Escape Velocity Nova: Gems of Fomalhaut

[Wolf99x]

"A Marauder Pegasus jumped into the system and is currently fighting the Anaconda in battle." Sev shouted back. "The Federation ship is not going to hold out for very long against them, we may want to consider getting out with what we have before the Marauders turn their attention on us."

Sev began shutting down the mining lasers, pulled the few remaining gems he had mined into the cargo bay, and began pulling away from the asteroid.

"We can either head for the planets or hyperspace out of system." He said. "There's no way we're going to take on a Pegasus in this."

[Squishy Cheeks]

James raised an eyebrow. "You do realize even this rust bucket is twice as fast as that pegasus." He shouted back. "They can't kill what they can't catch."

[Krylo]

The static crackled over the intercom for a minute before Kalis's voice came over, calm as ever, thanks mostly to the fact that no one had bothered mentioning marauders or feddies over the intercom system, "That should do it. Cargo Hold's full. I'm heading back up to the bridge."

And, after tapping a few buttons on the wall, to secure the current cargo, Kalis turned and began walking back up the small hallway toward the bridge of the ship, picking up his pace a little bit as he caught the last few words of James's last shout, now that the sounds of mining weren't obstructing his hearing anymore.

[Wolf99x]

Sev about faced the mining ship and started burning heading out-system for hyperspace, while at the same time plotting the route that would take them to Serenity.

Just 10 more seconds and those marauders will be a memory

[Squishy Cheeks]

The anaconda exploded spectacularly, as the marauder turned it's attention to the Charlotte.

"Ok time to book, have the jump coordinates for Tichel yet?"

[Wolf99x]

blaster fire from the Marauder vessel passed dangerously close to the Charlotte,

"James get on the nav computer and lock in the coordinates, I need to keep us from becoming space dust." Sev ordered.

Looking ahead, he could see asteroids right in front of the ship

Well, escaping will just be a minor challenge, he thought, just before the mining ship rocked and the shields dropped to 75%

Sev cursed under his breath. "Kalis you'd better strap in because I'm going to be pushing this rustbucket for all its worth." he shouted over the comm.

Up ahead two asteroids loomed, almost seeming to move to crush the Charlotte between their combined masses.

Quickly aligning the mining lasers, Sev blasted into both of the asteroids, tilted the ship 90 degrees, and flew between the space he had opened up as the rocks broke and fragmented behind them.

"James are we locked in and clear yet?" he asked as blaster bolts hit the asteroids behind them and just missed hitting the starboard side of the hull.

[Krylo]

Kalis reached the bridge, and swung into a seat, strapping himself down before bothering to say anything. His eyes moved over the displays, and he quickly realized exactly what was going on.

"We're so using some of this cash to get boosters installed on this piece of shit," he said as he locked in the last of his restraints, "Now hurry up and hit the damn jump. I don't feel like being made into a hood ornament."

[Squishy Cheeks]

"I'm working on it." James said as he typed furiously at the controls. "We're to close to the planetary gravity well to make a jump, we need anothe 1000 kilometers before we can make a successful jump."

[Wolf99x]

Figures the distance always seems to be longer than I want it to be, Sev thought as he pushed the throttle as far as it would go and started heading head on for the densest asteroid patch he could see.

"Hold onto your butt," he said.

He swerved around an asteroid as a missile from the Marauder Pegasus impacted into the planetoid sending fragments spraying into the immediate space.

Blaster fire just barely missed the Charlotte as Sev flew up the side of another asteroid Just as he was about to dip down behind it another missile hit just behind the mining vessel, the blast buffeting the sheilds and rocking the ship.

Sev took a quick glance at the Shield indicator, they were down to 58%.

I have to somehow slow them down, Sev thought as he kept weaving back and forth between the asteroids, blaster bolts splitting the space and shattering the rocks around them, even if they can be slowed down.

Sev headed towards one of the larger asteroids, activating the ship's mining lasers. Slowing down just enough to fly level to the asteroid's surface and burning into the rock with the lasers.

Another blaster bolt hit the ship, dropping the shields to dangerous levels.

Sev cut a decent sized piece of rock and grabbed it in one of the claws of the mining ship.

"Let's see how they like shooting rocks when the rocks shoot back," he said as he spun the ship around and flung the rock at the Marauder vessel.

spinning back around he fired the thrusters back up to maximum and slid around two more asteroids and kept heading back outsystem.

[Squishy Cheeks]

"jump sequence activated." James announced. The asteroid miner Charlotte entered into the pre jump sequence and automatically spun around and fired a control thrust to brin it to a stop. The heavy blaster fire burned through the shields. The Charlotte turned toward Tichel automatically as blaster fire began to pound the ships armor.

"10..." The hum of the Hyperdrive activated as the engines flared to life.

"9..." the ship began to accelerate rapidly as the jump boosters fired.

"8..." the ship began to shake and rattle as it darted forward faster and faster.

"7..." The marauder left far behind prepared to enter into it's own hyper space sequence to pursue the Charlotte.

"6..." The unshielded damaged ship groaned as it began to near the threshold of it's maneuvering thrust.

"5..." The hum grew louder into a roar.

"4..." James felt his vision becoming more focused forward as he was held firmly in his seat.

"3..." The universe seemed to shift to white.

"2..." The roar of the hyperspace engines changed in pitch rising higher.

"1..." The universe exploded in to blinding white light and deafening explosive noise. The feeling of being forced through a whole the size of a penil tip overcomes James' body. Then there is nothing.

_____________

Tichel, Federation space January 4th, 1183

In a blinding flash the Charlotte reenters the universe. James runs a post jump diagnostic, the ship is battered, but flying. Warnings appear on the screen indicating a battle.

Several Hellhound missles from two nearby Federation carriers streak past the Charlotte toward a distant Auroran Cruiser.

"Charlotte, be advised you are entering a combat zone, please leave as soon as possible for your safety."

The auroran cruiser turns toward the two carriers, who have begun launching waves of vipers. It's deck guns crackling with energy as the slugs are thrown from the rail guns.