An old friend's revenge

[equinosz]

The Pilgrim shocked as it entered the jumphole. On the other side the blueish Coronado system greeted them.

-Radar shows no contacts.

-Good. Calculate the fastest route to the other jumphole. Procced on full speed. I'll be at my quarters.

The second in command nodded at Roy, and started issuing orders.

As the captain was walking towards his room Zenon crossed his way.

-Captain! What's this change of plans? We're about to go to Curacao!

-Yes, but Dawson sent us a message that a few problems rose with the upgrade of the Sensorium, so we will meet them in Baffin.

-But Roy, the crew needs some free time, they deserve it!

-Sure, and they will get it as fast as we transfer everything to the new ship. The samples we took from Lansdale are very...

A voice could be heard from the speakers.

-Captain Khan to the bridge immediately!

Roy looked at Zenon, turned 180 degrees and started running to the command centre with Zenon in his back.

-Captain, we have received some disturbing signals a few second ago. We have no idea what can it be, but I don't like it at all.

-Position?

-10k in front of us. Already changed the direction, we will pass it in 10 seconds by 3k.

-Unidentified ships popping out of nowhere, sir! At least a dozen of fighters with a few gunboats. They were stealth... -The woman's voice was cut by the radioman's.

-They're ordering us to cut the engines.

-Do it! And open a channel!

The coalition gunboat was drifting in the asteroid field of Coronado. Every unnecessary system has been turned off. Only the life support, the radar and the stealth system worked.

-Scanners show two ships jumping in. An AI vessel and a Pilgrim class slave liner. Both of them marked as research vessels. The pilgrim has about 50 life signs on board. They're heating up the cruise engines. Seems like their target is the Baffin jump hole. - the man at the radar gave all the possible information about the two ships.

-Any news about the pirates? - Asked Dmitriy.

-No. They must be still around the position where they stealthed. I guess they were waiting for these two ships as they're going straight into their hands.

-Whatever happens we have to stay here and continue our mission.

-One of the pirates must have had some sort of energy fluctuation as it dropped out of stealth for a second. The liner is changing it's route, but it's too late for them, they will bump into the pirates. Yes, exactly. The ships came out of stealth and started to chase the liner.

-They're ordering them to cut the engines. -the radioman's voice could be heard. -The captain of the liner tries to contact them. His name is... Captain Roy Khan.

-Check the database, I need all info on him and his crew. -ordered Dmitriy.

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Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.