Bereavement
15 Oct 2016Hersilia
"I'm disappointed in you. After everything your father did for you, taught you how to fly, got you into the security service and he even bought you a ship! It's like you have spat in his face! What you have done has gone against all of his teachings, all of my teachings!" Magnus sounded furious. Hersilia was glad that the video comms weren't working, she didn't want him to see her in this state. He carried on shouting about how Hersilia was a disgrace to her family name and the Federation but she didn't listen. She did what she always did when someone was angry with her. Focus on something else, tune out the onslaught on her ears. By this time they were around 1.6Kly away from human inhabited space. Otherwise known as 'the bubble'. Usually she would try to think of something pleasant but as of recent nothing pleasant had happened to her. Exile.
That's all she could think about. She would never see anyone ever again. Doomed to drift in the void of space until the inevitable happened. Two months of supplies to keep her going. That was nothing..two months? It surely was a death sentence in disguise of a sympathetic 'gift'. Death was something she knew too well of. Her mother had died when she was fairly young, her father a couple of years after. She had lost friends within the security service due to violence and sickness. She knew her fair share of death. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. She could formulate a plan..starving to death didn't sound too pleasant. A muffled voice tugged at her consciousness. Then again but clearer this time.
"Hersilia!" It was Magnus, he didn't sound angry like he did before, he was more panicked. She had never heard him like this before. Something was definitely wrong.
"Magnus? What's going on? Wha-"
"We're under fire you fool! How can you not tell?!" his voice was filled with pained anger. She checked Indagators' systems. Shields at 84%! She felt cold as fear washed over her.
"Magnus what the fuck is going on?!" she blurted down the comms.
"You slimy little bitch!" was the response, but it wasn't Magnus' voice. It was nasal and higher in pitch. Hersilia was lost for words, who was this? How did he get into their private comms channel? An awful thought struck her. They were on his ship! How else could they get through to her at a time like this? All communication to her ship was banned apart from the secure link with Magnus.
"Who the fuck are you?" she snarled.
"We're your worst fuckin' nightmare darlin'." his speech was fast. She could barely catch what he said and it took her a couple of moments to understand what it actually was.
"Word has it that you killed our boss back on Daedalus. We don't like that, do we boys? Nah, nah, we don't. So we thought...we thought we'd pay you a little visit, like." deep vague voices could be heard in the background. Although what they said couldn't be made out exactly, she was sure that they were agreeing with the nasal sounding man.
"We've got your little friend here. He seems a little...flustered shall we say." he chuckled, coughed and hacked something up then spat it out. She grimaced at the ugly noise. An early death may be her destiny but she wouldn't die by the hands of pirate scum. She refused too. Especially this group, they were disgusting.
"I suggest you lower your shields and allow us on board. So we can settle this. Face to face. It would make things so much easier y'know. If you don't well we have no choice other than to blow you to smithereens and that's not how we do things around here. No...no it's not." the tone of voice grew darker and slower towards the end of his speech. Hersilia felt a shiver slide up her spine. This was a sinister man and there was no way that she wanted to see him face to face. She flicked open the covering for the hardpoints and hovered her thumb over the button. She subconsciously bit her lip in thought.
"No? Well..maybe this will change your mind." she heard the sound of a blade being drawn, then muffled words could be heard as if obscured from behind a rag. The muffling became more and more panicked then it was joined by thumps and crashes as things were obviously being knocked over. Suddenly all the previous noises were replaced by a putrid rasping.
"Now you're all alone out here. With only us for company. Why don't you invite us onboard?" Hersilia felt sick, she flicked the panel back over the hardpoints button. She couldn't fight, not in this situation were she was out-numbered ten to one. She took a deep breath and pushed the throttle forwards, flicked a few switched and shut her eyes as the FSD charged. She had to carry on, there was no turning back. A barrage of Las-fire and multi-cannon rounds smashed into her shields taking them down to 21%. Holding her breath she opened one eye then shut it quickly wishing she hadn't opened it in the first place. Shields were now down and the hull was taking heavy damage.
"Sentenced to death by pirate scum...great." her voice wavered for a moment. Gunfire echoed throughout the inside of her ship. The hull was at 44%. She prepared herself, gripping onto the flight stick and throttle tightly.
"I'll see you soon, father..." Then she heard the voice of what she considered an angel.
"4...3...2...1...Engage."