>>5824955Don't mind the changed ID, I'm posting from work. I'm planning to update more often for at least as long as this battle lastsJust three days after you little chat, as you are still easing yourself into your new responsibilities, the perfect 'dancing' opportunity falls into your lap. A small convoy has been spotted by one of your scouting probes nearby. You give orders to guide the ship behind a gas giant's asteroid ring the next system over and fortify the position before turning off all sources of emissions. As expected, your passive sensors soon pick up the bogey jumping into the system, manoeuvring for a slingshot, and disappearing behind the massive cloud of gas. Jackpot. Anxiety wells up your throat, and you make several barely audible gulps. Although you know no sensors, Terran or Qyngur, could detect your breath, you can't help but hold it in. Perhaps it's this quaint habit of irrationality which still gives human a place in the machines of war despite the advent of sentient AI. Not even the station-sized banks of data processors and storage burrowed into hollowed-out moons at the heart of any major factions could quite predict what a meatbag will do when placed under stress.
A junior officer pierces through your straying thoughts, "Madam, we are seeing them again." He breaks into a sweat, "Th-they are heading straight for our position." The central screen lights up, showing at least four different contacts charging parallel to the ring. Silas curses, "Damn it, so they have arrived after all." He turns to you, "Fast response task force. If the readings are correct, that should be a light cruiser and three destroyers, cream of the Qyngur navy." The flash of fear in his eyes tells you all you need to know: one of these killed your father, perhaps this very same one. But the tables have turned, you are now the ambusher.
<span class="mu-s">Roll me 3d100 for our first real battle. I will not reveal DC since we are still too inexperienced to know that.</span>
>"Activate the mines and remote sentries. Don oxygen masks, time to play dead. The Qyngur is desperate for our tech, we shall lure them in before snapping the trap." (mines and drones can deal significant damage, but your ship will start combat at knife-fighting range)>"They are still in a loose searching formation, must have not seen us yet. Wait for the destroyers to pass, then fire a torpedo salvo at their command ship" (can cripple the most dangerous foe, but if failed will leave us surrounded)>"Let them pass, we can sneak out of the system afterwards. They outnumber us, no point risking it." (may avoid combat altogether, but will hurt crew morale)>"What would be your suggestion, Lieutenant O'Keefe?" (let Silas take the lead, this will make the men lose respect in you)>Write-in 