262-Valkyrie’s View: A Year Among the Stars
September 18th, 2552 – Review, retrieve, repeat
Structural Engineer/Subversive Rescue Operations Director Kat “S-Kat” James Reporting
Today things fell into a bit of a routine. The salvage crew would survey an area, identify the key pieces we’d want and or need, then the trained wrecking crew would come in, disassemble the items take out the best pieces, and work their way down as the survey team would go to the next area and repeat the process.
Computers, flight systems, and medical were given priority but fuel systems and the like were important too.
When the wrecking crew was done, and everything was loaded onto the hauler, I would take it through the well back to the skiff, which was now a flotilla of 7 skiffs, get checked out by medical, and then head back in.
Every 8 hours I would load up everybody, take a three-hop flight to the skiff, and have everyone checked out. While we were waiting, we’d eat, grab a little shut-eye then head out again.
While I waited for people to load the hauler, I worked on getting one of the fighters disassembled. It only took about four cycles for me to be carrying back the fighter, with all systems powered down.
That delivery went to a third unknown location far away from the fleet and the skiffs – just in case there was a tracking system I’d missed. See, a life of crime has helped out from time to time.
I was heading back after another run when we saw the attack fleet arrive. The Ani had arrived ready to take down their own fleet. Fortunately, G-man had been watching, they managed to get everyone out of the way and gone before the Ani realized we were there.
Everybody but me and the team I was supposed to pick up that is. There was no time for stealth no time for grace, this was a snatch grab and run operation. Believe me, there is nothing like a fireball bearing down on you to inspire you to move quickly, only what it triggered was something completely different.
It was like I was watching everything in slow motion, racing the fireball bearing down on the ship where I was landing. Fortunately, everyone left was waiting for me and piled into the hauler and we dusted off as the ball reached the ship we’d been working on.
I made a well just outside the ship and jumped. As it was some of the explosion and a piece of the ship came with us, and we spun off course.
As I cleared the well and tried to get my bearings the Ani were right behind us.
It took seven jumps and some trick flying to lose them, but I had no idea where we were, but that’s the thing about the well – it’s not so much about distance, or time, or point of origin – it’s finding the right window to where you’re going…
We got back to the flotilla just in time to see it torn apart by the Ani.
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