crows part 5

Upon arriving back to their ship Sohaib was informed by the 1st officer that there was a message waiting for him from one of the other factions. Sohaib opened up the designated channel using the encryption code sent with the message and found himself talking directly with the Queen of the White crows, Eleanor Mcevoy.

“I have been informed that you have opened negotiations with the red crow murder. We the White crow would also like to entertain you and begin the process of becoming your friend.” She said with a seductive smile. Something that Sohaib felt looked good on the Attractive green eyed blond woman whose face was literally framed by a gold crown which had gold rope chains hanging off of it.

He explained to her with so many competing factions that in the New London star system that most likely an embassy and trading post would be established not in one of the current space colonies; but on an uninhabited asteroid. This way the confederation hoped that it could convey that it did not wish to take sides in the internal squabbles between the different Crow murders.

Sohaib did not know that the White Crow had a reputation for patience and long term planning, as Queen Mcevoy asked about trading agreements and possibly sending students to study in the confederation. He did realize quickly while talking to her that behind that dazzling smile and bright green eyes was a cunning mind and a woman who was not to be trifled with.

Once Commander Sohaib had finished what at times seemed to be an interrogation with the White Queen, he went back to his quarters to write up his proposals shaking his head. For it seemed to him that the Crows were the worst combination of violent barbarians and high tech society.

Red Crow war master Frances Kent stood in front of the throne, Queen Jenny gazing down on her as War Master Frances thumped her chest and stated that she had thirty fighters and two cruisers ready to engage the alien ship. War Master Kent looked very impressive in her red and black battle armor, two 10mm auto-pistols strapped to her in shoulder holsters, knives in wrist sheaves and a claymore sword signifying her station strapped to her back. A cruel grin danced across her face as she talked of battle.

The Queen’s left hand Paul Stewart stepped out of the shadows, which his black body armor blended into, a 10mm pistol with a silencer on one hip and the garrote signifying his office on the other and spoke. “We have intercepted messages between the White Crows and the C.S.S. Azizur Rahman. If the White Crows gain the allegiance of the confederation they will become the dominant power in this star system. We cannot allow this,” he said with a hiss.

“Your majesty the fighters and cruisers that we spoke of are already in position to attack. If you wish I can send more ships, but our defenses if one of our outer settlements was attacked,” said War Master Kent.

Eoin Colfer the Queen’s right hand stood up in his red and black combat armor, two 12mm pistols in shoulder holsters, a large gold chain with the medallion which symbolized his office hanging around his neck and spoke in a steady and quite voice,” we still do not have a good idea of what type of offensive weapons and defenses that their ship has, we should wait until we have more intelligence. I can even go to the Sun Crow and gain us allies in this attack. They would be able to give us another twenty fighters easily.”

“And if they join us in this attack any spoils would have to be shared with them, something I do not wish to do”, said Queen Jenny rising from her thrown. “ No, two cruisers and thirty fighters should be plenty, but to reassure you Eion, I shall dispatch 6 more fighters from our guard here.”

And with that remark they all understood that the decision to attack was made and the discussion was over. The die was tossed.

It was after Fajr and the senior staff was eating in the officer’s dining room. They had all finished their initial reports and the captain had called for this meeting before they departed the New London Star System.

Commander Sohaib Reported that Eleanor Mcevoy Queen of the White Crows had agreed to donate an Asteroid to the Confederation to build an embassy and trading post on; as he finished up a voice broke over the P.A. system informing the captain that the ship had detected a large number of inbound ships. Captain Hosseini ordered the Ship to battle stations.

The atmosphere on the bridge of the C.S.S. Azizur Rahman was tense. As Lt. Ibrahim Dabdoub called out to the captain “ tracking multiple targets, more than three dozen fighters and two large ships look like light cruisers, unknown weaponry.”

“Load all Missile tubes, power up the magnetic pulse cannons and activate the missile defense guns. Fire when enemy ships are in range,” said captain Hosseini in a loud clear voice.

Missile tube commanders sat and watched as the red crow fighters came into range and almost in unison they uttered the basmallah as they pressed the firing studs next to their scanner screens. Seven Jezzail missiles locked on and went zipping towards their targets followed by another and another. Several red crow fighters managed to get into range and fire their missiles only to see them deflected by the C.S.S, Azizur Rahman’s magnetic pulse cannons. Two red crow fighters closed on the C.S.S, Azizur Rahman and tried to engage it with their guns only to be knocked out by the magnetic pulse cannons.

War Master Kent stood on the command deck of the red crow warship The Morgoth and it and the Warship the Glaurung to accelerate into firing range and fire everything they had at the alien ship, specifically targeting its missile launchers and maneuvering thrusters. All three ships started firing at each other at approximately the same time, the confederate ship getting its missiles away perhaps a second earlier.

The battling ships continued to close the distance between them while steadily firing at each other. Captain Hosseini first had his gunners firing all at the Glaurung which allowed them to successfully overwhelm her defenses. A red crow missile got through and struck the C.S.S, Azizur Rahman shaking her but to the red crows dismay did not take her out, for unbeknownst to the red crow was that while the confederate ship was not a warship as an exploration vessel it was constructed to go out alone and handle itself. This included two armored hulls each 25 centimeters thick separated by a self sealing gel.

With the Glaurung destroyed war master Kent called for a hasty retreat. Captain Hosseini decided it was probably for the best not to pursue and to continue preparations to leave the star system as planned. He did intend to change part of his report and double or perhaps even triple, he mused his recommendation on the amount of military production the embassy and trading port would need.