Travel to Nakondis; Day 14
The monotony of another day in the Drift is broken by an abrupt notification from the Pantala's computer.
"Signal from the Nakondis Drift Beacon detected. Estimated time of arrival: 1.57 hours."
One might expect more warning to be given, but its hard to complain. 14 days is, all in all, pretty short for a trip through the Vast.
Alorea had been idly tinkering with some mechanical parts in the cargo hold, but she immediately perks up when she hear's the computer's announcement. "We're here! We're here!" she shouts, her black-feathered wings flapping and lifting her off the floor. Laughing, she performs a few lazy loops before settling back down. "Well, almost, but close enough!"
The young strix skips to the bridge, white hair streaming behind her. Tall and slender, she wears only a few loose bits of cloth while on the ship. Her cybernetic eyes glow with a pale white light, and the twin antennae from her exocortex swivel slightly as they take in information from the environment.
She bounds up to the forward viewports, staring out at the swirling colors of the Drift. "I don't want to miss it! I want to see Nakondis as soon as we arrive!"
"Signal from the Nakondis Drift Beacon detected. Estimated time of arrival: 1.57 hours."
At the announcement, Gyn perks up, beady eyes blinking off the sleep of a mid-afternoon nap from under the frayed edge of a wide-brimmed hat. Rolling out of a ysoki-sized hammock onto the corridor floor, he shakes himself before scurrying to the bridge, taking the stairs on all fours. "That's oddly specific, but none the matter!"
Weathered but spry, Gyn has off-white fur (or soiled white fur - hard to tell) under a serviceable suit of armor further layered with clothes better suited to a jungle than the depths of the Drift. Aside from his completely unnecessary hat, the ysoki's most prominent piece of gear is a compact pistol with a garishly-oversized knife mounted under the barrel, prominently displayed on an open-ended holster hanging on the front of the ysoki's thigh.
These past two weeks, Gyn has entertained himself by cooking meals for the crew, coming up with unique and flavorful dishes from the same drab starting rations. His compatriots likely enjoyed these meals as long as they didn't look at the ingredients too closely or notice Gyn walking barefoot on the gallery countertops while preparing food.
Bounding onto the bridge, Gyn hops up into the pilot's seat, a contraption originally built to support a centaur-shaped formian but since modified for the much smaller ysoki.
"Alright, Pantala, tell me - how are ya feelin' this fine day?" Gyn briefly scans over the ship's diagnostics. "Are we ready for the big show, girl?"
Greist looks up from a datapad as Alorea and Gyn enter the bridge, a smile forming. "Hello, you two. Exciting news, eh?" As he says this, the mote orbiting his head flares briefly. "I'm looking forward to seeing some trees, among other things." He leans against a bulkhead, smiling at Alorea's excitement.
Coming onto the bridge, Ainsemseo leans on her cane as she looks around the room. Dressed in her normal black shirt and pants, she is currently going barefoot around the ship. Her smooth, purplish skin still shining slightly from the shower that she had taken a few hours earlier, the only other item she is carrying is her datapad. As she walks towards the captains chair, Cubbers scampers into the room behind her, quickly running over to vigorously greet everyone in the room.
Settling down into the Captains chair, which consists of a large, moth-eaten plush recliner (missing the leg rest, of course) that has been bolted to the ships deck, she gives everyone else a small wave as she leans her cane against the arm of the chair. Having been able to hear Greist's statements, she looks at him with a faint smile. "Yeah, trees will be nice to see after so long out here in the Drift. I still miss the oceans of Heicoron IV, however."
The Pantala's diagnostics indicate that all systems are functioning normally.
Alorea's eyes light up (literally) as Cubbers comes up to her. The strix kneels down to scratch the squox behind his ears. "Hi, Cubbers! Who's a good boy? You are! You are!"
She looks up at the others. "We don't really have trees or oceans on Verces. Just lots of big buildings. It will be cool to see all this nature stuff you keep talking about! And to see Cedona again!"
"Yeah, it will be nice to see Cedona again. I wonder how she will react to seeing all of us seemingly appear out of nowhere to greet her." Ainsemseo smiles at the though of that meeting, which should be occurring sometime in the coming hours.
Meanwhile, Cubber's is thoroughly enjoying the ear rubs, eyes closing in pleasure. He then flops around on his back in front of Alorea, begging for his stomach to be rubbed.
Alorea is wise to Cubbers's ways, but she still reaches down to rub his tummy. She laughs and pretends to be surprised when the squox jumps up and runs up her arm. "Eek! Sneaky sneak!"
Cubbers perches on her shoulder, bushy tail wagging and tickling her neck.
Gyn chuckles as he watches the squonx and the strix cavort. "Ay! No fun on the bridge!" The ysoki betrays his mock severity with a laugh, adding, "It'll be good to see Cedona again, alright. She's said some mighty fine things about Nakondis - if it's as good as she makes it out to be, you might not be able to pry me away!"
Greist smiles as he watches Cubbers and Alorea. "Indeed, it will be nice to see her and catch up a bit. It's been some time." He looks at his datapad again. "If this is correct... it says there's a fog on parts of the planet that can carry a mild electrical charge. Interesting."
The scientist is late to the party and apologizes to the rest of the crew by raising his hand, a gesture that fails to distract curious eyes from lashing on to the dark circles around his eyes. The creases in his bodysuit center around his chest and shoulders, betraing the fact he's been lying in bed, propped up against the wall, most likely reading or using a tablet computer of sorts. Someone has been staying up late. "
My apologies, I've been up all night reading about this natural phenomenon you're currently discussing. Ha, current. Having done my masters in, okay, I won't bore you with, but suffice to say, the notion of a fog being able to carry electricity - oh wow! Think about the transmission efficiency gains one could get if you can somehow distill it into a pure liquid form."
Luckily, the half-elf is drawn to a nearby console from where he can check the scanners and so, is caught up in his own reality once again.
Roughly hour and a half later, the Pantala drops out of the Drift in orbit of Nakondis. The planet is indeed shrouded in fog, making viewing the planet's surface difficult. The sensors are easily able to find the colony's location, however. Unexpectedly, the sensors also detect two small vessels of unknown make or origin, rapidly approaching form either side of the Pantala.
Edit: Ship Picture
"Uh-oh," Alorea says. She sets Cubbers down and hustles to the weapon control console. Her rig interfaces with the console, and her eyes glow as targeting data plays across them. Just in case.
Sitting forward in her seat, Ainsemseo brings up the display installed in the arm of the captains chair. Looking at the image of the approaching ship, she absentmindedly pets Cubbers when he jumps up on the chair next to her. "I'm not sure, but I don't think these are colony defense ships. Does anyone recognize them?"
Greist steps forward to look at the display. "You could be right, but I am not certain. It'll be interesting to see what they want with us."
Gyn frowns. "Colony defense ships? I didn't think the colony was big enough to afford a defense fleet." Gyn disables the autopilot and gives the flight controls a test wiggle. "Something about this smells funny."
Yamah frowns. "Honesty compels me to admit I've never quite seen ships like these before. We best man the guns, just in case, because they could and probably should have hailed us by now, no?"
The half-elf's fingers dance over the interface, hoovering mere millimeters above the actual buttons and keys. He's ready to scan those two enigmatic ships the moment they come within range of the Pantala's sensors.
"On them, Yamah!" Alorea calls. She swivels the gyrolasers to calibrate them and primes the torpedo launcher. "My first space battle! This is going to be so cool! As long as we don't get exploded."
As the ships speed toward the Pantala, their weapons begin to glow blue. They move at least twice as fast as your ship, and seem to be on a collision course before they abruptly come to a stop outside the Pantala. They maneuver quickly and easily, taking evasive action.
Upon noticing the glowing weapons, Gyn sounds the alarm. "Not friendly! Not friendly! Hold on to somethin'!" With a quick yank of the throttle, Gyn sends the Pantala rocketing backwards, leaving the hostile ships pointing at each other.
Yamah tries to lock the Pantala's sensors onto one of the enemy ships, but the combination of its speed and the fact they just got ambushed, messes up the half-elf's attempt. "Can't lock the sensors onto their engines, will try again. Gosh, they're fast!"
”Greist, let’s focus fire! The one to port first!” Alorea makes room at the weapons console for the lashunta. She tracks the enemy ship with the missile launcher and opens fire! Unfortunately, her shot goes wide.
"Right... let's see what we can do." Greist sits down, taking control of the lasers. He flips a switch, adjusting a dial as he moves the control stick. "I think that should do it..." He squeezes the trigger, and you hear the ships lasers fire.
Opening the communication system, Ainsemseo will broadcast in the direction of the enemy ship. "Unknown ship, you have made aggressive maneuvers towards our ship. These are completely unprovoked, and we shall respond accordingly. Pantala out."
Gyn quickly reverses the ship, escaping the arc of the enemies' weapons. While Alorea's shot goes wide, Griest's gyrolasers strike the enemy vessel head-on, scorching the vessel and causing the hull to buckle in one place. The ship does not respond to Ainsemseo's message.
Slamming the Pantala back into forward thrust, Gyn puts the ship through a series of semi-random corkscrews, trying to keep both enemy fighters on the same side of the light freighter.
"Yamah! Can you tell what in the blazes these things are?"
Yamah's words gush out of his mouth. The man is starting to feel the stress and his priorities are at getting the blasted sensors to lock on to the enemy's ship. "No, sir, negative. Trying to lock on to the damaged ship's engines, hoping that makes it easier to take it out."
The enemy ships easily keep pace with the Pantala, following close behind, using similarly unpredictable maneuvers.
Alorea swivels the turret, Yamah's targeting data filtering through her cybernetic eyes. Her exocortex helps calculate a new firing solution as she launches a missile at the damaged ship. But once more, her shot goes wide.
"Kree!" she curses in her native tongue. "Stop moving around so much, bad guys!"
Shifting the broadcast direction toward the other opponent ship, Ainsemseo will quickly hail them as well. "Unknown ship, I will tell you what I have already told your sister ship. You have made unprovoked, aggressive maneuverings towards this ship, and we shall respond according. Pantala out."
Greist takes a deep slow breath. Expression calm, he focuses on the HUD for the laser system as he tries to line up another shot. "Almost... there." He squeezes the triggers again, sending another burst of scarlet energy towards their pursuers.
Now able to get a clear shot, the enemy ships pepper the Pantala with laser fire, depleting the aft shields and lightly damaging the hull.
They then flip around and turn back, then turn once more to face the Pantala.
Feeling the impacts to the hull, Gyn pulls the Pantala in a tight arc, trying to hide the sundered shields from the hostile weapons.
Alorea forces herself to concentrate, taking a few deep breaths. She lets the computer assist her in obtaining a clear line of fire, then pulls the trigger, sending a missile streaking into the damaged enemy ship. "Ha! Got him!"
Greist checks the HUD, making a quick adjustment as he lines up a shot. Squeezing the trigger, he lets out a breath, only to swear as the shot goes wide, the enemy ships sliding out of the way before he can compensate.
"Yamah, try to see if you can scan one of these green-plated bastards. It might help us avoid any unpleasant surprises."
Yamah starts hammering away at the various keyboards and interfaces upon hearing the instructions. "Will do!"
1. Basic Information: Living crew complement and ship
classification, size, speed, and maneuverability.
2. Defenses: AC, TL, total and current Hull Points, total and
current Shield Points in each quadrant, and core PCU value.
3. Weapon: Information about one weapon, including its firing
arc and the damage it deals, starting with the weapon that
uses the most PCU. Repeat this entry until all the starship’s
weapons are revealed.
4. Load: Information about how the starship’s expansion bays
are allocated and any cargo the starship might be carrying.
5. Other: Any remaining ship statistics.
Alorea sends a torpedo flying into the damaged vessel, sending it spinning, and he light from its thrusters and weapons fades. After a brief moment of flying unguided through space, the vessel tears itself apart, sending debris flying into the other ship, disrupting its line of fire.
The remaining enemy ship moves to the starboard side the Pantala, looming close.
After a brief moment of flying unguided through space, the vessel tears itself apart, sending debris flying into the other ship, disrupting its line of fire.
"Who-HOO!" Gyn yelps like a banshee swinging his hat around with one hand. "That's some nice shootin'! Let's see if the other one pops quite so nicely!"
Alorea cheers and flaps her wings, lifting herself up off the floor briefly before settling back down. She feels a bit of relief knowing that the enemy ships are just drones and she's not actually huring anybody. "Alright, one more to go!"
Utilizing the ship's computer again, she sends a missile streaking at the remaining ship.
Sparing a smile for Alorea, Greist moves the laser control stick again, focusing on the HUD as he lines up a shot.
Yamah is redirecting the ship's power to ensure that one more shot to the Pantala's rear won't be the last shot it ever takes. "Redirecting shield power from port side to the rear. Trying to create a buffer, just in case the thing gets behind us."