Viper is Down!

Posted on Sat Oct 22nd, 2022 @ 7:00pm by Endia
Edited on on Thu Jul 13th, 2023 @ 10:33pm

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Vulcan System
Timeline: Date 2371-07-15 at 0400
1713 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

"....Dragon Squad, break off from formation and attack!!" Edward shouted into his comms, as a new wave of Alliance starfighters swarmed towards his squadron. It was hid, though he was only a captain, as the day before, the lieutenant colonel who had been leading the Dragon Squadron, had been killed in a nasty dog fight. As he was the highest ranking officer still alive, command had been passed to him.

In the past eighteen hours under his leadership, his squadron had amassed an incredible kill record, becoming the first squadron to achieve an overall level of Ace, as each surviving member had each made five confirmed kills.

=/\=Viper, this is Mama Bear! You've got two bandits closing on your six!"

Two Klingon fighters arched toward’s Edwards aft end, the fearsome warriors flying them at breakneck speed to end his miserable Terran life. One of them pulled ahead and maintained the approach while another came around to flank him. He was in the targets of one, but soon, both would be ready to destroy him.

Edward cursed that he allowed himself to get distracted. Slamming the throttles full forward while he pulled up on his control stick, the first Klingon screamed right by him.

Once he was behind the lead Klingon, Edward reignited his engines and pointed the nose of his starfighter down, the prey now becoming the predator. "Nice try, damn bonehead!" He quickly caught up to the enemy and blasted him to dust with his phasers and two micro torpedoes. "Okay, Mama Bear, where's that other..."

Suddenly, he was slammed into the side of his cockpit as his port wing was destroyed, the other Klingon scoring a grazing hit. Had they waited a few seconds longer, they mightve made a kill shot. Clearly they were inexperienced in this arena.

However, Edward was now in a flat spin towards Vulcan. He fought to first regain his senses, then control of his craft. Unfortunately, the starfighter was starting to come apart around him as Vulcan's gravity well started to claim. "MAYDAY NAYDAY MAYDAY!! THIS IS REAPER 6-3-1, CALL SIGN VIPER! I AM DEAD STICK AND HAVE TO BAIL OUT OVER VULCAN! I SAY AGAIN, MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY! THIS IS REAPER 6-3-1, CALL SIGN VIPER! MY CRAFT IS DISINTIGRATING AROUND ME...BAILING OUT OVER VULCAN NOW!" He then activated the ejection system and, following a jolt that pushed him into the back of his seat, the front section of his starfighter shot away from the rest of the craft.

A few beats later, the module's retro thrusters fired, sending him on a direct reentry path to the Vulcan surface. The rest of his dead starfighter finally exploded in the atmosphere, blocking his course from friendly and foe sensors.

As soon as the Viper exploded and the ejected officer was blocked from sensors, the nearest Alliance ship deployed a squad of Klingon warriors in the desert beneath the blast. Thought they weren’t sure where he was, they would find him one way or another.

---

Down on the surface, Edward awoke with a start. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was and what had happened. He quickly unstrapped himself from the ejection capsule and then pulled the handle with ignited the explosive bolts, ejecting the canopy up and away from him. After quickly grabbing his emergency survival kit, he climbed out of the capsule and quickly scanned his surroundings.

Barren desert for as far as the eye could see. Pulling out a small PADD, he activated the map and saw that there were a series of caves about three klicks to his right. He knew that, first and foremost, he had to find shelter, both from the elements and the enemy. Pulling on a wide-brimmed boonie cap and sunglasses, which were in the survival kit, he set off at a steady pace, careful not to overexert himself, while still moving.

Six Klingons under the command of a seasoned veteran by the name of Klahgg, held scanners and weapons in their hands, showering the sandy surface the any sign of the wayward Terran. He had no idea what would become of the man when he delivered him to his superiors, but he hoped it would be a death, glorious to remember. He mused on the thought of cracking a Terran scull as the followed the coordinates laid out on the device in his hand and came upon the felled capsule sticking out of the sand.

“He’s gone.” Said one of them men, irritation in his voice. He had hoped it would be easy, but Klahgg disagreed. The hunt was on.

The burly Klingon knelt in the sand by the capsule, his eyes following the skidding tracks of Terran military boots out into the distance.

“We will have him soon.” He growled, certainty in his voice.

Nearly an hour later, Edward had found a small rocky outcropping that offered him a little cover and concealment. He had no doubt that he was being hunted, as he had observed the Klingon shuttles had flew along the horizon as he was trying to get away from his escape capsule.

Finally in some shade, he took a moment to check his supplies. He found a few days worth of protein rations and water, a Type I hand phaser, with a full charge, a small emergency tricorder and an emergency transport beacon. After eating half a ration and taking a few sips of the precious water, he secured both in the pack, leaving the beacon deactivated, as he knew it would be like a flare for the Klingons to find him as well. He'd hold off on using it for at least two more days. While the ridgeheads could be dedicated hinters, even they would call off their search if nothing was found soon.

He decided that this outcropping was the best he'd be able to find for now, so he worked quickly to hide himself with whatever loose stones and rocks he could find, then sat down, in the shade, to conserve his energy. He'd stay here until nightfall, then head back out when the suns went down and the temperature dropped some.

The Klingons diligently followed the fading tracks left in the sand for some time, but the fickle things eventually faded with the blowing wind. Once all physical clues of where the Terran could have gone were disappeared, they started to think as would a soldier in such a situation. Knowing that the man’s food and water needs were not as immediate as his need for shelter, they made a search for a place to hide, hoping to find him there.

After some time, they approached the outcropping, unaware he was there, but focused and prepared for a surprise.

Though he had closed his eyes to doze a little, Edward first smelled the Klingons, their foul stench carried on the wind, then he heard them. Moving as slowly as possible, he readied his phaser as he used his hearing to try and figure out their location and distance. Thanks to the wind, he knew, at least, that they were approaching from the east. They were sloppy, he smirked to himself, hearing at least one of them speaking, not realizing that sound was carried on the wind too.

He closed his eyes and pictured Giana's beautiful face, smiling at him like she always did when they were alone. Using the energy that memory created, he quietly amped himself up for the fight he was about to be in.

When he felt they were close enough, he tossed one of the rocks away from him, to cause a diversion. He then rose, found his first target and fired, the beam catching one of the Klingons just about dead center. As the phaser was set on kill, his target quickly, and painfully disintegrated.

The party of Klingons had not only heard the fall of the rock, they had seen it thrown as well. Their weapons were quickly in their hands, but before they could take aim at Edward, he fired. The disintegration of their fellow warrior was not welcome for them, the the others that remained began to howl and got low, taking sim.

“I want him alive!” The leader shouted. “He will fetch a handsome ransom if he is high-born!”

For the next twenty minutes, Edward fought valiantly to stay out of the clutches of the enemy. Unfortunately, though he had gained suprise on them, there was only so much he could do with the equipment that he possessed. Finally, after firing a few more shots, his phaser ran empty.

When the shots from the Terran ran out, the embattled Klingons were emboldened. Their leader stood somewhat cautiously, advancing before the rest.

“On him! On him, now!” He bellowed, and the rough band of warriors moved around the rocks like two sorties, surrounding the man. “Come out now, and you shall make a fitting prisoner of war for the Alliance.”

Edward, realizing he was surrounded, drew his survival knife and snarled at the advancing enemy. "You're not taking me without a fight, you bastards!"

The Klingon's surrounded him immediately, but the leader put up a quick hand that they should clear the way. Then he advanced, all sharp teeth and devilish smiles, his own knife in his hands.

"Today is a good day to die, Terran!" he shouted, and then he lunged at Edward.

To his credit, Edward was able to hold his own for several moments against the larger Klingon. He even got a few good slashes in. Unfortunately, though he was a trained soldier, he was not in the infantry. When he lashed out with his knife, trying to gut the Klingon, his footing slipped on a small stone and he fell forward, completely exposing his back and the back of his head.

The Klingon, with a wide grin on his face, smacked the butt of his dagger against the back of Edward's head, opening up a nasty cut and knocking him out cold. The men celebrated loudly before picking him up and arranging their transport back to their ship.

The last thing Edward felt was the strike on the back of his head. Then all went black.

~OFF~