Voidwalker Requiem

Chapter Five: Interstellar Conflict

After mapping out the next plan of action, the crew was smooth sailing through the Astraeus System, completely unaware that they were being followed. After around an hour of travelling through the system, Lielle alerts the crew that there are four Galactic Patrol ships following them. "Attention, everyone. We have company. Four Galactic Patrol ships are tailing us at high speeds."

Eve's eyes narrowed as she swiftly moved to the control room, her mind racing through their options. "Holy shit. Hana, get ready for evasive manoeuvres. We can't let them catch us."

Hana's fingers danced over the controls, adjusting their trajectory. "On it."

The ship's thrusters roared as Hana pushed them to their limits, weaving through the dense asteroid clusters in an attempt to shake off their pursuers. The Galactic Patrol ships followed relentlessly, their sleek designs cutting through the void with precision.

Eve activated the ship's defensive systems, bringing up shields and preparing their weapons. "Ditto, Asulan, man the turrets. Give em' hell."

Ditto's form shimmered as she morphed into a more agile version of herself, ready for combat. Asulan flexed his muscles, his enhanced strength giving him confidence. They both rushed to the turrets, manning the heavy plasma cannons as the Galactic Patrol ships closed in.

The first blasts from the patrol ships rocked their vessel, sending shudders through the hull. Hana gritted his teeth, manoeuvring through a dense cluster of asteroids. "Hold on!"

The ship weaved and twisted, dodging asteroid fragments while returning fire. Ditto and Asulan aimed with precision, taking down one of the pursuing ships, but the remaining three stayed hot on their trail.

Suddenly, a massive asteroid loomed ahead, too large to avoid completely. "Brace for shock!" Hana yelled. The ship clipped the edge of the asteroid, sending it spinning out of control. Warning lights flashed as the hull took damage, and systems began to fail.

"Aft hull damage detected!" Lielle shouted, frantically working to reroute power. "Port-side thrusters down!"

Eve scanned the surrounding area, her eyes locking onto a nearby planet. "Hana, set a course for that planet. It's our best chance to lose them."

The ship, now barely under control, hurtled toward the planet's atmosphere. The Galactic Patrol ships continued their pursuit, firing relentlessly. As they entered the planet's gravity well, an unexpected asteroid shower bombarded them, further damaging the ship and scattering the patrol ships.

Their ship crashed through the planet's atmosphere, spiralling towards the surface. Hana fought with the controls, trying to level their descent. They hit the ground hard, skidding across a barren landscape before coming to a stop in a cloud of dust and debris.

Eve pulled herself up from the floor. "Is everyone alright?"

Ditto shifted back to her normal form, checking herself for injuries. "I'm fine. Asulan?"

Asulan, bruised but intact, nodded. "I'll live. But we need to move. They're not far behind."

Eve surveyed their surroundings, spotting a distant cave system. "We need to find shelter and make repairs. That cave might provide some cover."

The crew quickly gathered their supplies and moved towards the cave, their ship smouldering behind them. As they reached the cave's entrance, the distant sound of engines grew louder, signalling the patrol's approach.

Inside the cave, they set up a makeshift camp. Hana and Lielle worked on assessing the damage to their ship, while Eve kept watch at the entrance.

"Fuck. This isn't gonna be easy," Hana muttered, examining a damaged component. "We're going to need parts and time to fix this."