DUTY CALLS

            The 'Battle Of The Line' was Earth's last stand in the three-year long war with the Minbari. Most of the Earth Alliance forces had been decimated or rendered unable to fight, with defeat almost a certainty. A war that started with a grave misunderstanding was about to become the anhilation of the entire Human race.
           In the last hours of the war, twenty thousand Earth Alliance personnel mobilized an armada beyond the orbit of Earth's Moon, making one last stand to ward off enemy forces, hopefully giving precious time for an evacuation of Earth itself. The Minibari mercilessly cut through the barricade, eliminating most of the armada and giving them a clear path to destroy humanity in one massive blow.
         Earth forces faught valiantly, refusing to give up no matter what. Just as it had seemed that the Human race was about to meet it's fate, the Minbari fleet suddenly ended hostilities and surrendered, sparing Earth her destruction. Out of the twenty thousand that fought on the Line, only a few hundred survived.
         Six years after the battle, the Earth Alliance was deep into rebuilding its forces as well as its outposts, as well as launching Babylon Four, a place where humans and aliens could work out their differences in peace, avoiding another deadly conflict like the one that had just come to pass. In addition to this newfound  desire for peace, Earth was also putting together a covert squadron of specialists that would be ready for any problems that couldn't be solved by diplomatic means....

         The progress made by Earth Force in restoring its assets after the end of the war was nothing short of amazing. The shipyards has been pumping out those new Omega-class destroyers ahead of schedule, not to mention all the progress that had been made repairing or rebuilding the outposts and bases that had been all but wiped out during the war by the Minbari.
         Of these reconstructed bases was the transfer point on Jupiter's moon, Io. A round satellite of the gas giant that resembled a spherical pizza at times, was home to a large outpost that housed a large number of Earth Alliance personnel and equipment at any given time, in orbit of the large moon. Some lived and served here, finding it a great career move for making their way up the comman ladder. Others, like William McIntyre, was here awaiting a new assignment, and had little to do for the time being.
         He sat in a lounge nursing his only drink of the afternoon, not in a hurry to go anywhere. Wearing his double blue flight suit, he was the only pilot sitting in the lounge at the moment. His short blond hair and light blue eyes, combined with his even cheekbones rendered him very handsome, often catching the eye of women that he saw in passing.
         An already accomplished pilot, he had earned a reputation as a risk-taker, yet one that got the job done no matter what it was, and with a minimum of collateral damage or casualties. He had served at the Battle of the Line, and survived it. Half of his squadron had been killed, with the other remaining pilots save himself coming out of the battle with post traumatic stress and whatnot, having witnessed many friends perish in the fight.
         For some reason, he had been spared the nightmares and hallucinations that came with fighting in that last decisive battle in the war. Sure, some of his long-time friends had been killed, but he wouldn't allow himself to be torn apart by the thought of it. 
         Will took another sip of his drink, and looked around the lounge. Only a few people lingered about, a couple having a conversation at another table, and a man with his back turned up at the bar, also nursing a drink.
         "One of those days, I guess." he said to himself.
         He could relate, as just a few short days ago, his assignment to an Earth-based Starfury squadron had come to an abrupt end, with orders to report to Io as well as an unexpected promotion to Lieutenant being thrown into the mix.
         "Ah, the military life." he mumbled, leaning back in his chair somewhat to try to relax a little more than he already was. Just as he was starting to think about things other than Starfuries and the war, the arrival of a man in an EarthForce officer's uniform caught his attention. The olive-skinned man walked up the bartender and asked her something.
         She pointed in Will's direction, with the soldier nodding his thanks and proceeding towards the table where he sat.
         'At least the waiting is over.' thought Will, downing the last of his drink.

         It had been a while since he last found himself in the cockpit of a Starfury, and for good reason. It wasn't very often that a first officer on a starship was called upon to pilot a fighter, as his place was normally on the bridge with his captain.
         Commander Adam Reid rather enjoyed being out alone in a fighter, away from the confines of the ship once in a while. He and the rest of the crew had been enjoying a week of down time, the ship having put in to Io for shore leave and resupply. After having conducted a drill for the squadron pilots, Reid had stayed out by himself in his Starfury to fly around for an additional few minutes, thanks to the approval of his captain.
         Many on the crew were tired and stressed out due to the relentless schedule as of late, and needed time to unwind. The captain had awarded him some free time in the fighter due to his excellent service as of late, knowing how important it was to his executive officer. Reid happily flew through open space, and would have continued on for another ten or fifteen minutes had the comm unit not come to life.
        "Commander Reid, come in please." came the call from the communications officer back on his ship.
         "Go ahead, control." he replied inside his flight helmet.
         "Sir, you have been ordered back to the barn, immediately."
         Reid wondered what was up. "Any pariticular reason, control?" 
         The comm officer responded quite quickly, and to the point, which caught him completely off guard. "Yes sir. Orders have been received for your re-assignement, effective immediately."
         Reid suddenly felt floored. Those were no small orders, as he knew it. "Roger that control. Heading back to the barn." he said into the comm, before quickly bringing his craft about, thrusters firing on all sides before kicking in his afterburners to send him back towards the ship, hoping to disembark from his fighter quickly upon arrival so he could find out what the hell was going on exactly.
         "What a ridicuous time to reassign someone." he mumbled into his helmet. "We finally get some time to unwind, then bam! Someone throws a curve ball." 
          As his Starfury closed the distance to his ship, another starship began to take shape in a higher orbit above Io. It was an Omega-class destroyer, but one that was painted in darker colours than other EarthForce ships. He could make out heavy weapon placements as well, not to mention a larger opening for it's hangar deck. Overall, the ship looked a tad bigger than your standard Omega-class ship, and it's rotating section in the middle seemed meaner.
         "Chimera." he said aloud into his helmet, reading the ship's nameplate on the side of the forward section.
         "Control to Starfury. Prepare for final approach." came the call from his own ship, and with that, he returned his attention to his controls, and vectored his ship towards the hangar bay, throttling back the engines on approach.
          "Roger that, control."

          He has gotten new assignments before, and had always reported for duty with more than enough time to spare. This time however, was much different, as the officer that handed him his new orders almost forgot to tell him that he had less than an hour to collect his things and make it to the shuttle that would take him to his new post.
          "Damn bureaucrats." he said under his breath, hurrying towards the docking bay where his shuttle was less than five minutes away from leaving for its destination. He weaved and bobbed his way through a mass of people, other EarthForce personnel who apparently all got new orders on the same day. At least, that's what it felt like to him.
          Will was about to head into the docking bay, when he suddenly felt someone crash into him, jarring him slightly. He shook it off, and noticed a woman in a flight suit on the ground in front of him.
          "I'm very sorry, miss." he said, extending a hand to help her up. The woman faced him, and he was stunned at the extent of her beauty. Her long, red hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her green eyes sparkling, accenting her soft face beautifully.
          "My fault," she started, softly. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
          Will didn't know what to say at first, awestruck by this gorgeous woman. He quickly realized his hand was still outstretched, and leaned in to offer it to her. She accepted, helping pull herself up off the floor, and looking straight into Will's eyes, smiling.
          "My name is Sarah. Sarah Atkinson, starfury pilot." she offered.
          Will smiled back at her. "William McIntyre. Pleasure to meet you." 
          Sarah grinned. "You're in an awful hurry." she mentioned.
          Confused, Will wondered why he had been going so fast to knock over such a beautiful woman, and then all of a sudden it hit him.
          "Rats! The shuttle!" he exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Sarah, but I have to be on that shuttle in the docking bay. I'm on my way to my new assignment." he said, frowning and adjusting the carry all that was slung over his right shoulder.
          "Oh well," started Sarah again. "Nice to meet you all the same." 
          She started to leave, but turned again to flash him a playful smile before walking out of the docking bay. Will frowned, wishing he had more time to talk to her and maybe get to know her. He had never met a woman as beautiful as her before, and was very smitten, to say the least. Unfortunately, he didn't even have time to think about it, hurrying off to board his shuttle that would take him to his new assignment, a ship called the EAS Chimera.
          Will knew nothing about this ship, and hadn't even heard of it until he got his orders today. Being in the military, he couldn't just pick and choose where he went. If EarthForce told him to go somewhere, he went. Simple as that. 
           As he boarded the shuttle and fastened into the nearest harness, his thoughts turned to his encounter with Sarah Atkinson. "I'll probably never see her again." he said, voice trailing off as the shuttle launched into space with a lurch.

           It was all happening so fast. First, he had received new orders that had him grab his gear and report to the EAS Chimera. Then, he was met by General Hague who promptly promoted him to captain and gave him command of said starship. On top of that, he had orders straight from EarthDome that couldn't be opened until all the new personnel assigned to the Chimera were aboard and hd reported for duty.
          At only thirty-two years of age, Reid was without a doubt the youngest captain in EarthForce, and that unnerved him a little bit. He hadn't thought that he would be given command of a starship for at least five or six more years, but here we was, master of this new ship and crew.
          Reid tilted the monitor next to him somewhat, and tried to gain some sort of clarity in his mind, when the door chime went off. He looked over the empty surface of his desk towards the door, and acknowledged whoever it was on the other side.
          "Enter." he said calmly.
          A familiar figure strode into his ready room and stood before him. Reid got to his feet as fast as he could and saluted.
          "General Hague. Sir." he said.
          The older man smiled and returned the salute, before taking a seat in the chair before him. "At ease, captain. No need for formalities right now." he explained, his dark brown hair greyed at the sides, his beard slowly following suit. 
          Reid sat down and pulled up his chair, looking intently at the General.
          "You look a bit out of sorts, Adam." he mentioned. "This command should suit you nicely, and may I say those captain's bars look good on you."
          The younger man looked to his epaulets. "It's everything I ever wanted," he started, before turning his attention back to Hague. "But it's all so sudden. I hadn't expected to gain a command of my own for some time."
           Hague responded with a grin. "You deserved it. Besides, it's been six years since the war ended, and our rebuilding of the Alliance nearly complete. Babylon Four is going online soon, and business is picking up for us. It was time to fast-track some plans, and reward the people who have done Earth proud."
           Reid couldn't help but feel some pride. "I am honoured, General." he said.
           "Indeed. I know you'll do a great job here, on the Chimera. When all of your new people are aboard, I will release your orders personally." he explained. "Oh, and your executive officer will be late arriving. He's currently on another assignment, and his CO is giving me a hard time about it."
           The captain grinned. "Must be good then, if his CO doesn't want to give him up."
           Hague laughed. "My thoughts exactly." he replied, rising from his chair. "See you at oh-eight hundred tomorrow morning."
           Reid nodded, before the General turned and left his office. "Oh-eight hundred it is then." he said aloud, before turning his attention back to the monitor.

           Having been told upon arrival on the Chimera that his new commanding officer wouldn't be a calling a meeting with his new charges until eight the following morning, Will found himself walking around in the hangar bay, staring at the special Starfury fighters that sat nearby, marvelling at the charcoal paint jobs and added equipment a normal Starfury wouldn't normally be equipped with.
           "Interesting." he said quietly, looking over everything he possibly could on the modified craft that stood before him. He could only imagine what else it might have been equipped with, and couldn't wait to hit space in it.
          Will was about to go over and talk to one of the techs that was tending the hangar bay for more information, when a voice started talking from behind him.
          "Would you look at that. They actually found a real pilot for these things!" said the voice, who Will recognized almost immediately. He smiled and turned around to see his close friend from his Academy days, Lewis Sewell, striding up to him.
           The man's dark skin and bright white smile made him as friendly as anyone, his short black hair always cut to precise measurements to this day.
           "Lewis!" said Will, extending a hand. His friend reciprocated and shook his hand firmly, yet not too tight.
           "Good to see you. Looks like we both got posted here, eh?" he chided.
           Sewell nodded, and kept smiling. "Yeah. Big surprise even. One moment, I'm landing my Starfury in the Nimrod's hangar bay, the next thing I know, I'm being new walking papers with a promotion to ensign as well as second in command of a new squadron."
           Will nodded is acknowledgement. "Same here, except I was sitting in a bar on Io when my reassignment gets delivered, with a promotion to lieutenant nicely included. And, here I am!" he exclaimed happily, feeling better now that he had a friend here.
           "Ah good news, how sweet it is." replied Sewell, in a good mood himself. "I'll tell you what. I'm going to have myself a snack. We'll talk more later." 
           Will laughed. "You and you're stomach. See you later!" he replied, as his friend saluted in jest before walking off across the hangar bay. A few minutes, later, Will headed for the gear room to take a peek at the place where he'd probably spending a lot of time. As he passed through the portal where the door had parted for him, he stepped into the room and stopped dead in his tracks.
           There, sitting against one of the stalls where the pilots would be storing their gear, was the gorgeous blond woman name Sarah he had bumped into on Io.
           "Um, hi." he said to her.
           Sarah looked up from something she was reading, and smiled at him, her green eyes catching his gaze easily.
           "Hi." she said happily. "Looks like you made that shuttle after all."
           Will chuckled and smiled, happy to see her again. He sat down next to her and calmly engaged her in some conversation for the next little while, hoping to get to know the woman that was slowly falling for, even though he knew a relationship might be out of the question due to their assignments on the Chimera. 

            It had been about fifteen minutes since he walked into the well-lit conference room and took a seat on one side of the relatively large table, it's dull black finish and rounded corners giving it that human touch. The rectangle form had three chairs on each of it's long sides, and one at the head of the table, presumably for the commanding officer.
            Will sat in the first chair on the left side, and waited patiently for everyone else to arrive. It wasn't long after that his friend Lewis entered the room and took a seat next to him, giving Will a nod as he did so. A few minutes after that, Sarah joined them, looking so very beautiful with her hair behind her in a ponytail, as he was used to seeing her. She gave him a smile and took a seat on the opposite side of the table from him.
            Just as he was about to say something to her, the door opened again, admitting a man a little younger than him, his wavy black hair almost touching the shoulders of his flight suit. He had a calm demeanour, but raised an eyebrow at everyone else as he sat down beside Sarah.
           "I don't believe we've met." said Will, looking to the man.
           He shook is head in response. "Jack Whitmear, and no we haven't." he said, grinning.
           "Will McIntyre. This is Lewis Sewell." he said, gesturing towards Lewis, who nodded appreciatively.
           "Sarah Atkinson." mentioned Sarah, who briefly shook Jack's hand, the younger man smiling respectfully at his female colleague.
           Just then, the door parted one more time, with two men in dark blue officer's uniforms made their way into the room. The four pilots stood up immediately and saluted, as the two men returned the gesture. 
           "At ease." said the man with the brown beard and General's insignia on his shoulders. As the pilots again sat down, the General spoke again.
           "I am General Hague, EarthForce command." he said, before gesturing to the other man with his left hand. "This is Captain Reid, your new CO. You have all been selected to be here because you are the best Starfury pilots that Earth has to offer. Officially, this new squadron will be known as the two-sixteenth, and will be an elite team that will do what normal Starfury squadrons cannot. Unofficially, you will be called the 'Birds Of Prey'. Captain Reid will fill you in on the details, and you'll all receive your new call sign after the briefing."
            The pilots nodded as Captain Reid took over. "Lieutenant McIntyre," he started, looking over at Will. "You are the squadron leader. Ensign Sewell will be your second in command, and so on. The five of you will be given a once over of the new--"
            He was interrupted by Jack Whitmear, eager to point something out to his new CO. "Ah, sir. There's only four of us. I think the math here is a little off." he mentioned.
            There was a low chuckle from the group, with even the General cracking a bit of a grin in the background.
            Reid smiled, and looked to the pilot. "Yes, CWO Whitmear, you are correct. The fifth member of your group will be joining us in a couple of days once he is done going over the equipment on Babylon Four. We are also expecting the arrival of the Chimera's executive officer as well. Are there any questions?" he asked of them.
            All the pilots shook their heads collectively. Reid turned to General Hague. "Anything to add, sir?" he queried.
            "No, that'll be all. Dismissed." 

            For the first time since he assumed command of the EAS Chimera, Captain Reid found himself at last trying out his command chair on the bridge, going over a few things on the panel that was fixed to his right armrest, giving him a personal console for effecting ship's business. He awaited the arrival to the bridge of his new first officer, whose shuttle had docked about fifteen minutes earlier. Also aboard said shuttle was the last pilot to complete the new squadron, a man by the name of Ray Park, whom he had contacted more than two days earlier before the first briefing, at the behest of General Hague.
           Having gone over both of their personnel files beforehand, Reid knew he was getting quality people. Both had been cited for bravery, both had exemplary records, even though Commander Marzcek had sometimes argued with his CO over dangerous missions as such. 
          "The mark of a first officer that gives a damn." he muttered under his breath. Having an XO that just stood there like a post and agreed far too often wasn't too his liking. Reid knew he had to be challenged sometimes, to keep his ship and crew safe.
          Ray Park was a different sort. A pilot who did his job so well, he was given a temporary assignment at Babylon Four to train their new, fresh out of the Academy pilots, as well as setting up the station's Cobra bays to specs. His record noted however, that while most pilots liked social gatherings and friendships, Park was happy to be alone in a quiet area, always sipping on a cup of tea.
         'Still, has last couple of COs spoke highly of him, and hated to lose him. I don't care how he spends his free time, as long as he gets the job done.' thought Reid.
         Just as he was about to go over a few more things on his console, the door to the bridge slid open and admitted a taller man with short blond hair and striking blue eyes, who looked youthful yet seasoned in his own right. His blue tunic was spotless and straight as he strode up to the captain and saluted.
          "Commander Jon Marzcek, reporting for duty. Sir!" he said jubilantly.
          Reid grinned. "At ease, commander." he said, rising out of his chair to shake the man's hand. "Captain Adam Reid. Welcome aboard the Chimera."
          The other man relaxed somewhat, and smiled. "Thank you sir, and let me say that this assignment was a complete surprise to me." he mentioned.
          Reid nodded. "Same here. I've only been captain for a few days. It seems as if EarthDome didn't want to waste any time on this one."
          "Indeed. I was out in a Starfury and heard about my change of assignment from the comm officer on my ship." he explained. "A guy can't even go for a calming Starfury flight anyone without getting bothered by someone." he said with a grin.
          The captain laughed. "Military life. Come on Commander, I'll give you a tour of the ship while we still have the time." he said, gesturing towards the door. Marzcek nodded and headed for the door with the captain in tow. The door slid open and admitted them into the corridor, where they headed for the nearest turbolift.

          Will has heard that the last pilot to round out the squadron had arrived on the ship, but he couldn't seem to find him. It was well past twenty one hundred hours, and the others had all turned it for the night. Well, almost all of the others. He had stopped by Ray Park's quarters only to find out that he wasn't there. He had tried to raise him via link, but it seemed as if Park may have turned his off for the night.
          "The man is good at not being found." mumbled Will, who was again passing by the hangar bay. While there, he decided to stop into the pilot's gear room to re-check all of his new equipment. He walked up to the door of the room as it slid aside, and revealed to his surprise, a solitary figure sitting on the far bench under a stall.
           A man of asian descent with short black hair sipped from a small metallic cup as he held up something that looked like a technical journal of some sort. Steam wafted up from the hot drink, the aroma recognizable as peppermint tea.
           "Ray Park I presume." said Will, the man looking up over his journal and raising an eyebrow mometarily.
           "That's me." he said, smiling. "Sorry for ignoring your call over the link, but I rather enjoy my quiet time whenever I can get it."
           Will grinned. "I understand. Will McIntyre, squadron leader." he replied. Park nodded, taking another sip from his cup.
           "Ah yes. The captain told me you might find me sooner or later. It was a nice surprise to get the offer from him to join this elite team. My time on Babylon Four was coming to an end, and I really wasn't sure where I was headed after that."
           McIntyre sat down on the bench across from him. "Well, your skills as a pilot could have gotten you a few choice assignments. There are always COs on starships and bases looking for hotshots like us to round out their squadrons." he explained.
           Park took another sip of his tea. "Yeah, true. But, to be honest, I didn't just want to end up as just another pilot in just another squadron. This opportunity was most interesting."
           "That it is." replied Will, who thought about the implications a covert strike team like this one could have, never mind the tech they could access whenever they needed. Unlike on a base, station, or far out explorer, a ship like the Chimera would no doubt have priority status to get all the latest upgrades for just about anything, including her flight of Starfuries. The ship carried enough of the fighters for two whole squadrons, even though there were only five regular pilots, and a couple back ups.
           "Well, I'm going to go get some sack time. We'll talk more in the morning, Ray." said Will, getting up to leave.
           "Sure thing, boss. Goodnight." he said, taking another sip of his tea and turning the page over in the journal as his squadron leader nodded and left the room.

           The Chimera had just got underway and was about to jump into hyperspace, when the news hit her antennas. Captain Reid had barely been out of bed for a half hour when the Stellar Com went crazy. He quickly got dressed into his uniform and used his link to call a meeting with his XO as well as his elite squadron, informing them of what had happened.
           On the way to the conference room, he made a stop at the bridge to access the orders that General Hague had left for him before departing the ship.
           "Interesting times indeed." he muttered under his breath before proceeding into the conference door, the door sliding open and revealing everyone already seated around the table, their eyes now on him.
           "Good morning people." he started, standing at the head of the table with his arms behind his back for the time being, the door to the room now closed.
           "A short time ago, Babylon Four disappeared into thin air. It had just come online less than twenty four hours ago, and was being operated by a skeleton crew."
            Eyes around the table went wide, with Ray Park's being the widest, having just left Babylon Four to accept the position on the Chimera.
            Reid continued his address. "That being said, EarthDome is sending a couple of ships to investigate. Our orders have changed, as our scheduled training mission has been cancelled. Instead, we are to proceed to Sector Ten. There have been reports of raiders in this sector attacking ships and pirating their cargo."
           "Lieutenant McIntyre," he continued, now looking to Will. "You and your squadron will prepare your craft for flight. I know that none of you have spent any time as of yet in the enhanced Starfury, but that's the way it goes some days. If there are Raiders present, I want them dealt with, understood?"
           Will nodded his acknowledgement. "Yes sir. We will be ready."
           "Excellent." said Reid. "Dismissed! Commander Marzcek, you're with me." 
           The room emptied out, with the commander falling in next to the captain as they hurried off to the bridge. Will and Lewis headed towards the turbolift side by side, while the others followed behind. 
           "Looks like we're going to get a crash course in our new Starfuries." started Will as he and his team piled into the lift. "Let's go finish breakfast in the mess hall, then we'll head to the hangar bay and started getting aquainted with our ships. Any questions?"
           The other four pilots shook their heads. 
           "Lewis, it's going to be just like old times." he said to his friend and second in command as the lift lurched along.
           The taller man chuckled. "Ah, right! I stay in perfect formation until you get yourself in trouble, and I have to come save you. Got it!"
           Everyone present laughed for a moment at the rib, as the lift came to a halt and the doors slid open, depositing them on the same deck as the mess hall. The five pilots exited one at a time, before heading off to have a hot meal before the preparations started.

           "All right team, we hit space in five minutes! All pilots, check in!" said Will through his helmet comm unit, wanting to make sure that everyone was ready to go. They had spent most of the day familiarizing themselves with their ships, and now were out of time. Outside in the blackness of space awaited a group of raiders that would show no mercy, but then again, neither would his team.
          "Hawk Two here. Ready and able!" said Lewis Sewell, his second in command. Will knew he'd be leaning heavily on his friend in this first mission with their new team.
          "Hawk Three ready to go, boss!" said Ray Park, a tone of excitement in his voice. He was an able pilot, and didn't seem to be fazed by the reality of combat.
          "Hawk Four here. This is going to be interesting!" said Jack Whitmear, not one to keep opinions and ideas to himself, evn if it got him in trouble sometimes.
          "Hawk Five, bringing up the rear! Let's all make it back in one piece!" said Sarah Atkinson, her feminine voice a welcome change for Will, who was worried about her more than the others, as he felt a connection between the two, and didn't want anything to happen to her out there. As much as he felt apprehension about possibly becoming involved with her, he wondered what else was holding him back.
          'I keep trying to deny myself happiness, and I don't know why.' he thought to himself as he went over the controls before him. 'Oh well. Worry about this later, when I don't have a dangerous mission to go fly!'
          All five pilots were ready to go, and watched through the hangar bay's magnetic forcefield as the view changed from the swirling red patterns of hyperspace, to a black vista of normal space, complete with the white pinpricks of stars.
          "Hawk Leader, this is control." began Commander Marzcek over the comm, his voice low and calm. "We are back in normal space, and have picked up the enemy on sensors. Prepare to hit space!" he explained.
           Another voice broke in after he was done. It was the Captain. "Reid to the Birds Of Prey, Engage and take out the raiders. I know there was little to no preparation, but we don't always have the luxury of time, being in the military and all. Good luck, and Godspeed." he finished, wishing his squadron well.
          "Okay team, you heard the man." said Will to the squadron. "Heat 'em up, and prepare for launch!" 

           Reid watched the display on the master console, opting to stand  next to Marzcek rather than sit in his command chair. One by one, the Birds of Prey left the hangar bay, assembling in perfect formation once they were all clear. The mission had begun, as well as his first foray into combat as captain of a starship.
          "Time until optimal firing range?" he asked of his first officer, wondering how much longer before the shooting started.
          Marzcek checked another display nearby. "Estimate four minutes, sir." he replied.
          The captain nodded, and kept checking the sensor displays, which now showed about ten raider fighters closing on the Birds. 
           "Helm, keep the Chimera between the fight and the local jumpgate. I don't want those raiders running off into hyperspace."
           "Aye sir." came the response from the helm officer.
           'Not long now.' he thought, worried about his squadron. 'It was nerve-wracking enough as a commander to watch a group of Starfuries head into battle, but now being a captain, I feel as if my heart is going to stop. Ugh....'

          "Launch!" he ordered, as one by one, they blasted out of the Chimera's bay, leaving the safety of their capital ship and hurtling off towards the cluster of raiders, hoping to put a stop to their activities in this sector for good. Will looked out his cockpit to his left, then right. A smile crept to his face for the moment, feeling pride at the formation his squadron was in. Suddenly, it became real now. This was his squadron, and he had faith in his people to get the job done.
          "Four minutes to weapons range. Prepare to lock targets." he said into the comm, with everyone responding with a quick 'Yes sir' as they readied their ships for battle.
          The raider fighters started to come into view a couple minutes later, their triangular shape somewhat unique for a space-based ship of that size. Will knew how deadly they could be, loaded with heavy armaments, and easily a match for a normal Starfury.
          'Well, let's see how you perps fare against these enhanced Starfuries.' he thought to himself. Taking one last look at his squadron through his own cockpit, Will locked the first target that presented itself to him.
          "Birds, this is Hawk Leader, break and attack, I repeat, break and attack!" he ordered, with all five of the Starfuries changing direction and engaging the enemy, their first mission fully underway now. Closing in on his target, Will had one solitary thought cross his mind.
          'You're days are numbered, Raider!'

                                                         THE END