FTL Log

Ship: Zoltan Cruiser, Adjudicator Class, Zero Point Zero

Starting Crew: Captain Seven Minus, First Officer Eight Plus, Lieutenant Zero Divided

Jump 0, from the log of Seven Minus

With key information relating to the survival of the Federation and the Rebel armada, the Zero Point Zero has left the Forward Exploratory Fleet at breakneck speed. I have the helm while I have delegated First Officer Eight Plus to oversee Gunner Zero Divided in the weaponry annex, the pair of them responsible for managing energy shields and the ever-important FTL drive. Our ship has been equipped with a standard Halberd Beam and a Leto missile system; both of which leave much to be desired in terms of firepower. In our briefing, we have been assured that more equipment will be available at depots as we near the Fleet. With all available power dedicated to the engines and shields, I have pointed the Zero Point Zero eastwards. May our Zoltan Shield hold strong!

“Death- Remember, losing is part of the fun! ...No, I'm serious...”

Jump 1, from the log of Seven Minus

We have arrived in a Civilian Sector, with four systems easily available to jump to. Our ship heads north, hoping to avoid a large swath of nebulae along the southern half of this sector. Morale remains high as we rocket towards our destination, but I have taken care to angle our antennae forwards. No need to dwell on the peril we leave our friends to.

Jump 2

Brigands! A small Federation Scout craft, no doubt commandeered, descended upon us immediately after our descent from the FTL dimensions. Demanding approximately 5/6ths of our current Scrap materials, I see no other option but to engage the brigands. The Zero Point Zero performed admirably, her Halberd slicing through the Brigands like a Mantisclaw through Slugskin. Guided by Lieutenant Zero Divided, the beam made short work of the enemy ship, netting us quite the pretty prize of Scrap, missiles, and precious fuel.

Jump 3

We continued north to explore several promising-looking systems for resources and information. Upon entry to this system, our scans revealed an ore refinery and several factories, all standing still and empty. No life signs detected—a shame. Nothing pierces the boredom of our recharging FTL drive save for a lonely distress call. As soldiers of the Federation, it is our duty to investigate it.

Jump 4

A nearby human mining colony has been besought by plague. It would be a travesty and against everything the Federation stands for to allow these miners' society to devolve into madness and chaos; clearly Federation officers are needed to control this rowdy crowd to prevent a damaging riot.

...

Tragedy has befallen our crew with the loss of Lieutenant Zero Divided. While aiding the peace, Lieutenant Zero Divided began showing signs of infection. Like a true hero, he demanded that we leave him behind to coordinate efforts of a cure, lest we be infected by the plague and our mission be forfeit. I pray that he make a swift recovery and avoid the oncoming Rebel fleet. The Lieutenant insisted that the colony give us a payment of missiles, drone parts, and scrap. Accepting the paltry reward, we sorrowfully press eastwards.

With Lieutenant Zero Divided gone, the reactor now does not have sufficient power to operate our main weapon, the Halberd Beam. With that in mind, I have instructed First Officer Eight Plus to upgrade our reactor with the scrap received from the pirate battle and from the mining colony. With new-found power provided by the scrap, Lieutenant Zero Divided continues to give us gifts.

Jump 5

Our hearts are ablaze with the fires of victory! Upon departure from FTL speeds, a Rebel Fighter immediately attacked us. First Officer Eight Plus fought gallantly, the rage and sorrow over the loss of his gunnery partner directing the Halberd Beam with great precision. However, I am troubled. Under ordinary circumstances, directing a beam to target Life-Support systems is punishable, but due to our shortened crew I must allow the barbaric targeting practices of First Officer Eight Plus to go seemingly unnoticed.

With the exit beacon in range to the southeast, I have instead directed the Zero Point Zero southwest to investigate two beacons, hoping to find another crew member. Perhaps, if the rebels have not caught us, the nebulae may be explored as well.

Jump 6

A Mantis Scout bearing pirate markings has demanded a passive response from us, promising great reward if we allow them to pillage an unidentified craft. First Officer Eight Plus and I feel differently: piracy must be stopped. Again, the Halberd Beam proves itself-I must admit that I was wrong about the paltry strength of this starship. Ignoring their pleas for mercy, we carbonize their craft.

The victim of these cutthroats has, however, jumped off before we could establish communication. I hope that we have not allowed mercy to sympathizers or scouts of the rebellion. To avoid the main rebel fleet, I have directed the Zero Point Zero into the nebula I sought to avoid earlier.

Jump 7

Curses abound! Upon completion of our jump, our reactor shorted out due to an ion storm that failed to show up on our navigation charts. In addition, an automated rebel scout lies waiting in the clouds for us. With no energy to our shields, oxygen, or medbay, we find ourselves relying too heavily on our Zoltan Shield. Still, the Halberd Beam does not disappoint and makes short work of the probe.

We make for a hub, offering us many choices of a next path. A depot would be a welcome find, as our fuel supplies diminish and our scrap supplies burn figurative holes in our figurative pockets.

Jump 8

We have arrived at a popular space station, with multiple ships speaking openly of taking an enemy ship, intact. I and First Officer Eight Plus decide to offer our services, but it appears that we are not “properly equipped” for this type of mission. All is well though, as we make for a depot. From there we plan on traveling to the next sector; the painful memories of Lieutenant Zero Divided run rampant in this corner of space.

Jump 9

Fuel purchased, rumors exchanged, nothing new to report. The rebel fleet draws near, we cannot tarry.

Jump 10

Unable to resist, the Zero Point Zero travels to one final beacon before leaving. First Officer Eight Plus demonstrates surgical precision with the Halberd Beam, destroying an automated scout and saving an ungrateful ship. We may have to reassess our charity in later sectors.

Jump 11

We reach the final beacon with no issues, preparing to make the jump to the next sector. Regretfully, we must travel through uncharted nebula from here on out. With limited sensors and telepathic slugs certainly waiting, the next sector will indeed be difficult. The paths ahead seem treacherous, with only one or two friendly sectors available to us. First Officer Eight Plus is silent as we make the jump. Morale is low.

SECTOR TWO: NEBULA

Jump 0

Only one beacon is in range, which will take us directly into the heart of the nebula. From there, our path will be to the east. According to our charts, this sector is rife with hubs, which should mean depots with crew for hire. Our supplies remain well-stocked though. Onwards!

Jump 1

Somehow, a boarder has managed to beam onto the sensor wing. With our blast doors shut, oxygen loss is at a minimum as we vent atmosphere to kill the intruder. Our oxygen generator takes minor damage, but I am able to repair it with ease. We continue north.

Jump 2

A slug interceptor claiming to be a black market weapons trader intercepts us. We decide to test our Halberd Beam and destroy him. First Officer Eight Plus has made a key error in disengaging the Autofire, leaving us vulnerable to the Slug's attacks. Were I more properly staffed I would relegate him to quarters, but I must deal with his ineptitude. With a crew of two, a demotion in rank seems humorous.

Jump 3

Our jump has landed us in the midst of a plasma storm. Our shields and medbay are offline, but with multiple incapacitated ships looming in the shadows, I have decided to manually search the wreckage for survivors and equipment. The search has yielded little aside from a paltry collection of scrap, but First Officer Eight Plus redeemed himself by finding another Halberd Beam! We prepare to make upgrades to our reactor and weapons system to properly outfit the Zero Point Zero with its destructive power. In addition, a depot now appears on our charts! We make for it at once.

Jump 4

The depot has no available crew for hire, and with our scrap supplies diminished due to our recent upgrades, a Weapon Pre-ignition augmentation is out of our reach. Henceforth, we shall only pursue upgrades when depots are not in jump range, to diminish feelings of 'upgrade remorse.' Instead, we burn our remaining scrap on fuel and jump blindly back into the foggy nebula. Sensors show that the rebel fleet approaches.

Jump 5

For once, we've gotten the drop on the rebels, and I instruct First Officer Eight Plus to prepare for combat. We activate the drive and prepare for a chase, but, in the cloudy nebula, we lose them. With the fleet no doubt informed of our location, we must make haste for the beacon that will bring us to the next sector.

Jump 6

Nothing new to report, no ships, no emergencies, no excitement of any kind. Safe in the nebula cloud, I retreat to quarters for a much-deserved rest.

Jump 7

A heavily damaged Federation ship appeared on our scopes immediately after making this jump, but they have drifted into the cloud. We shall follow them in an attempt to provide repair or rescue to its crew.

…

How fortuitous! We find one survivor clinging to life in the wreckage, a Mantis by the name of Lieutenant Jan Magne. He's a green recruit, so I have relegated him to engineering. Should we have boarders, he has more than promised to fight them off.

Jump 8

We spied a rebel ship and killed them. Nothing else to report.

Jump 9

This pocket of space is lonely. No other ships. More rest.

Jump 10

We have reached the beacon and jump directly into the heart of a rebel-controlled sector.

SECTOR THREE: REBEL CONTROLLED

Jump 0

This sector seems relatively quiet, with a thin nebula between us and the jump beacon. In the search for more crewmembers, scrap, and weaponry, the Zero Point Zero will head south, taking a wide swath around the nebula in the search of supplies.

Jump 1

It appears that we have stumbled across a storage vessel for military goods, with an automated drone in our way. Once again, the Halberd beam takes care of it, and we net a bit of scrap and a Breach missile platform. With our scrap increasing, we hope to find a depot to make upgrades in. Thankfully, our hull remains strong.

Jump 2

Apparently the rebels have littered this sector with automated drones, we continue to encounter and destroy many of them. Our scanners have revealed a depot nearby, so we make for it as soon as our FTL recharges.

Jump 3

While this depot has humans and Mantis for hire, I have instead instructed my crew to increase our firepower capacities. Our reactor has increased in efficiency, our weaponry has increased slightly, and our piloting systems have offered us a better chance of dodging enemy ships. With more scrap, we will be able to (eventually) run dual Halberd Beams.

Jump 4

Another drone! In an asteroid belt! This one, however, is more properly equipped than its counterparts. With shields and a drone control system, this probe proves complicated. Our shields and oxygen systems are knocked offline before First Officer Eight Plus can finally direct the Halberd Beam, crippling the probe's offensive capabilities. With the beam on automatic fire, the crew and I set about repairing our shields; we are, after all, in an asteroid belt. While our shields are down, the probe and asteroids damage our sensors and our FTL drive, diminishing our hull to half its strength.

Morale has hit an all-time low as we enact repairs.

Jump 5

Hoping for a quiet system, we instead stumble upon a forward scout of the Rebel fleet. Without drones or an asteroid belt to plague us, we manage to scramble the enemy ship across space. Again, the Halberd Beam proves its worth as we make off with Fuel, Missiles, Scrap, and a Shield Booster.

Jump 6

Another jump, another drone. Lieutenant Magne sleeps through this engagement, despite the fact that we were stung by the drone's missiles several times. Our hull stands below 50%, repairs will be needed shortly. A distress call brings us northwards.

Jump 7

As it turns out, not all distress calls are Rebel traps. We are happy to give these travelers some fuel to continue their mission of exploration, in return, they give us enough scrap to finish our weapons upgrade. The hum of two Halberd Beams rattles the Zero Point Zero to its core; she likes it, as does the crew. Morale increases.

Feeling generous, we turn towards another distress call on our way to the beacon.

Jump 8

Our hull sustained greater damages today while rescuing a smaller ship from an asteroid belt. It was all for naught, however, as the ship we rescued dissolved before our eyes. The scrap in our hold has blood on it. Despite the dual Halberd Beams, morale dips again.

Jump 9

Let us be rid of this system! But first, we shall destroy some pirates that have given chase to a civilian craft and give our Halberd Beams their first kill. A Slug light cruiser literally crumples beneath the twin beams, First Officer Eight Plus is justifiably pleased with his kill.

In addition, our victory has netted us Mike Weston, a hapless and plucky civilian human who was happy to enlist. Weston has been relegated to Shields, where he will perform admirably. Due to the sullen attitude of First Officer Eight Plus, I have quietly altered the ship's computer to promote Ensign Weston to Captain.

SECTOR FOUR, REBEL CONTROLLED

Jump 0

Little to report about this sector, patches of nebula are prominent though. We shall take a southernly route, swinging around the nebula and burning through the majority of our fuel. With fuel supplies diminishing, we will need to find a depot or a suitable rebel ship to raid.

Jump 1

Again with the drones! Fire the Halberd Beams, evade the missiles. This drone is well-equipped, however, and our Halberd Beams refuse to penetrate their shields. Switching to our Breach and Leto Missiles is risky, but they quickly destroy the enemy's shields, allowing a single Halberd to finish the job.

The ship has sustained heavy damage, however, and the sensor wing remains on fire as we limp onwards, oxygen trailing behind us from our airlocks.

Jump 2

We stumble across a deactivated drone and quickly scrap it for supplies. The last drone left a bitter taste in our mouths. With the drone destroyed, I relegate the crews to report for medical treatments, several members of the crew have burns from that accursed drone.

Despite the lack of a depot, upgrades are made to our shields, medical treatment, and oxygen generation systems due to our damaged hull. A distress beacon pulls us forwards, I pray it is not a ruse.

Jump 3

Fuel, while diminished, is still easy to part with. A Slug interceptor thanks us by updating our map with important locations. Apparently this system only has one depot, so we prepare to jump in that direction. Our journey will take us through two nebula.

Jump 4

Just a lonely nebula, nothing to report aside from beauty.

Jump 5

Phew. All quiet.

Jump 6

The depot allows us new fuel, but our limited scrap does not allow us to repair our hull. That will have to wait until later, unfortunately. In addition, while new crew would be nice to hire, we simply cannot justify the economics. We leave, disappointed.

Jump 7

A rebel ship is waiting! While the Halberd Beams halberd their way to a victory, a coward teleports onto our bridge! I immediately summon Lieutenant Magne to defend as I retreat to the medical bay. While my birth as a Zoltan gives me near-limitless energy, combat is not my forte. Embarrassed, I allow Lieutenant Magne to clean up the bridge as the rebels explode.

Jump 8

We ignore a salesman who wants missiles for scrap; we refuse to allow Federation weaponry into local hands. Perhaps that's why we're losing this war?

We desperately need a friendly port to repair and refit. Our jump beacon points us in two directions: a Rock-controlled sector or the Mantis Homeworlds. While the Rock sector would certainly be safer, the Mantis Homeworlds offers a friendly sector immediately afterwards.

Wish us luck.

SECTOR FIVE, MANTIS HOMEWORLDS

Jump 0

We only have fuel enough for two more jumps. This sector will test our mettle. The crew knows how dangerous this sector will be. First Officer Eight Plus hones his Halberd Beams, Lieutenant Magne pushes all he can out of the engine, and Ensign Weston seems blissfully unaware of the peril.

I wish I was Ensign Weston.

Jump 1

While, as a Federation Ship, we remain wary of unofficial repair jobs, a station offering to repair 20 damage for 40 scrap is welcome, especially in such hostile skies. We part with the majority of our scrap to salvage our hull.

A distress call beckons!

Jump 2

A pirate vessel appears to be mining illegally and has gotten stuck. Hoping to apprehend them, we carefully cut the ship out with our Halberd Beams. We receive one fuel, two missiles, and a considerable amount of scrap for our trouble, allowing us to jump one more time.

Jump 3

Mantis! With their dual shields, we must use our Breach Missiles to knock out their shields, then Halberd them to the hells. Fortunately, with zero missiles of their own, we are able to allow our weapons to charge, safely behind our own defensive matrix. However, the Mantis have other plans: two boarders appear on our vessel. However, they teleported into our primary airlock...Mantis teleporter gunners clearly are not as intelligent as Federation ones. The Mantis managed to blast through our upgraded doors, leaving the Weapons Annex compromised. While we continue to vent oxygen, the crew heals in the medbay.

We net another fuel rod along with some scrap. We must find a depot!

Jump 4

Another distress beacon pulls us from FTL speeds. It seems that the plague that befell Lieutenant Zero Divided has spread to Mantis space. With bitter memories of his infection and sacrifice lingering, I have decided to concentrate our improved medbay on the development of a cure. The cure is successful, netting us missiles, drone parts, and scrap. However, with zero fuel and the jump beacon in sight, we unfortunately must wait for help.

I activate our distress beacon in the hopes that we find fuel.

One could say that we truly are Out of Gas.

…

While we wait, a Mantis ship descends from FTL speed and attacks us. Fortunately, our Halberds and Breach Missiles are prepared. The Mantis ship is destroyed while two Mantis troopers attack, but they wreak havoc on our sensors and oxygen generation system. Ensign Weston attempted to get the oxygen generator working again, but his ineptitude proves itself as he almost asphyxiates repeatedly. I and First Officer Eight Plus must swoop in to finish the job, despite the risk posed to ourselves. A healthy stay in the medbay fixes all though.

Despite Ensign Weston's failure, the destruction of our sensor system, and the near-death of everyone on board, morale skyrockets as we salvage two fuel rods. Onward!

Jump 5

Scanners show intelligent life forms on a nearby planet. Beneath Federation directive Prime Alpha, it is our duty to investigate all signs of life for cataloging. The six-legged horse creatures appear friendly, so I and Ensign Weston began attempts to communicate peacefully. Unfortunately, the only reply we receive is a blank stare. We prepare to leave, the Zero Point Zero welcomes our return.

SECTOR SIX, CIVILIAN SECTOR

Jump 0

We begin our journey with zero fuel. Distress beacon on, fingers crossed.

Shortly after turning our beacon on, a massive Mantis bomber descends upon us. Our missiles fly and destroy them, netting us fuel, missiles, and scrap. Furthermore, a depot is near.

Jump 1

Finally, after an entire sector, we manage to find a friendly depot where we repair, stock up on fuel, and upgrade our shields, reactor, sensors, and engines. Our fuel supply remains too low for comfort, but it feels good to have a refitted hull.

We make for the east, attempting to take the shortest rout possible due to our limited fuel stores.

Jump 2

A civilian ship is in trouble from pirates! The stolen Federation Bomber is well-equipped with shields, it will take all of our weaponry to destroy this ship. Fortunately, after knocking out their shields with our Breach Missiles, the Halberd Beam strikes quite easily.

Jump 3

It pains us, but we are unable to help the travelers at this beacon. We only have three fuel rods left, which makes their price unbearable. Since they are not carrying vital information, we must leave them behind.

Jump 4

Pirates again, clearly this civilian sector is far less safe than we would be led to believe. Fortunately though, we are able to Breach and Halberd them away while our shields take the brunt of the assault.

Jump 5

We managed to make it to a depot, providing us with more fuel.

Jump 6

A pirate is plaguing another ship. While the crew wishes us to abandon the victims, I cannot, in good faith, let innocents die, even if they are rebels. Fortunately, the pirates dissolve into atoms and the victims offer us weaponry, augmentations, and fuel. We purchase an Automated Re-loader to augment First Officer Eight Plus on the weaponry and some additional fuel. In addition, we upgrade our reactor so as to have our medical bay at full strength.

SECTOR SEVEN, PIRATE CONTROLLED

Jump 0

Pirates! A distress call draws us immediately north...

Jump 1

...where we find hapless civilians who require navigation help. By following our FTL signatures, they will hopefully be led to their safety. I instruct Lieutenant Magne to widen our safety shields, leaving large signatures across space for the civilians to follow. We will take a path across the northernly half of the system.

Jump 2

Rebels lay in wait in the middle of an asteroid field, but we are prepared for such eventualities. While our Breach missiles hammer away at the enemy, enemy drones board the Zero Point Zero and begin to damage our engines while Lieutenant Magne fights them off. However, he must retreat to the medbay while we continue our attack. As our hull takes damage, we jump away from peril!

Jump 3

Peril follows us, however, as we jump into an exploding M-class star and a Mantis Bomber. We take heavy damage due to the flames from the star and boarders from the Mantis craft. It is my regret to report the death of Lieutenant Magne, who bravely attempted to take on both boarders with merit. While the boarders destroy our sensor system, we manage to destroy enough of the Mantis ship's defenses to warrant a surrender, netting us a fire bomb and hefty scrap. We jump away in haste, unaware that the boarders remain. Fires ravage our ship behind the lingering invaders, but I know that the Zero Point Zero will hold true! May we find safe berth at the upcoming depot!

Jump 4, Acting Captain Mike Weston

Tragedy. Complete tragedy. The damage to the Zero Point Zero, while not hull-threatening, has proven to be quite disastrous. With our sensors, oxygen, door control system, and medbay knocked out by the invaders and the fires, our prognosis looks grim. It is also my deepest sorrow to record the passing of Captain Seven Minus. After piloting us away from the M-class star, Captain Seven Minus reported to the medical bay to begin repairs. He found a lingering Rock warrior, dedicated to his destruction. While he fought gallantly, the medbay had already suffered critical damage, rendering its healing technology underpowered and broken. By the time First Officer Eight Plus and I reached the medbay, Captain Seven Minus was gone. We finished the Rock, but found ourselves on a sinking ship. Only through a last-second upgrade to our medbay, a miracle, were the two of us able to survive asphyxiation. We have now completed repairs to the Zero Point Zero and I have taken my place at its helm.

We will never forget Captain Seven Minus.

Jump 5

We continued on, helping the civilians we met earlier find their home. It's what Captain Seven Minus would've wanted. We net much scrap as the Zero Point Zero blasts towards the final beacon.

Jump 6

Ignoring a missile salesman, we push onwards towards the Federation fleet, hoping and praying that our information will be valuable!

SECTOR EIGHT: THE LAST STAND

Jump 0

After some mixups concerning the validity of our codes, we prepare to take on the Rebel flagship. This would be what Captain Seven Minus would've wanted: to fight the Rebels and save the galaxy. In his name, I dedicate our fight!

...Ill-equipped...shields...missiles...arm the Halb...Captain!