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<span class="mu-s">CLANNNG</span>
"No damage detected," Damage Control says after several tense seconds, leading to a quiet, collective release of held breaths.
"Well done Helm, I only warned you about that rock two minutes ago," Erinja quips from over the Navigation console.
"I wasn't..." the young and currently heavily sweating pilot thinks better of making excuses. "I put too much power into the port thrusters during the last turn. My apologies, Kiith'sa."
"It's fine," you reply, forcing your voice to remain calm despite your own nervousness. "We're all still learning after all. Just pay more attention next time."
Being deep within Vaneda Field made Kiith Buujan's base unreachable through hyperjump. On your veterans' advice, you ordered the ship not to follow Buujan nav buoys, instead taking a more circumspect route. Both to avoid any possible Taidan surveillance and also to let your crew practice precision navigation.
It has certainly been an experience.
"Aw, don't be like that, kiith'sa. It ain't a real warship until it earns some dents," Erinja quips again to a number of snorts and chuckles.
"Besides, if our ship looks too clean and shiny, the Taidan might spot us coming from afar!" someone adds, this time provoking some outright laughter. And with it, most of the tension that permeated the bridge simply dissipates.
But all that good cheer disappears a couple hours later, when <span class="mu-i">Naqam's</span> sensors pick up the wreck of a Buujan mining vessel.
"It was a precision strike: see how there's no plasma scoring anywhere but the aft section?" Erinja explains the images thrown up on the bridge's main display. "They ruptured the fuel tanks - the explosion was strong enough to cause the ship to break apart, but not disintegrate. Then they came back afterward, picked it clean of anything of value. It's nothing but a husk now."
"They weren't even armed," someone spits angrily. A Sleeper.
"Best kind of target to attack," a veteran shrugs. "One that can't fight back."
"Do Taidan raid groups scavenge like this often?" you ask.
"Depends on the situation, but it makes sense for long-term operations," Erinja shrugs. "A single frigate can only carry so much fuel and raw resources for repairs and rearming. And regardless of how cautious the commander might be, the strike craft will be taking damage every time they attack something that can fight back."
"The message from Kiith Buujan mentioned they had to cease mining operations," you say thoughtfully. "If the Taidan are being denied easy targets, does it mean they could be facing resource pressure as well? As you said, their corvettes would be taking damage every time they attack the asteroid's defense grid, no?"
"It's very possible," Erinja narrows her eyes speculatively. "Are you going somewhere with this, kiith'sa?"
"I'm not sure," you admit with a shrug. "For now, we should hurry and make contact with Kiith Buujan."
Soon enough you are back under way, leaving the burned out wreck behind.
