"Let's move," Major Tanya barked, leading her fighter crews into the launch bays even as the crew they were replacing returned to the ship. The green haired woman all but leapt up the ladder to climb into her strike fighter, the five other pilots quickly following suit. "What's the mission briefing?" Lynn asked, climbing into her own cockpit. The rangy pilot started running through her checklist, the hatch closing as they shifted to inter-ship communications. "Unknown vessels are inbound," Tanya answered them crisply as she readied her own fighter, "most probably Paranoid cruisers. We've been ordered to provide cover until the Lady can collect the remaining shuttles and reach transit point." "Piece of cake," Smith answered her cockily, the black haired woman readying for launch with her usual casual manner. "We'll run them out of the system," Pryde nodded, her golden mane gleaming in the artificial light of the displays. "Don't get cocky," Tanya chided them before adding, "I got the word from the Captain, she wants this to be a clean run." "Then let's do this," Hazel agreed, the waifish blonde signaling her readiness. Tanya connected to the bridge, smiling just slightly as Max appeared on her screen, the pink haired girl looking visibly nervous. "Alpha and Beta wings ready to launch," Tanya reported, "any updates on the opposition?" Max gulped. "Long range sensors have confirmed Paranoid ships," she said quietly, "but they haven't launched fighters yet." "Then let's get the drop on them," Tanya said, radiating confidence. "Understood, readying launch," Max tried to be professional. With a slight smile she added, "Danielle left a message I was supposed to give you, ma'am." She took a breath, "Don't do anything too stupid out there, please." "Do my best," Tanya answered then disconnected. "Main hatch opening," Becca said calmly as the doors in the launch bay slid open, a flimsy force field the only thing that was protecting them from the void. "Go," Tanya ordered. The strike fighters rocketed into the void, the slim, powerful craft swiftly forming up into two wings. Lynn lead Becca and Hazel out while Tanya took Pryde and Smith, the most experienced pilots guiding the least, the teams ready and willing to do battle. The bridge crew watched the fighters settling into position out ahead of the Lady Grace, waiting in the path that the intruders were projected to come. Normal procedure would have had them racing out to engage their foes at a distance but with the few fighter pilots they had available such a move was foolhardy at best. "Shuttle status?" Captain Gail kept her voice even, the redheaded captain sitting in what to the others looks like pure relaxation. In truth she was ready to jump out of her skin but she made herself sit, knowing how important her presence was to the other crew. "Two of the shuttles have docked and we're offloading the supplies," Davies voice came through from the docking bays as the second in command of Engineering reported, "the boss is still loading up the last shuttle down below." "Understood," Gail cut the link, frowning slightly. She turned to the young lady at communications, "Tara, connect me to the surface." "Yes, ma'am," she answered nervously as the slim blonde went to work, Tara soon reporting, "link has been established." "What's the delay, Lieutenant-Commander?" Gail asked as the image appeared on the main screen, keeping any accusation out of her voice. 'We have Paranoid ships inbound,' she thought to herself grimly, 'she had better not be messing about.' Lieutenant-Commander Karin wiped some grease off her brow, the black haired engineer looking visibly tired dressed in her armored extra vehicular suit. "They've got a power-core intended for a Star-Destroyer class ship down here," she explained, "if we can get it up to the ship our power concerns would be solved for good." Commander Allaine blurted out, "You aren't seriously considering grafting on a SD power core to a cruiser like Lady Grace?" "It can be done," Karin said to them firmly, "but only if we can get the core up there. I just need a little more time...." "Keep working," Gail instructed crisply before closing the connection, her face having that oddly distant look she got when considering a problem. "Sorry," Allaine said softly, regretting her uncharacteristic outburst. 'Looks like the stress is getting to me, too,' she realized. "Save it," Gail answered, her tone of voice clearly saying this was not over. "Max, can we get a better scan of the incoming ships?" she asked. "They appear to be the same vessels that we encountered before," Max reported, "one ship is moving substantially slower than the other two." "Maybe they didn't complete repairs from the last battle?" Lieutenant Lauren offered, the blonde navigator looking out into the void. "Or it's a deception," Allaine answered. "Time until we reach firing range?" she asked. "Less than ten minutes," Max answered. "Battle stations," Gail said crisply as alarms went off all over the ship. "I'll be in sickbay," Lieutenant-Commander Meris said as the tall blonde left the bridge, "in case there are any injuries from the surface or from attacks to the ship." "Go," Allaine agreed, watching her leave thoughtfully. She had serious doubts about the woman but so far, she was working out all right. "The Paranoid ships are launching fighters," Max reported, the image of the crab shaped, almost organic looking vessels appearing on the viewscreen as they raced towards them. "Our fighters are moving out," she added. Major Tanya didn't wait for a bridge command to come, barking out her orders as soon as the enemy fighters launched. "Keep them off of the Lady," she commanded the two flights, "we've got to buy some time till the shuttle goes!" The strike fighters raced across the void of space, such small, delicate craft to be facing the dangers out there. The Paranoid craft met them out there, firing energy weapons as the Solenoid dodged and weaved, their own weapons blazing. Smith brought her fighter down and around, pushing the internal compensators in a turn that well past it's design specifications. Weapons flared as she lined up the Paranoid craft in her sights, feeling satisfaction as it exploded into a fireball. Her wingmates followed her in, the dodging and weaving Paranoid wildly returning fire. "The shuttle is launching from the surface," the tactical update came through, "Lady Grace will break orbit as soon as it docks." "Keeping an eye on it," Lynn reported as her team engaged a second flight of Paranoid fighters, six to their three. Still they held their own, the strike fighters pushing their systems to the limit to match or beat the capabilities of their enemies. "How long until the shuttle docks with Lady Grace?" Hazel asked nervously, bobbing and weaving. Despite the fear in her voice she flew magnificently, two Paranoid fireballing even as she moved to reinforce the others. "It's halfway there," Becca commented, soaring through the debris of another enemy craft. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she saw sparks of light moving from the Paranoid cruiser, "There's additional fighters incoming." More than a dozen more Paranoid fighters swept in, trying to overwhelm the Solenoid fighters. Working in pairs the pilots fought them off, maneuvering free even as the enemy strived to pin them down and destroy them. "Grace is firing," Tanya roared, "clear the way!" The skin of the Lady Grace shifted, segments of armor plate moving aside to reveal the weapons batteries below them. A wave of destructive beams slashed out into the darkness of space, tearing through Paranoid craft and hammering at the cruisers. "Why are they holding back?" Pryde asked. "The Paranoid cruisers aren't even providing fire support for their fighters," she added. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," Tanya commented as a signal was sent from the Lady Grace. "The shuttle's home," she said, "let's follow it back." Sweeping away from the now badly disorganized Paranoid fighters they swiftly caught up with the now moving Lady Grace. Docking was a bit more complicated by the pursuing fighters but they slid into their bays even as the ship's configuration slightly changed, readying for transit. "Brace yourselves," Lynn said as she climbed out of her fighter even as the ship shuddered beneath them. There was a odd sensation, their stomachs suddenly dropped and the Lady Grace made transit into hyperspace.
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