MERLIN
STARDATE 07.01.21 SUPPLEMENTAL
PRIME SECTOR
“The Stumgeschutz has launched a Scatterpack!!”
Captain Elizabeth’s blue eyes widened. Six Drones were now homing in on the Merlin. Without thinking, she barked out a command.
“Launch the Wild Weasel!”
A Shuttle flew out of the Merlin, transmitting signals to fool incoming seeking weapons into believing that she was the Merlin herself. Instantly, the Six Drones locked onto the Wild Weasel. Because of the Wild Weasel, Merlin inched along at a snail’s pace and lost Active Fire Control. However, she did gain a temporary boost in Electronic Counter Measures.
The battle with the Stumgeschutz had gone better than Captain Elizabeth had anticipated. For a good portion of the fight, the Merlin chased the Stumgeschutz about as it danced just out of range. Merlin was pounded repeatedly by Disruptor Bolts, Quantum Phasers, and Plasma Torpedoes. Merlin returned fire with Phasers and Ultra Warp Missiles, but the damage to the Stumgeschutz was minimal. Then the Stumgeschutz made a fatal error.
On one of her battle runs, the Stumgeschutz got too close to Merlin, well within Overload Range. Captain Elizabeth quickly took advantage of the error. Three Overloaded Photons flew out of the Merlin, two of which hit the Stumgeschutz. Her facing shield collapsed. Phasers from the Merlin followed, ravaging the Stumgeschutz’s interior. Merlin clearly had the upper hand now.
Then the Stumgeschutz launched a Scatterpack.
This was the moment that Delphi warned me about, Captain Elizabeth thought. But our Wild Weasel seems to have neatly countered the assault. Once we get back up to speed, we’ll be able to…
“Captain!” Fafnir yelled out. The small Draconic Helmsman was pumping with adrenaline. “The Stumgeschutz is moving off. I’ve programmed a pursuit course, but we’re stuck at this slow speed!”
The Stumgeschutz was able to make it a good distance away before Merlin was finally able to charge after her.
Then the Stumgeschutz began to distort and vibrate on the View Screen. Merlin fired a few shots from afar, but missed completely.
“She’s activated her Distortion Field!” Morgause reported while staring at her terminal display.
“Relax, everyone,” Captain Elizabeth ordered in a calm voice. “We still have the upper hand. They are damaged. Their Distortion Field cannot be maintained. In a moment, we will overtake the Stumgeschutz.”
Suddenly, a Strange Cloud pulsating with energy grew larger and larger on the View Screen. The Stumgeschutz was heading straight for it.
“Una?” Captain Elizabeth asked as she turned her head toward her Science Officer.
“The Sexton Cloud, Captain,” the beautiful Fair Folk replied. Her pointed ears stuck out as she stared into the binocular device attached to her station. “Our sensors cannot penetrate it. We will be blind if we go into it. Based on our current distance and speed, the Stumgeschutz will make it there before we can catch her. I highly recommend that we back off and wait for reinforcements. Our task was to protect Outpost Colchester and we have done precisely that.”
Morgause was quick to interject. The Guardian Knight had her own reasons for hating the Death Cult.
“Elizabeth, we won’t get this chance again. How many times have we encountered the Stumgeschutz, only to have her run away to antagonize us again in the future? We can finally end her career permanently. Imagine the effect it will have on the Death Cult Fleet to lose one of her Battlecruisers!”
Captain Elizabeth turned to her First Officer who was sitting beside her. The humanoid Vampire Squid had been silent for a long while as he carefully monitored the conflict in real time.
“Lovecraft? Your suggestion?”
“We would be foolish to go in there after them. But our Tactical Officer is correct. We may never get this opportunity again. Remember, we are not without our own damage. Our shields have been greatly weakened by the conflict, even if they have not been penetrated. I defer to your judgment, Captain, as always.”
Captain Elizabeth carefully weighed the long term benefits of the Stumgeschutz’s destruction with the short term benefit of regrouping at Outpost Colchester. Of course, there were risks. There always were. But sometimes you have to take the risk in order to reap the reward.
“Ahead full speed, Fafnir.”
The Stumgeschutz disappeared into the Sexton Cloud. Energy lightning crackled to herald its entrance. Merlin raced after her. She would be there in seconds.
Without warning, two starships emerged from the Sexton Cloud to confront the Merlin. They were two fresh Death Cult Battlecruisers, the Breithaupt and the Fiehler. The Stumgeschutz hid behind them, a safe distance away. Captain Elizabeth could almost hear the Stumgeschutz laughing that she fell for her trap.
That’s the problem with gambling, Captain Elizabeth thought as her face turned grim.
SOMETIMES YOU LOSE.
