2175 C.E.

I: RN-06

I've taken the liberty of researching the RN-06 system. Some of the Grushan archives had some interesting stuff. Apparently, the third planet is an oxygen nitrogen atmosphere, so technically colonizable for humans or Grushan. But they didn't colonize because according to orbital surveys it has an unstable crust. Grushan records say that the continental crust had been practically shattered; they described wide scale volcanic activity, fissures and lakes that all formed in a circle, like ripples leading away from a single point on the northern continent. The pictures they took put me in mind of an egg with part of its shell caved in.

The Grushan team also found indications of an advanced civilization on the surface-buildings and roads and whatever else, but almost no signs of activity anywhere. It's like a dead civilization on a forgotten world. But that isn't even the strange part. As the Grushan stayed in orbit, they received a transmission from a satellite in geostationary orbit. They couldn't tell its origins either, but the markings were different from the ones on the planet. The signal it sent started as a numeric sequence, some sort of calibration signal, then a series of videos and images. The Grushan captain describes images of dark creatures attacking and destroying another, unknown species that almost looked insectoid; surface wars, invasions, planetary bombardments, and finally some sort of super weapon that burned the entire atmosphere of a planet off into space. Finally, a series of fleet battles between the black ships of these dark creatures and white ships from these insectoid creatures. The Grushan took it as a terrible omen and left orbit. They set up a satellite of their own to quarantine the place from civilian traffic.

I think Terran Interstellar Authority got it into their heads that there might be advanced technology on that planet. I think that they wanted to spook the Grushan with their guts and get all the glory for themselves. Only something went wrong. And we're going to be the ones to find out what. End log.

06/26/2175 1124, EST

Reached Alpha Ceti gate. We're preparing to make the jump. I've set for us to emerge an additional three hours from RN-06 3 so we can scan and get a missile lock on any hostiles still out there. We should leave subspace buckling in approximately nine hours. End log.

Official Transcript: Bridge Recording, TSS Swordfish LCM-1201: 06/26/2175 2044, EST

Captain Cristopher Bouchet

Helm Officer Thomas Radcliff

Communications Officer Michael Stevens

Sensor Officer Douglas Faraday

Tactical Officer Frances Dubois

Executive Officer Heinrich Kromm

Navigator Algernon Spavins

[Begin Playback]

RADCLIFF: We've reached the terminal of the warp wave, sir. Stabilizing forward momentum.

BOUCHET: Navigation, confirm our position.

SPAVINS: Working. [pause] Star chart analysis confirms. We're in the RN-06 system.

BOUCHET: Distance to the third planet?

SPAVINS: Two light minutes.

BOUCHET: Excellent. Helm, calculate orbital trajectory and engage thrusters on my mark. Mr. Faraday, what's your analysis of the region?

FARADAY: I'm running scans on all frequencies. No indication of hostile presence. I am picking up multiple contacts in orbit of the third planet on high wavelength bands. No active heat signatures or power spikes. They're all too small to be the Nightshade, sir, but it might be debris.