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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 2915086" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 370Looking out through the viewport, Marix decided that the Agamar system would be best described as a mess. The worst she could think of didn’t have an equivalent in Basic, and so she simply left that out of the link so as not to confuse Jyren.    Loki had reverted to realspace just on the outskirts of the system, with the hundreds of bright flashes all over the area between two of the planets in front of them. Marix had never actually been involved in any major fleet battles...a good thing, considering that if one was smuggling and in such a situation, it rarely went well. Though she had the link with Jyren to give her some idea of what to expect, it was beyond all of that...as memories usually always are.    As she was trying to take everything in(and managing to identify the Vong cruiser analogs that were holding back a Star Destroyer and some support ships from reaching the planet), they were hailed. First, over the link by Jyren, but then, just a half second later, the comm beeped and a distracted by panicked voice cut into the cockpit.    “Unidentified vessel this is the New Republic ship, Araddon, please leave this system at once.”    Marix rolled her eyes. At least they were alert enough to catch that she wasn’t an enemy. Hopefully that had to do with the fact that they were a good distance off, still, and not currently on an approach vector. Or at least, not for long. Marix didn’t even have a chance to respond over the comm before the link went completely insane.    She blinked, then tried to calm herself before realizing that she couldn’t feel Jyren there. First instinct screamed that he was dead...but rational thought managed to kick its way in and note to her brain that she, too, would be dead if that were the case. But her second thought was that he was unconscious, which, during a fight as chaotic as the one she could see was, was something probably just as bad as death.    Silently, Marix thanked the Force that Tobias was still, somehow, asleep, and then took the control yoke and started straight for the battle ahead of her. She wasn’t quite sure what she could do just yet, but when her eyes caught sight of a small transport moving into an unoccupied portion of space where she could feel something in the Force, she had an idea, “Araddon, I can help recover pilots.”    There was a pause...it was only a few seconds, but felt like an eternity.    Marix was no expert on fleet maneuvers or even how things really worked during a battle, but she was damned sure they could take any help they could get. There was still, though, one problem that she could think of.    “I can’t authorize that,” the voice sounded suddenly more nervous than before.    Biting her lip, Marix wondered if she should scream at them that her mate was out there and she’d be just as dead as he was going to be if he was actually unconscious. Thankfully, she didn’t. Instead, she switched off the comm angrily and reached out with both the Force and the link.    It didn’t take long to find Jyren. Despite being unconscious, his mind was so strong in the link after it being so silent for a long time that it was like a bright beacon in the blackness of what had to be the near invisible Vong forces and the ‘lights’ of the other pilots. When she realized just where he was, though, Marix couldn’t help a groan.    [What is it?] Loki asked, knowing what was going on but trying to take everything in so he could assist her when they got into the heat of things...which he knew they would.    “He’s in between the fleets,” Marix grinded out through sharp, gritted teeth, “Next to that small cruiser.”    [...and the swarm of starfighters?]    Nodding, Marix gripped the controls a little tighter, “We won’t be able to stop. Have to fly right through and grab him.”    A slight wave of unease washed through the Force from Loki. [Marix I...cannot fight back...]    “Then we have to move quickly,” her voice was stern and Loki knew she had already made up her mind. Maybe there was another way to get this done, but Marix had assessed the situation and her usual stubbornness had cemented the action that was to be taken.    The comm beeped again as they shot past the Star Destroyer and its small cruiser escorts that were picking off some teardrop-shaped starfighters and slowly moving forward, but it remained silent. Marix had no idea how to explain to these people what she was going to do without angering them anymore than they were going to be with her doing it anyway. So...despite the fact that the thought made no sense, Marix was going to do it the easy way and just ignore them. She could deal with that problem later.    Of course, it might be something that needed to be dealt with immediately.    [Three X-Wings are on an intercept course with us.] Loki announced.    Eyes darting down to the sensors, Marix bit her lip, “Can we get to Jyren before they reach us?”    [...maybe.]    “Do it,” she then went to the next problem. There had to be some way to grab Jyren without stopping or even slowing down without getting the both of them killed. Maybe... “Can you refit the hangar and catch him without killing him?”    [I’d have to slow down.] Loki answered simply, though, from a quick glance at the consoles, she could tell he was working on the hangar as they spoke. [Or slow him down.]    “I can do that,” Marix nodded to herself, already having Jyren in the Force and knowing she could get him to a speed that would have him just slowly hit whatever Loki managed to get up that most likely wouldn’t be too solid.     And then Loki shook, with a strange reading coming over the sensors that monitored his own health. Marix’s eyes widened a moment before glancing down to see that the X-Wings hadn’t reached them, “Are you alright, Loki?”    The ship managed a mental nod. [They do not use energy weapons...it burns.]    For the first time in at least a minute, Marix looked out the viewport to see a swarm of Vong starfighters everywhere. Here and there, she could pick out a New Republic ship, but they were so few and far between that it was almost not worth trying. And yet, Loki was plowing straight through for the spot she was guiding him to.    Two more shots hit, nearly throwing them off course, but Marix managed to hold them while Loki tried not to let the pain distract him. Using the Force, she lined their course up with where she could feel Jyren was, “I’ve got him, Loki...”    [There are four ships following us.] Loki announced in a voice that didn’t hide the pain he felt. It wasn’t any help that more shots were hitting...but they didn’t seem to be breaching the hull as much as hitting and simply sitting there to burn its way through the layers of Loki’s ‘skin’. It was, to a living starship, much worse.    “Just hang on,” she said without realizing it, trying to reassure her ship through the Force while still holding onto Jyren and very slowly starting to try to move him so that they wouldn’t hit him at a standstill, “Will have him a in a few seconds.”    Loki knew what to do. Just as Marix watched two huge explosions from the cylindrical shaped New Republic cruiser erupt from its engines as Vong starfighters overwhelmed it, the view spun around. In a matter of moments, she was now staring at the four ships pursuing them, spraying red-orange globs of something...with Loki barely maneuvering to avoid them so as not to lose their ‘aim’ on Jyren.    It was just going to take a few more seconds and they would have him. But Marix could see they didn’t have that kind of time. The hits Loki had taken were hurting him badly, and they were not only losing speed, but she could tell he wasn’t going to be able to take many more hits. And the four Vong ships were not planning to leave them be, either. They weren’t going to make it...and even if they did, they were caught in the center of at least fifty enemies. It was foolish to think they would actually make it out of this alive. Simple proof that she’d been around Jyren too much...it was a choice like he would usually make. Not at all well thought out...    And then two of the Vong ships detonated in a burst of rock and flame, with the other two suddenly banking away to avoid another stream of red laser fire. Marix’s eyes watched as two X-Wings dove straight through the rubble, pulling around and, quite obviously, moving into a position to give Loki some semblance of cover fire.    But there was no more time to think about that.    Jyren was right there ‘behind’ them and about to hit the makeshift wall Loki had managed to put together. As quickly as she could, Marix allowed the Force to flow through her and then though the link. She gripped him tightly, not letting go and shoving him...forward, with them. The strong Force push would have probably knocked him unconscious if he hadn’t been already, but that didn’t matter.    [Got him!] Loki cried out, all the pain out of his ‘voice’.    That was what mattered.    “Get us out of here, Loki!” Marix yelled, trying not to grin too much as she hit the switch to close the hangar for Loki so the ship could focus on...not getting killed.    She would get to the comm that was still beeping in a moment...first she had to be sure Jyren was alright, and said into the ‘intercom’ system in Tobias’ room very loudly, “Get to the hangar now!”    He would figure out the rest.    ...and probably go crazy, as Toby had no idea what was going on.    But that didn’t matter. Jyren was alright...and now she just needed to make sure they were all going to be.    Marix hit the comm switch just as Loki spun back around and started a new, much more erratic, course back out of the fight.</blockquote>

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