Dark Deeds and Black Flights - Part I
08 Aug 2017Jellicoe
The Pleiades Sector is on the very edge of human inhabited space, indeed so far is it from the traditional homes of humanity that it is in many ways a mini bubble in itself. At the centre of this new settlement is Obsidian Orbital, a freshly built star port brought into being in no small part by the idealistic dreams of independent explorers hoping for a base from which to survey this fascinating and beautiful region of space and they had delivered the vast quantity of materials to get the project off the ground. Unfortunately it was not just explorers who saw the potential of a port this far from the centres of power and, as with anywhere the law sits lightly Obsidian Orbital had become as much a haven for violent or desperate men on the run as a shrine to science and exploration. The superpowers had followed of course, desperate to secure supplies of meta-alloys and perhaps for other, more enigmatic reasons both the Federation and Empire had despatched powerful battlefleets and built a chain of bases in the area, so far though, despite occasional efforts, Obsidian Orbital had just about preserved its independence. Whatever game the superpowers were playing in the Pleiades Obsidian did not pose enough of a threat to require decisive action. Yet.In a little frequented low gee bar just off the docking corridor three hard looking men sat nursing their drinks, one blonde and clean shaven leaned back in his chair, his demeanour relaxed and at ease as he smoked an expensive Kamitran cigar, the second was dark with a neatly trimmed beard and moustache, his bearing was much more alert as his eyes constantly scanned the near empty room while the third was shaven headed and heavily tattooed with the distinct look of a pirate, it was very misleading.
"No names gentlemen." The third man said. "This venture will carry enough risk as it is without the danger of us compromising each other."
"It's too late for that." The second man put in, his imperial accented speech brusque and business like, "I know exactly who he is." He looked towards the blonde man. "Decorated ex officer in the Federal Naval Auxiliary now a notorious terrorist wanted for crimes in Cemiess and Eotienses."
"Stannis Jellicoe at your service." The blonde man drawled with an expansive smile. "And I prefer the term 'freedom fighter' but I'm not terribly fussy."
The dark haired man scowled. "Does you being here mean that the Children of Raxxla are behind this?" He asked.
"Whatever you Imps might think the Children are not a militaristic organisation, they have other priorities and different operations, I am here in a purely personal capacity." The blonde man replied in his languid way.
"How do I know you're not still working for the Feds?" The dark man pressed.
"And how do I know the Chapterhouse haven't sent you to take me out?" The blonde man countered.
The dark haired man grinned, then broke into a chuckle. "Good to finally meet you face to face Stannis." He said extending his hand.
"Likewise." The blonde man replied taking the offered hand and returning the grin before turning to their companion. "So, Palin?"
"You know most of it." The tattooed man answered. "The events of the last few weeks have shown he's effectively under Federation house arrest, I say we do something about it, the fact that you two are here tells me you agree."
"But what? Could we get him out?" The bearded man asked, thoughtfully stroking his moustache. "There must be an independent system that'd take him?"
"Would they run the risk of making an enemy of the Federation though?" The tattooed man replied.
"Put him into hiding maybe? Somewhere like Daras, ask the Children to shield him?"
"We've all met him." The blonde man put in. "He lives for his work, his research and the way things are going we might all need it soon enough. He's not just going to leave probably the most advanced research facility in the galaxy, if he were he'd have done it already."
"We attack the Federation ships, it's a powerful wing but we should be able to do it." The tattooed man suggested.
"They have alert ships on standby." The blonde man said. "The battlecruiser will withdraw if it's in danger and a replacement will be despatched with its own support wing, we'd run out of ships long before they did."
"We bled them." The bearded man said quietly. "This will be a long haul not a single battle. We keep attacking, we make keeping Palin captive more expensive than it's worth. The Feds are stretched, they can't be strong everywhere all the time, put enough pressure on the right place and something has to give." The blonde man raised a questioning eyebrow.
"I think I get it." The third man jumped in excitedly. "We drive off the cap ship, take out it's support wing then we get out. A few days later we go back and do it again."
"Could work." The blonde man said thoughtfully. "There aren't any capital ship dry docks for hundreds of light years, if we can do enough damage they might have to choose between Palin and the barnacles. So when?"
"Tonight." The tattooed man said decisively. 20:00 GST."
"I'm not in a fighting ship, want another fighter pilot Jell?" The bearded man asked.
The corvette Resolution rocked as another volley from the FNS Perseus 's aft batteries slammed into her.
"Shields at 60%." Vik announced from his position at the tactical station.
"I've lost all trace of the fighter." Mira's voice came through the coms nets. "Think it's down Commander." Jellicoe quickly checked how his comrades were doing, the other corvette, Thunder Child had all but lost her shields and two of their supporting Eagle's were down, the rest of the small flotilla were badly beaten but still fighting.
"Fighter's gone." Jubei's voice came through, iron self control masking his rising frustration. Their plan had been to knock out the Perseus' heat relays to force its retreat, six had gone but two remained, right in the trench at the bows of the ship, concealed from the larger vessels and swept by a murderous volume of fire that had vaporised any fighters trying to approach.
"We need to knock out some of those forward guns." Jellicoe barked down his mic. "Give the fighters a chance to get at those relays." The Resolution began manoeuvring towards the forward section of the battlecruiser, the incoming barrage from the capital ship had lessened slightly but was still withering, the corvette rocked again as another broadside caught her amidships.
"Shields at 18%." Vik called. "Cell banking." The fire from the Perseus slackened as the heat sink killed the Resolution's thermal signature even as the cell bank cascaded energy back into the shields.
"Back up to 73%." Vik said.
"Want us to get the fighters out to draw some of their fire?" Jubei asked.
"Negative." Jellicoe replied. "I need you two ready to go as soon as we knock out some more of those flak guns." As he spoke the Resolution disgorged a stream of overcharged multi-cannon slugs into the first turret of her mighty enemy's port side forward battery, the special incendiary rounds tearing into the duralium plating of the gun mounting until it blew with a satisfying bloom of flame.
"Targeting next turret."
"Pair of Vultures incoming." Claude warned from Scanners.
"They've got us locked." Vik added.
"Nothing I can do. We have to give the fighters a chance to get at those last two heat relays." Jellicoe replied squeezing the trigger to reduce the next of the Perseus' Turrets to molten slag. The other corvette Thunder Child had joined them and was solidly working her way up their enemy's starboard battery.
"Vultures are firing." Vik said, Jellicoe checked his display seeing the Resolution's shields flicker as the lead Vulture's lasers lanced across them followed by a noticeable dimming as the computer simulated the high pitched whump of twin plasma accelerator impacts from his Wingman.
"Shields at 33%." Vik added the precise detail. "Two more of them hit the Thunder Child, her shields are gone." Jellicoe glanced at his own scanner again, what was left of their support wing was engaging the four Vultures, desperately trying to draw them away from two hard pressed corvette's.
"John get out of here." Jellicoe called to the tattooed captain of the Thunder Child.
"Not with the armour I've got on this thing mate." came the reply. "Let's not take too long though!" He added. Another turret blew under the Resolution's guns followed seconds later by the Thunder Child's target. There would still be more defensive fire than he would have liked for the fighters to get through but they had no choice, the Perseus was hurting them and the remnant of the support wing wouldn't hold those Vultures for long and if they got their teeth into the two corvette's it was all over.
"Commander to fighter pilots go, go, go. Go in full burn." Jellicoe ordered opening the launch bay. Mira was out first triggering her afterburners as soon as she cleared the ship with Jubei hot on her heels. The tirade of fire on the two corvette's eased as the Perseus's gunners switched to the new threat.
"Shields gone Commander." Mira was caught by one of the big guns, only a glancing blow but enough against the tiny fighter, moments later a last beam seared into the Condor's hull, only for a split second but it was enough.
"Port thruster gone. I can't hold it." Mira's voice came through as her fighter lazily spun round and round until it exploded on impact on the battlecruiser's hull. "Fighter's down." Mira's voice oozed frustration. "Prepping replacement."
This'll be over long before that's ready Jellicoe thought, now everything rested on Jubei who, through a combination of Mira drawing the bulk of the flak and a display of piloting usually reserved for stunt flying shows had got through to the trench and was targeting the two remaining heat relays.
"Two of the Vultures coming back in." Vik said.
"Nothing more we can do to help Jub." Jellicoe replied. "Best we take them, target the bugger with the plasma accelerators." The Resolution turned to intercept the incoming hostiles, her wounded shields flickering as the lead ships lasers strobed across them, as the pair broke two kilometres from his ship Jellicoe hit the second Vulture with everything he had, a buzzing, chattering roar filling the bridge as weaponry engineered to way beyond military spec collapsed its shields and shredded its vulnerable canopy. The lead ship seeing this pulled away, seeping across the bows of the two corvette's to be caught in another devastating barrage from th Thunder Child.
"Emergency Hyperspace Jump detected." The ships computer announced.
"It's gone!" Vik called excitedly. "He did it!"
A rent in the fabric of space itself opened signalling the flight from battle of the crippled FNS Perseus.
Later in the docking bay of Obsidian Orbital Jubei and Jellicoe shook hands and said their farewells.
"I wouldn't hang around here too long." Jubei said as he slung his bag over his shoulder and turned towards his Diamondback. "Their agents will be all over this place within hours."
"I'm gone as soon as I've re-armed, I know well enough how they work. Take care out there."
"Oh before I go a contact of mine gave me this for you. I'd trust him with my life so it'll be legit. Look after yourself."
Later in his cabin Jellicoe checked the message, it was simply a date, a time and a place.
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OOC Many thanks to CMDR's John Roberts and Jubeti Himura for letting me use their characters. The above is largely true though one or two details have been altered for various reasons