Glorious

The gate was filled with Corsairs, a radar ping says 40 of them but I swear there's a lot more here.

M: There's a LOT of Drake ships out here, what the hell is happening?

L: I called in some favors to our unofficial "overkill" squadron, they're here to help us get in because a lot of heat surrounded the asteroid as I was leaving.

M: What kind of heat?

L: Three Polarises, two Idrises, and who-knows-how-many small fighters. Whoever put out this contract had a grudge to settle.

D: This sounds like a suicide mission, Grendel is going to drop us at the gate and Lauro can ride with you.

M: Are you backing out?

G: We have a kid, and there's a regen crisis going on. I know you two and a fleet of Corsairs can handle this, honey.

Part of me feels dejected, but then again another part of me is kinda glad. Never really knew those two but they're lovely people.

I watch the Connie pull into the station and land at a hangar, I set the turtle down on a pad and Lauro runs out to join me. Set runs up to the cockpit to tap me on the shoulder to let me know we're good for launch.

"Hey, anybody out there in the ocean of Corsairs calling the shots?" I radio into the cloud of steel and hydrogen fuel.

"Callsign Luna-Rose here."

"Katorea here too!"

My heart flutters as I know there's kindness in all that murder.

"Hey, yeah. So are you up to date on what's going on?" I ask and there's zero hesitation in the response.

"Oh hell yeah, we're getting Callie and the crew out! Lauro told us all about it through official channels."

//MESSAGE FROM ATC: YOU ALL NEED TO MOVE, TRAFFIC IS COMING THROUGH//

The cloud parts ways and it's a sight to behold. Dozens upon dozens of ships move out of the way as a fleet of tankers and carriers pop out of the interstellar poop-chute.

So much scanning started that you could hear a slight ring in your ears. Ravi's cryptokey wirelessly tapped into the fleet and scanned the arrivals for who they are, where they've been, full-blackbox scans.

And none near our target.

They pass through peacefully and the call comes in over comms.

"Every second we waste, is a second that we could lose our crew. Time to go!" Luna barks and every ship charges up.

"Guessing you're in charge here?" I stupidly ask and she assures me she's absolutely the boss.

D: Bring momma home safely, copy?

M: Absolutely!

The resounding thud of the jump point being ripped open by a ton of Corsairs shook the Terapin, and I felt an overwhelming nervousness.

"Time to go!" Luna shouts and all the ships siphon in like dirt down the kitchen sink. The Terapin's systems pull us along and before I know it I see an absolutely massive shimmering murmuration of death.

It's beautiful.

Through the twisting tunnel, connection pillars and clouds of quantum streaming along, I'm oddly at peace here. like a nice cool Autumn day.

Or the silence in a snow storm.

Or that first cut into paper.

Or a warm bonfire in the snow.

Or your first kiss.

"You're a really good pilot, dunno how often you hear that." Lauromine says on short-range comms.

Reality waves it's hand in front of my face and I'm staring at endless rocks and space trash along with a bright red cloud of gunfire.

"They're a bunch of murder-hobos and trying to run a toll on the gate! WHAT A BUNCH OF IDIOTS HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Luna is happy as all hells.

"Get a jump over to the RAB-Sierra, land where the turrets can't hit you and our guys will cover you!" Katorea says sounding like she's revelling in the murder.

A quick calibration and boom, we're gone with a wing of eight Corsairs.

"You must be copy mom?" A voice calls in from one of the ships.

"You are...?"

"Belladonna, Callie's daughter."

"Oh! Nice to meet you!"

"Can you do me a huge favor? Get my moms back and get out safely?"

"I'll do my best but-"

"No, not good enough. Get. Them. Out."

She's scary. Wait...I have a neice!

The asteroid was super far out, but the star map showed the fleet was screaming in with zero casualties.

You stack up a bunch of Corsairs, there's really nothing to worry about.

"Wait for us to catch up and we'll help hold things down then take out the turrets, mkay?" Katorea was in high spirits and I can see why Callie took her in.

We sat for a few minutes after we dropped from quantum before a few pops and bangs turned into a machine-gun of thunder, metal, tape and really REALLY big fucking guns.

"We all good to roll on this?" Luna asked and the fleet gave the green go-ahead.

"Am I going into this thing alone? Like am I the only one running in on foot?" I ask not realizing who I'm talking to.

"Bella is coming, refuses not to, Lauro, Katorea and I will be right behind you while the fleet keeps an eye on things. Wait for us to take out the station's defenses first before you move in, mmkay?

After the second Polaris exploded in a ball of blue fire and the third one was commandeered along with one of the Irdrises, this fight was something entirely alien to me.

40 ships, a third of them with distruptors and easily dozens of men and women in each ship turned a wall of death into a wall of death with REALlY big guns in it.

"Are we...are we keeping those?!" I ask in shock.

"Oh ha ha, no! I already have plenty of these things in my own fleet that AREN'T stolen." Katorea says and I fear the people in this organization.

"The coast is clear, you're up!" Luna says. "We can't dock here but we can use the Polarises as backup beds if need be. Bring mom home!"

I take it back. I fear AND love this organization. It's amazing what Callie can pull off anymore. As I pull up to the entrance I see the Galaxy sitting outside the airlock and burning which causes my heart to sink.

I pulse the ship and there's two lifesigns aboard. The wreckage is interfering with the signal but I'm not stopping here.

"I think it's soft-deathed." Lauro says from the jump seat. "We have to go in and see who it is then get them out.

The Terapin is only a single bed but right now we need to rescue the two onboard. I pull up beside the docking port when Lauro jumps out and pulls the hatch's safey release then it pops off with a thud.

"No atmo came out, this thing is full of holes!"

My body moves on its own, I jump out of the seat and dive out the side door to meet up with Lauro.

The inside of the ship is full of laser-fire score marks, bullet holes and carbon from grenades. Whoever did this got in and caused hell.

The bridge has Ravi in her seat incapacitated, barely holding on to life and Lauro gently pulls her out..

"I'll take her back to the turtle, she's not going to make it much further like this!" Lauro says and the rage inside me boils.

I drift past Callie's room, nothing. Down the halls checking rooms and nothing but a faint pulse catches my attention from a turret. Arcantha is up there and incapped as well, seat and suit full of burns and bullet holes. If it weren't for the the sealing layer of the suits they'd be long gone...

I shake my head and perish the thought as I carefully unbuckle her then shoot out the turret canopy to get her out safely.

R: I want my key back.

M: When I get Ivy back, wait a second!

The anger boils more.

I have Arcantha's collar in one hand and the tractor beam traverse pulling me back to the Terapin. I let her go as I enter the ship and then tractor her body into the ship where Ravi is sitting in the jumpseat with a cold water bottle on her head.

"Key please."

"One moment, let her get Ivy in here!" Lauro says patiently.

"Key. Now."

I reach into my chest pocket and fling it at Ravi's face who lacks the coordination to catch it before and after it dings off her forehead.

Med bed registers Ivy and she's inches from death before the bed catches her.

"You could have handed it to me." Ravi says sounding raspy and irate.

"I have more important things to worry about right now, Ravja" I growl and something stirs within.

"The key is vital to everything I do. So don't try to pull anythi-" She stops when my hand meets her throat.

"Your girlfriend is in there. My sister is in there, your best friend is in there, my EVERYTHING is in there. I do NOT want to hear what's important from you right now!"

I feel something pulling me from behind and I hear Ivy speak softly as I release Ravi who chokes and gags.

"Please go get my wife, I can't go in with you in my state. Please, Moira just...go get them. We'll be fine.

I look at Ravi with hatred in my heart, and she can't see the anger with a helmet covering my face.

With my right hand I point at her and hold everything back.

"I should fucking...I wanna...I could fucking kill you right now..."

She looks terrified for once in her life.

"Lauro, let's go get the crew. Let the others know we're moving in."