Reaper of Rishiri

[Ramke]

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The Dromedary's engines audibly hummed as the ship flew through the Karafuto ice field. The shields were operating at full capacity, audibly deflecting the occasional ice crystal impacting the ship as it cut through the dense field of ice. Independent system fields such as this would typically have a high pirate element as it was close to one of the main transit routes in and out of Gallia, but thankfully, this time it shouldn't be an issue.

Yet another batch of blips appeared on the ship's radar system, configured to detect asteroids so that the software could recalculate the route to avoid impact. They had been searching this location for a few hours at the very least. The crew were beginning to think that the information they received was outdated and their target was no longer in the area. One of the pilots peered out the window before spotting a rather odd looking asteroid in the distance and altered course to inspect it. A few seconds later, it became apparent that it wasn't an asteroid, but the prize they were seeking.

Next to one of the larger asteroids deep within the ice field was a Triumph-class destroyer. A very modern class designed for planetary bombardment, the ship responsible for the well-known Glassing of Leeds. It had disabled its Identify Friend/Foe system, and caused no heat signature from the engines, which caused passing ships' systems to believe it was yet another asteroid in the field. It was no surprise it kept itself hidden for so long.

As they flew closer, the heat signature of the ship burst to life. Turrets turned slowly until they locked onto the freighter, causing a daunting sight to behold. The black chambers of the massive turrets stared back menacingly at the Dromedary, waiting for an opportune moment to open fire and take the ship down.

They had to act fast. One of the passengers in the cockpit rushed up to the comms console. It wasn't possible to direct a private communication to them as their systems were disabled to avoid detection, so the only choice was to broadcast the message short-range to all ships nearby. It was a necessary risk to take.

"This is Claire Sophie DeFrance d'Orléans, I have returned with assistance that I managed to secure. Please allow us to dock - this freighter contains food rations, supplies and maintenance equipment that can be of use." the woman spoke into the microphone, anxiously staring at the ship in front of them. The silence was completely unnerving. Nothing moved in the standoff for what seemed like minutes. The tensions remained incredibly high until the ship finally reacted, opening its hangar bay doors.

Having received their response, the freighter slowly impulsed forward, aligning itself with the hangar bay.

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