The airlock hissed as the cockpit decompressed due to the canopy sliding back.
I pulled the oxygen mask off my face and let it hang from one side of my helmet. I sucked in deep breaths as my heart raced.
All the stress from the battle began to hit me. It was nearly overwhelming. My hands were shaking.
I balled them into fists and lightly punched the sides of the cockpit. I gritted my teeth and groaned.
With another deep breath, I closed my eyes. I did my best to quickly clear my head as I placed my helmet to the side.
I leapt out of the cockpit and landed next to my fighter. Technicians were already working on my fighter by the time I got out.
The loudspeaker sounded again. "All personnel be advised. Hyperspace jump imminent."
I sighed and walked away from my fighter. I needed a breather.
A droid quickly approached me holding a tray of bottles. It handed me one. "Commander, this is a nutrient solution. Please drink it quickly."
I nodded and snatched the bottle. Unscrewing the cap, a sweet smell entered my nose. I eagerly started drinking, finishing half of the bottle in one go. "Haaaaah, since when are rations delicious?"
The droids eyes flashed yellow from their usual white. "Commander, please begin preparing for battle."
I nodded, feeling more energized. "Got it."
I tapped my wrist comm. "Yom 7, 5 minute break and then we meet at my fighter. Dismissed."
I closed the channel before anyone could reply and looked around. The scene was very similar to what it was earlier except for the fighters that had not returned.
A large hologram was being projected above the center of the hangar. It displayed our SITREP.
We started the day with 341 cruisers. Now, only 200 of them remain with 57% of our initial complement.
The enemy wasn't doing too much better. They had 300 cruisers remaining with only 51% of their complement remaining.
I would put money on at least a percentage point of that difference being due to Doghouse.
The hangar doors started closing as the warning lights began flashing blue. We were about to jump into hyperspace.
I quickly found a large container that was out of the way. I hopped on top of it and sat down to meditate.
With my eyes closed, my mind cleared of everything outside of this moment in time. My mind was blank. Nothing was in my thoughts. I was in a state of tranquility. Then, the sights and sounds around me disappeared.
I had a bad feeling about the upcoming battle. It wasn't going to go well. Unfortunately, we had no choice. No reinforcements were available.
Suddenly, I felt a tug in the force. Trusting it, I quickly raised my right hand to feel a soft sphere land in my palm.
I opened my eyes and found that I had caught a stress ball. I looked to where it came from and found Iso grinning.
He nodded towards the pilots standing behind him. "Come on. We're all here."
I stood up and hopped off the container while squeezing the ball. My eyes swept across my pilots as I landed. How many would survive? We had already lost 2…
I took a deep breath. "Look to your left… and your right… This is all we've got out there. You can only rely on those that you see next to you. Trust your instincts but more importantly, trust your comrades. Let's load up."
Everyone nodded and walked towards their spacecraft in silence. I turned and began walking towards my own fighter.
I downed the remainder of my beverage and handed the empty bottle to a droid before hopping into the cockpit.
The loudspeaker chimed as I sat down. "Hyperspace exit in T-minus 30 seconds."
I cleared my throat and pressed the button to close the canopy. As it slid over me, I grabbed my helmet and strapped it on along with the oxygen mask. I took a deep breath and steeled my resolve.
The seconds ticked by. With each one, the tension grew ever more tangible.
Suddenly, the blue lights stopped blinking and the hangar doors began to open. I opened the squad channel. "Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines."
I pressed the ignition once more. The hum of her greeting was somewhat comforting. She was happy to see me.
The blinding light of hyperspace pierced through the hangar shields. I tightly gripped the throttle as the streaks of light turned to dots.
As they did, I yelled into my comms. "LET'S MOVE PEOPLE!"
I punched the throttle. My fighter shook as she lifted off the ground and sped forth. As soon as I cleared the doors, I spun left and pulled up.
I hugged the hull of the Yom and pulled out in front of it. With a light pull to the right, I made some space and leveled out. "Form up. Let's give them a proper welcome this time."
I watched as my squadron filled in behind me, ready for battle. With a smile on my face, my eyes were locked to the front.
All around me, the cruisers were turning around to have their thickest armor face the pursuing enemies. Then, they arrived.
Blips showed up on my scanner, signifying their arrival. Out of nothing, the enemy had once again appeared.