Until the outset of The Galactic War there had been no standard, equivalent, or known prerequisite for space combat. ‘Proven warfare tactics’ and ‘rules of engagement’ had to be changed to accommodate a new, cosmic battlefield. The antiquated fighter jets that, at one time, engaged in aerial dogfights above populated landmasses were forced to make the transition to outer space. With the influx of innovative, space-ready technology, ‘space dogfighting’ comprised a bulk of the war throughout the Star Systems.

Arches Cluster, A History of the Galactic War, 3rd Revised Edition

Taurus-Sigma Asteroid Belt // January 14th, 086 G.C.

Ace stood behind Legart and Nova’s seats, observing the monitors with a careful eye. They were still being tailed by an Enforcement shuttle, not that it was any real concern. In nine out of ten cases, Galaxy Enforcement pilots would turn tail before engaging in a space battle. They relied on their warnings and peace loving mumbo-jumbo too much, which wasn’t something Ace could really complain about, it made piracy that much easier.

Legart pushed the ‘U’-shaped steering gear further, giving the ship an added thrust. He gazed out the cockpit’s primary window, surveying the thicker reaches of the asteroid field as they got closer. So many space rocks, it would be a tall order to avoid smashing the Galaxy Runner into one. Legart’s eyes were not what they once were and he was too bull-headed to get any corrective eye procedure. The medical process itself was infallible but that mattered little to Legart. Getting his eyes fixed meant something far worse than visiting the doctor, it would be an admission that he was getting old. He flicked a button on the console. A monitor displayed a magnified image of the rocky asteroid field. There, he thought, satisfied, now I can actually see the damn things.

Nova prepared the cloaking system. For an older model it had miraculously worked earlier, but she had her doubts that the device would engage and cloak the ship again. She figured that Orion had lifted it off the black market, therefore, no warranties were due and the thing could crap out at any moment. Still, they had a cloaking device to begin with and that alone was rare, even if it was ninety-year old technology. Cloaking devices were deemed by the Galactic Union as ‘appliances designed and intended for warfare’, and, subsequently, all Star Systems had banned them under the Galactic Peace Treaty before the turn of the century.

With bated breath, Orion waited for the instant that they would cloak. The devices could take upwards of five to ten minutes to activate and that was on a good day. Fortunately, evading one Enforcement shuttle was an easy feat and, with the scramblers doing their job, no reinforcements would be present. So far, the plan had gone without incident but, as experience has proven time and again, they weren’t out of the clear yet.

Rayet had never been engaged in a space dogfight. He recalled the stories his late grandfather would tell of space combat in the Galactic War, but they were only stories and seemed so distant and unreal. Until now. Even the academy skimmed the topic of space combat. It was something so uncommon that even when it was discussed, it became an impractical point of diversion to both the instructor and class. No text book or lecture would have prepared him for it anyway.

“Uh, there’s something you should see,” Magellan urged with a tense edginess in his voice.

Being distracted from his target was the last thing Rayet wanted. “Unless it’s directly related to the weapon system, now’s probably not the best time.”

“Um, well, not quite. I did a scan of the pirate ship in our database. It’s Galaxy Enforcement procedure.”

That’s the second primary course of action that Rayet broke in a row. He was surprised by this repeated oversight, but not terribly disturbed. Could it be from a lack of experience? Rayet quickly struck the fleeting concern down. Seasoned pilots become absent minded in the heat of excitement too, let’s not forget that!

“The ship’s been identified on file,” Magellan resumed, the breath escaping him. A list of prior felonies and criminal offenses scrolled up a nearby monitor, followed by the star ship’s identification.

“Well?” Rayet pressured for an immediate answer.

Magallan gasped. “It’s the Galaxy Runner!”

Rayet stared at his co-pilot with a blank expression. The ship’s name held no connotations or meaning, but apparently it was of some importance to Magellan. But then, Magellan always did blow everything out of proportion.

Magellan continued, “The Galaxy Runner is the star ship of Orion Darkstarr!”

“You’re telling me Orion Darkstarr is aboard that ship?” Rayet asked, a calculating smile taking shape on his face. Instead of a sense of alarm or panic, he felt enthralled.

“Uh, yes…yes, I am....”

Whatever galactic alignment the fates had settled on, Rayet concluded that it had done so in his favor. From a potential scenario that may have ended in a demotion, Rayet could now imagine a far more favorable outcome. He would be the one to apprehend Orion Darkstarr, the most wanted space pirate in the galaxy! Well, maybe not apprehend him exactly. The weapon systems were fired up and he was intent on using them, damn the procedure! No one would believe that a criminal like Darkstarr would have ever surrendered without a fight anyway. Forget some lousy promotion—Rayet would be trading positions with Canis Elnath by the end of the day. Chief Rayet Wolf of Galaxy Enforcement, it had a nice ring to it.

The Galaxy Runner accelerated past a dense wave of asteroids. Bolts of electricity mixed with raw, crackling energy surged across the star ship’s hull. The body of the ship appeared to soften, growing fainter with each passing moment. Fading from view, the Galaxy Runner was no longer visible to the naked eye, save for a faint outline and some noticeable transparent distortion. The star ship was now cloaked.

Rayet couldn’t believe his eyes. Though he heard of cloaking before, he had never actually witnessed a star ship become invisible right in front of him. Of course, it was old science and the process of bending light with negative refraction was nothing special, but it was still impressive to observe.

“Fire machine guns,” Rayet ordered.

Magellan arched an eyebrow and gave his superior officer a bemused glance. “Sir, the ship just vanished, there’s no target to hit.”

“It’s still out there, you imbecile,” Rayet spat, furious that his order had not been carried out without question. “Fire before it’s too late! We’ve got to hit something!”

Without a second’s hesitation, Magellan leapt into action. He struck a button and a control stick rose from the right armrest of his chair. He gripped it, squeezing the trigger attachment.

On both the left and right sides of the Enforcement Shuttle’s exterior, shafts slid open. Twin air-cooled machine guns jutted out from the openings, protruding forward and locking into place. Golden-orange flashes of automatic fire escaped the barrels.