[001] Welcome to Birach

[Leitz]

[1437.003.0850 (Ship Time)] Lady Perelandra, Birach System

BATTLE STATIONS. THIS NOT A DRILL. BATTLE STATIONS.

The alarm klaxon screamed. Lights dimmed while the deck shook. You felt the rapid gravity shift as the engines strained to outmaneuver whatever hunted you.

A softer voice interrupted the klaxon. "The Captain has ordered evasive maneuvers, please return to your cabin and engage hazard protocols. Safety margins have been pulled. Weapons are green. Please return to your cabin and engage hazard protocols."

The klaxon stopped. Lights stayed dim.

"Please return to your cabin and engage hazard protocols." The voice continued. Hazard protocols were bad. There weren't any pirates in Confed space. That's why you have hazard protocols. Don your vacc suit. Kiss your loved ones. Say your prayers. Everyone in Confed space does the drills. It's just a drill.

Merchant ships don't pull the safety margins and risk engine burnout in Confed space. Merchant ships do not go green in Confed space. Green is bad. Green means "shoot on sight." It means "nuclear force authorized." Even the winners lose when you go green.

You're not in Confed space, anymore. Fifteen minutes after entering Birach space, the Lady Perelandra was fleeing for her life.



Despite the klaxon, Gauvain, Comte Foix, finished the final two moves in his sword form. Sweat poured off him, but discipline pushed him to obey. In less that a minute, both he and Grimaud were in their vacc suits. Ninety seconds after that he was announced on the bridge. Everyone there was in their suits as well. Captain Jameison Smythe ran a tight ship.

Smythe looked concerned. Some of the bridge crew appeared terrified, held in place only by the steel in Smythe's voice. This was a good crew, but not a battle crew.

"Sir." Smythe glanced at Gauvain, nodded towards the Comm station, and then went back the battle hologram in front of him. His voice remained steady. "Helm, ten more degrees down plane. Turrets Four and Five, emergency power down. Engineering, status?"

The crewman at the Comm station tapped the console, and then she leaned to the side to he could see the recording. "This came in minutes after we hit realspace, sir."


"Unidentified ship, you are in a battle zone. Turn off your sensors. Move best speed, bearing two seven zero flat, at twenty degrees down. Get out of here!"

A teen girl. The comm image was a tight view, she was sitting in the Captains chair. Military hair cut, dark rings around her eyes and sweat on her brow. Gauvain knew that look. The horror of battle command rested on her shoulders.

He smiled. "Back it up, and slow it down, please."

Something had rocked her ship, causing her to move. He saw her lower throat. She wasn't wearing a vacc suit; that hookup was pure combat armor.

The Comm officer shifted, and looked up at him. She was scared. "Sir, the Captain ordered us to comply. I reviewed the general scans, and I think I've identified her ship. It is a two hundred dTon merchant, currently maneuvering through a small asteroid field. The enemy ship is, I don't know, sir. Maybe the sensors are off, it's outside our range. It..."

She took a deep breath. "Sir, she is engaging an unknown warship with a spinal mount weapon. Estimate fifty-thousand displacement tons."

[joertexas]

Vee appeared on the bridge at Gauvain's shoulder. Her complexion was pale under her dark skin, and she took in the bridge displays with the efficiency of long practice. Her vacc suit's, or more correctly, combat suit's, camouflage pattern matched his, and she clasped her hands behind her as she awaited developments.

[Tiglath]

Foix speaks "La! There is the meaning of honour! Captain, perhaps our passive sensors perhaps might tell us more?" He leaves the suggestion as just that but then says "Comms, place a tight beam to that trader. I would know why that young Captain takes on such odds!"

[BackworldTraveller]

You'd think that, as a belter, you'd learn to don a Vacc Suit really young...but in practice the emphasis is on keeping the Vacuum outside and the air in. I help Elvira into her suit, the lack of familiarity making us take a long time to check everything; and only then do I get my own on. Then I grab my emergency medical bag in case it's needed.

I ping the mid-class cabin where the secretary/maid (Anna) and bodyguard/tutor (Ademola) are stationed with the children. They all seem to be ready. Ademola is competent at Vacc Suits. "Ade, check along your corridor and ensure everyone's got Vacc Suit or Rescue Bubbles on until one of the stewards turns up and tells you to head back to your cabin. But be careful - you never know how panicked people are. "

I peer out of the cabin, looking for a steward. I'm not sure they realise they have a good surgeon aboard - I haven't mentioned it in particular and the title probably obscures that information quite well.

No sign. Hopefully helping someone into a Vacc Suit, not just cowering in a corner. Oddly, one of the life pods is missing. Looks like someone has mistaken "Emergency" for "Abandon Ship".

"Well Elvira. We hoped for a quiet homecoming."

"Bridge - This is Stateroom 48. Someone has utilised one of the escape pods. I think you are missing some people!"

[Leitz]

Ademola was in the corridor. She looked at Rock, panic-stricken. "Are the children with you?"

[Leitz]

"What do I do?" Julie was near panic. Anne would help! Julie clamped down on her emotions and quickly donned her vacc suit. Custom cut, it showed her off well. There were perks that came with being the scion of a leading Confed family. Tears streamed down her face as she went through the hazard drill. It had never been real. Never! Anne would know what to do. She was SCN. She was strong, like Julie wanted to be. Like Julie pretended to be. The seance was a stupid idea, but Grampa was rightly pissed. That's why he was sending her to Dad. Julie took a deep breath. "I am Juliette Pike. I am in control."

She sprinted to Anne and hugged the older woman close. "What do I do?"

[shaidar]

Anne

Reacting to years of drills, Anne dons her Vacc suit almost without thinking about it, slipping a small holopic into the inside pocket, and then strapping on her pistol.

She turns, ready to head to the bridge, when Julie runs through the door and hugs her.

Caught by surprise Anne briefly comforts Julie before holding her arms length "Remain calm is what you need to do Ms Pike. I was about to head to the bridge. Perhaps you should accompany me, your grandfather would not be happy if anything happens to you."

Anne shepherds Julie towards the bridge "When we get there, stay out of the way at the back, remain calm, and don't touch anything" she says quietly and calmly

edit: minor addition at the end to get Anne heading towards the bridge and help move things along

[BackworldTraveller]

Ademola was in the corridor. She looked at Rock, panic-stricken. "Are the children with you?"

Bridge, This is Rock Harmersbach, Stateroom 48. That missing pod - it may well be my children in there. Not certain as to who is accompanying them.

[BackworldTraveller]

Rock

Ademola, Was Anna with the children?

To Elvira...

Ademola is reporting the children as missing. A life-pod has been ejected. I suspect that they may be on that - but they couldn't have fired it unaided so if that was them on board that isn't good.

[Leitz]

Those near the Bridge Comm Officer hears Rock's comments.

[joertexas]

Those near the Bridge Comm Officer hears Rock's comments.

Vee uses her Navigator's skills to understand how the ships are moving in relation to each other, and where the life pod will go in the system.

Roll[2d6]=7 + Nav-2 = 9

[shaidar]

Captain Dubois slips onto the bridge with Julliette just as the comms replay starts. Halfway through Julliette quietly pulls her away and they have a brief, hushed, conversation.

Anne then steps back towards the others, instinctively glancing over the crew and visible consoles, assessing the situation: Tactics (2): [2d6+2] = 9+2 = 11

When she speaks she keeps her voice calm and confident, trying her best to help with the nerves of the frazzled crew: Leader (1): [2d6+1] = 7+1 = 8

"Comte" Anne nods to Foix before turning to the captain "Captain Smythe, I'm not sure if you are aware, but I am Captain Anne Dubois of the SCN, retired, and I place myself at your disposal. It's no doubt a random coincidence, but Ms Pike knows the woman commanding the merchant vessel, through a shared connection at university, her name is Alba"

[Tiglath]

Foix leans in to the beleaguered comms officer and places a hand on her shoulder "We need information and we need it now. Please raise Mademoiselle Alba on the comm. I would know the reason for her desperate fight".

[Leitz]

[1437.003.0857 (Ship Time)] Lady Perelandra, Birach System

The Comms officer looked at Smythe, who politely cleared his throat. "Comte, point to point requires active scan. I'm not sure why, but that is what the lady said not to do. Passive scans may give us the location, but it will take a few minutes."

The girl went to work, and then Captain (ret) Dubois spoke up. When Rock's statement about the children came through the comms, Smythe spoke again. "Ensign, you have the main holo, please update the data as you can."

The space in front of the captain's chair lit up with a three dimensional view. The young Ensign glanced at Anne, smiled, and spoke with some confidence. "Green point is Birach planet proper, with sun and other planets estimated. We did not have time for a standard post jump system scan, so all ranges are estimates, within ten percent. Moving planetary bodies are mostly guesses, except that passive scans are picking up traffic from Birach proper."

More points lit up. "Our original destination was the Star Confederation Research Station, here. I don't know why we can't receive them, I'm running diags on the scanners now. We should be picking up a lot more. We have navigation hazards aft; the course demanded of us by...Alba, sent us towards the planet and away from the asteroids. We are well away from any known body's jump shadow. With a few hours of passive scans we can locate at least one of the gas giants in system."

After another minute, a line trailed from the ship and then a second line grew from it. "Our course, thus far, and the projected path of the escape pod. Sir, I remind you, we have Stillwell Mark Fours. A child could operate those. While I don't know who is aboard, the issue is that the Mark Fours will do a five minute burn to escape, coast for three hours, and then bring up active scans to locate friendly ships or planetary bodies."

A large data point lit up, and then a smaller one, followed by two lines. "This is the rough location of the other two ships, and their paths."

Vee sees the problem immediately. The large warship is headed directly to the SC research station. The escape pod is moving away from everyone. The small merchant is between the large ship and the research station. If the Lady Perelandra continues course she will be going at near right angles to the course of the large ship, and will reach the planet within a few days.

To herself, Vee saw another data point. Whomever gave them the course to follow was not a navigator. It didn't account for gravity or lunar bodies.

[BackworldTraveller]

Rock

Ademola: Was Anna with the children? Has she taken them? If not, is Anna OK? Tell me now, and if you don't know go and look. I will care for the Marquise.

My dear. You haven't said a thing. I crouch down to Elvira's level, trying to gauge whether she is shocked, angry, panicked or all of the above. Now is not the time to worry or fear. Someone once wrote that "fear is the mind-killer". Well it can be. We will find them. I hold her and wait - but make very sure my back isn't towards the door.

[Leitz]

Elvira's eyes took a moment to focus, and then she smiled and patted Rock's hand. "My dear, you are a wonderful husband and a good provider. A bit lacking in the Fatherly skills, perhaps? In all the time we've been planning this trip, didn't you see the Birach star system holo in Freya's room? Or her incessantly running poor Frey through abandon ship drills? Don't you remember her asking what an Ensign's insignia looked like, and then coloring one on every shirt collar she had?"

She smiled sadly. "When things quiet down, ask the steward to check for anyone else missing. My bet is that it will be just our children. Right now, the only thing I can do is pray, so I am doing a lot of that. I don't know what The Creator will choose to do with our children, but I will pray for them as long as there is hope that they are alive. Won't you join me?"

[BackworldTraveller]

So our six year olds have abandoned ship, alone, while in the care of two adults employed to protect them and next door to their parents. I always thought they were unusual children, but not that unusual. As to praying, Pray or Do is a false choice. I'm going to find the Captain and pray he's able to do something on my way.

[shaidar]

Captain Dubois watches and assesses as the ensign brings the data online

Navigation (1): [2d6+1] = 8+1 = 9

"No contact with the research station? It may be under attack and jammed, but who would dare attack an SC research base? The intent of the merchant ship seems to be to prevent the warship getting to the station. The real question is which those two ships is the enemy"

[Leitz]

Elvira smiled at Rock. "I really enjoyed the dialogue that brought our children into the world. I also recall that the after effects were mostly my task, and looking like a stuffed blagy is not my favorite party role. Honey, I'm not ready for our children to be gone either. But we are at battle stations, and the bridge is aware. Verify with the steward if you like, but perhaps it is best to let the captain be the captain?"

Elvira is not stopping him, so whether or not he goes up to the bridge is Rock's choice.

[BackworldTraveller]

Elvira smiled at Rock. "I really enjoyed the dialogue that brought our children into the world. I also recall that the after effects were mostly my task, and looking like a stuffed blagy is not my favorite party role. Honey, I'm not ready for our children to be gone either. But we are at battle stations, and the bridge is aware. Verify with the steward if you like, but perhaps it is best to let the captain be the captain?"

Elvira is not stopping him, so whether or not he goes up to the bridge is Rock's choice.

And where is the Steward?
And where is Anna?
And where, for that matter, has Ademola got to? It shouldn't take that long for her to go two rooms down the corridor!
He considers
Ah Perhaps you are right - He probably can't move on the bridge at the moment for a crowd of concerned nobles peering over his shoulder and offering advice!