Fiction Friday - Series 4: Part 7

Previously:
Prologue Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

* * * * *

"OK, by the book gentlemen," Kla'strit instructed. "Kirith and I will warp in first, catch their attention, and give the signal for you to come in, Luccul."

"Roger," the Drake pilot responded.

"Let's go."

I reached out with my mind to send the signal to the massive acceleration gate to lock on to my ship's structure and propel us at faster than light speeds in a small real space inversion, just like my own warp core does in normal flight. Acceleration gates are commonly used for navigation into areas of "deadspace" where the underlying subspace structure is disturbed or in flux and makes warping through it slightly dangerous. The danger areas can be mapped and navigated around but that is time consuming and still fraught with hazards, but an acceleration gate can generate a more solid short term inversion that plows through the fluctuations like a bullet through a New Caldari windstorm.

It was only about 20,000 kilometers until the warp inversion dissipated and we decelerated back to sub-light speeds. Immediately my overview lit up like a Gallentean whorehouse: Angel Cartel frigates, destroyers, cruisers, battlecruisers, and battleships in almost every direction.

"This is not 'sneaking into Teon', Kla. This is a full on invasion."

"Yes, I'll have to have a little chat with my agent on mission details," he replied.

I brought the ship around and aligned towards the only open area of space. (Since the danger of deadspace is mostly with deceleration from light speeds to sub-light speeds, warping out of deadspace is usually not a problem.) As the ship came about I started instructing the targeting computers to get fixes on the nearest frigates and destroyers. Like all pirate factions, their line troops typically had poor quality ships and equipment and usually only a few frigates would be given the necessary electronic warfare modules like disruptors and stasis webs that would be a cause for concern. I prepped the five Caldari State Supplies Vespa-II Elite Class drones in the drone bay for launch; my big guns were unable to track fast enough when the small ships got within 25 kilometers of me and started orbiting but my drones were more than a match for the ramshackle small ships of the pirates and renegades.

And anything moving in a straight line towards me? Dead, I don't care how small your signature is.

"Looks like groups 1 and 3 are targeting me," the pilot of the Maelstrom reported. "I got the rest," I responded. Kla'strit then sent a message to Luccul to come on into the deadspace. "Go for the cruisers and battlecruisers with your heavy missiles, drones on frigs," he instructed.

I made sure my targets were only the ships lighting me up, and but a trace process on the Maelstrom's and Drake's stats so I knew if my wingmates were in trouble. It wasn't likely though, the hulls sported some of the strongest shield defence systems in the cluster outside of capital ships, and the enemy ships were in many cases leaking radiation and missing armour plating.

The nearest frigate threat was 55 klicks and closing fast, with three more right behind him. I assigned two pairs of turrets to each target and opened fire.