Midway, Between the Golden system and Abh controlled territory 
STC Kestral
Capt Velka Vellais 

“ This cannot be happening” Velka said aloud as yet another message was received. They were certainly not keeping a low profile. * it is just my luck* she thought again, letting out loud sigh before forcefully pressing a key on her terminal. The language was quickly matched with another roman message from before and was quickly translated into english. 

“ Another Roman message?” the radio officer said rather puzzled before combing through the message again, trying to translate certain words manually to make it easier to understand. “ I think this is from another ship….maybe even another nation? It doesn’t match the same electrical pattern as before” he said as his face was buried in his terminal. 

“ Two Allied nations, in one place, at the same time?” The JIIC senior chief said in a thoughtful tone, the gears were certainly turning in his head. As a master of political action and covert operations, Velka expect him to come to the answer before she did. It seemed however the mind of a spy master was easily fooled by conventional military tactics, something she would surely make fun of him later for. 

“ We just warped into the beginnings of a battle…” she said quietly before tapping a series of commands into her terminal, bringing up the adaptive star chart. 

“ Engage the active radar, give me one ping, 360 degree scan please.” she said calmly as the radio officer set out to work. Some of the younger members aboard the vessel laughed a little inside as she said the word ping. Due to the lack of oxygen in the vacuum there would be no audible ping, this was simply a phrase used to describe a radar scan, or using the active radar array. The Septonian orbital navy naturally evolved from the terrestrial navy, keeping much of the terminology as their sea-borne counterparts. Although humorous, everyone knew what she meant, even if they thought it to be archaic. 

If the Kestral hadn’t made their presence known before, it certainly did now. By using its active radar, it would be able to see all of the objects around it, be it rocks, planets, black holes or other vessels. The downside to that action was anything that was running a passive radar, or anyone that happened to look at their radar scope would be able to see the Kestral for a moment, lit up like a super nova. 

Would her fears be confirmed? Velka would have to wait for the response from her radar.