A Fast Exit — Legacy Forums — Strolen's Citadel

Re: A Fast Exit

#241

Autumn nodded at Jerome's assessment, making sure Yulo was cut out of the discussion before speaking. "Yulo seems more interested about what the Liracor was doing here and the profit margin than our well being or potential causalities, the other ship is worth far more than our contracts, and if we have to pay it off later, so be it, something feels fishy about Yulo's reaction, call it a gut instinct. The sooner we're away, the safer, neither ship can handle a prolonged fire fight with whatever reinforcements come calling."

Re: A Fast Exit

#242

"Plus the Dessy itself - we need to get it neutralized, not detached - it already tried to blow the Prize out of the sky once."

Re: A Fast Exit

#243

While the others were pondering their escape, Quan realized he had heard of Skyline. High above a fringe agri-world, the legacy of a sleeper colony ship, in a gap between the world's dust rings, an asteroid had cleaned a swathe.
He had heard of that hive of scum and villainy - and the scum were not of the savoury kind, like the crew of the Prize.
The Red Aegis, a crime syndicate run by the eponymous Red Baron, dealt both with fringers and core corporations, offering "safety escorts" to merchants and "consulting services" to Terran suits. In their spare time, they oppressed, extorted and enslaved the dirtsiders.

It made sense that Cherenkov waned to move some of the less common wares to the buyer there.

Yulo made himself heard briefly: "Working on the repairs, kids! The leak will be patched soon, but that coil's got the Prize limpin' instead of pimpin'!"
The shrug could be heard even over the comm: "Tell me what you find out, pals! Shoo, shoo!"

Off to work he was again, then, hesitantly, the voice of Jarvis sounded. He whispered: "I have stealthily ascended the bridge, unobserved! There's two more bogeys, fresh out of hyperspace. In addition to those circling the dirtball. Just sayin'. Thank me later! Or now."

Re: A Fast Exit

#244

Autumn snarled at the new information, looking over to her comrades, "Can someone verify his intel?" She lowered her ears at the new information, calculating possibilities.

Why would Yulo withhold crucial data? Is he hoping our reply as to what we find out draw the new comers attention to us so the Prize can escape in the confusion while the Dessy us and new comers get into a pitched conflict?

Re: A Fast Exit

#245

"By the sound of it your ship is having trouble with its repairs. Meanwhile we're still locked to the Desdemona and unidentified ships are closing on our location. Would you enlighten me to what is going on here, and why he sounds so edgy?"

Heading to the radar station, she checked the readouts for the incoming ships and told the AI to identify them ASAP. She also put in a query to see if Artemisia would be able to override the locking-clamp remotely. The faster things got done, the better. And it'd be safer than doing so manually.

This can only go one of 3 ways, only one of which I'm comfortable with...

(10:56:27) Minion: Kassy rolls 1d100 and gets 11. Roll to attempt AI override.

Re: A Fast Exit

#246

Quan snapped his blunt fingers. "Skyline Station!" he proclaimed. "I remember now. Spent a nasty week there running a salvage freight-slash-smuggling op. Not a place I'd fancy going back to, given how we got out." He spread his arms as though to begin a tale, but shut his mouth before he started. "Aw, I'll tell it later. Anyhow, any idea why your Cherenkoff was headed there? If he's got debts to pay, it could be they're comin' to collect."

Re: A Fast Exit

#247

Jerome started yelling.

"Irina, DO not disconnect - the Dessy is still active and angry, and will likely shoot us. We may have to point your ship with the Dessy still attached."

If the Dessy was not under motive power, their ship should be able to navigate while still attached, though slowly and carefully.

Over the radio, "Yulo, how much fucking time until contact? "

Off radio - "I think the Dessy is more interested in Yulo's ship, and that the incoming ships will be as well. If the new ships aren't with Dessy, then Dessy will likely light them up herself. "

Re: A Fast Exit

#248

"Artemisia! Cancel my last! Immediately!" A cold sweat shivered its way down Irina's spine at Jerome's chilling words. How close had she just put them to more danger? Not a very clever thing to do as one of your first command duties... I should have known about that.. scanned first..

"We need to find a way of disconnecting, and for that matter; what are we going to do in matters of crew and aid?" Irina knew she was completely at the mercy of the boarding party and for all their talk, still had contracts and a seeming strong sense of honour.

Re: A Fast Exit

#249

Autumn growled, quiet and menacing at the realization of Yulo's betrayal, bowing her head slightly to Irina. "I'm at your service until the danger has passed, our former captain is no longer worthy of my... Services" Or loyalty for that matter, she thought with a spark of anger.

"If we can get him angry enough to scream over the com then go dark the other ships will no doubt home in him, and while threatening to blast him to space dust the Dessy will take them out then we de-dock and slip away in the fire storm." Autumn threw the suggestion out to her crew, knowing its risk, measuring it against the success of a fast exit.

Re: A Fast Exit

#250

"Eh, too bad," Quan shrugged. "Kinda liked him." The eulogy seemed to satisfy his shift in loyalty.

"It's an idea," he confirmed of Autumn's suggestion, "if you think it'll work. That's s'posin' they are after him and not us. They could be collecting from Chernekoff.

"Could we try hailing the incoming boats? Might be worth knowing at least who they are so we can make this go the way we need. You get me on the comm with 'em, I could try to work the ol' charm."

Re: A Fast Exit

#251

"Lets keep quiet - I think they were called by Dessy. If not, surprise is still something we should not throw away."

Re: A Fast Exit

#252

Autumn nodded thoughtfully, "I could possibly bounce our signal so it appears to come from a different origin, like say the Prize, and then if Quan's charm doesn't pan out they won't know it's us?"

Re: A Fast Exit

#253

"No, I'm sure these are the reinforcements that the Dessy summoned, and you remember how our last conversation with those folks went. I say we board the Dessy and take her out or over.

Remember we blinded its sensors escaping from its, buts its guns are still good. The newcomers could spot for her, and we are dead.

We need to move, now. "

he echoing static was pierced as if by a lightbeam by a transmission from the Desdemona.
Not to the Prize though, to a satellite miraculously pared by the wreckage. Then another.

Briefly, silence reigned.

Briefly.

Then, the satellites began chirping hence and forth and the hulk answering eagerly.
A choir of brief answers came back.

A much calmer Yulo returned to the laborious mechanics.
"Kids? I think the Desdemona swallowed her pride, and called for help. I don't know what may be coming, but we have a few hours at most before it coms knocking

Re: A Fast Exit

#254

"I'll defer to your wisdom in this matter Jerome," Autumn agreed after a moments consideration. "I just need to find a canine compatible vac suit and I'll be good to go."

She looked around at the rest of her crew, and Irina. "Anyone else joining us?"

When we get out of this mess the first round of drinks are on me, a finer crew I;ve yet to see this side of the Nervas expanse.

Re: A Fast Exit

#255

Irina ran her hands over the console, like she had countless times before. The Lila responded quickly, as if invigorated by being fully live once more.
Her close-range scanners swept across the Desdemona; she avoided using the long-range scans to hide their vessel's active state a little bit longer. At long range, a ship whose gravitic sheath was disengaged was about as conspicuous as any old piece of space junk; with active gravitic drive, the distortion flared up across scanners light minutes away.

As she aborted the AI's attempt at an override, her gaze descended to the readings of the bogeys blinking in the corner of the scanner screen, and filtered out some background noise - Jarvis' warning gave her a sufficient hint what to look for.
Looking at the star's hyperspace interdiction radius, coupled with the power and pattern of the readings, the two ships had dropped hard out of hyperspace layer epsilon - only modern military grade drives could do that. Today. A hundred years ago, no one could.

The scan caught more - a flock of impulse drive signatures, likely garrison ships, moving towards their position. A single gravitic sheath could be observed, a frigate or destroyer most likely, keeping the same pace. Given their delta-vee and the distance, they'd be all over them in 90 minutes, tops. Of course, unless the solitary grav-ship decided to slam on the gas, and join them sooner.

The Desdemona too could not keep her secrets, all her beta coils lost, her gravitic sheath down and shield inoperational with nothing to anchor it.
She had power - the cruiser's core ran bright and steady as the day she was launched. Several faint signatures were detectable within her form, likely independent mechanisms of some kind. Four. And there was ... a small ship? Within one of the bays? Likely a captured one, in a predicament similar to theirs. The characteristics pointed towards a very light fast courier freighter, tiny in comparison to the Prize or Lila.

The screen flickered, and the blips drew closer. The two bogeys were invisible for now, the initial gravitic distortion of their arrival having faded; they will reappear once they come closer. If they were as fast as Irina expected, they'd be here within the hour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WbvIEL5Iyk

Re: A Fast Exit

#256

Quan looked over Irina's shoulder as she loaded the scans on the Desdemona. "That might be our ticket," he said, pointing at the ship in the cruiser's bay as it appeared on the screen. "If it works, I can fly it. Don't suppose you can see if it has a functioning power source? Guess we'll have to run diagnostics when we get to it anyway. We get her running, we can sail outta here. Best be fast, though, huh?"

Re: A Fast Exit

#257

"You mean use the smaller ship as a distraction?" Autumn pondered the thought, checking the emergency suit locker on the bridge and giving an approving smile at the suit found within. "I should be able to get it's autopilot online and set it to rabbit, the Dessy and everything else should be distracted long enough for us to jump out of here, assuming you can fly Liracor as well as you did the Prize?" Autumn asked Quan, pulling the suit out and wrinkling her nose at the distinct smell of feline.

"Ugh, cat suit," She flattened her ears and whined softly for a brief second before resigning herself to the inevitable and stripping off her current ruined suit in favor of the functional one. "I might be able to rig up a remote piloting option for you Quan, then you can use it as a Kamikaze decoy and perhaps further disrupt the targets approach." She said thoughtfully, the new suit sliding uncomfortably against her bare fur.

60 minutes, not a lot of time, but it should be sufficient, if we make good use of it.

"Let's move, everyone coming meet me at the airlock in five." She finished fastening her weapon and tool belts adjusting the temperature controls of the new suit, giving the crew a thumbs up and padding off towards the airlock without waiting for further deliberation, setting her suit chronometer for forty five minutes as she did so.

Re: A Fast Exit

#258

Inter-suit comms:

"Yes, I'd rather have the Liracor's hull between us and those other ships. We have no idea what condition this would-be decoy is in. We know of another ship that might also make a good decoy, if we can flush him."

Jerome was moving as he spoke, following Autumn to the airlock.

Re: A Fast Exit

#259

"If it can fly, I can fly it," Quan assured her. "You get that thing rigged up and I'll do what needs doin'." He re-secured the helmet of his suit and plodded off toward the airlock.

Re: A Fast Exit

#260

"Keep a channel open to the Lilacor so that I can keep you informed of any developements here"

Turning briefly, she watched her new companions exit through the airlock and head toward the Desdemona.

She strode back to the main terminal and Artemisia's mettalic features gazed up at her before licking a paw and pretending to wash its face. Sitting down at the console she began entering queries and commands, the first of which was to power down any non-essential ship's systems, excluding the engines and the minimum needed to change their position. Then she asked it to rotate them in order to bring the Desdemona, to which they were still attached into line-of-sight with the incoming vessals.

"That should do it," Irina said over the comms to the crew about to attend to the Desdemona. "Bringing the Desdemona into position now!"

(11:31:37) Minion: Kassy rolls 1d100 and gets 1. - Roll to bring the Dessy into position to engage the incoming ships (If indeed, that's what she would do).

Re: A Fast Exit

#261

"The Dessy should engage on her own as soon as targets are within range." Autumn replied with a invisible nod of approval, giving her comrades a nod. "Jerome, take point, we'll follow in your wake, let's get to the freighter and get her rigged and home to the Lircacor before the timer runs down." She twitched her nose at the pervasive feline smell, making a mental note to bathe herself thoroughly after the events of the day had transpired, to remove the cat reek if nothing else.

With a nod she patched through her best guess of a route to the docked ship to her compansions display screens, hoping the Dessy's internal security systems had long since fallen into disrepair.

Re: A Fast Exit

#262

Jerome sighed, though it was good to get the ship pointed the right way. If these newcomers were more Morskoi ships, than the Dessy would not be firing on them.

"We need to get the Dessy out of the picture one way or another, or we are not getting the Liacor - or that other ship - away. Dessy will light up either of them. She has to be subdued first."

And, that time started now.

Jerome opened the airlock, his rocket rifle at the ready.

Re: A Fast Exit

#263

Gently, the Lilarcor nudged at the Desdemona, a caring slave guiding along his once-mighty, aging master. Gracefully, the duo spun around on the backdrop of the night's black velvet. Some of the wrecks were still turning as well, stirred by the recent explosion; the motion restlessly propagated through the debris field, disturbing dust untouched for a century.
Irina smiled - the Lila obeyed her like a charm, her movement precise and deliberate; she felt right at home in the pilot's seat.

The utilitarian freighter and the lethally beautiful baroque cruiser came to a rest, the Lila's impulse drives fading. The ship was breathlessly silent, save for a murmur amongst the Kotiri. They felt the danger ahead. Patient as only a timeless AI can be, the Desdemona focused her lethal armament towards the approach vector of one of the frigates. Apparently, neither she had missed their descent from hyperspace. The armored doors of her energy weapon banks were open, particle projectors and lasers trained on a yet-empty spot in space.
Fifty minutes at most, then the frigates would converge upon their position.

Jerome opened the airlock's outer door, floating back into weightlessness. His passing stirred the corpses into a morbid rigid dance. The unfortunate crew members of the Lila were frozen and suffocated in their suits, having been unable to return on board. Their faces seemed... strangely peaceful, resigned to the inevitable.
They bore salvage equipment - cutters, tool kits, even some Morskoi artifacts. One had even slung a brass-studded band with medals across his chest. What good will vanity do you in death?

The Desdemona vibrated slightly, her hallways devoid of life and air, yet still illuminated in a deathly pale daylight akin to the local star, panels blinking with signs of life on occasion.
Autumn followed, ever wary.
Where to now?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juOB-IbCwJc

Re: A Fast Exit

#264

"The bridge unless anyone has a better idea. I'm not familiar with this model of ship. They might have a battle bridge buried deep."

Re: A Fast Exit

#265

Autumn nodded in agreement, "I can add the Liracor as an exception to the Dessy's list of targets, if Irina can get me the proper codes at least, maybe even add in a logic bomb or remote self destruct for later as well." She panned her light across the bulkheads, keeping an eye out for signs of movement or sudden energy spikes on her scanner.

"We're tight on time, Quan, do you think you can make it to the frig and rig the piloting controls on your own?" She shot him a questioning glance, mostly hidden behind her helmet as she attempted to calculate the quickest path to the bridge.

Re: A Fast Exit

#266

"Can do," Quan confirmed. "Keep in touch, though. Place still creeps me out a little." He patted Betty at his hip for reassurance before heading to the cargo bay.

Re: A Fast Exit

#267

"I'll come with you Quan," said Jerome. The small ship might have hazards of its own. Hopefully Autumn's trip would be uneventful.

Re: A Fast Exit

#268

Sunny joined Autumn with a wink, hoisting a salvaged rifle.
"The needler would not be of much use on a derelict lifeless ship" she noted.

Flashing light illuminated the frozen blood thinly spread over the interior of the Desdemona, empty and bent suits with countless tears floating aimlessly. Human bodies do not tolerate forces that machines can endure without a wink.
Sunny took a sample, adding: "The Morskoi were one of the early alpha strains of humanity - there's no telling what their creators built into their gene pool. Just curious, is all."

Even in its death, the ship was beautiful - swriling patterns reminiscent of metal galaxies adorned some walls, while others bore metal carvings of heroes astride armored beasts, or gazing off into the stellar void, the baroque shapes of Morskoi ships as backdrop.

Helia and Autumn approached a massive airlock in the ship's guts, under layer upon layer of tritanium. The hallway was devoid of signs of death and battle - the red-and-gold carpet stretched towards the plated door; statuary of armed men and women with beautiful chiselled features lined both walls.
An eye opened on the door, iridescent, purple, enchanting, the eyelashes made of dancing steel.
Their suits echoed with Desdemona's voice: "You are walking upon the Dominion of Morskoi. State name and rank."

Quan and Jerome descended towards the missing aft; the scanners had picked up the light transport in the starboard cargo bay.
"I wonder what those other energy signatures were - nothing's to be seen anywhere" Quan noted, and regretted immediately that he asked.
Due to the silence of vacuum, they could not hear what had crept upon them, only the broadcast in their helmets warned them that something had its guns trained on them.
"Surrender, intruder. This is the dominion of Morskoi."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWMahJd4Oc8

Re: A Fast Exit

#269

Autumn carefully retreated, gesturing for Sunny to follow her, heading back to one of the Dessy's long dead crew members and removing (his?) rank I.D and carrying it back for the Desdemona's purple eye, affixing it in the same location on her suit as it was on the long dead crew members.

"Rhombus, Paladin." She answered it's inquiry as matter of factly as possible, hoping the more precise her answer the easier it would be for the A.I to accept and hopefully grant them access.

Re: A Fast Exit

#270

Autumn thanked the ancient video archive - the flaming hammer on her insignia was a dead give-away. The flick had painted the Morskoi very much like the film studios throughout the history of mankind always depicted the adversaire du jour - but at least they got the ranks of the bad guys right!
"I am an ensign" Helia chirped, and stood behind Autumn.

"Paladin Rhombus. I see the reports of your death were exaggerated."

The eye closed. The airlock opened, let them onto the war bridge.
Polished wood and brass adorned the room, the appearance of flawless antiquity only marred by the broken corpses of the officers.
Lights blinked upon the panels, the computers built to last.
Above, two more blinked, from the face a sleek metal form, strangely feminine in its tungsten coldness. By wires and pipes she was attached to the chamber's roof, fiving her the appearance of descending upon spread wings. Her left foot barely touched a pillar in the room's midst, while the other was raised, seemingly ready to step down and support her as well.

The sizeable battle screen flashed with lights, some moving.
The two frigates were trailing towards their position; a question mark on their blinded side was likely the Prize, hidden in the destroyed dreadnought, unbeknowst to the Dessy.

Below, notices flashed:
Tresspassing merchant vessel 1 captured. Send boarding party.
Tresspassing merchant vessel 2 captured. Send boarding party.
Enemy boarding party intercepted.

Re: A Fast Exit

#271

"Time to earn our keep all over again." Autumn told Sunny over the com, a slight hint of confidence mingled with weariness in her voice.

"Irina I need the IDC and IFF (Identity Defining Confirmation and Identify Friend or Foe) codes of the Liracor if you please?"

She quickly padded over to the main computer looking for way to update it with relevant information.

Re: A Fast Exit

#272

"Complying" said Jerome over the standard channel, letting go of his rifle carefully (it would stay hanging in mid vacuum) and raising his hands.

Direct to Autumn, "Autumn, have been intercepted by security. Hope you're near a control board."

Re: A Fast Exit

#273

"Certainly, just give me a moment," Irina flipped open the Captain's logbook and began reading out the codes on the inset infopanel, "IDC is Charlie, Charlie, Foxtrot, Seven-Niner. Our Friend/Foe identifier would be; Foxtrot, Romeo, Lima, India, Lima."

That should see the Lilacor out of danger. Now she hoped that the Canine Autumn would be able to secure their docking release from the Desdemona and come back with everyone she'd set out with. Perhaps even with anything salvageable.

Let's hope all this happens before we have to take incoming, we don't have enough crew to respond effectively against frigates, if indeed that's what we're due..

"Artimisia, check the ETA on those ships!"

Re: A Fast Exit

#274

"Surrendering!" Quan confirmed, raising his hands slowly. Betty was still slung at his hip; he didn't dare reach it now. He waited anxiously to see if Autumn could solve the issue before anyone got shot.

Re: A Fast Exit

#275

"Roger, on it." Autumn told Jerome, quickly transcribing Irina's intel to her data pad as she accessed the system.

With a soft growl she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on making the data entry as quick and efficient as possible.

With deft key strokes she quickly Entered Jerome and Quans ID's into the data base, listing them as "additional crew reinforcements," also flagging The Liracor and the new freighter as "under friendly control" giving a remote command to accept all docking commands from the bridges of both vessels, deciding not to mention the Prize one way or another for now, given it's control was not currently under someone she trusted. With a bark of satisfaction she finalized the entry, stepping back and queuing her suit com.

"All clear, you and Quan should be listed in the crew roster Jerome, and the frigate Quan's to command; just don't do anything to vandalize the Dessy and she shouldn't give you any problems." She gave Sunny a thumbs up stepping back and preparing to head back to the Liracor at her best possible speed as she gave a glance at her chronometer. "Irina, you should be flagged as an allied vessel, and able to un-dock at your leisure, please confirm before I leave the Dessy's bridge."

Nothing like near death, the death of a comrade, and the betrayal of your captain to bring a crew closer together, or tear it apart. A weaker group would have perished by now, yet they stood firm. Never have I been so honored to serve alongside such brave pack mates.

For my roll at data entry:(10:30:01) Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d100 and gets 11.

Re: A Fast Exit

#276

"And that's why you should configure an auto-lock for your computer, kids" Sunny noted as Autumn effortlessly added the Lila and the ... Daedalus... as friendly.
Hm, Daedalus.

Quan and Jerome breathed a sigh of relief as the hostile robot's broadcast changed to: "No intruders detectable. Continuing patrol."
They dared to turn. With slow, deliberate motions of its magnetic legs, a metallic arachnid stalked away. It was terribly worn from its incessant vigil, but that it worked at all was a testament to Morskoi engineering. At least its blasters looked as lethal as ever, though its hull was scarred, half the sensors dead, and two legs limp.

Shrugging, Quan and Jerome gave the absent girls a thumbs up, and plodded along towards the hangar.
Akin to a spindle, the Daedalus rested there, tethered to a robotic arm. There was nothing suspicious about it - except for the open airlock, and the man in the uniform of the Terran Scout Service, unceremoniously shot.

Helia and Autumn also breathed in relief as the two red dots on one of the displays flashed blue.

Irina added over the comm: "You're doing good - the bogeys will be here within half an hour!"

A face, akin to the metallic sculpture behind them, only given supple skin and a mane of red, appeared on the screen.
"Last update out of date 150 Earth-norm years. Paladin, please update this unit on the current status."

Re: A Fast Exit

#277

Autumn turned to regard the new face with an expression of slight repugnance, it's feline features reminding her of the pervasive reek of cat that assaulted her nostrils with every breath, keeping her update as succinct as possible.

"Current sit rep, Vessel under attack from approaching hostile ships, engage all hostiles once within weapons range, and prepare for impending departure of recently acquired vessels Liracor and Deadalus."

She gave Sunny a thumbs up gesturing to the exit hatch and switching to suit coms. "Let us return to the Liracor and prepare for departure as soon as Quan and Jerome are back on board, time is against us."

With a wary eye upon the screen displaying incoming enemy ships Autumn quickly headed off the bridge, going with Sunny back to the Liracor with all possible haste, still pondering what to do about Yulo and Jarvis.

"If anyone has any feelings one way or another about Yulo and his lap monkey, now's the time, otherwise we just let them eat silence and fend for themselves."

Jarvis might be a little space weasel but he did warn us, and all of us have personal belongings on board the Prize I'm sure we'd like to retrieve, but any dealings with them is risky, damned risky.

Re: A Fast Exit

#278

"Thank you, paladin. Honor and loyalty in all things" the face on the screen replied. The statue's metal face turned likewise towards the leaving duo.

"Emergency protocols Omega are in order - meaning a highly critical situation. Do you wish to enable Full Adaptive Initiative & Response tactical and strategy protocols to maximize effectiveness of this unmanned vessel? A change in my responses and directives will otherwise be limited to direct entry from these panels. I am a tempest-hardened system, with no option for remote input."

Re: A Fast Exit

#279

Autumn paused to consider the implications for a long moment, before answering carefully. "Enable Full Adaptive Initiative & Response Tactical and Strategy Protocols in exactly twenty microns (minutes) with a priority on the preservation of the Liracor vessel and all of it's crew." She nodded to sunny, hoping her judgement call was the correct one, the number of incoming blips on the screen suppressing any second thoughts.

She keyed her suit com again this time keeping the message short and simple. "Twenty mics before the ships combat A.I takes over and removes anything not us from the surrounding sector, make sure you're back on board the Liracor by then."

Re: A Fast Exit

#280

"I'd reserve the shoot/no shoot decision for ourselves, if I were you. Though it sounds like we have some time to think about it."

"As for Yulo, a demand for surrender might be in order. No point in wasting a good starship."