The Rebel Faction

As Merendez watched the screen she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Something was out of place - this area was just TO quiet. Normally it'd be littered with trading ships from the various colony's and stations that where present in this area of space.

What was more mysterious was the lack of security patrols. At any given moment the station usually had a cruiser or carrier present; but in this case there wasn't anyway. "Open a line to the station's command bridge." Merendez ordered and her communications officer nodded.

A few seconds later an image of an older man appeared; he looked to be in his late fifty's, with some gray hair. "Yes Admiral?" The man said, telling by his voice he was very tired must've been up all day.

"Where are the security patrols?" She asked him. "They got called to a pirate attack on one of our allie's freighters."

"How long ago?" She asked, getting suspious. "About thirty minutes ago ma'am." he responded. "And you don't find that odd?" she questioned a second later before ending the conversation.

She was about to walk away when the bridge was suddenly bathed in a red hue, emergency collision alarm's suddenly sounded as a ship came out of hyper-space direclty off there bow - it was a marine troop transport. "Hard to starboard!" Yelled the captain as the marine transport continued toward them.

"Port side guns, get to fire!" The captain ordered and a green ackololedgement light suddenly appeared on the ships internal display sheet that signaled that the port side gun battery's where ready.

Outside the marine transport flew across their bow and, using reverse thrust, kept up with the mighty cruiser. The transport evaded the port side laser batteries as it latched onto the cruisers hull.

The captain snarled and signaled for his helmsman to take evasive action. The cruiser port side thrusters suddenly engaged and pushed the ship downward, the sound of scraching metal could be heard as the marine transport's pilot tried to keep his ship attached to the cruiser but it wasn't enough as the support shaft was torn from the cruiser, enemy marine's tumbled out of the shaft and into space - lucky for them they have suits on.

Unluckily was that the point defense turrets now pegged them as incoming ordanance and was blasting each floating marine. Meanwhile the port side batterie's locked onto the marine transport and released a constant stream of laser fire into it, resulting in the transport being torn to peices.

The captain wiped the sweat from his forehead - but it wasn't over as two cruisers, a carrier and as least a half dozen enemy ships suddenly appeared near the station. "err.... we've become rather populer today." the captain snarled as he ordered his crew to get ready.

Merendez rubbed her chin and schrutinized the markings on the unknown ships. "The Blue Dragons...." she said. "That explains how they managed to get past our sensors."

"Aren't they a bit FAR from their normal breeding grounds?" The captain said as he snapped a look at Merendez when he heard her say 'blue dragons'

She nodded. "They normally stay in the outer area's of space, rarely coming out here because of the large coalition and imperial presence." She said.

"Either way; we have to take them out." The captain said as his ship ringed the station and came into firing range for it's four torpedo tubes to rack the enemy's carrier.

"Hard to port!" Shouted the captain as his vessel dove under one of the pirate's mighty frigates. "Open fire!" he shouted and the starboard laser batteries came to life and peppered the frigates shields for only a fraction of a second before they failed; angry red beams of heated energy punched their way into the pirate's hull, evaporating armor and exposing inside to space.

A grin formed on the captains face as his helmsman maneuvered the might vessel toward what had to be the pirate's command and control vessel, a large cruiser that kept away from the battle, from the sensor reading's it was already apperant that this cruiser, while it had weapon emplacements, wouldn't do much damage to them. It's weaponry was sub-par, it had no long range weapons to engage them, and it's point defense was neglecgible - basically it seemed the pirates where after a pure command and control vessel... without a defense grid.

The Serendivus vessel took advantage of this flaw and flew toward the pirate ship; it's turbo laser batteries firing out as it went. When it was within a certain distance the helmsman pulled the ship to port. The captain didn't need to relay the orders as his crew already knew what they where going to do. As his ship came up to the pirate's starboard side, over twenty five torpedo's suddenly appears from the Seren's starboard.

What little turrets the command ship had came to life and opened up on the torpedo's but to no avail, they where to close for the turrets to accuractly track them and before long - twenty five torpedo's slammed into the command ships unprotected hull, rupting the vessel and spliting it in half.

"I'm impressed." Merendes said with her arms folded. She looked at the sensor screen and noticed several heavily damaged pirate ships that drifted toward the station's automated defense grid, which had pegged the disabled pirates as a hazard to navigation and responded kindly with turbolaser fire.

With a nod of her head the Seren vessel came about and fired one last volley, twelve torpedo's into the engine section and thirteen into the front section of the now halved pirate ship, because making it's way back to the station.

Merendez gave out a sigh of relief when the station reported no more hostiles. "Captain; dock at the station." she ordered.

While she listened to the captain bark orders on the bridge she couldn't help but wonder if they had a spy on board. Her curiousity was confirmed when a marine reported that they had found a transmiter located in an area of the ship that isn't normally passaged, but they also found someone setting up another transmiter in another area of the ship.

They asked the captain what they should do with the intruder, but the captain deferred that to Merendez who told the marines to put the prisoner in the brig.

"Invite the Steller ship to also dock, they can use the two docking ports on either the top or bottom." Merendez said as the Seren cruiser swung around to present it's side to a set of docking clamps on the outside of the station. "Take on any provisions and supply's you need; I'd prefer we not stay here very long."

Looking outside Merendez continued to think about how they supposingly simple business mission had turned into two battles; both her ship wasn't exactly 'equiped' for but then again she was glad she had hand picked this crew, they all performed just as she had hoped and wanted.

A clang resonated throughout the ship as the two docking clamps attached themselves to the ship. Pipe's and other tubes attached to the side of the ship, a boarding tunnel soon appeared and connected itself to the ships boarding doors.

One final tube attached to a hanger bay door; this door was smaller than those present in the fighter bay, but big enough to where men and vehicls could move supply's in and out of the ship.

"Now we wait until after supply is done." The captain said and walked over to Merendez. "You ok ma'am?" he asked her. She gave out a sigh and smiled slightly, "I'm ok. Just curious as to what the pirate's where thinking."