The Moment I Feared
15 May 2021Korzhakov
A good while back, when we ran most of the Thargoids out of our little corner of the galaxy. I said that this wasn't a win, this wasn't them retreating, it was them regrouping. As we don't know of their home world, have no idea of their numbers. We just can't be sure. And now they are back, stations in ruin, millions of lives at stake and I have the feeling this is just a probing force, an incursion to test our defenses and our resolve.
I was asleep in my apartment on Ray Gateway when I was suddenly awoken by the front door opening. It was Jean, but she was on the carrier so what is she doing here?
I didn't have to ponder that thought for long as she comes into our room and says "Thargoids" and I sit straight up in bed, finally gathering my wits as I am just coming out of a nice sleep. They have attacked stations in three different locations and are there in huge numbers.
"Ok, get back to the Archangel and have Bailey prepare to jump to any of the affected systems that we can get into" I tell my fiancé. I climb out of bed and head for the closet to get my Remlok on. "I'll be on board by time we lock down" and Jean quickly turns and heads back out of the door. I am in my suit, headed to the hangar within just a couple of minutes. Jean is just ahead of me and heading though the station entrance by time I board the MkII.
Astra has the ship ready to go and begins to ask me questions. I tell her what is going on as we depart the station. As we make our way to jump out of the system, the concept of our options begins to dawn on me. I have good experience fighting scouts. Plenty of station evacuation experience, but have never taken on a Thargoid Interceptor.
I emerge from hyperspace and begin the run to the carrier. Once in normal space I hear Yumi's voice over the ATC channel and request permission to land. She grants my request and I inform her to call the Capt and have her assemble the command staff in her conference room in 5 minutes.
I quickly land and depart the ship. I make my way to the lift and head straight for the bridge. By the time I arrive the command staff are seated in their places in the conference room. I inform them that this ship and her crew will be joining the fight and that we are jumping to the Pleiades sector. There are damaged stations and people that need our help. So we are going to help. "I want all available craft to assist in the rescue efforts" Xeno Combat ships will begin engagements at once upon entering the system. Probing and skirmishes to determine the enemies intentions.
Thankfully we are fully stocked and ready for this trip I think to myself. But in the back of my mind, I also know that if this invasion is too much, if humanity is overwhelmed. That we have a fallback location in Rylie's Grace, the earth like world I discovered and built up as a bug out location just in case. If I can't help keep humanity at it's normal state, at least I can help preserve the species.
I make my way to my hangar and Randy has the "Watchtower" ready for war. As soon as we are established in orbit. I am the first to launch. I scan and find some activity. So I head to check it out. It's an Interceptor. I don't know what kind as I am just not that familiar. It approaches me to scan me and I do the same. As soon as I scan it, it opens fire on me. So I engage the ship the best I can. It already has a Thargon swarm out so I have to try and deal with that at the same time. I manage to expose a heart and take that petal off of the Interceptor before it finally gets my canopy shattered. I high tail it back to the carrier and arrive with just two minutes of air left. I have the ship taken down to the hangar for repairs. I know that there is so much more to fighting these ships than I know and I will have to change up my fighting style if I want to have a chance at winning a fight with one of these.