Dark Haven 2 - Chapter 10

[crunn]

Chapter 01 (Survivors)
Chapter 02 (Excursions)
Chapter 03 (No Place Like Home)
Chapter 04 (Rising)
Chapter 05 (Politics)
Chapter 06 (Seepage)
Chapter 07 (Getting Back)
Chapter 08 (Set Up)
Chapter 09 (All We Have)

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

DARK HAVEN 2

Chapter 10 (Sphere)


Argon Fleet Command

Admirals Office


'But first one last call.'
The Admiral makes the connection.

"Illandas!!
I hear I missed a couple of good fights."

"I'm glad you did or we'd have lost you too, Tirnock."

"Yes, it is a great blow to have lost so many lives and ships." The General says solemnly.
'You have no idea what it felt like, sitting here helpless as my friends were dying.'
And no less solemnly. "Congratulations on the promotion."

"Thank you. I wish it were under better circumstances.
Anyway, how is that Jumpdrive of yours?"

"Still no luck.
The have taken it apart and put it back together so many times... Nothing.
I was going to bring us back to the Argon Prime Shipyard but they've taken the engines offline to see if the fault is there."

"The Shipyard is busy with other things at the moment. Though I would rather you were in Argon Prime."

"No problem, I'll have them get my engines back online immediately."
'Good, I hate being immobile.'

"No, no. The Jumpdrive is more important. Keep the engineers working on it.
I'll send a couple of tugs to tow you home. They'll be with you in a few stazuras, no rush."

"Ok."

"Also, you are the only General left in Argon Fleet, at least the only one still capable of working out in the field. That makes you second in command of the fleet and Commander of the Argon One.
A new Argon One is being built as we speak. When it is ready it's yours. You can crew it as you see fit."

"Thank you Admiral.
I'm more than happy with my current crew. I'll take them all with me."

"Even the engineers?" Illandas sniggers.

Tirnock chuckles. "Yes even the engineers."

"As you wish."

"Oh, one last thing Admiral.
Illandas, you look terrible, get some sleep."

Illandas smiles, salutes and kills the comms.
'Now for bed.'

...


Blood Moon Pirate Headquarters


"Sir, our ships are having trouble finding any Argon Fleet ships to harass."

"Have you tried Argon Space." A still furious Kailmun snaps.

'He's getting worse.' The young pirate treads carefully into the conversation.
"Yes, we started our patrols in the outer sectors and are slowly moving inward.
The civilian sector defence ships are there as always. But the Argon Fleet ships aren't. We have only found three so far.
One patrol destroyed a buster in Aladna Hill, then later chased a Discoverer through Elena's Fortune, it escaped.
Another patrol, Orinoco and two Mandalays, was destroyed by an Elite in Cloudbase South West.
And of course the Jubilee in Teladi Way makes four. Otherwise nothing."

"Odd.
Move further in.
Don't enter Argon Prime or the four adjacent sectors yet.
Send a scout through the rest. Have fighters nearby to engage anything they find.
I want the Elite in Cloudbase South West destroyed. Send four Orinocos and four Bayamons after it."

"Yes sir."
The young Teladi is about to leave when Kailmun begins thinking aloud. As he talks his gaze meanders around the room from the window to his desk.

"Why is this Jubilee guarding Teladi space?
Hmm..."

His gaze focuses on a silver orb, picks it up and begins rolling it around in his hands. The young pirate wonders what the sphere is.

"Teladi Space...
Send a scout up through the Teladi sectors. Don't go through Sizewell, just jump in and back out, see what can be seen. Then send it west through the Boron space. Same with Kingdom End, just in and out.
I want to know where the Argon Fleet is..."

Kailmun's expression suddenly changes from angry and puzzled to startled. He stands and looks out the window.
"... Just checking."

He sits again.
"Finally, have a nav-sat placed in range of the gate into Teladi Way. I want to know the movements of the Jubilee.
We have an unmarked Harrier available?"

"Yes."

"Send that with the sat. Have it hang around to watch."

"Yes sir."
He turns and leaves.

Kailmun sits alone.
'Is this corvette, Jubilee, a rouge AF ship with some vendetta against us?
Probably not.
Or has the AF policy changed and they are coming after us?'
At that he slams the orb down on the desk and leans back in his chair contemplating.

...


Jubilee
(A few stazuras later)

Hall and Pierson make their way back to the bridge after a restless night's sleep.
They arrive at the door at the same time.

"Good morning Captain." Pierson manages to utter.

"You too Lieutenant.
You look like you had a rough night."

"You too.
Nightmares?

"You too?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

Pierson opens the door and they both step onto the bridge.
Ensign Jareat is already sat at comms.
Pierson glances at her and thinks, 'She is far too eager. Looks reasonably well rested too, well, better than me or Hall.'

The Captain speaks. "Thank you Ensign Tarr."
He leaves the bridge and Pierson takes his seat at navigation.

Hall continues.
"Lieutenant Keswin, say on weapons, we'll need you here now that Sina has gone.
Any excitement Keswin?"

"No, eight Xenon fighters all night. No pirates or Black ships."

"Good."

Pierson echoes 'Good' in his head.

"Also, Fleet Command called. They are sending three M6's to join us.
The Centaur, Victory and Ramma.
When they arrive you are to call Admiral Illandas."

"Ok, thanks.
Ensign, contact the docking bay, have them transfer one of the nav-sats to the Jubilee cargobay.
Ok folks, we have a Xenon Sector to find.
I think we'll start with that blue nebula to the north.
Pierson, distance?"

'She's perked up since getting back in her chair.'
"One hundred K exactly."
'I feel terrible.'

"We're in no hurry, so set speed to one hundred exactly.
Let's see what's out there.
Ensign, keep watching the sector for anything."

...

(A while later)

"Captain." Ensign Jareat says. "Something odd."

"Yes?"

"Six Vultures just left Ore Mine Zeta. Heading out of the sector in a convoy."

"They'll just be collecting their goods."

Pierson looks closer. 'Hmm. No, that's not it...' He scans the Ore Mine. 'Empty. They have evacuated.'
"No..." Pierson starts.

Jareat interrupts. "Captain. The Trading Station."

Rurandis Uguras appears on the screen. "Captain, do not be alarmed. There will be an explosssion sssoon.
The owner of Ore Mine Zeta hasss had enough. He hasss taken all of value and ssset the ssself dessstruct, ten mizurasss."

"Ok, thank you."
Rurandis Uguras disappears again.

"It will go just before we reach the nebula."
Pierson brings up the Ore Mine on one of the small monitors.

...

(Ten mizuras later)

"There it goes."

At first there doesn't seem to be much happening, just a few small flashes across the surface. Then more and more. Gradually the flashes turn into flame. Cracks appear, fires erupt from within, enlarging the cracks.
It seems to die down for a moment, the flames recede. But then one almighty internal explosion bursts the structure like a balloon. Chunks of rock and twisted metal spiral outward embedding themselves in the surrounding asteroids.

"We're on the edge of the nebula now."

"Straight through Pierson."

"Yes sir.
Slowing to fifty.."

The dense blue nebula closes around the ship. Suddenly everything becomes very claustrophobic. A nervous silence grips the bridge.
Pierson slows to forty...
Thirty...
The blue gasses swirl slowly, menacingly around them.

The Captain speaks in almost a whisper. "I'm half expecting to see the front end of a Xenon Destroyer come into view."

'You too.' Pierson thinks as he slows to twenty.
"This stuff is thick, scanners can barely see further than visual."

"Are weapons active?"

"Yes Captain." Reports Keswin.

"Good, keep going Pierson."

Pierson nods as the tension on the bridge continues to rise.
"Wait, there is something...
A large object dead ahead, three K."

"Moving?"

"No.
It's the right size to be a gate...
Or a Black M0..." Pierson smiles.

"Don't say that.
Take us to it Lieutenant."


"It should be coming into view any time now." He slows to fifteen.

The Captain leans forward in her chair as if to see further out the window.
A few sezuras later she exclaims,
"There!!
Alright. It's a gate nacelle.
Lights...
Red, incoming.
Pierson, strafe down below the gate.
Keswin, weapons..."

[KiwiNZ]

Very good read! It does imply as though the black ships can influence ships in other sectors, too. Or is it just anxiety? Curious to see how the Pirates reaxt when they find out that there is no longer such things as the Argon Fleet.

[N19h7m4r3]

I must say its great. I've read Dark Haven 1 and all the other capters sofar and it briliant.
Egosoft should make this into an expansion for X2. It'll sell by the 1000's.


N19h7m4r3

[silentWitness]

What a wild ride!!! I enjoyed the read...

[crunn]

Thanks folks

"Curious to see how the Pirates react when..."
I'm looking forward to that part myself Kiwi.

[Tyepo]

Looking like the plot is thickening, good read crunn

[davecrowley]

Excellent, keep it going, the suspense is killing me.

[toxic_shadow]

Keep up the good work!

[(/\)arped]

I read Dark Haven 1 agaes ago and enjoyed it. I didn't even know Dark Haven 2 existed until today! I just spent 4 hours reading the lot. [chant]Chapter 11! Chapter 11! [/chant]

Great work!

[The Jakal]

Hey very cool story Crunn. Just spent most of the dayt reading the two stories back to back (that'll be the fifth time then ).

I think there brilliant and am looking forward very very very much to the next chapter.

[crunn]

Thanks folks glad ya'll enjoying it.

(that'll be the fifth time then )

Zoiks!!
Trying to think...
Once before and once after a spellcheck per chapter. DH1 once right through when complete and again just before I started DH2.
4 times I've read DH1. Twice per chapter of DH2. You're at 5th time.
Zoiks!!!
You must reallllllly like it. I'm honoured.