Decoy Three

Overview

Decoy Three, also known by its tactical callsign “Shrike‑3,” is a purpose‑converted electronic warfare platform deployed in the deep scatter fields of the Kliment Cluster. Once a bulk ore tender built by Kestrel Resource Solutions, the vessel has been stripped of its original identity and refitted as a phantom signal generator—a mobile decoy designed to confuse, lure, and misdirect hostile sensors. It operates independently under short‑term contracts, cycling specialist crews through the shadow network maintained by information broker Orin Vasquez. For anyone attempting to map fleet movements or locate high‑value assets in the region, Decoy Three is a persistent, shape‑shifting ghost on the tactical board.

Description

The hull retains the brutish lines of a Model 72‑Bulk ore tender: a slab‑sided, utilitarian frame meant for hauling mass, not grace. Its original registry has been scrubbed, leaving only faintly oxidized patches where hull plates were replaced. Inside, the cavernous cargo bays have been subdivided into racks of signal emitters, spoof amplifiers, and cooling loops that saturate the vessel with a constant low‑frequency hum. The atmosphere is oily and recycled, tinged with ozone from overworked electronics. In the narrow crew berths, the thrum of the EW suite is ever‑present, layered over the distant ticking of expanding hull plates. Outside the armored viewports lies the dim, granular glow of the Kliment Cluster—a vast drift of unnamed asteroid fragments stretching behind the Flora family, silent and cold.

Society

A four‑person crew rotates through Decoy Three on a contract basis, each member sourced from Vasquez’s network of independent operators. The roster consists of a pilot, a communications and EW specialist, an engineer, and a systems overseer who coordinates the decoy scripts. No permanent residents exist; the ship is strictly a work posting. Power dynamics are flat and functional—decisions are made by consensus, with each specialist commanding absolute authority in their domain. Beneath the surface, however, the crew operates with the full knowledge that their vessel is an expendable asset. Tension and dark humor are common, and the rotation ensures that no one becomes too attached to the boxy hull or too careless with its dangerous mission.

Notable Features

• Electronic Warfare Suite: The core of Decoy Three’s function is a bank of coherent signal emitters that can mimic the electromagnetic and gravitic signatures of capital ships, fighter wings, or even civilian convoys. The system runs adaptive spoof scripts written and updated by Vasquez’s remote analysts.
• Callsign “Shrike‑3”: The tactical designation aligns with a larger network of decoy platforms, though the exact number and location of sister ships remains classified even to the crew.
• Scrubbed Identity: The original hull number (KS‑72‑1189‑D) has been erased from all external and internal markers, replaced by stenciled mesh designations. Fabricated transponder codes cycle automatically, making the ship nearly impossible to trace back to its manufacturer.
• Cluster Scatter Position: Its station within the Kliment asteroid swarm provides natural concealment and a chaotic background against which false signals are harder to differentiate from noise, allowing Decoy Three to remain on station for extended periods without drawing attention.