Status Updates From Shadow of the Storm

Stormshadow heads in for repairs, piloted by Browning - at Crowe's suggestion, as a sort of "thanks for helping save all us from dying". We cut to the epilogue, where we learn nine worlds attempted to secede- most failing, several successfully rising, but likely to be stomped out as the Imperium seems unlikely to intervene directly. For it all, the Comfederation stands. HAIL TERRA!

At a tremendous cost, though. Every surviving ship - which, shockingly, was all but the Marasti - was crippled, and the station was nearly spent of all fighting capability; their only spaceworthy craft was the captured transport, Vesikko. Crowe decides he's content, especially learning Carstairs, Dupuy, and Urasnicz were all still alive, even if Dupuy was in critical condition and hospitalized. I'd be too.

-really just sheer spite. Stormshadow barely avoids Mikula, which transmits surrender codes, though far too late. Nothing could be done for her, as she continues to crack and splinter and ultimately just fucking explode as the fires reach her magazine. Against every odd conceivable, the Stormshadow, somehow, had survived; and Troubridge Naval Base, just over the traitorous Dolor, had too.

The pilot - at gunpoint courtesy of Browning - agrees. Just as Crowe resigns himself to his - really quite heroic - fate, he gets a reading on the console. Mikula, desperate to evade, is putting all power to drives.. and ripping itself apart from the hull stress. Crowe orders a diversion of course at the last second in a panic that he might actually live, while Browning sprays the Mikula with point defense out of-

And Browning, his old gunnery officer, new political officer, and now friend, obliges him. The torpedos cause a hull breach, forcing the Mikula to seal off and vent its flight deck, at the cost to many lives.. but maybe not the battle. All her opponents were out for the count, or near enough. Stormshadow had no ammunition. And yet, even if it's a crippled hunk of junk, it's a hunk. Crowe orders ramming speed.

-out before he's killed from decompression, not having a suit. He takes in the situation, seeing Bainbridge joining the charge after taking out Regolo in a straight-on ship duel, and learns someone in engineering has taken emergency helm control. Lacking power over much of anything, he does the last thing he can- he issues the order for torpedo batteries, if any still exist, to fire, as Regolo emergency jumps out.

--, who had been sent to take turret control and seemingly been killed, had loaded the torpedo launchers and were ready to fire!?
Maybe it wasn't a gambit after all. Lesos hurls herself in the way of oncoming fire, sustaining crippling damage to save Stormshadow- which is practically disabled itself in spite of only taking a few hits, with the bridge taking a hull breach, forcing Crowe to shove Connelly -

-destruction together, Lesos committing all it's guns to point defense for Stormshadow, which succeeds in it's plan; the Mikula turns every missile on the two. Crowe thanks Browning and she transmits the ship's logs on open waves. No matter what, people will know of the sacrifice made today. Just then, Connelly - the ship's doctor, now final remaining bridge officer - rushes in and reports Morwood and her marines-

With the corvettes out, two hostiles remain- Regolo, in a horrific firefight with Bainbridge, and Mikula, Reutens' flagship, under heavy attack by Dolor's gunships. Crowe resolves to rush the Mikula as if to torpedo it, even though his turrets are all out, in the hopes of drawing fire. Lesos's captain calls him insane, and perhaps he is. But they're going in with him regardless. The two ships charge into certain-

-up on it as it tries to jump, it's lasers causing an overcharge and a *certain* misjump. Hopefully whoever was still aboard died quickly.

-the Regolo easy pickings for Bainbridge & co. Crowe goes to aid the beleaugered loyalist corvettes; corvette, as he finds Marasti has been lost with all hands. Battered, Lesos keeps up the fight and manages to force one of its opponents into an emergency jump out, scoring big hits thereafter that open up a second for Stormshadow's torpedoes, which complete the kill. The third strikes colours, but Crowe opens-

-he gets a reading from the station.. Bainbridge is launching, with dozens of gunships and plenty more fighters behind. Crowe exposes the Stormshadow to yet even more fire so Simmonds can close the gap, and even though she takes a beating, he gets there in time, unleashing a torrent of missiles on the Regolo that opens it up to Stormshadow's missiles, which destroy most of it's remaining missile reserves and leave-

Stormshadow races out to the fight- Reutens has diverted her four corvette escorts to attend to Lesos and Marasti, while making a rush for Dolor Station with her flagship and sending the destroyer Regolo to meet Stormshadow. Even alone, a hopelessly lopsided fight. Still, Crowe is undeterred, judging his only chance of victory is to buy time. He exchanges missile fire with the Regolo, and makes a run on it just as-

Morwood manages to release one clamp but has to fall back against superior numbers. Crowe decides to blast his way out and does so, taking off the other clamp with laser turret fire before- once Morwood is aboard - blowing through the gates with torpedoes in a barrage we initially saw in the prologue! Escaping Dolor, Crowe takes the ship about and readies to confront Reutens.. horribly outgunned & outmanned.

-Roebecker but getting caught in a vulnerable position after dropping one of the goons.. right as Roebecker is ready to magdump Crowe, his other goon - a secret solsec monitor - beats in his head with a lead pipe. Crowe thanks him and rushes off, soon running into Morwood, his other marine lt, and orders her to go to the dock controls and release the clamps. He then goes to meet Browning, who yields the ship to him.

Crowe sprints his way down to the docks, but quickly finds himself running out of breath- a bit soft around the edges, the captain is. Worse yet, he walks right into Roebecker with an SMG and two goons- Roebecker tries to get a little monologue off, lamenting Crowe's cockroach-like ability to survive any situation, and Crowe just takes a shot at him. He misses and the two engage in a gunfight, with Crowe winging-

-willingness to help as a Home Guard lieutenant.. he is promptly seconded to the navy and ordered to take command of the Stormshadow by Finchley. The group split up, with Jorgenssen rushing off to join the fight and Finchley giving Crowe a goodbye, a goodluck, and a loaded service revolver. It seems he'll need it and every ounce of his ability as an officer to save Dolor Station and avoid civil war in the Sol Sphere.

-resolve to fight, with some ships in Reutens' squadron, the Lesos and Marasti, reaching out and declaring their loyalty- albeit the Marasti only did so with the ship's political officer forcibly seizing control. Urasnicz is having trouble reclaiming the port control, and low on ammo, resolves to do a bayonet charge to storm the position. Jorgenssen declares he'll go help and Crowe for his part declares his-

-troopers and orders Crowe open up a general channel.. and then they get the full situation. Dolor is declaring its secession- "Sirius is Rising." Reutens has joined with them and orders Dolor Station surrender, and the captain of the Catania Star, the Imperial ship from Zhongguo, offers the imperium's friendship to Dolor. Of course. It's a full blown revolt, with tacit Imperial aid. Finchley, Crowe and Jorgenssen-

-on Crowe, all hell breaks loose, with fighting erupting across the station. "Friendly" on friendly. He reaches out to the Stormshadow, under command of Browning, who he warns of the situation and "suggests" that she deploy Urasnicz and his marines to secure the station's dock controls to launch gunships, and get out of Dolor ASAP to confront Reutens' oncoming squadron. Jorgenssen bursts in with a squad of solsec-

- who is trying to figure out the situation himself. Indeed, they do, as Crowe quickly begins gathering reports from Simmonds and Carstairs -- who he "suggests"- send technicians to help the Bainbridge.. and realises the Bainbridge was sabotaged, go take it out of commission.. worse yet, Reutens' whole squadron is on the approach, with some other anomalous Home Guard vessels. Dulos. As what's going on begins to dawn-

Reclining on his couch in an admittedly comfortable room, Crowe is frustrated, being grounded during his suspension and unable to be of use to anyone. However, this captain's existence is nothing not eventful; on the stationwide feed, he learns there's been an explosion aboard the Bainbridge! He throws on his uniform and rushes to Finchley's quarters, quickly being stopped by marines and dragged in by the Commodore-

Jorgenssen assures Crowe he'll look into Roebecker, who's back aboard the Stormshadow, and investigate the situation further while Crowe is suspended, leaving him to pretty much vibe out on Troubridge in the mean-time. All in all, could've gone alot worse; it seems Jorgenssen barely even resents Crowe over Santorini, and might even respect him for having shown the conviction needed in that moment.

And things.. don't go horribly, actually. It seems Reutens quickly made an about-face and requested Crowe be suspended & investigated, with Jorgenssen here as a matter of procedure. The two take lunch together, reminisce, and Jorgenssen questions him about the circumstances of the duel & Roebecker's involvement; apparently he was very much set-up, with Braithwaite being the station's former Swordmaster.

-that wasn't concerning, who was in command of them definitely should be; Davide Jorgenssen, a former crewmate aboard the Maestrale whose little coup d'etat aboard the Mackensen sparked the Santorini incident - in which Crowe had his ship fire upon the Mackensen to avoid a massacre of fleeing Laputan transport ships. Jorgenssen relieves him of duty - not aggressively - pending investigation & drags him to his office.

Crowe leaves Dolor - at Reutens' strong suggestion following her recognition of the duel as fair - after giving his goodbyes to Simmonds, hoping to return to Stormshadow, which is apparently well underway in its repair process and should be in ship shape, but upon arriving at Troubridge he encounters a party of Solsec officers, who have come to investigate his highly irregular duel and some other vague matters. If-

A short little news report talking about the recent detachment of heavy naval craft from the border on patrol and courier missions, which they are wildly over qualified and not very much needed for. Odd. I still feel like there's a conspiracy about here, and they just took their second shot at Crowe with that surprise duel.

-uninterested in killing this guy regardless of the fact he'd just attempted to run him through, to deliver a series of especially vicious punches with his sword's guard, knocking Braithwaite silly.

-that this "duel" had been forced upon Crowe in an attempt to get him killed. Was it Roebecker who issued the challenge? Certainly not Simmonds. Crowe manages to cut Braithwaite after the lt deflects his blade with a hand, finding it's edge, but the duel continues. Crowe manages to draw the lt's attention with an overhead slash, before delivering a kick that sends him reeling, allowing Crowe, who's rather-

Crowe is essentially forced into accepting the duel - having apparently made the challenge, obviously someone else had in his name - and Simmonds generously gives him his sword. Braithwaite is absolutely furious, and launches into an attack that Crowe barely fends off, having surprised him with his lethal intent. Crowe manages to effectively defend while he gathers his bearings, and comes to a realisation-