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Chapter 163 - What Could Go Wrong[]
Office of the First Prince
New Avalon (Federated Commonwealth, FedSuns State Capital)
18th June, 3044
"Seems we have some gifts sitting on Inner End from our friend." Quintus Allard said
"Please tell me that came by secure comms?" First Prince Hanse Davion replied putting aside his paperwork.
"Very secure. Seems my people on Inner End encoded the message using one code sheet and then encoded that coded message with another code sheet before sending it via secure fax. Also, we need to get a message out to them that one of the Explorer Corps ships has been making jumps in and out of Inner End. Our estimates say they are only going out about 2 jumps max, but they are obviously surveying the area outside our borders." Quintus said
"That is a complication that I do not really want to have. You have any ideas?" First Prince Hanse Davion asked
"Of course. I have been saving it for just such an event. That derelict Olympus Station is still out there. We let slip over HPG or that we are ready to begin recovery of the station. Even money says they take the bait and head straight for it." Quintus said
"No bet, but do it. It's an expensive decoy, but not as expensive as what we want them to not find. Now, go back to this present. Any idea what it is?" First Prince Hanse Davion replied
"Only thing I have is a count on shipping containers being waiting to be sent our way. Sixty-six shipping containers. What they contain, not a damned clue." Quintus said
"Well, make sure they have priority transit. And arrange for our present to be taken out to their new hidey hole. Fairchild Dornier has begun production and they delivered a dozen of the Samurai fighters here. Said it was payment in full to SaRI. They are building only 6 per month, but hope to double production by the end of the year." First Prince Hanse Davion said
"Very well. How far along are you in getting Wokha into action?" Quintus asked
"I am told probably two year, possibly three. It will take the Lyran cache almost a year to just reach our own hidey hole, then another year to reach Wokha. Our own cache are about to depart our space into the periphery. I am told at least 6 months to reach Wokha. Another year to properly assemble the last fully functional Star League era shipyard complex outside of Terra itself. I say a prayer every night for their safe journey. Along with a very big thank you to my ancestors who had the brains to dismantle the thing before it got atomized." First Prince Hanse Davion said
"Refresh my memory on where it came from if you would, Hanse." Quintus replied
"Panpour. Challenge Systems. When the Combine raided Panpour in 2796, it heavily damaged most of the yards there. When Challenge Systems was ordered to strip the yards at Panpour to rebuild the yards at Delavan. But this particular yard facility managed to come away only lightly damaged. First Prince Joshua Davion ordered it dismantled and very carefully hidden. Even though it was badly needed, he kept it hidden and stowed away. Every First Prince since has wanted to bring it back to life, but has resisted due to not having a truly secure location to place it." First Prince Hanse Davion said
"Ah yes, thank you for the refresher. Built the Congress-D Frigate, but is a one million ton pressurized shipyard. It is all coming back to me now. Been so many years since you told me about it." Quintus replied
"The very one. But it is more than that really, it also has all the equipment and support factories needed to manufacture the Congress-D or any other warship we have plans for. Including building another copy of itself." First Prince Hanse Davion said with a broad grin
"I take that shit eating grin to mean you plan to do exactly that?" Quintus asked with a toast of his drink.
"Oh yes, I plan to manufacture several copies. Once the first copy is made, we can begin repairing our damaged ships while the copy makes another copy and so on. Melissa wants one, but she does not have a secure enough location to place it. She wants to send Snord out to find one for her." Hanse Davion said
"Mistake, a big one. Sending Snord to locate a hidey hole does not make it secure at all. Tell me you are not buying into this crap." Quintus replied
"Not yet, but I also have not seen any proof that Snord screwed us on the Outreach survey either. The very one you swear left stuff out." Hanse said with a grin.
"I don't have it yet, but that Outreach deal is going to come back and bite you on the ass, mark my words." Quintus replied