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To: Supreme Fleet Archon Meyer
From: Grand Admiral Joseph Herzog
Vessel: Black Hand – Class 9 Heavy Weapons Carrier
Formation: Stormbringer Task Group, 1st Orbital Bombardment Fleet
Current Position:CLASSIFIED
Subject: CLASSIFIED

Your Lordship,

I bring to your attention an item of absolute importance.
Thirty-One hours ago one of our hidden Listening Posts near the Bronze Eye Solar System, the Chi Po, intercepted a transmission from the moon of Ataraxia. Though the transmission was encrypted we managed to decipher most of it.

As you may be aware, all transmissions to and from Ataraxia have been heavily scrutinized, but this one is of concern as it not only contains classified information, but is also a non-Alliance communiqué, and appears to have been encrypted using forbidden non-Alliance technology.

We would not risk a copy of this transmission being tied up in the hardware of Deep Space relays and Signal Booster technology, so we required the Chi Po's Commander to forward the transmission directly to the Black Hand. The Chi Po's Commander refused for the sake of his crew's safety. It would seem the Chi Po recently had its power core severely damaged while fending off and destroying an attacking Reaver vessel.
The Chi Po lacked the power to simultaneously maintain power core integrity, life support, and still forward the intercepted transmission with the enormous amount of power it takes for point-to-point transfer over such a great distance, and still use Mark-13 H encryption.
In response to this refusal, I activated a Blue Sun sleeper agent that was stationed on the Chi Po, who managed to force-forward the transmission to my vessel.
Consequently, the listening post and all 216 personnel, including our sleeper agent, were vaporized from the subsequent core explosion.

Construction on another listening post will begin within the next 96 hours and a replacement sleeper agent will be inserted once the station can support personnel and a breathable atmosphere.
Since this transmission was sent without relay from the Chi Po, there was some damage to the original data stream caused by the ultra high-intensity radio pulses from a nearby Pulsar (PSR J0108-1431), but we managed to repair the signal and de-scramble the message. Again, since point-to-point communication was used for this transmission it can be considered clean.

The transmission is as follows

Doctor Michael Brahms Sr,

I understand that this is probably an unexpected and unwelcome letter but I implore you to read it. I won’t try to convince you of my previous decision to be the primary caretaker for the Lotus House Companions, nor will I try to change your mind and reassure you of the validity of frontier medicine. I may not understand why you look down at me because of my choices, but I realize that I won’t be able to able to convince you otherwise. Still, there are some things you need to know.

My efforts to explore frontier medicine took a recent turn for the dramatic and tragic with the deposit of Alliance troops on Ataraxian soil. The population of Freefall doubled as soon as the Alliance troop transport’s skids touched down on the outskirts of town.

It was less than a day before “Ataraxia” became a misnomer… and a memory. After the Alliance Commander attempted to bring his special brand of ‘peace and order’ to the residents, a conflict quickly ensued, and what rose from the smoldering gun barrels, blood-soaked rags, and steaming casings was a kind of desperation that has not been heard of since the war. For now, it has subsided, but I know I have not seen the end of it.

The façade of the drunken, pill-popping incompetent that I adopted in order to shrug off attention and discreetly pursue my research was quickly cast aside as lives suddenly depended on me. My patience and my skills were taxed to an extreme.

Still, I tried to press on with my research in hopes that the local squabbling would give me reason to get closer to discovering the secrets of White Ataraxite without garnering too much attention. Once again, I was grossly wrong.
The Alliance commander, Kerrick, kept the mines under a tight lock, and research became almost impossible. I wholly profess that I had been keeping my ears and eyes open, trading information, and even performing favors for those with information to offer, but my intentions were benign – I simply wanted to know who I could trust, from whom I could procure items for my research, and discover if anyone was out for me. It took every last bit of funds I had.

Despite that we do not see eye-to-eye on some issues, I worked very hard to establish a relationship with Commander Kerrick. I offered my services in the field as well as pertinent information. Originally my intentions were to simply establish neutrality, an ally, and possibly some protection, but eventually I found myself having frank and personal conversations with him regarding Alliance policy, his actions, the status of the locals and his men, and information about White Ataraxite.

I still feel as if Kerrick has a hidden agenda, and I won’t insult his intelligence by pushing him for information – as he is indeed a dangerous man – but for the time being we appear to be on good terms.

Or at least, so he has led me to believe. I’d be lying if I said I did not expect to gain something from our mutual assurance, and I am going to make it a point not to push my luck, but I will certainly try to sell myself as an asset to him. After all, the White Ataraxite is on his wrist, and though I am sincere in offering him my services when needed, I need to follow the crystals.

He has already tested my loyalty and I seemed to pass his tests.

My patience paid off when I was finally able to conduct some tests on a sample that was smuggled to me. The results were troublesome and fascinating. It’s possible that this planet is not just rich in White Ataraxite veins, but that it is covered in it. Trace amounts abound in everything from soil samples, plant cellulose, and even the water. I do not have the sophisticated equipment, or the geochemical capacity to properly extract it directly from the soil, so I must rely on crystals mined from the heads. Naturally, the greater the concentration, the greater the yield Acid Electrolysis smelting methods will produce.

I fear that this is a sign that, if the truth about the potential to White Ataraxite is ever fully realized by the Alliance, they will purge all life from the surface, and simply pulverize the moon in order to refine it. This may be an exaggeration, but I can’t put it past the alliance. I put little past the Alliance anymore, especially after seeing their monstrous practices during my short tenure as an adviser on the Chelydra project.

I suspect there’s also a link between the White Ataraxite and the legendary 2nd Independence Army that fought here on this world. If my theory is correct, the legendary ‘Bug Juice’ brew that they distilled was far more than a simple alcoholic beverage that was coincidentally fortified with a few stray vitamins found in the local florae. I theorize that it, intentionally or not, had substantial levels of White Ataraxite in the finished product. This could also be the reason why all attempts to gain information on what happened to the members of the 2nd Army have been met with extensive stone-walling.

Nonetheless, this would also explain how the Lotus House Companions seem to have a vigor that approaches that of the legendary 2nd Independence Army – the baubles and jewelry they acquired that were made from White Ataraxite before it was deemed a controlled substance.

Narcotic potential seems to be something that the locals have picked from White Ataraxite. This has yet to be completely verified, but regardless of the source, a serious drug problem has surfaced on Ataraxia.

So far, the withdrawal symptoms for this drug are themselves terminal. The speed at which a victim slips into a narcotic withdrawal-induced coma and dies takes only minutes. The symptoms seem to begin with itching and tremors, continuing to abdominal pains and muscle spasms, and ending with massive cardiac arrest and neural failure. I have yet to find a substitute compound to start a weaning process to counteract the terminal withdrawal effects.

The effects of this drug are potent on an even level with some of the most potent controlled narcotics in all the ‘Verse, including Praxazine.

I am uncertain if this drug is manufactured terrestrially or imported, but my suspicion is that it is local as I have yet to encounter anything like it.

This would imply that the locals have found some kind of refining process or extraterrestrial assistance. I am not above ruling out crime syndicates or even crooked Alliance representatives, but given how difficult it is for me to procure even some of the most basic supplies, I am forced to believe that the locals would not have the means of refining it into a drug using terrestrial technology – the logical explanation would be one of outside influence. Still, this is just logical speculation.

There have been numerous assassination attempts on both Alliance and locals alike.

A public execution was held for a man who allegedly attempted murder. He was given no trial. He confessed to the crime, but he was most likely criminally insane. I can’t help but wonder whether or not he was being silenced as well as being used as an example. I pleaded with Commander Kerrick to allow the man psychological treatment, but he refused, and I was stunned and imprisoned for attempting to stop the execution.

Rumors abound of conspiracy and subterfuge, and given the recent erratic behavior of the magistrate, his mercenaries, and a few locals, I am convinced there is much truth to it.
I am deeply troubled by the fact that Magistrate Drakon seemed to be aware not only of my façade as a drunk, but also my purpose on Ataraxia. The only logical conclusion I can reach is that his eyes and ears reach further and deeper than I had previously imagined. I underestimated him and his position with the locals.

The people’s best interest is something that he no longer appears to have in mind. Magistrate Drakon gained the contempt of many for being in bed with the Alliance, as well as his own pocketbook. While the details of his secret agenda were never wholly revealed to me, he made no attempts to be discreet about his odd behavior, listen to reason, or show willingness to help anyone who could not help him foremost. At least, so were my observations. If Drakon indeed show any kind of benevolent leadership, it was not in my presence.

Even the CWC - Drakon’s personal bodyguard - tried to bargain with me on the side. The deal they struck with me was not as lucrative as I imagined. I was hoping to gain substantial White Ataraxite samples, but instead I received only one crystal, and was handed 2 containers, one of a strange powder and one of a strange liquid. Both have yet to be analysed. The deal was intense and quick. The Alliance was duped into leaving the city so the exchange could be made without their peering eyes.

Once the Alliance got wind of what was really happening, they came down like a storm and whisked me off, and I had to smuggle the samples off world before I could analyse them.
I am grateful I could trust the Waxwing crew to deposit the samples in my personal locker at spaceport Tong Cha. I will retrieve them when I feel it is safe.

Eventually the entire town became so paranoid that even I was the target of a conspiracy.

I found out that some one had been trying to pin fault for a failed revolution on my head. It took some doing to clear my name. In fact, in order to earn even a little bit of trust from the Magistrate and Commander Kerrick, I had to reveal far more about White Ataraxite’s properties than I felt comfortable in doing.

However, it was my hope that in doing so that I would establish myself as the foremost expert on the subject, and earn some much needed trust. There are still aspects and properties to the mineral that I have not revealed, and I hope that I am not ever forced in to a position to be do so, as I fear my usefulness would be at an end, and thus my life as well.

I still do not know to what end this scheming started, or by whom, but few people seem interested in revealing this information to me.

Looking over my shoulder has become second nature. I fear for my life now. No matter where I go I see people looking at me strangely, turning and muttering to others, or just staring me down.

The Alliance was watching me, the townspeople were both trying to set me up as their scapegoat and make me their leader, the magistrate ignored me for his own agenda, the CWC was trying to bargain with me on the side, and I had no idea who I could turn to and trust. I thought for sure I would be dead by the end of the week.

Staying neutral and gaining everyone’s trust was difficult enough in the first few days after the Alliance arrived, and proved impossible by the end of the first battle. I was starting to see everything as one shade of grey, which made it difficult to detect enemies, trust others, and confide anything.

Then it happened - clarity came.

A firefight broke out right on the border of Freefall between the CWC, the Alliance, and the locals. I attempted to help a fallen Alliance soldier and found myself mortally wounded by the very townspeople I was trying to help and protect. An Alliance trooper managed to revive me though my wounds were severe. I in turn managed to revive the Commander, who had been felled in the battle.

As I began to crawl to assist a CWC member I could feel the sand worming its way into my wounds. I was not even certain I would reach the CWC soldier alive. When I did, I was struck again.

I don’t know how long I lay there, but it was a miracle I lasted long enough to be saved. Soon I was surrounded by Alliance troopers who immediately began emergency life saving techniques on me.

I could feel myself getting cold and all light was fading. In that moment of regret, somewhere between life and death, I began to confess my purpose on Ataraxia. I told the Commander that I feigned being a drunk, that I was never kicked out of the core for negligent surgical manslaughter, and just before I revealed all I knew about White Ataraxite, the Alliance doctor stabilized me.

In the end, it was Commander Kerrick and his Alliance troopers that saved me, but just barely, and they risked their own lives in doing so.

I never set out to choose a side, but it would appear a side was chosen for me.


I don’t completely trust the Commander or the Alliance, but he seems to be a man of his word. Though he may have his own agenda, I can honestly say that I now fear him less than the edgy, hostile, drug-addled locals.

I must strike a deal with Commander Kerrick: I will volunteer my services to him indefinitely, and be his personal medic and field surgeon, so long as he provides me with equipment and supplies, protection, the means to test the properties of White Ataraxite, and allows me to treat anyone who requires it.

I know full well that this means he will be watching me as closely as I watch him, but it is a risk I am willing to take.

I sadly concede that this means I will have to dust off my assault carbine once more – something I never thought I’d do again – but in the name of the greater good, it has become a necessity. Pray that I never use it. I don’t know what the future holds but I must face the reality that some one may have already planned my death. At least in the presence of the Alliance troopers I can take some comfort in knowing that I have some one else helping to watch my back.

I must finish this letter before I am discovered attempting to send an encrypted transmission. I just needed you to know what I’m doing out here, and I hope you can at last take some pride in what I am trying to accomplish.

If nothing else, and if I am never heard from again, I needed you to know what kind of a man your son grew into, and I needed you to know that I tried to make a difference.

Love, your son

Dr. Michael Brahms Jr.

Please see Alliance Intelligence File 01261975-CJMK-3.3 for more information on Dr. Michael Brahms Jr. (AKA – Dr. Jim Slade, AKA – Doug Smith, AKA – Stuart Kupers)

Upon receipt of this transmission, it was brought directly to me and promptly forwarded straight to your office without the use of relay stations or signal boosting technology. The transmission’s trail is secure from both hardware and software sources.

The Operator who intercepted and decoded the transmission, Crypto-Com Officer 1stCls Blancher, was immediately removed from the Com room and permanently retired. Officer Blancher’s family has received a formal letter informing them of her accidental death in a training exercise. They will receive compensation for an enlistee of appropriate rank whose life was terminated in such a manner.
All records of the transmission have been deleted and Officer Blancher’s work terminal has been dismantled and destroyed.

Your Lordship,

At this point I fear that showing a full military presence by deploying additional ships and ground troops numbering greater than 1 Company would only compound the issue by bringing too much attention to the situation. Furthermore, it would also pose too tempting a target for Reaver attack, which would split our attention and make containment of Ataraxia even more difficult.

Though delicate, the situation seems to be under control, or at the very least under our direct watch. However, I suggest we prepare and send a single company to reinforce Commander Kerrick’s current platoon.

Meanwhile, I suggest we place several regiments of shocktroops and the entire 3rd Alliance Fleet on standby for emergency deployment.

Please advise.
Grand Admiral Herzog

Last Edited on 27-Jul-2008 10:49 AM

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