Exploration Impossible

Mission 1: LineBreak

     Nobody told me how this war started. I was never given the time to ask either. All I know is it's a war that will forever change civilized races. A war to end all wars. 

     After 56 years of fighting, the Universal War is about to be won, by one side or the other. Space scraps will be burned to ash by the stars they float past. The lands of the planets that were fought on will heal as everything else will. We will be gone by then, but never forgotten. For the future will know that every one of us has fought until the very end. Just one more battle will tell you the rest.

...

    As of June 16th, 3457 at 07:30, the battle of the Zodiac Spiral has begun. We received word from our spies that Empress Zurial of the Axcelites was hidden in a space station named the LorenZ, which was located somewhere in the Aries System of the Zodiac Spiral.

   As a member of the Rogue Division of the United Imperial Federation, my mission was to find a way through the enemy ranks in the heat of battle and infiltrate the station. Once there, capture Empress Maia and convince her to surrender.

   "Alright everyone, just like we planned. Keep them confused, stay spread out. Rorke, on me." I briefed. 

"Ay, sir!" the team replied.

We all break our formation. "Argo, I know we can get through the ranks pretty easily, but how are we going to get on the station?" Rorke asks.

"That's an excellent question, uh..." I think aloud.

"Sir?"

Bang! A laser hits my right wing. In reflex, I barrel roll to the right to lessen its impact. 

"Perhaps we can worry about that when we get to it!" I answer as I maneuver past the shooter.

Within a matter of minutes, Rorke and I are surrounded by Axcelite Fighters.

"Argo, thinking what I'm thinking?" I feel Rorke grin.

I shut off the power to my ship and begin holding my breath. Way ahead of you, buddy.

I see Rorke cut the power to his ship as he maneuvers to face me. I break a glass case to the left of me with my elbow. In the case, is a glowing red button. I hover my left hand over the button as I raise my other hand with three fingers out. I then count down with my hand. 3, 2, 1. After slamming the button, the surrounding Axcelite Fighters begin to spark. We wait three seconds, five seconds, ten seconds. The surrounding Axcelite Fighters are no longer functioning.

Still holding my breath, I yank the ignition cord. The ship then springs back to life. I can finally breathe again. "Rorke, do you copy?"

No response.

"Rorke, do you copy?"

No response.

I slowly move towards Rorke's ship. I could see smoke beginning to build up in his cockpit. This is the last thing any captain wants to see. My partner's ship has overheated from activating the EMP. I scramble to equip my Extreme Environment Mask. 

Hang in there, Rorke! I'm coming! I set my ship to hover mode and open the cockpit hatch. With an Eblade in my hand and Liferope in the other, I begin to push myself out of my seat.

Boom! Before I completely launched myself from the cockpit, Rorke's ship explodes, no sign of a corpse. Rorke was vaporized. The shockwave pushes me back into my seat. Scraps fly into the void.

"RORKE IS GONE!"