The Hanger bays shook.
Attention. All squadrons launch. Repeat. All Squadrons launch. Enemy Smallcraft inbound. Defensive pattern for engagment required. Hot spots include all fore Sensor Arrays, exposed weapon systems, and engines. All personel, clear the bay. Repeat. All personel clear the bay. Airlocks opening in thirty seconds. Twenty Nine. Twenty Eight.
Launch pads lowered themselves into vacume sealed airlocks, which proceded to close themselves. At the end of the countdown, each pilot was fitted snugly in their fighters, each on a seperated rack, just before release into the black, inky coldness of space.
Miranda Groves called in on her ComNet. "I'm reading Thirteen bogies. " There was some chatter before the squadron leader got his pilots under control. "Alright. Defensive pattern has been called. Act to engage only when they are in range. No chances. Don't engage without support. I don't want to lose anyone today, so stick close to the ship. No heroes." Miranda felt a mix of elation and fear. Finally her skills would be tested. But against what?
Exterior optics was a laughible thing in space. You had to be extremely close to be able to see anything in space that wasn't a planet or star...or an asteroid. Which would almost mean certain fatallity. But even so, she check at anyrate. The enemy fighters in question, not to clearly, looked like teal teardrops, with nodules on the side of its exterior. Weapons, perhaps? Miranda thought so.
She angled her Centaur in to engage once the order was given. She adjusted her target control and soon had locked on to one of the Teardrops. A pair of missiles from each ship streaked off toward the enemy...and exploded in volly. Miranda whooped. "Direct hits!"
The explosions we're extinguished almost instantly. And with it, though not as quickly, a green glare around the teardrops. They flared angrily, shruging off the explosions with little turbulance. Miranda looked on in horror. The teardrops swooped in, and lances of bright blue light streaked out rapidly at her Squadron. Kelly Andrew, her bunkmate, lit up in a bright orange halo before the coldness of space extinguished even that too, aswell as her life.
Captain Milo, who she had always thought was a nice guy, spluttered into another friend, Cory Leanders. Both went out in a bright explosion. The last thing she saw was a teal teardrop, much like the ones pouring down her cheeks. Those tears we're extinguished in an instant, as she met her fate.
"Getting hit out-"
"They have shields! Repeat! Shields!"
"Two on me! Need backup, need back-"
"Oh god! They got Leanders! Miranda too! Wheres the Captain?!"
Communication: Squadron 5, cut off.