Dark Deeds and Black Flights - Part III
14 Sep 2017Jellicoe
Electra System, Deep Space"Communications Hub Zeta." Claude Marsaud began his briefing indicating a holographic representation of a sizable space station hanging over the table in the Resolution's conference room. "Run of the mill installation, standard modular construction with airlocks here and here." The indicated points flashed red as Claude worked his console. "But what we're interested in are the data uplink nodes, four of them." Four points on the hologram flashed green. "They can be accessed from inside or outside the station so if anything has happened to the crew and there's any data about what this is where we'll get it from."
"Defences?" Vik asked.
"None. It's a civilian outpost."
"Can we board it?" The commander asked.
"Not without specialist equipment and time we don't have, these stations might not be armed but they are proofed against pirate raids so if anything has happened to the crew the only way in is cutting through several feet of armoured duraliam, and any attempt to do so triggers a distress signal."
"One of our objectives is to find out what happened to the crew." The commander responded frowning. "That won't be easy if we can't even get on board the damned thing."
"I can't create a new reality because Craddock wills it I'm afraid." Claude replied with a look of mild irritation. "If anything's happened to the crew our best bet of finding out what is to access their data logs."
"Let's hope." The commander said drily. "Alright the only ship we know of that's gone to look this over was attacked so we're not taking any chances, as soon as we drop till we're ready to leave I want a fighter on combat air patrol and all hands ready for action." He looked around the table and smiled, but where once it would have lit up his face with a mischievous warmth Vik noticed that now his eyes remained cold and hard. "Now let's go looking for trouble."
Communications Hub Zeta, Electra System
Communications Hub Zeta hung in orbit, its lights on, its receivers still active, its transmitters still broadcasting, everything fully functional and apparently normal, should any casual visitor happen upon the installation nothing at all would appear amiss in any way, but the ship that approached from the near distance was no casual visitor to be satisfied with a cursory first impression as anyone watching her purposeful approach would have guessed. On the bridge of the ship three men intently studied their instruments as they readjusted to the jump back to normal space.
"Nothing on scanners." The first officer reported. The commander nodded, pushed forward on the throttle and deployed weapons.
"Fighter is online commander." A woman's voice came through. "Awaiting orders."
"Just watch our back for now Mira, everything looks quiet enough so far."
"No response to our hails beyond an automated answer. Craddock's right, something's wrong."
"No chance we can dock?" The commander asked.
"Not without somebody on the inside opening an airlock. The data uplinks are active though so let's see what we can get."
"First one locked." The commander said. "Scanning.....Got it. Anything?"
"Hard to know till I've cleaned it up." Claude replied. "I'm running the sub routine now, should take about ten minutes."
"Alright moving on to the next uplink.......Scanning."
"We've got company." The deep, musical voice of Vik, the ships tactical officer cut in. "Looks like two contacts just coming into range."
"Two Diamondbacks.....Explorers." Claude Marsaud on scanners filled in the detail. "Both Elite rated...What the!" He broke off in shocked surprise."
"What?" The commander asked impatiently.
"No pilot names registered just serial numbers, nobody's supposed to be able to do that."
"Hail them."
"No response. They've deployed hard points."
"Give me coms." The commander ordered. "Unidentified ships this is Comm...."
"You shouldn't have been nosey, now you're going to pay the price." Came a disguised voice from the lead Diamondback then the link cut out. The two ships performed a textbook split manoeuvre, each taking one of the Resolution's flanks.
"They're firing." Vik warned and the Resolutions shields flared under a barrage of unerringly accurate laser fire. "Shields at 90%, no way those guns are just standard spec."
"Flight Assist off." The computer announced as the commander pulled the mighty Corvette into the tightest of turns her great size would allow and for a moment the lead Diamondback appeared in the Resolution's gun sights before flitting down in a rolling dive the bigger ship could not compete with.
"Let's try and make some room to manoeuvre." The commander growled, opening the throttle and triggering the boost. The Resolution surged forward, the distance from her antagonists growing, flight assist still off the commander hurled her into a flat flip while still hurtling away from the Diamondbacks. "Now let's see what you've got." He murmured unleashing the full weight of the Corvette's weaponry into the lead ship. The Diamondback's shields briefly flared blue before her unknown pilot pirouetted away, a virtuoso display of flying keeping his small ship just outside the withering cone of fire from the Resolution while his wingmate continued to drain the Corvette's shields with his own fire.
"Shields down to 45%." Vik put in.
"Burn for the station Commander." Mira's voice came through. "pass as close to the Hab section as you can."
"Roger that Rogue Leader." Jellicoe replied changing course for the station.
"Nothing on scanners." Claude put in. "She must have gone cold." The Resolution was hurtling for the station, the mysterious pair of Diamondbacks in hot pursuit firing all the time.
"Looks like we've found Craddock's secret military unit." Vik said studying his console. "Very secret if they can hide their pilots names."
"Very good too." Jellicoe replied. "We've met Elite ranked enemies before but these two are way beyond that."
The Resolution sped on, surging past the main transmitter and burning for the habitation wing under a continuous barrage of stingingly accurate laser fire.
"Shields at 18%, cell banking." Vik said from tactical. Jellicoe boosted again, passing between the hab wing and the power generators, the installation giving some cover from the constant blistering lasers of the Diamondbacks, but only a temporary one, then a green triangle blinked into life on the scanner directly behind.
"Immediate 180 Commander." Mira's voice came through. "Concentrate your fire on the second ship." Jellicoe responded immediately, flicking off flight assist and heaving back on the stick while firing the Resolution's heavily modified thrusters to help kick the great ship around. She turned quickly for a ship her size, coming about to see the second Diamondback in hot pursuit of Mira who had hit its shields hard but had now lost her own.
"Shields gone Commander, I need covering fire." Mira kinked and spun desperately but knew exactly what she was doing, drawing the fast and nimble Diamondback far enough away to enable the comparatively cumbersome Corvette to line up a clear shot.
"Full power to weapons." Jellicoe ordered, as a full salvo of overcharged laser and multi-cannon collapsed the Diamondback's already wounded shields and tore deep into her hull, Mira quickly came about adding her twin plasma repeaters to the already withering bombardment. The result was inevitable.
"The other one looks like he's running." Vik called from tactical.
"Let's get after him then." The commander grunted in reply pulling the ship round to pursue . "Mira, get the bugger."
"Frame Shift Charge detected." The computer announced.
"We won't catch him now." Claude put in. "Let's just get anymore data we can and get out., that was the mission."
"Do we proceed with the second phase of the mission?" Vik asked as they scanned the remaining uplinks. Now they know we're on to them."
"Looking at this." Claude said quietly. "I don't think we have any choice."