The fleet that the newly-formed Setareh Wing called home flew in a loose formation. The VSV Arha, a Vajra-class Cruiser, was surrounded by four assault frigates, two scout ships, and a medical corvette, all of which were varying hues of orange, from electric to tan beige.
The wing's mission was to patrol for activity outside of the Iruotl system. The Astral Vanguard efforts were focused on ending the Diaspora that created conflicts between far-flung Iromakuanhe factions, particularly squashing The New Veyrin Republic, to unite all Iromakuanhe under the flag of the Astral Commonwealth within the Astral Cluster. The War of Reclamation had been progressing for six successive AR, each of which pushed The New Veyrin Republic further from the Iruotl system and closer to its knees.
Naak Behea, Setareh Wing's commanding officer, had unplugged from the entry ports and slipped out of her Erla II VANDR, silver and black hair falling to her the waist of her linksuit as she did.
“Continue the patrol on the area we’ve been working on,” she ordered a black-skinned Sund Wakir named Ekia Verha.
The redheaded Ekia had come to the hive-like VANDR bay prepared, wearing her linksuit and ready for anything. On Naak's order, she hopped into her Erla II. An automated rack placed her VANDR onto the MASC-based linear accelerator launching system, which catapulted her through a canal, out of the cruiser and into open space, which enthralled her to no end, as frame running was still new to her.
Her Vector Transition Drive kicked in and she was soon flying at cruising speeds, the shining colors of the fleet behind her eventually become nonexistent as she moved into the area to be patrolled. Some time later, her passive subspace mass sensors were alerted to movement and the ANIOS aboard her Erla II, Rebirth, spoke to her with the voice of a young woman, programmed to have a questioning lilt to the way she spoke.
“300 astronomical units away, Ekia, what would you like to do?”
Without hesitation, Ekia engaged the Vector Shroud and Phantom Sink System, compressing the space around her unit while imitating background radiation and noise to effectively blend in both visually and to any sensors.
“Vector translation initiate!" Ekia said to Rebirth and in a second, she had jumped to half an AU away from where the VANDR's scanners had picked something up. It was enough space to get a visual, but not enough to be shot at. “Soono…” she said in an exhalation.
“Confirmed, those are Soono frames,” Rebirth said back to her. “Do you see the station behind them?”
“Section 5,” Ekia muttered to her own frame, citing the Astral Vanguard Military Policy. ”Armed Disarmament.”
“They are certainly New Veyrin,” Rebirth agreed. The Astral Vanguard had been tasked with forcibly disarming rogue paramilitary installations, and this was one that had to be taken down.
With her VANDR's MASC-assisted radio, she called back to the Arha.
“This is the VSV Arha!" came a lively reply. "Adjutant officer, communications, speaking.”
“New Veyrin spotted,” Ekia shot back to the communications officer. “I repeat, Republic starship spotted! Soono frames spotted!”
“Copy,” came a terse reply. “Your wing commander, Naak Behea, and the Sengraiv are being informed.”
“We’re coming back to you,” Ekia informed the operator. To her Erla II VANDR she said, “Vector Translate again, Rebirth!”
In another second she was back at the VSV Arha.
Naak Behea had all but jumped in the bath. Her pink skin was shed of the linksuit and only a towel was draped around her when she got the call. She relayed the information to the rest of her wing and, in a flushed excitement got dressed. She strode out of the doorway and into the VANDR bay and saw her team assembled, waiting.
“This sortie is not about crushing our opponent,” Naak said emphatically, “but deconstructing the Iromakuanhe we face, reassembling them to become not an opponent, but one of us. This is not about fighting others, but accepting those just like us. Today Iromakuanhe do not fight other Iromakuanhe, but take them back into the fold. We are here to do a duty to them, not to our superiors or ourselves, but to alleviate them. I want us to take down what they have built up, and I want us to allow them to employ what the Astral Commonwealth has already built for them when they come back home.”
She went on.
“This will not be a fair battle. We have trained in capacities they cannot fathom and we can fight with capability unimaginable to them. This will not be a fair battle, but a battle, nonetheless.”
“Altair, Sanjaya, Irfan Song, Dr. Zoren,” she said before a pause. “I want you four to be with Padme, our FIOMNI. You will be our first line of attack.”
To the mechanist, Nanise, and Ekia, she said, “I want you three to be with me. We’ll be right behind them, ready to assist. Get in and go ahead! Your VANDRs should link up with what Rebirth knows about the station and its coordinates.”
With that, Naak got in her VANDR.
The wing's mission was to patrol for activity outside of the Iruotl system. The Astral Vanguard efforts were focused on ending the Diaspora that created conflicts between far-flung Iromakuanhe factions, particularly squashing The New Veyrin Republic, to unite all Iromakuanhe under the flag of the Astral Commonwealth within the Astral Cluster. The War of Reclamation had been progressing for six successive AR, each of which pushed The New Veyrin Republic further from the Iruotl system and closer to its knees.
Naak Behea, Setareh Wing's commanding officer, had unplugged from the entry ports and slipped out of her Erla II VANDR, silver and black hair falling to her the waist of her linksuit as she did.
“Continue the patrol on the area we’ve been working on,” she ordered a black-skinned Sund Wakir named Ekia Verha.
The redheaded Ekia had come to the hive-like VANDR bay prepared, wearing her linksuit and ready for anything. On Naak's order, she hopped into her Erla II. An automated rack placed her VANDR onto the MASC-based linear accelerator launching system, which catapulted her through a canal, out of the cruiser and into open space, which enthralled her to no end, as frame running was still new to her.
Her Vector Transition Drive kicked in and she was soon flying at cruising speeds, the shining colors of the fleet behind her eventually become nonexistent as she moved into the area to be patrolled. Some time later, her passive subspace mass sensors were alerted to movement and the ANIOS aboard her Erla II, Rebirth, spoke to her with the voice of a young woman, programmed to have a questioning lilt to the way she spoke.
“300 astronomical units away, Ekia, what would you like to do?”
Without hesitation, Ekia engaged the Vector Shroud and Phantom Sink System, compressing the space around her unit while imitating background radiation and noise to effectively blend in both visually and to any sensors.
“Vector translation initiate!" Ekia said to Rebirth and in a second, she had jumped to half an AU away from where the VANDR's scanners had picked something up. It was enough space to get a visual, but not enough to be shot at. “Soono…” she said in an exhalation.
“Confirmed, those are Soono frames,” Rebirth said back to her. “Do you see the station behind them?”
“Section 5,” Ekia muttered to her own frame, citing the Astral Vanguard Military Policy. ”Armed Disarmament.”
“They are certainly New Veyrin,” Rebirth agreed. The Astral Vanguard had been tasked with forcibly disarming rogue paramilitary installations, and this was one that had to be taken down.
With her VANDR's MASC-assisted radio, she called back to the Arha.
“This is the VSV Arha!" came a lively reply. "Adjutant officer, communications, speaking.”
“New Veyrin spotted,” Ekia shot back to the communications officer. “I repeat, Republic starship spotted! Soono frames spotted!”
“Copy,” came a terse reply. “Your wing commander, Naak Behea, and the Sengraiv are being informed.”
“We’re coming back to you,” Ekia informed the operator. To her Erla II VANDR she said, “Vector Translate again, Rebirth!”
In another second she was back at the VSV Arha.
Naak Behea had all but jumped in the bath. Her pink skin was shed of the linksuit and only a towel was draped around her when she got the call. She relayed the information to the rest of her wing and, in a flushed excitement got dressed. She strode out of the doorway and into the VANDR bay and saw her team assembled, waiting.
“This sortie is not about crushing our opponent,” Naak said emphatically, “but deconstructing the Iromakuanhe we face, reassembling them to become not an opponent, but one of us. This is not about fighting others, but accepting those just like us. Today Iromakuanhe do not fight other Iromakuanhe, but take them back into the fold. We are here to do a duty to them, not to our superiors or ourselves, but to alleviate them. I want us to take down what they have built up, and I want us to allow them to employ what the Astral Commonwealth has already built for them when they come back home.”
She went on.
“This will not be a fair battle. We have trained in capacities they cannot fathom and we can fight with capability unimaginable to them. This will not be a fair battle, but a battle, nonetheless.”
“Altair, Sanjaya, Irfan Song, Dr. Zoren,” she said before a pause. “I want you four to be with Padme, our FIOMNI. You will be our first line of attack.”
To the mechanist, Nanise, and Ekia, she said, “I want you three to be with me. We’ll be right behind them, ready to assist. Get in and go ahead! Your VANDRs should link up with what Rebirth knows about the station and its coordinates.”
With that, Naak got in her VANDR.
