Ok, here's the first things that come to mind.
There are (soon) going to be two ships that look like the Aurora... Think we might see some confusion being spread within the Jung ranks? "They hit us here at x time!" "No, they were over here then!"
Perhaps just leave the Celestia exposed in some system, and allow the Jung to attack it while having the Aurora jump in behind the attackers... And then add in old light confusion, where it might appear there are several more Auroras flying nearby. Sounds fun!
I am betting the Pentaurus reinforcements start showing up in the Barnard Star system. They can start setting up defenses there, in order to expand their foothold in the Terran sector. Even if it is just a jump shuttle or some fighters, that might be enough to defend against a casual discovery by a Jung Cruiser, Frigate or Gunboat.
As to those reinforcements, I am sure the Captain of the Avendahl will be among the first to show up, even if he doesn't bring the Avendahl itself. He was fascinated by the prospect of using the Jump Drive in combat. Plus, if that Captain brings a warship, that gives Nathan 3 ships in his fleet, and moves Nathan up to Admiral instead of just Captain.
I am betting that at some point the Alliance runs a rescue mission to grab the Admiral. Maybe security is less now since the Jung no longer believe him useful. Perhaps in that mission they discover the capture of the Pres. That might be a good further use of the Takaran super Marines (I can never remember their name Gtak?).
I'd like to see the Aurora jump in and simply start thinning out the Jung fleet in the Sol system. 3-5 raids, each taking out all the fighters and Cruisers and such in system now, before the Battle Platform arrives. A single Battle Platform with no supporting or overlapping support is a lot more vulnerable.
Well I think Celestia is going to take a significant amount of time to become a useful combatant. She's missing significant sections, not just of her internal components, but also sensors and such. While I'm sure that most of that is stored in her holds, she was 3 months from completion upon launch. No, I think that Celstia is going to be used as the defensive hedge for the Tanna system, leaving Lt Cmdr Kovacic in command. I think it is no accident on Mr. Brown's part that a senior supply officer is aboard Celestia. His training will be critical to allow Aurora to remain supplied and in the fight. If the Jung do arrive back in system, they will be surprised to find "The Aurora" still hanging out. Of course, Celestia has to get out of Sol first. To that end, I think that Head of the Dragon (Episode #6) foreshadowed how. When prepping for the assault on Takara, Abby mentioned that Aurora could extend her jump field to encompass larger objects if they had the additional emitters to allow for such a task. If Celestia has had a sufficient number of her emitters installed, Aurora should be able to rig a sufficient interface to jump both ships away (even if it required a bit more power, reducing range.) Once Celestia is fully operational, it would only make sense to transfer the entire flight wing to her, as she is set-up as a carrier, leaving Aurora to jump about at will during a battle, engaging the enemy without having to worry about her fighters.
I agree that Nathan should take the Aurora back to Earth to take out a few ships, but he shouldn't limit himself to Earth, that would allow the Jung to concentrate their defenses. Alpha Centauri has a battle platform, so he may want to jump in close and get a better estimate of its capabilities before he has to face it. The Falcon would probably be the best suited asset for an initial pass, but the Aurora is the only way the commander of that platform is going to really show his hand.
I am always rolling ideas around in my head, so I'm sure I'll be back. Space combat is a hobby of mine, so this series certainly holds my interest. It's even inspired a few sections in my own SciFi work (unpublished unfortunately.)
I made a small mistake, in that I was thinking Tanna was in the Barnard's Star system. I would bet the Pentaurus reinforcements come to Tanna.
And I agree, that the CV-02 refit would probably make sense being done in the Tanna system. And that the Lt. Cmdr is a good man for that job. I would bet Nathan's Brazilian buddy would join the Aurora for some field training, before going back to help man the CV-02 once she is ready.
So... one more book with just one ship? Or would the Avendahl join in book 10 and Celestia join the fleet in book 11?
I'm curious how long it will take to ready the Celestia for the rescue jump to take her to Tanna. If the Jung were to investigate Jupiter, it might make for an exciting escape. 🙂
Oh, one more thing. The Takarans dominated their area partially because of communications. The Comm Drones gave them much closer to real-time communication between their systems. I think it natural for one of the first things the Pentaurus Cluster folks to do is to setup Comm Drones within and between the Terran Sector. Then they will know what aid is required and when. Since that is something they already are used to doing, it would be a natural step for them to do when extending their borders (in essence) to the Terran Sector.
Yeah, I think there'll be one more book with just the Aurora, Tug has his hands full for now. I would imagine some supplies and people might arrive in book 11 though. I may be wrong, but if I was Tug, the Avendahl would be the last ship I'd send. Sure it is the quickest one ready, but it is also the best one to protect the Pentaurus Cluster, Takara in particular. Also, it is a big logistics drain to add to such a far afield force. I wouldn't want to have to lump so much trust on the Tannans too quickly, we really know nothing about them. No, if I was Tug I'd send a couple of frigates, like the Loranoi (I know that particular vessel is unavailable 😛 )
Comm Drones would be a good idea, but only if the Jung can be prevented from capturing them. The Barnard system would actually make for an alright staging point, but it is a little close to Earth, too easily discovered (in terms of a long term establishment.) Jump-drive comm drones carried aboard the Aurora would work the best I think, especially if they set-up a regular check-in schedule with the rest of the Alliance, so as to be in a spot for the drone to jump to them.
Unless the Celestia CO is being lined up as a mole. Did anyone else notice the throwaway comments about how he didn't seem to know what was in the cargo holds despite being the one who brought it aboard?
I did consider that he could be a mole, it just seems like poor form. I mean, if he wanted to reveal Celestia's presence, he could have. I don't see why the Jung would risk the Data Cores to get the Aurora. Granted, he or someone else could still be a mole, with as big a deal as has been made out of the possibility of a mole on the Celestia. I could be way off, but it doesn't feel right for him to be the mole.
In Ep. 6 Nathan thinking of using a com drone to attack the Avendahl. I'm thinking they could use the same tactic on the "Battle Platform" they will set up in Sol or also in Alpha Centauri. They brought back a couple from the Pentarus for the EDF to study. Might be a good idea to use them as weapons.
As for the possible mole on Celestia, I think it could be Devan, Luis's friend. She has been sowing a little "hopelessness" among the crew and also to Luis. Just my thought anyway...
I am not seeing the mole on board the CV-02. I'm betting more on Dubnyk ratting out the Tannans to the Jung somehow, calling the Jung to come there in something like Eli's deal.
Yeah Dubnyk is real shady... He's going to be up to something on Tanna later on, but not sure if it will be good or bad for the Tannans or the Alliance. What would really throw a monkey wrench in it all is that Dubnyk's birthworld/homeworld turns out to be the Jung homeworld... That far enough in left field for ya? 🙂
Ooh... His mother's maiden name was Jung, perhaps? 🙂
Actually, I'd hoped for something deeper and more interesting than a simple traitor that calls the Jung while Aurora is out of system. I was hoping for something to do with the old days, like he created the virus as a means to destroy sinners or something.
Of course, if he calls the Jung while Aurora is in a different system, perhaps in a battle for Earth, then it would make for a pretty dramatic piece. Half-built Celestia and a single jump shuttle, trying to defend Tanna all by themselves. Lt. Kovacik(?) left in charge, with Luis at the helm. Almost no weapons, only 2 out of 4 reactors online, overwhelming enemy fleet...
Was just thinking of how slow communications is in the Jung empire, assuming they haven't done Comm Relays like Takarans did... Apparently it takes about six months between nearby systems, such as Alpha Centauri & Sol. If you start looking at how far across the empire is, it would take several years for JungHQ to know 1) Was Earth Attacked, 2) Was the attack successful, and 3) what replenishments are needed.
That will make a response difficult, and give more opportunities to attack on two or more sides of the empire, seemingly at once.
I just wanted to through out the last talk that Lt. Telles and Captain Scott had, "I came here to warn you that the next time you send the Ghatazhak in to battle, it may not go as well as it did in the Herculis system. That is all." Do you think Mr. Brown will have the big battle in episode 10? Or will be put it off tell episode 11?
Yeah, I have to say that the whole "there's a mole" thing is getting kinda old. Not just in this series but in SciFi in general. There are plenty of other ways to complicate their fight.
Agreed. In the US Revolutionary war the population wasn't 100% for revolt. There were massive transfers of people as loyalists moved to Canada afterward. There could simply be someone who makes his living off selling food to the Empire that might alert the Jung about something.
Did I miss something? What mole are we talking about? The Jung had Eli, Senator/President Scott's chief of staff, which allowed him to insert Jung operatives and/or compromise people. Now that the Jung are in power, I would think we're done with spies, and now its just informants.
My speculations, some of which are recycled:
The data cores get on the new long-range jump shuttle, along with Yani, and head back to Corinari. They will have their own mini-adventure. This will also allow a plot device for us, the readers, to know about anything important back in the Pentaurus cluster.
The capture of the Admiral and the President will result in a race condition -- the existing organization is compromised and so it will require a 'use it or lose it' rather than a protracted resistance/overthrow. The Jung fleet will have to be 'distracted' from being able to provide any reinforcements, and where the EDF is successful, retaliation.
The above may be triggered when Eli communicates "Give up, Nathan, or I'll kill dad!" Our resident Spec-ops gal Nash wants to see if she can go, surrounded by the Ghatazhak commandoes. Oops, that's kind of a repeat of Head of the Dragon.
The Celestia starts having emitters installed. These may either be her own that were scheduled to be installed, or the redundant set on the Aurora. Tyler brings up a good point, that the initial escape might by Celestia with some emitters piggy-backing the Aurora. After that, it gets fully populated. In order to refit the ship, some sort of facility is needed, and I'm not sure if the moon on Tanna qualifies, so it might make it back to the Pentaurus sector as well. We don't know the capabilities of this alternate jump system, and it might have surprises (including catastrophic failure). Also, it will need its railguns/point defense operational before it engages in combat or it is toast.
The crew for Celestia will hopefully come from the survivors of the Intrepid (?) which got off half its crew when it crashed into Sydney, Australia. This might not happen until earth is liberated.
It is entirely possible that the Jung will not 'find out' that Celestia orbiting Jupiter. The trap that damaged a Jung heavy cruiser may have been the asteroid Metis, and so now even if the President says under interrogation "The Celestia is on Metis!", he'll just get slapped and be told they already checked that, and they were met with an explosion. His reply, "They were ordered to destroy themselves if they were in danger of being captured" would then close the books on the subject. Only earthpeople would name two different places the same name!
Far out speculation I don't actually think will happen:
Dubnyk gets settled, asks for permission to write his memoirs and stories. He uses the computer access to hack Jung computers, planting a new digital plague to be activated unless his demands are met. Think of him as a competent Dr. Smith from Lost in Space. He is caught, and then the virus is re-purposed into a more specialized weapon to make 'soft kills' of Jung ships.
