Voyage: Journey to Earth

Chapter 12: Recollection

In the medical ward, Jack lays in bed motionless with Sierra by his side. Xel tries to comfort Sierra but to no avail. Meanwhile in Jacks mind, Jack awakened in an unfamiliar place. He is uncertain about where he is until is approached by pilot thats strange yet familiar to him.

"Wake up buttercup. The team's waiting for ya. We got a critical mission on our hands." Says the pilot.

Jack gets off of the bed and follows the pilot. He enters a docking bay with four other pilots. He notices a logo on each of the starfighters. A ascending star with bird wings, the symbol of the United galactic republic. Jack and the pilots enter the starfighters one by one before exiting the docking bay. The starfighters approach their destination and all seems quiet. That is until one of the starfighters is shot down from behind. The rest of the starfighters scramble as they try to figure out where the shots are coming from.

"Where the hell did those shots come from?!" Jack asks with shock and anger.

"No idea. But- wait. I've got something on my radar." A pilots says before being shot down.

One by one, each pilot falls until Jack is all that's left. Enraged, Jack open fires wildly hoping to hit whoever took down his team. Eventually, Jacks starfighter gets its wing blown off. The eagle falls as it gets closer to the nearby planet, Xeba. The starfighter burns in the planets atmosphere as Jack tries to stabilize it. Just as the eagle is about to crash, Jack wakes up in the medical ward in the humpback. He realizes right away that his dream wasn't a dream, it was a memory. Before he could process what happened, Sierra hugs him knowing that he is alright.

"What happened? How did I get here? How long was I out for?" Asks Jack.

"You were stung by that arachnoid's stinger. Luckily, Xel managed to get you here and get you antivenom before the toxin could do serious damage. It took a few hours but the antivenom did its trick." Sierra say, glad to see Jack alive.

"You're lucky in one other regard. You're the first one to wake up. The same can't be said for the rest of the crew." Says Xel as they show Jack the rest of the medbay.

Jack is horrified to see the condition of the crew and pilots. Some had severe injuries while others were in a coma. Knowing some of the crew there won't make it, Jack's shock and grief turned into rage. Rage at the federation. Rage at the republic. Just pure unfiltered rage. Jack gets off the bed and makes his way towards the Captains quarters. Sierra and Xel try to stop him, trying to calm him down but to no avail. Jack grabs a gun and makes his towards Captain Farron. He knows something Jack doesn't and Jack demands some answers.