It was morning, I knew this because I had spent the entire night composing my final words to my friends knowing full well I would not survive what was about to transpire even though my pod was supposedly backed up the station to which it was secured in was destroyed several weeks back by the Sansha, I hadn't been able to bring myself to tell the guys we had all gone into this knowing what ever happened we'd all walk away with or without a ship telling them this would put a crushing blow on an otherwise already precarious plan we had in the works and I had finally got hold of good Intel on when the next attack would be.
The Horkkisen system that was home to several billion inhabitants on the planet side, and millions of interspace colonists working the asteroids. This was where it was meant to go down. I got onto Aura and messaged the guys, "Times come people lets fire it up. Destination is Mara. No holds barred. Bring everything. When the cyno's lit all hell will break loose. Good luck... And fly safe."
I was sweating as I made down the dark corridors of my ship, The Serenity. She was my life line in this the one thing that could survive long enough to bring in the cavalry and save the system. State of the art tech III cruiser with a defensive system that could match anything they could field it was so advanced that only highly skilled pilots could utilize them effectively. She was outfitted with the most expensive modules a pod pilot could buy off the black market and some sent to me by friends I had recently made within the darker side of Eve. While staring at one of the viewing screens scattered about the ship at the bleak desolate void that is the space I reside in alarm's started sounding off throughout the ship sending my head spinning from the noise it was like a vast wave of thunder that near crippled the senses if one hadn't spent years listening to it often. This only meant one thing... They had come.
"Captain!!!! Multiple contacts landing just outside orbit of Horkkisen 4 more than we expected" Lorenzo bellowed down the comms.
"I know I can see them, Prep the Cynosaural field we're going in."
"Aye captain! And Rand?"
"Yes?"
"Been fun flying with you"
"You too... Old friend."
Lorenzo was under no illusions... He wasn't a pod pilot and he knew as well as the rest of the crew they were not walking away from this. Lights started slamming on up the corridor as I ran towards the pod to take control of the ship's functions sliding in I felt the pod fill with its Nano tech fluids and the control nodes plug them selves into my body, Figures started coming in on all the viewing screens in my neural matrix. Everything told me we were going to die and to stay away, but I made a promise and I intended to keep it. I fired up the engines and through Serenity into warp for the final time hoping all the while that everyone else would stick to their promise as well.
Comms channels started popping up as the warp tunnel enclosed my ship. "Counter, Dusty are you guys ready? There’s a lot riding on this"
"Counter here. Dustys MIA at the moment no one's been able to contact him since 2 months ago, He left you a message to give you when the time came... He said he'll be there when you need him most. Fuck knows what he means by that? We need that scrawny son of a bitch now!"
"God dammit... what about the miners he was bringing in?"
"There here... 790 Ships total, Plus 1278 from the Pirate factions. Mostly battleships with a lot of logistics, ewar etc. you know the score along with 2 divisions of carriers." Counter seemed calmer than normal none of his boisterous flare was there... Just a cold hard calculating mind and I could feel it in his voice he knew the odds were not good.
"We're up against over 4000 enemy vessels my friend; I count 900 capital class ships with Super capital support." Counter must have sensed my melancholy mood, "Cheer up Randy, We're about to do what no other muppet in this god forsaken ass end of space has done... We've united all the Pirate factions and the miners and we're all about to go on an all-out explosive suicide mission against some clone faggot army that not even concord could handle... I'd say regardless of who wins we won't be forgotten in a hurry. Now let’s get these fleets morale up! Aura patch me through to the fleet!"
Patching.... Please hold.... Fleet connected.
"Right you lot... We have planets down here with wives... children... brothers... dogs... family members and loved ones you'd rather not have the wife find out about, And they are about to be killed, raped or processed into these slaves. This is our space... our lives... OUR FRIENDS! Let’s go and show them what happens when you throw down the gauntlet to a fleet commanding some of the most ingenious inventors and ruthless pirates..... Let’s fucking hot drop them son of a bitchs!"
The screams and shouts over the comms was deafening... as my ship pulled out of warp I landed about 10km off the main battle formation the enemy had established around the orbit of the planet.
"JUMP IN 5s!" I screamed over comms.
A green light went on my heads up display and I felt the mental connection with the ships Cyno field ignite.
"JUMP JUMP JUMP!!! ALL SHIPS GO GO GO!"
There was an almighty BOOM! As the fleet was pulled out of compressed space and landed around me.
"Target that super. FIRE!"
The noise from the first volley of missiles and guns was astounding our tacklers were zipping through the ranks grabbing everything they could, I saw counters Maelstrom zip past my currently stationery ship towards the fray our fleet was committed now. Explosions rattled me out of my daze.
"Captain! We're being targeted by most of the enemy fleet... Logistics can't keep up for long. They estimate capacitor instability in 5 minutes.... I'll get all the juice I can out of our own defences but I don't think we'll be seeing the end of this... Sorry Rand."
I didn't bother replying, Instead I watched helplessly as my friends and enemy’s alike were torn apart like nothing more than paper bags, our fleet was losing we had already sustained 20% loss's and the enemy 10% we won’t be able to win this without a miracle... they are just too powerful.
Another explosion made me swing the camera drones round... A massive ship bigger than anything I had ever seen had appeared on the battlefield. "Your end is near... Your worlds are mine... You brought with you the only force capable of stopping us for me to destroy. How kind. Good bye pilot." The voice that had plagued my dreams for so many years had in fact manipulated me into bringing all the pilots in new Eden under one banner just so he could wipe us out! Mid-thought a great beam of dark energy smashed its way into the carrier ranks and obliterated all of them in a single hit... Without logistics we were as good as dead... And as if to confirm this fact our ships started dying left right and centre. We had lost.
"Warning, Warning Armor depleted"
Once again I was back where I started in a ship... with no hope and this time counter wasn't coming to save me. A couple more hit's and I'd be floating debris; It was a good ending for my life to be able to die on the field with my friends. I closed my eyes and waited for the final volley.
"Impact in....5.....4.....3......2.....”
"Subspace Anomaly Detected"
"Unknown Entity"
"Unknown Origin"
"Multiple targets have just left subspace" The computer was trying hard to keep up with the information pouring in through what remained of the ships systems.
I opened my eyes and saw a bright light engulf my ship and a noise that shattered apart even the fight on the battlefield. Surrounding my ship in a Phalanx formation was the most majestic sight I would ever lay my eyes on in my entire career. As my ship was engulfed by thousands of repair beams I was tractored towards the lead vessel an Erebus class Titan, Which in turn was surrounded by several thousand titans ranging from all the factions.
My pod was removed and transported to the bridge as shocks hit the massive ship’s hull. I released the catch and dropped out spluttering and coughing up the liquid that kept me alive.
"You look like shit Rand"
It was Dusty's voice... I looked up and there he was in jeans and a t-shirt. I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
"Hahahhahahahha, you wore jeans to a fucking war?"
"There comfy... so what? Sorry I've been out of the loop... I just didn't want anyone to know about my little um... Project...."
"Little? Little? This is not little my friend... This is just... wow, I have to ask why aren’t we firing back?" I chocked back another laugh.
"You are the fleet captain, I figured I'd pass control over to you... for a little while anyway" Dusty winked at me while handing me the comms unit.
"Hey guys its Rand... Dusty bought some friends... What say we hand out that ass whopping about now?"
"Sounds like a plan I wonder how many we can take out at once." Counter said.
"Beats me... Let’s try it and find out, this is you're captain speaking! Pick a ship and fire at will"
A chorus of recognition rang through the comms... "Doom's day device ready... Target automation on. Firing"
A great whirring sound filled up the ships interior with a loud ringing noise and then like the heavens opening up it released a massive black bolt of energy at the enemy fleet shearing through their ships, explosions erupted throughout the entire enemy fleets ranks as titan after titan released its specialty weapon upon the enemy. Once the last shot had dissipated 90% of the remaining enemy force had been destroyed.
"All ships target that enemy titan. FIRE"
"This is not the end!" A shill scream echoed throughout my mind.
"Fuck you ass hole" I echoed back as the song of thousands of turrets sang its way through the heavens and obliterated the enemy titan.
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