they took off on a heading to Kodia Point, a rogue gas giant, where they would change vectors for Varania Station, in the Disputed Zone. Another ship was following them out of Romekia, at the last minute moving up on them trying to crowd them so they couldn't jump. The PCs ship shot forward at the last second and made it into jump. When they came down at Kodia Point, they had not been in system for fifteen minutes when a ship came out of jump right on their tail.
The Captain knew it must be a the same ship that crowded them before Jump, as it came in on the Romekia Vector, and that it must be a hunter ship like theirs, because of the speed it showed in Romekia system, and by it's behavior in crowding them, but it showed a different name on it's transponder than the ship in Romekia system.
They were still coming in a .8c, as was their tail, as they had not yet made their first velocity dump, so they were still blind to what was in the Kodia Point area as they were just behind their own wavefront. The Captain knew that the species in that ship must be active in Jump, and only the Tamberlin and the Malamo were so, and the Malamo were pacifists who were miserable with technology. This ship had to be a Tamberlin hunter ship like them, and that meant it was an enemy. He ordered a salvo fired down their tail, and the kinetic killer shots absolutely shredded the other hunter. Now, this was pretty much mass murder, but as they dumped v to make their turn, they found the system empty. No witnesses.
If they destroyed their tail and then dumped v to make their turn, wouldn't they run the risk of being overrun by the debris field from the destroyed tail, as they dumped v?
ReplyDeleteYes, if they continued in a straight line, but they curved their path slightly before dumping for just this reason. I left this out in the interests of brevity. :D
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, makes sense. Good opportunity to test the pilot's skill - does s/he clear the debris field before dumping v, and will the delayed v dump put them out of position for the turn at Kodia Point, or can the crew handle a hard dump to both get them clear, and lined up on the new heading without a delay to correct course? And if they have to manoeuvre at Kodia, will they still have enough fuel for Varania Station where there could be hostiles? Oooh, Stress!
ReplyDeleteExactly, David! They had a whole bunch more trouble to make that turn and still have enough to brake at Varania.
ReplyDeleteYou are missing the first letter in this post :D
ReplyDeleteWhup! Fixed, Tim! Thanks! :D
ReplyDeletesounds like a great time! :) (well except for those that were destroyed)
ReplyDeleteIt was fun, Bonni! The ship is still at the next station, trying to find out why the Malamo are intending to hire their enemies, the Trissein, who took the two systems in the Disputed Zone from them, as their security guards. Malamo themselves are not capable of guarding anything, of course.
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