The Vengeance sailed through its Rift, its blood red sails flapping in a non-existent wind. On its deck, its crew ran around as if they were mad as they rigged sails and other such tasks. A Bell rang out as spotters noticed the Core and other pieces of Wreckage, and its sails turned as it changed course towards them. Soldiers dressed in black uniforms, armed with crude muskets and cutlasses charged unto the deck and manned the rails. Some of them pushed cannons to slots in the railing designed to allow easy firing from the main deck.
These Cannons were made of a Bronze colored metal, and their steel bands were inscribed in glowing red Runes. As the crewmen pushed the cannons to the railing, a grey bearded fellow raised an eyeglass, and carefully marked the distance to the Core and the piece of Wreckage from the earlier skirmish in the Asteroid Field. The Gun Captain barked an order to his crew, and they loaded a curious looking shell into the cannon, their experience at the guns evident by the speed they prepared it to fire.
The Captain of the Vengeance stepped up to the railing then, a younger looking fellow wearing a red bandanna underneath a Leather Tricorn. He stroked his moustache as he looked at the Asteroid Field Around them and spoke to his second as they watched the Gun Crew Work.
“We have the records of where the Grey Pearl was lost, she was lost in the edges of the Marseille Gas Giant. Now explain to me, why we are halfway across the sector, months of hard sailing separating us from that Gas Giant. I do expect this to be another Goose Chase, just like the last one our Great Captain Barberossah, in his insane hunt for the Pearl, has ordered us to follow.”
His second, a grim looking fellow who looked to be more at home drinking himself to death in a Tavern than on the command Deck of a Pirate ship, nodded his agreement with the statement.
“Aye sir, I do believe this is indeed another wasted voyage, but at least we will still be paid handsomely for any wreckage we bring in. That Engine Mount over yonder will fetch a pretty price, along with that curious artifact over there.” The Second waved his arm towards the Disabled core, obviously mistaking it for yet another Piece of Wreckage in the Field. The Captain Nodded and turned towards the Gun Crew as they stood awaiting the Order to Fire.
“Well Lads, for fame and fortune, FIRE!”
The Gunner fired the Cannon, it was aimed true, a floating target being hard to miss even without his many years of experience. A belch of flame and fury spit from the mouth of the Cannon, its Mana Infused powder filling the smoke with wispy images of Dragons. Instead of a Cannon Ball, which in the Obsidian Fleet would have itself been charged with Mana, enchanted to pierce through armor and detonate inside, this cannon was loaded with a harpoon and chain, which towed a thick line behind it. This Harpoon flew true, and it struck the Cores frame squarely on its rear shell, its armored tip piercing through and avoiding the Crystal Core inside by mere inches.
“HEAVE HER IN LADS! HEAVE”
The crewmen standing by heaved on the Line, pulling the previously free-floating Core towards the Deck of the Vengeance. Another Blast was heard as another cannon on the other gundeck fired another Harpoon to recover the Wreckage from the Corvette. Singing a song about the wonders of a Barmaid to synchronize their movements, the Crewmen heaved the Core Aboard. As soon as it floated over the Edge of the Railing, the ships gravity spell affected it, and it dropped with a Heavy Thud to the Deck, shifting the Harpoon enough to scratch the Cores Crystal heart.
The crew’s treatment of the Core certainly didn’t help, as they ganged up and shoved the Core across the deck towards its Cargo hatch. Especially when just before, a big burly fellow ripped the Harpoon out, leaving a gash on the Crystal Core from the Harpoons edge. Even worse was when they simply let the Core Fall to the Cargo Deck, and even worse was when they simply continued Dropping Wreckage on top of it. Soon enough the Core was Buried underneath a couple tons of Wreckage from hundreds of Star Battles that just collected in the Asteroid Field.
The Scout Drone watched all this, from the top rigging of the Vengeances main Mast. It had hidden itself there as soon as its circuits recognized the Danger of the Approaching ship. Approaching from above it barely managed to avoid being spotted, despite a couple close call with crew worked in the Sails. However, it was having a hard time trying to calculate how to get back to the Core, its circuits being designed for scouting and not for stealth operations. After examining the crew, it determined that they were simply too alert at this time, and it would have to wait for a distraction to allow it to slip through the crews’ awareness. It resigned itself to wait, hovering in a little nest of rigging underneath the Crow's nest and flag staff.
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It did not have to wait long, as the Vengeance cruised through the Asteroid Field. It did not have to worry about the Asteroids themselves, those that were not pushed to the sides by its Mana Shield were destroyed by the Accurate Fire of Pickle guns or the spells of its Battalion of Mages. Therefore, it was able to dive deep into the Asteroid Field, deep enough that it was encountering Asteroids that were the size of itself… or even larger. Its Navigator kept it clear of those ones, and soon enough, it encountered no Asteroid at all. It had reached the Heart of the Asteroid field, and exactly where the scouting report had said, lay the Grey Pearl. It lay shattered, a massive hole ripped through its internals from some explosion. However, that was not the only ship that they found wrecked there.
They had entered into a Graveyard of Ships, hundreds of vessels floating in a moon sized gap in the Asteroid Field. An asteroid field made of destroyed ships, from a hundred different nations and eras, laying broken and shattered in the middle of this asteroid Field. The crew of the Vengeance, which had been ecstatic upon seeing the Grey Pearl, were stunned into silence. How many lives had been lost here, how many souls resigned to Davy Jones Locker? This question was in the minds of Many, except for a few rare souls.
The Scout Drone saw this all with silence, its circuits simply examining and recording all it saw. It had no connection to the horror of the Graveyard, being a simple creature of silicon and steel. The captain looked around him with fury and rage, his mind overtaken by the fact that the graveyard was not mentioned in the Scout Report that had Brought them here. The Second looked around with focus, his mind examining all he saw, and he looked towards where the Center of this Graveyard would be, blocked from view by the shattered hulk of a Titan Sized warship of an Unfamiliar Design. He Turned towards the Captain, ready to report his observations when the captain started Ranting.
“Of Course, Of course the Grey Fucking Pearl would be here! Sure, its only a couple sectors away from where it was lost, but its here! The Entire fleet, the Obsidian Fleet, the ruler of the Sea of Stars, has been searching for her. And Yet, WE FUCKING FOUND HER…. The Mad Captain was right…”
His Second took the Moment to speak, heading off the Rant before it could go any further.
“Sir, I do believe we should recover the Pearl with haste. This may be the Lair of a Great Dragon; they are known to collect things. This one’s hoard may simply be wrecked ships, their fancies being so varied. Permission to lead the landing Party to the Pearl Sir?”
The Captain Nodded, his face growing pale at the though of encountering a Great Dragon. Great Dragons could be the size of a small moon, if they so chose, and so would have required the Entire Obsidian Fleet to destroy one… if they were lucky. If one truly was at the center of this Asteroid Field, then they would be ripped to pieces if it should find them. He quickly accepted his Second's Request, and with all haste and stealth, a small boat was rigged and quickly scooted over to the Grey Pearl. It towed along with it a heavy Hawser made for towing, and the small crew aboard quickly secured it to the Prow of the Grey Pearl. With it secure, they cast off and returned to the Vengeance.
The Crew quickly rigged back for Sail, one of them nearly catching the Scout Probe on its way to the Cargo Hold. They set sail to the Rift Point, slower than they had originally with the added Mass of the Grey Pearl contributing only dead weight to their speed. They made their way to the Rift Point, the crew wiping sweat off their brows at having avoided the Notice of a Great Dragon and having recovered the Loot and More. With a Cheer, they tossed their hats in the Air as their Battalion of Mages quickly and professionally created the Rift that would take them back to Port Royal.
The Trip through the Rift was short, the crews' spirits were lifted at the thought of their incoming pay, and what they would do, or who they would do, with it. The Scout Drone ignored all this, focused only on sneaking through the crowded decks and through the pile of Wreckage that the Core was buried under. Its sensors recorded the roar of cheers as they exited the Rift, and the Vengeance, towing the Grey Pearl, was escorted back to Port Royal by the Flotilla that had been waiting for them. The Cheers grew even louder, shaking dust from the ceiling of the Cargo Hold, as the Vengeance pulled into the Docks of Port Royal, and the crowds gathered there cheered.