TTO Episode 4.4

4.4

Captain Noruka clenched his teeth with his focus on the sensors. The frigate was on their tail and its weapons were armed. He was with only four missiles left since the last attack on the Stingers. He looked to his crews of five and looked away with a forlorn expression. He has a heavier load on his mind; to be exact it was four hundred ordinary folks who were given the promise of escape here. When he heard the order to launch, he had taken it with the intention to escape. Later he was to know that he was the diverting factor for the First Shugo, Kuzuka Mitoushi.

Lies! The First Shugo himself will sacrifice all of them for the House.

Or whatever the House may dictate in their fate.

“Captain, we have the frigate in our flank. There is also another craft in pursuit.” Navigator Miko was his second in command. “It’s a …. Hawken Predator.”

The Captain was surprised to hear of the Hawken Predator. He had not seen one in real but the vids on the Ancient Times Cable did run a series on the infamous fighter. If the Hawken Predator was on their side, there may be hope in escape.

“Give me maximum speed, Engineer. We will make a run for it.” Captain Noruka called out. “I want the jump-light calibrated. Plot for the Grecian System.”

Miko at the controls punched in the codes for the jump-light but the system kept on rejecting the codes. She was getting frantic and then realised the mistake. She reached for the override switch and re-keyed in the codes.

The jump-light controls lit up.

“Captain, I need ten seconds to countdown.” Miko reported back.

On the frigate Shield IV, Captain Franken smoothed his hair to the back of his head. He had no head gear on but his uniform similar to the senior officers but his was bare of the shoulder lapels. Instead he has the red ribbons sewn on the sleeves. He saw the printout on the screens that indicated the transporter was going to make a jump-light.

“Fire at their engines. I want the transporter disabled.” Captain Franken called out his order. The crews below deck calibrated the cannons. They got the transporter sighted and then the cannons roared out. The two cannon blasts tore into the transporter hull and damaged the engine. The ship was disabled.

At that moment, I was calibrating my own missiles for an attack on the frigate. It was a surprise move when I lined the Hawken behind the frigate by using the Xeon IV stealth cover. I fired off two missiles from the wing tips and hit the frigate in its rear engines. The missiles exploded there and caused the frigate to veer off course. I then gunned the engines to catch up with the transporter.

“This is Edo Harashi of HP-109. Please confirm your status.” I called on the communicator. I saw the rear engines were damaged and the transporter may be on auxiliary engine for its speed. With that, it was dead target for the frigate or the incoming Scimitar.

“Captain Noruka of the Heron II. We are on the auxiliary power now. We lost the main engine just now.”

“Confirmed on your message. We will try to protect you.” I replied back but the Captain was not accepting my request.

“Negative, HP-109. Proceed to escape. The Mitoushi House cannot be without its Shuga. We will do what is needed. Honor in death is our duty for the House.” Captain Noruka quoted the oath of loyalty to the House. I switched the communicator to Kuzuka.

“Kuzuka, stop them.” I shouted to the man in the turret. “We can still make it.”

Kuzuka did not reply and it was then I felt the HP-109 went into the intial jump-light preparations. It was a split second move before we took the jump. I tried to get up but the craft have jumped then. I wanted to get out of the seat but it was difficult for the pilot was needed to monitor the jump-light readings. If there are any alarms, I have split seconds to adjust for it. I could not move but my tears moved downwards from my eyes.

On the Heron III, the Captain armed the remaining missiles and aimed it at crippled frigate. He pressed the trigger and then watched the four Selvan IV missiles flew towards the frigate. He did not get to see the results for the Scimitar had trained its main cannons on the transporter.

“Fire!” Commander Hoffman called out. Within split seconds the transporter exploded in the void of space. The transporter missiles however failed to damage the frigate when it hit the protective shields put up by the frigate.

On the HP-109, I felt the hand on my shoulder. It was Kuzuka.

“My loyal servants knew their places. We need to get away for if the war is to end, we need to be the victors.” Kuzuka tried to reassure me. “I am sad for my family was on that transporter too. It was a q quick death than to serve in the salt mines of Frugal.”

I nodded to his explanation. Then I asked him on our journey.

“We are going to look for disciple of Grand Knowledge Master Seldon in the Grecian System.”  Kuzuka told me. “They will know what is needed to do for the next thousand years of peace to reign once more.”