Chapter 4B: Asteroid Battle

Lt. Chen's fires his plasma beam, hitting the fighter 2

As the Sentinel's weapons locked onto the second fighter of the Draco Separatist Fleet, the gunner unleashed a devastating barrage of firepower.

Despite narrowly avoiding a direct hit that would surely blow it to pieces, the fighter was not unscathed. The onslaught from the Sentinel's weapons caused critical damage to the ship's systems, triggering a ship crisis onboard. Inside the cockpit, alarms blared as warning lights flashed, indicating a catastrophic failure of vital command links. The pilot was unable to repair its Haywire Systems

After a couple of minutes, the Sentinel's sensors detected the approach of a ship with the Free Merchant hull. The unexpected arrival raised immediate concerns, and the bridge crew quickly assessed the situation.

Captain Kara Rael's brow furrowed as she processed the information. "Open a channel to the ship. Let's hear what they have to say," she commanded, her voice firm yet cautious.

Ensign Alonso Carderas swiftly complied, establishing communication with the approaching vessel. "This is Captain Kara Rael of the ITC frigate Sentinel. Identify yourself and state your intentions," she demanded, her tone authoritative as she prepared to negotiate with the newcomers.

The response came quickly, in an open channel, the voice on the other end of the line carrying a sense of urgency. "This is Captain Reynolds of the Free Trader ship Starlight. We have hostages from a recent Draco Separatist raid and wish to negotiate their release. We are unarmed and wish to approach the damaged frigate to recover our compatriots and save their lives. We will release all hostages, unharmed, after that. All Draco Separatist Fleet starships, stand down. I repeat, all fighters, stand down."

Captain Rael exchanged a meaningful glance with Douklan, and ordered Carderas to end the transmission. "Lieutenant Paravides, your assessment and recomendation, please."

The patrol boat and second fighter out of the action, but Douklan looks to the sensor station quickly, to see what the first fighter is doing. ::Will we have to destroy it, too?::

"Captain, I think a gesture of faith on their part is warranted. I'd suggest having them return the hostages first, then go to evacuate the crew." Looking at the shocked faces of the other bridge crew, Douklan tries to explain. "The Starlight showed up suspiciously fast, don't you think? That seems to suggest that they were already on their way to support the others when the outcome of our conflict wasn't as certain...which in turn suggests that they might have been coming to participate in the battle, not to rescue people." He looks at the others. "I don't want anybody to asphyxiate, but we could see what assurances they could give."

Captain Kara Rael listened intently to Douklan's assessment, weighing the risks and potential outcomes of their next move. The situation was delicate, and every decision carried with it the weight of lives at stake.

After a moment of contemplation, Captain Rael nodded in agreement with Douklan's suggestion. "You make a valid point, Lieutenant. We cannot afford to take any chances with the lives of the hostages or our own crew. Contact the Starlight and request that they return the hostages to us," she ordered, her voice steady despite the gravity of the situation.

Ensign Alonso Carderas quickly relayed the message to the Starlight, conveying the Sentinel's request for the safe return of the hostages. As they awaited a response, tension hung heavy in the air on the bridge, each member of the crew acutely aware of the stakes involved.

Moments later, a response came through from the Starlight, confirming their willingness to cooperate. "Half of the hostages will be returned to you safely now, half after we finish." came the reply, accompanied by coordinates indicating the location where the hostages would be sent to.

True to their word, the hostages were loaded into Lifeboats and sent back, their safe return a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of battle. Meanwhile the Free Merchant ship continued their approach towards the damaged frigate.

Captain Rael ordered Lt. Chen to keep the guns trained on the fighters, particularly the one still combat-capable (Fighter 1). "Stay alert, everyone. I'm sure they're concerned about their comrades, but there's no reason to think they bear us anything but ill will. This could be a trap." She touches a control, selecting an internal comm channel. "Marine Sergeant Laspey, I want you to take a squad with you on the shuttle and rendezvous with that lifeboat. Dock and inspect the passengers to confirm that they are hostages/crew from Nocturna's Relay Station. Report your findings to me A.S.A.P." Captain Rael looks grimly at the bridge crew. "Douklan, keep your distance for now."

GM edit: Strikethrough and written a new command below

"Sergeant Anderson, get a squad and prepare for boarding operations. You will have to do it the hard way, Will. We won't approach it." - ordered the Captain.

"Ooh rah!" - answers the Marine.

A few minutes later, outside the safety of the Sentinel's hull, the marine spacewalkers donned their specialized suits and equipment, preparing to venture into the unforgiving void of space. Each marine was equipped with an orbit checker, a sophisticated device that would calculate the precise angle and force needed to navigate the treacherous journey between ships.

As the Sentinel engines shut down, the first marine spacewalker braced themselves for the harrowing journey ahead. With a deep breath, they activated their orbit checker and propelled themselves into the void, their trajectory carefully calculated to ensure a safe passage to the lifeboat.

Minutes passed like hours as the spacewalker floated in the emptiness of space, their only companions the stars above and the void below.

With practiced skill, they maneuvered closer, their suit thrusters hissing softly in the vacuum of space.

As they reached the airlock of the lifeboat, the marine expertly engaged the manual override, allowing them entry from the outside. With a hiss of escaping air, the airlock opened, revealing the interior of the vessel. He entered and closed the external door.

Inside, the marine surveyed their surroundings with a trained eye, taking note of the three hostages huddled together in the cramped space. Despite the tense situation, the hostages appeared unharmed, their expressions a mixture of relief and anxiety as they gazed up at their rescuer.

"Captain, this is Marine Delta-Seven. I've successfully boarded the lifeboat and confirmed three hostages on board, all alive and well," the marine reported over the comm link, their voice calm and steady despite the gravity of the situation.

On the bridge of the Sentinel, Captain Kara Rael acknowledged the report with a sense of relief. "Acknowledged, Marine Delta-Seven. Stand by for extraction."

As the Sentinel closed in on the rendezvous point with the lifeboat, the rest of the crew continued to monitor the progress and position of the Starlight as it approached the heavily damaged patrol boat. The damaged fighter, now with its electronics repaired, came back into formation and circled their compatriots. Tension hung thick in the Sentinel's bridge.

After a second Marine came onboard the escape pod and quickly inspected its systems looking for bobby traps, the ITC frigate proceeded with the docking maneuver.

In the meantime, onboard the damaged frigate, the crew of the Starlight worked quickly to establish a secure connection with the damaged docking port, where Commander Thalos and his crew awaited for their rescue.

A few minutes later, with the first group of hostages safely on board the Sentinel and the first lifeboat discarded and left to drift, a second lifeboat was launched towards the ITC frigate, apparently with the last group of hostages, as the Starlight undocked and began its retreat.

The two fighters of the Separatist Fleet also attempted to retreat, leaving the patrol boat husk behind.