Merc Ops 6 - A New Friend's War
29 Jan 2018Leon Falkner
Arbuda SystemNovitski Oasis
Percheron set down nice and easy, the thrusters slowly whining to a halt. Leon sighed. Just another day in the office.
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Earlier today he had finished his impromptu exploration run. His four "innocent traders" were dumped off at a station where some Federation inspectors were very interested once their ID's were sent to their personal terminals, along with the hangar bay of their location. He'd taken off before they had any ideas of getting back on the ship. Out of one frying pan, into the Fed Detention System.
He'd dropped off his data back in the Mikunn greater sphere, growing more every day. He was sure that the Dukes were pleased. From a mining outpost in the middle of literal nowhere to a multi-front operation spanning dozens of systems nearly 85 ly across.
He'd been getting long range pings all day from a CMDR Barrett. He'd put out the call for help to fight against a pirate group out of Arbuda. The money wasn't important, at least not to Leon. He had a good position within the Mercs and more money from his recent trip than he knew what to do with. This was about sending a message. Making a statement.
He had a brief meeting with Barrett. Had a few drinks. The two Commanders talked for a time. Barrett let him know what he needed. Leon knew what needed to be done. Percheron had been fitted with his best reinforcements, shields and weapons. After CMDR Barrett disembarked, Percheron touched off again, banking sharply out of the station and around the nearby planet to a local conflict beacon.
When the Python appeared out of the abyss with a flash of light, he detected several scans. They had no idea who he was. His Mikunn tag didn't mean anything this far from their space.
"Python, ID yourself or you will be shot." Said a gruff voice. Welcome back to the Federation, Leon thought darkly. But he'd been raised here. Hell, his Dad was Navy. He spoke the local dialect.
"Federation Vessel this is DeLacey Lima Echo Oscar. Here under Flight Code Seven Niner Zulu. Requesting IFF data." He spoke in a drone.
"Welcome to the furball, Commander. Good to see that thing is on our side." The Federation pilot wheeled away. His scanner updated, the Fed ships now showed up green. The pirates, red.
"Alright girl, lets go to work." Leon said, tapping a sequence on his console. On the outside of the ship, five deadly looking weapons embankments opened up. From the speakers installed in the cockpit, a driving beat began to play. He gripped the flightstick and throttle. "The Dukes Send Their Regards!" He broadcast wideband, laying down bullet and laser fire that drove through the crowd of pirates. Three ships, two Vipers and a Cobra broke off from the pack. Leon smiled. Good, a chance to put the ship through her paces.
Beams fired, the first Viper spun out of control and ripped itself apart. The Cobra dogged him, laying plasma bolts into his shields.
"Where the hell do you belt rats afford PAs!" Leon shouted over the din of rock and roll in the cockpit. He and the Cobra dueled for minutes, a deadly dance of plasma and hyper accelerated bullets. Eventually, Leon brought down the Newtonian truth onto the Cobra - Force equals mass times acceleration. As the Python boosted through the wreckage of the quickly separating Cobra he saw something on the edge of scanner range.
"Shit! They've got a Corvette. Evasive action, scatter!" The Federation leader shouted over the comms.
Leon turned the Python around. Sure enough, a Federal Corvette had entered the field and was making a bee-line for the fighting.
"Python get the hell out of there!" The Fed leader addressed him.
"Negative. Get clear. This one's gonna be a knock down drag out." Leon bit his lip and sucked in air. He diverted power to shields as the beast of a ship bore down on him. Railgun rounds skimmed past as his laser beams shot forward and impacted the ship's shields.
The Corvette was a deadly enemy, Leon had learned, so long as you are in front of its deadly top mounted guns. But the one downside was this very loadout. It's belly was exposed and very vulnerable.
The Python stuck to the undercarriage of the Corvette and turned in sync with its radius. The Corvette pilot juked this way and that, but they were stuck in a deadly waltz. Leon slammed all power to weapons, and his multi cannons and lasers poured into the giant vessel.
As the smoke cleared, Percheron shot out of the wreckage, a deep gash across its port side where a final defiant railgun had made a final parting gift. The Federation pilots cheered.
"Right on, Commander. That was some decent flying for an independent." One said.
"Fed born and Raised. Once a Citizen," Leon began.
"Always a Citizen." Came the chorused reply.
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"Bank Transfer Complete" The ship's computer stated.
Leon brought the transaction onscreen. Just the beginning of another beautiful war.