A Short SciFi Story.

[Rohen]

The room was intentionally keept dark. The primary source of illumination was the Holographic Display built in the Table they were standing around.
No one was speaking a word while they intensivly studied what the Display wa sshowing them. It was so silent that you could hear the static humming of the Holoprojectors and the gentle flow of air throught the ventilation system.
The silence would not hold, everyone knew that. The Data displayed was kind of a hot topic that would require some discussion. But for this moment no one dared to break the silence and be the first to speak up.
Everyone around the Holodisplay had taken their time to review the provided Data and allowed themselfs to think about what they have seen. They were all too aware what this did mean. They looked into each others eyes and they all knew that the others had understood very well what this was all about. But still no one dared to speak it out or to seak at all.
"Well?"
A short question from within the darkness of the room behind the area iluminated by the holodisplay finally broke the silence.
He had never told them his name nor has he given them his Rank. They all had met him before and had some dealings with him at the time. They knew this much.
He was from the Secret Service and was often involved in Black-OPS.
They did not trust him much as it was impossible to tell what his real intentions were.
As loyal Officers of the Republic they did not like the Secret Service much. The ways associated with it did go against the honour codex of the Officers.
"It is..." the captain of the Battlecruiser Aurelius hat to take a small pause to gather the correct words "...impressive."
While closing to the table to stand with the Officers the 'Spy' stated in his calm voice.
"That tone in your voice tells me that you mean that impressive in a 'negative' way."
"More like 'dangerous'!" commented Commander Rickenberg while sitting down on one of the chairs provided next to the table. With now some distance to the holodispay the litlle light that still iluminated him made the wrinkles in his face look even deeper and gave him a grimm and manacing look.
The spy put both of his hands on the edge of the holo display.
"This is an opportunity! We could be ending the conflict in a single strike, with only a overseeable managable risk. We can not let this opportunity go."
"What Conflict are you talking about? As far as i know we are at Peace with the Coalition. An uneasy peace, i must admitt, but still peace." Commander Rickenberg threw a piercing stare at the Spy. " A Peace we signed wit a treaty in good faith. A preemtive strike without provocation and formal declaration of war would wreck our reputation!"
Without reacting to the stare the spy continued
"when this Plan is successfully implemented..." "IF" interrupted Rickenberg him
"No, Commander." continued the Spy in a perfectly calm voice "When! We can guarante a success with almost one hudered percent."
The captain of the destroyer Lynx used the pause by the two to speak up.
"The question should not really be IF this work. Because i must agree that it most likely will. The real question should be the moral implications of what you are proposing. Not only would it go against everything the Republic stands for it would be a moste vile and dishonourable act. Nothing a civilized culture should be even considering!"
The Spy crossed his arms before his chest.
"Defeating the enemys of the Republic is not honourable?"
"This has nothing to do with defeating an enemy! This would be mass murder!" answered the Captain of the Aurelius without hiding his distatse or the rising anger.
"Must i really remind you, as officers, that in wars people die?"
The Captain of the Lynx stepped forward and lend ove rthe holodisplay so that his upper body was fully iluminated by it.
"And must i remind you of the Carta of the Republic? Warfare and Engagement Rules Section 2 Subsection B! No Killing of Worlds!"
The voice of the spy did seem to show a bit of anger or frustration.
"I was hoping for more insight on your Part. You dissappoint me. We have a way to permanently remove a mortal threat of the Republic and you hesitate over antiquated morals and honour."
"We are Officers of the Republic. We do not mass murder civilians!"
"And what if i tell you that i have a written order from central command, telling you to execute this operation?" The Spy threw a challenging look at the Officers.
The captain of the Lynx stepped fore. "Then i would refuse it!"
Rickenberg stepped next to the Captain of the Lynx and put his hand on his shoulder. "Me too."
One after an other every officer stepped forward and acknowledged that they would not execute that order.
The Spys voice became threatening. "You realize this would be mutiny and treason! All of this will be on your personnel records!"
"Yes! We realize. As this is still hypothetical, untill you pull out the written order and actually give us the order to execute it, here is a promise." Rickenberger made direct eye contact with the Spy and made sure that there is no doubt about how sincere he was. " If you give this order, i will refuse it! More than that i will pull out my blaster and shoot you where you stand if you do!" He gave him a few seconds to think about it. "And i am known to be a man who keeps his promises!"
If he was intimidated or not, the spy did not show it. Instead he returned to his emotionless voice and replied. "This too will be on your personnel record."
"I must insist on it!" contered Rickenberger.
Without any additional word the Spy turned on the spot where he was standing and went to the door.
After he had left the officers looked at each other. "What will happen next?"
Rickenberger went to the holodisplay and switched it off. "I don't know."
"Was threatening to shoot him not a bit to harsh?"
Another one of the officers commented "No. I would have thrown him out of the airlock"

--------------------------------------
i am not a native speaker, so please excuse any errors in the gramma and the typos.

 

[I_is_Tinsy]

Great story, you could totally be a sci-fi writer, good work!

 

[Rohen]

The red warning light was blinking for quite some time now. It was doing its job to point out a matter of highest urgency. But there was noting Atton could do about it.

He was doomed to sit here and watch, unable to change anything about his impending fate that he was constantly reminded of by the blinking red light light.

Oxygen filters depleted. That was the label next to that cursed blinking red light.

How long would it take for the CO2 levels to rise to a deadly level? he didn't know.

Every second seemed to stretch for an eternity. And he kept thinking what a crues fate this was to sit here and to exactly know what was going to happen, soon, with no way to take action. No way to prevent it.

The shuttles systems had started to break down right at launch. But circumstances had left them with no alternative.

Their main ship was breaking down and they had no other way than to leave in this shuttle.

At first they hoped that others might have been able to evacuate as well, but the com channels were clear. No one was out there.

Atton did not know the exact fate that had befallen their ship. He had just left his quarters and was heading out to start his shift when it all happend.

A series of detonations shook the ship and threw him around. When he regained his senses to be aware again of his suroundings, everything was covered in the dim light of the emergency illumination system and the air was filled with the sound of warning sirens, creacking metal and occasional srceams of people.

A hand pulled him up to his feet a rough voiche asked him something but he was still to stunned by what happend to understand what was said to him. Atton looked up to see who was talking to him. He recognized Tech Sergant Ivannov.
Ivannov asked him again if he was able to walk, which Atton acknowledged with making a step or two forward and pressing out a faint yes while nodding.

Ivannov told him that they needed to get out of here and started pulling Atton in a general direction.

Slowly Atton relized the smell of something burning and the rising heat.

He asked Ivannov what happend, but Ivannov did not know it either. But he guessed there had been an attack.

After a short walk they reached the portside hangarbay.

Here the main light were still working and someone had shut off the sirens. Even if it was quieter here, it was as, if not even more, damaged as most of the corridors they had walked through to get here.
Everything had been thrown around by the explosions and parts of the celing and walls had become loose and were adding to the picture of destruction.

Two other people ad made it here. Atton had seen them sometimes but did not know their names. The young man was wearing the uniform of a pilot in training and the middle aged woman was wearing a flight technicans uniform. The Pilot seemed to be wounded. He was holding his left side and the uniform was already turned red with blood. He was breathing heavily and this face showed that he was in serious pain. But he was still standing on his feet.

They were standing on one of the still partially working terminals in the hangarwall to try to reach the bridge or anyone. It seems they had not been successfull.

Atton asked them if they had any idea what was happening, but they did not know either.

They had been trying to reach the command deck or the engineroom but no one was answering. The flighttechnican guessed that maybe the internal communication was down. Surely not everyone could be dead.

There had been so many questions Atton would have liked to ask but he was interrupted before he could even start.

The general evacuation alarm went off. Judging from what he had seen from the ship so far it was more than justified.

They turned to the single ship in the hanger. it was a small courier shuttle and it was badly beaten up. Debris had hit it on many places and one of the engine pods was ripped off.

But it was everthing that was there. A series of small explosions ended any thoughts of thrying to search for another craft or to try to make it for the escape pods. There was no time to search for any thing else so they boarded the shuttle.

When the bay door opend the shuttle and most of the loose debris was carried out by the escaping atmosphere. The pilot tried to start the engine, but there was no reaction.

They were drifting in space.

Then the waiting game started. They often tried to reach anyone with the comm system, but never got an answer.

At first Atton did not realize it. But he felt the silence creeping in. Slowly the noises seemed to be fading.

The occasional grunts and moaning of the pilot were among the first. Atton whished he could have done something for him, but he was not a doctor or had any medical training. They used what they could from the med pack in the shuttle to do what they could to treat him. He seemed to relax a little then the silence took the sound of his breathing.

During all of this time he had not noticed that Ivannov had some burns. The bear of a man ivannov was he joked about it being nothing more than a few blisters. But the increasing coughing should have given it away.

He sat down in the back corner of the shuttle crossing his arms and just stared in the distance. Atton never realized when the silence took him.

When the flighttechnican tried to check on him he was already silent.

Was it then hours or days? Atton did not know. Sitting on the copilots seat he was looking outside into the limitless void of space. There was no concept of time, no reference point, just the unlimited, endless space.

When the red light started blinking he was almost suprised that he was not shocked. He already had the time to think about this. To consider this possibillity. And here it was.

There was now a feeling of emptyness insight him. He was as empty inside as was the space around them that he was staring into for so long.

He looked back to see how the flight technical did react. He was unable to assess her emotion. She was laying face down on the floor and not moving.

Did the silence took her as well? Filled with emptyness he no longer was able to care.

Soon he would be the same. Silent, forever silent.

Thinking became more and more exhausting. He was tired, so tired. Not much longer now, he knew.

A small movement that Atton could see from the corner of his eye did catch his atention.

Something in the Void around them was moving.

In total suprise Atton asked himself "What is this?"

 

[Rohen]

“Heads”

„Raise them again!“ demanded the old man in a gruff voice. He was in his early fiftys and wearing a heavy captains coat. He looked like an old pirate from one of the old movies. Grey long Hair and Beard. A wrinkled sunburned skin with an eyepatch over his right eye and some nasty scars in his face.

Vincente Gregory was his name and he was one of the most experienced Fleet Captains of the colonial reconisance fleet.

“Can’t you at least tell me if they are being jammed?” his question was directed at the woman sitting at the long range communications station. She shook her head. “Not from this distance…” she paused for a while checking some new data appearing on her screen.

The Captain was concerned. Just a few moments ago they had been in contact with their Vanguard. A Group of two cruisers and 6 destroyers. They had reported that they had encountered a small squadron of enemy ships and were going to intercept them when the communication appruptly ended.

They had been out here on the far edge of colonial space to investigate reports of a marauding alliance fleet. For nearly a week now they had been following the tracks of destruction caused by the enemy. In every system they entered the same picture of total destruction. Any ship the found was destroyed, any settlement was burned to the ground or turned into a miles wide crater. And what had raised their anger no survivors or witnesses.

These atrocities against the civilian population would not stand. They would find them and put them down like the dogs they are. They simply had to, to prevent further death.

The war had ended but still some squadrons and small fleets refused to accept the peace and continued fighting.

Then a few hours ago their Vanguard had spotted Alliance ships. He ordered them to get close and give them a beating. The plan was to scare them off, so that they might run to their base or main fleet. But moments after the attack begun the coms went silent. And they were trying to reestablish communications.

“I am getting something… a faint signal. Sounds like a distress beacon!” reported the woman at the communication station.

Fleet Captain Gregory was now more concerned that before. Could his vanguard have been led into a trap? He needed to act! If they lost contact to the enemy they could need weeks to find trace of them again.

“Main Fleet prepare to jump on my Signal. Rear Guard on hot stand by. All weapons hot we might jump into a battle zone!” He went to his Seat and buckled up in preparation for the jump and possible combat.

This jump was a big risk, as he could not possibly know what they were jumping into.

“Jump!” was the command before the a shock went through the ship and everyone could feel the acceleration. Then after a few seconds they dropped back into realspace and into a graveyard.

The battle was already over. Debris from the ships and crews of the vanguard were floating aimlessly in space.

“Report!” the captains tone of voice could not hide that he was truly concerned.

“Scanning… it’s definitely our vanguard. No active reactors… no atmosphere… no lifesigns.” Was the initial report of the sensory officer. “No beacons of lifepods either. I am getting additional sensor contacts of other wreckages. I can make out two alliance destroyers and a corvette. … No life signs either.”

He was studying the sensor information of the debris field. He was trying to figure out what went wrong and how the battle was fought. But this did not make any sense. From what he could see the vanguard was still advancing on the enemy ships when they were destroyed. What ever happened, happened fast.

They were still be able to shoot up three enemy ships. But they were not in optimal firing position and there had not been enough time to do that kind of damage the enemy sustained. Either some very lucky hits or, what seemed more likely, decoy ships.

But why decoys, here was not really anything to hide the ambushers? Had the alliance been able to develop a cloak that worked on a bigger ship?

And if so were they now themselves in danger of being ambushed?

“Ships jumping in! Alliance transponders. It’s a small Battlegroup!” reported the sensory officer.

“All ships! Sigma 4 attack formation! Engage the enemy. All long range weapons, OPEN FIRE!”

The fleet moved out of the Debris field towards the alliance ships one by one opened fire.



“Tails”

The reports from all the search parties were coming in by the minute. It was the same picture as they had seen it for the last few weeks.

All Facilities razed to the ground with all personnel killed. All ships and equipment destroyed.

This meaning less slaughter was untypical for colonial raiders.

So far non early warning system had picked them up and the outposts in the border section just went silent. Today they even found the wreckages of some trading vessels from the union of the free worlds. All slaughtered too. To leave no witnesses?

It was hard to understand that some people still carried such a deep grudge in them that even after they finally managed to end this long war some people on both sides refused to give up their hate and continued to fight.

Commander Heinrich Krieger was in command of the “Erebus” a heavy Carrier of the Alliance Fleet. He commanded a few Squadrons and was tasked with investigating these Attacks, find out who did it and put an end to them as well as search and rescue. But so far no survivors.

Whoever was doing this was very carefully not to leave any witness behind. Almost everyone was sure it had to be some colonial raiders, but he was not so sure about this. It did not fit to the methods of the Colonials.

Command was aware of this too. But they had their own theory.

The Colonials were preparing for another war and testing the defences and reaction speed of the Alliance fleet. Also they seemed to have found a way to bypass the early warning systems. And may be testing some new weapons.

The thought of the colonials to use the peace to secretly increase their arsenal and wiping out border settlements was troubling. It would mean a radical doctrine shift.

“Sir?” the communications officer had turned from his station and was looking at him.

“What is it?” asked Krieger the communications officer, which responded.

“Message from the rear guard. They are being stalked by a group of enemy cruisers and destroyers.”

“Alert the other search parties. There might be a bigger colonial fleet out there. Tell them to get their jump engines ready and prepare for jump to the rendevouz point.” He turned around. “Helmsman lay in a course to the rendevouz point and prepare to jump.”

After a short while all the search parties and the carrier with her escorts had made the jump to the rendevouz point.

It was noted instantly that the rear guard had not made the jump.

This was worrying.

“We jump to the last know coordinates of the rear guard. Signal the Fleet to be ready for a combat situation.” He did not like this, in his guts he could feel that something was fishy here.

After the rest of the fleet had confirmed the coordinates they initiated the jump.

He did not need the sensory officer to see what was going on, but he reported it as it was his duty.
There was in the meantime a large patrol fleet of colonial ships in the sector directly next to the wreckages of his rearguard. He also saw the wreckages of the colonial ships. There was no way that his rear guard would have been able to inflict this kind of damage. And the intact colonial ships? They were no raider ships. To well maintained and supplied to be raiders. They were regular military.

“Live feed telemetry to base they need to know what is happening here!”

While he issued that command the colonial fleet came to motion. They left the debris behind them and opened fire.

“Shield to maximum! Launch all craft!” He had to think fast to defuse this situation. This was a setup to initiate a new war and he need to warn the other commander before things got out of hand.

“Raise the Commander of the Colonial Flee…” He wanted to say more but he was interrupted. A direct hit on the bridge of the carrier sliced clean through the shields, vaporized the front section of the bridge and expanded the vaporized material in a violent explosion.


“Aftermath”

The explosion of the Eidolons bridge terminated the transmission back to base, but not before delivering the first images of an attacking colonial fleet.

Alliance reinforcements arrived a few days later and could only confirm the destruction of the Eidolon and her fleet and the wreckages of many colonial ships.

All claims of the Colonial Government did not help to defuse the situation. Regular armed forces had opened fire upon an Alliance fleet and destroyed it. No one in the Alliance wanted to believe the colonial claims that their fleet had been destroyed as well. The colonial went into the “offensive” they claimed the footage a fake to cover up the attack by the eidolons fleet on their fleet. Tensions again rose quick.

Between the confirmation of the destruction of the Eidolon and her fleet and the official declaration of war only 32 hours passed.

The fire of war was relit once again.

 

[Rohen]

The Talamasca passed through the empty void between the planets of the Aborea system.

She was an old ship with a long history and many stories could be told about what this ship has seen in her long career. Many of her crew were from families had had been serving on her for generations now. With a traceable service record of over 250 years the Talamasca could be considered ancient by some, but in truth almost nothing of the original ship remained today. She had been constantly retrofitted, repaired and modified in her long service that no one could say as what type of ship and class she had originally been.

Today the Talamasca was a salvage and mining vessel with a considerable cargo-space and even capable of carrying a decent number of passengers.

Currently she was carrying a belly full of supplies for a colony of the Republic in the Aborea system.

A few years ago this would have been unthinkable. The Talamasca was flying prod the flag of the Coalition of Independent Worlds. The relations between the Republic and the Coalition had improved but they were far from being warm and friendly. Some thought it would come to an open war between both Factions, but for once diplomacy had actually worked.

The Alliance and the Colonials had not been so lucky. For them the Diplomacy had failed and they were back at a shooting war.

As a ship of the Coalition the Talamasca was allowed to carry some armament to defend herself against pirates and still be classified as a civilian ship. The Coalition of the Independent Worlds had no regular military, but rather a well armed populace, which was in a large contrast to the Republic with their well organized and huge military.
In the recent past there had been some dispute with the Republic about the ownership and usage of some regions of space. Due to Trade and economic reasons both factions were able to find a common ground and now here was the Talamasca deep in Republic territory doing business.

The people on the Talamascas command deck were going after their business. With the course laid in and more than a day before they would reach their destination, the elected members of the familys sat together to hold a council to go over some Job and Mission postings in the info-net.

“So many postings.” The old Nicolay was stroking his thick grey beard. “Hard to choose the next assignment.”
Nathan, one of the jounger members of the council replied. “Indeed. It will be hard to choose our next course. But at least we will not need to worry. There is more than enough work and money to be made.” One of the most seasoned of them and their elected Captain, Sebastian, was looking a bit concerned. “I do think this is reason to worry.”
This remark made almost all the others give him a surprised look. Nicolay turned to him. “What are you talking about? Are you getting a bit crazy in your old days? Look!” he pointed at the postings. “So much opportunities to earn good honest money. How can that be worrying?” Sebastian gave him a small smile. “Answer me that. Who has the largest Fleet in this area?”

“Well the Republic of course.” Was Nicolays answer.

“And who has one of the best organized Trading Fleet under Government control in this part of the galaxy?” came another answer followed be the reply “Again, the Republic. What are you trying to point to?” asked Nicolay.

“Well look at the work postings. Trade runs, supply jobs and ferrying around cargo. Dozends and dozends of them.” Sebastian crossed his arms and Nicolay nodded in agreement. “I see.” He thougt about it for a while. “So the ships that would be normally doing these runs are tied up somewhere else, yes?” Nathan joined in the flow of this conversation. “So if I get you two right, you think the Republic is up to something and needs her ships for that. Well normally I do not mind that this gives us enough work to get filthy rich, but it gives it a strange aftertaste.” Sebastian opened his arms wide “There is nothing wrong with earning a few credits. I only think we should keep our eyes open to be ready for whatever it is they are planning. Until we know more, there is nothing else we can do. And I doubt it, even if we know what they are up to, can do something about it.”

All nodded in agreement.

Walter, who was Sebastians grandson was looking up from his console where he had been monitoring the sensors. “Captain! A Republic patrol cruiser just jumped in. He’s 2k from our lower starboard… and hailing us.”
“Back to work.” Muttered Sebastian and moved from the conference table to the control stations. “Well, boy. Put me up then.”

The Republican patrol cruiser was smaller than the Talamasca, but her black and gold hull was covered with an impressive array turrets and missile silos. Sebastian knew these cruisers. They were fast, maneuverable and could execute precise jumps, as a drawback they were not as though compared to the main battle cruisers I terms of shields and hull strength but they did carry the same armament.
The loudspeakers on the command bridge went on. “This is the Republican Cruiser Pride of Venam. We have a question for you Talamasca. Are you equipped to handle Class A and Class B freight containers?”

Sebastian was truly surprised about that question. “Well… Yes we have docking ports for them, both internal and external. But we are currently on a contract and our hold is full and we have a schedule to keep.”
The voice from the Republican cruiser answered to this. “I am in need of the Transport of Two class a and one class b container as well as 50 persons. It will only delay you about 2 or three days and I will pay 250 thousand credits.”
That was quite a sum of money for a transport job. There must be some more to this. “That is quite a sum of money. I assume this is no ordinary transport of goods. I do not care what I am transporting, but is there a risk attached to it?”
“Not more risky than flying what you are currently delivering. But be assured, that we will escort you on this flight so you can feel extra protected.”
Sebastian knew it was not the whole truth and the escort was to protect whatever cargo they would want to have transported, but this was too tempting. Three days was well within their schedule with time to spare. And Sebastian got interested in what they might be learning while doing this cargo run. So he decided to agree.

“Well your offer is good enough. Transmit the coordinates where we can pick up the cargo.”

 

[Rohen]

A small group of Shuttles pulled the three containers towards the Talamasca.
Only a few hours after her surprise encounter with the Republic patrol cruiser they were positioned before an Asteroid-Mining-Base in one of the outer Asteroid Belts of the Aborea System. The patrol cruiser had taken up a defensive position next to them. It had been running active scans since they got here and all weapon systems were on standby and all missile tubes were loaded.
This was more than suspicious. Sebastian feared that they knew something they weren’t telling them and it sadly looked that they were expecting trouble. He did not know what they feared though. The Aborea system was deep within Republic territory and the cruiser was able to make short work of any pirate stupid enough to come close to it.
So what was it they were expecting? Sebastian decided he could only wait it out and hope for the best as his crew directed the shuttles to the docking ports for the containers.

After that the shuttles themselves would dock with the Talamasca and deliver the Passengers they were to pick up also.

“Anything on the sensors?” He asked Walter who was still sitting on the console monitoring the sensors.

“Asteroids and lots of them.” Was his reply. That was to be expected in an asteroid belt. Sebastian was not in the mood for jokes. “Anything worth mentioning?” his tone of voice was showing that he was not amused of the last remark. Walter turned to him “Sorry Captain. No nothing out there I can see…” he paused a moment “And something a little strange about our new cargo.” “Give it to me straight. I have no interest in riddles at the moment.” Sebastian scratched his head while looking past Walter towards the bridge window.
“Then you might not like this.” Replied Walter with a hint of a smile. “While two containers seem to hold mostly some technical equipment, the third is a Riddle. First I thought it was mostly empty, but then I noticed that I can not ‘through’ it.” Sebastian looked at him a bit confused. “ What do you mean by that?” “It’s a bit hard to explain… well according to the sensors the container is almost empty. It has some … well metal bars in it, looks like something that is meant to hold something in place. But I can not scan the back wall of the container. It looks like something inside is blocking of the sensor.”

Sebastian thought about it. “So we are carrying something the shielded against our sensors?” That did make some sense. If this was something important they would not want everyone to see what it is.

He leaned down to Walters console and switched to the security cam feed of the docking area to get a look at their passengers.
What he did see there was not what he had expected. He saw people in labcoats not miners. What had he gotten them involved into?

“Loading cargo and boarding passengers complete.” Informed him Nathan. Sebastian nodded. “Good inform the cruiser and ask for the coordinates where we are to deliver the passengers and cargo.” After Nathan had confirmed and send the request they received a set of coordinates. It was in the middle of nowhere. Deep space on the edge of the system.
They set the course and headed for the edge of the asteroid belt.

They charged their jump drive while getting clear from the asteroids, when the proximity alarm went off.

A large ship jumped in directly in front of them. In his whole life Sebastian had not seen anything like it. It was hard to see actually and the sensors could not really lock onto it. Its shape seemed to be in some sort of ‘motion’ like ripples in a fluid mixed with the distortion effect of hot air. It made it very hard to see the exact shape and color of it. It seemed to be changing color but mostly it looked dark.
The patrol cruiser moved between the Talamasca and the unknown ship. The cruiser send a short message to them. “MOVE! Get to the coordinates! We delay them. If you get through we double your pay!” After sending the message the cruiser opened fire on the other ship. All the shots, beams and missiles of the cruiser were throwing at the ship seemed to vanish or being swallowed by that strange effect around the ship that made it hard to determine the shape and color of it.

For a short while nothing happened, a single shot was returned from the other ship and hit the aft-section of the cruiser. It looked like someone just bunched a needle into a balloon as the cruiser went up in a ball of expanding gas, fire and pieces. A shower of fragments of the cruiser bounced of the Talamascas hull as she gave full power to engines and started to run. “Jump! By the Stars! Jump already!” Shouted Sebastian to Nathan who had taken the helm. “I can’t! They are jamming our Jump Drive!!” he called back. That was impossible. Sebastian knew of no technology that was able to ‘jam’ a ships jump drive. Nathan was moving the Talamasca in an evasive pattern to be a harder target while he tried to fix the jump drive. “Are they following us?” asked Sebastian turning to Walter which responded. “No idea. I can tell you that the ship is still there but I can’t get a fix on its position or heading.”

A shock went through the Ship and for a heartbeat they all thought that they were hit. Nathans “YES!” brought them quickly out of that thought as they saw the well known sight of the jump tunnel as they jumped away.
The feeling of relive did not hold for long. They felt it like a kick. Then everything was spinning. Warning lights turned red everywhere and sirens went off.
The acceleration dampeners did their best to cancel out the motion but it was not enough, many were thrown around while others managed to grab a hold on something. The emergency systems kicked in and fired control thrusters to stop the rotation slowly they managed to stabilize the ship.

“What did just happen?” Sebastian wanted to know. “Damage Report! And find out where we are!”

It took them a few moments to gather what happened. Somehow they were thrown off hallway out of jump. There were some minor fractures in the hull and some part had been deformed due to the stress. But they were in one piece with all primary systems still working. At the moment there was so sight of the unknown ship, but that could change any moment. There were some injuries of people that had been thrown around, but nothing serious and no fatalities.

“Oh oh!” mumbled Walter as he checked the hull with an automated camera-drone. Sebastian was quickly on him. “Something serious?” “More or less.” was Walters answer. “We lost two containers.”

This would surely be impacting their payment for this job. “Which one?” was the only thing he could ask Walter. “One of the equipment carrying one and the ‘special’ one.”

“Do we have them on sensors?” asked Sebastian, but Walter only shook his head.

“Ok. Continue repairs and set course for the coordinates. I don’t think I want to be here any much longer than I need.” With a concerned look on his face Sebastian looked outside the window.