Dawson's Lament (Tall Tales)

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=Story By JA Baker=
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Sailors have always been superstitious.
This probably dates back to before recorded history, when they would be forced to travel the unknown seas and oceans of Terra, far out of sight of any known landmarks, facing strange and unusual phenomenon and wildlife outside of their knowledge. Stories of sea monsters, bizarre lands filled with mysterious creatures and the equally strange people who lived there are recorded throughout much of human history. As such, it's no wonder that, in an attempt to make sense of the inexplicable, they would piece together their own explanations as best they could, these soon becoming accepted fact.
It is only a small step from this to coming up with strange rituals or observances to avoid a fateful encounter.
This tenancy to try and bend the universe until it fits the limited understanding of the human mind remains to this day, as does the superstitions of those who sail the sea of stars. Even amongst the Spacer's Guild, the most highly trained and experienced professionals, there are still certain... oddities, that they are known for. Some cargos that are seen as unlucky, some routs that are avoided because ships have been lost upon them in the past, some names that are never spoken aloud.
One such name is that of the SLS Jayme Dawson. 
A Dart class light cruiser, the Jayme Dawson had been built by Di Tron Heavy Industries in 2310, and from the very beginning, she was seen as an unlucky, some would even say cursed, ship. During fitting out, a fire broke out on board the ship, and the automated fire suppression system flooded the entire hull with Halon 1301, leading to the suffocation of over a hundred workers and crew, including the ships captain. Later, during acceptance trials, the propellant charge for one of her NAC rounds exploded, killing six additional crew, and necessitating the return of the vessel to Di Tron for extensive repairs.
By the time the Jayme Dawson was officially commissioned in 2312, she had already received a reputation as an unlucky ship that few wanted to serve on willingly. This reputation was only strengthened when, in 2316, she struck a crude mine over the world of Helen during the Campaigns of Persuasion. Repaired in the field, she would take part in the conquest of New Rhodes III, where she would be the only Hegemony vessel to take more than superficial damage before the Federated Suns' abandoned the planet.
But it would be the disastrous Defeat at Syrma, where its legacy as a truly cursed ship would be secured.
One of the first ships to jump-in ahead of the main fleet, the Jayme Dawson would actually avoid taking any damage from the mines and sleeper missiles. But, when the transports carrying Konrad McKenna's invasion force arrived, Vice Admiral Harris Cather ordered the Jayme Dawson to provide close protection against possible counter attack. It was at this point that the cruiser lived up to its reputation. a short circuit in the maneuvering thrusters sent the was ship spinning out of control, resulting in it colliding with two of the immobile JumpShips, destroying them. It was only the fact that the accident took place just as the Federation of Skye counter-attack truly started that kept the accident from becoming widely known.
However, it was too late. The reputation of the Jayme Dawson had spread throughout the entire fleet. Officers and crew reportedly refused to accept reassignment to her, going so far as to risk court martial to avoid it. Realizing that any such court would be made up of officers who likewise knew of the ships history and reputation, the Admiralty quietly had her sent to the mothball fleet, her name stricken from the list of active vessels.
There her story may have ended, had she not been one of a batch of Dart's purchased by the Taurian Concordat. Unusually, she retained most of her original name, entering service as the TCW Dawson in 2507.
Unexpectedly, this seemed to break the string of bad luck that had cursed her. The Dawson suffered no major incidents throughout the early years of her service with the Concordat. She took part in several operations during the Reunification War, including the destruction of the AFFS support ships at Panpour during the Case Amber counter attack. She would go on to take part in the defense of the Pleiades Cluster, but the SLDF crews had a far better understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the Dart class, and she was less successful, taking moderate damage in a series of running engagements around Maia and Lothair.
However, it seems like fate was only building up for that grand finale, for it was the infamous Battle for Robsart in 2582 that would ultimately cement the legend of the Dawson.
Assigned picket duty, the Dawson was on patrol in the outer system when she stumbled upon a trio of SLDF Aegis class Heavy Cruisers, although she wasn't a match for one. Out numbered and outgunned, the cruiser put up a valiant fight, but ultimately futile fight. Even as reinforcements burned hard to come to her aid. When they finally arrived, they found a scene no sane man would believe; three heavy cruisers cut to ribbons, with their wreckage scattered all around'. Alas there was no trace of the Dawson could be found. The subsequent invasion and orbital bombardment of Robsart meant that it was impossible to conduct a proper search, let alone an investigation into the fate of the Dawson could be conducted. In 2584, the Concordat would officially declare the Dawson lost with all hands, stating that she had likely drifted clear of the original engagement zone before the relief force arrived.
But would I be telling you this all if it simply ended there?
Well, let me tell you another story...
By now I'm sure you've all heard of the Erinyes, the Newgrange class Yardship that the Word of Blake outfitted with a spinal-mounted heavy mass driver, and used to perform orbital bombardment against several worlds before and during the Jihad. What many of you may not know is that she was destroyed in the Flannagan's Nebula, while attempting to hunt down the TCW Vandenberg. 
The Vandenberg has been something of a white elephant for centuries. The Concordat struggling to keep it from deteriorating further, let alone attempt to restore to even partial operational status. Despite this, it remains something of a prestige unit. As they technically managed to retain a Warship in service while their longtime enemy, the Federated Suns could not. However, the Word of Blake didn't like the idea that some, in their mind, minor Periphery power might be able to mount a defense or maybe even a retaliation for the bombardment of Taurus. As such they ordered the Erinyes to locate and destroy the Vandenberg with extreme prejudice in 3082.
Exactly five hundred years to the day that the Dawson made her last stand.
What followed is to subject of much debate, with even the Concordat unable, or perhaps unwilling, to take an official stance. What is known for sure is that the Erinyes attempted to destroy the Vandenberg with a long-range strike from her mass driver, but the crew of the corvette was somehow able by dodge the attack by blowing one of the airlocks, using the escaping air as an impromptu emergency thruster. Further sporadic and random cause changes prevented the Erinyes from obtaining a targeting lock with her main gun, so she approached the Vandenberg to engage with her more conventional weapons. Completely unarmed and with only the most basic of system operational, the crew of the Vandenberg must have expected to meet their ends, were it not for the unexpected arrival of a single Dart class light cruiser.
Even in its prime, a single Dart would have been no match for the Erinyes. Long range observations through the ships telescope showed the crew of the Vandenberg that the cruiser had suffered considerable damage, with no less than thirty holes in her hull, and a massive gash down one side. Despite what should have been mortal damage, the cruiser struck out at the far larger Yardship. With her weapons tearing away at the Erinyes, even as she danced between her return fire in a way that defied explanation. Try as they might, the Erinyes couldn't land a single hit on the cruiser, even as she was slowly and methodically torn apart.
Eventually, something critical was hit, and the Erinyes started to burn from stem to stern. Tumbling uncontrollably as her surviving crew struggled to reach the escape pods.
Without transmitting a single word, the cruiser came alongside the Vandenberg, and her crew were shocked to make out her hull markings, identifying her as the long lost TCW Dawson. The crew attempted to make contact, but the Dawson remained silent even as she slowly faded from site, leaving only the wreckage of the Erinyes behind.
-Starling.
The End
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