Chapter 1: It was a little more than two years later when I first experienced my search and rescue against the xenon scourge in Priest Rings. I had begun a campaign movement to help stop the Xenon once again however, having adapted my lifestyle to that of the Paranids, I started to enjoy the lifestyle of these beautiful and sleek ships that I had acquired after purchasing several TCmk3 pilots for my trade fleet. I could now safely play with different areas of combat where it was bounty hunting, defending sectors from the Xenon, or protecting Paranidian sectors from the Argon invasion fleet, which rarely happened, thank god. I was in my newly acquired Zeus a Paranid Carrier and a third of my fleet so far in m3's and m4's. But now I was flat broke, and my pilots were mostly on leave so I had to make it so that we would not be put at a disadvantage and ran to the nearest Paranid Space Equipment Dock.

A week later, and all was normal, the crew was bristling with plenty of activity, Jones was at his station scanning sectors for any more of those Xenon anomalies, Reena, my librarian/intelligence officer was hard at work with the vibration scanner, sonar scanner, many things that were needed to keep our carrier afloat as they used to call it in the ancient texts.   I became bored out of my mind at one point and decided to take a walk along the gantry that lead me to the hanger which housed my squadrons.   Ah what a beautiful site, battle tested M3’s and M4’s and our newly acquired M3+ that I had one proclaimed just for myself.   It was a Mamba Vanguard but modified so that it can go faster, turn harder, and be on the enemy in the blink of an eye.   I made my way down to the Mamba I called the Cutlerfish.  A classic name, but still a deadly ship with 2 Plasma beam throwers that made it look like I was shooting out a jet of flame out of my ship.  5 High Energy Plasma Throwers which were more like those Impulse Emitters that the m5’s use however, they were far from it.   These babies’ were said that in a high enough concentration, it can punch a hole right through a Zeus’s hull and rip it apart.   I never believed those stories though, my ship was well protected for once instead of having my silly Station transporter.  

I looked Cutlerfish over a few times and noticed that they added a new weapon to my boat.   An Aura Missile system.   I didn’t think of it at the time but I hardly ever remember using those relics before, but that can be easily solved.   After an initial inspection, I climbed into my cockpit and tested the controls, the mamba+ was a smooth fighter, strong, yet delicate in maneuvers.     And enough of these beasts can bring the firepower of a whole fleet of destroyers.   The problem with fighters though was that they are very fragile, only capable of holding a trio of 25mj shields so if a destroyers PPC or a swarm of fighters overtook you, your toast.   I smiled and climbed out of the cockpit after I felt everything was correct.  

Jansen approached me as I was climbing down the stepladder and saluted, courtesy allowed me to salute him back.   “Anything to report soldier?” I asked him, he was the man who was the go to guy whom worked anything and everything for the company of Yurits Comet, the company I called myself.   The man put his hand behind his head nervously scratching it and would then look at me sternly.  “Sir, permission to speak freely?” he asked me, causing me to blink a few times as I would nod. “Of course lieutenant.” I was lenient with my officers as they treated me with minor difficulties over the years of working with these soldiers.   “Alan, look, I think we need to discuss the situation with the Paranids, they are taxing the hell out of our stay, at this rate, we can’t sustain any more delays, and we have to act now.” The concern on his face told me everything I needed to know.  This man consulted me when it came to starting up a company, he was the man who made me millions in less than a day with little more than two transport ships, and above all else, he had helped me win the lotto allowing me to purchase the ships needed to form this fleet, 2 destroyers, 4 corvettes, 3 M7M’s and 1 carrier flagship, the Alamorty.  I hadn’t decided on when we should go to take out those xenon bastards who took out the M2 destroyer named Frial, killing hundreds of souls and leaving 20 drifting in space.   I was weary when it came to this…so weary.  

“Jansen….let’s be frank…it’s been ages since we fought off the Xenon, hell, I was still a kid back then.  We still know very little about these things and I can almost guarantee that the Kha’ak guys are using them, I mean who else could come up with a devious plan that would be so complicated as to mount a coaxial attack, xenon and kha’ak against the Paranid home system.   Paranid prime.” I said concern staining my face.   I began to pace the area next to my personal fighter.  Thinking on tactics, remembering the military history between the xenon and the fights that went on with them alone, but then the Kha’ak were a whole new league on their own, their instant hitting weapons also known as lasers hit so fast and so hard, it whipped out an entire system in minutes.   I shuddered in thought. “Do we have the firepower?” I asked him starting to come to a conclusion that it was indeed time to search for the xenon CPU ship like the last time they formed an insurgency.  I had a squadron of M5 fighters that were designed as my scouts which can report to me which positions were known of having any Xenon presence.  “With the current fleet we have…I’d say…minimal, however with the amount of credits these Paranid scumbuckets are taxing us, we might as well go now, That is if you approve.” He said holding his touch board.