The ship looks nothing like it did when it left the hangar.
The reactor bulges obscenely beyond the hull, upgraded, overhauled, and overbuilt until it was too large for the ship to contain. The shields spark and flare occasionally, struggling to maintain their output through the faulty, salvaged wiring. The fore bristles with weapons too large for any ship your class to support, fixed loosely in place with scrap metal and engine tape.
You've been in this ship for weeks. Interior and exterior alike are a jumbled crisscross of hasty, panicked welds and graffiti. You rarely leave the cockpit anymore. The crew aren't worth talking to, each for his own reason.
Weapons sits huddled up by the targeting panel, catching flies and pulling their wings and legs off, one by one. Atmospherics is slowly turning a permanent shade of blue as he continues his "evolutionary experiments" at the outer airlock. Drones is keeping a list of names on the wall, writing each of his "poor children's" epitaphs in sickening detail. Shields... you don't even let Shields radio you anymore. The endless screaming and wailing are too much for you to take.
And what happens if you fail the next evade when insanity finishes charging and takes aim at you? If the rebels can't stop you, who in the Federation - in the galaxy at large - will stand a chance? Can you finish this war, before you become its new harbinger?
"What is the meaning of this? Who are you?" General Tully yelled.
"We are here with info. The entire Rebel army is on its way here to attack. But they have one weakness. We are here to inform you."
"Intel suggests potential counter to rebel technology. Risk all or save none." General Turzil says.
"The weakness of the entire Rebel fleet: the Rebel Flagship. If we destroy that, then the entire fleet will fall to pieces. The Federation can win, if only we defeat this ship. The Federation can win this war easily."
"It's settled. The Rebels will be here in a matter of moments. We will do what we can to hold off their warships but you must succeed in destroying the Rebel flagship." General Tully responds.
"We have to? We're not suited for combat." Tim replies.
"You are the best equipped ship we have." Turzil said.
"Fine. We will succeed." Banks claimed.
They warp away to find Rebel ships attacking left and right.
"We have to leave. We can't afford to take any damage." King said sadly. "The truth of war." The crew watches a Federation ship blow up.
They wait for the Flagship. It comes in range and the Kestrel and the Flagship jump to the same place at the same time. The ship sends them a short message.
"You must die. Nothing personal, but you will die now. Goodbye."
They fire twelve attacks; three Ion blasts, three shield piercing missiles, three lasers, and three Pike Beams. Artyom cloaks, dodging all twelve. Banks fires back, launching all of their attacks. Only the Artemis and Pike Beam do any damage. Banks and Yevon Si teleport into the triple missile room. They kill the crew, but not before the crew member inside kicks Yevon Si out of his airlock.
"Yevon Si!" Banks grabs his hand and tries to pull him on board. The crew member tackles Banks, tossing all three out of the ship.
"Yevon Si! Banks!" Artyom yells, grabbing Fenn and dragging him to the teleporter room. They go to the Pike Beam room. The crew member in there easily kicks Artyom out of the ship. Fenn grabs the crew member by the throat and headbutts him, then sucks the air out of his lungs, killing him. Fenn warps on board the Kestrel.
"That's what he gets for killing those three. Pull up next to the ship." Fenn says as he walks up to Tim in the cockpit.
Tim pulls the ship up closer to the Flagship.
"Launch the Burst Lasers!" Fenn yells, getting a running start out of the airlock and straight towards the enemy ship. The Burst Lasers penetrate the shields just as Fenn lands on top of the ship. He runs his metallic claws along the ship's hull, blowing up the left side of the ship. Fenn is consumed in the explosion as the ship warps away.
"Pursue it!" King commands as they warp away.
They open up by activating the Defense drones. The enemy ship powers up two attack drones. Relatively minor stuff. Until Matthieu picks something up.
"Power surge detected!" Matthieu screams. Six more drones appear. "Forget everything else, try to dodge!"
Tim easily dodges them all. No weapons are shot for a while.
"Markel! Board the ship with me!" Matthieu says, launching a hacking drone and warping onto the ship with Markel.
They kill two people before a third grabs Markel and bashes his head against the airlock room's wall. "Markel!" Matthieu screams, grabbing the attacker and tossing him out of the airlock. Markel collapses and breaks into small crystal pieces.
"Markel! You'll pay for killing him!" Matthieu screams, bashing pieces of Markel against a crew member's head, and grabs the remaining two and drags them out of the airlock with him.
"Tim! Pay attention to dodging!" King said after noticing that Tim was distracted by the pieces of his comrades on the enemy ship. One person is left.
"You take the engines!" Tim commanded. He shoots several missiles, exploding the left half of the ship. It blinks away.
They pursue the pieces of the Flagship. After they arrive at the beacon that the Flagship is at, they notice another ship attacking the Flagship. It weakens the hull before being broken to pieces.
This was the last stand.
"Take the controls! I'll show them who's boss!" Tim yelled, warping on board. He confronts the remaining member on board.
"You're coming with me!" Tim yells, dragging the crew member out of the side of the ship. No airlock is left, there are tattered pieces of one on the floor.
King is the only crew member left. He quickly composes a message as another crew member boards the Flagship from aboard his own ship.
He sends the message.
The new captain opens the message.
"You lose."
The Kestrel rams the Flagship, exploding both of the ships.
FIN