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So It Begins
d’Ka and Chirakis

 

USS Missouri dropped from warp. Behind her, Missouri’s fighters broke formation and banked into attack position against the Alien Alliance ships that came in swift pursuit. The aliens’ sixteen ships of differing configuration and her fifty fighters looked more like a motley collection from a criminal syndicate than an alliance of governments. Then again, the true nature of the alliance had yet to be determined, so that had not been ruled out. Syndicate or not, they were determined to attack; Aegis was prepared to defend.

A few minutes before, Captain Chirakis had exited the bay in Drakkor. Her Combat Systems Officer, Captain Je’rit d’Ka, was one of the few who knew Drakkor’s systems well enough for expert manipulation. Behind Drakkor came an assortment of fighters, perhaps as strange looking as the ships of the Alien Alliance. A few came from off-duty squadron pilots whose Typhoons had been there for routine maintenance. The rest? Suffice to say it was an interesting mix.

Their pilots were semi-retired, for no seasoned pilot ever truly retires. Some had logged well over 100,000 hours during their tenures and had continued to pilot after retirement, either for profit or for enjoyment. The hug of the seat as it supported your every move, the thrill of acceleration, and the adrenaline rush of engagement were not easily left behind. A few, having missed the daily routine and the camaraderie, had even continued to work in maintenance, a definite plus as far as Bay Chief Basser was concerned.

Working around the clock since Byron disappeared, Fighter Bay Chief Basser had managed to repair and refit a squadron of mixed configuration—a few Peregrines left over from the Cardassian war, two prototype Pathfinders and their test pilots, a Nighthawk and pilot that had been stranded when Aegis went on lockdown, and a privately owned vintage Federation Attack Fighter, appropriately named the Aardvark.

Owned by a retired Starfleet pilot turned wealthy entrepreneur, the Aardvark was equipped with the most advanced propulsion system and technology while the spacecraft’s vintage hull and interior had been painstakingly restored to its original appearance. The Federation Attack Fighter had raised a few eyebrows and generated quite a stir when it first arrived, but the tables turned when it became a valuable asset to Aegis’ defense.

At Captain Ramson’s order, the squadron formed up in Delta-2 formation, Drakkor and Commander Coleridge in a Typhoon on lead. Kirel engaged her helmet’s heads up display and inhaled deeply.

“An interesting mix of ships,” she said absently. “Theirs, not ours, although ours are also interesting. Readings?”

“An array of armaments,” mused d’Ka, thoroughly sweeping the aliens’ attempt at formation. “A few that could give us problems, most below our level of weaponry, but their shielding is adequate. I would not discount their capability.”

“And our forces?”

“Two Aegean-class starships, Aegean, the frigate Tsinghua, Missouri with her 64 fighters, and our 16.” A tap on his screen brought a tactical diagnosis. “And… it seems we are almost evenly matched, with the odds in their favor.”

Kirel tossed him a questioning glance.

Missouri’s fighters are mainly for frontier patrol and containment, Keann-aí,”* he said, maintaining a professional tone. “The three flights of P-70B Peacekeepers have only defensive armaments. Though they can hold their own in ordinary combat, they may not hold their own in this battle. Missouri has but one flight of A-85 Crusaders, heavily armed and highly maneuverable. Tsinghua is heavily armed, as are the Aegeans. Sensors calculate that, though we outnumber them in fighters, they outnumber us in starships and capability.” He left off, the rest obvious.

“Then,” she replied cautiously, “let us make the most of it,” and engaged the comm. “Aegis Charlie flight, take flank position with Missouri and fire at will.”

______________
Keann-aí - Captain

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