IMPALA (Farside Saga: Book One)

The Vanguardian battle class destroyer 'Axion' engaged it's retro rockets as it exited hyperspace and settled it's massive size in high orbit along side the Velcronian planet. Receiving the distress message from Outpost 3, the Axion immediately jumped to the rescue along with seven other destroyers and a large group of battle cruisers and starfighters as they quickly emerged out of hyperspace and encircled the planet. The majority of the fighters descended to the planet's surface as the cruisers released smaller boxy looking crafts to follow and the remaining fighters fell in line behind the drop ships. There was a large green streak of laser that emitted from the Axion that shot past the descending crafts and exploded on the planet's atmosphere, lighting it up in a grid like pattern that surrounded the whole planet. All the crafts flew through the squares of the grid. Just then, the cloud formations darkened to a deep purplish black color then conjoined and turned into a cycloning lightening storm with a large opening in the middle. Through the clearing, the forwarding fighters could see the green and yellow lasers and explosions along the ground, with purple lightening now added to the mix, as the eye of storm moved along striking various objects and soldiers, finally resting at a tall black and yellow pulsating tower in it's center.

"Argos One to Mother Base...we have cleared defense perimeter....new heading....vector 4.9.2. Beginning perimeter cover run...e.t.a.....37 trilles." the lead pilot said as he veered his craft towards the eye with the rest following.

"Roger Argos One...Creator's mercy....good luck....over and out!!" the captain of the Axion said.

"....read?....this is.....ix...of the ...cond.....rial squa....rep....this is Helix Four of the Second Aerial Squadron....do you read?" the lead fighter's radio crackled as he looked and saw the green streak of a familiar ion trail shoot out from the wall of the storm's eye then sharply bank upwards at incredible speeds toward the approaching fighters. Just before it cleared the roof of the dark clouds, a bolt of lightening struck the rear of the craft causing it to start smoking and momentarily lose control. It quickly regained it's control and rapidly started it's ascent, shooting past the clouds, and joining formation with the other fighters.

"Man im i glad to see you guys!!" the pilot said excitedly as he angled his damaged and now smoking craft next to the lead fighter.

"Likewise Helix Four....this is Argos One....what's the situation?" the lead pilot said as he scanned the damage on the other pilot's ship.

"It's choas sir....they kicked our vixes when they first attacked but we fought back and had em pinned down but then this storm came out of nowhere and something started happening around the tower. It was like this purple...i don't know what to call em....holes in the air i guess...started forming and these...tendrils came out and started pulling everyone in....us and them....everybody!!" the pilot said.

The captain of the Axion, Nexus, and Phoenix, along with the other captains of the seven massive battle class destroyers, heard the entire conversation as the lead pilot had opened a link to Mother Base. Unknown to the fleet, the advancing pilots, and everyone below, a small rip in the fabric of space time began to form just outside of the fleets sensor range.

"Sir....we're receiving an incoming transmission." the communications officer of the Nexus said. "It's from Pelik....of Ground Squad Three!!" he finished as he faced towards the captain.