Inquisitor !.FvYxWfkmU 2008/08/10 (Sun) 19:39 No. 4769 ▼ File 121839714252.jpg - (9.77KB, 400x321 , lightning fighter craft.jpg)
You decide on a course of action. You don't think there are any more escape pods, and the shuttle in the last hanger is probably lost to you. You heft your shotgun, the course of action decided.
"We're going to find another hanger, and hopefully another ship. Mystia, can you lead me there?" She nods an affirmative. "Alright, let's move out then. I want to get the hell off of this thing before it rips apart."
"Of course~" Mystia begins to walk down the hallway, towards where the servicemen came from, and you follow her. You two walk down the endless halls, you keeping an eye out for a medpack while Mystia guides your way. The ship itself creeps you out, bringing unbidden memories of being trapped on a space hulk. To take your mind off of it, you attempt to speak to Mystia.
"So, Mystia." You open up. "Can love bloom on a floating hunk of metal that's about to tear apart any second now between a man and his singing bodyguard?" You laugh nervously, and Mystia stops. You can see a bit of a blush on her face. Heh, it does help a bit to tease her.
"A-ah, I don't know~" She says. "Y-you've been reading too many trashy romance novs, boss~ We should hurry~" She begins to walk at a faster pace, embarrassed. You chuckled. Despite her being so easygoing most of the time, she's easy to tease.
You two continue to walk through the halls, the creaking noise beginning to pick up again. This area must be straining to hold together. You wonder how much damage has been done to the frame. How long until the ship rips apart and your cold dead body is flung into space, as the vacuum tears you apa-
Damnit, you're thinking again. Stop that. You try to ask Mystia someting again, to calm your nerves.
"Hey, Mystia, know any good chicken joints?"
"The left wing joint~" she shoots back quickly. You stare at her blankly, before chuckling slightly at the joke. Sure, it wasn't that good, but Mystia's trying to indulge you and calm you down, so might as well laugh, right?
Ah, man, you think, I'm gonna die.
You two make it to the hanger after a few more minutes, opening a final door to show the hanger, mostly empty, except for one starfighter in the middle of the bay, untouched.
A Lightning class fighter, a space and air superiority fighter designed for destroying other craft. On it's nose is a hull mounted Autocannon, and on it's wing-tips a lascannon each. Quite the beauty, it sits majestically, untouched and fully prepped, from what you can tell.
"Tis the Empress watching over us, boss~" Mystia says, "She has provided us safe transport to complete our task~" You nod.
"Of that I have no doubt, Mystia. Awfully convenient though, yes? That such a fighter, and a two-seater, a rare type by all means, be here and ready for launch?" You think on it for a moment, then shake the feeling off.
"Alright, Mystia. Get inside the back seat, and prep for launch. You know the proper litanies and rituals, get to it. I'm gonna see if I can find anything else we can use."
"Yes boss~" She says, walking over to get it started, while you rush to take a look around for anything useful. You soon find usefulness in the form of a box of twenty shotgun shells, a small medkit (Which you resolve to use to treat Mystia as soon as you can), and a survival pack. You toss the pack over your shoulder and shove the shells and the medkit in a pocket in your coat. You also find flight suits.
You hurriedly don your's, fitting the helmet securely to your head. Last thing you want to do is die. Now set, you think, you head back to Mystia, who's standing outside of the fighter.
"Here," you say, tossing her the second flight suit, "put this on. We're getting the hell out of here." Mystia quickly gets into the suit, putting it on over her dress, before hopping into the back seat. You toss her the supplies and your coat, and jump in yourself.
"Now..." you mutter to yourself, closing the cockpit behind you and starting up the controls, as the machine spirit awakens in the fighter, and the familiar humming of the engines begins to turn on, "let's get the hell out of he-"
And explosion wracks the ship behind you, the blast doors ripping open and the vacuum of space ripping your fighter out of the hanger and into the void of space. You see now who the Imperial navy has been battling so hard against.
You've traded with them before, these Tau. Them and their wondrous, almost sorcerous blasphemies against the machine spirit. Their ships and weapons are far more advanced than many of the Imperium's, although their numbers and cost are much lower.
Beyond the hanger, you see Tau ships floating above the planet's surface, doing battle with Imperial ships doing likewise. Guns, missiles, and lasers fly across the Lightning fighter as you continue the litanies of ignition, some barely avoiding your hull.
Your deft hands do not fail you, however, and your fighter is quickly active, it's jets firing off as you finish. The craft is fast and maneuverable, able to dodge the stray shot or missile easily, as long as you can see it coming.
The communications array soon comes blasting on, and you hear the comm chatter of several different squadrons and ships.
"Litanies of War, respond! This is Her Holy Word, we have several Xenos bombers attacking us! Requesting backup!"
"Negative, we are unable to send additional fighter support. Hang in there." Mystia looks over the rear seat to you.
"What's the plan, boss~"
[ ] Make your way back to the planet; you have a mission to do.
[ ] Go help the Her Holy Word; they're in trouble.
