Chapter 10- UNK427 and Troubles with Authority_Endless Expanse Online

UNCLAIMED SPACE- UNK427 OUTER SYSTEM

IRN Riptide- Bridge

As John came onto the bridge the crew was still switching out between third and first shift. He made his way over to Lieutenant Birge while looking at the visual display that showed the graphic representation of UNK427. "Goodmorning Captain, we have completed the initial scans of the outer system. We have not been able to pinpoint the origin of the radio waves we had detected with deep space scans but Ensign Sties believes that once we go deeper within the system we will be able to pinpoint the origin of the transmissions. It will just take time and for us to move closer toward the origin point." With that, the Lt saluted and moved off. John knew he would receive the full report within the next hour or so from the productive Lt, so he was not too worried.

"All stations I want an update as soon as you are settled in people," John called out. 'Kate bring up the Ship Status and the initial scans of UNK427 please.' John requested from the ship's AI.

UNK427: Red Giant, 6 Planets (2 Gas Giants), 4 asteroids...(This is just an initial scan and has not been completed as of yet)

Ship Status- Riptide

Shields- Running 10% Capacity

Hull- 100%

Engines- Running 40% Capacity

Warp Engines- Standby Mode/Charging

Fusion Generators- Online/Operating 60% Capacity

Fore Missile Tubes- Unarmed/Loaded

Aft Missile Tubes- Unarmed/Loaded

Pulse Cannons- Standby Mode

Point Defense Cannons- 50% Manned/Standby Mode

Stealth Suite- Online

"Captain we are currently inserting into the system at forty percent of max speed counter-clockwise of the sun. The estimated time to arrival of the inner system is a little over six hours at this rate and course." Lieutenant O'Hansen called out from the navigation station.

"Chief Letts has requested that we power down two of the Pulse Engines before we leave the system. He needs to run some diagnostics and might have to realign them." the ensign called from the Engineering station.

"We have one sensor drone one light minute ahead of our position and one trailing our position one light minute behind us. Two of our tactical drones our on standby and can launch if we need them." the Tactical officer called out.

"The only signal I am picking up currently is the radio signals we detected from deep space scans. As of yet, we have not pinpointed the origin point." The comms officer called out.

'Kate, let Chief Letts know that as soon as we have finished our scan of the system that we will shut down the Pulse Engines so that he can run diagnostics.' John requested the AI."Ok, people, we are sitting pretty from Third Shift. Let's continue the trend. Continue with the course and speed, I don't want to run into anything out there that wants to blast us. Tactical keep those Combat Drones on standby. Comms as soon as you pinpoint that transmission updates me and Navigation we are going to take a look ASAP."

----------------------------------------

UNCLAIMED SPACE- UNK427 INNER SYSTEM

IRN Riptide- Bridge

4 Hours Later...

"Sir, I have pinpointed the location of the transmissions. The transmissions are coming from orbit around planet three, they appear to be Imperial in origin, I am checking the archives though because the codes are old." the comm officer called out.

"Navigation set course for the coordinates provided by the comms station. Tactical dispatch one of the sensor drones ahead of us and recall the second and have it take up station around us. Also, launch the ready combat drones and prep the remaining combat drones for launch in case we need them. Make sure all the PDCs are manned and ready." John called out as they moved toward the coordinates.

"We will reach visual range of the coordinates in twenty minutes Captain." Lieutenant O'Hansen responded.

"Ok, based on archived information the ship transmissions should originate from IRN (Imperial Remnant Navy) Gilded Claw. Official records show it as listed as MIA (Missing in Action) twenty years ago, follow up patrols found nothing and no wreckage, and it was assumed that the ship was lost with all hands. Sending you the data link now Captain." the Communications officer called out.

'Jeeves pull up all the information you can on the Gilded Claw and her crew. Kate query the Imperial Database and use my clearance codes to see if Command left anything out of the official records please.' John requested the two AIs.

'Ok, John the Gilded Claw was a Horizen Class Destroyer commissioned thirty-four years ago and was top of the line ship at the time. Had a crew of two-hundred officers and enlisted, a complement of fifty Marines, a first-generation Stealth Suite, Kinetic and Nuclear weapons with eight launch tubes, twenty-four Single Pulse Cannons, forty PDCs, and could carry eight combat drones as well. She could either run or put up a hell of a fight, the crew was all Vets when it was listed as MIA. Last Engineering reports show the ship was fine and the last official orders show that it was going through a normal patrol routine when she missed two check-ins with FleetComm. FleetComm dispatched a patrol group to track her down but no wreckage or crew were ever found.' Jeeves came back.

'Official reports say the same thing, but the classified documents attached to the disappearance show that the patrol group that was sent after the Gilded Claw show that FleetComm was worried that the Gilded Claw had gone rogue and that they were to relieve the Captain on sight and destroy the ship if necessary. No reason why FleetComm was worried that the Gilded Claw had gone rogue though. Someone is definitely hiding something Captain.' Kate stated.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Coming into visual range now and bringing her up on the main display Captain. She is looking pretty beat up." Ensign Greer stated from the sensor station. If anything the Ensign understated things, the Gilded Claw had been smashed. Multiple hull breaches from both energy and kinetic weapons dotted her hull, whatever atmosphere she had, had vented a long time ago. PDCs and Pulse Cannons were bent or blown off the hull. Whatever had happened to the ship, she had put up a hell of a fight before dying.

"Greer, talk to me. What can you tell me about the current state of the Gilded Claw? Any chance we can dump its computer core from this range?" John asked the sensor officer.

"I am picking up residual radiation from multiple nuclear detonations that would have stripped away her shielding and armor. It was kinetic and energy weapons that gutted her though. I am picking up at least 15 hull breaches from both types, with very few compartments intact. I am not seeing any escape pods though. I am picking up zero energy signatures or heat blooms from the wreck. So if you want a data dump we are going to have to go over there and get a direct dump from the computer core. At this range and with passive sensors only I cannot tell you if the core is intact or damaged though." Greer reported.

John considered his options then called out his orders "Lieutenant O'Hansen take us within one light minute of the shipwreck. Jeeves contact Chief Letts and Commander Smitt, I want a Marine squad and some engineers ready to head over there in ten minutes. Lieutenant O'Hansen you will have command while I am gone, do not break my ship is that understood LT?!?!" With that, John left the bridge and headed toward his quarters for his sidearm and then on to the Armory for any other equipment he might need.

----------------------------------------

UNCLAIMED SPACE- UNK427 OUTER SYSTEM

IRN Gilded Claw

12 minutes later the assault shuttle lifted off from the launch bay and headed toward the Guilded Claw, Commander Smitt didn't like that John was going into a possible volatile situation again, but John overruled him. Smitt had command of the party, but John was coming. "This is the pilot, we are about to have a hard-dock with the wreck. Make sure all your suits are sealed and stand ready for anything."

Smitt acknowledged the Pilot and dispatched two marines toward the hatch. "Ok people we are heading toward the bridge, we all have the layout of the ship and we are going to try and avoid the areas of the ship that are directly voided into space. Squad, 1 and 2 are on point; 3 and 4 with me, the Captain, and Engineers, 5 and 6 are dog tail. Let's go people!!" Smitt barked out.

The Gilded Claw was both a wreck and a tomb, they had already come across several corpses of both Naval and Marine personnel. They floated along with the corpse of their home having been lost but not forgotten for twenty years and now they had finally been discovered. Hopefully, the Riptide would find out who had killed them so FleetComm could get some justice for the crew. Five minutes later they walked onto the wrecked bridge, only one corpse was here, strapped into the command chair. "Donnely, get to work I want everything that you can get from the main Core. If it is damaged or gone, try the secondary systems." Smitt ordered as his Marines fanned out to secure the bridge.

'Jeeves while the engineers are getting the data core, try to break into the Captains Official Logs and personal log as well. I want to know what the Captain's thoughts were the last couple days of his life and not just the official version. This will be for my eyes only for now.' The AI acknowledged the command and got to work. Twenty minutes later the boarding crew was headed back to the Riptide with all the information they could gather.

'Captain, do you want me to give you the information you requested now or later?' Jeeves asked.

John thought it over before responding to his AI 'Save it for later after I get off shift, please. Do not let me forget, set a reminder for 5 minutes after I get off shift please.'

----------------------------------------

UNCLAIMED SPACE- UNK427 INNER SYSTEM

IRN Riptide-

Once they were back on board John had the Riptide continue on its original course to scout the system. They were still almost 2 hours out from the innermost planet and they had lost nearly an hour between diverting and exploring the Gilded Claw. The Automated systems that had been throwing off radio waves had been shut down by the engineers and no one else would come looking for her. John had 1 more hour on shift before he was relieved by his XO, then he could dig into the records of the Gilded Claw and see what happened to her.

An hour and a half later, John was finally sitting down in his quarters after handing everything off to his XO and grabbing a quick bite to eat. 'Jeeves, bring up the logs you got and everything we could salvage from the Gilded Claw. I got to file my report ASAP.'

480 A.F. June 20