Madness at LFT 625
25 Oct 2020Lakshmi Bai
Wisps of nebula gas amid fields of proto-stars swirled back and forth in the immaterium of the warp. It was said you could peer right to the moment the Universe was created, as space folded upon itself a thousand times over in a bid to cheat the laws of the Universe itself. A faint buzz and a concerning groan reverberating across the hull made Rekha gasp, sitting ramrod-straight as she scanned through page after page of flight systems displays. "Point out anything that's in the red," her Commander said, easier said than done for barely anything about spaceflight made sense to her!
She had lived her life in the Empire as a member of the working caste, far from the shimmering towering spires and swooping beauty of Gutamaya spaceliners that flew miles above. She was a registered Companion, who was matured and wise enough to manage the affairs of a noble house and keep her Master... or Mistress content in any way.
She could wield blade, gun or courtly intrigue in service of the House, but alas, the ways of the swords who flew the stars were far beyond her comprehension. Rekha was sure the Commander could sense her hesitation, her incomprehension, even incompetence but yet there was none of the harsh rebuke or physical threat she was well used to. Instead, this Commander seemed patient enough, forgiving enough, though at times stern to the point of demanding her compliance as and when required for her pleasure.
That she could understand. And so she kept a watchful eye on the systems of the Keelback-class armed transport vessel Rani Padmini as she sped onwards to her first voyage in service of the Federal Navy.
For four long weeks the Commander Lakshmi and her had forged the Ay Indi Empire's name across the sector, first forming a defense pact with the industrial world of Nanabohzo, and then trading with the agricultural combines of Ehecatl and Iman Caber, where paramilitary means were used to eliminate a particular politician who'd been found responsible for wiping the once-thriving Imperial mining world off the face of the Galaxy, leaving its inhabitants in a state of poverty, civil unrest, and famine.
Lakshmi and her had gotten along well enough, in spite of their early cultural, and physical clashes in the confines of a starship, but they'd soon earned each others trust - one flew and fought the ship, the other kept things orderly and reasonably content between them, their various clients, and the colony of Soper Hub itself. The Commander's efforts soon brought to life a long-dormant spirit of enterprise, trade unions formed, and a semblance of Federal presence started to appear, extending a kindly hand of cooperation through first diplomatic, then material forms.
The ship used to found their little Empire amongst the stars, the Diamondback Explorer christened by her new owner the Diamonds are Forever, was soon joined by a Keelback armed transport commissioned by the local Rani to bring in shipment after shipment of non-lethal weapons from the private military industries at Nanabohzo. Just as soon as conditions at Soper Hub were stabilized however, came a greater calling from their new Federal overlords who kept the fledging colony from further harm.
There was a humanitarian crisis brewing; escaped slaves creating a refugee crisis across an entire star sector, and any and all available cargo vessels were called upon to create a veritable river of food, medical, and survival aids to the crisis zone.
And so, as the armed transport Rani Padmini was ejected from FTL into the star system LFS 625, she emerged amid a thousand-strong armada of independent transport vessels strung out across 42,000 light seconds of space. Swooping down for a brief gasp of hydrogen to replenish her fuel tanks, Rani Padmini formed up amid a convoy formation comprised of a motely collection of traders ranging from a tiny Adder to a monstrous Type 10 heavy transporter.
The convoy soon dissolved into chaos, as ships started to 'wink out' from frame-shifted flight at the edge of the convoy.
"Bandits inbound, 10 low, 25 light seconds."
"Incoming Imperial vessels!"
"Where's our fighter escort?!"
"Mayday Mayday, this is the Fat Lady, we've been hit by gravwell interdiction and we cannot pull free"
No one, not the interstellar aid organization, not the Federal Navy, had realized a citizens' crusade of traders was prime hunting grounds for Imperial deep-space commerce raiders who opposed the defection of the Marlinists. The traders suffered as a result, dozens upon dozens of interdictions thinning the stream of the humanitarian vessels, like wolves setting upon helpless flocks of sheep, those beautiful Gutamaya cutters and their dangerous curves slashed in and out of the formation with impunity, while those who had reached save haven around the Navy-defended Fox Enterprise space station, could only watch the ongoing slaughter.
It went on for many hours, this sacrifice of angels, but the armada of traders never faltered.
Lakshmi's Keelback was worn out to the point of malfunctioning, her formerly pristine battleship gray hull pockmarked by laser blasts and autocannon shells until her internal military-grade reinforced structure lay bare, but still she fought on, braving the ever-present danger of interdiction within the system, and the stars around populated by factions who only cared for their own survival in the face of the coming storm.
It was in this ocean of chaos, with death looming at every corner, did the two women confide in each other. Setting aside what little free time they had to just look each other in the eyes, sharing small meals prepared in the style of the ancient Indian cuisine of Sol. Lakshmi barely spoke to her companion, her mind replaying the battles of LFT 625 over and over again, seeing plasma beams glittering off the starport gates, Federal Attack Ships on fire as they battled both Imperial commerce raiders and their Corporate rivals.
Amid all the repair and refitting work ongoing, Rekha managed to find a small space in the blocky ship's interior to lay out a basic but cosy passenger cabin. A space just for the two of them, or alternatively to ferry a small number of very important passengers about the cluster.
Lakshmi would just quitely retire each 'night' after countless hours of supervising repairs, outfitting and planning their next mission. She never said a world of thanks, nor acknowledged her presence.
This was fine to Rekha. Hers was not a culture where such frivolous actions needed to be expressed. So long as they both performed their designated duties, all would be well. She reached over Lakshmi's sleeping form to grab the datapad that was so dangerously close to slipping out of the Commander's hands as she slept. The device was not locked, and upon its screen were Federal Navy messages in a pleasantly warm orange font, clearly personal communiques.
"Attn: Midshipman Lakshmi B."
"At 23:30 GMT, 26 Oct 3306, receive delivery of Federal Dropship FSS Durgawati. Your orders are to continue humanitarian and combat support operations in the vicinity of LFT 625 [Fox Enterprise]. You will receive further taskings by way of secure communications aboard your new vessel."
Rekha put the datapad aside and tucked a blanket over her master and commander as best as the economy-class sleeper cabin allowed.
She looked at her dark, sleepy face admiring the sharp, chiseled features that came with mixed genes, and softly stroked her arm and shoulder until she relaxed, slowly rolling towards her.
"What kind of woman are you," she whispered in Lakshmi's ear, "to have the upbringing of an Imperial and who now serves the Federation? I will have my way with you and unravel all my secrets. One day... just you wait."
