Through the Asteroid Veil (Part 2)
Posted on Fri May 22nd, 2026 @ 2:44pm by Lieutenant Fubuki Kuchikukan 'Snowflake' & Lieutenant JG Shizuru Chikura & Ensign Syaro Kirimi & Ensign Rin Kagamine 'Twin 2' & Ensign Len Kagamine 'Twin 1' & Commander Thomas Johnson & Lieutenant Zachary Addams & Lieutenant JG Connor Carey & Lieutenant JG Vyse Ingelbard 'Buccaneer' & Ensign Lynette Miyafuji 'Highlander' & Ensign Grace MacKenzie 'Sabre' & Petty Officer 1st Class Alexis Aenera
Edited on on Fri May 22nd, 2026 @ 2:47pm
2,060 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Flight Of The Valkyries
Location: Various
Timeline: March 18th, 2397
[Starfighters]
"Tokyo this is Snowflake. I am reporting that all starfighters are in position and ready to begin the attack run." Fubuki said as she checked her readings. She looked left out of her cockpit window. More Valkyries than she could ever have imagined were lined up and standing by in formation awaiting her command.
"Snowflake to all Wave Commanders. Lets begin. Good luck." she then switched to the individual comm channel for the first wave.
"Wave Alpha. Engines hot, lets get in there and start blasting some rocks!" She ordered. She pushed forward on her sticks. Her engines roared as she led the charge directly at the huge dense asteroid field. It loomed as it grew larger and larger. The next hour or so would be the most intense flying she would ever have to do, and she had to lead everyone through.
"Phasers primed," Lynette announced as she nervously gripped her control sticks. "And... Firing!"
Anzhelina entered the asteroid field. She calculated the potential trajectories of the pieces of rock, before firing on the targeted boggy.
Her torpedo impacted with it sending it along the projected trajectories, each impacting on other asteroids.
She didn't waste anytime before targeting the next one.
"Pickle, on me, Sabre, you and Starburst stick close, half a kilometer off our wing."
The steady sound of her flight lead settled Grace's nerves as she led her wingmate just off to the side. her HUD was tagging everything that was flying around and it made for a harrowing display. Most asteroid fields were dispersed, with vast amounts of space between the individual rock pieces, but this one appeared to be a more recently created one, perhaps only a million years old when the planet was torn apart by gravitational tidal forces. She keyed her system to grade them from green, yellow and red based on danger quotient, then punched her engines up another few points and a snapshot pulverized a small asteroid into gravel before a larger one was broken into smaller pieces that scattered around the flight.
As the flight worked their way deeper, constantly identifying and targeting different asteroids individually, Grace's HUD updated with a target request from her flight lead, including impact points and she altered her course towards it, loosing two torpedoes. Projected course changes for what would be the newly broken pieces were in dashed orange and she glanced away for any nearby dangers for just a moment, then a double flash of impact, but one was a full second before the other as it hit an unexpected rock that flashed in front.. A red outline doubled around the asteroid and she twitched before firing a full burst from her phasers to make up for the missing torpedo, but as the asteroid broke apart, the now-red trajectory lines told her only bad things, "Mosh, break-" She hesitated, analyzing for a heartbeat, "Port." But it was a heartbeat too long. As her flight lead made the maneuver instantaneously, one wing clipped a smaller piece that had broken off and threw the Valkyrie out of control for a fatal second that ended with it impacting one of the larger pieces.
Grace grimaced as the outline of Mosh's signal went red, leaving her in command of the flight, now of three. She cut her engines, letting the other two advance ahead of her slightly, "Pickle, move in closer to us, I'll try to designate targets."
Anzhelina's HUD lit up as her sensors picked up Mosh's crash, but she had no time to think about it as a rogue piece of spinning rock sped into her path.
Totally by instinct, she banked starboard. The rock coming within microns of scraping her underside. Her phaser array strafing the boggy and turning it to dust that bounced harmlessly off of her shields.
There was no time to celebrate as a new target came into view.
Amidst all the chaos going on, Lynette had become so laser focused on what was directly in front of her that she failed to account for a small piece of debris approaching from her starboard side until it collided (and subsequently disintegrated) against her wingtip, prompting a startled shriek from the young pilot.
"You good over there Highlander?" Fubuki's voice came.
"I'm good, I'm good," Lynette hastily reassured her group leader. "Damage to the wing appears to be minimal, and I still have full range of movement... but with all this debris floating around, it's almost like there's no room for error?"
"It'll be fine. Just keep your eyes forward." Fubuki replied simply. "Alpha Wave. Stay close, watch your senors. We've still got a long way to go." she ordered over the comms.
[Main Engineering]
Zach’s heart had been beating out of his chest for a moment, before he felt the cool wash of logical, emotional mastery draped over him. His posture straightened, his face calmed and his voice steadied. “Petty Officer Aenera, what is the status of the primary systems?”
"All systems are functioning within acceptable parameters, sir, ninety-five percent reliability or above." Alexis snapped out without emotion or inflection.
Zachary nodded. “Sufficient. Ensign Kirimi, what of the secondary systems?” he said, looking at the other engineer monitoring those systems.
"Looking good chief." Syaro replied. She smiled as she looked over towards him, she was glad that a new Chief had been transferred aboard. Her days of running the engineering department were over. She did kind of miss being in charge, but felt relief that she didn't have that responsibility on her shoulders now.
Zachary nodded again. “Excellent. The preparatory teams are right on schedule.” He pulled up the ship’s power distribution system, eyes scanning it quickly. “Petty officer Aenera, please deploy repair teams to decks C, three, eight and sixteen, and join the team on deck three.”
"Yes, sir." Alexis paused, "Are you sure that you want me there and not here, just in case?"
“While I do not anticipate rocks providing much resistance, it is logical to assume that we may encounter unexpected dangers. I prefer to over prepare and have teams ready to respond to vital areas and nearby decks,” Zach said, his voice level.
She hesitated even more, but nodded and prepared to head out to deck three. That team was supposed to be led by a relatively new ensign, which made sense for her to be there, but she wasn't a big fan of not having information. "Yes, sir."
Zach inclined his head. “I hope I am mistaken, however if my previous vocation has taught me anything, it is the value in being prepared.” He turned back to Kirimi. “Please resume monitoring the warp core. I will coordinate repair teams unless we are required to attend to something immediate within the bay.”
He looked around at the other faces watching him, everyone manning a station, looking stressed. He cleared his throat and raised his voice. “I understand this is a tense situation. I am experiencing a high degree of anxiety as well. I know I have not met most of you, and you have little reason to give weight to my opinion, but you are all here because you possess the skills and talents to see us through this. Focus on your jobs, and leave the larger concerns for those on the bridge. I look forward to getting to know all of you when this is over.”
He turned back and leaned over to whisper to Alexis. “Was that sufficiently motivating?”
"Riveting, sir, not what my people would say would be really inspiring, admitting that you're nervous, but definitely honest." Alexis gave him a smile, "And I'm one of those that thinks honestly is just as important. You'll be fine, sir, and I'll take care of the team on Deck 3, I promise."
Zach nodded once, his face still impassive. "Thank you, Petty Officer." He turned back to the MSM, watching the ship carefully.
[Wave 1 - Starfighter Group Alpha]
Fubuki took a deep breath as she led the forward team deeper through the dense asteroid field. The huge chunks of rock and debris from the destroyed planet seemed to loom over them as she ducked and weaved. It was impossible to see the starbase at this distance, and the rocks seemed to slowly rotate and drift erratically. Some of them were slowly colliding, breaking off chunks as they impacted.
"Snowflake to Alpha Wave. Lets do this. Straight path, keep your eye out for any rogues!" she ordered over the comm channel to the alpha fighters.
[Bridge]
Connor turned to the centre seat. "One fighter down, fighter Mosh. Impact with an asteroid."
Thomas sighed, this asteroid field was so dense, he knew the chances of the fighters impacts with asteroids were at higher risk. "Very well. Mark it down." He wanted every lost fighter, marked down, every name that was added would be added on the memorial. His response seemed cold, but it was expected, and he would be expecting more.
[Wave 2 - Starfighter Group Beta]
Rin focused as she navigated through the debris that Wave One had left them. Her phaser cannons erupted as she took out the now broken down fragments. Many of them were still sizable and even with shields would still severly damage the starships behind them. "I see you..." she said to herself as she saw a sizable chunk of rock coming towards her.
The bright orange phaser pulses made easy work of it, splitting it into two. "Yeah!" she called out as she banked, tilting the fighter onto its side and flying right through the gap in the middle, her phasers blasting causing it to break apart from the inside. She emerged a few seconds later on the otherside of the asteroid which was now starting to crumble.
Len pulled up alongside her, his phasers also cutting down another chunk of rock. "You show off..." he said to her over comms. "Be careful sis. This is advanced flying..."
"Don't worry big bro. I got this!" She said as she banked away to aim at the next asteroid.
Len shook his head and let out a sigh. "She was always the reckless one..."
“Now you tell me,” muttered Vyse as he flew with them, taking his own shots and further thinning the rocks.
[Wave 3 - Starfighter Group Gamma]
Being on the rear wave was never the most exciting, but this time it was perhaps one of the most important positions. Any remaining chunks of the planet needed to be destroyed so that they did not impact the six Armitage Class carriers behind them. The two waves ahead had already thinned out the 'tunnel' enough for them to finish it. Anything less than a meter would simply bounce off the carrier's shields harmlessly. Anything else still needed to be cleared out.
Shizuru stayed close to Nozomi, known better as Gemini. The carriers were not far behind them at all, the blue glow of the Tokyo's nacelles and the orange of its Buzzard Collectors could be seen reflecting off of some of the surrounding asteroids. "On your three Gemini. I got the one at eleven." Shizuru called.
"Good eye; I'm on it," Nozomi replied as her craft veered off to starboard, unleashing a volley of torpedoes that all but obliterated the detritus that Shizuru had indicated.
Meanwhile Shizuru banked and unleashed a rapid volley of phaser fire upon the chunk she had spotted. It struck the chunk of debris reducing it to nothing but a shower of tiny stones and dust.
"Nice one, Chikura," Nozomi commended. "I can see you're getting the hang of this."
"I am a trained Starfighter pilot you know..." Shizuru replied.
Posting by:
Commander Thomas Johnson
Acting Commanding Officer
USS Tokyo
Lieutenant JG Connor Carey
Tactical Officer
USS Tokyo
Lieutenant Zachary Addams
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Tokyo
Petty Officer 1st Class Alexis Aenera
Engineering Officer
USS Tokyo
Ensign Syaro Kirimi
Engineering Officer
USS Tokyo
Lieutenant Fubuki Kuchikukan 'Snowflake'
Commander Air Group
USS Tokyo
Lieutenant JG Anzhelina Walker "Seraphina"
Starfighter Pilot
USS Tokyo
Ensign Lynette Miyafuji 'Highlander'
Starfighter Pilot
USS Tokyo
Ensign Grace MacKenzie 'Sabre'
Starfighter Pilot
USS Tokyo
Ensign Rin Kagamine 'Twin 2'
Starfighter Pilot
USS Tokyo
Ensign Len Kagamine 'Twin 1'
Starfighter Pilot
USS Tokyo
Lieutenant JG Vyse Ingelbard 'Buccaneer'
Starfighter Pilot
USS Tokyo
Lieutenant JG Shizuru Chikura
Starfighter Pilot
USS Tokyo
RSS Feed