A/N: Apologies for the delay... sometimes you need to kick an author to get him writing. So how's this for a next chapter.

A lone Argo civilian issue transport slowly lifted off from the surface of Delta Serpentis IV. It climbed high into the sky, then broke atmosphere, heading for the GTVSA station in orbit. The station was an aging Acadia installation... as were many of the stations in former GTA space. They served their purposes and left plenty of room for a repair dock.

Chris waited near the airlock, his jumpsuit an unremarkable site. Anya was dressed likewise and at his side. No one noticed the two war heroes... they all just went about their business. Chris glanced down at Anya. "You know we don't have to do this." He said quietly.

"Yes we do." She replied, referring to their decision to rejoin the Fire Dawn. It had been something Admiral Sean Loyde had told them they could do at any time. "And you know it. We've had our peace... but if we don't help stop this... then more of those kids are gonna get killed. My brother included."

"If he's half the hot-shot behind the stick as you are... he'll hold his own."

"You saw the news. The Knossos construction yard is in flames... and I'm sure Sean's taking a lot of heat from GTVSA command about it."

The ship docked with a loud thump... the airlock opened with a hiss, revealing the bustling interior of the station. Chris nodded. "I'm sure he is. So let's get transport to there."

Chris and Anya entered the station, heading along the main road till they found a lift. Chris sighed. "Well... to get transport to the Fire Dawn we're gonna need the station commander's approval."

"Its all the security." Anya said, reaching beyond Chris to hit the button for the station commander's office. "Shouldn't be too hard."

The elevator shot up to the top level.

XXX

Two wings of Sekhmet bombers floating silently above a Sobek corvette. In the distance... the station of Delta Serpentis IV loomed. It was a civilian station, even though its primary defense was a squadron of Herc II fighters.

Two wings of Horus interceptors joined them, with a pair of Isis transports. The transports slowed down, waiting and watching. The defense squadron patrolled in groups of four and occasionally left the station completely unguarded during a transition. This was all the Horus interceptors needed.

As the Herc's engaged their docking maneuvers with the station, the Horus interceptors powered up and raced towards the station. The bombers and transports were next. The Sobek corvette opened fire, both its forward beams impacting the station's long range comm unit. Battle had been joined.

XXX

The elevator shook and Chris immediately knew it wasn't a problem with the equipment. The doors opened to the security station just in front of the commander's office. The guard was no where to be seen, so Chris knocked on the door. When nobody answered he tried his hand at the key panel. It asked for an access code, so he gave his.

Surprisingly enough... the door opened, recognizing him as Commander Chris Manstein. Chris shrugged, then walked in. The station commander was busy at his comm post, yelling orders. Chris could only guess trouble.

"What are you doing..." A guard asked... then the guard's eyes widened. "Command Manstein... sir!" The guard quickly saluted.

"What's going on?" Anya asked.

"HOL ships are attacking the station... and our pilots aren't trained for this."

"Tell them to expect us." Chris said. "Anya and I will lead them."

The guard look at them. "I'll tell them... but aren't you two retired."

"Apparently not anymore." Chris replied.

XXX

Sean Loyde looked down at his wife as he crawled out of their shared quarters on the Fire Dawn. Of course they also had quarters on the Fire Dance, but for right now they were both here. He glanced at the clock. According to Galactic Terran Standard Time, it was 2:00AM in the morning.

Then why was he up? Something didn't feel right.

"What is it?" Kristine asked.

Sean activated the intercom. "Bridge... is there anything usual happening?"

"We haven't noticed any activity." The officer on the other end replied.

"Do a detailed scan... I've got a bad feeling about this."

There was a pause. "Sir... we've got readings of weapons fire around the civilian station orbiting Delta Serpentis IV."

"Set course immediately and scramble the alert fighters." Sean replied, grabbing his jacket. "Duty calls." He said to Kristine.

Kristine slipped into her jumpsuit. "I'm going too."

"Of course."

XXX

The fighter deck was a mess, with crews unprepared trying to load up Herc II's that hadn't ever seen this kind of action. The tech crews were bumping into each other... having trouble getting to the right ships. On top of that... there was no easy loading system. Each weapon had to be manually loaded.

Chris swore as he walked onto the deck. Just about the same time a tech noticed them. "You the ones the commander sent down?"

"Yes." Chris replied. "We need gear and fighters."

"You'll find flight helmets inside the fighters... same with the oxygen gear. The Herc's have their own life support systems so you could fly even if you didn't have them. Over there, in the corner... we've just got the Subach's loaded into them... missiles are..." The tech looked over his shoulder. "If you two really are Chris and Anya Manstein... you'd better forget about the missiles and just launch."

Chris nodded. "Just like old times."

"We had tempests back then." Anya said as she jogged next to Chris.

They reached their fighters and climbed in. True to the tech's word, flight helmets and oxygen gear were in the seat. Chris strapped the helmet down then attached the oxygen mask and closed the canopy.

"This is Beta 3... I'm not launching by myself." The voice was over the comm system.

"Shut up." Chris replied. "Swords Alpha 1 here, launching!"

"Swords Alpha 2, I'm right besides you." Anya replied over the comm.

Chris lifted the Herc II off the hanger floor, and shot out into space. Immediately he had to dodge a pair of Harpoon missiles. He deployed a pair of countermeasures and spoofed them. He toggled the second gun bank, the quad bank and selected the nearest Horus interceptor. It raced pass him, its shots impacting his rear shields.

He equalized them, and returned fire. His shots impacted its vulnerable underside, ripping through the weak shields and punching through the hull. It spun off and exploded.

"It has been too long!" Anya yelled over the radio.

"Stay close." Chris replied.

"On your wing."

"All fighters." The station commander began. "We have two hostile transports headed for our docking bays. Intercept them."

Chris quickly cycled through the available targets while continuing his evasive dance. Luckily.. the Horus interceptors were busy shooting sentry guns. He located the first transport and sent the targeting data to Anya.

"I've got number 2." She said.

"Number 1." Chris replaced words with actions, boosting power to his engines and redlining his afterburners. The transports were headed to the main docking bays. They were probably carrying some kind of troops. They probably intended to take hostages.

Chris had long ago replaced his normal perceptions of friend and foe. He'd fought the Shivans, now they were allies. He'd fought pirate Vasudans, even though since his training he'd been taught that Vasudan vessels were friends.

He lined up with the Vasudan transport and held down his primary trigger. Red-blue bolts shot from his gun banks, impacting the Isis transport and blowing off its top gun bank. It was an old habit, one Chris was sure he'd never forget it. He then blew off one of its engines. The transport spun out of control. Chris continued firing until it exploded.

"Transport 1 destroyed." Chris said into the open channel.

"Transport 2 is scrap." Anya said only a second later.

"I don't know who you two are but our situation just improved drastically." The station commander said. "But now the Sekhmet bombers are headed right for us, we're reading aspect targeting locks on the station."

"We're moving to intercept." Chris said, finding the bombers on his targeting computer.

"We've flown those things before." Anya said. "We can't match them for speed... or firepower."

"Skill is a whole different story."

"Wish Louis was here."

Suddenly, the GTD Fire Dawn came out of subspace just above the station. It continued to use its forward momentum to shoot towards the Sobek corvette.

"This is Admiral Sean Loyde of the GTD Fire Dawn. All hostile ships stand down immediately or we will open fire." Chris couldn't have smiled bigger at Sean's voice.

The Sobek corvettes response was brief and cryptic. "As you wish." Then it opened fire. Its beam cannon shots went wide.

Chris smiled again, the beam inhibitors were closely guarded secrets and the Firestorm Battalion was one of the few units to have them. Then he noticed the fighters spilling from the Fire Dawn's hanger.

"77th Swords on station, targeting bombers." Amy said.

Chris laughed. "Welcome to the party Amy."

"Chris?" Louis yelled. "Hot damn buddy what are you doing in those cheap Herc II's."

"I'll explain later... if you two wouldn't mind."

The Swords raced towards the bomber formation at full speed, their Jade Interceptors flying faster than even the Horus interceptors. Seconds later, the bombers were all destroyed... as was the Sobek corvette from the Fire Dawn's main beam cannons.

The Horus fighters bailed, entering subspace and abandoning their attack on the station fighters. Chris activated his comm unit. "So this is what you guys have been up to?"

Four Jade Interceptors formed up near the two slow Herc's matching their speed. Chris glanced over and saw Louis waving from his cockpit. "Nice to see you Louis."

"Speed doesn't kill." Sydney said. "But damn its addicting."

"We'll escort you to the Fire Dawn... and then we'll send those ships back over to the station."

"We'll see you on the hanger floor."

XXX

Compared to the chaotic mess from the station's hanger bay, setting down in the center of the Fire Dawn's hanger was a vacation. Fighters were lining the racks, techs were working efficiently on all the ships.

Chris deactivated the ship's systems and set all the borrowed gear down. He climbed out, climbing down the ladder set on the side of the ship by the tech. He met Anya at the base of the ladder to her fighter.

"Talk about an adrenaline rush." She said. "Goes in my veins."

"Definitely."

"We'd better go find the Admiral..." Chris said, turning to find Sean already jogging towards them.

"You two are always there to save the day." Sean shook both of their hands. "If you two hadn't dealt with those transports, we'd have a much more severe situation on our hands."

"Well... we happened to be on the station." Anya said lightly.

"If you two don't mind... I'd like to brief you two with the Swords. We've got a mission... and I think we'll need your help on it."

"Tell us more." Chris said. "That's why we're here."

"By the way." Sean smiled. "I never did bother to file your official resignation. As far as the GTVSA is concerned.. you're both still on extended leave. Congratulations Commodore."

"I don't want a desk job." Chris replied.

"Who said anything about a desk job." Sean replied. "We need you in a fighter."