....... Kelly?......  mark   My position and 45 degrees to the starboard?.. there is  somethin' out there... could be  nothing to worry about... or..could be a big thing to worry about...


 ..Shadow Ta   'anger.. got somthin' out here.. 45 degrres and moving Aft direction.. its... well..bloody Black as the night... only noticed it when stars  vanished  and Reappeared...

 ....Dragom  3 an' Dragon 4... should LAunch ... then set up the next Bloody Batch... can't  tell what is is.... but until  we know  what the  bloody 9 'ells is goin' on.. i want ta treat it  as bad...


 .. Kelly..  You approach from  the Afte of Marco.. all swing  from the  Bow.. keep me in sight.... look for where the star's  aren't..go 3/4 spped..so we have somthin' ta suyprise them with... if the bloody  bastards  are hostile...

"Affirmative One," Wallace replied as she threw her Hellcat into a shallow turn.

As the two Hellcats approached what Shadow had thought he had seen, they both soon discovered they had been right.
Right, and wrong.

There was something there for sure. Something big. Something dark, at least at first.
As the Hellcats closed distance quickly, the object they were going for soon revealed itself. Or rather, its origins.

It was man made. With every click they got closer, Kray could see more and more of what was a human made ship. A large ship, easily half the size of the Marco Polo.
It was dark grey, like Marco, but because it had no lighting, and had been drifting in the shadows of the Polo, it had seemed black, almost invisible.

It was a colony vessel. Or it had been once. It's hull was torn, it's engines had been ripped off, and the entire outside was scorched. It was adrift. Moving fast, but without a destination, without any control.
Lifeless. Silent.
Eerily silent.

"Holy crap Lieutenant," Wallace explaimed as her feeds transmitted a part of the hull that contained lettering. "This cannot be..."

The lettering was hardly desciferable. Vague, but readable, it stated simply:
'Vasco Da Gama'

A cold shiver ran down Kray's spine.

It was what remained of the long lost CS-3.

  ..Bloody Nine 'ells... he half whispered.

 Then he flicked the COM switches to the Hanger  and  the Bridge...Attention.... Dragon 1  , LT SHadow  with  Lt Wallace.... we  see what  the oblect is... mark  our Vectors.. we have it bracketed ...Its Moving... fast?

 ..Its Vasco Da Gama..its neat up bad.. must be movin' on  impetus.... My suggestion?.... we  board it.. raid it for supplies and equipment..might get a few more fighters and shuttles?.. maybe  find some Popsicles  we  kin save too...

 ..Kelly and  I will ride  shotgun for it.. when Dragon 3 and 4 get out here..  they'll join us..... Captain?... without thier engines? You have to think, that the same thing happed here, that me and the others stopped on the MArco...

"Lt. Shadow, this is Captain Dorn. Are you certain it is the DaGama? Beyond any doubt?"

Outside Shadow now saw the name with his own eyes, doing a close fly by of the colony ship. There was no doubt. There was also no doubt how she had been lost. All along her hull there were blast marks, the metal ripped and shredded outward. The ship had been destroyed by internal explosions, ripping apart most of her upper decks and aft side. Where there had once been a bridge, there was now just torn structure.
At least that meant her hangars might be intact, maybe even her cryop chamber and cargo bays.

"Run guard, I just ordered the rest of your wing to launch. At the first sign of trouble fire first, ask questions later. The Polo will pull up alongside her and lock her. See if we can slow her down, stop her. How does it look from there?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:40, Thu 26 Oct 2017.

     Shadow shook his  head... The Da Gamma to him.. was  just a story.. he never thought he'd see another  ship out here..

  ..Aye  Sir..Dragon Flight is  gonna fly with her..,,,, The Bridge..is gone.....

 his eyes   looked over the  ship and shook his head,..If  not excatly right.. i'm pretty damn close, sir.. metal bent out... scorches..most of the Upper  dec is open to The Black   looks like they might have Hangers..... and  if they do.. we should be able to get  their cargo...Sir?  I mean..  unless there are folks alive in there.. they won't need any of that stuff...  and everything we can get is something we don't have...

"Understood Lieutenant. Run a protective pattern, see if you can find any clues to what happened out there. We will get back to you once we have a decent work plan."

,,Aye Sir, Will keep COMs  open to   Hanger and Bridge incase something happens.

 The Dragon Flight he says,..Right.... All Gun Cams on, Wild Bill and Swede?  As you approach this Bloody Mess, 'ave you  Gun CAMs focused  of the  Starboard side, so's  they can get a good view of  what's  left..Maybe , when they get aboard?  they might be able to get an engine  runnin' an' we can Tow the Hulk along with us.. we kin salvage every inch of it..

 ..Kelly?... until  they get  'ere, me  an' you work a  corcksrew pattern from the  stern to the Bow.. and  we'll fly back an' do it  again, Until they feel they have  enough footage... we gotta look for   entry  'wounds'' too..but  mpost of this looks  like it  came from within...

Dragon three and four quickly join up, slowly followed in the distance by the lumbering hulk of CS-8. With his team present Shadow can now conduct more thorough searches.

  As the rest of his mates came out , Shadow  COMed them, still leaving the channels open in case anything happened the Bridge , Flight ops  and Hanger would Know.

  . Swede , Wild Bill... you blokes take the Front of the Beast... look for  any sign  , other... then the thing  blowing up from inside...


   Kelly and I will drop Aft  and study where the  Engine sections blew out.. keep you Gun CAMs on the  whole bloody time... somthin' we miss.. others  might pickup...

 Then  To Kelly he says,..while you all were sleepin' i checked out MArco..Just like this... we found are engine was bend.. sort  pushed us to one side for a blood long time... Gotta  wonder , who we  managed to meet up  with Da Gama...

 He studied  the  Hull as he and  Kelly orbited the  Aft to amidships... while Wild  Bill and Swede did the same  from the Bow to Amindhsips

After a couple fly-bys Dragon Flight can only conclude the troubles with the DaGama came from the inside. All the evidence points to an explosion at the back of the ship, likely near the engines, and chain reactions causing most of the upper decks to be blown off. While several of the lower decks also show signs of damage, they seem mostly intact.
Only an on-board crew can thoroughly assess the actual damages onboard.

  After  COMs  from  Swede, Wild  Bill and Kelly...all COMs open so the Bridge and Hanger dec  folks can  get an idea.

    Captain, from where we sit, we  agree on the explosions from inside......If they  something happened though...didn't work out  for whomever set the thign up?.. The  lower parts of the Ship seem to be intact... Maybe they wanted ta salvage it later?  Who knows...

   if we  could   Land a couple  shuttles on the Bow... we  could use thier thrusters ta slow  the thing  down...

(( Flipping   over to Yuri he  asks,..hey?   Yuri?   do they have a  surprise  in their hanger Deck? ))

  Flicking back to  the  main feed to listen and await orders.

"Not likely," Timochev replied. "When they bdeparted the Hellcat wasn't even available to them, let alone anything better. According to the records they have a compliment of six F35s with the stratus upgrade. Better in an atmospere, but space capable."

(( answering   Yuri .....ahh well?.. anythign we  can take from that  ship is somethign we don't have..and , no matter what is out here.. they don't  know what bloody fighters  we have...'cept for them traitors.... We Gonna stay with the  Da Gamma, until you call us back....  ))

  alright , mates? Here's what ole  Dragon Flight's  gonna do.....  I'll Fly 10:00 High on the Port side Bow... Swede  Fly 10:00 high on the  Portside, aft... Kelly fly 4:00 low on starboard  Bow... Wild  Bill take  10:00 High on Starboard side... that will keep us outta the way  of   them Grappling with the Hulk.....

  ..an' Since we're out here... Starting  with Swede... then  wild Bill.. then Kelly.. You  each take  15 Minutes to  go have some  fun with your aircraft, away from the ships... be looking  for  things that have 'gone dark;.. you'll see the  stars   appear and reappear..but..this  will give   you some time ta shake the Ice off...

  ..Swede?..go ahead...

 As an After thought he   says to the CAptain, Captain? If ya look at  any logs  Maxell made of us working  on those  reactor things?... and..maybe  take  Cornell, an' Connely along... you might have a good place to start the investigation, cause  engines  wis where we stopped the  booby trap?.. along with Patterson...

Dragon flight this is the bridge. Be advised you will be having two incoming shuttles at 20.00 hours. You are to escort and run cover. Bear flight will join up at 2030 to relieve you.

   Shadow left the COMs  open. anything they say could come in handy if something popped up... Aye Sir...  Going over Now....

 ...Kelly ?  Rotate Up to  be above the Bridge....  Wild  Bill swing out to the Starboard... Swede..  drop  bello the  belly.. Gun  CAMs on, head ona bloody swivel... I'm Gonna   go  to the  'anger doors ta wait for the shuttles... As soon as He  sees  Kelly Rise  up,   He noses down into a dive.. a bit steeper  then he need 'just because'...

   Hovering over the Hanger Doors he says, Shadow Here.....Alright  Major.. I'm Hover   above the Hanger  Doors.. Got   my mates staioned around the hulk..  and   I'll be above   year birds    to walk ya ta school....
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 23:30, Wed 01 Nov 2017.

   Shadow  hovered  above the HAnger  Bays,  could  see Swede  and Kelly, he COMed to Wild Bill, ..Hey  Wild Bill... Why don't you range out a Bit, shake  some dust off yer lady?....  Keep lookin' around  fer Darkspots......

 He  Kept  checking the  HAnger Doors  and his  screens..... Kelly?   You'er the ehad out here  right now..  Keep lookin' forward  ...

"Lieutenant?"
it was Bill's voice. His Hellcat was just a small dot in Kray's perefiry vision, the englisman running his craft through a series of manouvres designed to test the controls wiothout too much strain.
"Is that what I think it is?"
Bill's guncam showed a small capsule drifting in the magnetic field of the ruined hulk. It's size was about three meters in length, and cilindrical.
A rescue pod.

 Sure looks like?..but  don't get to Bloody close, who ever did this to them, and triesd to do it ta us.. couldn't booby Trapped it...Godd on Ya Will Bill!...

 ..Wede?..  Move Up  behind It.. Wild  Bill has it Flanked....

 and even though the COMs  were opened he said  to the hanger and  the Bridge.....Captain?... Major?  Wild  Bill found.... what look like...a bleedin' rescue Pod..it seems ta have  hitched a ride  in the  Da Gamma's wake....

 ...'bout   3  meters  or so?... Not familar with the stuff on   MArco Class ships..but... I'm still  'Angin' above the 'anger doors... Wild  Bill was it  flanked.... Swede is  Movin' up  Behind it...... Kelly's  wav to the Bow  end....It ain't goin' no where... But i gues we need  ta  crack it open?

"Affirmative Dragon One. Go take a look for yourself, see if you can get any more information on it. We will launch Mpinkele and Koizumi for the shuttle detail."

..Aye Sir   on my way.....   he  double  checked His  Gun Cams  as he    went off towards the Pod.

  Wild Bill, Swede....  watchy me going in.. I'm gonna  do a fly about.. let the Cam feed  to the MArco... Keep an eye out fer  some more..or?.. somthin' lurkin' out there....Them Pirates  that ran about near the Top of Aussieland..used to use ships  fer bait....Not sayin' there's pirates... but.. the cargo  on that ship.. food... plants all that stuff?... can  make a big differance.... and them folks that tried to torch us... know it..

 ..Kelly..Go a bit Higher.. be lookin' about as well....

 As an after thought he adds to through the  Pilot COMs,.. G'day Koizumi?.. didn't meet ya ate Ops  room when everyone was thawed... when this is over, I'll introduce  you to me mates in Dragon Flight... I'm Lt Shadow.. Lt  Wallace....Lt Piirinen, an'  Lt Taylor...in case ya have to COM us  while yer  out 'ere..

Shadow quickly closed the distance to the escape capsule, confirming it was exactly that with his first fly-by.
The gun cams registered its designation, and confirmed it was coming from the Vasco DaGama. Kray's systems then pinged a distinct warning. A triple beep as the sensors scanned the pod fully.

There was life aboard that capsule.

    well... Crikey!... Wild Bill.. You just  earned   another Drink on me!.... Captain? I  Dunno if my readouts  are crossin' over.. but  someone... something?.. is  alive in there...


  ..Swede?... Wild Bill   take some  more slow laps  see if we find anymore.....

 The  his Voice   got a bit colder,..now?  if this  bloke 'ad time ta  get out... other's should  'ave too?....'less  less this Bloke  is the one who set the thing off?

"Affirmative Lt. Shadow. Run a pattern around it, we are sending a shuttle out for retrieval."

  Shadow     kept an eye on the screens  to make sure he know  were his people were...Aye Sir... I'm Just Babysittin' it... the Find Goes ta Wild Bill.. he's the  one who saw it....

 ..Swede.. Wild Bill.. Kelly?... Make  sure you all can see  each other... and  keep lookin' for more.... even if you just see salvage  get Gun CAM pics  and keep your COMs  open... I want ta  'ave  everthin' recorded for  the Bridge.... Let's face it?.. we all are now the 'Country Of MArco"... and this  'ere Hulk was  one of us.... who ever...an'  whatever  we can  save an' use.. 'elps  us start anpther Bloody  colony..

"Aye, we are all MarcoPolians now," Swede joked. All three started circling the pod, making their trajectories ever wider to look for more.

"How big a magnetic field are we talking here Lt? And where were they when she blew? There could be pods like this one scattered over the last fifty lightyears or so... People that might never ever be found again." Kelly's voice skipped a bit, she was obviously considering the worst case scenario.

"I'm sure the brass has techies that can calculate the course she ran," Bill replied. "We better find ourselves a home first before we go chasing back fifty years or more."