Ultima

Chapter 25

I fumbled around the cockpit trying to get everything ready for the battle. According to the reports from the outpost, the Serpentus had to be about two minutes out so I had to hurry.

The first step was to get the comms prepared and mask my call sign. I had decided to not communicate unless it was absolutely necessary. Blackwood had ordered my evacuation and most of the outpost was aware of my injury. If I was discovered in battle, the disciplinary action would be steep. I needed to work from the shadows and sneak through the wormhole with my squad. Blackwood would be upset but I had a better chance to explain myself to him than with Wilson or the Admiral.

"ETA one minute," the outpost comm officer called out. "Shuttles will begin their evac in two."

"The GBI is three minutes out," Blackwood said. "We're going to try and intercept and disrupt their line."

"Dammit, Angus, you will evac with the rest of the non-naval personnel," Wilson said. "Leave this to the real fighters."

"I'm sorry, sir, but you're breaking up," Blackwood said.

I couldn't help but laugh while Wilson cursed Blackwood out. It was turning into a very memorial last day at the outpost.

My radar picked up something incoming and, in a flash, missiles streaked across space and made contact with the outpost. Serpentus fighters appeared and another volley of missiles was launched at the outpost.

"Jesus Christ, our shields are down," the comm officer called out in a panic. "All evac teams, double time."

The Navy fighters scrambled to engage the Serpentus before they could start their next attack. I searched the radar for the incoming cruisers, but couldn't find anything. I remembered seeing them on the radar before, but they seemed to have disappeared. Or this first wave was a distraction so they could sneak around.

The fight was drawing closer to me. I engaged the engines and looked for my first target. I stuck close to the other naval fighters and engaged targets in a support role. Suppressing my urge to be aggressive and dive straight into a flashy battle was a lot harder than I thought. I dropped two before I was targeted and had to break formation.

The Serpentus pilot was certainly skilled. I gave him a run for his money, but, like a wounded gazelle, I was only delaying the inevitable. The longer the showdown went on, the more he gained on me. Slowly, my shields dropped and I started to panic, making my movements easier to predict.

The shield finally broke and my computer alarm sounded as my ship took on damage. With blood pumping in my ear and pain aching across my entire body, I was almost ready to accept death. But, in an instant, I was saved by a the HAN fighter flying past me.

"You're welcome, whoever that is," Stuckey said through comms.

"I could almost kiss you," I muttered, relief washing over me. With my comms off, he, thankfully, didn't hear my reply.

Far away from the main battle, I took the quiet to assess my damage. The report was depressing, but there was one positive: life support was still functioning normally. Everything else was barely working. According to the computer, the power core was severely damaged and couldn't output the necessary power to fully fly the ship. If I wanted something to work, I had to divert power from the other systems to get it started. Like it hadn't been hard enough to fly one-handed already.

"I'm taking damage. Someone get off this guy off of me," Amber called out.

I immediately diverted energy to the engines and flew back towards the battle. I had no plan for what I was going to do to help her, but it was better than doing nothing. I dodged and weaved my way past fighters, looking for a sign to point me in the right direction. My radar beeped and I immediately had to change plans, veering out of the way as the three large Serpentus cruisers appeared.