Risk vs Reward
07 May 2024Lambast Mercy
Previous logs Title of Marque Part 3 and Favours Part 2It was a good, if fragile attack plan. If everything went the way it should it would be devastating, but it hinged on some very flimsy key points. Either way, Lambast wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of it. On her way back to her Corvette, Lambast ran the stages through her head. She knew what was supposed to happen and walking old ground didn't help, but it was a habit she picked up years ago. When Lamb was still in the military, and her squad were preparing for an engagement Colonel Deed always used to say the same thing.
“A plan lets you know what to do at the start, and where you should be heading, but plans go to shit as soon as the enemy gets involved. Keep the outline in your head, you’ll be making up the details as you go”
It was good advice, but the Major was always the first to shout if his squad didn’t follow the plan, so Lambast made sure she had Vodan’s strategy in her head.
Two combat focused carriers were going to drop in and flank the Jester. They would cause even a mega-ship problems let alone something of the same class. Destinies Jester did have support ships, but so did the raiders, and unlike the Jesters fleet, the raiders were ready for the fight. The ambush coupled with another carrier staying a system over to lend reinforcements if needed, and Lambast’s own Thunderchild also waiting in another system lending fleet support vessels to the fight, meant Red Jade was going to be in a lot of trouble.
The real trump card in Vodan's hand, was his people scattered throughout the Jesters fleet. It must have taken months, and a fortune in bribes to get to this stage, but somehow the raider had managed to get dozens of troops into the target fleet, sleeping in slave pods. His own first officer was the only one awake, and she had planted a beacon in the Jesters communications, so Vodan knew exactly where it was.
As soon as the raider carriers Anansi and Ophois dropped in next to the Jester, first officer Belladonna was going to wake her troops. It would take a while for them to shake off the groggy aftereffects of assisted sleep, but soon enough they would be causing random havoc in the privateers' ships. An external ambush closely followed by internal chaos would unbalance any defenders, no matter how well-trained.
Coming out of the lift into her hanger, Lambast hadn’t even walked half the length of her Corvette when her old Covas Holly called her.
“Alright Lamb” asked Holly in his droll, almost monotone voice. “It's that Vasil fella again. Sent you another message ain’t he. Want me to play in now, or you want to put ya feet up with a nice cup of tea first?”
Holly had been old when Lamb’s mother salvaged him from a scrapped mining pod, and that was years before Lambast was born. He’d been Lambast’s first babysitter, so he was more than just a covas to her, Holly was family. For some reason, Lambast felt if Holly had a face he’d be smiling right now, giving her a cheeky wink.
“Enough fishing Hol, make sure no one is listening and play the message please. My studs are active” said Lambast stroking the skin behind her ear to check the discreet little studs were indeed there so the audio implants in her ears would work.
As she listened, Lambast normally proud purpose-filled stride slowed. She stopped with her hand on the rail of the Corvettes boarding lift and stood there looking at her feet while she absorbed the new information.
BLUF: Destinies Jester and its supporting fleet will be exiting system sometime in the next 8 hours to attack a raider carrier called Anansi. IISS will be supporting the Jester. The captain is young but determined. Crew is supportive.
I’ve managed to make contact with the Destinies Jester and Captain Red Jade. The captain is a young woman, probably no more than 19, having recently assumed command from her father three months ago. It is her intention to use her Title of Marque to “make a real difference.” To this end she has been seizing illegal slaves from smugglers. The IISS became involved due to the large numbers of illegal slaves and has traced most of them back to a raider vessel called Anansi
The Destinies Jester is planning to attack the Anansi sometime within the next 8 hours. I was unable to determine where the Anansi is. I’ve counted at least 9 heavy, 12 med, and 8 light/interceptor ships operating in the Jester’s control zone. I don’t know how many ships are in hot hangar storage on the carrier. Probably an equal amount. She has another flotilla that will join the fight, but I do not know its location or strength. My guess is they plan to overwhelm the pirates with numbers. The Jester will also be supported by IISS vessels consisting of at least two flights of clippers and eagles.
For aiding the ISS in their investigation and taking the lead in the attack, Red Jade has been promised full rights to any seized prizes and a baronial title. The ISS is involved only because they suspected several Torval companies as being involved in the illegal trade. They have determined it was contractors buying the slaves, not any of Torval’s people. Torval’s Shield has already started dealing with the contractors.
You asked for my opinion of the captain and crew. She is a crusader with a youthful determination to do the right thing. Moreso, I believe, from a moral standpoint rather than any desire to uphold the law. I cannot tell if her pleasant and sometimes girlish demeanor is genuine or affectation to make people underestimate her. There are times she seems more like a cheerleader than a privateer captain. She is, however, unquestionably in command. There are some crew who doubt the capabilities of such a young captain, but they accept her leadership. That could change if the credits stop flowing, or they suffer a major defeat. I believe it is her first officer who advises her and keeps the crew in line. He served under her father for nearly a decade and now serves under her.
I’ve managed to make contact with the Destinies Jester and Captain Red Jade. The captain is a young woman, probably no more than 19, having recently assumed command from her father three months ago. It is her intention to use her Title of Marque to “make a real difference.” To this end she has been seizing illegal slaves from smugglers. The IISS became involved due to the large numbers of illegal slaves and has traced most of them back to a raider vessel called Anansi
The Destinies Jester is planning to attack the Anansi sometime within the next 8 hours. I was unable to determine where the Anansi is. I’ve counted at least 9 heavy, 12 med, and 8 light/interceptor ships operating in the Jester’s control zone. I don’t know how many ships are in hot hangar storage on the carrier. Probably an equal amount. She has another flotilla that will join the fight, but I do not know its location or strength. My guess is they plan to overwhelm the pirates with numbers. The Jester will also be supported by IISS vessels consisting of at least two flights of clippers and eagles.
For aiding the ISS in their investigation and taking the lead in the attack, Red Jade has been promised full rights to any seized prizes and a baronial title. The ISS is involved only because they suspected several Torval companies as being involved in the illegal trade. They have determined it was contractors buying the slaves, not any of Torval’s people. Torval’s Shield has already started dealing with the contractors.
You asked for my opinion of the captain and crew. She is a crusader with a youthful determination to do the right thing. Moreso, I believe, from a moral standpoint rather than any desire to uphold the law. I cannot tell if her pleasant and sometimes girlish demeanor is genuine or affectation to make people underestimate her. There are times she seems more like a cheerleader than a privateer captain. She is, however, unquestionably in command. There are some crew who doubt the capabilities of such a young captain, but they accept her leadership. That could change if the credits stop flowing, or they suffer a major defeat. I believe it is her first officer who advises her and keeps the crew in line. He served under her father for nearly a decade and now serves under her.
"Well that's just perfect" complained Lambast "Holly, get me Mr Hooder please" This time the plan didn't even get to make contact with the enemy before it went wrong.
Fighting an imperial privateer wasn't a problem. Finding out that this privateer, Red Jade was young enough to still be enrolled in an imperial academy didn't change Lambast's mind either. The girls drive and ambition to use her Title of Marque to make positive changes for people in the empire was idealistic, but admirable. Someone with the odds against them that pushed on to better them selves always earned a little respect from Lambast, after all, that was Lambast's own story. For her, the Robigo Cartel had almost snuffed out Lambast's aspirations, but the adversity had been a good lesson she had leaned much from. Maybe young Red Jade would benefit from a good beating at the hands of a merciless criminal organisation too. Besides, Red Jade was the obstacle to Lambast immediate problem.
An engagement with Torval’s Shield was unwanted, but not something that couldn't be delt with later. Torvel's people tended to be open to a stack of credits to forgive past transgressions. ISS was another matter entirely; that organisations couldn't be bludgeoned into submission with large amounts of currency. The ISS didn't fire and forget, they remembered, and they looked in to people that fired back at them. All the ships Lambast had brought had fake transponders, but the forgeries were a rush job. They'd stand up to a normal interrogation, but ISS always looked deep into ships that had anything to do with the slave trade. Slaves earned the empire a lot of credits, and those credits paid for a lot of high quality security.
If the ISS linked anything to Lambast, there would be an investigation. That alone would be enough to destroy her family's reputation forever, even if they didn't find any evidence of wrong doing. However, there would be a lot of wrong doing for them to find thanks to this escapade. What ever the case, Lambast felt it only fair to warn Vodan. He he was holding the next step to Lord Goodness ransom after all.
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Everyone was most displeased to be called back to the conference room, especially because it was Lambast that had asked everyone to return. Angry pirates didn't bother Lambast, so she returned their evil gaze with polite indifference.
"So what's the big problem, Marcy? Why are we not charging jump dives and loading some really big fuckin guns?" asked Vodan
"Because Mr Hooder, the Jester will soon be here to attack this carrier"
"Bullshit" answered Vodan leaning against the holo-screen with his arms folded.
"Maybe Mr Hooder, but I believe the intelligence I have received from someone that actually had time to investigate the Jesters fleet. A luxury I was robbed of thanks to your wish for expedients"
To forestall the inevitable inquisition, Lambast played some choice edited clips from Vasil's message, and claimed it came from a pilot involved with Errand of Mercy, her fleet support and evacuation company. It was almost true. That caused concern, especially in the raider captains.
"It's still a good plan" said the big Indian man with an impressively fanned beard.
He was the captain of the carrier Nila that would be out of the fight in reserve.
"The Nila will lend some of its ships to the Anansi as soon as the Jester attacks" He continued "You will just have to hold out until Ophois and her forces arrive. There is much to be earned here, and I am already here" he said forcefully, pointing at the floor to emphasize his point "I do not want to leave empty-handed"
The Ophois captain nodded. He was moving icons around on the holo display, playing out an ambush on the Anansi in his head.
"Yeah, the problem is how long till I jump in right? I mean, there's not a lot I can do about the FSD charge time. Ok, I can send my fleet, but we need the firepower of the Ophois to make sure we overwhelm the Jesters flotilla"
Turning to look at Vodan, he asked his question.
"Do you think your girl can tell us when they are jumping? I mean, she's in the fleet somewhere right?"
Vodan was only half listening. He was coming up with his own counter to the problem.
"Yeah, Bell just did call us, didn't she?" Picking up a ship's com, Vodan gave his crew orders. "All hands to battle stations. Seven-hour window, but that don't mean you can slack off"
Before he finished talking, red alert holos were projected along the top of all the walls.
"Pilots to your ships, but no one launch, the Anansi needs to look unprepared. Normal patrols only"
"Ok, everyone else get out of the system and wait till the Jester shows. Only thing that's changed in the ambush. Kai, and Fresh, you guys can come in and do your thing once the furball gets started ok? That way the heat will be off you while ya take out the Jester's weapons"
"Lambast, you wait till the Ophois comes in to shift the balance, we still got to breach, and we still got to get Red and Bell out of it, ok?"
Lambast was almost impressed. Vodan and his fellow captains didn't seem remotely phased by the news. Lambast was phased, very much so. All she wanted was information on Lord Goodness, so she could find out where he, or his body was. With that, she could have his farther, Count Goodness get out the way of her development plans and start building her damn spaceport, and the town that would support it. However, if her involvement in an attack against an imperial privateer, and the ISS came to light, she wouldn't get to lay one brick.
Lambast and her family would be stripped of everything, and kicked out of Cubeo at the very least.