A story that Disco made...

[dexben]

Episode 5 : Growing pains

Red flashing red .. anna woke. It seemed like every panel was telling her bad things .. Fuel low .. life support low .. Proximity alert .. She double checked that last one. Outside in the cold harshness of space sat an Outcast tridente Callsign Kauffman how long he had been there anna did not know .. heck she didnt even know what time it was .. but she did know she was in a bad way ships systems were going crazy she didnt have much time left. "Anna are you ok.." .. " Sorry kauf had a bad night, need to get back to the hood but ahhh no fuel... care to give me a push ??" .. Kauffman laughed and tractored the ship. "I set course for the hood anna ill let go once we reach some speed.. " Thank you kauf i owe ya one." The 2 ships slowly build up speed and kauffman disengages the tractor.. "Take care anna, ill see you around" "Roger that kauf hope i dont have to return the favour some day" she said smiling.

As she floated along anna took stock .. the fight the arguments, max, jack her running off.. and run off she had hitting cruise in a blind rage until she had run out of fuel then crying herself to sleep. She silently vowed to make it up to jack he must have gone half mad with worry.

"Anna! what the hell are you playing at i have been up all night searching for you" it was jack anna had finally made it close enough to the hood for its scanners to pick her up.. "Jack i wont say i'm sorry im sick of saying im sorry.. can we finish this when i can breath properly please.. im in a bad way lifesupport is nearly out." "damnit anna you could have been killed .. i keep telling you your not invincible.. Sending a retriever now."

Back on the hood anna is given a medical and sent to jacks quarters. She knocks.. "Come in anna" anna cautiously opens the door she knows she is in for a tongue lashing. Jack is sat in his chair by his desk he looks tired and weary and anna feels bad yet more things to add to her list of troubles. "Anna you cant keep running away when a incident occurs your heart cant handle." she looks at the floor feeling sheepish and sillly "I know jack i guess i still have a lot of growing up to do.. but i have nowhere to go when things get to much for me." "Be that as it may anna you cause more problems when you run .. you have to face your problems and deal with them.. there isnt just you to think about anymore..." she looks up realising this man cares for her as much as a father does to his child.. "Jack i....." Jack cuts her off "Enough talk anna i am tired and we have a long day ahead .. i think you need some responsibility in your life .. your too ... " "Flakey ??" anna cuts in "Flakey will do, Now when that ship of yours is resupplied we have a major convoy today... and i want you to lead it.."

Anna scans the convoy charter .. Two trade ship flown by derrion moore and cowboy bebop a hegemon piloted by carsten miller a nyx pilot ian desari and then jack and herself. "Jack i want a bomber for this if somethings hitting this convoy its going to have to be big." "If that is your wish anna the hood has more than enough take your pick.." "ok get everyone into space we leave in ten" Anna makes her way to control "Johnson i need a bomber thats fueled and prepped .. what ya got for me suga" johnson doesnt even look up "Bay six anna Roc ready to roll ..." anna spins neatly on her heel and half runs down to the hanger.

Out in space she greets the pilots "McCarthy to IMG convoy delta six .. Transports stick with jack bring up the rear.. Ian your up front with me, Usuall route unless we have trouble then we play it by ear ok .. any questions.." silence follows "Good then lets get this show on the road, Ian Leeds hole and dont spare the horses.."

"Jumphole clear off to magellan .." "Roger ian right on your six" anna forgets about the ships behind her thats jacks problem to herd them in a fashion ... "Magellan jumphole ahead anna going in" anna pauses to let ian get through the wormhole.

"Crap!! its a bloody warzone in here.. 5 contacts anna multiple factions and a bloody rogue destroyer!" "Convoy hold up .. Ian how many on our side.." "Enough anna get in here and get on that destroyer!" she docks with the jumphole not quiet knowing whats on the other side but ready for anything..

Ships fly about her vision, fire arcs across the sky, from first glance it looks like its 4 v 3 she ignores that and concentrates on the job at hand.. The destroyer. Powering up the nova cannon she takes off away from the crowd of ships wanting to get distance between them hits retro boosters and pulls the bomber into the tightest turn it can make.. The targetting computer makes this first shot look easy the destoyer is just sitting there almost laughing at the 3 fighters buzzing around its hull .. she can imagine the look on the captains face as half his shield dissapears under the power of the nova cannon.

Anna flies a well rehearsed routine switching from evasion flying when the cannon is charging to tactical attack when its ready she scores another hit and another. The destroyers shields are down up and down again
the 3 fighters doing there bit and ignoring the small craft attacking them keeping the shield as low as they can .. Anna pulls a sneaky move killing her engine and spinning in space firing as she turns ... The super energized packet of energy ripps through space and slams into the hull, from the distance and the strange motion of her craft anna is pleased with the shot it was quiet a difficult one to pull off. Missing her next shot anna rakes the body of the destroyer with her cannons to bring its shields down again she knows from the now repaired hull that the destoyer is almost out of options.

"Anna keep it up your doing great." jack had entered the fray some minutes ago but anna hadnt even noticed she never did in these situations all that existed was her, her ship and her target.. nothing else mattered.

Three more shots into the hull of the now stricken destroyer and the internal explosions started "Ian sit rep on the fighters.." "they left moments ago anna seems they wasnt up to the fight once the dessie was going down.." anna doesnt even watch the rogue ship explode she has already set course for freeport 4 .. "convoy magellan clear .. en route to freeport 4." Thankfully the rest of the run was clear and uneventfull and the group reached detroit in good spirits.

Convoy duties over anna and jack headed back to the hood.

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I have many enemies in the dark. So i stand in the light so i can see them..

Anna's ongoing 95%(ish) true ingame story.