The Venator appeared in the Gatra System moments later, weapons online and targeting system hunting for prey.
Immediately, the Sensor reported an anomaly on an Asteroid orbiting one of the Gas Giants.
Daniel looked over the report, smiling as he did.
Apparently, one of the Corvette's was damaged.
It was sitting in what looked like a makeshift shipyard.
The Destroyer, a Maltere -Class, was orbiting the Asteroid.
The Venator's Sauvettere Engine hummed to life, accelerating the Nun-Class Destroyer toward the base at 10% the speed of light.
Once the range dropped to 500 km, He decelerated and launched missiles from both Apep Missile Launchers.
The Launchers glowed with grey-blue light, before energy was ejected from the back of the tubes.
Two missiles emerged from the other end, accelerating the moment they left the launcher.
Daniel watched as the Destroyer shuddered, before spinning on its side and heading to cover the base.
The other two Corvettes vectored toward the Venator, hell-bent on closing with the ship and using their numbers to distract his targeting.
The report on the Sord-Class showed that they didn't have shields.
Daniel looked on with wolfish hunger as the two Novium Warheads suddenly switched targets, flashing past the two Corvettes before pulling a wide arc, then angling to impact both ships right up the thrusters of their Sauveterre Engines.
Both missiles impacted simultaneously, shredding the thrusters and killing the Corvette's acceleration. They slowed immediately, no longer able to maintain the tortured space that allowed sub-light acceleration.
The Venator's massive hull slid past them, firing a volley from the Horus Rail Guns.
Both rounds Impacted the bow of each ship, punching a hole though the middle and taking out their Rail Guns.
By their nature, Rail Gun rounds didn't explode, but rather penetrated ships to kill well armored system controls.
Like the Targeting Array that was highlighted on the form of both Corvettes.
With both ships out of the fight, Daniel fired another salvo of missiles, this time aimed at the Destroyer.
Suddenly, Daniel noticed a massive object sitting under the Asteroid relative to him.
His Sensor Identified a Helt-Class Hauler, probably the one uses to hold the Ice for ransom.
Unfortunately, the Destroyer was sitting in front of it, so any damage to the Destroyer might affect the Hauler, especially a Reactor implosion.
Daniel ordered the missiles off course, instead aiming them at the Asteroid itself.
He would have to use the Drones.
He launched both his new Mk ll Montu Assault Drones and the Mk ll Heka Repair Drone.
He was confidant that the Destroyer wouldn't break his shield, but caution was always better than recklessness.
The Venator slowly closed the distance, before finally the range dropped to 20 km, just inside the range of the Horus Rail Guns.
He slowed the ship, knowing that whatever the Destroyer had couldn't reach him.
Once the Venator stopped, it's nose dipped, presenting both of his Rail Guns.
He couldn't hit the Reactor, which meant he had to kill the four Rail Guns mounted on the front, then disable the Hovarth Drive so the Destroyer couldn't leave the System.
He fired his first volley, both rounds hitting the front of the ship.
However, this Destroyer, unlike the Tilan, had it's shields up.
His Hardened Arkan rounds impacted the shield, and yellowish energy spread across the hull.
Daniel had expected this, and his next volley followed the first, smashing the shield over and over. Each round was doing 100 hit-points, double what the Ullr had been able to do.
Eventually, the Shield Generator failed, and a sparking ripple of energy across the hull, signaling an emergency shutdown.
Seconds later, a communication request appeared in his view, coming from the Hualer of all things.
Daniel considered this for a moment.
This was either going to be a surrender or a threat, and Daniel didn't really care about the Ice.
It would have been nice, but the Jal System really need the Grackle's gone, so that they can retrieve the Ice in peace.
He accepted the request, and a moment later, the image of a young man with incredibly angry eyes appeared in his field of view.
Captain Borsan had be dead on when he'd described the Pirate Leader.
"Greetings, whoever you are. I assume you are here to collect the bounty that's been on my head for the last six months. I commend you for your victory today. However, this doesn't end here."
The young man's voice was ice cold, completely void of emotion.
It made chills run along Daniels imaginary spine.
The man continued.
"You have two options. Either you turn around and leave this System, or I'll kill everyone on board this ship."
The image suddenly changed to show a large room.
It was clearly a cargo bay.
Filled with people.
Shit.