Erika Halle alongside her two wingmen ventured into Omega-55 to investigate reports of advancing unlawful forces into the system. "I still don't know about this. We've encountered two enemy patrols already. Perhaps the Buro would be better for this job." One wingman called out, scanning his surroundings. Erika dismissed his claims and led her wing deeper into the system, out of the Ostrava asteroid field. The flight of three Wraiths were headed to investigate a report of a new station constructed by the Coalition near Estergebirge.
"The both of you keep your heads on. According to rumors this system is being overrun with Coalition and Corsair forces lately. Keep your eyes open, I don't feel like getting ambushed today. "Erika told the two, hoping to straighten them out. The pilots continued their patrol, maintaining course until they come across the Coalition station, but unusually, no patrols along the way. "I see the depot.. but where are the guards? Either way, we have the data, change course to the Liberec Field, maybe we'll find something of use around there." Erika redirected her wing, and after some time of flying, the three pilots encountered the Corsair vanguard battleship Athos.
Soon after finding the warship, the pilots broke off, fearing a wing of incoming craft, but yet again the majority of it's escort flotilla was missing. After retreating from the asteroid field, Erika ordered her wing to move to the Bounty Hunter station in the system to refuel. Along the way they encountered few patrols, the system seemed too eerily quiet. Once docked aboard the station, the three pilots briefly rested while their craft were refueled and let their shields recycle from being in the dense asteroid field.
After taking off, the three pilots were unexpectedly greeted by a Rheinland Cruiser. This ship was dispatched due to a report of heavy combat and fear the scouting force was under heavy attacked. Confused, the three pilots now escorted the cruiser on their recon mission. An exchange of words between mission commanders added to the confusion. Neither unit has found any action aside from a sole pilot here and there.
This silence, however, would be short lived. While returning to get another look at the Coalition outpost, the small scout force finds what's been busying the locals. A large-scale fleet engagement between Coalition and Corsair warships was within sight now. Watching Coalition destroyer square off gun to gun with Corsair cruisers. The Rheinlandic force immediately breaks to avoid the capital ships and their escort squadrons, only to be sandwiched between the fleet battle and two Order strike squadrons.
Not used to Rheinland Military patrols in the Omega's, the Order strike teams immediately declared the unit as infected vessels and immediately commenced the attack. "These damned idiots! Break and attack, defend the cruiser!" Erika ordered. Her wingmen immediately broke off and attacked the bomber team, leaving Erika and the cruisers' point defense guns to fend off the fighter team. "Hermann, watch your left, enemy fighter!" The three fighters struggled against the Order strike teams.
Soon enough, the Order bombers scored hits against the cruiser, crippling it's engine, leaving it dead in space. Shortly after, a few bombers and couple fighters of the force fell, and the Order withdrew. The fighters were damaged and beaten, but operable. The primary issue was the now crippled cruiser and it's trapped crew. It wouldn't take long for either side of the dueling fleets to take notice of the cripple recon force, and capitalize on their weak status. Damage control immediately got to work to repair the engine to the ship could limp back to the Bounty Hunter base, sending out a distress call, risky, as it would directly alert the warring fleets a short cruise away.
The three exhausted pilots gathered around the cruiser as her crew desperately tried to repair the engine. Rather than seeing Bounty Hunter saviors send a wing to their aid, the four ships saw the fleet engagement drawing closer, a Coalition destroyer attempting to break engagement and approach the small force. Luckily it's movements were slow, having to dodge fire from the Corsair warships and bombers, but this meant the entire battle was dragging towards them.
"Frau, the entire battle is drifting towards us, it's best we leave while we still.." One of the wingmen mumbled, before being cut off. "We cannot leave the entire crew to be captured or killed, we must hold our ground!" Erika demanded, ordering the small ships into a defensive formation. What few guns capable redirected to face the incoming battle. Much to their surprise, shock, and horror, the primary threat would not come from there.
Their veils lifting leaving behind only a short pinkish glow, two wings of Military craft suddenly appeared on scanners. While only looking would provide relief, the scanners would show otherwise. "All wings, intercept incoming Coalition destroyer, defend the cruiser." One of the unknown wing commanders ordered. Erika felt relieved. Perhaps this was a Military force who's transponders had simply been damaged and sent out to rescue them. The two unknown wings swarmed ahead of the battered scout team, harassing Coalition and Corsair pilots, the bombers battering the Coalition destroyer and forcing it to break away.
Soon after the primary threatening destroyer was cripple and soon after, was destroyed. The two warring fleets, unwilling to further exhaust their fleets and resources fighting a renewed Military presence, dragged their battle backwards once more. Neither side was willing to let the other go without a fight, but not willing to face the seemingly veteran Military pilots. After returning, Erika was about to thank the wing commander when the two wings turned on them. Erika soon found herself in the fight of her life as one of her wingmen was entirely shot out of space without a word or warning. "Hermann, we have to flee, now!" She shouted, immediately dodging a attack run from an opposing fighter.
Erika and her wingman immediately began trying to flee, desperately dodging a torrent of blisteringly accurate fire, chipping away at her shields and soon her Wraith itself. After a short peek back, the crippled cruiser desperately tried to fight back, firing it's weapons seemingly randomly, as effective as ancient flak, until finally the wing of bombers put down the crippled cruiser, shattering it's hull and slipping the warship into several chunks.
Erika's wingman soon fell to the torrent of fire, forcibly ejecting from the now inoperable fighter. Alone and terrified, Erika tried her best to escape, but her engines took direct hits, disabling her craft. The woman begged for her life, but the only answer was the ejection of her escape pod. Unconscious and surrounded by unknown enemies, who knows where the woman would awake.