Logs for ShadowRN and Associated Mailing Lists

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <Shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	British News
Date:	Wed, 27 Jan 1999 00:17:08 +0000

Message no. 1 >>>>>[This sounds... suspicious. Pirates just _don't_ frag with major
navies. Something's going on.

Either tell me what, or tell me to stop looking, I don't mind which...

+++++begin news article
WARSHIP IN PIRATE BATTLE
Far East Station Frigate Engages Enemy

LONDON - The British Ministry of Defence released a tersely-worded
communique this evening, stating that one of His Majesty's Ships, the
frigate _Rorke's Drift_, had been involved in combat on the Far East
patrol and that casualties had been suffered. In accordance with
tradition, the details are being witheld until the next-of-kin of the
casualties have been notified.

However, that anodyne statement has caused considerable surprise, as the
pirates infesting the straits and narrows of the Australasian sea lanes
have almost never before chosen to stand and fight against a major
warship of a maritime power.

MoD sources refused to elaborate, saying only that more information
would be made public as it became available.
+++++end news article

Any clues?]<<<<<
-- Bungle <00:13:26/01-27-60>

>>>>>[One thing I can tell anyone who cares. Check some of the smaller
London news outlets and you'll see a _lot_ of traffic in Westminster
tonight. If you know who to look for, you can see some _very_ notable
people visiting Downing Street.

The Aztlan ambassador, a group from the UCAS embassy, and some people
who aren't MI5, no, not at all, and Sir Edward Pendleton with them...

Something's up. In a big way.]<<<<<
-- Jumbo <00:17:26/01-27-60>

From:	the Dark Stranger <darkstranger@*******.NET>
Subject:	Re: British News
Date:	Wed, 27 Jan 1999 14:22:14 -0500

Message no. 2 >>>>>[Clues, Bungle? Who plays in the Far East? We've got the Phillipine
pirates. Japan. MCT, Renraku and Shiawase. Throw in the Tongs and the Yakuza. Those
are the big ones that I know of. Maybe a Chinese warlord, but they are so focused on the
ground, I don't think they have too much of an oceanic presence. Yamatetsu is too busy
recontstructing itself and making nice with metas and the West.

My guess is that the Brit ship go too close to something somebody else didn't want them to
see and tried to protect it. And if they could hurt an armed naval vessel, they must have
some serious ordnance...and I don't recall you mentioning anything about what happened to
the other guys...alive or dead?

Who else has any sort of naval presence in the Orient?]<<<<<
-- Spinmeister <11:13:26/01-27-60>

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <Shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: British News
Date:	Wed, 27 Jan 1999 20:47:24 +0000

Message no. 3 *****INTERNAL: SIGANet
>>>>>[TO: D J H Coppinger, Director: Captain L R W Lynch

Fort Meade finished decoding those signals from the Banda Sea. I think
you need to see this. We have a problem.

+++++begin transcript
U: Unidentifed Male Voice
EV: Electronic Voice

EV: You realise how dangerous this is? For both of us?

U: The _Arabica Joy_ just contacted me. A British warship tried to board
them.

EV: Name of the Dark One!

U: They report that the ship was heavily damaged and limped away.
Probably sinking.

EV: But not _sunk_? It would have had time to call for assistance?

U: They report following the plan precisely-

EV: That is not an answer! Nearly half our force is aboard that ship!
Years of breeding and preparation!

U: <deliberately calm> Your suggestions?

EV: Activate the Captain's conditioning and take control of the ship.
Chase the British ship down and destroy it. State that the British
ship was taken over by pirates, and that was what had to be done:
the pirates doubtless slaughtered their prisoners. Then, scuttle the
K42: make it appear to be due to battle damage or, better, sabotage,
if you can.

In the confusion you can disappear: kill a few dozen of your crew,
and you will only be one of many brave sons of Aztlan lost at sea. I
will send a Hunter to collect you.

U: Yes. Yes, that will work. A corporate force, masquerading as a
'pirate group', was so outrageously bold as to seize a Royal Navy
ship, then attacked the Aztlan vessel that sped to its aid. Since
none of them were captured, we can only guess as to who was
responsible...

EV: It need only hold until the _Arabica Joy_ reaches Vancouver and her
cargo is unloaded.

U: It shall be as you command.
+++++end transcript

Okay, I did the basic groundwork already. No UCAS forces less than a
couple of days away, but we can easily intercept the _Arabica Joy_ -
she's a five thousand ton reefer ship, registered to Po Ying & Sons out
of Manila - as soon as the Walrus and his overpriced eyes-in-the-sky
find her.

I already give PACFLT a heads-up, we've got four fast-attacks and the
best part of a dozen destroyers either at sea or able to sortie, to put
between us and them: and we might want to talk to Admiral Kowalski and
have some units on the ground in Vancouver and maybe a couple of other
ports, just to make sure that we catch whatever's _on_ that ship before
it gets _off_ the ship.

No word from Quinn, either official or unofficial. The Admiralty say
that the _Rorke's Drift_ hasn't been in comms since a garbled contact
report yesterday, saying they were under attack. Given that she likely
ran head-on into the K42, the odds aren't good.

Could be worse... but could be a lot better. At least we know what we
have to hunt.]<<<<<
-- LCdr R E Tarkington <20:43:34/01-27-60>
Strategic Intelligence Gathering Agency

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <Shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: British News
Date:	Wed, 27 Jan 1999 19:53:45 +0000

Message no. 4 >>>>>[Okay, this is downright _weird_. I _know_ this speculation is
running wild because nobody's releasing any information. A couple of
British journo friends have muttered about D-notices, which makes me
even more suspicious: seems there's some things the Lord Chancellor
doesn't want described.

The BBC's Newsnight reported "urgent diplomatic efforts" between Britain
and Aztlan: seems some senior Azzie spooks flew into Brize Norton in the
wee hours of this morning and have been closeted at Northwood ever
since. That went really quiet really fast, and when I dug I _did_ find a
D-Notice imposed. Ouch. Either very false indeed, or too true for
comfort.

This morning's Daily Telegraph contented itself with speculating on why
Australasian pirates would choose to shoot it out with a RN frigate, and
what might have been the outcome. Generally, the consensus is that
either the Navy were incredibly careless or else the pirates weren't
_just_ pirates.

L!ve Tri-D News has been claiming that HMS _Rorke's Drift_ was sunk with
all hands by a massive pirate armada, though of course she took lots and
lots of slant-eyed Johnny Foreigners down with her, the valiant Jack
Tars cursing the cowardly pirates with their last breaths blah blah
blah...

In other words, nobody's really sure what happened. I daresay it's
unlikely anyone here has any idea, but if they do I'd really, _really_
like to know...]<<<<<
-- Bungle <19:53:27/01-27-60>

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <Shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: British News
Date:	Thu, 28 Jan 1999 19:49:01 +0000

Message no. 5 >>>>>[Okay. This from 'Newsnight' on the BBC. It's not the first report,
but it's the most complete to date.

And it's _scary_.

+++++begin news item
Anna Jameson turns back to the camera. "The Ministry of Defence, a few
hours ago, announced that HMS _Rorke's Drift_ was entering Port Darwin
harbour, in North Australia, under her own power." she says.
"Conflicting reports had said she had been involved in an action, even
that she had been sunk: those, at least, have proved untrue.

"A Ministry of Defence press conference, scheduled for this evening,
revealed little more than was already rumoured: the Admiralty remain
close-mouthed about who attacked their ship and why, and the casualty
list has not yet been made public while relatives are contacted.
However, amateur footage of the warship's arrival told its own story."

[The view cuts to Darwin harbour: a good-quality home trideo camera, its
owner keeping the view centred on the frigate rounding the breakwater.
There's no sound, and the only supplemental data is the time/date stamp
in the corner of the picture.

The _Rorke's Drift_ is a wreck: from here, she looks barely seaworthy,
scorched and battered and listing to starboard.

The cameraman zooms in, and the damage is even worse closer up. The
once-sleek trimaran hull is smashed and flattened back, over twenty feet
of bow gone, a mangled mass of steel left where once a sleek clipper bow
cut the water; and the starboard outrigger somehow seems askew and
twisted. The forward gun mount is a charred, blackened skeleton, the
long barrel drooping and warped from the heat of the fire that destroyed
it: the bridge is pocked with dark scars from direct hits, riddled with
shrapnel, every window smashed.

The superstructure, too, shows the torn craters and shotgun spalling of
many hits from explosive munitions. Its aerials and antennae are wrecked
or simply gone, the angled slab-sided structure is scorched and smoke-
stained over most of its length: until the hangar aft, which is a mere
burned-out skeleton around the collapsed carcass of the frigate's Coyote
HMA.3 helicopter.

Black sooty tentacles grip most of the stern, where burning fuel must
have flowed over the deck and down into the sea: and jets of water
stream from ports all down her flank, where her pumps are fighting the
incoming sea.

But, badly mauled or not, she is afloat and making way. And as she comes
about, the scorched and torn battle ensign flutters from her mainmast, a
great billow of coloured silk proudly proclaiming the ship to be a
fighting vessel of the Royal Navy. Above it, a smaller black flag flies,
a grinning skull over crossed swords, and - bizarrely - lashed to the
top of the mast is a broom, bristles pointing at the sky.]

Cutting back to Jameson in the Newsnight studio, as she says "Officials
refused to comment formally, until the ship's commanding officer had
been properly debriefed, and for now we can only guess at what happened
to the _Rorke's Drift_ and her crew.

"Meanwhile, evidence continues to mount in the Lambeth vote-buying
scandal, as another councillor..."+++++end news item

I don't know much about military stuff, but it looks like someone
really, really didn't like that ship.]<<<<<
-- Bungle <19:49:43/01-28-60>

From:	the Dark Stranger <darkstranger@*******.NET>
Subject:	Re: British News
Date:	Thu, 28 Jan 1999 15:55:31 -0500

Message no. 6 *****PRIVATE: Lillith
>>>>>[Lillith, the Rorke's Drift. Susan was aboard that ship, was she not?

Based upon the footage provided, I'm guessing she is still alive. Official word of such
would be appreciated however.]<<<<<
-- the Dark Stranger <20:59:43/01-28-60>

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <Shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: British News
Date:	Thu, 28 Jan 1999 22:35:27 +0000

Message no. 7 *****PRIVATE: the Dark Stranger
>>>>>[Yes, Susan was aboard. I'm led to believe she's still alive, too:
both the Jolly Roger and the broom are hallmarks I'd expect of her.

I don't have _official_ word, yet: but Pendleton is out there debriefing
the ship's CO and has promised to inform me fully as soon as he knows
what is going on.]<<<<<
-- Lilith <23:35:23/01-28-60>

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <Shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: British News
Date:	Fri, 29 Jan 1999 23:21:55 +0000

Message no. 8 *****PRIVATE: the Dark Stranger
>>>>>[Just to confirm: Susan is alive, well, and furious.

You trusted me with some material you considered very sensitive: well,
allow me to return the compliment.

+++++include video recordings: HMS _Rorke's Drift_

You're sure to be aware of the sensitivity of that material: I'd only
ask you to exercise the same discretion I did with the CoT action.

We may be about to get a clear shot at the gentleman responsible for
that little engagement. If so, are you interested in participating?
Quinn and I would be glad to have you fighting alongside us, for it
shall be a fight to remember... You may have too many already to wish
another such memory, of course, but if you're willing you're
welcome.]<<<<<
-- Lilith <23:21:36/29-01-60>

From:	the Dark Stranger <darkstranger@*******.NET>
Subject:	Re: British News
Date:	Mon, 1 Feb 1999 15:55:46 -0500

Message no. 9 *****PRIVATE: Lilith
>>>>>[Susan is something else...I sometimes wonder how much of her
"insanity" is nothing more than a cover, an act to hide a little girl inside.
Even if true, that's a very strong and capable little girl.

So you believe you finally draw near to the puppetmaster after so many years? Perhaps
indeed you do. When the time comes for battle, let me know. I have grieved for those
that I lost and I have begun anew with a old "family." But I would be remiss if
I were to let old friends, especially old friends that I had promised to fight this battle
with, go on without me.

Fighting is all I know how to do anymore, but at least I have learned to fight for those
few things I still believe in. I shall be there when you call.]<<<<<
-- the Dark Stranger <12:57:42/1-1-60>

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <Shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: British News
Date:	Mon, 1 Feb 1999 23:16:51 +0000

Message no. 10 *****PRIVATE: the Dark Stranger
>>>>>[I think you're both wrong and right. Susan is, genuinely, insane:
she sees the world as she wishes, and forces _it_ to meet _her_
perceptions. Her madness is both shield and sword.

What she hides behind it? I've known her for more than a decade and I
still can't be sure. Is it a mask she wears? Or does she show her true
face to the world, confident that few will believe it?

As for Nar'moh'ach... in a week or two, we'll either know where he is,
or we'll be back to square one. If we find him... then my war with him
ends, one way or another. Either I die, or he does.

And I have no intention of dying, Stranger.

When the time comes, I will call you, and I will be proud to have you
fight by my side.]<<<<<
-- Lilith <23:16:34/02-01-60>

Mailing List Logs for

Further Reading

Disclaimer