"Woah! Woah! What the hell are you doing, Claude?!"
A small truck and tractor rumbled over the rocky mine. Claude frantically pulled levers, pushed buttons, and threw the wheel. Miners and foremen alike screamed in panic as they ran from its path. A crowd began to gather as the ruckus ensued.
Claude stomped on the brake, "It won't stop! Get out of the way!"
"Steer away! Steer away!"
Claude leaped out of the truck and ran. The metal monster barreled through the mine and dove off a ledge. Mounds of ore and metal crushed the crashing truck, throwing up a storm of dust. Shouts and curses filled the air as drills and picks were thrown on the ground.
"What the fuck, Claude!"
"It wasn't my fault! The brakes weren't working."
"Everyone okay?"
The miners sounded off.
"Help! Help!" groaned a weak voice.
A foreman was half buried beneath the ore. His legs must have been turned to mush. Marika's eyes snapped to the red transponder. She quickly ran to the foreman dragging other miners with her. Everyone around her grabbed rock and shovel to dig him out. Others grabbed his arms and tried to pull him out. The foreman groaned and strained as the workers tried to save him. Marika quickly wrapped her arms around the chest. She grasped the transponder and quickly tore it from the clothing.
"Claude! I'm docking you a day's pay for this crap!" shouted a foreman.
"But it wasn't my fault!" he protested.
"Yeah!" interjected Marika, "Leave him alone!"
"He's right" said a miner rummaging through the wreckage, "Look! The brake line was cleanly cut."
Tina.
"Damn pirates" grumbled the foreman, "I want a full investigation. Now back to work! Claude, take the day off. Without pay."
"But… if I don't get paid I won't be able to go back to –""
"You want to hang boy? As far as I'm concerned you're the prime suspect."
"What about that freighter captain" suggested a Pinkerton, "He has a record."
"Small record, but you make a point. Hey! Get back to work!"
The crowd began to disperse and the sounds of labour resumed. Claude hung his head and walked back to the barracks.
Sorry Claude.
"They call me Hanging Johnny. Away, boys away. They call me Hanging Johnny, so hang boys hang," sang an echo.
I know that voice. Mary.
Mary was mining in the far corner. Her song resounded through the chamber and down the tunnels.
"They say I hang for money" she sang.
"Away, boys away" resounded the miners.
"But hanging isn't funny."
"So hang boys hang."
The mine was shaking with the deep hard voices. The others glanced around in confusion or continued to work, ignoring the melody. The foremen were in a fuss. The Pinkertons got on edge. Marika looked around and saw what Mary was doing. Only a few of the workers were singing to her lead. Sailors or pirates, it didn't matter. There were far more in the asteroid than they had expected.
The song drifted through the tunnels like the ocean. The ocean became rivers and those rivers joined many others as the solemn song continued. Marika began to be carried off by the tune. The lights died and the entire mine was plunged into the abyss. Shouts and yells of confusion filled the air. A few shots rang out. The emergency lights flickered on and bathed the area in a dim red glow.
That must've been the signal. Which means Tina and Hans have severed communications. San-daime is on his way. And Mary…
The asteroid erupted into violence as the sailors showed their true colors. The rogue pirates took their simple tools and assaulted anyone and everyone. Miners panicked and fled or desperately tried to hold their ground. Marika grabbed her drill and clambered up toward the guarded tunnel. The security guards opened fire indiscriminately into the crowd.
"Drop the drill!"
Marika put her hands up but didn't drop. Her grip fought her impulses and tightened. The long rifle aimed at her chest. The guard continued to shout and scream. Marika threw her arms as hard as she could. The drill smacked the barrel aside forcing the shot to bury into the wall. Marika drove the butt of the drill into the guard's face. On the beat the guard collapsed on the ground, perfectly fine barring the few missing teeth and swollen face.
Rogue pirates grabbed the weapons of beaten men and took cover behind the heavy equipment and rocks. The firefights were furious, covering the area in bullet holes and scorch marks. Marika felt a hard pull on her shoulder. She swung the butt of the drill as hard as she could. The metal rang at it was parried by a shovel.
"Hey now, I'm with you."
"Mary!"
"Damn straight. Did you get the transponder?"
"Right here. You?"
Mary pulled out the transponder. It was still attached to the foreman's coat, spotted with blood.
"Don't look at me like that. He won't need it anymore. Have you seen Tina and San?"
"We're right here" hollered San-daime waving a plasma torch.
The two were mounted on a simple two person rover. Mary and Marika tossed them the transponders and clambered on. The four charged through the chaos, knocking people off ledges and forcing them aside as they went.
"Freeze!"
Mary thrashed her shovel knocking out the first guard. Tina drove the rover into the second knocking him into the force field. There was a blood curdling scream as his body writhed and spasm. The screams went silent as he turned into ash.
"Well, that just happened" said Mary with wide eyes.
San-daime fumbled with the transponder, "Are we sure this thing is working."
"Only one way to find out" smiled Tina.
"After you" offered San-daime.
"Oh, no, I insist!" Tina kicked San-daime into the force field.
San-daime clenched his eyes and waited for the electric shock. When it didn't come he jumped and clicked his heels. Tina smirked and nonchalantly walked into the tunnel.
"Do you see anything?" asked Marika, "A panel, wires, anything?"
"It must be hidden behind the rocks," San-daime started to dig, "Give us a minute"
"We don't have a minute" Mary pointed down the ledge.
A group of pirates were climbing the rocks. Rifles were held between their chests and chin. Mary pushed a shovel into Marika.
"Found the emitter!" Tina tore open the machine, "Okay now to figure out which wire does what."
Marika grabbed a rifle barrel and forced the butt into the attacker's face. As he recoiled Mary shoved him aside forcing others to stumble to avoid him. A long drill narrowly avoided Marika's back. The two ladies swung their shovels and gonged them against his head.
"Anytime now" shouted Mary.
"Just a few more seconds" said San-daime, "Ok, try it now."
A rogue pirate charged. Mary stepped to the side and stuck out her foot. The rogue clumsily tripped and flew head first into the tunnel. There was a brilliant flickering of light and a cloud of ash.
"Okay, don't come through yet" stammered San-daime, "Don't worry, we just need another minute."
"Hurry up!" Marika wrenched a rifle from a rogue, "Mary, catch!"
"Thanks!" Mary pointed the rifle down the ledge and at the path, "Okay, first one to step forward get a brand new hole."
The attackers froze in their spots until one of them shouted the obvious truth. Only two were defending the tunnel. And the rogues numbered much more and had them on two sides. A bellowing roar ignited a furious charge. Mary fired a flurry of round striking shoulders, chest, leg, and head.
"We're out of time" shouted Mary.
"Almost got it" said San-daime.
"No, no! That one goes here and that one goes there" argued Tina.
"Why not just try the old fashioned way?" said Marika as she parried a blow.
"Good point."
Tina grabbed a plasma torch and shoved it into the emitter. Sparks flew and lightning arced. The force flickered as it had done several times before. Mary grabbed her attacker and threw him into the tunnel. The body flew clear past the point and crashed against the cold, jagged, floor. Tina quickly drove her plasma torch into him, making sure he wouldn't cause any more problems.
"Why did you do that!" yelled San-daime.
"It got the force field down" Mary ran in with Marika, "Stop complaining."
"Yeah, but now we can't put it back up to keep everyone else out!"
"Less talking, more running!" ordered Marika.
The group sprinted down the tunnel with a posse in tow. Shots impacted the rocky wall creating a spray of pebbles. Tina led the way while Mary brought up the rear, firing as she went. The stone walls slowly turned into a metalled, plasteel hall.
"There! A blast door!"
San-daime forced himself ahead and started to fiddle with the console. The ladies took up positions and braced for the coming charge. San-daime ripped of the panel and tinkered with the wires. The charging group drew closer and closer. Their shouts and roars filled the air. Mary fired another burst of fire, then another, and another until the trigger clicked.
Mary turned the rifle into a club, "This doesn't look good."
"Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide" said Tina, "Bad odds."
"Good odds for a pirate" said Marika.
"Oh, I like you" smirked Mary.
"Got it!"
The blast door opened in a flash and everyone rushed in. San-daime slammed the internal console's buttons. The blast door shut. Mary was about to smash the console with the rifle butt, but San-daime got in the way.
"No! If you destroy the console we won't be able to open the door again."
"We'll find another way out" said Mary, "If they get through, it'll be a damn hard fight."
"We don't know if there's another exit" said Marika, "Anything we can do, San-daime?"
"Simple" San-daime pulled off the panel, "If you destroy the console, the door will never open again. But if you sever the wires to the connections that control the mechanisms, the door won't budge, and we'll be able to easily repair it later. That should do it."
"Okay, now let's find the ship and her data cores."
Marika pointed to a display, "Here, this looks like a control centre for the excavation."
They carefully walked the halls toward the room. It was eerily empty. The pristine halls seemed untouched by activity of any sort. There must one hell of a janitorial staff in this section. A thick metal door with a circular window was the only entrance to the room. A group of men dressed in white lab coats hunched over computers analysing blocks of data. A pair of guards, lightly armed, lazily sat by the door. On the far side was another door that led to a narrow gangplank where a few engineers scurried to and fro.
"It's like they're in their own little world" said Marika.
"All the better for us" said Mary, "You take the guard on the right, I'll the one on the left."
"We can't exactly kill them" said Marika, "You're out of ammo and all I have is a shovel."
"We don't need to kill them. Just get them into dropping their guns. On three. One, two, three!"
They burst through the door with a gust of wind thrusting them forward. Marika swung her shovel as hard as she could. Shots were fired ricocheting around the room. The scientists and engineers dove for cover. Her shovel crushed the guard's hands. The pistol fell, firing off another round when it hit the ground. The bullet soared across the ground. A scream of pain from a shattered ankle.
Mary buried her rifle butt into his chest then quickly followed with a stock strike to the back. The guard doubled over and dropped his weapon. Mary kicked the pistol to Tina and continued to beat the guard until he was unconscious.
"Who got hit?" asked Marika.
"I'm okay" said San-daime.
"Me too."
"Same here."
"What is the meaning of this!" shouted a scientist.
"Didn't you hear? All work and no play makes miners super pissed" said Mary.
"It's like Marika said. They're in their own little world here," Tina aimed her pistol, "Now I suggest you answer all of our questions."
"What questions?"
"Where's the ship?"
"What ship?"
Tina fired a shot between his legs.
"It's across the gang plank. Please don't shoot me. It crashed here a long time ago. But its hull is a tinebarium alloy that kept most of it from breaking apart."
"What's its condition?"
"Good! Good! I swear, everything is working. Computers, reactors, everything is working. Which is surprising considering its age."
"The data cores, Tina. Ask him about the data cores."
"You heard her."
"They're intact, but it's just useless stuff."
"Okay, that's all we need to know" said Marika, "Now get out of here."
"What?"
"Go!"
Everyone slowly got to their feet with hands raised. They picked up the unconscious guards and fled. Mary tossed Marika the other pistol. The group was about to embark to the crashed ship but an annoying ring made them pause.
"You going to get that call?" asked San-daime.
"It's not me" said Mary.
A red button was flashing on a nearby console.
Marika pressed the button, "Hello?"
"We heard weapons fire."
"Oh just a slight weapons malfunction" said Marika nervously, "But everything is perfectly alright now. We're fine, we're all fine. Thanks. How are you?"
"We're sending assistance."
"Oh, no that's not necessary. Umm… there's a reactor leak. Big one, very dangerous."
"There's no reactor there."
"Ummm…" Marika blasted the console, "Boring conversation anyway. We're going to have company! Barricade the doors!"
"With what?" asked San-daime.
"Forget the doors. We need to get to the data cores" said Mary, "Come on!"
The group ran across the room and clattered across the gang plank. Beyond the little room was a sight to behold. The gangplank ran across a wide cavern toward a section of a large ship. The vessel was smooth and the section was shaped like a bird's beak. The hull was dull and scratched, but in near perfect condition otherwise. Even in the white light, its bronze hull shined proudly. The beak had pierced through the asteroid like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. The remaining sections, if there were any were hidden behind miles of rock and metal.
"Amazing" said Marika, "How did it survive impact in such good shape?"
"Tinebarium is one hell of an alloy" said Tina, "It's a damn feat of engineering."
"Don't stop moving" ordered Mary, "There's the door."
Without a second thought Mary smashed the console to force the door. A calming blue light washed over them. The troupe haphazardly ran through the maze of curving corridors dodging exposed power conduits and pools of fuel. Consoles flashed randomly, displaying images of an age long gone and playing logs of those long dead. Equipment for the excavation and recovery were piled into certain locations and carrying out their automated tasks.
"Wait, we can't keep running around like this" said San-daime as she examined a console, "Computer, show us our current location."
The console brought up a flickering map.
"Good, it looks like the surviving section is main engineering. I'll lead the way."
Main engineering was a right mess. Power conduits were strewn about with exposed wires. Electricity arced from cable to cable, narrowly avoiding pools of strangely coloured liquid. The tinebarium walls appeared to have been blasted by heavy artillery and other ordnance. In the centre of the room was a tall reactor that was surrounded by tower servers.
"It looks like it was part of a major fight when it crashed" said Marika, "But then why is the exterior hull undamaged?"
"Sabotage would be my guess" said Mary, "We can solve it later. Right now we need those data cores."
"Right, let's open up these towers" Marika nodded.
"Found them" said Tina, "San-daime, give me a hand here."
The data cores were small golden cubes, roughly the size of a fist. Intricate circuits were etched across the surface creating a maze of data and information. Thin fibre optic wires surrounded the cubes like spider's webs while larger multi-coloured cables snaked around each of the cubes. The engineers carefully examined every inch of the data core and traced each of the wires to its point of origin.
"Uh oh" said Tina.
"Uh oh it right" said San-daime scratching his head."
"Uh oh? What uh oh? I don't like it when the engineers say uh oh" said Marika.
"See this" said San-daime, "It's an overload board. And each of these things is connected to it."
"And?" said Mary.
"If we pull any of these cores, the entire thing will blow. We'll lose everything, no chance of recovery."
"On the bright side, it looks like it already went through the access sequence" said Tina.
"Whoever revamped their computers didn't want anything to get stolen."
"Silent Night" said Marika softly, "So how do we get the map piece?"
"The same way we always have" Mary sighed, "We need to blow the damn whistle."
"And bring every pirate looking for it here" said Marika.
Tina nodded, "I'll bring it all up on that console. Ready whenever you are."
"Alright" Marika pressed the whistle between her lips, "Wait, what's our escape plan?"
"We run like hell" said Mary, "I know, it's not much, but we can't exactly sit around thinking of the best course of action."
Marika stood before the console as it patiently waited for the sacred song. She blew the familiar tune to silence the sailors. The screen faded away and a projection flickered to life. A young captain dressed in a long black tail coat with a red trim appeared. His hat was grandiose as were his shoes. A pair of rapiers hung from his hip and pistols were strewn across his chest.
"I am Captain Johnathan Gallows of the Hangman's Ruse. It's a bout damn time the other captain's saw it our way. The Silent Night is a treasure that is meant to be enjoyed, not hidden away. Damn to the depth the concerns of its destructive power. We defeated it once and we can surely sink it the second time. Bah! That's enough talk. To the treasure worthy of the Original Seven!"
The system was a single barren world orbiting a yellow star. The entire system was enclosed by yellow-blue nebula. The path of Silent Night traced across the system with the mysterious numbers: 10021722.
"Any way we can store this?" asked Marika.
"Got it" said Tina pulling out a handful of circuits, "Lots of spare parts around here."
"Alright, now let's get out of here" said Mary, "Those pirates won't be waiting in the wings any longer."
"Right."
The tunnels were oddly empty. Sounds of rifle fire and melee had gone silent. They emerged from the caves to a semblance of order. The miners were starting to crawl out of hiding and return to work. The Pinkerton guards had gained the upper hand and were gathering the suspected pirates into clumps. Without warning a volley fired and a group of thumps like dropping a sack of potatoes followed. The guards forced a group to their feet and escorted them around the corner.
"Dear God, no! I'm not a pirate! I'm not!"
BANG!
"Pay it no mind" said Mary, "Just act casual and we can slip by, no problem."
"Line them up. Let's get this over with" said the sergeant.
"Attention! Attention!" bellowed the loud speakers.
"Who the hell is that?"
"All your systems are now under our… cooperative control. Your little mining base will now be boarded and seized by our pirate crews. Any resistance will be met with extreme prejudice."
"Bentenmaru?" whispered Mary.
"And just to make sure we have a clear understanding."
The mine rumbled and shook like an earthquake had hit. Stalactites cracked free and plummeted to the ground.
"Definitely not" said Marika, "That felt like a small bomb."
"Let's get going before they launch a bigger one."
"Hey, aren't you the ones that came in with that freighter pirate?"
"Shit" Mary grabbed the gun and wrestled it away from the guard, "Leg it!"
The crew barrelled through the crowd. The Pinkertons froze for a brief moment in the confusion but quickly started to fire. Mary covered the retreat, firing shots just over their heads. A firing squad barred their path to the landing pad. Another explosion shook the base. The squad stumbled about making a small opening. In a heartbeat Mary charged through with Marika close behind.
"Forget them! Get to defensive positions! Prepare to repel boarders!"
Alarms rang all through the mine once more. Barricades and fortifications were hastily prepared. Miners were drafted to fight and handed spare guns and simple weapons. Frightened miners tried to stop their escape but all it took was a hard look from Mary and a point of the rifle to scare them off.
"Almost there" said Mary.
Gun shots and blaster fire erupted in the halls. Beams of multi-coloured light zoomed overhead. Shouts and cries of 'hold the line' and 'fall back' fought against battle cries. When the gun shots died, the sounds of brutal hand to hand combat ensued. The crew darted through back tunnels and rat ways to avoid getting mixed in a skirmish.
"There it is!"
"Get down!" shouted Marika forcing Mary to the ground.
The crew took cover behind a stack of crates and a rocky outcrop. A large group of men bashed their tools and weapons against the closed cargo ramp. The shouted and yelled strings of demands and laced their anger with profanities.
"Come out pirate! We're confiscating your ship and getting off this rock! I don't care how many of your friends are boarding! We just want you!"
"Uhhh… sorry, couldn't catch that. Could you say that again? Just slower and more politely please?" said Hans' voice.
"Open the damn ramp or we'll force it open!"
"You can try. Actually, go ahead and try."
The mob opened fire and bashed against the hull. Bullets ricocheted, blaster bolts created minor scorch marks, and the tools made a hell of a racket.
"Any time now guys. Seriously, I've got a date to keep so would you mind breaking that door down faster?" taunted Hans, "Unless you can't in which case, GO AWAY!"
"Any idea how to get passed them?" asked Marika.
"Just one" Mary jumped out and shouted, "Alright, everyone stay calm and nobody gets hurt."
"Ha, ha, ha! Just one girl against all of us? Don't make me laugh."
"There are four of us actually. You can come out guys. Guys? Guys? Come on, this isn't funny!"
Marika kept Tina and San-daime hidden. Even if they did come out, there wasn't a gun between them.
"Shoot her."
"Shit."
The cargo ramp began to lower. The white light within spilled out like a divine wave. The mob crowded around. A small object clanked and tumbled down the ramp, rolling to a halt at their feet. It was a cylindrical stainless steel object. It beeped and flickered. The crowd panicked and bumbled into each other as they scrambled for cover. Mary tossed her rifle and bolted for the ramp. Tina sprinted out of cover across the landing pad.
Marika and San-daime pressed against the crate and closed their eyes. They waited for the inevitable explosion. The seconds passed and there was nothing.
"Get moving! Come on!" shouted Mary.
A gust of wind swept through the cavern. The engines screamed. The mob jumped out of hiding and ran for the ship. A hail of blaster fire raked across the landing pad forcing them back into cover. The gun armed mob returned fire while their comrades cautiously advanced.
"Move quickly! We not wait forever!" shouted Orvar. A small blaster rifle hung around his hip, firing indiscriminately.
"San-daime go!"
"Marika! You're up! Get moving!"
Das Boot started to lift off. Marika ran through the storm. Bullets bore holes through her clothes. Blaster bolts singed her hair. Mary grabbed her hand and pulled her aboard. Orvar continued to fire as the ship slowly took off.
"Wait! Wait! Take me with you!"
"Claude?"
The fatherly worker braved the chaos of battle. Pirates and Pinkertons clashed behind him, falling back and advancing toward the ship. Claude desperately cried and shouted while narrowly dodging strikes. Some of the mob broke through the rain of fire and tried to climb aboard. Orvar stomped them away with his mighty boot.
"Please! Let me aboard, please! Wait!"
"Hold on" Marika ordered the crew, "We have one more."
"We can't wait" said Orvar kicking back a rogue pirate, "Too many. Cannot hold for long."
"We can and we will. Claude, grab my hand."
"The hell is the hold up, Orvar?" said Hans over the intercom irately.
"We have hero."
"Only two kinds of heroes."
"Ya, foolish and dead. She foolish for now. But we may all end up dead."
"I'm not leaving him behind."
"You must."
"Shut up and keep shooting!"
Just a few more meters. Just a few more meters.
BANG!
Claude's eyes widened in horror. He slowed and stumbled, collapsing in a lifeless heap. A bolt bored through his chest, burning through his heart and lung. The wound cauterized when the bolt impacted. His wide eyes stared endlessly into nothingness.
Smoke rose from the end of the barrel. The murderer's gun disappeared into a shoulder holster, Hans' holster.
"Everyone inside. Mary get us out of here!"
"Hans!" barked Marika, "What the hell was that?"
"It was him or us. And I picked us." Hans glared at her, "Remember, if it comes down to you or someone else, always pick you."
Marika reluctantly stepped into the ship. The cargo ramp slowly closed behind her, shutting out the noise of battle.
"Get on the guns" ordered Hans as he ran to the cockpit with Marika.
"Orvar is on it."
"Already there" said Mary running passed.
Das Boot shot out of the asteroid. The sensors swept the field. Radar and sonar rays bounced off asteroids, hiding anyone that may be lurking. Energy readings spiked all around them. Flak and laser scattered around them.
"How many?" asked Marika taking the co-pilot's spot.
Hans pulled down the sensor screen, "Five, maybe more. Their corvettes or smaller and heavily armed."
Das Boot flew through the dust and fire. The deadly debris barely missed the hull. Mary and Orvar sprayed cannon fire in every direction shattering meteoroid and disappearing into the abyss. The enemy ships spun around the field, firing bursts as they went. The shields sparked and flashed.
"Watch out!" exclaimed Marika.
A large meteoroid crashed into the shields. Its shattered fragments punched through and peppered the cockpit.
"God damn it! That'll cost an arm and a leg to fix!"
"Shields! How are the shields?"
"They're back up at 25%" Hans shrugged, "Give or take."
"Give or take?"
"Shut up and help me fly this thing."
Marika pushed the thrusters to maximum power. She put the course in the navicomputer and expertly input the course corrections. Hans maneuvered the vessel through the asteroid field while carefully following the course set. A massive impact shook the ship. Collision alarms blared. Hans yanked on the controls. Das Boot turned vertical and shot up through a dense cloud of small stones narrowly dodging a massive asteroid.
"What was that?"
"A missile impacted a rock behind us" said Mary, "And it was a damn big one. If we get hit, I don't think we'll be getting out of this."
Lasers raked the ship. Flak peppered the hull.
"Mother of pearl" cried Hans, "How much further?"
"A few hundred thousand kilomters" said Marika, "We can do it."
Two pirate ships sped passed the ship. They spun on a dime and unleashed a storm against Das Boot's prow. The shield shattered under the relentless assault. The ships were equipped with basic Vulcan flak cannons, but each hit was hard felt. Hans stamped and cursed. Das Boot retaliated with a small attack from the front cannons. The little lasers splashed against the shields doing very little. A pair of missiles soared from the tubes. The enemy ships immediately retreated letting the missiles create a sea of gravel.
Another attack smashed the rear of the ship.
"Crap, the other three got their shots off" said Mary, "Sorry, Captain."
"Damage report" ordered Marika.
"Minor hull damage along the aft sections. No breaches, but I'm sealing the bulkheads to be safe" said Tina.
"Tina, we need more engine power" said Marika.
"I'm giving her all she's got" said Tina, "The sensors, weapons, shields, and the jammer are eating up our power reserves."
Another missile exploded near the ship. The concussive force shook the ship and tore a hole in the hull. The bulkheads slammed shut.
"We're losing engine power" said Hans, "What the hell happened?"
"That missile cut several power conduits" said San-daime, "I'm rerouting the power."
"Hurry it up. We can't let them get a direct hit."
The turrets fired another stream.
"Just grazed them" grunted Orvar, "Come back and fight!"
"Don't provoke them" said Mary, "We've having a hard enough time already."
Another missile crashed around them. Hans cursed and swore as the struggled to keep the ship on course. Navigating an asteroid field was near impossible already; add in enemy fire, a damaged engine, and more stress than they could manage, and it would take nothing less than a miracle to pull through.
"Incoming!" shouted Mary.
Das Boot rocked violently. A deafening boom crashed through the halls. Coolant poured out of the walls as a cloud of cold steam. The ship started to decompress. A gale of wind rushed through the corridors picking up anything light enough to fly and threw them out of the hull breach. The few bulkheads slowly closed.
"Anyone bite it?" asked Hans.
"We're all okay."
"Get those EVA suits on, we lost a lot of air" said Marika.
Mary and Tina quickly strapped on the mask and released the oxygen from the tank. San-daime fumbled around as the put on his more complicated suit in zero gravity. He quickly grabbed Marika's suit and the third simple suit and quickly brought them to the cockpit. Hans put on the mask and let the oxygen tank float around. Marika put on the helmet and hooked on the life support systems.
"Was that a direct hit?" asked Marika.
"No, but it was pretty damn close" said Hans, "We're almost dead in the water here."
"What? They're sending a message" Marika checked the comms, "Surrender or die. You have three minutes."
"To hell with that. How far do we have to go?"
"Fifty thousand kilometers."
"I'm open to any ideas."
The silence was deafening.
"Running it is then" said Hans, "Pray that they don't hit us with another one of those damn missiles."
"Energy readings!"
A storm of flak and laser tore through the asteroid belt, pecking at the ship. The turrets swivelled rapidly, striking against the small fleet. The blaster bolts struck home against the shields. A few broke through and punched through armour, but the damage was minor. Hans fired a pair of missiles that slammed into the two corvettes. The enemy's laser cannons were destroyed, but their missile launchers still followed orders. Another missile burst far ahead of Das Boot.
"Come on baby, hold together" muttered Hans to the ship, "Just a little further, just a little further."
There must be something we can do. Every one of those shots is getting closer, so they must be compensating for the jammer. But the jammer is strong enough to jam our own sensors. That's it!
"Tina, cut power from the sensors and boost the jammer to 100%" ordered Marika.
"Are you nuts?" protested Hans, "If we put the jammer to one hundred percent we'll be flying blind!"
"Not blind, you still have the most reliable sensor of them all" smirked Marika.
"And what's that?"
"The Mark I Eyeball."
Hans smiled, "You heard the word, Tina. Listen up everyone, we're flying blind. So keep your eyes open and those blasters firing."
"San-daime, I need you to keep engines and shields to maximum. Draw power from all sub-systems, even life support" ordered Marika.
Tina pushed the jammer to maximum output. Every screen became a haze of static. The storm of projectiles and lasers calmed around them. The little fleet floundered and moved erratically to try and dodge the lumbering rocks without the aid of their precious technology. Meteoroids crashed into a corvette crippling its engines. A pair of ships desperately tried to keep the pursuit while dodging. In the chaos of confusion the ships collided. The explosion created a cloud of twisted metal and hot gasses and threw small meteoroids in every direction. Das Boot continued to brave the field. She weaved clumsily around the rocks, leaving a flurry of laser fire in her wake.
"Oh god."
Two massive ice blue asteroids blocked their exit. Rings of meteoroids whizzed around at blinding speed. The rocks crashed against intruding stones creating bursts of lethal hail. The enemy fleet regained their bearings and started to fire again.
"Dive! Dive! Dive!" shouted Marika.
"We won't be able to get around that" replied Hans, "I've got an idea."
"Is it a good one?"
"If it is, we'll be fine. If it's not, we'll be dead, and so it won't really matter" Hans pounded the console, "Cut the jammer! All guns forward! Full power to the shields!"
Das Boot fired its remaining missiles. Streams of smoke trailed behind the warheads. Mary and Orvar swung around and fired rivers of red blasters into the massive asteroids. A thunderous thump shook the ship. The deadly torpedo that has crippled two battleships lumbered ahead, following the streams of smoke and laser. Moments felt like minutes as the assault surged through space.
Small flashes flickered on the asteroid and ring. The flurry of lasers turned a section of the ring into harmless space dust and started to melt the surface. The missiles zoomed ahead through the cloud and bore a deep hole into the rock. The lumbering torpedo screamed after the missiles and flew straight into the creator they created. Eyes fixed on the asteroids with bated breath.
"Yahoo!" cheered Hans.
The massive ice asteroid cracked and split in half. The two chunks drifted apart pushing away everything in its path like a cue ball on the billiards table.
"Tina, get that jammer back up and running" ordered Marika.
Das Boot flew through the cloud of ice and dust. Hans flipped the ship on its side and flew through the narrow crevasse between the asteroids. The remaining ships behind them fired blindly. Flak created shards of ice, the blasters made plumes of steam.
"We're out of the field" Marika cheered, "Tina stop jamming and let's start on those repairs."
"And we've lost the last two ships" said Mary, "We're in the clear to rendezvous."
"We're not in the free and clear yet" said Hans, "Take a look."
Far ahead of them flashes and streaks appeared against the black velvet. Marika squinted and faintly made out many large shapes circling each other.
Marika pressed the comms, "Tina bring that jammer back up. San-daime, scramble to repair as much as you can. Mary, Orvar, you're work isn't done yet. Hans…"
"On it. Programing next jump."
"What's going on captain?" asked San-daime.
"The Bentenmaru is under attack by the rogue pirates."
Six ships surrounded the Bentenmaru. Three were frigate class ships armed with basic flak turrets and a few missile silos. The flak peppered the shields to little effect.
A pair of the assailants was light cruisers armed with point defense blasters, heavy missile launchers, and a pair of beam cannons. The cruisers slowly took the flanks of the pirate ship. The beams streaked across the sky and splashed against the mighty shields. A swarm of missiles burst from the launchers and scattered around the Bentenmaru. Shrapnel rained around the ship creating an impressive display, but doing little in the way of damage.
The final ship was a battleship that rivalled the Bentenmaru in size and power. Phasor banks lined the hull. Railguns lines the broadsides with smaller flak cannons. Red phasor rays bored through the shields and started to melt the armour. Massive projectiles from fired from the railguns with magnificent speed and force. The crash into the shields shattered them and the shrapnel that remained crashed into the thick armour and tore through. Painted on the hull of all the ships was a large white emblem: a smiling skull with a cybernetic eye.
"Marika to the Bentenmaru, what's your status?"
"We're taking a bit of a pounding" said Coorie, "But we can still fight."
"We're going to have to jump" said Hans.
"Our FTL is still functional, send the –"
The cruisers fired a storm of missiles and beams. The beams smashed through the shields and splashed harmlessly against the armour. The missiles flew erratically without any feasible path or purpose. Many exploded harmlessly in the emptiness. But a few found their mark and crashed into the large engines. Plasma poured out of the breaches, the blight lights dimmed and the ship slowed significantly.
"That last one knocked out our FTL" said Coorie, "We're in deep trouble now."
"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve, Captain" said Kane, "We can keep this up until the repairs are done."
"Without me there, the repairs could take up to thirty minutes" said San-daime, "More if they keep taking hits like that."
"I've got several warp signatures approaching" said Hyakume, "It's another pirate fleet!"
"I thought you made the call" said Hans irately.
"I did!" said Marika.
Five destroyers dropped out of hyperspace, led by a battleship. The destroyers were shaped much like traditional naval vessels with several large turrets along its top and torpedo tubes to the front. The ships were pained a dull rust red and orange.
The battleship was the same size and shape as the Bentenmaru and had a large missile, as large as a destroyer, strapped to the underside. Several engines glowed magenta as it surged toward the battle. A large booster attached to the top of the ship pushed the battleship to speeds it would never be capable off. The ship was pained in blue camouflage with light blue bands and yellow tips on the many fins. The emblem of the pirate was a side-faced horned skull, without a lower jaw, enclosed within a triangle. Six streams of beams soared across the skies and grazed the nose of the rogue battleship.
"This is Kenjo Kurihara of the Barbaroosa, leading the Pinkerton Response fleet. Power down your weapons and surrender. But please, don't. I'm rearing for a good fight."
The rogue fleet's frigates turned to face the Barbaroosa. Their flak and fire did nothing against the strong shields and thick armour of the fleet. The fleet replied with a fury of missile fire. The warheads slammed into the shields and through the armour. Plasma and fuel ignited and sprayed out from the breaches. The engines died and the ships tumbled harmlessly in the emptiness of space. Their last actions were to spray streams of flak all around them as they rolled and tumbled, desperately trying to hit the allied fleet.
The cruisers slowly tuned about. Their engines glowed brightly. Swarms of missile and beams of laser covered their retreat. The Barbaroosa fired its cannons. The lethal beams shattered the weakened shields and destroyed one of the cruiser's engines. Their power dropped instantly and a message was broadcast on all frequencies: We surrender.
Tears into hyperspace appeared and within moments the second cruiser and the leading battleship fled.
"The call got through" smirked Marika.
"They took their damn time showing up though" Hans smirked back.