| abstract | - Imperial Cruiser Vulture drops out of hyperspace at the rally point, meeting up with a convoy of four Action IV heavy freighters. In command, Lt. Commander Bulloch orders it's flight of TIE fighters into space, taking up a patrol pattern around the larger vessel. Contrary to popular myth, space is not empty. It is full of wondrous things - dust clouds, gas nebulae, radiation-emitting stars as small as a house plant and as large as the mind can imagine. And pirates. There're also pirates. As the Vulture drops out of hyperspace, the Lightning-class ship lying in wait fires its engines in a brief burst of thrust, before cutting power altogether. Heat bleeding away quickly into the cold vacuum of space, the Crimson Lightning drifts toward the waiting cruiser as its TIE compliment disgorges. Cruiser Vulture aligns itself above and on the starboard side of the freighters allowing it's fighters to stay on the elliptical plane with the larger, slower vessels, while the larger fast patrol vessel keeps speed with its assigned flight path, unaware of the powered down drifting cruiser. "Cry baby, cry. Make your mother sigh..." Vane murmurs. There's a momentary spark of power from the Lightning, a discrete tight-beam transmission projected to the edge of the system. Hopefully unnoticed. "...zzzzttttchhh..." A com-signal, badly degraded broadcasts over a wide band a full light-minute out. "...MAYDAY! MAYDAY!...Rebel fighters...H-I-M-S...Immediate.....shields...available ships...code..." A cry for help. Commander Bulloch's attention is perked up at at the emergency broadcast as it warbles over the speakers in the cruiser's bridge, "Lieutenant, signal general quarters, and get me a vector on that distress call." He turns to his com's officer, "Get Omicron flight to intercept as soon as we have a target." Klaxons begin sounding over Cruiser Vulture as gunners start manning thier guns. The cruiser seems to have taken the bait and aboard the Lightning, a satisfied grin curls across Vane's lips as she gazes out of the bridge view port from her chair. "Prepare to restore power on my mark..." she instructs the operations officer, a portly weequay sat to her left. "Easy does it...thaaat's right." she breathes in a coarse voice. "...go and help your little friends..." The Imperial Cruiser banks as it's engines start powering up to pursue the noise, breaking from it's patrol route, "Inform command we are breaking our patrol to pursue rebel fighters." The Carrack begins focus scanning the region, looking for trouble as it moves, making use of it's superior speed. Vane begins quick calculations. The Carrack would make the journey in around ten minutes at sublight speeds - its fighters would get there in eight. She'd have to run life-support down to the wire while they waited, or risk the cruiser turning back too soon into their assault. "Paaatience..." she urges. Pirates are not known for their restraint, but none dare to countermand her orders as the Lightning continues to drift in toward the freighter convoy. Aboard the Carrack Vulture, it's commander finally gets the information he needed from his sensor officer, "Sir we have an approximate location for the signal." The Commander looks towards his navigator. "Plot a Micro-jump. Inform the TIEs to stay with the freighters." As the navi-computer spits out the coordinates. The ships sublight engines slow as it spins up it's hyperdrive. In a flash the Carrack Cruiser disappears as the TIE flight banks back towards the freighters, splitting into two pairs and resuming patrol positions off the starboard and port sides of the convoy. As the Carrack jumps away and the TIE's bank back, Vane utters something that sounds distinctly like a curse in some arcane alien dialect. "Ah well, you /can't/ win them all..." she remarks and rises to her feet. "Restore power! Bring us about and plot an intercept course with the mid' freighter." she points through the viewscreen as the hum of engines begins to thrum through the vessel, lights rising across the ship. "All hands to the guns. Charge lasers and raise shields! The Crimson Lightning's engines flare, the sleek vessel an obvious presence now on the TIE's sensors, even if they couldn't see her off-white bulk cruising toward the convoy. "Jam their communications!" she roars. The port flight is the first to respond it's squadron leader shouting "Bogie! Bogie! Bogie!" over the military comm channel, "Flight, form on my six." Flipping over to the common channel. "Unidentified vessel, you are in violation of Imperial space, power down your vessel and prepare to be boarded."The second fighter element moves to intercept the cruiser. The flight leader flips back to Imperial comms, trying to raise it's motherships through the static, "Cruiser Vulture, Unknown cruiser in controlled territory, return to intercept." As the TIE's bank in toward the Lightning, her answer is given. Lasers open fire - fast-tracking cannons mounted around the hull lancing bright red bolts of fire through the black depths of space at the closing fighters as her engines burn hot, a bright white corona about her aft as she vectors toward the central freighter of the convoy. "Bring us up along her starboard side!" Vane points, her other hand resting on the shoulder of her helmsman. "She'll protect our port while we board, shields to all remaining facings! "Blast them out of the sky!" The laser fire definitely catches the TIE flight unaware, with two of the 4 vessels being blown apart in the first volley, the remaining pair of fighters returns fire, bright green blaster bolts targeting the aft section of the cruiser while the flight leader frantically tries to radio his commander to get support. The Lightning shudders as the TIE's rake her engines and aft section with laser fire, precise blasts scattering across the hull and leaving ugly black burns on the surface in their wake - but no functional damage. "They'll pay for that..." Vane rumbles in a low, coarse growl, the pirate turning on her heel as she flicks a ship-wide intercom switch on the command chair's armrest. "RETURN FIRE!". With the order given, she stalks toward the turbolift. "Keep sensors out for that cruiser. If we've not taken control by the time she returns, undock and engage her. I'll be with the boarding party." Cruiser Vulture drops out of hyperspace, finding nothing on it's sensors. Having no updates from the fighters worries the commander, "Get me back to the convoy!" He barks as the ships turns around preparing to jump back to it's previous position. The TIE fighters are reduced in number yet again as one more fighters is knocked out of the fight, exploding as a laser tears it apart. The sole remaining fighter squawks mayday over Imperial frequencies desperately trying to raise help before firing another blast at the large cruisers exposed engines. The Lightning shudders again, surface damage carbonising plating and chipping away at the exhaust shroud - the damage is real, its just too little to bother the sloop as her aft laser cannons scatter fire in reply. She swoops in alongside the heavy freighter, thrusters firing to slow her inertia and draw her level as Vane descends to join the boarding party below - a half dozen of the surliest pirates aboard, armed with a motley assortment of blasters and primative melee weapons. The docking claw swings out, biting into the hull of their prize and as the plasma-punch is locked into place she turns to address her men. "Friends..." striking a jovial tone. "...today, we seize the largest prize in this fine crew's career. Now, I for one do not want to be paying bereavement out again, lest we forget our departed brothers aboard that gods-forsaken prison ship, hmm?" Intrusion alarms begin blaring all over the Action IV, unfortunately for it's crew there are no storm troopers to respond. The Captain can do little but order his men to seal bulkhead doors and hope the Cruiser returns before the bridge is over run. He does unlock his sidearm from a safe on the bridge and orders his crew to stand fast. The lone TIE pilot continues to evade fire, switching to entirely defensive flying. He continues trying to raise anyone on the comm channels. With a flash the cruiser Vulture drops out of hyperspace near the patrol vessels, it's sensors detecting the hostile cruiser and that three of it's fighters are missing, "Combat Stations." It's shields come up and turbo lasers begin charging as it moves into range. Vane can waste no more time as the Vulture's arrival is reported over the intercom. She draws her blaster and lifting it high, waves it toward the freshly burned breach. "Lets make some profit!" that simple directive earning a cheer as she and her men charge through the freshly cut breach, making their way fore to put a sealed bulkhead between them and the soon to depressurise passageway. Aboard the Lightning's bridge, her acting-captain angles deflectors, the Vulture a far greater threat than the last remaining TIE they abandon their communications jam and turbolaser turrets swivel to lock on to the approaching ship. Held in place by the docking claw, they'd have to weather the storm until they could safely detatch. The Vulture enters range, bringing it's pair of forward turbolasers to fire sending a volley of bright green bolts towards the Lightning-class vessel. The Commander aboard stands at the forward viewport sending his ship into battle. "Order the fighter to sweep the rest of the freighters and order them to take jump to the rally point."The TIE zooms out, working to get out of range of the enemy vessel as fast as possible. The Lightning is briefly enveloped by white flashes of energy and the Vulture's green turbolasers crash into her deflector screens, vessel shaking. "Shields holding!" the defensive system's officer reports, the energy harmlessly dissipated. The Lightning returns fire. Aboard the Action VI, Vane's men reach the nearest bulkhead - the sooner they can reach the other side and seal it, the sooner their own ship can detatch and fight the Imperial cruiser on equal footing. Vane is no technician, and neither are her men but datapads are connected and they do their best to override the security lock. Aboard the Action IV, the ships captain hides behind his console, blaster pistol gripped in his hands and aimed at the bulkhead door. All he can do is wait till the door is breached and then maybe he can fight back. Aboard the Vulture, it's own shields spark as turbolasers tear into it, but fail to penetrate. The Captain continues to return fire positioning his ship to bring the starboard arc into firing range. The second salvo hammers the Lightning and breaks through the shields, striking the tractor beam projector, a power-surge rips through the system and a bright fiery explosion rocks the entire vessel as the weapon is blasted to pieces, molten metal and burning fibers scattering the hapless gunner who slumps down in the remains of his chair, dead. The Lightning's turbolasers answering in kind. Aboard the Action VI, Vane is confronted with the security code - the slicing program unraveling a portion of the cipher, she draws a deep breath, closes her eyes and keys the remainder in at random. Whether by dumb luck or fate, the door slides open and she and her boarding party barrel through the opening, sealing it behind them. "Captain to Bridge." she barks across a handheld comlink. "We're secure. Docking clamps away!" Aboard the Action IV, The ships crew wait nervously, there is little they can do other than hope that the Imperial warship can destroy the invaders vessel then board and save them. The Cruiser Vulture takes another volley, its shields and hull holding "Sensors report one of the enemies guns is out of action." The Commander grows impatient, "Fire!" He roars as the ships port batteries again open up on the hostile vessel. Detaching from the bulk freighter, the Lightning's engines roar to life once more, a deft blast of thrusters banking the vessel and evading a scattering of turbolaser fire. More beams crash against and breach her shields, impacting a laser-cannon emplacement the power grid sputters for a moment, lights aboard the gundeck blinking out for an instant as the fuses blow and the weapon is left useless without power, but it and its gunner very much intact. Clear of the freighter, the Lightning's particle shields envelop the craft, steadying the vibrations carried through her hull as she drives her powerful engines hard, aiming to swing about into the fore arc of the broad-siding Carrack. The Vulture endures more punishing fire continuing to hold strong as it maneuvers with the now free cruiser, trying to keep it's broadsides aimed at the more maneuverable vessel. It's heavy batteries continue to end out volley upon volley of bright green bolts. Aboard the Action IV, the captain begins to fidget, hearing the noise of the approaching pirate team as they finally reach the blast door protecting the bridge from the crew spaces on the large vessel. He waits nervously blaster aimed at the door. The Lightning pushes her engines hard but the Carrack's own fire as she adjusts to compensate, the two swift ships maintaining their facings as they exchange volleys of fire - turbolasers sapped of their furious might by powerful deflector screens and their damage readily absorbed by reinforced bulkheads and ablative armour to no significant effect. Aboard the freighter, its another story as the pirates close in on the bridge, crewmen they encounter brought down by stun-blasts in the short, cramped corridors. As they reach the final door, Vane presses her back to the side of the hatch and readies her weapon, foot bracing to the bulkhead in readiness, she gives the signal for her crewman to open the door and dives through it, long coat aflutter as she dashes for the cover of the nearest console. The Lightning pushes her engines hard but the Carrack's own fire as she adjusts to compensate, the two swift ships maintaining their facings as they exchange volleys of fire - turbolasers sapped of their furious might by powerful deflector screens and their damage readily absorbed by reinforced bulkheads and ablative armour to no significant effect. Aboard the freighter, its another story as the pirates close in on the bridge, crewmen they encounter brought down by stun-blasts in the short, cramped corridors. As they reach the final door, Vane presses her back to the side of the hatch and readies her weapon, foot bracing to the bulkhead in readiness, she gives the signal for her crewman to open the door and dives through it, long coat aflutter as she dashes for the cover of the nearest console. The Carrack Vulture continues to trade volleys with the Lightning-class vessel. It's batteries continuing to work at the enemy vessel in hopes of taking it down. Aboard the Action IV, things have gone from bad to worse for the captain, as the doors open, he squeezes the trigger on his blaster, firing off rounds at whoever runs through the door first, very few crew are actually armed, a couple of crew members have spanners and wrenches, one only with bare fists. Free of the Freighter, the Lightning moves like a much lighter ship - her powerful engines, sleek profile and copious maneuvering thrusters combining for an agile target and as she braces for another volley, the helmsman performs a barrel roll! The Vulture's fire streaking harmlessly by, turbolaser turret gunners link their targeting computers and sighting a single point in the Carrack's shields, pour on fire. Vane herself executes a deft slide behind a console, the screaming blaster bolt harmlessly striking an instrumentation readout behind her to a shower of sparks. She rises up from cover, leveling her own weapon and squeezes off a stun blast toward the other captain. The Vulture links it's firing computers as well hoping that a concentrated volley from it's heavy Turbolasers could break through the other ships heavily armored hull. The batteries open fire pouring out a volley of bright green bolts all targeting the same point. It's own shields continuing to withstand the enemies fire. Aboard the Action IV, the captain gets caught in the blue ring of a stun bolt, falling to the deck unconscious. His men slowly raise their hands in surrender, with the captain down there is little point to resistance, when he was the only one with a gun. The pirates waste no time corralling their captives away from the control stations as Vane fishes the code-cylinder to the captured freighter's nav-computer from the cold out captain and begins the hurried calculations for a jump to lightspeed. The Lightning continues its ineffectual assault on the Vulture - she the faster and tougher of the two, weathers the Carrack's brutal onslaught while her own weapons pound away to little effect against the tough little cruiser. The seized Action VI lurches forward, a bright white corona enveloping her as she accelerates to lightspeed is all the signal the Lightning requires, banking hard to starboard to clear the convoy and match her trajectory, the sloop makes her jump, leaving the Imperial convoy to pick up the pieces.
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