"So, what do we do now?"
-"Now we wait."
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+"Now we wait."
+
+==== The Hauler's Last Stand ====
+
+A series of explosions rocked the Hauler from bow to stern, ripping
+through the armor plating and blasting into the interior. Captain
+Funanya Chizoba lurched forward in her command chair on the bridge
+but the restraints kept her from flying out of it. Emergency lights
+flashed on as the lights went out, casting shadows across her face.
+Her heart raced.
+
+"Report!" she barked. The comm officer shook his head silently. "Not
+good. That missile breached the starboard hold," he said. "We're
+venting atmosphere. Damage Control is responding to seal it, but we've
+lost power in sections two through five, and life support's down
+shipwide."
+
+The initial group of fighters had still been several minutes away when
+Chizoba had seen the first explosion. It was a small blast, right on
+the tail of the convoy. The bright flash lit up the window's view, and
+Chizoba saw the shapes of the fighters emerging from the explosion.
+
+She glanced at the tactical display and saw the fighters had launched
+missiles. They'd targeted the closest ship and destroyed it. It also
+reported that the rest of the convoy was accelerating hard. They were
+now trying to escape and get clear of the battle.
+
+The Xẽĩians must have spotted the convoy and thought they'd hit a
+military target, she thought. But the convoy had been civilian.
+
+The pilots must have been confused. Perhaps they hadn't expected
+civilian ships to be armed. Or maybe they didn't know there were
+civilians on board. Either way, the convoy's escorts returned fire.
+Several smaller vessels were also equipped with rail guns and
+assisted. Still, the Hauler's defensive weapons weren't up to the task
+as a cargo ship.
+
+"What are our options?" Chizoba asked.
+
+"Our weapons won't work against those fighters," the sensor operator
+said. "And we can't outrun them."
+
+Chizoba looked to the screen. The fighters were closing rapidly.
+Several lead ships were crippled or destroyed, but most smaller
+vessels were still intact. Several were dropping their cargo and
+starting to accelerate. They were trying to break contact with the
+enemy. Chizoba wanted to do the same; she knew the odds of surviving
+the encounter were slim, especially without power or life support.
+
+"The Chyufõũ̯ is launching another round of fighters," the sensor
+operator reported.
+
+Chizoba cursed under her breath. "Where?"
+
+At the back of the bridge, the sensor operator pressed a few buttons.
+Finally, the display revealed the Hauler and the convoy in the center,
+surrounded by the Chyufõũ̯ and its fighters.
+
+"We have multiple contacts approaching at high speed," she said.
+
+"Holy shit," she whispered.
+
+She looked down at herself, then back to the screen. Her chest armor
+had cracked open during the explosion, and now blood oozed out between
+the buckles. Chizoba took in the entirety of the display and saw they
+had less than ten minutes before the next round of fighters reached
+them. Chizoba bit her lip. The Hauler was heavily damaged, and without
+power, she doubted it would make much difference even if she tried to
+attack.
+
+She turned towards the rear of the bridge and saw the sensor operator
+staring back at her. Blood covered the woman's face, and her left arm
+hung limp at her side. She looked like she was about to faint.
+
+Chizoba scrambled over to her as she fell backward onto the deck,
+hitting her head against the edge of the sensor console behind her.
+Her eyes rolled up into her skull, and she went still. Chizoba knelt
+next to her. She pressed two fingers against her neck, checking for a
+pulse but nothing. "Dammit," she cursed under her breath.
+
+She turned back to the tactical display and saw the fighters
+accelerating towards them from the rear of the convoy. The lead ships
+peeled away toward them. The enemy ships increased their speed in
+response, and one of them was coming right for the Hauler.
+
+Chizoba cursed as another missile slammed into the rear section. This
+time, the explosion was much more significant. The Hauler shuddered
+violently, and her heart skipped a beat. She felt the deck shift
+beneath her feet and looked down to see the fuel line had ruptured.
+Fuel was pouring out onto the deck.
+
+She looked to the front of the bridge and saw the remains of what used
+to be the comm officer's station. It was twisted and bent where it had
+slammed into the wall. Sprawled out amongst the wreckage were several
+bodies. One of them was missing an arm.
+
+Chizoba made her way to the navigator's console, strapped herself in,
+and put the Hauler into a tight turn toward a nearby planet. The
+engines whined loudly, and she felt the G-forces pushing her back. The
+ship rose quickly, then dropped sharply. She steadied it and brought
+the vessel into level flight just as another missile hit the Hauler.
+The sudden movement sent some debris flying, and Chizoba blacked out
+as it hit her.
+
+She woke later, lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Still
+strapped into the chair, her head aching badly.
+
+She tried to move her legs and found she couldn't. Something heavy was
+lying across them. She pushed against the straps holding her in place
+and managed to free one arm. She tugged at the other, and it came
+loose.
+
+The navigator's console trapped her legs beneath its bulk. She
+strained to pull them free without success. "Help me!" she yelled.
+"Someone help me!" but there was no response. She struggled to free
+herself and eventually succeeded after several minutes of working.
+
+Chizoba stood up and stumbled over to the wall, grabbed the emergency
+oxygen cylinder, and twisted the valve. She sucked in the gas and held
+it for several seconds. She felt the pain in her head recede slightly,
+and she drew in another lungful of air. She felt lightheaded and
+dizzy. She dropped back onto the chair and stared at the remains of
+the navigator's console.
+
+She leaned forward and punched the comm. "This is Captain Chizoba. I'm
+alive and unharmed. Anyone still alive, please respond." There was no
+answer. She tried again but still nothing. She knew the odds of
+finding anyone alive were slim.
+
+She stood up, walked over to a window, and looked out. Several of the
+ships were still fighting, but most were gone. Instead, she could see
+the shapes of the fighters circling overhead. They seemed to be
+waiting for something.
+
+"They're not targeting us anymore," Chizoba thought. "It's too late
+for that." She made her way over to the remains of the communications
+station, pausing for a moment to think of all of the years of good
+memories aboard the Hauler. She flipped a transparent plastic cover
+and pressed a button that, in all her years in space, she never
+imagined pressing. Then the alarm to abandon ship began to sound.
+
+She ran to the door, pulling it open. The corridor beyond was filled
+with smoke and debris, reeking of burning plastic and insulation. She
+coughed violently and stumbled forward, heading aft. The smell of
+burnt flesh was overwhelming. Broken equipment and pieces of metal
+littered the area.
+
+She arrived in the shuttle bay. Several bodies lay scattered among the
+wreckage. Some were wearing EVA suits, others not. All of them were
+charred black and twisted grotesquely. Chizoba moved closer to one of
+the larger pieces of debris and saw a hand sticking out from
+underneath. She reached down and pulled it free. It was human-sized
+but mangled beyond recognition. A piece of a suit clung to the skin;
+Chizoba threw it aside and found another body. This one wore an EVA
+suit, but it was torn open, and the helmet had been blown clear.
+Whoever this person was, they were dead.
+
+Chizoba made her way towards the nearest shuttle. She leaped inside
+and started punching buttons. The craft's systems came online, and its
+thrusters fired. The shuttle shot upwards, bouncing off the top of the
+shuttle bay before swinging back down and slamming into the deck.
+
+Chizoba kept firing the thrusters until the shuttle's momentum finally
+carried it out of the shuttle bay. She watched the bay doors close and
+lock. Looking back, the damage to the ship was extreme. It was still
+on course for the planet, but she knew the Hauler would never fly
+again.
+
+She kept the shuttle steady and flew away from the Hauler. Then
+Chizoba looked out the window and saw other shuttles heading away from
+the battle, flying low and fast. A few shuttles were trailing fire and
+smoke, but most were intact. "Everyone follow me!" Chizoba yelled into
+the comm. "We'll regroup at that planet." She looked down at the nav
+screen, tapped the controls and the shuttle banked hard to port in the
+direction of the planet.
+
+A Xẽĩian fighter unexpectedly appeared beneath her. Chizoba pulled
+back on the controls. She heard the sound of a loud boom, and the
+shuttle rocked wildly. She caught a brief glimpse of the hull before
+the shuttle flipped end over end and tumbled out of control. Chizoba
+fought to regain control, but it was hopeless. The shuttle spun
+wildly, and she lost sight of everything outside the windows. Finally,
+she saw the canopy strike something and shatter. Then the shuttle hit
+the ground.
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projects / universe.git / commitdiff