Erien listened with some pride and satisfaction as her pilots reported in promptly. She gave a slight smile as she heard their comments about the situation, lauging softly as Nick's words come through:
[quote]"Wylde Fyre 7 to Lead, read you loud and clear, all systems green, just waiting for them to light the way for me, I got lost once."[/quote]
"Roger that, 7. I'll make sure to give you the map next time, over".
Nyx checked in next, and she laughed again before she replied.
[quote]"Wylde Fyre Four to Lead, I hear you. Is there a way that I don't have to say that alliteration every time? Oh, also all systems green."[/quote]
"Roger that, Four. Let's just shorten it down to four, that ought to help you out, over".

The others checked in, leading to the full squadron present. Control replied and confirmed their status. 
"Wylde Fyre squadron, looking good. Ready for launch; catapults charging and hatches open. Brace for launch!"
The tunnels ahead of each fighter lit up with the receding circles of blue lights, and a final yellow one framing the launch doors themselves. There was a vauge tingling sensation Erien recognized as the magnetic charge built up around the fighter. As the repulsing force increased, the weight came off of the launch arm.  
"Launch!" came the same voice, and with a sensation like a blow to her chest, the fighter blasted down the tunnel, the light blurring together into a blue haze, before the blackness of space burst into view around her, the ship receding in the rear cameras. 
"Okay folks, tighten up into formation. Let's make this look good, since we're the first ones out here".
Ahead, the bright sphere of the planet loomed, partially occluded by the dusty, grey-brown of the worlds' moon. She held her course as a point of reference for the others around her to home in on, while she scanned the surroundings for the [i]Claymore[/i] they were meant to escort. Moments later, as her helmet-mounted display tagged the shape of the multi-role heavy craft, the comm channel came to life with an unfamiliar voice.
"Hey there, Wylde Fyre squadron. This is Claymore callsign Eagle Eye. Good to have you with us and watching our back. We're steady on course for our recon flight, care to join us?"
"Roger that, Eagle Eye. We're coming over to join you right now, sit tight".
Erien lightly caressed her controls to change course, puffs of manoevering thrusters pointing the [i]Sabre[/i] onto the right heading to meet up with the distant shape of the recon-fitted [i]Claymore.[/i]
"All right, boys and girls. Split into two groups; three in close escort to Eagle Eye, four of us in two pairs in a wide spread ahead and on either side to intercept anything coming in. Olarin, Mallory and Wallon, stick with the [i]Claymore.[/i] Hel'Kayik and Cavernmaw, you're together. Miles, you come with me. Keep your eyes peeled, everyone. We know there's something weird going on out here".

***

The planet now filled the full panorama out of the [i]Sabre's[/i] canopies, and their orientation had change to match, settling in on course to escort the [i]Claymore[/i] on its' recon flight over the settlements on the planets' surface below. "Beginning sweep," announced the same voice as before. A few minutes earlier, the carrier had announced it was holding between the moon and orbital distance, with reinforcements waiting. 
"First scan complete," the [i]Claymores[/i] crew reported, as the minutes crawled agonizingly past. "Moving onto next location. You still with us, Wylde Fyre?" 
"Roger," replied Erien. "Still here, and watching out. Anything interesting, over?"
"Not yet, we'll keep you informed, over".
Erien clicked the mike in reply and shifted in her seat. The balance of keeping alert in what was essentially a 'do-nothing' role at the moment was taxing. She grumbled to herself and took a sip of water from the mouthpiece in her helmet, easy her dry muzzle a little. She was about to call and check in with the others, but a warbling beep from her instrument console and a flashing icon on her helmet display caught her attention.
"What the?" she murmured to herself, as she highlighted the icon. Her eyes widened as the image resolved into an inbound unknown contact... then several contacts.
"Eagle Eye, this is Wylde Fyre Lead. We have multiple inbound contacts, unknown origin and intentions. All Wylde Fyre units, stand to - looks like we have company. Miles, with me. Hel'Kayik, Cavernmaw, take spacing and follow us in. If they jump, stand by to jump back. The rest of you, keep that [i]Claymore safe.[/i] This might be a decoy!"

She shifted her course and flared her engines, the extra thrust driving her onto an intercept course with the incoming vessels. As they grew closer, the [i]Sabre's[/i] targeting systems resolve the fighter against its' onboard database; [i][url=http://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/klavs_models20.jpg]Arrow[/url][/i] medium fighters. There were six in the group ahead, and as Erien closed in, they split into two groups, four diverting to head for four closing in on them with the remaining pair driving hard for the [i]Claymore.[/i]
[i]Definitely A diversion,[/i] she thought to herself. [i]They wouldn't attack in such odds if it wasn't.[/i]
"Olarin, Mallory, Wallon; eyes to the rear. I think they're trying to bushwhack us, over"
Little sooner had the words left her muzzle than the fighters approaching began scraping space around them with their targeting systems, the electromagnetic emissions highlighted by the [i]Sabres'[/i] systems.  A harsh buzz indicated Erien had been locked onto and she hit her countermeasures and spiralled through evasive manoeuvers.
"All craft, craft are bandits, inbound and hot! Light 'em up!"