Stargaze Command has confirmed multiple lost vessels and casualties stemming from a battle against the Scourge that took place near the Orion Cluster Tuesday.
“This was an ambush,” The Admiral said to reporters at Juno Station. “Our second fleet was responding to what appeared to be a distress signal coming from a habitable world just outside Federation space. It was a trap set by the Scourge.”
Details about the engagement are scarce as Command isn’t willing to share anything that may put pilots or engineering crews in danger. What we do know is that in the early hours of Tuesday morning ships were sent to investigate the distress call and only two, the Rekt and the Wagmi made it back safely.
We were able to interview one of the pilots who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal:
“It was bad,” he said. “We went in and all of a sudden there was a bright flash and our wingman was gone. Whatever kind of weapon they were using is new and it cut right through the shields. One shot. It’s terrible. I just had breakfast with Mike and he was telling me about his kid hitting a homerun. He couldn’t wait for shore leave so he could touch the ball they saved for him.”
When pressed for more information, the pilot had this to say:
“Scourge came out of nowhere and were everywhere in seconds. It was one of their swarms. Scanner said 572 targets. We managed to drop a mine behind us and shot about five or so off the Wagmi‘s tail as we punched it hard for the carrier. Our ships were winking out like lights being turned off. I just cranked the stick in crazy directions to avoid getting hit by one of those blasts. If it wasn’t for the admiral, we never would have made it back.”
According to a source who was aboard the Admiral’s flagship, in a stunning move, the Admiral took the flagship directly into the swarm where its eight broadside cannons decimated the bulk of enemy forces, allowing the Rekt and Wagmi to escape to open space.
“I was just holding on for dear life,” Our source said. “I held on to my mop as the ship was moving all over, and this is a big ship not meant to move like this I’m thinking. The cannons were so loud. It was amazing and I’d do it again. The Admiral is a beast.”
Crews were repairing minor damage to the two ships and the flagship as search and rescue teams scanned the wreckage for survivors.
The Scourge have been encountered before, but not in these numbers. A colony on Cetius Prime was wiped out by the Scourge last January and was the first contact for the Federation. The Scourge largely remain a mystery and this incident happening so close to the core worlds has many Federation citizens concerned.
