EDFS Andromeda
Bridge
Hijikata frowned as the Imperial Officer brusquely declared that the system they had come from did not exist and demanded to see the real data. He wasn't in the mood for games, and certainly not threats. "I assure you, that is our navigation data. Why would we do something so foolish as to try and smuggle war criminals into your system using navigational data for planets that don't exist?"
That question, never got answered, as weapons fire struck the ship, flashing through space outside the bridge as the deck shuddered beneath them all, those not seated struggling for balance in the aftermath. Red lights flashed up on consoles as alarms rang off, the bridge bursting into activity, Richards moving without having to be ordered back to the helm, and Hijikata resumed his seat in the Captain's chair above it all.
"What was that," he asked urgently, with an added. "Damage report?"
Flynn was the first to respond. "Sir, we're being fired on by the Imperial vessels."
Toma followed quickly on her heels. "Damage to starboard side, decks 12, 13, and 14. Hull breaches reported.
Hijikata growled, leaping straight to combat mode. "Seal off the breaches and dispatch repair teams, now." He turned to Simon Cabrera, their weapons officer. "Lieutenant, target the Imperial warship, prepare to fire shock cannons and prep missile tubes for launch." Cabrera nodded and began relaying instructions to the firing rooms for the bow and stern shock cannons, which rotated to target the Venator class they were in formation with. .
Hijikata then turned to the other issue, looking down from his perch at the Imperials on the bridge. "Gentlemen, I wish it had not come to this, but your ships have fired on us, and I have no choice but to declare us in a state of hostilities. Marines, please escort them to the brig immediately. Under the Geneva Convention I promise you will not be harmed."
There was a scoff from the Imperial officer, who stood tall as his stormtroopers leveled their rifles at the marines opposite them. "Surrender? To rebels, thieves, and liars? I don't think so. Surrender now, or you will be destroyed by the fleet that surrounds you."
Hijikata shook his head. "I can't do that. Marines, relieve them of their weapons."
The marines moved, and the stormtroopers reacted, opening fire. Most everyone there hit the deck as energy bursts leapt from their rifles, and the marines took cover to shoot back with pulsar rifles. With the firefight, security quickly responded, coming in behind the Imperials and taking them out, but not before the Office rmanaged to get a message off to his men down in the hangar, and sadly none of the three were taken alive. As medical teams handled the wounded, the bridge resumed normal operation, shaken, but not too damaged.
Hangar
It had been nothing close to an anxious wait, Marines staring down stormtroopers across the hangar bay, with both sides not far from their weapons. The Imperials guarded the shuttle and waited for their commanders return, and the Marines did the same. It was a standoff, but both seemed fit to at least give each other military courtesy, even if the stormtroopers armor seemed a lot more useful than the body armor the marines wore, even if they must be suffering from the heat.
Colonel Stoffman, head of the marine contingent on board, looked from his men over to the Imperials, alert when faced with this new possible foe. That armor looked tough, and there was no knowing what kind of ammo they used in those guns of theirs. Add to that the dangers of having a shootout in a hangar bay where fighters were services, and it made a fight a very dangerous prospect. So hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
Abruptly and without warning, something hit the ship, the deck jarring beneath their feet as both sides were sent stumbling. Red lights flashed and the alarm sounded again, calling the crew to battle stations and directing repair teams. "Steady men," he said as both sides recovered and aimed weapons at each other across the empty space, only a few guesses as to what that might have been.
Then, lines of red light burned the air as the Imperials opened fire and the Marines reflexively fell back. "Take cover," Stoffman yelled, finding some himself behind a packing crate. About this time a message came down from the bridge. "Colonel Stoffman, the Imperials have opened fire on us. Consider them hostile. Seize their transport if able, and otherwise protect the ship."
In this moment he was so tempted to make a snarky response, but he refrained, instead focusing on the job at hand. The flight crews scurried out of the way as the marines returned fire, pulsar rifles barking as they fought back. A few stormtroopers fell, but they did a fighting retreat back into their shuttle, the ramp closing behind them. And though they shot at the thing, their guns didn't do much as it rose and smoothly left the hangar as it had arrived.
As damage control went about fixing everything, Stoffman turned to the radio. "Bridge, this is Stoffman. They got away, sorry. No major damage to report here."
Bridge
Things had settled down, slightly, when Stoffman's message came back. "Oh well," Hijikata said thoughtfully. "It would have been nice to have, but we have bigger worries about now."
"Sir, enemy ship is launching fighter craft," Flynn reported dutifully.
"Right then. Helm, prepare to put on a heading out of the system, and prepare for Warp. Weapons, shoot down that shuttle if you can. Comm, contact the Icarus and Osprey, and warn them of what we're about to do. Then contact the Culling of Prospero and tell them that we plan to leave the area, but we want our XO back when we meet again."
Dmitri nodded before getting on the comm. "UNSC Icarus, Osprey, the Andromeda has been fired on by Imperial vessels, and is preparing to leave the system via warp. We have no hostile intentions towards either of you. I repeat, we are not firing upon you." Then another message. "Culling of Prospero, this is the Andromeda. We have been fired upon by Imperial vessels and are preparing to leave the system. We understand transport is risky at this time, and request that you show our crew all hospitality until our ships link up and they can be returned. Do you copy, over?"
Hijikata surveyed the scene, and nodded to Cabrera. "Shock cannons, fire."
"Yes sir, shock cannons firing," he replied, and hit the button which would communicate orders to the firing rooms, who would then hit the button. It seemed Earth was now at war with the Galactic Empire
Outside the EDFS Andromeda
Mortini had waited patiently in his Cosmo Tiger, watched as more and more ships arrived, some similar to the triangle, some radically different. To be honest, he wasn't sure whether he should have an itchy trigger finger or not, since the situation was so strange. He wanted to test his skills against these unknown ships, but the consequences of doing so was dangerous in the extreme.
It seemed he would get his chance after all as bolts of blue energy erupted from the triangle shaped ships they were in formation with, headed straight for the Andromeda. "Incoming fire, evasive maneuvers," he called as he swerved his fighter, dodging the projectiles that swept through space. Still, they kept position waiting for orders, even as the Andromeda was hit.
The shuttle emerged from the hangar and booked it for their mothership as swarms of ships began to emerge from their own hangar bays, and the guns on the Andromeda reoriented behind them to target their new opponents. Then other order came across. "Alright boys, looks like we've got a war after all. Alpha Squadron, you're with me. We're gonna splash that transport. The rest of you, keep those fighters off the Andromeda until she's ready for Warp. Let's show them how we do it on Earth." With acknowledgements via comms, Alpha Squadron broke off to accompany him as they raced after the lumbering transport.
Fortunately, they seemed to have speed if anything, and soon caught up. They wasted no time then, opening fire with the dual cannons they had above the nose, stuttering through space and beating a double drum against the transports frame and rear. It was crippled, at that, giving the lead fighter the opportunity to fire two missiles, which sped through the vacuum of space before impacting against the rear of the transport, exploding and setting off the engine, the ship vanishing in a ball of fire
Target down, they turned to return home as fighters angrily buzzed their way. a smaller ship was approaching too, but the Cosmo Tigers could hold them off, that Mortini was sure of. And he watched with satisfaction as the four Shock Cannons the ship boasted fired, tachyon energy in powered triple beams. They slammed into the Venator, pounding and overwhelming their shields in the volley fire, biting and tearing into the ships superstructure at four different points. If they'd had the Wave Motion guns this fight would have been easy, but they fought regardless, as a spread of missiles followed on the heels of the cannons, to slam into the breaches made and worsen the damage, leaving the Venator crippled if not dead. and in the aftermath, the Andromeda turned and began to pull away, fighter escort still covering it, as they headed four outside the system.
Aboard the Culling of Prospero
It was an...interesting walk for Roche and the medical crews off the Andromeda, to say the least. After all, one didn't usually expect to see a headless corpse being carried down a hall by a half human, half robot...thing. That certainly caught their attention as they passed by, if another one of the things mopping up the blood after it didn't. Yeah, not many headless corpses aboard Earth Defense Force vessels, or cyborgs for that matter.
Then there was the other one, the cyborg who appeared to be...praying? as it worked on a broken console? Well, that was weird as well. Seemed the weirdness was adding up, and Roche was getting some disturbing vibes from this ship. Not that he was trying to judge them or anything, but it was getting...uncomfortable, to say the least. Fortunately, they soon reached the medical bay where they could get to work. The work they had came here to do in the first place.
Or he would have, if he hadn't been interrupted by the....thing, which turned his gaze, and which his escort seemed to handle in such an offhanded manner. "I...see," he replied somewhat hesitantly, turning to the business at hand. He wasn't really sure he wanted or needed to see more for that matter.
Then the ship rocked beneath them, and the news that they were under attack. That was of some concern, to say the least, since if they were under attack here then who knew what was happening to to the Andromeda. "Of course," he replied with a nod. "If you could, what is the status of my ship as of now? As the ships executive officer, you can forgive me for being concerned."
He looked around at the medic teams, their equipment ready though they showed unease at their situation. "Well, get to work then,' he said, motioning them forward. "It's what we came to do after all." With his prompting, they moved to action, using their skills as they had them and adapting as needed to deal with cybernetics and alien biology. Tourniquets, bandages, painkillers, and other drugs, all would be used as Roche watched on, himself not really trained for what was happening. He just hoped his ship was okay. He didn't think he would appreciate having to hitch a ride home in this thing.
Bridge
Hijikata frowned as the Imperial Officer brusquely declared that the system they had come from did not exist and demanded to see the real data. He wasn't in the mood for games, and certainly not threats. "I assure you, that is our navigation data. Why would we do something so foolish as to try and smuggle war criminals into your system using navigational data for planets that don't exist?"
That question, never got answered, as weapons fire struck the ship, flashing through space outside the bridge as the deck shuddered beneath them all, those not seated struggling for balance in the aftermath. Red lights flashed up on consoles as alarms rang off, the bridge bursting into activity, Richards moving without having to be ordered back to the helm, and Hijikata resumed his seat in the Captain's chair above it all.
"What was that," he asked urgently, with an added. "Damage report?"
Flynn was the first to respond. "Sir, we're being fired on by the Imperial vessels."
Toma followed quickly on her heels. "Damage to starboard side, decks 12, 13, and 14. Hull breaches reported.
Hijikata growled, leaping straight to combat mode. "Seal off the breaches and dispatch repair teams, now." He turned to Simon Cabrera, their weapons officer. "Lieutenant, target the Imperial warship, prepare to fire shock cannons and prep missile tubes for launch." Cabrera nodded and began relaying instructions to the firing rooms for the bow and stern shock cannons, which rotated to target the Venator class they were in formation with. .
Hijikata then turned to the other issue, looking down from his perch at the Imperials on the bridge. "Gentlemen, I wish it had not come to this, but your ships have fired on us, and I have no choice but to declare us in a state of hostilities. Marines, please escort them to the brig immediately. Under the Geneva Convention I promise you will not be harmed."
There was a scoff from the Imperial officer, who stood tall as his stormtroopers leveled their rifles at the marines opposite them. "Surrender? To rebels, thieves, and liars? I don't think so. Surrender now, or you will be destroyed by the fleet that surrounds you."
Hijikata shook his head. "I can't do that. Marines, relieve them of their weapons."
The marines moved, and the stormtroopers reacted, opening fire. Most everyone there hit the deck as energy bursts leapt from their rifles, and the marines took cover to shoot back with pulsar rifles. With the firefight, security quickly responded, coming in behind the Imperials and taking them out, but not before the Office rmanaged to get a message off to his men down in the hangar, and sadly none of the three were taken alive. As medical teams handled the wounded, the bridge resumed normal operation, shaken, but not too damaged.
Hangar
It had been nothing close to an anxious wait, Marines staring down stormtroopers across the hangar bay, with both sides not far from their weapons. The Imperials guarded the shuttle and waited for their commanders return, and the Marines did the same. It was a standoff, but both seemed fit to at least give each other military courtesy, even if the stormtroopers armor seemed a lot more useful than the body armor the marines wore, even if they must be suffering from the heat.
Colonel Stoffman, head of the marine contingent on board, looked from his men over to the Imperials, alert when faced with this new possible foe. That armor looked tough, and there was no knowing what kind of ammo they used in those guns of theirs. Add to that the dangers of having a shootout in a hangar bay where fighters were services, and it made a fight a very dangerous prospect. So hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
Abruptly and without warning, something hit the ship, the deck jarring beneath their feet as both sides were sent stumbling. Red lights flashed and the alarm sounded again, calling the crew to battle stations and directing repair teams. "Steady men," he said as both sides recovered and aimed weapons at each other across the empty space, only a few guesses as to what that might have been.
Then, lines of red light burned the air as the Imperials opened fire and the Marines reflexively fell back. "Take cover," Stoffman yelled, finding some himself behind a packing crate. About this time a message came down from the bridge. "Colonel Stoffman, the Imperials have opened fire on us. Consider them hostile. Seize their transport if able, and otherwise protect the ship."
In this moment he was so tempted to make a snarky response, but he refrained, instead focusing on the job at hand. The flight crews scurried out of the way as the marines returned fire, pulsar rifles barking as they fought back. A few stormtroopers fell, but they did a fighting retreat back into their shuttle, the ramp closing behind them. And though they shot at the thing, their guns didn't do much as it rose and smoothly left the hangar as it had arrived.
As damage control went about fixing everything, Stoffman turned to the radio. "Bridge, this is Stoffman. They got away, sorry. No major damage to report here."
Bridge
Things had settled down, slightly, when Stoffman's message came back. "Oh well," Hijikata said thoughtfully. "It would have been nice to have, but we have bigger worries about now."
"Sir, enemy ship is launching fighter craft," Flynn reported dutifully.
"Right then. Helm, prepare to put on a heading out of the system, and prepare for Warp. Weapons, shoot down that shuttle if you can. Comm, contact the Icarus and Osprey, and warn them of what we're about to do. Then contact the Culling of Prospero and tell them that we plan to leave the area, but we want our XO back when we meet again."
Dmitri nodded before getting on the comm. "UNSC Icarus, Osprey, the Andromeda has been fired on by Imperial vessels, and is preparing to leave the system via warp. We have no hostile intentions towards either of you. I repeat, we are not firing upon you." Then another message. "Culling of Prospero, this is the Andromeda. We have been fired upon by Imperial vessels and are preparing to leave the system. We understand transport is risky at this time, and request that you show our crew all hospitality until our ships link up and they can be returned. Do you copy, over?"
Hijikata surveyed the scene, and nodded to Cabrera. "Shock cannons, fire."
"Yes sir, shock cannons firing," he replied, and hit the button which would communicate orders to the firing rooms, who would then hit the button. It seemed Earth was now at war with the Galactic Empire
Outside the EDFS Andromeda
Mortini had waited patiently in his Cosmo Tiger, watched as more and more ships arrived, some similar to the triangle, some radically different. To be honest, he wasn't sure whether he should have an itchy trigger finger or not, since the situation was so strange. He wanted to test his skills against these unknown ships, but the consequences of doing so was dangerous in the extreme.
It seemed he would get his chance after all as bolts of blue energy erupted from the triangle shaped ships they were in formation with, headed straight for the Andromeda. "Incoming fire, evasive maneuvers," he called as he swerved his fighter, dodging the projectiles that swept through space. Still, they kept position waiting for orders, even as the Andromeda was hit.
The shuttle emerged from the hangar and booked it for their mothership as swarms of ships began to emerge from their own hangar bays, and the guns on the Andromeda reoriented behind them to target their new opponents. Then other order came across. "Alright boys, looks like we've got a war after all. Alpha Squadron, you're with me. We're gonna splash that transport. The rest of you, keep those fighters off the Andromeda until she's ready for Warp. Let's show them how we do it on Earth." With acknowledgements via comms, Alpha Squadron broke off to accompany him as they raced after the lumbering transport.
Fortunately, they seemed to have speed if anything, and soon caught up. They wasted no time then, opening fire with the dual cannons they had above the nose, stuttering through space and beating a double drum against the transports frame and rear. It was crippled, at that, giving the lead fighter the opportunity to fire two missiles, which sped through the vacuum of space before impacting against the rear of the transport, exploding and setting off the engine, the ship vanishing in a ball of fire
Target down, they turned to return home as fighters angrily buzzed their way. a smaller ship was approaching too, but the Cosmo Tigers could hold them off, that Mortini was sure of. And he watched with satisfaction as the four Shock Cannons the ship boasted fired, tachyon energy in powered triple beams. They slammed into the Venator, pounding and overwhelming their shields in the volley fire, biting and tearing into the ships superstructure at four different points. If they'd had the Wave Motion guns this fight would have been easy, but they fought regardless, as a spread of missiles followed on the heels of the cannons, to slam into the breaches made and worsen the damage, leaving the Venator crippled if not dead. and in the aftermath, the Andromeda turned and began to pull away, fighter escort still covering it, as they headed four outside the system.
Aboard the Culling of Prospero
It was an...interesting walk for Roche and the medical crews off the Andromeda, to say the least. After all, one didn't usually expect to see a headless corpse being carried down a hall by a half human, half robot...thing. That certainly caught their attention as they passed by, if another one of the things mopping up the blood after it didn't. Yeah, not many headless corpses aboard Earth Defense Force vessels, or cyborgs for that matter.
Then there was the other one, the cyborg who appeared to be...praying? as it worked on a broken console? Well, that was weird as well. Seemed the weirdness was adding up, and Roche was getting some disturbing vibes from this ship. Not that he was trying to judge them or anything, but it was getting...uncomfortable, to say the least. Fortunately, they soon reached the medical bay where they could get to work. The work they had came here to do in the first place.
Or he would have, if he hadn't been interrupted by the....thing, which turned his gaze, and which his escort seemed to handle in such an offhanded manner. "I...see," he replied somewhat hesitantly, turning to the business at hand. He wasn't really sure he wanted or needed to see more for that matter.
Then the ship rocked beneath them, and the news that they were under attack. That was of some concern, to say the least, since if they were under attack here then who knew what was happening to to the Andromeda. "Of course," he replied with a nod. "If you could, what is the status of my ship as of now? As the ships executive officer, you can forgive me for being concerned."
He looked around at the medic teams, their equipment ready though they showed unease at their situation. "Well, get to work then,' he said, motioning them forward. "It's what we came to do after all." With his prompting, they moved to action, using their skills as they had them and adapting as needed to deal with cybernetics and alien biology. Tourniquets, bandages, painkillers, and other drugs, all would be used as Roche watched on, himself not really trained for what was happening. He just hoped his ship was okay. He didn't think he would appreciate having to hitch a ride home in this thing.