A Dark Cloud on the Horizon

This was used as an introduction to the time line our group is using for our d20 SF campaign, it takes place in approximately FY 250. The Sathar have not been heard from since the second Sathar war. Many technical advancements have been made since the close of FY 111 from Zeb's Guide. Future Installments of this story will be bi-weekly to monthly. Hope you like it! -Doc



Crystal waters turn to dark,
When air upon them leaves its mark,
And boiling water pounds like drums,
When something wicked this way comes.

-Ray Bradbury



"Lightning 6, you are clear on tube 3" came the disembodied lilt from the com speaker in Lt Commander Deric Masters' helmet.

"Roger ‘Cloud; 6 in the chute" he replied, thumbing the throttle of his little fighter. There was a brief vibration as the output of the pion drive was pushed to maximum. Deric pushed the center pedal and released it, opening the caliper that held the landing gear in place.

The newly commissioned Talon II fighter was flung out of the launch tube into open space at terrifying speed. Crushed momentarily into the cockpit's seat, Masters gave a sharp exhale and smiled against the crushing force of gravity. Sometimes the launch was the best part of a patrol. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the drive trails of the other members of Lightning squadron as they came hurling from their own launch tubes. Like angry bees, they left the hive of the Dexa class carrier Thunder Cloud that was their home. Coming together in a swarm, which uncoiled itself into a tight formation, twelve fighters in a flat crescent shape, like an angry waning moon on a clear night, propelled by hellish hydrogen fire and death on its wing tips.

Deric swept his gaze across the sensor panel in front of him. All of his flight were in formation and their diagnostics, that were constantly fed to the command computer in his cockpit, showed green. This was only the fourth flight of the Talons II's as regular duty ships. The improvements over the venerable F-40 Vulcans were overwhelming. The matter and antimatter reaction gave an incredible boost to speed and maneuverability. "The truly impressive bits are under the hood, so to speak" Molomormino, the Dralasite designer, had said in their initial briefing for the new ship. He was speaking of the computer system.

As a squadron lead, Masters' fighter was equipped with a more advanced system capable of tracking everything the other members of his element were doing. This was not particularly popular with the other pilots and had been dubbed the "Big Brother Box". It was a fine tool, Deric had thought, but just a hair distracting.

It was the BB Box the Dralasite had thought most important, but to Deric the new advanced pod lasers were the "bit under the hood" that held his attention. Channeled through the reaction of the drive they gave the Talon II firepower that was nigh god-like compared to other ships its size. That power did, however, come at a price. Its range was near spitting distance with the possibility of overload. In the first test firing of the prototype Talon I, the back of the old assault scout drone, used to demonstrate the new cannons, was broken in just a couple shots. On the third shot, however, a so-called "rare anomalous reaction" occurred costing the test pilot his life.

"But hey", Deric thought to himself, "That's why these ships are called twos, right?" A shiver sent itself down his spine.

A soft voice purred through his helmet speakers, "6 this is 8, did I hear Admiral Ch'isht-teeng right? Same grid as yesterday?" He could taste Ommana's impatience. "Sir we have gone over this part of space better than my son's first grooming." Deric heard the shift in the Yazarian's voice as she mentioned her new son.

"8, this is 6," Deric began, "we are going to do whatever our Admiral tells us, because we are good little officers that always eat our vegetables and make our beds. Select search pattern Gamma and zip it. Eyes on your boards people, Lightning 6 out."

Ommana was an excellent officer and a damn good pilot, but her problem was a common one with Yazarians. There seemed to be a racial blind spot for patience. Prone to fits of emotion, Yazarians sometimes were not the best companions when things were less than exciting. Combine that with the recent birth of a child and things could get strained quickly.

In this case Deric couldn't really blame her for feeling impatient. The task force had been out of their home station in the Dramune system for 6 months. Six long boring months. The only peak had been turning in the old F-40s and getting the Talons. When the orders to investigate the disappearance of a Streel corporation colony ship came down, it was a virtual godsend to morale. But three weeks of no contact had deflated hopes and given all of them an itch for something to do.

Deric spent the next couple of hours riveted to the search scans, taking brief pauses to check his squadron status. It was during one of these that Shelidra Matninger, his XO, broke the routine.

"Lightning 6 this is Lightning 5, I have multiple jump events approximately 16 AU's out," she said.

Matninger's Talon boasted an improved sensor package that had half again the range and sensitivity of Deric's.

"Can you get ID confirmation this far out?" Deric asked

"Negative 6, but I can tell you that they are standard atomic signatures; She added quickly, "Wait... 4 more... total of 15 signatures nothing smaller than a Hull Class of 6."

"All right people look sharp; make your course 196 degrees, at mark 12, full burn, lets see who this is," Deric said brightening. "Roca," he began speaking to his Huma Lt. whose fighter exchanged long range sensors for long range communications gear. "Contact Thunder Cloud control let them know our status and tell them we're investigating."

"Roger Boss" Roca whistled back.

Like a solid crescent shaped blade, Lightning squadron sliced through the vacuum to the new heading, white cones of light and fire spewing from their tails.

Deric again grunted against the inertial strain. He could feel the gel in his flight suit shift to compensate. He'd executed the maneuver with a little more enthusiasm than he needed too. Letting a chuckle slip, he realized the entire squadron had done the same.

"Boredom is a bitch," he grinned to himself.

Even at the impressive speed the fighters possessed, it took several minutes for even Matninger's extended range sensors to get an ID. When it did finally analyze the sensor contacts, Deric felt his stomach tighten.

"6, I am reading 15 Sathar warships," the XO stated with a forgivable tremor in her voice. "2 carriers, 4 heavy cruisers, 2 frigates, and five the computer can't identify. But they are big sir, battleship big."

"Son of a...." Deric trailed off. "Roca, transmit all of 5's data to the Thunder Cloud; ask them how they want us to proceed."

"Okee Dokee Boss" Roca chirped back.

"Sir," his XO said, "there is a 16^th ship." She paused and Deric felt his stomach attempting acrobatics. "Computer IDs her as the Streel Corp "Deep Venture colony ship."

"Where is she in relation to the Sathar boats?" Deric asked somehow already knowing the answer. When it came, he felt his last meal heading for the high wire. "Dead center of their formation Sir."

--to be continued