Personal Log: Manta Fighter Pilot 4-
Confederate activity has been up in our patrol sector of space recently. Everything on the R.S.S. Independence, our Rebel Cruiser, has been hectic over the course of the last week. I just got back from seeing my lovely wife on our last shore leave. We took heavy casualties on our last patrol a little over a month ago and now our ship is filled with new recruits and rookies which makes me a little uneasy. And now here I sit, polishing "The Glory", my sleek red Manta fighter. According to our rest and rotation schedule, I am not due to make a patrol for the next 2 days, which will give me time to tune up the fighter and write some letters home.
I put the finishing touches on my Manta's new paint job and decided to head back to my quarters to get some some sleep while I was out of the patrol rotation. I had my room conveniently placed on the same deck as the fighter bay so I wouldn't have to walk far to report for duty. When I got to my quarters, I slipped out of my gear and fell quickly asleep on my bed....
I was awoken suddenly by the warning siren, which was blasting throughout the ship. I tried to stand up out of bed only to be thrown to the floor by a sudden shake. That was the shock from laser fire! I sprang back up and scrambled as fast as I could to slip into my flight gear and then bolted out the door towards the fighter bay. I took so long putting on my flight suit that by the time I reached the bay, all the other Manta's had launched already. As I climbed in the cockpit of my Manta, I could see laser fire from outside the bay doors. The canopy closed, I powered "The Glory" up, and flew full speed out into the darkness of space. I cleared the bay doors and made a 90 degree turn to view the attacking ship. It was a Confederate Cruiser!! The R.S.S. Independence wouldn't stand a chance unless a miracle happened. I locked onto the nearest Confed and engaged in the combat. Soon I could hear screams of death over the radio as my fellow fighter pilots died.
The R.S.S. Independence's shields at this point had fallen and it was on the run. I tried to buy it some time by attacking the Confed Cruiser and creating a distraction. The proton bolts that sheared my fighters hull disabled my fighter's weapons, comm system, and most its maneuverability. I took one look at my fighter and then one last look at the Independence and realized I wasn't gonna be able to land this Manta. I slowly turned my fighter to line up with the Confed Cruiser's bridge. I thought to myself, the Independence is gonna make it, and if I'm going down I'm taking you with me you Confederate bastard! I felt the heat on my already burning flesh as my Manta hit the Cruiser's shields and turned into a large triangular shaped fireball. I closed in at faster speeds then I've ever flown at. I could see the look of shock on the Confed officer's faces through the bridge windows when they knew I was gonna ram through them. Then, all of a sudden.........
Patrol Report: R.S.S. Independence
Kills: 1 Confederate Cruiser
Status: Sustained heavy casualties...
...request new compliment of fighters and fighter pilots...
That is the story of "The Glory"
(This message has been edited by moderator (edited 12-05-2001).)
I like the feeling of the story. I feel like a Captain that has come upon the disabled ship (later in the future) and am reading the Captain's Log.