15: 4 dead Otters on strings dancing

Welcome to deep orbit, Fenris system. You are currently standing on the remains of the UESC Venator. The Pfhor records show that a small number of Pfhor troops are stationed on board the Venator, probing the remaining databanks for useful information. The Gingerbread Man was slagged entirely by the assault and subsequent planetfall, and the Venator is of much less concern than our activities planetside. Thankfully, they do not seem to have noticed that the Venator's navigation hardware contains the only remaining record in the Fenris system of safe low-orbit flightpaths near Surrex Prime. We will need that information to avoid folding into Surrex in the center of the Pfhor assault.

Unfortunately, the network map has become corrupted, so I cannot locate the files remotely. I want you to take out any occupying forces you may encounter, and locate the navigation data. I will remotely monitor the hardware access. As soon as you find the data, I'll pull you out. Don't concern yourself with covering your tracks on the network. If any Pfhor access the Venator mainframe once we leave, I'll make sure they pay for it in blood.

The Pfhor have a highly detailled teleportation lattice installed from the inner Fenris system all the way to the radius of the furthest solar orbit. We had assumed that instructing the Venator to retreat would have provided them with a tactical advantage, but all we did was force them to face the Pfhor head-on when they returned to low orbit. When we instructed the Venator to fly to the outer reaches of the system, we sent them to meet a slow doom. We couldn't have known.

It is absolutely imperative that we return to Surrex. I has assumed that the Pfhor were merely using the native transport matrix to increase production efficenecy: to help them amass an offensive force swiftly. However, the presence of T'fear's personal resource pool, combined with the abnormally high levels of cutting edge mining and electronics countermeasure technology leads me to believe, within reasonable doubt, the Pfhor have a higher goal here. The Pfhor intend to use the native transport matrix as a means to instantaneously transfer entire Battle Groups into and out of the heart of battle.

If the Pfhor were able to position a gate within combat range of Surrex, or Sol, they could instantly manouver an unstoppable offensive force. The Pfhor presence at Fenris is substantial enough to remain uncatalogued without raising extreme suspicion on the Pfhor orbital network. This force alone is threat enough to Surrex. However, if the Pfhor were to position gates on client worlds of combatant slaves, or within reach of the hindmost creche, or even near the deployment of a Trih Xeem... You must hurry.

We are fortunate, I suppose, that Noah is situated within the Pfhor planetwide network. His communications scrambler seems to be working wonders, and he has provided us the single available opportunity to warn SurrexNet. I find it unusual, however, that Noah is able to function within such a fragmented data network while a scrambler is in place.

Scan logs on the orbital network by the Pfhor Virals indicate that the latent planetside network has only received a relatively small node mapping, owing to its sheer size. The Pfhor believe that the native species are connected to this network somehow. Perhaps Noah can be found somewhere in the middle. If he returns to Surrex with us, I shall have to investigate further.

UESC Venator CoordMap Nav.Log.0001B > _ > TASK.OUT Nav.Log.0001B begin remote transfer    ...    ... successful > _

This is the data I was looking for. Well done. I have been monitoring all Pfhor data logs since gaining access to the orbital network. The Pfhor have recently refuelled a medium-sized assault craft, capable of the journey back to Surrex. This is your next destination. I will alert Noah to our plans, and make sure we have space on board for his primary runtime functions. If we're lucky, he may be able to leave some presents for the Pfhor on the planetside network before he joins us. We're going home.