Braidwood Expedition

The Braidwood Expedition's first exploration of Seravis Major

The **Braidwood Expedition** was a joint CDF Discovery Service and Grathan Gateworks expedition to the Seravis Major System in 0182 PCU. The expedition was the first manned exploration of the system and successfully linked the system to the rest of the Tantalus Cluster, though its achievements were overshadowed by the circumstances of the death of its commanding officer, Post Captain Raphael Colegrove.

## History

### Survey of Seravis I

The expedition, comprised of a fleet of Grathan Gateworks gatehaulers led by the CSV *Braidwood* under the command of Post Captain Raphael Colegrove, deployed from the Valeria Sibus System in 0182 PCU. A long-serving officer, Colegrove had seen extensive service in Halpern's War, which had led him to be briefly put under medical supervision for possible post-traumatic stress disorder. However he was nevertheless cleared to return to active duty, and was due to retire after completing the expedition.

While the Grathan gatehaulers constructed the return gate to the Valeria Sibus System, the *Braidwood* conducted surveys of the gas giant Seravis I and its extensive moon system.

### Exploration of Seravis II

After completing its surveys of Seravis I, the *Braidwood* proceded to Seravis II, where it confirmed long-range telescopic readings that showed that the planet had a breathable-but-toxic atmosphere, and was completely covered in dense jungle.

Against the advice of his staff, Captain Colegrove insisted on leading the first landing party to Seravis II. Landfall was made at nine bells in the evening on Equinox 133rd 0182 PCU. Within hours, Colegrove's party lost radio contact with the *Braidwood*. A search and rescue team found the entire party dead and dismembered with the exception of Colegrove himself, who appeared to be completely unharmed. Believing that native wildlife had killed the party, the team swiftly withdrew to the *Braidwood*. Colegrove refused any attempt at medical examination and became increasingly hostile and confrontational, ordering the chief medical officer to be confined to quarters.

At four bells in the morning the following day, having apparently calmed down, Colegrove without prompting drew a sidearm and began firing indiscriminately on his command staff, killing the second officer and a yeoman, and injuring three others before he was killed by Marines. Witnesses reported that the Captain screamed in terror and mentioned the names of long-dead fellow officers and the locations of battles during Halpern's War as he fired. A post-mortem revealed the presence of an unknown hallucinogen native to Seravis II that had overcome the shore party's breathing equipment.

### Aftermath

The Seravis Major System was successfully linked to the rest of the Tantalus Cluster, but the fiasco of Colegrove's death led to the entire star system being placed under quarantine by the Centrum Assembly, with civilian traffic through the system being confined to narrow, tightly-policed corridors.

The nature of Colegrove's death meant that a plan to name Seravis I as "Colegrove Watch" in his honour was abandoned. The planet was instead named Braidwood Watch in recognition of the CSV *Braidwood's* military and exploratory service.

## Composition

* CSV *Braidwood* - Command ship, *Trespasser*-class second-rate ship of the line, CDF Discovery Service
	+ Post Captain Raphael Colegrove, Centran Defence Force, Commanding Officer, deceased following exploration of Seravis Major
	+ Researcher's Mate Rupal Katri, Centran Defence Force

* Several Grathan Gateworks Gatehaulers

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Braidwood Expedition | The Sojourn Lore Short