Bravery is not a function of firepower
28 Oct 2020Eagle 5
The journey back to Baal had been more or less uneventful so far.Children learn quickly not to touch a hot stove so, much in the same way they do, I made sure my path was clear of errant Brown Dwarves before heading back.
I almost would have made it if it wasn't for LTT 518 just one jump away from Baal.
Dropping into the system I had the definite feeling that I was being watched. A quick look at the scanner revealed several contacts in what appeared to be typical traffic patterns. Several ships were going about their way hopping in and out of the tradelanes near the exit point by the Nav Beacon.
...all except one.
Anticipating the inevitable interdiction I nosed the Liberty up and away from the path of the main star toward the direction of Baal counting on a hasty retreat via a high wake jump.
I was running a bit low on luck because, thinking back, the time between the exit from hyperspace and interdiction event must have only been a few seconds... either that or my opponent was just a bit more prepared than I thought.
Lady Livernois' warning flashed briefly in my head before I made the decision to cut the engines and submit to the interdiction.
Time may have moved on when it comes to ship design but an engineered Cobra Mk.III in the right hands can send a lot of people packing their bags... or home in a box. At the very least I'd be able to outrun whatever was on the other end.
"SURRENDER OR DIE!"
The voice rang through the ship's comm as a thrumming high pitched threat, like a velvet gloved slap. The pilot at the other end of the threat sounded young and inexperienced despite the impressive hardware he was flying, that and the "Dangerous" rating.
An imperial Clipper "Paradox" glistened in its cliche` white livery making it seem bigger and more imposing than it actually was.
A quick glance at the screen told me everything I needed to know.... WANTED
Despite the unfavorable odds of trying to joust a Clipper in a Cobra, I experienced a brief feeling of relief at the fact that I was about to go head to head with a pirate and not the Imperial Navy.
> YOU'RE GOING HOME IN A BOX ASSHOLE
I replied back before cutting comms hoping that my transmission would help strengthen the crime reporter signal, I could probably take this chump to the cleaners but... I wouldn't have minded if a system patrol showed up just in the nick of time to provide some assistance.
... not today, not my cigars ... I thought to myself somehow still thinking I was some trader and not a Federal Agent.
The Liberty turned around to face the attacker head on. The tight semicircle it drew as it cut through space to face the pursuer must have looked meanacing with all 4 beam weapons in the ready position. The ship looking every bit like its namesake from the cockpit of the opponent was ready to strike and, for all intents and purposes, the intimidation effect working because the Clipper shifted to a more defensive posture opting to rely on its shielding rather than its offensive weaponry.
Everything was ready for the showdown except....
.... I forgot that in the interest of time I opted for my engineered medium beams that were neither gimballed, nor turreted so my first pass at the would be robber resulted in a swipe across the dorsal shielding and minor damage from my small beams which were of the engineered turreted variety but nowhere near strong enough to do lasting damage in one pass.
> CRAP!!!
The hard way it is... I thought
The shock of wasting the initial volley gave my opponent just enough time to reposition his white swan for a strike and for it he was rewarded with solid hit on the Liberty which in a manner of seconds erased almost half of my available shielding...
"Direct hit... Shields at 50%"
> WE GOTTA DO BETTER LEO....
"Yes you do"
... I hate that Ai.
Executing a boost turn is always a risky move... Unless you have superhuman awareness (read eyes in the back of your head) spinning a ship that can hit 600m/s uncontrollably toward a point behind you that is most likely occupied by another very solid (and armed) object could be the very end of your career that you were trying to so desperately extend.
Unless you're fielding some seriously tough hardware, a bonafide Iron-Ass, you'll soon realize that speed doesn't kill... rather suddenly becoming stationary does, and my Cobra didn't have all that fancy guardian tech to count on this time.
The red trail from my engines was mesmerizing to watch going by the other way. The Cobra spun almost on its axis and surged forward against the clipper like a cosmic sucker punch. This time I was prepared and all 4 lasers found their target. The Clipper's weapons tried to find their target but a combination of speed and a very small profile meant that the railguns sent slugs sailing past a very elusive Cobra that was now at a perpendicular angle and straightening up to avoid a crash just past the point of weapons convergence.
From here on I was in charge. I could have dumped all energy to engines and made a run for Baal, but the temptation to score a good bounty was too good to pass up as Clipper bounties rarely come in the less than six figure variety. The sight of 4 additional neutral contacts on the scanner was all the incentive I needed to cash in on this kill, having made it past the pointy end of the other ship, I had all the speed and manouverability to stay behind the white ship and call this a win.
It was a calculated risk.... but boy I'm bad at math sometimes.
I had the Clipper on the run taking out shields, weapons and reducing the hull to a scorched shadow of its former self. I had the Clipper in my sight for the final strike then suddenly:
"SHIELDS DOWN TO 25%!"
... those 4 neutral contacts suddenly were no longer neutral and had turned quite hostile.
> DISENGAGING!
The Clipper slipped away into hyperspace a wreck and a quick glance out of my starboard windows revealed 2 SPCs and 2 fighters on an intercept course.
It was the Imperial Navy...