Asteroid You Like A Hurricane (Silara)

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Silara Varis"]

Wild Space, a poorly-charted system between the Galactic Alliance and the First Order: as good a place as any to find trouble. Ever since reaching this asteroid field, Captain Ashin Karrde had felt a premonition that she couldn't shake. She'd never been one for interpreting these things in any level of detail, so all she could really do was keep an eye on long-range sensors as the Shamballa skimmed over the dense belt. Properly speaking, the Shamballa was a civilian vessel registered to New Habat University, but for all intents and purposes it was a First Order ship. Any Galactic Alliance ship that found her would have a pretty decent chance of taking a swing at her. After all, the Shamballa's mission pretty clearly involved prospecting asteroids with an eye to benefiting the First Order.

 

[Silara Varis]

[member="Ashin Karrde"]

On Board the GAS Resolute Vengeance
Picket Patrol in the Field

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Picket patrols were ridiculous. The young Captain hated them, and much preferred to be in the field taking the fight to the enemy. Regardless it was duty assignment and somehow GADF had given her the short end of the stick. As she stood on the bridge she wathed the asteroids stream by and puffed on a death stick.

Comms had nothing so far, and scanners ere by far only detecting asteroids.

"We can't detect anything in this mess." The XO whined.

She ignored him, keeping her gaze intent on the field. As another puff escaped her lips she thought she noticed a slight flash far off.

"What was that helm?" She asked, pointing with her deathstick towards the viewport.

"Not tracking Ma'am."

"Recalibrate our scanners. Ignore anything that's under seventy percent metal alloy and focus scan for drive signatures."

"Aye Ma'am."

The XO came up to her side, mocking her exact. He was interested now. His name was Ralan Fox. A newcomer to the fleet, second LT and complete idiot.

"You saw something?"

"I have a hunch."

"Seriously?"

Silara turned and shot him a searing look. One hand was clasped behind her back and the other was flicking her deathstick as it was in its last throes.

"XO are you gonna second guess me every time I give out orders? Because if you are you are gonna find yourself on a very short trip to piloting waste removal freighters for the fleet."

"No Ma'am."

"Good now follow my lead, and shut up. If you pay attention you might even learn a thing or two."

That's when the scanners pinged and the Helm officer whirled.

"Got something Ma'am. Small signature, looks like a Freighter class. But is uncertain, we need to close the range to get a better reading through the asteroids."

"What would you do XO?" She asked, tossing the Deathstick to the deck and grinding it out with her heel.

"Follow them. Take us in closer."

"Through the field? We have no shields."

"No no, above the field."

Silara nodded.

"Now you're getting it. Helm you heard him, take us in closer, above the field. Holdout range one thousand meters. No closer."

"Why the range?"

"Because XO, we want to keep them at a distance and observe. It could be a scout, it could be a lost Freighter, it could even be a Starliner way off course. Never jump to conclusions. As much as I like to blast things into dust, a good Commander has to have PID on any target. Failure to do so will result in a Court Martial and again."

She grinned now.

"Piloting shit removal freighters for the fleet."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Silara Varis"]

"Captain, we're picking up a ship nearby, no type I know. Range, twelve thousand metres and closing."

Ashin straightened in her chair. Her armrest's holodisplay brought up a rough plot of both ships' locations relative the dense asteroid belt, and a wireframe of the newcomer's hull. "Been a while since one of those has showed its face around here," she said. A thrill of adrenaline warmed her blood. "That's an Omega Protectorate cruiser, probably Galactic Alliance now." Force, but that hull design brought back memories.

"Is it a threat?" said her sensor operator.

"That keel gun can punch through us any which way, and pick us off of we run. I'd say so. Helm, take us further into the asteroid field and get something big between us and them. Ops, shield status?"

"Energy component at one hundred, particle component at ninety-six. Microcollisions."

"Arm weapons, but don't fire."

 

[Silara Varis]

On Board the GAS Resolute Vengeance
Picket Patrol in the Field
[member="Ashin Karrde"]


They were closing fast. Silara watched intent as a hawk with both hands clasped behind her back. The Cruiser was overtaking the smaller vessel and they dodging most of the asteroids. Until things began to take an unexpected turn. The smaller vessel began to run.

"They're taking cover further into the field Ma'am."

Silara nodded. It as what she would do in that situation. She guessed whoever was evading them was probably familiar with her shortcomings in this vessel as she was.

"Hold out. Comms hail the vessel and get a confirmation on their mission and trajectory. Inform them this is an Alliance claim and if they are mining or scouting it is illegal."

They couldn't board them ship to ship. That would require her risking her hull, which at this point the young Captain was unwilling to do. She had a CAG that was crazy. Maybe he'd love a little high risk mission.

"XO call up the CAG. Tell 'em to get up here on the double and have a couple of shuttles ready. Alert Chief Tyrus we may have need of a few of his Marines as well. Two squads should do."

The mission was heating up. Silara grinned and pulled her deathstick container from her pocket, packing them by slapping the case into the palm of her hand. Then she pulled one out and lit it, watching through the hazy smoke as the crew scrambled to keep everything in order.

"Set condition two through out the ship."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Silara Varis"]

"Captain-"

"I heard it, Harriman. Switch comm pickup to my chair." Ashin toggled the comms on her display as the Shamballa slid behind a largeish asteroid and kept going into the field, using the rock for cover. She glanced at the telesponder data coming through. The asteroid's bulk filled the channel with static. "Resolute Vengeance, this is the civilian research ship S.S. Shamballa out of New Habat University on Varunda Nine. We're conducting astrometric and metallurgical research. Our vector is farther into the asteroid field. Navigational databases note this as a neutral system, and we've detected no marker beacons. Our presence is entirely legal by Alliance law."

She stopped transmitting for the moment. "Helm, you need more data on that ship's position to keep the asteroid between them and us. Ops, launch an EXPARC around the asteroid and have the deck prep both shuttles."

The Shamballa carried two Ithorian shuttlepods, extremely fast but unarmed. It also carried a good number of civilian-grade EXPARC geological probes. They weren't designed to detect ships, but the cruiser would register as a large, pure ore deposit.

 

[Silara Varis]

[member="Ashin Karrde"]

On Board the GAS Resolute Vengeance
Picket Patrol in the Field
[member="Ashin Karrde"]

"Saying their registered to a University somewhere?" One of the Comms officer resorted.

"Which."

"New Habat?"

"Run it in the register. Run their ships name too, see if they have any warrants."

If folks weren't on the run they normally didn't run. Especially from an Alliance Cruiser since the Alliance weren't the folks blasting people out of the sky for no reason right now. Though if she had her way....

"You wanna slag em huh?" The XO asked.

"Yes." She replied, taking another drag of Deathstick.

"I don't like defiance, and this Captain is defiant. Comms?"

"Aye registers First Order."

"Hmm. Figures."

First Order was poking around, which meant it could very well be a scouting mission under the guise of a research mission. She wasn't one to take chances.

Just then the CAG burst in. An old timer from Fondor who'd flown with the Omega Pyre Navy back in the day. He as short, clad in a black flight suit and sporting goggles on his head. In his hand was kitbag with all his possessions ready to go.

"Cap'n Torrenson, reporting as ordered Ma'am." He said, snapping a crisp salute.

Silara returned the salute and nodded.

"Aye. How you feel about flying through that Torrenson?"

"Is it an order?"

"Does it have to be?"

"No not necessarily. What's the details?"

"Two shuttles, full of Marines. Board, search, access their logs and report back. I have a feeling they're spies. My feelings aren't usually wrong."

"I'll have two crews spun up within thirty mikes."

The CAG disappeared as she rounded her attention back to the deck.

"Comms hail them again. Tell 'em we are sending shuttles to conduct an inspection. A verification they're not spies plotting a sneak attack. If they really are a research vessel with no ill intentions, they'll let us on."

"Aye Ma'am. Transmitting."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Silara Varis"]

Ashin sat back in her chair and let the Alliance comm officer's static-laden voice wash over her. Tension was rising in her experienced but civilian crew. She had to project absolute confidence. Fortunately, she felt it.

"Resolute Vengeance," she said, voice heavy with amusement, "you have no jurisdiction or real cause to inspect us. Any attempt to board us by force will be taken as a hostile act and reported to First Order and Galactic Alliance authorities immediately."

The EXPARC probe slipped around the large asteroid between the two ships, and scanned the Alliance light cruiser. The geological probe reported only a large, pure metal concentration...with a precise location attached. Courtesy of that data, the Shamballa's helmsman could do a better job of keeping various large asteroids between the ships.

 

[Silara Varis]

On Board the GAS Resolute Vengeance
Picket Patrol in the Field
[member="Ashin Karrde"]

"Ma'am they've refused to be boarded."

Silara smirked as she listened to the message playback. This was getting interesting. The XO was still uncertain, wavering this way and that. Indecision was written across his face in a half frown.

"And?"

"We're going to board anyways?"

"Comms patch me through direct. And I mean direct."

Within minutes the line was crackling. Silara puffed on her Deathstick again and let her eyes narrow. It as all voice, no visual. Good thing too, because this other vessel didn't need to know how irritated she really was.

"XO, turn our transponders off."

"That's uh..... Really Illegal."

"My way or the brig XO. Do it."

A second later the vessel dropped off all tactical screens. The Resolute Vengeance was flying in the dark now.

"Shamballa, this Silara Varis of the GAS Resolute Venegance. I have attempted to be diplomatic with you. I have explained that this field has been claimed by the Alliance and you have refused me. This is your last chance. Surrender for boarding or we will be forced to take the conclusion you are laying relay probes for sneak attack route on Alliance interests, you have six minutes."

She clicked the headset off and nodded to the XO.

The XO picked up his mike and cleared his throat.

"Attention all hands, this the XO. Set Condition One throughout the ship. I repeat set Condition one throughout the ship."

"Ma'am, will we be firing up the Javelins?"

"Yes. All cannons load and prepare to fire. Safety on until I say otherwise."

The Chief gunery officer nodded.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Silara Varis"]

Every eye was on Ashin. Tension rose in the aether. She bared her teeth in a smile.

"Pleased to meet you, Captain Varis. It's always good to know the names of the people you're about to kill. My name isn't important. My geological probe indicates that your lump of high-grade ore is undergoing unusual magnetic field fluctuations. Tell me, Captain. Would that happen to be your Omega Protectorate Javelin hypervelocity keel mount warming up? I wish you a good deal of luck getting a clear shot at me. If you want to measure your imperium today, Captain, you'll need to knife fight me to do it, and that's not a fight you're equipped to win. You think my crew and passengers are spies? You think I'll let you shove them in the lava cells on Sullust? You think I'm holding this line out of personal pique? Think again."

 

[Silara Varis]

[member="Ashin Karrde"]

On Board the GAS Resolute Vengeance
Picket Patrol in the Field
[member="Ashin Karrde"]


"What did she just say!"

All composure was lost as the woman spoke across the speakers.

"What did this Schutta say!"

For the first time in a very long time Silara lost her shit. She tossed her Deathstick to the deck and stomped it out, snatching the headset from it's rest on her tactical table and jamming it on. Now that she was ear to ear with the insolent wench, she had some words to say. Flight crew scrambled to ready for the attack.

Not an eye was on her, because they knew better. Even the XO simply stepped back, folded his arms into parade rest and put on his war face.

"Did you just challenge me! Did you just spy on my vessel? That proves you are a no good snitching spy! I'm not an idiot!" She snarled.

"If you survive the next ten minutes, you'll be lucky. If that doesn’t work, I'll gladly welcome you aboard, if only to punch your karking guts out!!!!!"​

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Silara Varis"]

"Captain Varis, in my experience there's no such thing as luck. Random variables may have their day-"

Ashin's eyes tracked an indicator: her own unarmed shuttles were ready to launch. Delaying tactic effective.

"-but in the end, experience wins out. Tell me, Captain, what great victories have you won in your short life that placed you in a light cruiser, on patrol duty in Wild Space? What value backs up the career I'm about to end?"

 

[Silara Varis]

On Board the GAS Resolute Vengeance
Picket Patrol in the Field
[member="Ashin Karrde"]

Silara did not answer. The bridge hung silent as a snowy night while she breathed heavy. Color flushed her cheeks and then she whirled, pointing a knife hand at the Chief Gunnery Officer.

"Fire! Fire all Cannons!"

"Trajectory?"

"Shoot for the Asteroids! Safety off and FIRE!"

The Crew scrambled about like chickens in a slaughter house. Within a few minutes her Javelins were unlocked and she felt the tell tale shudder as they launched their heavy projectiles into the asteroids. The heavy cannon rumbled first, letting a round rip towards the direction of the craft. It impacted an asteroid, shattering it into a myriad of debris that flew like shotgun spray in different directions.

"Fire again!"

"Aye Ma'am, reloading!"

The Mini Javelin let it's three round burst rip, pelting even more steroids. The changing trajectories caused a chain reaction that sent asteroids careening into each other like ping pong balls in a dryer. If her ship could doge them all, Silara would be surprised.

Even so she wanted to finish this.

"Captain!" The XO roared

"What!"

"You are way out of your depth! Stop at once!"

Now he grew some balls.

Silara dropped her hand near her Czerka Machine pistol.

"Or what?"

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Silara Varis"]

The Laureate-class science frigate had a compact, heavily automated bridge. Helm control could be transferred to the command chair, and frequently was. Stretching out to the Force, Ashin steered the nimble little frigate through the asteroid field, which was rapidly becoming more hazardous.

She'd put quite a bit of distance between them during the argument - distance, and big rocks. Some of those now became liabilities in the most explosive sense. In a matter of under a minute, the frigate's light shields fell to fifty percent. Her ship mounted two massive tractor-pressor beams, which helped keep the worst away, but the Shamballa's hull groaned with the strain.

"Come now, Captain," she said, voice cold as dry ice, eyes tracking the asteroids ahead, "I would have thought you'd want to do this in person, not hang back like a coward. How old are you, anyway?"

 

[Silara Varis]

On Board the GAS Resolute Vengeance
Picket Patrol in the Field
[member="Ashin Karrde"]

"Ma'am?"

"Continue the barrage."

"Captain this is last time I'm telling you!" The XO roared.

The noise of the other Captain mocking her in her ear drove Silara mad. She felt her body trembling with rage and kept her hand firm on the butt of her pistol.

"Helm, bring us right in. Close the distance!"

"Ma'am?"

"Do it! Now!"

She was fully into her reckless mode. The Chief Gunnery Officer knew it, her Helmsman knew it, the XO knew it, and the Comms. As asteroid debris began to pelt the hull renting long gouges into her sides Silara fumed, keeping her eyes locked with that of her XO's. She'd been looking for a good excuse to fire him. In her eyes he lacked the will to do what must be done.

"I could execute you XO!"

"No you can't."

He was the first to draw, sticking the muzzle of his Machine Pistol in her face and grinding his teeth.

"Helm turn us around, cease fire."

"Belay that! I'm still the commanding officer of this ship! Guns fire again!"

"Weapons away."

Another shudder joined the first as the cruiser fired both Javelin Cannons. They were creating a hell storm in the field and the impacts of the asteroids on the Resolute Vengeances flanks were beginning to crush fiber optic cables. Pieces of starship plating floated aay in awkward directions as they closed in, like a hawk diving for its prey.

"Gunnery Chief, Master at Arms. Under article thirty two of the Galactic alliance Navy I am removing Captain Silara Varis of her command, pending conduct unbecoming of an Officer, Needless endangerment of her crew, Disregard and violation of Galactic Alliance ROE and.... smoking on the bridge."

"You think this is the first time I've been put under XO?"

She drew her own pistol as the chaos unfolded and pressed it to his neck.

"Master at Arms, belay that. I am relieving the XO of his command, pending, Insubordination, Lack of Objectivity and Cowardice!"

The Chief drew his sidearm. The helm drew his, and the Master at Arms stood back eyeballing both parties. The bridge was going to hell.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Silara Varis"]

The wireframe relative-positioning display showed the Alliance light cruiser accelerating into the asteroid field. Sensors suggested collisions. Time to add one more. Behind the Resolute Vengeance, the EXPARC geological probe reoriented and accelerated. The probe had no armament or warheads, but it was too small for proper targeting, and could sprint like an elite interceptor. It set a collision course with the cruiser's engines. Maybe it would get through the weakened shields, maybe it would just help whittle them down by a couple of percent; every little bit would help.

The farther ahead the Shamballa got, the smaller the angles that its maneuvers could cover relative to its pursuer. That was part of her rationale for turning around. The other part was her long experience on the bridges of capital ships, including half a decade on Galactic Alliance ships. Right now there would be turmoil of one kind or another. The honor of the GADF demanded it.

The Shamballa arced around. Nose to the storm, it could negotiate the asteroids more successfully. The forward heavy tractor/pressor shoved problems aside, and shoved the Shamballa as well - equal and opposite reactions, after all. Both shuttles launched, but remained behind the frigate

The light frigate wove its way toward the cruiser, avoiding the narrow fire arc of the spinal mounts. Its own weapons opened fire: a handful of capital ion cannons and turbolasers, plus a substantial complement of lighter autoturrets and antimissile octets. They wouldn't do much against the cruiser, but between them, the asteroids, and the two dozen tiny, inert geological probes accelerating to ram-

Well, the hull damage suggested shield breaches, and anything from the Shamballa's at-range barrage that slipped through could make a dent.

 

[Silara Varis]

On Board the GAS Resolute Vengeance
Picket Patrol in the Field

[member="Ashin Karrde"]

She suddenly found herself on the bad end of the stick. When the Master at arms drew, it was on her. Chief was loyal at least. He stalked up behind the XO and stuck is pistol to the back of his head, growling.

the Helm kept switching, unsure of who's side to take.

"So this it it then." the XO replied.

"I have more guns, stand down."

Silara growled and pressed her pistol deeper into his neck.

"You insolent shit. I'll have you flogged on the Quarter deck."

Finally the Helm took his choice. As the probes ran their suicide mission into the engines he noticed the power spikes. That combined with the damage assessments drove him over the edge. His own pistol went into the chief back and he steadied his hand.

"It's over Silara. Drop your weapon or I'll fire."

Another asteroid careened into the side of the vessel, shearing off more layer s of armor. The alarm klaxons began to blare and the bridge was full of red flashing lights. Silara was outmatched, and knew she was going down if she fired. She was not one to give up, but it as over. Her supporters were dwindling.

"Kark you XO. Don't think this is over."

"It's over." He replied, voice stern as steel.

"Drop it."

Silara dropped her pistol, letting it clatter on the ground. Chief did not, keeping his trained on the XO's skull.

"Cuff her."

"XO, what the hell!"

"I said cuff her!" He roared.

As the shields sputtered out completely she felt cold steel cuffs take her wrist and felt strong hands clasp her arms.

"Get her out of here. Confined to quarters. Go!"

The last sight she saw was the doors and the hall as she was marched off to her Quarters.

"Captain of the Shamballa. This is Ralan Fox of the Resolute Vengeance. I have assumed Command. Captain Varis has been relieved. Please break of pursuit and go on your way."

That was the last words he got out. A bullet cut his life short, entering his skull from the rear and exploding out of his face in a garish explosion of flesh and bone. The Chief roared, the Helms officer screamed in fear.

"Get back to your station!" Chief roared.

Then he grabbed the headset.

"This is Chief Rex of the Resolute Vengeance, belay that last, I have assumed Command. Shamballa, power down drives and let us search you. End this stupidity!"

The Helms officer was still going crazy as fire and asteroids made a breach.

"Deck one through six, breach!"

"Seal them off!"

"There's Sailors down there Chief!"

"Voids damnit, seal them, off!"

Chief raised his pistol, aiming dead center for the Helm Ensigns Chest.

"Now Boot!"

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Silara Varis"]

A pair of glancing strikes took the Shamballa's shields down to ten percent and punched through. Hullmetal screamed, and the starboard nacelle began registering diminished capacity. At a guess, they would now only be able to maneuver and accelerate like the larger ship. They'd built up some decent momentum in the charge, though, and Ashin used that to slide alongside the cruiser's hull.

And take a position behind it.

The Shamballa mounted two dual ion cannons. Against the cruiser's shields, they were nothing. Now that asteroids had depleted those shields, however, those guns had a serious chance of disabling not only the engines but the entire cruiser - given enough time. From what she recalled, this model of cruiser carried dropships or shuttles rather than fighters, but even dropships could pose a threat to the fragile little frigate.

"I think not, Chief," said Ashin, glacially cool. "You have ten seconds to surrender your ship, or I will kill you."

 

[Silara Varis]

On Board the GAS Resolute Vengeance
Picket Patrol in the Field
[member="Ashin Karrde"]

On her way to her quarters Silara as able to recompose herself. Her rabid bloodlust began to slow, and her demeanor was silent. She tapped a keypad on her wrist and around the corner the =y went. Through the next bulkhead Chief Tyrus was waiting with a squadron of four Marines. Weapons locked and loaded with a click as the Master at Arms found himself surrounded.

Silara whirled and caught him with a savage uppercut. The Master at Arms hit the deck, the Marines grabbed the other escorting parties weapons and Silara straightened out her uniform.

"Thanks for that Chief."

"Don't thank me, you're still in a shit storm."

"Noted." Silara replied, retrieving her pistol and jamming it into her holster.

"Follow me."

they mad back to the bridge, much to the surprise of the Gunnery Chief.

"Ma'am!"

"Give me that." she snarled, grabbing the headset. More alarms began to blare as the rear engines took multiple hits of ion cannon fire. with their shields non existent it began to spark and rupture circuits. combined with the damage on their flanks, they were in trouble.

"Sit rep, all stations!"

"Hull sixty percent Breaches one through six deck!"

"Engines one through two down, three through six are up."

"Comms a hundred percent."

"Weapons at sixty percent. We lost the main Javelin Cannon Ma'am."

"All hands scramble damage control protocol. Weapons power down, safety on. Reroute weapons power to engines and full burn us out of this karking asteroid field."

"Hail from the Shamballa."

That as when she noticed the XO, with his brains strewn across the deck. Both of her lips compressed into a line and she snapped, waving to two Ensigns to clean him off her floor.

Then she listened to the Message.

"Shamballa this Captain Varis again. If you want to come on board you'll have to pull up out of the asteroid field. I'll be waiting."

She clicked it off.

"Chief, bring Marines to all Bulkheads and set up defensive positions. Prepare for boarding action."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Silara Varis"]

As the cruiser's weapons went dead and its long hull began to turn, the Shamballa kept pace with its rotation to stay behind it. The increased engine output toasted the little frigate's shields, preventing them from regenerating: they remained at ten percent. The Shamballa backed off slightly, still angled to stay out of most of the cruiser's fire arcs.

The ion cannons continued to fire. The goal here was to disable a majority of the cruiser's systems before its shields could be repaired or recharged.

The mood on the silent bridge wasn't terrified anymore. On edge, certainly; shocked, possibly; but functional. As Varis' voice came through the comm, Ashin permitted herself a small smile.

"Hello again, Captain Varis. I think we're in agreement. I'll continue to disable your ship, its momentum will carry it free of the belt, and then you and I will work out our differences."

 

[Silara Varis]

[member="Ashin Karrde"]

"I'll be waiting."

Silara cut the comms again and clasped both hands behind her back. As they pulled free of the Asteroid field more systems were shutting down. The Ion fire from behind was wreaking havoc on the systems, though some of the more hardened ones survived. When they were free she nodded.

"Cut all power to Engines."

"Aye Ma'am."

Without power to interact with they could save at least one engine, which as all she needed. When they came to a stop she whirled and motioned with a knife hand.

"Chief Tyrus on me. Gunnery Chief, you're the new XO. Congrats. Now take the bridge."

The new XO saluted, and Silara returned it before stepping of the deck. They made their way to the hangars, grabbing a medic on the way. As they waited Silara was stripping off her dress coat, down to her white tank top. Next she wrapped her knee, to keep it from flaring up and popped a handful of stims.

Chief Tyrus and his Marines simply watched from the corners, believing her to be fully mad.

"Let's see what this schutta's got."