About seven hours later he heard a briefing alarm. He got to the briefing room just as it started. It was a recorded message from Admiral Petrarch, commander of the 6th fleet. He settled into his seat and listened.
"To the officers and crew of the GTD Aquitaine. This message is classified top secret. At Approximately 1500 hours, a scout patrolling the Gamma Draconis system, an obscure system that can be reached by going through Polaris, was attacked and destroyed by a previously unknown Shivan cruiser, designation Rakshasa. All of you know the damage the Shivans did in the Great War. We have to consider that this is a prelude to an all out invasion. The 6th fleet will be heading to Gamma Draconis to halt the Shivans where they stand. Do not underestimate the Shivans. They are to be dealt with carefully. Never the less, we are far better armed than when we last encountered them and we should have no problem repelling them. This is Admiral Petrarch, signing off."
The mission briefer stepped into the room at the time and spoke.
"Fifteen years ago a scout ship went through the system and reported nothing out of the ordinary. The system has no outpost due to an unstable jump node. Now our advance scout ships have found an immense object of unknown origin around the jump node, and Shivan ships are coming through it. Alpha, Beta, and Epsilon wings will clear all Shivan forces around the object that is around the node. The GVD Carthage, an Orion class destroyer, and the GVCv Dashor a Sobek class corvette will act as backup incase you encounter heavy resistance. Good luck pilots."
Talon sprinted into is Hercules Mark 2 fighter and hit his thrusters, jumping out of the Aquitaine's fighter bay. He finally had a chance to get back at the Shivans. He went into subspace. Even though it was only seconds until he reverted to real space, it felt like hours. Suddenly he popped in to the battle zone… to see hundreds of fighter, bombers, and cruisers. He pulled up high on the control stick and narrowly missed a hail of missiles and laser shots. Most of the other pilots were not so lucky. Gamma wing was completely gone, Beta had 2 fighters, and there was no one else left in Alpha wing. Talon bit back a curse and fired missiles randomly. There were so many enemies that he did not have to aim, the missiles would impact on one of the many ships in the area. He knew that there was no way the remaining fighters in his group could escape, as their jump drives needed at least a minute to recharge. Dodging enemy fire, he heard frantic radio calls.
Beta 2: "Command, theirs hundreds of Shivans here. We need the Carthage and the Dashor!
Command: "Hold on, Beta. The Carthage and the Dashor on their way.
Talon knew that he and the other fighters only had seconds to live, as the Shivan cruisers had stared firing their bema cannons. He saw the light that was beta 3 wink out on his dashboard. Of twelve fighters, only he and Beta 2 remained. Beta 2 also seemed to know that their time was limited.
Beta 2: "Command! Send in the Carthage now or we are dead!"
At that moment the Carthage and the Dashor arrived. Their sheer bulk and armor, combined with the high speed at which they entered from subspace, drove them through the heart of the Shivan forces, shattering small craft as they impacted along their bow. They opened up with all their weapons, making hash of the Shivan forces. The few fighters that survived were quickly moped up by talon. He was filled with rage at the Shivans, for destroying all those lives of the pilots. After the area was secure, the Aquitaine jumped in.
Aquitaine: Alpha and Beta return to base."
As talon landed in the Aquitaine's hanger, he heard an announcement on the intercom from Admiral Petrarch, who was using the Aquitaine as his flagship.
Admiral Petrarch: "All hands, the Aquitaine along with other elements of the 6th fleet is going to jump through the portal, using the device that circles around it. The device has been named the Knossos, and it could well prove to be a wealth of scientific discoveries. We will jump through the portal in approximately ten minutes. Please stand by."
Talon went to a view port and watched as the Aquitaine maneuvered into position to go through the portal, and finally he watched as they entered subspace. As he watched the blue swirl that they traveled through, he could not shake the feeling that even though the GTVA was trying outmaneuvering the Shivans, they were playing right into the Shivan's hands.
From the personal log of Admiral Aken Bosch.
I have set my plans in motion. The Trinity has activated the portal, providing not only a way into the nebula, but a way out of it. The destroyers will do their part, and I will do mine. We are on the verge of a new era. Events will start happening faster and faster now, accelerating beyond my control.