Disclaimer: Guess who owns Starcraft? I don't have a clue, so obviously it's not me.
Fresh off a long, boring, and ultra boring patrol flight, rookie Wraith pilot Vex Niner headed back to his quarters for a nap. Vex was twenty one, and fresh out of training, which made him not only the youngest pilot on board the new Battlecruiser/Carrier Ascendant Justice, but the greenest as well. He ran a hand through his spiked golden hair and let out a sigh. Actually it came out as a burp but whatever. He was just under six foot with a more muscular build than your average person. And he was very sleepy.
The young fighter pilot flopped down onto his bunk and rested his head on the pillow that had somehow changed from a slab of concrete in a sheet to a down feather silk wrapped bundle of goodness.
"Finally," he said to himself, "Some peace and-" The battlestation siren suddenly started blaring. He said some real pretty words and found a can of extremely potent energy drink. Downing in a single angry gulp, he headed towards the fighter bay.
"What's happening?" he asked one of the pilots that were gathered around the squad leader's Wraith.
"Don't have clue, but don't worry about it rookie. You'll probably get to sit this one out," the older pilot replied as he clapped him on the shoulder.
"I hope so. After that eight hour patrol flight, I would do just about anything for some sleep," Vex said just before yawning.
"Scramble all fighters! We're under heavy Protoss attack and need every pilot we can get! That includes you rookie!" the captain yelled desperately over the comm. Vex cussed some more, and let out a nice combo of obscenities as he stalked towards his Wraith.
Because he was so inexperienced, he'd been ordered to make an in-flight refuel just before he landed. That coupled with the nothingness of the patrol meant that his unfired weapons were still full and his fuel load was still pretty good. Niner was very ready to kick some major Protoss beep.
"Rookie, this is control tower one, you are not cleared for takeoff," the controller advised over the radio. A few choice words changed his mind. "You're cleared for immediate takeoff. Sorry about the mix-up." Vex made sure to flip him the bird as the catapult shot his Wraith out of the hangar bay.
As soon as he was clear of the ship, Vex was greeted with a formation of Scout fighters to deal with alone. The wedge formation of five sleek shielded fighters immediately spread out, the back four veering off and the lead craft heading straight at Vex. The rookie pilot fired off one of his Gemini AA missiles, which the opposing fighter promptly shot down with a burst from his dual photon blasters. A second burst was aimed at Vex's fighter, but he jinked the T-shaped craft to the right. He passed under the lead craft, and as he prepared to come around to engage, he noticed one of the other fighters in the formation in perfect position to pick him off if he did. Without a second thought he manuevered to engage that craft.
He pushed the throttle to full and rockted past his enemy so fast that the Scout didn't know what was happening. The sleek starfighter jinked left, then rolled right before entering and diving, decelerating tight right turn. Vex stayed with him, and as they leveled out of the turn, triggered a burst of laser cannon fire. The scarlet bolts flashed on the shields, the last one shorting them out completely. He fired another burst and claimed his first combat kill. A very bitter sweet moment.
He had followed his quarry into a well designed trap. The remaining four fighters were all in position to engage at will and had him on a course straight into the heart of their fleet. There was only one thing he could do that wouldn't get him instantly vaporized.
"This is Wraith Zero-Seven-Zero, I've got four Scouts all over me!" he radioed in fear. "Don't bother sending any kind of support, I've got a deathwish!" At that moment he punched the booster and rocketed at top speed head on at an enemy Carrier.
The mammoth ship launched its deadly cargo. Twelve very fast and very manueverable computer controlled Interceptors sprang forth from its launch bays. The Scouts disengaged him and went back after the Ascendant Justice, but he really didn't care. The Interceptors closed in quickly, making quick strafing runs with their light photon blasters. Even at top speed, his Wraith couldn't come close to matching the tiny craft, and they flew circles around him.
"I know I said no support, but I could use a cannon blast on this Carrier!" he radioed in. There was no response. At first he thought that he was being ignored, the battle was still going on according to his radar, but then a massive crimson beam seared the space just outside his craft and tore a gaping hole in the Carrier's shielding.
Vex guided his craft towards the hole, dodging the now suicidal Interceptors. Apparently, they had decided that shooting him down would take too long, so now they were crossing in front of him in an attempt to cause a mid flight collision. He caught a glimpse of one out of the corner of his eye as it started its attack run and squeezed down on the trigger. His ships laser cannons punched through the tiny spacecraft's shielding and armor with ease, rendering the hole filled wreck just another piece of space battle debris. Which another of his Interceptor comrades failed to see in time.
Vex looked back to see an Interceptor that was strafing at the back of his fighter plow through its fallen companion and careen off into who knows where. One of its Interceptor buddies of course. In all, about five of the twelve AI controlled craft met their demise in the form of their own allies. The Interceptors peeled off just short of the Carrier, and Vex thought he was home free as he switched on his missiles, but a flight of three Dark Templar Corsairs had followed him in.
The DTC's as they were called, were the shock forces of the Protoss air force. And extremely effective and efficient at that. The call of a single DTC was enough to scare away anything less than an entire squadron of standard Wraith pilots, much less three DTC's on one rookie pilot.
Vex fired his missiles, causing whatever damage he could as he sped through the innards of the suddenly small Carrier. He wove his craft between poles and threaded small openings, but still his pursuers stayed right on his tail. Neutron flares assaulted his starship's Grade-A Titanium armor covering, pelting away at it until the delicate inner wiring and hydraulics began to show.
Just when he thought that he was finished, Vex noticed a dead end up ahead. Without thinking he pulled the nose 180 degrees and threaded between his three pursuers. They tried to turn, but were limited by their formation and hit the wall. Vex looked back to confirm his three DTC kills and found that although they had hit the wall, their shields had kept their ships operational. Even though they weren't in any condition to fight.
Vex's number 070 Wraith fired out of the Carrier's launch bay at full afterburn and discovered that he had been taken almost right up to his home carrier. He was hailed by one of his allies, but radio damage prevented him from responding. He needed repairs, badly.
The lead Scout that he'd seen before appeared in his forward viewscreen. It was decorated with battlescars of its own, and was missing its wingmen.
"Let's finish this hole," Vex growled as he powered up his lasers.
The Protoss pilot was one step ahead, his photon weapons blasting holes in the Wraith's battered frame. With a yell of irritation Vex veered out of the nose to nose confrontation. The Scout lead settled in behind him and went for missile lock. As he jinked and stunted to keep from getting blasted apart by an anti-matter missile, a radio transmission somehow got through.
"... portside .. angar bay.. ... abandon ... boarders on portside ... all fighters t ... tarboard!" Although distorted, Vex got the painful message. He had to find a way to get into a repair bay on the other side of the ship. But right now he was in the middle of the Protoss fleet again.
The Scout lead took advantage of his lapse in concentration and acquired missile lock. The deadly projectile streaked forward, a trail of blue exhaust in its wake. Vex did the best he could to shake the missile, but it caught the bottom of his fighter and completely removed the bottom 'leg' of the T shaped spacecraft.
The explosion sent the nimble fighter careening through space, but Vex was somehow able to regain control. By some miracle most of the control systems were intact and the blast had sent him to the starboard side of the Battlecruiser. After thanking all the gods he could think of, the rookie pilot nursed his severly beaten fighter into one of the hangar bays.
Removed of its landing gear, the starfighter dropped onto the deck and screeched to a halt. Vex popped open the cockpit and jumped out. As he looked around the bay, he noticed something wasn't right.
'This place is empty. It should be full of fighters.' He clutched his emergency sidearm and headed towards the control tower.
Suddenly pain erupted in his stomach. Before he could even cough up the blood he'd caught one in the face and was laying on his back with a foot pressed firmly into his chest. He brought his pistol up only to have his hand sliced off by the warp blade of one of the Protoss' elite warriors, the Dark Templar.
The warrior decloaked, as did the rest of the unit, and looked down at him. Vex struggled half-heartedly just because he didn't know what else to do.
"What do you have to say for yourself human? Any last requests?" the warrior laughed as he glared down at his defeated enemy.
"Yeah, I would like to be left the (nice string of mean words) alone and some (another combo of insulting obscenity) sleep," Vex laughed back. Actually he only tried to laugh, the blood that spewed from his mouth made it kinda hard.
"You'll have your time to sleep, but not yet. You're my catch. I've never had a prisoner before," the warrior said with a scary softness in his voice. That kind of care and sincerity in the voice made Vex doubt the 'he' part of this Protoss.
"I've never bla blah bla blah..." Vex mocked arrogantly. The templar shoved down on his/her foot suddenly, driving enough air from the rookie pilot's lungs to knock him unconscious. "Finally peace and -" he croaked as he slipped into darkness.