“Teeth in the Void” a Stars & Lasers battle report.

“Asteroid field disturbance detected — something is moving through it.”

“Captain unknown contact confirmed, Captain. Mass readings are… that can’t be right. It’s as big as a cruiser.”

“It’s not a ship, sir. No drive signature, no power core. It’s alive.”

The UEF Blakely was cruising at the very edge of the system, far from shipping lanes and patrol routes, then something moved… Asteroids scattered as something vast and alive burst through the asteroids. The crew barely had time to register it before the scale became clear — the creature was as large as the cruiser itself, a living mass of armour, muscle, and impossible speed.

Turn One

From within a dense cluster of drifting rock, the Mako surged forward, its enormous bulk smashing through the asteroids. The Blakely advanced to meet it, long-range batteries firing probing shots across the void. The lasers sparked harmlessly against the creature’s hide, doing little more than announcing the cruiser’s presence.

“Long-range batteries are charged. Firing solutions locked… firing!”

“Minimal effect, Captain. Lasers are dispersing across its hide.”

“Sir, it didn’t even flinch.”

Turn Two

The Mako stayed just beyond biting distance, slipping through space with unsettling grace. A strange energy beam lanced out from its core, slamming into the Blakely piercing her hull. Consoles flickered, systems stuttered, and alarms echoed through the ship as key systems were disrupted.

“Incoming energy spike! It’s charging some kind of weapon!”

“We’ve been hit! Power fluctuations across multiple systems!”

“Damage control reports fried relays on deck five — backup systems are holding, for now.”

“Helm response is sluggish, Captain. She’s not handling like she should.”

The Blakely answered with a full broadside. This time the lasers bit deep, blasting chunks of chitinous armour from the creature’s flank and sending fragments tumbling into the void.

“All batteries, broadside configuration! Give it everything we’ve got!”

“Direct hits! Its armour is breaking away!”

“We’ve hurt it, Captain — it’s reacting!”

Turn Three

With a sudden burst of speed, the creature closed the distance. Its massive jaws clamped down on the cruiser’s side, tearing away armour and ripping multiple decks open to space in a spray of debris and atmosphere.

“Collision warning! It’s closing too fast!”

“Brace for impact!”

“Hull breach! Multiple hull breaches!”

“Atmospheric loss on decks seven through nine — emergency bulkheads are sealing!”

“Medical teams are overwhelmed, Captain!”

“Get us away from that thing — now!”

The Blakely broke free and powered away, swinging her broadside around as the main lasers fired at point-blank range. The creature writhed in visible agony as the beams burned into its thick hide.

Turn Four

The cruiser tried to pull clear again, landing another punishing volley — but the creature barely slowed, shrugging off the pain as it surged forward for what looked like the killing strike.

“Captain… it’s still coming.”

“We can’t stop it in time!”

“Structural integrity is failing across the midsection!”

“All hands—”

The Mako twisted unnaturally, ignoring the damage, and slammed into the Blakely once more. More of the outer hull was torn away, exposing glowing wreckage and venting atmosphere.

Aftermath

That game was brutal for the Blakely. She simply couldn’t put enough fire into the creature quickly enough to stop it. On top of that, the dice were absolutely on the Mako’s side — it barely missed an attack and landed several crippling critical hits, sealing the cruiser’s fate.

A second game told a very different story. This time the Blakely found her rhythm early, concentrated fire where it mattered, and tore the creature apart far more quickly — proof that in Stars & Lasers, preparation, positioning, and a little luck can mean the difference between survival… and being devoured in the dark.

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