The situation was not all in Vain.....
I will let you choose between the following 2 stories.
PNN is now transmissing live from the funeral of Captain Vainglory II - The flight leader of the 34th Squadron "Swordsmen" who was wiped out be enemy action in the Gliese 1 system. Captain Pyotr Taiisatai Rurikovich is making the speech on behalf of the navy as Captain Vainglory II's commanding officer
PTR - Humanity has a new hero. There is no other or better way of putting it. And that hero is Captain Vainglory II.
After leading 2 strikes against the hates Kox and sweeping all enemies before our fighters the Fleet discovered 2 additional targets upon Gliese 1-A II. Since these 2 were stationary, Vice Admiral OrangeYoshi decided to hold the fleet at 250 mio. km distance while sending in a single fighter squadron to investigate the capabilities. The Vice Admiral would not order anyone to undertake this mission, but he did not need to because all our fighter pilots wanted to go.
Captain Vainglory II clearly indicated that if any of his pilots were to fly to their doom, he wanted to be among them. To share the danger with them. To die with them, if need be. Such Honor could not be taken from Captain Vainglory II. Commander Devin Perry, CO of the Fighter Wing, wanted to go with the Captain, but 1 of them had to remain to lead the 35th Squadron if anything happened to the 34th.
During the approach and still 5 mio. km. outside range, the first fighter is destroyed by a massive barrage from the Kox. Only Planetary Defence Centers would be able to launch massive salvos of 44 missiles against fighters. And they did - 44 missiles against each fighter in Captain Vainglory II's squadron. When this happened Captain Vainglory II never hesitated. He ordered all fighters to evasive maneuver but also to close the range and launch their own missiles. Captain Vainglory II was the third to die and no fighter reached the range. Yet no fighter hesitated. No fighter turned back. They all attempted to complete the mission they set out upon. And as such the Fighter Community has a new standard against which to measure themselves.
I am proud of having commanded the carrier supporting such a Hero. I am proud of having known him. And I am proud of saying, that we will be back! We will avenge the deaths of the SC Henry Hudson and Commodore Boris ze Spider as well as the deaths of Captain Vainglory II and the 34th Squadron!!!!
At this time, the camera turns to the sky and 5 F2-Lucifers thunders overhead. As they pass the crowd, the center fighter pulls up and streaks towards space, The Missing Man, a final salute from the fighter community to it's lost comrades......
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CV Blue Emu, December 28th 2052. Flag Bridge.
"Admiral, we are picking up something, but I'm not entirely certain what it is." Vice Admiral OrangeYoshi turns from his discussion with Rear Admiral Randakar and faces the sensor tech. "What do you mean with strange?" He demands.
"I have no idea at this point. It's moving to slow to be a fighter, but to fast to be anything else. At least of our manufactury." The sensor tech responded. "Yet, if it is a Kox, it is a lot smaller than what we've seen. And it is behaving oddly. Almost like it was a training session from a completely new pilot. At the moment distance is 140 mio. km."
"Launch a Fighter Squadron and bring the Task Force to hightened readiness" Vice Admiral OrangeYoshi orders and Rear Admiral Randakar swiftly relays the orders.
2 hours later
"Silver Leader to Barn - Do you read over?" Commander Devin Perry had taken the squadron out himself to get away from the ship and the empty bunks of so many friends. It had been almost 3 months since the battle of Gliese 1 and the Task Force was protecting the massive Jump Gate Construction Ship JCS Connector which was their only way home. However it would still be some months and Perry wanted as much time away from the Carrier as he could.
"Silver Lead this is Blue One actual reading you two by five. Be advised that Flag is listening as well." Captain Pyotr Taiisatai Rurikovich was not normally taking calls, but the whole fleet was on edge here.
"Understood Blue One. We have reached 15 mio. km. of the target and it has stopped. Target mass shows 50 tons but not, repeat not, missile shaped. It looks like a ship. If we are to shoot it down, we need to get a lot closer than this, sur to the size.
"Silver Lead, this is Flag". Commander Perry swallowed and looked at his crew. It was normally not a good idea to be talking to The Admiral. "How close do you need to get before you can lock the target up?".
"Sir", Commander Perry started, "We would probably need to get within half a million clicks. At that range, we might as well shoot it with our lasers".
"Understood Silver Lead, Stand by". Commander Perry's command pilot wiped sweat off his brow while muttering to the others "Just our luck". Commander Perry was about to answer when the radio cracked once again.
"Silver Lead, this is flag. Dispatch 1 fighter, not your own, for visual confirmarion of target profile. If target remains stationary, take up position 5 mio. km. behind while DD Nagoya closed for investigations. Confirm orders".
Commander Perry looked at his crew and didn't bother hiding his surprise. He could see that the rest of the crew shared it. "Understood Flag. 1 fighter dispatched for visual flyby and if no hostile activity or movement follow at 5. mio km. behind target and away Nagoya. Silver Lead out". "Wonder what they are thinking" Commander Perry muttered to himself before reaching his own desicion. He called the squadron.
"All Silvers this is lead. The flight will circle around the target and take up position 5 mio. km. behind the target except seven. Seven, you will perform a visual flyby and advice further to myself. Should you be locked by targeting radar you are authorised to fire upon the target. Do not engage unless targeted or fired upon." The radio cracked back with 7 confirmations and the squadron set off once again.
Minutes later
"Silver Lead, this is Seven". Commander Perry heard the excitement in the voice of the young pilot. "Go ahead Seven. Blue 1 and Flag are listening as well." If this would normally scare Seven, it did not today. "Understood Lead. Sirs, I am looking at the most Bastard thing I have ever seen. It looks like a shuttle, yet not one of ours. And there is no visible weapon pods or anything looking to be dangerous. It is just sitting there and.... Please don't think that I've been drinking of duty, but I think they are trying to communicate. There's a light blinking oddly and regulary."
"Seven this is Flag", Rear Admiral Randakar broke in, "Please advice, how regular?"
"Sir," Seven replied, "The light is blinking regulary. It is blinking fast and slow at a changing pace and it looks like it is repeating the pattern, but I do not regocnize it. It is doing 6 rapid blinks and then 3 slower ones before repeating again."
"Bloody Hell!" it came over the line. Moments later: "Silver Seven, this is Blue One. Do you have visual of this thing? And can you see an airlock or similar?"
"Captain, what are you doing??" Rear Admiral Randakar asked quickly. "Sir, That is not just an attempt at communicating. Seven got the code wrong. It is not 6 fast and 3 slow. It is 3 fast, 3 slow and 3 fast once again." With this message Commander Perry suddenly understood and blurted out: "An SOS?!?!?!?!?!"
Captain Rurikovich answered: "That would be my expectation. And if it is an SOS, it would explain the behaviour. And if that is the case, we are either seeing one of the first attempts of communication, or someone who understands who we are - And might want a ride home. I recommend that Nagoya speeds the hell up, Sir".
"Agree on that recommendation", Vice Admiral OrangeYoshi broke in. "Silver Lead - Keep an eye out, but do not fire, repeat, NOT fire."
To Be Continued.
I need to explain this a bit, since I only intended on doing the first part, but then suddenly realized something.
I never got the message that Vain was killed.
It looks like I've encountered a bug in the game, so even after Vainglory's fighter was shot down (And no survivors, I checked that) the avatar was still in the officers list with a "Unknown" location. I tried unassigning and suddenly Vain was on a Freighter. After unassigning once again, he's back on Earth avaiting reasignment.
I leave it to the councilors, and Vain in particular, which of the stories you want to continue with. The Glorious Death or the Prison Break? Depending on the decision, I will write an additional chapter tomorrow to round off The Tale of Vainglory II and the Space Koalas.
Furthermore, I also submit to the council the question of what to do from here. We can't break through to the PDC's without running it low on missiles. That means losing fighters or ships or doing something alternative. The Rocks are a possibility. So is massive AM or PD ships. What route do the councilors want me to take?