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Realms: Hunter Logs

Part Eighteen: Thunder Distant No More

Shadow
Moon of Eclipse, Osterfrau Quadrant

The remainder of the transit to Shadow is uneventful. Shadow is a dark, roiling world. Clouds of volcanic ash and sulfur fumes still waft across the once-lush veldt, and the dark side ripples and flares with the occasional lightning storm. In most places, though, the air is still breathable, and it is in the deeper valleys and the higher peaks that one might still find plant and animal life clinging tenaciously. For the most part, however, Shadow is locked into a dark, dry winter from which it is not going to emerge anytime soon. It hangs like a baleful stone set ready to plunge into the blue-green eye of Eclipse.

Solbiort has the Scarlet Chimera make one last braking pulse as the ship slings around Eclipse, making a few course-correction burns so it settles neatly into Shadow's orbit. As the ship nears Shadow, Nigel refines the ship's sensors. On the edges of the grid, he starts to pick up a gaggle of small ships, in formation not long before but already breaking up into a twisty mass of weaving and jinking. As of yet there is no sign of a cruiser-class signature on the grid.

To Solbiort the furball is just that: it looks like two groups of gunships or similar small craft are gearing up for a fight. Raj and Elgyn have somewhat less fond memories of such furballs, more often than not being the ground-pounders aboard dropships that had to get through such dogfights. Nigel can really only recognize it as 'a mess.' Solbiort, glancing over Nigel's shoulder, mutters, "Lofely... no vay to tell who's who, und no sign of Tsao."

Nigel's jaw is clenched tightly enough to show white in places as he checks the sensors and fine-tunes them, "I know... makes you wonder if we're being ambushed our ownselves."

Solbiort nods a touch grimly to Nigel, "Vas vondering that myself."

Elgyn is already strapping in after seeing what Solbiort was looking at. "Captain, perhaps we should change our beacon now? If some of them are Far Thunder we don't want to, er, distract them, yeah? Or are you still worried about the Tsao finding out about that?"

Solbiort frowns, shaking her head, "If ve are random ship, are target for Far Thunder. They vant Vintarsen alive. Also -- ya, vhat you said. Vant to be able to use Chimera still after this."

Elgyn checks his panel. "Should I go to weapons hot, at least? They already know about those."

Solbiort takes a slow breath... then says carefully to Nigel, "If ships approach vithin a few clicks und still no Tsao... sing out und ve flee to Newhall, und let them argue amongst themselves." Nigel nods silently, face drawn and fingers fluttering over the console like nervous birds. Then Solbiort nods to Elgyn & Molly, "Varm 'em up, kids." She continues drifting the Chimera very slowly towards the conflict, taking her time and full advantage of the several asteroid belts as cover.

Elgyn smiles a little to Molly. "You heard the captain..." He starts flipping switches and charging the beam weapon.

As the ship slows her approach to the furball, Nigel picks up and puts on the bridge speakers the inter-ship comms from the ships. He is also able to pick up the pulse-beacons from the fighting ships. Nine of the fifteen ships -- apparently a heterogeneous collection of ships, some of which could very well have just had guns strapped on to be christened 'gunships' -- have a bewildering array of names and must be the Browncoats. The remaining six are putting out Alliance military codes. There are repeated demands for the Browncoats to surrender and be bound by law. Nigel's teeth grind audibly the first time he hears the demand to be bound by law.

Solbiort glances over the grid, frowning. Where's the Tsao? They're right on time... where's the damn cruiser? Molly takes in a deep breath, and starts to flick switches on her console... pauses, then re-tries them. "Captain... I'm not getting power to the laser."

Solbiort snaps, "Nigel -- scan for excessive oxygen usage for the number of crew we should have." Nigel nods to that and turns to the consoles. Solbiort comms, "Raj? You playing vith laser?" She slows the Chimera down to drift in an asteroid belt and puts as much of the ship's energy expenditures as she can on passive, to make the ship harder to spot.

Elgyn's eyebrows tilt. "Captain, you think someone's on board?" he growls, hand going to his ever-present blade.

Solbiort mutters, "Don't know yet, di-di. Focus." She shifts in her seat, now she's not actually piloting, so she can watch the hatchway to the bridge... and a bit of hallway outside.

Raj pipes in over the comm, "Playing with the what? Not me..."

Solbiort comms back, "Hokay. Stand by for possible hostiles aboard. Hm... ve need to figure out how to detect invisibility suits." Solbiort considers, then turns and locks down as much of the ship's hatchways as she can -- the cabins, cargo, airlocks, and so on. "Raj, locking down everything."

Elgyn lets out a noise of exasperation. "Does anyone know if that door locks?" he demands, unstrapping and pulling his krisara... and then just standing still and listening.

Solbiort snaps, "Elgyn, sit down und man only remaining gun, or swap with Molly!"

Elgyn looks at Molly. "Molly, you take the railgun. I'll stay here, but I'm not going to let us all leave our backs to the door," he hisses. Molly nods quickly, scrambling out of her harness and scuttling over to the railgun console.

Solbiort sighs quietly, then murmurs, "Nigel, anything?" Nigel's first cursory glance at the status indicators show nothing beyond tolerances. A second glance -- in between the electromagnetic mess that follows one of the Browncoat gunships getting blown up -- shows that if anything, atmo use is down a bit more than should be normal. Still within tolerances -- but then again, there's no such thing as coincidences in a big 'Verse. Nigel's suspicions are aroused.

Then there's a voice that comes in loud and clear over the 'wave. "Scarlet Chimera, this is Alliance gunship patrol. You are hereby bound by law under suspicion of harboring terrorists. You will put into Shadow orbit and stand down." And almost as the Alliance officer is making her order, Nigel's board picks up something large, slow, and massive on the edge of the grid. It's running a bit hotter than a cruiser normally would, and a little slower. But it's an Alliance cruiser, and the pulse-beacon on it is singing out Tsao.

Elgyn speaks without turning around. "What the hell?"

Solbiort murmurs calmly, "Is chust Far Thunder trying to pass off as Alliance, di-di. Don't vorry."

Nigel swears at the console, "Bound by... bound by gorram law... you scum-sucking sons of syphilitic whores..." He kicks the base of the console, calling out, "Atmo use is down. Something's wrong and they just told us to stand down and be ruttin' well bound by gorram law!"

Solbiort nods to Nigel, "Sheh-sheh. Now, search for Tsao, please?" She comms, "Raj, ve believe there is hostile aboard. Have locked down as much as possible. Vant Elgyn for backup?"

Nigel says, "No need. She's right there. "

Solbiort says to Nigel, "Excellent. Can you comm her vithout giving avay location? If so, let her know ve have hostile aboard." She's silent a moment, then swears, "Ta ma duh! Hostile vill know ve are running light... vhich means Far Thunder vill fire on us." She looks at Elgyn, "Hokay, if you go out, how you intend to detect invis-suit?"

Elgyn shrugs. "His suit makes him invisible. That's one of five senses. I'm well trained with the others. And I know the ship better than him. But here's a question... would he be able to send a message to his friends without using the ships communication system?"

In the commons, Raj is not noticing anything immediately unusual. He moves impatiently about the ship, testing fittings, toggling switches, and generally making sure everything he's checked 100 times is still working. A power flux to the weapons? That's... exciting, he thinks, I wonder if there's something wrong with that old baling wire Mk2 coupling. Probably not enough tin foil... His eyebrows go up when the Captain mentions a hostile on board. He thumbs the nearest comm and replies, "I'm on it. Any idea where?"

Solbiort considers... then comms to Raj, "Moment. Cover back, please -- ve are going to try to organize you, Nigel on vids und checking for 'vaves from our ship, und Elgyn to catch it." To Elgyn she says, "Ya, if he has appropriate equipment. Be patient; ve get you, Raj, und Nigel coordinated in minute." Then she adds firmly to Elgyn, "Am not looking for hero here, Elgyn, you understand? Vant you und Raj safe first."

Elgyn nods solemnly. "And I want you safe. I can do both." Solbiort nods, reassured, and starts intently scanning the ship's cameras while she waits for Nigel to finish calling the Tsao. Nigel pokes and prods and mutters imprecations under his breath as he works on narrow-'casting to just the Tsao, letting them know that the Chimera has been ordered bound by law. He exercises extreme restraint and does not call the crew of the Tsao slow, incompetent twats. He also adds, almost as an afterthought, that there was an apparent hostile on board.

Raj is not hearing anything amiss in his patrol, nor seeing any such. Waiting in Engineering for further information, he shifts his weight and slowly reaches into the holster in the small of his back. He draws a small pistol and checks the load. He fiddles with his personal comm, plugs in the earpiece, and puts his back to the nearest corner. At some point he notices there are a few breakers that have tripped on the rather ramshackle (if functional) weapons power board. Raj looks at the breakers from across the room, his eyes narrowed. You can almost see him think, Now where would I wait to bushwhack the man flipping those back on...

On the Bridge, Elgyn eyeballs the hatch as he makes sure his pistol is loaded. "Don't open the door for anything, Captain. Not even either of us," he hesitates and adds, "Unless we show you the neutralized intruder."

Shortly, Kota's voice comes over the narrow-'wave. "Chimera, this is Tsao Actual. We're sorry we're late; saboteur took out our compression coils about half a million kilometers back. We're deploying a probe constellation and our gunships now and we should be in engagement range in about ten minutes. We're going to broadwave the Browncoats the bind order is faux. That should -- wait, what's that?"

Another signal appears on Nigel's grid. This one is coming around Shadow, the moon between it and the Tsao still. It's much smaller than the cruiser, but bigger than the gunships. If Nigel were to guess, he would say it's some kind of frigate or Alliance medium-endurance patrol vessel. Nigel relays Kota's message and whistles low under his breath as the new ship adds itself to the mix. This new ship does not have a pulse-beacon code.

Solbiort nods, "Got it, Elgyn. Nigel, can you coordinate..." She pauses, listening... then swears softly, "All right, new goals. Elgyn, have Molly cover your exit from Bridge und lock hatch behind you. After that, Molly, coordinate vith Elgyn und Raj -- use ship cameras to aid them in hunting hostile. Nigel, keep eye out for approaching ships -- ve're going to try to hide vhile they fight it out, until ve are clean again."

Molly nods quickly, drawing her revolver as she gets up to watch the hatch as Elgyn exist. Elgyn puts in his comm earpiece, gives Molly a nod, then opens the hatch carefully while staying out of her line of fire. Once he's sure there's no one about to lay siege to the hall, he darts out, checking first one hallway, then the other. "Lock it up, Molly!" Molly hauls on the hatch, closing it and dogging it sealed. She rushes back to her console.

Solbiort narrows her eyes thoughtfully... then pulls her flying goggles from a belt pouch and uses them to see if she can tell if anything is on the bridge that shouldn't be. A moment later she nods in some relief to herself, putting the goggles away, then settles firmly into the pilot's seat. She slaves the railgun and laser to her board -- better some firepower than none. Then she comms Elgyn and Raj, "Please try to stay close to somezing you can grab, should ve need to take sudden evasive action." After that she goes back to coordinating with Nigel on what's outside the ship, and leaving Molly to work with the two within the ship.

Speaking quietly into the comm, Raj says in Engineering, "I've found some popped breakers. I'll report as soon as I've checked them out." Pistol at the ready, he crosses to the panel and inspects the breakers. It's good Raj checked first -- the breakers appear to have been simply opened but someone did something nasty to the cabling. Closing the breakers would have fried the system and probably whoever was standing in front of the console. In an almost casual voice Raj says into the comm, "Intruder confirmed. Panel... 35/JUR-SE tampered with. No sign of intruder," and begins opening the panel.

Elgyn triggers his comm unit as he reholsters his pistol, and brings his krisara to bear. "Molly, you're my eyes... where should we check first?"

Meanwhile, Kota's voice comes over the broadwave: "Attention all ships, this is the Alliance cruiser Tsao. The ships purporting to bear Alliance flag will stand down immediately. You have one minute before our probe constellation is in place, at which point we can put a missile up each of your left nostrils. Don't make this any harder than it already is, Far Thunder. " In a narrowcast to the Chimera then, Kota notes, "Chimera, we actually have closer to five minutes before our constellation is in place and our gunships can enter the fray. How are you with your -- dammit!" A second Browncoat gunship goes up in a fireball. "How are you with your intruder?"

Almost in reply, the "Alliance" patrol gunships reply: "Cruiser Tsao, this is our jurisdiction. Stand to and let us do our work."

Solbiort murmurs to Nigel, "If you have moment und vant to, tell Kota ve busy." She gets a quirky grin, adding, "Can ask her if she is sure she has captured all her own hostiles too."

Nigel nods and takes a deep breath, replying to Kota, "Hostile confirmed. They've mucked with my ruttin' ship and I may have to bite them in the ankles. Have you confirmed all hostiles captured?" Solbiort chuckles at Nigel's comment.

The reply comes not from Kota but rather one of the Browncoat gunships: a wild rebel yell as three of the ramshackle fighters gang up and take out one of the Far Thunder gunships. The odds are now the Chimera, the Tsao, and seven Browncoats against five Far Thunder gunships... and a frigate of some sort closing in on the furball. Kota's actual reply to Nigel is dry and flat, with a gallows humor tone that even the narrow frequency seems to carry: "We're running about two hundred and fifty crew lighter, but yes, I'm certain we got the saboteur. "

Solbiort gets an unpleasant smile as an idea occurs to her. To Molly she murmurs, "Mei-mei, comm Raj to say vhen he is done vith breakers und vith Elgyn... und ve vill try old trick to panic our hostile. Vill start pulling air out of compartments von by von, vhile you vatch close on cameras for hatchvays being used, ya?"

Molly nods, fussing with her console. "Elgyn, nothing's showing on the internal cams. Roger, Captain, I'll pass that on to them. Which compartment do you want evacuated first?"

Elgyn nods, moving carefully down the starboard corridor. "Making my way to engineering then... going to check the cabins on the starboard side." He keeps it down to a whisper as he moves stealthily across the deck. Nigel is visibly twitching as someone other than himself is in engineering doing his job, but he does his assigned job.

Solbiort murmurs to Molly, "Bow to stern, bottom to top. First cargo, port und starboard boarding locks, ladder wells, arsenal, infirmary, cutter bays, und airlocks to engineering. Not engineering, though." Molly nods, manipulating her console. Shortly, the ship's hull groans faintly as the cargo bay is sealed and it is vented to vacuum. Solbiort she takes deep breaths, centering herself. All her instincts say to either go help hunt down the hostile, or gleefully dive into the furball. Must... be... patient. Can go play with gunships once Chimera is clean...

As he starts to get the laser power relays in Engineering unmucked, Raj hears, quite distinctly and off to his left near the stairs, a plastic-on-metal thud and the sound of a workbench being jostled. Up on the upper deck still, Elgyn carefully unseals the hatch to the crew deck, then moves through... sealing it behind him, he continues his slow and steady pace to the aft compartment... And at about then, the frigate out in the black, which is somewhat closer to the furball than the cruiser, and thus does not need a probe constellation to target 'left nostrils' or any other body part, opens fire with a obscenely-rapid-fire turret, shredding a Browncoat gunship that had attempted to make a run on it.

Solbiort mutters under her breath, "Vell, at least am sure is not Siddhanarta. Vould feel bit bad killing him." She murmurs quietly to Molly, "Vonce both boys are on lower deck, empty upper deck but for bridge." Elgyn carefully moves into Starboard Stores... keeping the lights off, as they won't help him see an invisible man anyway...

Molly pauses. "Evacuate the upper deck? Staterooms as well?

Solbiort says, "Start slow air loss, ya, but do not completely empty. Am hoping to panic hostile into run for lower deck, vhich ve vill see on cameras."

Molly swallows, "Uhm, including the chicken coop?"

Solbiort patiently repeats, "Start slow air loss but do not completely empty. Can revive unconscious chickens later if necessary." Solbiort isn't exactly sure how one revives a chicken, nor will she be experimenting with mouth-to-beak... but she figures knocking them out isn't as bad as blowing them up in vacuum.

"...yes'm." As she starts the depressurization, Molly murmurs, "Was more worried about 'sploding chickens. I'm glad Elgyn was going to have to clean that sort of mess up...."

In Engineering, Raj stops a moment and takes a deep breath, then grimaces, saying, "Well, that's not going to work." He reaches into the toolkit for a handful of connectors, but fumbles the box, and they fall to the deck with a clatter. "Oh, bloody hells! Where's that vac?" Searching, he steps away from the odd sound and around a piece of heavy equipment. Once he's out of sight, he crouches down and brings up his pistol.

Solbiort murmurs, "Nigel, vhen you have time, plot quickest course to furball for us, using cover und in quick jinking run, please?"

Nigel arches a brow at Solbiort, "I know as much about evasive maneuvers as you do about performing a tonsillectomy, Captain." Still, as he talks, he starts seeing what he can do. Solbiort grins quietly at Nigel's acerbic commentary, pleased he's staying busy and not getting panicky. She's really proud of everyone right now. She makes a mental note to be conspicuously absent, however, should Nigel need to perform a tonsillectomy any time soon. She adds quietly, "Molly, how goes?"

Molly shakes her head. "Upper decks almost evacuated -- just the compartment that Elgyn is in -- and I'll deep that once he enters engineering."

Solbiort nods, pleased, "Excellent. Varn Raj und Elgyn vhen everyvhere but engineering is cleared, please." She runs her hands lightly across the board, prepping the ship to bolt into combat as soon as they receive the go-ahead. She adds with quiet amusement to Molly, "Leave cabins light on air but do not evacuate."

Molly nods, "'least we can still have chicken for dinner, if nothing else...." Solbiort smiles grimly, continuing to plot navigation and possible tactics on the board, to keep herself from twitching as much as Nigel.

Outside, the asteroids manage to provide the ship with some cover. The furball starts to disperse a little as the Browncoats try to get some range from the shark of the frigate that's starting to near them, and the Far Thunder gunships attempt to herd them towards the frigate. Kota's one minute passes without nasal missiles being applied, though on the grid Nigel can track the flocks upon flocks -- a really scary amount of gunships, if they were enemies -- launched by the Tsao and the indicators of the probe constellation. Unfortunately, the cavalry is still several minutes away.

There is an eerie stillness in the engine room as Raj moves. There is the thrum of the ship's engine cores and the rumble of the power plants, but it's not so loud you can't hear yourself think... and you can hear the soft scrabble of a foot accidentally kicking against spilled tools, followed by utter silence... then the footsteps of someone trying very, very hard to walk quietly in heavy boots, getting closer... and is that a blurring of the air starting to appear in the air in front of Raj, like heat rising from the power plants?

The hatchway into engineering opens, allowing Elgyn into the compartment. He sneaks carefully onto the catwalk... and then closes the hatch behind him as he listens for movement... Raj hears the telltale crunch of the connectors, and a tight grin slowly crawls across his face. He shifts his weight slightly, and snaps the gun around the corner, firing down the side he would be hiding on...

Elgyn hears a shot ring out down below. In front of him the heat shimmer ripples briefly and flickers, before resolving into what could pass for a light suit of Alliance commando armor enhanced with some odd protrusions over the shoulders, made complete by a full-head helmet and rebreather, and a smock of some sort that seems to cover most of his equipment. A knife not unlike that which Raj used in the war falls to the deck from the infiltrator's hand. Raj shouts, "Stay down and I won't have to shoot you again, you hwoon dahn spook."

On the bridge, Molly yelps a little. "Captain! Raj shot the intruder!"

Nigel whoops and pumps a fist into the air, "Take that... messin' with my girl!"

Solbiort swears under her breath, bolting up to her feet so she can see the cameras over Molly's shoulder. She grins then, watching intently, "Good on for Raj." At Nigel's comment she grins at him too, then looks quickly back at the scene on the cameras. Watching intently, Solbiort mutters under her breath, "Come on, boys, keep him alive und not 'splodey..."

The Far Thunder infiltrator is on the deck of Engineering and wheezing through the rebreather, a hole through the side of the chest plate to the armor marred with a bit of red about the edges. He is holding his hands up, empty, and trying to hold still. This is the scene that Elgyn comes upon at the upper catwalk that commands a view of Engineering. Elgyn rolls his eyes. He abandons stealth and moves hastily down to the ladder. "This is three for three, Raj... I might as well give you all my guns... see if you can get him out of his armor... Solbiort wants these fellows alive if possible..." He sheathes his krisara and slides down the ladder smoothly.

Keeping his eyes and his gun locked on the intruder, Raj calls out, "You know, Elgyn, if I had any choice in the matter I'd be happy to let folks take pot shots at you instead of me. Can you cover him while I try to get this off him without exploding? Keep you eyes peeled, too. No guarantee he's alone. You may get your wish yet..."

Elgyn pulls free his revolver. "You got it, One-Shot," he quips with a smile. He gives the fallen man the eyeball to see how badly he's hurt...

Meanwhile, the frigate has been plowing through the Browncoat gunships; five remain. The com traffic has changed to tightly controlled panic on the part of the Browncoats. On the Chimera's bridge, Solbiort shifts restlessly in place, looking back and forth longingly between her board and the cameras... go or no go? Then she sighs. She has to wait until the hostile is at least restrained before she heads the Chimera into battle. She settles firmly into the pilot's seat, hands poised over the board. "Di-di Nigel, you got course for me? Mei-mei, let me know as soon as hostile is restrained!"

Nigel looks a little skeptical, "I don't know how good a course it is..."

Solbiort grins, "Send it over und ve'll see!" She's perking up already at the prospect of imminent battle. She happily adds, "You haf any vay to make things difficult for Far Thunder ships, di-di Nigel, feel free to start vork on that too!"

The infiltrator in Engineering nods at Raj, their voice muffled by the rebreather when they speak: "The... the latches along the left -- my left -- side of the chest plate. Those disable the suicide charge." Pause. "And I really don't want to die like that. If you're going to take it off, at least let me live through it." Raj reloads, then holsters his pistol. After making sure the wounds aren't obviously fatal, he begins the slow process of "decommissioning" the intruder's armor without setting it off.

Elgyn gives Raj a meaningful look. "And here I was suggesting to the Captain just the other day that Far Thunder was full of zealots..." he comments... which is not to say he believes the intruder, necessarily, but expects Raj will know enough to verify himself. The intruder holds very still as Raj starts to disable the charges and crack open the armor. There are no apparent booby traps, and the armor comes off fairly quickly once the latches are released. Underneath is a young woman with somewhat Sihnon features, somewhat pale from blood loss. Elgyn tsks. "Okay... Raj, you cover me now... I'm not exactly brimming with medical equipment, but I can at least stabilize her till we can get her to medical."

Raj straightens, saying, "Yah. Your turn, Elgyn. She gonna live?" He puts the armor and weapons out of reach and draws his pistol again, covering the intruder. Looking down the barrel of his gun, he asks, "Any more of you about?"

The woman shakes her head, looking a little pained. "No. None others aboard your ship. Didn't... didn't want to risk discovery."

On the Bridge, Solbiort glances over at Molly's camera view of the scene, then huhs softly at sight of the woman. "At least vas not boy I met. She restrained yet, mei-mei?"

Nigel glances over, sighs and mutters under his breath before he says aloud, "Do I need to go keep the little cutthroat from bleeding out?"

Solbiort says, "Neh. Elgyn can keep her alive... und if she cannot stand bit of jostling vhile ve are jinking, she got on wrong ship!" She impatiently comms, "You boys got that kid restrained yet?!" then grins, drumming her fingers lightly along the edge of her own board.

In Engineering, Elgyn puts his own gun back in the holster and snaps it shut. He taps his comm. "In progress, Captain." He combines the two actions... checking over her wound first visually as he binds her hands with cord, and then doing a physical checking of the wound... he makes a few tsking noises. "You must be carrying something powerful at your side, Raj... this is top quality armor, and she's still done up bad. But she'll live." He patches up the wound careful enough so she won't leave too much of a blood trail behind as he moves her... not to mention bleeding all over his pants and moccasins!

Solbiort sighs softly, but doesn't blather in the comm. Patience. "Nigel, can you repair laser from here?"

Nigel shakes his head, snorting, "No. I'd have to go down there." The annoyed tone of his voice is offset by the almost longing way he looks toward the door.

Solbiort says, "Hokay, vonce Raj und Elgyn have confined girl to infirmary, von can sveep ship und other can escort you to engineering. Mei-mei, let air into ship again. If they are using rebreather, then even if von more is about, lack of air harms us more than them." Molly nods and starts to repressurize the ship.

Elgyn hnhs. "Consider yourself lucky you didn't hurt any of my crew, missy... or I might have decided to engage in a little medical malpractice," he growls. It's not clear if he's serious. He taps the comm. "Prisoner cuffed and stabilized, Captain. We're moving to infirmary."

Solbiort tilts her head, listening to Elgyn's comment -- then grins broadly, her eyes bright with excitement, "Then is time to go play vith gunships, ya! Grab somezing und hold on!" She gives a gleeful rebel yell as the ship bolts into action, thundering down on the unraveled furball. Solbiort checks the grid carefully as she brings the Chimera scorching in. Four Browncoats, four Far Thunder gunships, and the frigate. Looks like the Tsao gunships are still a minute or so out, and the Tsao herself will be right behind. She smiles slowly... still time to do something... interesting.

After a few minutes the prisoner has been put into the infirmary, and after some quick work, Nigel has re-enabled the ship's laser. Elgyn is busy sweeping the ship while Raj keeps Nigel company... and as he comes to the end of his tour, it suddenly occurs to Elgyn to check on his chickens... Nigel hits the comm after he's got the laser back on line, "Captain, where do you want to shuffle me next? I ought to warn you, that I'm likely to be a little cross at the little chippie that hurt the Chimera."

Solbiort grins, "Aren't only von, di-di! Let's see... can you do anyzing to baffle frigate's sensors?"

Elgyn is a little relieved as he finds the chickens more or less okay. Hard to tell with chickens. "Ship is secure, Captain... I'm coming back to the bridge," he comms.

Solbiort says, "Hurry then, Elgyn -- Molly cannot handle both guns!" Elgyn is back on the bridge in a matter of moments; impressive considering Soli's jinking. Molly's still manning the railgun, so he straps next to the laser console. Solbiort is singing quietly but happily to herself, piloting in with cheerful abandon. She throws the Chimera into a spiraling arc, cutting past the Far Thunder gunships which are gearing up to finish off the remaining Browncoats. Two break off, peeling away to come about to bring themselves to bear on the Chimera, and begin to pursue. The other two are forced to peel away from their prey or get hit by the privateer.

There is another voice on the com now... and it's not encrypted military traffic, nor is it narrow-'waved. It's broad waved from the frigate. "Arvid Wintarsen! You are bound by law for the crimes of terrorism, conspiracy, and failing to lay down arms following the armistice! You will surrender immediately or we will be forced to destroy you!"

Solbiort flicks on the ship's comm... and just laughs! "Unnamed frigate... bite me!" She whirls the ship about and does a long diving run past the frigate's belly, calling to Elgyn and Molly, "Have fun!" Elgyn can't help but grin at Solbiort's glee, and braces himself as he opens fire... Molly misses atrociously; the high-speed movement of the ship just too much. Elgyn's shots, though, strike the frigate amidships, puncturing the lateral armor belt. Meanwhile the two gunships on Chimera's tail spit cannon fire at the darting corsair, the tracers skimming past the ship by a comfortable, if rather toasty, margin.

Nigel groans as he hears that broadwave, "Rutters want the whole gorram Alliance to attack us!" He pelts back toward the bridge, swearing the whole way, panting by the time he's able to tell the captain what he just noticed, "Captain, they're broadwaving that message! They're wanting to turn us into a ruttin' reason to start up again!"

Solbiort cheers exuberantly, spinning the ship madly about the frigate to offer her gunners another shot. At Nigel's comment she blinks... then grins wickedly, "Reeeally now... hokay, two can play at that game!" She thinks a moment, her hands dancing as lightly over the board as the Chimera darts about the frigate. What to say...

Elgyn hmmphs. "Talk is cheap... we'll blow them out of the black before that even becomes a problem," he drawls, retargeting...

Solbiort grins suddenly and flicks on the ship's comm, "Unnamed frigate, nice try... but Vintarsen's not even here for your planned extermination of entire Independent movement... so even if you kill us all, he's still out there, laughing!" She adds cheerfully, "Tsao, vould be so kind as to broadvave this message?"

Kota's voice comes on. "Confirmed, Chimera. Far Thunder ship, you will stand down. Our probe constellation is complete, if a little late, and all our launchers are armed. You cannot win."

Solbiort adds contemptuously, "Chickenshit Far Thunder cowards und fanatics... do you even have reason for your murders of innocents?!" She dives Chimera past two of the gunships, trying to draw them into firing towards the frigate. Taunts don't always work... but sometimes they do.

Elgyn has no quippy things to say... he focuses on firing, and fire he does. Trying not to take pleasure as the laser leaps forth to burn into its target... this time both Molly's and Elgyn's shots ring true, the railgun slicing through the forward sensor array and Elgyn's beam cannon punching through the starboard engine. Gouts of plasma erupt briefly from the housing before extinguishing into a dull red burn. As an afterthought Elgyn says under his breath, "No one threatens my family."

One of the gunships fires desperately upon the Chimera, but clips the other gunship. The second, damaged and trailing vapor and smoke, peels away almost uncontrolled for a barrel-roll descent to Shadow's unwelcoming plains. The frigate also is hurt, almost fatally, though it's still afloat in the black. With two more friendly gunships on the Chimera's tail, and Kota's own gunship flocks about to pounce on the scene, it seems like the day is almost won. Almost. There is silence for a moment over the com... then at a lower signal strength, the voice 'waves, "Ah. Well played. You have traded one chaos for another. Very well, if this is how you wish it." Another pause. "The thunder no longer distant."

Solbiort snorts, "Bah. Bluffs und empty threats vhen you haf nozzing to back zem up. Surrender or try to die vith honor." In reply, the frigate seems to blossom into three score petals of flame, each petal a missile that arcs around at near-point-blank range to fill the black with fire. Solbiort jinks violently away, amusedly reminded of the gunship off of Persephone, and mutters, "Show off," under her breath. Elgyn's eyes go wide. His hands dart across the console, trying to switch to a smaller target...

The insane missile attack fills all of near space with impossible fury. Fortunately, either the Far Thunder folks didn't allocate a nuclear budget, or they simply chose not to. Within the span of seconds, though, heat and pressure and light embrace and buffet the privateer in a roaring storm of destruction. Fortunately, the Chimera is blessed this day; Solbiort manages to keep the ship straight and true as it comes about to angle away from the multiplicative blasts, despite the howling flames which sear the hull. Between Nigel and Raj, tripped breakers, blown gas and liquid lines, fouling of the computer microcode, and a dozen other issues caused by the blast are compensated for and corrected. Elgyn manages to clip the closest missile, keeping it from detonating far too close.

The Browncoats and Far Thunder gunships aren't as lucky. All four are annihilated in the blast, and the frigate creaks and groans and lists. Struck by the fury of its own missile strike, it burns and begins to break apart, the spine of the vessel cracking in slow motion. The frontline of Kota's gunships veer away, scorched by the leading edge of the strike. The only two survivors of the maelstrom are the gunship that's tumbling, barely controlled, towards Shadow... and the Chimera.

Solbiort keeps speeding hard away from the blast, although she tries to keep an eye on where the last gunship is going down. If anyone can walk away from that landing, they deserve a pick-up, she feels. She mutters quietly under her breath, "You better live, you lot down there... ve deserve an explanation for zis suicidal insanity!"

Elgyn is wincing for a while before he realizes they're still all in one piece. He just looks over at Solbiort and smiles, even as she's swearing. "Warrior's luck, Captain," he says to her enigmatically, referring back to an old conversation.

Solbiort chuckles quietly, "Zat... und finest little gunship und crew I've flown vith for a vhile, pretty."

Elgyn is suddenly self-conscious, looking at the others present. "Captain..." he murmurs in very mild protest, trying not to blush.

Solbiort hms absently at Elgyn? She will, as soon as she's sure Chimera is clear of the frigate's blast, roll the ship easily around to aim for Shadow. To the Tsao she comms, "Chimera reporting to Tsao: all clear on board. Heading for Shadow to retrieve any survivors of gunship crash."

Kota replies, "Understood, Chimera. That blast played royal havoc with our gunships; we'll be spending some time getting back in order. Be careful down there. If you encounter any optical stealth forces, sonar-based motion sensors will detect them unless they're moving very slowly."

Solbiort huhs softly to herself, then grins, "Sheh-sheh, Tsao. Over und out." She comms to the ship, "Hey, all! Tsao reports sonar based motion sensors vill detect the invisi-suits unless moving very slowly. Ve got those? Don't think ve packed any, unfortunately." She cheerfully adds, "Ve are shiny crew, ya? Ve rock!" Elgyn can't help but laugh at that.

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Last modified: 2006-Mar-04 21:02:19

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