>>5843940No matter how much you rehearse the most convincing arguments for betraying Ienaga, they always sound hollow. Nonetheless, you must come to terms with the possibility, your life depends on it. Perhaps that necessity is the sole trump card you instinct holds over your own conscience. You simply are not the kind of person who would rather die faithful. Securing a tightbeam line to the Richardson, you personally input the message, “Once engaged, scan the Yushi and Shishi. Focus on locating their q-pulse comms relay. Over.” Roquefort does not respond, standard tactics for plausible deniability. But you know his kind all too well. Sometimes you wonder whether Jean-Pierre hugs a plasma carbine while sleeping. Or maybe he is the reason why Silas felt the need to do just that back on the Hermes. With all preparation complete, you turn to your comms officer, “Hail the Yushi, we have to work together to defeat this warhive.” A clueless Silas sighs in relief.
A moment later, a man in his late-50s answers the hail. Bandana wrapped around his head, two nanoblades hanging prominently from his belt, the afterlife of memories. He intently scrutinises you for a moment, before asking in accented Trade English, “Are you Raimondo's daughter? You two definitely looked similar.” You smile faintly, ignoring the pain from the father-sized hole in your heart. Are you two even related? The question has to wait, “Yes, but I do not bear his name. Call me Thornton. Now can we skip the pleasantries, Ienaga? You will not win against that warhive alone.”
“I see. My condolences, nonetheless. Yes, you are right, we should work together.” He contemplates the active sensors for a moment, “Your ship is in the perfect position, and it has not yet been detected. You can flank that converted carrier while we keep the escorts busy." That will not do, “No, better I regroup with your force once the convoy passes this little rock. We have intercepted their navarch bleating for reinforcements. I cannot risk being pincered myself like back at Dantalion.”
Ienaga's eyebrows rise at the name, “So you destroyed that... Never mind, we shall herd these Oxen away from you then, Captain Thorton. Over and out.” Finally, someone calls you captain. The Yushi and Shishi change course to swing closer to the planetoid on which you are hiding. The enemy captain on the Komodo wisely conserve his ammo, only occasionally firing a few ranging shots. In contrast, all the point defense guns on the destroyer escorts are flashing red hot, intercepting salvo after salvo of missiles. Seems like Ienaga has replaced much of the Yonaoshi's torpedo armaments in favour of more tactically flexible missiles. Eventually, one of them manages to slip under Albatross-1's shield bubble and burst, powering a laser array which shears the bow clean off. Both destroyer escorts promptly retreat to the back of the formation, leaving Komodo-1 exposed.
