Battleship Sado

CLASS: Bakumatsu

CREW: CLASSIFIED

ARMAMENT: CLASSIFIED

An aging Bakumatsu class, the Sado has been deployed to the Tohoku system to deter Blood Dragon activity and act as a waypoint for ships heading to Heaven's Gate.

Though contact with the base was sporadic since the Nomad War, the Sado established a line of communications that was only broken once, during a major Blood Dragon raid on the installation in 825 AS. With the lessons of the raid kept in mind, the Kusari Naval Forces sent significant reinforcements to the base, preventing large-scale raids.

The exact opposite happened, however, as Blood Dragons instead moved to target the Sado, prompting the Kusari government to mothball the vessel after it suffered major damage during one such raid.

## News

Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection.
Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source.

## Rumors

* I keep meeting this same Dragon out past the arch. I'm no traitor, but he is a worthy opponent and over time I've come to find his banter quite amusing. It will be a cold day in hell before a Dragon emperor ascends to Heaven's Gate.

* I requested reassignment here for the glory, this is a very prestigious post for a young pilot. To serve in the defense of one of the great Wonders of Sirius. The old throne. It is unfortunate that we are under orders not to reveal much about our mission here. If my friends on Honshu knew, they would be green with envy.

* Welcome, friend. First time on the Sado? Then you are now a Sado-warrior! Eh, I know, lame joke, but it lightens the mood for those rotating in that are a little fearful of this posting. Anyway, what will you have?

* Life is hard for those posted here. We never know if our next flight will be our last, but we cannot let the Blood Dragons gain control of Heaven's Gate. Our defeat in the Tau systems was a worse blow to the soul of Kusari then it was to her army. Losing Heaven's Gate would be another such blow. Without resolve, Kusari is nothing. That is why we can not fail.

* This is the best ship Kusari has ever produced, I'm proud to be assigned here, each day is truly a test of my abilities. I can only hope to live up to the expectations of those who have sent me here.

* I'm glad I got out of the Core Worlds, despite the stronger Blood Dragon presence here. In the Core Worlds you'd get written up for addressing an officer without observing protocol. Out here, we are brothers rather then enlisted men. There is an unwritten rule that you leave your rank at the door when you enter the Sado bar.

* Since the days of Tekagi we've had reports of alien beings periodically raiding Heaven's Gate. I'm told they are called "Nomads", and rumors say that they were the cause of Tekagi's insanity. Others say they are some kind of Rheinland bioweapon that got loose. I'm just glad their attacks are sporadic - those things are merciless.

* We do not talk about it much, but sometimes we lose ships out here. No wreckage, no signal, they just... disappear. I know the Blood Dragons sometimes salvage wreckage to patch up their own ships, but the Dragons have always left bodies behind in lifepods. They may be brutal, but they are not beasts. Most of us who have been here a while suspect those "Nomads" have something to do with this... I will be glad to leave this system behind when the time comes.

* We're lucky that the police keep the Golden Chrysanthemums busy toward the galactic west, or else this system would be even more dangerous. We generally only have the Dragons to deal with, and those traitors who are in league with them.

* I just came back from a patrol through the system. We were attacked, but I'm not sure by what. Strange, purple-hued craft that didn't seem to show up on scanners initially. Were they non-metallic? Luckily, one of the gunboat patrols assigned to Sado came to our aid and forced the enemy to disengage. They were fast too... impossble to keep up with. If those were Blood Dragon ships, I can see why they brought the Sado here.

* The Blood Dragons have had Heaven's Gate in their sights from the day of their inception. I've heared rumors they actually took the base, briefly, after Hideyoshi was deposed. I'm not sure if I believe that. That fortress looks nearly impenetrable!

*NOTE: Page generated on the 28/10/2023 at 17:59:46 UTC*