Contact: Chapter 10

[Astrid Vogler]

Six weeks had drug on slowly. The daily routines had started to become a drag. Checking systems, monitoring sensor data, rinse ans repeat.

Astrid sat in their tiny mess hall sipping her coffee watching the streaks of light streak past the windows as this ship moved along at high warp.

Livvy dropped into the seat opposite of her with a heavy sigh, "Oh my God this is so boring. We haven't had any more than a stray hydrogen cloud show up on the sensors."

Astrid smirked behind her cup, "Well they did say space is big."

Livvy sighed, "You're right. On the plus side I guess that means we aren't being followed."

Astrid shook her head, "Remember that ambush on the 12th Fleet a year ago?"

Livvy cocked an eyebrow, "Yeah, it was some Orion raiders."

Astrid shook her head, "That's what the Prophet wanted you to think."

The 12th Fleet was a fleet comprised of all Narlin ships and crews. "Lilith will want to know this, but why?"

"For the cloaks, and Narlin ships aren't as strong as Terra Alpha ships."

"Which means they have Narlin cloaking technology," Livvy said with a frown. "Those are nearly impossible to detect. During the Imperium war we used Narlin ships for espionage and covert transport because of those cloaks."

Astrid nodded slowly, "That's why."

Livvy sighed, "And you're telling us now?"

Astrid shrugged, "It's a bad habit, I know. Where I'm from you don't volunteer information."

Livvy sighed, "Great now, fear and boredom."

"You could have stayed home."

Livvy smirked, "No, no I couldn't."

[Diana Talon]

"Although Narlin cloaks on non Narlin ships is disturbing." Diana said as she walked in and dumped out the contents of her mug. "I need to fix that replicator in engineering... coffee comes out like some weird broth... that smells like coffee but tastes like beef."

"Better than the beef that tastes like coffee grounds." Karina said with a shudder as she walked up behind her. "Well ladies... good news, bad news... good news... I managed to get all the phaser banks calibrated and working properly. Bad news... we're on an old ship with mostly girls... and the head on the bridge still won't flush. Gale's been trying to fix it all day. So I would suggest using the potty when you can, because unlike the boys, we actually have a sense of smell."

"Can so tell you didn't grow up on a ranch." Diana teased.

"Your brother was literally born in a barn." Karina retorted and laughed. "I'm just cranky today... haven't shared a quarters with my sister since we were kids. She was up all night writing something... tap tap tap... all. Night. Long."

"So clearly we need some action and soon... now I fully realize why my family enjoyed having at least one vacation a year away from the clan." Diana winced and took a sip of some fresh coffee. "Anyway... so Astrid, how long should we keep up this search before we pack it in and head back to Alliance space?"

[Arthur Talon]

Before Astrid could answer the whole ship shook violently. The red alert klaxon blared. Arthur's voice came over the comm, "We're under attack. Battle stations!"

Arthur was sitting in the center chair his hands clinching the arm rests, "Bring us about. Target weapons."

"Art," Lilith said working both the ops and helm controls, "The ship is gone."

"What do you mean gone?"

"It cloaked... I think. We're being hailed."

Art took a deep breath, stood and walked closer to the view screen, "Ship wide comms if you would Lilith."

The emptiness of space was replaced by a dour looking young man. "I am Major Peter Vogler of the Prophet's 8th Battalion. Surrender the fugitive, and submit to the might of the one true god and his prophet, and your lives will be spared. Refuse, you all die."

[Diana Talon]

"Well we wanted some action..." Diana said with a pained expression on her face. "Wait... did that guy call himself Vogler? Brother? Father? Ex-husband? I won't judge."

[Astrid Vogler]

"Half-brother," she said coldly. "Unfortunately Pete neither takes after his dad or our mother. He got caught up in this insane religion when we were kids."

[Karina Morris]

"Well that's just awesome..." Karina muttered. "Any OTHER relatives we should be worried about hunting us?" she activated her 'AngelArmor' and sighed. "You care if brother dear survives an encounter with us?"

[Astrid Vogler]

She shrugged, "They will try to board. Do what it takes to survive."

[Karina Morris]

"Like hell they're boarding... " Karina replied. "We didn't spend weeks getting this bird battle worthy to let them come aboard. Of course, we're a small crew... so theoretically that's where we can shine. You don't work for someone like Nick Ryder and not learn how to use numbers to your advantage."

"Such a fuckin' badass Kari..." Seraphina quipped. "Although I've seen you beat people when they use your fabric scissors."

"That is literally what I picture when I beat someone up, they used my fabric scissors... to cut paper." Karina replied and clenched her fists. "So anything ELSE you didn't volunteer in terms of intel Astrid?"

[Astrid Vogler]

"Off the top of my head? No. In all honesty I didn't know the Prophet would choose Pete."

***

Arthur's knuckles went white with strain as he clung to the armrests trying to keep from being thrown to the deck. The bridge was dark, illuminated only by the red glow of emergency lighting.

"Aft shields have failed. Forward shields at nineteen-percent. Main power has faild and the warp injectors are fused," Lilith announced.

Arthur growled in frustration. He thumbed the intercom button, "Prepare to receive bording parties!"

Arther gripped his phaser and stood up looking around. The whine of a transporter beam marked the first boarding party. He raised his phaser and fired. The beam struck one of the enemy soldiers square in the chest and disapated. He grinned and charged with his cutlass. Arther took aim again and hit the enemy in the face and he fell to the deck like a puppet with its strings cut.

He slapped his wrist, and Narlin designed full plate ablative armor materialized around his body. Next to him Lilith was doing the same. They drew their long swords in unison and charged their foe.

[Diana Talon]

Diana was busy fending off boarders who were trying to take the Engine Room. Surrounded by Mikis wearing her face, she set about taking down the invaders one by one, every time they thought they got a bead on her, it was one of the MIKI's and they got frustrated, which just opened them up to being shot.

"Mess up all the work I've done for the past few months..." Diana grumbled as she kicked one of them in the head and used her wrist crossbow to shoot another in the neck. "Computer!"

It beeped in acknowledgement.

"Initiate Delta 8-1-5 protocol." Diana shouted as she pushed one of the boarding party against the now unshielded warp core and watched him writhe in pain. "Hope you were good with your God... because I'm pretty sure you're goin' to Hell."

The protocol began to activate, dozens of small repair drones scattered throughout the ship, replacing and replicating parts to get the ship back into battle ready condition. The Warp Core only really powered internal systems, the AliceCore was still functional, but without the warp injectors, it was still a bricked ship until the drones got the damaged repaired.

"Artie! I'm coming to help you and Lil... Kari and Sera are fighting off boarders too, the boys are trying to launch the fighters and attack the other ship." Diana said as she ran out of engineering. "Give the Phoenix time to rise again... "