Chapter 5: Battle For Engineering:

"Were on are way now!" answered Riku and as soon as he did Lt. Andrew, Lt. Joseph, and Lt. Helen started reorganizing the security teams back together and then they cut the intercom and started their way down to engineering which was on deck 18.

It took 2 hours as they had to walk and crawl through corridors and junction tubes as they headed toward deck 18 talking and having little chats with each other along the way; about things like if they would live to see tomorrow, or what the hell they got themselves into, joining the earth federation. When they reached outside the doors of the engineering room the teams, began to reload their ammunition, and get ready for a heavy skirmish with the last of the enemy. They did this for they knew that the enemy was going to make their last stand here.

"Ready to go into hell again?" asked Lt. Commander Riku.

"Ready as we'll ever be", some of the security members answered, while others said, "Why not, we have been through this far".

Then Riku pressed the button to the doors and as they began to open the security teams ran into the intense fire and began to give cover fire for the others, as they got in they saw the few engineering members that were not wounded hiding behind consoles and support beams near the consoles.

"Where is the chief engineer?" Andrew said toward one of the near ensigns.

"He's dead, tried to get the com signal back on-line and was shot behind the head", answered the ensign and Andrew saw that the young ensign was sitting right next to 3 dead engineers and the chief himself.

"The chief is dead and we got a lot of wounded here!" Andrew yelled to Riku.

"Very well, you order two members of your team and begin to evacuate the personnel here out and to safety", Riku ordered Andrew.

"You got it", Andrew answered, and began giving hand signals to Lt. Thai and ensign Tony and the two of them began to start rounding up the personnel and getting them out of there as the rest of the security teams continue giving covering fire toward the enemy on the balcony.

Then as the last of the personnel left the room, both Thai and Tony came back and assisted the security teams to take out the remaining enemy soldiers. The two of them had to rush back in, since the doors were closing again after the door console was shot by an enemy soldier off the balcony.

"I need ammo, I'm out of ammo!" Sora yelled toward all the security members, and then one of them threw him a clip for his assault rifle. The nervous ensign loaded up his rifle and began to continue firing his weapon away, but then he was shot in the left shoulder by an enemy sniper.

"How many are still shooting at us?" Tidus asked Riku.

"20 to 40 are still up on that balcony, and that is it I think", Riku answered.

"Well I guess then we have a long way to go before this job is done", Tidus remarked.

The fighting continued and if you were there you couldn't hear nothing, but load round fires from the rifles, pistols, and energy blasts from the laser guns. You could also see most of the enemy either hanging from the balcony or they had fallen on the ground and were now drenched in their own blood. For now the security team only got one wounded which was Ensign Sora, who was now resting on the ground with his wound tended to by Lt. Helen. While the enemy was reduced to only 5 including one of the frigates captains, but it was still going to be a tough fight since the 5 of them had set up a laser machine gun and was shooting endlessly at the security teams.

That is when Ensign Sora got up; pulled out a plasma grenade he had hid in his uniform for in emergency. Sora then threw it at the 5 soldiers and fell back down on the ground, but not before seeing the 5 enemy soldiers fly over the balconies and land to their deaths. Then as all the remaining security members got up from their cover areas and approached the 4 dead enemy soldiers to confirm their deaths. While Riku approached the dying captain to confirm his death, he saw the captain still alive. He raised his assault rifle and before he pulled the trigger the enemy captain said out loud, "I may die at the hands of the Earth Fedration, but I die for the Rebel Confederation!", and then he spilled out blood from his mouth and died before Riku could even pull the trigger or ask what is the Rebel Confederation.

The security teams then began to head back to their posts, the wounded members on the other hand were sent to sick bay. Mean while on the bridge the captain sat on his crooked chair looking at damage and casualties report. The U.S.S. Shooting Star slowly flew at low speed with the remainder of the Earth Federation fleet, through the large debris of Earth and Rebel starships both looking for survivors and prisoners of War. The Fleet soon found none and they slowly flew back toward Earth. Led by the Shooting Star, to begin repairs, regroup, and wait for orders or news of the war that none of them were ready for.