Once More To War, My Brothers
26 Jul 2015Shadowmatty
Commander Jason had been scouting the local systems when he made the announcement: The ‘Nu Crimson Life Commodities’ capital ship 'Inv Anders Blaine' had jumped to the ‘Alacagui’ system, with hopes of liberating the population from the terrorists, the ‘Alacagui Resistance’. The 6th Interstellar Corps were once again granted the opportunity to fight in the Emperor’s name and furthermore, the chance to fight beside a mighty juggernaut and bear witness to its powers.I was desperate to head over there myself, but it was important to re-structure my fleet first, I feared even the ‘Archangel’ would suffer if I entered such an intense battle alone. I began by selling the Type-7; the ‘Loggerhead’ was easy to part with, next, I put the ‘Archangel’ out of commission like I had done previously with the ‘Basilisk’. I now had several million credits and no serviceable ships; I purchased a Sidewinder and fitted her for the long journey to the Founders world in ‘Shinrarta Dezhra’.
A day later, having dealt with the logistics of bringing two Imperial ships back to ‘Shoemaker City’ and a wide selection of blueprints laying crumpled on the floor of the outfitters, I had settled on my new repertoire. It was now time for the ‘Mephistopheles’ - a clipper fitted for trade - and the ‘Harpy’ - a courier armed for battle - to be tested. Both ships were real pleasures to pilot indeed; I listened to the engines: soothing and sonorous as I pushed the throttle forward and marvelled at the new-found speed. Soon I was heading for ‘Alacagui’ in the ‘Harpy’ with a broad smile beneath my visor.
…
I dropped out of super-cruise into the combat zone near ‘Husband Refinery’, the cockpit flashed and flickered with the bright lights of lasers dancing before me, and the spiralling thruster trails cast fading snakes into the void. Of all the many vessels, there did not appear to be a capital-class among them, my heart sank: had she returned to ‘Nu’? Surely she had not been so badly damaged? Just then my computer relayed a message from the sensors.
“Capital ship signature detected.”
My eyes darted around trying to glimpse her somewhere, a ship so big should be easy to spot, I thought. Then, the ‘Harpy’ shuddered…the black turned blacker still, space and time seemed to rip open, the rift ahead was unfathomable: at once darker than anything, yet streaked by wildly shifting lightning, undulating, pulsating; I was transfixed. By degrees the 'Inv Anders Blaine' pushed through the chaos, her engines screamed, whispered; spoke. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I tried to comprehend the sound, my bones buzzed to that unsettling chorus of terrible and wonderful. At last, the capital ship was in full view, her mammoth size dwarfed all the other vessels combined and then with fervour she sent thick blue beams of energy into the crowds of enemies.
I throttled up the ‘Harpy’ and pointed towards a resistance Anaconda, now was the time for glory; I could not wait for the wing to arrive, I would fight with the ‘Crimson Life’ forces until my brothers arrived. “All power to weapons!” I cried, and I opened fire…