hottie on the bridge that would be perfect for you,” said Red over the transmitter. Jack, who was busy checking the vector controls of his Star Sword, sighed. Red’s voice was as sly and lusty as ever. “She’s got long auburn hair that is just…”
“Shouldn’t you be paying more attention to your flight path, Red.”
“Hey I’m just trying to help out my buddy,” said Red innocently. “Besides, I can’t have you cramping my image. The best friend of the greatest pilot in the known universe needs to have a hot woman on his arm. But if you’d rather do without my extensive expertise in this area…”
“I would.”
“Have it your way. I’ve got to hand it to Captain Doran, though. Our great leader truly has an eye for beauty. Have you been to the command deck yet? It’s bridge bunny heaven! All that is except our illustrious first officer. Don’t get me wrong, she’s got the looks on the outside, but on the inside she’s an ice cube—a real freezer unit, but you’ve already seen that first hand. Yeah, Jack, one day one day when I’m Captain, I will see to it that I too am surrounded by the most exquisite examples of feminine beauty…”
“Shut up, Red,” came the annoyed voice of Trey Knight. “We’ve got more important things to do than listen to you flap your big mouth and show us what a pompous jackass you are. We just got new orders. There’s a group of ships headed for Titan station. They don’t have ID signals and they’ve not responded to our communications. We’ve been ordered to intercept them. Beta flight’s been launched as well. They’ll be our back up. Now let’s come about. Stay in formation and prepare to hit your boosters We’re going in for a closer look!”
Kaydan spotted the human ships on the view screen.
“Commander! Multiple contacts on course for our ships!”
“What are they?” demanded Akdon.
“The computer is processing the data now.” The map on the screen was replaced by a detailed diagram of a Star Sword fighter. “They appear to be a squad of small fighter craft slightly smaller than our own fighters. Simple maneuvering engines, basic plasma weapons, no energy shield technology of any kind, and each seems to have only one pilot.”
“Did they launch from the moon?” asked Akdon.
“No Commander. They launched from the nearby ship and from the primitive base orbiting the moon. They are not capable of atmospheric flight.”
Akdon smirked.
“Toys. Not as simple as we originally expected but toys none the less. Order our two ships to close on the enemy squadrons but don’t attack them. I want to see if they’ll shoot first.”
The Star Swords were headed at their full speed toward the five Zidian ships.
“Knight to Saratoga come in,” said Trey.
“Go ahead, Commander,” replied Captain Doran.
“I have a good scanner lock on the contacts. They are definitely space craft, but their configuration doesn’t match any pirate ship I’ve ever seen.” Trey stared hard at the scanner image and suddenly a distant memory came to mind. He quickly keyed his mic. “All ships! Arm your plasma cannons! “Captain, remember that mystery ship I encountered years ago at the end of the first battle of Jupiter? I think these ships are the same type.”
“Are you certain, Commander?”
“Captain when one ship takes out your whole squadron in less than two minutes you never forget it!”
“Alright, Trey. I will inform command. I want you to continue towards those ships. We need as much information as we can get, and I want you to make absolutely certain of your ID. Use extreme caution, but do not fire unless fired upon. Understood? If there’s trouble head back this way. We’ll launch every fighter we’ve got to support you. Be advised that Titan base has also launched a squadron.”
“Roger, Captain.” Not that opening fire will do any good. Not one shot got through last time… Trey keyed his mic and signaled Jack and the
“Shouldn’t you be paying more attention to your flight path, Red.”
“Hey I’m just trying to help out my buddy,” said Red innocently. “Besides, I can’t have you cramping my image. The best friend of the greatest pilot in the known universe needs to have a hot woman on his arm. But if you’d rather do without my extensive expertise in this area…”
“I would.”
“Have it your way. I’ve got to hand it to Captain Doran, though. Our great leader truly has an eye for beauty. Have you been to the command deck yet? It’s bridge bunny heaven! All that is except our illustrious first officer. Don’t get me wrong, she’s got the looks on the outside, but on the inside she’s an ice cube—a real freezer unit, but you’ve already seen that first hand. Yeah, Jack, one day one day when I’m Captain, I will see to it that I too am surrounded by the most exquisite examples of feminine beauty…”
“Shut up, Red,” came the annoyed voice of Trey Knight. “We’ve got more important things to do than listen to you flap your big mouth and show us what a pompous jackass you are. We just got new orders. There’s a group of ships headed for Titan station. They don’t have ID signals and they’ve not responded to our communications. We’ve been ordered to intercept them. Beta flight’s been launched as well. They’ll be our back up. Now let’s come about. Stay in formation and prepare to hit your boosters We’re going in for a closer look!”
Kaydan spotted the human ships on the view screen.
“Commander! Multiple contacts on course for our ships!”
“What are they?” demanded Akdon.
“The computer is processing the data now.” The map on the screen was replaced by a detailed diagram of a Star Sword fighter. “They appear to be a squad of small fighter craft slightly smaller than our own fighters. Simple maneuvering engines, basic plasma weapons, no energy shield technology of any kind, and each seems to have only one pilot.”
“Did they launch from the moon?” asked Akdon.
“No Commander. They launched from the nearby ship and from the primitive base orbiting the moon. They are not capable of atmospheric flight.”
Akdon smirked.
“Toys. Not as simple as we originally expected but toys none the less. Order our two ships to close on the enemy squadrons but don’t attack them. I want to see if they’ll shoot first.”
The Star Swords were headed at their full speed toward the five Zidian ships.
“Knight to Saratoga come in,” said Trey.
“Go ahead, Commander,” replied Captain Doran.
“I have a good scanner lock on the contacts. They are definitely space craft, but their configuration doesn’t match any pirate ship I’ve ever seen.” Trey stared hard at the scanner image and suddenly a distant memory came to mind. He quickly keyed his mic. “All ships! Arm your plasma cannons! “Captain, remember that mystery ship I encountered years ago at the end of the first battle of Jupiter? I think these ships are the same type.”
“Are you certain, Commander?”
“Captain when one ship takes out your whole squadron in less than two minutes you never forget it!”
“Alright, Trey. I will inform command. I want you to continue towards those ships. We need as much information as we can get, and I want you to make absolutely certain of your ID. Use extreme caution, but do not fire unless fired upon. Understood? If there’s trouble head back this way. We’ll launch every fighter we’ve got to support you. Be advised that Titan base has also launched a squadron.”
“Roger, Captain.” Not that opening fire will do any good. Not one shot got through last time… Trey keyed his mic and signaled Jack and the
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