Antebellum

"War preparations are as good as they can be, sir. Unfortunately, this is not enough to stop the Dreadlord."

Admiral Hale presented Crenel's dire situation to Commander Robless, sitting across from him at the meeting table. A few other advisers gathered here, but for the most part, it was a private meeting.

"Crenel's defenses are certainly impressive, but keep in mind that this was a prison designed to keep threats in rather than keep threats out. Our fleets are also inadequate. We would have been annihilated if it wasn't for Verax's cease-fire, and there's no need to say that it won't happen again. Intelligence reports that Verax has built yet another ship, even more fit for war than the Voyager itself. His fleets are back to full-strength. We will not survive this attack."

It was Robless' turn to respond. "That may be the case right now, but what if we had the support of the Separatists?"

"The Separatists? They've already declined our offer once."

"Maybe the situation has changed since then. Maybe that Verize has had a change of plans. There's still hope."

"There's always hope, but hope and prayer won't be enough for this."

"Perhaps not, but an additional seven, maybe more, Marauders will be, on top of Verize's considerable yet unknown military strength."

"I see. I'll contact Verize and the Separatists as soon as possible."

/// N.S.I. Combat Readiness Report ///

USER: BANE

Encryption: Grade III
Status: Confidential
Clearance [Cleared]: High-Level

Fleet Strength: 90%
>N.S.I. logistics and repair crews have worked diligently to restore our ships and fleet to nearly full strength only four weeks after the Battle for Crenel. The Marauder I, which took heavy damage during the battle, is operational and will be ready to fight in the upcoming fight with Verax, although it might not be at top performance.

Crenel Status: 70%
>The station is mostly functional, although the higher end defensive systems are only partially online. Its hull integrity and shield strength are intact and will provide a formidable wall of defense should Verax try to directly attack the station, however unlikely. Internal security turrets are in working order, but the security droids are defunct and outdated and will not be used. External weaponry (turbo lasers, ion cannons, anti-ship missiles, etc.) is partially online and will add considerable firepower to the combined N.S.I./Alteriian fleet.

>Some parts of the station remain inaccessible both digitally and physically. Scientists and intelligence personnel have been working to restore the entire Crenel system, but it will most likely not be ready for the battle.

Scientific Reports:
>New refitted fighters will be available to counter Verax's strategy. They're based around a modular system that can be exchanged to engage in a variety of encounters, and fit well into the N.S.I. doctrine of multi-role fighters. Improved power output will increase both speed and shield power for better survivability.

>High-power laser weaponry has also become available to our troops. Close-range capacity and tactical accuracy make it optimal for short-range fights aboard Crenel and enemy ships. Battery packs are available for the current rifles and carbines, eliminating the need to retrain soldiers on new weapon models.

>Hardened shields and improved composite armor have replaced the worn-down parts of our crewed ships. The increased overall damage dampening should be attuned to taking multiple dynamic changes in enemy fire, typical of Verax's fleet compositions. With Alteriian fire support and logistics, our ships should be veritable flying tanks, although it is uncertain how long they will last against two Voyager-class vessels and accompanying fleets.

>There have been numerous information leaks from both Alteriian and Separatist forces regarding the Myrioniths and certain special forces that Verax commands. They may or may not be intentional, but intelligence is keeping their eyes open and picking apart at the small details we have uncovered thus far.

>[CLASSIFIED PROJECTS - Clearance Rejected]

/// End Report ///

Bane sighed, lightly hitting the console in frustration. "Damn," he murmured. He'd been trying to access information on the NSI's classified projects ever since Verax gave him the first mission. He was using the clearance of Cassus Drugari, but obviously he didn't have the capability to access those things either. Seemed convenient for the NSI. Well, it had at least allowed Bane to slip into Crenel unnoticed. Using the clearance codes and his own knowledge, Bane navigated through the security systems and managed to dig through all of the blocks and firewalls to a command prompt where he would be able to input a bit of a virus that would disable the quick-response systems for a specified period of time while giving the appearance that all systems were still online and ready for use.

Once this bit was done, Bane turned his attention towards Crenel's shields. These had been updated by the NSI, but the result was a patchwork of old and new systems. Bane's knowledge did not quite cover the older network, but he was familiar with the new upgrades and without them, Crenel's shields would be almost useless. He prepared a timed command that would take advantage of a flaw in the NSI's systems and would disconnect the updates and render them incapable of functioning. This would give Verax quite a bit of an advantage, and would make it easier to take Crenel.

The internal defenses would be harder to rig, and Bane doubted that he had the time to completely disable the turrets. Again, he was less familiar with the older versions. He wondered if he could at least trigger a signal that would disrupt the frequency of the turrets, enough to confuse them so that they might return to their emergency function and fire at any persons in sight. He decided to further consider this until Verax was ready, and then at the last moment only do it if he could. That was the best plan he had, so he turned and started towards the small NSI carrier he had "borrowed" for the mission, which was docked inconspicuously at Crenel.