Kaleb Zeed had never envisioned becoming a pirate.
During his youth he had never been one to cause trouble for his parents or the authorities in his hometown of Dover in England. He had considered himself lucky. His parents were low level government officials for the local UEF authorities. They made enough money for him to attend school through university. A very rare priviliedge indeed. It was during his phase of higher level education that he truly began to see the truth about the UEF and its fundamentally corrupt ways.
He saw the level of suffering planetwide and the high government officials lining their pockets. Multinational conglomerates attempting to stick to archaic profit structures by forcing an economy of consumerism and slowly killing off the planet in the process. In the meantime, laws meant to promote safety increasingly infringed on civil rights.
In an age where freedom of speech meant freedom to not say anything against the government, Zeed quickly became disillusioned with the system which only benefited a very select and small minority. In his freshman year Zeed demonstrated a promising amount of initiative by organizing a rally against the government's use of the newly created fusion technology. Fusion power held so much promise for Mankind and yet it seemed it was just another way for certain people to undermine others. Though his parents were a part of the local government the police had responded with swift brutality. He had been processed as a minor but most of his friends who acted as "collaborators against the state" were given a far greater punishment, so much for free speech.
His parents sometimes brought him on weekend voyages in their small personal spacecraft to slingshot around the moon, or if time alloted to visit the small but wondrous Martian city of Marissa with its towering arcology. He quickly learned how to pilot a spaceship and immediately loved it. Unlike his father he mostly piloted the ship on manual control especially on longer trips when they flew through the asteroid belt beyond Mars.
A couple of years later Zeed's father had been promoted to a post in the UEF central council one of the most coveted jobs on the planet. The family had moved to a plush neighbourhood where power outages didn't exist, and police sirens rarely blared. Even in his new surroundings however, Zeed still believed it was obvious that his future lay with the stars.
Upon graduation his father offered him his own personal spaceship. Decked out with all the latest bells and whistles Kaleb planned to go on a solar system cruise with some of his closest friends. With his new post Zeed's father had been given a state ship and pilot to fly him around, and with his father gone often his mother was using to family ship do participate in the latest fad; freeweight massaging, available only to those who had access to space. Though the family ship wasn't being used his father now had money to spend to treat his family to the finest of things, newer and better things. Kaleb may have been enamoured by his new ship, but that didn't stop him form seeing the irony in his situation.
Zeed saw himself escaping the reality of life of Earth with its fundamentally flawed social systems, not to mention the political animosity that lingered since the creation of the United Earth Federation. As he escaped Earth's gravity with ease he realized that this was only possible beacause the power of purchase for his new toy was supplied by that same flawed system. Out here among the stars he truly felt free however. A paradox that ate away at the back of his mind.
The following week he launched out into space with his closest friends. They had a packed itinerary. First off they would make for Venus, second they would take the ship close to the sun for a chance at a glimpse of Mercury. Kaleb didn't feel like taking achance with being that close to the sun with his ship baptised Infinite Hope. They would then swing around the sun creating the largest slingshot effect available in the solar system and make straight for Jupiter. Mars was currently too far from Earth's orbit to give Infinite Hope a straight shot at it.
The start of the trip went off without a hitch. The slingshot accelerated the small ship to incredible speeds and at just the right moment Kaleb fired his engines and escaped the Sun's pull. Infinite Hope shot back towards Earth and their trajectory would take them next to the moon. As the ship sped past the dark side of the moon and the impressive Harbin shipyards Zeed noticed that they were being monitered by an unlocated source. He decided not to worry about it even though a red flag went off in his mind. They were travelling at too great a speed at the moment anyway for anyone to be able to catch up with them, and Zeed wasn't about to slow down or they would considerably lengthen their flight time. He turned off his comm systems when a voice crackled through announcing that his ship had exceeded the speed limit for the area of space he was currently in. Zeed and his friends laughed at the futility of the ships as they attempted to catch up to Infinite Hope.
The laughing stopped when he was intercepted by a sleek black ship appearing from behind the moon. The simple fact that this ship was able to catch up stunned Zeed. No ship was able to accelerate on its own accord to the extent of a solar slingshot. The ship never even bothered to identify itself but instead demanded that Zeed's ship turn off the engines and heave to. The sinister looking ship all in black flew next to Infinite Hope. How had the ship managed to get through to his commline when he had closed all frequencies. Zeed started to get nervous. His computer detected an intrusion as an outer source bombarded it electronically and scanned all systems. Once the scan complete the pilot once again comunicated with Zeed.
"Your failure to comply threatens the security of all. Your guild codes have been scanned and we know who you are Kaleb Zeed. Your father will be most disappointed to hear that his son has once again infringed upon the laws of the UEF. Flight in the inner ring is now restricted pending payment of a standard fine of seven thousand standard dollars."
"How do you know about..."
"Laws are in place for a reason. There can be no exceptions. Exceptions lead to lawlessness." The voice cut him off.
With that the ship did a scissor roll and headed off. Kaleb continued on his course somewhat flabbergasted and speechless.
How had the pilot achieved his acceleration?
The answer was clear and simple yet he refused to admit it. The military had prefected hyperdrive and were keeping it to themselves.
So that's where all the money went. Installing hyperdrive on military ships. Kaleb wondered if all member states of the UEF had access to the technology. He had already heard in the news about rumblings in the UEF hierarchy. The Russian Federation often showed its discontent about the westernization of the UEF and how the Union of North America seemed to dominate most facets of the world government. Was it a coincidence then that the ship's pilot spoke perfect english without the slightest hint of an accent? Current tensions were already at a zenith with the latest political rumblings.
Kaleb shook the thoughts out of his mind. This cruise was meant to keep his thoughts off of those exact issues.
They had just made it past Mars's orbit when the bombs went off.
As soon as the news spread through all comm lines Zeed slowed his ship to a full stop. Dumbfounded he and his friends listened until all comm traffic went dead. The powerful Electro-Magnetic-Pulse enveloped the whole of the planet shutting down every single active electronic device. A new dark age was upon man.
He turned his ship around and accelerated at full speed towards Earth.
Two days later he was within view of the blue planet when another sinister looking ship sped towards him. The ship hailed Infinite Hope and demanded its destination, its port of origin, and its latest trip itinerary. Zeed had heard of the Gray Rock research facility through what certain people called conspiracy theories. Government slush funds apparently funded whatever projects the hidden station held on the moon. Kaleb was absolutely certain that the succesfull implementation of the hyperdrive technology onto a ship emanated from this facility.
When Zeed tried to explain that his father was part of the UEF government and that he had to try and find his family the sinister ship fired a shot across his bow and replied that the UEF no longer existed. Zeed was perplexed and shocked. Had he actually just been fired at? in Space? The weaponization of space had not yet become legal at that point. Zeed tried to talk to the pilot of the ship and again explained that he had to find his family. The pilot didn't seem to care responding instead that the UEF had paid for its crimes and oppression of Mankind. It was ill-advised to try and use family connections to the UEF at this point.
Zeed began to understand what was really happening. He had no choice but to turn back. His friends suggested that they make for the many moons of Jupiter. Within the many celestial bodies orbiting the gas giant they would be safe from whatever power hungry corrupt official tried to establish a new power structure.
Upon arriving in Jupiter's orbit Zeed was surprised to stumble across a small forward outpost of the UEF. Nowhere had it been known that the UEF had space installations beyond the astroid belt past Mars. Kaleb seethed with anger. While the vast majority of people on Earth attempted to make a living and provide for their family amidst the social chaos, the government was spending tens of billions of standard dollars to build themselves fancy space stations.
It was at this moment hovering above the small installations on one of Jupiter's satellites that Zeed made a fateful decision.
"Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is Infinite Hope to all in sector. Experiencing life support failure and need to dock for reparations."
There was no answer.
"Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is Infinite Hope to all insector. Experiencing life support failure. We have new and unused fusion fuel rods for trade. Need to dock immediately"
This time there was a response.
"Infinite Hope, disable firewalls for shipboard AI. We will commandeer your ship via our command system and bring you in ourselves. Prepare your ship for full inspection and boarding."
Zeed smiled. Fusion fuel rods weren't expecially rare, but they were prohibitively expensive. Again just a way the system had repressed Mankind's potential. Kaleb's plan was now in action. He went into his cabin and reached under the bed to pull out a small metal case. He opened it and revealed to his friends, now willing accomplices, a shiny and brand new H&k PX .50 pistol. The heavy caliber pistol could punch a hole the size of a fist into any man's chest and yet it was light enough to maintain a steady aim even when firing repetatively.
"Let's make one thing clear here. They aren't taking us in to 'help' us, they plan to take our ship and fuel rods and leave us for dead."
Everyone nodded.
Zeed and his compatriots waited as the station controlled the ship and directed it into a hangar opening on the far side of the satellite. Perhaps this station wasn't as small as he first thought. Doubt began to cloud his mind about his plan but he took a deep breath and calmed himself. It was now or never, there was no going back at this point anyhow
Infinite Hope cruised into the hangar bay ever so smoothly and deployed its landing gear. With a soft thud the ship came to a stop on the landing bay.
Zeed peered out of the cockpit window and saw two armed guards flanking a UEF officer. Only three men. They were understimating him.
The loading ramp lowered from the ship's underbelly and the guards pointed their rifles forward ready for anything. Kaleb tucked the pistol in his pants behind his back and nodded to his friends. They all knew what they had to do and the possible risks of doing it.
The officer yelled out to whoever was in the ship. "Come out, arms up."
Zeed and his followers stepped down the ramp and onto the landing platform. He looked at his surroundings. From the looks of it this was a fairly new facility with state of the art ventilation and life support systems. Hundreds of millions of kilometers away from the sun and it was still comfortably warm. The air was not stuffy indicating that all CO2 scrubbers were functioning properly and that the facility recycled its air very efficiently. Even certain arcologies on Mars weren't this comfortable. Only the latest in fusion technology could support such a demand in power. The men stationed at this facility no doubt knew of the cataclysm. That event would probably mean the end of regular supply runs and no one knew if there would ever be another supply ship inbound. Thus the fuel rods Zeed had "proposed" to trade would benefit these men much. Zeed expected to give them only a swift death.
The first guard approached one of Zeed's men, Markus Fynn. The guard reached out with his left hand to grab Fynn by the arm. It was the last decisiopn he would ever take. In a blinding flash Fynn lashed out with his left hand and grabbed the guards wrist and pulled the guard closer to him. Before the guard could react Markus' right hand struck with the precision of a training mech. His right index and middle findgers rigid, Fynn pierced the man's left eyeball. His yell of pain jolted everyone into action. Zeed pulled out his pistol and promptly fired two rounds at the officer, each one hitting with precision at the man's heart. The remaining guard hesitated for a split second at which target to shoot at first. Fynn, who was in the process of spining his victim around to use him as a shield or Zeed who was turning his body to get a clear shot at him. His hesitation cost him his life. Fynn grabbed the rifle and slid his finger on the trigger firing off multiple rounds in the guards direction. The spray of bullets hit the guard in the chest while Zeed fired off another round at the man's head.
Within two seconds it was all over.
Kaleb was breathing hard. Fynn walked over to him and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Keep it together man we still got work to do."
Zeed and his band quickly got to work. Fynn and another accomplice took up the rifles from the fallen guards and went down the hall with the rest of the band towards the armory. Kaleb went towards the computer terminal and linked it with the ship's computer. He went back inside the ship and pressed a button. Instantly the ship's computer began downloading every single file from the station's terminal. Zeed would have all the information he needed. The ship's comm crackled "Kaleb, I found something. I think you're going to like this."
A flatviewer on the bridge lit up with a picture of a hangar bay full of small nimble looking ships.
"What is that?"
"I'm gathering info in the hangar here, looks like they're installing weapons onto the ships."
"What's the status on the ships?"
"Fully powered sir! "
Zeed knew this was an opportunity that could not be missed. Such a clear chance was certainly more than mere providence.
"Grab 'em"
"Kaleb...uhhh I'm not sure we know how to properly fly these things."
"We'll learn on the way. Come on Fynn get everyone onboard a ship and let's get out of here. It's too quiet."
After another half hour of searching around the facility, and not meeting a single other person, Zeed stocked his ship full of supplies and left with his band. They were now six ships, five of which carried weaponry.
YEARS LATER: 15 A.C. (After Cataclysm)
They were now branded as pirates. Dangerous outlaws with no respect for human life who pillaged and plundered innocent merchants and heavier cargo haulers. This was the image spread throughout the galaxy by the Federation and the Guild. As such they were hunted and tracked everywhere they went.
Kaleb became the leader of an ever growing league of disenchanted citizens who sought to resist the newly created, but just as corrupt, Terran Galactic Federation. Within the ten years since the cataclysm Alan Bradshaw had successfully centralized every aspect of power save the Guild. The young colonies barely had a voice of recognition in the government and were subject to the whims of the Prime Magistrate.
To survive Kaleb and his band were forced to board ships and take what they needed. Nothing more. True to the original pirates of Mankind's history the leader of the band was democratically elected. every time the vote came up Zeed always won with a convincing majority thanks to his intelligent decision making and his respect of others. He was the complete opposite of the dicatator Bradshaw, elected to lead as opposed to being self-appointed. He distributed the wealth of their bounties equally among the members of the band, unlike the centralization of all material wealth into fraudulent companies known as the combine corporations.
When he thought of these thigns he never felt bad doing what he was doing. In his mind Zeed was simply a modern-day Robin Hood, redistributing wealth that had been stolen in the first place by a corrupt and unelected centralized government. To day he would be sending a very clear message to the Federation. Not all were willing participants of their plans for galactic dominance.
They were currently operating in a very remote area of space. Current situations demanded it unfortunately. With the first contact of the Drengin species and their impressive Empire Bradshaw had created the Galactic Navy. A military establishment encompassing both the authority to command space based weapons and land based troops. An establishment in which Bradshaw was of course in charge. He had pawned off the office of the Prime Magistrate to an incompetent fool and had taken full command of a vast army with nuclear capabilities. The populace had said nothing. They dared not with the CDF in full force.
Either way, the Drengin had recently upped their territorial demands and were contantly infringing on what was considered Federation territory. People from acroos the galaxy, Humans and Drengin alike, revelled in the Drengin culture. It was no longer odd to see a man dressed in Drengin clothes fitted to his size. This without a doubt worried the authorities. The newly created Navy boasted two fighters capable of hyperspace flight. The Helix and the Helix-B. Following the signing of a treaty of exclusivity from a planet in the Theta Iota System all helix squadrons had been out on high alert and were out in force in the more densely populated regions of Federation space.
Operating in sectors like The Hub had become increasgingly dangerous. The pirates had been forced out to beyond the territories of the border worlds. It just so happened that the latest space station constructed by the Federation was in sector.
Springfield space station had been built to harvest and mine a valuable ressource within the sector. Today Kaleb Zeed and his band of pirates would raid the facility.
The sector hadn't even been given a name yet. As of yet it was still reffered to by its spatil coordinates; Sector 22-4. The Federation had sent otu the first constructor almost a full year ago. Upon arrival the consturctor vessel had undergone a transformation. Stocked full of building materials, it was used as a foundation for a vast Free Floating Mining Space Station or FFMSS as opposed to the Asteroid Mining Station or AMS.
Such facilities were the proverbial gold mines for Zeed and his band. Constantly using up ressources and modifying their ships with newfound weapons, they needed to move from ressource base to ressource base just to stay alive and stay level technologically. Before being chased out of the busy sectors of Federation space Kaleb had succombed to his curiosity by passing through the Drengia System. The pirates had been awed by the interminable debris fields around the third planet of the system.
The warrior race of the Drengin had accomplished space flight far before Humans had. However, their constant civil war had always held the progress of outward expansion. Within the huge debris field orbiting the planet like the rings of Saturn they had found materials with which o upgrade their ships. They had also found something far greater.
The caste system repressed much of the Drengin populace. Like the armies of 18th century Earth the poor soldier meant nothing and the officers, most often lacking actual military training, commanded the armies. Though it was somewhat different for space based armies the expansion of the unified Imperial army had forced the Drengin high command to accept certain lower aspects of the caste system into their ranks. These new recruits were treated poorly and disrespected because of their caste and nothing more.
Zeed met more than one disenfranchised Drengin pilot who could only wish for a way out of their current lives of servitude without recognition. As such his ranks had swelled with a number of Drengin deserters who brought other weapons and supplies with them. The ragtag crew now resembled nothing of the sorts as harmony between Drengin and Human pirates reigned. Indeed the leaders of the respective races should have looked upon them as a model for cooperation between the two species. Unfortunately they were too busy hunting them.
"Sensor ping active Kaleb. We're approaching Springfield Starbase" Fynn announced over the comm. They were about to make the Federation government pay for its shortsightedness.
It was awfully dark around his ship as Keleb looked at the formation his comrades took up around his heavily modified Infinite Hope. It was the perfect strike, Zeed doubted the Federation had sent a constructor to begin work on defensive armament systems. The starbase was an easy prey.
"Springfield Starbase do you read. Springfield starbase do you read" Zeed hailed the mining station.
"Springfield Starbase here. Identify yourself"
"Springfield Starbase this is Infinite Hope requesting permission to board"
There was a moment of silence "Infinite HopeIdentify serial number and authenticate with Guild codes, you're not coming up on our database."
Zeed smiled as the starbase came into view "Are you sure Springfield?"
"Infinite Hope please authenticate guild codes"
"Roger that Springfield" Zeed turned off the comm and turned on his weapons systems. He unlocked two missiles and launched them at the Starbase.
"I'm sending you the codes now Springfield" Zeed could hardly suppress a laugh.
Zeed opened a channel to all of his crew. "Alright boys standard formation, I want half of you to guard and set up a perimeterin close orbit to the station. The rest of us are going in on a forced entry into a hangar bay. We take what we need, we put the crew into a lifeboat and blow the station."
The pirates swooped in on the helpless station as the two missiles exploded on the outer ring of the station creating a large hole. Atmosphere within the station vented out and sucked a few unfortunate souls out in the blackness of space.
"Mayday mayday!" Springfield Starbase began to send out emergency signals, but with no echelon satellites nearby the action was futile.
Zeed hailed the station again. "Springfield Starbase this is Infinite Hope, our last wish is to see the useless deaths of hardworking miners such as yourselves. You have sixty seconds to open a hangar bay and prepare to be boarded. Failure to acknowledge will bring severe repercussions upon yourselves."
"Damn you pirates." spat back the man on the comm.
The pirates flew circles around the station making sure no one could escape. Although escape was not necessarily a good choice in this remote part of space. A hangar door finally opened and a landing bay was cleared for Zeed and some of his compatriots. As the ships landed the pirates came out of their ships weapons drawn and pointed at the men from the facility present.
"On behalf of the Federation I protest this course of action and demand immediate compensation for the..."
Fynn looked at Zeed who nodded back. Fynn walked up to the man hit him with the butt of his rifle. The man crumpled to the ground unconscious. The other sation officials began to shake as they that these pirates were not to be trifled with.
"Where are your fuel rods?" demanded Fynn at a frigthened man half his size. The man attempted to stammer out a response but as his kness shook uncontrolably he lost command of his blatter and soiled himself. Fynn stepped back and gave the man a disgusted look. "Is this how all Federation sheep act?". Fynn walked up to another man and asked the same question again. "Where are your fuel rods, NOW!" The same pointed down the hall.
"Yo-you'll need th-this key to open the do-do-do...door" Fynn grabbed the keaycard and shoved the man down.
Zeed started walking "Let's move boys. Walker you guard the ships and if any of these clowns trues anything put a bullet through their eyes"
The entire raid lasted over two hours as every square inch of the facility was searched and raided. IT was one of the most bounyful ans successfull raids in a long time and it was far from over.
"Kaleb I've got something here" Fynn called out to Kaleb in the command room of the mining starbase. Kaleb walked over to the flatviewer Fynn was standing over. It showed the station's supply courrier routes and schedules. The next shipment was due in less than a day via the constructor ship Jaques Demers. The constructor was commisioned to build and improve upon the mining quarters of the men working onboard Springfield Starbase.
Zeed's head swam with ideas about how this could exploited. At that moment an explosion shook the station and rocked everyone onboard. The flatviewers turned red as alarms were detected throughout virtualy every deck of the station. Kaleb reached for his holomessenger.
"Sitrep!"
There were a number of responses, not all of them pretty. Some of the men were screaming. Kaleb could hear some of his me dying as the flames took them.
"A romm we forgot to search sir, said a clamer voice after the explosion. Full of fuel rods... some psycho blew himself up in it hoping to take everyone with him. An alarm sounded.
"Structural integrity compromised."
Holographics showed the structure in a 3-D view. The ring was slowly coming apart at the other end.
"If we don't hurry that bastard's going to get his wish, Abort mission and abandon station. Everyone get the hell off!"
Everyone ran as fast as their legs could take them back to the hangar and got on to their ships. Infinite Hope was the last ship to blast off as Zeed made sure everyone in his band reached their ships safely. As his ship exited the hangar bay an explosion threatened to overtake his ship as flames licked the stern of his ship.
The pirates increased to maximum velocity as a large explosion light up the darkness enveloping them. When the pirates slowed down their ships and returned, all that remained of the ring superstructure were three chunks floating ever so slighty around each other.
"Did anyone manage to get some of the prisonners off board?"
There was no reply. Zeed dropped his head took a deep breath. They would be hunted far more agressively now. "Everyone take up positions that will be uploaded to you computers and prepare for tomorrow. "We have a big day ahead of us."
A big day indeed as he would come to know Isoroku Nakata.
After a brief moment of much needed rest the pirates took up positions within the debris field. They had scavenged as much as possible, but for the nextstep in the plan they needed to be completely concealed. The lack of an echelon satellite played heavily in their favour. There was no way the constructor would be able to know what had already transpired.
After hours of lying in wait the pirates were rewarded when the Jaques Demers exited its warp field and appeared close to the debris field.
"Wait for it gentlemen" said Zeed over the comm "They'll dispatch their one man vessels soon to examine the debris. That's when we strike"
The pirates watched their holographics as the Federation ship launched its small salvage crafts.
"We have them by he balls Kaleb"
"Weapons free boys, but keep the constructor as a prize."
There was a chorus of acknowledgements as the pirates powered up all their systems and shot out of the debris field. Zeed could immediately hear the panic over the comm lines as the constructor attempted to retrieve its people. An explosion lit up the debris field and on his left another fireball erupted as the small slavage crews were blown to dust.
"Kaleb the construtor is spooling up its hyperdrive, their making a run for it."
"Dammit!" Zeed hand't expected she could spool up that quick. If the constructor managed to get away she would report back to the Federation the exact location of Zeed's current position and a pretty reliable status report on the composisiton of his force. He could not allow that to happen. No matter how much it pained him he had no other choice.
"Unlock master arms and target the constructor. Do not allow that ship to escape understood?"
Again a chorus of affirmatives responded. The pirates flew straight at the large undefended ship and armed its capital torpedoes. The constructor was doomed. When the first torpedo hit it penetrted the soft hull of the ship and exploded three levels into the ship. The stern of the Jaques Demers exploded in an bright and impressive fireball as the engine core was destroyed. The second torpedo hit the port side and ripped another chunk out of the ship. The constructor was dead in the water. The third torpedo was the coup-de-grace as the remainder of the Jaques Demers disintegrated in a final explosion.
The pirates had struck for the last time.
Zeed ordered his men to being their own salvage operations and to take only what was very valuable as their cargo holds were already full from the raid on Springfield Starbase. The pirates went from piece of debris to piece of debris and analyzed every fragment trying to unconver something of value, completely unaware of their impending doom until...
"Fusion signatures detected Kaleb!"
"What? from where?"
"parsec 10.8, 4.7 and incoming at high velocity."
"Identification?"
"Federation signatures Kaleb, lots of them!"
Zeed's heart sank. Had he ambitioned too far by attacking the constructor?
"Spool hyperdrives everyone emergnecy spool!"
Kaleb sent out a sensor ping and detected multiple incoming fighters, Helixs.
He checked his HUD and saw that hsi force was completely disorganized and didn't resemble anything close to a fighting formation. The Helixs exited hyperspace above them. Perfect, thought Zeed, They're giving us an escape route through the debris field. We'll be able to lose them!
"Weapons loose guys. Fight a rearguard battle and make your way through the debris field, our hyperdrives will be spooled by then and we'll escape the bastards."
An alarm sounded in Zeed's cockpit as multiple fire and forget rockets were inbound on their position. "Heads up incoming missiles!"
As the missiles reached Kaleb and his band he weaved his ship out of danger, but some of his men were nto as lucky. He watched a rocket tear right through the cokpit of one of his ship's and essentially split it in half until an explosion blew it to small fragments. "Engage and get the hell out of here when your hyperdrive is ready! meet at emergenvy coordinates"
This time the chorus of affirmatives were not as confident as before. Some of the men's voice's quivered as they responded. His men were not ready for the day's action. Zeed engaged into a tight dogfight with an enemy fighter. Tracer fire arcedin and out of the ship's trajectory until a lucky shot hit the engine and blew the ship to pieces. His men were nto as lucky.
"Markus were are you!"
"I've got the wing commander on my tail. Son of a bitch won't let me go. Goddamn it!"
Zeed located him and sped towards his compatriot in need. As he did so he saw two more of men fall to the professionalism and skill of the Navy pilots. The pirates had no chance, Nakata had taken them completely by surprise.
"Retreat! everyone through the debris field now! we'll try to lose 'em in there"
Half of his men had been killed already. Kaleb turned his ship around and flew towards the debris field. The Helixs had created something ressembling a dome of fighter cover with the debris field as its base. The pirates were trapped unless they went into the debris field.
Suddenly a lump formed in his throat. The Helix's wanted the pirates to go thorugh the field.
He froze as his ship exited the other side of the debris field and came face to face with another full wing of SF-101 Helix's.
Zeed closed his eyes.
