Title: Rebel Victory?
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DMCI Interface Begin
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Capt. Antony: We're being hailed!
The Kestrel arrives safely at the beacon, and is immediately hailed by a ship that was lying in wait...
Lt. Vanguard: Hopefully they're peaceful, whoever they are, but I'm going to charge up the shields just in case...
Rebel Capt. Markus: Aha! You thought yourself safe ahead of the rebel line, didn't you! You are not the first federation ship to pass this way.
Capt. Antony puts the video of the hailing Rebel Rigger Captain across all ship terminals.
Lt. Vanguard: This looks like more trouble, if you ask me...
Rebel Capt. Markus: If you power down your weapons I will make your deaths swift and painless.
Ens. McAliber: What, and you want us to vent ourselves out the airlock as well?
Rebel Capt. Markus: There is no stopping the rebellion, so you might as well accept your fate now, federation scum.
Capt. Antony: Sensors indicate that they're powering up their weapons!
Lt. Vanguard: From the look of it, they should only have a basic laser, which I should be able to handle no problem here...
Rebel Capt. Markus: Fine, have it your way.
Rebel Capt. Markus glances over his instrumentation and sends a message to the weapons station to begin the attack.
Capt. Antony: Mac, I need an assessment of that ship's capabilities! What are we up against here?
Rebel Capt. Markus activates the drone systems, wondering if this federation ship, like the last, will fall having underestimated him.
Capt. Antony: Any other surprises up their sleeves? A basic laser seem awfully light for a Rebel Rigger out this far.
Ens. McAliber: This ship looks like a pushover captain! They've hardly got any firepower at all. They might have some drones or something to augment their firepower, but we'll have to wait and see.
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Ens. McAliber: Ha! They do have a drone after all, but it's a defense drone. As long as we don't waste our artemis missiles against it, we shouldn't have any problem with these rebels.
Capt. Antony: These guys are sitting ducks against us!!!
Lt. Vanguard: Well, the shields are primed and ready. We should be able to absorb the energy from that basic laser indefinitely with no problems.
Capt. Antony: Mac, what do you want to take out first?
Ens. McAliber: I say we hit them in the helm with our first barrage. Show those rebels what we think of their "unstoppable rebellion"!
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Rebel Capt. Markus: Are you ready to offer your surrender yet? Your ship may be better protected than the defective drone I was sent to hunt down, but even so, you have no chance against our fleet. This is the last time I will make this offer.
Lt. Vanguard: At least he's confident. You've got to give him that.
Capt. Antony flickers on the comm to the Rebel Ship.
Capt. Antony: How about eating THIS!!!
Capt. Antony turns off the comm.
The Rebel's puny laser hit The Kestrel's shield doing no damage as expected. The Kestrel sends off 3 volleys of lasers.
Ens. McAliber: First salvo is away, Captain! Let's see what she does.
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Rebel Capt. Markus sends an encoded transmission in the direction of the main rebel force.
Ens. McAliber: Three direct hits to the helm, Captain. They aren't going anywhere now! Redirecting our aim against the shield system.
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Another puny laser hits The Kestrel's shields doing...NOTHING!
Lt. Vanguard: Their aim has been good so far, captain, but they won't be getting through our defenses any time soon.
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Capt. Antony: Their hull-strength is almost below 50%!
Rebel Capt. Markus: It seems I am not long for this world. You should have taken my advice, the next patrol may not be so... accommodating. In any case, if I have delayed you at all then I have already accomplished my objective. The rebellion will prevail.
Capt. Antony: These guys never had a chance! Maybe they'll surrender!
Rebel Crewman: Captain, our shields have been knocked completely offline! If we can't get them back we don't stand a chance!
Capt. Antony: I don't want them escaping! Mac, disable them!
Rebel Capt. Markus (turns to his crewman and quietly says): Time to make peace with our makers, for we shall soon be seeing them.
Capt. Antony keeps the comm channel between him and the Rebel Rigger Captain on mute.
Rebel Crewman: It was worth a shot anyway, captain. At least we got that drone before this federation ship showed up.
Rebel Capt. Markus turns to his crewman with a grin, a sudden twinkle in his eye.
Rebel Capt. Markus: We will have one last laugh yet before we go. Quickly, sabotage the supplies…I want them to get as little as possible from our wreckage.
Capt. Antony: Mac, what are you targeting?
Ens. McAliber: Got their engines in our sights, sir.
Rebel Capt. Markus: They won't know this, but that coded message I sent earlier was tactical data for the fleet command.
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Rebel Capt. Markus: The next time our ships go in for rearming, they will be better equipped; these federation scum will not last long.
Capt. Antony: Ha-ha! Their last shot missed!
Rebel Crewman: Clever move, captain. They might get us, but the rebellion will still have the upper hand... And they won't be able to profit from our meeting!
Rebel Capt. Markus: Ah, these targeting computers aren't what they used to be - can't hit the broad side of a frigate when you're not at the station it seems. Not that it matters in the end, of course…Just fate having one last laugh.
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Rebel Crewman: Apologies, sir, but I've got most of our supplies rigged to blow for when we do get taken out.
Rebel Capt. Markus: While you were doing that I managed to get navigation back online. With a bit of luck we might just walk away from this. Forget weapons, get on the shield console and squeeze what you can from it.
Capt. Antony: They were about to begin charging up their FTL drive for a hasty escape! But I don't think so!
Rebel Engineer: Sorry Markus, but we just took some nasty hits down here. I don't think we can get the engine working until we deal with this...
Rebel Capt. Markus: Belay that, our engine's taken a hit. I shouldn't have to tell you; get on repairs asap!
Rebel Engineer: Already on it, sir!
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Capt. Antony: I'm being hailed by the Rebel Rigger Captain!
Rebel Capt. Markus: I've been thinking things over, and perhaps we can come to an... arrangement.
Capt. Antony puts the Rebel Capt on The Kestrel's view-screens.
Rebel Capt. Markus: Your ship looks like it could use some more supplies. Of the non-sabotaged kind. If you get my drift.
Capt. Antony: What are you offering, Rebel scum!?
Rebel Crewman continues to heap up sabotaged supplies, careful not to be seen on the vid-screen.
Rebel Capt. Markus: Everything but fuel. We don't have any of that to spare.
Capt. Antony turns off the comm and talks to his crew.
Rebel Capt. Markus sends a status request to engineering.
Rebel Crewman: If we've got to give them anything, let's at least make sure they feel it. I think that if we mix in at least some sabotaged supplies that'll slow them down enough for us to make our getaway safely.
Rebel Capt. Markus: No, I think not. The rebellion will not succeed if it is built on lies. If they accept our offer, give them the goods in workable condition.
Rebel Engineer: Those last hits hurt the systems bad, Markus. We're going to need longer than I had thought to get things working again.
Rebel Capt. Markus: By the time we get them transferred our engines should be back up and our FTL charged in any case. Moving cargo from one ship to another takes time, after all. So, let's just see how this plays out…not that we can do anything else.
Rebel Crewman: Roger that, captain. I'll make sure we've got the good stuff ready for them.
Capt. Antony: Lt. Vanguard, Ens. McAliber. What do you think about their offer?
Lt. Vanguard: I'm just worried that if we let them go, they'll head straight for the rebels and we'll be in even worse shape than we are now.
Capt. Antony: What's the scrap value of what they're offering?
Lt. Vanguard: It's hard to say for sure, but it sounds to me like we'd only be able to reclaim it into about ten or so units of useful scrap...I'm definitely no expert on the subject though.
Capt. Antony: Well I don't think we need the missiles or their drone parts. We need more scrap! Hopefully we can get more than the 9 that they are offering now...
Capt. Antony flips on the comm to the Rebel Rigger Captain.
Capt. Antony: Rebel Captain Markus...
Rebel Capt. Markus: So, have you reached a decision?
Capt. Antony: We graciously decline your offer of goods for your lives.
Rebel Capt. Markus: I see.
Ens. McAliber: Weapons are locked on to their engines to ensure that they aren't getting out of here anytime soon, Captain.
Rebel Capt. Markus: Well, I am touched that you know my name. Perhaps you will remember it the next time that Artemis launcher of yours has nothing to launch but space dust. Long live the rebellion!
Capt. Antony switches off the comm...
Capt. Antony: Enough of that garbage! Let's turn that ship into a debris field!
Rebel Capt. Markus: Well, it was worth a try. Blow the charges, they will not be getting a free haul from this little rigger.
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Capt. Antony: How did we miss disabling their engines?!
Rebel Capt. Markus: Engineering, keep working! The situation might be dire, but who knows, perhaps they will miss a shot or two and we can get the FTL engine charged.
Rebel Crewman detonates the rigged supplies.
Rebel Engineer: Amazing, Captain! They just missed like you said! I've got the engines running at a minimum level right now, but with a bit of luck we might make it out of here still.
Capt. Antony: Mac? I…NEED…that ship disabled!
Rebel Capt. Markus: These riggers might not be the best ships in our fleet, but they're certainly built tough. I'd say we can survive at least one more volley. That's all the time you've got to get the engines running.
Capt. Antony: We…can't…let them jump!
Ens. McAliber: Working on it, Captain! Should we target their helm or their engines again? Either one can help prevent them from getting away!
Capt. Antony: Your call, Mac! I just don't want to see them slipping through our fingers...
Ens. McAliber: The Helm it is then. It's not as sturdy a system, so we should only need to hit it once to stop their escape again.
Lt. Vanguard: I could do this all day, Captain, but I think Mac's plan sounds good if we want to stop them from jumping out of here!
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Rebel Capt. Markus: Next volley incoming, brace yourselves!
Capt. Antony: They missed us again! I'm getting really good at dodging these Rebels!
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Ship Computer: "Captain, the enemy ship's FTL jump is imminent!"
Rebel Engineer: You know what, Markus, we might just live to see tomorrow! I've got the engines working well enough that I think we could just about manage a jump in another moment or two. I just need a little more time...
Rebel Capt. Markus: I'm not sure we've got any left. Evading burst lasers is not as easy as it might appear, you know?
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The Kestrel crew cheer in unison.
Rebel Capt. Markus: I should have seen that coming.
Capt. Antony: We've delayed their FTL jump!
Rebel Capt. Markus: Forget the engines…grab the space electronics and come see if you can get this navigation console back together.
Capt. Antony: Ok, Mac! Let's not let them escape!
Rebel Engineer: Well, this looks grim. I'll do what I can. We're so close!
Rebel Capt. Markus: I'll send our last repair bot down to the engine room to take up the slack while you're up here.
Ens. McAliber: I'll keep the weapons trained on their helm then. It should be our best chance for keeping them pinned down.
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Capt. Antony: Another hit to our shields, Vanguard!
Lt. Vanguard: No problem, Captain! These shields might not be top-of-the-line, but they can handle this light barrage with no trouble.
Rebel Capt. Markus: Just...a little longer...Who'd have thought that hotwiring three different models of navigational computers while under heavy fire could be this complicated?
Rebel Engineer: Piloting is almost back online, Captain Markus...We're almost safe.
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Capt. Antony: Nooooo!!!! They're about to jump!
Rebel Capt. Markus: I'm transferring the calculations over now, it shouldn't take long to finish them...
Rebel Engineer: We've got it! Let's get out of here while we can!
Rebel Capt. Markus: Run down to the engines and help the drone with the repairs…you can't do anything more up here in the helm.
Rebel Engineer runs back to the engines to try to speed up the escape.
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Ship Computer: "Enemy ship destroyed! Enemy Ship destroyed!"
Capt. Antony: YESSSSS!!!
Rebel Crewman: We gave them a run for their money, Captain...
Capt. Antony: Well done, Mac!
Rebel Capt. Markus smashes the little red box with glass covering as the ship falls apart around him.
Rebel Crewman is thrown across the room by an explosion.
The broadcast beacon is deployed, and “LONG LIVE THE REBELLION!” can be heard broadcast on all frequencies across the sector.
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The Rebel Rigger (and crew) explodes into a billion pieces. The Kestrel swoops in to grab its spoils.
The Kestrel takes on: Missile +1, Drone Parts +1, Scrap +12
Lt. Vanguard: Those rebels never really stood a chance. They had me worried there when they were getting ready to run though...I can only imagine they would not have been spreading good news about us if they made it back to the Rebel fleet.
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Capt. Antony pulls up the Beacon Map.
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Capt. Antony: Well, it looks like the best route to go here, Lt. Vanguard, is towards the long-range beacon and circle it till the last possible minute.
Lt. Vanguard: What worries me, Captain, is that if we're forced to go north from that far beacon, we'll certainly be overrun by the rebel forces. Do you think we can reach that beacon to the east in one FTL jump?
Capt. Antony: I think we could go either way...
Lt. Vanguard: If you think we can do it, we might as well try. You're the expert after all!
The Kestrel jumps to the sector's N/NW toward the pursuing Rebel fleet.
Lt. Vanguard: We're going to be right near their front-lines here so I hope nothing delays us...
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DMCI Interface Begin:
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DMCI: Scrap: +12 (Scrap: 49)
DMCI: Missiles: +1 (Missiles: 12)
DMCI: Drone Parts: +1 (Drone Parts: 1)
DMCI: Crew#1|Piloting: +2 (Crew#1|Piloting: 2)
DMCI: Crew#2|Shields: +3 (Crew#2|Shields: 3)
DMCI: Crew#3|Weapons: +5 (Crew#3|Weapons: 7)
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DMCI Interface End:
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