Okay here is the next ride. I was going to let you know all the GW names I used but there are so many that I opted not to. Let's just say that I don't own them, Bandi does -or something like that. I do own the plot. You may touch it, stroke it, play with it, but you may not steal it.

SEKCH \0/ seven

Serra. A large blue gas giant listed seventh in the orbit around Sol. Three moons circled it, Belvahrd, Jakoba, and Tet, guardians of the three largest of the floating continents visible from orbit. Swirls of blue, green, and gold gave the planet an eery life-like quality, making it seem to breath as it swung on its axis. To humans it was a beautiful jewel to look upon but it was unable to sustain their life, but to the Thonians it was the perfect place for a colony.

With an atmosphere heavy in hellum, menophose, and huren, no humanoid life could step onto it's land. This atmosphere was perfect for the Thonian race and after finding it, they sent out their ships to take colonize this beautiful world. A civilization completely hidden from their neighbors. A place where none would know the extent of their technology; the numbers of their people. They would be able to flourish in peace; to grow as a species without fear of being hunted or destroyed.

So it was that in the Teron standard thyerox 917, those who chose to make Serra their home declared their independence from the Thortalluc Regime. Since few of the other planets within the system had developed, the war between the colony known as Serra and the Regime went virtually un-noticed. The lights seen in the sky were considered omens, good or ill, by the young Teirsan race since they were too small to be anything more than flashes. In the end the Regime let the Serrians go and the planet became their true home. Choosing to isolate themselves from their home system, they destroyed all history of where they came from in order to become true Serrians. They, has a species, changed and made themselves over to be barely recognizable to the Thonian race.

When the Dawntian Empire began mediating between all the worlds of the Terrax system, the Serrians were contacted and convinced to attend council on the planet of Teirsa. Once there, they signed the Alliance pact acknowledging the system and it's inhabitants. Because of this, the Serrians reformed Jakoba so that the atmosphere would allow the humanoid populace a place to meet with their ambassadors. They made changes in their appearance in order to appear more human and adapted to a new language. While they became apart of this new order, they remained forever shrouded in mystery. Their true language too hard for humans to comprehend, their intelligence too high to be ignored, and their strategic thinking too exacting as not to be an asset to this new Alliance, all in all the Serrians considered themselves the guardians of war and the keepers of the true nature of the Terrax system. For them, it was a matter of honor to give wisdom to the fight and aid in the younger world's battles.

But as the ominous shadow emerged from the Karn Drek, it was this older world that was in danger and in need. None of them, with their great intellect, thinking that they could be attacked in the same way as the other worlds. Little did they realize, that the Spectronian Empire had developed a special weapon just for them.

Admiral Verderon Acht was a highly decorated officer. He'd served in his Master's honored guard with distinction and had all ready won many worlds over for him. His reward had been a promotion and the command of his own vessel. However, not just any vessel would do for one such honored as he, to his great pride his Master had rewarded him with the first of the line in new Battleships.

Called the Dark Death, she carried twice as many squadrons of vipers and four legions of Sadow ground troops, making her the most heavily trooped ship in the known Spectronian fleet. While that alone was impressive, she was not a simple hauler. She was a half-length larger than the standard Alliance Starfighter with turrets that ran down the center. Her armor was re-enforced with Tellium and Sherodom, metals found on worlds all ready conquered by the Empire, and her body had fourteen gunnery placements running along each side. Her upper mass was protected by laser re-enforced sight to sight pulse guns and her forward and aft were armed with twice as many torpedo tubes as any made before her. Her greatest feature, however, was the various arrays along her body that allowed her to send false echoes and hide from the enemy. It made her a virtual phantom in space. All in all, she was a vast killing machine created to take on the Alliance and win.

Standing on her bridge, Acht felt like he was the master of all he surveyed and with the blow to heart of the Alliance assured, he was more than confident that he was about to single handedly take over the Terrax system. The boon for him would be a planet of his own and as riches beyond his imagination.

"Admiral, we are within launch range of the Serrian planet." The mechanical voice of the navigator broke Acht from his reminiscing.

With a sly smile, that could only be called maniacal, he voiced his order clear and loud for all to hear. "Launch full squadrons to attack the planet and take out the moons!"

"As you command." Came the monotone reply.

The sound of the call was like music to his ears as he clasped his hands behind his back and watched the darkness fill with the bodies of the attack vipers.

09809

Duo came out of warp on the dark side of the Karn Drek. Serra shown to the left of his readout, a jewel against the yellow-brown shadow that made up the Lymar Mekx, the largest of the gasal webbings that moved throughout the Terrax system. Swinging his ship around to face the Drek, he took a moment to get his bearing and plan his next move.

'incoming vistar squadron.'

Duo sighed as seven vistars fell out of warp in a near perfect alignment to his own. They had followed him.

"Derris, what's going on?!" Jaxon had to demand this time, he'd disobeyed orders to follow his leader on this errand and now he wanted answers.

Duo didn't have to answer the angry question as the Battle cruiser came out of the dark recess and into the light.

'spectronian battle cruiser now entering sector t-meich-ninh.'

"Holy Father!"

"Would you look at that!"

The whispered words echoed along the com-link as the other vistar pilots got their first look at the enemy craft. It loomed like a dark demon, bigger than anything any of them had ever seen.

"I think we'd better. . ." before Jaxon could finish his thought he gasped in shock as the lead vistar's engines flared again and the pilot maneuvered the craft to angle the dark shadow.

"Tell me he's not going to do what I think. . ."

The lead vistar picked up speed and headed directly for the Spectronian battle cruiser without hesitation.

"Red Star, this is Satray meich. Location sector t-meich-ninh, we have Spectronian battle cruiser sighted. Unknown classification approaching Serra orbit dec-rete. Be advised squadron leader is engaging." Jaxon began to quickly calculate how much time they had before all helios broke and the battle began.

"Jaxon, he's. . .!"

"Satray meich this is Red Star." Jaxon wanted to breathe a sigh of relief when the voice of the com controller came on, but he knew that it didn't matter what she said Satray Ish was on it's way. "Orders are to stand down. Do not, repeat, do not engage enemy craft until we are in position. High speed takes us to your position in two triax."

Jaxon shook his head as he watched the lead vistar dip into the dark shadows in order to go undetected by the enemy rayar.

"You're too late."

The words washed over them like a wave as Satray Ish broke cover and headed toward the cruiser's under belly.

"Squadron fall in on Satray Ish."

OOOO

Acht sneered as the last of his viper squadrons faded from sight. Their next target would fall as swiftly and as easily as the Alliance home world had. Rubbing his hands together, he imagined the shocked surprise on the faces of the arrogant Serrians when the first squadron lay their cities to waste. It would be several hours before the report of this success was sent.

Giving the order to alert him once the attack began, Acht headed for his dining cell and the reports he'd yet to send. The first one being the victory of the Teirsan city's destruction.

Acht smiled as he remembered ordering the attack on the jewel of the Alliance. The puny planet never knew he was there. He'd sent two full squadrons in the first wave and three in the next, but the glory was the two wave of Sadow he'd landed in the heart of the High City. He had not remained to see the justice they had wrought, confident in the orders he'd left them to lay it all to waste.

Sitting at his high table eating as he read through the reports, Acht was pleased to see that the Alliance planet was still trying to fight free of the attack. The squadron he'd sent down to Serra would destroy the moons first, then the cities on the continents before heading for the next possible location of the Council.

A sudden jolt sent the fine glass plates to the floor and forced Acht to his feet. Growling he jerked away from the table and made a grab for the communications lock at the door.

"What the hell is going on!"

There was another explosion and Acht sneered at the console before palming the door. Red lights were flashing in the hall way as uniformed troops began to scramble to their combat stations.

"We're under attack, Commander." A mechanical voice echoed over the din of lights and alarms as Acht continued his way the bridge. "Radahr indicates no Starfighters in the area."

Another explosion rocked the massive ship and Acht snarled. If it wasn't a Starfighter then it must be a meter shower or something natural because nothing else could harm his great ship.

"Give me a status report!"

Acht burst on to the bridge to find his nav-crew working as only the mechanicals could. The entire ship had been equipped with the latest in cybernetic synthoids and they were programmed to do their jobs no matter what. Damage was irrelevant to them and the condition of the ship was their top priority. Nothing meant more to them than an order he could give or the work they were programmed to do they were created to serve the Empire.

Another explosion rocked the ship as alarms echoed through the control room.

"What the hell . . ." Acht cursed as he grabbed his command chair to steady himself.

"Radahr remains clear." The emotionless mechanical voice of the nav-controller reported. "No Starfighters visible."

Another short burst shook the ship as Acht sneered. "Activate skin sensors!"

OOO

Jaxon had trouble believing what he was seeing. The huge Spectronian Battleship had weaknesses and Satray Ish knew where they were. With the lead vistar's first pass of the underbelly he found a chink in the hull and rocked the mammoth ship with a strong explosion.

"Jaxon?" There was a surprised uncertainty that swept through the squadron as they watched the lead vistar make another pass.

"Red Star, this is Satray squadron." Jaxon closed his eyes for a brief prayer to the Father before continuing. "Attack run commencing."

OO

Odin stood as the transmission from the squadron was received, this was not good. No single vistar squadron could battle a fully deployed Spectronian Battle cruiser.

"Check Satray, we are only two triax from your position. Do NOT engage!" The com-officer all but screamed into her mike.

"Nav-com, I need high warp and a course cleared to Serra space!" De'mon shouted the needed orders as the full scope of what was about to happen sunk into the minds of the bridge crew. No vistar squad could destroy a Battleship, it was a fact that they would all be killed.

"Andrometha and Black Star report an increase in speed. They estimate arrival at destination four mirax after our own." Com reported, her voice catching with nerves.

"Get my Heero." Odin ordered and stepped into his lounge.

"Battle stations! All guns, torps, and flyers to station!"

"All squadrons ready to launch a mirax after destination."

The crews orders and words washed over the bridge until a single spoken line caused silence. Inside his lounge, Odin pulled up the com and waited for the image of Squadron Commander to come up. Heero Yuy was the youngest Squadron Commander in Red Star history. He'd more than proven himself to Odin after his first thyerox as Squad leader. Now he commanded all of them.

Heero's emotionless face appeared on the screen. "Commander."

Odin would have smiled at the greeting, standard for Yuy, but things were too volatile. Looking at the messy moss green hair filling the top of the screen and falling into dark blue eyes, he could see the dedication in the heart of this young warrior.

"Heero, I need you to have your squadron launched in zotdec mirax. Satray is taking on a Battle cruiser without the cover of a Starfighter."

Heero frowned. This didn't sound like Derris Rehn at all. He considered, like the rest, their squad was their brothers, sons, fathers, you did not endanger them un-necessarily.

"We'll be hot in zotmeich." came Heero's reply and the transmission ended.

Odin sat back with a sigh, then punched up the com again. "Tell Satray we are on our way and that Detra squadron will be there before us."

"Yes, sir."

O

The message reached them as Jaxon came to a decision.

"Too late." came the whispered reply from the battling vistar.

Jaxon had almost whispered the words as he watched the lead vistar make another run. 'Too late.'

"Satray squad heat up and prep weapons." The silence told him that they understood. "Advance at meich-ish-och-ninh."

"Into the fire we go. To live, to love, to die within a sweetly sigh. An arrow shot from a golden bow. If our wings should split the sky, may our souls to haven fly."

Dwyer's prayer was spoken softly and with great reverence, the truth of his words touching each one of them. A single vistar squadron could not take on a Spectronian Battleship without Starfighter back up and survive.

"Satray squadron prepare for battle."

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hee hee did I do that? don't worry the next chapter is gonna be a doozie.