The Destiny glided through the Martian atmosphere.
"Two ships following us, Captain." Talara reported.
Starwind gritted his teeth, looking over at Edwards.
"We can't get a clear lock, sir. We would need to recalibrate sensors because of the Warp Facility below."
"Don't move in on the Warp Facility, if an enemy ship hits that, who knows what might happen. Signal to the fighter launch bays. Saddle up, lock and load. Patch us into their radio chatter. Scorpion MkII fighters, V formation." Starwind ordered. "Prepare to make a quick pass at the Facility on my order."
VonBach screamed at Watson back in the shuttle, "We need to lift off!"
"A second more!"
"No!" VonBack shot at the science station, "Now."
McKay laughed, "You just destroyed your only way home!"
VonBach glanced at McKay, "I haven't killed you yet, Doctor."
A squadron of fighters flew from the rear of the Destiny, moving toward the attacking ships while Starwind watched from Destiny's bridge.
"Get them off our back and signal the Scorpions to break off. Minimum loss of life on both sides." Starwind ordered, "As soon as the shuttle at the Facility lifts off…"
"Just did sir." Edwards interrupted.
"Resume course for the Warp Facility. Once the shuttle is ready to dock, lower shields. Let VonBach know there isn't time for a present landing. Then I want McKay on the bridge." Starwind ordered, "Open main shuttle bay and Fighter bay doors now. Have Fighters meet us in orbit." Full atmospheric thrusters."
"Aye, sir!" the bridge crew nodded
Watson turned from the helm of the shuttle. "Word from Destiny. We are to rendezvous in the lower atmosphere and land during a brief shield window. Sounds dangerous."
"Sounds stupid." McKay scoffed.
VonBach smiled "Sounds like fun. This shuttle got any guns? You know, just in case?"
"Shuttle on screen." Talara reported.
"Lower shields… now! Thirty seconds, and keep the fighters between us and the enemy ships." Starwind ordered.
"Docking sequance ready." Watson reported.
"No time to execute." VonBach pushed Watson aside, "Cutting engines, landing gear down. Brace yourselves." The shuttle flew at the Destiny.
"We're too hot, cut speed."
"We have five seconds before their shields go up, Watson!" VonBach screamed. "Hold on!" The shuttle hit the docking bay hard, the landing gear scraping the metal floor and the shuttle only stopping thanks to a net designed to stop it. Both the shuttle and docking bay were in ruins.
"Sir, the last fighter was destroyed." Edwards reported.
Starwind nodded, "Sharp rise, 90 degrees, Z-axis. Close both hangers and repressurize. Get McKay, Watson, and VonBach up here now."
"Aye, sir."
"Get us with the Normandy and Stragger. Once the three of us are there, we take out the rest of the ships and get home." Starwind ordered.