Friends till the End!!
01 Aug 2020ExiledHuntress
As newly promoted Division Commander of Sentinel Security, I am tasked with dispatching Sentinel Forces to specific regions of Colonia. Infrastructure failures and famines have broken out in numerous systems in my sector. I am limited at this moment in the number of pilots and ships I have at my disposal. SentCom requested some temporary reinforcements from FA Lindholm until are requisition order for more purchases can be fulfilled. I had all my pilots out on transport runs to aide Edge Fraternity Landing in their outbreak when Progenitor Eaton had requested transport of some food and synthetic meats, as well as the recovery of 12 lost black boxes in and around Colonia. I was the only pilot left, so I saddled up Apophis to run the transport and recovery of the boxes. I was warned that pirates are also scouting for said black boxes. I needed to make sure Apophis was combat ready should the need to defend myself come true.
A badly damaged Type-6 landed next to me and her crew began to load the food and meat from her hold onto mine. The crew's demeanor was depressing. EMTs wheeled out 2 stretchers with 2 dead crewmen. The ship's commander was riddled with grief. I was greeted by the XO whom explained what happened. A pirate squad led by a known predator, Sobraxis, had attacked them en route to Moore's Claim in the Luchtaine system. He informed me that of the dead, was the commander's own wife. "Please be careful, Commander. Sobraxis has a squad of Anacondas. They are skilled and will attack in a pack. They will demand the cargo, but didn't utilize hatch breakers." "Thank you and I'm extremely sorry for your losses."
I began take off procedures and programmed the black box locations into the computer. After several hours of collections, I finally arrived at the final destination for the last location. I dropped out of supercruise and was immediately greeted by 4 blips on my radar. They showed no signs of hardpoint deployment so I dropped my limpets and began to collect the boxes. As I waiting for the final box, radar picked up incoming missiles. I was under attack! A transmission came through from Sobraxis, "Drop your cargo or be obliterated by a pirate lord!" Fuck him. I grabbed my last box and began FSD countdown to Luchtaine. My python was more than capable of outrunning those anacondas. All 4 ships began firing upon me as I awaited launch. I managed to slip into hyperspace right as my last shield bar was about to drop. I wiped the sweat from my brow. "That was a close call", I said to Archer, my ship's AI.
I arrived in Luchtaine and set supercruise to Moore's Claim. Moore's Claim was an asteroid refinery base deep in a gas giant's rings. I was almost knocked out of cruise by Sobraxis' FSD interdictor right outside the ring. I had no choice but to fight. I deployed hardpoints and locked onto the nearest pirate and began firing my multicannons, pulse lasers and packhound rockets. All I could do is wait for the assist from system security. All 4 anacondas were attacking me as Archer notified me that system security were 5 minutes out. With ammo down to zero for packhounds and shields up still on the enemies, I was about to accept my fate. My comms became active. "Someone order a side of back up?!" The reinforcements I requested, being led by the Fleet Admiral herself, had arrived. I looked through my cracked canopy to see the Adjudicator, the admiral's Federal Corvette, fly over me with 3 Krait MK2 wingmen. "Selena, get your ass to the station, we'll blow this scum out of the universe!" I initiated FSD and flew off to the safe zone of Moore's Claim. Docking computer was shot to hell so I had to manually grab the stick and try to land this with a cracked windshield. As I came to a slow descent over the pad, I watched as waiting rescue and fire crews were getting ready to tend to my ship. I made it!
The dock crews diligently went to work on putting out the fires and unloading the cargo. Medical crews attended to me, as per regulations. I was fine....shakin up, but fine none the less. Admiral Lindholm and her wing had just landed and she ran over to see how I am. "Are you ok, Selena?" You don't need to worry about those pirates anymore. They're space dust." "I'm ok, ma'am. Apophis might need a few band-aids, but I'm good to fly. I really appreciate you coming to my aide. I would have been a goner!"
We were personally met by Progenitor Eaton would offered any resources I would need to recover and then thanked us for delivering the boxes and supplies. Apparently, the boxes offered the location of missing pilots who jettisoned when attacked by pirates while delivering supplies. I do believe I see a search and rescue mission coming Sentinel's way!