The Dogtown Run: Part 3/4
06 Nov 2020JB Threepwood
The reason for the heavy police presence in the neighbouring system was obvious once we'd arrived in the next location.The three T7s and two Gunships had dropped out of low-wake and were corralled by a gang of pirates.
There was quite a few enemy ships from Prom Dates* up to Pancakes*. I flicked between targets, none of them seemed to be particularly scary but the T7s weren't equipped for battle and we were already drawing more attention than I felt comfortable with.
[*Prom Date- Sidewinder]
[*Pancake- Krait]
"What's up, Briggs?" I asked over the comms unit as Panza and I, along with Hopper and Deezer in their Eagles, dropped into the area.
"They're asking Cooper to drop his load and they'll let us all go... we've been stalling 'em till you guys turn up."
"10-4, mate," I replied then addressed the whole convoy, "Diego and Wazza, it's your time to shine. As soon as those Jessies start the fireworks display I want those Lucky Trucks out of here. Hopper and Deezer, run a smokescreen of chaff and follow the T7s out of here."
Another rally of "10-4"s from the rest of the crew let me know they were ready to start the fight.
The guys were all experienced, we'd done this sort of run a million times over. All of them knew their part.
"Diego, Wazza, put a fuckin' hole in 'em!"
With the order given, the hardpoints to the Gunships came online. The hanger doors opened below them and the remote controlled Taipans dropped from underneath the two ships and powered up.
The T7s boosted away from the mass lock as the Bandits raced straight through the pirate lines, firing at random ships whilst laying down a trail of chaff.
I watched as Diego and Wazza in the Gunships opened fire on some of the smaller ships, picking them off to start with.
Diego's Gunship popped a Sidewinder with a Jersey Tilt* then laid into another, it's rail guns tearing through the pirate ranks.
[*Jersey Tilt- To take an enemy out with a single volley of fire]
Even though the Adder I was flying wasn't armed well, they majority of its modules were engineered to a good standard so Panza and I laid down a line of fire as we boosted through the pirates, trying to draw some of the less experienced pilots away from the fight.
"Drives are still charging, boss," came Briggs over the comms unit. "We're gonna need a little bit more time."
"10-4, Briggs," I replied, turning the Adder around to head back towards the Gunships... followed by a pirate in a Mark 3 that we'd lured away from the pack.
By this point Diego and Wazza were making short work of the pirate ships and, as I barrelled towards them, both of them fired in our direction... shooting past us at the pursuing Mk3.
I watched my target screen as the red icon blinked out, replaced by white dots of debris.
"Drive's charged, Boss," called Briggs down the line.
"We're golden too, Boss," called Hopper, signalling that the Bandits in the Eagles were ready to cover them at the next jump.
"10-4, get out of here... Lucky Numbers* and we'll see you in the next system," I replied.
[*Lucky Numbers- To wish someone "good luck". Smuggler superstitions say 3, 7, 8, 13 and 200 are lucky]
As Panza relayed to me that the rest of the convoy had left, I watched as Diego and Wazza in their Jessies tore away at the remaining pirate ships.
"Diego, Wazza, let's hit the next marker," I told them.
"10-4, Boss," I got as a reply. The lads withdrew their weapons and boosted away from their aggressors... licking their wounds, the surviving pirates took a breather and decided not to chase the ships.
"See you there, Boss," said Diego down the line as I watched them both zip away.
With my own drive charged, I jumped the Adder out too.
Recap;
[Lucky Trucks- Lakon T7s]
[Bandit- (B)ait (AN)d (DI)straction (T)eam]
[Jessies- Gunships]