Krajiinkt stood in the middle of the K"neahn Capital Ship's hangar bay. Before him sat a shuttle, powering up and readying to take off. His hand was lifted in a solemn wave to the woman who sat in the passenger seat of the short-range vehicle. With one last, reassuring smile to Linaeve, Krajiinkt turned and hurried on to the opposite side of the hangar.
All around him, the K"neah were in a frenzy, moving left and right, readying fighters for the incoming Zorheg assault. After acquiring and tugging on a flight suit, he hurried over to his fighter, climbing aboard with the assistance of the docking crew.
"What's the word?" Krajiinkt asked as he sat his helmet in his lap, turning to look at the docking chief who still leaned against the stepladder by his ship.
"Admiral Vakntah sent word that you're to lead strike one, alpha one through ten will be following you." Said the chief as he slid down the ladder and pulled it aside. "Your goal is solely to prevent the warheads from hitting the eastern flagship and destroy any incoming Zorheg Raiders."
"Understood." Said Krajiinkt as he ducked his head down to slip the helmet on. An audible click sounded, locking the helmet into place with the collar around his neck. Tubes were connected to the back of it, keeping his supply of air flowing.
"Good hunting, Krajiinkt." Said the chief as he stepped back and gave Kraj a thumbs up to go.
Nodding, Krajiinkt flipped the switch that closed and sealed the thick, glass hatch overhead and powered up. Within moments, the hum of the engine became a loud roar that sent him propelling through the air, past the capital ship's containment barrier, and into the vacuum that is space.
"Alpha One, this is Hunter, what?s your status?" Asked Krajiinkt as he shot through the space separating the capital ship from the eastern flagship. "Kraj" We're in orbit of the eastern ship, scanners have picked up the warheads but they're out of range of our weapons, right now." Came a reply through the communications channel.
"If they're too far, then go to them." Kraj replied as he neared and then passed the ship. "To them, Sir?" Came the pilot of Alpha One's questioning response. "If you wait too long and miss, there goes the ship. Cut them off. Go." Kraj replied. "Alphas, status?"
"Engaging." Came his response from the other nine members of the squadron.
He glanced off to the side, seeing the ten other slim, K"neahn fighters flying away from the eastern ship and heading in the direction of the incoming warheads. Pushing on the throttle, Krajiinkt soon swept past them and turned on the ship's scanners, checking the positions of the threat. Within a few seconds, he'd found one and took off toward it, twisting and rolling over debris that floated through space in his approach.
The warhead was a small missile, tearing through space at a startling speed, and was quickly made visible in its approach. Thumbing the controls, the blasters on Krajiinkt's fighter flared to life and sent out a short burst of plasma energy, cutting through the vacuum between him and the warhead until a few blasts connected with it. The missile exploded in a burst of flame that was quickly extinguished by the vast nothingness of space.
"That's one down." Said Kraj, glancing out to the side once more to check on the rest of the squad. "Make that three." Came a response from Alpha Six, as his blasts took out another pair of missiles. "Good job, Six, keep at it."
For several minutes, the team of fighters flew left and right, destroying the missiles before they could reach the ship. But another glance at his scanners told Krajiinkt that ultimately; their attempt at saving it was a futile one. "I'm reading more warheads coming in on the scanner, there's too many. We'll run out of ammunition before we take them all out."
"What should we do?" Asked one of the other pilots. "Fallback, wait for further instruction, destroy any missiles you see until I say otherwise, though."
After giving his orders, Krajiinkt pulled back on the steering column and twisted the fighter around, heading back toward the Flotilla of K"neahn ships. "Admiral Vakntah, this is Hunter. We don't have enough ammunition to take out all the warheads. Orders?"
For a few moments, there was communications silence. "Fall back. Return to the ship, and prepare to land. We're going to land east of Rhy"Din and set up a barrier on the surface." Came the Admiral's response.
Nodding, Krajiinkt twisted the ship around and tore through the vacuum of space, heading toward the capital ship once more. "You heard the Admiral, back to the ship."
With one last explosion sounding in the distance, the rest of the team followed Krajiinkt and all docked a few moments later. Once they'd stepped out, they went their separate ways, helping wherever they could, while Krajiinkt walked toward a transport shuttle planet bound.
"Is there room for one more?" Krajiinkt asked the shuttle's pilot. "Just one. Aren't you staying to help out?" The man asked in confusion. "I've done what I can for now. I need to get to Rhy"Din, I made a promise." A wry smile was offered as he stepped on board the shuttle, moving carefully past the tightly crammed K"neah, and dropped into a seat, strapping in as the shuttle prepared for take off.
"This is shuttle 6G-83, bound for the K"neahn Embassy, Rhy"Din City. Please remain seated for the duration of the flight. We'll be planet side shortly." The pilot said over the intercom system in the shuttle was it lifted from the ground and hovered toward the containment field.
Within the next half hour, the shuttle broke through Rhy"Din's atmosphere and headed to dock at the local K"neahn embassy that had been set up a few months prior to the attack.
All around him, the K"neah were in a frenzy, moving left and right, readying fighters for the incoming Zorheg assault. After acquiring and tugging on a flight suit, he hurried over to his fighter, climbing aboard with the assistance of the docking crew.
"What's the word?" Krajiinkt asked as he sat his helmet in his lap, turning to look at the docking chief who still leaned against the stepladder by his ship.
"Admiral Vakntah sent word that you're to lead strike one, alpha one through ten will be following you." Said the chief as he slid down the ladder and pulled it aside. "Your goal is solely to prevent the warheads from hitting the eastern flagship and destroy any incoming Zorheg Raiders."
"Understood." Said Krajiinkt as he ducked his head down to slip the helmet on. An audible click sounded, locking the helmet into place with the collar around his neck. Tubes were connected to the back of it, keeping his supply of air flowing.
"Good hunting, Krajiinkt." Said the chief as he stepped back and gave Kraj a thumbs up to go.
Nodding, Krajiinkt flipped the switch that closed and sealed the thick, glass hatch overhead and powered up. Within moments, the hum of the engine became a loud roar that sent him propelling through the air, past the capital ship's containment barrier, and into the vacuum that is space.
"Alpha One, this is Hunter, what?s your status?" Asked Krajiinkt as he shot through the space separating the capital ship from the eastern flagship. "Kraj" We're in orbit of the eastern ship, scanners have picked up the warheads but they're out of range of our weapons, right now." Came a reply through the communications channel.
"If they're too far, then go to them." Kraj replied as he neared and then passed the ship. "To them, Sir?" Came the pilot of Alpha One's questioning response. "If you wait too long and miss, there goes the ship. Cut them off. Go." Kraj replied. "Alphas, status?"
"Engaging." Came his response from the other nine members of the squadron.
He glanced off to the side, seeing the ten other slim, K"neahn fighters flying away from the eastern ship and heading in the direction of the incoming warheads. Pushing on the throttle, Krajiinkt soon swept past them and turned on the ship's scanners, checking the positions of the threat. Within a few seconds, he'd found one and took off toward it, twisting and rolling over debris that floated through space in his approach.
The warhead was a small missile, tearing through space at a startling speed, and was quickly made visible in its approach. Thumbing the controls, the blasters on Krajiinkt's fighter flared to life and sent out a short burst of plasma energy, cutting through the vacuum between him and the warhead until a few blasts connected with it. The missile exploded in a burst of flame that was quickly extinguished by the vast nothingness of space.
"That's one down." Said Kraj, glancing out to the side once more to check on the rest of the squad. "Make that three." Came a response from Alpha Six, as his blasts took out another pair of missiles. "Good job, Six, keep at it."
For several minutes, the team of fighters flew left and right, destroying the missiles before they could reach the ship. But another glance at his scanners told Krajiinkt that ultimately; their attempt at saving it was a futile one. "I'm reading more warheads coming in on the scanner, there's too many. We'll run out of ammunition before we take them all out."
"What should we do?" Asked one of the other pilots. "Fallback, wait for further instruction, destroy any missiles you see until I say otherwise, though."
After giving his orders, Krajiinkt pulled back on the steering column and twisted the fighter around, heading back toward the Flotilla of K"neahn ships. "Admiral Vakntah, this is Hunter. We don't have enough ammunition to take out all the warheads. Orders?"
For a few moments, there was communications silence. "Fall back. Return to the ship, and prepare to land. We're going to land east of Rhy"Din and set up a barrier on the surface." Came the Admiral's response.
Nodding, Krajiinkt twisted the ship around and tore through the vacuum of space, heading toward the capital ship once more. "You heard the Admiral, back to the ship."
With one last explosion sounding in the distance, the rest of the team followed Krajiinkt and all docked a few moments later. Once they'd stepped out, they went their separate ways, helping wherever they could, while Krajiinkt walked toward a transport shuttle planet bound.
"Is there room for one more?" Krajiinkt asked the shuttle's pilot. "Just one. Aren't you staying to help out?" The man asked in confusion. "I've done what I can for now. I need to get to Rhy"Din, I made a promise." A wry smile was offered as he stepped on board the shuttle, moving carefully past the tightly crammed K"neah, and dropped into a seat, strapping in as the shuttle prepared for take off.
"This is shuttle 6G-83, bound for the K"neahn Embassy, Rhy"Din City. Please remain seated for the duration of the flight. We'll be planet side shortly." The pilot said over the intercom system in the shuttle was it lifted from the ground and hovered toward the containment field.
Within the next half hour, the shuttle broke through Rhy"Din's atmosphere and headed to dock at the local K"neahn embassy that had been set up a few months prior to the attack.