The Solaris Irregulars
Part 13: Fighting Steel
Zenith Jump Point
System AHT-8372-3991
Federated Commonwealth
The Spirit Sight hid itself behind the Melissa Davion as the Sword of Blake began its attack. The Melissa Davion opened up at extreme range with its AR10 anti-ship missiles and its Medium Navel Gauss Cannons. The weapons slammed home against the prow of the Suffren-class Destroyer, ripping away armour and obliterating the Navel PPC. The Word of Blake ship responded with a stream of rounds from its bow mounted NAC/20's.
The NAC fire gutted the portside armour on the front half of the Cruiser, destroying the remaining weapons housed there. The Fed Sun ship began to turn, trying to bring fresh armour to bear, but a crippling broadside tore all the way through to the jump-drive, mortally-wounding the WarShip. The Spirit Sight continued to pull away from the action, careful to keep in the sensor shadow of the stranded Cruiser.
The Sword of Blake rounded the burning hulk of the shattered Melissa Davion as, for the first time, it detected the fleeing Corvette. The Word of Blake ship wasted no time, and fired its navel lasers at the Spirit Sight: armour melted and floated-off in globules as the anti-ship weapons searched for a weak spot. The Nova Cat ship began a series of evasive manuvers in an attempt to shake off the Destroyer.
So intent in destroying the Spirit Sight was the Sword of Blake that it failed to notice the Melissa Davion bring itself around and fire its main engines. The Cruiser pointed itself at the Destroyer, and in a final act of vengeance, rammed the Word of Blake WarShip at full speed. The two ships seemed to merge as armour gave way and internal-structure bent, the Word of Blake ship buckling at the impact. Lifeboats blasted clear from the Melissa Davion, moments before its reactor when critical, the bright flash rivalling a sun, before being permanently snuffed out.
On the bridge of the Spirit Sight, the crew stood and saluted their lost comrades. Star-Commodore Leroux slowly composed himself, and turned to his operations officer. "Launch the shuttles and the DropShip, retrieve the Lifeboats." The dark haired woman nodded and talked into a microphone.
Cairo pulled himself through the hatch "What happened?"
Leroux pointed at the screen "The Melissa Davion rammed the Sword of Blake. Both ships are lost. We are picking up survivors. I only hope this victory was worth the cost."
Cairo nodded his agreement and left. As he pulled himself down the corridor to the mess hall, he saw Rebecca coming the other way, a sad look in her eyes "Sir, that last attack, it depressurised part of engineering: Akira Takayama is dead."
Cairo turned and started to punch the bulkhead, the sound echoing through the ship, and out into space; the space that had just been filled with death.
TBC...