Aftermath:The system was deathly silent. On one end, there was the attacking fleet - pirate colours, and looking the worse for wear. On the other side, the disabled patrol ship, the four destroyers nuzzling the docks, the station itself - hulls all gleaming in the light.
Cressida was the worst off, but most of them had suffered some form of damage. 'Cressy' would need to be towed back to dock and worked on for months - most of her machinery was gone, and there were two giant holes in her hull. The rest had comparatively minor damage - a few weeks in shipyard at most. Hades and Persephone had found that their parasites fell victim to some kind of rapid-firing gun and small, agile missiles, and the picket ships and interceptors saw little use.
The Commander was worried - this, from two patrol ships? A human patrol ship wouldn't even be able to put up a fight against a fleet of this size.
The patrol ship, meanwhile - she refused to give her name - was floating adrift. She seemed to still be mostly intact, but something prevented her from coming up to speed: likely a lucky hit on her machinery spaces. She remained there, powerless; her missiles had been expended, and nobody dared to get in range of her guns.
The prize, by contrast, was almost enough to make the losses worth it. Dauntless had insisted on picking over a list of the spoils (going there herself would have been much too dangerous) and was able to identify many of the parts. Computers, missile reloads, and replacement parts - enough to be able to cobble together some form of rudimentary conversion package for a couple of ships.
There were also four destroyers in the dock; small, but carrying a sizable missile armament. Dauntless recommended caution, saying that while they would likely be a powerful asset, it would be difficult to ensure their loyalty unless the Commander thought of something.
"Commander. After this, they will likely place themselves into higher alert status. Doubled patrols, maybe even a small destroyer. You're also likely to see a retaliatory attack against the Daughters.""I see. We should lick our wounds for the time being."
The Commander met with the propagandist. He claimed to have drafted a 'masterful' campaign against the Builders, stressing the moral superiority of humans in general and the Triple Colonial Empire of Mars, Terra and Luna in particular against this almost savage foe. He insisted on having the 'war heroes' - ships and sailors alike - pose for glamour photographs and sketches, to assure the populace of the glory of serving in the Colonial Fleet.
Prepare the Fleet for Combat with the Builders- Discuss Conversion Plans
- Long-term: Reverse-engineer Dauntless
- Optional: Check up on a certain ship
- Optional: Discuss Plans with the Propagandist
Miscellaneous
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Topic: The Ships and the Stars (Read 6395 times)