Sequel to 7 Points
By Chaoseternus
Chapter 9: Probes and Surprises
Kara glared upwards as she hurried to her Viper, flashes of light and explosions bringing false dawn to the sky as miles above her, warships grappled and fought, frantically fighting for an advantage, an edge, anything.
She hated not being in on the party.
She threw herself into the cockpit, narrowly avoiding Cally as she dived out of the way and began accelerated launch prep. The Tau'ri PDF forces may be holding their own, but she wanted to be there in case, she was a warrior after all, not some two-bit paper pusher afraid of their own shadow, she wanted in on the fight.
Thirty seconds later, she was ready.
"Starbuck requesting permission to launch!" she shouted, cursing the unfamiliar procedures of a ground facility.
"Copy Starbuck, you are clear to launch on runway 2-west wind easterly and moderate, visibility restricted"
With a predatory whoop, Kara launched from the base, rapidly punching her fighter into orbit, the first Viper in the air.
The fight, Kara had to admit was no less impressive from space, as the three Planetary Defence Force MTB's grappled at close range with the heavy bulk of the Ha'tak, whilst the supporting Dauntless class struggled under the weight of Al-kesh and Udajeet fighters swarming it.
Just one Ha'tak, probing attack Kara rapidly and correctly concluded.
"All Vipers, all Vipers this is Starbuck, form on me, we have an 'angel' being swarmed, prepare to engage"
"Not to rain on the parade Kara" Apollo asked, a little annoyed by her presumptuous assumption of command, "but aren't we a little out classed?"
"Its Udajeet and Al-kesh, we get the Udajeets off the back of the big boy over there then she'll be able to deal with the Al-kesh without interference"
"Copy, all vipers, prepare to engage"
---
Hel'tek sneered as she brought her Udajeet around for another pass; her squadron's superior piloting keeping the tau'ri warship pinned and vulnerable, at the mercy of the Al-kesh.
Already she was weakened, the shields almost gone.
Soon they would fire the death blow and another obstacle would be removed form the path of the great god.
A flicker of light caught her eye and she instinctively dived her glider, a stream of projectiles flashing through space where the craft had been.
Barking a warning to her squadron, she moved his fighter aggressively towards her new targets, smirking evilly at the thought of real combat, fighter to fighter.
Now that was a true test of a pilot's mettle.
---
Kara grinned with anticipation as the glider dived away from her guns, then moved in on her, attempting to attack.
This one was no Sunday flier, this might actually be fun.
She decided to accept the implicit challenge. Flicking her viper sideways to avoid the incoming bolts, she thumbed the throttle, her viper spinning evasively as she dived at the hostile fighter.
---
Hel'tek rose upwards in her seat as the viper effortlessly avoided her fire, could it be?
Hel'tek barked out a laugh as the ugly fighter bore in, its weapons economically spitting out the bare minimum of bullets.
This one knew what they were doing.
This would be a battle to remember for a long time, she may even persuade the misguided pilot to join her in service to her god.
---
Flashing through space, twisting and frantically dodging the two elite pilots grappled, not noticing as the Vipers made short work of the other Udajeet, not noticing as the Al-kesh died, one by one, not noticing as the battered Indomitable was escorted slowly to the safety of Ravenbright station.
This was a fight of two equals, nothing else mattered.
---
"Frak me!" Kara cursed as within her helmet, the blipping sound of a low fuel state alarm burned.
She would have to end this quickly.
How?
---
Hel'tek grinned as the fighter slowed, the pilot conserving their fuel.
She had the superior Udajeet , she had no such worries.
But she wanted to know the name of this valiant pilot before they died, they had proven themselves worthy of remembering.
Hel'tek stiffened, alarm suddenly shooting through her veins and she instinctively pressed fire as the human fighter pulled an impossible manoeuvre
---
Grimly, Kara realised she had one option that might work, dangerous as it was against a skilled opponent.
She slowed her manoeuvring in, pulling the Udajeet in.
The she struck; flipping her craft over a perfect 180 she gazed into the eyes of herself and fired.
Kara's eyes widened her finger tight on the firing button as she gazed into the unmistakeable face of herself.
A loud bang broke their eye contact as the Viper spun off, out of control and dead, the last of the fuel flowing swiftl away from the burning main engines and into space.
"Krypter krypter…" Kara paused, grimacing "Mayday mayday mayday, this is Starbuck requesting retrieval
---
Hel'tek shook in reaction as she realized with awe whom she had fought, who she had just almost killed.
If she had succeeded, she would never forgive herself.
Grimacing, she realised there was only one thing she could do under the circumstances.
She turned the limping Udajeet away from the battle, away from her fellow Jaffa and fled, searching for a place to hide.
She had business within this system.