Dark Haven 2 - Chapter 14

[crunn]

Chapter 01 (Survivors)
Chapter 02 (Excursions)
Chapter 03 (No Place Like Home)
Chapter 04 (Rising)
Chapter 05 (Politics)
Chapter 06 (Seepage)
Chapter 07 (Getting Back)
Chapter 08 (Set Up)
Chapter 09 (All We Have)
Chapter 10 (Sphere)
Chapter 11 (Fray)
Chapter 12 (Addition)
Chapter 13 (Long Haul)


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DARK HAVEN 2

Chapter 14 (Scouts)


Bloodmoon Headquarters (Kailmuns Office)


"You'd better be bringing me some good news!"
Kailmun shouts as a low ranking staff member approaches.

"Well... Yes.
Our ships have destroyed the Elite in Cloud Base Southeast.
We lost one Bayamon.
They are waiting there while the two Mandalays scout deeper into Argon space."

"Good news."
Kailmun, smiling, stands and walks to the window. He gazes out into the blackness.

The young pirate continues.
"Another scout has reported seeing an Argon Fleet Titan being towed out of The Wall, southward."

"Towed out?"

"Yes, it appears to be disabled."

Kailmun ponders for a moment before saying.
"Hmm... This is very... troubling... no, curious.
We have destroyed all the fighters we have found..."

"Except that Disco that ran."

"Yes.
The only Capital we can find is disabled and the only Corvette may or may not be a rouge vessel."
Kailmun turns, looking very puzzled he retakes his chair. His eyes low.
"Why the hell is that Jubilee specifically targeting our ships?
He looks back up at the messenger.
"What of the other races?"

"The main Paranid sectors have been covered.
Nothing to report, everything is where it should be.
Teladi sectors, The Condor is not in Greater Prophet. Otherwise, nothing out of the ordinary.
We haven't reached Boron or Split space yet."

"Once the scouts have finished the rest of the main Argon sectors have them check the sectors adjacent to Argon Prime.
Don't enter Argon Prime yet.
Also, send scouts to check the outer Argon and Teladi sectors."

"Yes Sir."

...

A few mizuras later

Kailmun is reading through some papers when an urgent voice summons him to Command and Control.

'I wonder what's wrong now.'
He thinks while walking fast along the corridor.
He steps through the doors into C&C.

"Sir." The second in command stands.
"The Harrier we sent in to place a Nav-Sat just outside Teladi Way is reporting in...
She entered the sector two mizuras ago. Placed the Sat then five sezuras later the Jubilee jumped in.
She is running, Jubilee in pursuit...
Wait...
Harrier is taking fire...
Sir, the Harrier has been destroyed."

"Are we still receiving from the Nav-Sat?"

"Yes...No... It's gone too."

You can literally see the furious rage bubbling up inside Kailmun, his face turns a deep scarlet.
"JUBILEEEEEE!!!!"
He screams, looking upward, raising his arms above him and clenching his fists.

...


A Few Mizuras Earlier

Jubilee (bridge)


'I'm glad to be out of Teladi Way.' Thinks a partially relieved Pierson.
'Targeting west gate to Ocean of Fantasy. 96K.'

Pierson brings up the sector information and scans down the list.
'Almost empty.
Harrier, and an old one at that.
Curious, just sitting there...
next to a Navigation Satellite...
Very suspicious...
Checking registration number...'

Pierson taps a few controls and connects to the AFC Database.

'Ah there it is.
That number corresponds to a Teladi Bat, which was decommissioned fifteen Jazuras ago.
Cross-checking the Harriers model, age and specifications with stolen ships...
Hmm... Several Harriers were lost to pirates that would match this one.'

Pierson speaks. "Captain, I'm fairly sure that that suspicious Harrier watching us just over there is a pirate."

"I see it. I'd guess Bloodmoon again."

"I'm sure it probably is."

"We must be popular with them. They cant seem to leave us in peace."

"They have dropped a Nav-Sat there," Pierson points out.

"Well we can't have that.
Intercept it." Hall orders.
"And try hailing it."

The Lieutenant opens a communications channel
"Jubilee to Harrier, please respond."

"Its running, 245, we cant catch it." Pierson states.

"Jubilee to Pirate Harrier, stop your engines immediately."
"No response."

"Pierson..." The Captain looks over to him.

'No.' He thinks.

"The Disco..."

'No.'
"Wouldn't you rather that privilege for yourself this time Captain?"

"You know Lieutenant... I would.
Keep after it."
Jessica bolts from the Bridge.

Less than two mizuras later.
"Ready to launch."

"Granted."
'How did she get down there so fast?'

The Discoverer breaks away from the Corvette.

...


Discoverer (Captain Hall)


'Feels good to have space beneath me. Just not the same in bigger ships.
It really gets the heart racing, makes you feel alive.
I should do this more often.'
She smiles, her eyes seem alight with passion.

'There it is, not far ahead.'

The Captain quickly catches the pirate ship.
She presses the communications panel.

"Captain Hall to Pirate ship.
You are ordered to stand down or I will engage."

'Still nothing.
Well here we go...
Entering firing range.'

The Captain first fires a warning shot across each wing of the Harrier.
The Harrier begins evasive manoeuvres, spiralling then swooping downward. Strafing first left then farther down.
Hall dives the M5 to keep the Pirate in her sights. She twists following the movements of the other ship.

"You can't out run me.
Surrender."

The Pirate ship angles left then right in a hopeless attempt to shake the far nimbler Discoverer.
Hall fires again, this time to hit.
She expertly takes the shields down with a single barrage then fires one more shot to damage.
The single shot streams elegantly from the fighter and connects precisely with the right wing tip of the Harrier.

"Surrender!" The Captain once more orders.
"You can't want to die."

The wounded Harrier has now lost some stability, but it still soars very quickly upward. Combined with a burst from its strafe drive it manages to get above the Discoverer and turns almost intime to line up for a shot.
Captain Hall, however, cuts the engines and strafes vertically upward. The left wing of the Discoverer almost connects with the now smouldering right wing of the Harrier.
As the Disco passes upto then above the Harrier Hall looks into the enemy's cockpit. She sees the Pirate and gives a little smile and a salute.
Once clear of the other ship the Captain swings round and aims at the left wing as the pirate begins accelerating away.
First a few shots to take the shields back down.
Then again a single shot precisely hits the wing tip.
The glowing along the right side betrays the internal fires consuming the wing. The left wing, already smouldering, will soon follow suit.

"Eject before your ship breaks apart."

The Harrier, now back at top speed, gets a little distance from the Argon ship.
Hall hits the boosters and re-closes the gap.
Suddenly, just as The Captain is almost on the Pirates tail, the Harrier slows and spins all in one fluid motion. It opens fire with all it has, missiles included.
The missiles arc outward away from the Discoverer at first, but the many bolts of plasma streak right towards her.
Captain Hall instinctively rolls the small ship on its side. The first two bolts pass one above and one below Hall, so close that the dazzling purple light almost blinds her.
More from memory than from vision she rotates the ship a few degrees to avoid the next two shots in the same way. This time she manages to close her eyes before the glare reaches.
The incoming fire grows ever denser.

'Time to end this.'

In the split sezura before the next shots arrive Hall flips the ship over and hits the boosters narrowly avoiding the first of the returning missiles. She arcs the M5 down and back to take aim at the Harrier.
The shots from the Discoverer tear a line of fire right up the middle of the Pirate ship.
The Harrier breaks apart, pieces of debris explode from the carcass
As Hall watches the flames recede and the charred debris spinning around her she spots the white vapour trail of the second missile coming around the back of the Harrier's remains towards the Disco.
Hall hits the boosters again and gets clear of the wreckage.

'Was it two or three?'
She checks her scanners.
'Three and number three is right behind me.
Should be easy enough.'

The Captain spins the ship and quickly takes aim. She fires at the missile moments before it hits and its remains burn up in the M5's shields.

'Now for the other two...
Ah number one is out of fuel, so two should be almost out.
Here it comes.'

The second missile, having rounded the debris from the Harrier, heads right for the Discoverer.
The Captain, now sitting stationary, takes aim at the incoming missile.

'Should be out of fuel any sezura now...'

The projectile gets closer and closer. Just a few hundred metres... One hundred... Fifty...

'Any sezura now...'
She tenses on the trigger.

Thirty... Ten...

Six... The missile's fuel runs out and it self destructs in a small flash just beyond the Discoverers shields.

'There I thought so.'
She gives a little sly smile and releases her tension on the trigger.

"Nice shooting Captain." Piersons voice comes over the communications.

"Thanks Pierson.
Pick up that nav-sat and disable it.
Then resume course to Paranid Prime.
I'm going to take a look around here, see if there are anymore."

"Yes Captain."

...


A Few Mizuras Earlier

Pirate Harrier


'10K from the Teladi Way gate.
This will be fine.'

"Navigation Satellite Ejected."

'Receiving data, good.
Now, I'll wait over at the edge of the grid and watch for a while.
Easy assignment.'

'What's this? ..."

"No! It's the Pirate Killer, Jubilee."

'It's seen me, heading this way.'

"Run !!"

"Harrier to HQ.
Its the Jubilee.
It's going to kill me..."

[Captain Chris sTc]

I see Hall and the jubilee are getting a bit of a reputation amoungst the Bloodmoon Clan. Wonder what their gonna do about it and if they will ever get to talk to a pirate and give thema cluea s to what's happeneing.

[KiwiNZ]

Nice read! These pirates really must be furious. Funny though, that the pirates think the Jubilee is deliberately targeting their ships while the Jubilee thinks the pirates are tracking them. Good on with the last missile.

Looking forward to the next part!

[Mastermue]

Great read crunn.!

[Praefectus classis]

Enjoyed that, a good read.

[crunn]

Thanks folks

Kailmun certainly isnt happy with the Jubilee.
I wonder if he is going to go on the offensive, head to head with Hall. hehe

[davecrowley]

BUMP !

I see Crunn hasn't been writing for a while.

I hope he comes back to finish this one off.

COME BACK Crunn !!!

[HasItNow]

After I'd finished reading the first one I thought there should be another. Just found it today.

[Captain Chris sTc]

If you notice Crunn's last post was this Chapter of Dark Haven, so it dosn't look good for a continuation.