"Orion, this is Skipper III. Under unknown enemy fire. Taken heavy damage. Need assistance, over."
The small scout ship lumbered out of the way of yet another barrage of some unidentified energy weaponry. Was this the new technology the Pylcyons had developed" Were they finally ready for their next assault' Skipper III was skimming around the edge of the galaxy having ranged far from her mothership the Orion's Spear when they were beset by a much larger ship.
Skipper should have been faster, but they were taken by surprise. The other ship had stealth technology they hadn't seen before either.
Sully bashed his fist down on the com switch again. "Repeat, Orion, Skipper III is under attack. Heavy damage. Do you read, over!" There was nothing but silence over the airwaves.
"Corporal," he barked at one of the two other marines manning the ship. "What is the status of our communications array?"
The younger man at the tech station was a seasoned solider, but he was sweating so much Sully could see the protective shield of his helmet fogging up. "Corporal!" He repeated stiffly.
"S-sir! The array is up an operational. Orion should be getting out messa-"
Corporal Barnett never finished his statement as another blast caught them in their evasive pattern. Sully and the pilot were rocked around in their jump chairs, but Barnett when tumbling to the opposite side of the other ship.
Emergency lights and sirens were going off everywhere, things were looking bleak. They weren't going to survive this unless help showed up. Or....
"Lieutenant," pilots were always officers. It didn't bother Sully. The scouting mission was his even though he was an NCO. Being half machine had it's perks in this. "Open a window to designation XC3-18. Prepare to jump." The scout ship had only a small hyperdrive. They could only make short jumps and jumping in such a state....
"But sir, we don't have enough ti—!"
"Just do it!" Sully roared as they took another indirect hit. One more and the hull was going to give way.
The pilot slammed against the controls and ahead of them in space a blue shimmer appeared and grew. The pilot was right, it would never grow large enough in time. But their jump would take them to the nearest moon, low enough in the atmosphere they might survive long enough to get to the pods and jump.
"On my mark." His armored hand hovered over the keys, his eyes locked on the growing portal. Just a second long. He could see another blast reflecting off a piece of debris, a shiny piece of the Skipper that'd broken free. They had no more seconds. "NOW!"
As one he and the pilot engaged the jump and they were hurdled through the portal. Panels around them exploded from the effort, more systems were blaring. Every light that could flash and klaxon that could sound were alerting them to their imminent danger.
"Reading atmosphere!" The pilot yelled and it was plain enough to see. They passed through a thick layer of clouds and there below them was the surface of a planet. But it was too close, they were going too fast. There was no time to hit the pods, though Barnett was trying.
There wasn't enough time to warn about the crash before it happened. The side of a mountain - on the wrong side of the starport - proved not to be a soft landing. Sully saw them crash through trees which slowed them down before they hit the bluff face of a cliff. The skidded down the side of mountain like some giant sled until they came to a dead stop. Or so he assumed - he'd passed out long before they'd come to a resting point.
It must have been hours later when he awoke. He couldn't remember if it'd been day when they hit, but it was night when his eyes opened. He knew better than to move right away, allowing his internal system to run it's scan. In front of his left eye he could see an inventory of his injuries which included broken ribs, lacerations and more bruises than he could count. That he was alive was saying a lot.
The interior of the cabin was dark except for the random flickering spark from on of the panels. The ship was a wreck, but a quick look around told him the hull had held up to a surprising degree. It might even be salvageable. His crew was another matter. He knew before he looked that he wouldn't find them alive. The pilot's head was a bloody mess against the control panel, his sightless eyes turned towards Sully. Barnett was....everywhere. He must have been bounced around so much during the crash. But he'd never been able to hook into his chair during the battle and he hadn't made it to a pod.
Sully sighed. Two good men. He'd store their remains in pods so they could be buried when he returned. But he was in no condition for even that.
He closed his eyes and let his internal system take over, putting him into a deep sleep until he'd healed.
The small scout ship lumbered out of the way of yet another barrage of some unidentified energy weaponry. Was this the new technology the Pylcyons had developed" Were they finally ready for their next assault' Skipper III was skimming around the edge of the galaxy having ranged far from her mothership the Orion's Spear when they were beset by a much larger ship.
Skipper should have been faster, but they were taken by surprise. The other ship had stealth technology they hadn't seen before either.
Sully bashed his fist down on the com switch again. "Repeat, Orion, Skipper III is under attack. Heavy damage. Do you read, over!" There was nothing but silence over the airwaves.
"Corporal," he barked at one of the two other marines manning the ship. "What is the status of our communications array?"
The younger man at the tech station was a seasoned solider, but he was sweating so much Sully could see the protective shield of his helmet fogging up. "Corporal!" He repeated stiffly.
"S-sir! The array is up an operational. Orion should be getting out messa-"
Corporal Barnett never finished his statement as another blast caught them in their evasive pattern. Sully and the pilot were rocked around in their jump chairs, but Barnett when tumbling to the opposite side of the other ship.
Emergency lights and sirens were going off everywhere, things were looking bleak. They weren't going to survive this unless help showed up. Or....
"Lieutenant," pilots were always officers. It didn't bother Sully. The scouting mission was his even though he was an NCO. Being half machine had it's perks in this. "Open a window to designation XC3-18. Prepare to jump." The scout ship had only a small hyperdrive. They could only make short jumps and jumping in such a state....
"But sir, we don't have enough ti—!"
"Just do it!" Sully roared as they took another indirect hit. One more and the hull was going to give way.
The pilot slammed against the controls and ahead of them in space a blue shimmer appeared and grew. The pilot was right, it would never grow large enough in time. But their jump would take them to the nearest moon, low enough in the atmosphere they might survive long enough to get to the pods and jump.
"On my mark." His armored hand hovered over the keys, his eyes locked on the growing portal. Just a second long. He could see another blast reflecting off a piece of debris, a shiny piece of the Skipper that'd broken free. They had no more seconds. "NOW!"
As one he and the pilot engaged the jump and they were hurdled through the portal. Panels around them exploded from the effort, more systems were blaring. Every light that could flash and klaxon that could sound were alerting them to their imminent danger.
"Reading atmosphere!" The pilot yelled and it was plain enough to see. They passed through a thick layer of clouds and there below them was the surface of a planet. But it was too close, they were going too fast. There was no time to hit the pods, though Barnett was trying.
There wasn't enough time to warn about the crash before it happened. The side of a mountain - on the wrong side of the starport - proved not to be a soft landing. Sully saw them crash through trees which slowed them down before they hit the bluff face of a cliff. The skidded down the side of mountain like some giant sled until they came to a dead stop. Or so he assumed - he'd passed out long before they'd come to a resting point.
It must have been hours later when he awoke. He couldn't remember if it'd been day when they hit, but it was night when his eyes opened. He knew better than to move right away, allowing his internal system to run it's scan. In front of his left eye he could see an inventory of his injuries which included broken ribs, lacerations and more bruises than he could count. That he was alive was saying a lot.
The interior of the cabin was dark except for the random flickering spark from on of the panels. The ship was a wreck, but a quick look around told him the hull had held up to a surprising degree. It might even be salvageable. His crew was another matter. He knew before he looked that he wouldn't find them alive. The pilot's head was a bloody mess against the control panel, his sightless eyes turned towards Sully. Barnett was....everywhere. He must have been bounced around so much during the crash. But he'd never been able to hook into his chair during the battle and he hadn't made it to a pod.
Sully sighed. Two good men. He'd store their remains in pods so they could be buried when he returned. But he was in no condition for even that.
He closed his eyes and let his internal system take over, putting him into a deep sleep until he'd healed.