Green sundown

[Sturmwind]

"Mainz station, this is the RNC Hansa. We're requesting passage through your airspace, we're on an urgent rescue mission with another two fighters."

"Border Station Fulda has already signed ahead, meine Herren. Permission to enter granted, make sure you get there in time."

"Verstanden, thank you for your approval."

Krieger, the navigation officer of the gunboat switched to cruise as soon as the gunboat left the lane. Schroedinger in the meantime tried tracking the source, but the signal was no longer being broadcasted. The civilian vessels were all steered away from the Storage Facility, the Hansa could move through the area without having to watch out not to impale any of the innocent traffic in its hurry. Despite that, it was quite possible that whatever happened, the rescue team was already too late.

As the Hansa and Grau wing consisting of two fighters left the Mainz airspace, torwards the Westerwald nebula, shots could clearly be seen being fired. It was more than obvious that whoever sent the signal was under fire, but still alive. Krieger set full power to the cruise engines and the shooting came closer and more apparent, as well as the nebula closing in.

"Contact!" said Gruenwald, who was handling the radars with her usual state of calmness.

Indeed. Six hostile ships have flashed up on the Hansa's scanners, along with three others, displaying with neutral IFFs.

"Krieger, switch engines to impulse. Gruenwald, get me scan data on what we're facing. Landa, activate weapon systems and lock in targets. Schroedinger, get me a comm link on a broad frequency," came the orders from Major Meyer.

As the ship embraced the proximity of the nebula, the scenario became apparent. The same convoy of Kusarian ships that were let in a few hours earlier, were now under attack by pirates. Both the Kusarian and the assigned Military escort wing was already wiped out. The escaping flames and oxygen into space from one of the smaller transports and the flashing sheilds of the main ship indicated that they were under heavy fire.

"Unidentified pirate vessels, this is the Rheinland Military Corvette Hansa. You are assaulting civilian vessels of Kusari origin. Stand down at once or we will open fire."

One of the pirates, flying a Sabre-class fighter disengaged and flew torwards the Gunboat.

"Pirate? We are here to protect the Vaterland! These Kusarians arrived to bring doom upon the Rheinland Volk!"

"You are firing at civilian vessels, break off at once. This is an act of terrorism and will not be tolerated."

"You ignorant Kanzler-lapdog! Why do you fail to understand? The mission of these Kusarians is to destroy Rheinland! The whole of it!"

"Mein Herr, the war with Kusari ended almost 20 years ago," Meyer sighed, then he turned to Landa, the weapons officer, "that terrorist is just trying to buy time for his assault wing. Lock in a missile and open fire."

"Jawohl," replied the weapons officer.

The ship's guns were already charged, a missile was in the tube. Landa removed the covers from three red switches, switched them all on, then pressed a triangluar button.