by REM
The Rampage fleet curved in the direction of the cruiser. The closer they got, the more cannons Josh could see had been brought out from the ship’s interior in addition to the standard mounts. So many, he thought.
A face appeared on Josh’s main monitor, the same one that appeared on every other striker in the fleet’s dash. “I am Captain Sterk—and will be in overall command of Operation Big Bang. But you will still follow the instructions of your sub-leaders, Ace, Tomlin, and Baku. We are to win this fight for Creston—so let’s make it so.”
Josh inspected the Captain’s thin, gray-haired, partly balding head, and long, slender nose, reckoning the man to be in his early sixties, late fifties.
“On my count, all craft are to max thrust toward the Deeter moon. Our cruiser will sync its speed to your strikers. Boxed-wall formation!” barked Captain Sterk.
The void strikers shifted into place, with Ace remaining at the front middle of the 3rd squadron. It was the largest Creston fleet Josh had ever been a part of.
“Three… Two… One!” said Captain Sterk.
Josh slammed his throttle to its brink in conjunction with the rest of fleet. Thoom! His strikers zipped through space with the others by his side.
“Six minutes to our target!” said Sterk, his lips tight, already looking steeled for the fight.
There were a series of beeps from Josh’s dash. He peered at the monitor. A live feed was being relayed from the Creston cruiser to all strikers, showing a Mercen cruiser rising from a rocky valley with shadow fighters shooting out from its middle. The message atop the screen read: “Spy drone footage.”
Josh inspected the Mercen battlecraft, which looked much different than the Creston version, its thick rear, having huge thrusters and small wings. The ship narrowed some toward its middle, but thickened out at its center into a triangular shape that extended to a slim, squared head. He reckoned the vessel to have at least as many weapons as its Creston counterpart. Josh almost felt as if he was staring into the gates of hell.
“The Mercens have detected us and are going to meet us in space, rather than rely on their surface-to-airs to even things out. Clearly their reinforcements have arrived,” said Captain Sterk. “We are in for a hard fight—but it’s one we can win—and will!”
“There’s not going to be any clear cut strategy,” transmitted Ace, over a 3rd-squadron-only channel. “This is going to be a balancing act of taking down fighters while trying to get that cruiser shield down. Cruiser shield is the primary.”
“Roger that,” said Josh, along with a few others from his squadron. It wasn’t long before the mostly brown, with swirls of white and spots of blue, Deeter moon came into greater view.
“One minute!” barked Captain Sterk.
Josh could see the enemy cruiser. There were scattered shadows all round it. The Mercen formation mirrored that of the Creston fleet’s, and sent a tremor of fear down Josh’s spine.
“Any famous last words, Josh?” Maya transmitted.
He pondered a second before responding. “Yeah, tear ’em up, guys!”
“Focus!” said Ace.
“Stay by me!” Kyle transmitted.
“Prepare yourselves!” Captain Sterk transmitted.
Josh stared at the enemy armada. The Mercens had made it to within twenty miles.
“Attack!” Captain Sterk shouted.
Toom! Toom! The Creston cruiser fired an array of heavy lasers, bringing itself to a halt.
Powerful beams from the enemy battleship flashed into the crowd of Creston strikers—many pounding against the southern cruiser’s shield.
“Hit those bastards!” transmitted Tomlin, on a 1st and 3rd squadron channel.
Josh jammed his trigger. Beams of energy zipped from his striker in lieu with those of his crewmates—sending scattered light hailing into the enemy formation.
Storms of lasers blasted back in the Creston fleet’s direction. Josh tilted left to avoid one, then twirled to avoid a pair. Dark shadow fighters slipped in and out of visibility from all angles—as the sea of Creston strikers flew into the swarm of enemy fighters.
Thoot! Thoot! Thoot, thoot, thoot! Lasers flashed in every direction like fireworks going off in space. Ships cut and circled every which way, into the messiest fighting Josh had ever been involved in. So many damn fighters! he thought, slashing right through scattered beams—swinging up and around in the midst of the chaos.
Lasers whisked within inches of his wing. Josh set his sights on a hooking shadow fighter, and fired dual shots that missed by a lot. He wanted stay on it, but searing blasts forced him off course.
Boom! A shadow fighter exploded in front of him. There were two more sudden bursts of light. Josh knew one was a void striker, but was unable to determine the other. He yanked his control stick one way, and then another, swooshing toward the Mercen cruiser and firing twin blasts at its shield.
Rapidly firing cannons shot sporadically at Josh’s craft. Shit! he thought, pulling away from the primary, and back into the wild fray. Toom! Toom! Josh saw thunderous cannon fire exchanged between the opposing cruisers, knowing one of those heavy shots would decimate his striker—even with his shield up.
“This way, Maya! This way!” Hoss shouted over the channel.
Josh glanced at his radar, unable to tell who was where. He saw a striker with two on its tail, and tapped quickly on his screen to make a name temporarily appear. Jill! he thought, firing a blast, and rolling in her direction. Lasers were whisking within a foot of her striker. “I’m coming, Jill. Hang in there!”
“They’re tight!” she responded.
Flames erupted at Josh’s nine, but again he was unable to determine if it was friend or foe. He raced at a slanted dive, letting loose successive shots. All missed, though succeeded in driving the shadow fighters off of Jill’s tail.
“Thank you, Josh!” she responded.
“Thank me later. Be careful!” He watched her bend after an enemy craft before soaring his striker into a reverse twist and zooming back into the heaviest fighting. He glanced at a small side screen, where two bars displayed the shield status of the Creston cruiser, as well as an estimate of the Mercen’s. Both at ninety percent.
Josh fired at three clustered shadow fighters. The craft broke off in multiple directions in counter. One flew at Josh from a high side angle, and unleashed streams of beams. Josh rolled to his right, shooting at a different Mercen, who was tangoing with an unknown Creston striker. He had to swerve from that direction to evade more enemy fire, coming at him from an angle below. This battle’s a complete mess! he thought, curving toward the enemy cruiser and firing lasers at its shield.
Just as before, a barrage of cannon fire from the Mercen cruiser sent Josh soaring away, with beams flashing all around his striker. Kaboom! Boom! Explosions roared throughout the side of fighting Josh was on. He saw more fireballs on the opposite side of the cruiser, where a higher concentration of Creston cruiser strikers were fighting.
“Toasted him!” said Kyle, over a channel that’d been much quieter than Josh was accustomed to when fighting with his squadron. But he knew everyone had to keep extremely focused in a battle of this magnitude.
Thoosh! Thoosh! Two void strikers zoomed by Josh’s in close proximity. They were headed in the opposite direction and chasing after a snaking shadow fighter. Josh knew right away that one of them was Jekel, after seeing a hail of fiery bullets shooting through space.
Seconds later, there was a ship-shattering boom—as the same shadow fighter blew into fiery particles.
“Lost my shield!” barked Nate.
“Drop back. Skim the fight and help protect our cruiser’s rear!” said Ace. “We don’t want to lose you!”
“All right,” Nate responded.
Josh looped and coiled in a six-way cluster of fighting with Tomlin, another striker, and three Mercens. “Break left, Josh!” Tomlin transmitted. Josh tugged at his stick, as Tomlin cut toward him from the front and fired a shot that destroyed
the shadow fighter that’d been at Josh’s rear.
Good shit! thought Josh, one-eighty-ing back toward the cluster, where another Mercen craft had already joined in. Lasers flared every which way. Josh zeroed in on the new craft. The enemy fighter broke off from the six-way maneuvering, and toward a different section of fighting.
Oh no you don’t! You wanted a piece; you’re getting a piece! A ball of fire flashed in Josh’s peripheral.
“They got Tanner!” Hoss transmitted.
Son of a bitch! thought Josh, though he barely knew him. He stayed after the same shadow fighter, despite blasts from enemy fighters trying to force him off course. After zigging with the shadow fighter at damn near top speed, Josh lined up his targeting circle to where it locked on to the enemy craft. He jabbed down on the trigger. Twin beams flashed out from his cannons, striking down the enemy fighter. Oh yeah, it’s time now! Let’s show them that Creston genius! he thought, firing himself up.
“Three fighters, looping far west! They’re trying to get at our cruiser’s rear!” Captain Sterk transmitted. “Take them out!”
“I see ’em!” Josh responded, banking in their direction.
“I’m with you!” said Ace, his craft coming into view at Josh’s wing.
They tore through space, veering at the three shadow fighters that’d cut toward the Creston cruiser.
“Try to scatter them!” said Ace.
“Gotcha!”
They fired wild shots at the Mercen craft. Instead of splitting, the three shadow fighters slashed directly at Josh and Ace’s strikers—firing close shots and forcing them to break in separate directions.
The shadow fighters hooked toward the cruiser.
Josh thrust his stick to the right, and sped in the enemy fighters’ direction.
Ace wasn’t far behind. “We’ve got to stop them, Josh!” said the squad leader.
Before they knew it, Nate had joined their formation. All three pushed their strikers into max thrust.
Rear cannons from the Creston cruiser fired sporadically at the incoming shadow fighters. The enemy craft landed shots against the cruiser’s shield, but were slowed enough so that Josh and his crewmates could intercept.
Josh fired a series of blasts. His squadmates did the same. The three shadow fighters split off into countering curls. Josh, Ace, and Nate spread out, and gyred at the fighters from different degrees.
Josh had gone high, and got caught in a tangle with a shadow fighter, separate from where Ace and Nate were in a four-way tango below.
“Get some, you filthy snake!” Josh muttered, locked in a series of crazy coiling. He and the shadow fighter slashed and curled, at speeds much faster than would be advised. Thoot! Lasers seared past Josh’s cockpit. He cut away from the shadow fighter, then jammed back in its direction. His finger mashed against the trigger, discharging a pair of whisking beams—one catching the Mercen fighter’s wing, breaking its shield. But before Josh could shoot again, the same Mercen reverse corkscrewed into a head on—firing at his striker.
Damnit! thought Josh, slicing away, and soaring up into a wide loop.
The shadow fighter swerved after him, firing again. Lasers zipped by Josh’s fuselage, but were never closing to hitting. Josh swooped down at an arch, forcing himself to the enemy fighter’s rear. It took him all of two seconds to secure a lock. He jabbed down on his trigger. Beams flashed out from his cannons, striking the enemy craft, and bursting it into flames. Creston’s finest, son! he thought, lost in the moment, no longer worried about the seriousness of the battle.
Josh glanced at his radar. He saw Nate and Ace were being led back toward the main fighting, and Uey’d in the direction.
“Intercept those fighters above the cruiser!” Captain Sterk transmitted.
Josh was close enough to see were two shadow fighters had dove at the Creston cruiser, dead center, where it was difficult for its lasers to target the ships. The enemy craft launched a barrage of missiles, as well as lasers that exploded against the Creston cruiser’s shield.
Josh punched his throttle and raced to intercept.
“Crusier shield’s at sixty percent, the Mercens’ eighty. Ward those shadow fighters off of our vessel. Focus harder on the enemy cruiser!” transmitted Captain Sterk.
Josh glanced at the cruiser shield indicators on his dashboard to confirm what’d transmitted. Son of a bitch! he thought, seeing that the Mercens were winning the fight. He fired a few errant shots at the enemy craft that hit the cruiser from above, then watched a cruiser cannon explode one of the fighters with a powerful shot. Josh chased after the others until hearing Tomlin transmit: “Try to take out a few of those cruiser cannons if you get a chance! We’ve got to slow down the wear on our own—and even up this shield race!”
“I’m making a pass on their cannons now!” Kyle transmitted.
“Be careful!” said Ace.
Josh stared to the chaos ahead: ships maneuvering, crazy twists, wild tangles, lasers flashing all throughout space. Gotta help Kyle! he thought, soaring up into a long, drawn out and inverted spiral. He typed Kyle’s name quickly into a small search box and got a popup of Kyle’s striker on his radar. Josh zoomed in that direction. Two shadow fighters swooshed in and fired on the Creston cruiser from below. They were then intercepted by three strikers.
It wasn’t long before Josh had made it to where Kyle was flying. He saw the young pilot’s striker twirling through a stream of rapid fire, after unloading on the Mercen cruiser’s shield. A shadow fighter whipped after him.
“No, you don’t!” Josh muttered, lining up an unlocked shot and squeezing his trigger. The lasers struck the enemy fighter and broke its shield. He could see it shake a few times as the craft pulled off from pursuit. “Cleared that fighter off your tail, Kyle. You up for another pass on the cruiser?”
“Yes, let’s do it.”
Kyle swerved back around. Josh hooked to his wing. Side by side, they made their approach through a mist of enemy fire, and let off successive blasts, which managed to take out a tri-cannon. Yeah! thought Josh, as the amount of lasers being fired their way suddenly doubled.
“They’re focusing us! We’ve got to pull off!” Kyle transmitted.
“Aye!” said Josh, jerking his stick every which way, while weaving through scattered beams. Thoom! A laser slammed against his striker, breaking his shield. “I’m hit!” he said, feeling a rush of fear in his shaking ship. “Defenses broke—but no damage!” he transmitted. “I’m trying hard to evade more incoming blasts.”
“You’re lucky it wasn’t one of the heavy cannons!” said Hoss, who was flying nearby.
“Aah!” Kyle cried out over the channel. “I’m hit too! Shield’s gone.”
“Careful over there!” transmitted Ace.
Boom! Boom! Explosions rang out. Josh could see the balls of flames to his upper left—and lower right.
“Lou’s down!” Tomlin transmitted.
Josh veered right and saw a trail of fiery bullets. Jekel was flying tight on a shadow fighter, pressuring hard for the kill. What a savage, thought Josh.
“Three on me! I need some help!” Ace transmitted.
“Flying in at your two!” Maya responded.
“I see you too!” Nate transmitted.
Josh snaked into a short loop with an enemy fighter hot on his tail. When swerving out of it, he twisted into a head on and exchanged fire with the enemy craft. Both missed, and swerved in different directions. Instead of reengaging, Josh flew toward the side of the Creston cruiser, where most of its own strikers were fighting. The battle looked just as chaotic on that side as it did on the one with mostly Rampage strikers, lasers flashing everywhere, ships slashing in all directions.
Josh glanced at the cruiser shield indicators, and saw the Mercens were now winning by an even greater margin, having seventy percent shield power, in contrast to the Creston cruiser that was at forty. A sense of desperation formed in his mind. We’re going to lose!
“You guys have got
to slow down the Mercen attacks on our shield!” transmitted Captain Sterk. “We’re down by thirty percent—and won’t hold out much longer. Fight harder, damnit! You’re the best damn pilots in the galaxy!” he shouted.
“Step it up, guys! We’ve got to get this done!” Ace transmitted.
“Come on, men! Come on!” transmitted Tomlin.
Josh heard Hoss grunt over the channel. He then eyed two strikers mixing it up with three shadow fighters on the Rampage pilots’ side of fighting. The strikers were at higher degree than most of the other fighters, and looked to be in big trouble. Both had given up their rear.
It took a quick swipe over his radar screen for Josh to identify the two strikers as Hoss and Jill. I need to land more hits on that Mercen cruiser—but they really need help!
Josh rolled his controller in the direction his troubled crewmates were fighting. They were now an even farther distance away. Josh gave his thrusters everything and streaked after them, dodging an array of lasers in the process. Ships slashed and circled below.
Hoss and Jill were back to tangling with the three shadow fighters. Hoss fired at one’s rear while coming out of a sharp curve. A burst of blue-white light was the shattering of its shield. Jill looked to be in dire straits, zagging, twirling, doing everything she could to avoid being hit.
“I’m coming Hoss, Jill!” Josh transmitted.
“I can’t shake this shadow fighter!” Jill transmitted. “It’s all over me!”
“I’m trying!” said Hoss, who was mixing it up with the other two. Josh could tell the big man wanted badly to get to Jill, but the enemy fighters kept forcing him away. Things had gotten to the point where Hoss was now in deep shit too.
Josh was having a hard time deciding who to help first. “Watch out, Jill!” he shouted, seeing beams flash dangerously close to her wing.
“I’m in real trouble!” Jill transmitted, a hint of terror echoing in her tone.
Damnit! thought Josh, veering toward her, but still a ways off. “Hang in there!” He stared to where Jill was flying, then peeked at Hoss’ position on his radar, before returning his gaze toward Jill. “Hoss, can you hold?!”
