“Sir, one more enemy gunship has been disabled, a third is scanned as leaking sublight drive coolant,” came the escalated report from Khurgee. Aboard the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Blaze of Glory<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, order and well-disciplined techniques were tearing the opposition to chaos. Havoc reeked upon the outclassed vessels, as the regimented crew cunningly directed fire onto the remaining portion of the small flotilla. The Victory classed vessel was beginning a wide turnaround, bearing for port, on a heading that would send it careening into one of Bespin’s minor mining colony.

Davin’s alarmed tone picked up in spotting the vessel’s move. “Relay, track vector, give me approximate coordinates.” Attention from Relay department turned sway to the withdrawing destroyer, the vessels aft already beginning to recede against the hazy atmosphere of Bespin. “Sir, we’re matching its current trajectory… a plot course lining with one a mining colony eight hundred thousand kilometers starboard. The vessel has picked up sublight speed to six point eight.

“Scan perimeter of the mining colony, what the hell could they be breaking for?” <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> A relay station perhaps. An atmospheric docking center?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> “Sir, we’re not detecting anything unusual or out of the ordinary, but we are picking up faint residue of sublight emissions emanating from two clearance bays from the mining colonies.”

Davin sat intrigued, a hand stroking the stumble on his chin. <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> An investigation calls for priority.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> “Very well then, Khurgee?” The Vice commanding officer stood at attention, “Sir?”

“Prep Docking for departure of forces planet side. Our first target will be to subdue that mining colony. It will make for a suitable outpost until we can secure Bespin entirely.” Khurgee nodded in acknowledged, then marched off the bridge to contact Docking. “Helm, plot a course to intercept our engaging battalions, we’ll finish this within the next five minutes.”

A click of an incoming communiqué on the SCHCG systems caught Halcyon’s attention.

“Adalric Cronus reporting in sir. Confirming pacification of assigned target. Requesting further orders.”

“Adalric, I want you to commission three squadrons of fighters for escort purposes. They will rendezvous with our contingent of transports to the surface below. Other than that, you standing orders are to hold sector II.”

OOC: enemy JE losses: 1 Correlian Gunship disabled.

Three squadrons of Starfuries cruised under through the atmosphere accompanied by six Y-4 Transports. The sleek hulls of the governing combat-engineered war machines reflecting the moonlit night back into the black void space. Under the watchful eye of Dace Archon, who had been assigned to lead the taskforce in subduing the colony, the unit covertly, under a shroud of stealth approached within four kilometers of the colony, and breaking from a cloud formation of thick gaseous dust, stole a glimpse from the colony’s superstructure itself, and the Victory destroyer hovering alongside it, its starboard locking ramps secured to multiple docking rings on the facility.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> An evacuation?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> Speaking into a personal comlink to the SCHCG system aboard the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Blaze of Glory<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, he reported, “We have visual confirmation of the vessel. Appears to be docked using locking ramps and advanced docking rings provided by the facility. We can assume that it’s an evacuation.” A silence over toned the cockpit of the lead transport, and then, “Very well Lead. Approach far end of the facility. Force docking procedures are a go, if need be. Use whatever tactics necessary with the squadrons, just get your men inside that installation.”

“Aye Command, over and out.” Dace shifted his weight in the acceleration chair, attempting to gain a better view of the destroyer looming before them. “Dace Archon to all squadrons, you have go signal. Neutralize the vessel.” Immediately thereafter, the three squadrons of Starfuries swarmed over the ships, raking with energy fire, tearing the defenseless and already crippled ship apart. In a moment of expanse, the destroyer groaned, then surprising, taking with it a third of the facility, yawed to port, and began to surface towards open space.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> She’s breaking for a run.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> “Command, one runner heading your way, be warned.”

“Aye Lead, we’re picking it up. One battalion is presently on an intercept course. Stand by to make the gauntlet run to the docking bays.”

“Understood Lead, over and out.”

“Transport detachment, afterburners and sublight drives to full emergency burn. Break for gauntlet run in five… four… three…”, bracing himself against the bulkhead of the transport’s cockpit, Dace crouched into a combat position, “two… one… mark!” At once, the six Y-4 Transports leapt into an extreme pressure straining acceleration as the vessels jetted down a prescribed route of coordinates towards the mining colony’s docking bays. Clear in view, fires could be seen raging from the gaping wounds left in the colony’s superstructure from the drastic and panicked maneuver executed by the fleeing Victory destroyer.

Notably, fire crews could be seen fighting against the raging onslaught of flames. Suddenly, though in predictable measures, as the ships came into closer proximity with the colony, a hail of ballistics could be seen scorning the at the squadron of approaching invaders.

“All ships, incoming ballistics! Evasive actions!” The anti-aerial batteries atop of the superstructure began a thorough sweep against the oncoming ships, raking missiles into formation, yet due the Raptor’s flight performance, as the Y-4 was commonly known, and the ship’s extensive background in stealth and covert ops, most of the ballistics missed finding their targets.

“Lead! We’ve taken substantial damage! Critical systems down. Engine failure imminent!” A catalytic explosion resounded port of Archon’s transport, jerking the his and the nearby ships in the wave of debris.

“All vessels,” he shouted desperately into the comlink unit, “maintain formation, one hundred meters to go. All crews, prepare for touchdown, repeat! Prepare for touchdown. A nervous chatter went henceforth through the cabin as the ships ducked under the colony’s superstructure, and out from under the storm of fire. Ahead, docking lights marked out the spacious interior of the docking bay, where the five transports quickly docked, their maneuvering thrusters creating an air of mist and steam through the interior, cloaking the troops as they emerged from the nestled bellies of the transports.

The Raptor was capable of carrying a total of forty troops, plus a squadron commander, a full technical crew, and a flight crew. Dace’s contingent of forty jogged ahead from the other regiments; Dace paused at the series of six board cargo entry hatches, leading to the other various departments of the colony.

“First squad, stay back and hold position, cover the transports, if we need to beat a hasty retreat, they’re our tickets out of here. Third squad, your assignment is to get topside and neutralize those anti-aerial batteries port side; Fourth, you’ll take the starboard section. Move out.” The assigned companies left the docking bay with silence and solemnity, leave Dace’ 2nd squad and 5th squad for orders. “Fifth, I want you to help the local damage crews drench those fires. Work cooperatively with the crews, if they don’t want our involvement, then rendezvous with the transports.”

5th squad departed for their goal, Dace turning his attention to his company. “Gentlemen, our job is to pacify the communications center for mining colony. We don’t need word to transmit out from here and alert the rest of Bespin’s Jutraalian security force to our presence on the surface. A detailed analysis taken from the sensor suites aboard the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Blaze<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> indicated a series of air purification ducts leading from generators externally fixed on the colony superstructure throughout the interior of the colony. Two of the ducts lead to the main communications center. We’ll travel through the ducts, and land directly on top of them.”

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> A Few Moments Later[/i]

“Nine, over you’re back! Two guards to our extreme!” Dace ducked behind a collage of computer equipment as several blaster shots whizzed over his head. “Two six niner, can you guys put a few rounds in their direction?”, he asked frantically. The situation had turned out a bit more desperate than Dace anticipated. <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> You would have figured they had cared more to stop those fires than expecting for the communications center to be hit?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> A barrage of friendly blaster fire pounded against a bulkhead where six guards had barricaded themselves and set up a tight defense spot against Archon’s squad.

Five of the guards ducked with impeccable reflexes. One hapless soul took a blaster shot in the head and neck, dropping to the floor with a shuttering flop, his body twitching from a nervous cataclysm. Dace crouched against his shelter, took a peek at the assailants, and lobbed a fragmentation detonite grenade over the barricade. An explosion sent him recoiling for cover, but a split second afterward, he had leapt over his shelter, covered the distance between the opposing armies, and surmised the damage. Three of the combatants had been killed, though two claimed little more than bruises and scratches, but being thoroughly shell-shocked and taken aback from the intensity of the sudden attack.

Sighting Dace, the men took little notice of his presence, as Dace leapt across their barricade and brandished a wicked appearing combat blade, no more than nine inches in length, their attention quickly drew to the figure before them. The nearest man threw himself towards Archon, tackling the operative aggressively to the bulkhead’s floor. Dace sprawled yet managed to keep his balance in a duck and roll maneuver, springing back to his feet in finesse and whipping the knife in a horizontal slash that struck the attacker across the throat.

As his accomplice’s body dropped gasping on the floor, Dace stepped over the dead to his second target. The next man, not being as naïve and brash as his partner had been, crouched defensively throwing his hands into a standard combat stance. Dace reacted similarly and brought himself into an ancient Teras Kasai martial arts posture. The bulky opposition leaped at Dace with a fierce jump kick squaring at his upper torso. Dace matched the attack by dropping to one knee and catching the opponent’s balancing foot and flipping him backwards.

A crash followed after the defensive counterstrike, though the soldier drew himself back to his feet in a pump leap and threw a left hook right jab combo aimed for his abdomen. Dace matched the strike punch for punch, and then countered with left slap to the attackers face, spewing blood from the aching jaw. As the attacker instinctively reached the aching jaw, Dace grabbed him from his back, driving his knee into the assailant’s groin.

A groan echoed through the chamber as his opponent dropped to the ground. Satisfied, Dace wiped a spot of soot from his the corner of his mouth.

“All clear. Nice work people, mission accomplished.”

Hurdling over the broken barricade, Dace rushed to a long/short range transceiver console, plugging an uplink to the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Blaze of Glory’s<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> communications center. Davin Halcyon’s imagery focused into view over the AV terminal, a satisfied and content look on his face.

“Mr. Archon, we weren’t expecting on hearing back from your detachment so soon? Is everything alright?”

Dace grinned wryly. “Ease on the formalities Davin, the job’s almost over.”

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THE END (*sigh* final

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