Taking the Prize
27 Mar 2024Ryuko Ntsikana
Taking the Prize
Colonia Region
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I wasted no time in departing once we returned to the ship. Aby looked at me with his usual curious stare, thankfully keeping silent. Tara processed the evening's dinner meeting, mirroring, to some extent, an understanding of what I was thinking. She would be able to grasp the precarious position Kagehiro and Sakura's offers had placed me in. Theirs was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
“I calculate that despite the appearance of a fruitful dinner meeting, it was anything but,” Aby stated as we accelerated past the planet's orbital plane.
“Individuals like him are the most dangerous creatures you will ever encounter. Before they finish their breakfast, they take over planets, and by dinner, they're trading systems.”
“What does he want with you," Aby asked, confused.
“What does he want with you?” Tara interjected. “A source of inexpensive information, much like Ryuko's benefactor.”
‘Someone has been snooping around while in their maintenance mode,’ I thought, keeping a straight face and focusing on the navigational screen instead of looking over my shoulder.
Aby remained silent, undoubtedly trying to process how Tara would have obtained her information. It was a risky game she was playing, delving into parts of the system and files I would never have been able to access on my own.
Tara didn’t give Aby a chance as she glanced across the bridge at him. “And before you say it, no, we should not be relocating or changing our berth. We pose no threat to their kind, and at the end of the solar cycle, we are not enough of a nuisance to warrant anything more than a sit-down for a nice dinner chat.”
Aby turned his head to face Tara, who I knew was contemplating dismantling him and scouring his systems for any useful information they might contain.
“Alright, everyone, we have our own course, and neither of the 'sans' dictates that. If we find something worth selling, we know we have a willing buyer and nothing more.”
“Course?” Aby inquired.
“Our Maverick suits don’t have enough dust on them, and we have a Taipan Gelid F fighter on board along with a new and shiny Scarab vehicle.”
“Oh, I like this,” Tara said with an exhaling tone.
“Several signal sources, ranging from large warships to small passenger transports,” Aby announced as Tara studied the scanner. “They're not attempting to conceal their convoys. Look at this: a Type-9 transport flanked by four Vulture heavy fighters, a Federal assault ship, and two Anacondas. This is just one group of three, in addition to all the other signals.”
“Updating system information from the navigation beacon,” Aby added.
I brought up the system information screen on my left-hand display, which blinked with the update.
“Well, that didn’t last long. Looks like everyone is embroiled in a war now.”
Tara cocked her head, surveying the bridge. “Wait, they just won a war? Did I miss something?”
“If they aren’t hiding it, then they're desperate,” I replied, looping the Krait back to the system’s host star, where the navigation beacon would be located.
The traffic was indeed thicker than I remembered it. With everyone engaged in their third war in such a short time, they were each becoming desperate and moving out into the open. The only minor faction that wasn’t in the middle of a fight was busy expanding, trying to find another place to call home. Couldn’t blame them, but if they were successful, it could affect my profit margin.
We were greeted by a large swath of ships after dropping to normal space at the beacon.
“There is a danger of collision,” Aby warned.
I wasted no time, deploying the Krait’s weapons as I activated my Remlock suit's helmet. There was a beep and a little green light, confirming its link to the ship.
“The moment we find a target, I’m going to launch and take control of the fighter. You get on their tail and prepare to take out their thrusters the moment I’m in position.”
I didn’t need to look back to see Tara nod. I knew she was already preparing, activating her own suit’s helmet and linking to the ship.
The ship launched a short-range fighter, or SLF as it was commonly known, a staple of stations, outposts, carriers, and ships equipped with hangars. It was small, nimble, and fast, with limited weaponry, but enough to make it a lethal opponent.
Tara had the programmed knowledge for one but not direct hands-on experience. I had flown one as a young budding pirate pleb, with the last time I took control of one being several years ago, but once you figured it out, you couldn’t forget.
A lone pirate ship with an SLF equipped would come as a serious shock to anyone we interdicted. It was definitely not the norm, as pirates valued cargo space over this type of indulgence. The more you could pack into your hull, the more profit you could make. I was fortunate enough to learn under an older and wiser captain, who instilled in me two things: first, that living to sell what you packed your hull with was worth more than whatever you packed it with, and second, that bounties could make more than the product itself, so never pass up a moment to lure in others with your goods, and collect on them as well.
The Type-7 filled my screen as I activated my ship’s manifest and kill warrant scanner. This would show me what they were hauling and if they were wanted, and more importantly, how much if they were. The scans came back clean for bounties, but their cargo I couldn’t ignore. Trade data and technical blueprints. While I had no desire to take anyone’s side, their opponent would pay well for this.
The Taipan Gelid F heads-up display appeared in front of my eyes, on my helmet's faceplate, as I began the launch process. “Ship is yours.”
“Got it,” Tara replied as the scene in front of my face changed completely as the Taipan launched, giving me the virtual sensation that I was sitting in it.
“Shields and weapons are online. Let’s get her stopped.”
From the Taipan’s view, I could see a dual fragmentation cannon burst from the Krait, instantly dropping the shields of the Type-7. This was followed by three bursts from the packhound missile launchers. Each missile weaved its own deceptive path to prevent interception by any point defenses the Type-7 might have, as each found the targeted thrusters. Flames and pieces of debris scattered as each one was destroyed, their last explosive act causing the ship to tumble, as its remaining inertia carried it through normal space.
“They're down...what the…” Tara exclaimed as laser fire hit the Type-7, as a Viper and then an Eagle-class light ship dove into their own attack, hoping to steal the prize for themselves.
“I’m on the eagle, splash the viper,” I called out, pushing the Taipan’s throttle forward. Neither the Eagle nor the Viper could outrun or outmaneuver an SLF. That they would try to steal the prize from a Krait with an SLF meant they were either new, stupid or most likely both.
The Eagle saw me and tried to boost away as I closed the range. I triggered the beam lasers, taking down half of its shields in one burst as he pulled into a high-g maneuver, trying to shake me. I could feel the inertia of Tara advancing the Krait’s throttles as I focused on keeping the piper on the center of the Eagle’s hull, squeezing the trigger and dropping his shields, along with leaving a nasty burn on his dorsal plating.
The problem with those new to the SLF wasn’t in flying it but in feeling the sensations of the mother-ship that they were on while controlling another that was separate from them. The disorientation of two sensations that were opposed to one another caused everyone to lose their lunch the first few times. Fortunately, my space legs were solid as Tara pulled up hard into the Viper, which was attempting to flee, as I pursued the Eagle in the opposite direction.
I saw the signal for the Viper vanish on the Taipan’s sensors as I triggered the twin beam lasers of the Taipan, burning through the Eagle’s hull, burning into its power plant, as it went critical, vaporizing the craft.
“Where’s the Type-7?” Tara asked as I flipped the Taipan around, boosting back to the Krait.
“Any debris?” I asked as both Tara and Aby said they could not see any, which was typical in space. Unless you were almost on top of it, debris would blend with the stars and the black background.
Well damn, I thought we had that one locked up tight. “Alright, I’m docking. Let’s find another.”
Tara kept the Krait steady as I docked the Taipan, disengaging from its virtual view as it entered the ship.
I took control of the Krait, flying in a loose pattern, checking out the wealth of contacts that were flying about, as distant faint laser fire caught all of our attention.
“This time I’m taking the Taipan,” Tara said with a playful tone.
I held the Krait steady as she launched, then began boosting, knowing that the Taipan was far faster. “Go check it out, and I will be right behind you.”
The Taipan raced ahead as I readied the weapons.
“Is it usually like this?” Aby asked.
“Only around navigation beacons and like-kind places. During interdictions, it is usually just you two, and whatever escorts they may have.”
“Unless it is a more civilized system, then their local forces show up, which is never a good sign. Take one or two out, and a whole horde follows,” Tara stated as I saw the fighter on the scanner getting close.
“Yep, that’s our mark, and he’s got two on him, lasing away. An Eagle and an Adder.”
“Get the Eagle, I’m coming in for the Adder.”
Tara was quicker at the Taipan’s controls than I was, thanks to her designed and programmed knowledge, as I saw the twin purple beams lash out in the dark, finding their target. Another set of lower-powered lasers was visible from the Adder, not wanting to give up its prize, as I boosted straight at it.
A triple burst from the fragmentation cannons took down its shields, followed by a shot from the large beam laser that melted off its armor, as we went screaming past him.
My vision blurred and went gray as I pulled the Krait through a high-g boost flip maneuver, placing the nose back on the Adder, which finally decided it needed to run. Too late, as I boosted the thrusters again, bringing me within point-blank range.
The Adder vanished in a spectacular flash as I reversed course more gently this time, leveling out, with the Type-7 gently tumbling in front of us, as Tara docked the fighter.
To say that the Type-7 pilot, Eugene Twaget-Singh, was new was an understatement. I had no intention of destroying him, but I was going to take his cargo. My worry wasn’t about anyone else showing up, but that the kid was going to hyperventilate in his seat if he didn’t calm down.
He couldn’t be more than twenty, in human years, as he stood shaking, with a paltry P-15 ballistic pistol in his trembling hand. Against an unarmored, unshielded target, it was a dangerous weapon. Against two people in Dominator combat suits with armor and shielding, it was an annoying noise-maker.
“Listen, kid, you are going to make it through this alright, and we will make sure of that. First thing is first. You need to get control of yourself. If you can do that, everything here will go without any problems, and I will even make sure to report your position to the local station.”
He was blubbering something in a language I didn’t comprehend, as I looked at Tara, who only shrugged.
I keyed my communicator. “Aby, get your ass over here with a medical sedative, ASAP. That means yesterday, like now!” I didn’t want this kid to hurt himself, since that was the only thing he was in danger of hurting.
My barking order on the communicator made his eyes shift to me as Tara moved in a blur, taking the gun out of his hands. “Sit down, kid,” she commanded.
He kept blubbering, with tears in his eyes and shaking hands raised, as I shook my head.
“Aby, get your ass in here … this solar cycle would be nice.”
Aby raced into the bridge, looking at us both. “I thought one of you might be hurt,” he said, with a medical injector in his hands.
Tara took the injector from him as I continued to shake my head. “Did you forget that you can watch our bio-readings from the ship?”
Aby shifted his attention to Tara, who injected Eugene with a sedative. “That will help you calm down,” she said in a low voice. “Now relax, and we will be done shortly, then report your position so they can tow you in.”
Aby shifted his creepy gaze back to me as Tara brushed past him, mouthing 'cheap android,' her magnetic boots clicking on the deck plating.
Json Snippet from heist
Transporter", "ScanStage":3, "PilotName":"$npc_name_decorate:#name=Eugene Twaget-Singh;", "PilotName_Localised":"Eugene Twaget-Singh", "PilotRank":"Mostly Harmless", "ShieldHealth":100.000000, "HullHealth":25.234621, "Faction":"ICU Colonial Corps", "LegalStatus":"Lawless", "Bounty":0 }
{ "timestamp":"2024-03-27T02:51:05Z", "event":"LaunchDrone", "Type":"Hatchbreaker" }
{ "timestamp":"2024-03-27T02:51:08Z", "event":"Cargo", "Vessel":"Ship", "Count":79 }
{ "timestamp":"2024-03-27T02:51:12Z", "event":"CollectCargo", "Type":"usscargotradedata", "Type_Localised":"Trade Data", "Stolen":true }