Duty, 24: Promise
01 Jan 2023Meowers
Out of all things I've been through, waiting remains the worst. Especially waiting in the cockpit and listening to silence. With all the firepower I need to bring those alien bastards down, literally under my fingertips. Knowing that, somewhere out there, someone is in desperate need of support. But no, I have an order to remain on the ground and wait. Because, if I'm needed here, I'd rather stay here. Easy to say...
We were about to take off and go on a tour across neighbouring systems to take a look at our presumably damaged or destroyed scanners, when the alert got everyone up. And it wasn't another emergency from a miner who didn't pay attention to their sensors or a fuel gauge. Thargoids were here, on a low orbit of the planet. A group of them, and their movement vectors weren't pointing at anything specific... Looks like they were searching. For us. No doubt.
So, the officers agreed on sending a welcoming party. And they wanted it to be really strong. Even if the tracked Thargoid signal power meant no more than ten low-threat variants. That group should be destroyed, completely, leaving no survivors, not a single Thargoid to pass the information about us. So, it was Matthew's wing, our anti-Scout wing and three more local AX wings. Including Mion's. My wing, still without Peter, had to stay here at full battle readiness, in case of any Thargoids showing up in the direct vicinity. The settlement still should be protected with a considerable force, and, with all due respect to the local pilots, my wing was equal to two of theirs, or even more.
Thing is, those ships started with everything except engines turned off, and proceeded to the destroyed Federal installation to the north, staying as low as possible, hidden from everyone. So, we couldn't see them on our screens. Then they had to imitate an emergency take off, reach the low orbit and intercept the Thargoids, moving straight to them, as if the Fed base was their starting point. Everything looked fine, as much 'fine' as this whole situation even could, our satellite array tracked the Thargoids until they stopped, and, perhaps, it meant that the fight had started...
Until more of them showed up nearby. Signatures were telling none less than thirty, and... Highest threat. Several Medusas, maybe even a Hydra or a couple of them. Shit. Of course, all settlement communications were translated to our ships too. Of course, I requested a permission to take off and head straight to the fight. And, of course, they rejected. And, well, I understand why. If another bunch appears right above our heads, I should lead the rest of our defence forces. But... Shit. That was horrible.
I knew Matthew's skills. Better than mine, both in combat and in tactics. I knew he wouldn't take such a risk, they're probably retreating at this moment... We should be ready to get airborne and engage whatever bastards they have on their tails... Still, dammit, that's... Unsettling. I cranked the comms volume up as much as possible, I sat in the cockpit with my finger on the engine main power switch... I commanded Christine and David to do the same. Roofs of our hangars were opened already, for a quick take off, and I looked at the sky, straining my eyes. Minutes... Felt like hours. I heard my own breathing and heartbeat. I wanted to see an atmosphere reentry flash in every little speck of dust sparkling in the sun. Minutes were like hours, hours were like a damn eternity...
One flash. Two. Three... Fourteen. Fourteen ships. Out of twenty. Goddamn hell... Thankfully, without any Thargoids still chasing them...
I saw a Challenger with a shattered canopy and several nasty hull breaches, landing on the far side of the hangar area, the ship was swaying from side to side, and seems like the landing gear was damaged too. An emergency medical team rushed to the ship with sirens and flashing lights... I saw a Chieftain missing its left frontal thruster, and the left rear thruster was unstable, the pilot had to land in the grass field, ship was barely controllable at the low altitude... Shit. We lost six ships and hell knows how many more required significant repairs.
"I'm okay. Landing now," four words on the private channel that... Made me close my eyes and exhale with relief. They were from Mion.
They sent a rescue team, along with two recon Eagles and one AX wing, to pick up any ejected pilots... I really hope some of them are still alive. Satellite array tracked the Thargoids until the group dispersed, so... They're still out there somewhere. And they know we're here.
Caught up with Mion on my way to the command centre; we had an order to gather there immediately. Hell I was glad to see her okay... She grabbed my hand tightly and stood silent for a second, with her eyes down; and, when I was about to ask... about everything, she nodded towards the command building. Shit... Whatever happened there... Damn. I'd rather not ask her now.
They saw a Hydra there. That greenish armoured monstrosity. It was an ambush. No doubt. Everything from the debriefing was just screaming 'it was an ambush'. They fought just for a few minutes, destroying three Cyclopes and a bunch of Scouts, before the main Thargoid forces arrived, with that big ugly bastard in the lead. Matthew immediately ordered a retreat, marking the Federal base as a nav point, but they couldn't activate the cruise mode with so many Thargoids around. So they were forced to punch through. One of the local wings had the worst of it, they were close to that damn Hydra and its lackeys when they appeared... Lost three ships, including their leader. This wing isn't a combat unit anymore. Mion lost one of her wingmates. Roberto, we flew together earlier... Lost two more ships. That Challenger pilot was badly wounded and barely made it to the settlement. Anti-Scout wing lost a co-pilot of one of their T-10's... Diane Fuller. Diane Fuller...
Dammit. I remember her. She was just twenty or something, wanted to go to David's birthday next month. Shit.
Shit. Hate those Thargoids.
I have, just goddamn have to tell them, if my voice has any weight, that we should turn everything on. Screw the disguise, they know we're here, we have to fight them with full force, otherwise, they will bleed us out eventually. They're already doing this.
Ah, what the... Emergency signal again, civilian vessel, in-system. All eyes to the screen. Loud announcement through the silence. "Muir, gather your wing and take off ASAP". Met Mion's eyes when I was leaving the briefing room, and she nodded slowly... I did the same.
Maybe... It's the first assignment I must be sure to return from.