“Let’s head for Echo-Centauri”, you say confidently. “It’s probably the last place anybody would expect us – in the midst of the enemy...also, we’ll be playing to our strength with our stealth abilities.”
“Rodger that, captain”, Buck says as he configures the navigation computer to head for Echo-Centauri. “Hold on everyone...here we go...” with that the sip smoothly transitions to warp speed.
“Approaching Echo-Centauri,” Rodgers says. “Initiating warp drive shut down,” he continues focussing on the controls in front of him.
Seconds later, the galaxy containing Echo-Centauri flashes into view. The ship zooms in on a green and brown planet, the gravity regulator of the ship making the approach and stop effortless.
“Computer,” you say, “planet statistics please.”
“Planet: Echo-Centauri,” the computer complies.
“Atmosphere composition: 78.91% nitrogen, 21.85% oxygen, 0.83% argon, 0.38% carbon dioxide, remainder – trace elements. Atmosphere, breathable.
Temperature: 25 to 35 degrees Celsius.
Climate: low to high rainfall, humidity 5% to 80%
Geology: Sand consisting of Silica, Quartz and limestone with high levels of organic deposits
Vegetation: Desert to Jungle
Life: Various life forms detected
Structures: Numerous clusters of structures detected, mostly mining of military – all structures belonging to the Miras-Guhl.
General: Planet’s geology, climate and atmosphere almost identical to that of Old Earth.”
“Ok”, you say rubbing your chin. “What we’ll do is patrol one of the main transport routes on the surface. Once we have identified a Pylene transporter, we’ll take it down, scavenge the Pylene supplies and stock up. Our stealth cover should enable us to do so undetected. Then we’ll do a quick airborne strike on a mining facility, obviously also under stealth cover, and acquire the needed mining tools and then we’ll be out of here...any questions?”
The crew looks at you with bland expressions, seemingly unimpressed with the simplicity of your plan.
“Crew”, Buck says easily, “prepare for atmosphere entry.”
With that he directs the ship towards the planet below. Soon the ship shoots like a burning meteor into the planet’s atmosphere.
Dropping below the light cloud cover, you see green jungle speeding past on the planet’s surface.
“Right Buck”, you instruct your second in command. “Set a course for a transport route between two of the major military and mining facilities. Let’s see if we can find a Pylene transporter.”
“We seem to be in luck sir”, Buck replies. “We have a Pylene transporter up ahead with a single escort. The payload should be in the order of twenty tons. Shall we proceed?”
“Yes”, you reply. “Approach the target from behind and engage. I want you to track the escort and dispense of him using a Viper missiles. Then we can take the transporter down with the Reaper-cannon. That way we don’t blow the Pylene to dust.”
“Rodger”, is all Buck says before engaging the weapons system. He starts tracking the bogey. A schematic image of the enemy escort, known as a Wasp, appears on your screen. It’s sleek lines and deadly weapons combinations make it the premier fighter in the Guhl inventory.
“Missile lock”, he says. “Firing now...missile away.”
Before the missile hits the Wasp escort, you see it diving and dodging wildly. It must have seen the incoming missile. Fortunately it too late and the missile tear the enemy escort apart.
“Now for the transporter”, you say. “Activate the reaper cannon.”
Tracking the transporter, the Reaper cannon starts firing accompanied by a load buzz. Energy rounds extend a trail up to the transporter and then tears into its rear. The tail fins of the boxy transport ship are ripped apart. Black smoke erupts from the ship and it starts losing altitude rapidly. Dropping down it plummets into the jungle below.
“They never had a chance”, you say proudly tapping your armrest, your pride of the Black Panther clearly visible on your face.
“Now let’s drop down and get that Pylene”, you continue.
Buck complies and swings the ship around to land at the crash site.
“We’re receiving a priority message on a secure frequency, sir”, science officer Spencer says from behind.
“Put it on”, you reply surprised to be receiving any type of transmission at this stage. Who could possible know you’re on this Guhl-invested planet?
“Star Destroyer Liberty, this is Admiral Ortega. Commence bombing run of Echo-Centauri.”
“What the hell...did I hear right”, you ask in complete shock. “Did he say bombing run of ECHO-CENTAURI?”
“Must be a black-op”, Orion command Spengler says dryly. “Otherwise admiral Zane would have told us to avoid Echo-Centauri.”
“Shit”, you say bitterly. “Everything was going so well. If they do a bomb run on this planet with a Star Destroyer, our best chance is to land this ship and ride it out...even then we’ll only have a ten percent chance of survival.”
“We can also try and clear the atmosphere before the bomb run starts”, Buck proposes.
“Yes, but if we’re in the air when the low-altitude-detonation anti-matter ordinance is dropped we have a zero percent chance of survival”, you counter.
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