VC Chapter 6-TheRace

Sector 1400

Planet 1401

January 16, 2052

Lieutenant Price, an average-built Caucasian male with a short beard, made his entrance into his Exodus ship bridge quietly as he observed his officers at work.

“Sir, we're reaching the extraction point, but it appears to be blocked by three small ships.” the acting commander of Price's ship pointed at the small band of ships next to the green planet.

“Pirates.” Price muttered under his breath as he took a seat in his command chair.

“They spotted us. Two Harriers on approach!” the officer watching the scanners announced as he saw two blips on his screen approaching their ship.

“Ready polaron rays and hex missiles. Hold our ground and do not fire until I tell you.” Price swivelled his chair to face his weapons officer and barked the order.

“Enemy frigates closing in 5000 metres....4500...” the officer read his scanners.

“Steady....steady...” Price listened to his weapons officer for the enemy ships' range.

“3000...2500...” the officer spoke uneasily as Price did not utter a single command.

“Fire polarons!” Price pointed forward at the lead ship.

The polaron rays on the Exodus charged and fired at the nearest frigate and immediately ate the shields away. As the other frigate frantically veered to its right to set up its flanking position, the second round of polaron rays hit the frigate and also demolished its shields.

“Fire all hex missiles on my mark....now!” Price watched as the frigates split their formation to blitz into the polaron rays' blind spot.

The two hex missile turrets each locked onto a frigate and fired a steady stream of hexagonal missiles into the space lighting the dark space up with fire balls of explosions. One of the missiles slammed right into the dead centre of a frigate and consumed the ship with its area of effect. As the other frigate scrambled to evade the incoming fireballs, the polaron rays had already charged up and fired another round into its engines. Smoke erupted from Harrier's starboard engines and the frigate was losing control. The final moments of the Harrier was seen by Price as an act of valour as it attempted to ram itself into the Exodus cruiser.

“Brace for impact!” Price held onto this chair firmly as the Harrier smashed into his ship's shielding.

A bright red glow was visible on the cruiser hull as the explosion from the downed frigate was absorbed by its shields. Price eyed at the last remaining Genesis cruiser a few kilometres away from him and saw a dead corvette floating in the sky beside it. He pulled out his macrobinoculars from his chair and saw the words “NB Archon”.

“Sir, the enemy is fleeing!” the officer watched his scanner as the enemy began to move away from their ship.

“After them!” Price shouted as he prayed that Wicker was still alive.

 The Exodus' engines groaned loudly as the ship speed was pushed to its maximum moving a heavy massed ship from zero speed. The chase was on!