Captain K’vanne was quite happy with the mission, she was tired of patrol duty in the core worlds, so a request from the Gravidan intelligence service for a trip to the outer areas of the Eridani system was just what she needed to break up the monotony.
Except she was unsettled that there were no ships in the system. No Iridian houses had patrols on their sensors except for their allies. This concerned her greatly. She had informed the sensors officer to notify her if that changed.
Her com chimes “Captain, we just had a sensor ghost off our starboard side, you might want to come to the bridge” her first officer. Of Course! It was now that something happened, but sensor ghosting was a major problem with the newer sensor suites on her ship, the G.E.C. Falknyr. “I am on my way to the bridge” she growled that out in annoyance.
K’vanne drags her body out of bed and gets to the bridge expediently, not even stopping to put on her commander’s jacket. Upon reaching the bridge the sensors officer and her first officer waved her over.
“What? I was about to fall asleep!” the first officer looks to the sensors officer “Well, ma’am. I do not know how to explain this, the ghosting was there for but a split second, and then it just disappeared. Faster than I would have seen it on my scope. The sensor signals processing software picked it up and stretched it out temporally on the display for me to see. Or I would not have picked it up.”
K’vanne lifts a brow “A possible stealth ship?” the officer nods “it is likely captain.”
[back with the S.S.R. Void Star’s bridge…]
I purse my lips. “Targeting solution confirmed!” called B’Nan “Ready to fire on your mark!” pausing a moment, I reflect on the decision to fire. “Shoot tube 1 and 4!”
“Shoot tubes 1 and 4, aye sir!” we hear the sound of compressed air rushing out of the tubes as compressed CO2 ejects the torpedoes a safe distance from the ship, the torpedo tube doors shutting after the split-second it takes to launch to maintain the ship’s stealth.
******
The torpedoes release with a 2-second interval between them and then the Torpedos fire their booster engines and orient themselves on the target, followed by the activation of their Grav-drive engines to accelerate rapidly to about five percent of the speed of light.
At this point, the Gravidan sensors officer picks up the Torpedoes too late with the burn of their booster engines before they hurtle into an intercept course with the Gravidan cruiser. “Captain! Two incoming torpedoes bearing one eight five, zero four one! They are above and behind us!”
Captain K’Vanne’s face turns an interesting shade of darker blue from the usual purple skin Gravidans have. “Evasive action!” the bridge crew start to panic as the sensors officer responds “Too late! Brace for-”
It only takes 2 seconds for the torpedoes to arrive. These weapons break apart into several small fragments, submunitions. Still hurtling at the Gravdan cruiser at 5 percent of the speed of light, then slammed into the ship like the shrapnel from a shaped charge warhead. Slamming into the cruiser and creating large holes in the hull, one or two finding their way to the main engineering space deep in the bowels of the cruiser, destroying one of the two fusion reactors and its cooling loop along with the other reactor’s cooling loop. The second reactor is sent into a spiral of feedback-loop heating with no cooling of the core, the heat simply escaping into the air of main engineering and creating a blast furnace inside the hull, which melts the hull as it cuts into two. The front half of the ship’s lights go out as the power cuts. Leaving the crew stranded with only an hour or two of the breathable atmosphere at best.
The rear of the vessel suffers a catastrophic explosion of it’s main torpedo magazines at the impact of the second torpedo’s submunitions, annihilating the back half section of the ship and throwing debris in all directions, some of which hit the front half section of the now stricken ship.
[Back with the S.S.R. Void Star’s bridge]
I gawked at the sensor readings as we had just watched the infrared signature of the ship go out, then flare. Which means an explosion. Assuming most of the atmosphere just bled off into space, most of the crew was either ejected by explosive decompression into the vacuum of space or trapped on board with only a few hours of breathable oxygen aboard.
The Iridian sensors officer confirms the destruction of the Gravidan cruiser. “Conn, Sensors reports distortions and thermal signature indicating an explosion. The contact’s thermal signature has gone cold. Target destroyed.”
I nod “So it is. Helm, trail that Iridian frigate.”
Six hours later…
After tailing the frigate, which took us off our initial course towards one of the moons of the gas giant Eridan V. According to the readouts we were getting from a reconnaissance drone, it was a lush temperate forest world with mountainous boreal forests to the north, and a total of 4 continents and ice seas near the poles.
The nitrogen-rich atmosphere had barely enough Oxygen for life for humans to set foot on the planet with no Environmental suit or rebreathing apparatus. The air pressure was about that of Terra, with a standard pressure of 1020 millibars. Slightly higher than Earth. I rub my chin in thought as we orbit the moon at Eridan V’s Lag-range 4 in geosynchronous orbit.
The drone was reading a compound with a lot of iridians in it. Most likely this was the House Vansae house. Belonging to a niece of the Matron of house Vansae. “B’Nan, get the drone closer to the compound if possible.” I look to the weapons station to the left of the main helm station. B’Nan grunts “I would not advise it, Conn. The compound’s guards could spot us as well as other surprises they might have for us. I recommend setting someone down via shuttle if we want a closer look.”
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The response I give is a nod. Figures they would have extra surprises. Iridians tended to, as I knew, have wheels within wheels with their plans. That did not stop with their defensive ones. “I have a plan..."After a sigh, I lift myself off my chair on the bridge. “Keep me posted on any new developments at the compound. I will be elsewhere on the ship.” As I stand from my chair, B’Nan replies “Aye Conn.” I pause before I exit the bridge “Guns, you have the conn.
Heading to the armory on the amidships of deck 3A to get my gear, The crew of the ship goes about their duties as I head through Deck 1 towards the elevator to Deck 3A. I think about how Farsa managed to get a crew for the ship - while it appears to be capable of operations with a small crew, there are about 68 people aboard. Not small but also not large. Ships this size usually require at least 200 crew members to function. It speaks volumes to the level of automation.
I get on the elevator and speak “Deck 3”. The computer responds with “Personnel recognized. Command accepted.” I feel the jolt of the elevator as it starts moving to the deck below. Then as I pass deck 2 the elevator tram slows down and equalizes with the bulkhead floor before the doors open.
I head down the corridor and come upon the bulkhead door that leads to the cargo bay observation area. I push the augmented reality circle on the door. The circle spins clockwise and another circle within that one spins.
After a moment the double-walled door parts into a top and bottom portion as they slide away into the bulkhead. I step through and make my way across the observation area. A few crew members below are cataloging cargo.
The surveys would eat up the next 48 hours as we survey the area around the compound for additional information and facilities. The estate is vast, with walls reaching 6 meters tall to prevent a view inside the compound from ground level. There are not many vantages to offer a clear view of inside the compound, so the drone is our main method of gathering information and establishing a layout.
In the meantime, I decided to check my gear and occupy my mind with other activities. Gali said I ought to find something else to do.. So I did what I knew to do best. Enjoy a glass of wine and read. It was a sedentary pastime I had developed while on Eridan IV.
I turn a page in my book and give the stemmed glass of red wine in my left hand a swirl on the end table next to the seat I currently occupy. Pinching the stem between my fingers as the bottom glides across the glass table top.
I refold my legs and settle back into my seat as I read. My consciousness wanders as I read. Eventually, I just give in and let it happen. Closing the book and setting it aside, I half-lid my eyes. After taking a sip of the glass of wine, I allow my telehaptics to expand my perception. I sense about sixty to eighty people on the ship in various areas.
I can sense Galinae in the lounge on the starboard side on deck 1 below. Sitting in the captain's cabin, I had a clear vantage down below to the other decks - I can sense everything from my spot. Even the currents of electrons running through the ship's wiring and the collision of quantum particles in the ship’s reactors.. Of which two were running.
I open my eyes and sigh. The past few months have been rather tumultuous. From being on ice adrift in space to commanding my own ship as a free agent. Farsa wanted me to complete a job in return for all of her help, That was agreeable. I do not intend to shirk that commitment either. According to the surveys we did of the compound, it was lightly guarded. It seemed they did not expect trouble. Being a gas giant, Eridan V was only of note to Helium-3 and Deuterium miners. The moons were two opposites as far as biomes. One is a desolate, mountainous world teeming with flora and sparse fauna, covered in Boreal forest. The other was a metallic, uninhabitable wasteland with a very thin Methane atmosphere.
The former was what we currently orbited and what the recon drone was currently surveying for other signs of Iridian structures. Currently, Void Star’s near-infra red ground-penetrating LIDAR was surveying the mountains below us for bunkers buried in the bedrock of the mountains. Knowing Iridians, they would bury facilities to hide them from view since the other option was any orbiting ship eventually coming across their lair.
I smirk to myself, While the compound may be our mark, it was too good to be true. Simply put, I did not trust that compound as being the only facility on the ground.
A few hours into my reading and thoughtful musing, Gali stepped through the door to my cabin. “Kara?” I glance over. “Did they find anything?” The young Iridian woman shakes her head. “No, I just wanted to talk.” I nod towards an empty seat to my left and across from me.
Galinae blinks as I gesture to the seat with a head nod, as she takes a seat, she notices that her new friend’s hand is occupied by a glass of wine and she has a book nearby. She smiles “Reading and drinking again?”
I smiled at her unflatteringly obvious jab. Giving a trademark self-deprecative smirk. “How I spend my free time is none of your business, Galinae.” Galinae swallows “I.. uh…” After some fidgeting, Galinae gathers up the courage to ask “can you teach me how to shoot sometime?”
I blink twice at Gali, confused “Eh? You don't know how to shoot?” Gali shakes her head “I don’t. But..” the Iridian girl shifts again. “I would love to have a good teacher show me.” she smiles at me sweetly.
After pinching the bridge of my nose in exasperation, I watch the Iridian girl a moment, tilting my head inquisitively. “Are you sure you want to learn, Gali?” I smile thinly and she nods vigorously at me. “I do! I want to be more help on the ground, but.. I need practice.” she blushes in embarrassment at her admission.
I sigh thoughtfully. It may be useful to have someone besides B’Nan and Potentially Vlondril who can fight, but there are risks - Gali is a total amateur. All it takes it one mistake and it will cost her life or mine. However, if she turns out to be effective after some guidance…
“Alright, fine. Be up early tomorrow morning.” I sigh. Gali means well, but she has no idea what she is doing. This will be a bit vexing. I spend the rest of my time reading with this in the back of my mind.