October 2941
Croshaw System
Commander Michael Janowitz forced the flight stick left as hard and fast as he could. The incomming missiles raced passed exploding just ahead of his F7A. News had travelled fast that the BLG - Raging Bull Idris had defected to the Shadow Advocacy. Michael and the rest of his crewmates on board the BLG - Vanguard refused to allow that to happen. The Panther escort carrier's full compliment was out and starting to turn the tide of the battle. Both the Raging Bull and it's sister Javelin Destroyer, the BLG - Pile Driver, were heavily damaged but holding their own. Michael was actually surprised they handn't surrendered already. He watched as another squadron of Gladiator's swooped in delivering it's payload against the destroyer.
Just two systems away, Exective Stormfury was fighting enemy forces for the survival of the Ballistic Logistics base on Spider. No word had come out of the system yet, but they were expecting reinforcements soon.
Suddenly, Warning klaxons went off in his Hornet. "Warning - Missile Lock" The computerized voice screamed.
Punching a few buttons, Michael, turned his attention to the sensors. Unexpectedly, a large fleet of ships had entered the battle. "No IFF Broadcast." He exclaimed.
"Bravo Wing to Vanguard Command," a sense of urgency in this voice was evident.
"Go ahead Bravo Leader," The voice responded. In the background, other voices with urgent shouts could be heard. Apparently the Vanguard had already seen the new comers.
"Bravo Wing requesting instructions. Greatly outnumbered." He peered at the readout where four capital ships were now launching an additional twenty fighters into the mix.
"Bravo Wing, return to the Vanguard for emergency retreat. Over." The comm link shut down. Taking another sharp turn, he evaded the traitorous hornet getting a few shots in on another target. "Bravo Wing, emergency retreat. Get back to the..." Before he could say it, the Vanguard erupted into flames and split in two. Explosions continued to ripple throughout where the Pile Driver apparently had hit its engine room.
"Bravo Wing on me." He formed up the fighters and made towards the Javelin. Additional missile fire from a gladiator wing tore into the Pile Driver. The wing got to close, however and the Javelin's anti-ship missile launchers fired.
The tide of battle had turned and there was no way out of this fight. Taking a quick second say a prayer, he watched as the second gladiator wing approached. Using the distraction, the hornets hit their afterburners and tore at the Javelin's bridge.
The Vanguard was no more and Michael's squadron had no way of surviving this battle. Screaming at the top of his lungs, he gunned it. "DIE TRATOROUS BASTARDS!"
The five hornet's were like mini torpedoes hitting the bridge one after the other and disabling key systems. The Pile Driver wouldn't survive. Michael's sacrifice kicked it off in a direction towards the planetary surface.
Seeing the ship's destruction, the Raging Bull turned towards the new, friendly fleet, and recalled it's fighters. In a matter of minutes, the Idris and her new friends jumped out of the Croshaw System.
Meanwhile over in Cathcart, Matthius Stormfury was pinned behind a set of boxes. The firefight had lasted far longer than he expected but he was currently trapped with no sign of exit or reinforcements.