Leaving his barracks, Major Jeske Vardogr jogged along the streets of New Berlin, hunching himself in a vain attempt to protect himself from the cold. Pools of light dotted the murky darkness, as the incessant sleet soaked and froze everything in equal measure. He had to get home, and he had to get there fast. He wasn't sure why, he just new something was driving him. Fear? Maybe. Concern? Probably not. He'd not felt much concern for his family since his father had beaten him, with his mother looking on. No, something was going to happen, and he knew he had to be there to witness.
As he neared the transit station, something made him stop dead in his tracks. There, some fifty feet in front of him, was what appeared to be his mother. She was dressed in mourning, and kneeling in the middle of the snow laden pavement, seemingly weeping. Jeske felt the nape of his neck start to crawl, and he edged closer.
"Mother?" he called, warily. "Mother, is that you? What are you doing here?"
As the distance closed, what he thought was his mother rose and turned to face him. What he saw was a ghastly apparition. His mother, certainly, but with a face withered into a screaming death mask. As he recoiled in fear and disgust, the apparition pointed at him. A high, piercing wail emanated from the spirit, and it rushed towards him.
"No!" he screamed as it closed, and he threw up his arms in some pretense of self-preservation. All that hit him was a warm wind that whispered as it passed. He lowered his arms slowly, then started patting himself, making sure all his limbs were present, and there were no unexpected holes anywhere. His heart pounded in his ears. He was afraid now. Sweat dripped from his scalp, running icy trickles down his back. He gagged, once, and stumbled forward, pace after pace, speed building until he was running full pelt to the transit station.
The train was deserted. Unusual, but not unheard of. He settled into a seat, feeling intensely uncomfortable. Shadows leapt at him from the edges of his vision, and he was constantly flinching. Every flicker of the lighting held unseen demons. His hearing seemed preternaturally acute. Screams and panicked calls clawed the edges of his senses. Yet for all this, he was alone. As the train rattled unceasingly on, he calmed slightly. The monsters in the shadows retreated, along with the adrenalin, and a deep, numbing chill settled upon him. Stations flashed past in a blur. Occasionally an unseen passenger would enter the carriage. On seeing the hunched form of Jeske shivering, mumbling, and rocking back and forth, they quietly moved on, and Jeske remained alone.
Eventually his stop was announced over the tannoy, and he rose. As the train came to a juddering halt, the doors slipped open, and Jeske stepped back into the freezing air. The sleet had returned to the usual snow, lending everything an ethereal beauty and silence. His breath pluming in front of him, he crunched through the unbroken snow coating the platform. Home was close now. Familiarity with the surroundings flooded his senses, and he moved forward in an almost trance-like state. His steps warmed him, and with the warmth came awareness. He slowed as he reached the street his parents house was on. After what he had seen earlier, he wasn't sure he wanted to be here. He could turn around. He could return to the safety of his barracks and never look back. He sighed. He had to know what had brought him to this place, at this moment. Wasn't it curiosity that had killed the cat?
He knocked lightly on the door. This was the hard part. He desperately wanted to run now. Run away and never return. Then he heard movement on the other side of the door. His decision had been made for him. He pulled himself upright, smoothing the military uniform he wore as the door slowly opened. An old, withered man stood before him now.
"Jeske." His father's face was bathed in the warm, soft glow of the hallway light. "You'd best come in."
His father stepped back from the doorway, allowing Jeske entry to the house. The man that had beaten him, the man that had always seemed so big, so strong, was now no more than a withered husk. The ten years Jeske had been in the military had not been kind to his father. Jeske brushed past, seemingly in denial of the presence of the man that had shaped so much of his life.
"Where is Mother?" Jeske demanded imperiously, without so much as a glance at his father
"She is upstairs, son. But she is not well. Be gentle with her."
"Gentle?!" Jeske roared, turning on his father. "What would you know of gentle? Should I remind you of your version of gentleness, father? Should I break your bones like you did mine? Should I make you bleed like you did me?"
Jeske's father cowered back, terror painted across his face. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he brought his arms up to protect himself. That single movement brought Jeske back from the edge of the rage he felt. He remembered himself, only a few hours earlier, fending off the apparition of his mother in exactly the same way. He turned on his heel, and climbed the stairs. He gathered himself as he approached the door behind which he knew his mother would be. Knocking gently, he turned the handle, and eased the door open. Anja Vardogr sat in a plush chair, facing the door Jeske entered through. She was smiling gently, her ice blue eyes radiating an almost unearthly knowledge. Jeske always felt vulnerable in her presence, and today was no exception.
"Jeske, I knew you'd come. I have been waiting for you, my son. Come, give your mother a hug." Her smile broadened as she stood, and Jeske felt drawn to do as she bade. Caution screamed through his very being, but his mothers eyes transfixed him. He walked awkwardly forward to his mother and hugged her. An odd mix of elation and terror flooded him at her touch, and as he held her. Close physical contact had been rare during his childhood. It was something he had never found easy to accept. As she released him, she gestured to the sofa at the far end of the room.
"Come Jeske. Sit with me here. There is something I need you to know. Something I need you to take with you." She led him to the sofa, and they sat, facing each other. Jeske was again mesmerised by his mothers eyes. They had never seemed so captivating before. Her voiced washed over and through him. He was, he realised, powerless to resist. He saw his mothers lips moving, but was unable to focus on the words. Only snippets registered, and they seemed more like images than words. ".......... *Light*........... *propagate*........... *refuge*.......... *collective*........ *host*...."
That one final image, or feeling, or word touched something in Jeske. He jerked back, trying to pull away from his mother. Looking at her, there was a distinct lavender glow in her eyes. Those eyes.......... he felt himself beginning to be drawn in again. His mothers arms reached out, and she took his head in her hands, drawing him close. As her lips brushed his ear, she whispered "My son, it is time for you to join us. We are ready for you, as you are ready for us. You may not know it yet, but this is what you were born for. Soon, Jeske, all will become clear."
She drew her head back slightly, until they were nose to nose. A slight tilt of her head, and their lips met. Jeske shook as he desperately tried to break the hold she had on him. He felt her lips parting slightly, and something brushed gently against his lips. Revulsion blossomed as tendrils pushed past his lips and into his mouth. They moved deeper, down into his throat as something larger started to force its way into his mouth. He started to choke then, as the thing blocked his windpipe. Panic had him fully in its grip now, as black spots ate into his vision. Choking, yet unable to do anything to stop it, the last thing he saw as darkness descended was the benign, smiling face of the woman he had thought was his mother.
Jeske awoke, screaming. He tried to leap up, but slammed into the bunk above him and he fell back, dazed. A face he recognised appeared over the edge of the bunk. Leutnant Hanz Felder, his wingman.
"Jeske?! What in the Gottkanzlers name is wrong, Jeske? You scared the life out of me!"
"Hanz? Hanz!!" Jeske struggled to gather the shattered fragments of his mind. "It was a dream? A dream! A nightmare, yes a nightmare, Hanz!" he laughed, a slightly manic edge apparent.
A siren started to wail.
"Then I think you had best pull yourself together fast, Major. We have a job to do!"
The siren stirred something deep inside Jeske, and he started to react without thought. Military training was a priceless commodity in this kind of situation. He rolled out of his bunk and ran to the locker holding his flight suit. This he pulled on within seconds, followed by boots. Fully clothed now, he pounded through the door, Hanz close on his heels, and headed for the fighter docks. Techs leaped from their path as they approached their vessels. They seated themselves in the cockpits of their Wraiths exactly seven minutes and thirty seconds after the siren had sounded. Military training was indeed a priceless commodity. They launched in unison, and streaked up towards space.
Jeske's communications array crackled into life.
"Major Vardogr, we have an emergency situation in sector gamma seven mark forty four. A military transport is under attack by unknown hostiles. You are to intercept and remove the threat immediately."
"Understood control. Proceeding to gamma seven mark forty four. Leutnant Felder is on my wing." Jeske punched in the co-ordinates and settled back as the cruise engines kicked in. "We'll be there soon, Hanz. It'll be good to get some action again. I hope it's those Hessians this time. I'm sick of the farmers of the Landwirtrechtbewegung."
"So, you have recovered from the visit to your parents at last, Jeske? I am glad. I was worried for you these past two weeks. You have been like a ship on autopilot, ever since you retur...."
Jeske closed the communications link to Hanz. He shook as sweat beaded his brow. He tried to remember his visit to his parents, but his mind was blank. Two weeks? The more he concentrated, the more his memories slipped away from him. How could he have lost the last two weeks? Connecting though to the military databases, he scanned his reports for the past fortnight. Everything was there, daily reports on training exercises, missions, tactical improvements, everything appeared as it should. Apart from the fact that he could remember none of it. He scrubbed his hands across his face in frustration. Why couldn't he remember?
His thoughts were broken by the autopilot announcing that their destination had been reached. As he fell out of cruise, he reactivated his comms array, and sent a direct transmission to his wingman.
"Hanz. I have been experiencing a malfunction of my comms array. It seems to have been brought on by the cruise engines."
"Understood Jeske. You had me worried there." A proximity alert sounded suddenly, and contacts appeared on their scanning arrays. Hanz's voice became animated. "Hostile contacts! Three of them. Looks like they are firing on our transport!"
"I see them too, Hanz. Three military issue Wraiths! Wait..... no....... I'm getting odd readings from these ........Hanz! It's the Wilde! Break to attack vector Wulf seven."
Their two Wraiths swung in towards the apparently unsuspecting Wilde. As Jeske's weapons locked onto one of the vessels, he fired. Tachyon bursts shredded the shielding of one of the Wilde ships.
***DESIST***
Pained lanced through Jeske's body, and he screamed as his muscles spasmed and contorted. He felt something then, a presence within himself, taking control, forcing his consciousness to one side. Unable to resist, the pain he'd experienced faded slowly, as did his connection with his body. He saw himself reaching forward and powering down his vessel. His wingman's wraith passed in front of his field of vision, as a vessel from his nightmares seemingly materialised. Almost organic in nature, tentacular protrusions flowing forward, bright pulses streaked towards Hanz Felders ship. As they struck, the ship flared bright and disintegrated.
"HANZ!" Jeske tried to shout, but he had no control of his vocal chords now. As his connection to his body faded he sensed something. A collection of presences, intimately connected to his own being, the ties growing stronger and stronger.
Once again, Jeske awoke, but this time there were no screams, just the knowledge of what he had become. Emotion, as he had understood it, was a thing of the past. He was no longer human, he was so much more. And he had a mission. Powering up the now heavily damaged Wraith, the Wilde initiated a comms link back to the base on New Berlin.
"Adler base, Adler base, this is Major Vardogr requesting emergency recovery. Leutnant Felder is dead, and my Wraith is badly damaged. I'm transmitting details now."
"Understood Major. We have your location. A team will be dispatched immediately. You are sure about Leutnant Felder?"
"I am as sure as I can be, Adler base. I saw his ship explode in front of me, and there is no signal from his escape pod." The Wilde collective considered for a moment. Hanz Felder had been a friend to Vardogr for years. Remorse would probably be appropriate. "His death will be avenged."
"Sit tight, Major, we will have a team with you as soon as we can. Adler base out."
The body that had been Jeske leaned back into its seat to wait. The Wilde knew the importance of what was to come. The Wilde could start to sense what had been Jeske brushing the edges of the collective. It tried to recoil from them, but the urge was quickly repressed. The human mind would battle against them, but the struggle was yet to begin. As the body relaxed, the collective was all.
Several hours later, the vibrations of a collision brought them back to the material world. Making the human body check the instruments, it cursed - a uniquely human trait, at which he raised an eyebrow. They should have been more aware of their surroundings, a lapse like this could spell this human's end. A military armoured transport was pulling the Wraith into its cargo bay. Jeske brushed down his uniform and moved to the exit hatch of his wraith. As the hatch opened, Jeske stepped out. A quick look at the human before them showed him to be an Oberfeldwebel. Jeske snapped off a crisp salute, which was equally crisply returned.
"Welcome aboard, Major. Captain Fuchs....."
"Yes, Oberfeldwebel," Jeske interrupted. They felt sure an attitude of brusqe rudeness would require less talking by the human host. "You will take me to your captain immediately."
The cheeks of the young officer coloured slightly. "At once, Major! If you will follow me?" As Jeske nodded, another crisp salute followed, and the office spun on his heel. They made Jeske followed directly behind to ensure uneccessary communication was kept to a minimum. By the time the bridge was reached, not a further word had passed between them. They sensed a stiffer challenge was to follow. The host stepped through the door to face the captain of the transport.
They allowed himself to relax slightly when the captain's uniform showed him to be an Oberleutnant, the rank below that Jeske Vardogr had attained. A sharp salute stopped the officer from talking momentarily, allowing Jeske to talk first. They knew that they could project a requirement of obedience at the Rheinlander, but in the crowded conditions on the ship, they opted not to test this hosts newly found abilities. They opted instead for an insistent, superior tone to his voice.
"Herr Kapitan, my thanks for your prompt recovery. I must report back to Adler base immediately. I must also make a secure trasmission. I will use your quarters."
Perhaps surprised by the autoritarian tone Jeske had adopted, Fuchs submitted immediately. "Of course, Major. Please follow me."
Again, they were able to follow in wake of the captain, avoiding further communication. As they moved into a deserted corridor, they risked trying to impose their will upon the captain.
"Oberleutnant Fuchs!" **OBEY** "It is imperative I am not disturbed before we reached New Berlin." **There are NO questions** "You will see to it." **COMPLY**
Fuchs came to an abrupt halt, and then swayed slightly. They moved Jeske forward cautiously. Looking at the glazed expression on the human's face, along with the hugely dilated pupils and slight trickle of blood at it's nose, Jeske realised they would need time to develop control. Fuchs' eyes slowly started to refocus, so Jeske moved back.
"Oberleutnant? Is there a problem?" they demanded.
"Ahhhh, no, errrr..." the human was clearly confused. It wiped its nose with the back of its hand, then stared absently at the trail of blood left there. Suddenly it snapped to attention in front of Jeske. "Sir, yes sir! I shall ensure you are not disturbed!". They took a step back, surprised.
The human marched ahead, stopping at a door some 20 yards on, apparently waiting. The captain's cabin, they assumed. Jeske strode forward.
"Remember, Oberleutnant, I am not to be disturbed."
"Jawohl, Major! I shall ensure your orders are followed." Fuchs saluted again, as Jeske entered the cabin, then turned and headed away.
The cabin was sparse. They spotted the computer terminal in one corner, but made no move towards it. Plans were already in motion to ensure that Jesle Vardogr would not remain on New Berlin long enough for a debriefing to occur. It would take several hours to reach New Berlin, so they settled Jeske on the bunk, and allowed the recuperative state of sleep, that the humans so required, to descend.
"Major Vardogr? Major?" came a voice from the other side.
"Yes, yes, I am coming!" he responded, irritated. The Wilde made the body arise, despite its reluctance. This was where the challenge began. The host's sense of self started to assert itself, as the nomad further integrated itself deeper into the structure and function of the human brain. He rubbed his eyes, then they opened the door slightly. Standing on the other side was a nervous looking Oberleutnant Fuchs. Jeske raised his eyebrows expectantly.
"Major, we are approaching New Berlin, sir. We will be docking in approximately thirtyfive minutes."
Jeske nodded, and closed the door on the human. They sat on the bunk and waited. Jeske soon yawned, feeling bored. There was an old human saying that fitted perfectly, and Jeske smiled as it rose to the forefront of his thoughts. 'Time flies when you're having fun'. He laughed out loud, a deep belly laugh, and the connection with the collective retreated slightly. That sobered him, them?, slightly. **confusion**
They felt the transport landing. Jeske took a deep breath and rose. They felt the tingling running along Jeske's spine. **anticipation** He moved to the door, and opened it, striding out into the corridor beyond. Recalling memories of the layout of the Rheinland armoured transport, they quickly moved towards the exit. As he walked down into the hangar area, uniformed technicians, mechanics, officers, pilots all milled around. Jeske felt nervous, and forced himself not to project that feeling. Himself....... Him....... Jeske stopped at that realisation. He was Wilde, yet he was also individual. The collective was there, still very much part of him, but he could distance himself from that connection, should he choose to do so.
"Major Vardogr!" The loud exclaimation focussed Jeske on the uniformed man in front of him. It took a few seconds for it to register that this was a Kapitan addressing them. Jeske snapped a salute. "Get your tardy personage to command immediately, Major. You need to debrief. NOW!"
"Yes, Herr Kapitan!" Jeske forced the connection to the collective away. He couldn't react as he knew he must in this environment, with them too close. He started to run in the direction of the command centre.
**divert** **avoid** **remember**
Jeske pulled up, just before reaching the command centre. Shaking his head, he integrated further with the collective.
Jeske ducked down a corridor. The military had captured a Scorpion gunboat! **PANIC** He tried to reconnect with the collective, but the feelings paralysed him. He had to move, fast. How did humans cope with this onslaught? He needed a ship, that much he knew. He headed back towards the hangars.
As he hurried along the last corridor before reaching the hangars, a hand grasped him on the shoulder, spinning him around. Jeske instinctively reached for his side arm, but he was restrained by a vicelike grip. He looked straight into the violet tinged eyes of Vizeadmiral Jakob Schuster, and relaxed. Schuster's lips twitched in a brief smile.
"Major Vardogr." Schuster released his grip. He looked briefly from side to side. "Report to hangar seventeen immediately. A ship awaits you there. Do not fail in this mission Major. Much depends on you. Here are your orders." Schuster handed him a datacrystal, turned and left. Jeske headed directly for hangar seventeen.
As he arrived, he spotted the flight officer. Jeske walked directly up to him and snapped a regulation salute.
"Major Vardogr reporting for flight duty." He handed the crystal to the flight officer, who placed it into the computer terminal. After a few seconds he turned to Jeske.
"Bay four, Major. Gook luck, sir." The data crystal was handed back.
Jeske nodded, took the crystal, and headed for his ship. A Wraith fully loaded with Firekisses awaited him. He climbed in, set the launch sequences in motion, then entered the data crystal into the ships computer to study the orders. He was to proceed to Omega-11 to join in an escort operation. He reconnected fully with the collective then. They moved his hands to the computer terminal, and a complex series of keystrokes later, new data appeared on the screens. The transport, named Schlutzig, was carrying the remains of a Scorpion gunboat from Solarius Station to the Schatten Research Facility in Frankfurt. In order to minimize the likelihood of attack, the convoy would route via the far south of the system, taking the jump hole to the Dresden system, past the Battleship Altenburg and right across the system to another jump hole, this time to Frankfurt, and from there direct to Schatten.
The Wilde would send a small force to intercept the convoy when it was deep into the Swefelnebel, drawing the military fighters away from the transport, and allowing Jeske to attack, and destroy, the transport and any remnants of the Scorpion. It was a risky operation, but the prospect of the Scorpion being in the hands of the military was a much greater risk. They set the auto-pilot to cover the journey to Solarius.
The soft, insistent beeping of the auto-pilot woke Jeske. He peered out at the asteroids that littered Omega-11. Not far to go now. They would catch sight of Solarius in the next few minutes. He opened a comms link.
"Solarius station. Solarius station. This is Major Vardogr of the Rheinland military. I am to rendezvous with military convoy TVC15."
"We have you on our scanners, Major. The convoy is currently inbound, due to arrive in approximately twenty minutes. You are cleared to land at docking bay four.
"Negative, Solarius. I have no need to dock." They felt it wise to avoid all unnecessary interaction. Solarius was visible now, so Jeske swung the Wraith around to position Planet Schutz between himself and the star. Safely sheltered by the planet, he re-read the plan.
A short time later, another series of soft beeps alerted them to the arrival of the convoy within sensor range. Not yet in visual range, Jeske watch the area he thought the convoy would appear in. After a couple of minutes he was distracted by an incoming communication.
"Major Vadogr. Major Vardogr. This is military convoy TVC15, on approach to Solarius Station. Form up Major, we won't be hanging around. You call-sign will be Escort eight."
"Understood, TVC15. I am moving to you now." He fired up the engines as the convoy came into visual range, and headed for the convoy, taking a position just behind the lead escort vessels. Quite an escort it was too. Four Wraiths (including Jeske's), two Bergelmir bombers and two Fafnir heavy bombers. The transport itself stood out as well. Massively armoured and shielded, and armed with Dulzian point defense turrets. Jeske knew that even if the escort could be distracted for long enough, he would probably be unable to down the Behemoth alone. The convoy powered up cruise engines and headed off towards the south of Omega-11.
"Okay everyone, this is convoy command. Comms silence is to be maintained until we reach Battleship Altenburg. Under no circumstances are you to break formation, other than an attack."
They traveled in silence for several hours, skirting the asteroid fields that surrounded the sun. Apart from the occasional mining vessel at the edges of their scanner range, they encountered no ships. Jeske's eyes began to droop. Escort duty was tedious. His mind wandered..........
**BOREDOM**
"Red alert! Red alert!" The comms burst into life, jerking Jeske back into alertness.. "All ships, break to defensive formation delta! Prepare for Wilde attack!"
The ships in front of him split, and he followed suit, taking up his position to the rear of the transport. Checking his scanners showed no vessels, other than those of the convoy. It was then he realised what had happened, and he cursed himself for a fool.
"All ships, this is convoy command. Report status immediately."
"Escort one, all scans clear."
"Escort two, all scans clear."
"Escort three, all scans clear."
"Escort four, all scans clear."
"Escort five, all scans clear."
"Escort six, all scans clear."
"Escort seven, all scans clear."
"Escort eight," said Jeske. "All scans clear."
There was silence for a few minutes. Jeske began to sweat. Had he jeopardised the mission? Had they realised it had been him? As the silence dragged on, Jeske felt panic starting to rise. He tried to force the sensation away. He gripped the controls of his Wraith, wondering whether he should break off and try to destroy the transport now. He screamed at the silence in frustration.
"All ships, this is convoy command. Reroute immediately." Jeske heaved a sigh of relief. "We're heading for the gate to Stuttgart and from there, New Berlin. Form up and maintain comms silence until we reach the gate."
As soon as he was back in formation, he reached out to the collective. The Wilde would have to reposition themselves.
The convoy took a direct course to the Stuttgart gate, flying underneath the sun, risking the radiation damage they would incur for the time they would save. When they finally reached the asteroid field the gate was in, Jeske's Wraith was showing some heavy damage. The repair nanobots were working hard to ensure the gravitational forces of the star didn't rip the ship apart. Jeske looked up as a bright flash lit up his cockpit. The Behemoth was trailing plasma, and smoke boiled from a gaping hole ripped in it's hull.
"Mayday! Mayday!! This is transport TVC15 requesting urgent assistance. We've suffered a catastrophic structural failure. Emergency assistance required. Engines are out, weapons arrays and shield generators are offline and we're venting plasma."
This was it then. Jeske powered up his weapons systems, and fell upon the unshielded transport. He got several volleys away before the convoy realised what was happening.
"All ships! All ships! Take out Escort eight! Termina..."
A direct hit on the comms array silenced the Behemoth, but the rest of the escort vessels turned on Jeske. He had to go totally evasive. At least he was able to pull away from the slower Bergelmirs and Fafnirs, leaving the three wraiths to worry about. Realising his best protection lay in the damaged Behemoth, he drew the fight right up close to the transport. It allowed the bombers to get close again, but stray fire bit into the already weakened Behemoth, and Jeske had thought of a plan. Once again he moved away from the transport, drawing the fighters and bombers with him. Rounding one of the larger asteroids, Jeske powered back towards the transport. The rock had allowed him to get a short lead on the pursuing craft. As he approached the transport he once again opened fire on the vessel, nearly draining his power-plant. As he passed over the transport he killed his engines and swiveled his Wraith to give him a direct line of sight. Just before the Fafnirs swooped over the transport he attempted to compel the pilots of the bombers.
**FIRE TORPEDOES**
There was a split second pause, and then massive explosions relit his cockpit. His shielding took the brunt of the blast, as his Wraith was tossed about in the wake. He struggled to regain control, bouncing off several asteroids in the process. Checking the scanners, he saw that the transport, two Wraiths, one of the Bergelmirs and the two Fafnirs had been vapourised in the explosion. The two remaining ships were heavily damaged, but still operational. Jeske dived after the Bergelmir first, stripping its shield with ease. Volleys from his Firekisses tore into the hull, before a final shot ruptured the engine core and the ship tore itself apart. The last Wraith ran, heading for the jumphole to Dresden, and the safety of Battleship Altenburg.
As Jeske gave chase, he reconnected with the collective
Jeske was unable to close the gap on the fleeing Wraith. It jumped to Dresden before he could get in weapons range. Following through, he hoped to catch the vessel before it's cruise engines ignited. The Wraith was there, dead in the water, with a wing of Hessian ships attacking. Jeske dropped a nuclear mine, and watched as it locked onto the Wraith. As the vessel disappeared in a fireball, he compelled the weak minded Hessians.
**RUN**
One thing remained. He had to know if news of his treachery had reached the Rheinlanders. He flew directly towards Battleship Altenburg. As he came within range, he opened a channel.
"Battleship Altenburg, this is Major Vardogr. My convoy was attacked. Reques............"
Jeske broke off as the Battleship open fire on him. He'd expected as much, and easily avoided the volleys. By the time a fighter wing had launched he was well on his way back to the jump hole to Omega-11. From there, he turned his Wraith for the jump to Omega-55. As he entered the system he released himself completely to the collective.
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