From wpettey@zianet.com Wed Jun 24 14:15:00 1998 Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 11:02:27 -0600 From: wpettey To: Dante Expeditionary Force List Serve Subject: [INDIGO]{DANTEXF]SB ALIGHIERI(NASW716):"Fight the Good Fight" [The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] DANTE Expeditionary Force Official E-mail BEGIN TRANSMISSION SD: 100610.0741 MDT FMD: 05.1750 SCENE: DANTE's Belt "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (II Tim. 4:7) With the CAG gone back to ALIGHIERI with injuries, O'Wood was in charge of the entire wing...what was left of it. Approximately twenty shuttles were left between NC-17 and NF-34, and they were all suffering some sort of damage. Cort had ordered tehm into hiding in the asteroid belt, in an attempt to reorganize and regroup. Most had already launched their missles and been reloaded by the YORKTOWN, and their efforts were finally having an effect. Combined with the sacrifies of the BATRON and the missle launches from the YORKTOWN, the battle was finally turning. There were still many Dal ships left, but there were fewer than there had been in the beginning. O'Wood contemplated the best plan of attack. Already they had learned that the Dal ships were most vulnerable when they rotated on their axis in an attempt to strengthen their wedge. If they had any hope of finishing off this little 'war' then they had to coordinate their attacks with the BELLERPHON and the YORKTOWN at those moments when the Dal's were weakest. "GHOST RIDER 7 t' all GHOSTRIDER units...prepare t' head out. NF-34, flank t' th' port while NC-17 covers th' starboard." He listened to the confirmations coming in over the comm system. Then he toggled over to the intership channel, "BATRON 2 and YORKTOWN, this is GHOSTRIDER Leader, we're goin' t' flank t' the left an' right on these bast'rds. This'll give ye a shot right up th' middle. Let's get these buggers out o' here!" Over his intercom, he heard the whoops and hooyahs of his various pilots, and a few whisperred prayers from others. He silently agreed with those few whisperred prayers, fully expecting not to make it home from this last stand. Cort, who had until recently refused religios affiliation, was finding himself drawn to a belief. Out here, in this terrible place, it was all one could hold on to. FMD: 05.2330 SCENE: ALIGHIERI The fighters returned. Beaten, battered, and short a few more. But they had been successful. Their launches against the Dal fleet had shown the superior forces that the human (and a few others) spirit could not be stopped. Although they were still a threat, they had been reduced from the mighty war fleet to a small excursion into the back waters of space. ALIGHIERI and allies had been successful. The few remaining Dal ships fell back to the last location of their supply ships. They continued to fire at the they no longer advanced. The YORKTOWN and what was left the BATRON, combined with the remainder of the mine field, handled the missle launches, but for the most part, the war was over. It was now just a skirmish. Cort quickly debriefed his pilot's and sent them off to bed. He walked slowly over to the pilot's infirmary and checked on the CAG. Pappy never knew he was there, but Cort sat with him at his bedside for the rest of the night. FMD: 06.0600 SCENE: CDR Yssar's QTR's When the bulk of the Dal fleet had been destroyed or crippled, the jamming signal weakend, and messages that had been piling up for the station finally came through. Yssar was weeding through a massive list, when one caught his eye. It was from the USS SORANUS in RED FLEET. When he opened it, he smiled and began reading; "Hello, my kitten, I have heard of your situation over there in the far reaches of the galaxy. And I have prayed to Mūn for your protection. Since your mother died all those years ago on earth, I have cared for you, and I have not stopped worrying over you." The black Caitain face on the view screen blinked her bright, golden eyes, and smiled affectionately. The older female was still attractive and no one would guess she was 72 years old. Greyclaw suddenly felt a hollowness inside. Seeing his aunt, and hearing her soft purr, brought back all the memories he had as a kitten. She had been a comfort to him when his parents died, and he missed her. He half wished he could crawl into her lap and listen to her purring now. It would ease his troubled mind. The message continued, "As you can see, I am now aboard the USS SORANUS, as the XO, and I enjoy it greatly. I had almost forgotten the thrill of being in space again. I know why you craved it so as a mewling. I hope that we may see each other soon. And if you haven't already, and I know I nag you for this, light a candle to Mūn, and pray the goddess for your direction. I believe she will help you. She always has." The message faded, and was replaced by the traditional UFP logo. [Transmission ends] the computer intoned. Greyclaw stared at the screen for a moment longer, hearing her voice was like feeling her warm breath on his brow. His ears twitched at the memory. His aunt, TyGarra Bright Eyes, had been his inspration to enter Star Fleet...she was so wise, and exciting! Since the Dalriadan invasion, Greyclaw had forgotten hsi joy at being in space, but his aunt's return to space reminded him...this all part of the greater adventure. Absent-mindedly, he lit a small ceremonial candle he had in honor of Mūn and whisperred a 'thankyou' to the deity he was never sure of and headed off to the OPS Center to begin his day. **************************************************************************** ******************* NRPG: Please note that the pilots are returned at FMD: 05.2330, with the war all but over. There is plenty still to be done, but I think the Dal's are ready to leave...soon. :-) David, two men contemplate their faith...or lack of it? TIMLINE: FMD: 05.1700 Fighters leave the asteroids to begin a new wave of attack WP FMD: 05.2330 Fighters return to ALIGHIERI after a successful run WP FMD: 06.0600 Yssar gets a letter from his aunt. WP Respectfully submitted, Wendon Pettey wpettey@zianet.com ICQ UIN# 11472129 CPT Orleese Forrent (CO USS GRIFFON) (no http yet!) CDR TyGarra Bright Eyes (XO USS SORANUS) http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4846/TyGarra.htm LT Cort O'Wood, "Shamrock" (XO NAsW716 http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4846/OWood.htm LMAJ Wes Smith, "Joker" (2O/ATL SFFR7) http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4846/Smith.htm LTjg Londyn K. Brydges (FCO USS GRIFFON) http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4846/Brydges.htm "Accept that somedays you are the pidgeon... and somedays you are the statue." This message sent by an official member of the Dante Expeditionary Force Are you also posting your messages to the newsgroup?!!! END TRANSMISSION