“ADD vessel … need assistance... pir ...”

There was no shortage of static on her com channel as the message had been broadcast to her ship. “REPEAT! PIRATES!” The ships had to be in that nebulae. The signal for the com had been weak and there were fewer places to hide in this system as it were.

Further out was a light asteroid field that wouldn't really provide any place to hide, not well enough anyway. There were a few rumors she had been checking into about pirates operating in adjacent systems and she had ruled out places for them to hide.

Whether they had a world in the nebulae that they used as a base of operations or used some other remote planet she could not say with any certainty, at least not until now.

Most of the worlds she analyzed were dead, unable to sustain life. Those that could amounted to her making long and boring scans before checking the next place and the next. Finally something was happening, whether that was a good thing or not. The pirates were said to have a large force but there was no telling what she was dealing with here. Had explorers or a science team accidental discover the pirates? Had a lone pirate ship dispatched to deal with the interlopers? She currently had little information to go on, her instruments weren't picking up much outside the comm and that it so obviously originated from the nebulae.

If it were a science vessel perhaps they had far better sensors for studying the nebulae. But to detect her outside of it while within it seemed unreasonable. Possible if they were testing out new sensors, just not probable that they were and if so that they had been that good.

Vidalia leans back in the cockpit, drumming her fingers on the console before her. It's a tough choice, just what is she going to do? She can hardly ignore the distress call after all, certainly not one of this nature. "What do you think?" she asks the droid accompanying her. That was his job, after all, risk analysis and...other things. "Is it a trap of a legit signal? I can't tell." She guides the ship towards the nebula, as it'll take a little while to actually reach it so they have time to determine what they're getting into.

"If it is a science team then we really do have to help them. Might need to fight off a boarding party...maybe even rescue someone." She sighs and stands up. "Either way, I should check my gear."

It had a black chassis now, and plenty of added attachments not to mention better seals to actually function in water or the dead of space for that matter. 137 analyzed the matter, then gazed at her. It may have smiled if it were capable of expressions but there was just a hint of reflection in that robotic voice keeping it from being monotone all the time.

While it did not relay emotion entirely it did give her some idea as to what was intended by it's words. In this case she felt that it was trying to keep things light. “Oh, the odds are real low that that is a legitimate distress call, not even a full percent. They mentioned an ADD vessel, so either they have incredible sensors since we cannot detect them or they found out that we are in the area.

“It is possible to use that, if the force is small enough. We have to find the pirates, in this case they have found us making it easier. If we bloody their nose in ship to ship combat they might run back to their base. Another option would to be captured and brought there. Clearly they would have a strong boarding party. I could be in standby mod but look to be off, reactivate and come to the rescue after you've looked around and gathered what intelligence you can.

“We can send a message to the ADD prior to entering the nebulae to get back up here to make a move on the base timed with the escape. Other wise chase them back and look around first then dispatch that message. Of course it's your call Mistress.”

Vidalia drums her fingers on her thigh for a moment. "You know, sometimes I think you just like seeing me get into situations where I'm going to be stripped naked and used." She accuses the AI. "I really do. This ship probably won't be able to handle them head on, and it won't do us much good in finding their base if we do just make them run away. That said, if their ship is small enough, we will see. Otherwise..." She shrugs and turns to move farther into the ship. "I'll be ready to receive our guests and you'll have to be ready to rescue me if I can't handle it." She glances back at the AI and smiles. "And do send out that message beforehand, I'd hate for this to go wrong and be stuck in the middle of some nebulae forever."

“Hardly … at least not in a dangerous sense. I am glad to take advantage of the opportunity to see you strip on most occasions and if anyone is going to use you I'd prefer it to be me, Mistress. That said I have only listed the options that occurred to me the quickest, I have not been programmed with military strategies and there are too many variables to consider.”

Playing it by ear the message was dispatched first before heading into the nebulae. Their sensors suffered interference but 137 had been operating them and managed to boost their effectiveness a bit.

Soon two vessels were detected, from the sensors they were a medium vessel in the lead and a distant smaller vessel in pursuit of the first. It was some sort of fighter, quicker but the freighter had quite the head start on it.

Clearly that fighter would catch up before long. So far it appeared that the fighter did not notice them focused on the freighter, not even as the freighter changed headings and moved as fast as it could in their direction.

The fighter's sensors were probably limited by the nebulae and limited to the range of it's weapons. They did not many did not need better sensors then that but it was clear once that fighter got close it would pick them up.

She had a droid using every trick to boost her sensors. The signal came in and out due to interference but it held well enough.

“It seems that the freighter has noticed us. It's weapons are powered down but shields are up. The fighter has weapons up, no shields, which isn't too unusual since the freighter has no aft firing weapons.”

Vidalia spends most of the trip into the nebulae checking over her gear and getting herself ready for combat. They might be boarded and she isn't going to give up without a fight, despite what backup plans they may have. "Alright, how long till the fighter sees us?' She asks. "Any way we can get in the freighter's shadow and hide from it? Let it get closer before it has a chance to target us?"

She settles in at her own seat, tapping at her console idly. "Also, what do you make of this? Is the fighter actually chasing this thing or just following it? I'm not sure I trust this freighter at all and we certainly can't dock with it, not with that other ship out there."

137 had been on that tapping the panels, bringing up information and calculating it. “Just over five -” there was no missing the pause, “minutes. It is an older fighter.”

That by itself wasn't too unusual as pirates took whatever ships they could. The more successful ones had newer models. Her next questions were addressed. “It is possible to hide in the freighter's shadow but we would have to move toward it. The fighter will over take it otherwise and detect us not long after. Assuming of course we just remain stationary. The window of opportunity for that grows smaller as they get closer. As far as it being an actual chase ...”

That required some calculation. It had tweaked the sensors, could track both vessels in the nebulae even, 137 was quite skilled at processing this data on top of it. “Unknown. I am detecting no damage to the freighter but they are not pushing their engines to the fullest. They could have taxed them already and cut speed. It's quick but eventually their quickest the fighter will catch them. Another thing I can theorize is that the freighter managed to sneak away from the pirates and not until recently did they pick up speed, which of course would do no good.

“There is also the fact that they were aware of us while in the nebulae. Those are some sensors and despite how easy I make it look I'm taxed as it is. It is probable that this is a rouse although by drawing close you could prevent the fighter from effectively targeting us without taking out their ally. The freighter only has front facing weapons so it should be easy keeping out of it's firing arc.”

Vidalia nods her head. "Put us in the shadow then, until we get a better idea of the situation. Might give us the few minutes we need to make a better decision." She sighs and shakes her head, glancing around the small bridge. "And open up comms with that freighter, see if they'll tell us anything useful or not." She shakes her head again and mutters to herself. "This isn't going to be a fun one, is it?"

A nod, 137 piloted the vessel closer. “No, I don't suppose it will be. I recommend keeping conversation short, the fighter may pick up the transmission. Unlikely with the nebulae until they are on top of us assuming their sensors are standard.”

The droid piloted closer choosing to fly beneath the vessel itself after conducting a turn so they were going in the same direction. He then reduced speed and handled all this. About ready t comm the vessel the ship commed them instead seeing the delays that 137 had to go through.

“Thank you ADD vessel.” The sound was a bit cleaner now that they were this close. There was no static. “One fighter is in pursuit of us. They have several on the planet we were sent to survey and a few freighters.

“There is only the one ship. I guess they felt they didn't need much else.” It was true a freighter could take out a fighter only if it got lucky, particularly a fleeing freighter could not do it at all. Fighters often had the edge on weapons, shields and speed. The fighter did not have their shields up not counting on the freighter firing upon them, at least not unless it spun around to face them where a change in heading would give them more then enough time to get their shields up.

Vidalia is busy tapping away at a tactical console herself while all this is going on. She listens to the tight beam communication with the freighter, nodding her head as she at least gets a little confirmation. "I think they want to close with you and board, yes?" She asks. "I say we let them try and then, at the last moment, we can pop out and hit them when they least expect it." She taps a few more commands into her console and nods her head. "Forward us your sensor readings so we can watch the ship. Otherwise we'll never know when they're close."

It should work, a quick attack can destroy even a fighter, after all there aren't any truly heavily armored ships of this size, that's what shields are for.

“Yes, again, thank you!” The voice was masculine, probably middle aged or younger. The data had been relayed to them and the fighter kept on it's course. So far so good the fighter had not picked them up. Either it's sensors were not as good knowing relying on it's speed to catch up or their plan worked with the added benefit of he nebulae the ruse would have been difficult to detect.

The freighter only managed to briefly keep out of sensor range as indicated by those forwarded scans. It closed quickly until getting to mid range then fired. If that was a warning shot it hit he freighter dropping the shields in a single hit.

“Intercepting an incoming message for the freighter.”

“Cut your engines and turn back to the planet. Failure to comply and I take you out now.”

137 glanced at her as he stopped as the ship above did. The fighter did not seem willing to board, perhaps it was a single manned craft and the freighter could have half a dozen or more people on board. Thus an obvious advantage turned into a disadvantage.

Either this was still a trap or the freighter had something that the pirates wanted or managed to steal something. The freighter might not have been a science vessel either. Outfitted with great sensors someone may have opted to do some pirate hunting for whatever reason.

This sort of complicated matters. She could still try to take out the fighter since it's shields were still down. It remained at medium range looping around to get behind them in order to escort the freighter to the planet that was spoken of. She could go to this planet and try to race ahead at the last minute to get out of site of the fighter's sensors hoping to use the freighter as a blind too.

Vidalia drums her fingers on the console for a moment, clearly considering her next course of action. She could race ahead and recon the planet, after all, she trusts her own sensors more than the freighters. That said, the freighter clearly has a powerful suite on board. Likely they have all the info she could possibly need. After a few moments she nods her head. "Take the fighter out. Quickly, while he's occupied with the freighter. I don't want to get too close to that planet and risk being unable to escape." She turns to her console again, watching the screens for the external views of the ship. "And then we can board the freighter once we're in the clear. I've got some questions for them I want to ask in person."

137 nodded. It did not rotate the facing of the ship as the freighter turned it's facing. Clearly 137 was waiting for the fighter to loop around to the rear of the freighter and thus waited for the ship to come into the firing arc of the weapons. The droid had not powered up the weapons or shields so as not to tip them off as long a possible.

Shields remained down as 137 went through numerous calculations that a human just could not compute. Range, best position, were the fighter would be in a few seconds, to target that spot instead so the fighter moved into the shot and not away from it. Speeds, even the nebulae itself.

The shot came. The fighter was no more, vaporized with a single shot. “And done.”

Before a channel could be opened or docking procedures initiated the com lit up, the captain of the other vessel was a mix of emotion from jubilation and surprise, from the danger and risk involved in that act. He was tongue tied, confused to say the least.

Vidalia sits back, watching and waiting...that's what a lot of space combat is, unfortunately. Just a lot of watching and waiting. She keeps her eyes locked on the screens before her as they show the indicated position of her ship, the freighter, and the fighter.

Once the deed is done, she glances at 137 and grins. "Good job." She says, turning the com on and listening to the barrage from the captain of the freighter. She lets him run for a moment, giving a look to 137. "Civilians." She mutters before she finally replies. "This is the sort of thing we do." She points out to the captain. "Now then, are you ready to get out of here? We're going to dock with you on the way out of this place. I think we need to have a meeting."

There was the sound of the man exhaling. “OK ...” Docking was initiated by 137.

“And your welcome.” He had not missed her thanks having been busy with a thousand little things at once it seemed. The two ships were docked and before long she was aboard the freighter greeted by the captain who appeared to be approaching middle age. He had more the look of a spacer or smuggler then a scientist.

He was armed too with a holstered blaster on his hip, which wasn't too unusual. He paused, clearly impressed with her figure, realized that he was caught out doing so and blushed offering up a small smile.

“Again, thank you. I hadn't expected them to have a sip outside the hanger. Can I offer you a drink in the lounge. We should be in the clear for a bit, those Adda aren't tech savvy so it will be sometime for them to unlock the hanger.”