The Rescue Mission
07 Feb 2023Quendel
With a muffled thud we pop out of Hyperdrive. ›Allied Solace‹ lies before us.›Delacy Quebec-Uniform-Echo. We’ve enabled emergency landing protocol for your arrival, Commander. Head for pad number one. Flight control out.‹
I look at navigator Louis Grayson, an experienced man who’s been a stranger just a few days ago, even though I thought I knew him from somewhere. He’s sitting there, tinted helmet concealing his face, typing on his consoles like nothing happened; focusing on his work as if the void of space wasn’t all around us, as if Ross 112 wasn’t burning down on us through the giant hole that’s been ripped into our canopy, depressurizing the whole bridge of my Anaconda.
›Fahrwerk ausgefahren‹. COVAS Gerhard informs me that I’ve deployed my landing gear.
We’ve made it. Finally!
Now, this could have been just a normal rescue run. Head in with full speed, shields to 100%. Grab 100+ refugees out of Boole Dock in Huile. Get out ASAP.
The roles are clear: Grayson sets our course, Layan Casey, my first officer, keeps everything running down at engineering, Doc Ash Vega and her team treat the wounded and I try to dodge the shit those bloody insects shoot at us.
But not this time.
We had just finished up loading passengers into the economy class cabins, informing everyone to stay strapped into their seats during the whole flight. I undocked. Then, still inside the Coriolis Starport, the distress signal reached us.
›Mayday, Mayday! This is Millard. They’ve cornered me. FSD offline. Hull at 50% and falling. Mayday, please, anyone!‹
Those Ax-Pilots are damn heroes in my books. I’m not afraid of the Thargoids, but I have no idea how to fight them. Sure, I’ve taken down a few Scouts but everything else is just... Too different. Those are not the common pirates I hunt down for the Star Chasers nor are they anything like the combat pilots I faced in the war zones. Hell, even the Cap Ships are nothing compared to them. Millard was in a very unfortunate spot indeed, four Scouts firing at his badly damaged Viper MkIV. It was taking caustic damage, too.
I couldn’t let him down. But that would put my crew and the 140 refugees aboard ›Centurion‹ in massive danger.
Grayson looked at me.
›Emergency Pickup?‹ he asked, like it was the easiest thing in the world.
I sighed. I had practiced this a few times at the academy but I’ve never performed one in a real situation.
›I will need exact directions for this‹ I clasped the control stick as hard as I could. I felt my hand get sweaty underneath my glove. ›Layan, are you ready to give me a little bit more of everything?‹
›Ready to go, Commander. This is gonna cost us some Heat Sinks.‹
›Commander Millard, this is Commander Quemiumins. We are ready to perform emergency pickup. Please follow standard emergency procedures. Do you read me?‹
›Copy, Commander. I’m not exactly comfortable with abandoning ship but I dont wanna be space dust either. Millard out.‹
I grabbed the helmet from underneath my seat and looked at Grayson who did the same.
›Better safe than sorry‹ I said.
He nodded.
Then I boosted, putting us inside the line of fire, protecting the Viper whose hull had dropped to 35%. It moved one last time, turning its bottom towards us, ready to shoot an escape pod directly into our loading bay.
›Frachtgreifer ausgefahren‹ Gerhard informed me. The cargo scoop had been opened.
›5 degrees starboard, 7 degrees upwards‹ Grayson said without looking up from his screens. The information popped up on my HUD and I turned the ship. It wasn’t easy to hold it straight under fire but it simply had to work.
›Shields at 70%, diverting power‹ I heard Layan over the intercom. ›Shield Cell in 3, 2, 1. Heatsink in 3, 2, 1. Hull at 95%.‹
›He’s coming in‹ Grayson said. I heard the pop of the escape pod being ejected and then the satisfying sound of cargo being collected.
›Frachtgreifer eingefahren‹
›I’m gonna need some power to the thrusters. We’re getting out of here‹
›Ready when you are, Commander. Mind the shield penetration though!‹ Layan said.
And she was right.
I turned to boost us outside of the mass-lock area when the cracking noise appeared. Layan kept the shields above 70% but with less power they were less effective. And one shot had just caused a huge crack into our canopy. A few more hits and it shattered. Then we disappeared into hyperspace.
My heart pumped like crazy. I could feel it everywhere. I leaned back and breathed for a moment as lightyears of space flew past us. I looked at Grayson. He worked calmly, like nothing had happened.
I still didn’t get up. I just sit there while ›Centurion‹ is taken to the hangar. Grayson glides by me and pats on my shoulder.
›Very well done, my dear‹. I know that phrase from academy. And suddenly I know where I know Grayson from.
Before I can think about it, Layan shoots through the door.
›Are you two okay?‹
Yes I am. Just a bit confused.