We are scheduled to depart JOVE-1 at the start of next tenday.
Each individual starship has been outfitted with cryotech, and has had its
navigation and propulsion modules upgraded with the parts needed to get to the
Far Reaches.
The new cryotech will enable the crew to be suspended for 4_096 jovannos. The
vastly extended period of suspension, combined with the new FTL module, should
put us just inside the Far Reaches by the time AI starts to download us.
---
The final fleet manifest of SRU Dodecapolis did indeed turn out much as I had
initially planned on, save for one exception: Captain Avery of the USS Kraken,
my first pick to lead the Twilight Dusk Squadron, turned out to be far
outclassed during evaluations by Singh of the USS Jerakeen. A surprise to be
sure.
Singh is still early on his career, and displays much of the bravado and
idealism of the inexperienced. Still, his composure and effectiveness during
the Edsmith Protocol surpassed some captains with twice again his years of
experience. Including, significantly, Avery, who became ineffective and
inactive when faced with the simulated crisis.
While Avery is by far the more experienced and more skilled of the two, Singh
has proven himself the better leader. Singh and the Jerakeen will take command
of Twilight Dusk, and will benefit from having Avery at his right hand.
---
Speaking of ones right hand, I have furthermore decided to place Gustav Wash of
the Nicodemus at my right hand and shall expect him to manage most of the day
to day operations of Rising Dawn Squadron while I focus my attention and
resources on the needs of the fleet. I have the utmost confidence in Wash. He
will likely lead his own fleet some day--ah, but I forget myself: none of us
shall have another assignment after this one. The establishment of Dodecapolis
is both our mission and our fate. There will be no coming back from this one.