The next few days went by uneventfully.
Star of Vengeance was now accelerating thanks to the gravity pool of a nearby planet but still everyone was vigilant ,they didn't know what was awaiting them when they got out of the ship graveyard that was hiding them.
It took the nobles over a week to muster enough forces for another assault on the station but this time they started with hailing the station first and demanding its surrender.
They still didn't know that there was no one who could answer them on board.
Tommy and the rest of the bridge crew watched the battle on the main screen.
-It looks like they will take it seriously this time around.
Tommy said, watching the fleet getting ready to attack.
-Anne what do they have?
-1 cruiser,3 destroyers,8 frigates and 15 corvettes.
Anne reported.
-It looks like this time they will take down the station.
Simon said with a bit of sadness, he would like it if the station could hold on for long enough for them to leave the system but there was no chance for the station to repel such an onslaught.
At best it could destroy or damage some more ships but that was it.
-Its starting.
David said, pulling Simon out of his own thoughts.
The cruiser and the destroyers went in first as they could take a lot more punishment than the smaller ships.
The nobles fleet opened up with everything they had and the station's shields flared from the incoming fire.
The station however did not stay quiet for long but its fire was divided among many ships so it wasn't so effective, nonetheless it still managed to do some damage.
The battle lasted for over 2 hours this time and it ended when the noble fleet managed to take out the station's shields and destroy all the cannons;they evidently wanted the station in one piece.
The fleet also didn't get out of the battle without losses.
two frigates and seven corvettes were destroyed and several more were damaged in addition to one heavily damaged destroyer.
Then the crew saw some smaller ships detaching from the cruiser.
-They are sending troop shuttles,they really want this station back.
Agnes said, watching the battle from her station.
-Then they will be disappointed.
Tommy smiled while watching first shuttles trying to dock with the station only to get blown up by the mines Jess left behind.
Soldiers quickly learned their lesson and next shuttles went to the other parts of the installation and cutted their way inside.
What the soldiers didn't expect was an army of drones and automated turrets awaiting them inside.
They scanned the station and didn't find any life signs but that wasn't foolproof because if you hide yourself somewhere near the reactor the scanners couldn't pick you up.
And even if the station was abandoned and somehow all the exiles managed to escape,their masters demanded that they capture it back.
Tommy and his crew couldn't see what was happening inside because connecting to the cameras inside could lead to blowing their cower.
However when they saw a medical vessel flying in the direction of their former jail,everyone knew that the drones and other surprises they left had done their jobs.
About 5 hours later they saw a massive explosion that destroyed the blue section and damaged the red section, not to mention taking down all the soldiers and troop shuttles with it.
-What the hell was that?
Paul asked in shock,in his experience there was almost nothing on that station that could explode like that.
-Remember all the rockets and other ammo that we couldn't bring with us?
Simon asked with a smile,Paul nodded, he remembered that there was a lot of ammunition left behind.
-I left an explosive charge in their storage area before we left and when someone tried to enter it would go off.
Now we know that someone entered and we can also be sure that this station is no longer useful to anyone.
There were so many unexpected things happening lately,that the crew wasn't even fazed by this revelation.
-Well let's hope that they assume that we all died or are already far away so they won't look for us here.
Said Tommy.
-Unfortunately they know that we left the station,just before the explosion i managed to listen in on their transmission.
The good news is that they think we already left the system so I don't think they will start looking for us here.
David reported his findings.
-Wait i have another transmission on the open channel.
He switched it to the speakers.
-Sir the station was destroyed,the exiles escaped and left many traps behind, we lost all 150 soldiers who were on the station and all the boarding craft.
-What's the status of the red section?
-The red section is slightly damaged but is otherwise operational.
-Start S&R operations immediately ,I need to inform the families about the situation.
-Yes sir, search and rescue is already under way.
The transmission ended.
- I wouldn't want to be that officer right now,just imagine that you have to inform all those noble bastards that they not only lost a station and a bunch of soldiers and ships but that all the people from that station escaped.
Agness said with a big smile on her face, she didn't even try to hide that she was happy at that officer's misfortune.
-That may be true but we have a problem now.
Tommy wasn't happy that the station was destroyed this soon.
-We have another 20 days of drifting before we reach the planned escape point and by that time there will be a massive hunt for us.
We have to remember that we were sent to the blue section for a reason and nobles wont stop hunting us until we leave the empire.
If they manage to catch us then I doubt they will just put us on another station especially after what we just pulled off.
-First they have to catch us and even if they do find us we are not defenseless.
-It was Simon who spoke first.
-Yup, this beast we created right under their noses has some really sharp claws and teeth.
Paul chimed in.
-They needed a fleet to take down a station, so for us they will need an armada and it will take a lot of time to gather one.
-Don't forget that the emperor might catch the wind of this and use it to bring the nobles down a notch or two, you know how it is in the court.
-We can always slaughter anyone dumb enough to try and stop us.
Everyone shared their points of view.
-Whatever the case they will have to pay a steep price to get us.