Ajay's Story 2.0. Ragnarock-n-roll Part II

Ajay's Story 2.0. Ragnarock-n-roll Part II


Usually I start my stories from long prelude of me waking up, moping around for a few lines of text and only then placing myself into my pilot seat, taking off from whichever station sheltered me on this time to continue my flight.
But today I decided to say "Flak that" and cut right into the moment where Stranger is flying through the Dom'Kavash tradelane from Mirtrak Battle Station to Ryssk jumpgate, where my comrade awaits me to embark onto an Inner Core raid. I was pretty much chill, considering that I had another quite intense raid yesterday, but this one still promised to be interesting.
As I already mentioned in my previous entry, one of my pen pals from around is a Galaxy Ranger known as AZ09. Since the events of the said entry, he found out that he enjoys the destructive power of a railgun mounted on The Historian, his Ragnarok gunboat. His solo actions have already claimed a number of alien capital ships, and I decided to accompany him in this raid because of possible problems with smaller ships - those ordinary "little" fighters, and sometimes bombers and gunboats. We exchanged greetings and jumped into Ryssk.
On the other side I formed on AZ - it was his operation after all, though the idea consisted of "Blow Stuff Up", and I was there to include alien small craft into the list of stuff to be blown up - and we headed to Mepther.
Soon we met the first capital ship patrol - Warriors' Mothership and cruisers - and went forward to attack it at close range. That was a mistake: our dealbreaker here was an incredibly long-ranged railgun, and other guns made little difference, so there was no sense giving the flakkers a chance to fire back. Gotta admit that this bit of stupidity was on my part. Nonetheless the battlegroup was quickly decimated, but Warriors called for a small craft reinforcements - three bombers and a fighter.
This was Stranger's turn to shine. I charged towards the hostiles as the playlist started - as usually, with 40:1.
Bombers were done with just as quickly. I destroyed bigger part of the group, though it was more owing to my rapidfiring than anything. Then AZ finished off the remnants of the battlegroup - save for a single cruiser - with a railgun and we headed to the repair buoy to regroup.
-Let that one live - AZ said. - He'll carry a word for us.
I agreed.
-"Kill a million, and they will hate you. Kill one, and they will fear you"[1] - I added.
We continued our way. This time I was leading - my Basilisk couldn't keep up to The Historian - and we attacked every capship battlegroup we came across, this time flying out of their range and then allowing AZ to snipe the ever-living flak out of them.

Soon they started breaking their ranks as soon as we appeared on their radars, as well as firing wildly into space.
Well, at least it seemed that they were firing wildly.
-What are they firing at? - AZ asked.
-Dom'Kavash derelict trade lane rings - I said.
Probably because they are still see them as a target, I thought, but didn't say, because all of a sudden I've had better things to do - our another target warped out, leaving us in a warm company of a fighter wing.
Apparently these guys once again broadcast their "The Historian is on the loose" message. And once again they forgot to add "and Stranger is out as well".
This wasn't really a surprise, but an least it was enough to wake me up a bit - enough to prepare me for a squad of gunboats approaching after the fighters were done with.
As many of my readers already know, gunboats can be easily countered by a trick I came to calling "Casanova Protocol". What I didn't expect though was that the gunboats targeted me.
Well, that actually was for the better - for AZ, it was only a matter of emptying their shields, since railgun could rip the gunboat out in a single shot, lining which up was not much of a trouble since they moved in a straight line.
Soon they were done with and we continued our way, eventually jumping through the Mepther gate. I took a short pause to make myself some tea and add some Funker Vogt to my playlist.
-Jormdar? - I asked, got the confirmation and set the course.
As before, we engaged any capital ship battlegroup we came across... well, it was more like AZ engaged them, I floated nearby and stayed on my toes for a possible fighter attack. In case it happened - and it happened at least once - we both charged forwards and dealt with them, just like usual. So yeah, I definitely was "locked away in rooms and routines"[2] again.
As if I ain't always.
We destroyed several more battlegroups and fighter wings before reaching Jormdar gate, and jumped through.
-Those poor Warriors. They didn't know what they have done wrong - AZ said as we emerged on the other side and I took a course to the repair buoy.
-Or didn't care - I replied. - Though... Who says Dom'Kavash aren't full of shit? They may well be. They grow Nomads in Whyr system, and they are still hostile.
-Oh, that fun place - AZ added. - I get the feeling they may take back these systems and then come for us. But if they try, they are going to first get through the GRs and others.
In the meantime I already led us through the system, moving into position for my comrade to snipe a Savage battleship and its escorts.
- That is what I feel, DK may well be full of shit. though who knows - I said. - Perhaps I'm too flakking paranoid for my own good. But my home system is one of the first on the line.
-I couldn't agree with you more.
-This is why I'm here - I continued. - This is why I didn't return into a warm, cozy dispatcher seat on Gorlowka as soon as I was done with first assignment.
-On your lead - AZ said, and we continued our way.

-I wonder, how do your Coalition superiors think about us both flying here? - AZ asked.
-Cooperation is encouraged - I replied, setting course to a repair buoy near Venn gates.
-Oh really. I think our governments still suspect each other though - was his reply. - But, there are a few people I would have at my side in a fight. You are a welcome addition.
On that moment our flight was suddenly interrupted by a flight of Savage gunboats. After dealing with them, we headed into Venn.
-There is a distrust. This is why you don't see an entire elite squadron fighting here - I replied. - All they have to lose right now are a couple of volunteers. Or are keeping distance undercover.
-Good, because I keep a load of anti-cloaking missiles for the case of a Coalition rogue squadron attack - AZ said.
For me, that seemed as a hinting directly at me. I ignored that feeling.
By that time we were already in Venn and I plotted the course to the nearest repair buoy. At first I had an idea to fly through Celldra, then Sadurn and Pyrrdra, but we decided against that idea. I have already been in these systems recently, and the Historian would not react very well to the asteroid fields in these areas. So we decided to make a repair buoy detour and go back.
-I will be honest - AZ said at the repair buoy. - I want what's best for the humankind as a whole and forget this political crap.
-So do I - I reassured. - This is why I'm here as well. And as I hope this is why the Space Fleet prepares an expedition here. But... it will be of no use if we won't find a way to shut those damn gates.
-I am sure our engineers would like to learn what makes them tick. As long as they keep their hands away from my ship - AZ commented while I plotted our return course back the way we came. - Let it be said I know it like the back of my palm.
-I can say the same about "Stranger" - I added. This was hardly an overstatement, my old Basilisk carried me through enough messes that I knew every little kink in its systems.
All this time, we kept flying and kept stopping for fights. Talking - and thinking about it - really took up the front and center of my attention. The rest of Venn and Jormdar were passed through, and we left a trace of explosions and debris - mostly courtesy of AZ and his railgun, stars know I myself wouldn't cause so much damage in my whole life - in our wake.
-Hmm, I might just have come to visit you one day - AZ said as we entered Mepther. - On official business of course.
-Feel free to. Though be aware, I look really hideous, so that might undermine your expectations.
That was also a reason I was here. On most accounts I was expendable.
We flew forward, until something happened that we both didn't expect - we got cruise-disrupted by a group of gunboats, then they started lining up to The Historian, and I expected for my comrade to pull out the standart maneuver, but he didn't. Then his ship disappeared in a flash.
-Damnation! Status report! - I requested from comlink.
Only static. Since I doubted Ragnarok Gunboats were not equipped with an Emergency Warp Drive - and the flash I've seen was actually EWD activation - I knew my comrade was alive. I used thruster to fly away from the gunboats and switched my transmitter into recording mode, and checked out passive traffic scanner. Apparently there was an outside contact between the Historian and some outside terminal.
Seems like Dom'Razak have advanced their electronic warfare methods. This wasn't a precedent of hacking attacks in the inner Core hostile systems, and luckily for us Emergency Warp Drives are completely isolated from any outside data receivers.
I headed to Ryssk gate, flying back to Weth. I needed to deliver the gathered data. If we could trace the transmission or try to decipher it, it could've made ship security protocols more secure.
-This is for log only - I said, preparing a report message. - This is "Ajay". Mepther system, coordinates... flak knows. Dom'Razak seem to have found a way to breach the security protocols of...
-What the?.. - AZ's voice appeared on the commlink as I was entering Ryssk. I switched the recording off and switched channels.
-Did they what, hacked your system?
-Damn, ship went into lockdown... - he continued. - It seems that it's because I may have been saying classified data. When my ship finds a potential breach in protocol, it cloaks, then activates Emergency Warp Drive and locks my system. Damn, I had more than 30 guns. Let me unlock the override and I'll come and meet ya.
-Gotcha - I said. - Meeting place - a repair buoy on the south.
Though I may be a little late, I thought to add when a group of Dom'Razak fighters cruise-disrupted me, and I turned to attack them.


-And this is why I'm glad to be in my position - I said in the comlink after we regrouped at the buoy and headed back. - I am a low-rank. What I know and what I can say has low clearance.
-Yeah, must be swell not having to keep so much secret and your every move watched.
-Yeah, hence why they still didn't come crashing on my gun stores - I said with a laugh. - Just kidding. They know about my gun stores.
My gun stores were basically a gesture of good will, as well as a source of funding for my Inner Core operations. Quite convenient.
By this time we were already passing a Warriors battle station, and AZ added couple more capital ships on his list. As I already said each small fight, each stop became blurred for me.
-This is also relieving - I added. - If my brass had second thoughts on our alliance they'd come after me.
-Yeah, and I'd be put in the jail cell - AZ replied. - Then ejected into a transdimensional rift in Sol.
-Well, if that ever happens, find a way to give me a sign - I said as we reached Weth gates and initiated docking. - But as far as this didn't happen - and I hope it never will - everything is great. And perhaps, we will fight side by side in the final battle against the enemies of mankind.

-Ah, it's about time for me to send my daily report to HQ. See you later - AZ bid me goodbye as we docked our ships to Mirtrak. I replied with a short "see you" and deactivated the ship.


A/N:
Well, here it finally is.
To be honest, I felt somewhat disheartened about any writing overall, due to the extremely tiring exam I've had soon after events, so this story may or may not be incorrect because of my bad recalling of the events (plus, there may be artistic reasons).
Footnotes:
1) Reference to Konrad "Night Haunter" Kurze, Primarch of the Night Lords, a character from WH40k background.
2) First line of Funker Vogt's "House Of Sorrows" song.


"Across the savage skies and through the fissures in the fields,
The rumble of the engines and the trundle of the wheels,
Through hell and horror trudge and yet their spirits never yield.
Will they sing of these forsaken pawns of war?"
-Miracle Of Sound, "Pawns of War".