Well, nothing new has been happening.

AI’s asleep and system isn’t helping.

“Isn’t that right system?”

IDuntKuwWhitYurReffringTaSueIllJoosSiaTatEtsUonlukle

But at the same time, I’ve been so bored of them and my own thoughts that I've gotten much farther on my rotations. I’ve gotten to the ninety-third compression. Only seven more till I can think about spending my mana on my ideas.

So I’ve broken through the hundredth layer benchmark. I haven’t found anything new from it and it doesn't feel like I am pulling any mana from outside then the little trickle I get through the cracks between the batteries.

I would ask AI about this but SOMEONE IS STILL SLEEPING!!!!

Well with nothing else to do I've continued my development of circlets with the goal of reaching one hundred and sixty circlets. I’m only a little over halfway there since passing the hundred mark but I believe I can do it soon.

I mean I have nothing better to do.

Pov change.

“Well everyone, from the blast marks on some of the structures there are clear signs of mana detonators used in key locations like the facilities shield generator. They tried to cover this up with a focused asteroid based strikes on the facility. This has covered many of the telltale signs of foul play which has allowed the people who run this operation to be completely oblivious to the true situation at hand.”

“We still haven’t reported this into the owners as we Tarux and I believe the ones responsible for this are watching us and will try to remove us at any sign of our knowledge of their actions. Tarux has observed many of the blast sights and confirmed that there are three types of scorch marks from the places of impact.”

“Captain Orsu how can we be so sure of this evaluation. Shouldn't I go down and confirm the suspicions myself?”

Oh, Fizz, are you questioning my capability again.

“Oi Fizz, you saying I don’t know my explosions?”

“Oh no Tarux. I’m just suggesting getting another appraisal on the situation of the matter.”

You stubborn old know it all foul. Your not the only one who has a brain in the crew.

“Then should I use this time to educate you on my expertise of all things that, as you say “cause ruin to all creation.” I know you know the principles between the different types of destruction but would you like to tell us all the difference between magical, chemical, and velocity caused damage?”

Let me tell you, you half pint metal loving cyborg. Magical detonations always consume the area they detonate in leaving spiraling markings along the surface with no scorch marks but leave incredible smooth and abrupt edges in its wake. Chemical explosions leave scorch marks on the immediate area with radial markings shooting out from the center of the detonation. They also tend to have pieces of shrapnel surrounding the area either from the explosives casing or the things that were destroyed in the blast, and if you're sensitive to it you can sometimes pick out some telltale chemicals from their distinct smell. Velocity damage leaves a clear impact point with massive devastation following it along its path in a cone of destruction. When the impact comes from above and has to deal with atmosphere then it takes on a much more devastating effect, if it gets through the atmosphere that is. It leaves a much larger radial scorched area with debris littered about everywhere, some even making their own impacts. The impact point is almost always a crater of some sort and the central point of impact will usually have some remainder of the ordinance used in its use.

Could you differentiate between those Fizz, could you tell the difference between these three types of explosions as they lay atop of each other?

Well, Fizz could you!

“Caption Orsu we don’t have time for Tarux’s ranti…”

“FIZZ, Shut it.”

“I trust Tarux and his judgment of the situation so stop pushing the topic of how much smarter you are and trust him on the field that he thrives in.”

“I was jus…”

“FIZZ!!”

“Yes sir, sorry sir.”

Yeah, Fizz shut up. Just listen to Orsu before I make you shut it.

“Anyways, everyone that’s why we have gathered aboard Kalna to discuss the next action that we should take.”

“Umm Cap. Orsu.”

“Yes, Mivro?”

“What really are our options? I mean we can’t really abandon the mission as that would stain the crew's reputation as we have only just got it and this is one of our first missions. We really don’t know enough about these posable assailants to accurately gauge their threat to our objective. We also don’t know their backing if they have any or their motive. If it weren't for the fact that we would be committing a type of business suicide by dropping this mission I would suggest doing just that. And that leads back to our current predicament what are our options captain? What can we actually do to cover our backs if the situation starts to tear itself apart like a dying star?”

Wow, Mivro has thought this out a lot more then I would have after learning about the situation just a minute ago. But I think we should stick to the mission and play dumb to the actions of the assault on the outside while we try to be as discreet as possible in our observation of their actions. Maybe start to install some of Fizz’s fixed interior guns around the ship in case of boarding actions and always have either me or Erin onboard as a potential deterrent. Everyone can fight well enough but if we lose the ship then we’re stuck on this rock until we run out of something or everything, or until they decide to send us to kingdom come. I don’t believe our employer would be willing to send out a search party for a new crew like us.

“Well, Mivro here are some of our options. We can drop the job just like you said, we can just ignore them and finish our job like we never knew they did anything, or we could try and find them and eliminate them. These are the most basic options and we can do things varying off of them like increasing security while we finish the job, or we could set up a trap to see if we can catch them by surprise and cripple their forces before we go into a brawl. We could even fake leaving by broadcasting the news that we found foul play towards our employers and leave shortly after, we could turn that into a trap as well. But overall it comes down to three main solutions either we flee, fight, or ignore. I am partial to making a trap and fighting but I would like to get a general idea of how everyone feels about the situation.”

I guess I’ll speak up first…

I hate explaining myself to Fizz though I’m sure he’ll try an oppose my thoughts.

“Well, Orsu I think that we should continue our job for now. Wait and see if there are any signs of hostile activity as we do our job. But at the same time, we would also increase our security and start to prepare for any possible complications. I would suggest installing some of Fizz’s static defenses inside the ship in case the perpetrators decide to ground us and leave us to die on this planet.”

Now to see everyone's rebuttal to my idea because I’m an explosive maniac.

“Well, Boss I think that Tarux’s idea is pretty good. By doing that we aren't openly threatening the perpetrators and we could potentially finish the job that we’ve been tasked to do without any issues. But at the same time, I don’t feel right with leaving them here to cause a mess of the place after we leave so I vote we make a trap and decimate them before they use their advantage against us.“

Well, I’m surprised that Mivro agreed with me at all. But that also means that she thinks there aren't many options for us and that mine was at least kind of decent.

“I like Mivro’s idea. I don’t think we can call this mission complete until we eliminate the ones responsible for the destruction of our employer's facility. And even if we did complete the job without incident I’m sure they would strike again leaving our employers to question whether or not we even did the job in the first place. This could lead to an even worse reputation being spread about us compared to just returning and canceling our job. So I think we should start to deck out our fighting power and increase the defenses on the ship and the supplies going into the field for an increase in security.”

Well, I expected Erindror’s support. I think that he’s got a pretty good grasp on the situation as well. He’s being realistic about how things might play out so I’m sure he’ll be supportive of the plan as long as we don’t stagnate.

“Well, I believe we should fix the orbiting stations so that they can only be adjusted with the proper key codes and have it set up to be automated through the use of an AI. once we do that we can leave and get this job over with. We won’t have to fight or waste our time with the ones responsible for it all.”

Fizz you know we don’t have those resources or time to do that. By the time we finish that we would be in debt from the expenses from fixing it and the planet will already be put back on its plan to make the planets inhabitable for multiple decades. The damage we’re trying to prevent would be done and we would lose more money then we would make if we made any at all for failing to finish the job in a timely matter.

For how smart he is he really doesn't know how to manage his resources. Which is why Orsu gives him a finite budget for his experiments.

“I believe that the proper course of action here is to set that trap just like Miss Mivro said and gain some intel from these slimey creeps. I would love to work them through a few tests to get them to be more receptive to cooperate. Then we could find out what they know and work on countering their operation and destroy them from existence.”

Well Vengella still scares me but I do think that trapping some to gather intel is a worthwhile endeavor. But like always trapping is so much harder then killing. It could be done but it just wouldn't be an easy task compared to setting a trap meant to kill them all.And I’m sure she wouldn’t mind to much since she could still collect some of their blood.

“Well the best situation we could hope for is for them to assault the planet again after we leave so that we wouldn't have to deal with any more trouble than needed. Then we could potentially get another contract to deal with this problem again, thus increasing our profits. But it would also have the potential to set up a bad brand for our services which would only reduce our overall gains over the long term operation of the fring crew.”

Thalon, you money loving scum bag. I ought to gut you at the next chanc…

“But for the immediate option we have to objectives the job and our own survival. I vote that we increase security while we focus on finishing the job. There is no reason to go looking for trouble but we should be prepared for it coming to use as our contract is highly likely opposed against their own agenda.”

I’ll think about my evaluation of you for now Thalon. I’ve got an eye on you money grabber.

“Well from what I’ve been hearing I think we can all agree that we will be completing this job, no matter the threats that may come to us. But that doesn't mean we need to do nothing and wait for their action. We will up our defenses aboard the ship and supply a few more radial senses to the people that put their boots on the ground. If we find more signs of them poking their heads around the system we’ll conviene again and set up a trap for them. We’ll try capturing one to find out what they know about their operation, Vengella will have authority over them if Mivro’s or Erin’s methods don’t work. No matter what happens though is that everyone will get through this even if that means we get a black spot on the crews recorde, it will suck for a few orbates but we’ll get through it like we have done for all the years were we were not registered. We can do this people we will get this done. Any questions?”

“Good, dismissed!”

Well I think the plan we’re going with will work out fairly well. The plan we’re working with seems to be the most defencive one. But with all the unknown variables working defencive and being aware sounds like the best bet for a successful mission. But like with any plan it will only last until contact with the enemy.

And it’s my job that we all pull through that coming contact.