TTO Episode 4.2

4.2

The Hawken Predator was one of the earlier heavy fighters before they replaced it with the lighter fighters like the Stingers. The Hawken Predators were of the Mistral then but with the Federation of Planets all the crafts were all sent to the scraps. Maybe not all for there was one in front of me then.

The Hawken Predator looked like a bird of prey with the sloping forward double wings and the cockpit which sat on the extended hull from the main unit at the rear. The craft held the three barrel rotary cannons on the tip of the wings and below the cockpit at the extended sloping hull. There was another turret above on the main unit which housed the revolving three barrel rotary cannons. Below the main unit was an array of six missiles launcher that was also on the swivel stand. The cockpit could sit three persons with one as the pilot while the main unit holds enough space for six persons with ample rooms for storage of weapons. The craft was powered by the double engine at the rear. It holds also the jump-light drive which shortened the distance of travel between the galaxies. On the craft was the marking HP-109.

“She was the last unit commissioned.” I recalled then the Hawken Predator had stopped at 109 units. Of the 109 units, only eight five units saw action in the thirty years of use while the others was used for training except 109. It was always the prototype for upgrades.

“We hid her here after the order for de-commissioning. I was the one who re-fit the craft and upgraded the sensors.” Kuzuka continued on while I took to the rear ramp of the craft. It was lowered and I walked in. It was cramp itself with the crates.

“We had it stored the supplies.” Kuzuka smiled while he checked one of the crates. “We also stored some weapons.”

I ignored him and proceeded to the cockpit. I lay my right hand on the pilot seat but did not take the seat. Kuzuka stepped in and then took the co-pilot seat. He smiled at me. I took the cue to accept the invitation and sat at the pilot seat. I hit the switches to turn on the engine. The twin thruster on the engines purred up like a snarling Toberian Tiger. I moved the levels to increase the power with my focus on the system readings. It was good for an archaic machine.

“The sensors were all changed to the new model Xeon IV. It has the ability to go into stealth mode for us. The Federation of Planets fleet were still on the Xeon III except for some of those retrofitted recently which were few. So were the Navigation charts. I had it updated from the Traders’ Post best charter. It held some undeclared places of interests.” Kuzuka gloated on the new fittings. “You may find the craft held some new stuff. I named it the Sweeping Eagle. I doubt any Stinger could pursue the Eagle in the race.”

I called up the sensors and looked at the layout of the Federation of Planets fleet out there. They got the planet well covered with hardly any space for any ships to do an escape without any detection. If I was to do the jump-light, I need to hit out past the planet atmosphere before the ship system will jump. Somehow Kuzuka read my mind.

“The Mitoushi will launch the transporter with four hundred passengers on the eastern side of the planet. It will attract the Frigate there. The Federation of Planets frigate will respond to intercept. It will not shoot first for the craft was a transporter. I know their rules of conflicts.” The man had it all planned. That would have given me the needed gap to do the jump-light. My reservation was that the life’s of four hundred innocent that that may be sacrificed. He did not wait for my next action and called on the communicator to his Mitoushi’ transporter.

“Lima hato o kido shimasu!” The plan was in action then

I saw the transporter appeared on my sensors. It was heading for the atmosphere. I saw three Stingers have locked onto the transporter. The Stingers may intercept at approximately five minutes. The transporter won’t make it to the atmosphere unless there was a miracle.

A miracle I was to perform but the prayers came in a different note.

The transporter had launched an array of four missiles towards the Stingers. Normally the Stingers would have been able to evade the missiles of a typical craft but the ones fitted on the transporter, it was the Sevan V model. They were fast and once locked into the target, the percentage of hit was above ninety percentages. 

I could mimic the Stingers’ responses. They peeled off in different directions with two missiles each on the Stinger’s tails. They will be screaming for assistance then. They have like split seconds to break or die. The assistance came too late. The frigate above had sent their own missiles to hit the pursuing missiles but the Stingers were hit. The transporter was cleared of the Stinger threat. The frigate was next in the path.

The transporter veered off in slight turn to the atmosphere thus creating the gap I needed. It was also split seconds timing then for the other ships may close the gap. I hit the thrusters on the engine on the HP-109. The craft soared up in seconds and then hit the atmosphere. I did not detect any of the ships are in the quadrant there. We may be cleared of the siege. I plotted the jump-light and kicked it in. We have like ten seconds before the calibration get completed.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…

The jump-light calibration had stopped. It was re-calibrating then for there was an obstacle in the part.

A Scimitar ship had appeared in the gap.

Fuck!