The Pathfinder groaned as yet another volley of fire hit and arced around its hull. While a good ship, the Argus didn't have the longevity most of it's class boasted of. Although having a fleet targeting uplink system similar to those found in house navy capitals, it was all based off of civilian hardware. Every time an EMP blast hit the Pathfinder's bare hull, the fragile and unsheilded circuitry of the target uplink was fried, bringing the whole system offline until nanobots could replace fuses, repair chips and bridge connections. What this made was a very unpredicatble battle, with IMG ships killing left and right with swift precision one moment, and then being confused and getting slaughtered the next.
Nickolas Hargreaves surveyed the outside battle through the bridge's holodisplay. Never in his career as Guildmaster had he been in such a vicious battle, let alone one in the Outcasts' home system. His advisors had warned that an outright confrontation with the Maltese navy would end with an IMG loss, and from what he could see they would be correct. With the current forces onfeild, ship computers estimated a 15% chance of an IMG/Order victory should both side fight to the last man, and long range scanners suggested much more Outcast reinforcements entering the battle in a few hours, guaranteeing the win to their side. A swift retreat was neccessary to ensure the IMG fleet would survive another day, yet the main objective for the sorte was still not fully completed.
Hargreaves turned to the Captain, who waited patiently for new tact other than shooting everything.
"Your orders Guildmaster?"
"Get the last of your interceptor reserves to make a clear path to that fighter marked as being Syana's craft. We have to get her aboard and jump out of here before those maltese bring more firepower"
"Yes sir."
As the captain turned to relay orders down the ship, Nickolas was left to his own thoughts. What would be the ramifications if Syana came back to her position as Director.. That is of course if she accepts the offer. I'm sure the majority of guild members wouldn't mind, though those more extremist, IMG affiliated groups that are strictly anti-cardimine wouldn't stomach us having a director dependant on the sustance. How long has she been exposed I wonder.. Has anyone tried slowly weening themselves off of cardimine before? Hmm, I guess we'll just cross this bridge when we get to it - IF we get to it..
//Sorry about the super late join to this Seth.. I think nothing that I could say here would really be satisafactory for it but awell, At least I'm here now for the time being
Everyone seemed to be yelling at her through the communications, and she ignored everyone. She just focussed on enemy fighters, shooting them down, feeling the rush of adrenaline from each kill. Revelling in it.
The IMG had arrived, and some sort of giant nebula was hiding a fleet of ships, well, that's what she thought, as mortar blasts kept streaking out of it to collide with the Outcast vessels. She sighed, and shuddered as she kept killing.
Then she noticed one of the battlecruisers. The Pathfinder. She gasped lightly. Hargreaves was here? Why on earth would he risk himself to save her?
She made her decision, spinning away from the combat and heading towards the IMG ships. She had spent too long a slave to the Outcasts, and she would not listen to them anymore. This... bloodlust, this hunger for blood? She had never had it before she had been captured, and she would be damned if she let it control her now.
The Pathfinder's bay opened invitingly in front of her, and she sped into it, several other fighters landing on either side of her. As she emerged from the Corsair fighter, she looked around. Half of the people in the room ran towards her, and the other half stood in their place, mouths slightly agape.
She stood there, still dressed in the Outcasts evil slave costume, half bondage and half pure lust was in mind when it was created. She smiled weakly, and then collapsed. Her body fell the 20 feet too the deck beneath where it was caught by at least half a dozen men.
"No more shall die to save me" she whispered with the last of her strength. "Get us out of here... please."
Then, blissfully, she passed out, exhausted by her ordeal.
Jeremy felt ashamed. But his shame was desereved, but he had a true comeback.
"Sir, I said that so she would freaking get on that Argus; I am a freaking genius of Old Earth History.
"Never Give up, Never surrender. Sir, I am not leaving. I might SUCK AT FIGHTING< But I am fighting."
Jeremy banked the fighter craft he replaces so often.
"I am on her wing, and will escort her till she docks."
After Syana docks:
Jeremy slotted into position next to Chris.
"Sorry I didnt tell you I was bluffing. Lets get out of here."
Jeremy banked toward the onrushing Sabres.
A contact appeared oin screen, filling his vision.
"Nice time to arrive sis. Now, cover the IMG and lets bang out...I have a feeling Chris has a nice ride waiting."
The Orion let loose a pair of Heavy Mortar shots, converging on the lead Outcast Dreadnought. It rocked as four Heavy Mortars struck, causing explosions to appear all over. Jeremy saw four fighter craft slot in around him.
A Charon
A Raven's Talon.
A Pytho.
An incredibly an Avenger with the name Edge on the side.
"Kei, why the hell are you here?"
"Zack doesn't want to deal with your death again."
"Yeah..."
Jeremy and the four ships docked with the Orion as the Pathfinder executed a hyperspace jump, getting Syana away.
The rest of the battered IMG ships made ofr Jump Holes as the Orion laid down a cloud of fire.
"We have to leave now; This is way too much, even for this ship."
"Go."
The ship jumped, leaving the battle, wondering if Chris and his guards where gone.
Wondering if Syana was still ok.
And smiling as he knew the reason for the nebulae.
The Anubis Fleet didnt die easily.
Jeremy laid back and sighed as he hoped they were all right.
His part over, he got ready for the inevitable court marshal that would hit him when he hit land on Toledo.
He was sure Chris wouldnt bother; He didnt care. Chris had better thigns to do that bail him out, the screwup. Jeremy looked out thw window.
//Ok, I finished my part. How about different perspectives and problems before the Argus jumps?//
//And when did the Anubis Fleet go MIA?//
The young man watched as the lady docked with the with the pathfinder. as several other ships raced in with her there fleet and the other one was retreating as the outcasts started to verge on the Nebula the only two fighters that remained, a Bastet guard and a Nephthys flew into the nebula where a energy current lit up the entire field showing a wall of ships surrounded around a bigger one, its shape would be long and short in height as the density of the field lessened more and more flashes of light would be seen and soon all that remained of the cloud would be a little black mist as now wreckage of outcasts ships lay around the area and what was left of the Outcast reinforcements. the Nephthys pilot had done what he said he'd do to Gene and helped return their director.
Later on that day a lone damaged Nephthys ship docked at the Java.
Hargreaves turned around to meet a panting officer, just entering the bridge after what seemed to be a long run from the other side of the ship.
"Communication.. to the flight deck is down.. sir... But director Kyan.. is aboard and being.. taken to the infirmary."
"Acknowleged officer. What is her current condition?"
"Undetermined - the cardimine.. She's covered with the stuff. Her... level of exposure and dependancy is as.. of yet unknown. What I can say is she collapsed.. On the hangar deck before she was.. taken in.."
"Hmm.. Ok thankyou. Stay here for a while officer - you look like you need a breather. Captain? Now that we have retrieved what we came for, lets get out of here before we get blown up, shall we?"
The Captain saluted with a gruff "Capt'n" and ordered for an about turn back to the Tau Jumphole.
* * *
Pathfinder's bow thrusters ignited with a bright red glow and the battlecruiser turned at a rate only possible with inertial dampeners. Within 30 seconds the whole IMG fleet was either retreating or in some stage of exiting the thick of battle. However, this sudden change of behaviour did not go unnoticed.
Minutes before, a new Outcast destroyer group joined the fight to help turn the tide of the battle. Two of these ships caught the IMG withdrawal and headed on an intercept course. Under normal circumstances the IMG battlefleet could easily take them on and win. However this was not a normal situation. Several turrets from the Pathfinder was damaged and unable to fire, while over a third of the supporting gunboats and fighter craft were lost in the continuing battle. Nevertheless, the Pathfinder pushed on, answering their challenge with a round of missiles.
The four warheads thundered towards one of the Outcast ships. The destroyer tried it's best to bring them down, but two still managed to get through its point defenses. Antimatter explosions warped and flashed out the Outcast sheilds under the strain, only for them to be brought back up by secondary battery supplies. The destroyers retaliated with their own main cannons. The bolts directly hit at the Pathfinder, yet the Argus's sheilds stood firm. Then, the final fight started in earnest.
Space erupted with turret fire as the two groups met. IMG missiles and energy bolts passed those of the enemy, as fighter and escort craft of both sides collided with eachother in the middle. Those few IMG gunboats remaining moved to focus their firepower one one of the destroyers, taking down its shield and ripping into bare hull, but not before the Pathfinder's own shield died from the sheer volume of fire towards it.
The two parties closed in further, and got to the range of heavy weapons. Battle razors and EMP were exchanged, vaporising any fighters unfortunate enough to be in their way. The second destroyer's shields finally yielded, however the Pathfinder also took a heavy hit, losing its targeting uplink module in a direct hit. The IMG fleet was now like any other in the system - uncoordinated with one another. IMG fighters fought more agressively against the enemy, as if an increase in effort would bring the link back online. Unfortuately though the damage was irrepairable, and the effects of not having such an asset coud imediately be seen.
Without the link, the gunboats ganging up on one of the destroyers could no longer pick the most ideal areas to disable it. Many ended up allocating targets heavily defended by turrets and point defense, and dearly paid the price for it. One gunboat flashed out of existance, then another, but nevertheless the fate of the Outcast ship was sealed. After almost ten minutes, all that remained was a drifting, burnt out frame.
By the time the IMG gunboats set course for the second destroyer, the Pathfinder was already within point blank range. The Outcast ship tried to speed up in a desperate bid to ram the IMG battlecruiser, but bombers managed to cripple some engines, slowing it enough for the Pathfinder to evade without difficulty. The two capitals passed in a cliche broadside position, where they both let loose every weapon that they had. Plasma and lasers whined past, cutting sections open in eachothers bulkheads, while razors roared through and exploded, leaving behind huge holes within layers of meter-thick armour. Within the chaos, solaris turrets yammered, trying to prevent fighters from exploiting these new wounds. For one ship though, the effort was all in vain.
By the end of the pass the Outcast destroyer was already starting a death roll. Its once mighty engines now fired erratically, starving on the power of a dying powercore. The IMG gunboats, only just catching up with the rest of the fleet piccked off the last remaining turrets on the burning hulk. No shots were fired in return - the ship had not enough energy to do so. The fleet regrouped and formed on the Pathfinder, now billowing smoke out from it's port side. The fires onboard would take little over an hour to control.
Before the IMG fleet prepared to jump out of system, the Pathfinder threw one final shot at the crippled Destroyer bent to stop them. A single mortar - payment in kind to the lack or mercy given durinng their years in the Taus - flew from the battlecruiser and hit sqarely on the stern. The destroyer fragmented from the impact, spraying debris in all directions and preventing any further ship from following. The IMG paused for a few minutes as if to admire their handiwork, and then quietly jumped back to T37 one by one.
//Remind me never to do an RP post this long ever again. It takes me way to long to write it.. D:
I owe you my life... more than that, I owe you my soul, and my sanity. You risked your lives to come and get me, and some of you didn't make it. That you considered my life important enough for that... it... it's incredible. All of you are incredible.
Any and all of you, if I can ever help you or repay you in any way, then name it and I shall do it. I plan on repaying the IMG with service, but some of you were freelancers, some of you were Corsairs, some of you were of the Order. To all of you, I give my utmost thanks, from the very depth of my soul, and know you are always welcome at my table.
This tale ends here, and let us hope we never have to speak of it again.
![[Image: 2h7jsztlb8.png]](http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/4268/2h7jsztlb8.png)
![[Image: SethSig.png]](http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p272/Sedrander/SethSig.png)
![[Image: jeremy10.png]](http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/16/80/35/65/jeremy10.png)
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![[Image: Mode_Phot-240006-1.jpg]](http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p272/Sedrander/Characters/Mode_Phot-240006-1.jpg)