The Battle to Salvage 472: An interquel of A Pirate's Revenge

[Triaxx2]

To sate the appetite of those waiting for more A Pirates Revenge, here's an excerpt from the time between the two books.

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The Battle to Salvage Xenon 472 was an engagement perpetrated by the pirate fleet of An'ki Drakhar. She's been called the Pirate Queen. The fleet that entered Xenon 472 was comprised of four capital ships and a large number of fighters.

Actors in the Pirate Fleet:

Brigantine Rapscallion
Panther Un-named
Condor Scavenger's Lair
Tiger Knight's Lance

Actors in the Xenon fleet

5 Q's, 2 P's, L's, M's, and N's in uncountable numbers.

Entering into the sector in Rapscallion, I witnessed a minor issue. Three Q's nearly up my nose. Stepping on the throttle and running for the closest, I see a fourth out near the station and shipyard, and a fifth hunting traders in the ribbon of abandoned ships through the sector. The main guns and side batteries begin slamming through the two closest Q's, twelve IBL's shredding one in a quick burst of firepower. The other side hammered down the shields and the rear guns joined in then chewed through the hull.

The third one tried to turn to bring it's main battery to bear from where it had swung to avoid a collision. It couldn't avoid one this time as I slammed on the turbo booster, and blew through him. Seeing the Q near the stations swing towards me, and fighters begin to approach, I ordered the Panther to jump into the sector near the gate. CODEA fighters leap into space and engage the fighters swirling around the sector. The Panther itself beings to hammer on the Q heading out of the ships. Calculating the odds quickly Knight's Lance jumps in and begins to engage the Q as well. Mean while I'm diving low to avoid the ribbon of abandoned ships, and coming up below the oncoming Q. While this is going on, the Xenon shipyard has kicked into high-gear and begun pumping out more hordes of fighters.

Scavenger's Lair point jumps in, landing not far from the stations, and begins disgorging fighters, and firing flak into space, tearing apart the fighters. This is a mistake, but it takes a few seconds before I realize it. The Q, which had been bearing down on me and was about to enter firing range, spins around and goes tearing off towards the Scavenger's Lair leaving me in it's dust. With no bomber support, there's nothing I can do since there's no way to recall the Scavenger's Lair without leaving it's fighters vulnerable. Fortunately, Knight's Lance saves the day, and races past me in the sudden silence of space, engines streaming plasma. I can hear the crews pushing the engines to military power as it closes on the Q from behind. 6 km out the starboard Phased Array Laser Cannon opens up and begins chewing at the shields. The Q turns, thinking it's purser is some flea biting at it.

This is the last mistake the Q will ever make. As it comes around, the Knight's Lance begins taking fire from the Q's PPC's, but the IBL's in the nose light up, and being hammering on the Q. The Q tries to flank around the Knight's Lance to keep it's more powerful PPC batteries in play, and pull the Knight's Lance main guns out of the fight. Unfortunately, the maneuver brings it into range of Rapscallion's Forward Guns.

IBL rounds tear through the last of it's shields and meet PALC laser's coming through the other side. The Q vanishes in a burst of light as it's power reactors go up.

With that complete, Amazon, my Pirate Kestrel bursts from the Panther's Launch bays, and races across the distance to me. I transport across, and then begin racing through the ribbon of ships, over-writing the computer controls, and gaining access to the various ships. The Colossus jumps to Cloud Base South east and begins projecting a hyper gate, linking to one projected by Scavenger's Lair. Sending Knight's Lance to lead them, they head through the gate and to the Shipyard in Cloud Base southeast.

Once the last of the ships are through, Scavenger's Lair, Rapscallion, and the Panther join together to pound the shipyard and station into scrap. With that accomplished, the ships begin to pull out. First the Panther, jumping to it's home berthing, then the Scavenger's Lair, and finally the Rapscallion. The last heads south to intercept Q's heading north through BHS to resupply 472.

[Nathancros]

interesting! ahaha that Q almost got his way