05-02-2010, 07:35 PM
"This is going rather well, wouldn't you say, Cougar?" he quipped as another missile exploded off the port quarter of his Eagle. His wingman's only reply, a grunt. Hmmm. No sarcasm. He *was* worried.
No surprise, really. What should have been a rout.... Well, it *is* a rout, only frackin' problem is we're just on the wrong end of it. We really made a dog's dinner of this whole op.....
Now, the Cobalt Squadron, a force against piracy and terrorism in the Sirius sector, was scattered and broken. What looked like a suicide attack on their home system by Cheech and Chong, two of the most infamous pirates in the sector, turned out to be an unforeseen coalition between the most savage terrorist & pirate clans, ten in all. All of them slighted at one time or another by the group of Freelancers that had banded together to protect lawful vessels from all manner of threats. Suffice to say, scattered though they were, it was not likely any of them would escape; they appeared to have all the jump-holes out of Chugoku covered.
-ka-BOOOM- His ship shook. That one was off of his starboard bow. Their aim is crap but sooner or later that won't matter. They'll have us pinned in good if this keeps up. The mop up wouldn't take long. He and Cobalt Cougar were alone. Maybe some of the other survivors would be able to rally themselves. Most of their forces appeared to be focused on them. In any case, none of that would save them even if there were a way to know.
Then he spotted something just ahead of them. It looked like a jump hole. But...... there are no jump holes in this part of the system. If it was a hole.....
"Cougar, I'm picking up what looks to be a new jump hole. What do you think?" He asked.
"No telling what will happen but it's the best chance we have to regroup. Let's make for it."
"Copy that."
Unstable though it may be, the dangers presented by this new jump hole were more attractive than the certainty of being overwhelmed by the mass of pirates & terrorists encircling them.
With that they dove in, and all went black-
-Seconds, minutes, days? Time stretched, a rubber band pulled, then held at its limit. And then as if someone let go of it-
-Cobalt Antelope's head snapped forward, then back. Everything was bleach white, then faded through a kaleidoscope of colors. His ears were ringing and his head was spinning....... no... his ship.... his ship was turning sideways and end over end. Fighting his ship to stillness, he turned his attention roughly in the direction he had come. The jumphole must have been unstable, exploding after they passed through it. There was no trace of it or.....
He glanced at his instruments. There was no sign of Cobalt Cougar. No. He was just somewhere else in the system or maybe still in Chugoku.
"Cobalt Cougar, do you read me?" No answer.
He checked his long range scanners. No sign of Cougar's fighter. Stranger though, his instruments were picking up a shipyard that didn't appear to be on record. And..... *what?!* The system wasn't on record either? Before there was any time to make sense of it, he picked up five vessels on an intercept course with his position. I'm in no condition for a fight, he thought as he feverishly plotted a course for a jump hole in the distance.
"Halt! Unidentified Gaijin vessel, you are deep in Blood Dragon territory. We tolerate gaijin too often as it is, but testing new weapons this far into our territory? Prepare to be destroyed."
Blood Dragons? -whew- What a relief, allies! "I read you, Blood Dragon vessels, please stand down, what weapon testing are you talking about? This is Cobalt Antelope from the Cobalt Squadron. I appear to be lost, could you tell me, what system is this?"
"Is this some kind of trick or are you just an idiot? Not only does everyone knows Tau 63 is ours. And you have either passed through Chugoku to get here or you came from GC territory. Neither option pleases us, you filthy gaijin. Flying without an ID AND Nomad weaponry would be suspicious enough even if you weren't in this system testing new weapons. We're done talking. Engaging gaijin vessel."
His mind raced. What? ID? Weapons testing? Maybe the emanations from the jump hole explosion -wait!- They don't know us? Tau 63?! There was no such system. What the-? And where is Cobalt Cougar?
Survive first, and then find the answers. They have to be out here somewhere, he thought as he dove through the jump hole.
He hoped.
No surprise, really. What should have been a rout.... Well, it *is* a rout, only frackin' problem is we're just on the wrong end of it. We really made a dog's dinner of this whole op.....
Now, the Cobalt Squadron, a force against piracy and terrorism in the Sirius sector, was scattered and broken. What looked like a suicide attack on their home system by Cheech and Chong, two of the most infamous pirates in the sector, turned out to be an unforeseen coalition between the most savage terrorist & pirate clans, ten in all. All of them slighted at one time or another by the group of Freelancers that had banded together to protect lawful vessels from all manner of threats. Suffice to say, scattered though they were, it was not likely any of them would escape; they appeared to have all the jump-holes out of Chugoku covered.
-ka-BOOOM- His ship shook. That one was off of his starboard bow. Their aim is crap but sooner or later that won't matter. They'll have us pinned in good if this keeps up. The mop up wouldn't take long. He and Cobalt Cougar were alone. Maybe some of the other survivors would be able to rally themselves. Most of their forces appeared to be focused on them. In any case, none of that would save them even if there were a way to know.
Then he spotted something just ahead of them. It looked like a jump hole. But...... there are no jump holes in this part of the system. If it was a hole.....
"Cougar, I'm picking up what looks to be a new jump hole. What do you think?" He asked.
"No telling what will happen but it's the best chance we have to regroup. Let's make for it."
"Copy that."
Unstable though it may be, the dangers presented by this new jump hole were more attractive than the certainty of being overwhelmed by the mass of pirates & terrorists encircling them.
With that they dove in, and all went black-
-Seconds, minutes, days? Time stretched, a rubber band pulled, then held at its limit. And then as if someone let go of it-
-Cobalt Antelope's head snapped forward, then back. Everything was bleach white, then faded through a kaleidoscope of colors. His ears were ringing and his head was spinning....... no... his ship.... his ship was turning sideways and end over end. Fighting his ship to stillness, he turned his attention roughly in the direction he had come. The jumphole must have been unstable, exploding after they passed through it. There was no trace of it or.....
He glanced at his instruments. There was no sign of Cobalt Cougar. No. He was just somewhere else in the system or maybe still in Chugoku.
"Cobalt Cougar, do you read me?" No answer.
He checked his long range scanners. No sign of Cougar's fighter. Stranger though, his instruments were picking up a shipyard that didn't appear to be on record. And..... *what?!* The system wasn't on record either? Before there was any time to make sense of it, he picked up five vessels on an intercept course with his position. I'm in no condition for a fight, he thought as he feverishly plotted a course for a jump hole in the distance.
"Halt! Unidentified Gaijin vessel, you are deep in Blood Dragon territory. We tolerate gaijin too often as it is, but testing new weapons this far into our territory? Prepare to be destroyed."
Blood Dragons? -whew- What a relief, allies! "I read you, Blood Dragon vessels, please stand down, what weapon testing are you talking about? This is Cobalt Antelope from the Cobalt Squadron. I appear to be lost, could you tell me, what system is this?"
"Is this some kind of trick or are you just an idiot? Not only does everyone knows Tau 63 is ours. And you have either passed through Chugoku to get here or you came from GC territory. Neither option pleases us, you filthy gaijin. Flying without an ID AND Nomad weaponry would be suspicious enough even if you weren't in this system testing new weapons. We're done talking. Engaging gaijin vessel."
His mind raced. What? ID? Weapons testing? Maybe the emanations from the jump hole explosion -wait!- They don't know us? Tau 63?! There was no such system. What the-? And where is Cobalt Cougar?
Survive first, and then find the answers. They have to be out here somewhere, he thought as he dove through the jump hole.
He hoped.