A random Drachalian missile struck close to captain Maguire threw him against a landing pod, knocking the air out . Recovering his breath he tried to hold on onto the tendril coiled around the landing pod for support and it gave way falling to ground, in an untidy heap, cut at the roots by the fierce barrage of falling shells.
Captain Maguire ran to the other landing pods tagging at the tendrils around them and to his delight saw that while sime had been blown clean off others were only loosely holding onto the landing pods.
He realised it was too dangerous for the away team to even try to venture beyond their hiding positions, given the intense artillery battle, with missiles landing raining down almost all over the place setting off massive explosions. He realised at the same it was not safe for the Sandawana to remain where it was. It was true that the starships's guns could have ended the battle decisively. At the same time they could not afford to fire the starships's powerful guns in the cavity where they were without triggering a deadly landslide. They could not afford to take the risk.
He quickly wiped his communicator from his utility belt.
"Sandawana take off now!", captain Maguire spoke urgently into the device.
"Acknowledged", captain Lucinda replied with a sense of gratitude, speaking into her hand held communicator.
"Pilot initiate emergency take off", she ordered lieutenant Tashinga at the flight control console.
"Already on it", confirmed said lieutenant Tashinga his fingers moving expertly over the instrument panel before him.
"Com, how far are the starships?", captain Lucinda asked lieutenant Tanaka at communications.
"They are almost upon us", replied lieutenant Tanaka looking at his instrument panel.
As he spoke the image of starships approaching in formation appeared on the bridge's big screen.
"Lieutenant, prepare to readjust weapons to focus on those vessels as we image from the hole", captain Maguire ordered lieutenant Tashinga at flight control.
Captain Maguire watched with a sense of relief as the starship shot up into the sky. He was glad that captain Lucinda had not been difficult about leaving him and the away team behind. Sometimes such sacrifices were necessary to achieve a given goal every it was a risk that every starship crew member accepted without regret. Risk was part of the package that each man and woman signed up for when the day they commited to a career aboard a starship.
In the face of overwhelming enemy forces, the desired goal had shifted from rescuing princess' Elantra's parents to getting the Sandawana back to Earth safely. Even if that meant it would be returning without him.
While he had correctly gambled that the Drachalians would allow the Sandawana safe passage to the planet, he had not placed any bet on the reason behind allowing him to proceed to Draichas being so they could do capture the starship. It would have been quite a prize, one which would give the Drachalians insight into human technology. Which would pose the very real threat of the technology being reverse engineered and used against Space command in future conflicts.
It was his duty to see it that human technology would not fall into hostile hands. He had made peace with the fact that he would never see another sun rise on Earth as he watched the starship shoot up into the sky.
As the Sandawana ascended into the sky, the approaching Drachalian starships suddenly came into view on the giant monitor's big screen.
"Lieutenant hit the Drachalian starships with everything we 've got", acting captain Lucinda ordered lieutenant Tashinga at the weapons control console. Lieutenant Alex Bara's fingers moved furiously over the instrument panel before him re-configuring the chameleon multiple targeting to bring all the Sandawana's weapons to bear on the approaching starships.
"The Drachalians vessels are firing!", warned lieutenant Tanaka warned speaking urgently as the Sandawana's weapons systems fired simultaneously. A powerful explosion shook the starship violently as a huge of flame covered the big screen.
Captain Maguire crouching behind a large boulder couldn't believe his eyes watching the Sandawana disappear in a massive cloud of flame. In a moment that seemed frozen in time, his mind didn't want to belief what he was seeing. Although he had accepted the risk that went hand in glove with missions where any point the starship could be lost with all hands on deck, he had not imagined the end would come in such a manner. He had always pictured himself dying a heroic death in command with the Sandawana's weapons firing furiously. It had never been like this with him watching the unthinkable horror unfolding before his eyes. Just like all other ship's captains right from the days of wooden sailing ships, it was considered valiant that the captain went down with his ship. Yet in a cruel twist of fate he had watched his ship go up in flames.
Fierce fighting was ongoing in the massive opening with plumes of flame erupting all over visible on the Sandawana's big screen once the massive ball of flame had passed. Captain Lucinda would have wanted to give air support to the Sandawana's security units fighting on the surface but the starships's powerful lasers and missiles launching systems were fully engaged firing non-stop at the Drachalian ships. She knew they were hopelessly outnumbered and urgently needed to pick up their people on the surface so they could withdraw from Drachalian space. It seemed to her they had greatly underestimated the Drachalians, and it was either they got re-enforced or withdrew. The former option was a none starter as they were not even supposed to have been on Draichas, they would have a hell of a lot of explaining to Space command before they could expect any help. No, that option was out of the question. The most viable choice they had was to withdraw, then again they needed to pick up their people on the planet before they could withdraw.
Even though Captain Maguire had expressly ordered that they should withdraw once the Sandawana's landing pods were freed from the tendrils, captain Lucinda could not bring herself to abandon Captain Maguire and he away team.