Elinor
“Bandit three destroyed,” Commander Zax called out from her station, and Elinor watched her display as the red dot of Bandit three disappeared from her display.
“Target Bandit one,” Crown Prince Osmund said with an unflinching face.
Elinor felt the shake in the ship as several blast from the pirate fleet got through the defenses of the ‘Skreap’. The three heavy cruisers of what Ops had called bandits one, two, and three were supported by Escorts of bandit four, and five, Destroyers Six, Seven, and Eight, and the lone frigate known as Bandit Nine.
The Crown Prince had hunted the raiders back to their base which lay outside the Commonwealth of Drala where the border of the Bloom and Furia sector met. They had already taken down several of the raiders ships in that hunt, and yet even when confronted by the powerful warship of the ‘Skreap’, they refused to surrender.
Elinor watched as weapons fired at Bandit Two from the ‘Skreap’. They raced through space, and slammed into the shields, and hull of the heavy cruiser as other weapons turrets took pop shots at the other ships in range, and view of them, while two and half hundred point defense weapons fought to defend the ‘Skreap’.
“I want those ships disabled,” Crown Prince Osmund grunted softly as he stared at the command table.
Elinor could see the weapons fire coming for the ‘Skreap’ take out weapons turrets on Bandit Two, and several hits registered on it’s engines systems, and other support systems, but the Heavy Cruiser kept going. She could see from her feed several systems fail, but it continued to fight.
“Damnit, Comm tell them to surrender again,” Crown Prince Osmund called out.
“Aye Ser,” Commander Elwin replied from his work station.
“They don’t stand a chance,” Ensign Throne said from beside Elinor. “Why won’t they surrender?”
“I don’t know,” Elinor replied quietly as the ‘Skreap’ shook from another hit. She looked back at her display screen as ‘Bandit Two’ began to loose all power, and then ripple from within from an explosion. “Sub Lt,” she said.
“I see it,” Sub Lt Pilgrim said from her own work station.
“Captain,” Commander Zax called out to the Crown Prince as the commander read her own display. “’Bandit Two’ has been destroyed,” she informed him as the holographic display at the large command table showed the ship vanish into space.
“Damnit,” Crown Prince Osmund said again, and slammed his fist on the table. “I said I want them disable,” he shouted as another hit shook the ‘Skreap’.
“Ser, ‘Bandit Two’ self destroyed,” Commander Zax informed him.
Elinor looked at the Crown Prince as he grunted, and than folded his arms behind his back once again.
“Target ‘Bandit One’,” Crown Prince Osmund said as the command table showed ‘Bandit Eight’, and ‘Bandit Five’ disappear. “Take out life support systems,” he said coldly. “If they want to die, let them die, maybe we can still preserve the computer databases.”
Elinor felt the ‘Skreap’ rock several more times from hits from the smaller starships before the last of starships fell to the weapons fire of the ‘Skreap’ or it’s own support crafts and starfighter complement.
“Damage report,” Crown Prince Osmund asked.
“DCI reports minor damage on several decks, nothing major,” Commander Fletcher, the ships chief engineer called out.
“I have crew’s on it now, and light damage to the hull, and several turrets, but all weapons systems still operational, although I would like to get Bot and repair crews outside to clean them up when we are clear,” Commander Stonetree reported in, the chief maintenance officer replied.
“Several minor injuries to personnel,” Commander Gibb, the ‘Skreap’s chief medical officer reported in. “Mostly bruises, and twisted ankles, and wrists, two broken bones, but nothing major.”
“Two dozen lost starfighter, and another dozen starfighters destroyed but pilots able to escape, and awaiting rescue, Crown Prince,” Commander Kosh reported from his work station. “Light to medium damage to several corvettes, and frigates, along with several deaths, but all still in working order.”
“Deploy rescue teams to get our people to safety,” Crown Prince Osmund said. “Bring those damaged corvettes, and frigates into the hangar bays, and get repair teams on them.”
“Aye ser,” several officers called out.
“Zax, any enemy survivors?” the Crown Prince asked.
“No ser, not as far as I can tell,” Commander Zax replied. “Might find some in some of the larger sections of the enemy ships still in tact, trapped in their space suits, but from my readings, no ser.”
“Very well,” Crown Prince Osmund said. “Get our people to safety, and then setup away teams to search the wreckage for anything we salvage. Deploy patrol ships to the outer systems, and senor platforms while we search for clues on this group.”
Elinor watched as the Crown Prince turned, and made his way to his ready room. The pirates, or whoever they were, had chosen death instead of capture, and Elinor didn’t know any pirate that wished for that fate. Still, the force that they just destroyed would give the systems of that section of space peace for several years at least.
