The last ship left the planets atmosphere, the ship containing the son of the head of the council and his two most trusted friends. They had to remain awake until the ships were well out of the range of the Imperial forces. They looked at the viewscreen of their ship; The Ranthar.
The son of the council leader spoke first.
"Let us all swear to return
to our homeland. For one day, we shall return. All of us."
"Yes, I swear it." Answered the other. He had a look in his eye to make
the bravest man turn away. "And what of you Narayan?"
"Leave me be Drekken, for my parting was hard from my family."
"How dare you sit there and tell us how hard your parting was! Do you not
think we all suffered? Swear to avenge them, do them that honour."
"It pains me to hear you both speak of them as if they are already dead."
The first speaker said. "Our fathers have the force. They have hope yet."
The other two looked down at their feet, in their own thoughts. After a
time, Drekken replied;
"I wish I had your faith Culexus. I apologise for my rash words. But
whatever the result, we shall return, I swear it."
"And I with you." Said Narayan, looking up. "May any who stand in our
way Quake with fear!"
"It is well spoken. Now, the system check my friends please."
The young men took their positions on the bridge.
"Computers from all ships say all systems check." Said Narayan from comms.
"We ourself are running at 98% efficiency, it appears we have extra
weight on board." Drekken reported.
"Extra weight?" Asked Culexus. "Where?"
"Cargo hold 2. Weapons storage."
"OK, lets finish up here and go check it out. Drekken, how long before
we are beyond any possible chance of Imperial persuit?"
"Not for another 4 hours..." Came the reply.
"Then let us make haste." Said Narayan. "For if we have unwanted guests
aboard, I would like to be rid of them before we enter safe territory."
"I agree," Said Culexus. "Let's make it quick, but don't overlook
anything."
About 20 minutes went past. The Ranthar was running perfectly, if it wasn't
for the extra weight.
"A record time!" Grinned Drekken. "Now, I've done a sweep of Bay 2, and
there are no life forms. And no movement."
They walked along the long corridor to the Cargo bays, boots clanking on
the metal grilles that adorned the floor. They went past bay 1.
"Bay 2." Said Culexus. "Lets see what surprise is in store."
The door opened with a hiss of steam. They all stepped through the doorway,
looking around the room. Eventually, they all focused their gazes on one
thing, mouths open in shock. Drekken broke first.
"Hahahahahaaa! I don't believe it! The little turds... wait until I
get my hands on them..."
Narayan sat in the corner, giggleing. Culexus, waving his hand in front of his nose,
walked over to the trips supply of compost and horse dung, strewn over
the deck, piled up to the ceiling, in the place where a crate of blasters
should have been.
"Little gits. Still, wait until they come out of deep sleep and find
the worms and maggots I put in there with them eh?" That was enough for
all of them. Breaking down into hysterical laughter, they rolled over the deck,
being careful not to roll onto something squishy.
Drekken sat up, tears in his eyes. "Maggots?!" he said quickly. Culexus
nodded. He stood up, wiping his left eye. "Ah, but that's funny. Now,
I think we had better-" He was cut off by the ships computer;
"IMPERIAL SHIPS DETECTED, WEAPONS RANGE IN FOUR MINUTES." As the look of
shock passed over all their faces, Culexus caught a last glimpse
of Dominius through a window, star destroyers orbiting it.
"My God, Let's move!" Shouted Culexus. "We are the only ship
with anyone awake on it! Computer, how many ships in pursuit?"
"SENSORS INDICATE 4 TIE INTERCEPTORS. WEAPONS RANGE IN 3 MINUTES 30
SECONDS."
They thundered up the corridor towards the bridge, Culexus flung himself
into the conn, Drekken ran up to Weapons control, and Narayan up to
fleet communications.
"ETA until enemy is in weapons range?" Culexus shouted.
"3 minutes and 10!" Drekken replied. He began to charge the ships laser
batteries, but unfortunately, the Ranthar was no warship. And he knew
it. He began to sweat.
"Narayan, send all ships without weapons to 130% efficiency, this
is what the extra fuel was for. Bring the Rest back with us, formation
95!" Culexus swung his chair around facing the viewscreen, touching
a few buttons, he turned the viewscreen on their pursuers.
"Bastards!" He shouted. "Computer, when armed fleet is in formation, give
me manual. All ships to match my flight path."
"AFFIRMATIVE CULEXUS."
"Narayan, go to remote piloting, take control of the Tigris and break
formation on my command, get behind them and give em hell!"
"Count on it!" He dashed down the corridor.
"Let's do this Drekken, we got 15 ships, all armed."
"We only got two pilots."
"But we got the best gunner on Dominius, that'd be you pal."
Drekken grinned. "Yeah, and the rest. Weapons armed!"
"FLEET FORMATION COMPLETE. MANUAL CONTROL ACTIVATED. ENEMY IN WEAPONS
RANGE IN 50 SECONDS."
Culexus swung his chair back to flight position. "Pilot down!" He shouted.
His seat sunk into the floor, rotating as it wen't, into the transparent
pilot section below. "Im locked in Drek. I want every shot to count."
"They will, oh they will," Drekken buzzed on the intercom. "25 secs to W
range."
"Narayan! You ready?" Culexus asked.
"For anything the Empires got and more!" Came the reply.
"Just what I was thinking..." Culexus muttered as he flicked down
his radar eyepiece. "It's time to open a fresh can of whoopass."
"Ten seconds!"
"Five!"
"THREE!" Drekken sounded worried. Culexus shifted his grip on the flight
stick.
"ONE!"
Culexus wrenched on the flight stick, sending the formation up and left,
rolling to the side, the first volley of laser fire dissapearing underneath them.
He saw in his radar 3 of the TIE's matching his course. The fourth was
after the undefended ships.
"Nar!" He shouted as he changed course quickly. "Kill that loner son of a
bitch!" The Tigris broke formation on the apex of another course change,
and thundered after the TIE interceptor, coming up behind it. But Culexus
had other things to watch. Pulling down on the throttle hard he slowed the
formation, as he pulled back on the control stick, the entire formation
swept up as the TIE's flew underneath. In an incredibly tight loop,
the formation was back at full speed behind the TIE's. Two of them broke left, the other
right. "Sick 'im Drex!"
The firepower of 15 ships chased the lone TIE until it exploded in a
wonderfully graphic kind of way.
"YEHAA!" screamed an exited Drekken. Culexus smiled.
Following the two TIE'S now, they split again, one going up, the other
down. Culexus muttered something, manouvered down, then said; "Nar?! Status?"
"I can't catch him! He's gonna reach the fleet! They're all asleep in there,
helpless!" He sounded in real panic.
"Get ahold of yourself for them and me! Just kill him first, and as quick as possible!
then get back here, I might need you." A more composed voice replied;
"He's dead already, he just don't know it yet."
Culexus concentrated. The second TIE was starting to get behind him. He had
to take out this one in front, and fast. It dodged left and then right,
as Drekken tried to blast him out of the sky. The TIE behind the formation
took out the ship closest to the rear. Culexus winced and shook his head
in sorrow. He looked up again as the TIE in front of him blew up.
Flying through the remants of the explosion, he gritted his teeth as another
formation ship was destroyed. He had to keep it together. Rolling
over and pulling up, the formation went down sharply, after a few seconds,
the TIE matched the manouver. Culexus took the formation in a left feint,
then turned sharply right. He set his face grimly as the TIE fell into
the trap and continued left. Culexus manouvered behind him.
"Die you Imperial piece of shit!" He screamed as Drekken blew him away.
Trying not to think about his friends in the ships that were destroyed,
he kept his head and thrust the throttle into overdrive, steering a
course towards the distant laser fire, tears dripping down his face. Eyes
dead and lifeless.
GO BACK TO THE LEGENDS INDEX
ARE YOU KIDDING!? WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!?!?