a ferry service to the ship, they aren't all going to fit

What medical facilities and staff does the count's ship have?

Rock's immediate triage confirms that two people are very dead, with large-caliber GSWs to the torso, two have serious leg wounds from a similar weapon, and one has multiple shrapnel wounds to the legs and torso. The wounded have been stabilized, but they need acute care within the next two hours, or they will die. Everyone else is ambulatory and uninjured. This assessment takes about five minutes.

As he talks, he notices that there are several generations represented in three extended families, but no one over seventy is present.

[joertexas]

Foix takes a breath and replies “Madame, your lives have all been spent within this hull and it is true that I know little of it. However, I live in the universe outside it and so, in turn, I have knowledge and perspective that you lack. You may ignore my rank just as you seem to choose to ignore reality but it does mean I am qualified to assess your military situation here and that I represent the forces outside your hull. Also, unlike yourselves, I am unburdened by the legacy of two centuries of conflict. We are not reinforcements for your war but an opportunity for you to finally step away from it”. Gesturing at the townsfolk he urges “Have you invested so much in the journey that you can't face the destination? Let these people live!”

(OOC: Foix has Medic but assuming these casualties are stable (via a frontline triage & medevac) he's currently being a General and trying to save sixty lives instead of one).

Bren shakes her head. "I've said that we are preparing to leave with you. We only have a day's life support left, anyway."

"Bren!" Hiro looks back and forth between Foix and his wife. "There are people in the forward section, too! The Master, the electronic idiot, has wasted the fuel he has left, and their life support is probably already failing! I don't care what he's turned them into, but those people are our crewmates, dammit! We can't just leave them to die!"

[Tiglath]

Foix simply nods at Bren and flatly states "Bien. Please suspend any offensive operations and take a defensive posture pending evacuation".

Flipping channel he speaks again "Zhenhya, Taheri events have progressed, leave the fuel I need you inside".

He then contacts the pinnace and relays a message to Captain Smythe of The Lady for forwarding to any Birach Fleet elements that can assist (possibly the damaged LeFron vessel?) "This is Foix. I have sixty, six zero crew of the cruiser requiring immediate evacuation. Life support is failing. Our craft is damaged and also requires recovery within eight hours. An approach to the rear of the cruiser by small craft is safe but overflying the hull will draw fire. Be advised: the cruiser main armament is intact. The cruiser is believed to be unable to manoeuvre or fire main armament but this is not confirmed. Please advise on your ability for evac missions".

[The Bindoner]

Zhenya replies: We are already on our way, Comte.

[Tiglath]

Foix replies curtly to Zhenhya and Taheri "Bien, weapons safe but at the carry, some of these people are keen to continue their private war".

He then turns to Vee and says "I apologise for my approach to Madame Kagshi - I needed to see if there was a human response to be found. These people have been through much and have, perhaps understandably, been evasive. Alas, she may now have struck me off her dance card but I am determined to keep all her people alive".

[joertexas]

Foix simply nods at Bren and flatly states "Bien. Please suspend any offensive operations and take a defensive posture pending evacuation".

Flipping channel he speaks again "Zhenhya, Taheri events have progressed, leave the fuel I need you inside".

He then contacts the pinnace and relays a message to Captain Smythe of The Lady for forwarding to any Birach Fleet elements that can assist (possibly the damaged LeFron vessel?) "This is Foix. I have sixty, six zero crew of the cruiser requiring immediate evacuation. Life support is failing. Our craft is damaged and also requires recovery within eight hours. An approach to the rear of the cruiser by small craft is safe but overflying the hull will draw fire. Be advised: the cruiser main armament is intact. The cruiser is believed to be unable to manoeuvre or fire main armament but this is not confirmed. Please advise on your ability for evac missions".

Foix receives replies back from the craft and ships in the immediate area in order of communications distance. Le Fron's ship, a pinnace from the station, LeFron's boat, and the Lady's boat are all responding for evac. The Lady herself is maneuvering to place herself behind the cruiser, but she will take three hours to arrive there. The station commander states that their remaining small craft are busy evacuating the station, but they will assist as soon as it's safe to return, unload their people, and fly out. The Birach Navy commander responds with a terse ETA.

[joertexas]

Foix replies curtly to Zhenhya and Taheri "Bien, weapons safe but at the carry, some of these people are keen to continue their private war".

He then turns to Vee and says "I apologise for my approach to Madame Kagshi - I needed to see if there was a human response to be found. These people have been through much and have, perhaps understandably, been evasive. Alas, she may now have struck me off her dance card but I am determined to keep all her people alive".

Vee nods. "Now we know the ship's name, the Caladia. Maybe there is more information to be had about her layout in our archives. Or, even here."

[Tiglath]

Foix nods absently "I will ask Smythe to look into it. My instincts are that Mother and the Master are both equally unreliable allies".

He sends the enquiry and then, with his best professional diplomacy, risks asking Bren for an overview of the defences - specifically the one route into the Master's domain.

(OOC: Maps not required. I'm just wanting to ensure this area is secured - or, if Foix has his way, welded shut).

[SpinwardMarch]

Taheri

Comte, we have left the duct area. The internal systems of the ship are also damaged, and unsafe for reconn.

She and Zhenya return to be backup.

[joertexas]

Foix nods absently "I will ask Smythe to look into it. My instincts are that Mother and the Master are both equally unreliable allies".

He sends the enquiry and then, with his best professional diplomacy, risks asking Bren for an overview of the defences - specifically the one route into the Master's domain.

(OOC: Maps not required. I'm just wanting to ensure this area is secured - or, if Foix has his way, welded shut).

In brief, the center section of the ship - centered on the jump drive - is a twisted mess. There are a few sections that are dangerously radioactive, and many places where the parts are fused together in impossible ways. There are three passages from fore to aft, but two if them have been welded shut over the decades. The remaining passage runs from the hangar deck forward to the Master's territory, which none of these folk have ever visited. The people here control the lift, and have security measures in place to secure the hangar bay access from their side.

Hiro states that the Master has several warbots that control the passage. Two of them have lasers, and at least another two have multi-barrel slug throwers.

The inquiry about the Caladia is receipted, and Smythe promises to respond as soon as he gets useful information.

[Tiglath]

Foix is satisfied with the defensive arrangements. He greets Taheri and Zenhya briefing them as to what has transpired and his personal hunch that neither Mother nor Master are reliable. He states that the objective is now to hold until relieved.

He assists Rock in completing his medical census and in treating those wounded that require it. He assists as necessary with his skills in treating battlefield trauma*. He further assists with preparations for getting those stable wounded not requiring further treatment transferred to the pinnace via rescue ball together with the transfer of the requisite number of child wranglers to prevent the pinnace crew being driven insane.

Grimaud assists in the physical transfer of rescue balls to and from the pinnace using his Vac suit skill.

Foix requests that Bren have her people ready to leave in three hours (when The Lady is due on station with her remaining small craft).


(OOC: Medic 2).

[BackworldTraveller]

We are heading for about 18 people on this shuttle...how many can it actually take?

[joertexas]

Foix notes that two of the wounded need immediate attention, or need t be placed in a low berth within the next two hours.

Hiro approaches Foix. "Is is possible for you to take some of us outside the hull to attempt a rescue of the people in the forward section?"

[joertexas]

We are heading for about 18 people on this shuttle...how many can it actually take?

Under normal conditions, the pinnace can seat 30.

[Tiglath]

Hiro approaches Foix. "Is is possible for you to take some of us outside the hull to attempt a rescue of the people in the forward section?"

Foix replies diplomatically "M'sieu, as a professional soldier I am impressed by your enthusiasm. Your people are willing to take on warbots with what I must assume to be no formal training. The casualties you took are testament to your willingness to press the attack but not to your tactics or training. I also have to assume that you gained little from the action".

He continues levelly and carefully "My craft was disabled by heavy fire from the cargo bay - it is occupied by the Master's forces. We ourselves declined to risk advancing up the hull due to not only the tactical threat that this position represents but also the strategic threat of opening a second front which we can not readily defend and which would compromise any rescue operation. My retinue contains those trained and equipped for vac suit and zero G fighting - I presume you have such weapons, equipment and skills? I would also like to know how you propose to rescue people from the aggressively defended forward section?"

Foix notes that two of the wounded need immediate attention, or need t be placed in a low berth within the next two hours.

Foix will defer to Rock's judgement on the medical issue.

[Tiglath]

We are heading for about 18 people on this shuttle...how many can it actually take?

Under normal conditions, the pinnace can seat 30.

My immediate thought here is to plot an intercept/recovery window within the halved life support capacity of our pinnace/liferaft, ram the thing full to double occupancy and cut loose from the "ship of fools". The Lady is three hours away and we have eight hours of life support yielding four hours of uncertain and uncomfortable travel adrift.

For Brits this just like memories of travel on our rail network...

[SpinwardMarch]

Taheri

To no one in particular, I would like to recommend vacating this ship as soon as possible. It becomes more unsafe as we stand here: The closer to systems failure, the more desperate the "Master" will become.

[BackworldTraveller]

Taheri

To no one in particular, I would like to recommend vacating this ship as soon as possible. It becomes more unsafe as we stand here: The closer to systems failure, the more desperate the "Master" will become.

I'd agree but there are 60 people plus us and the shuttle takes just 30

And we haven't solved the problem which is that the ship will drift to the station and do what ever it wanted to do there before the fleet arrives. And what it wanted to do presumably includes refuelling from the stations tanks. Can we contact the station and recommend venting it's fuel storage tanks? That can be refuelled by the fleet's tankers; and the threat of that may make the Master talk.

[Tiglath]

Foix turns from a conversation with Vee and Grimaud to reply "I understand that this vessel will enter a wide orbit about the La Grange point. I'm not sure if it has the range or reach to acquire the station's fuel but we can only presume that there is a possibility that it can".*

He comments "Alas, Baron, I fear a man who begins his conversation by firing a ship's main armament has already moved past negotiation and into the last argument of kings".

He robustly adds "I believe the loading capacity of the pinnace is more of a guideline. Commander Taheri rightly points out that the need to evacuate is urgent so I say we load all these people aboard and launch them to met the rescue ships. Yes, we put double the stress on the remaining eight hours of life support but the Lady is three hours away and, with comms still functioning, the pinnace can facilitate her own recovery".

Foix will ask Bren to speed the evacuation and facilitate loading her people aboard the pinnace (if it has to use some reserve power to manoeuvre minimally to achieve this and/or dock then so be it. If necessary it can "tank up" from the cruiser).

(OOC: A point in every system where a famous Texan hostelry sung about by men with beards can be found

Putting IC some of the discussion from OOC).