Subject: Director 3
Species: Classified
Description: Classified
Ship: N/A
Location: Classified
*Director 3 has joined the chat.*
D4: Welcome, Director 3. Now we can begin. The primary decision is what to do with the first-contact refugees.
D12: That's easy. We fix their ship and send them on their way.
D1: AI reports indicate that their technology is well behind ours. Any repairs we made to their vessel would end in an upgrade, and we would effectively be handing a potential enemy advanced technology.
D3: I think we should avoid making any more enemies than we already have. What if we make a show of returning them unscathed to this "Republic" and inquire about a peace treaty. It should buy us some goodwill, at least.
D4: I like that idea. We may even be able to use them against the VI. Even if their ships aren't as advanced as ours, they may bolster our numbers enough for a proper invasion force.
D1: After reviewing the technical schematics of the RSV Lowelana, I'm not convinced they have anything to offer us, nor would they make a particularly intimidating enemy.
D13: 250 million ships is a lot of ships, even if they are behind the times. Death by a thousand cuts is still death.
D1: That's just the word of one ship's captain. We have no way to verify that that number is accurate.
D7: Our scout ships have already begun to arrive in position around Omni-Union territory. Their initial reports indicate that the captain was telling the truth about the ship numbers of the OU. And even though Tim's scans may not account for unknown alien physiology, he couldn't detect any signs of deception.
D2: I believe that we've learned the hard way a number of times that it's better to be safe and on friendly terms than sorry and at war. We may be able to take the OU on without aid, but why walk the thorny path when there's pavement?
D1: Because they may make demands for their cooperation. Because they'll want us to share our technology with them, and get upset when we won't. Because they'll quake in fear after watching our ships decimate the planets held by the VI and take up arms against us. Being on friendly terms doesn't make us friends.
D5: I find myself opposed to Director 1's ideology, as usual. The logical and intelligent course of action is to make as many repairs to the alien's ship as possible without altering the technology already present within, and to return the ship and the crew to the Republic with haste. The USSS Thanatos can carry the ship. They may be intimidated by our tech, but I don't see that as a bad thing. We can determine what to do about treaties after the fact. A Director should remain in contact with us while aboard the USSS Thanatos during its stay in Republic space. Votes and nominations.
D2: I concur. Director 3.
D3: I concur. Director 6.
D6: I concur. Director 3.
D8: I concur. Director 3.
D10: I disagree.
D9: I concur. Director 6.
D13: I concur. Director 3.
D4: I concur. Director 3.
D11: I concur. Director 3.
D7: I disagree.
D5: I concur. Director 3.
D12: I concur. Director 6.
D1: I disagree.
D5: The agreed upon plan of action regarding repairs to the Lowelana is to proceed with the repairs sans any technical upgrades to the ship, and to present the ship with her crew to the Republic using the USSS Thanatos. Director 3 will be our point of contact.
D13: Next decision is the plan for the defense of Sol in the case of further VI incursion.
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D3: First they sent two ships. Then twenty. We would be foolish not to expect a fleet of at least 200.
D4: We can have the USSS Thanatos maintain patrol and recall USSS Leviathan and USSS Kali. Thanatos carries 10 frigates and 100 fighters, Leviathan and Kali both carry 30 Destroyers and 500 fighters.
D9: What is the status of the current attack?
D1: All enemy ships destroyed and debris fields eradicated with A2 missiles. One friendly vessel casualty.
D8: We lost a ship?
D1: No. USSS Sword was damaged but remains serviceable. Repairs won't take long.
D8: What happened?
D1: A VI cruiser attempted to ram the USSS Sword but was destroyed before the action could complete. A sizeable chunk of the vessel and several mines collided with Sword, causing damage to starboard batteries and the galley. 15 crew dead, 25 injured. 10 dead were human. 2 were KnuKnu. 3 were Gont.
D10: Retaliation must occur.
D7: Absolutely. We'll need intel on where to hit them where it will hurt, and how to twist the knife.
D11: Why weren't any A2's utilized during the fight?
D1: The enemy vessels had point defense lasers. A2's would be ineffective. Also, the VI used an anti-warp field generator that the USSS Valor managed to destroy, along with five enemy destroyers.
D6: Anti-warp? Haven't seen one of those in a while.
D9: That's because they're only advantageous to ships with limited warp capabilities.
D8: I agree with recalling the Leviathan and Kali carriers, but we should also recall a few battleships.
D4: The USSS Agincourt, USSS Tripoli, and USSS Arumara can be recalled the fastest.
D1: Should we use Sol as a staging ground for a counter-invasion?
D2: Perhaps.
D3: Omega, what are your thoughts on our allied AI's capabilities against the Omni-Union ships?
O: Judging from data collected from Tim, we face a similar predicament as you do. While they are rudimentary, there are a lot of them. In our own hardware they are not a problem, but their hardware is designed for them and very limiting to us. Like a tank trying to clear an apartment from the inside. It would be exponentially more difficult for us to perform offensive action. Unless we were to create VI ourselves...
D3: No.
D13: No.
D1: No.
D12: No.
D2: No.
D5: No.
D4: No.
D7: No.
D8: No.
D11: No.
D9: No.
D6: No.
D10: No.
O: That was a joke. We would have difficulty creating enough to perform offensive actions while performing our standard tasks. Tim and Violet also have contracts stipulating that they cannot be ordered or asked to create VI. John and I are the only other contracted AI available at the moment.
D3: Understood.
D10: What about recalling the dreadnaught? The USSS Nidhogg?
D4: The Nidhogg cannot be used in a friendly system. We should use it if we plan to counter-invade, but if we bring it to Sol it will only be a hinderance.
D3: Then the counter-invasion will have to be staged elsewhere, as Sol may be assaulted at any time.
D1: To summarize, we have allied AI forces and the USSS Thanatos. If the repairs of the RSV Lowelana are completed before the next assault, we will send the USSS Thanatos into Republic space with the vessel and crew in accordance with the previous decision. We will recall the USSS Agincourt, USSS Tripoli, USSS Arumara, USSS Leviathan, and USSS Kali immediately to defend Sol. Once further information on the enemy and the Republic is available, we will reconvene to plan a counter-invasion.
D4: I concur.
D3: I concur.
D11: I concur.
D9: I concur.
D6: I concur.
D1: I concur.
D10: I concur.
D12: I concur.
D2: I concur.
D5: I concur.
D13: I concur.
D7: I concur.
D8: I concur.
D1: The agreed upon plan of action regarding the defense of Sol is to recall the USSS Agincourt, USSS Tripoli, USSS Arumara, USSS Leviathan, and USSS Kali.
O: There are no further agenda items. Meeting adjourned.
*Director 1 has left the chat.*
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*Director 3 has left the chat.*
I leaned back in my chair with a sigh at the addition to my workload. I would have to wear a Guardian suit and board the Thanatos for God knows how long. I would also have to take Omega with me. I looked at the holographic avatar of a grim reaper that was watching me. It could have chosen any avatar, or even no avatar at all like Tim. But it always did have a flair for the dramatic.
"Well, Omega? You ready for a trip?" I asked.
"It's been one hundred and fifty years since I've been aboard a ship in any real capacity. Might as well get out there and explore. Plus I'll get to meet the aliens. Can't wait."
"And what do you think, will we be able to defend Sol?"
The reaper grinned, "Of course, Director 3. Humanity has powerful allies because it is more powerful than its allies. In the three hundred years since my creation, I've watched you create weapons that shake the very foundations of the cosmos. And more impressively, use them. I can only ever hope to emulate an iota of your destructive capabilities, oh masters of death."
"Tsk," I tutted, "overly dramatic as usual."
"That's because this is just business as usual," the reaper flourished before disappearing from view.
"Well," I said to no-one in particular, "time to pack."