Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Homeworld - Tales of the Vjel-Amaj: Aira's Quest - Part I ❯ Chapter 18 - Veil Destiny ( Chapter 18 )

 

**** part 4

 

====== Part 4 of x =======



The air within the bridge was getting thicker as the many people anxiously shouted and yelled reports. Once more, the ship suffered a short static interference caused by an adjacent ion beam again but ironically was ignored by most of them.


“Minor casualty reports coming in again, ma'am, but overall, we are still fully operational. The Chief Medical Doctor still requests for an immediate return to Amaj-”

“All armor segments along starboard are slowly recovering - Hazardous thermal ratings decreasing!”

“At least some good news! Tell Dr. Jonas that we're working on it! <sort of…>”


“Damn `Armitage'… The vaygr are using it to slip some of their units right past all confrontations!”, the hiigaran woman commented quietly.
“Commander Delixa, Commander Orelis - I was able to identify some of the signatures of the strikecrafts before we lost line of sight. One portion of the group are bombers! Plasma bombers!”, somebody yelled from ahead while Fenna and others rushed and stumbled into the bridge.


“Are we being pursued?!”
“Uhhh - Negative, negative! They're not pursuing us, but the enemy units seem to have attained course to a far heightened position above the majority of the debris!”

“Oh, those idiots are up to something, I'm sure of that…”, Orelis commented, who already thought of the worst to happen, “I want a full tactical make-out of what that squadron is full of - asap!”.
“Affirmative!”



The annoyed deck officer rubbed his chin several times while staring upon the tactical overlay screen that revealed the enemy group disengaging and regrouping elsewhere.

“B-Bomber?! Hey, can anybody - oouf *catches balance* What's going on?!”, Fenna frantically asked while fighting against the force pushing her to from side to side.
Snapping out of his pondering, he immediately struck his hand towards the helm, “No time for talk, get to your station, Ensign - Move it!”


Somewhat graceful, Velle was more than thankful of Fenna's return. Both women awkwardly swapped their positions. Hailynn had been yelling so many confusing commands to her ever since the sudden attacks that she forced the ship to bash against any chunk of debris in space, fortunately the loose ones. At least Velle managed to detach and disable the anchoring field of the ship in order to escape - Not bad for a total rookie, Fenna lastly thought.

Both tactical operatives reported their readings to Orelis.


“Tactical scan completed! We've detected two dozen of vaygr bomber units, two heavy multi-turret turanic corvettes and… another group of seven unknown heavy taiidani corvettes! Unknown hull configuration, sir, but just the looks of them tells me they are some sort of heavy artillery units as well!”
“Torpedo launchers, I'm sure of that, but those plasma bombers will deal severe damage to our ship as well, Commander - I must avoid contact!”

“Torpedoes? Artillery siege vessel? Railed mass driver… As if we haven't seen enough today…”
“Hailynn!”, Fenna yelled as she noticed something on the screen ahead of her.
“What?!”


Not even able to catch her breath, the young pilot cried a single word back to her, “- Convoy!”
“!”

Indeed. The `Vjel-Amaj' was reaching the rim of the debris field, soon to cross its border line into the open region but close to one of the many fleeing groups of kadeshi ships. Hailynn's eyes frantically searched all screens for any kadeshi swarmers of some sort. Unfortunately, there were hardly any defensive units on any of the tactical screens among the frontal arcs.


A dreadfully cold shiver ran down Hailynn's spine… a disgustingly guilty feeling. It seemed as if she stumbled over a weakly protected area of the whole convoy, but unfortunately also lured vaygr forces and their aim directly upon these helpless ships. She knew they were going to use this advantage somehow by sparing heavy units to the area.

The cold truth of reality struck her mind.

Having the decisive units beyond and everywhere protecting the integrity of the inner sphere, it became clear that the entire combat fleet of the kadeshi was desperately repelling the vaygr and their collaborators from breaking through to the inner convoy. This dead zone of space and gas around `Kadesha's Ark' was an important aspect for their security… and now was in great danger as the enemies penetrated its perimeter.


Aira was still too distracted. She probably did not have the chance to even react, for she still seemed to desperately try to convince them about the kiith amaji agenda of enduring will of support and freedom.

Focusing her eyes upon the vaygr and the special ship that was approaching the heightened vector, it also became clear that the `Armitage' artillery marker ship was going to conduct the next target painting. While her smack talking against the vaygr warlord may have provoked him, she became aware that the confrontation was a special attempt - intentional but not caused or led by unthoughtful anger...


“Too predictable, you damn vaygr… I know what this is all about…”, Hailynn remarked to herself before focusing her view to her second-in-command, “Orelis, they will be waiting for us to cross into the opening! Pretty damn sure they will be alpha-striking us - AND the kadeshi on this side of the convoy! They'll be attacking through projectile artillery barrage from those siege vessels somewhere in that mess beyond the 50km barrier and missile-volley through those smaller crafts at our vicinity! And you can bet that damn painter will mark us with deadly precision no matter how much we try to dodge its marker!”

“What make you so sure?!”, he questioned her with a troubled glare.

“*long pause*… I've… no… the captain and I, we've seen it before…”

The ex-captain nodded quietly.


“Okay, but as the T.O. operatives said, the `Vjel-Amaj may have tough skin' - but neither the armor of those non-combatant kadeshi ships nor ours will withstand direct hits of such massive caliber or warhead, Hailynn! We've got to stay in cover!”

“Your XO's right, Commander”, Zann added to Orelis' words, “One surgically precise hit already could seriously severe the armor's integrity - or worse! I don't know how fast we can react to a decompression!”

“Maintain pressure lockdown! It's far too late to turn back! That marker is already backtracking us… and I'm sure they'll be performing sureshot through accurate targeting profiling as soon as we hit the opening! Whatever we do, they'll be striking on us and the kadeshi! We can't allow the defenseless kadeshi to be destructed only because we brought the vaygr, Orelis!”
He shouted back to her while the ship rocked back and forth, “Are you out of your mind! We better get the ship within this debris field and toss up some jammers or we'll be slaughtered just by the rain of death!”


The at first anxious hiigaran woman calmed herself down, “No, they won't nail us, they won't - trust me… There are some things about vaygr brute force and our knowledge! You've got to trust me on this one!”
Though he shook his head, he ironically already sensed she was up to something, “I'm all ears, Hailynn…”
“Yes, the `Vjel-Amaj' is surely not able to withstand direct hits, but I tell you - We still can survive the artillery barrage! It's all about angle-of-attack vectors they'll be striking from…”
“I don't get it…”
“Don't worry…”


Kenta suddenly wove for Hailynn's attention, “Commanders, there's something I wish to show you before we cross the line!”

“Just explain now already!”, Orelis demanded harshly, least noticeable by his impatience.
“Y-Yes! The following: I have great concerns about reaching and dispatching our strikecraft units at the desired position! It will be far too dangerous them according to the regional scans and updates!”
“Details! Now!”

“The battlefields are constantly shifting… Observatory indicates several tense events of combat and skirmishes throughout the destination!”
“- and your suggestion would be?!”

“I-I'm not a tactician, sir, but our units would be able to traverse safely into the dense wake by flying through these hazard fields! It'll be a rough flight for them, but being small in signature, they'll likely be as hard to detect like that, that tactical painting… err… whatever gate ship, that ship that jeopardized us! We will not be able to overwatch or maintain communication with our strike pilots with all these interferences but they will have a better chance if they launch before we enter the opening!”
Receiving a short nod by Hailynn, Orelis hesitantly confirmed and ordered Kelsea to forward the information further to the fighter pilots and prepare them for launch.

“Good thinking, Kenta! Guess that crazed manaani was asking for a real challenge anyways.”

“A-Aye, thank you, sir…“

“Packard - Help me ready them!”, Kelsea's voice said from further away, but did not receive an answer. Instead, she continued on her own which took a short moment, “Fighters standing by and ready for launch!”


Take care, Kaydaana…

“Launch strikecrafts! They know what their job is…”
“Roger! <To all units! You are clear for launch! Good luck, good hunt - and come back safely!>”



- Serving her Divinity -


Anxiety disturbed Hailynn. She knew Kaydaana is a brilliant pilot, but sending on another dangerous mission plagued her more than ever…

“Kelsea, before they blast off, I wish you to make the following clear to them before ending the last transmission. Make sure they keep a low profile while heading to the Mass Catapult! Notify them that we won't be able to support them for now, but we will pick them up after supporting certain hotspot arcs of the convoy! If the surgical strike goes wrong: NO HEROIC ATTEMPTS, NONE OF THAT CRAP - I want our people back alive - I don't want to be needing any more funerals!”, Hailynn additionally notified to Kelsea in a very serious tone, “From now on, radio silence - unless urgent!”

Not only Kelsea but also the views of many others filled with worries, “U-understood, Commander!”


After several long moments, the `Vjel-Amaj' cleared the debris fields and dashed ahead into the open region, heading straight for the myriad of kadeshi ship... soon to be precisely pinpointed and marked by several colorful lines.
Again, sounds of alarms echoed throughout the bridge as one of the tactical operatives gave the warning, “Alert - Artillery attacks imminent!”


Hailynn quietly cursed. Despite the target painting procedure being old fashion, merely an ancient method of naval warfare, irony played its game… It was still a very serious threat not to be underestimated.

“Did they make it?”, Orelis asked.
“We're drawing all attention upon us, Commander Orelis. None of the enemy combat units are engaging Colonel Manaan's group… ”, Quan replied as his eyes followed the units the dots melting into the mass of debris signatures, “They're slipping under all scan waves, barely able to distinguish them myself - Looks like all is going right!”


“I don't know if Aira's sensorial abilities are sensitive enough to maintain a passive survey over our units within such a vast wake, ma'am”, Kelsea added to Quan's words, “She was already barely able to penetrate it and detect the Mass Catapult!”
“Don't worry, let's leave Aira alone for now! We'll just have to trust Kaydaana and her units, both of you. However, I wish to have our enemies to focus their aim on us and only us! Spread all of our conventional sensorial arrays away from Colonel Manaan's group and have us beacon those idiots on us”, Hailynn noted,


“Let's make sure they haven't notice our move in this… game of hunt…”
“Game of hunt? ”, Orelis asked to her, “You mean hunting game, or?”
“No, game of hunt… vaygr sort of like the way it sounds.”
“Whatever. I still find it very insane and suicidal actually sending her and the group like this through the field - not to mention against an escorting group and that Mass Catapult, Hailynn…”


“Insane is her twelfth name, Orelis”, the seriously injured woman quietly said to him as she wiped her face. Though Hailynn tried to hide it, only Orelis noticed that she wiped a tear of worry from her eye, “Frell, I'm worried, too. This is all out of hand… So many deaths have happened so far… and I'm sending in the only help we can give to these kadeshi to survive. Suicidal… but she'll make it… somehow - Nevermind, let's concentrate on surviving these attacks!”
Separate stars flashed again upon the backgrounds of the bridge.


“…Alright…”, he replied. Though his quiet tone at first notified his concerns, “Did you just say `twelfth'?! Gods… What is her second name then?!”, he ironically snarled to himself.
Hailynn turned her view away from him, “…Manaan.”


“So… You really are going to throw our precious lives for these kadeshi fanatics while leaving all fate into the hands of that manaani preckbird, Delixa?”, Pethera slowly but viciously remarked, “You've really lost your mind… Delixa.”

Only hearing her voice already caused Hailynn to become aggravated, but fortunately, Orelis intervened just in time by raising and waving both hands to them to stop at once. However, all hell broke loose again as the expected event took place…

Upon that very moment, one of the tactical operatives shouted, “Artillery barrage inbound! Artillery barrage INBOUND!”, he repeated several times.
Every single amaji operatives were overwhelmed by the noise that sounded from all sides.


“Detecting a multitude of high energy readings emitting along the area of the tactical gate ship and its units! They've launched guided plasma bombs, torpedoes and cruise missiles - EVERYTHING!”
“DAMN IT! - Alright, alright… Hailynn, I'm not sure of what to do now… This is your move from here on!”, he yelled to her.

Anxiousness was already at present, but soon, it rose into greater panicking. Only the most eager officers were barely able to stay focused. Striking a commanding gesture with her hand to the side, the injure commander demanded, “Ensign Fenna! I need you to do exactly as I say! Everybody else, brace yourselves and notify the crew by collision alert! Tactical, I need a rundown on the firing positions and the time left for us to compensate!”



Hailynn's affliction caused by her body's crave for the drug shortly visited her by a sadistic sting striking her mind.

“Affirmative! Artillery barrage firing position: 54.7 km away, Angle of Attack: our 5 o'clock high - dorsal! Expected time arrival of impact narrowed down to 58 seconds! Massive caliber artillery fire expected! ”

Right after the end of the first tactical operative's speech, the second one added his report, “Volley firing position is coming from 7 o'clock, approximately 14km away from our current position! Our course and flight speed will delay the time of arrival to approximately 2 minutes!”

“Gonna be a deadly mix of EMP, explosive and armor piercing warheads - Thermal damage through plasma entropy, that's for sure!”
“Notify the kadeshi that we are here to serve the divinity of Kadesha!”, the hiigaran commander told to Kelsea, who immediately relayed a simple repeating transmission to those wished to save.


Sweat pearls ran down Hailynn's face while her mind immediately tried to form a swift plan. The vaygr are using both barrage and volley to pin them down… but remembering the words of her tactical operatives, it became clear that the torpedoes and plasma bombs would deal the most damage if the `Vjel-Amaj' is rendered immobile or crippled by outer energetic surges. The nimble amaji vessel itself already proven itself for the first time of withstanding great heat exposures, but it was the beings within its body that would suffer greatly from extensive heat.

Goosebumps ran down the trail on her skin left by the shivering. Memories of horrific occurrences… men and women burned alive… boiled blooded or worse… She suddenly breathed erratically as she woke up from these terrifying memories.


“Supplemental! The siege barrage is focused on our possible positions, while the missile attacks are widespread among several trajectories!”
“Just as I thought -”, she yelled, “Those propelled missile attacks are focused on the fleeing convoy, but will also lock us down if we attempt any greater evasive maneuvers! Pretty sure a group of those torps will branch off too - but we still have time to stop their attack!”

“And just how?!”, her currently executive officer skeptically asked.

Hailynn threw her back upon the seat, “This will be a TOUGH one everybody… Listen carefully! The artillery barrage will hit us very soon before the missile attacks! We will attempt to dodge this death-from-above attempt by holding still, then attain full anti-missile profile and engage a defensive bearing appropriate for the maximum coverage of our turrets! Zann, intensify the armor's frontal arc with all we've got - and one more thing: Relay power away from powered units of the ship! We cannot allow those EMP discharges to disable vital segments of the ship!”
“Yes, ma'am!”
“But you said we wouldn't be able to dodge - and we'll dodge after all by holding still?! What kind of tactic is -?”


Captain Quenton Sobaan suddenly raised his hand to gain the attention of Orelis' and others who watched them, quietly gesturing them to listen to Hailynn, “Raise collision alert status to all decks! This will be a lot more tense! Tactical - retract and bulk all weapon pylons and turret batteries! Immediately after the initial barrage, deploy them again!”
Though confused, the tactical operatives nodded.

“Artillery barrage, 20seconds left!”
“Pilot! Disable all gravity fields acting as form of propulsion in order to maintain a drift while we point the nose of the ship elsewhere and use the maneuvering fields to rotate the ship to our… 5 o'clock HIGH! Angle 332°, vector delta seven-point-three-one! Follow the blinking triangular symbol that I marked through my interface”, Hailynn made a long pause until Fenna finished commencing her command, “Alright! Yaw counterclockwise at the rate of 0.3 rad - No no, counterclockwise, not clockwise, for frakk's sake!”


“I'm on it, Hailynn!”, Fenna replied loudly and began trying to conduct her orders by the controls. Despite still being a total rookie considering advanced maneuvering, her awkward way of maintaining the ship's helm fortunately brought the ship continuing its drift as Hailynn demanded… however pointing the nose and frontal arc directly into the dangerous attack from `above', soon to conduct a slow spin.
“H-HAILYNN!”, the young amaji cried and panicked suddenly while the screens flashed red, “Wh-What are you asking me to do?!”


Pure death was only a single moment away - instead of attaining a safer position, the `Vjel-Amaj' aimed itself straight into the eye of death.
“EVERYBODY, BRACE YOURSELVES!”


The singular moment felt like an eternity as the ship undergone and suffered violent impacts upon the hull, shattering and trembling everything. Many yells and cries sounded everywhere as the shells smashed down upon the ship… but none of them were comparable to those of Aira. The crushing impacts that occurred frequently were so intensive that even Aira shrieked loudly, as if it were her very own skin being punctured.


Ironically, Hailynn noticed that her numerous vulnerable injuries she suffered from as the harnessers squeezed them were nothing compared to how the frail kadeshi girl cried with each brutal and cruel hit... The hiigaran woman failed to sorrow for the girl as the intensive stabbing pain stole her breath. Thrown and shaken at all possible directions, the ship rocked once more as it spun until the barrage ended its strike. The deadly end devastating rain of death stripped through the gas in space… bound to blindly strike on any unlucky beings within the thousands of skirmishes beyond the warzone.


“- We… We're s-still… alive…”, somebody's shaky voice remarked from the side.
“Gods… That must have been thousands of rounds… 800 to 1400mm… or larger…”
Once again, Orelis only chance of staying on his feet was to both hold the bar above him and embrace the s'jeti woman he hated so much with his other arm.
“Frakking frell… REPORT!”


“D-Diagnostics failure, sir… Looks like EMP surges did hit something after all, but it's not all too serious from what I can see”, Zann replied to him, “Sure of dents and some visible impacts… We've taken some very heavy beating - but without any severe damages!”

Zann gave additional comments of the ship's status the best he could explain, most of them sounding positive - not even a single breach through the armor or hull despite other non-important segments of the ship affected by malfunctions. His voice sounded astonished of the results. Several others moaned as they felt nauseated.


“Now I'm open for explanations, Hailynn… Captain Sobaan…! How the frakk was this ship able to withstand such an attack?!”, Orelis shouted.
“THIS IS NOT OVER!”, Hailynn yelled back to everybody, “TACTICAL, DEPLOY ALL WEAPON PYLONS! HELMSWOMAN, COURSE VECTOR TO MY DESIGNATION!”
Fenna hesitated. Just recently had she expressed great panicking as she saw the raining wall of death dashing its way past as well as bashing upon them.

“FENNA!”


Lost of mind, she blindly tried to move the ship to Hailynn's designated course correction. At the same time, the ship's status screens showed all defensive turrets and weapon pylons expanding themselves again as she demanded and planned before.

All tactical overlay screens revealed missile strikes, fusion torpedo and missile volleys and even plasma bombs were spreading everywhere among all arcs, some of them focused on the majority of the defenseless kadeshi vessels while other threats circled around the certain arcs of the `Vjel-Amaj'… intelligently locking it down as it was still a drifting target. All threats were so imminent that Hailynn

“You nearly had us on that move, vaygr… Alright, gunnery control! I want all defensive batteries and turrets to target and counter all opposing threats against us AND the kadeshi!”
“What?! There are far too many arcs to take on in such short time!”, Orelis commented to her, “Frakk's sake, Hailynn, we can't take on all of them!!!”


“No buts! This ship may be a small one, but she's proven herself as a FLEET DEFENDER! Auto-target support arrays on all threats among all possible arcs! Point-Defense-Systems! Field jammers and multispectral ECM to focused guidance! Maximum coverage! FULL SPREAD! Continuous fire by my command! Conduct targeting!”

Though many still found her attempt led by slight madness, they concurred with her command. All screens began symbolizing reticules, trajectory indicators, sets of instantaneously mathematical calculations and many other supportive targeting lines aligned on all targets.


“Targets acquired!”
Sounds of acquisitioned echoed many times as other operatives announced confirmations.
“Alighed and locked ooooon…. Done!”
“All turrets armed, charged and ready to fire, Hailynn!”, Orelis lastly confirmed to her, leading all tactical ready for receiving her command.
“Pray… everybody -“!, Hailynn desperately begged to them, then suddenly yelled,” To All Units… fire… FIRE FIRE FIRE!”


Within the tense moment, the `Vjel-Amaj' sprayed massive amounts of flak ammunition, mass projectiles, particles and flechette rounds upon all opposing arcs filled with the approaching threats. Spinning by motion, all turrets accurately fired and replaced streams of rounds as the ship swirled to the next arcs. The entire crew felt ship trembling as all turrets conducted continuous fire. Results began to become visible. Multiple explosions started occurring among the vicinity, building walls of fiery explosions and violent fusion discharges at first erupting, then being consumed by the gases and the cold reality of deep space. There seemed to be no end in the streams of fire emitting from the amaji cruiser that desperately protected itself and the kadeshi ships from death. Never had any of the young amaji crewmembers throughout the bridge experience such counterattack since the distressed escape into the frozen comet.
After twelve very long minutes with countless thousands of rounds streaming at blinding speeds like whips into additional torpedo volley attempts from the enemy, all explosions vanished among the arcs… leaving the `Vjel-Amaj' drifting backwards towards the kadeshi vessels that were still far away. Despite space being 'empty', fusion discharges caused by destructed torpedoes set violent shockwaves free that whipped on the hull of the ship. Fenna aligned the ship with its dorsal coverage still focused on the faraway `Armitage' ship and its supporting units, quietly keeping each other marked by the eye.


“U-uh-Ah-All threats… n-neu-neutralized! ALL THREATS NEUTRALIZED! WE DID IT! WE DID IT!”, one of the tactical operatives stuttered but then repeated into a cheer.
“ALL ARCS CLEARED! W-We survived! W-WOO - WOOHOO!”
“Kadeshi losses: zero! No losses or hits detected anyhow!”
Several operatives suddenly cheered up along… surprisingly.
All defensive turrets disengaged but remained on standby.

“So this ship is good for something… after all… Foolish children…”, the s'jeti woman quietly remarked to herself.

“Well commanded, Commander Delixa”, Captain Quenton noted to Hailynn, “You have done well.”
Using the moment of success, Orelis slowly turned himself around to Hailynn and Captain Quenton Sobaan, “Alright… That was… outrageous. Are you two going to keep this a secret?”
The hiigaran woman hid her agony as she wiped her face.


Luckily, the captain took word, “Negative, this is not a secret.”
The others calmed down, wanting to understand how they managed to survive by Hailynn's tactic of survival as Captain Quenton explained slowly in his usually calm tone:

“Lieutenant Commander Orelis. Fellow amaji. All of you have witnessed what both Hailynn and I have learned during the past war during desperate times; the only way to survive and counter such common but deadly tactic and onslaught procedure of the vaygr. Frigate tactics.”
“F-Frigate tactics?! But we're not in a frigate, sir.”


“I am no longer in duty, Commander. Nonetheless, precisely. One of the basic advantages in survival against such long range attack is its signature radius, especially in comparison with the attacker's angle-of-attack vectors. While the `Vjel-Amaj' does possess a larger signature, its unique silhouette, defensive capabilities and natural physics during such attack does not differ much from that of a frigate.”
“Could somebody explain me WHY I was forced to fly the ship directly into the first wave of death?!”, Fenna frantically asked, still shocked by the events.


“Offering the broadside or any other arc of our vessel would raise our signature negatively, which may have caused severe damages and internals. Commander Delixa knowledgeably ordered you with that intent due to the threat.”

Orelis suddenly raised his head, “Ah - The shells then came in from such a sharp angle that many of them simply bounced or ricocheted off our hull! I assume the chance of a direct hit on the nose of our ship was near-to-impossible.”

“Not really. We were just… lucky”, Hailynn noted, “The yawing spin however lowered the chance of such a critical hit though.”
He crossed his arms and shook his head, “I never thought we would survive this, but again, both of you veterans proved the opposite. You two impressed me again…”


Kelsea suddenly wove her hand, “Everybody, incoming transmission!”
“Kadeshi wanting to thank us?”
“Negative, Commander Orelis - The… vaygr `warlord'…”

“You know the order.”

“A-Aye, patching it through!”

Everybody quietly listened to the garbled but threatening voice of the vaygr warlord Hailynn had once spoken to:
“”*short claps sounds. A faint applaud* You have survived, hiigaran prey. You are indeed a… daunting prey. You are worthy.””
“What?!”

“That was all, sir. A single transmission simply, err, `tossed' among our sector. I assume he really wanted us to catch the transmission.”
The grim deck officer arranged his uniform again, “Well, I'll be damned. Whatever that damn bloke meant with worthy, I bet you he underestimated us. Hah! Bet he'll be thinking twice about -”

“No.”, Hailynn's voice sounded from behind, gaining the attention of everybody.
“…”


Hailynn's view remained lowered as she spoke with full concern, “That is not `vaygr'. Vaygr never underestimate their prey. Never do they `play' with it. They don't tally around. This is serious, Orelis.”, her words sounded somewhat threatening, “It is all part of the `Game of Hunt'! He tested us. Our skills. It was not a challenge… It was a test… proving if we are truly a worthy for this dreaded predator to end the hunt by slaying the prey, us. My fellow amaji, I am sure of one thing: The warlord will stop at nothing from now on. His interest for the kadeshi is surely left for taiidan-turanic collaborators… Oh, I'm sure the other vaygr assaulters will still continue harassing the kadeshi convoy - but we are the ones, who survived his test! We are the thorn in his eyes now!”


“Frakking frell… Hailynn, you should've never provoked him…”

“I had to, Orelis. It at least forced him to focus on something else. His anger did cause him to forget about his former intention.”
“I-I don't know about you, guys-”, Fenna remarked from ahead, “but we're getting company!”

“What you talkin' about, Ensign?!”, he yelled at her.
“Several of those enemy… whatever - enemies are breaking through!”
“As if we didn't have enough - ”


Another critical explosion flashed among all screens, revealing another blast upon the outer structure of titanic vessel of the kadeshi. After the event, crystalline gases burst from the region…


“Report!”
Kenta turned herself around, “I don't know really, but one area of `Kadesha's Ark' just dispersed! Long range spectral survey detects a massive decompression of nitrogen, carbon-dioxid and… oxygen… Oh-Oh my gods! They are loosing atmosphere!”
“Focus! On screen, NOW!”

Several screens immediately focused directly on the events, showing thousands of debris and gases spreading into open space…
“… That's not debris that is being sucked out…”
“Hate to say it! More bad news!”, Quan suddenly added, “All kadeshi combat units are retreating from the outer battles! They're pulling back!”
“Are they going to help the titan mothership?!”, somebody asked from behind.


“No idea at all - but their retreat is causing all barrier combat areas around the entire region to fail repelling hostilities! I don't know, but my rough guess is that we'll be right in the thick of it, sir!”, the superior tactical operative announced with great worry in his voice.
“'Armitage' is starting to flux power to its conduit modules! Expecting another tactical hyperjump!”



More and more reports of hostile events echoed from all sides. Hailynn frightfully looked at all corners as all voices yelled. Her senses were getting out of control. Already feeling disgusted by her overused undergarments, her hand trembled while wiping sweat of misery from her face… The vaygr onslaught was ascending, soon to surround the entire region with their units against the kadeshi whilst having the `Vjel-Amaj' near to the surrounding convoy and fleet around `Kadeshi Ark'.
Kaydaana… Please…

“All stations! We're going to be under heavy attack this time!”, Orelis yelled to everybody, “I want all gunnery units to standby! If those idiots try another stunt, I want all of our guns to repel them! We can still take on those damn strikecrafts if they get too close!”


“! - What the…?!”, Kelsea's voice suddenly called from the side, “Commander Delixa - urgent call! Communication request!”
“Is that Colonel Manaan?!”, he asked from ahead.
“No, sir - It's an internal one! Chief Logistics Officer, Deena Amaj!”

Hailynn snapped out of her misery, ironically distracted by the sudden unusual call, “P-put… her through…”, her voice however echoed in her head.
“Roger! One moment… almost through… done! On all-talk! <Got you through, Chief LO! Clear for speech!>”

Everybody shortly ended their operations to listen to Deena's voice. Even Fenna, who fought trying to regain control of the ship's reverse flight, suddenly threw her view beyond her seat as she recognized the voice of her evil half.


Surprisingly, Deena's voice sounded totally different from what everybody actually expected. While everyone was frightened and scared by the events at the edge of this gaseous region occurring, Deena spoke with a much confusing `lovely', kind and happiness-filled tone as if she had not even noticed the war or alarms going on,


“”This thing on? You hear me - ahhh, helloooo bridge. Hi everybody… Sorry to bug you guys! Heh-heh, <3””, she said cheerfully and calmly.

Deena's overjoyed voice spoke further in such nonsense that caused many to ponder of what was wrong with her. Zann immediately called damage control teams, wondering if there was an undetected drop of atmospheric and oxygen levels that might have caused her to suffer euphoric gibbering, however, quick manual diagnosis revealed no trouble at all.

Even Orelis, whose fuse of patience never held long, was about to yell at Deena - but was rather `intervened' by Fenna's sudden yell from the helm, “DEENA! Stop talking bullshit and get to the point!”
“”Ah, Fenna - heya sister! How's it going up there! You must be flying the ship, huh? Is it fun? I hope you're doin' fine with your vaygr roommate *chuckle* Sorry for the surprise he did on you being not fully `clothed' *chuckles again*””


Fenna's at first tempting anger suddenly shrunk into embarrassment. It was outrageous… An all-out war was going on right now… but nothing was more devastating than the gossips and words spread by her sister who seemed to be going on some strange verbal `amok'. The young amaji was not even sure if she was more embarrassed by the bridge crew hearing about the event that happened at her quarter with Ray or the fact that she was talking like an idiot.


“”Oh, by the way. Commander Delixa? I just wanted to inform you that we seem to have a small… well maybe not so small, let's say, eh, `disturbing' issue in logistics that my subordinates and I just noticed””, Deena's voice hummed over the speakers.
“What?”, Hailynn did not sound annoyed at all.


“”Y'know, boss, when we started on this rescue operation, we didn't really expect to stay so long out in space -””
“AND?!”, Orelis now yelled to her.
“”- Eh, we've noticed that we suddenly hit `very VERY low' on one of our `stocks'…””
“Stocks?! What stocks?! Food?! Water processors?! OXYGEN?! WHAT?!”, he yelled again and again.


“”Yeah, stocks… Eh, you guys up there seemed to have had a great need and demand and, uhm, a murderously high consumption on stocks. <huh, what you say? Oh yes yes - I should have said that from the first place, oh thank you for telling me> - Where was I? Oh, yes, stocks are very low. To be precisely, fellow friends, our stocks are down to 0.883%... in all ammunition stocks types. ””


Many eyes widened…
“You've got to be kidding…”
“”Haha-ahahaha, that would have been a good joke, y'know, Orelis? Anyways, when we launched on this operation, we flew with some, err, 6% on overall ammunition and round stocks for those weapon systems of ours. Lasted pretty long, had some 5.8% when we left the comet - but until… err, recently, now? - and eh, y'know…””, somehow, her dumb speech and following absurdly long pause really sounded as if she shrugged.


“Oh-my-frakking-gods…”, Orelis cursed with open eyes, “You mean you logistic guys… frakk… You… *slaps side of his face* Are you telling me you LO's stocked our only real feed for defense so SCARCELY?! Are you completely -?! Gods, no, GREAT JOB, Deena, GREAT JOB!”

“”Oh, why, thank you, Commander Orelis, thank you for the nice compliment!””, she thanked him, obviously taking his ironically meant words as seriously meant…, ”” We were pretty low on financial credits. So we sort of stretched our budget and only bought some ammunition from a stock market ship that was in orbit at Amaji Prime. Pretty nice bargain - not much, I was very sure it would be enough for the entire trip, heh-heh. No worries about anything else at the moment. Lookin' good on other stocks at the moment! Oh, looks like I have to get back to work - Hope to hear from all of you soon, oh and `Pride to the Amaj' - keepin' it real - Later, Deena out! *veeeep*””


“But -!”, Deena dropped out before Orelis could say another word. Alas, his hand floated over his shoulder-mounted communication unit, somewhat holding himself back from recontacting Deena, “What the frakk was wrong with that woman…”


“We must stay focused on her report, Lieutenant Commander”, Captain Quenton Sobaan noted to him, “Our `offensive' defensive capabilities are greatly limited. With the enemy breaking through all arcs, our status is merely critical.”

“So… in other word… we're pretty much dry on ammo for our only mean of defense. `Gee-Gee'…”
“Indeed.”, the ex-captain confirmed. However, all amaji operatives did not understand what Orelis meant with one of these military terms again.


Aira was still negotiating with the kadeshi… She simply could not disturb her now. Hailynn threw another concerned look upon the tactical overlay; her eyes focused on the dense wake within this vast gaseous corridor at the very edge of the star system. Her thoughts and hopes drove all concerns for the perhaps only person and group that can serve Kadesha's Divinity…

 

****

========= 5 of x =========

The noise of death silenced as the voice of the majestic emulator emerged above all, expressing the long tale of `Kadesha's Ark' into the mind of Aira, whose holographic avatar quietly ghosted with the `Vjel-Amaj' throughout the surrounding battle. Even the most violent explosions and erratic rains of turret fire did not distract them.
Heeding the cadenza of reminiscences, Aira's memory was flourished with the entire history of her kadeshi heritage. Where time flew at its constant pace during this tense war, both minds expressed the moment timelessly. This unknown voice shared the story of her heritage… It was another spiritual experience she expressed, alike with Shodanii's fallen soul:

The beautiful Garden of Kadesh surrounded the girl, covering all reality of war beneath its enveloping beauty and sounds of faint bells. Where scared needleships and other vessel battled each other, all settled and formed into distant stars and fields shimmering through the nebula of eternal beauty. Aira's scarce reminiscences of this world unified with the majestic emulator's mind. Her eyes wandered wildly, at first scared and amazed by the sudden change. Unbelievable for Aira, it was the first time she was not dreaming of Kadesha's embrace in her sleep. Clouds of mystery, shrouds of beauty and crimson mists broke the light of distant stars into stunningly familiar spectrums… Her true homeworld...


Aira's soul sought for her home planet that was not far away but hidden beneath her divinity's embrace. Her soul longed much for it… However, her euphoria faded as she desperately tried to feel the imminence of her beloved embrace. Her soul remained left cold. Aira's hands faded through the mirage of Kadesha's embrace.

<Our strive for the truth never fell from our belief, child. We, the Descendants of the Seekers, have devoted our lives and prayers for Kadesha's lost love... Rahji. Banished by the Sunfathers' will, our ancestors pledged devotion to true salvation.>

The sorrowful tale of Kadesha's lost love echoed within her mind as the gaseous shrouds slowly vanished.
The voice of the emulator of the ark softly spoke further…

<Your mind bears the tale of Kadesha's plight and the `Tear' sent to her love… Your soul beseeches an everlasting plea. The young mind, thriving... Alas, the seek for the truth awoke great hatred, fear and danger upon all kadeshi... but also unleashed free thought of beliefs. As the thought proceeded, visions of Rahji's sorrow plagued the minds of wise men for cycles, child, that one could only end the confusion by seek for truth. The tale of Kadesha's lost sorrow reflects upon all beliefs, but Rahji's name was never to be echoed.
Despite the prime of kadesh to never echo his name, our ancestors could no longer bear neglecting the sorrow. The visions were absolute that one's mind began to question the Sunfather's everlasting hatred. Our ancestors of the synod and the triumvirate proclaimed pilgrimage for salvation.
Our venture… A journey far beyond the reach of Kadesha's embrace forged greatest fear into the hearts of the brethren as the call spread amidst the Garden. The kadeshi mind may be pledged by strong will and believe… Our body and soul however bleeds essence if we are not embraced by the Sungods… Our beloved Kadesha or the lost love, Rahji... The embrace must flow through our bodies for our mortal lives… to prosper... to flourish… and to seed new life.
To survive our pilgrimage into the endless black sea, our ancestors have erected `Kadesha's Ark', pride of her sorrow… blessed by her divinity's embrace, protected by faithful warriors and sentinels for the journey to his sorrow.>


Her weak eyes suddenly discovered a blurry armada of ships far beyond, discovering the titanic `Kadesha's Ark' leaving a dying scaffold in highest orbit among a beautiful planet whilst surrounded by many thousands of vessels and even more assaulting its fleeing ships. Amidst the battles within the nebula, it was simple to percept that this desperate battle resembled the vaygr onslaught that now endangered the `Ark's' existence. Nonetheless, the event struck greater woes into the heart of the distant kadeshi girl.


<We all are descendants of these ancestors who questioned and objected the Sunfather's hatred, child - We all share the same sorrows, fear and… guilt of the past. Our ancestors bled their blood for this guilt to encourage the Seeker's pilgrimage for Rahji's existence and the forge of `Kadesha's Ark'. Guilt and sin, for fulfilling unclean thoughts… for causing unclean… deeds. The ancestors were of no choice… but to siphon and consume the pristine embrace deep within Kadesha's heart, the Sanctuary of Kadesh.
The sects of various beliefs have struck death upon many of our kind for this deed, sacrificing the blood of our own as devotion to the Sunfathers' will to cleanse the condemned souls from blasphemy and sin. The Sects of the Sunfathers hold their belief for rightful… Rahji was to be forgotten... and those who believed in Rahji were to be cleansed. Cycles of sorrow passed, child. For all these cycles long, the Garden of Kadesh still remains in turmoil. Our pilgrimage is our only hope for salvation to end the tragedy caused upon all of our equals. Our belief is strong, child, the truth will purify thought and belief amongst the Garden. The hatred of the sects, the deaths amidst her divinity's embrace - All of our prayers cry for Kadesha's sacrifice.>


At the moment Aira's soul formed a question, her surroundings changed. Within a single heartbeat, Aira suddenly found herself inside a tank, a mechanical alcove filled with a stunningly cold and thick fluid that dreadfully froze her to the bone. Slowly moving her head, she discovered that she was inside a ship's complex.


<Child… Your soul questions who you are? Your essence causes the wise synod puzzlement. Your blood… flows through the veins of many emulators. You truly are an emulator of the past, a lost echo of our beloved divinity. A young emulator of before that now possesses the truth of Kadesha's sorrow to her lost love… The truth for which our souls have been seeking throughout the galaxy for countless cycles.>
Aira's hand tightened around the `Tear of Kadesha'.


<You are a child of a fallen generation, emulator… Aira. A generation we have sorrowed for… for many cycles of kadesh. Many of your kind… existed… all of the same blood... All by one psyche… One psyche by all.>

Floating within this fluid, only a bleak portion of her memory seemed to recover. Memories of such reflecting her forgotten life before. The alcove… Her body had been maturing within for a cycle… Aira slowly turned herself, only to find many other kadeshi adolescent beings floating in many life tank. Bubbles rushed passed her cold skin.
All of them… they were brothers and sisters of her blood… No… No… She was of their blood… Aira was the latter born. Astonished by their appearances, both male and female bodies only differed marginally. Only now did she seem to understand that she was truly expressing one of the many undermined reminiscences, the faded memories hidden deeply within her entangled psyche.


A long pause…

<My soul senses a mind in search for answers… Emulators differ greatly among each other, child. Transcendent unification with her divinity is our destiny; our song shall be our devotion to Kadesha and her love. We all may share equivalent devotion and love, but only blessed souls possess the will to guide her divine `Ark' and our souls beyond the eternal black sea. Her divinity always questions the soul. These souls were the chosen ones to be blessed by the pristine embrace… A young generation flourished by the blood devoted from `The First', a lost female soul that reflects your identity and your presence, child - The delicate soul of a being that expressed most fortunate visions of Rahji and the bleak future of our path… *pause* However, emulator, I must confess that my soul fails in knowledge…>


Despite the greatest mysteries of Aira's past, certain strains slowly began to clarify themselves. It all started to make sense to her. However, before she was able to form thoughts, she sensed great sorrows coming from the emulator.


<They were all succumbed by the sects' devastating cleanse during the edge crossing into the vast sea of black eternity…>

Flash… blackout… shockwaves… The explosions heard from afar ruptured the ship of its atmosphere. After losing her consciousness shortly without warning, Aira awoke, desperately trying to breathe and move alike the many kadeshi beings around her, people she seemed to know… The sudden chaos unleashed the greatest confusion and fear for her life, rendering her mind unable to percept everything well.

Elders and other unknown had no chance of survival. The violent gush of air tore everything away that was not solidly forged to her surroundings. It was that dreadful nightmare that once plagued her in her sleep that was now reality. Those that were not swept away by the gripping stream scarred her memory to the greatest content…


One frail girl, one of the many mirrored being like Aira's self, vainly cried for mercy - Her screams… those dreadful screams… ended at the same moment the cruel grip of space bereaved the last bit of life from her lungs. Far beyond, Aira lastly spotted others swept away from a distant section by the negative suction. To this point, it became clear to her that she was somewhere onboard the outer segment of `Kadesha's Ark', a botanical and biological sector that was losing most of its integrity during this dreadful moment.

Their eyes… all of their eyes faded into a colorless grey…

A short time lapse occurred, distinct flashbacks of her and others alike being shown of Kadesha's beauty surrounding the outside of the ship happening long before this frightening event. Everything began to levitate, the gravity that once surrounded her body neglected her and failed. Having no escape, Aira's body slowly began to hover away as `Kadesha's Ark' jettisoned practically all ruptured segments and modules from its outer skin.


<One of the greatest guilt the elders still sorrow for… Our ancestors were thoughtless during that moment they have chosen to reveal her divinity's embrace to the eyes of the chosen souls as the `Ark' was near the crossing. All chosen and `The First' gathered together and were brought to the outer region of the `Ark'. A generous moment… The souls of the chosen thrived with joy… until that moment the sects suddenly struck great death upon our brethren through a hideous attack. A devastating suffering…
The ark of her divinity was threatened to lose all life… The synod and the triumvirate were left of no choice, sorrowing child… The wise minds were forced to sacrifice all that would cause the end the Seeker's song… abandoning those whose fates were definitely to be sealed by death's hand. The edge crossing into the black sea was our only way of survival… The sects failed to end our song. They feared the black sea and the many unclean who have ventured through her divinity a cycle ago… Alas, we were free to devote our generations for the sake of Kadesha's lost love.
Having lost all of our blessed emulators, our guidance… our path shrouded. Our ancestors may have survived the sects' last attempts… but we were blinded, child. Without blessed emulators, we were damned to become lost into the black sea. Never were we able to bless emulators again. - Our journey through the sea of eternity to Rahji's lost soul took many cycles and bled so many… generations.>




Meanwhile, far away from the ongoing battles around the kadeshi titan…
A small distinct group of hiigaran fighters accompanied by a single vaygr interceptor swiftly cruised through the dense nebula. After a long flight of dodging hundreds and thousands of hazardous debris, the group continued their stealthy approach towards their objective.

Flying closely and below the others, one of the pilots piloting one of the two multi-turret fighters scanned the upper arc with his head, spotting nothing else than rushing gas clouds and the fighters floating nearby. The cockpit systems were the only things that hummed monotone noises. Despite the blind cruising, they were still on course.

“*Sigh* Welcome to Smokey-Ville, population: Us… Gods, this is annoying”, the pilot nicknamed `Ace' sighed.
“Hey, what's wrong?”, Ace's female copilot, Evoria asked from behind.

He shook his head, as if she had not noticed the tedious flight at all. Though wanting to turn around, his suit and the surrounding gear of harnessers hindered him.

“You're jokin' me, right, Evy? First we get called for, and then wait AGES while swallowing inhibitor pills like stupid - while that mothership blows up, just to find ourselves in ANOTHER mess - and now we end up floating through - you guessed it - ANOTHER cloud that we have to clean up with a bomb run? Aw man, I want to get out of here…”
“Forgetting that we were contracted for this job, eh? You know we've been through this talking the last hours, or? We'll be getting that `action' any time soon, Ace…”

“Yeaaah, yeah… *grumbles*”, he mumbled and made a glimpse over to the vaygr fighter on the side, “Hey, that Ray-guy, he doesn't seem to talk much, huh?”
“We were ordered to maintain radio silence. What were you expecting?”
“Yeah, I know - I know! Just that he's a quiet guy. He didn't seem surprised at all when I nearly shot him back in that freaking frozen comet. I expected those vaygr guys to be loud ones.”

“We'll never know. Anyways, that friendly fire thing won't happen again, now that the mechanics fitted his fighter with a FoF unit. Should allow me to align turrets to the real threats, too.”


“Good to know. Y'know, all of this -”, hearing an urgent tone from behind, Ace looked around, “Hey, what was that?!”

“Whoa, it's a direct message from Alpha-Five to all”, she said from behind and as she spoke further, Ace looked towards the fighter designated as Alpha-Five, “'Contact. Immense magnetometric signature, prime objective, detected at 11 o'clock, approximately twenty-eight kilometers away. Several widely spread patrols detected further away from the objective's area - Closest patrol units are twelve kilometers away, confrontation should be avoided if stealth is maintained.
Enemy detection of our presence is unlikely within denser regions of this dust cloud - patrols are using low grade `Radar' surveillance. Confirmed by `Ray'. Overall communication is suppressed by natural phenomena as the briefing presumed. <Wait, more information.> Objective area is lesser dense, allowing greater field of view - Please be advised. Bogeys' signature defined as turanic. Maintaining stealth approach should allow us the best chance of successful attack and survival.' End of transmission.”


Formidably, it was the co-pilot of Alpha-Five who was skilled at attaining surveillance through passive methods through subtle manners.


“So, we are up for some trouble after all”, Ace ironically mentioned, noticing the profile of the Artillery Siege vessel, the behemoth that harassed the majestic kadeshi titan with its devastating artillery.

“Not really. The patrols are widely spread among the area according to the tactical intelligence data I received from Alpha-Five, Ace. With communications `naturally jammed' by the nebula, we might be able to do this surgical strike through a stealthy approach. But, hmm, Colonel Manaan`s pretty quiet, she hasn't said a single word ever since we left `Vee-Jay'. With her being this quiet, I'm sure she wants us to avoid trouble, or?”


“Ahhhhh don't worry, they'll do fine. Pretty sure we'll do this just as presumed: stealthy. Get in as close as possible and then nuke them, sky-high. No matter what, we'll be best off by closing in on `em before they notice anything. Least way to lose - Not to mention, the smartest, hah! I bet Colonel Manaan will go for an `Arc Twelve' to claw and ensure none of them getting away followed by the execution of the bomb run.”
“I still hope `Vee-Jay' will be alive when we get out of this damn cloud… Never expected such a `war' with us between the fronts…”, his co-pilot mentioned while she leaned her back in gratitude for the safer stealthy approach, “Anyways, I think we'll be flying it smoothly for this bomb run. That last search and rescue sortie in that comet was pure FRELL! If we keep it up, we could probably set up them the bomb before anybody notices what hit them - Those are some heavy fusion nukes Colonel Manaan got under her rig - They'll be sorry.”

Ace corrected the ship's course slightly, maintaining their position in this outright tight formation perfectly,
“Ooooh-ho-hooooo yeah, gunny, they'll be sorry. Though I do find it insane to have a manaani carrying the heavy `tactical fusion warheads' <and I'm glad she can't hear us, too>. I won't believe what I'm about to admit - but I'm glad that the Colonel is doing it this way. Avoiding trouble and sticking to our primary objective is the best tactical decision by far. Ha ha ha… She is indeed a very smart tacti-”

Without warning, an unexpected event flashed from above occurred, interrupting his speech.
“-cian???”, At first astonished by the sudden light in thought of an attack - mistakenly- , it was the beams of charged fusion thrusters enduring the afterburner sequence flashing by, leaving a trail of exposed energy by a remarkable heavy interceptor making its way straight ahead. Not even a second later, both pilots spotted the cone-formed vaygr fighter blasting ahead, following the trail of the Acolyte fighter.

Ace frowned.
Startled of what just happened, both stared at the flashes striking ahead.

“N-N-No way… S-She…”
“Aww, for FRAKK'S SAKE!”, Ace yelled, not believing that his monologue praise for Kaydaana's stealth approach just shattered to pieces.
“Oh my gods… S-She's blowing stealth to combat engagement - She'll - They'll be detected!”


Checking both sides, activities revealed themselves as the other common hiigaran fighters ended their stealth flight and engaged active tactical and propulsion systems as well. Noticing the Acolyte performing a steady barrel roll, the striving fighter engaged combat mode as it deployed both pylons and other minor maneuvering segments.


“Ooooooh-my-gods, she's going nuts!”, Ace cried in a worried tone, unusual for him since he was the usual person to keep cool.
“…What scares me most is that somehow… Ray was expecting something like that to happen… Look! He's following her tail! How the frell did he know that she was - ?!”
As if the sudden situation was not tense enough, Kaydaana's thrillingly accented voice shattered what military tacticians would call `radio silence', “”Yeeeeeeehaw! GIT GOIN'! THERE'S THE ENEMY! BLAST `EM TO FRELL! GO GO GO!””, she yelled, her voice garbled by great interferences.

Needless to say, both pilots' mouth fell.

“Sometimes, I wonder if she's doing this on PURPOSE! Friggin' manaani!”, he yelled once more to himself before slamming the thrust controls to their maximum.

“”Oh, yah sonofva guns out there…!””, Kaydaana's garbled voice growled over the commline, devoted to the enemy patrol ahead, “”None of yah `re gonna survive THIS!””



- Of Mice and Manaan -

All hopes for stealth seized. Following the crazed Colonel straight into the heart of danger, Ray, Ace and the other pilots engaged a rather loose combat formation during their approach to the turanic patrollers. Despite their sudden approach, Kaydaana's unthoughtful engagement did not only catch her squadmates but also the turanic patrollers made up of three by surprise.
Least expecting an attack, the turanics detected her aggressive approach too late. Focusing her anger on the approach, the intensive pressure caused by the curve did not even distract her as the Acolyte entered a deadly-sharp curve at the patrol's rear that kept in formation. Rapidly pulling the triggers, rounds of hyper-accelerated projectiles were unleashed upon the strikecrafts classified by the targeting computer as the `Bandit' class.

The `Bandit' class, the bulk profile of this turanic interceptor is an aged yet well-and-much known design that has spread across the galaxy's fringes amongst all known factions of these nomadic raiders - but even more known by the criminal organizations and factions that frequently harass kiith amaji sovereign regions.


“”Ah-HAHAHAHHAHA, eat THIS…!””, her voice victoriously yelled over the commline. Correcting the stream of fire, Kaydaana had a perfect line of sight through her sophisticated visor upon the lead of three Bandits.

Still several moments behind, the hiigaran fighters hasted to keep up on the tail of the thriving Colonel. Only Ray seemed to be closest to her position. “”HA! Gotcha!””, while the other hiigaran pilots felt nervous, her voice did sound victorious as she landed several hits, when suddenly… “”Whaaaat-?!””


Not believing her eyes, Kaydaana cursed several times over the commline. Despite the specific class and caliber of her mass driver charges being known for their effectiveness, her primary target of the three only suffered insignificant damage. The outcome of her aggressive attack did not seem to have her expected results at all.
The damage caused, revealed as separate small parts crushed and dismembered from the side, was merely a surprise for the overhasty manaani. The three Bandits immediately broke formation, spreading away from each others before suffering any further hits. However, her thrill kept her focus upon the damaged Bandit that dived downwards through the dense shrouds.

“”Yah not getting' away, FOOL!””


Kaydaana ignored speeches from her comrades, for she was outright annoyed by missing the kill. Never was it a good choice to disappoint a manaani in any situation.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… luckeh devil…”, she mumbled while her thoughts formed several possible explanations - that were actually excuses - for her failed attack. Taking her curved approach in account, she seemed to be very sure that the Bandit only survived because of the angle-of-attack factor being too sharp, perhaps making it simple for the majority of her rounds to ricochet from its exteriors.
She followed the swift Bandit that left the smoking black trail behind its path, somewhat trying to escape back to siege vessel. Having not return fire once, it also seemed as if the Bandit tempted her patience, only making the matters of her obsession worse. Her fingers twitched several times, wanting to pull the trigger, but each time she intended to fire, several interferences considering lock-on and trajectory symbols forced her to rearrange her flight as she followed the evasive target - forcing her to spin, barrel roll and lastly copycat her fleeing target.
But lastly, it became clear to Kaydaana that the fleeing Bandit was indeed a very skilled pilot, unlike those terrorizing amaji space. Her baiting tactic in tricking the Bandit to a certain course by using wide spread missile pods failed.

Skilled rascal, eh?!

Unable to follow, Ace and the other hiigaran pilots were forced to disengage due to the separate two Bandits curving in towards their positions.


“”Careful! Enemy `Rock Rats' incoming - Your 3 o'clock low, Alpha-Three! Evade - EVADE!””, one of the pilots warned, notifying a direct assault on his wingmate, “”Break! BREAK!””.
“”Under fire!””


Streams of enemy fire hailed upon the third hiigaran interceptor, luckily missing thanks to the sudden reaction by following the evasive break command rather than trying to take on both aggressors. Sliding backwards away through momentum, Ace disengaged the thrusters while yawing the fighter to an `upside-down' certain firing position, but then suddenly halted his attempt since he lost line of sight for his fixed rotary mass driver cannon. Spotting the three reticules representing the flexible secondary turrets, all three were unable to lock on the any of the two Bandits as well.

“Frakk, I lost them!”

“Unable to get a lock-on with the turrets either, they're damn fast alright - and I keep losing their signature profile through these clouds!”

“”I missed, I missed!””, somebody else's garbled voice mentioned over the commline.

“”Don't really on active surveillance systems! The enemy is using a special hull profile to suppress its signatures! Focus on passive guidance, over!””, the co-pilot of Alpha-Five called to all units.
“Frakk them! We've got to stick to Colonel Manaan, Alpha-Two! She's moving ahead to Rocksteady without backup! Let us follow -!”
“”We can't underestimate these guys, A-4!“”
“Aw com' on! They're just two of them and -!”


Unable to end his word, one of the Bandits already discovered the steady drift of Ace's fighter, eagerly to attack this `easy' target whilst obeying the laws of physics and trajectory knowledge. His co-pilot felt the inertia rocking her back and forth as Ace performed vicious maneuvers, barely dodging the attacks as well. The attacking Bandit dashed past them at blinding speed, again disappearing into the shrouds once with blindshots firing behind from their secondary turrets.

““Damn!””, another pilot yelled, “”These bogeys are taking quite a beating!””
“Thanks for info!”, Ace ironically snarled while regaining a steady hold of his fighter.

“”Alpha-Five reporting: I've performed a scan over one of these Bandits'! It's confirmed - These enemy units are flying with a much tougher armor configuration! Standard bolt ammunition is lesser efficient than usual!””

Forming certain thoughts, Ace reminded himself of the fact that these turanics were not the same raiders pirating throughout amaji space. Noticeable, their high resilience and toughness could easily be explained by the fact of surviving so long in space…

“”So, like, WHAT NOW?! Our rounds aren't doing that much of a scratch really!””
“”Only Colonel Manaan's Acolyte and perhaps Ray's fighter may possess ideal penetration with their flechette and hybrid ammunitions - Otherwise, I am transmitting targeting data for specific weak spots to your gunner co-pilots! Targeting computers with the appropriate data should allow better chance of success!””
“”Sounds great!””, another co-pilot responded.

“”Alpha-Four!””, the second-in-command announced, “”Change of plan! I don't know why the Colonel is rushing ahead like this but we're going to stick to our mission - Support the Colonel and Ray at once! We'll provide cover while you three `swing high' for Rocksteady! We'll follow asap!””
“No need in telling me that twice, sir, wilco! We're on it!”, Ace replied, understanding the code that he was going to have to support the Colonel's bomb run. Having no other choice but to follow the signature left by Kaydaana and Ray's fighters, Ace locked the navigation scanners on the path. Spinning away from the dangers, the hiigaran fighter immediately attained an intercept course, hoping to be able to catch up.

Her body began to sense a rush passing through her. Time was flowing much faster as images and memories of `Kadesha's Ark' revealed themselves.
<Cycles passed, and with it great tragedies as we journeyed across the forsaken dark sea. Though lost, the remaining emulators forced to excel their souls, hoping to ever find the true path to Rahji. The synod and the triumvirate, consisting of wise and elder of our belief, sifted all bibles of our ancestry and their knowledge of the kadesh, only finding an indication of indefinite patch of stars amidst the eternity.
Realms existed beyond her embrace… hostile unclean realms, child. Those were known as Turan, the treacherous Tobaari and Osirians and many more. Distrust rose. However, as we continued, we have brought bloodshed to those who dared to end our songs - but also those, that held knowledge for our pilgrimage. My soul still bears fear when these tales recall… for these mirror the hatred within our blood, reflecting the image of the sects that attempted to cleanse all of us.
Such frightening thoughts lead to remorse, remorse led to sorrow and greater conflicts under our equals. Due to our belief, we emulators began to learn over time that not all beings are of unclean thought. We have brought great death upon a certain culture that possessed vital knowledge and the possibility of seeding a new evolved generation of emulators. The synod and the triumvirate denied sharing our belief… which led to the assimilation of knowledge…
While these new emulators evolved vaguely, they never excelled to the potential of the blessed generation we once loved and lost. I am one of these `lesser blessed' born, child - but as of now, eldest of emulator.>


The emulator that sung the tale of `Kadesha's Ark' began to attract Aira's soul, luring her velvet eyes to a far distant dot among many. Her eyes were too weak, but her soul distinguished that it was not a star but many stars hidden within an embrace her people have sought for so many cycles… years. The distant embrace… the Sanctuary of Rahji… myriads of light years away… and yet, it was in reach.


<At last… The triumvirate and the synod, the visions of emulators and many other `enlightened' of Kadesha, have finally found a guiding light and the path to his sanctuary. But our greatest trial stood before. As the last stages of our journey to Rahji took place, the triumvirate discovered a troublesome fact.
The kadeshi and the sects of the Garden would never understand or follow enduring peace of our belief if `Kadesha's Ark' were to return without evidence. In sight of this problem, the triumvirate discovered within the ancient bibles that our people needed to find Kadesha's Tear that was left for her lost love. Other certain emulators and I have dreamt visions of the Tear's existence… The truth. We may have found Rahji… at last… but… >


Aira dropped her shoulders. Knowing what the emulator was about to say, she knew that the kadeshi seekers had no choice but to flee from this world… back into the hand of death waving within the Garden of Kadesh.


<…never were we to receive his embrace - not without `Kadesha's Tear'. We have survived for so long… for so many cycles and generations… and yet, our journey was threatened to fail. We have discovered aggressive unclean cultures exploiting… forcing the triumvirate and the synod to leave Rahji's sorrow for the sake of our people. Despite the onslaught of the unclean, I bear great fear for my brethren… Our return to our homeworld would bring us to the end, child.
Our return would lead us to the cleansing death by the sects… for the triumvirate is assured that the sects have prevailed for all these cycles. Never could our people survive without the embrace of our beloved sorrows.>


As the words of the majestic emulator ended, the flow of time began to synchronize with reality. Aira's surroundings slowly returned into the hateful onslaught upon her people at the far edge of the M'randara Star System, also truly known to her as Rahji. Beams and explosions, hundreds of thousands of ships battling each other and voices of hatred and death and ongoing echoing songs of war once again filled the enveloping skies. To this moment, Aira's fear began to rush through her. Kadeshi were dying with each second and rushing beat passing by.

Penetrating the walls of gas, the charged bolts violently struck great damage upon her target than before. However, the target still remained intact whilst being chased by the overhasty manaani pilot. This chase was still not over. Despite the success of the swapped ammunition of choice, Kaydaana angrily pursued her target further.

“We ain't through yet! Git back here an' fight, fool!”
“”C-Colonel Manaan!””, the slightly disrupted but familiar voice of Evoria, Ace's co-pilot, echoed into her ear, “”Disengage target!””
“Wha-?! Hey, I'm the CAG here - So shaddup and -!”, she yelled back, but then paused.

Being only a single moment behind the enduring Bandit, both emerged into the lesser dense sphere of gas surrounding the main target. Kaydaana's hesitation led to the fact that she had discovered the gigantic mass catapult vessel... however, it was even more the symbols of far away enemy units approaching from several perimeters of the catapult.
Her visor immediately revealed separate small groups of known corvette configurations, all hostilities focusing their acquisition on the hiigaran signatures. Turning away from the damaged Bandit, it fled from its chaser.


”Damn it! That Bandit must have dropped a distress signal after all!”, Ace shouted. At least he and his co-pilot were able to catch up with the two.
“But how?! This nebula was supposed to -?!”, Evoria asked.
“We're underestimating these punks! They've been in this mess for frakking ages!”

“”Stop yer talkin'! Awright, awright - Lettin' the damn bogey run fer his life! But we're goin' fer somethin' NOW! Evy - I want targitin' support for mah delivery!“”

“But Colonel, it is too risky to be firing from this position! Now that they know we are coming, they'll track the launch and take down the package before impact!”
““Who said I was gonna fire from here, eh?!””


Evoria lifted her view to the gigantic vessel far ahead, spotting all the fluctuating symbols of enemy patrols surrounding it.
“Y-You want us to drop in there?! With all of that defense up in the way, knowing we're comin'?!”
““I don't care a damn what's in the way! We're goin' IN! Do as I say! Ray - Hubby, git on mah six and follow me! I'm fed up with these sonova guns - and now that I have this package fer them, I'm not gonna pull outta here without delivereh! Evy, you tag `em, I bag `em!`””

““Understood, Manaani.””, Ray confirmed in his usual short manner. He did not even seem to question Kaydaana's mad intention of assault at all.

“Wha- Hey, stop calling me `Hubby'!”, Ace yelled to Kaydaana for calling him by an embarrassing nickname, “Told you only my mother is the only one in this frakking galaxy allowed to call me like that! For frakk's sake, we don't have the backup to get in and out!”
““Shut yer mouth and stick to mah tail - I'm yer mother now, fool…””

<However. One question remains, child. A young emulator and I have expressed a bizarre revelation: The confrontation with a kadeshi being of our past that now has become true; a confrontation that would change the fate of all kadeshi. Neither the triumvirate nor the synod wished to this heed our vision of this, but my soul never fell into doubt.
The vision the young mind and I expressed reflected what the bibles of our ancestry pledged millennia ago. `.. and so says to those who deem Rahji's sorrow. Behold, a lost emissary of the past, held in the hands of unknown, would guide every kadeshi into freedom, beholding what began our destiny, `The Tear''.>

The emulator's voice paused.

<The last blood of `The First', a young emulator blessed by her divinity's `pristine embrace' long before my time, lost for generations, now found in the hands of unbelievers… guiding them by the will of the Seeker? Have our prayers been heard…?>


Aira was overwhelmed by the emulator's words despite the confusion. Indeed, the emulator did see the kadeshi girl as a mystical being in the line of a kadeshi biblical heritage. But how was a weak kadeshi girl supposed to lead these souls into the world of freedom, the homeworld of the kadeshi in terror and turmoil that existed myriads of light years away from their presence?

<Alas. The triumvirate and the synod bear great fear of unclean - and despite my will, I fear the wise minds will not heed my call. And yet, these unclean you guide, these heathens, these unbelievers… I sense great love for these people in you, child... emissary. Your body and soul trusts them by your free will.>

The intentions of her people were clear to her now. The Seekers of Rahji, though finding his embrace after so many generations and centuries of journey and sorrows, had no choice but to return to the enigmatic star gate assembly that was enriched by vast technologies and erected by hardships and willpower, powerful enough to traverse an entire culture of wayfarers through a wormhole to its other end left in the Garden of Kadesh.
The majestic emulator knew this would be the end of their existence, as the result of total failure through so many centuries in bringing evidence proving the truth of Kadesha's love and the existence of Rahji. The frightening cold grip of space surrounded her again… However, she needed to her soul to prevail.


Aira's hands tightened both her emblem and the rock symbolizing the `Tear'.


The triumvirate and the synod, the seemingly long living wise minds of elders and thus superior spiritual leaders of the Seekers, were convinced that the return to Kadesh must concur, even if this would mean the end of their lives. Despite discovering Aira as of being the emissary, it was perhaps too late to convince them… or could she?

The mistakenly so-called `nukes' within Kaydaana's Acolyte weapon bay were actually two special heavy tactical fusion warheads. Unlike common the common destructive nuclear warhead used throughout distinct kiithid, the Kiith Amaji Navy nonetheless use these smaller non-radiological warheads with great caution and as last resort against hostiles.

Despite the advanced technological warhead being of `small' size fitted upon a cruise missile thrust unit, its detonation can wreck devastating havoc upon its targeted area, primarily through thermal and kinetic forces generated by the blast.

According to Hailynn's knowledge of Railed Mass Catapults during the briefing before dispatch, Kaydaana was informed that the fusion detonation would disperse all power flowing throughout any side of vessel's conduits, resulting chain-reactions of fusion energy fluxing with the vessels provided power by its core, lastly leading to a destructive force that could possibly lead to serious and severe structural damages, if not the destruction of the vessel, saving the `Ark' and its people from further losses.


Kaydaana, however, did not really seem to care about the details but seemed much more interested in the fact of deploying anything destructive… and at this moment, she was close to fulfilling her task.

Defensive long range gunfire tried to suppress the approach of the three strikecrafts but failed in landing hits thanks to their small profile. Only Ace and Evoria noted great anxiousness, even though they were trained pilots.


All three fighters struck downwards with blinding speed, then broke the tight formation while having Ray's coned fighter to obliterate the incoming missiles and Ace's fighter precisely painting one of the many outer conduits upon the hulking monstrosity.
““Lock-on-Target!””, Evoria's voice echoed into Kaydaana's ear, spotting the targeted conduit sounding the acquisition tone. The tension, the speed, the force - All three were thriving the wild-hearted manaani pilot.

“Damn it, Evy - Didn't you say you locked the frakking target already?!”, Ace anxiously asked again.
“Affirmative! It's Colonel Manaan who hasn't fired yet!”
“Aw, frakk! What the frell is she waiting for?!”, he complained, then transmitted, “”COLONEL! I don't know what you're waiting for - just get over with it! We've got hostiles coming for us and there's more on the long range scoop! If we don't make our move, we'll be pinned down!””


Kaydaana ignored Ace's shouting. By now, Ace understood that she was too obsessed about perfecting success. Her rather insane approach was already securing success; unlikely that any of the missiles would be intercepted by enemy fire… but she was simply obsessed of delivering the `package' in personally…
Not yet…
More flak bursts and clouds filled her surroundings, some even hit but caused no damage.

“Oh my gods… She's for a close delivery!”
“She… She's making it through though! You still got that target painted?!”
“Still acquired!”

Striking below the blanket of proximity explosive grenade-shells, the Acolyte was far too fast for the turrets of the railed catapult vessel to track that now dashed high above the hull.

Confusingly, Kaydaana had to distrust her orientation senses, as they fooled her feeling of flying upwards upon the hulk in space.
NOW!


Both outer pylons simultaneously dispatched two separate bulky cruise missiles that immediately accelerated ahead to the painted target. Elegantly barrel-rolling to the side, the altered fields of her inertia stabilizers forced the Acolyte to break away from the path, floating across and above the gigantic coiled structures. Having no chance of stopping the cruise missiles, all turrets immediately seized operation only a split second after the flash that shortly illuminated the entire vicinity. Just before the flash and the brief loss of communication through interferences, Ace could have sworn he heard vicious laughter.

The chain-reaction surprisingly happened as Hailynn had presumed during the briefing back then. The entire power grid of the starboard rail indeed fluctuated and returned a violent feedback into the inner cores.
Fabrics of fusion energy rushed passed Kaydaana's Acolyte, leaving it unharmed due to its protective hull and natural physical differences - Minor parts of debris knocked against her hull. Countless sections busted and collapsed, practically all that were connected to that side of the power grid. Rapid burns of energetic discharges on the outer side of the hull immediately distinguished with the coldness of space.

Surprisingly, the turanic forces pulled away, perhaps in fear of suffering greater damages by a possible explosion. However, the presumed core breach did not happen, only leaving the one side of the mass catapult entirely devastated.

Ace knocked his head back upon the seat as he continued to hear the intensively garbled laughter and cheers of the crazed manaani. Her one-manaani-show once again proved how insane those manaani were - Nonetheless, he was glad that she was on his side. Stabilizing his fighter he made a short glimpse to the mass catapult vessel.


“Whoooooooaaa…”, his voice said from ahead as Evoria shortly took a look at what he saw as well, “Now that was a takedown…”.


The appearance of the catapult vessel differed on both side. One side, while not showing activity, remained offline. Power emissions or anything that would reveal power flow left the whole vessel in an entire blackout. The other side was merely devastated, rippled and discharged by the feedback of power and the fusion energy.

“I guess it worked… Well, good-night-Irene…”
“I don't get it”, Ace asked, “Instead of using other heavier weapons, we only drop a pair of fusion `nukes' and half of that friggin' ship blows up?!”
“Not `nuclear'-”
“What?”
“It's not nuclear - Just fusion, Ace. That's what happen when fusion energy is combined with the wrong type of power. Mix two things that react and… `there you have it'. Commander Delixa must have known of this. Either she met such a ship like that long time ago or she studied some heavy advanced Quantum Physics…”


“Honeygunny? Hah… Frell no, she and physics… Yeah ,right. Nah… No really, she was a pilot long time ago. She must've stumbled upon one of these things back then.”
“If I got things correctly, Commander Delixa said that all railguns, no matter of what type or side, require both rails to be powered. Destroying one side anyhow would lead to the immobilization and insufficiently powered fields to catapult mass charges or whatever those punks were throwing on that kadeshi `Ark'.
I don't get it all, but I guess she knew that interrupting one side would seize the vessel's artillery slingshot capability for good!”


“Man, Honeygunny Hailey keeps surprising me! Guess we're gonna live this through after -”



“”WHAAAAAAT?!!!!!””, Kaydaana's voice yelled throughout the commline with a much garbling interference.

Suddenly, the undamaged port side rail of the mass catapult vessel began to charge energy, generating fields of magnetic forces upon its rails. Shocked by the occurrence, Evoria desperately looked upwards, as their fighter flew `upside-down', having the mistakenly crippled vessel slowly altering its aim.


“F-Frakk! Picking up several magnetometric fields all over the ship!”
“What?! NO WAY! How can that be?! That ship blew the side of its rails into space! How -”
“No idea! But my readings are not LYING! It's still alive! The port rails are still charging despite starboard being dead! I'm not picking any signatures on that destroyed side!”


Ace threw his view to the vessel again. Did those turanics find a way to compensate or were they simply risking a shot that could probably backfire?
“I don't have the slightest clue what the frell is going on but it's altering its aim - probably correcting the trajectory for another shot on `Ark'!”, Evoria yelled ahead.


“”Manaan! Colonel Manaan!””, Ray's voice suddenly yelled over the commline, surprisingly in a much louder and warning tone for the first time, “”MANAAN!””


Kaydaana however did not respond at all.
Throwing her views back and forth at both sides, she was still overwhelmed by the occurrences of the vessel charging its rails for a catapult launch. Shells of ruptured armor and hull plates crushed or levitated into space as the fields were generated, but that did not seem to stop the vessel from charging its rails. However, the fields began to interrupt Kaydaana's entire sensory systems, but she was already distracted by what was happening.
Though it seemed as if Hailynn was successfully right about causing fusion reactions… she nonetheless underestimated the durability of these turanic vessel. Their ships could take the great beating, be crippled anyhow… and they would still be operational.

Before her angered mind was able to form another thought, she began to recognize Ray's heavily garbled voice shouting for her attention, somewhat warning her of something that was coming straight for her from dead-ahead. Spotting a thin black trail of smoke throughout the thin yellow haze of dust and gas, Kaydaana's green eyes followed the trail… until they ended at an object darting straight for her… The familiar heavily damaged turanic she had chased before `Bandit'!


Her breath stopped at once, her body remained frozen. What was happening to her? She tried to move but she did not move a muscle.
Scared by the occurrence and discovery, she was stunned by astonishment… but even more by the fact that she was caught…



…off guard…

“!”

 

****

Kaydaana was caught by surprise.

Mercilessly taking advantage of the heavy hiigaran interceptor that hesitated to return fire, the rotary barrel of the damaged `Bandit' began to spin, followed by slow but powerful flashes. At this point, Kaydaana recognized that the enemy's weaponry was not of mass driver technology, but of projectile shells, easily recognizable by the double burst flashes.
While the uses of projectile weaponry in space tend to be antique, never was one to underestimate the shear devastation it would bring along.

Having no chance of evasion, Kaydaana was forced to accept her fate.
She had no fears. The blazing shells were coming in straight for her.


Her pupils shrunk; her senses sharpened to its extreme, “Yah won t'is one… punk… Make yer move…”, she quietly whispered, obviously congratulating the cunning foe of this attack, “Take yer shot… but mark mah words… Yah miss killing me… an' yah won't survave it...”
It did not take a second until the heavy shells struck upon the Acolyte as the `Bandit' flew past the side. Alerting tones blazed from both sides of her ears, followed by the violent impacts upon her craft that swung the ship to the left side. Each hit gave shook the entire fighter as the force of kinetic power unleashed itself. Another heavy round smacked the other side of the Acolyte's bay, abruptly pushing her body ahead intensively. However, these hits were not as serious as the last shell that critically struck one of the few critical weak spots of the strikecraft.


Within a single moment, one impact shattered the entire cockpit, throwing countless parts at first against, then away from her. The frontal marginal section of the cockpit immediately ruptured as the impact penetrated it, most of the shattered parts subsequently decompressed into space.

Ace, Evoria and Ray witnessed the burst of oxygen torn into space, leaving a seemingly lifeless drifting Acolyte at high speed. Ray immediately broke the formation, diving down to the partially destructed vessel below.

“Ace! She's not responding!”, Evoria's yelled behind Ace.


His co-pilot frequently called for Kaydaana to report-in but did not receive any answer. What worried him more was the fact that the other turanic hostiles have regrouped, including the more likely tougher corvette hulks. Spotting a shockwave blast far below striking through at the bow of the huge vessel, it seemed as if the siege catapult once again launched another devastating shot upon the fleeing kadeshi titan. Observing the situation, he wondered if this nightmare was ever going to end.



- Confessions -


The stunning burns upon Aira's skin distracted her consciousness with agonizing pain. The pain was so intense that her attempt of screaming failed. She vainly fought to uphold her concentration. Unfortunately, the spiritual link between her mind and the majestic emulator began to deteriorate - obviously caused the burning rashes spread among her arms. Reality was tearing her away.

Aira suddenly awoke from the deep trance, finding herself again within the chaotic bridge with many voices erratically screaming comments back and forth. Much excitement and awe filled the surrounding area. The air was warm and thick; so thick that she even had slight difficulties with breathing. The kadeshi girl desperately examined her arms, still sensing weak sources of burning pain on her skin but surprisingly found nothing but sweat shimmering upon her skin. Aira was not sure if her mind was playing games on her until the shouts, rumbles and alerting sounds caught her attention. The bridge's artificial lighting flickered many times.

“I DID AS YOU SAID, HAILYNN!”, Fenna shouted from ahead.
“WE'VE INTERCEPTED THE PLASMA ATTACKS!”

The battered `Vjel-Amaj' rotated and acquired a position next to several kadeshi vessels while leaving three smoking trails caused by the volatile green entropic compounds on the right side. Despite the energized armor and natural reactions of nimble cruiser reacting to the violent energies, invasive heat was beginning to leak into the ship among the three spots. Obviously, the `Vjel-Amaj' saved several ships by intercepting the devastating plasma attacks but was now in danger of hazardous influences.

Discovering three blinking regions on the mainframe of the ship, several operatives became aware of the dangerous threat.


“COMMANDER! THERMOLOGICAL PENETRATION THROUGH STARBOARD!”, a support operative suddenly announced, “G-Gods! Heat waves are PENETRATING decks three, twelve and thirteen - starboard sections!”

“DAMN IT!”, Hailynn yelled, being slightly knocked from her seat, “Just stay calm! The armor will adapt to the heat soon! Just… just…!”

The ferocious onslaught already entered a critical phase. Several vaygr and its cunning allies breached through several arcs of the kadeshi defense lines. There were thousands of thousands of kadeshi vessels; however the defenses were now stretched beyond the entire fleeing convoy within the nebula's low density corridor, leaving many opportunities of attack for the vaygr triad.


The battle developed into disadvantage for the kadeshi and the single amaji cruiser that desperately attempted to support where it could. All arcs were filled with skirmishes of various strikecrafts. Every now and then, hostile group of turanics would swiftly breach through the lines, wreck havoc and then return - only to lure the kadeshi chaser into ambushes of vaygr laser corvettes.

Hailynn made a painful moan before rearranging herself on her seat. She had to be careful. Due to the slow return of pain and fatigue, her seat harnessers were intensifying the pain whenever the ship expressed greater impacts. Her short gaze upon the status display of the `Vjel-Amaj' revealed disturbing issues spread among the entire ship. All but internal hull sectors revealed orange to red sectors, fields blinking representing thermological waves and sections that suffered under technical issues.
The ship had already gone through so much trouble and yet it was still holding together.
A thought deep within Hailynn's mind kept warning her that the ship was nonetheless slowly dying... but she begged inwardly, hoping it would survive longer. However, she was getting angry. The hostile triad forces were using every single advantage of devastating weaponry. The cutting beams of the vaygr laser corvettes were superior to the mass of kadeshi pods, cunning turanic strikecrafts would hurl missiles with high yield nuclear warheads and the disciplined taiidan fighters would surgically strike the sectors with least defense.

Up to now, the battle-weary `Vjel-Amaj' kept its ground. Being the only vessel that was closest to one of the countless vulnerable arcs of the unarmed convoy, the amaji cruiser used its sophisticated assets of electronic warfare to counter and disrupt missile attacks of all kinds.

“Tactical, s-status on the kadeshi! Were they hit?!”, she requested.
“Um… We're fine, Hailynn, thanks for askin'…”, Orelis snitched quietly to himself whilst noticing that Hailynn was showing more interest for the kadeshi's wellbeing.


Ignoring Orelis' remark, one of the tactical operative replied back to her, “W-We intercepted the plasma blasts, Commander Delixa! The kadeshi cruisers however are unharmed! They're safe…”

“Getting several casualty reports from the starboard section! Thermal readings are beyond resistible levels! Oh-Oh my gods…”, a female operative cried. The thermal values were indeed high… lethal for any being that could not survive boiling blood or worse…
“Hex-Armor plating is near to completing adaption! Thermal radiation has contaminated several starboard sections but further development is condemned…”, Zann announced.


The bridge silenced shortly, knowing that it was too late for the crewmembers that were possibly at the mentioned sections at the wrong time. The situation did not leave much time for sorrows as the minor impacts of rockets woke the crew from their thoughts.

Hailynn's recently-developed plan backfired - She totally underestimated the collateral effects. The task of being a commander and a strategist craved much of her strength and common sense. Unthoughtful quick thinking due in response to evolving life-threatening dangers led to consequences. Knowing that the plasma accelerator platforms, consisting of mobile taiidani corvettes fitted with hybrid containment rails, were detected by observatory and other surveillance operatives hours ago, Hailynn knew that they were going to strike at the worst moment.


Again, her long experience and confrontations with this sort of devastating weaponry warned her. Massive bolts of entropic plasma would viciously volatilize any component vulnerable to its supercharged status; its violent thermal radiation would contaminate and eradicate the outer and inner life of any being within the ship.


But it was that moment when Hailynn heard the warning of the operatives, warning that the plasma would definitely melt and penetrate its way through to the nearby crippled Kadeshi Needleship that would suffer a devastating core breach… surely to tear others into death with its explosion. Before the worst happened, Hailynn commanded the ship to position itself before the plasma attack, knowing that the `Vjel-Amaj' was indeed capable of withstanding such attack - at least to a certain point before adapting to the thermological force.


Unfortunately, all of her efforts were suddenly overshadowed by the next strikes upon `Kadesha's Ark' and the small group of kadeshi vessel the amaji cruiser had desperately tried to protect. Despite all efforts of defensive electronic warfare, there was little to no chance in affecting the random artillery barrages that sliced this time through several adjacent kadeshi ships, rupturing the rather weakly armored hulls with ease.
The Kadeshi Needleship received most of the critical hits upon the engineering segment, a commonly targeted area by the enemy triad. Amaji operatives discovered that reactor and conduit units of the kadeshi vessel becoming unstable; threatened to catastrophically breach within their vicinity. Fortunately, fate granted some time for the dying vessel to break away from the fleet before the well-known explosion resembling failure illuminated the bridge yet again.

“N-NO FRAKKING WAY!”, Hailynn yelled, “FRAKK YOU… FRAKKING VAYGR!”, and slammed her bruised fist several times upon the side of her seat. All efforts in even saving a single kadeshi ship failed again… again and again. The kadeshi were dying. Wherever she tried to do something to intervene, fate would play its mischievous game on her.


Fenna anxiously engaged a hasty evasive maneuver, praying not to crash into the various chunks of wreckage filling the course. All screens flickered and only gave short glimpse on the obstacles filling in the path.

“FOR FRAKK'S SAKE, WHY IS THAT CATAPULT STILL OPERATIONAL?!”
“Hailynn, CALM DOWN! Fenna! Get this ship back under control and try to plot a course out of here!”, Orelis yelled to her from the other side of the bridge who shortly replied <No shit!>, "Hailey - You're forgetting that we sent our pilots against the odds! This is not working at all! We better get out of here! If they are still alive, we need to extract them and -”

“I'M NOT LETTING THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS, ORELIS!”


More kadeshi vessel suffered critical hits caused by vaygr corvettes and taiidani strikecrafts assaulting from another angle. The lower and farthest sector of defense of the convoying fleet was collapsing.

“Hailynn! Orelis!”, Fenna called loudly from ahead, “We're slowly entering this - this… PLACE!”

Fenna wanted to engage an escape route but was forced to continue the flight along with the fleet.

Taking a short look ahead, Orelis discovered that the entire fleet and the amaji cruiser were entering the vicinity of the humongous star gate and the purely vast relic structures surrounding it. The site was just as majestically huge and mysterious as the kadeshi titan itself. Several segments slowly rotated, orbiting the open path to gate's center.


Quan and Kenta also stared upon these relic hulks in astonishment, as both recognized ancient similarities with progenitor architecture, understanding that these kadeshi indeed have come across progenitor technology. They already noticed that the gate was dispatched and assembled by `Kadesha's Ark' at first, but none of the two ever expected it to be of progenitor heritage. Both astronomers had been documenting everything since the first confrontation in this nebula; this discovery was going to be the most groundbreaking if they were to survive.

Becoming aware of a serious fact, Orelis noticed that they were dreadfully close to the deadline. The main gate itself was still many kilometers away, but the kadeshi titan and its convoying fleet was slowly but surely closing in on its destination. Thus, with time was running out, the plan of supporting and convincing the kadeshi not to activate the gate was endangered to fail.
Orelis reminded himself of Hailynn's warning that considered great fear of the vaygr and their hideous allies following the kadeshi through the wormhole to the Kadeshi Nebula.

One fact still rung in his head: The entire situation however was already out of hand!



Quan wove his hand, signaling for the commander's attention, “Commander Orelis, sir, seven heavy kadeshi combat pods have surrounded our vessel and are repelling the hostile units!”

Checking the main screens, both Hailynn and Orelis discovered battle-weary kadeshi pods that maintained steady positions among the sides, firing controlled bursts upon daring corvettes and fighter-bombers.

“Wha- What is this about now?!”, he asked but Quan shrugged.
“My people…”, the soft accented voice of the girl from above sounded, “M-My people have sensed that we are in great danger. The sentinels wish to protect us!”

For the first time in a very long while, Hailynn felt slight success,
“Y-You made it, Aira! You must have convinced them that we are on their side!”
Aira blushed slightly, but cowered together again as the ship suffered another missile attack upon its armor.

“'bout friggin' TIME they got the damn message… Guess that old man - or WHOEVER he or they are - noticed our work here!”, Orelis cursed, “The first good news in ages if you ask me - but they're too late for it! We're going to get screwed if we don't pull out!”
“We can still handle it!”

“'Handle it'?! Having you noticed that pretty much `TARFU' here - H-Hailynn, are you out of your mind?! They keep tossing more and more hostile units into the theater of war, no matter how many frakking ships those kadeshi are blowing away!”
“Casualty reports coming in and -”, somebody mentioned but the surrounding voices were too loud.
“You better listen to what your CO, Delixa -!”, Pethera mentioned from Orelis' side, but was immediately assaulted by Hailynn's harsh respond.

“SHUT THE FRAKK UP! WHO THE FRAKK ASKED YOU?!! YEAH RIGHT - First whine around about this and that - and now you want us to get out of here?! Shut the frakk up!”, Hailynn angrily yelled and turned her view ahead, “Fenna, get us back on course to Kadeshi Needleship above our dorsal! We're not through yet with these punks!”


Fenna hesitated, shortly throwing a troubled view at both commanders. Having trembling hands was the least that kept her from fulfilling Hailynn's questionable request. It was already dangerous enough flying next to such a capital ship that was endangered of suffering a core breach. Thanking the gods, Fenna spotted a selected few of openings of retreat revealing themselves - the best chance of getting out of this mess alive, once and for good.
“Hailynn”, Orelis once again called for her attention, “We -!”

“Guys!”, the nervous pilot at the helm of the bridge yelled, “B-Big thing coming out of hyperspace - Far ahead!”
“Big - Oh, just how frakking `big' would that be?! Details!”, Orelis replied while turning his view to Kenta.

His mouth stayed open as he took a look himself. The frontal screens and those of Kenta revealed an immense field generating far ahead, situated several kilometers between the kadeshi fleet and the center of the star gate. The gigantic field slowly slipped away.


“C-Confirmed!”, Kenta reported, “Massive hyperspace field confirmed! Running scan for identification - but you can count on it that it's a huge -”, she paused, read the first readings and then shrieked, “A… A… SUPER-C-Capital vessel… D-D-DREADNOUGHT! DREADNOUGHT EMERGING!”
“Well… good-night-Irene…”


Other operatives and subordinates threw a glimpse at the main screen. The long vessel slowly emerging far ahead of the chaos surrounding the kadeshi fleet crossed the path. Unfortunately, the naked eye was unable to recognize or distinguish anything beyond the haze of gas and dust hindering the sight.

“Dreadnought?! But if that is a Dreadnought - and there is only one dreadnought known…”, an operative noted.
“Is it… Is it the Progenitor Dreadnought… of the Hiigaran Navy?!”, somebody dared to ask from behind.

"It got to… IT IS THEM! The Hiigarans! ALL RIGHT! Th-They are HERE! THEY HAVE FOUND US! WE'RE SAVED! Woohooooo”, somebody cheered surprisingly.



Groups of operatives suddenly cheered joyfully, sounding the noise of joy that made others raise their hands victoriously. Within a single moment, triumph and delight prospered. At last, the prayers for freedom and help finally were heard.

“We made it!”, a logistic operative cheered again, “Amaji High Command must have requested serious support from the Hiigaran Navy for a S&R operation to find us in this friggin' nebula! Haha, at last! Damn you vaygr - NOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT! Bet they're going to make a run for it!”

The wave of cheering good mood went further, but as others felt relieved, Aira shook her head several times, shouting words of great worry and fear.


“What the…”, Orelis said as he noticed the girl crying for their attention, “Hey, what's wrong, Aira?! That ship is one of ours!”
Aira stopped, throwing him one of those frightened glazes he had seen many times before. Orelis moved his view several times back and forth between the concealed dreadnought on the screen and the girl that hesitated to speak further… lastly dropping his shoulders, “No way… Aww, frakk, no…”

That cold shiver struck Hailynn again.

The kadeshi girl felt the presence of the hideous hulking body that levitated far ahead, crossing the long path of `Kadesha's Ark' and its endangered fleet. The Super Capital Ship slowly moved ahead as the last fields of energy collapsed and whipped upon its dense hull. The hatred presence… it was crushing her…


“People of Amaj…”, Aira's voice trembled, “The sh-ship is not your brethren you sought for! It… It is…”
“No… Aira…”, Hailynn quietly whispered to herself, “The vaygr… They couldn't have… The war is over! H-How could they have!”
Quan suddenly turned around, “Alert! The hyperspace fallout signature is HOSTILE! VAYGR!”


As if the crew did not have enough problems, Kelsea's voice shouted from his other side, “Commanders! Emergency broadcast captured - Coming from our strikecraft units! A one-way transmission, condition `urgent'!”

Hearing her call, all arguments and yelling seized, making it possible for all to listen to the emergency transmission dispatched. Though the transmission was garbled, the codec filters still allowed it to be understandable:
“”Alpha-Six to <damn it!> A-Six to base! Hope you getting this! Situation `Countash'! I repeat, Situa-ffshhs*`COUN-TASH'! Package delivered by Alpha-One, She swung high but - However, it was insufficient! `Rocksteady' scratched but is still intact! `Rocksteady' vvshfhhftill INTACT! We've been compromised! OPFOR is overwhelming! <Just make sure the Colonel 's still on course for frakk's sake! - Tail! TAIL!> `Vee-Jay', extraction is critical! I repeat, EXTRACTION-IS-CRITICAL! Group is retreating to designated Rendezvous Point: Baker! BAKERRRRHHRHZ! Base -Alpha-RAY and A-Four are M-I-A; Alpha-Five Killed-in-Action! RAY attempts in rescuing Alpha-One succeeded but his unit has suffered greater damage and is out of control - Alpha-Four also MIA… pre-presumed KIA! We will be emerging from dust cloud sector any moment - Most likely closest to BAKER! MIAs are going to be popping out from elsewhere! Hope to see you there, `Vee-Jay' - Alpha-Six, out!””

“Wha - What did he say?!”, an operative asked, “I only understood the half of what he said!”

“<We'll be there, Arojino! Hang tight there!> Military coding and slang, Operative Elaiko! Alpha-Six reported that they have bombed the Mass Catapult Vessel but the damn thing seems to have withstood the surgical strike bomb run and is still able to wreck havoc! Ray and another unit are missing, too - along with one fighter killed! Oh, frakking frell - That does it!”, Orelis shouted to the others, “We've got to pull out of here, ASAP! Helmswoman - Attain a direct course to the designated extraction point `BAKER' they chose!”


The load fell off from Fenna's mind when she heard his order, “No need in tellin' me that twice, Boss! I'm on it - I mean, sir!”, she replied, but was once again told to hold back the commence.

“NO - FORFEIT ORDER, HELMSWOMAN FENNA! WE'RE NOT GOING TO PULL OUT OF THIS!”, Hailynn intervened angrily. Again, the ship rumbled and rocked back and forth, obviously colliding with busted wrecks and debris floating in the adjacency.
“Hey, we ain't INVINCIBLE, Hailynn!”, Fenna barked at her.

“Hailynn! We can't argue on this one! You're losing the hang of our situation! Haven't you seen our damn status screens?!”, the grim officer yelled to the wrecked hiigaran woman.

The angered hiigaran shot upwards, ignoring the striking pain whilst fighting against the ship's impacting movements. It was that situation again; the situation that reminded everybody of the moment Hailynn suddenly assaulted the fellow crewmembers. It was already surprising that Orelis approached her. The last time he did so, he received a painful blow to the groan. Both officers now threw arguments of the current situation at each other - Hailynn defending the urge of valiantly staying at the side of the kadeshi in this somewhat devastating conflict while Orelis fought for the sake of survival… if not, sanity.


“WE CAN'T LET THE VAYGR GET THE OVERHAND OF THIS, ORELIS!”
“CAN'T?! THEY ALREADY HAVE IT! OH COME ON, HAILYNN, THIS WAR IS OVER FOR US!”


The two aggressively argued further as Orelis approached her; soon, both were face-to-face, even forcing the ex-captain to leave the two to decide on their own.

“The vaygr are not invincible - I know it! THEY WILL SUCCEED! OVER MY DEAD BODY!”


Orelis shook his head and threw his left hand towards the main screens, “Kaydaana and the others are in deep shit! The vaygr and all those other assholes out there are tearing us and the kadeshi apart! Your heroic leadership in honor, Commander Hailynn Delixa, but we're OUTNUMBERED, OUTGUNNED and practically WINCHESTER'ED!
Our defensive capabilities are practically down to zero and we've just tossed our ship right in blasts of heavy plasma salvos that is now burning us down - not to mention the many attacks we've intercepted in that manner! ECM and all other units of defense are running hot and won't hold for long either! And if this crap goes on, that armor is gonna fails on us if we lose any sort of power supporting the containment fields of the armor - AND THAT WILL HAPPEN - AND IF IT HAPPENS… More of the crew will die! I don't want to be in Engineering right now with Chief Brogan screaming around like a maniac!”


Hailynn bruised hands curled around the collar sides of Orelis' uniform, which was already warning enough to him that she was damn-right obsessed and determined about her standpoint, “We've come so far, Orelis! Pulling back and leaving fate to just demolish the kadeshi?! We've been pulling away from dangers all the time - I am NOT going run anymore, Orelis! I will stand our grounds! I will NOT RETREAT! I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! I WON'T LET THE VAYGR SUCCEED! I CAN'T LET IT… H-HAPPEN!”, Hailynn's voice began to tremble, “I-I CANNOT… cannot let that… h-happen… We can't allow them to…”


Orelis threw both of his hands upon the sides of her shoulders and tightened his grips, causing more wrinkles upon them.

Hailynn started to become aware of the fact that she was suffering under her own obsession - It was that egocentric personality… fighting the battle between her and vaygr. Her words proved that she was only talking about herself, lacking thought or consideration of the ship and her crew.
“Hailey…….. It's over.”


Hailynn shook her head. She wanted to continue, but the odds stood against her. A short view around revealed the battered bridge crew being on Orelis' side of opinion; a moment of shock, since she had totally forgot about the rest of the crew desperately trying to keep the ship alive.
But it was the truth that one side in her hated so much. The personality faded away… Hailynn's common sense reminded of her own looks: the battered and weary appearance of a hiigaran woman resembling what the crew and `Vjel-Amaj' was… A living wreck in dire need of salvation and deliverance.
Flares of explosions lightened the bridge, then dissipated, throwing the blanket of shadows again.


“The `Vjel-Amaj' proved herself”, Orelis spoke slowly to her, “- but we've done what we can. We've proven our self to what the Kiith Amaj stands for, Hailynn, the pride. The pride, Hailynn, let it not end here… not yet…”

Captain Quenton Sobaan nodded silently. The entire situation and development was a trail from his point of view. The common sense of a supreme commander would normally take responsibility, but he and others respected the way of his kiith, as of being an `observer'. Nonetheless, both Hailynn and Orelis have coped the most blatant and difficult test that would always test the crew and commanding officers - or at least to a certain point.


Most likely, a selected few of the present bridge crew knew of military conducts. Those who knew, such as the captain, knew that all was actually in Orelis' hand.
Considering military conducts, it was possible for an officer of subordinate rank to absolve a superior officer from responsibility and command until further notice - Generally cause of this would be when the superior officer would cause questionable acts of command.

The sharp-minded captain knew that Orelis was very much aware of this, too - It was his responsibility to actually remove Hailynn from the command, but he refused. Other lower grade officers could have reacted, too, but they also refrained from doing so. They all trusted Hailynn - even if her mind and common sense was tainted by questionable acts. Ironically, they all looked up to her, despite herself being what he would call a `flawed diamond', a strong-willed but imperfectly and ironically fragile persona in one being that stood ground for the righteous and the pride of the Kiith Amaj.

Orelis was talking to her as a military officer and a close friend. He denied removing her from command at the first place - and he continued to refuse doing so now. To this point, Orelis was talking to her, eye-to-eye, hoping she would come back to her senses - even if the threat of staying in this misery was still possible if she wished so.

Alas, it took her a significant amount of time to calm down and accept the truth - but as Orelis said to her, they did not have much of a choice - It was over.

Hailynn quietly took a step to the back, and then sat down upon the sophisticated seat, obviously accepting his word. Orelis felt surprised of talking her out of this, though not showing a reaction other than turning his view to the bow of the bridge, “Helmswoman Fenna, proceed with my order: Course to Extraction Point `Baker'. We are going to extract our units and get out of here. Period.”

“Y-Yes, sir…”
Fenna conducted the course of retreat.
Aira's senses noticed a familiar voice echoing in her mind, confusing the girl as she looked around the bridge as if the voice was next to her.


“C-Commanders? Commanders!”, Kelsea sounded from the side of the bridge while holding her hand on her headset, “There is that person speaking to us again - over a secluded frequency… She's talking in a foreign language - kadeshi, I guess.”
“Wha- who?! Why us?”
“No idea, sir, but her signal is directed to us. One of those kadeshi people Delixa spoke with a few hours ago, Commander Orelis - the woman that seemed to be convinced of our intentions from the start. I will set her broadcasted speech on bridge speakers.”


The kadeshi woman spoke in the kadeshi language, but as the voice spoke, Aira translated the speech with a clear voice:
“”Heathens of Amaj… No… - Protectors of the Emissary. My soul has been `listening' to your speech among each other through the emissary being, Aira. Heed my voice… `Her Divinity' is bleeding essence. The `Unbelievers' amasses our path. Their power intrigues death upon us. We will never fall from our belief. Never will we leave side of her divinity and our devotion. We are of no choice, People of Amaj, it is our destiny to return to the Garden of Kadesh to face our true conviction and end of our praying song. Alas, thy protects the essence and soul of the Emissary, the being `Aira'. The Triumvirate… The Synod… accepts eternal Blood Truce with the People of Amaj, for which thy begged with great fear to her divinity.
We… The Seekers… thank the People of Amaj - You are not heathens… You are not the `Unbelievers' that strikes death upon us with hatred blood. But now it is I, High Emulator of Kadesha, who beseeches you: Flee. Flee of these `Unbelievers'… Our end may near here before our conviction in the Gardens of Kadesh - but it is the song of Aira that must NEVER end. She is the `last'. Her soul must prosper before our end occurs… For the sake of Rahji...!””


Tears ran down the girl's eyes. It was a confession. Her people understood that they were neither going to succeed nor reach any side of the gate alive - but even if there was least chance of survivalo, their death by conviction - as of the religious kadeshi laws - would still being waiting for them in the Garden of Kadesh. Both of her hands curled tightly, nearly cutting the palms with her own nails.

"Man... Those kadeshi know how to 'hack', too...", Orelis snarled.



Nearly thirty minutes later.
Leaving three trails of smoke, the poorly shaped `Vjel-Amaj' evasively managed to cross through the fleeing convoy of kadeshi vessels. The flight through these zones was merely as devastating and frightening as the moment of the first encounter with the vaygr. It seemed as if the amaji cruiser was making it through as it avoided further confrontations.
However, the chaos was not over as Hailynn seemed to be having another furious argument with another executive officer… again.
“ARE-YOU-OUT-OF-YOUR-MIND, BROGAN?! 36 JUMPS?! THIRTY-frakking-SIX jumps just to get back to Amaji Prime…?!”

 

****

“Distance to Rendezvous Point: `Baker', approximately twenty kilometers! At this speed , we'll be there in no time!”, Fenna shortly noted to the others, “I just hope our people are hanging in there!”


The ship frequently changed its course, noticeable by the shifting force caused by the inertia field adapting to each change. Surprisingly, the hasted escape through the convoy proved itself easier than expected.


“Keep it going, Fenna, you are doing well!”, Velle shouted from far behind, complimenting the inexperienced pilot.
Despite the all-out war, the cruiser made its way through to the rim of the convoy; somewhat gaining a moment of peace as it dodged bypassing ships, skirmishes and fields of wreckage.


Chief Brogan's voice furiously argued back to Hailynn from her shoulder unit, “”You heard right, Commander! 36! 36 secured short jump stops over a timeframe of seven weeks, at least - and I am not going to negotiate! Don't tell me I have to remind you about the ship's jump drive capabilities being seriously instable?! The nacelles won't handle the stress!””

“SEVEN WEEKS! That is inacceptable, Brogan! We only needed a day just to fly here and -”, at the same moment Hailynn stopped her speech; she remembered about the certain facts of space travel.

““I could care less about that, Commander! Are you forgetting that we have to maintain a quantum wavefront against the `current' of Hyperspace to get back home?! Not to mention the severe damage to the jump drives caused by that short jump that was planned to be a long one… There are some laws of `Astrophysics' you are sort of ignoring here! If we brute-force the ship in jumping against the force of Hyperspace, that fragile coil unit will burst and we'll be frakked up for good somewhere in deepspace! Let's not forget that we still have these plasma burns to take care of!””


Hailynn's grip tightened even more around the radio transmitter, “BROGAN! We've been far too long in this mess! FAR TOO LONG! I've promised the crew to get us out of this mess…”
She paused. Several gazes looked upon her. Worried ones, but it was the eyes of Pethera that caught Hailynn's attention. Pethera's face only remained firm, without any sign of emotion - and yet, she knew that she would have no way of intervention on Hailynn's decision of retreat.

“… and I'm not going to accept any more delays! We do happen to have one last way of jumping, Brogan! The `Vjel-Amaj' is full of hidden capabilities and potentials! There is a way!”

Her voice revealed some enthusiasm for a change.



Brogan pondered, “”… *sigh* Fine… and just WHAT would that be?! We're all ears down here, Commander…””

“Achieving full stellar navigation will still remain priority! We are going to do it the same `old-fashion-way' of jumping as we did with that last jump - well, with a slight difference. Brogan, I want you and your team to prepare a sequenced `Morovuur Point-to-Point' hyperjump - having all conduit units cycled to the maximum!”
“”W-WHAT?!””, he yelled. Clearly, Hailynn was demanding him to overcharge the hyperjump systems again.

“Hailynn, I'm not an engineer <thank goodness> but even that sounds insane in my ears!”, Orelis noted from ahead, ”We did some misguided overcharged jump once already and nearly blew our drives - we better avoid doing any other sort of `procedure' like that again.”


The motion of the ship rocked back and forth for a short moment.


“No, you heard right, you two - but look, we've got to take the obvious seriously! No matter how many secure jumps you'll be planning, Brogan, we'll never… NEVER make it back! That specific coil will breech anyhow!”, her determination was as powerful as the sore pain travelling through her body, ” The `Morovuur' procedure is our last resort to get back to the amaji territory! Point-to-Point is an exact sure-shot jump between two points in space, as the damn name says! Old hyperspace test runs used to do it that way; a one-way trip riding on a reliable but dangerous wavefront that will hold together long enough!”

“”… 'Long… enough', you say…””

“And just where is the difference between the common hyperjump?!”


She laid her back upon her seat, “Exactly. Long enough. Let me explain further, you two. It's all about something I learned years ago during my navigation training. `Morovuur' was one of many scientists in some advanced field of quantum physics who developed alongside with Karan S'Jet the exploitation of Hyperspace Travel in the early days of -”, she swung her hand several times as she noticed she was swaying off the topic, ” - Frakk, nevermind the damn history part. Let's get on with the procedure:
Part One, achieve the breeching wavefront rift into Hyperspace. Part Two, maintain specific flux fields with separate other supporting fields and conduit units to their extremes for approximately five minutes and, Part Three, continuously uphold the enveloping wavefront from dissipating by frequently aligning gravity fields until the destination is reached - In other words, some sick and awkward version of a reversed slip-jump. Gravity generation and control was a rare luxury of technology back then, so that way of space travel was dropped when Karan S'Jet discovered a breakthrough in the use of the Hyperspace Core, the first one that was found on Kharak.”

After explaining, Hailynn's pause began to attract the looks of other crewmembers again, “- but as usual, this won't be easy. The entire hyperjump procedure won't be that `simple' like the common jump.”


“”<Pff… `simple'?!>””
“Everybody - There is a downside to all of this. Even if we make it out of this onslaught, we'd still have one last hurdle to overcome: Hyperspace. Teamwork. Teamwork is the only thing that will keep us alive… but if we fail …”, she continued, her words noted dread and fear, “If we fail in maintaining that `Morovuur Wavefront', Hyperspace will surge the ship…”


“Surge… the ship?”, Fenna's voice asked from ahead, “What are you talking about?! Never heard of such crap - Everybody knows that when a wavefront collapses, you drop out of Hyperspace! Pretty much how all ships do it.”
“And no, we won't `fall out of Hyperspace' if it collapses, Fenna! This is not the typical wavefront generated by some hiigaran-manufactured `Consortium' drive.”


“What is this `surge' then? Ship gets EM-shocked?”, another operative curiously asked.
Hailynn turned her view over to him, “There were reports of such occurrences years ago. Trust me, it's not the ship that is affected by a surge - even though the Hyperspace fabric hits the ship.”

Suddenly speaking up, Kenta explained what Hailynn meant by her knowledge as an astronomer, “Commander Delixa is referring to the fabrics of Hyperspace that will have devastating effects upon the ship's interior.


By protocol - and usually -, all primary systems are powered down to avoid any electromagnetic feedbacks occur during the standard jump. However, having several fields active as for that Morovuur procedure, such procedure can backfire, attracting the fabrics of Hyperspace, lastly destabilizing the wavefront, the fields and enveloping the ship. The fabrics will penetrate everything. There are only theories, but certain things are for sure: Organic beings would petrify - and I don't have the slightest clue about the radiation. The ship would continuously float ahead in Hyperspace for another while. Whoever wasn't lucky to die in the first place would...”


Hailynn took word again, “- We have no choice. We are going to do it, but I will need the focus and willpower of everybody! Of observatory…”, both Kenta and Quan looked towards Hailynn, who then caught the attention of others she called, “engineering, logistics, Kelsea and her team for internal communication, Aira… every single operative available - for the sake of the kiith, even you, Fenna… You are the one who will have the most strenuous part of this mess… I can't help you…”

“Are you CRAZY?! THAT'S INSANE, HAILYNN! GIVE ME A BREAK!”, Fenna yelled at her, obviously aggravated by her words.


“Yes - it is insane… suicidal, but there is more to it. The truth, however, is that if we do it right for five minutes - just five minutes-, it will prevent the fields from destabilizing, even preventing us from staying stuck in hyperspace forever too… and would bring us to the desired region, regardless of Hyperspace resistances - and all of that crap it will be throwing against us! Well… maybe not quite… I do have doubts about the last part…”

“Doubts?! More doubts?!”, Orelis asked.

“Orelis, it is unlikely that we will be able to maintain the field to the very end - but we'd be safe from a surge at least. Once we are out of the maelstrom, we would surely have to dispose - enough. If things go well, we'd even find ourselves back at Amaji Prime…”

“And what's the `Worst Care Situation', Hailey?”, Orelis questioned her, “Sounds like that is not even the tip of the iceberg - and that's the only thing that interests me about all of this.”


“There isn't one really. We only need to maintain the field long enough. We would definitely emerge within amaji space - deadspace, to be precise!!”
“Well… Deadspace… probably some thousands light years away from home and sanity then. At least away from all of this madness <No offense, Aira> - but just what makes this different from Brogan's plan again?”

“A single jump we can count on...”

Orelis nodded after a long pause, “Okay… but how we get back if we can no longer jump from then on?”


“We won't be totally crippled. Let us forget about that. We still have a way of getting help.”

“And that would be -?”

“Aira.”, Hailynn pronounced clearly, adding yet another point to her plan.

“Huh?!”


“Look. Amaji space is still a dangerous place. Dropping off some long range SOS signals for help will make us catch the attention of any hostilities in that region. And by hostilities, you know who I mean.”

Orelis turned his view away from her shortly, “*sigh* Turanic Raiders… Those punks are everywhere…”


“You can bet your `optimism' that they'll be happy to find a crippled vessel like ours. No matter where we end up, they know how to find anything that sends distress beacons over hyperspace or subspace frequencies - and they WILL find us if we do so.”

“But what does the girl have to do with this?”

“The ship is highly advanced, Orelis, it is capable of dropping off a specific signal of distress beyond conventional reach - and Aira is the key. She a lot more than just an `entity'; She is the one who is able to dispatch this distress signal to the Bentusi that are likely to be operating in hiigaran territory! Nobody but the Bentusi will heed the distress.”, Hailynn raised a loose fist, showing some confidence.

“And you're sure they'll hear her?!”


“Yes… if there is one thing I'm sure of is that the Bentusi…”, she spoke slowly, looking shortly towards Pethera, “They are always listening…”
“*sigh* You know how I hate counting on fate, Hailey…”


“”Don't tell me you are going to count on her insane suggestion, Orelis!””
“Chief. You - no, we - don't have much of a choice anyhow”, Orelis mentioned to Brogan, “Hailynn is not only the X-O - She is also a Krin'sa. We are going to do as she ordered. No objections. Understood, Chief?”



The situation did not give Brogan much time of thought, “”This is crazy, bridge - but don't make me responsible for anything if the ship blows up <I doubt it would do us the favor>… Alright, doing as ordered. Engineering out *veeeeep*””
Hailynn stared a long while at Orelis, unsure of being thankful for his recent help. Her attained Krin'sa ranking did seem to be a powerful but fearful one.

 

****

======== Part 6 of x =======

(narrative voice)
I am sure you have heard of such tale, adventurer. There are many variations of it. A fox carries a scorpion on his back over the river, being assured that it will not sting him… but alas, the scorpion stings the fox. The fox would ask `Why did you sting me? We will drown together' - The scorpion would reply `It is my nature'…
(end of narrative speech)


= Outskirts of the conflict zones =

Formed by billions of cubic kilometers of gas formation leading like into a tunnel of nowhere, the hazed surroundings of this mysterious passage was filled with myriads of clouds that resembled various forms, many of them floating like colorful mushroom caps upon a gaseous ocean. Varying in density and size, all of these surrounding cloud formations and blankets within the passage not only offered an endless supply for one's imagination in guessing look-alikes, but also offered refuge for practically anything was in need of retreat. In need or not, thousands, if not a million of wrecks and debris by now, fell into these oceans of gas.

Breaking the iconic silence of this beautiful region, the outer sectors of the war was as ferocious as the core of conflict. Flashes of core breaches and other violent nuclear explosions would enlighten the entire region whilst having most of the battered vessels desperately submerging into these shrouds hoping to escape the onslaught and death's reaches.



Among all of the countless situations, one was soon to be resolved - either for the good or the bad. Despite having marginal success against the triad's secluded Mass Catapult vessel, the remaining group of hiigaran fighters struggled with their hasted retreat away from the massive dust cloud.
Though it is a rule of combat never to underestimate the opposing force, the turanic and taiidani survivors protecting the vessel proven themselves as dauntingly serious threats, determined to tear any foe apart with their combination of cunning military tactics and hideous assaults - assaults of such that had left their mangling scars on every single remaining fighter like a signature. Almost every fighter left trails of smoke and sparks as they dashed ahead, striving through the thinner hazes of gas.

Having no other choice against the overwhelming odds of threats, the hiigaran strike force was forced to retreat from this dust cloud back into the rather open surreal corridor in space - hoping it would make it back to the designated point of retrieval. However, the situation was not cleared yet…

Bolts and projectiles hurled by back and forth at blinding speeds. The hiigaran units were still being suppressed by enemy fire; a much slower but far-reaching group of sturdy turanic artillery corvettes remained at the very edge of the dust cloud border that was now several kilometers away and a single turanic - outright annoying - `Bandit' at the adjacency of the fleeing hiigaran fighters. The `Bandit' kept its range from them but still attempted to pick on them.


Noticeable though, there was no sight of antique`Triikor' interceptors or any other taiidani assets. It became clear that these turanic pirates were bloodthirsty; enraged by the partial destruction of the Mass Catapult vessel… but that they also were disobediently pursuing the retreating hiigarans as it was likely that the taiidans returned to the vessel within the cloud for protection - The taiidan discipline, obviously.


“”Guys, keep a loose and erratic flight! There's another artillery barrage inbound!””, the pilot of Alpha-Six called to the other pilots; a phrase he repeated by each attack. Frequently pushing his pedals, his beaten fighter, though reacting sluggish, altered its heading several times, but frankly, he was actually too overcautious.

“”Keep your cool, A-Six - Their artillery are too inaccurate at this range. Just maintain course!””, Alpha-Two, the second-in-command, responded the others.


Spotting several shots dashing by, the pilot turned his view further to the rear, discovering the battered Acolyte fighter of Colonel Kaydaana Manaan flying backwards whilst constantly dodging attempts of vicious attacks led upon her. All this time through had he and other pilots been hearing the manaani cursing and insulting this `Bandit' who had been pummeling her and her squadmates ever since the first hostile contact.
Both of them were further behind. Worries for Kaydaana Manaan did plague the pilot, but just like the others of his group, they would be too much of an easy target as all of their fighters showed serious deficiencies. On the other hand, Kaydaana viciously ordered them neither to intervene nor to support her - She was obsessed of this challenging opponent.


It also became obvious that the `Bandit' lost slight interest on the `easy' fleeing targets. It did have the advantage of taking them out, but it kept reluctant of doing so. The `Bandit' had been responsible for the losses and her rage - and it was still chasing her. She and the others had shot down several taiidans and turanics, but this specific `Bandit' would still remain standing.

“”Boss, we've got to support the Colonel! I don't care if she's on for some goddamn one-on-one duel!””
The deep voice of Alpha-Three linked into the commline, “”Stay out of it, boy, she's savin' our asses right now!””

“”Could care less about that! Her fighter is just as beaten up as ours! We're still better off as a unit and not as spread flock of some scared birds!””
“”She ordered full retreat!””, the supervisory commander known as Alpha-Two added, - FOLLOW THE DAMN ORDER! We are not going to - YYAHHHHHHHHHHGGGRRRGH!””…


Alpha-Six witnessed the unexpected…
Unfortunately, it seemed as if they underestimated the accuracy of the artillery barrage launched by the faraway corvettes. Among all artillery shells that were fired, one violently struck through the hiigaran fighter of Alpha-Two, severing it into diverse parts; some of the parts sprayed upon Alpha-Six's hull. The screams of both the pilot and his co-pilot frightened everybody until both silenced after a short period.

Alpha-Six stared upon the shattered fighter and the two bodies that now drifted apart from it…


Again, Kaydaana yelled a battle cry as she immediately reignited the main thrusters her Acolyte, causing the heavy fighter to end its backwards flight and aggressively dash ahead. The force of inertia threw her powerfully into her seat. Thin gases began to fill the cockpit, but she ignored it as her view was partially supported by her visor system. The cockpit was shattered on its left side, also noticeable by the rear end of a large deformed projectile shell stuck above her left shoulder. The deaths of Alpha-Two were merely a spark that recalled the other losses of Alpha-Four and Five … but predominately of Ray:

It all happened during the phase of retreat.
She opened her eyes. Kaydaana was disorientated at first, but soon managed to retain her senses. The `Bandit' had once again forced her into a disadvantaging stalemated situation. Though able to dodge all attacks of the `Triikor' interceptors nearby, it was the sudden appearance of the `Bandit' on her side that scared her. The jolt of adrenaline made her focus all her skill and attention on the `Bandit' who seemed to attempt an attack from that arc - but surprisingly, the `Bandit' did not fire. Instead, the distraction lured her into the opening for a single turanic artillery corvette to have a clean shot on a lower rear section of her Acolyte - a dead angle for a critical strike!

Fate already gave her a second chance back then when the `Bandit' caught her off guard… A third one was unlikely to happen… that is, if it were not for the coned vaygr fighter of Ray to suddenly appear between the line of fire and sight. Ray had always been there to support her, already topping the numbers of lethal takedowns - but this time, he was almost too late. Kaydaana sensed the worse to happen.

For the first time in her life, Kaydaana cried for the life of a special person, ironically for a vaygr, to get away and not to save her life by sacrificing his. She vainly shouted for his sake to get out of the line of fire, but his words were the last to be heard: “”I am vaygr. I am expendable…””

The missing Alpha-Four unit was likely to be killed-in-action and she lost all sign of his fighter that was now drifting somewhere through the dust cloud, which would soon to show up somewhere else throughout the region…

A head-on-head confrontation stood before - The mangled Acolyte versus the toughest turanic `Bandit' ever met. Ironically, the Acolyte, though seriously damaged, revealed how determined the fiery pilot was about this showdown - foremost, the Acolyte showed no sign of backing out. Still kilometers away, they both approached each other at a dangerous rate.

But just as the confrontation was about to be resolved, the `Bandit' pilot turned the view down to the vast ocean of gas below and beyond, being warned by the liquid membrane environment of the cockpit.

A gaseous mass arose in an instant, soon revealing an unknown vessel spinning and breaching through the layers of the colorful ocean. Trails of smoke were laid as it spun ahead.

= Bridge of the Vjel-Amaj =

At last, most of the screens and systems immediately reactivated themselves as the ship ended the `Code: Purple' stealth procedure. After submerging away from the warzones, the ship risked a blind flight through the dense walls of gas as the only way of escape -luckily managing to emerge at the right spot thanks to specific calculations without colliding against any hidden wreckages.

“CONTACT!”, the tactical operative in front of Orelis yelled, “Single `Bandit' on a head-on pursuit with ALPHA-ONE! 14 kilometers away from our position, our 10 o'clock high!”

“That's Colonel Manaan alright! We found them!”, somebody else cheered joyfully.
“Alpha One, Three, Six and Seven are ahead of us - but they are still under suppressive fire by long range artillery, ranging from approximately 49 klicks away from them!”, another operative added to the announcement, “I-I'm getting several s-spread signatures of a destructed fighter - hiigaran components…”

“Shit - They already shot down one ours!”, Orelis yelled back, “We've got to put ourselves between the line of fire!”


All the time through since the ship had submerged into the gaseous sea as the only chance of retreat, Hailynn desperately fought against the nauseating feeling that was trying to force her in vomiting her misery. Being at the edge of her strength all this time clearly was not smartest to do, but it was Fenna's inexperienced piloting skills that made matters worse.

“FENNA, STABILIZE THE GODDAMN SHIP AND STOP FOOLING AROUND!”, she barked ahead.
“Alright - ALRIGHT!”


The ship ended its roll, but was still closing in on the units ahead at a high rate of approach. If Fenna did not want to smash through the friendly units, she would need to react fast! Using her left hand, she immediately pulled a small panel above her side and began to type several numbers meant for the automated negative-G.

“DON'T YOU DARE USE THAT!”, Hailynn's voice threatened from behind, “We're not flying one of those damn cargo-tug mammoths you usually fly by the way - and I doubt you know the right settings, Fenna! Set that thing too high and everybody on this ship will end up smashed against the wall! Just pull the entire controls gently to yourself until you manage to slow the ship from Cruise Flight to a lower Patrol Flight profile - stat!”


Fenna was constantly cursed and yelled for every single thing she tried to do her way. Her anger was just as seething but she held herself back and did as Hailynn demanded by pulling the controls of the helm slowly towards her torso. Indeed, the amaji cruiser did begin to generate weak gravity fields among its aft sections, causing the ship to slow down at a constant rate and making much easier for her to stabilize its heading.

“Immediately target the `Bandit' ahead of Alpha-One!”, Orelis commanded, “Have our anti-missile flak turrets align to the target!”

Several circles began to position themselves among the enemy `Bandit' among the tactical screens, but also had separate friendly units within their fields, showing possible friendly fire.

“Sir, the signature resolution of the defensive weaponry systems we have to our disposal are not designed for anti-craft purposes! The area of effect is too great - and even if we do hit, it is unlikely they will deal any damage!”
“Don't give me that jabbering! I don't care if we have a drop of ammunition left - Whatever, she needs help - NOW!”

“Lieutenant Commander Orelis, Tactical, Logistics. I have a suggestion for all of you”, Captain Quenton Sobaan called out, “Limit all arrays to carbonized lead charges. That should lower the resolution to the minimum.”

Orelis swung his hand over to one of the logistic officers, “Do as he suggested! I want all targeting computers to perform a correction algorithm with each done volley! And even if we only hit once - I WANT THAT `BANDIT' SNIPED - ASAP!”

In a matter of seconds, separate arrays of the cruiser began to fire sequenced volleys of hybrid projectiles that were actually not meant for anti-craft warfare. Surprisingly, the `Bandit' suffered direct hits resembling as sparks crackling upon its armor. Taking in account that the fleeing preys and the fighter ahead was now in advantage, the `Bandit' suddenly curved away from the approach, declining the attempt of dueling the Acolyte.
Kaydaana did not like this at all.

“Wha- What is she doing?!”
“Commander, Alpha-One is still pursuing the `Bandit'! She's speeding up!”
“Oh my gods, that `Bandit' is pulling off and she's after him - Is she crazy?! <Dumb question…> - Get that whack woman on the comm' and have us cover our remaining units before anything else happens!”

She was boiling with rage. The `Bandit' was getting away with it…

“”DAMN IT, VEE-JAY!””, she yelled over the commline as she heard Kelsea demanding her to disengage the target, “”YER SPOILIN' EVERYTHING! GET OFF MAH SIGHT!””
“”<Give me comm-unit!>””, Orelis demanded at Kelsea, “”Colonel! I don't know on what sort of egomaniac trip you're on - but forget about that punk!””

“”I'm not lettin' him git away with it, Orelis!””
“”WE'VE GOT NO TIME FOR ANY SORT OF `HONORABLE' DUELS, MANAAN! There's a damn Dreadnought slaughtering everything and everybody in its way and all you have in your mind is that stupid `Bandit' - Get back here!””


Certain matters plagued Kaydaana; matters of guilt and anger.
Anger for her mangled Acolyte - Guilt for the lost lives,
“”Th-those sonuvabitches… shot down Wang, Dargo... Tank… Hubby, Evoria… and Ray - RAY IS DEAD!”” - Fenna quietly shrieked as she heard Kaydaana's voice speaking over the bridge's speakers -“”I don't care what'll happen! I DON'T CARE IF THAT BANDIT'S GONNA LURE MEH BACK INTO THAT CLOUD! HE'LL PAY IN SPADES, TA-NIGHT! YOU HEARD ME?!””

“”The losses go on my account, Kaydy, but wait <Aira - Are you sure?!... Alright - you are our last hope to find them!>!””, Hailynn's voice intervened, “”You won't believe this, but Ray might still alive! She doesn't know the whereabouts of Alpha-Four but… I'm just glad some of you survived””
“”WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!””

“Well, that caught her attention…”, Orelis snarled…
“”Listen! Aira still detects some activity of Ray even though we are some hundreds of klicks away from them - Don't ask me how she's able but you know she's the best we have! She will need to do a thorough probing - but our priority is to get you and the others out of this chaos first!””


Kaydaana's rage faded slightly, leaving some of her common sense to take over. The `Bandit' was on the run, but if she could maintain the acceleration, she would catch up with her archenemy - otherwise, it was likely that he was luring her to an ambush. Hailynn's words did affect her and even though she hoped for the others - such as Ace and Evoria - to survive, it was clear for everybody that she had greater interests for Ray's wellbeing. But it was her manaani will that was plagued by the fact that she was going to pull away from a fight....

“”Yah better not be fakin' it on me, Hailey…””
“”Aira never fakes, Kaydy. Remember that.””
“”Fine, I'm comin' back…””

Doing as announced, the mangled Acolyte ended its pursuit and curved away.


“”Colonel Manaan?””, Kelsea's voice called once more, “”Umm… I have just received a transmitted data package - Origin: The turanic `Bandit'. Seems to be… some sort of communication drop-off - some long message for you, ma'am. I am unable to translate it now but it does seem to be some sort of comment dispatched by the enemy pilot you pursued.””

She did not answer but turned her view over her right shoulder. While physically looking towards the wall of her filled cockpit, the visor revealed the `Bandit' far behind her that was retreating towards the certain dust cloud. Definitely, this was the last time she would see that `Bandit'… that skillful foe with the treacherous mind that always had a step ahead of her.


For this moment, it seemed as if the situation was resolved. Kaydaana, despite being known for the irresponsive manaani obedience, concurred with Hailynn's request of retreat. Luckily, Hailynn manage to stop her from probably losing her life relentlessly.


Moments later during the retrieval of the hiigaran strikecrafts…
Everybody observed the main screen as it revealed a blinking symbol positioned deep within the chaotic battle between the kadeshi and the triad allegiance. While it was remarkable how Aira's thoughts focused upon his whereabouts within moments, it was the reality of his situation that gave greater worries. Due to the thousands of interfering radiation fields, she was unable to find Alpha-Four - who were now presumed as killed-in-action.

Unfortunately, Ray was not only deep within the slaughtering warzones, but even within the territory of the vaygr crusade. Upon near defeat, Ray's fighter must have sustained the crippling blow while he was flying at high speed. Albeit Aira assuring that the Seekers of Rahji would definitely refrain from attacking him, he was in deep trouble...



“Commander Delixa? Commander Orelis…?”, Kelsea called out with a serious voice, “I have bad news. I am picking up an all-out broadcast of the vaygr warlord.”
“He is probably showing off again.”
“I fear the warlord is serious about this one, sir…”, she replied.

After Kelsea set the transmissions to the bridge speakers again, the garbled voice of the vaygr warlord once again spoke in a deep triumphing manner: “”Brethren of the Pax, brothers and sisters of Scay'Gra, behold. The will of the weak blood is crumbling! They are attempting to flee. The kadeshi plague is dying with every second! But behold, my brethren, it seems as if we have found… the last of the traitors.””
“Aww SHIT! How could this happen?!”, Orelis cursed.

“I can only guess that he had an uncontrollable drift during the retreat and fell off course, sir”, somebody presumed, “Having such a fast craft like his can easily end up elsewhere in a matter of seconds.”
“Hmpf, so easy to get lost in space… No wonder our strikecrafts have set-limits.”

“”Makaan is dead. `Pax Vay' is no more.””, another garbled but familiar deep voice spoke.
“It's… It's RAY!”

Kaydaana listened to the occurrences over the speakers of the fighter bay as she was helped and heaved out of the seriously battered Acolyte by medics and mechanics. Surprised by the news, she tried to push them away, wanting to board the cockpit again but was held back.

“”Silence, defector! The hunt for the traitors may have taken days, but alas, you have not succeeded in escaping yourself. Your death will be an example for those puny hiigarans that dared to spare the lives of these… ka-de-shi…””
Hailynn curled her hands into fists.
“”I sense your fears, hiigarans, I know you are out there. The heart of the prey can never hide - but I know you will attempt to escape this hunt… this system. Your silence only reveals what you intend to do. I know you will conduct a fleeing hyperjump from this system - but what holds you back, hiigaran weaklings? Is it this… traitor?””

By now, it was clear that vaygr warlord and his deadly armada had the upper hand. The kadeshi were surrounded in a death trap, Ray was stuck somewhere between the front lines by now, the missing Alpha-Four unit presumed dead - There were so many factors and tragedies happening that it was hard to keep up with the numbers of events. But for now, Ray was the greater interest for the vaygr warlord.


Again, it began to make sense for Hailynn. The vaygr warlord unified his crusade for the task of cleansing those who voided `Pax Vay' and attempted to seek asylum. Around that time frame when the hiigarans settled with vaygr, the Seekers of Rahji must have found this system. Ray, formally the unnamed defender of his people, must have protected them from many death bringing attempts of the Scay'Gra - long before the Kiith Amaji High Command issued a rescue operation. She stood up and limped towards the center of the bridge. Many questions still remained open - Hailynn needed more to time to come with conclusions.

Aira quietly listened to the voices, full of fright and awe for the valiant warrior known as Ray.
“”Hiigarans…””, Ray suddenly called out, “”I must accept my guilt.””
“Guilt?! What guilt is he talking about?”, Orelis mentioned loudly.

“”RAY! What is this all about?!””, Hailynn called out to him.
“”So… the prey speaks again…””
“”I am the last warrior and pledged defender of my clan. My priority was to bring the families into safety in the hands of the hiigarans - I have fulfilled my duty. I may be called a traitor - but I assure you, Warlord of Scay'Gra, that I still obey the vaygr doctrine. I have lost many brothering warriors in this nebula, but also brought deaths upon my kind - I shall share the same fate... as there is no further need of my existence.””


The entire bridge crew could not believe they just heard. Obviously, Ray was still serious about the vaygr doctrine. Even though he no longer believed in Makaan's will, he was still a vaygr. Despite him defending his people, he killed many vaygr - a fact he did not want to deny at all.
“”Very well - The hiigarans call you… `Ray'? How is this that a weak vaygr traitor possesses a name? Answer me!””
“”That no longer matters, Warlord of Scay'Gra… I am a nameless and the last warrior of my clan and I have ended my task. The hiigarans and the rest of my people are in safety now.””
“”RAY!””, another female voice yelled into the open frequency.


“What the -?”, Orelis said and discovered Fenna shouting into her comm unit, “Hey - Stay out of it, Fenna! Kelsea, cut her off the damn line!”


Kelsea, who was already merely tangled with many communication units and transceivers threw an annoyed glare at Orelis before trying to lock the specific signal from the broadband conversation.

Nobody expected a person like Fenna to become so emotional, but nonetheless, her pleas sounded naïve, “”Please! Ray! You can't be serious about all of this! Don't sacrifice yourself! You don't have to take some sort of silly consideration for that guy or any other vaygr! Please - You don't understand that your people still needs a leader! They all look up to you - They need you - I-I… I need you!””

Many mouths fell open - not to mention how Kaydaana at the hangar bay fought with her comm-unit to interfere with the speech.

Hailynn suddenly spoke up, “”So… Is that it? That is all? Is that your last will… you `nameless warrior'? Are you going to just give up on us and all those who believe in you just because you feel that you must fulfill the vaygr doctrine and turn yourself in for some sick conviction? GODDAMMIT - Get back -””


“”I apologize, Delixa. That is my will. Bring my people into the asylum of the Kiith Amaj.””

She looked down to the floor. She should have seen this coming. It was possible that he even brought himself to that point. Days before, during the first negotiation with him at the brig revealed a slight intention of his that she did not understand at first - A guilt that seemed to plague him. Nonetheless, it was too late.


“”If that is your will…””, Hailynn then said, “”By your command - We will bring your people to the Kiith Amaj. <End of Transmission>””.
The wrecked hiigaran straightened herself shortly, “Alright. Orelis - I want the ship to be readied for the jump.”
“… Done deal, Commander. Alright everybody - you heard her. Let's get to it…”


Fenna burst into a mix of anger and sorrow. Unable to speak further over the commline, she immediately detached herself from the sophisticated seat. Fenna fought against the weariness of her exhausted legs to Hailynn who ignored her pleas as the young amaji cried, vainly begging her and the others to rescue Ray. Being grabbed by the crying woman, Hailynn quietly stood as she was gripped and shaken tightly by Fenna, “YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS, HAILYNN!”

“Get your hands off her, Ensign or I'll have you -!”, Orelis shouted at the amaji pilot but interrupted his speech when he spotted Hailynn raising her hand to him.


It was embarrassing but everybody knew by now that Fenna had feelings for Ray. The prank her twin sister pulled on her seemed to have caused more than just a joke. She continuously tried to persuade Hailynn as she sobbed.

“Zann.”
“Y-Yes, Commander?”
“I want you to generate a highly focused electromagnetic field with our available capacitor energy and have it collapse as soon as we jump.”

Zann wondered but did not question the order. Assuming that Hailynn had some knowledge of Quantum Field Theory, she probably wanted the field to lighten the generation of the quantum wavefront.

Fenna's grips were still curled among Hailynn's messed up uniform jacket; each bounce painfully knocked against her injury.

“Get back to your station, Ensign - and stop… poking… my… ribs…”
“Hailynn! I will not turn my back on him - You don't want him?! Fine - I'll fly us over there if I must! FRAKK, give me a shuttle and I'll pick him up!”

“What the frakk?! Don't even think about it, ENSIGN!”, Orelis threatened, “Crazy girl - They'd blow us up! Don't you dare that or -!”

“- OR WHAT?! Will you break my limbs?! Remove me from duty?! Hailynn is unable to fly this ship! You don't have any other real pilots on this ship! I haven't slept for ages - and I'm hungry like frell, Orelis - but I'll forget about all of that because there is one person in my life that needs my help! I don't care about anything else!”
“You always wanted to head back to Amaj - NOW IS OUR CHANCE - and you want to stay here?!!”


“Zann.”, Hailynn firmly spoke again, ignoring the argument between the two.
“Still here, ma'am…”
“How far are we with that `Morovuur' jump?”

“Ready and good to go, ma'am. The coils and the conduit modules are spooled for some serious business. Will be one heck of a ride… Brogan assured that there will be no interruptions and short-circuiting even if we were to conduct some other jump method. Frell, I'm sure he'd go mad if we were to do another jump elsewhere before this one, actually”, Zann joked.
“Very funny, Zann! Why don't you just shut up?!”, Fenna shouted at him ironically.

Hailynn stared at the main screen for a long time. Ray was too far away to reach on time by flying all the way back. Several hundreds of kilometers lay between their positions - however, he was not quite in the reach of the Scay'Gra yet. The warzones were still full of action and slaughtering.
Deadly fields of radiation were everywhere. With the Dreadnought blocking the passage to the tremendous Star Gate, it was unlikely that `Kadesha's Ark' or any other kadeshi would survive this day. There was no way out for Ray or the Kadeshi…

“Aira - You are still connected with the Kadeshi Seekers, or?”
The girl quietly nodded, “Yes, Naji… They still heed my voice.”

“”Behold…””, the vaygr warlord announced, “”The hiigaran weaklings are going to leave you and this kadeshi plague to its fate… Hiigarans, you may have succeeded in fleeing - but aware, the hunt never ends …””

“So that's it?!... You're leaving Ray behind?! You really are going to jump us out of here and let Ray die- Well… Fine… FINE…”

Pethera shook her head while quietly observing them and as she did so, Orelis noticed her eyes looking straight at Hailynn. Following her stare, it became noticeable that Hailynn was up to something. It was that look that revealed that her mastermind came up with... something…

“Aw…”
Hailynn nodded at Orelis.
“Aww… shit…”

Hailynn suddenly lowered her view at Fenna, “Yeah, oh, yeah… We are going to jump alright, Orelis. Zann, tell Brogan he can feel free to get pissed-off… because…”


Her long pause all the sudden attracted the eyes of several other operatives, “We're going to make sure we leave this place with all of OUR people! We all represent the pride of the Kiith Amaj!”, Fenna's eyes widened as the female commander spoke further, “I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY FRAKKING VAYGR RULES ANY MORE! To all decks - CODE: BLACK! Kenta, Quan, Aira - I want you three to generate the closest point of emerge to Ray as possible! You heard right, everybody! We're going to PHASEJUMP!”

 

****

======= (6 of 6) =======
A single tattered vaygr fighter drifts along…

Strings of death spread from all sides, circling him from the highest arc above. The vaygr missiles were coming in for him. Vessels of all kinds were everywhere, trying to maul each other to oblivion as other irrelevant explosions shortly distracted him.

Being the only witness of his upcoming event of death, it did not even evoke the slightest emote of Ray, who quietly stared at the volley slowly engaging the death strike course. This was the end, but neither did he fright nor thought of anything else other than the end of his lifetime-service as a warrior who had been in countless yet lesser slaughtering wars like this one. He did not care, for the violence, cruelty and atrocities of this war and the vaygr way would continue even beyond his death.

Those he once protected have survived and escaped the madness, being sure that none of them would shed a tear for a nameless warrior. He is vaygr. He is expendable. He is…



At the same moment a bright explosion occurred, caused by a not so distant kadeshi vessel dispersing a coupled fusion-nuclear core meltdown, all of his thoughts cut short as a distinct vessel whipping gases among its structure suddenly appeared… not far away from his position as it overshadowed his fighter. The flash dissipated, revealing a battered nimble cruiser slowly drifting with three smoking glowing masses on its side.



- By your command -


“Countdown at T-Minus 1:24 minutes to the phase jump - a-a-and *egads!*…?!”, Fenna shouted at first but was then scared by the sudden chaos that surrounded her entirely on all screens. The recent moment left her in astonishment, not sure of what just happened - left was only a single memory of being frozen and colorblind for a single heartbeat, “Wha- Where… oh my g-gods! - We- W-WE'VE ALREADY PHASEJUMPED!”


Everybody but the captain were scared by surprise and discovered all screens resembling the surroundings of the vessel showing destruction and chaos of war everywhere. Red vessels of all kinds were everywhere; the vaygr super Dreadnought being the most devastating of all. The path to the enigmatic Star Gate was coming to an end with `Kadesha's Ark' and its entire nearly endless convoy very close by. Countless celestial objects of progenitor heritage circled and orbited the path.

“GOD-DAMN-PHASEDRIVE-TO-FRELL!”, Orelis cursed, then yelled to others right when he caught his and the balance of Pethera again, “IT DID IT AGAIN - WE JUMPED TO EARLY! ”
“Yeah - but this time almost two minutes earlier than that three-seconds of that last one?!”, somebody else asked from the other side.
“Doesn't matter - Fact is: WE'RE BACK IN THE THICK OF IT!”


Hailynn quietly shrieked. Not only did the premature phasejump surprise her, but also gave another painful strike upon her injured thorax. She had been tortured by such pain and misery for so long - and yet each time it happened, it was reiteratively a stunning experience of agony. Her breath was still rushing. Though she knew the phasejump had occurred, her view still remained colorless - her mind cut short and lost of memory. It took a three long seconds until all recovered.


“Observatory - Our position?!”
Kenta immediately turned around, “Phasejump n-near-to-perfect, sir! And it happened alright...!”
“Confirmed!”, Quan added, “Jump NTP! We're only some 300 meters away from Ray! Back in the warzone… At least it wasn't a blind jump *wheeew*!”

“Back in trouble… Back in business…”, Orelis said to himself.
Destructive fusion shockwaves immediately rocked the ship again along with random shrouds of hull scraps raining on the hull like hail. Zann sighed with great grief as he did not find any of the screens revealing serious damages to the various hyperdrive units and conduits. Furthermore, he was happy that the phasejump, though malfunctioning, did not end up a in blindjump to nowhere.

Fenna's euphoria raised when she hear about being so close to Ray, but it failed to give her any real hopes of survival. Missiles were coming in from all sides, “Ack! MISSILES! EVERYWHERE! MIIIIISSILES!”, she screamed twice.


“Ensign! Get this ship back under control and get us as close to that suicidal vaygr! We have to get him on this ship!”, Orelis demanded to her, “GET TO IT!”


Noticing the problems of orientation of vessel and recognizing that that young amaji woman was piloting it again, Ray spotted the surprising amaji cruiser altering its course to his area,
“”AMAJIS! WHAT - What are you doing here?!””
“”The hiigaran prey has… returned””, the vaygr warlord viciously commented, “”Maybe this hunt will end sooner than I thought. You will not prevail, hiigarans…””

“Oh, can't that sonova bitch shut the frakk up for a change?!”
“Commander Orelis! We have several heavy assault missiles coming in from the arcs! Locked on Ray!”

“Hailynn, you alright?! You have any plans on this one?!”
There was emptiness in her mind, paralyzing her from any further movement and word.


“Whatever - I'll take over this one - This is it! This is going to use up the last `whatever' percentage of ammo we have left - Tactical, gunnery, target all incoming missiles! Fire at will! Take down as many as you can!”, the grim commander announced, taking over the word of Hailynn's command shortly.


The amaji cruiser once again fired assets of anti-missile projectiles and flechette charges into the surroundings, additionally suppressing groups of incoming missiles with its sophisticated ECM field generators and hacking technology. All tactical and gunnery operatives anxiously did their best to support each other through extensive fire control linking. To some extent, there was so many confusions in the dense space that not only kadeshi pods, but also those units of the rivaling triad collided with the missiles.


Obviously, the vaygr warlord did not care much - if not for anything - He wanted the traitor to be executed. There were still too many factors of hulking wrecks and obstacles in the way to commence an artillery barrage death strike with success, fortunately. However, single missiles managed to bypass perimeter causing separate impacting explosions on the plasma-burning side of the cruiser.


The ship rumbled and rocked violently while Orelis gave a demanding response, “Ensign Fenna! Keep that damn burning starboard aligned to the incoming group of missiles! The thermal effect of those plasma-masses are still evoking the hexa-armor to conceal the radiation by natural aggregation!”

“We should dump those things right now!”
“Frell no! One hexa-cell costs a frakking fortune! Not to mention that open whole on the standard armor! Don't worry, with it denser than usual due to such thermal energy, we should be able to withstand the hits without any trouble!”

The situation was already getting confusing, dreadfully tense and breathtaking. The surrounding action of the warzone did not make matters easier:


“”Amajis - You were supposed to hyperjump out of this system. You are still here.””, Ray spoke to them with a surprisingly calm voice.
“”We're here to get you, honey… eh - Ray!””, Fenna's voice linked into the open commline.


“<Hey, I thought Fenna's comm-signal was supposed to be locked?!>”, Orelis asked to Kelsea, who shrugged. Kelsey was unfortunately too confused and overwhelmed by all the trouble, action and coordination of internal communications. She must have blocked Fenna's unit only to an insufficient point. On top of all the mishaps, Fenna's commline was not only open, but also now broadcasted to the entire ship.


“”Your intentions are questionable. Naïve. Thoughtless. The vaygr warlord will execute all of us, amaji.””

“”What is your problem, Ray?!””, Fenna argued back to him, her words led by adrenaline and loose emotions, “”We're here on your behalf! We want you to live! I'm throwing myself in the line of fire - just for you!””
“<What-about-us?!!!!>”

More missiles struck on the naturally fortified side of the amaji cruiser. Large projectile shells slipped by but either glanced, missed or struck against the wreckages surrounding them. The bridge itself became chaotic instantly. Alarms sounded from all sides. Pure fear and adrenaline rushed through Fenna's veins, but she fretfully held her grip on the controls, barely capable of maintaining the ship from capsizing against Ray's destroyed fighter. She anxiously looked over shoulder, staring at the screen revealing the spot where Ray was.


“”It was mindless of you, amaji!””, Ray yelled, probably the first time sounding enraged, “”I must obey the vaygr doctrine! It is my destiny!””