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Claw Strike Wing 7
Enroute to the Carthage
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His Clan would now honor him as their
fiercest
warrior. First Fang Jh'jakk felt this in
his blood. An
eternity of years he'd served the Second
Empire, taking
orders, bowing to unworthy superiors, towing
the line,
playing the role. Through it all his mind
focused on the day
when he would give the orders. When the battles
victory or
defeat would depend on his skills. It would
be the day when
all the bowing and servitude of the past
would prove itself
worth it. The day when he would set himself
apart from the
others as a natural leader and brutal warrior.
That day was
upon him now.
He commanded a strike wing of 30 fighters,
more than enough
to weed out the Kilrathi who couldn't measure
up and
complete the mission all at once. His
Vaktoth lead wing
after wing of Pahktans, Dralthis, Vaktoths
and Darkets. It
was the cleansing swipe of the first Xy'lhax
fighters, and
they would cleanse the system of the human
Border World
fleet. Jh'jakk was so obviously exited. His
hands fidgeted
as he piloted the Vaktoth and he kept bearing
his teeth in
anticipation of the days end. His plans
had formed, and
this simple victory over the humans would
be only the
beginning. His wing would return to
the Xy'lhax in triumph.
There would be honors and feasts in
celebration. The eyes
of his brothers would glare at him in envy,
yet stand behind
in loyal support. Then, as their festivities
of his victory
and the glory of Cynium were at their peak......he
would
strike.
Kal Shintahr Sakharrh Nar Sih'Kag would
feel the
cold steel of his knife slice open his chest.
Jh'jakk's claw
would then plunge into the wound and pull
his still pumping
heart from it's cavity. He was the warrior.
He was the mind.
He was all that was Kilrathi. He would claim
his right to
lead the
Xy'lhax to it's greatest achievement in history.
Yes, this day would be well worth the
degradation's
of the past years. He activated his Vaktoth's
comm. "All
Warriors of the Xy'lhax, Human Border World
vessel and
fighters will be in range in 3 eight's of
minutes. This is a
cleansing my brethren, we are here to achieve
glory for
ourselves, but the extermination of the Border
World insects
shall stand as paramount. Our wing
will not divide, we fly
together, we attack together. Remain close,
united. They
will feel our power, and their final thoughts
will be of
Kilrathi. Of the superiority of our race.
Of the foolishness
of standing against us. They will know
that power, they
will remember. The passiveness of our
weak leader has
destroyed his heart, but it cannot take ours.
My blood is
hot for a glory he has kept from us for far
too long. Today
we control. Today we re-take the honor and
power!"
Jh'jakk grabbed his Vaktoth's throttle,
he
accelerated to full. "We are all that is
Kilrathi! This day
is ours!"
Ship after ship accelerated faster
through space.
The excitement flowing through the veins
of the pilots
seemed to transfer into the engines of the
fighters as well.
The Dralthi's moved out of a pyramid formation
and
accelerated into a standing V. Pahktans
veered into the
center of the group,
ready to spit out their torpedoes and
certain death to
whatever was stupid
enough to block the path. The Kilrathi
wing charged ahead
through space with a drive and certainty
that each of them
could feel. It was their principal
instinct. The Hunt, the strike, the kill,
the honor. And it
owned this day.
++++++++++++++
Claw Strike Wing 7
First Fang Jh'jakk's Vaktoth
++++++++++++++
Something was not right here.
First Fang Jh'jakk watched through his cockpit
window as the
Border World Vindicators destroyed 3 more
of his clan. Their
Pahktans blasted apart in white fire as the
Vindicators spun out
of the way. Jh'jakk's screen flared
to life with the image of his
brother. "I have failed you!" The doomed
Kilrathi screamed in
disgrace. "I am WEAK!!!!" The screen cut
abruptly into static
as a new explosion formed in space. No, this
was not at all
what he'd planned. Jh'jakk beared his teeth
and hissed in rage.
How was any of this possible? His squad had
come here to
abolish the Border World forces. Abolish
them and then take
control of the Xy'lhax herself. He had been
certain that Sivar
was on his side for this run. Sivar
certainly couldn't approve
of the way Kal Shintahr Sakharrh Nar
Sih'Kag was leading
them. Sakharrh was a coward, pathetic! That
fact was obvious
to the entire ship, the weak fool had a FEMALE
protecting him.
How more cowardly can one get?! The
only natural way to
conquer Cynium would be under Jh'hakk's command.
Sivar
approved, of this he was certain, Sivar loved
him as a child of
the Kilrathi. He was a warrior. The strongest,
the proudest, the
hunter. So the real frustration here
was..........
Why was his squad getting their asses kicked?
True, he hadn't expected a complete one sided
victory
over the Border World ships. He knew that
the weaker
warriors in his squad would fall to the humans.
But this
was ridiculous, 3 eights of his fighters
had been destroyed.
Although they had inflicted heavy damage
on the human
carrier, still the humans resistance had
struck his wing into
it's heart. Almost his entire Paktahan
and Darket wings
were gone, the Dralthi's had fallen early
before that.
Banshees, Vindicators, Thunderbolts, Avengers
and some
new ships he didn't recognize had attacked
with a strong
vigilance. They had crippled his main
attack plans of a
quick strike and destroy. Yes, these
were fine pilots indeed.
But this day was not over yet. Jh'jakk noticed
a Thunderbolt
move into his line of sight. He throttled
up full on the Vaktoth's
engines and sped toward it. Rage and the
thrill of the hunt flew
through his veins thicker than his own blood.
He would vent his
anger on these Border World ships, they had
ruined his plans to
return to the Xy'lhax with a clear victory.
Now even his plans at
assassinating Sakharrh would be damaged.
Without a clear-cut
win here, the crew would never follow him.
It was as if
Sakharrh's luck had somehow..........His
mind froze to that thought
and his jaw gaped slowly as the realization
sank in.
He and his squad were supposed to lose.
This was a setup.
The Vaktoth dove down at the Border World
Thunderbolt V
fighter. It's meson cannons attacked it wildly
and blasted apart
it's engines. The fighter exploded,
engulfing itself in white fire.
The flash was brilliant, but the attention
of the pilot of the attacking
Vaktoth was not on the kill he'd just acquired.
It was on something
else, the loss of a plan that he'd built
his entire life around. Although
it was unheard, his scream of fury was more
powerful than any
fighter destroyed here, it echoed through
the cockpit and through
the warriors mind. A scream of power
and lifelong rage. Wasted
rage, it would never be vented.
+++++++++++++
Claw Strike Wing 7
First Fang Jh'jakk's Vaktoth
+++++++++++++
A Vindicator blasted apart from behind. It's
debris sailed out in all
directions as a spinning Vaktoth at full
throttle dodged it's remains.
It was another kill for First Fang Jh'jakk,
and he'd executed the
maneuver like a master warrior. Yet he took
no pleasure in it.
His Vaktoth inverted and spun around, moving
in towards the tail
of another Border World Vindicator fighter.
Yes, Jh'jakk was a
true master of the cockpit. His personal
victories today were
impressive for even the finest of the Kilrathi.
Had his entire life not
been shot to hell today, this would've made
a fine collection of kills
for himself. Indeed though, his life
was shot to hell. Regardless of
what damage he did here, he knew he would
never survive this day.
Kal Shintahr Sakharrh Nar Sih'Kag had set
him up from the beginning,
he'd played Jh'jakk like a musical instrument.
One made to carry out
the commands of a master musician in the
concert of a lifetime.
Now, having served it's purpose, he would
cast that instrument aside
for good. Jh'jakk's comm screen activated
suddenly. He knew who it
was even before the image appeared.
His eyes were cold and his
temper flared. But in looking upon the face
of his victor....he wouldn't
scream out or give the satisfaction of a
conversation filled with hate
and rage. He would keep his cool. The
bastard had won, now he
would gloat it.....and milk it for the honor
and respect that really
belonged to Jh'jakk. Sakharrh Nar Sih'Kag's
image was clear on his
screen, too clear. "Jh'jakk!" He roared in
a false display of rage, the
smile on his face was all too obvious. He
would enjoy this to it's fullest.
"Your incompetence has cut your squad to
ribbons! Is this the Xy'lhax
victories of honor you promised?!" Jh'jakk
said nothing. He fired his
guns without thought at a Vindicator in his
gunsights. It's engines exploded
and the rest of the ship soon followed.
Jh'jakk barely noticed. "You
pathetic inbred coward!" Sakharrh continued
on the comm, "We accept
only the noblest and finest warriors for
the Xy'lhax! We are the future of
the Second Empire, the future of all Kilrathi!
You have now proven
yourself unworthy to stand among your brothers!"
Jh'jakk let him speak.
His face held no emotion, not even as he
targeted a Banshee fighter and
blasted it apart in what was the best shooting
of any Kilrathi. "As you can
see, you miserable slug....the Border World
ships are escaping! They are
insects and maggots, yet they have proven
themselves far better warriors
than you and your wings! I felt it in my
bones that you would be the one to
fail us! It is fortunate that your failures
end here, thus unaffecting our mission
and glory at Cynium!" He grabbed the flightstick
hard, too tightly. He
launched a Fang Friend or Foe missile.
The missile streaked away from his
Vaktoth, it struck another Banshee fighter
and it's fire split the ship in half.
"You are to be made an example of Jh'jakk!
I am broadcasting this
transmission all over the Xy'lhax! In every
hallway, in every chamber....all
aboard will know what incompetence means
by the very mention of your
name!" Sakharrh's grin was really showing
itself now. "You and your wings
no longer belong to the Xy'lhak or even the
entire Empire! You are no
longer Kilrathi, we scrape you off our claws
and move on to the glory that
awaits the true warriors!" The image winked
out on his screen. Still Jh'jakk
said nothing. He'd failed. Even he knew that
now, he'd underestimated
Sakharrh. Regardless of what happened in
his encounter with the Border
World ships, that was indeed his true failure.
It was a failure that would leave
him forever alone. He'd felt before that
the only answer was in assassinating
Sakharrh, that by doing so, he would achieve
the honors. But it had been a
risk, nothing worth keeping is ever acquired
without risk. It was a risk he'd
bet his life on........and lost. He and his
squad would pursue the Border World
ships, fight as many of them as possible
before the main ship "Carthage" escaped.
It was still best to take out as many humans
as possible before death came to them
all....perhaps in some way, Sivar would show
mercy at that small gift. In the
depths of his heart, Jh'jakk hoped that Sivar
would see it that way when he finally
stood before the god in the next life.
It was all he could do, the best he could do
.....the cleanest failure he could make.
It was time to die.
Aboard the Xy'lhax Kal Shintahr Sakharrh
Nar Sih'Kag reveled in the applause and
cheers that surrounded him on the battle
bridge. He had achieved a clear victory
without once having to use his own claws
(a battle he would have lost). Now there
would be no more assassination attempts on
him, no more uncertainties from the
crew about his lack of strength. He'd blamed
all misfortune and bad luck on the pilots
in the battle, they were the problems. And
now they were gone. "Keep us on course
...full speed to Cynium!" He ordered the
crew. Shintahr Vii'reh Nar Talmek gave him
a stern nod from across the room, this was
a giant weight off her shoulders as well.
Sakharrh had destroyed the questions that
surrounded his character, he'd destroyed
the entire resistance of assassins aboard
the ship and he'd raised the entire crews
morale to rally behind him and Cynium.
What did it matter if he had to cut loose
30 pilots to do it. Necessary sacrifices.
All in all, a pretty good day.
Steve "Mustang" Hayes
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