The bridge was remarkably silent for such a momentous occasion. Perhaps they were all overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation or perhaps they simply didn't wish to lower their chances of passing each individual exam. The different sections of the ship would all be assessed on his first ever mission as a Captain - this was his ship for this mission. It was his choice what to do while aboard now. There were no restraints, but what he did now could be the difference between success or failure to become a ship captain - something he'd desired since long before he'd joined the Vast Empire. "Steer, increase speed to 75%" he instructed, voice holding calm as he managed to conceal the thumping of his heart, which he was sure was as audible as an explosion in a monastery to his crew.

"Sir, is 75% advisable around the asteroid field?" The Duty and its crew were on a standard system patrol a few parsecs from Abrae, instructed to skirt the empty system and the large asteroid field within, all the while running a deep sensor scan. Asteroid fields were perfect for pirates to hide in, or indeed for enemy listening posts to conceal themselves. Hades wasn't going to let anything slip by him; the man would not have it said that he mistakenly gave the all-clear on a system which actually contained a pirate faction on his first mission.

"Only if we're not going into it, Helmsman," he answered, "we'll circle around the field twice, then jump back home."

"Aye aye sir, 75% it is," Steer said with a nod, understanding now. "Plotting a course around the field," It was so much easier to deal with your crew if you were patient and reasonable, Hades found.

"My link with the ships systems tells me the LCR Duty is performing at optimal capacity, Captain," the robotic, monotonous voice of Em-Three cut into the crew's silence. Em-Three would relay system reports and efficiency calculations back to the trainers at the Cappadocious when they returned and from there, the trainers would determine whether he and his crew had passed or failed. Of course, one pass did not ensure a pass all-round, but a fail certainly would mean that they failed all round. Not officially, no - not all of them had to pass - but they would know that they hadn't worked together well enough as a crew to ensure that they all passed as a team, and that would likely be more demoralising than anything else.

"Thank you, Em-Three," Hades responded crisply to the droid, not looking away from the stars out of the transparisteel viewport that stretched from one side of the bridge to the other. The Warden was a squat-looking ship, small enough to be relatively unimportant, but large enough and well-enough equipped to fit a variety of mission descriptions. He had never really liked the look of the things, but he didn't mind them as ships - as ever, Sienar Fleet Systems had done good work in their construction.

"They said there would be a test," Vorssk hissed in his accented basic, "but they send us on a standard patrol mission for this 'test'? There are no points in scanning for what is not there."

"I presume you mean Jagganath points?" Hades queried

"Precisely," Vorssk replied, lowering his chin slightly as he stood behind and to the left of the Captain.

"It may well be there, Lieutenant. Be careful what you wish for," he warned.

"Better to die a glorious death than live a life with few points," Attragal retorted, "I lost many points when I was shot down. Won't regain them on missions like this."

"I'm sure we'll have our share of excitement, Krayt," Hades responded evenly, "have patience."

Krayt muttered something in Dosh which Hades didn't quite catch, though he was sure it was a sarcastic remark. The Commander shrugged it off; he didn't need to take offence at each minute slight, else he'd be taking offence every five minutes or so. He didn't want to be an angry Captain, after all. He'd seen some of those in his time and they weren't exactly a shining example of Imperial values. Hades was one of those that believed firmly in detachment and calm, cold efficiency as opposed to brute anger or warm compassion. "Sir!" It was Zella who called out, his communications officer. His green eyes immediately found her distinctive crimson complexion, narrowing slightly in curiousity. Whatever she had been about to blurt out, however, seemed to have stalled in her throat.

"Well?" He prompted after a short silence.

"I-" she hesitated, shaking her head, "I thought I picked up something on long range comms, but it must have just been a glitch. It said we were receiving a transmission, but as soon as I called out to you it cut off."

"Could it have been a transmission interrupted by a latent electro-magnetic distortion?"

"Possibly, sir, but it could also be a glitch." Zella responded uncertainly, glancing back to him.

"I want to know for sure. Boost long range and short range comms, let's see if there's anyone out there. For all we know," He nodded at the asteroid field, "there might be something in there that's preventing a transmission."

"Electro-magnetic distortion is common in asteroid fields and debris clouds, Commander Aita," Em-Three chirped, "it can result in sudden loss of communications, malfunctioning ship-board sensors and on occasion, shield drain."

"Right," Hades said, glancing to the readouts he could see, "would you be able to figure out if said electro-magnetic distortion was present?"

"Well, I'd have to be linked to a powerful sensor array to cross-reference with electronic readings in the area," Em-Three answered.

"A powerful sensor array," he mused, "like that found on a Warden-class Light Cruiser?"


"Exact- oh."

"Please run those checks, Em-Three," Hades instructed curtly.

"At once, sir," the droid responded, then beginning to mutter to itself about his failure to think two steps ahead of the Captain. After a few moments of silence, Em-Three spoke again, "detecting low levels of Electro-magnetic distortion emanating from a large asteroid in our vicinity. Attempting to re-route counter-electronic-warfare protocols through the communications array to diffuse some of the interference now.."

"Sir, I'm getting the signal again! It's imperial.. looks like a distress call!"

"Play it through the bridge speakers Ms. Blaze," He instructed, "and try to trace it."

"-anybody out there? This is the Vast Imperial escort, LCR Fealty. Ambushed by pilots at the following coordinates. 21-0," Hades listened, glancing to the navigation console as the coordinates were read out. The helmsman soon nodded - that was in the same system as they were.

"LCR Fealty, this is Lieutenant Commander Demetrius Aita, Captain of the LCR Duty. We're in system and en-route."

"Sir!" A surprised voice answered, "thank the empire that you're here! The transport we were accompanying is under fire. We need assistance as soon as possible."

"Affirmative, Fealty," As the coordinates came up on a map of the system, Hades frowned, "We're on our way. Your coordinates put you at the center of the asteroid field. Is this correct?"

"Yes sir," the voice came back, "we were on a search and destroy mission. A pirate transponder led us to believe that this was their base of operations, but it was only an ambush. Shields are at 50% and holding, enemy still has several fighters and a light cruiser in operation. We're covering the Thorn's retreat."

"Hold tight, Fealty," He answered, giving the nod to the helmsman now, "Help is on it's way. Helms, take us into the asteroid field."

"Aye aye, sir," Steer answered. Vorssk hissed in pleasure beside the Captain, causing the younger man to raise an elegant brow.

"Ship manuals warn against entering asteroid fields at any given time-" Hades cut Em-Three off with a wave of his hand, "Very well, sir. I am programmed to note that this will be recorded for assessment purposes."

"Assessment be damned," he shot back, "people are in danger. It's our duty to help them."

OOC:

Wordcount: 1,347

AAR: On a standard patrol mission, Hades and the crew of the Duty encounter some odd electro-magnetic interference that is messing with their communications. After Em-Three manages to boost signal power to cut through some of it and they gain distance from the source, they receive a distress call - The Guardian-class light cruiser Fealty and the M-Class Imperial Attack Transport Thorn have been ambushed as they hunted for a pirate nest in the asteroid field, and Hades makes the call to enter the asteroid field and assist.

With lasers already powered up and ready to go, the Duty got off the first shot. "Gunnery, target their laser cannons. There might still be some of the Imperial crew alive."

"Is that wise, sir?" Vorssk questioned quietly, "they will not be so hesitant to end our lives."

"Maybe not, Lieutenant," He replied without looking back, "but we're not pirates. Besides, how many of your vaunted 'points' do you lose for killing your allies?" Vorssk had no reply to that, "that's what I thought. Fire at will,"

More tremors ran through the hull as laser lanced toward the Fealty's weapons emplacements, intending to knock them out before they could do any significant damage to the Duty. Watching the tactical readouts, he saw their weapons come online and being firing, taking a chunk out of the Duty's shields. At such close range, there was little need to aim - at least not for the pirate crew of the Fealty. "Sir, we're outgunned," the gunnery officer warned, "we won't last like this."

"No," He mused, "helms, give us full forward thrust. They may have two additional forward laser cannons, but they're not turreted. Our firepower is equal if we stay beside them or behind  them."

Another tremor ran through the decks as their second volley impacted the shields. "Shields down to 75% sir!"

"Get us beside them," he snapped, the Duty speeding up at a respectable pace as it began to rush toward the enemy craft.

"How do you know they won't just turn, sir?" Steer queried hesitantly.

"I don't imagine anyone wants to go head to head when the enemy is on a collision course," He replied, a small smile crossing his face now, "make it seem as if we're going to ram them."

"Aye sir," Steer responded, understanding now.

"Many points involved like this," Vorssk commented approvingly, his usual grouchy self obviously left behind as soon as the laser fire had ensued.

"Collision in thirty seconds," Steer called out.

"All guns, hold fire," he commanded. No doubt the Fealty wouldn't notice their lack of fire when they had a fourty-two meter light cruiser intent on smashing into them.

"They're disengaging and turning to their starboard!" Steer informed them excitedly, "should I change course?"

"Negative," Hades replied flatly, watching the collision indicator tick downward toward zero.

"But sir, at this rate we'll still hit them!"

"I'm no Pazaak player, Mr. Mivros," He responded calmly, "but even I know every bluff must be convincing."

"Y-yes sir," Mivros acknowledged nervously, "15 seconds until collision. The enemy has applied full forward thrust."

From the projections, the Duty would still slam into the Fealty's aft. When the countdown reached ten seconds, Hades unclasped his hands in preparation to grab for something... just in case. "Impact in five-"

"Immediate course correction, 40 degrees to starboard."

"40 degrees to starboard, aye sir!" As Lannik Mivros followed his command, the Duty began to turn. Hades clenched his jaw - had he been too slow? He closed his eyes as the collision counter ticked down to two, one and then zero, expecting the worst. But nothing happened. His eyes snapped open and he looked to the tactical display. "We're behind them! Encountering minor engine wash now."

"Bring speed down to 75%, turn to follow them. Don't let them out of our sights!" Demetrius commanded instantly, "gunnery, open fire. Em-three, re-route power from the aft shields into the laser cannons."

"Obeying now, Captain. I am obliged to mention, however, that it is not standard prot-"

"Just do it, to kessel with protocol!" He snapped back. Em-Three murmured something snide, but complied.

"Power re-routed," Em-Three informed curtly.

The ship shuddered as it came around, full power of their laser cannons firing at will now on the aft of the Fealty, which only now had its turrets swiveled to the rear to open fire. The seconds in between, though, were crucial, allowing the Duty to dish out damage unmolested. "Shields at 50%... Enemy shields are at critical levels."

"Keep firing," the Captain instructed, taking a deep breath to steady himself now. He could sense victory. "Bring us along their port side, aim for their weapons emplacements. We don't necessarily want to cripple them if we don't have to."

"Shields at 40%," Vorssk informed him. Hades nodded curtly in response, watching as the Fealty grew in front of them and steadily began disappearing into the right hand side of the viewscreen.

"Hijacked vessel Fealty, this is Lieutenant Commander Demetrius Aita of the LCR Duty. Your shields are down and we are, at present, rendering your weapons systems inoperable. Power down all systems and prepare to be boarded."

"Go kriff yourself, Imperial Slime! We know wh-" A gurgling sound replaced his gruff tone, and Hades' head tilted curiously as he waited.

"Sorry about that. We don't share our Captain's desire to die," Another member of the pirates who had invaded the ship, then. A more prudent one, "the Captain is still alive, as are most of his crew. We'll hand control back over to them."

"You will also surrender all your weapons to them," Hades instructed, "if you have not complied by the time you are boarded, anyone bearing a weapon that is not authorised to do so will be shot. Duty out." As he severed the transmission, he paced back to his console, "Lieutenant Attragal, please send out a fleet-wide transmission indicating our current status and recent events. Steer, bring us alongside their airlock for boarding."

Both of his subordinates complied without question and soon, there was a quiet thump as the two ships connected, airlocks pressurising and equalising the atmosphere in both ships. "Tell Grin and Grim to secure the pirates and bring them aboard the Duty. I don't imagine the Fealty is an apt place for them right now."

"Aye sir."

It didn't take long before another Warden-class arrived in system in assistance, taking the prisoners from the Duty and dispensing additional engineers to the Thorn to help get her back up and running. Engines, weapons, shields and comms had all been disabled by the illegally modified WR-542 which, believing its quarry secured, had left the system.  Within three hours, Hades and the Duty had been thanked by all Captains involved and were on their way back to the Cappadocious.

"Did that satisfy your god, Vorssk?" He queried bemusedly as he watched the mottled star-lines of hyperspace, mixed and twisted by their entrance into lightspeed.

"Mostly," he replied, feigning discontent while it was quite obvious that it had pleased him at the very least, if not the Scorekeeper.

"Indeed," Hades murmured, There were no congratulations from his crew, nor did he want any. They had all done their duty and while he retained a stoic air, he was proud beyond measure. It was his crew that had saved the day, his ship, his captaincy. At this point, passing the SCFE became an afterthought - ultimately, he had done his duty to his fullest ability and that was what was important.

OOC:

Wordcount: 1,169

AAR: Hades and his crew, in a pitched and fast-paced battle against the Fealty, succeed in overcoming their hijacked counterpart and forcing them into submission. Help arrives after the fact and mops up, taking the pirates prisoner and assisting the Thorn to get back up and running, while Hades and his crew - slightly overwhelmed by the sudden burst of action, but proud of their accomplishment - return to PLF Cappadocious. So ends my SCFE!