11 - Flight to the Tower

Cockpit of Emberhawk Shuttle 01. 4000.04.06 10:02 UniTi

"Unidentified shuttle, this is Unity Patrol EP-13-03, you are entering restricted airspace. Please turn around immediately. Unity has ongoing operations in this region and has taken command of this sector as of 00:00 local time.

I repeat, unidentified shuttle, this is Unity Patrol EP-13-03..."

"CAPTAIN!" Dax yells from the cockpit, he was given the duty of watching the autopilot with Juniper recovering, but it seems more than he's signed up for.

Zev comes running to the controls, his quarters being the closest to the cockpit, "Blast, it's never easy."

"Come again, Unity patrol?" Zev throws on his headset and speaks in a folksy accent, "We were just goin' to visit our moisture farm."

"That's going to need to wait for another day, please identify yourselves."

Zev scans the charts again, recalling a few routes from his pre-mission prep. Without a word he drops the shuttle into a deep ravine.

"CAP, WHAT ARE YOOUU--" Dax is cut off as his stomach jumps into his throat

"Warning.warning.warning." Ember, the ship's not-AI blares, "1000 meters to ground level. 500. 400. 300."

"CAPTAIIN??" Dax voices as soon as possible

"200 METERS. PULL UP!" Ember klaxons as red sirens flash in the cockpit, "PULL UP! PULL UP! PULL UP!"

"100 METERS!! CAPTAIN!!!" Dax and Ember both yell as Zev finally levels off the shuttle - the small ship barely skims above the surface of the canyon as the walls loom above them.

"What are you--" Dax begins before Zev cuts him off with a look that could melt steel.

"Don't interrupt," he grunts out, too focused to manage more.

The shuttle weaves in and out of the canyon as the Unity Patrol follows at a much safer altitude and distance.

"It can never be easy," Zev grunts, flying the shuttle through an arch in the canyon. "Dax, get the crew ready - non-lethal munitions if we're fighting with Unity. Attacking them is bad enough, killing one of them? We'll never see the light of day. Got that? Non-lethal munitions, this is VERY IMPORTANT.

"Yessir," Dax gulps, understanding the severity of the situation.

"We're going to land and get to that tower ASA... blast," Zev cuts short as the skimmer makes the final turn to find... a separate Unity Patrol already landing near the tower - or was it the same one??

"Ember! Eyes on this skimmer, is this the same patrol? I thought they were behind us!"

"Scanning. Negative Captain, this is a separate patrol. The first patrol has resumed its duty, likely waiting for your demise - er, for you to re-emerge." Ember adds a bit too cheerfully.

Zev rolls his eyes as Dax barks out orders to the rest of the crew on behalf of the Captain.

The skimmer lands with a hasty thud and the crew jumps out, right into the belly of the beast. The Unity patrol has closed to within 100 meters by the time they disembark.

"I have located your contact Captain," Ember chimes in Zev's ear as he picks up his Infantry Laser, "They are... running from the Unity troops, away from the Tower."

"Oh, great. We're going to have to save their hide too?" Zev powers up his laser to "stun"... which is just a lower power setting that SHOULD be less-than-lethal...

He turns on his comms as he heads toward the exit, half the crew already in the field of battle. "Crew! Defend the tower, try your best NOT to kill those Unity Troopers or there'll be hell to pay. Fall back to the shuttle if injured, that bird's our only way out!"

A loud rumble shakes the shuttle.

"What in the...?"

"GET DOWN! EVERYONE DOWN!" Dravik yells, to Zev's surprise, "SHELL GUN!!"

"Oh to the Abyss with you," Zev curses as he rushes out of the shuttle.