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The  twins  were  fast  losing  count  of  the  urgent  reports  they'd  made to the ruling federation since the seeds of this whole affair were sown, first warning of the growing threat, then demanding that a stronger force be sent in to deal with Mizar as the scope of his intentions became clear, and finally pleading for backup as the hostilities expanded to include their own fleet.
 But  still  the  federation  refused  to  commit,  Just  another  petty  tyrant,  they  kept  saying.  Don't worry  about  it.  Stay  out  of  his  way,  let  him  have  a  few  of  those  minor  stars  just  over  the boarders  of  his  territory,  and  he'll  be  satisfied...

But  of  course  that  wasn't  happening.  Savage  attacks  of  the  JFG  patrol  ships  had  left  the squadron  crippled,  with  only  a  single  ship -  that  of  Juno,  Vela  and  Lupus - escaping  by  the skin  of  it's  teeth.

Less  than  a  week  ago  the  entire  force  had  been  intact:  now,  it  was  space  debris.  And  with their  hyperdrive  unit  damaged  beyond  repair,  there  was  no  way  for  these  three  survivors  to escape  the  field  and  report  first- hand  back  to  base.  They  were  trapped  in  a  war  zone expanding  by  the  day.

And  during  the  systematic  destruction  of t he  JFG  fleet,  another  long- standing  treaty  had been  breached:  Mizar  has  invaded  Goldwood,  home world  of  the  peace- loving Tribals,  and taken  almost  the  entire  colony  into  slavery.  The  prospect  was  a  particularly  sour  one  to Juno  and  his  fellow  fighters -  the  Tribals  were  valued allies,  and  it  was  a  source  of  guilt  and  shame  to  the  Jet  force  that  they  hadn't  been  there  to  help in  their  hour  of  need.

Vela  rose  suddenly  from  her  seat  breaking  Juno's  reverie,  and  he  knew  what  was  coming next.  "We  have  to  do  it  now."  And  even  as  she  spoke  Juno  realized  that  he'd  also  made  his own,  long  overdue  decision.  He  nodded,  expression  grim. Who  were  they  trying  to  fool? Their  other  options  had  long  since  expired - this  was  the  only  path  left  open  for  them,  one that  would  permanently  make  or  break  their  chances  of  a  return  to  Earth.

"I know", he agreed solemnly. "We're a sitting target, and we're not going to last another day if we-"

Juno found himself cut off in mid-sentence as without warning, the floor beneath them shuddered from the force of a furious blast down in the bowls of the ship - which also gave the emergency sirens a jolt into bleated action.

"Hey  what  now?!" yelled  Vela,  wheeling  to  face the  main  monitor  as  it  threw  up  an  abrupt, horrifying  image  of   Drone raiders  pouring  from  a  Stealth Ship  docked  at  the  devastated cargo  bay   doors.  The   three   of   them   stared  in grim  horror.

"Well  this  more  or  less settles it", muttered Juno, setting his jaw. "You  two  get  going,  and  I'll join  you  down  on  Goldwood  when  I've  secured  the  ship".
"Not a chance!" spluttered  Vela. "What  if  you-"
     
But  Juno  was  already  steering  her  out  into the  corridor  and  the  ever-closer  echo's of the Drone's  scuttling  footfalls. "Vela there's no time!" he hissed. "If Mizar takes the ship, we're all trapped and the Tribals lose the only chance they have. Now take Lupus and get out of here! I'll be with you soon enough", he promised, placing his hands fondly on her shoulders before spinning on his heel and diving headlong into the mouth of danger, pistol cocked and glowing in the gloom.

So  that's  that,  Vela  thought  to  herself,  watching  him  go.  Well.  I  guess he's  right,  as  usual.

She  took  a deep breath, nodded once,  pulled her familiar JFG firearm from its holster then turned and sprinted alongside Lupus in the direction of the teleport bay - and the death-or-glory crusade that lay beyond...