Dogs Of Straw
Tracing the trajectory of the Dog Star as it etched a wide circular path across the canopy of the Perseus, her eyes following the pin point of light as it winked in and out, obscured periodically by the canopy’s carbon/alloy frame. Ronin settled back into her seat, the soft leather momentarily giving way to the subtle curves of the Argon’s body. Closing her eyes she inhaled slowly, savouring the moment as the cool oxygen from the air exchangers entered her lungs, filling them to capacity.
“The waiting is always the worst part” she thought.
She opened her eyes and scanned the instrumentation in front of her.
“Target, lock and identify all new M3 class vessels entering the system” she said, as though to no one.
“Affirmative” came the cold response from the ships computer.
The preparations were completed, the SOP’s checked and verified and now here she was once again alone waiting for the mark.
These missions were her bread and butter and she had completed dozens of assassination missions previously, but she always got nervous leading up to task. Once the job was underway and the mark was in sector, the adrenaline would kick in and she knew she would not remember much until after the event. Still always the waiting though.
Ronin caught herself and brought an abrupt stop to the thoughts filling her mind. If she let them go unchecked she would work herself up into a panic, stopping your mind from racing took self control but did not always work. She shifted herself into a new position in her seat and readjusted the harness.
“Ok then people, what’s happening?”
Bringing up the HUD, she followed the paths of several freighters as they weaved their way across the sector. A dozen or so craft, mostly Mercury’s, were navigating within the system between the various stations. From her vantage point on the elliptical rim of the system, Ronin surveyed the comings and goings of the traders, their ships leaving faint trails behind them. Occasionally she had moments like this, where she would just sit and watch the lives of other people unfold around her, it was a calming experience and one not to be under estimated. The vents from an aging Discovery falter momentarily before bursting into life again and propelling the craft along its chosen path was again.
“Bet he’s been putting off getting that fixed” she thought.
She watched the Discovery meander its way across the panorama set before her. She laughed.
“Nova class vessel entering system at point 576.245, 876.481, 249.951.” The voice made her jump slightly in her seat. “Target locked” the computer continued.
Ronin scanned the proximity displays to her right, switched on the trajectory path projector and powered up the Perseus’s weapons.
“Warning. Power redirection from shields to ordnance. Enter to comply” came the feminine voice over the intercom.
“Negative, climate control to shields. Shields to Ordnance. Comply” barked Ronin.
Hitting the trajectory switch on the console, the Perseus swung gently around bringing the target reticules on the HUD in line with the nose of the craft.
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