“Vessel ID confirmed,” the sensor operator said. “We have confirmed the position of Innocent Bystanders generator ship Doctor Fred. Twenty klicks off from Twin Arcs Gate.”

“Thank you Sensors,” Aero said. “Helm, approach to two hundred meters of Doctor Fred then match speed.” Aero's new Aoshima class frigate, Electra, was nearly identical to the previously destroyed Celaeno. Minor improvements were visible, with the new ship sporting recent upgrades to processing power and system usability.

April sat at the first officer's seat looking at the view screen. By Sinn's judgment, April was best positioned as an observer for the duration of their first dominion war, thus leaving her in Aero's bridge for the action. “Whoa,” she said, “I've never seen so many warships in one place before.”

Twelve medium sized ships, between two and five hundred meters long, assembled in the Bastion system by the Twin Arcs Gate alongside the dozens of frigates and innumerable fighters. On the bridge holomap, the allied ships appeared as a cloud of blue on a hazy backdrop.

Mayto said,

“These are just medium size ships? How big do they get?”

Mayto said.

Jake said,

Guinea asked.

Ducks, the third frigate captain, mumbled.

Legs said.

Sinn asked.

Stevie said.

Wow, Aero thought, these guys are more nervous than I expected.

Ice said,

Sinn said.

Paws asked.

Sinn said.

Affectionately called space priests or priest ships by players, generator ships served as support vessels for more heavily armed ships, supplying power through high flux cables akin to modern mid-air refueling. At the cost of armament and maneuverability, they equipped multiple power cores and could restore and maintain shields for up to five other mid-size ships or a single large ship. Also, they were typically the highest priority targets on the battlefield.

Nova said.

Sinn sighed.

I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous myself. Can't say that aloud though...

“Doctor Fred at one klick Captain,” the helmsman said. “Now on final approach, slowing to match speed.”

“Wow, it so much bigger up close,” April said, eyes glued to the view screen. “I've only seen pictures before.”

“Oh, for Christ's sake Alf! Can a girl not say anything when you're around!?”

Aero snorted as April struck her armrest with an open palm. Chuckles, giggles, and outright laughter drowned the comms. With perfect timing, Alf's crass joke and April's overreaction provided the perfect trigger to dissipate their worries. “Thanks April, you've already done what Sinn couldn't.”

“You're welcome… I guess?”

“Captain,” the communications officer reported, “incoming comm link from Bystanders assault cruiser Spearmint.”

“That's their flagship,” Aero said. “Close org channels, then patch the link to Wraith Leader and open it.” He stood to face the view screen.

“Yes sir,” the NPC said. Two images appeared side by side with Sinn's face on the left. On the right sat a blonde man with a mischievous grin.

“Aero Rayne, Wraiths second and fleet commander.”

Twain smirked, eyes piercing the screen.

“I do what I can. Are there any changes to the operation plan you sent us yesterday?”

“Sixteen interceptors, half Vipers half Rattlers, most with plasma cannons primary and assorted missiles secondary. Four Aoshima frigates, each with one railgun, interceptor missile pods, and anti-ship torpedoes. I'll transmit a detailed list shortly.”

Twain stroked his chin.

Aero glanced at the time. Five minutes remained until the fleet moved.

Sinn said.

“Roger.”

With a wave, Sinn's picture took over the view screen.

Sinn said.

“Doesn't matter, but that attitude makes me want to show off a bit.”

Sinn smiled.

“We're too small to be noticed. So probably.”

His face vanished.

I still need comms with the priest ship, Aero thought. “Comms, open link to Doctor Fred.”

“Link request sent, awaiting handshake.”

A new figure appeared on screen, that of a petite female seated with her head tilted and a curious stare.

“Yes, I'm Aero Rayne, fleet commander of the Temple Wraiths and responsible for your escort. I thought we should keep an active comm link during the op.”

Wide eyed, the girl jumped from her chair,

“I suppose.”

“We'll do our best. If more escorts were needed, then Twain should have assigned them.”

the girl sighed.

“I see…”

The screen went blank without warning.

“Wait, the comm link?”

For an instant, the screen flashed to life again.

“What just happened?” Aero slumped in his chair. Two minutes remained until the fleet entered the gate.

An enemy with unknown waited beyond the gate. The first three destroyers and their escorts were to establish a foothold before the generator ship arrived. The critical moment occurred when the priest arrived, when all focus lay on Doctor Fred. At that point, the Wraiths had to establish a defensive perimeter and thwart all small fighters. Following that, two assault cruisers, including the flagship, will emerge to fortify the position. With the arrival of the second fleet, numeric advantage should shift, and the battle would be decided.

Time to get started, Aero thought. Refocused, he reconnected to the Wraiths' channel. With chatter flowing through his ear, he announced, “Attention Wraiths, attention Wraiths, one minute until operation start. Repeat, one minute until operation start. The three destroyers and their escorts will take point. We are to traverse Twin Arcs Gate after them. Anyone not clear?”

Only static trickled into his earpiece.

“Okay then, all ships form up on Electra. Its time to move out.”

On his holomap, Aero watched the green Wraiths markers arrange themselves around his ship. The frigate commanded by Myles moved forward, while those commanded by Ducks and Chase trailed behind. On schedule, the Bystanders destroyers lit their main engines and advanced towards the black void of Twin Arcs Gate. Countless blue glows appeared on his viewscreen, crossing the backdrop of stars towards the abyss.

“Helm, start engines and set course for Twin Arcs Gate. Maintain distance with the nearest Bystander destroyer. On arrival, initiate gate traversal procedures.”

“Yes sir, setting course for Twin Arcs Gate. Thirty seconds until gate entrance.”

“This part always excites me,” April said. “'cause who knows what we'll find on the other side?”

“You're definitely still an explorer,” Aero grinned, “but we know it's the combat org Phalanx on the other side of this.”

“But... you don't know what they'll send against us.”

“Fair enough.”

They watched as the black hole grew on the view screen, and ship after ship vanished into its depths as they traversed. In moments, their own view screen turned entirely black.

“Entering gate, two minutes until we complete traversal,” the helmsman said.

The endless void gave way to a cyan-white vortex, and the combined fleet came into view once more. Strobes of white danced across the tunnel walls as the frigate crossed the rift near light-speed. Like a roller coaster, the tunnel warped and turned with unpredictable frequency. Without existing nav data, most the war fleet would have crashed into the maelstrom walls.

Sinn said.

“What do you mean by bugs?”

Mayto explained.

Nova said,

Sinn added.

“The priest will emerge after us, but they'll be looking for it,” Aero said. “If Phalanx is smart with planning, those fighters will float right at the gate.”

Sinn said,

“Helm, countdown from five,” Aero said. “Sensors, I want high power scans running upon emergence. Flag all torpedo bombers within ten klicks then expand search radius to full.”

“Yes sir.”

“Copy captain.”

“Emergence in five… four… three… two… one… Entering Twin Arcs System.”

The view screen bathed his bridge in white light an instant before normal space snapped into view. A field of shrapnel greeted the Wraiths upon their arrival. A fragmented engine, thirty meters long, whizzed by Electra on the view screen.

Sinn said.

Chase yelled.

“Comms, comms, we're in an op now,” Aero said, “save it for later.”

“Initial scan complete, beginning wide area scan.” A swarm of red dots filled Aero's holomap. Among them, groups yellow dots marked torpedo bombers identified by the initial scan. Blue dots centered around two points. Twenty klicks away, the destroyers and their escort fleets shrank under heavy siege.

Two destroyers, four assault cruisers, three priests. This is not good, they won't last three minutes without support, Aero thought. “All flights displace two klicks from gate. Sinn, straight north. Nova, down west, Mayto, down east, Icepop up south. Primary any approaching flags, save your missiles for the bombers. Confirm, over.”

The sixteen fighters dispersed to their intercept positions. Blow after blow struck the Bystanders destroyers as Phalanx continued their unending assault. Their foothold shrank with each passing second.

“Frigates form up on the priest once it emerges, distance one klick. Myles point, Chase top, Ducks bottom starboard. Use laser guidance for your missiles, hit anything within four klicks.”

“Doctor Fred emerging,” Sensors said.

Lily whined.

“Helm, move to one klick below and port of Doctor Fred,” Aero said. To the Wraiths, he announced, “We're moving forwards guys, time to get busy.”

The swarm of red reacted instantly to the new arrival. Over fifty fighters launched themselves towards the Wraiths and the doc. The Bystanders escorts gave chase, and their destroyers retreated to rendezvous.

“All Wraiths, shift forwards. All Wraiths shift forwards.” Aero said. The enemy assault focused on their front, and the Wraiths adjusted to counter. “Eight bomber flights flagged Able to How. Target assignments, Sinn, Able, Nova, Baker, Mayto, Charlie, Icepop, Dog. Secondary is closest red, secondary is closest red.”

The flight leaders confirmed and flew off while the Wraith frigates presented a defensive front ahead of the larger ship. Blue destroyer escorts picked off approaching enemies, but the wave of red advanced regardless. Their distance closed to eight klicks.

Lily said.

Was that necessary? I thought Bystanders would have better comms discipline.

Sinn said,

With one action, each interceptor launched two missiles each. Flares sprayed out from the approaching bombers. A mere ten missiles found their mark, stripping the shields of the struck bombers. The distance between sides closed to four klicks.

Another fourteen missiles hit home. Eight bombers disappeared into clouds of dust and now six bombers were shieldless. The Wraiths unleashed a storm of plasma onto the remaining. Of the targeted flights, two surviving bombers shot past the Wraiths flights at a relative velocity well over a kilometer per second. Another sixteen bombers flew by them within seconds.

“Frigates, fire at will, fire at will.” Aero ordered. “Flights switch to secondary.”

Each frigate launched a heavy salvo of missiles. Their missile pods held greater payloads than the interceptors and their laser guidance provided better accuracy. Eleven more bombers vanished from Aero's holomap. Five yellow markers stayed on the map, their closing speed at two klicks per second.

“Use plasma cannons!” Aero shouted.

With their automated close-in weapons systems, four frigates peppered the approaching bombers with plasma. Shields already low, the first bomber shattered, followed by a second, then a third.

Plasma fire killed the fourth bomber fifty meters before Electra. The fifth blew past, shields gone, at fifteen hundred meters per second.

“Fuck! Hit it!”

At the last moment, the kamikaze assault on Doctor Fred ended in failure. Immediate danger gone, the wave of Phalanx fighters crashed against the frigates.

“Helm! Kill engines and set shield power to maximum.”

“Yes sir!”

“Ask me later, I'm busy,” Aero said. I'm starting to regret opening a link with this chatterbox.

“Captain! Assault cruisers Spearmint and Peppermint have arrived. The first fleet emergence complete,” the sensor operator reported.

Aero checked his holomap. The assault cruisers and their supporting cast finally arrived. The second destroyer detonated before linking with Doc. Fighter fleets clashed in a wild dance, herds of red and blue wove together before they blinked out of existence, and another wave of blue fighters approached from the gate. He caught sight of eight green markers.

“April! How are the others?”

“What? Oh! Icepop lost two of his wingmen, Nova and Mayto both lost one, so they rearranged their flights. They're down to about half their missiles I think.”

“Wraiths flights, Wraiths flights,” Aero said, “focus evasive, focus evasive. Return to Doc when you are able. Ships, keep your shields up, Doc's not going anywhere.”

Sinn asked.

“Situation's stable for now, just stay alive until the second Bystanders fleet arrives. You can go wild after that.”

Torpedo bombers gone, only the Phalanx medium ships threatened the priest ship. With enemy frigates at arms length, Doctor Fred and the first fleet could survive for at least five under sustained fire, long enough for second fleet's arrival.

“Captain,” the comms officer said, “incoming transmission from Bystanders flagship.”

Twain Zeff's visage materialized on the view screen, malicious smirk clear on his face. he said.