Inner Storm
13 May 2024Xochitl Khae
Inner Storm
Colonia Region
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Tara sensed Ryuko’s inner tension as they dropped into normal space. The nose of the Python Mk II diverted away from the system’s main sequence star as his widened eyes studied the scanner, sniffing the local traffic as the star’s interference fell behind.
Each contact that began to appear Ryuko would point the Python’s nose and its most powerful sensors towards, interrogating each in-depth. Tara knew he was looking for something specific, but he was not sharing what that was and she understood him well enough not to ask.
“You’re mine,” he growled as an inner fire manifested in his eyes as he locked onto a far distant target. At more than 9,000 light seconds, the ship that gained his attention was too far removed to intercept by normal means and would be impossible to find once they reached that location. The Python Mk II that Zaria was letting them use was anything but a normal ship.
The factory fresh and engineered warship had the latest technologies incorporated within it, including the new supercruise overdrive module. The distance of the other ship, once an object that could not be considered, was now within easy reach, as Ryuko keyed the ship’s intercom. “Hang on kids, there’s going to be a little kick.”
The sublight engine’s boost controls also activated the supercruise overdrive module when at luminary velocities, as Ryuko’s thumb pressed inwards. The interior of the ship vibrated as a hum began to fill the bridge, and then it happened. The sudden burst of acceleration was like a punch to the gut, a shockwave that rippled through the ship and its crew. Tara could feel her body being pressed against the seat, her vision blurring as the g-forces took hold.
Ryuko’s rage kept him focused, his movements precise and deliberate as he guided the ship through the system at speeds that seemed to defy the laws of physics. The hum of the engines had given way to a roaring, thunderous sound as if the ship was tearing a hole through the fabric of space itself.
Tara glanced out the window, but all she could see was a blur of light and color as the ship hurtled through the system.
Tara shifted her vision to Ryuko as he disengaged the overdrive, snapping everyone forward into their seat’s safety harness. Gravity well warnings appeared as dumping an opposite and equal amount of raw energy into the blackness of space, generating temporary gravitational forces rivaling that of a small planet.
“There she is,” Ryuko growled, snapping the nose of the ship in line with the target, who either had not noticed the predator appearing where none should be or was too busy being shocked by its velocities. A funnel in space appeared, twisting both ships, as Ryuko activated the interdiction module, locking its gravitron beam on that of the other ship, attempting to destabilize its luminary bubble and force it into normal space.
The other ship attempted to twist its way out of the gravitational net as Ryuko wrestled with the controls, keeping the nose of his ship firmly on the target, giving it no rest or quarter. At this point, maneuverability was better than velocity, with both ships already at luminary speeds. The better ship and pilot would win the contest, and it was not that of the prey as its bubble of relative space, keeping it safe at such high velocities popped, causing both ships to drop into normal space, spinning and skidding.
Ryuko was faster on the controls, activating the weapons systems and locking the target. Zaria had indeed engineered this Python Mark II into a ship of war, as five overpowered fragmentation cannons and one large overpowered beam laser activating, firing, and striking, all within the same instance.
The target shields flared and disappeared as quickly, unable to handle the massive kinetic and thermal forces, as Ryuko pressed the trigger twice more, sending a double shot of each into the hull of the target, which instantly shredded itself into an innumerable amount of scrap. Its crew never had a chance to make a hail or activate their escape pod ejection sequence.
Tara remained silent as Ryuko secured the weapons, his glaring wide eyes seemed primal. She had never seen him this focused or angered by anything before, but whoever and whatever that ship represented was more than a trigger for whatever darkness was inside of him, it was something more.
“Well, that was exciting,” Tara said, as a coy deception as she accessed her data on Ryuko’s past. She cross-referenced that information with the affiliation identification of what was now slivers of scrap, floating on their final destination into the void beyond.
An unknown voice sounded inside of Tara, as she paused to examine the debris. ‘Zaria set the stage to spur him into action, but he is one who can sail through the storms to calmer seas if you let him.’
“Assigned to the solar flares,” Ryuko said in a hushed tone, as he secured the ship from combat, turning its nose back in the direction from where they had come from. Tara only nodded, recognizing he responded innately in pirate cant, letting her know he had sent his target to hell. She knew the reference, as the voice spoke again.‘Let him sail his course, and simply be there.’
“Hey up there,” a voice sounded out on the ship’s intercom. “We need a clean-up back here.”
“Aby, get up here and take the ship,” Ryuko commanded, setting the ship’s throttle to full, allowing it to travel in relative space as both he and Tara rose from their seats and headed for the bridge exit.
Aby was already in the corridor, moving towards the bridge as Ryuko held up his arm to stop him as Tara raced past them.
“Keep the ship in normal space until we know what happened back there, and sound off if anything appears on the scanners,” Ryuko commanded as Aby nodded. “Also, were the battle androids loaded as well?”
“Yes, they are in the hold. Do you wish them activated?”
Ryuko leaned in towards Aby’s face, patting him on the shoulder. “If another contact appears, yes. Get them hot and ready. We are not in friendly space out here.”
“Got it,” Aby replied, headed towards the bridge as Ryuko glanced back at him for a moment before heading aft.
The Python Mark II, being primarily a warship, held only a quarter of the internal space of the Python Mark I, which was good for Ryuko as he didn’t have as far to go before entering the crew lounge, where Jabir and Scyles were both standing behind Tara, who was on one knee, administering a g-med inoculation to Lianna.
“Zaria was rushing us on board and she was so excited at seeing the ship that she didn’t dose up before racing onboard.”
There was no way anyone who had any flight time under them could have faulted her. There wasn’t anyone who hadn’t succumbed to the forces involved during space flight. The new supercruise overcharge didn’t help her cause any, exacerbating the situation until her body decided that everything she had eaten or drank within the last hour, needed to not be somewhere else.
Ryuko ran a hand through his close-cropped hair, looking down at her with a smirk on his face. “Alright, let’s get her cleaned up and get her to the infirmary so we can slap a health monitor on her. After that, you guys pick your rooms and get your personals' stowed. There are plenty of rooms for a crew on this tub, but they aren’t as plush as you have been used to.”
“What the hell was that exactly,” Scyles asked, rotating his shoulders. “Was that wicked kick the new drive everyone has been talking about?”
“Yes,” Tara said over her shoulder, as she gently rubbed Lianna’s back between her shoulder blades, as the medicine began to take effect.
“That was a wild ride. Thought I was going to lose my own lunch,” Jabir said with a chuckle, looking at Scyles, who in a rare moment, reflected the same.
“Snap your asses to dogs!” Ryuko barked loudly, causing everyone to flinch.
‘She pushed him to make a profit, and now he is going to make them a crew,' the voice inside of Tara said, as she ignored his outburst at the men, concentrating her attention on Lianna.
Both Jabir and Scyles shared a look as Ryuko scowled at them, spurring them to scramble out of the common area. Tara turned her head to look at Ryuko, a smirk on her own face. “Do you want me to snap you too as well, or do you want to help me with her?”
He helped pick Lianna off the deck and began walking her with Tara towards wherever the infirmary was located. She already had the entire layout of the ship downloaded into her memory and could have easily carried Lianna herself, but he knew his place was with his injured crewman.
The distance was short and unlike the common area, the infirmary was larger, with several beds, each with its own ceiling-mounted multi-armed surgical robot, and a complete setup of anything it might need near each one. The sight initially impressed Ryuko until he reminded himself that this was a warship and casualties were a part of war.
“So why all of the fuss to get us in this beast,” Tara asked, laying a moaning Lianna on the bed, as the overhead bot began its automatic scan of whoever had been placed underneath it.
“Imagine it had to do with her message. Someone above her is probably pushing her to push us, and she wants us to get them blooded and ready for their trip back, or wash them out.”
Tara kept her attention on Lianna, watching the bot go through its task, as Lianna’s vital signs appeared on one of the monitors. “Not the best or most efficient way, but I imagine this region also has something to do with that as well?”
He knew he had lost his composure on seeing that ship, and his actions against it were not exactly what anyone had been expecting, not even himself. Seeing what once was the pirate clan he was a part of, before he parted ways and before the mutiny inside of it, that had cost many he had called brothers their lives before the filth that had infested it had made its way out here, contaminating another sector of space with their presence.
Tara saw the embers of the earlier fire burning behind his eyes again before he turned his head away.
“That bitch knew exactly what she was doing, and likely what my response to it would be before I did.”
Tara turned to look at Ryuko, her hand coming up to gently turn his face to meet hers. “And, now you are barking at the guys, like they are part of a pirate crew, and clipping back to me in pirate cant, about sending that devil to hell earlier. You can’t let her get to you like this.”
“A little late for that. She already got under my skin and sent me out here to the one place she knew would fire me up.”
Tara’s face formed a gentle smile as she ran her fingers down the side of his jawline. “In the system near this, you were doing so well. A few looted ships, and a nice little group no one would care about.”
Ryuko chuckled. “Yeah, I reckon so. Still, I want to give her exactly what she expects. She wants me out here, carving away that rot from these stars, I say let’s burn them.”
Tara nodded, blinking in a sultry fashion at him, giving him a smile. “Yes, let’s burn them and give her some pirates, but first…” Tara drew in and gave him a kiss, taking his mind temporarily off of the machinations of his puppet master.