Carpathia IV: Episode 39 - Desperate Times
Space, NCCS Sentinel
Two evenly-matched ships, one long battle trading blows through incalculable miles of space. The Sentinel's superior maneuverability allowed it to avoid the cutting instruments attached to the Vashta ship, but the constant evasive tactics made it difficult for the Sentinel to get clean shots. Both ships had to settle for slowly wearing each other down hoping to have some luck along the way. Luck did strike, however on the side of Ksenva, who took full advantage of a clean line of sight to the Sentinel's engineering section and opened fire with their disruptors.
Engineering
Engineering staff scattered from the exploding bulkhead. Running, leaping, diving, whatever it took to escape the flying shrapnel and billows of fire. Only a few seconds passed in the smokey room before Minnie shouted through the din.
Minnie: Damage!
Ramei: Multiple breaches all around Engineering. Emergency doors are closed. Several primary and secondary thruster and induction relays are destroyed...
Ramei paused as he furiously tapped at his console.
Ramei: Tertiary relays are not responding. I have a clean line through the disruptor relays. I can reroute engine power through that.
Minnie: Do it!
Ramei: I'm on it!
With the Sentinel adrift, the crew could only watch as the Vashta ship approached from behind, sawblade spinning. The bridge of the Sentinel was a wreck, but still functional. Damaged conduits hung limply from the ceiling, several consoles were nonfunctional, and debris was strewn about the floor. The ship proved to be tough, but certainly not invincible.
Adell: Status!
Amenaru: Engines are down!
Teren: Hull breaches near Engineering. Repair teams dispatched.
Nalma: Enemy is making a run for our starboard nacelle cannon!
Adell tapped the call button on his armrest.
Adell: Engineering, we need thrusters now!
Minnie: I'm rerouting power. One minute!
Adell: We don't have a minute!
Adell watched the viewer as the Vashta ship rapidly grew closer.
Adell: All hands, brace for impact!
Seconds later, the sawblade sliced through the strut and pylon holding the starboard nacelle cannon in place, sending it spinning away from the ship. The collision was surprisingly gentle as the blade cut cleanly and crisply through. Soon after, the Sentinel began moving again.
Teek: I have thrusters and partial induction.
Adell: Good. Keep your distance. Bugs, weapon status.
Nalma: Disruptors depleted. We have only five antimatter torpedoes left.
Aire: That's not enough, unless every shot is a lucky one. The Vashta ship has stopped shooting at us, so their energy weapons may be depleted too, but that damned sawblade can cut us to pieces and it is heavily armored.
Adell: Options.
Nobody was forthcoming with any ideas, and Aire thought hard about anything else that the Sentinel had that could be used as a weapon. Suddenly, he had an idea and, instead of telling Adell, leaped from his chair and ran to Teren's station.
Aire: Teren, do we have any towing grapplers available?
Teren: One in the stern, two on the port side, and one on starboard.
Aire: Good!
Aire's rushed to Nalma's station next and leaned in close over the display.
Aire: Nalma, show me the Vashta ship.
Nalma tapped at his console, bringing up an image of the Vashta ship. Aire pointed at the center of the sawblade mechanism.
Aire: Target the stern grappler cable at that location and fire when you have a clean shot.
Nalma nodded and readied his console to fire the towing grapplers.
Nalma: Gotcha. Ready to go.
Aire stood straight and pointed at Teek.
Aire: Teek, get the ship's stern pointed at the starboard side of the Vashta ship as much as you can. After Nalma fires the grappler, keep us steady!
Aire returned to his chair shouting his final order to the rest of the bridge crew.
Aire: Hold on, everyone. This is going to get rough!
Aire plopped into his chair and pressed his back into the seatback, gripping the armrests tightly. Seconds ticked by while Teek deftly steered the ship to keep its stern pointed at the Vashta vessel, giving Nalma as many opportunities as he could to fire.
Nalma: We need to get closer. Within 300 meters.
Adell: All stop. Amenaru, make it look like our induction engines are down. Teek, use the thrusters to keep our stern pointed at the Vashta ship and punch it when they get close.
Amenaru: Understood. Simulating power surges.
Teek started piloting the ship as though it were a drunken whale, lazily rolling back and forth pretending as if he were having trouble controlling the thrusters. The Vashta ship turned and aimed its sawblade directly at the Sentinel's bridge. Adell and Aire watched carefully as Vashta ship closed in.
Aire: Go, Teek!
Teek yanked the throttle, pulling the Sentinel out of the path of the Vashta sawblade while Nalma fired the grappler cable. The grappler claw slammed into the sawblade which immediately twisted it and the cable into the mechanism, yanking the Sentinel violently toward the Vashta ship.
Aire: Hold it steady, Teek!
Teek struggled with the wheel and throttle as the Sentinel fought from being reeled into the sawblade, shuddering and swaying with each rev of the engines.
Amenaru: The engines are getting hot!
On the viewer, Adell and Aire could see the sawblade cracking and spewing smoke. It was working, the grappler cable jamming up the mechanism nicely. They just needed more time.
Aire: Nalma, fire another grappler and start retraction!
Another grappler fired out from the starboard side of the Sentinel. A few moments later, the ship lurched with a bang as the Vashta sawblade exploded from its housing and hurtled toward the nose of the Sentinel. The crew, save for seatbelted Teek, tumbled to the left for just a moment until the sawblade slammed into the nose of the Sentinel, sending the ship spinning in the opposite direction and hurtling everyone onto the starboard wall of the bridge.
Aire came to, not knowing if he'd been out for a few seconds or hours. Awaking to a smoke-filled bridge and sparking conduits, he guessed it was only seconds while the ship's gravity plating regained, rolling everyone back to the floor. Rubbing his head, Aire staggered back to his chair and sat while the rest of the bridge crew, all piled into the starboard wall like he was, began to do the same.
Aire: Status.
Nalma, whose seat was nearest to the crew pile, reached his chair first and answered as he tapped at his console, calling out every bit of relevant information as he found it.
Nalma: Vashta ship is heavily damaged. They have no engines, shields or weapons. Their sawblade is lodged in our bow. It took out two of our forward torpedo launchers. We still have three undamaged torpedoes. There's still a shot in the port nacelle cannon, but the firing mechanism is damaged and we can't use it. We have thrusters and induction engines. Short range communications are up but long range communications are down. Sensors are functional. I'm reading the Furious Spectre about four light years away, holding steady and side by side with the other Vashta ship. I am reading no weapons fire in their vicinity.
Aire: Thank you, Lieutenant. That was very comprehensive.
With a quiet moment, Aire felt he had the time to check on the crew. Adell plodded past him to his chair. Teren leaned against one of the wall consoles shaking his head. Amenaru had it worst, with a gash in his forehead, having been tossed the farthest, from the opposite side of the bridge. Artemis tended his wound while Aire watched in wonder. In Ryuu's memories, Aire saw that Artemis was given the ability to heal wounds, but this was the first time he had seen it happen in person.
Artemis: Just stay still. This will just feel like a little tingle.
Artemis slowly ran his hand over Amenaru's head, giving off a dull, green light. In seconds, Amenaru's wound was sealed.
Artemis: I'll need help from medical on this. Amenaru has a broken arm and I need them to set it so that I can heal it properly.
Adell nodded and tapped his armrest.
Adell: Medical team to the bridge.
Artemis gently leaned Amenaru against the bulkhead.
Artemis: Just sit here and be still until medical gets here.
Artemis stood and approached Teren, who was still leaning against the console.
Artemis: Tell me where it hurts.
Meanwhile, Ryuu trotted to Adell's side, trailing blood from the broken quick of his claw, which appeared to be the only damage he sustained.
Adell: As I see it, besides the Furious Spectre, reinforcements would be weeks away, giving us only three options. Let the Vashta ship float there, destroy it, or board it. I prefer the third option. Ryuu, if we board the Vashta ship, what do you recommend?
Ryuu: Be careful. I wouldn't be surprised if Lazmaedia gave Ksenva some of her power, whatever it may be, the same way that Hades gave you the ability to manipulate minerals and Artemis the ability to heal. She could still be incredibly dangerous.
Adell: Understood. If we do send a boarding team, I'd like you to go too.
Ryuu nodded.
Ryuu: I can do that.
Adell: Kit, send to Vashta ship. Surrender and prepare to be boarded.
Kit: Yes, Commodore.
Kit put on his headset and began transmitting.
Kit: Sentinel to Vashta ship. Surrender and prepare to be boarded...
Commissioned art in this episode from:
Jenova87
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
