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UNO - UNO - 10-02-2009
Captain Jake Aeron groaned. The ship pulsing green on his monitor switched to a steady red. The IFF codes this "Tanker" was using had clearly been nothing more than a trick.
"By the divines Cap'n she's a Navy Boat!" The nav officers face seemed white as death under the sterile lighting of the bridge.
"Steady as she goes lad, we've gotten out of worse scrapes than this!"He replied with steady calm even as beads of sweat began to invisibly sparkle under the collar of his worn Navy uniform."Fire up the turrets, looks like this one's a fighter."
The claxon sounded throughout the RS-Bluebell and surprised crew, far from enjoying the inevitable comforts a succesful haul would bring now leapt as to avoid the stark and permanent death that now awaited them in the cold of space.
"Action stations, Action stations, this not a drill.." Droned on the automated female voice of calm and reason as the ship burst to life. The bluebell was not an untidy ship by any means, but like all rogue ships had the look and feel of being lived in, there was evidence of fresh repair work unfinnished and laundry hanging out to dry as the crew scurried into combat positions.
"Two minutes and the crew reports action stations achieved sir." Reported the Deck officer, even more smooth and authorative than usual, but Jake could smell the fear in the mans voice, could smell it on his breath. He knows we're in trouble thoguht Jake He knows that wasnt fast enough. Thats a Navy ship out there, not some Zoner Junkheap.
"This is Commander Jefferson of the LNS-Pittsburg to unidentified Ship, you will heave to and prepare to be boarded, we have significant reason to believe that you are rogues and pirates. I dont have to tell you the consequences of non compliance."
If Captain Aeron had been even slightly less couragous he might well have let a shiver run up his spine upon the the thought of the cold Vacuum that waited him and his crew should he fight; or the long drop to dance the hangmans jig once these Pigs had dropped them of at LP station in Houston.
"This is Captain Aeron Drake of the Licsenced commercial ship Bluebell, we have made no offensive moves against your ship, please justify your aggresive posture. It may be nessecary for us to defend ourselves.." He hoped with this reasonable broadcast he could buy some time for what he had in mind; in the burst of static he recieved in confimation of the success of his ploy he saw the fear glinting in the eyes of his crew, huddled in the dank interior of this Pirate Gunboat.
"Listen up" He raised his voice so the whole bridge could hear."They mean to kill us gentlemen, make no mistake. Either by vacuum or rope they'll settle our score permanently. We have no chance to run, niether do we have the choice to fight or hide. Our hands are tied. There is only one way out of this situation."
The crews eyes grabbed hold of him like a man being sucked out to sea on a tide and he knew his words had to inspire, fear or hope it didn't matter.
"Out there is a Navy ship, they got bigger guns than us, and the element of surprise. In three to four minutes there'll be two squads of Marines on board this boat, and they WILL arrest us, unless.." The tension mounted"..unless we are ready. When they're boarding parties land and dock they'll be armed and ready for combat with the 50 crew we have onboard..that means sending at least that many marines over here. When they arrive they will be met by bombs that we have planted just prior to our own departure in EVA suites out of the ascilliary airlock in the bridge. Once we've sent those Navy Scum for a mouthful of sulphur and a little taste of hell..We're gonna board that beast...and Take her!"
The Nav officer rose to his feet."But cap'n, we can't take ov..."
"Silence!"Shouted Jake Aaron with all the discipline he had learned in years as Command instructor"We are going to lose men, we are going to have a hard fight, but we have no choice! Either we do this or we are all dead men. And we have to do this, NOW! With them at half strength it'll give us a chance to bloody the Navy in a way that will put em to shame, and us into the History books, now move to! I want all crew suited and booted, in the bridge now, preped for debarkation and hostile boarding action..engineering, I want you to rig an explosion so big they'll here it in the Omega's! Set the detonators manually, we dont want our friends out there to detect anything amiss"
"We do not need reasons or excuses Bluebell" Came the whining crackle of the Pittsburg' Commander"Is your statement one of non compliance? You have Ten seconds to reply.."
"We ARE complying Pittsburg" Complained Captain Aaron in his best civilian impression"Cutting engines and preparing to be boarded.." As he cut the transmission the crew began emerging onto the deck first a few, and then more, soon things were very crowded on the bridge.
"Alright, I want everyone outside. Now. Nav, tactical, combat, I want you out there too..I dont want to hear any complaints, just do it."
"This is the Pittsburg, we are dispatching two squads to your location, offer no resistence, and you will not be harmed.."
Jake suppressed a smile, two squads! That oought to make the plan even less likely to fail..still the majority of the work was still ahead of them. Taking a Navy ship would just be the start of his problems and he knew it. Both his scurvy companions on ship and off actross the Rogue faction would be suspicious of this Brand new, sleek killing machine. And the Navy would never stop hunting for her. Cross that bridge when you come to it you old dog he muttered to himself, we've yet to take that monster!
His thought was interupted by his engineering staff entering. One of them pressed a remote trigger into his palm."Standard low tech device boss"said the chief"Just push the button and, well boss, boom!"
"Good man, well done lads, get suited up, i hope you brought your knives and guns, its gonna get very bloody, very soon."
"We are ready and await docking procedure Pittsburg, Bluebell out.." He tapped the side of his monitor, and ran his fingers along the dashboard of his command console"So long bluebell, its been a fine ol time we've had" And with that he was gone, up the ladder and in to the airlock.
The airlock was even more cramped than the rest of the ship. Still he was glad to be crammed in here with his desperate engine crew. He grinned at them as he donned his EVA helmet."Well lad, this ought to be a new one.." With that he hit the Airlock door and it creaked open. Drifting out he swung his legs around to clasp the ladder at his feet and saw his crew, all fifty of them looking for his signal. Looking up, across the vast gulf of space he saw the Deadly Pittsburg waiting to finnish them all off. He gave the signal to his crew for radio silence, one screw up now and they were all finnished. He had to time it right, if they blew the ship before they were ready to enter the Pittsburg's airlock there was a chance they might fly off and leave them to a slow and painful death. He saw the LNS shuttle approaching, lights blinking and a hull so shiney he could have sworn it was made just days ago.
And OFF! He pushed himself away and oriented himself with the gravity device at his belt. As one the crew did the same, sweat glinting in the flashing lights of the navy shuttle they drifted silently toward the Pittsburg.
This has to work! he watched as the shuttle, filled with Marines from the Gunboat drifted by lazily, sure of victory. He felt the cold steel of the Navy Gunboat beneath him, astounding as it was to him this presence felt reassuring after drifting through deep space with nothing more than a centimetre of space suit between him and a cold death. He saw the Navy shuttle dock at the main airlock of Bluebell.
Turning he tapped his Nav officer on the shoulder, his eyes flashing with the nearness of blood and chaos.
"GO AND STRAP AND EXPLOSIVE TO THE FORWARD BRIDGE WINDOW AND GET THE CHIEF TO STRAP ONE ONTO THE IFF TRANSPONDER, WE BLOW THEM AND THE AIRLOCK SIMULTANEOUSLY" Read the note he tapped out on his armpad. With a swish his Nav officer and chief were gone"they're all good men, and we're gonna lose a good portion of them he thought but im damned if wwe're all gonna die out here in the pit of space. They would be going aboard now, those deadly well trained killers of the Pittsburg. Reporting back to the ship that noone was aboard. The arrival of the Nav officer and chief coinscided witht he undocking of the Navy shuttle..
"GOTTCHA!" With that he flicked the button on his remote detonator. Nothing. He pressed it again harder. Nothing....BOOM!! An explosion so titanic it pressed him back against the hull of the Navy vessel ripped the bluebell and the Navy shuttle to tiny pieces! His crew were Whooping and gleeful as he shouted into his transmitter"Detonate the explosives, we got a Navies Day to ruin, For Blood, for the Rogues!" He screamed as three massive explosions wracked the Navy ship. He imagined the chaos going on on board right now, with crew sending information to the bridge he had just decompressed. He allowed himself a wry grin knowing he had hurt them already, even if he died in the fight he had done his duty by his men.."Lets go!" he screamed into the comm and into the airlock they scrambled.
The fight was short, vicious and bloody. The Rogues goal was to flush any oxygen they could from areas of the ship not yet preped for vacuum. The Navy, still reeling had started to seal the ship and set general quarters. Truth be told, not many of the rogues lost they're lives to the opposing crew, but rather the leathal automated defense systems that would melt men into they're Spacesuit. Jake had never seen anything like it, but inspite of this after 45 minutes of intese battle they had secured a bridgehead. They had split the ship in half. They now controlled the airlock, engineroom, quarters and the med bay. What remained of the Navy crew were sealed in the For'd section of the ship, the weapons systems and damaged bridge section.
"Give me comm" Jake shouted as he grabbed the Engine room comunicator."Crew of the Pittsburg, this is Captain Jake Aeron. We have boarded your ship, killed your captain, destroyed your marines. You now have but two choices, surrender, or die, slowely." He looked around at his men, they were all tired, out of breath, but alive, so very alive, they thought they were going to get through this. Maybe, maybe..
"Um, this is the XO, Denny Hamilton, to invaders aboard the Pittsburg, we will not stand down, we will fight to the last for the glory of the LN! We do not submit to terrorist action" The voice did not sound as sure as the message did.
"Denny, this is the Captain, this ship is no longer under your command. Stand down or we will be forced to flush you into space. You know as well as i do i can do that from down here. Your bridge controls are shot, you have nomore than 15 men left, surrender or die, i will NOT ask again sir. Do this for your men Major, not for the Liberty Navy" Jake lef tthe comm switch open for a couple of seconds to emphasise his point.."
"This is Major Hamillton standing down, i request terms.."
"Open all links from engineering to the bridge and prepare for transport to the nearest friendly colony, Captain Jake Aeron, out" He sighed, he knew what would happen to those poor devils when his crew got hold of them, and he knew that if they got thrown out of an airlock it would be a small mercy. What cold universe this is. Yet as he fell out of his reverie he was aware that he was being lifted, and his bold men, those that remained were celebrating not only him, but his victory over an advanced Navy Gunship. He held hands, smiled and cheered along, but in his hgeart he knew what it had cost them, the tables had turned, and they would never be the same again.
"Ok, now the trouble starts." He had assembled his remaining senior officers in the Breifing lounge, what a ridiculous room he thought, but it was also good to enjoy previously unknown comforts.
"How so capt'n? We got beds, hot and cold running, and food and ammo for months" Piped up Carlson, the combat officer
"You know better than anyone here how much the Navy are going to want this boat back, there's no telling what detection devices are still hidden inside this frame. We've got a new ship, but if we are gonna use it to strike fear into the hearts of our enemy, we've got to take her apart..one piece at a time. There is only one place safe to do that, rienland. I want a course plotted and to be underway within the hous. And I dont want to hear any complaints, we got 26 men left and we're damn lucky to be alive. Lets keep ourselves that way. The rienies may not like Navy guys, but they like us just as little, we've got to stay ahead of them from now on. I dont want the UNO to be another bluebell.
"The UNO sir? Is that her new name?"
"Thats right Nav, she's Under New Ownership now....."
The above is an account drawn together from the remains of the LNS Pittsburg found drifting in the Californa system. The majority of the ships hull and sytems were missing, but this log was found floating with the Navy Iff transponder. As to the wherabouts of the UNO, who knows?