Flight of the Phoenix Flight of the Phoenix
The Northern Paladin
Back on the planet....
NP: "You know what? I am now really pissed...Jared, did you manage to nail the Materia?"
Jerad: "No, they got to them before I did...but whatever you did, it had them worried..."
NP: "Good...we can work with that then...where's the shuttle?"
Jerad: "Off that way a ways..."
NP: "You two go with him...send a coded message to HQ...tell them that operation Phoenix is a go...The three of you, follow me. I want a detailed analysis of the sensor logs...they should have survived, at least in part..."
Some hours later, Jerad having returned..
NP: "Ok, this is the best we can do with the data...looks like some kind of hyperspace transference that exchanged them with the bomb...but I've never seen anything like it..."
Jerad: "I have....DarkMoogle has an ally...even I don't know who he is, but this is his preferred method of transport..."
NP: "Well, he scratched my starship, so he's gonna pay....do you think you could follow the hyperspace tearing signature to a destination?"
Jerad: "Possibly...but how?"
NP: " Ah..I believe our bus is here....Energize!"
They reform on a transporter pad..
Jerad: "I'll never get used to that...where are we?"
NP: "USS Phoenix. NX-65874. She's a prototype, but construction has already begun on the rest of the Phoenix-class....High-powered phaser banks, improved sensors, quantum torpedoes, ablative armor, and a cloak that's been improved from the Defiant-class...thanks to our research, not even magic can detect us within the cloak! And her shields have been specially tuned to absorb magic directed at them and use it to add extra power to our reserves! Nice bit of engineering, huh?"
Jerad: "Wow.....are you sure it'll all work?"
NP: "Oh, yeah..most of it is proven technology..just never combined in this particular way before...I've also had a sonic disrupter installed, and there is another new weapon on here...but it might not work."
Jerad waits for NP to continue...
NP: "It's called the Mana Resonance Generator...in theory, it should be able cancel out any magic usage by sending out a countering resonance beam....I works with regular magic, but I don't know how it'll affect Materia usage....so we'll need to figure out a way to prevent this guy from using his Materia for the most part....I was thinking we could continuously operate the Materia Disruptor...this way he has to keep regenerating them to use them. If you have any other ideas, please tell me before we get there."
Jerad: "No problem....let's head for the battle, shall we?"
NP: "Indeed....to the Bridge!"
On the bridge...
Jerad: "Hmmm...ok, I think I can give you a course from these traces...it's going to require constant correction, though. Hyperspace doesn't run parallel to normal space, so a straight course there will appear to twist and turn here..."
NP: "No problem..just keep us on the trail...Helm! Take your course from Jerad...."
Jerad: "Course 194 mark 47...do not exceed warp 3 or I'll lose the traces..."
Helm: "Warp 3...confirmed sir."
NP: "Engage as soon as we've confirmed transport of all personnel from the planet..."
Comms: "The last group has just beamed aboard, sir.."
NP: "Then away we go! Break MY starship, will ya! Ohhhh, you're gonna pay...."
And, in a flash of light, the Phoenix streaks off into space....
Chaos28
Jerad: "I just realized something..."
NP: "What?"
Jerad: "Well, lots of things. One, they could be sending us on a completely off-road path very easily."
NP: "Well, we'll take our chances."
Jerad: "Two, as long as I get enough rest, I can recharge the yellow Materia."
NP: "Good."
Jerad: "Three, the reason why they were worried before was because they didn't want us to know who the Dark Moogle's ally was. Also, that's Dark Moogle's form of space travel. The bubbles I mean. The other beings form, well, I'm not too sure."
NP: "Hm... we'll have to just go with what happens then."
Jerad: "Right."
NP: "How close are we?"
Helm: "About one quarter of the way."