Dark Secrets

[Universe Overwatch]

“Nomad reporting; arriving on site, t-minus fifteen seconds, over.”

“Copy that, Nomad. Wanderer is in position and awaiting the green light, over.”

All was going to plan thus far. Both ships would arrive at their respective coordinates in the deposit momentarily.

“Wanderer, this is Nomad. In position and setting up the procedure, copy?”

“Loud and clear, Nomad.”

A lone Osprey-class special operations corvette disengaged its cloaking device and pulsed to life, accelerating quickly and soaring over a rich, dark asteroid. Ten kilometres to port, its Argon black-ops counterpart followed suit. Its armor was heavily beaten, adorned with the countless marks of war, but carried into the deposit with an aggressive demeanour no less.

“Woohoo, these roids are juicy tonight,” the Osprey’s radio filled up.

“Let’s just do the deed and get out before we have company,” came a stark reply from its somber wingmate.

“Amen to that. Lighting the beacon in ten, over,” Nomad responded.

“Gravidar returns are nominal; clear skies on your peripheral, over,” the Stalker-class stealth corvette asserted, drifting into open formation with its companion vessel.

“Copy that, Wanderer.” With that, a brilliant pulse of blue light flashed from the Osprey’s hull, sweeping over the deposit and fading into the void as quickly as it had appeared.

“Gravidar reports consistent. Good light, over,” Wanderer maintained.

“Flare’s hot; bring the drills, boys,” Nomad announced.

“Everest acknowledges. Jump systems are functioning and locking your signature now, over,” came the static-saturated response of a distant starship.

“Broadsword is stationed on wormhole and ready for warp on your mark, over.”

“Copy that Broadsword. Execute operational directive and rendezvous with Everest on point four-four-zero, three-nine-zero, five-zero high, over,” Wanderer instructed.

On cue, a Crane-class smelting barge took life amidst the deposit, throwing a gravity-induced shockwave into space. Its hull coursed with energy and the force of jump was enough to pull stray asteroids toward the supercapital’s enormous mass.

“Clean bridge, Everest,” Nomad confirmed and banked into a steep dive toward the ship below. Wanderer, too, brought the smelter to bear and engaged its digital mask, disappearing in a checkered-sweep of transparency.

“Broadsword is inbound to your position, bearing two-seven-five and one-three high; landing fast.”

Four Shrike-class attack frigates and two Minotaur-class torpedo cruisers slingshotted into the deposit on all sides of the smelter, attaining defensive formation.

“O sweet nividium, indeed.” Nomad’s optimistic interjection was aptly founded, for the corvette dove between the smelter and a frigate on its flank to get a good view of the abundant minerals littering the site and was greeted by an assault of vibrant, asteroid-entrenched colour.

“Everest preparing Mountaineer wing for deployment, over,” the smelter reported, unlocking its large ventral hangars.

“Copy that, Everest. Mountaineer is ago for extraction of priority clusters Sierra 7 through 14,” Nomad advised, slowing its approach under the large ship’s hull and preparing to dock with its substructure.

“Negative, Everest,” Wanderer denied. “All ships operating callsign Broadsword, execute protocol Swordbreaker on target.”

Four additional Tiger-class strike frigates, accompanied by a Sidewinder special-operations cruiser, collapsed their warp upon the deposit and sailed over the smelter’s gunmetal surface.

“Wanderer, desist!” Nomad reacted, breaking its alignment with the ship’s hangar and diving into a cloaked descent.

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen,” the Stalker answered harshly, cloaked at its vantage point. The Split interdiction cruiser opened the sides of its hull and a shockwave rippled throughout the deposit, drawing nearby asteroids into orbit around the warship as it sat in place. It wasn’t going anywhere, but neither was the real prize now.