The run

a DuCaine Station fiction

By Lucus Drakeston


Note: This is a rather short fiction consintrating on what life is like for the ducks of DuCaine Station. Think of it as a introduction to what it is like.


The gasses of the neubla swirled around the ships, 3 aerowings, and 5 smaller one man duck shaped fighters. Aboard one of the aerowings, a thin duck in a black uniform, tapped his fingers on the console. "Come on already... where is that convoy.." Another duck in a black uniform put his hand on the younger duck's shoulder. "Don't worry ensign they will be here." "Yes commander" Replied the younger duck. The commander looked back at the dozen ducks in grey armor, each holding a puck rifle at the ready. "Otherwise those marines will have no targets." The younger duck nodded, and looked to the copilot, then over to the one sitting at a sensor station. "Status?" The duck sitting there just looked over the sensors. "Nothing yet... wait, there it is. We have 3 saurian cargo ships with a 12 drone fighter escort that just entered range. Looks like there opening vents for refueling from the nebula's gases." The commander nodded. "Good standard convoy, once the vents are fully open we strike."


The battle was feirce, the ducks lost 2 of there fighters to the drones, but the drone fighters where showing greater losses. The Aerowings managed to do what they needed to do, deliver there troops to the ships, and use there underside airlocks to get them onboard the supply ships. The commander stood by the comm duck listening to there progress. "Strike team Alpha reporting, engineering and bridge secure. Strike team Beta reporting, engineering and bridge secure. Strike team Delta reporting, engineering secure, meeting more heavy resistance at bridge, have cut power to communications." The commander pressed a button on the top console. "Strike team Delta, authorzation to use grenades has been approved, objectives have already been completed, we can tow yours, repeat we can tow."


A few moments latter a large explosion was observed on a freighter next to them. The commander grumbled. "Damn marines...." He then got on the comm again. "Delta team report!" There was a moment of silence then the comm came to life. "Delta team reporting, we blew out the bridge area, looks like the saurians managed to move a create or two of explosives there, that was a unknown sir." The commander sighed then looked to the comm duck. "Instruct the remaining fighters to provide escort for us and the cargo ships. We are heading home." The comm duck nodded and got to work, as the Aerowings detached and began to move in to position to tow the damaged ship.


Somwhere among the puck asteroids around Puckworld, the 3 captured saurian ships, and there escort approached a large asteroid. Large cannons immedately appeared on the surface and trained on them. The commander got on the comm again. "Authrozation code Freedom. Supply run strike group Omega requesting landing clearance, one ship under tow." A moment latter the was a reply and the guns retracted. "Authrozation approved, welcome back home to DuCaine Station, Omega. Approach dry dock alpha seven niner. Transmiting secure homebeacon for lead ship only now." The ship lead the others to a section of the stone asteroid face, which glowed for a moment then opened up. The ships then all entered, and the iris closed behind them.


As the strike crew departed, they made there way throught the crowed common area of the station. What was once a park designed to make the military personal of the station feel more at home, was now filled with makeshift homes and tents for the refugees that lived there. Several of the refugees thanked them as they walked by, knowing that the supplies they managed to get today would help provided needed food and medical goods. The commander noted some large drilling machines working on some of the rock ceiligin and floor.


The main military section of the station was a bit different. Dispite the volunteers to sign up with what remains of the military, it was still clean and due to the constant rotating ship engaged in numerous raids, there was just enough room for the peronel to live somewhat unchanged lives. The commander made his way to a office, and knocked on it. "Commander Darfeather reporting." There was a gruff wolf like voice that answered. "Enter commander." The commander stepped in and saw, a duck in a crisp uniform sitting at a desk, with a wolf like humanoid standing behind him. On the desk it was a name sign that read 'Admiral Thunderbeak'. The admiral gesutered to a chair. "At ease commander, sit and give me your report." The commander came to attention, "Yes sir." He then sat down in the chair. "Sir all whent as planned, however Delta teams target had explosives stored in there bridge of all places." The wolf then spoke up. "That is not suprising, it must have been there command ship for the operation. With that bridge blown out then we won't be able to find what codes they are using to secure there comm channels now." The admiral rubbed his beak slightly. "Looks like we lost a bonus, still at least the primaries where done. See that the food and medical supplies are counted then distrubed as needed. That is all commander, you are dismissed." The commander then stood up, saluted, and left.


The wolf then turned to a console on the wall and touched a button. "Cargo officer, have the cargo of the damaged saurian ship secured in a empty ammo hold, have sensor team 94 go over it." The admiral then looked up at the wolf. "So that was you just pulling something out of your ass, to make him feel better Captian K'or?" The captian then nodded. "Yes sir, all our intel says that, this should have been a raid on 3 civilan saurian ships. No explosives. That ship is carring something we where either ment to find, or not to have." The admiral sighed. "I'm getting to old for this... plus I can see it in some of the older personal's eyes. We are soldiers not pirates. We need to do more assaults against saurain military targets." The wolf nodded, "I agree sir, but we don't have the supplies to support normal attack runs, we need to bid our time and gather intel."


The ducks of sensor team 94 worked in pairs. One moving a large box around that showed him readouts, the other passing a wand over each crate. "Create number 204." "Check." The two ducks where bored, as they like the others in there team, had over 200 crates to check. At least they only had 6 more crates to go, then this tedious job would be over. "Create number 206." The sensor started beeping like crazy. "We got something, the create is reinforced military grade." The duck put down the wand and tapped the comm unit on his shoulder, "We found something in create 206 sir, the crate is military grade, nothing else to report." The comm then cracked to life. "Sending in demos team now, hold position." The duck looking over the sensors then looked around. "Did you hear something?" The other duck shook his head. Your paranoid, theres no one here other then the sensor team." The create then broke apart, and the saw something that made them scream. The guards outside could hear gun fire, and hit the alarm. A couple of minutes later several marines arrived. They looked in and saw 3 very large drones wandering around the bodies that was the sensor team... 12 ducks, all dead and mutalated. One of the marines then groaned. "Great, just great." He tapped his comm unit. "Sir permission to use the plasma throwers, we have three super killers in here, and there active. Sensor team 94 is all dead." There was a moment of silence, then the comm cracked to life. "Permission granted, take them out sargent." The sargent then held up three fingers then made a fist and pulled it down quickly. Three of the marines took off large bazooka like cannons from there backs. As they took aim, the other marines either plugged in large cables to attach the bazookas to near by power condutes, or flanking postions to protect the fire team. The sarge then looked at the drones, which were still scanning the room they where in. "Report." Each bazooka holder spoke up, "Cannon 1 charged and locked on target. Cannon 2 charged and locked. Cannon three charged and locked." The sarge then shouted, "Open fire!"


The bazookas open end then glowed with a brillant white light and a beam of searing white heat shot out. Each beam struck a seperate drone, and the drones shook for a moment then exploded. The bazooka teams then dropped there bazookas on the ground, as the medic with them started to treat the 2nd degree burns on there shoulders. The rest of the marines then charged in, and fired there puck blasters at exposed key components of the super drones. "Area secure!" "Call in the salvage team, medic take the plasma gunners to the medical bay, marines take up guard positions!" "Yes sargent!"

The end for the moment.