"Relax!" Louis' was lost to the crowd in the bar. "He told us to relax! How, I just saw a huge Colossus pop out of subspace!" Louis took a long swig from his drink, he grunted as it burned down his throat. The Swords were seated in their respective corner of the bar.
"Just shut up Louis!" Nick shook his head. "We need to keep calm, otherwise, we're never going to survive the next engagement."
"He said the Aquataine's coming." Anya replied, her voice soft. "That has to count for something."
"For what! It can't fight a Colossus!" Louis snapped.
"Louis, shut up before I confine you to your quarters!" Chris silenced the debate before it got out of hand. "We are not going to do this. This is not going to happen. We are the best fighter pilots out here."
"We're the only." Franz added with a laugh.
"Well, that makes us the best. It's up to us to keep this Repair Yard safe, no matter the cost."
"We all signed on for this." Alex nodded in affirmation of what Chris had said. "We all know the risks, but we can make a difference."
"Right." Chris laughed. "Spoken like a true ensign."
"Academy bull is more useful that you might think." Nick replied with a smirk. "And whether it's worth it or not, it's true."
"Now," Chris placed his hand in the center of the table, "together we fight, and if necessary, together we die." His hand was joined by the other Swords at the table.
"There is a Vasudan proverb," RaNah began, "it is spoken like this. It is kinder to die with someone else, than to live alone."
"Well spoken RaNah." Amy replied, a tear coming to her eye.
"I believe there is another proverb that may also provide some insight. To fight the dark, one must combat it with light. The light is friendship, companionship, and compassion."
"RaNah, why aren't you serving in a Vasudan squadron?" Jack asked, momentarily drawing attention away from the depressing topic at hand.
"That is a story of great length. I shall tell it another time. It is very painful to relive that memory. Excuse me." RaNah quickly left the bar.
"Trust me," Nick stated, "it's best not to ask him about it."
"Why, what could've happened that was so bad?" Jack asked.
"In the Vasudan culture, honor and trust of kin are paramount to one's status as a Vasudan. RaNah's father dishonored the family. He won't tell me how, just that it caused RaNah's mother to lose her position on the Memphis, and RaNah was removed from his Vasudan fighter squadron." He shook his head. "That's how he came to us."
"Damn. I wish I hadn't asked."
"Don't worry, RaNah didn't take it personal. I tell him your sorry. He'll understand."
"All combat personnel," the station controller's voice echoed over the intercomm, "report to your action stations. All fighter pilots report to the briefing room ASAP. Civilians are instructed to pack their belongings and take the transports to the Inspiration, Divination, and Vasuda. All Pirate base personnel, report to the Hedette. Mercenary fighter pilots, report to the flight deck for instructions." The broadcast repeated.
The Swords hastily got up and raced for the briefing room, dodging the endless horde of personnel and civilian running down the hallways. There, they reunited with RaNah and took their seats. The Base Commander came running in. "Good afternoon pilots. The evacuation preparations have been made. As you no doubt heard, the civilians are leaving on the GTD Inspiration, GTD Divination, and GVD Vasuda. Your job is to fly heavy patrol." He paused, advancing the briefing slides to show Alpha, Beta, and Gamma wings.
"We're pulling out all the weapons that we've been holding back on you guys for so long. You'll be flying the Herc IIBs. Simply put, it's a Herc II with a quad gun bank. The technicians are already loading your ships with Tornado and Harpoon missiles, there will be no reloads. You'll also had a bank of Prometheus S cannons, specifically the quad bank." He advanced the slides to show the entire defensive fleet.
"You're to patrol the vector that leads into the area, which has been indicated by a Nav Bouy. All ships have to drop out of subspace there, it is there that we're concentrating our defense. The Hedette will be providing beam cannons support and has also been surrounded by Alastar sentry guns, the guns have been programmed to target bombs first, then bombers, then fighters. Hopefully, that will enable you to successfully hold the line. I wish we had some Mjolnir RBCs, but we don't. We have no time for questions, get out there!" The Base commander hastily left.
"You heard him," Chris ordered. "Get down to the flight deck, let's go."
XXX
Never had there been so much activity at the Repair Yard. The Swords weren't the only fighters patrolling the area. The Pirate wings Hook and Claw were already stationed near the Hedette, still flying their Hercules fighters. The GVD Vasuda was maneuvering to make the jump to subspace, the GTD Inspiration and the GTD Divination had already left.
"Swords," Chris began, "run your fighters through some test maneuvers, get the feel for these things." Chris rolled his fighter around, noticing that it was slower that the Ulysses fighter he had flow previously. He then pulled his fighter through some turns, using his afterburners to keep the speed up. The Herc II was much larger, slower, and more heavily armed than the Ulysses fighters his squadron had been flying previously. "Swords, beware that this ship isn't as maneuverable as our Ulysses fighters, make your shots count and use your afterburners."
It was an agonizing ten minutes till the first contacts entered the system. Two squadrons of Artemis bombers and a Leviathan cruiser appeared right on the entry vector. The Hedette opened fire immediately, cutting the Leviathan into two neat pieces. Chris led the Swords down upon the Artemis bombers. "Save your warhead," he yelled as he opened fire. His prometheus rounds quickly knocked the shields off his first target and split the bomber in two. He then switched targets and was joined by Anya. Together, they tore the bomber apart. Several other explosions signaled that the Swords had engaged the bombers. Strangely enough however, the Artemis bombers didn't try and evade the Swords, but simply held their course. They were all destroyed before they could get close enough to launch any warheads.
"What idiots!" Louis yelled. "Flying straight and level."
"Something's screwy." Jack replied. "Hey was it just me or did anyone not see pilots in the cockpits."
"Hey your right. I didn't see them either." Amy replied.
"ROBOTIC SHIPS?" Louis yelled.
"What better way for a militant faction to try and take us down with, then to send machines to exhaust our weapons."
"Then it's a good idea that we saved our secondary weapons."
Their conversation was cut short as more subspace vortexes opened. This time, two Deimos corvettes and a full squadron of Erinyes fighters appeared. The Hedette fired both it's main beam cannons at both corvettes. The corvettes weren't crippled, but the Hedette had blasted the primary beam cannons off the corvettes. It gave the Hedette time to recharge it's cannons as the two corvettes turned to try and engage the Hedette from their sides.
Chris led the charge toward the Erinyes fighters. He fired a pair of Harpoons as soon as he had a lock on the leader. As he passed by the lead Erinyes, the two squadrons became intermixed. He rammed his flight stick hard to the right and toggled the afterburners, swinging his fighter's nose around quickly. He saw Anya copying his maneuver as he turned. He then fired his cannons at the Erinyes.
The Erinyes pilot dodged the shots, firing a few in response. Chris opened fire again as Anya fired a packet of eight tornadoes. The Erinyes pilot didn't notice them until they punched through his shields and caused the Erinyes to explode in a fireball.
Chris and Anya then joined Louis and Jack in hunting down one of the surviving Erinyes fighters. The Erinyes fighters hadn't stayed with each other and had been routed by the Swords because of it. Chris flinched as an orange beam from the Hedette narrowly missed his fighter as it cut a massive swath through one of the corvettes. Jack scored the killing blow with his guns as Chris and Anya got close.
When Chris looped around, both corvettes were silent and dark, both with massive beam cannon damage. All of the Erinyes fighters were destroyed and his squadron was still intact. They all had minor hull damage but their shields were quickly recharging. They reformed around the Nav Bouy, waiting for the next wave.
"Pilots," the Base commander stated, "we've got another minute before the Aquataine enters the area. You've done a terrific job." It was then that an Orion destroyer dropped out of subspace. It's beam cannons all targeted the Hedette upon entering the area. The Hedette returned fire, but it's shot failed to cripple the Orion. The Orion then released a second attack, which began to split open the Hedette's hull. The Hedette fired again as the first waves of fighters began to launch from the flight deck of the Orion destroyer.
The Swords raced into the fight, engaging the incoming swarms of fighters of all types. It was then that a massive subspace vortex opened at the jump node and the Aquataine, along with two Deimos corvettes and an Aeolus cruiser, raced out of it. They all opened fire upon the Orion, which quickly jumped back into subspace. Then the elite squadrons of the GTD Aquataine began to launch. The fighters from the Orion that had been left behind fled at the terrifying sight of these elite GTVA squadrons heading for them.
"This is the GTD Aquataine, here to assist." Admiral Petrarch's voice was legendary in the GTVA. The site of the magnificent Hecate destroyer filled Chris' heart with pride.
"Wooohooo!" Louis yelled. "I've never seen a prettier sight. Aquataine, we owe you one."
"Uhh, Repair Yard." Rex stated. "You wouldn't mind getting Repair teams to the Hedette, we're not going anywhere anytime soon."
"Swords, Hook, Claw, Hedette, you are heroes for the role you played in our defense." The Base commander was practically stuttering. "Fighter pilots, report for debriefing."
XXX
Minutes later, they were assembled in the debriefing room. Admiral Petrarch was standing next to the Base Commander. The Base Commander spoke first. "Thanks to you fine pilots, we've managed to stay alive through this incredible difficult battle. Despite the severe damage inflicted on the Hedette, you managed save the Repair Yard. With that, I'm personally awarding each of you, and that includes the new Raven squadron, made up of Hook and Claw wings, with the Distinguished Service Cross. But first, Admiral Petrarch wants to have a word.
Admiral Petrarch stepped forward, his posture rigid. "I personally congratulate each of you as well. You can now get some rest and relaxation as the Aquataine and it's battlegroup deals with this threat."
"Uhh, Admiral," Louis stated. "No offense, but are you nuts? There's a Colossus battleship lurking around the system."
"No one could construct such a vessel. Now, get some rest."
"I'm not lying!"
"Quiet Lieutenant. The Aquataine leaves in an hour." With that Admiral Petrarch left.
"What an idiot! He's dead. He's going to get his battlegroup destroyed."
"As much as I hate to admit it, Admiral Petrarch is wrong about this situation." The Base Commander shook his head, then tossed a medal to each of the pilots in the room. "Raven squadron, welcome to the Alpha Centauri Repair Yard."
XXX
Some time later, Chris found himself standing on the observation deck. He stared out in the unknown star clusters, wondering what Petrarch's fate was. He couldn't get Petrarch's arrogance out of his head. How could such a legend in the GTVA be true so stupid. It must've been Capella, the Aquataine had survived that meat grinder. Chris's home away from home, the GTD Hammer, had been destroyed with all hands by a Sathanas Juggernaught in the Nebula, before his transfer to the Aquataine.
He turned around to find Anya walking toward him. She had tied her black hair back and had unzipped her flight suit half-way, revealing her blue tee-shirt underneath. She embraced him as she got close. "Well, what are you doing?"
"Trying to not think about Petrarch." Chris replied honestly. "And the Hammer, my old ship."
"Not me." She added playfully.
"Okay, you too. With all these radical GTVA freaks running around, what's going to happen to this relationship of ours."
"I don't think they'll have time to notice. Since they all left with Petrarch. The only nice thing that admiral did was transfer his reserve fighters to our fighter stores. That and the GTVA has finally given us all the equipment we wanted. We're set. I also heard rumors that Tau Sigma's turning into a war zone too."
"What is it, that causes these people to take advantage of the GTVA when we're still reeling from Capella. Why?"
"I can't answer that. I don't have an answer." Anya fell silent. "But you're right, why do they have to?"
"Hey, I asked you first!"
"So. I'm the girl, if necessary, I can use my hormones to turn you into my loyal servant."
"Damn female hormones."
"Damn male hormones."
They both laughed. A tiny bit of humor, injected into their shattered world, made all the difference. For a moment, neither thought about the war going on in the distance. Neither thought about how tomorrow... they would once again face odds that were very much not in their favor.