The Hunter, part 25
Dex's words hung heavy in the air: the Argo was in tip-top condition thanks to Harper, and the slip-portal was only minuets away. Rommie felt herself being drawn in two different directions: on the one hand, getting-away from all the hassle and strife resulting in being back was tempting, but on the other hand, she didn't want to leave Dylan again. She sat for several minuets, just thinking. In the end she made her decision, "Take us back to Andromeda: I need to talk to Dylan." Dex nodded, and brought the Argo round to face the larger ship.
They where just about to dock when alarms started going off: Dex looked at the sensor screen, "Boss, we got Magog swarm-ships inbound!" Rommie activated the weapons system, "Look's like a recon-raid to see what we're up to here." Dex swung the ship round as the Andromeda opened up on the Magog. He turned to Rommie, "If you want to get out of here, now's the time!" Rommie shock her head, "No, we stay and fight! Bring us around to face the Magog, I'll bring the weapons on line."
The Argo came about in a tight arc and headed towards the Magog ships. Rommie brought the ship's AP cannon on-line: bolts of anti-protons drawn from the ship's fuel tanks shot out at the swarm-ships, smashing the ones they hit. Anti-ship missiles leaped from the launcher, clawing Magog from the sky. Dex looked at the sensors, "Boss, one of them is making for the slip-portal!" Rommie looked up to see one of the Magog ship's trying to flee, "After it!" She felt herself being pushed back into her seat as the AG field tried to catch up with the acceleration as Dex bit the re-heat, sending the Argo after the fleeing ship at maximum speed.
The Magog swerved and weaved to avoid the missiles sent after it, and managed to reach the slip-portal. Rommie slammed her fist down on the weapons consul, "Keep after him: If they find out what's happening here, they'll come back and destroy the entire system!" Dex just nodded as he took the Argo into slipstream. The swarm-ship was just ahead of them, and Dex had no trouble following it trough the energy-cords that made-up the null-space that was slipstream.
With a flash, the Magog ship transited to normal space, followed almost instantly by the Argo. A pair of high-velocity anti-ship missiles crossed the gap between the two ships in a matter of seconds, their high-explosive warheads ripping the swarm-ship to pieces. Rommie smiled, "Scratch on swam- ship. Ok, take us back to New St. Petersburg." Dex nodded, swinging the ship round and taking it back into slipstream.
The Argo arrived back in the New St. Petersburg system, and alarms stared to go off almost immediately. Dex looked at the sensors, his eyes wide, "Boss, we're getting fired at by the Wrath of Achilles!" Rommie tried to activate the point-defence systems, but an AP-round struck the Argo: The weapons consul exploded in a shower of sparks, throwing her across the cabin.
TBC
Dex's words hung heavy in the air: the Argo was in tip-top condition thanks to Harper, and the slip-portal was only minuets away. Rommie felt herself being drawn in two different directions: on the one hand, getting-away from all the hassle and strife resulting in being back was tempting, but on the other hand, she didn't want to leave Dylan again. She sat for several minuets, just thinking. In the end she made her decision, "Take us back to Andromeda: I need to talk to Dylan." Dex nodded, and brought the Argo round to face the larger ship.
They where just about to dock when alarms started going off: Dex looked at the sensor screen, "Boss, we got Magog swarm-ships inbound!" Rommie activated the weapons system, "Look's like a recon-raid to see what we're up to here." Dex swung the ship round as the Andromeda opened up on the Magog. He turned to Rommie, "If you want to get out of here, now's the time!" Rommie shock her head, "No, we stay and fight! Bring us around to face the Magog, I'll bring the weapons on line."
The Argo came about in a tight arc and headed towards the Magog ships. Rommie brought the ship's AP cannon on-line: bolts of anti-protons drawn from the ship's fuel tanks shot out at the swarm-ships, smashing the ones they hit. Anti-ship missiles leaped from the launcher, clawing Magog from the sky. Dex looked at the sensors, "Boss, one of them is making for the slip-portal!" Rommie looked up to see one of the Magog ship's trying to flee, "After it!" She felt herself being pushed back into her seat as the AG field tried to catch up with the acceleration as Dex bit the re-heat, sending the Argo after the fleeing ship at maximum speed.
The Magog swerved and weaved to avoid the missiles sent after it, and managed to reach the slip-portal. Rommie slammed her fist down on the weapons consul, "Keep after him: If they find out what's happening here, they'll come back and destroy the entire system!" Dex just nodded as he took the Argo into slipstream. The swarm-ship was just ahead of them, and Dex had no trouble following it trough the energy-cords that made-up the null-space that was slipstream.
With a flash, the Magog ship transited to normal space, followed almost instantly by the Argo. A pair of high-velocity anti-ship missiles crossed the gap between the two ships in a matter of seconds, their high-explosive warheads ripping the swarm-ship to pieces. Rommie smiled, "Scratch on swam- ship. Ok, take us back to New St. Petersburg." Dex nodded, swinging the ship round and taking it back into slipstream.
The Argo arrived back in the New St. Petersburg system, and alarms stared to go off almost immediately. Dex looked at the sensors, his eyes wide, "Boss, we're getting fired at by the Wrath of Achilles!" Rommie tried to activate the point-defence systems, but an AP-round struck the Argo: The weapons consul exploded in a shower of sparks, throwing her across the cabin.
TBC