The Journals of Ashton Frost - Part Fifteen
[Begin a Session: (85) Peril lurks ahead or just out of view]
"Ria was here before..."
We were all stunned. We knew we were on the right trail - but where did they go from here? There were only two charted systems in the Abyss - both right on the border of the Shrouded Pass. Explorers hadn't discovered any others (I recall one of them remarking "that's why it's called an Abyss!") but it was unlikely that the Institute would have a hidden facility on Altair.
Still, it's where the trail led, and where the girl went missing - so that was our next step.
* * *
[Set a Course: +Supply, 4+1 vs 9/10. Miss. Pay the Price (15) - You face the consequences of an earlier choice]
It's not easy to find or catch another ship in the Drift - but they were waiting for us. The e-drive dumped us out to avoid a collision. We were facing a pair of smuggler ships. What were they after? One of them hailed us. Breaker and I recognized him immediately. He was the smuggler captain we talked to in the bar.
"You scurvy gratches cost us a lot of money when you blew the whistle. Time to pay. No quarter!"
"Does he think he's a pirate or something?" Blake asked as he ran aft. "I'll be on the gun." Just like old times... hope this one turns out as well.
[Challenge: Defeat the Smuggler Ships (Formidable)]
[Enter the Fray: +Wits, 3+2 vs 2/10. Weak Hit. In Control]
In spite of being caught in a trap, we worked well as a crew and we reacted quickly. We maneuvered to a better position.
[Gain Ground: +Edge, 2+3 vs 5/7. Burn Momentum (10). Reset to (+2). Strong Hit. Mark Progress (1). +1 to next move. In Control]
They split up and tried to flank us, but we got the jump on them and got one lined up right in Breaker's sights.
[Strike: +Edge, 1+3+1 vs 6/10. Miss. Fugitive (now 2). Strong Hit. Mark Progress twice (3). In control]
"Slippery bastard, he's damaged but still in the fight," called Breaker from the turret. I could see the damage to their hull, and they had lost some maneuverability.
"I think they got a message buoy out," said Cypher from the other seat. "Not sure who he's calling, but let's not be here when they answer.'
[Gain Ground: +Edge, 3+3 vs 3/10. Weak Hit. In control.]
We couldn't seem to get the drop on them. They were slippery. I should have expected it from smugglers. Cypher was watching the engines, pouring as much power into them as she could. Breaker lined up another shot.
[Strike: +Edge, 6+3 vs 3/4. Strong Hit. Mark Progress twice (5). In control.]
Breaker whooped as the damaged smuggler ship erupted in a ball of fire. It was one-on-one now. I swung us around to face our remaining foe.
[Gain Ground: +Edge. 4+3 vs 3/10. Weak Hit. In Control.]
Every time we tried to get into an advantageous position, this bastard gave us the slip. Breaker wasn't waiting for a good shot, if a quick one would do.
[Strike: +Edge, 6+3 vs 5/10. Weak Hit. Mark Progress twice (7). In a Bad Spot]
"He's down but not out!" called Breaker. But in the process of taking the shot, we found ourselves in their sights too.
"Our defense doesn't seem to be working so well!" I shouted into the comm. "Weren't you telling me the best defense is a good offense?"
[Clash: +Edge, 4+3 vs 4/8. Mark progress (8). In a Bad Spot. Suffer Damage -2 (3 Integrity)]
Damage alarms started to whoop and we felt the hit. "I'm on it!" shouted Cypher as her hands danced across the Engineering panel.
[Withstand Damage: +Integrity, 6+3 vs 4/5. Strong Hit. Bypass: +1 Integrity (4)]
I could feel a surge in the engines as Cypher bypassed damaged power conduits and thrusters. We needed to get the upper hand on them. This is my family. I am not going to let these sons of gratches hurt my family!
[Clash: +Edge, 4+3 vs 6/10. Weak Hit. Mark Progress (9). In a Bad Spot. Suffer Damage -2 (2 Integrity)]
The warning alerts were louder than before, but Cypher kept her cool. She had a knack for technology.
[Withstand Damage: +Integrity, 6+2 vs 1/10. Weak Hit. -1 Momentum (+1), +1 Integrity (3)]
Cypher was keeping Acheron together, but we weren't in much better shape than our opponent. It was all-or-nothing now. I remembered what Father used to say: When it's all-or-nothing, it's all-for-one and one for all. It was all of us - me on the helm, Cypher on Engineering, and Breaker on the guns. Together, nothing would stand against us.
We did the last thing the pirate would have expected. Instead of veering away to avoid their maneuver, I swung us into it. "Take the shot!" I screamed.
[Clash: +Edge, 4+3 vs 2/2. Strong Hit with a Match! Mark Progress (10). In control.]
"DIRECT HIT!" came the cry of exultation over the comm. The smuggler ship was still together, but it was dead in the proverbial water. No quarter asked, none given.
[Take Decisive Action: 10 vs 1/2. Objective completed.]
"We did it!" Cypher shouted. She jumped up and hugged me around my neck. "I'll be back in Engineering!" she said as she ran aft. Breaker headed back to join her. I got us back on course for Altair.
* * *
We arrived safely at Altair station, sixteen tense hours later. Breaker had spent the time in Engineering while Cypher stayed in the Sensor room, vigilant for another ambush. But we had fought as a family and we had prevailed, together.
"What happened here?" the ground crew chief asked us as we disembarked (from the ventral airlock this time, no more near-falls). More than a few hull panels were burned, bent, or missing, and there was a cloud of oily smoke where the starboard lateral thruster had once been.
"You should see the other guys," Breaker quipped. Cypher and I laughed. There wasn't much left to see of the other guys, was there?
[Repair: +Supply, 4+1 vs 2/5. Weak Hit. +2 Integrity (fully repaired)]
While the repair crew worked on the damage to the Acheron, we found a place to stay. We were all tired, but there would be time for sleep later. This was time to celebrate. We went to the best little bistro on the station and lived it up.
Blake raised his glass of whiskey in a toast. "To victory!" he shouted. Juliana raised a glass as well, and smiled at both of us. "To family."
I raised my glass and smiled back at them. "All for one, and one for all." It wasn't just the whiskey that made me feel warm.
[End a Session: In the next Episode, the crew of the Acheron try to catch the trail of the kidnappers. +1 Momentum (+2)]
[Ending Stats: Momentum +2 Health +5 Spirit +5 Supply +4 Fire 3 Fugitive 2]