Incoming Press Report, Zero Light Years Away (Escuardo System Network Relay, Union Controlled).

[ERROR—ERROR—ERROR—ERROR—ERROR—ERROR—ERROR—COMM RESTART—FAILED—IDENTIFIED EW JAMMING—NO TRANSMISSION].

- SYS NETWORK SERVICE

+++ Jonathan Jones +++

Escuardo System

ISS Jukebox

EMCON (Emissions Control)

“Looks like they’re not going to be letting us off this deal lightly, Jonathan,” If there was something I didn’t expect in my life, was that I would ever lead a military campaign of this nature. Up ahead of us, near the Escuardo Outer System jump point, three flotillas that made up Lord Preussen’s fleet had been waiting for us. Harold’s voice was heavy, and I could hear the growing hatred in each of his words. “Should we really let them off lightly then?”

“I expected this,” Juliett said over the fleet-wide comms. “My drone frigates already reported this problem. They were already searching for us after they lost contact with their mutinous hostage flotilla. And after the Rearguard disembarked from their raid.”

“Well…” I checked the sensor reports from SYS. So far, we had remained under strict EMCON, and throughout our entire maneuvers to reach the outer system jump point, we had already dodged multiple light Union patrols from detection. It seemed that this system was really badly guarded, as Lord Preussen’s pirate fleet completely routed one of the main Union patrol fleets earlier while we were sneaking through. “The Union’s behind our back. We can’t let them identify us. Even if they have no chance at attacking us, if they find out who we are…”

“I know,” Juliett replied. “I think we would have to punch through Lord Preussen’s blockade. Get to the jump point, and off we would go to hyperspace. It’s the only way now.”

“Punch through…well, I wouldn’t mind fighting these pirate scums. My crew wouldn’t either. They outnumber us though, it seems. But still, I want to bush his skull, so why not?”

“Let’s not get hasty,” I said. “While the prospects of fighting these scumbags sound nice, let’s not forget that the Radiant holds civilians. Are we really sure? Because once we lower down EMCON and commit into an assault…there’s no going back.”

“What else can we do?” Harold said. “Don’t tell me you’re planning on talking to that…that scum. No, Jonathan. Let’s just blast his goddamned cruiser off the face of Sagittarius. That would be a better solution.”

“I understand, but we cannot discount the use of diplomacy, these people are pirates. Maybe it’ll appeal to their sense of cost analysis. If they hold no cards against us, and if to them we are just a pure threat that would threaten his assets, perhaps he’ll appeal to reason.”

“I…you have a point. But he murdered Captain Roll’s and Captain McHover’s crew. Jonathan…I can’t let them get away from this transgression. They have to pay.”

“Harold…remember, don’t cloud your brain with false judgment. Let’s be rational here. And again, we’re already asking for too much from Ms. Juliett, considering that if a fight breaks out…it’s her ships that would be carrying the both of us.”

“I detest killing, but if it’s the only way…”

“You already killed enough, Juliett. Look, let’s try to talk, and if they block every last goddamned option, then so be it. We’ll be forming up in our battle lines. But for now, I suggest we break EMCON, try to approach them without hostility, and talk it out. Perhaps, they’ll cut their losses. They’ve lost four ships already.”

“My crew is in agreement,” Harold said. “But they’re ready for a goddamned fleet battle too.”

“What about you Juliett?” I asked.

“If you can prevent bloodshed, please do so. If not, then I’m charging up the Radiant’s Particle Lances. There won’t be too much mercy on him if he doesn’t power down his ships or leave us alone.”

Her mercy was being stretched, that I knew. And I’d really rather not have a kind AI turn into a kill-bot all because of some pirate’s stupidity. “Alright, let’s do this then. I’d be going forward first, and keep your weapons and shields lowered, but ready. No point in giving them the false impressions as much as possible.”

With their two voices giving me affirmatives over the comms, we all turned off our EMCON protocols one after another, before broadcasting our false Independent identification codes. In other words, we were raising our flags for them to see. Immediately, the three pirate flotillas started changing their courses into a direct intercept toward us, and a hail appeared on our screens.

“SYS, get up and running. We’re going to have a little chat with him,” I said, as at last, Lord Preussen’s logo appeared on the screen. It was a stylized pirate’s flag, with the skulls and bones part, except it was colored red, and up above the skulls, the red-colored inscriptions of ‘der Ruhm’ could be seen. “This is Captain Jonathan Jones of the ISS Jukebox. Lord Preussen…shall we have a talk?”

A cruel laugh could be heard on the comm link, and I held myself off from uttering anything until he finished himself. “Seems like you slimy upstarts managed to one-up us…Captain Jones, huh? Tell me, do you lead this ragtag fleet in front of us?”

Both of our fleets already stopped their course at intercepting each other, as our forward thrusters engaged to slow our movement toward them, and they did the same. Which meant we were now once again in a Mexican standoff. Sure, our guns were on our holsters, but both of our hands were now itching to pull them.

But…that would be detrimental for both of us. “I suppose I do, Lord Preussen. Say, since you killed the crews of Captain Percival’s friends, how about…the deal is off? I mean, you have nothing to exchange for your prisoner friends, now, do you?”

“You broke the deal, you slimy rat.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I chuckled. “And so did you when you executed Captain Roll’s and Captain McHover’s crew. And I would bet that you wouldn’t honor the exchange either. But…how about this, to prevent any further escalations, say, you let us get off from this system, and we won’t alarm the Union? You get to escape without the law hot on your asses, and we get out without ending up in a fight. How about that?”

“As if. As if you and your friends wouldn’t find problems with the law. You attacked a prison of the Union, you slimy rat.”

I scoffed. “Attacked? Hah! As if. Our men merely used fireworks and firecrackers to give off the impression that we were. And we were acting under duress…and even then we rescued civilian hostages. What about you? You destroyed a Union patrol in this system. What are they going to charge us with? Vandalism? As if the Union’s packed courts would even be able to process that nonsense.”

“You…you rat.”

“But the point is clear, Lord Preussen. The law will eat your asses if they catch you right now if we stupidly fight here. So why don’t you cut your losses and fuck off to wherever you pirates mingle in the Outer Sector?”

“Oh…watch your tongue boy. I can see you and your buddies. You are all outnumbered. Four frigates, two destroyers, one cruiser, and your pathetic little corvette. Heh, you even dragged our mutineers into your motley train of demise. We can blast your asses off in no time.”

“So no deal, eh?” I laughed. “Alright, are you sure of this, Lord Preussen? Because those Union patrols are definitely on their way to converge here. And then what? You’d be screwed.”

“Screwed? Don’t you dare underestimate our strength, boy! There will be no deal. Either you hand over yourselves to us as hostages or death! That’s my deal! Cut the comms—” The comm link terminated, just as their ships powered up their thrusters once more. Sensor readings of their heat profiles blared red, which indicated that they were now powering up their shields and weapons. And they were charging forward.

Looks like it’s time to draw the pistols then.

“Well, that went about as well as one could expect,” I said on the fleetwide comms. “Alright everyone, steel yourselves. Let’s clap these arrogant punks off their high horses. Juliett, you take the center. You will be our anchor. No need for your phase nonsense for now, they don’t need to know what you can do. Harold, you take the left flank, including two of Juliett’s drone frigates. And Captain Kincaid…”

“Yeah?” The mutinous pirate asked. Since the Der Halter was too badly damaged to carry on, we permitted all of them to board the Der Vaug, their remaining Puncher-Class Destroyer on the condition that they stayed with us in the fight. While we couldn’t fully trust them yet, most of them already joined us in the hopes of escaping Escuardo alive. So far, they had stayed silent, which I found wise.

They knew their place. Quite frankly, these men and women were probably in the worst spot, being mutinous pirates, they were neither with Lord Preussen, and they still were a prime target for the Union should they be caught. As for us, we weren’t really chummy, to say the least.

“We’re going into the right flank. If you’re really in a mutiny, then show us…and maybe we’ll really give you some of our mercy.”

“We will. Screw Lord Preussen, if you hate them, we sure do too. We’ll shoot as many of them down.”

“I see…well then, everyone. To the battle lines!”

+++

Engagement Commenced!

Your Ships:

ISS Jukebox (Reaper-Class Corvette)

Allied Ships:

VSS Shine (Exalt-Class Frigate)

VSS Amperes (Exalt-Class Frigate)

VSS Electra (Exalt-Class Frigate)

VSS Luminance (Exalt-Class Frigate)

ISS Der Vaug (Puncher-Class Destroyer)

ISS Rearguard (Gallant-Class Destroyer)

VSS Radiant (Void-Class Phase Cruiser)

Hostile Ships:

ISS Kluck (Bungaloo-Class Frigate)

ISS Schema (Bungaloo-Class Frigate)

ISS Der Vertrag (Bungaloo-Class Frigate)

ISS Der Kongress (Puncher-Class Destroyer)

ISS Der Narr (Puncher-Class Destroyer)

ISS Der Harte (Gallant-Class Destroyer)

ISS Der Hardy (Gallant-Class Destroyer)

ISS Der Freche (Vanguard-Class Light Cruiser)

ISS Freiheit (Olympia-Class Light Cruiser)

ISS Der Ruhm (Forlorn-Class Assault Cruiser)

Difficulty Experience Bonus: +75% Base Rate!

+++

+++ Jonathan Jones +++

Escuardo System

ISS Jukebox

“That’s…a lot of them,” Harold said. “Alright, so what’s our big plan here? Behind them is the jump point. But there really is a lot of them. Though, we do know that Lord Preussen is in that Forlorn-Class.”

“If I can kill it, do you think they will disperse?” Juliett asked, but I didn’t really have an answer. “It seems like we would really have to punch through them. Then jump out of this system. I haven’t bought enough ships to be able to fight through this on equal terms.”

“We are badly outnumbered, yes, but our goal now, again, isn’t to kill all of them. We’ll try to punch through their right flank, at once, while some of us would go below their main line. Then, we rush through the jump point.”

“Looks like they’re forming three clusters in their formation,” Harold said. “They’re using their cruisers as their main anchors. I bet they’d start firing at us at ten thousand klicks. Ballistics, definitely.”

“Do we have torpedoes?” I asked, and Juliett’s comm link flickered.

“The VSS Electra and the VSS Amperes do. Even the Radiant has some of the Rattler Torpedo Systems, though, my tubes aren’t full of it. My main weapons are really the Radiant’s two Particle Lances, the Fulcrum Blaster, and the Heavy Tandem Coilguns in my ship’s spinal mount.”

“That’s…actually a lot of weapons, Juliett. Your ship is an all-rounder. Both ballistics, energy, and missiles.”

“Yes, but the Radiant is still quite vulnerable to flank attacks if I don’t use my phase capabilities. My main weapons are forward facing, and the Heavy Tandem Coilguns are on a spinal mount.”

“We’ll cover the flank while you provide the most of the damage,” I said. “Again, Harold will cover your left flank, I’ll cover the right. And we punch through them as one cohesive whole. The chances of them surrounding us are high, but we have to concentrate our point of assault as best as we can to get to that jump point.”

“I see. Well then, let’s execute those battle plans then,” Juliett said, just as the first sensor readings of their missile launches appeared on the screen. “Looks like they pulled the trigger first.”

“Then let’s pull ours in response,” I ordered, as we responded with our own opening missile volley. I really hoped whatever god existed out there, or the Fed-System, or whatever, was on our side today.

We would punch through, at all cost.