Isaiah the Gray, Part 23

Previously: https://storytogether.com/2020/09/24/isaiah-the-gray-part-22-2/

Bombers on the Horizon

The blaring of Zero-You’s harsh monitoring alarm unpleasantly fills the space around Isaiah, Jimmy, Isaac, and Corban.

AI overtakes the group’s intercoms. “Commander, unidentified bombers have penetrated the atmosphere and are headed in your direction. Recommend you re-board the spacecraft immediately.”

Isaiah looks to his Jedi comrade. “Corban, what do you make of all this?”

Corban looks to the sky, his eyes closed as the bombers arrive on the edge of the horizon. “Tajin. I’m sure of it. But I still don’t know why.”

AI again interrupts the group’s intercoms. “Commander, I have gained access to the bombers’ targeting systems. We are not the target. I am sending the coordinates to you now.”

Isaiah is confused. “What the hell?”

The bombers blow past the Mos Eisley hanger and shriek to a halt right above the residential area of the city and begin to fire into the buildings below.

The Real Target

“A diversion!?” exclaims Jimmy, referencing the Tajin bodies around them.

Isaiah looks again to Corban. “Corban, Isaac, Zero-You: take the ship and give us air support. Jimmy and I will handle the situation on the ground.”

Isaac interjects. “But Isai –”

Isaiah interrupts. “I wasn’t asking. Please, go.”

Isaac nods reluctantly as he, Corban, and Zero-You race onto the Defiant. AI has already begun take-off procedures – the ship’s jets eject smoke as the ship begins to take flight.

“I’m right behind you,” says Jimmy.

“Double time now – let’s go,” replies Isaiah.

With an incredible amount of force, Isaiah blasts out of the Mos Eisley hangar with Jimmy close-by. They tear up the dirt-and-debris-lined street, past numerous gawking on-lookers who can barely register what’s just passed them by.

The two men arrive at the outskirts of the far more densely populated residential district of the city. And in the air above, the two Tajin bombers are absolutely lighting up an unseen building yonder.

Explain Yourselves

Isaiah comes to a dead-stop, holding his hand out for Jimmy to do the same. Jimmy looks to Isaiah in confusion. “Look, no one is here,” whispers Isaiah.

Jimmy looks around – Isaiah’s right. For such a densely populated area, there’s not a soul in sight. A feeling of unease creeps into Jimmy’s mind.

Moments later, several Tajin mercenaries, armed to the teeth, emerge from buildings on each side of the street. Isaiah and Jimmy find themselves surrounded.

“Explain yourselves!” yells Isaiah to the mercenaries.

The assassins say nothing and begin to close on the two men’s position.

Over his intercom, Isaiah gives commands to the Defiant. “AI, set course for the bombers. Disable their ships. Isaac/Corban: capture some Tajin for questioning.”

“Understood Commander. Targeting the Tajin bombers. We’ll be within range momentarily,” replies AI.

Isaiah waits a few moments until the Defiant screams overhead toward the bombers. Without being able to control their actions, each of the Tajin mercenaries robotically take their thermal detonators out of their pouch and hold them in front of their faces. The looks on their faces turns from intimidating to intimidated.

“Last chance,” says Isaiah as the Defiant begins tearing apart one of their bombers.

The mercenaries do not budge. In fact, one manages to break through Isaiah’s control but, far before he can act, Isaiah forces the other three to detonate their bombs whose explosions rip apart the entire area in a massive plume of smoke and flame. Isaiah and Jimmy though are unharmed as a force shield Isaiah has erected deflects the myriad debris.

Isaiah nods to Jimmy and the two are off like bolts of lightning toward the battle up ahead.

I Thought You Said You Were The Best

In the cockpit of the Defiant, Isaac, Corban, and Zero-You cheer as one of the two Tajin bombers is blown out of the sky by the Defiant’s guns and crashes into a desert dune outside the city. The second disengages from its target down below and fixes its aim on the Defiant. But before it can fire, it’s torn apart from below not by Isaiah or Jimmy, but by a ship escaping a hangar that the two bombers had been firing upon. The ship plows through the Tajin bomber’s debris and past the Defiant before it can react and out of sight into the desert.

From the ground, Isaiah and Jimmy observe the whole series of events. “What the hell was that?” Isaiah asks AI over the intercom.

“Processing data against known ship configurations. Nothing yet, Commander. The ship has also managed to evade our sensors, my apologies,” replies AI.

“I thought you said you were the best,” says Isaiah.

“I am,” replies the AI almost indignantly. “Or, I was built it be. It’s unknown how they’re able to remain undetected. I can confirm though they haven’t left orbit.”

“Bring us on board,” says Jimmy, frustrated that their chase was all for naught. “If it’s not us they were after, then who the hell was that?”

Part 1: https://storytogether.com/2020/02/06/isaiah-the-gray-part-1/

Part 2: https://storytogether.com/2020/02/13/isaiah-the-gray-part-2/

Part 3: https://storytogether.com/2020/02/20/isaiah-the-gray-part-3/

Part 4: https://storytogether.com/2020/03/13/isaiah-the-gray-part-4/

Part 5: https://storytogether.com/2020/03/26/isaiah-the-gray-part-5/

Part 6: https://storytogether.com/2020/04/02/isaiah-the-gray-part-6/

Part 7: https://storytogether.com/2020/04/09/isaiah-the-gray-part-7/

Part 8: https://storytogether.com/2020/04/16/isaiah-the-gray-part-8/

Part 9: https://storytogether.com/2020/04/30/isaiah-the-gray-part-9/

Part 10: https://storytogether.com/2020/05/07/isaiah-the-gray-part-10/

Part 11: https://storytogether.com/2020/05/21/isaiah-the-gray-part-11/