LDFCV Steel Claw, shuttle bay

"Too much gray," muttered Brouh as he stepped off the shuttle, examining the Steel Claw's shuttle bay, "how do these Lupin not go insane from boredom?" Admittedly, he had figured somewhat the same of the Yotan, until he'd learned that they were color blind but perceived minuscule patterns better than anyone else. Maybe the Lupin are similar?

"Chief Mechanic Rslanso?" Brouh whipped his head to the right and upward, at a much taller, silver furred Lupin, who was staring down at him.

"A-ah, y-yes right, that's me." The hyena fumbled for words as he looked back downward, not wanting to assume the rank or position of the one addressing him. Goddess he's huge, are they all that big?

"I am Shipmaster Dirk," he stated flatly, his features betraying little in the way of emotion, "I am responsible for this ship, you are merely here to assist me; do you understand, Rslanso?"

"Y-yes, of course." He nodded somewhat enthusiastically. He'd messed with Lupin tech or designs on many occasions and had to admit he was excited to learn how they handled their own equipment... even though he was more than a little nervous about being with what had been a species hostile to his people until now. "Oh uh, please call me Brouh, I'm just a regular guy after all."

"Follow me." Was the only grunted response from Dirk as he began to follow him, until he suddenly stopped.

"Huh, oooff!" Brouh found himself running face first into a uniformed Lupin twice his size. The dour russet furred face of an female Lupin glared down at him, her irritation was palpable as she turned to Dirk.

"This is Rslano?" The disbelief in her voice surprised Brouh. What did she think I'd look like?

"Yes commander."

"Return to your duties, Shipmaster, I shall handle our new crewmate."

Aboard the Snowlit Dawn

Lana scanned several holographic projections at once, all the data she was trying to parse feeling overwhelming but somehow exhilarating as well. She knew this was just a placement exercise, in fact she'd been informed that regardless of the results that the offer from Echo Contingency on behalf of the New Alliance would remain open, but... daaaaaammn, this is inteeennsssee! Is this really what happened at Lupin Prime? She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at all the sensitive data this simulation was exposing her to, the fact that her objective was to end the simulated battle with the Lupin as victors... actually didn't bother her at all. She had nothing against the Lupin, in spite of all the propaganda claiming they were an immoral, godless race. Heh, they would say the same of me, now wooouldn't they? Oh, wait, I have an idea! She'd only had a period of half an hour to familiarize herself with the system she was using, as well as those of her allies, and she felt like a fish out of water for it but... Leonin systems were very much her wheelhouse, and the exercise encouraged use of personal tools and techniques. She pulled a drive crystal, and began loading a modified tool she'd made during how downtime in Blueden. How ironic that this was meant to be an overhauled targeting algorithm, she considered as she adjusted the targeting parameters in the code her little 'update', which she could deploy at any time due to it still having authorization key. Won't be so eaaasy to use in the future but... "should work this time."

For a long minute, she was worried she'd blown it, as everything continued to work as designed. Crap, maybe the targeting system just looked unpatched, maybe the simulation hadn't accounted for this vulnerability, maybe I made some foolish, amateur mistake in the code, maybe... In an instant, everything changed: missiles bound towards the habstations suddenly saw they were broadcasting Leonin IFFs and automatically the nearest hostile target, several that had penetrated the Steel Claw's defensive envelope suddenly saw they had locked onto a similarly friendly vessel, and disabled their warheads, causing minimal harm as they bounced off the heavily armored Lupin carrier. One final salvo that had just been fired from the Starborn Manifest detected a hostile ship behind it, and engaged their failsafe detonators, triggering a chain reaction in a poorly shielded weapons battery. With a single act, she had turned the tide.

"What?!" Exclaimed Marla, who appeared, staring at Lana in shock. "What did you just do??"

Oh, thought Lana as she nearly jumped out of her seat in Gerard and Lia's quarters, I forgot to engage the privacy mode brother told me about. In a moment, she decided on a response. "All I had to do was swap a couple of reference pointers, sometimes simple solutions are the best."

Meanwhile, on the ship's bridge

"General Jorlen, I am afraid I do not know what I am supposed to be looking for." Sabre remarked as he scanned the navigation station's output, the display of which resembled something more akin to a Japanese stone garden than the map of a star system; a visualized modification the Lupin used to avoid negative reactions to seeing empty void. "Where is our ultimate destination, and what landing coordinates should I select?" He certainly couldn't see any signs of a base, hidden or otherwise, but if it had gone this long without detection that wasn't surprising.

"I really wash you would stop calling me that," Marla's voice muttered over the speakers, "it isn't who I am anymore, even if you're trying to be respectful. The station is well hidden in an outer orbit heavily offset from the regular ecliptic plane, with slight periodic shifts to prevent gravitational accretion. Plus, if the security AI thinks there's even a slight chance of compromise it completely resets and regenerates its orbital path; that system's sensitivity caused us more than a handful of headaches, so it's safe to expect it's nowhere near the last place I recall it being."

"Even with that, I'm surprised we haven't found that thing by now," Lia noted, more than a hint of irritation in her voice, "this may have just been the boonies during the war, but the LC has been growing exponentially. This is actually one or our larger non-core systems, and it explains all the odd reports of sensor ghosts and unexpected shift drive variances that get reported here ever couple years. By the way, I seem to recall the treaty we had with Rageria since the war began explicitly required removal of all your assets..."

"I expect that's why it didn't officially exist, and still doesn't officially exist." Donna interjected, which Sabre expected was to short-circuit an argument. "On that note, Aria, please tell me you didn't follow usual procedures and connect to the system network, or ping their NavNet."

"I haven't, Captain," the cat-like lady at the comms shook her head, ears flicking nervously, "but this is a direct violation of the NavCon Regulations."

"We all know that." The captain groaned, and Sabre knew just how she felt about intentionally ignoring what were some of the very few common sense rules every government in space agreed upon, as it was the best and often only way to avoid damaging or disastrous shift drive failures due to misaligned fields interfering with each other by proximity. "We're going to keep our field strength as low as possible. If someone notices us, we'll claim comms issues."

"They should have already," Lia explained uneasily, the rarity of this tone for her making it all the more unnerving, "odd sensor images are the norm in the Xira's Garden system, so the local government invests heavily in sensors and NavControl technicians. Someone should have already hailed us by now, or dispatched a support ship, this is void damn ominous."

"Actually, I don't think so," Marla replied, "that EC imprint said he was going to 'cover' us, then I lost contact just before we shifted in. I think they're busy dealing with something else, maybe it's best we not know what that is... and he didn't give me any leads to work with. There's nothing for it, I'm going to broadcast my old locator signal and hope that's being 'covered' because we're out of options otherwise. Don't worry too much though, it should appear to be background noise unless someone knows exactly what to look for."

Sabre sighed deeply, taking a sip of the tea he had in a nearby thermos before a new ripple appeared on his display. "Is that the station?" He asked with his regular calm demeanor.

"Yes, I've already authorized us, I can't believe my old codes are still working, but they are, should be safe to set a course."

"This still feels too easy," Lia grumbled, "it's triggering all my intuitions, like a trap."

"It's probably best we're not to comfortable," Donna nodded, "go ahead and prepare for an unfriendly welcome, Lia. You're not the only one to sense something is extremely wrong here."

"Who's going to be on the boarding party?" Marla asked, her projection appearing on the bridge directly. "I need to add their profiles to the security system, which is still active. Also, I've been able to confirm Hack's claims, both Reese Jorlen and Dr Llorien Longtail have been here and have profiles, most interestingly they were here as of around 25 years ago. That is... unusual, as the data from Division 3 officially stated it was abandoned after the war."

"Well, I'm definitely going," Lia huffed, "this is my people's space, and I'm the best qualified to protect everyone else. I'd assume that Ellia wants to come along, apart from that I'd prefer the party to be minimal, in case we must leave quickly."

"I actually have a request from Hack," Marla grimaced and shook her head, "to have Gerard go over as well. I do not approve of this but... he has been instrumental. And..." she groaned once again, sighing deeply. "Ellia wants Dorrin to come with her, what use he'll be I don't know. At least everything is intact there, I've got the atmospheric scrubbers running again so it'll be breathable and safe from an environmental perspective, but I can't say for sure what all you'll encounter yet. I do have a plan once we get into the airlock, if you'll indulge me, ask Tallia for a robotics toolkit, I'll tell you how to use it later."

LDFCV Steel Claw, Executive Offices

"So you see, Commander," Brouh remarked in his nasally voice as he gestured ar a projection, "these modifications should improve efficiency and reliability of your spine cannon by at least 10% and 30%... r-respectively speaking ma'am. With your permission, I'd like to show this to Shipmaster Dirk so we can look into implementing them."

"Your enthusiasm is admirable, Rslano," Valk Stormworn replied with a nod and a flat expression, "and I cannot fault any of the details as I understand them. However, I'm afraid that our regulations prevent modifications of this nature without a full review from a Council Defense Implementation Auditor."

"O-oh..." The hyena's ears lowered and the eager smile on his face fell, "I'm sorry, I just th-thought that..."

She couldn't help but feel sorry for the chief mechanic of short stature, especially since he'd turned out to be nothing like she'd expected from his species. He has been more respectful than anyone I have had in my command. If anything it seemed like he was actually afraid of me at first. Perhaps I should request more cultural information on the Gnolls from his old command. "Lupin do not change what works without careful consideration and review," she explained after he had remained silent for several moments, "that said, what you have provided me is sufficient for getting such consideration. I shall forward it to the appropriate authorities, along with a favorable remark to your prior command for the initiative shown; if the changes are approved you shall receive a standard work order to implement them. Now, I must admit that I have a few concerns regarding your service aboard this vessel. It is my understanding you have a mate who commands one of the NGM's carrier groups - the 'Bloodrage' I recall. Is this correct?"

"Uh, y-yes," he stammered awkwardly with a slight blush at the last remark, "Uhr was recently promoted to Raid Commander, and I asked for a transfer to the New Dawn for uh... personal reasons I'd rather not discuss."

"Very well, I am not specifically concerned with a prior transfer request, nor the state of your familial relationships. More specifically, I wanted to be certain we have the correct packmate on file in case we need to send notice of severe injury or mortality."

"A-ah..." he grimaced slightly, sipping at the tea she'd offered after arrival in the office, "I guess that makes sense, I'm just not used to questions like that being for, uh... formal purposes."

That was enough to cause Stormworn to raise an eyebrow, but she decided pressing the already uncomfortable hyena on what he meant by that would not be constructive. "I do believe you have addressed all my concerns at this time. Please check the personnel system for assignments from the shipmaster, you are dismissed."

Brouh blinked in seeming surprise and... relief she thought? "S-should I leave now, ma'am."

Valk couldn't help but sigh deeply and shake her head, wondering just what the Gnoll had expected she was going to do or ask of him next. "Yes, Rslano, dismissed means you are to leave. I understand previously this was fairly universal language for military organizations, you should probably read up on our procedures during downtime since it appears Gnolls handle things very differently."

Abandoned Ragerian Station, Xira's Garden System

"I've only added those who requested to the authorized users for this station," Marla explained as Lia, Gerard, Ellia and Dorrin approached the airlock, "do not try sending anyone else aboard. Dorrin, please open that toolkit."

"Uh, alright Marla," he muttered, feeling out of his depth as he opened the old almost rust colored toolbox where one of the cameras could see.

"Should we bring our enviro-suits?" Gerard asked nervously, checking readings on a tablet. "The atmosphere over there looks fine, but I'm not sure I believe the sensors on something abandoned so looong."

"We make our stuff to last," Marla replied, "but no, if there's a failure that could be a potential attack, the security protocols will self-destruct immediately. Before you complain, that's not how it was when I left the place, apparently it's something that was changed later on, and isn't normal for even covert Ragerian bases. Anyway, yes Dorrin, the kit has what we need. There's a security droid in the airlock, I've set it to recognize you as an authorized technician, I'll give you directions on how to install something that'll let me help you all deeper in. Dorrin, please enter the airlock alone."

"Don't worry," Ellia chuckled nervously as she gave the Tigrin a nuzzle, "we'll be ready when you're done."

With a blush and a nod he entered the airlock and cycled it... to find himself face to face with what appeared to be a 6ft tall security droid. It was roughly humanoid shaped, with dull green colored polymer plates in place of skin or fur. On the chest and shoulder pauldrons were insignia of the Ragerian Union, and what appeared to be serial numbers in Ragerian script. Instead of a head, there was what seemed to be a black, oblong dome, which he figured held cameras and sensors of some type.

"Identity confirmed," it stated in a flat, mechanical voice, "entering maintenance mode." At this the droid a position similar to a t-pose, and a front panel on its chest slid up.

"Perfect," observed Marla, "it looks to be in good physical shape, take the chip shaped like a playing card and slide it into the visible slot, contacts down."

"Easy enough." He remarked, sliding it into place with a click.

As soon as his paw-hand was clear the plate slid down. "Engaging remote operation mode." It stated, resuming a more normal stance, before it's head dome flashed and... was replaced by a holographic projection of Marla's head. "Finally," the droid said in her voice as it held its hands up to examine them, "now I can actually do real things again. Thank you, Dorrin."

"Th-that's not what I expected you meant by something that'd let you help us," he stammered in surprise, "but it you're pleased so am I."

"In that case, temper your enthusiasm;" she sighed reaching up to rub her face... just to have the mechanical fingers phase through its projection, "right, I'll need to get used to that too, eh? If only that were the extent of the problems I'm seeing here. This unit had a lethal force override installed, which is extremely illegal without having someone monitoring it when in operation."

"So they left too hastily?" He posed what felt like a logical conclusion, given this base was abandoned, likely in short order.

"Could be part of it," she nodded, "but not all, plus it doesn't match the records I'm seeing. There is no sign-off from a superior officer on file for the modification, and if they had to leave hastily the self-destruct should have been set. There is no sign that ever occurred. Dorrin... I don't know what yet, but something very bad happened here, and it's without a doubt something that my government did not approve."

"What does that mean for us?" He asked with a shrug, feeling more uncomfortable by the moment and wishing he could just go back to his kitchen.

"I don't know yet," she admitted, "but we need to watch our steps and scrutinize everything. I've signaled the others, they should be joining us in a moment.

Unknown location

A figure in a dark room watched as a holographic projection showed that, for the first time in decades, the lights in seemingly forgotten labs and corridors flickered to life. Another projection replaced the first, showing Dorrin and Marla talking, then the airlock cycling. The view zoomed into focus on Marla's face and the Ragerian watching rubbed his muzzle.

"So, there was a surviving imprint of her after all," he remarked with what seemed mild amusement, "and one who has overridden the regular restrictions somehow. Whomever this person she's working with is, they could be a threat." Then Lia, Gerard and Ellia entered, and his eyes widened. "An unacceptable threat, Omnex, trigger the erasure and destruct sequence, now."

"Error, unable to comply," responded a deep but flat synthesized voice, "all system access has been locked out."

The Ragerian's blue eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth. "Then regain it. My mother's echo discovering my plans is a risk, but we cannot allow the 'ambassador' to locate her father. Destroy them, by any means necessary."