Strange Accords 3: What Happened To The Plan?
19 Jun 2023Silvia Sharpe
My data pad alerted me to a new message. I opened it up to see it was from Kira.Hey, Kasumi here.
You out of the hospital/back in the bar yet? Everything ok? Asking both for you, and because of that crazy guy pointing guns at everyone. Said something about some crazed pirate lord being stupid or obsessed enough to risk bringing his fleet next to that of a Maelstrom because of one guy(Creamy - that name is still so stupid).
Currently in my ship, decided to get out of the bar when he showed up again. Not sure if I should bother staying or leaving. Knowing those pirate types, they'll just shoot anyone on sight even if they have nothing they want.
(Ignore if this went to the wrong person.)
I finished reading the message as the others were figuring out the course of action and I responded.
Hey ya Im doing ok. Got to the bar to find a full blown stand off. Things seem to be ok now. At least for the time being that is. But I might need to ask you a favor. We are talking about leading the pirates into a titan. Not really sure what the actual plan is going to be. I will attempt to keep you up to date but if we go through a maelstrom system I wont have much time to respond. Sooo ya guess I'll see you around.
Silv
I finished the message, sent it off then looked to Creamy and prodded for an answer.
'Soo Lord Goodness of Cubeo 3, what is your decision? Everything right now comes down to you.'
However before Creamy had a chance to respond to the question Vodan gave his input.
"Look, I know what's in it for me, and I wouldn't walk into the master's throne room unless I was gonna come out again. Once he is sure you don't know where Nerys is, I don't think he'll kill you either. You're the son of an Imp army big-wig, and your mom is in council with the princess. That's a lot of potential heat for killing a ponce like you. Just because he can put up a fuckin good fight, it doesn't mean he wants to pick a fight when he doesn't have to. But if you run, he'll look for you, and you'll always be running. Yeah ok, I'll give it to you; the maelstrom idea is pretty fuckin good. I didn't think of that. I mean, he'll be sending carriers with pursuit and capture fleets, not Goid killers"
Vodan got a good eye full of me for the first time since Ina's gun was not the focus of his world.
"Not a brainless bimbo after all ay Owl-Eyes? Hey, can I get a beer while ya there"
'No I'm not some dumb bitch that walks around all hoity toity.'
I replied, mildly annoyed by the comment.
'I've been in more conflicts than I care to count. I've had to escape with unreasonable odds before. I'm just trying to find a way to not involve this already crippled station in his...' I pointed an accusing finger at Creamy '...shit. If my wife were still alive, she'd call the whole damned Imperial Navy down on this pirate lord guy, while inside the maelstrom. He'd shit his pants faster than a wee babi and would have no escape path.'
Creamy finished thinking and after the exchange gave his input.
"Now you mention it, I have got The Knight Two here, and that's fitted with the latest do-hickies for surviving Goid encounters. It's even got those AX rotary cannon thingies on it, not that I've ever fired them. My priority is to take the heat off the station, and I can do that if I'm loud about leaving. With the maelstrom and a ship capable of going in, I've got somewhere to hide while I chat with .. Vito here about his plan to smooth things over once and for all. I'm good at running from the Thargoids, but I'll be done for if I have to fight. Any tips Mrs. Muir, and what the bloody hell should I do once I'm in there?"
"Uhhh... Without any training you're as good as dead if you find yourself in a fight. But, in order to stay alive, keep your eyes on the temperature, it should be 20% or lower. It will make them miss every shot, unless you're dead ahead their faces. Also, watch the distance. 1200 metres or closer, and they will zap you, lowering the output of your drives drastically. Yeah, this range is shorter for lesser variants, but I'm giving you the maximum, for safety. Then... their little shitty swarms. You don't want to pass through one, they will become aggressive and slam the shit out of your ship in seconds. But, if you stay away, their projectiles can't do any damage to the ship at all. EMP charges... Boost the hell away to open space and turn the flight assist off, so that they can't catch you during the offline time, your ship will keep moving..."
Ina scratched her head and frowned. The look on her face was that of concern. She was an experienced AXDF pilot, and she had had proper training prior to ever facing a Thargoid. Creamy was effectively a rookie and had little combat experience to begin with. Not only that but Creamy had some pretty heavy stuff going on already. It wasn't going to be easy for him but it seemed Ina was satisfied with her instructions to Creamy so she continued.
"You know what... Properly using the stuff I said, you can stay alive. And even help me or other people by annoying them. And, the tactics in general... Shoot the hull, shoot the glowing heart, fall back and let the shields go dry, or drain the shields by firing, repeat."
Then, a realization dawned on her.
"People. I can't enter the Maelstrom since I have Guardian weapons. But, on the other hand, if they have a 'threat gauge' of their own, and a hivemind, then my Marshmallow is friggin' off the scale after what I've done to them. So they can throw tonnes of shit at me and I can deal with it being outside, buying you more time. But that's not the main concern. Thing is, those pirates aren't ready to face the Thargoids. But they're numerous. So, that means, they can figure out the strategy and surround the Maelstrom, staying away from engagements, waiting for you to emerge from it."
Aa she finished speaking a bit of concern was heard in her tone.
"Looks as if we got our selves the start of a plan. Now, all I need to know is, how to get their attention, and where to go once it's time to pick my self out of Hells' Teeth.. .. Wasn't it some poet that said that?"
Creamy responded in a more confident tone than he had previously.
Vodan was entirely too busy checking me out as I was, "playing with his toys" and wasn't really listening to Creamy.
"Yeah, cool... Wait what?" asked Vodan catching up.
"I don't fuckin think so. I got my own escape plan, I'm not going into the hell's teeth with you. Fuck no!"
****
I walked around the bar and grabbed out a bottle of beer for Vodan and slid it down to him. Knowing Creamy was about to be in for a fucking hell of a ride, regardless of his decision, I mixed him up a special drink and slid it to him.
'Fuck what your dietary needs are right now. You are going to need that. Ina hasn't told you the half of what you are going to face. So drink it.'
Taking a breath, Creamy recited some mantra that I can only assume was something passed on to him from someone in his family.
"Times may change, but standards must be maintained"
I turned my attention back to Vodan and smiled.
'You won't be going with him... you'll be going with me and Melli.'
Melli hearing her name turned and looked at Vodan, a slight snarl formed on her face as if to say try anything and I'll rip your throat out.
Vodan looked as though he was going to say some smart ass remark but once he had a beer in his hands decided to rethink what he was going to say.
"Yeah, is that how it's going to go down?"
Vodan took the chance to double-check my legs and ass. I'm sure he was thinking something along the lines of 'This chick is hot as hell, I wouldn't mind going anywhere with her. Hell, I might even get lucky.'
"Ok, gotta be better than flying with the singing defective over there. I'm down. Can I have my stuff back now?"
I roll my eyes at Vodan's looks and respond in kind.
'Eh not really my type. Beside you try anything at all, I'm serious that little fox there will be your end.' I pointed towards Melli. 'The ship isn't mine when she is on board, she just lets me stay there. Also what is it with men and thinking they can fuck whatever hot chick that they look at?'
"They all say that" Vodan said with a suggestive smile on his face.
As I said the last part, I turned to look at Ina a look of 'Am I right?' on my face.
Ina looked at me, shrugged, and nodded in agreement.
"Ew. I can philosophize for hours. But, in short, some of their words and actions make me think that the entire male body is a utility appendage to what they keep in their pants. So that they're able to move, sustain themselves and socialize. And their actions are being dictated by said organ."
"Thankfully, I'm quite far from what they usually call 'hot', and I don't have that... 'pleasure' of receiving such comments."
'No no no. Quite the opposite. I know quite a few who would think a tall woman such as yourself is very attractive. Maybe you have just been around the wrong groups for too long.'
I quickly responded to the comment from Ina and just shook my head. Ina shrugged once more.
"Maybe. Maybe it's something in my behavior. I've no idea. Yeah, I've had some of those comments in my younger, late teen years, when I was less... chonky than I am now, thanks to some powerlifting and pizza. Anyway, I'm glad to be who I am now and... I don't interact with men much anyway. But, yeah, you're pretty within range of their... conventional interests."
Sipping his cool beer Vodan leaned back. It seemed as though he was just going along for the ride at that point. Or maybe he realized no one was going to listen to him.
As Ina finished her explanation my data pad went off again, alerting me to another message from Kira.
You really think that guy'd be crazy enough to provoke the Thargoids by sending his fleet right into the Titan? He'll be sending ships that are not adapted to dealing with them whatsoever, and even if the were, you go anywhere within that system with the Maelstrom, it fries Guardian tech within a minute anyway. But he sounds rather obsessed about it so it wouldn't surprise me either.
If I need to do a favor it'll have to be something that doesn't involve combat, because I've got most of my ships on a carrier in a nearby system, just far enough that Thargoids won't really bother with it. And that Cutter I've got here right now has no weapons, just a prismatic shield, some boosters and a few utility mounts for running evacs safely. Doubt the supposed pirate idiots around would let it pass if I had one brought in? Would need to know what'd be useful, though.
And I would prefer it didn't involve shooting back at the Thargoids
I composed a quick reply back to Kira.
Have your carrier stand by near the thargoid zone we will be coming to you. Think you can get us out 500ly? I'll repay you for the tritium used. We will be coming in hot but I think I can pull some addition favors and get a combat team deployed to provide some cover fire while your ship jumps.
I pressed send and gave my attention back to the group.
'I have our escape plan. I can have Kasumi meet us with her carrier and jump us 500ly out I'll pay her handsomely for the tritium she'll need. Just need to know if that is the path you want to go down. If so I suggest a simple message to this pirate lord. Something along the lines of "Run, Run as fast as you can. You can't catch me I'm the ginger bread man." If we do this we will have to hold out in a maelstrom for 11 minutes. A carrier requires 15 minutes to jump and locks down at 3.5 minutes. Which means we will be in the shit for 3 minutes with that carrier and pirates that follow. It'll be tight but it is possible.'
"I suppose there is no chance of talking you girls out of this, so I won't try. Any way, this would all be for naught if I got picked up by a century in jump range after losing them in the Maelstrom. They may have the nearby systems watched, but there is no way they can watch every system with in five hundred light years. Just don't jump the carrier into Imperial space, or I'll be a prisoner for the rest of my life. As for the message, I've got an idea thanks to .. this mouthy chap in the chair"
'Look Creamy it's not about talking us out of this. It's entirely your choice. You are the only one who gets to decide your course of action. I don't much like the idea of going into the fucking hornets nest. But if we are to get you the hell out of here without risking your life this is our only shot. I don't know of many other alternatives.'
As I finished my statement my pad went off again. I opened it up and read it's contents.
I need destination systems. It’s about 80 light years from the Maelstrom right now, so I’d prefer to move it closer. But by the time you’re done going in there, I’ll have it ready and set for another jump. I hear there is an uninhabited system free of Thargoids that’s within single jump range for nearly any ship - maybe there?
Tritium is not an issue. I always keep it loaded with some reserves. What matters more is that it gets out in one piece, because I keep all my things there. I’ll have the order given once you give me something.
And I’ll definitely be on it myself. If it’s getting shot, I’m not just going to be nice and cozy somewhere. Action might also draw the Thargoids. You know that, right?
****
I decided to show everyone the message Kira had sent me while they were all busy talking. After reading the message, Creamy had some doubts.
"I was under the impression we wanted to lose the chaps in the maelstrom, meet the carrier in there, and jump out" That way, they don't know who I piggie backed a lift with, and therefore don't chase you down looking for me. Can a carrier not jump into a maelstrom?"
'I haven't got the slightest clue. Never tried it. If it is possible I don't know if she is crazy enough to try it.'
I responded to the question and as I finished Kira chimed in, scaring the absolute shit out of me.
“It cannot.”, Kira said, as she walked into the bar in her black Dominator suit, still wearing her hood too.
“Sorry for the interruption, but I think if we’re planning on getting me involved, I should be here in person.”
“And even if it could - safety locks in the nav systems will not let you - that thing will be swarmed by all kinds of Interceptors and whatnot within seconds, or just get hyperdicted and wrecked. And you don’t want half a dozen Hydras shooting at a capital ship - it’s not going to come out as the winner without one hell of a defense fleet. So unless you can outfit a dozen anti-xeno ships and pull them out of witch space in less than fifteen minutes with some serious pilots behind the helm, this is what you’re getting.”
Vodan looked for a clock and saw the time "Oh tick tock ladies and gentlemen. Tick fuckin tock"
'Jesus fuck! Where did you? Make some noise damn it! Ok well Ina those patches on your suit.... you think you can call in a favor with your crew and get them there in that short period? AXDF might be our best shot out here. Vodan is right though we need to get going if this is the plan we are going with.'
Kira just simply shrugged.
“Sorry. I have something of a tendency to go by unnoticed, unless I want to be seen. Anyway, I could jump it in there through bypassing the nav-locks, but the crew’s not going to be happy about it. Neither will I, because I’ve got some important things on there. So if I agree to this insanity, I’ll need to be reassured it will not be blown to pieces, or be beyond repair when this is done.”
"Ow. Hello again. Sorry, I still have no idea about your name." Said Ina
Kira responded in a polite manor, her slight Japanese accent slipping through. “Kasumi, for now. And I’d struggle to come up with any plausible explanation for why you’d shove a capital ship even anywhere near one of those Titans, other than as a forward operating base to launch expeditions to it from a nearby system.”
"Well, it's nice to meet you... properly, Kasumi. I'm Ina."
“Yeah, I’m not sure I’d be too grateful. No offense, but the kind of attention of unsavory individuals I’m attracting at the moment is… well, let’s just say, there’s a reason why I’m wearing this hood.”
Feeling that the situation, at least the 'bar' part of it, wasn't that dangerous and nobody wanted to shove a shotgun in anyone's face anymore, Ina flipped the safety of her rifle on and removed her right hand from the grip, letting the weapon hang freely on the sling. She lit up a cigarette and made a first drag, and let out a relaxed exhale then chimed in again.
"Hm... Yeah, Creamy. I don't want to put any pressure, but you should decide, if you haven't done that already. As for AX fighting... I can beat the shit out of single Hydra, maybe two of them simultaneously. That last one was so lucky because it had dozens of lesser pricks swarming me, so there was no time to aim properly. But I can't go into the Maelstrom itself due to Guardian weaponry onboard, and can't be everywhere, protecting something as large as a fleet carrier. As for AXDF involvement... We're pretty strained right now, and mostly focused on civilian defence, so you have to come up with an explanation of why do we need those ships here. But, if you have it, then I guess no worries. And the force I command, as a Flight Leader... Those folks are really beaten up and cut to a half of what they were before."
'Ah no worries. I figured I could at least ask. Say Creamy what say you about some deadly musical chairs so to speak? We jump in, drop from super cruise. I pull in as close as I can to your ship and you transfer over to me. I can pop some heat syncs to keep us cold. Then jump the hell out of there? That way they don't know what happened. Since we can't get a carrier into that system.'
I tried to come up with a new plan on the spot that could prevent the pirates knowing where he went.
Cass coughed unintentionally and weighed in. “Very sorry to also interrupt, but. If this station is possibly getting swarmed with pirates, I’d prefer to come as well if it is all well and good. Got some uh… hold on forgot the word” They paused as they thought of what it was. “- ah! Important. Yea, got some important Xenological cargo on my ship that I wouldn’t much like for a pirate king to get his hands on.”
Ina scratched her head, seemingly trying to come up with some explanation herself.
"Hmmm... See, we have two carriers with full-AXDF crews and dozens of outposts like the one I've been assigned to scattered across the Bubble, mostly in the border zones, with a mix of AXDF and local resistance forces. So if we could explain the threat... If I could explain the threat, contacting one of those nearby, to make sure they're going to get here quick, we might get something like two or three professional AX wings covering the carrier, but they won't stay with it for long, as they, obviously, have an outpost to defend."
****
"Yes you're right, and involving yet more people on my behalf is out of the question. Especially if It's bringing them off duty protecting people else where. Although I would have liked to meet Mion very much, she seems lovely"
Ina smiled hearing Creamy's comment on Mion's appearance.
"Yeah... She's lovely. But she's going to totally lovely slap the literal shit out of me for putting something she likes at risk again. Namely, my, khm, butt."
Creamy went to the stage and picked up the guitar, put the strap around his body and slung it on his back.
"Look after my piano will you please Silvia, there is linseed oil and polishing clothes under the lid. What I'll do is take this chap along to the peace and quiet of the maelstrom after getting the fleets' attention, and see what this plan of his is to get Vengerfield off our backs"
"Yaay" said Vodan sarcastically. "Looks like I get my way, only with a real stupid twist. There's no dumb like Creamy dumb"
"Sorry Mrs. Muir, I'm going to need the ship I said you could have, and it'll be on their watch list after this stunt I'd imagine" Creamy said with a slightly remorseful tone.
"Do you mean I'll be on their watch list? I can go a bit ahead of you and attract some Thargoid attention, bothering them here and there across the system, since the Maelstrom itself is a no-go to me. And, when you enter, I'll target the fattest, nastiest Hydra in the system and start vivisecting it. It will obviously scream for help and I'll end up surrounded by them soon. But I have a heckload of heatsinks and can stay out of their line of fire almost indefinitely. So... A ship with AXDF designation, giving hell to the Thargoids, won't be an unusual sight, and your appearance will look more like a coincidence."
Ina responded. A fierce determination and a hint of concern, in her voice as she readied herself to face off against the meanest Thargoid interceptor.
"Well, nice to have met you all, and um, thank you for the offer, but I'll set about this one m'self. Should be something to put in the memoirs what?"
“So anyway, I’d rather not drag a defense force away from something unless it’s really urgent. And the system I’ve marked as the initial destination point is generally used as a staging area for Maelstrom expeditions, so me jumping there - and having the carrier there - wouldn’t raise much suspicion. But it appears blondy” Kira meant Creamy, but was annoyed by his name, so she pointed to him to make it clear - “thinks that he has to do his own thing and not get anyone else involved even if they offer to.”
Vodan finished his beer and went over to his gear.
"Sorry sweet cheeks looks like your alone with your support.. ferret tonight, but you can have my contact," he said dragging his belt off the counter.
"I'll keep a room free for you when I get the Anansie back" he said with a wink.
Melli let out a vicious growl and snarled at the mention being called a ferret. Her chatter was very clearly that of being offended.
Let me eat the big one please.
'No Melli you cannot eat him and it's very unlikely I'll be contacting you Vodan. I don't care for pigs.'
I pushed Vodan's weapons over to him and shook my head.
'You can't be serious.... I... ugh fine but don't expect any sort of fancy memorial if you get yourself killed.'
I was obviously shocked but it seemed as if Creamy had made up his mind.
'You are an idiot Goodness. A rich pompous idiot. Don't get yourself killed based on pride. You need help you shoot me a signal and I'll be in that fucking system fast as I can be. I'll have my ship on stand by.'
"Thank you, Silvia I will. Well then, no time like the present, let's get going that man. Oh, and by the way"
Creamy lifted his knee and there was a snake-strike-like blur below it as his boot contacted Vodan's liver.
"No calling me names. Any more of that and I'll kick your kidneys out through your ear holes. See you in the Black Mrs. Muir." said Creamy strolling out the bar whistling a happy tune.
Vodan knew what was coming as soon as Creamy lifted his knee. He'd trained for it, he was ready for it. Creamy always kicked. But he was distracted by the fine piece of skirt, and didn't react fast enough.
"Right in the .. fuckin .. liver" winced Vodan and he sank to his knee leaning on the bar wheezing through the pain.
He spent a few moments snatching shallow breaths through his teeth while he waited for the pain to subside.
"ooOh, guess I .. asked for that" he said as he pushed himself up so he could hobble after his ticket back to Vengerfield's good books.