Approach to Lave Station
21 Feb 2023MdN
Date: 3301Location: on final approach to Lave Station, Lave
__Captain Hector, on the bridge of the Surprise__
"They're lining up on our stern Captain."
"Yes they will do that Mr Rodgers, they're setting up an interdiction."
"They will have us Sir, as soon as we slow down for our approach to Lave Station."
"Then we must make it hard for them, by not slowing down," replied the Captain. "Cancel our supercruise target but mark the position of Lave Station. We'll overshoot without slowing and then loop back. Those bastards might still get us, but they'll have to work a damn sight harder than they'd expected."
"Aye Captain."
The trading Anaconda "Surprise" was old and not built to withstand pirate attacks. Once upon a time Lave was a safe run for traders, Captain Hector remembered those days fondly. These past few months had changed all that and the governing Alliance government had been very slow to react. Still, it wasn't Hector's first pirate encounter, and he had survived the rest, hadn't he?
"Mr Rodgers, watch that mark for Lave Station like a hawk. Lose it and we're screwed," Rodgers was the Surprise's Second Mate, navigation was his primary role. "When we pass by, signal the helm to bring us about and loop back for the station."
"Aye Captain."
The Deck Crew knew that a supercruise interdiction could only be effected by a following ship holding station within a few degrees of their aft. Even then, only if the trailing ship was gaining on its prey. The pirates had lined up perfectly - a wing of three, and each would try their luck. A well practiced gang the captain worried.
"Mr Johnson, wait for Nav's signal then turn as sharply as the old lady will allow - do not touch the throttle until I say. We get one shot at this gentlemen, our lives may depend upon the execution."
"Aye Captain." The five men on deck chorused.
It was a risky manoeveur. The first part was easy enough, if the Surprise continued to accelerate the pirates' interdictor units would fail to lock to their frame shift drive. Leaving Lave Station programmed into the nav computer would automatically decelarate the Surprise and leave them at the mercy of these predators. An overshoot and twist back would leave the pirates out of position and impotent. For a while at least - would it be long enough he wondered?
"The Loop of Shame" the young ones called it, usually caused by a lack of attention at the helm. Well he didn't care, in this case it would buy them time and hopefully their lives.
"Helm, on my mark," Mr Rodgers called out, "three, two, one, mark!"
"Aye aye Mr Rodgers." Johnson pulled back on the stick, leaning back in the helm seat as if willing the ship to turn faster. It was a vast bulk trader with a turning circle the size of a small planet at the best of times, at full throttle it was even worse.
But the old Anaconda did turn, as they knew she would.
"Now Mr Johnson, reduce throttle and close that turning circle. Mr Rodgers, re-target Lave Station."
"Aye aye Captain."
Now the pirates faced them head-on and would need to close the gap and flip behind to line up with their stern once more. The Surprise faced the safety of Lave Station once more, and the crew breathed their relief. Only a fellow trader in a Cobra approached from behind.
"Be calm gentlemen," said the captain, "get this approach right first time helm and I'll double your share of the profits." The deck crew laughed a nervous laugh. Responsibility rested on the shoulders of Mr Johnson. None would begrudge him the extra share.
"Just stay ahead of this Cobra, Johnson - we don't have to be the fastest, we just need to give the pirates easier prey," gallows humour from Mr Angelica, the first mate.
__The pirates - Hot Pursuit__
"That there 'conda makes a tasty target me hearts," came the Imp's voice over the comms channel.
"King here, I'm in position on the far side, just spin me a yarn," crackled another voice, a delayed and broken transmission maybe due to distance, perhaps cheap badly maintained equipment.
"Tally ho lovers, reel me in a fat one," a third voice.
"Already lining up, a tells you me Viper beats that Imperial shit of youse."
Three ships were in a race to catch the stern of the Surprise. It was clearly on a dead course for Lave Station, and an Anaconda was a rich prize indeed.
This gang of four had been moving around the Old Worlds these last few weeks. Picking off treats wherever they showed. First Leesti, then Tionisla and Zaonce, finally Lave via Reorte. They were part of a bigger collective of thieves and plunderers who had decided to make the Old Worlds their hunting ground. Their leader had decided to rename the region after some mythical earth bound pirate haunt of old, but these four weren't really listening and the name flew over their heads. The New something or other - who cared anyway.
They knew they were making a killing, in more ways than one, and that was enough for them.
"Hey Pit, thought you said you had him, what's keeping you?" the first voice again, a battered Imperial Clipper the likely source.
"Steady now, Imp. Nearly got the shit, nearly there," came the reply from a salvaged System Authority Viper, "Come on you damn hulk of crap, go faster, faster!"
"Yee ha, I'm gone get this fish before yee," came the battle cry from a second Clipper. "You can't pull that there Conda with a teeny Viper I tell you, it's too big."
"Hands off ya young lord," said Pit in the Viper, referring to the youthful status of the second Clipper pilot, "he's gotta slow right about now, he's gotta, or he be shamed." But the big trader missed its breaking point and shot past the station - the shame was real as it began an embarrassing loop back round. "SHEEEEE IT - I lost him!" It turned in front of them and their prey was now out of reach.
"Hahaha he saw you buffoons a light year distant, played you for fools," chimed the fourth voice, all crackly and broken. "You'd better lock onto the King for he will show you the path to righteousness." The reaction from the one called King in the distant Cobra was delayed slightly due to the vast gulf of distance.
"Well that's why we stationed you out there King, don't get all cocky cos me backup plan worked," the Imp shot back.
"Took its bloody time though Imp," the other Clipper, "we've had King as wicket keeper so many times and he's never been needed."
"Bask in me glory me hearts, this 'conda belongs to the King!"
__Melanie - ATC at Lave Station__
"Lave Station, Lave Station, this is the bulk hauler Surprise, we need assistance urgently, pirate attack imminent, over!"
"I was right," whispered Melanie to herself in the ATC booth on Lave Station. "Interdictions are so obvious when you know the signs to look for on the scope." She punched the red button on her console and spoke calmly into the microphone.
"Viper Niner, Viper Niner, Lave Station; do you have an ETA on my last Sierra India, over?"
"Lave, Viper Niner, Flag pulled me to investigate a suspicious signal. Yours was classified non-imminent threat, over."
"Damn it Viper Niner, my Sierra India is ongoing, they're fighting numerous interdiction attempts at wing strength, I need you ASAP." She cursed Flag under her breath. "Re-directing my only alert viper to a god damn training exercise." There just weren't enough viper patrols and she knew it. It was a point she had been making with Flag and station management for weeks. There had been a serious jump in pirate activity in the sector, her family told her so daily.
"They're not your family, Melanie." her boss had once insisted.
"I protect them boss, they rely on me to bring them home safely," had been her retort. "They ARE my family." She took her job way too seriously she knew, but someone had to. Someone had to look out for these traders out in the deadly vacuum of space.
She punched the blue button and took a deep breath before speaking.
"Surprise, this is Lave Station I'm directing a patrol Viper to your location." One patrol viper, she cringed it wouldn't be enough. The once proud system of Lave, reduced to a single patrol ship. How long before these murderers realised they had the run of the place. This was insane.
"Good luck out there boys," she whispered to herself.
__Captain Hector and Crew__
"Looking good Mr Johnson, stay calm, you've got this."
"Thank you Captain, we're nearly there, just a few more seconds."
"Number one, where are those pirates now?" the captain asked Mr Angelica.
"They appear to have given up sir. They've slowed down and ..." A look of panic came over the first mate's first, "oh no. Jink to starboard helm."
"What?" asked a confused Johnson in instant before the deck flashed red and interdiction warning klaxons chimed in.
"Evasive action, helm," cried out the captain, "It was the God damn Cobra, we flew straight into their trap."