“Get on those frigates now, *Fantastic! Freyla, watch your range on that Harbinger, you don’t want to get in too close. Metal, I need shields; get one of your drones on me now!” Roc commanded.

“You need to stay within seventy clicks, Chief.” FullMetal Basilisk replied as he cackled insanely. 

Cytral listened, his gut wrenched in knots, as the play by play of events continued. He stood in Ops at Freeform Industries HQ, feeling helpless, but willing every good thought he had towards his pilots. 

“I’m into hull!” Doc Gigawatts screamed. 

“Wordsworth, get on Doc’s agro; give them something else to target!” Roc shouted into fleet comms. 

It had gone on this way for the last thirty minutes. The Renegades had made good speed into Amarr space, not pausing to engage the Amarr militia at any junction. Doc’s squad had quickly formed up under Roc’s fleet, and they had been making their way back towards Heimatar. Roc wouldn’t recklessly hurry through the jumpgates, pausing the fleet at each point to send a forward scout through to the next system. They had worked their way as far as Jaswelu, in Domain Region, and while every jump was bringing them closer to Minmatar space, every system found Roc’s Renegades facing more hostiles. The 24th Imperial Crusade had joined the battle in Vashkah, deep in the heart of Amarr high sec, and they were well coordinated; Cytral’s pilots having already pushed their way through several enemy gate camps.

Ah Niko, you would be proud and terrified if you were here. Cytral thought to himself. Niko had been the corp’s Fleet Commander before Roc had come along, and due to other extraneous circumstances was on a leave of absence, nobody sure when or if he would return. But Roc Wieler had stepped up to the task with enthusiasm, and transformed the motley group of mining pilots and industrialists into a passable fighting force. They weren’t going to be declaring sovereignty in any nullsec systems anytime soon, nor go against the likes of the Red Alliance, but they were learning to trust each other, to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and to work like a team. 

Cytral found Roc Wieler to be a most interesting character. Short-tempered, flirtatious to a fault, yet not always sociable, the Colonel had proven his worth with his hard work ethic, his consistency, and his extreme sense of duty of honour. He was a proud Brutor through and through, but there was something more to the man. He had an intrinsic sense of rightness about him, carrying himself naturally as a leader, though if you were to ever confront him with this observation you would see the more awkward side of Roc Wieler. Still, Cytral believed the man was possessed of more potential than any of them knew, and once that was utilized, the Republic might never be the same.

“We got incoming!” Freyla spoke heatedly into comms. 

“Negative, darlin. Check your overview. They’re Amarr alright, but not the 24th. My guess is pirates, meaning if we end up engaged with them it’s because they shot first. Last thing we need to add to the mix right now is Concord breathing down our necks.” Roc spoke with a fevered pitch, but his voice was controlled, calm, even in the midst of the chaos. It was just one more quality he possessed that made him an excellent fleet commander. So far, they hadn’t lost a single pilot. Cytral knocked on the warfare logistics table he was leaning on. Let’s hope it stays that way. He thought to himself.

Momentary feedback bled through the comms system, then resumed. A new voice could be heard through the fleet. It was one some of them would recognize. It seemed Roc had patched his personal comm into fleet.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure of killing you, Wheeeeeler.” Veshta Yoshita drolled sarcastically. Veshta was one of the top Ace pilots of the 24th, and the longstanding hatred between her and Roc Wieler was well known to any whom had served in the Tribal Liberation Force under his command. 

“Well, good to know I bring you pleasure, Veshta.” Roc replied without missing a beat. “Shows you at least have good taste in men, picking a Minmatar. Can’t say I blame you really. I’ve heard what little Amarr boys have to offer.”

A second private comm could be heard over the system. “General, where’s your fleet at?” Roc said. He had contacted Sasawong prior to entering Amarr space to see what kind of support could be garnered from the Tribal Liberation Force. For the most part, militia pilots were hungry for any kind of killing they could engage in, so it was more than likely the Minmatar would respond.

“Wouldn’t really call us a fleet, Roc.” Sasawong said. “But we’re  three squads in Sifilar. Want us to move or stay put?” Sasawong and Roc Wieler had quickly become friends early in the war, flying numerous times together against the Amarr. Each knew the other was trustworthy and dependable, and this had been proven many times over.

“Move towards Hati system, Sasa. We’re gonna be coming through hot if we get that far. Lock down that system and roll out the red carpet.” Roc said.

“I enjoy nailing your corpses to my wall, Wheeler.” Veshta interjected over the comm. 

“I’d like to say I enjoy nailing you too, Veshta, but even the thought of it repulses me.” Roc replied witfully.

The skirmishes continued around them, though the Renegades had been ordered not to warp scramble anything. The goal here was escape, not destruction. If any of their enemies were foolish enough not to warp away when their ships were going down, so be it, but by letting them warp away, the hope was for a short hiatus while pilots docked up in stations for repairs before re-engaging Roc’s forces. Hopefully, it would buy them enough time to make it back to Minmatar space.

Cytral squeezed the console tightly, closing his eyes against the headache that suddenly hit him. He felt nauseous and dizzy, monetarily feeling his knees go weak before regaining his composure. His condition was worsening. Soon he would have to tell the corporation.

“Alright, Squad One, jump. Renegades, hold back and cover.” Roc blared over the comms. The forward scout had declared the all clear in the next system on their route. Each jump was one step closer to home. After all of Doc’s squad had made it safely through to the other side of the jumpgate, Roc gave the order for the Renegades to follow, the Amarr fleets right on their tail.

As Roc urged his ship to jump, he couldn’t help but smile. If they could make it to Sifilar, the Amarr would be in for a helluva surprise. Doc’s wormhole accident might turn into a major victory against the enemy. 

The universe definitely had a sense of humour sometimes.

Editor’s Note: *Yes, that’s his real name, Captain Fantastic.