Meanwhile in Sol #2
01 Dec 2024Coverwatch
On-board the Orca, PV-KaçkarThe PV-Kaçkar's hull groaned under the strain as Commander Coverwatch wrestled with the controls. Warning lights flashed across the console, and the cacophony of alarms threatened to drown out rational thought.
"Shields at 10%!" his first officer shouted over the noise. "We can't take another hit like that!"
Coverwatch's eyes flicked to the viewport where the Thargoid Interceptor loomed, its energy spikes pulsating menacingly. Behind it, the CV-Taurus was locked in a deadly exchange with another alien ship.
"Lieutenant Singh, evasive maneuvers now!" he barked into the comms.
"Commander, our engines are failing!" she replied, her voice strained.
The Interceptor prepared to launch its caustic missiles, aiming squarely at the CV-Taurus. Without a second thought, Coverwatch made his decision.
"Hang on!" he yelled to his crew.
He yanked the control yoke hard to starboard, the Orca veering abruptly between the Taurus and the Thargoid. The ship shuddered violently as all missiles struck them head-on. Sparks flew from the consoles, and the lights flickered ominously.
"Direct hit! Engines offline! Caustic damage is reported across the entire hull!" the first officer cried out.
The PV-Kaçkar began to tumble, spinning uncontrollably away from the battlefield. Coverwatch fought the controls, but the ship was unresponsive.
"Mayday, mayday! This is PV-Kaçkar! We are dead in the water!" he transmitted. Last thing he was able to see that the second Interceptor was destroyed by Taurus' laser attack.
On-board the Krait Mk II, CV-Taurus
Lieutenant Singh watched in horror as the PV-Kaçkar took the full brunt of the Thargoid's attack. They had managed to destroy the second alien ship but the third one was still intact and closing in.
"Commander! No!" she screamed.
"Lieutenant, the Orca's engines are down," Ensign Bradley reported, his face pale. "They're drifting."
Singh's jaw clenched. "We can't let his sacrifice be in vain. Target that Interceptor's heart. We are using the experimental Gauss cannon."
"Ma’am, the kickback from the cannon may disintegrate our already damaged hull!"
"We are out of missiles and torpedoes and my Commander took a direct hit to protect us. I don’t care if the ship holds or not, we will take them down with us if we must! Fire!"
From the large hardpoint of CV-Taurus came out the massive Gauss cannon. This was an experimental weapon to combat Thargoid ships, but it required too much power and caused hull strain after firing, so using it under these circumstances was inadvisable at best but they had no other choice. The cannon gathered power for a second, the power distributor of the Krait Mk II creaking from the strain, then it roared into life, firing a purple-colored beam directly at the core of that Interceptor. The entire power of CV-Taurus was gone after the shot, but the Interceptor was in for way worse. The alien tried to evade, but the beam struck true, penetrating its shields and impacting the glowing core at its center.
The Interceptor convulsed, emitting an otherworldly shriek as its hull cracked. A violent explosion ripped through it, releasing a cloud of caustic substances that dissipated into space.
"Target destroyed," Bradley confirmed, relief evident in his voice.
Singh didn't allow herself a moment's respite. "Open a channel to the PV-Kaçkar. Divert backup power to shields and comms."
"Channel open."
"Commander Coverwatch, do you read me?" she called out urgently.
Static.
"Come on, sir, answer me!"
A faint, broken transmission came through. "...Lieutenant... systems failing... passengers... need assistance..."
"Our engines are offline, we will try to restart them," Singh replied. "Hold on!"
Before she could even try to divert what power is left, her sensors blared new warnings.
"Ma'am, three more Thargoid signals just dropped out of hyperspace!" Bradley exclaimed. "They're closing in fast!"
Singh's heart sank as she watched the ominous shapes materialize, their bioluminescent forms casting an eerie glow.
"They're charging weapons!" Bradley shouted. "All weapons locked on us!"
Singh's mind raced. They were outnumbered and outgunned. "Divert what we have to shields! Brace for impact!"
In that moment, the ship computer suddenly announced: “Warning! Capital-class signature detected in proximity!” Suddenly, the fabric of space between them distorted, waves rippling outward like a stone dropped into a pond. The stars themselves seemed to bend and twist.
"Oh my God!" Bradley gasped.
A rift tore open, a swirling vortex of light and shadow. From the warp emerged a colossal, pitch-black capital ship, it looked like a harbinger of doom with surrounding lightning and warp clouds.
The TSC Ararat had arrived.
Even before fully materializing from the hyperspace conduit, the Ararat's cannons, torpedoes and beam lasers blazed to life. Beams of searing energy lanced out, dozens of torpedoes launched from the bays while cannons started pouring hot metal towards the Thargoids.
On-board the Orca, PV-Kaçkar
Inside the powerless PV-Kaçkar, Coverwatch and the crew floated in zero gravity, the artificial gravity systems having failed. Sparks drifted lazily around the cockpit. He imagined the immense terror of the civilians in the passenger decks below.
"Commander, our life support is on emergency backup," his first officer reported, her voice barely above a whisper.
He stared out of the cracked viewport, watching helplessly as the Thargoids closed in on the CV-Taurus.
"Come on, Kara," he muttered. "Get the hell out of here!"
Then, the space between the ships warped, and the familiar silhouette of the TSC Ararat emerged, weapons blazing.
A weary smile spread across his face. "Right on time, Captain Vasquez."
On-board the Krait Mk II, CV-Taurus
"All ships, this is Captain Elena Vasquez of the TSC Ararat," a commanding voice boomed over the comms. "Engaging enemy forces. CV-Taurus, hold your position."
Singh grabbed the comms. "Captain Vasquez, this is Lieutenant Singh. Commander Coverwatch's ship is disabled. He needs immediate assistance! We’ve also lost engine power but we can divert power from the shields if you can assist!"
"Understood, Lieutenant. We'll provide cover. Prepare for rescue operations."
The Ararat unleashed a devastating barrage. Its beam lasers sliced through the void, impacting the Thargoid ships with relentless force. One Interceptor reeled from the assault, its hull rupturing in a series of explosions.
"Direct hit on hostile target!" Bradley cheered.
The remaining Thargoids shifted focus to the new threat, their energy spikes crackling as they charged weapons. The Ararat's shields flared under the incoming fire but held firm.
"Engineering, reinforce forward shields!" Captain Vasquez ordered from the Ararat's bridge as heard from the comms. "Keep firing! Fry those bastards!"
The Ararat's cannons roared, kinetic rounds pounding the alien vessels. Another Interceptor succumbed, disintegrating into a cloud of debris. Torpedoes swarmed the Interceptors like their own Thargon swarms, threatening to annihilate them.
"Lieutenant Singh," Vasquez's voice came through. "Now's your chance. Retrieve the Commander."
"Acknowledged, Captain. Moving in now."
Singh guided the CV-Taurus toward the drifting Orca. "Bradley, prepare the docking clamps. We're pulling them in manually."
"Yes, ma'am."
As they approached the PV-Kaçkar, Singh could see the extent of the damage. Hull breaches, scorched plating, and flickering lights painted a grim picture.
"Commander Coverwatch, we're alongside you," she transmitted. "Initiating docking procedure."
A weak but grateful voice replied. "Good to see you, Lieutenant."
The CV-Taurus extended its docking apparatus, securing a connection with the Orca. "Docking complete," Bradley confirmed. "Pressurizing the airlock."
"Let's get them out of there," Singh said, unstrapping herself from the pilot's seat.
She moved swiftly to the airlock, where her crew was already opening the hatch. The doors slid open to reveal Coverwatch and his crew, faces smeared with soot but alive. The civilians were right behind them, scared but unscathed.
"Welcome aboard," Singh said, relief evident in her eyes.
"Thanks for the pickup," Coverwatch replied, offering a weary grin.
"Commander, we need to get you to medical," a crew member insisted.
"Later," he waved them off. "Status report."
Singh led him toward the bridge. "The Ararat arrived just in time. They're engaging the remaining Thargoids."
As they entered the cockpit, the viewport displayed the Ararat unleashing another volley, obliterating the last Interceptor in a spectacular explosion.
"That's Captain Vasquez for you," Coverwatch remarked appreciatively.
"Captain," Singh hailed the Ararat. "We have the Commander and his crew safely aboard."
"Excellent news, Lieutenant," Vasquez responded. "Prepare to dock with us. We'll get everyone taken care of."
"Understood. Setting course now."
On-deck the Fleet Carrier, TSC Ararat
On the bridge of the TSC Ararat, Captain Vasquez allowed herself a brief sigh of relief. "Good work, everyone."
Commander Jansen approached. "All enemy contacts have been neutralized. No additional hostiles on sensors."
"Begin recovery operations," she ordered. "Dispatch medical teams to assist the CV-Taurus and the PV-Kaçkar's crew."
"Aye, Captain."
She opened a channel to the CV-Taurus. "Lieutenant Singh, this is Captain Vasquez. Prepare for docking in Bay 2. Medical teams are standing by."
"Copy that, Captain. On approach now."
Vasquez leaned back in her chair, her gaze settling on the viewport where the debris of the battle drifted silently.
"Captain," the communications officer called. "Incoming message from Commander Coverwatch."
"Put him through."
Coverwatch's face appeared on the screen, smudged but defiant. "Captain Vasquez, I owe you one."
She smiled warmly. "Just returning the favor, Commander. Couldn't let you have all the fun."
He chuckled. "Always the hero. How did you get here so fast?"
"We pushed the reactors and our engineering crew to their limits," she admitted. "But it was worth it."
"Glad you did. We were in a tight spot."
"Let's get you and your people aboard. We'll debrief once everyone's accounted for."
"Agreed. See you shortly."
The transmission ended. Vasquez turned to her crew. "Dispatch repair crews to send repair limpets to PV-Kaçkar. After the ship becomes barely operational, dock with it and engage the automatic docking computer. Our flight control will bring her here remotely. After it lands, set course for Daedalus Starport in Mercury orbit. The battle's far from over."
"Aye, Captain," the helmsman replied.
As the CV-Taurus and the PV-Kaçkar were brought into the TSC Ararat's massive hangar, crews hustled to assist the wounded and assess the damage.
Commander Coverwatch and Lieutenant Singh disembarked to find Captain Vasquez waiting for them.
"Welcome aboard," she greeted them.
"Good to be here," Coverwatch replied, extending his hand.
She shook it firmly. "You look like hell."
He smirked. "You should see the other guys."
Singh stepped forward. "Captain, the evacuees from both ships are being tended to."
"Excellent work, Lieutenant," Vasquez commended her. "You both showed remarkable courage out there."
"Couldn't have done it without the Ararat," Singh said.
Vasquez's expression turned serious. "The number of Thargoids will only increase as Cocijo draws closer to Sol.”
Coverwatch nodded. "Agreed. But first, let's make sure our people are taken care of."
"Of course," she agreed. "Then we'll see about turning the tide."
As they walked together toward the medical bay, TSC Ararat fired up its sublight engines on route to Daedalus Starport. What would happen in the following hours remained to be seen.