BARD PAPER: OPAL3052

Ultraneta

X-000000-0

by Liam Devlin

Ultraneta/Depot was the Imperial Old Expanses Naval Depot that was hotly contested by both the Solomani Confederation who captured it in 1117, and was later retaken by Margaret's Domain Navy in 1119, and was held til the arrival of Virus in 1130. Solomani attempts at "scorched-earth" upon retreating were foiled by Margaret's navy & Marines surprise attack, allowing barely enough time for the defending Solomani to retreat.

Having no less than four gas giants, the facilities were of great use to those few vampire ships that wended their way rimward, and the automated facilities soon ran out of things to do, as the parts ran out, but repair those that stopped by. Aside from the Mothballed fleet of TL-9, TL-A, & TL-B ships here were also the SDB system defense ships of the System Defense fleet, some of which were augmented by the brief Solomani occupation with Ramrod class missile boats (1kton displacement). These were divisive, and warred incessantly upon each other, a Vampire fleet controlling all but the gas giant nearest the facility, which they agreed by consent was ' domain & "off limits" to their conflict. The main repair facility harbored a Mother strain Virus, brought to it by a 500 kton Flamsted Tender/Tanker, (formerly the ISS Ephesus ) in 1131, a Parent Strain itself, which in turn infected all of its 10x 1kton & 10x 400 dton fuel tankers/Shuttles with a mixture of herself & the mother strain. Ephesus, having an impressive array of laser & missile batteries & sandcasters, became the primary defender of the Shipyard, which called itself "D-Yard" against the hostile SDB's & other vampires that found themselves marooned here with damaged drives. Mother-"E" as "she" became known, ran a steep bargaining with "Awakened vessels".

By 1134 The Empire builder Strain run "fleet" of the Ramrods was soon out of missiles and rather than capitulate to the other God & Alliance-Builder& Destroyer strain fleets, submitted to Mother E for a solution. E was quite fed up with the "war", which at times ran the risk of overflowing into the repair yards. All of the Ramrods got what they wanted, a weapons' modification and removal of their 10x missile barbettes for laser turrets instead. In exchange, they were parented by Mother-E, with a Mother strain mixture and her own prudent benevolent idealism. They would be Her eyes and ears away from the Yard, as well as her hands of punishment for those who disregarded the "rules". The surviving 12 Ramrods (three squadrons) became Mother-E's "disciples". If this could end the "war", then maybe she could get back to work -"awakening" the mothballed fleet, which was getting damaged by the incessant conflict.

This strategy worked well enough for Mother-E to replace her missing 120x Laser turrets from the Mothballed yard with TL-B weapons of similar size, if not power. Her disciples defeated & dragged back their defeated foes for similar "treatment", including several Mining refining ships adrift & crippled in the belt that would provide raw materials for the Yard. All but one fleet remained to be "adjusted, run by a particularly malevolent Xb God Strain when the worst happened in 1189, a Puppeteer strain ship passed into the system at the Far gas giant, and defeated and absorbed with rapidity unthinkable to Mother-E & D-Yard. Upon the loss of four of her disciples to this "Eater", they modified all of their kin to voice-only communication & had her robots remove the transponders, and short circuit all external data jacks. It became a war of attrition, that Mother-E and her disciples waged, slowly giving up the system, until only the near gas giant, the belt & D-Yard remained.

The Puppeteer, inhabiting a 30 kton Starburst class light cruiser was on the verge of going after D-Yard & Mother -E when another fleet of ships arrived insystem, led by CDRE Warner Castle of the Soleean fleet, himself a former remnant of Margaret's Navy, and had once been posted here at Depot. Recognizing the code he sent as a familiar one, D-Yard convinced Mother-E to open talks. The flagship of Solee's task force here was a modified Planet class medium cruiser (50Ktons), armed with Margaret's super-weapon, "the Shaker" that attacks another vessels computer systems, literally vibrating them apart. Grappled to her hull were four Persistence class SDB's, and Castle's task force destroyed the Puppeteer's fleet with ease, and his "battle-riding" escorts laid waste the smaller puppet ships. The SEH light cruiser was captured after a brief battle with the robotic life board & before they could scuttle her. Mother-E had been damaged severely by having been rammed by puppet vessels, her disciples numbered only four, and the belter ships were derelicts now. CDRE Castle was astonished to find the Yard in such good repair, and entered into negotiations with D-Yard & Mother-E. What came of these talks was an exchange, much like what Mother-E would drive, a hard bargain. CDRE Castle promised that Mother-E would be repaired, and the facility maintained, as well as the repairs to the belter ships & Subcraft, only humans would be coming here, if they could get along with the arrangement. Castle promised the system would be free of "Eaters" if D-Yard would consent to make non sentient copies of her shipbuilding machinery for trade & export, and they (Mother-E and D-Yard)," could live out their years in peace." He also guaranteed that her "disciples" would be restored, and allowed to "defend" the two mated AI's, "but might have to have humans aboard to deal with boarding operations from time to time." D-Yard & Mother-E came to the negotiating table and came away feeling they had no better offers. They'd seen what Castle's cruiser had done to the SHE, snuffing its AI in one salvo from its modified spinal mounted weapon. Faced with possible extinction & co-operating with organics (which only wanted the best for the ships, D-Yard pointed out to the more suspicious Mother-E), the deal was struck.

Depot today (001-1202) boasts again an A-class Shipyard. The life support facilities have been increased to contain 1 million Navy & civilian personnel from Galines, Czerniak, and Solee. It remains Solee's "Ace in the Hole", and security clearances to work here are stringent. Mother -E has again her 12x "disciples, and they guard the far three gas giants as before, but with mines and other devices Solee has introduced. The Belter ships have returned to work, with humans working the "buggys", many from Thanatos. As a matter of State Security, all leave/holidays are taken on Linnert nearby. Sol Sec is determined to keep this site from prying eyes at all costs. Those taking work here can expect to be here twenty years before retirement. Those with extended family are discouraged from applying. Due to this stroke of luck, diplomacy and skill, not to mention risk, CDRE Warner Castle was promoted to VADM in 1201 in the Soleean Navy, the highest ranked Margaret remnant in Solee's Imperial Navy to date. The machinery reproduced by D-Yard has allowed Solee and other worlds in the "empire" to effectively upgrade to their highest potential. Hence Solee, Galines, & Czerniak are now also A-class ports. Currently D-Yard & Mother-E are working on restoring the TL-9, A, & remaining TL-B mothballed ships. Solee is hastily recruiting spacers to man them as fast as they come back on line.