Hunter team Sigma, assigned to the Hecate, approached the station lockdown zone, their mission was by the book - secure the small squadron of fugitives operating there. The murky blue gases from the nebula made visibility challenging at best, and the spiny rock debris left the pilots uneasy.
"Move fast and quiet" control told them. "We don't want to keep the Hecate here a minute longer than necessary."
"Why? Scared of a few runners?" The team leader mocked with false confidence.
"It's not the fugitives we're worried about" control replied stoically, "now keep focused and get to the LDZ, burst drives only."
Sigma team carefully navigated the spindling formations through the gas. Everyone uncharacteristically quiet.
Finally after a few moments they arrived at the edge of the LDZ.
"Okay control, Sigma is on station ready to apprehend. Copy?"
Nothing but faint crackles filled their transmitters.
"Control this is Sigma, respond?"
Still nothing.
Sigma 4 used a localized sonar pulse to scan their approach vector for the Hecate. "Uh, Sigma 1?"
"Do you have a ping on the Hecate?"
"I, I do. But..."
"But what?"
"It's all over the place"
"Are you getting interference?"
"No, its the Hecate. It's in pieces."
A low vibration rumbled through the thick gases, and rattled the instruments inside Sigma's ships - as a monolithic shadow blotted out the light.
Sigma 1 turned to escape, but there was no getting away. Their last sight being a faded sign on the station within the LDZ. Protana Station 03.
