The alarm sirens began to wail only two hours after they had arrived on the Hedette. Chris rolled off his bunk and fell onto the floor. He shook his head and quickly zipped up his flight suit. Then, as he grabbed his helmet, he exited his assigned quarters and joined the rest of the squadron as they ran to board their fighters.
Commodore Hinton's voice boomed over the vessel's intercomm. "All hands, this is not a drill. Battle stations. Hostile ships have opened fire on us. Swords, get out of the hanger immediately."
Chris settled into his cockpit and quickly initiated the power up sequence. His gauges came to life instantly. He waited for a few brief seconds as the maintenance crews loaded thei primary gun banks into the fighters, then rammed the throttle to full and shot out of the hanger.
He was unprepared for the battle outside. The 135th fighter squadron was already engaged with a swarm of fighters and bombers, all of the Erinyes and Artemis D.H. classes. There were two hostile Deimos corvettes and two hostile Leviathan cruisers. All were already trading beam cannon fire with the GTVA ships.
The Sedfa, Pirate Killer, Megaurute, and Hedette were stacked on top of each other. The Pirate Killer was busy using it's anti-fighter beams to shoot down the incoming bombers and their respective bombs, while the Sedfa and Megaurute were mercilessly pounding the Leviathan cruisers. The Hedette was left by itself to fend off the Deimos corvettes.
"Swords," Chris began, "fly point defense for our capitol ships. We've got to stop the bombers from getting through."
"We have engaged the fighters. Concentrate on the bombers." The Vasudan Squadron commander, Omega 1 stated as if reading Chris' mind.
"Anya, on my wing. Let's take out those bombers." Chris led his squadron toward the incoming bombers. He opened fire as soon as he was in range. His missiles and lasers ripped through the lead two bombers as he passed through the debris. He pulled his stick back and came up behind the bombers. He was joined by the rest of his squadron as they vaporized the remaining bombers in the formation.
"Chris," Amy stated, "I'm getting another subspace signal, it's an Iceni class frigate."
"Just as though our problems couldn't get any worse." Louis said with a moan. It was true, their luck hadn't been the best recently.
"Wait!" Anya's voice halted everyone's train of thought. "Look, it's attacking the hostile corvettes."
The frigate opened fire with all it's side beam cannons as it came to a halt directly behind the larger ships. It destroyed the first corvette outright in a single volley, and it caused the hull on the second corvette to break apart with it's second volley only a few seconds later.
The remaining cruisers quickly entered subspace, just as the frigate fired a volley of beam cannon fire towards them. It's shots missed as the cruisers disappeared. The few remaining fighters engaged with the 135th were the last to leave the area.
"Ehhh, unknown Iceni frigate identify yourself?" Rex demanded, though in reality his voice didn't carry as much command as it did confusion.
"This is the Cypher, the first ever frigate in the Terran navy." The commander of the Cypher stated proudly.
"But, you look like the Iceni!" Rex protested.
"Command thought it was a good idea to design a heavy corvette from the Iceni design, and here it is." Chris could almost see the Cypher's command beaming with pride. "Soon, you 'll see more of us, but we've gotta run, we're needed in Altair. Good Luck Hedette, SOC wishes you well." With that the Cypher entered subspace.
"What the hell was that?" Louis asked, baffled and confused.
"I really wish I knew Lieutenant." Rex replied.
"And what about that SOC wishes you well. They're SOC, which means their likely to be up to no good!" There it was, the humor coming back, situation diffused.
"Come on Louis," Jack replied. "The Hades rebellion happened years ago, and it's just frigate."
Suddenly, eighteen Ursa bombers exited subspace on top of the Hedette. "Pilots! Intercept them! Intercept them!" Rex was screaming.
The Swords and the 135th swooped in like vultures. They quickly destroyed most of the bombers, but not before a first volley hit the Megaurute. The explosive force of the bombs vaporized the front half of the Megaurute. The bombers didn't get another shot off, they were all destroyed in only seconds after the Megaurute transmitted it's final message. "We die with honor."
"Swords, you're on patrol." Rex ordered, having found his command voice again. "135th, dock with the Sedfa and prepare to proceed to your objective. Hedette out."
"What the hell was that?" Louis yelled.
"Apparently, it was a hammer to the enemy's original anvil, designed to destroy us in a trap." Nick replied. "The question is, how did they know we were going to be here and how did they acquire all those ships."
"Good point," Anya replied. "They can't be pirates."
"It appears that we are looking at an extremely well armed and equipped mercenary faction." The commander of the Sedfa stated.
"Does the GTVA actually sell it's newest weapons to mercenaries?" Amy asked.
"No. But over the past two years, massive amounts of the GTVA's military supplies have gone missing. While exact figures are not known at my clearance level, I know the losses are significant, and are part of the reason the GTVA is having trouble arming its pilots."
"And you never did anything about it?" Chris replied.
"Each theft is small and isolated. We have never been able to piece together the pieces of the puzzle." The Sedfa's commander paused briefly. "We were also unable to ever determine the fate of the remnants of the GTVA fleet after Capella. They were listed as MIA and supposedly lost to the supernova."
"Come on." Louis replied. "You're saying that you have never looked into the theft of... say two Deimos corvettes."
"Command looked into them, but we never able to discover their fates. They vanished. Each theft was generally covered up by some extensive pirate activity in the system. It is not unlike the pirate activity here in Alpha Centauri."
"Yeah, the only difference is that they're shooting at us here." Louis's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Okay, enough speculation." Rex's voice boomed over the comm. "I've just got the damage assessments, we're leaving in three hours for our targets. Swords, you're on duty the whole time. I want a constant patrol. You'll dock with the Hedette when we're ready to make the jump.
"Great, I never get bored of patrol."
"Put a cork in it Louis!" Amy snapped.
Surprisingly, that's exactly what Louis did. The patrol proceeded smoothly from then on out.
XXX
After completing three more hours of event-less patrol time, the Swords docked with the Hedette, which then parted ways with the Sedfa's battlegroup. Chris, Anya, Louis, and Jack swapped fighters for a wing of Vasudan Sekhmet bombers. The Sekhmet bombers were loaded down with cyclops anti-capitol ship bombs. They were also outfitted with the Mekku HL-7, the Vasudan equivalent of the Subach HL-7.
The Swords were briefed from inside their fighters as the maintenance technicians repaired and rearmed their fighters.
"Swords," Rex began, "our target is an abandoned Arcadia installation, which the local pirate group operates from. They've never caused us much of a problem before, and we're hoping that they'll surrender as soon as they see us. As soon as the Hedette slows down, we'll be launching Alpha wing, then Beta, followed last by Gamma. Alpha is flying a wing of Vasudan bombers. If necessary, they will destroy any hostile capitol ships, Beta will cover Alpha, while Gamma provides close in support for the Hedette. Any questions."
Silence was Rex's only response.
"Good, we'll be at the target area in a few minutes, hang tight until them."
Seconds later, the blue-white glow from the subspace corridor was replaced by the stars of Alpha Centauri. Chris wasted no time catapulting his fighter from the fighter bay. The rest of the squadron was right behind.
"Attention all vessels." Rex stated on an open channel. "Surrender at once or we will be forced to open fire."
"Alright, alright!" The Pirate Base commander replied, her voice trembled. "We stand down, please confirm, we surrender!"
"GTVA ships, hold fire, maintain defensive posture." Rex paused, switching back to an open channel. "Could you explain what in the blazes you've been doing attacking our ships?"
"What do you mean? We can't possible go toe to toe with the GTVA? Fine we're pirates but we don't go after military targets."
"Maybe I can clarify." Rex was hitting his stride now, making sure the pirates knew exactly who was boss. Well more likely, who had the bigger ship. "Two days ago, shipyard attacked by civilian issue Leviathan. Several hours ago, GVD Hedette attacked by two Aeolus cruisers and several wings of Boenerges bombers. Only an hour ago, GVD Hedette attacked by two Deimos corvettes and two Leviathan cruisers. You're saying that you haven't a clue what I'm talking about."
"Yes. We didn't do it. We currently have every ship we have here. Look around. Two old, beat up Fenris cruiser, and two wings of ancient Hercules fighters. Why can't you believe us?"
"Hedette!" Amy screamed. "I'm reading an incoming jump signature. Colossus configuration, repeat, Colossus configuration!"
"What the hell is that all about? Oh good God, this can't be. You GTVA shits, you've lead us into an ambush. Hook, Claw, get out of here."
"It's firing!" Claw 1 yelled, as the Colossus battleship opened fire. Several super powerful photon beam cannons plowed directly through the station. Another beam cannon cut through both of the Fenris cruisers. As the Pirate base began to explode. Four escape pods were launched.
"This is the Hedette, we're bugging out." Rex stated as the Hedette quickly raced into subspace.
"Swords, let's give Hook and Claw some help in escaping with their escape pods." Chris stated.
"Oh my god!" Louis yelled as wing after wing, squadron after squadron of Atremis bombers and Ares fighters poured out of the fighter bay of the Colossus battleship.
"Escape pods, head for the repair yard." Chris stated. "I'm transmitting the coordinates." He hit the transmit button on his navigation computer.
"GTVA pilots, please help us! Hook and Claw wings don't have secondary weapons equipped, there's no way they can thin that fighter wave." The Pirate commander was near begging. "Hook, Claw, help the GTVA pilots."
"Anya, Louis, Jack, deactivate your secondary weapon safeties."
A chorus of what's and why's replied to him.
"The cyclops torpedo has a safety so that it detonates on target. I want to manually detonate our torpedoes as the incoming fighters and bombers come at us. Let's line up." Chris positioned his wing in a line in between the escape pods and the rapidly closing fighters. "Wait for it."
Beta, Gamma, Hook, and Claw wings held position just behind Alpha wing.
"1000 meters." Anya shrieked.
"Fire at 750, detonate in three seconds." Chris yelled.
When the lead fighter of the swarm, an Artemis bomber, got to within 750 meters, Chris, Anya, Louis, and Jack launched a pair of cyclops torpedoes from all three banks in each of their ships. It took three seconds for the bombs to get in the middle of the incoming swarm, in which the bombs were detonated.
The explosive power of the bombs shattered the incoming formation. Destroying most of the fighters outright in the explosion. Beta and Gamma wings quickly darted into the fight, picking off the remaining fighters. Hook and Claw wings joined the fight less than a second later.
Chris pushed his throttle to full and targeted a wing of heavily damaged Artemis bombers and opened fire. His quad guns quickly vaporized the lead fighter. The other fighters were quickly destroyed by Anya, Louis, and Jack respectively.
"We've made it. Jumping out now!" The Pirate commander's relief was evident by the tone of her voice.
"All forces, jump out now!" Chris yelled. He transmitted the coordinates to Hook and Claw wings and then engaged his subspace drive just seconds after everyone else had vanished into subspace.
XXX
Hours later, the Swords, along with the members of Hook and Claw wings, returned to the Repair Yard. They were met with fanfare from the pirate base survivors. The GTVA personnel knew better. The rumors of what had transpired had long ago been passed on. A radical military force had appeared on the scene, and likely the Repair Yard would be the next target.
In the briefing room, the Base commander, Commodore Hinton, and the Pirate Base commander were waiting. The Pirate commander was a tall blond woman in her middle thirties. She was wearing a ruffled green flight jacket, which sharply contrasted with the tan dress uniforms of the Base commander and Rex and the black and red flight suits of every member of the Swords.
"77th Swords reporting." Chris stated as they entered the briefing room and stood behind their seats.
"At ease." The Base commander replied. "Have a seat all of you. Now, I've already heard everything that the Commodore and Miss Mindova have told me. I've determined that you performed exceptionally well under the circumstances. You managed to save over three hundred from the Pirate..." The commander paused, "Mercenary Base, but... I still cannot believe what Commodore Hinton has reported."
"You can check the sensor logs from each fighter in my squadron, they will show you that a Colossus Battleship entered the area and destroyed the station. It then launched a massive swarm of Artemis bombers and Ares fighters. We were able to hold them off long enough to allow the escape pods to escape un-harmed."
"And you did an outstanding job. Releasing the weapon safeties on your cyclops torpedoes was a brilliant maneuver, one that likely saved these people. However, that is irrelvant now. What does matter now is that if this Colossus engaged you, and that it will most likely hit here next. I've already sent a message to Terran Command asking for reinforcements. They promised that the GTD Aquataine and it's battlegroup. They will be here in a matter of hours. For now, I want your squadron to relax for a bit. I'll brief you more before your next mission. Dismissed."