Hoards of Jester's blast past me, swerving and diving between each other. If I knew the original Jester before, it's an impossibility now. The biggest issue with Jester's drones, AKA Mirages, is their lack of naturality. Due to the large number of drones, they sacrificed complexity. Lacking a sense of danger or worry when a bandit's behind them, or being too predictable/unrealistic. And due to the daylight, their holographic display is slightly reduced. That being said, their sheer amount offsets those minor weaknesses. My only shot of winning this duel will be the reduced effect and my trump card. But with so many looking nearly identical it'd be nearly impossible for me to tell them apart. I aline my nose once again with the horde. If this turns into a furball ill have zero chance of winning this. So I guess that's my only option huh... Merging with them once again, I look onto my left side. Glancing at each passing rudder, finding nothing. AeroCords are usually unmarked outside of factory or manufacturer paint. As such, Jester's evil clown isn't a part of the Mirages. Looking for Jester via the drone's clouded figure would take too long. So ever since I found out about this flaw, I've used it during our duels. Although it took 3 rounds for me to figure out the trick. Its only flaw is our decals are exclusively on our left side rudder. And after four passes ill be too slow to force them.
During that pass nothing popped up, I have two more chances. I aline myself again, once again watching the left side grouping... Merge, nothing. Nick has become aware of my tactics after losing so many times... After countless warnings of this fatal flaw of course. So he won't let me hunt him so easily. And he's extremely cautious, staying away until he ensures victory. Knowing how he flies, he's most likely on my right side portion. But I can't sweep that side, Nick won't allow it. A brilliant idea pops into my head... But trying it will be risky. I pull on the stick once more, turning for another left-hand pass. But this time, I ease off the stick, pulling it slowly to the left side. Maybe, just maybe, if I try and force a left spinning cyclone, the real Jester will emerge. The only issue with a large turning cycle is opportunities will appear for him. The question is, will he take the opportunity, or stay away in caution. I won't know till the fat lady sings, but it's my only chance right now. The horde begins to turn onto me, their threatening noses leading inches behind my tail. Their noses begin to lag behind, insuring my safety. If any of those were nick, he would just have to pull a little harder to get a shot on. Just to ensure my theory, I look at the few dozen Jesters trailing behind me. Hunting for any sign of a Mirage. Faint glitches and crackles appear on the Jesters, signifying their hoax. Confident in my position I look above, finding a tornado of Jesters. Me being a part of the twirling vertex. I scan through the endless tornado until a faint gleam of red paint sparks off one of the Jesters.
I pull hard, shooting myself into the tornado. Sensing his discovery, he too enters inside the tornado, three Mirages following suit. The Mirages begin to overlap with Jester, clouding my view of the original. They split in opposite directions, each hiding their rudders. I know one of the four is Jester, the rest of the cyclone can be ignored. I dive after the lowest Jester, keeping the remaining three barely in view. I aline my sight as he barely attempts any true form of evasion. Merely holding a turn and slightly bobbing up and down to ensure I won't have a clean shot. His movements are too shallow and lax to be him. After two snapshots I pull away, moving onto the second. He instantly makes a mistake, janking into a left-hand turn and exposing his rudder, no decal. I inch my way behind the third. He jinks hard, evading my nose. This one is extremely energetic, it must be him! I pull after him, barely inching my sight near him before he jinxes once again. I roll after him, crossing my sight on him for a second, one snapshot. he jinks hard again, diving towards the ground. I follow him alining my sights once more, the second snapshot, one more tell I win. We spiral to the ground, scissoring between each other as we dive. I drop my airbrakes and lower my throttle, causing him to shoot out in front of me, the third snapshot.
Jax: "Knock it off, I win again."
I pull away from Jester, holding a light turn.
Nick: "You won? But that's not me!"
The holograph collapses, revealing a plane-missile hybrid-type drone. If that's not him it must be the fourth! I check my mirror, finding Jester sitting behind me. I pull hard, causing him to shoot out under me. I roll up and over him, appear on his rear. Other Jesters dive and weave between us, trying to throw off my target. Each failing to confuse me as I lock onto the true Jester. He pulls straight up as a last-ditch effort, attempting a loop into another rolling scissor. At this speed and angle, doesn't he realize that's suicide!? I follow him into the loop, my slight slowly falling onto his plane. 1, 2, 3, three seconds, I won.
Jax: "NOW, I've won."
Nick: "Wrong again."
Once again, the holograph falls, exposing another drone. That's impossible, did I lose track of the right one in the swirling tornado? I pull hard, trying to force my nose out of the loop. Under Jester's controls, Spirit refuses my commands, sluggishly stalling out near the apex of the loop. I look behind me, seeing another Jester.
Nick: "Knock it off. Good fight dude."
The swirling tornado and the false Jesters all drop their act, revealing the true Jester firmly behind me. He pulls away, leveling out towards base. I drop Jesters control preset, resuming Spirit's true agility. I flick out of the stall, falling in formation around a mile behind Jester. His drones swarm onto him, each falling into their natural space. After the last drone finds its spot I speed up, entering into a tighter formation.
Jax: "Which one were you?"
Nick: "The first one you went after. It was a hell of a gamble letting you behind me like that. But the gamble was a jackpot!"
Jax: "But... How did you get the third and fourth to do that??? Jester cant handle controlling that many doing complex commands!"
Nick: "Who said the other ones were following complex commands?"
Now that I think about it. The rest of the tornado was just remaining in their simple vertex. When they could of all just piled behind me. Instead, they just remained in their simple left-hand turn, completely ignoring me.
Jax: "I see now... Man, I got my ass kicked twice today. Maybe I'm losing my edge."
Nick: "I don't think so dude. With that tricky trick, I think I could of even beat Lucas."
Jax: "I'd put 100 bucks on that fact... You've been getting better though. Using your weaknesses as strengths isn't something many can do."
Nick: "I still have much to learn. But at one step at a time. I'll catch up to the three of you someday."
Jax: "Hehe, then allow us to be your guardrails"
Chloe: "Sorry to break up your flirting... But the supply shipments have arrived."
Jax: "THEY HAVE!? Finally! I've been waiting for my package for weeks now! Sorry Nick ill catch you back at base!"
"Stage four!"