CAP, This Time the Contact is Real
Posted on Fri 18th May, 2018 @ 1:53am by 2nd Lieutenant Gavin Hawke
1,337 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Brushfires
Location: Space, about .42 AU out from SB109
Timeline: MD13 1251hrs
Mustang was in the lead as the Raptors neared the coordinates sent by Control. "I'm not seeing anything yet. How about you, Cowboy." Mustang was alternating between wide band and narrow beam searches, trying to see everything and anything.
"No, nothing here. I've read about that kind of transmission, though. They might be aimed farther away." Cowboy was using wide beam scans, as he felt anything out here would show up well enough. It's probably a wild-goose chase anyway.
The Romulan SubCommander frowned. "Impossible, there is no way they have detected us."
His Operations Officer was scared but persistent. "Sir, I saw what I saw. Their Arrow contacted the two fighters, and those two fighters are flying fast, almost directly toward us."
The SubCommander shook his head. "They are too far out, it's just a normal patrol route." Still, the SubCommander kept an eye on the two Raptor class fighters, and they were drawing closer by the minute. He was growing uncomfortable. As inconceivable as it was, they had been detected, and those fighters were closing in rapidly.
When they were six minutes out from his position, the SubCommander growled, "Prepare the Mandukams for immediate launch. If they get within weapons range, we will admit they found us." He glared at the Operations Officer, making him cringe. The SubCommander saw the pair of Raptors still closing. "Helm, shift position 1/2 impulse speed and 35 degrees low."
No sooner did Vimkar move, than the SubCommander saw the pair of fighters react! How? "Launch the Mandukams and get us out of here!"
The three heavy fighters launched, raising shields, and arming their P-2 disruptor canon as they sped on a head-on intercept course. All three two-person crews were counting on the Federation to hold fire until fired upon. Their confidence in that advantage made them bold.
Even as his fighters charged to the attack, the SubCommander yelled at his helm, "Turn out to space, now!"
"Cowboy, did you see that? That's displaced space and an ion trail. We've found something!" Even as Mustang spoke, three Romulan-built Mandukam heavy fighters appeared from nowhere. They were rushing in, raising shields and arming their P-2 disruptor canon.
"Raise shields. Prepare to go defensive. Cowboy, you go low to starboard, you know the drill." Mustang barely spoke the words before the lead Mandukam fired, and he saw the energy spike of the weapon on his sensors. "Break!"
Even as he said it, Mustang sent his Raptor straight up and barrel rolled high to port. The energy beam blazed through the space he had just vacated. "Weapons hot, locking on. Returning fire." Ryder narrated his moves as he performed them.
The Mandukam that had fired on him was close now, so close it seemed like Ryder could reach out and touch it. He fired three short bursts and the energy beams struck hard. The first bypassed the weak shields and cut into the Mandukam's cockpit. The second cut through the bow, and the third hit ruptured the warp core. The heavy fighter exploded, consumed in its own bright, brief fireball.
Cowboy was still processing that they had a genuine contact situation when he heard Mustang call "Break!" Training and teamwork honed to high efficiency saved his life. He barrel rolled to starboard and dropped low, going straight down.
Two of the Mandukams had targeted him, and he felt a mild shudder as his defensive maneuver and his shields fended off one glancing hit. Cowboy saw an explosion, and one Mandukam raced between him and Mustang. The third dove and was turning up to nail him.
Cowboy made a flat tight J-turn, dropped his nose, and fired two micro-quantum torpedoes just as the Mandukam was beginning his climb. The fighter flew into one torpedo and the other exploded on proximity. One would have been plenty.
Meanwhile, as his first target exploded, Mustang jumped into a low YoYo hooking turn to chase after the center Mandukam. He swung in on the fighter's tail and fired rapid short bursts with his phaser canons. The old Romulan fighter jinked and dove, but Mustang stayed with it. He scored a few glancing hits with his first salvo and fired a second group of short bursts. This time, the energy bolts struck right into the engine, rupturing the warp core. Mustang broke off as the Mandukam went into a flat spin tumble, briefly, before exploding.
The helm was just turning Vimkar to race out into the black directly away from the base when the Tactical Officer called out. "They're taking out the Mandukams!"
He looked at the boat commander, "They are, Sir. The Mandukams are being destroyed. Their Raptors are carrying full-sized torpedoes that could hurt even us. They might cripple us under our cloak, if they can see us somehow." The Tactical officer was now unsure himself. It was uncanny how the pair of fighters had flown right to them.
"Drop the cloak and raise shields. Power up the weapons, and we will fight. Better to risk death fighting than to die running away. Helm, bring us about, take us straight at those fighters!"
Operations dropped the cloak as the Helm began the turn. Tactical was trying to lock on to the nearest fighter as he waited for power. Operations was raising shields, but the SubCommander already knew they were in trouble. His Operations Officer had dropped the cloak too soon.
Cowboy's threat sensors went wild as he saw Vimkar appearing on his port starboard side at about eight o'clock. He continued his turn as the old Romulan ship was turning toward him. The thing appeared huge in his sights. He locked on, but there was no real need at this range. He was shooting at the broadside of a bloody barn. "Mustang, we've found the carrier! We just entered the biggest mess I can imagine."
Cowboy let loose two micro-quantum torpedoes, followed immediately by both full-sized quantum torpedoes. "Fox-one, fox-two, fox-three, and fox-four." Even as he called the torpedo launches, they were away, and he was clawing for distance from their target. "My fun meter is pegged, Mustang!"
Mustang had just banked into a turn to regroup with Cowboy when the pirate ship became solid. He heard Cowboy's call as he began locking on his own ordinance. His voice echoed Cowboy's as he called the launches, "Fox-one, fox-two, fox-three, fox-four. Time to pull in the fangs, extend and get out of Dodge." Mustang rolled away from Vimkar, racing in the same general direction as Cowboy.
The huge ship was still turning toward the tiny fighters to get a return shot. The shields were forming as the two micro-torpedoes from each Raptor struck. The shields collapsed, leaving only the high density armor. One torpedo struck midship, one caught a wingroot, two hit the rear main engine room squarely. The warp core didn't crack, it simply exploded. The ship ceased to exist, except for several thousand small fragments sent speeding in all directions.
The shock wave hit Mustang, but he was expecting it and rode it out. His shield sparkled as bits of debris were shunted away. Mustang managed to keep track of his wingman, despite the wild turbulent ride. "Cowboy. We did it! Not only that, we're still alive." His training and hours of practice had paid off. He knew, by all rights, he should be dead.
"Mustang, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'm gonna request another element leader." Cowboy was smiling though. Not only was he smiling, he was also figuring on how to play this for the most benefit.
Suddenly, Mustang remembered Control. "Control this is Lancelot-13, we, uh, we made contact with an old Romulan raider class. We were fired upon, and we fired back. The Romulan-built Vimkar and three Mandukams were destroyed. I am running diagnostic scans now. My Raptor is showing no damage, so I can complete my patrol."
"Lancelot-14 here, I am also showing no problems, and I'm good to continue patrol."
To be continued ....
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