Okay I was going to wait until I had the next segment ready but I forgot about the fall line up. Since I've been so busy I decided to give you this to tide you over until I can get to work on the next one. I hate it when I have to add new shows to my line up.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

OCH\ EIGHT

Heero paused for only a mirax before turning to pull on his uniform and heading to the vistar bay. Most squad leaders hand picked their team, but he was squad Commander thus he could get anyone he wanted. He'd taken his time to learn the ins and outs of both the Red Star and the in coming warriors. He'd been given permission to study each as they tested in the sims, how well they tested in stress situations and he'd picked the best.

Trowa Barton, Detra meich , was Teirsan born. From the Isles of Iconia, he learned to blend in with his surroundings. He was also prime for any heavy arms and on world recon. He stood a few tet over Heero with his strange uni bang and bright green eyes. He was the only one Heero would trust at his back.

Sei Leming, Detra dec, was Unian born. She was born on the North conten. Small for her heritage, she studied under the best warriors in that sector. She had been approached to become one of the Veltrox sect but she loved her long black hair too much to have it all removed. Wearing it in a folded tail down her back, she kept it laced with corded weapons, her forte. She was one of the best pilots to graduate from the Collective and as such was marked by a small ringed tat under her left ice green eye.

Adin Barnett, Detra quor, was Teirsan born. From the region of Ruszahrn and was trained in survival and combat almost from birth. His flaming red hair and hard black eyes should have given testament to his temper, but Heero chose to ignore it in favor of his talent in a vistar. While older than his Commander, he would defend him to the end no matter what orders were laid down.

Soris Armonia, Detra fein, was Teirsan born. From the region of Scortgehn, she followed the ancient ways of combat. Strength above all else and the respect for that strength. She was the only one who had to see Heero fight before she joined. Wheat blonde hair was shorn in a military style making her gray eyes hard like shard and her face strong. Her loyalty was to her Commander and her ship, all else meant little.

Daigo Onnegel, Detra shor, was the only Nomian in the squads. Born on a southern conten, he had been trained by his father in the ways of the Fract Empiral. He was agile, quick, and strong. Tall for a lizarian, but his features were true to his birthright. Dark green scales covered his whole body and his eyes were a bright gold with dark slits for pupils. He was the best at night and could adjust to any situation with speeds to rival those of any Serrian.

Trinoi Levinski, Detra sekch, was Teirsan born. Also from Ruszahn, he was trained the same as Adin, only his master was the most feared of the high guard warriors. With cropped light brown hair and hard ice blue eyes, he could easily be mistaken for a Unian warrior and fought as if he belonged to the sect of Veltrox. He and Sei were made wing-men since they both added to the others ability and seemed to be able to read each other fluidly.

Meilan Long, Detra och, was Unian born. Strong willed and eager to fight, she was pushed through the system due to her great ability to pilot and hand to hand combat skills. However, it took several thyerox before she was chosen for a team due to her strong headed thinking. Her dark black hair was worn in braid to each side of her head and tied off with two metraflik claps that served as her secret weapons, Heero had found out about these when he fought her to gain her loyalty. Her hard dark eyes, unusual for a Unian marked her as a hybrid and while none could be found in her familial line, it hurt her chances within the Unian run army.

Dorothy Catalonia, Detra ninh, was Teirsan born. She was a warrior with a lineage that rivaled only that of the great families of Calodonie. She was Catheria born and trained under their warrior regime of females. She was hard, her blue eyes attesting to that fact. She kept her blond hair long and loose, daring anyone to say anything about it.

Looking them over, Heero almost smiled as Dorothy brushed a bit of friction from Meilan's cheek from where they'd been working on their vistars. His team was always at the ready, never thinking to question an order, or to break a rule if need be.

"Suit up! We leave in five mirax!" Heero shouted, making only three of his eight jump. "Satray needs backup. They're going after the Battle crusier without us."

Wide eyes greeted that statement and then a flurry of action until all of Detra squad was in their vistar awaiting launch orders. They hated to miss a good fight.

(O)(O)

Duo felt the other vistars draw near. He had known that alone he would be able to do no more than damage the black ship and eventually he would have to bring in the others to help fight. He had hoped to cripple it more before they were pulled in to insure that there would be few if any casualties.

"Satray Ish, cut engines back to brax and open link for comp lock up."

It was standard for a link up to form so that all squadron members would follow a set plan of attack. It also insured that no one vistar went on a vengeance/suicide mission.

"I got nothing." Dwyer moaned, punching his com again to verify.

"I'm out." Banes sent.

"No link." Mikels reported.

Jaxon typed up commands trying to establish a link with the lead vistar when suddenly his ship lurched. Fearing that he'd been forced out, Jaxon began to frantically search through his data link. Everything was working fine and he was still on course, he was not- however- in control of the ship.

"What's going on?" Dwyer shouted.

"I've lost control!" Korber yelled, a mild panic in his voice.

Jaxon was amazed when all seven were pulled into a loose formation and shot into the fray. Checking over his computer, he could see that only his weapons were at his control.

OOOO

"An Alliance vistar squadron." came the emotionless answer to the latest explosive attack.

Acht stared incredulously at the radahr which showed a small group of ships moving into position beneath his great ship. Ship sensors had been locked to search for bigger things, not the smaller vistars used for close contact attacks. It was widely known that a vistar squadron could not take down a Battle cruiser. Why was this one doing so much damage.

"Activate guns! Destroy them!" Acht practically screamed his orders as another explosion shook the floor beneath his feet.

OOO

As the vistar squadron moved closer, Duo automatically expanded his senses to include the group. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and when he opened them their color had become a clear bright lapis.

"Link established."

The seven pilots heard the words echo through them as their ships seemed to come to life.

"Ride with it guys." Jaxon ordered as his ship picked up speed. "Hands to guns and fire when locked."

"Check." "Check."

Jaxon suspected he knew what was happening but he didn't want to voice it aloud. When the system locked on target, he fired taking out the target before his ship turned. Following the progress of the battle on rayar, firing when he had a lock, he knew that Derris Rehn was not the pilot of Satray Ish. In fact, as the squadron made an intricate series of maneuvers to dodge fire, he was almost positive that no computer linked the squadron together. Keeping his mind clear, he focused on a single word, a single ideal, and then he let his mind whisper it.

Duo's concentration jerked momentarily when the word hit him. 'Nahjet' echoed along the link between him and Satray Meich. It had surprised him to hear that whisper. So surprised that he dropped his guard and the vistar rocked with a hit to a wing section.

"Tretar!"

"Satray Ish, tighten up!" Seeing the lead vistar take a hit, Jaxon regretted his sent thought.

'Link re-established.'

Jaxon sighed as he felt the tug return and his vistar was once again under the 'computers' control.

9098889

"Commander Lowe, we've received word from Detra Squadron they've located the battle and are about to link up. It's a Battle cruiser of Trident class in sector t-meich-ninh. We are beginning warp countdown now."

Odin frowned, that placed the Spec's within firing range of Serra. They had spent the last few triax chasing sensor ghosts.

"Contact the Black Star and the Andrometha, give them the co-ordinates and hope they're closer than we are." Odin took his command seat and prayed that they could make there in time. An Alpha class Battle cruiser was a planet killer, who knew what a Trident class was capable of.

'Hurry, Heero, get there before all helios breaks.' Odin thought before he ordered, "Launch Detra. Alert the fleet. Everyone to battle stations!" He knew that Satray was a perfectly capable fighting squad, but to take on a Trident class Battle cruiser. It was the newest in the Spectronian fleet, they didn't know what it could do.

(O)(O)

Shouts of joy coursed through the com as Detra squadron hit open space. There was a few mirax of liberal flying before Heero ordered them to tighten up and fall in.

"What's are time?" He shouted to his Dec as they set their course into the computer.

"We're four triax out, but we will beat the Starfighters." came Sei's calm reply.

Heero nodded, though none of his others could see him. "Prepare for jump on my mark." Counting in his head he waited until fein before shouting, "Jump!"

The entire squadron hit their thrusters at the same time and let the computer guide them toward the battle field at Serra.

OOO

"Commander, radahr indicates that the Starfighters have changed course and are heading this way."

Acht listened to the ray-tech's emotionless words with dread. It was not going as planned. The humans should have been crushed. The capitol city on the home world now lay in ruins, the attack should have been devastated them. The ghost echos would have taken their Starfighters off on the wrong course and left the rest of the system open for him to complete his mission. But no, they were turning toward him, his own fighters were in formation to take out Serra and he was under attack by a single squadron of vistars. Who knew they could do more damage to his ship than the mightiest of their Starfighters could.

The battle was swift and unmerciful. The Battle cruiser was made to fight larger, more bulky targets, it relied on it's vipers to fight the small, swifter ones. Thus it could not hit the vistars and their pattern of attack was too erratic for them to even get a good solid lock. Their strikes were perfectly placed as the 'computer link' led each ship into the tiny cracks and low crevices of the monster.

Acht tried to shout commands to the mecks, but each explosion rocked the bridge with more force than the last and he was almost knocked off his feet each time. He bemoaned the fact that his squadrons of vipers were winging their way to Serra unaware of the attack, having been commanded to remain in silence until after the mission was complete.

He had chose not to recall them when the battle had begun because he could not fathom such a small group of ships doing any damage to his great Dark Death. His ship was the pride of the new Spectronian fleet, was built to withstand multiple hits from any weapon a Starfighter could throw at it, but the vistars. . .

"Recall the vipers!" Acht shouted as yet another explosion shook his ship.

O-O-O-O

"Commander, I got nothin on rayar."

Heero doubled checked Daigo's readings and concurred.

"Well, at least we know how they were moving without being tracked." Came Dorothy's dry reply. "Look at that beaston."

"We wouldn't be seeing it if Satray hadn't lit it up." Trowa spoke for the first time, his calm voice a soothing presence on the com. "They've just about finished it. Shouldn't we join them?"

"Tretar! Sho need ta!" Adin yelled almost pushing his vistar a head of his leaders.

"Link up." Heero ordered, his eyes never leaving the strange formation of light that had to be Satray squadron. "Keep mark on the others and take out the guns first."

"Check." "Check."

Heero linked his ship to Trowa's as wing man with a nod to the other, they hit their thrusters leading the pack in.

"Satray, this is Detra we're coming up on the black side, give us a flip." Heero spoke in code in an attempt to contact the battling vistars.

"Yeah, boys, let the ladies play!" Meilan shouted when no response came to the ready.

"We've got help!"

Duo heard the joyous shout over the com and his rayar had all ready alerted him of the incoming vistars and the change in the Starfighters course.

Jaxon felt control of his vistar return to him and pulled out of the dive to find Satray Ish taking his place and firing.

"Hey! My computer disengaged!"

"Check. Mine, too!"

"Banes." Jaxon heard the thread of fear creeping into the younger pilot's voices. "Take the team to lead the others. I'll shadow the lead."

"Check Meich."

Jaxon watched as his team headed toward the incoming vistars. Thumbing down his com, he opened his mind and took a deep breath.

"I don't know who you are, but I know what you can do." He spoke the words out loud inside the quiet of his cockpit, hoping the pilot could hear him.

Satray Ish paused before it dove to fire upon a gun battery. That pause told Jaxon that his softly spoken words had been heard.

"I am your wing man and I will stay by your side in this battle. I want to avenge the deaths as much as you and I want to see this planet killer destroyed." Jaxon allowed some of his anger to pass through in his words. It was the only way he knew for certain to let the pilot of Satray Ish what his intention were before he contacted the incoming squadron.

OOO

Heero ignored the shouts of his team as some of Satray swung out to lead them in. He'd been watching the lead vistar, never pausing in it's attacks, suddenly shake with a hit. The pilot was maneuvering his ship as if it were a living extension of himself. No one could pilot like that.

"Detra Quor and Fein, join with Satray Shor and Sekch. Take aim at the turrets along the top section." Heero ordered as he pushed his own ship hard to reach the two lead Satray ships still fighting under the monster's belly. "Detra Och, Ninh, take wings with the others and take out the landing bays."

"Check." "Check." Came the replies.

"Trowa, let's join the party." Heero murmured as they set course to join Satray Ish and Meich.

O

Duo sighed as he paused in his next run. The other squadron would be here soon and, even in open space, he could not control them all. Jaxon's words had washed over him like a balm, soothing his own wounds and calming his own rage.

"Satray Ish pay attention!" Jaxon shouted over the com, his heart jumping when the vistar sustained another hit.

Jaxon's warning and the violent shaking of his ship pulled Duo's concentration back to the battle. A gunnery placement he had yet to take out had locked in on his stationary position. Before he could react, Jaxon dove and took the placement out.

"Let's take the forgon trell out!" Jaxon shouted over the com.

Duo allowed a small smile before he joined in Jaxon's feral growl and rejoined the battle.

-o-o-o-

As the Red Star came out of warp the crew gasped at the size of the Battle cruiser. She was so black that without the explosions ravaging her hull, she might not have been visible. As they watched the mammoth ship shook like a great harran fighting off a swarm of gnat.

Richards, the young rayar tech, checked her console twice. "Commander, it doesn't register on rayar."

"What?" Wufei moved to look over the young lady's shoulder not believing her words.

"I'm reading only vistars." She checked all channels. "The Spectronian ship is invisible."

"Commander, the Andrometha and the Black Star have reported five squadrons of vipers on a heading for Serra prime!" The com-teck, Nickels, shouted his report to the command.

"Launch Gammon, Omnia, and Shoban squadrons to intercept!" Odin watched the battling vistars followed the lead like a precise weapon. Satray Ish was directing all of the smaller ships to places few would know to hit. "Launch all the rest to join Detra and Satray!"

Odin watched the co-ordinated dance of the vistars marked as Satray Ish and Meich. It was like poetry and death linking hands and moving around the darkness.

"Who's in command of Satray squadron?"

Wufei had to admire the precise control the pilot had over his machine as another explosion rocked the massive ship.

"At this rate the battle with a Starfighter is almost redundant." Only Odin heard Wufei's softly spoken comment.

"It is commanded by Regast Derris Rehn." Karl, the command assistant, stood quietly at his station behind Odin's chair. It was his job to answer any personnel, weapon, or tactical questions his Commander may have. Checking his wrist link, he frowned. "He was, however at last report, on Teirsa co-ordinating efforts from the Delphin Polls. To my knowledge, his orders were to remain until the planet was cleared."

De'mon frowned. "We lost contact with the Polls a dial before Satray alerted us to the Battle cruiser's location."

Wufei kept his eyes on the battle, reaching out with his own limited enhanced senses. "Perhaps he received some information and could not reach us."

Each movement was too precise, each hit too accurate, and each target chosen too perfectly; no Academy or battle experience could make a pilot that good. His knowledge of the pilot Derris Rehn, his skills were average at best. In battle he'd more than proven himself over, but he was not as skilled as the pilot they were watching.

"Open the com, I want to hear the pilots." Odin called the order as something told him that the pilot in Satray Ish was not one of his, nor was he Academy trained. His fighter control while quick was too erratic and his aim too accurate. This pilot seemed to know the ship he'd set out to destroy, knew it's weaknesses as if he'd been briefed on it.

"Prepare weapons array! Target the engines and fire on my mark!" De'mon ordered as he strained out of his chair.

55555

"Incoming vipers!" "Red Star preparing to fire!"

The other pilots began shouted remarks over the com as Duo lead Jaxon on another run. He could feel the death shudders shaking the great ship as he led the pass under her belly. He dodged fire like a leaf dancing on the wind, his senses guiding him to each target far better than any computer system could. It was instinctive, each action, each reaction led him exactly where the most damage could be done.

"Vipers sector meich ish fein." Jaxon reset his rayar, pinpointing each of the enemy's returning fighters. "Mikels locate the lead and take him out! Dwyer pull second string and fan out!"

"Satray Meich, Detra Fein, Quor and Shor are on the incoming." Heero told them. "Double back and re-group for the next assualt."

Duo ignored the vipers and the other vistar squadron. That squadron had joined them, breaking up to shadow the others as they moved freely about the giant, while the lead two had joined him. They were of little consequence in his opinion, it was the Battle Cruiser that had to be destroyed.

Jaxon watched as Satray Ish made another pass into the under belly. Didn't he realize the monster was all ready dead? He pulled around Detra Ish as he realigned his sensors and checked the damage.

"Satray Ish, pull out let the Red Star finish it." Jaxon locked his computer so that he could engage the enemy fighters.

"Close ranks and clear the channel it's time to go to work." Trinoi acknowledged the orders to clear the Battle cruiser.

"Satray Ish, Meich, join up and follow out." Heero ordered. "The Red Star is in firing range."

Jaxon moved to join the squad he noticed that Satray Ish was not there among them. "Satray Ish, check?"

"Satray Ish, clear the way the Red Star can finish it. It's almost done for anyway. We've can take care of the vipers ." Heero agreed as he pulled his vistar out of the last dive. "Red Star is in range. She's more than able to take this one out now."

Jaxon watched as the vistar made another sweep on the engines, setting off another series of explosions.

Heero turned his vistar in time to see Satray Ish take another hit before veering away and heading back in. "What is he doing?" Heero murmured, wondering if he would have to go in and force Satray Ish out.

"Revenge is a hard master." Trowa answered before speaking louder. "Satray Ish, there is nothing left. The Red Star is here, ready to fire."

"They're too late." A whispered voice spoke over the com. A wave of silence swept the channel as all the pilots realized that it had come from Satray Ish.

4444

"Engines have been completely disabled, Commander."

Acht heard the flat words spoken by yet another programmed tech. He'd known it was over for some time, the ship was on it's way to certain destruction.

"Squadron reporting contact in ten point two minutes."

"Two minutes too late." Acht muttered as he pushed his last resort, a large black button on his controller's seat. If they were going to be destroyed, then so be it, but he would take that Starfighter and her squadron with him.

333

He wanted the monster to die. He wanted to be the one who stuck the sword in the Dagon's head and heard it bellow it's death call. He wanted them to suffer as he had seen others suffer. This was the beat of his heart as Duo made one last pass over the Battle cruiser, taking out one last gun placement. He felt a strange surge of energy building around him. Pulling up and away, he looked around him, but could not see anything that could account for the surge.

22

"Commander, we have a power build up in the engine core." Palmer, the sensor chief shouted as his alarms sounded through his headset. "It's reading quor ten rads."

"Alert all sections, have the engine room stand by to warp." Odin ordered as he sent his crew to prepare to flee the area should the ship explode. "Send a stat ish alert to all the vistars and target the incoming fighters. If that ship blows I want her fighters within range."

1

"Red Star command to all vistar squadrons, Spec Battle cruiser has a power build up in engines. Advise course to warp, destruction imminent in two triax."

"You heard the com." Jaxon maneuvered his vistar so that he could see all the other fighters. "Two triax and this thing blows. Prepare for fast flight."

Duo felt the next explosion shake his vistar before he could move away.

"Computer damage report?"

'Engine dec has sustained damage. Advise an increase to thrusters to compensate.'

Duo worked quickly to by pass the damaged systems as he swung in to formation behind the other vistars.

Jaxon noticed the sluggish movements of their leader as he co-ordinated the remaining fighters into position. "Satray Ish, give me a status report."

Heero and Trowa both jerked their vistars back around at Jaxon's call. In the midst of another explosion Satray Ish rocked like a pullet on a string.

Duo recognized Jaxon's voice as he fought to keep his ship under control.

"Satray Ish, answer! What is your status!" Heero ordered as the three vistars made a move toward the damaged vistar.

"Sustained damage in dec engine." Duo spoke quickly and breathlessly as he fought to hold his ship in formation. He was not going any where fast. "Trying to compensate by increasing the power to the others. Hard to hold her on course. Adjusting to increase speed."

"Lock in on the Red Star's beacon, she's . . . "

Static took over as another series of explosions caught Satray Ish in their wake.

"Computer damage."

'Com-tower had been damaged. Beacon had been destroyed. Speed insufficient for rendezvous with Starfighter.

Duo shook his head in disbelief, here he was on his first, albeit unofficial, battle flight and he was about to loose his vistar.

"Computer compensate for loss of engine power and add in a warp configuration for the Red Star's last known position."

The computer beeped its compliance as Duo felt another explosion rock his ship.

"Computer, set warp and engage . . . NOW!"

Duo heard the whine of the engines as they powered up. The thrust pushed him back against the seat as the ship jumped into warp. Duo didn't see the Red Star, nor could he control the motion of the vistar as it was picked up on the shock wave caused by the exploding Spectronian Battle cruiser. He saw the starlight become lines as his ship sped by them until finally he gave into the darkness.

0

"Com, we've lost Satray Ish." Heero reported as he and the others rode out the wave of destruction, alarms alerting them to the sensor loss.

Jaxon had seen the vistar mere mirax before the last explosion. Wounded and limping, there was no way it could have cleared the destructive force of the great ship's destruction.

"It didn't clear the Cruiser before she blew." Jaxon added with regret. A great warrior had passed and no one knew who he was.