28 March 2024, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2325: no more training

This post was inspired by today's 5-minute writing prompt in the Freewriters Community - "No More Training"

Enjoy !

Image created by AI in NightCafe Studio

The massive ship emerged from behind a gas giant planet. It had been hiding in the Hyperion system for who knew how long, but now it's AI brain had activated. Perhaps in response to some encrypted order, or maybe just because it had decided the time was right.

It headed towards the inner system, to Hyperion II, the second planet out from the yellow-white star. The planet's inhabitants didn't call it "Hyperion II", of course. They called it "New Home".

The appearance of the vessel caused panic in the defence control rooms. They recognised it as an Einheriar "Star Wrecker" class dreadnaught, designed to sterilise inhabited planets. Imperial Fleets would take too long to come to the rescue. All they had were the Planetary Defence Forces.

Hyperion Defence Squadron 28 was one of them. Equipped with ancient Dragonfighter dive bombers, a century or more out of date, obsolete machines by any standard. The lead fighter was commanded by Squadron Leader Miyard, the only one of them who had ever seen real warfare.

"Okay pilots," his voice came over the intercom, calming and cool, just like in all the drills.

"That's an enemy dreadnaught, and it's coming to kill all our families. We're not going to let it. We've got fifty squadrons of fighters. They're old and tired, a bit like me. But that thing has weaknesses, we're going to find them and stop it. This is the real thing. It's not a drill, but you've done enough of those. There's no more training. Now is the time to show me what you learned."