Chapter 124: The Chase Begins
The corvette shot out of the hangar, its thrusters burning as it climbed into the station's upper atmosphere. Alarm sirens blared across the comm channels, and the HUD lit up with incoming signals—two patrol fighters and a heavy interceptor had already launched from the station, moving to cut off their escape.
Kain strapped himself into the co-pilot's seat. "We've got incoming."
Raizen gritted his teeth. "Liana, how fast can we hit the jump?"
"Nav drive is charging, but they'll be on top of us before it's ready."
Selara locked the targeting systems. "Then we fight our way out."
Dogfight in the Void
The patrol fighters broke formation, each circling to flank the corvette. Blue plasma streaked across the hull, forcing Raizen to roll the ship hard to the left.
Joran cursed as he nearly lost his footing. "Warn me before you pull a stunt like that!"
Kain locked onto one of the patrol ships and fired a precise ion burst. The enemy fighter shuddered, its controls locking up, before spinning into the side of the station, exploding in a burst of flame.
Selara smirked. "One down."
But the interceptor was already moving into position. Heavy cannons charged, primed to rip them apart.
Raizen's golden eyes gleamed. "Not today."
Outmaneuvering the Enemy
The corvette plunged toward the station's debris field, using the wreckage as cover. The interceptor followed, its powerful engines closing the gap.
Liana called out, "Jump drive at sixty percent. Hold them off a little longer."
Kain fired another shot, but the interceptor's shields absorbed the impact. "That thing's packing military-grade armor."
Raizen grinned. "Then we play dirty."
He suddenly cut the engines, letting the corvette drift for a split second—just long enough for the interceptor to overshoot. Then, with a violent spin, he reignited the thrusters, bringing them behind the enemy ship.
Selara fired all forward weapons. A barrage of laser fire tore through the interceptor's rear engines, sending it spinning out of control.
Joran let out a triumphant yell. "Now that's flying!"
Escape to the Unknown
The last remaining patrol fighter hesitated, realizing it was outmatched. It peeled off, retreating back toward the station.
Liana's voice came over the comms. "Jump drive ready. Inputting coordinates."
Raizen exhaled, gripping the controls. He glanced at the fading station behind them, knowing this was only the beginning.
Then, with a final push, he activated the jump drive.
The stars stretched into streaks of light as they vanished into hyperspace.
Their fight for survival had only just begun.