Chapter 9

 

The lone Fralthi jumped in a quiet part of the Alcor system, far away from any of the Confed ships. Within an hour two more Fralthis and two Dorkirs joined it. The first and lead Fralthi took it's position in front of the rest of the fleet, a long black claw painted on each side.

 

On board one of the cats was looking out at the stars, towards the terrans. Another joined him.

 

"What are you looking at, Blacktooth?" He turned back and looked at his inferior, the smaller one looked like a common house cat, only seven feet taller then one. Baktov was more imposing, his mane like that of a lion's.

 

"The scum of our universe, Sabbath. The Confederation has a small hold here, we must get rid of them...This is a vital system, a supply line to Venice. If we lose this line we'll be pushed back...We must hold." Sabbath tried to comprehend, he stayed quiet.

 

"Do you think we can hold?" Sabbath finally broke the silence, Baktov looked at him with a look of disappointment.

 

"No, Sabbath, I think we cannot." He looked back out the port, his arms crossed behind him.

 

"Sabbath, can you fly a Gratha? We are going to be going up against their heavier ships, you'' need more firepower then a Salthi can provide." Sabbath looked over, frowning.

 

"I prefer the Salthi, it's the fastest we have. I can fly a Gratha, it's much too slow though." Baktov grinned, although Sabbath couldn't see it.

 

"A Jalthi is slow, slow as a capital ship. Yet it can destroy anything that the Confederation has. Why? It has guns, many of them. Learn to live by them, you'll live a lot longer in this world." Sabbath paused, before picking up his helmet and walking off. Baktov watched the stars.

 

In a half hour the two were in space, Baktov in his Dralthi, Sabbath and two others in Grathas. The blue burners glowed in the void, the seasoned ace in charge of his lesser companions. Usually the Kilrathi liked to put younger pilots in the better machines, the reasoning being that a young pilot could be just as deadly as an ace with a fine machine...And most of the time they were right.

 

"Blacktooth, three of the enemy Scimitars are in front of us!" Baktov smiled, twisted thoughts of seeing the humans roasting in their own blown up ships floating around in his mind.

 

"The Confederation must be putting out their feelers in this system...Shall we cut them off?" The others fell silent, Baktov watching the flare given off by the Scimitars, locking onto the nearest one...

 

"Engage as soon as they are in range!" He looked up at the radar, grinning at the Scimitars approaching.

 

Baktov watched as the Scimm trio broke off, each flying in a different direction. The left heading to the right, the right heading to the left, the center Scimm heading straight at them, out of the criss-crossing formation with the others.

 

"Sabbath, take the center. Jakko, take the one heading left. And Dakar, you take the one going right. I'll help out if one of you needs it." Blacktooth pulled up, Sabbath boosting ahead, firing two missiles at the lead Scimitar...

 

"Delta! They're firing missiles at me, they have a lock on!" Rick looked back to the left, Bluebird was heading straight into them.

 

"Cut you engines! They're tracking the flare you're giving off!" He watched as Bluebird tried to comply, unfortunately the missiles smashed into the front shield. The first missile smashed against the shield, wearing it down in a brilliant flare. The second flew right into the Scimitar's nose before the shields could regenerate, the cockpit warping around where it hit.

 

"Bluebird! Come in!" Rick waited. When the reply came in he turned away, obviously it was the last thing the cherry had done since he been turned into hamburger right over the vid-com. Meg had the same reaction.

 

The Gratha fired off another missile, finishing off the Mud Pig, wiping away Bluebird from existence. Rick and Meg stared as the Piggy disintegrated, never have seeing one of their own wingmates die before...

 

Sabbath purred as he watched the Scimitar blew, another kill to record.

 

"That was for the Salthis we left behind in Enyo!" He pulled back out of the way, Jakko moving in on Rick's Scimm.

 

"What do we do now Delta?" Rick looked back, waiting for his targetor to acquire a lock on the Gratha who shot down Bluebird...Watching another one fly towards, towards Maegen...

 

"They're moving into range Mae...Don't let them hit you!" He started to shake as he flew after the Gratha heading at him...He lost track of it, another one moving into range, in was heading after Maegen.

 

...Not Mae...Please not her...

 

"Swordblade be aware there's a Gratha on your six, moving in to engage..." She looked back, the slower Gratha still boosting after the Scimm, cursing her luck.

 

No, no, no...You can't kill her...

 

He shook harder, sweat falling down his face, remembering what he had seen of Bluebird when he died minutes before...Thinking of what could happen, imagining seeing his best friend's guts being pasted onto her vid-comm. as her Scimitar blew apart. He couldn't let another wingmate die...Pressure mounting...He could barely hold the control stick, the Scimm flying around erratically...

 

"I'm breaking hard right! He's you kill!" He watched as she cut her engines and moved out of the way to the right, before the Gratha had a chance to shoot...He had to take him...He still had trouble with holding the stick, trying to fly straight...

 

"Take him Rick! Aidez-moi...Aidez-moi!" Rick boosted until he was up behind the Gratha, opening up with the Mass Drivers, still shaken by what he had just seen...Four volleys flew up and hit the Gratha in the engine block, it was still going. Armored like a cruiser.

 

"Quel est erroné?" Meg looked to her leader as she attempted to shake off the Gratha, the enemy fighter still shooting at her. Rick followed, his Mass Drivers recharging...

 

"It won't go down! Showing only minimal damage on scanner!" Rick eyed the scanner, a small light red panel where the main engine was. Not nearly enough to take it down.

 

Sorry Mae...I'm still trying...

 

The Gratha gave him his chance, though he didn't expect it. It tried to break off to the left in order to hit Meg in the side - Far too slow to make it in time. Rick took it, introducing two dumbfire Darts into the fighter's side, unable to avoid them. As soon as the hits showed up on the Gratha's unshielded side Rick opened up with the Drivers again, more shots showing up...The engine block falling apart and taking the fuselage with it. The cockpit drifted off into space as he watched on.

 

"...Swordblade, pull out!" He looked back out at the Gratha cockpit flying off into space, that kitty would be dead in a while...He let out a long sigh, exhausted. He never had to defend something or someone dear to him before, the stress wore him out...

 

...Thank you for saving her...

 

Rick looked behind him, trying to see if any of the wreckage from Bluebird's Scimitar was still visible. He was sure Mae was trying to do the same thing.

 

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