[@6slyboy6][@Lucidnonsense]

[u][b]RCNS [i]Piggyback[/i]
Duranin System
[/b][/u]

There were a lot of ships in the Royal Commonwealth Navy, and only so many ‘good’ names to go around. The ‘good’ names tended to be snatched up by larger, more important ships; the Unboweds, the Dauntlesses, and the Victories. Vigilance class cruisers were extremely numerous, and had to settle for less striking names. Still, Captain Belthas Rekkavik thought that whoever had named his ship in particular must have been drunk or otherwise impaired.

He was evidently the only one who didn’t like the name. The crew took to it with a fierce pride; amongst the enlisted and even some of the officers, the ship was affectionately nicknamed “Miss Piggy”. Rekkavik would have clamped down on that especially inane nickname, but he was new to the ship and didn’t want to alienate the crew. Being a Valerian in the RCN wasn’t difficult, per say, but it certainly wasn’t easy. Valerians tended to have distinctly flock based mentalities, and that could make it difficult to integrate with a new crew. That, and they lacked the ‘social grease’ that allowed Vit’azny officers to slide up the ranks. Favoritism was sternly frowned on by the RCN, but it could never be eliminated entirely.

Still, Rekkavik was in a good position. He had command of his own ship, a well trained and loyal crew, and a post with plenty of opportunity for advancement. The space around Duranin was surprisingly busy for a colonial world. The planet itself may have been destitute, but there was a thriving asteroid mining industry in the system, and it was a convenient stopping point for traders in and out of Varangian space. And where there were traders, there were smugglers…

“RCNS Piggyback to MSV Tumeric, this is your last warning, stand down for inspection or be fired on,” the comms officer spoke sternly into his headset. Still no answer.
“Looks like he’s going to run for it,” the XO commented.
Rekkavik nodded. “Indeed. Tactical, prepare five EMP missiles for immediate launch, I want that freighter disa-”
“Captain! FTL signature on the edge of the system. No transponder, unknown configuration,” the tactical officer called out.
Rekkavik turned to the main holo display, noting the readouts on the neutral gray blip at the edge of the system. Of the three RCN ships in-system, they were the the heaviest and Rekkavik was the most senior captain, meaning investigating unknown contacts was his responsibility.
“Looks like MSV Tumeric’s lucky day,” he commented. “Prepare for tactical jump, bring us to standoff range.”

With a flash, RCNS [i]Piggyback[/i] disappeared, leaving the would be smugglers to get away. An instant later, the warship reappeared in another flash on the edge of the system, at a moderate range from the new contact. Rekkavik peered intently at the readouts as sensors swept over it. “Looks like an unmanned probe” he said out loud. “Unknown configuration eh? Could be a first contact situation then. Prepare a gunship to bring it aboard-”
“Captain, the probe is charging FTL,” his tactical officer interrupted him for the second time in as many minutes. The bridge crew watched as the probe disappeared into FTL and out of their reach.
“Well, so much for that,” the XO commented dourly.
“Perhaps not. Navigation, did we catch the inbound trajectory on that probe?” Rekkavik asked.
“Yes sir, assuming a linear course.”
“Yes, let’s assume that. Plot out the nearest system in the probe’s trajectory, and we may have ourselves its launch point. Certainly something worth investigating.”
The main display zoomed out, and an overlay of the probe’s trajectory appeared, tracing backwards to…
“The Kelmarthy system,” the XO said. “Surveyed but uninhabited, interesting.”
“Interesting indeed,” Rekkavik replied. “Navigation, plot a course to the Kelmarthy system, best possible speed. Comms, inform Captain Brand aboard the [i]Falcon[/i] that he has authority over the system while we’re gone. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s see who came knocking.”

RCNS [i]Piggyback[/i] disappeared in yet another flash, and the inky void of empty space returned.

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[u][b]RCN Regional Command
Vasseldorf[/b][/u]

“Certainly full of themselves aren’t they?” Commodore Johanson said wryly.
“That they are Commodore,” Admiral Friesland replied. “Still, the telemetry checks out, that temple is every bit as ancient as they say it is.”
“But what do they expect us to do with that knowledge? They were clearly trying to send a message, but to what end? They have ancient temples, they’re powerful psintegrae, so what?”
The two of them were silent for a moment, contemplating the last few images of telemetry from the probe that had investigated the Gashathi temple.
“Show us your potential…” Friesland murmured, then shook his head. They needed clear answers more than anything. “Well, regardless of their ancientness and claims of ruling the universe, let’s treat this as more or less standard first contact. Let’s dispatch Captain Evandriss and the [i]Fearless[/i] with a diplomatic team to that world. Have Mjolson head up the diplomats.” He paused. “Better send along the [i]Doldrum, Silkweed,[/i] and [i]Bonaventure[/i] as well. Oh, and let’s double up the psy-ops branches on all those ships. It never hurts to be careful.”