บท 9: Chapter 9: Into the Fray
The forward squad flew in silence, the hum of their ships barely audible against the vast, endless void. Rhys kept his hands steady on the controls, eyes fixed on the scanner as they navigated through the outer reaches of space, deep in Necrolythian territory. Team Alpha, Team Beta, and Team Gamma—Rhys and Jax—were tasked with tracking down the Necrolythian forces, gathering intelligence to assess the size and strength of their regrouping fleet.
"We're getting close," Jax said, his fingers dancing over the console. "Scanner's picking up something."
"Let's hope it's not another Titan," Rhys muttered, his jaw clenched. The memory of the last battle, the destruction of the space station, still weighed heavily on his mind.
They didn't have to wait long for confirmation. Ahead of them, scattered across the void, was a large Necrolythian fleet. The ships were regrouping, moving in organized formations—a chilling sign that they weren't retreating for good. It was a temporary fallback, a reset for an even bigger assault.
"Holy… look at the size of them," Jax whispered, his voice tinged with awe and fear. Several Necrolythian cutters and auxiliary craft drifted near a central ship, all bristling with weapons. It was only a matter of time before they noticed the forward squad's presence.
The comms crackled to life. "We need to get out of here. Now," Captain Jack from Team Beta said urgently. "We've got what we need. It's time to jump to hyperspace."
Before Rhys could respond, Jax's voice cut through. "Wait! Bad idea. If we jump now, they'll track us."
"What are you talking about?" Jack replied, irritation creeping into his voice. "We don't have time to wait."
"If we jump now, they'll pick up our hyperspace signatures and track us back to the space station," Jax explained, his hands tightening on the controls. "The station's coordinates were moved after the last battle. If they trace us, they'll know the new location."
Silence hung over the comms for a moment as the realization sank in. If they led the Necrolythians straight to the newly relocated station, it would spell disaster for the Federation forces stationed there.
"Then what the hell do we do?" one of Team Alpha's members growled. "We can't just sit here and wait to get blown apart."
"We split up," Rhys said, his voice steady despite the tension coiling in his chest. "We fly far enough out so they can't track us when we make the jump. Scatter and go dark."
"Agreed," Jack said over the comms, his tone clipped. "Everyone break off in different directions. Go as far as you can, then jump."
Without another word, the forward squad broke formation, each ship peeling off into the vast emptiness of space. Rhys and Jax veered left, their ship's experimental propulsion system humming quietly, pushing them into the blackness at dizzying speeds. The others scattered, quickly disappearing from view.
But the Necrolythians weren't going to let them escape so easily.
"Contacts incoming!" Jax shouted, eyes wide as multiple red blips appeared on the scanner. Necrolythian auxiliary and cutter crafts were closing in fast, tracking the squad as they split apart.
"Here they come," Rhys muttered, gripping the controls tighter.
Laser beams streaked through the void, lighting up the blackness with deadly precision. The squad was quickly swarmed by enemy fire, each ship trying to dodge and outmaneuver the Necrolythian crafts. Rhys spun the ship, narrowly avoiding a barrage of lasers that would have torn them apart.
"Team Alpha, what's your status?" Rhys called over the comms, weaving through the chaos.
"We're taking heavy fire," came the strained reply. "Shields are holding, but—"
A deafening explosion cut off the transmission. Rhys's heart skipped a beat as he scanned the distance, spotting Team Alpha's ship spiraling out of control, smoke and debris trailing behind it.
"Damn it!" Jax shouted, his hands flying over the controls. "They've been hit! They're dead in the water!"
Rhys's instincts screamed at him to keep moving, to get as far away as possible. That was how he had always survived—by running. But something was different this time. Maybe it was the weight of the last battle, the guilt of the lives lost on the station. Maybe it was Jax's frantic expression, pleading with him.
"We have to go back!" Jax shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "We can't just leave them!"
Rhys hesitated, his mind racing. Every rational part of him knew they should run, but something inside him rebelled against the idea. He wasn't a hero, but leaving Team Alpha to die like this felt wrong.
"Damn it!" Rhys screamed, swinging the ship around.
The ship banked sharply, heading straight back toward Team Alpha's wrecked craft. Several Necrolythian cutters closed in, their weapons locking onto the disabled vessel. Rhys pushed the propulsion system to its limit, the ship shooting forward faster than the enemy could react. Laser fire zipped past them, but they dodged and weaved, the experimental propulsion system saving them from certain death multiple times.
"They are sitting ducks!" Jax said through gritted teeth, firing back at the enemy ships.
"We just have to stall for time!" Rhys growled, spinning the ship to avoid another volley of fire.
As they engaged the Necrolythian cutters, Team Alpha worked frantically to repair their crippled ship. The enemy forces swarmed them, but Rhys and Jax held them off as best they could, their new propulsion system giving them the edge they needed to stay alive.
"We've got power back!" Team Alpha's voice crackled over the comms. "We're moving!"
Rhys grinned, his knuckles white on the controls. "Good. Get the hell out of here."
Team Alpha's ship lurched forward, zipping through space as they made their escape. Rhys let out a breath of relief. But as soon as Team Alpha jumped to hyperspace, Rhys knew their troubles weren't over.
"We're not out of this yet," Jax said grimly, his eyes glued to the scanner.
The Necrolythians had turned their full attention to them. The remaining enemy ships closed in, surrounding them in a deadly dance of laser fire and maneuvers. Despite Rhys's best efforts, a precise shot from one of the Necrolythian cutters struck their wing.
"Damn it!" Rhys cursed, struggling to keep control as alarms blared throughout the cockpit.
"We've lost a wing! We won't be able to fly properly!" Jax shouted, frantically tapping at the console.
Rhys gritted his teeth, his mind racing as the ship sputtered and slowed. The Necrolythians closed in, their ships looming large on the scanners. They had no way out. They were trapped.
"Rhys…" Jax's voice was tense, his hands trembling as he looked at the incoming enemy ships. "They're boarding us."
Rhys didn't respond, his jaw clenched tightly as the reality of their situation sank in. The ship had been disabled, and there was no escape. The Necrolythians had them.
The last thing Rhys saw before the cockpit filled with the harsh red lights of the enemy boarding craft was the Necrolythian ships, dark and foreboding, preparing to take them.
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