"What's dawn like?" asks Alex.
The question catches you entirely off-guard, and you find yourself blinking in bewilderment at Alex. "I'm sorry?" you ask.
You're in an impromptu interrogation room. The Serpent's actual interrogation rooms look rather like torture chambers, so you've instead cleared out a simulator room, set up a table and chairs, and have been using that. Alex sits at attention in their seat, while a crewmember and Shorn watch through a security camera.
"You've been on planets," they explain, "And I don't have to answer questions if I don't want to. So tell me what the dawn is like, and I'll tell you about the Shield."
You blink, face still blank, once more. There are geological strata of fucked up implications in that question. "Very fair," you say, "What do you want to know?"
Alex shrugs. "I want to know what it's like," they say simply.
You mull the question a bit, trying to figure out where to start for someone who's never been on a planet. How to process the concept of a sky, of an atmosphere, of open space to someone who has never had those simple luxuries. "Night's like being on EVA," you start, slow, but gaining confidence as you speak, "Dark, save for stars, the artificial lights around you, and maybe a nearby moon or planet. You can see into forever, and forever is a starfield. But the only thing you can see nearby is whatever your lights illuminate." Alex nods, clearly interested. "Then there's a glow. Like engine wash, but impossibly more vast. Washing out the horizon-where the sky meets the hull. Those stars, moons and planets, that endless starfield is washed out by its majesty as the entire world becomes lighter. As you begin to see past whatever lights you have on you." They're leaning forwards, now. Wordless, but enraptured. "And the sun, whatever it is, however many there are, starts to peek over the horizon. Blindingly brilliant, and warm, and so bright you can't look directly at it. It inches upwards and onwards, coloring the sky, until it is the only natural object you can see"
"And then?" asks Alex after a moment.
"That's it," you finish, "That period between when the glow first becomes visible, and when the local sun crosses the horizon. One of those, every day, forever."
"Oh," they say, almost disappointed, "I-thank you. I know it was an odd question." You nod, waiting patiently for her to tell you what you want to hear. "You're-do your maps have Dabiq? I'd assumed they would but, well…"
You're familiar with the location in a general sense, you discussed eschatology with Diplomat Ayubi on occasion, but you're fairly certain Alex isn't trying to explain the apocalypse to you. "I suspect we're thinking of different things," you offer.
"It's the capitol. The planet of Dabiq, in Tiber system," they continue, "I don't know the original name. I think we're not supposed to know because it's, well, it being Dabiq is Significant. Drilled into us while we grew. He wanted every clone to know about it, that it was where everything would end."
"You've mentioned your leader a few times-" you start, only for the intercom to screech to life above you.
"Captain Shahid, you are needed on the bridge," interrupts the intercom. It's Li, calm but insistent. Which could mean anything from personnel dispute to imminent combat, with him.
"I apologize, Alex," you say, "Emergency. Someone will take over from me soon." They nod and you leave, saluting the guard outside the door as you exit. You take the corridors at a steady jog, casually leaping over and through the debris and damaged piping that still litters the halls.
The bridge is still in bad shape, but it's improved over the last forty hours. There isn't anything to replace electricity damaged panels, so there's a distressing amount of exposed wiring, but all the non-functional stations have been removed or disassembled. You have a working command table, remote control over a rather impressive-looking plasma battery, and a largely functioning bridge. Shorn and Li are there, as is an officer pressed into bridge work and a pair of civilian staff learning on the job.
"Captain, we've got a lucky break," says Shorn. You raise an eyebrow and Li gestures at the command table, prompting it to flicker to life, a rough hologram of an enormous, shattered piece of warship dominating the room.
"Part of the Kipling?" you ask.
"Part of the outer hull, half a kilometer long." says Li, "With power and weapons systems, at that. A Shield of Dabiq salvage flotilla checked it out three hours ago and was shot down."
"Idiots tight-beamed us the situation," says Shorn, "Didn't realize the Serpent was captured. So now we have days, maybe weeks, before any other rebels realize what's wrong. It's only forty hours away, plenty of time to grab the goods and go."
"Has Margai cleared the jump?" you ask, "And, if so, why did you wait for me?"
"He's cleared the jump, but he wants to do it in two parts, with twelve hours for cooldown checks," says Li, "Shorn took the liberty of synthesizing our maps, what the Corporates have told us, and Alex's tidbits to find areas of interest on the way. I volunteered to put together options for our stopover. See for yourself."
He gestures once again, and three images pop up, beneath the titanic shard of the Kipling.
The first is Rubicon Station, built for twelve million people, and the legal center of government for the center. Also snapped in half and torn apart by battle. You could drive a warship through some of the holes in its superstructure.
The second is a habitat cluster, though you can't see what it's in orbit of. You recognize the great orbs of a fuel refinery and, more worryingly, the angled armor of a troop carrier.
The last is a small warship, some sort of heavy patrol vessels or commerce destroyer. Small compared to the Serpent, but relatively intact save for the enormous hole punched through the bridge. It's latched onto an asteroid, likely hidden by whoever destroyed it.
"We can simply hide in dark space, of course," says Li, "But I imagined you'd like to at least consider our options."
You run your tongue over your teeth, considering your options, weighing the risks of each. You try to reach out with your hindbrain by reflex, and are met with an aggravating, dull ache until you stop and begin to flip through the console, trying to discern decisive factor that will make your choice for you.
"We need the resources," you say, "We're not passing this up. Though I must thank you for calling me in." You tap the console, bringing one image to the fore. "This is it, though. We're going to hit-"
Pick an expedition
[ ] Rubicon Station
The ruins of Rubicon station have presumably been picked over, but much of the hull seems intact. The raw material will be invaluable for repairing damage to the Serpent and you suspect that some of the armored supply stores and databanks will be usable.
Pros: Massive, uncontested, possible high-end goodies, plenty of raw materials
Cons: Mostly civilian-grade, pre-looted.
[ ] Refinery X-3
X-3 is a habitat cluster orbiting one of the system's gas giants. It is meant to house about fifty thousand, but looks to have been expanded to at least ten times that nominal capacity. It houses fuel refinery and presumably has both people and food stocks you could access, but is guarded by a corvette and two Dabiq troops transports. Alex and your transponder should at least get you close.
Pros: Everything you could want and need. Food, fuel, guns, repairs, maybe even recruits and information.
Cons: You'll have to deal with the military opposition and then the civilian populace to get what you need.
[ ] The Invisible Hand
Alex has given you the location of a wrecked corporate cruiser, struck down as the Serpent headed to Rubicon Gate. It's location wasn't known to many other ships, and salvage teams likely haven't reached it yet. It was a small ship, but its fuel and supply stocks should supplement your reserves nicely and its databanks will be invaluable. Unfortunately, looters and independent salvagers are pretty endemic to the Sector at the moment.
Pros: Military grade salvage, guaranteed supplies, Guns.
Cons: Sparse goods, possible competition
