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You offer to remain in reserve for boarding whatever the next target is. Alar and Talaat go to the shuttles and board the ship with two teams of marines. One secures the bridge, the other engineering. They're up against poorly armed civilians so phase rifles are more than enough to subdue those that are hostile. The bridge crew try to put up stiff resistance but Talaat simply wades in with his armor, able to take anything they can throw out.
With a lot of the crew on the transport now stunned it's necessary to send the remaining personnel that can act as prize crew.
Hannah shakes her head.
"I know what most of our reserve personnel will be training as when our House reinforcements arrive in a couple of weeks. More prize crews and additional shifts."
The ship is carrying gear intended for establishing a new colony. It's likely the ship itself would have been broken down for its parts and reactors after finding a suitable planet. Alar and Talaat report there are a lot of civilians aboard. More than Flatboat is rated to carry without modifications to refit them as passenger vessels. It's a problem the Alliance will have to deal with once the ship has jumped to the fleet.
The Bertrand's engineers finish work on degaussing the drive system and jumps out again trying to catch a mining barge. You and Vayall have been steadily tracking its movement. It's going to be close but you can make it. Both of you preemptively mount up in the shuttles ready to deploy the moment the word is given. Phase weapons and stun pulse grenades make up the bulk of your loadout to deal with civilians.
Checking the uplink over your suit HUD you find that the Barge changed course once you set out after it. It ducked into a system to try and lose you, ripping apart asteroids with its mining beam to act as cover. It jumps out again almost losing you but the crew manage to pick up its trail quickly enough to resume pursuit. It tries again in another system and the only thing it results in is giving you more time to catch up.
The ship shakes as the barge makes life difficult for you. Its engine bank can fire off powerful pulse detonations for additional thrust and to deter pursuers. Their crew aren't afraid to use it.
Hannah contacts both of you.
"We might have to torpedo them, though I'd rather not. I can try to get in close and grapple to let the shuttles board but I'm worried they might turn off their shields and let the blast wave from an engine detonation get you."
"Our shuttles have shields now. We have some protection," Vayall points out.
"I know but you're still in a shuttle. There's only so much of a beating you can take."
[ ] Torpedo them
[ ] Risk grappling to board
