[quote=WilsonTurner]
As one ship moved to divide the Explorer and the cargo ship, efforts to contact the intruders were given up, and they fired upon the vessel now labelled as a hostile. In short order, the Explorer reached extreme engagement range, and the two beam cannons mounted on the front lashed out. Typical firing arrangement; the beams would fire a short distance away from the target, and then it would sweep directly across the ship to the opposite side. With two cannons, it was more of a scissor-fire.As the Explorer closed into optimum firing distance, the ship slowed its advanced, and two large boxes, larger than a school bus, extended from the surface of one of the plates of armor. The boxes sat for a moment, and then a torrent of missiles launched, launching a rain of armor-piercing and high explosives, alternatively. The missiles would fire for seven seconds out of their launch bays, split into two parts, in which the missile will maneuver away from its other half and away from other missiles, and reactivate when close to the target, jetting forward. As the Explorer did so, the cargo ship un-latched from half of its segmented payload, 'dropping' about six of the dozen containers that were connected to its "spine," and slowly pulled up and turned away. The containers continued on the same course, heading towards the two eager ships as the cargo ship readjusted course away from them, away from the planet, and began accelerating to escape.(Don't take control of the containers, please, goodies inside I wish to reveal.)
[/quote]

The ship fired its weaponry at the explorer and cargo ship, firing all weapons on either side. It wasn't in optimal position, but it may be close enough to achieve the stratergy. The growth pods on the side burst, releasing the green gas and spore forms, which floated towards the two ships. The plan was to drop the shields of either ship so that it could be boarded by the spore forms. The beams hit the shields, which died and allowed the ship to be split in half. Tendrils of biomass reached out to connect and keep the half's of the ship together as explosions sprung up across the ship and the engine died. The ship slowly drifted forwards towards the center of the two enemy ships, twiling onto its side..

The two derelict ships sprung to life and engaged the explorer and cargo ship from the other side, aiming to catch them by surprise and break its shields and punch a hole into it to allow boarding. The two ships spread out to go to either side of the two hostile ships in the hopes that the explorer would be unable to use its beams on both of them this was.

The other ship engaged the fleeing cargo ship, firing on it and engaging it quickly. On the planet the parasite began to spread and build its forces up to increase their power.