"Attention! Arms, salute!"
They didn't even leave recognizable remains, only a smoldering pile of metal, accelerated particles, and human DNA, Rachel's DNA.
Three months earlier.....
"kzzt..repeat, this is the Argosy-class Cargo Vessel Chávez requesting assistance, we have come under attack from a small pirate fleet. Three, no four large ships and numerous fighters, and we detect two more Kestrals about to come out of hyperspace. We're about to lose power to the comm array, anyone out there please assi-kzztchzzkzkkz."
"Chávaz, do you read? We are on our way."
"Sir," your first officer inquires, "They might be dead right now, and for all we know this could be an ambush."
"McBush," you reply, "Do I have to relieve you of your post? I'm positive that there is someone out there in desperate need of assistance. Arm lasers and launch all Lightnings. Have the Lightnings engage the fighters and carrier ships furthest from the Argosy, we will engage the ships closest to the freighter. Do we have a fix on the ship classes yet, McBush?"
"Aye, sir. Two Clippers, one Modified Argosy and a top off the line Corvette."
"Entering normal space in thirty seconds, sir."
"Copy that." You fidget nervously in your chair. The entire 126m of your Kestral had been refurbished after being found in many pieces along with you in your unlaunched escape pod, afloat outside the Zaxted system. Pirates had hit you hard, tracking you ever since you were paid several million credits to deliver a top secret cargo to unknown dealers. Out of the 198 crew members, 26 survived. You had licked you wounds, and now, bristling with 3 proton turrets, a half dozen fixed guns, 4 Lightning-Bomber fighters and enough missiles to liquidate a Confederate Frigate, you were ready to take revenge, and become a hero on the side.
"Disengaging hyperspace in 3...2...1...Now!"
Hyperspace folded back upon itself and you were thrust into the middle of an intensive battle. A Hawk screamed by the bridge, being pursued by a Lighting with the infamous skull and crossbones insignia on the side.
"Lock on that Lightning."
"Aye, sir."
"Fire!"
A burst of accelerated photons lanced from the turrets, striking the Lightning smack in the cockpit. The wings folded into one another and the fighter promptly blew up.
"Have the Hawk dock. Reload it and send it back out."
"Sir, the two clippers and the corvette have broken away from the battle, the freighter has been disabled. They're coming this way, hailing us."
"Put it through. Tell the Lightnings to stand-by."
The stereotypical scarred pirate face with the eyepatch does not appear. It is replaced by a well-dressed man who glares back at you.
"This is Captain Alexander of the Farmouth, of the New Order of Independant Merchants. Power down you ship and prepare for boarders."
"Cut communication."
"Mr. McBush, launch three missiles at the nearest Clipper, and have the Lightnings engage the Argosy before it docks with the Chávez. I want it disabled."
Three missiles come screaming out from the launchers, the clipper captain sees them and takes evasive manoevers. Too late. The first missile hits the shields, knocking them out, the second slams into the starboard wing, tearing it off as if it were paper. The third hits the engineering section, puncturing a hole then exploding. The once Clipper becomes a brief flash of light, then nothing.
The second clipper begins strafing runs down the main hull. The shields crackle with the impact of javelin rockets.
"The Corvette is firing heavy rockets!"
"Give me the bow turret control."
"Aye."
You see the small cigar shaped rocket packed with explosives rush towards the ship. You fire once, missing, the second time you hit the bull's eye.
"I want the Corvette disabled. Status of the modified Argosy."
"She's running, trying to open a jump point. Lightnings are engaging.....she's a floating rock."
"Recall the Lightnings and have them rearmed. Launch the Hawk we recovered earlier and have him attack the clipper, have two Lightnings assist him when rearmed. We can't waste time on the wee ones. Bring about forward firing grid and focus on the shields aroung the bridge. Most corvettes are built with a slight malfuction. if you hit them hard in the nose, the shield feed back will fry every circuit onboard, that's why they have the rocket launcher there. Fire five missiles at the Corvette's ass then open hailing."
Captain Alexander appears slightly ruffled. "Yes?"
"According to interstellar law, all Pirate captains will be prosocuted and if found guilty they will be excecuted, no exceptions. Consider this you excecution. Fire forward laser grid."
"No, wait!" the captain replies, "I think you should surrender, if you check your scanners you will see two Independence-Class Kestrals, slightly modified, fully complimented with 6 lightnings and 2 Hawks apiece."
"Yes, I see them," You reply, "But the thing is that my ship wasn't the only one who picked up the distress signal."
On cue, three Rebel Cruisers and four Rebel destroyers enter normal space.
"Disable the Corvette, Number One."
Six thin bolts fly out from under your bridge, smashing into the corvette's shields. A white flash seems to evelope the ship and it begins to float away.
Thirty minutes later one Kestral is space dust and the other is in two pieces. The Rebel Commander thanks you for the tip, and allows you to plunder the disabled pirate ships while he 'goes to the bathroom'.
"Sir," McBush interrupts, "What about the Argosy?"