Dale recounted the events that had lead to this point. The colony had arrived at the Class E planet three years ago. The Captain had named it Spiro. It was larger in size than earth but consisted of lighter elements giving rise to a 1.1 G-force at the surface. Located in the inner portion of the “Goldie Locks” zone of the systems star, Spiro was teaming with life. None of the encountered life forms were above the Level 5 rating given to canines. Therefore, they were given clearance to colonize from the Federation. Almost everyone was eager to begin colonization, except for the head maintenance technician on the lead ship, Mr. Ricker, and the Captain’s Second Mate, Mr. Nirith. Both had called for additional global reconnaissance prior to colonization during the Senior Council meetings. But at the insistent bidding of the colonizers in his fleet, the Captain gave in and approved the settlement as acceptable. 

 

It was only part way through the second year of colonization when Mr. Nirith returned from a global survey expedition to report artifacts of a civilization had been located in the densely forested sector 2,000 miles to the north east of the initial settlement. Mr. Nirith reported the ruins had to be a couple hundred years old, but the technology level was advanced. The former residence could have easily been a space faring race. The Captain expressed his concern on informing the populace too soon and possibly causing a panic over ruins. The captain requested Mr. Nirith to return to the abandoned colony and intensify his investigation. 

 

Approximately one month after Mr. Nirith had returned to the abandoned colony site he reported one of the research team members had disappeared. They had begun an investigation into a section of subterranean passages that week and the safety officer at the passage opening stopped relaying information in the middle of the day. The research team searched the local forest to the best of their abilities, but no trace of the man was found. Now that a man was missing, the abandoned colony issue had to be revealed to the colonizers, since the condition and health of each individual was recorded for the colonization record. 

 

The Captain presented Mr. Nirith’s findings to the Senior Council for review and consideration of withdrawal from Spiro. The Senior Council gaffed at the idea of withdrawal from Spiro. Everyone was well accustomed to the comforting environment the planet provided. They determined the missing man likely became lost in the woods. Mr. Nirith refuted this possibility, and Mr. Ricker reminded the council “Colonization of a planet with indication of prior-settlement is restricted without an extensive investigation.” Mr. Nirith and Mr. Ricker both urged the council to reconsider withdrawal for the time being. The Senior Council decided to open the issue to a populace vote, which in the end reflected each representing council members opinion. The colony remained and additional investigation into the abandoned settlement was dismissed. 

 

A few months later a 20 member survey team was attached by an unknown force with only one communication relay “Help! Something is picking us off ...” and the voice garbled for a moment before the com switched-off permanently. Dale was part of the rescue team that was dispatched to the last known coordinates of the survey team. Then they arrived they were able to immediately locate the survey teams transport from the sky. With a quick sweep of the area they were able to receive a response from 15 survey team transmitters. Dale noted the transmitters were not together, but instead were spread out in a few linier paths centered at the transport. The rescue team noted no hostiles in the area and touched down next to the survey transport. The first victims were immediately identifiable adjacent to the transport. The two bodies had their entire upper-right quarters missing. Dale noted no head, arm or ribs were left, just burned flesh. Dale had seen these type of marks before, they were typical of plasma weapons. Dale was beginning to get a bad feeling about staying too long in this place. 

 

The search team broke off into smaller groups to search for the other survey team members. Over the com Dale heard the first team report they located a victim that had been brutally mutilated, then the second team reported the same. A few minutes later Dale’s team located their first victim. The body was obviously pined to the ground and ripped open on the spot. Dale was sickened by what he saw. He had been in a few war zones before, and had seen the indiscriminate destruction a grenade or explosive round could cause to a body. But this was deliberate and conducted with intent. Dale observed the victims arms and legs had been pinned down by massive claws that had dug into soil below the appendages and nearly severed each off. The victim was split from the groin up, with their internal organs tossed randomly, some just a few feet.  Others were nearly 20 feet from the body. The rib-cage was spread open and most of the ribs were broke in half laying on the ground next to the body. What frighten Dale the most was the fact the spine and scull were not present. Based on the internal claw marks it looked like the creature had reached into the body cavity at just above the hip and ripped the entire spine and scull out. The bad feeling from earlier was gone, fight or flight took over, and it was time to go. 

 

Against his better judgment, Dale followed the other rescue team members as they continued looking for the remaining transmitters. As they located each transmitter they located remains of the survey team. Some were gutted and decapitated, while others were missing entire sections of their body.  The rescue team wasted no time collecting the located body parts. The longer they stayed the more the rescue team felt they were being watched. 

 

Initially the rescue team planed to use the survey transport to move the remains back to the colony base, but one of the pilots discovered the transport had been disabled. Someone had removed one of the external starter components. During the debate on how to transport the remains with the limited space on the rescue team fighters, one of the team members noted the missing component had been placed on the nose of one of the fighters. Extremely spooked and taking the hint, the rescue team quickly scrambled to reinstall the component and get back to the base. For reasons he cannot understand, Dale decided to send his fighter back on auto pilot and ride in the transport. 

 

As the transport lifted off from the site, Dale looked out the back window of the transport and felt the blood leave his face and his heart stopped. Where they were just a moment ago stood five heavily armored beings on four legs.  There bodies were massive with powerful legs, a long neck with a non-descript head at the end, and thick tails. As the transport pulled away Dale watched as one of the figures stood up on its hind legs, pulled a staff from it pack and watched the transport fly off. Dale sat back against the hull of the transport and thought about what he saw. He remembered passing that tree while he was looking for survivors. Dale was a few feet below the branches, that thing would have been a few feet above the first branch. 

 

Regaining his wits Dale called to the rest of the team asking if anyone else saw what he did. Everyone responded they were concentrating on getting out of there, except for Gary who saw them too. Gary stated he was able to take one photo before the fighters had gotten to far away. 

 

When the rescue team returned to the colony base, they were immediately interrogated by the Senior Council. They recounted their observations, described the indiscriminate mutilations, and at the end Gray showed the council the one photograph he was able to capture. The Senior Council dismissed the rescue team and called an internal emergency meeting. Dale did not see anyone from the council again for three days. At the end of the meeting, the council announced the colony would stay and security would be increased. Dale began to get a sinking feeling in his gut. 

 

A few days later the fight for the survival of the colony began. Dale recalled when the first fighters started to attack the colony. They came in fast, hit the soft targets such as supply storage areas, and then left just as fast. They could have hit any of the landing ships or powered down fighters, but they didn’t. Dale and the other pilot could read between the lines. The colony was being given instructions to leave. The few skirmishes they had in the first couple days were intense. The hostiles were exceptional fighters and the colony fighters never seemed to get the upper hand. The Senior Council reconvened a few days later for a short meeting. It was decided the colonization of Spiro would be abandoned. An emergency evacuation order was given, but it was too late. The freighter parked in orbit around Spiro reported a hostile carrier had arrived and just release a 40 member group of fighters. Dale recalled thinking ‘Time is up’ on his way to his fighter. 

 

Mr. Nirith pulled Dale aside during the scramble to get fighters launched. “Son, I know your scared, but I’ve seen you fight. You don’t flinch in the face of danger even when your face is white. I need you to try and to do something that will make most of these boys shit a brick. I had your fighter retro fitted with a Class C mine.” Mr. Nirith turned and led Dale to his fighter.

 

Dale’s sinking feeling in this gut feel to his toes, he knew the only use of a Class C mine was for hull breach of terrestrial tanks or military grade space faring vessels. Dale did not was to get up close and personal with the new hostile carrier.

 

Mr. Nirith continued, “As soon as the fighting starts I need you to go around the planet and approach the carrier from behind. Line yourself up as best as you can, power down, use your emergency manual valves, and coast in as close as you can get to the carrier.” Looking at Dale with determination an hope, “Just get this mine on it. As soon as it makes contact you will only have 10 seconds to get away, so I suggest you punch it when it’s time. We do not know this hostile, lets hope they will be distracted enough by the fighting not to notice you. We need you to do this, this battle will likely go south without a miracle. I need your hard work and dedication to create that miracle.” 

 

Dale could see the genuine concern in Mr. Nirith’s eyes, “Good luck son.” With that, Mr. Nirith patted Dale on the back and helped him into his fighter. 

 

After getting around the planet as fast as he could and lining himself up, Dale powered the fighter down and watched as the distant carrier got closer by the minute. He kept asking himself why he did not tell Mr. Nirith to do it himself. “I’m too pliable to a situation. I need to quit agreeing to whatever comes along,” Dale tells himself in the darkness of space.   

 

Now at three miles from the carrier, Dale makes a few flight corrections with the improvised manual system by opening and closing a couple valves from the cabin. The fighter pitches and straightens out as he wanted. Curious to Dale though, is the fact he is descending to the carrier quicker that he initially calculated. At his current decent rate he will come in way to low. He hates to admit it, but he will likely need to power-up earlier than anticipated, so he does not come up behind it into the engines. 

 

Two miles away and the carrier features can be easily noted. The immanence of the moment begins to weigh on Dale. He sees more flashes of light in the distance where the fight is occurring. ‘If I power up, I can have this thing dropped in just over 45 seconds and get back to the fight to help the others,” he says in a shivering voice to himself. Knowing better, he double checks the direction and dissent to the carrier. “Coming in even lower than before. What the hell is going on?” Dale notes his angle of decent toward the carrier. He’s going to have to power up soon to correct it, or hit the carrier engines. 

 

Worry begins to seep into his thoughts. He needs to get a little closer before powering up to grantee a quick delivery. Frustrated, he spins the globe compass permanently mounted on his consol that his little sister gave him when he entered the service. ‘To find your way home’ she said. 

 

While spinning it and waiting for the north arrow to point toward the planets magnetic north out his port side, Dale unexpectedly notices the north arrow points below the fighter instead. Surprised at its reaction, Dale spins it again. It quickly positions the north arrow pointing below the fighter.

 

One mile to the carrier. ‘Time is running out. What the hell is going on?’ Runs though Dale’s mind over and over. Out of curiosity and in a last ditch efforts to understand what is causing the magnetic polarity shift around the fighter, Dale opens the manual valve to roll the fighter for a moment. As the fighter rolls, Dale notices the stars that were below the fighter are moving and vibrating unnaturally. A sudden fear overcomes Dales.  He instantly understands the danger he is in. Switching power on in the fighter as it finishes its roll, the controls come up quickly and he immediately pushes the throttle forward for full speed and pulls away from the flickering stars. 

 

At under 4,000 feet from the target, Dale intercepts the carrier and deliver the colonies gift in a mater of seconds. As soon as the mine touched down onto the surface of the carrier, Dale full throttles away from the carrier. 

 

“Package Delivered!” He broadcast hoping Mr. Nirith could receive the good news. ‘Now I just have to survive’ is his last thought as the fear he may not be alive for a minute more overcomes him.