1500hrs, Lunar Re-Fuel and Refit Station.
The L.R.R.S. is a central sphere with arms and docking modules sprouting from its equator, it is held in orbit by a space elevator from the refinery on the lunar surface and gave the station a look of a spiked tennis ball on a string. Discovery sat docked to the station, dwarfing all but the largest freighters, as transports, and patrol craft constantly buzz about the station like a colony of bees. Nolan and the station's owner/operator Victor Cromwell of Cromwell Industries walked along an outer hall, Victor was a plump middle-aged man with a broad smile and infectious laugh. The two joked and talked. Nolan stopped at a large observation window, the lunar surface and refinery below gave a beautiful contrast to the earth high in the black lunar sky.
"I see you expanded since my last visit"
Victor lit up, "I'm glad you noticed, we added three new docking bays. Exclusive to Space Force vessels of course."
"Of course, and my superiors express their gratitude on that matter. I also have the privilege of telling you that the Space Force will use your station exclusively, as well as assign four F-64 Switchblades to compliment your security forces."
Victor gave Nolan his broad smile and a pat on the arm, "Glad to hear! Please pass my thanks onto your superiors, and your father. I know he had a hand in this, after the New Year's incident and now this! I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
Nolan gave a chuckle, "Don't mention it."
A pair of Switchblades streak pass the window to the hanger bay. Nolan gave a big grin, "Ah, I was hoping they would arrive before I left. Shall I introduce you to your pilots?"
***
The large dark gray doors of the hangar bay's airlock glide open, the sounds of strain by the hydraulic mechanism echoes in the large space as the doors slowly reveal the fighters. They were matte gray with stealthy lines, the pilot's canopy was a bubble style with gold tinted UV protective layers. The variable, forward swept wings were in their closed position giving them a delta shape. Two intakes were nestled behind and above the pilot, they were also closed since they were only used within an oxygen atmosphere and is not needed within the hanger. Deck crews attach a low-profile tug-cart to the nose wheel of each fighter and position them in their own pit area, other crew lock fuel lines to the ports under each wing as the canopies open to reveal their pilots. Nolan and Cromwell enter the large hangar bay which bustled with activity as ground crews swarm the Switchblades and other security spacecraft are tugged into the airlock for patrol. Cromwell is in awe at the sight of the stealthy fighters, "Wow!" Cromwell exclaimed, Nolan gives a sly smile, "Beauties, aren't they? The finest fighters ever made, and the best in pilots as well. Hand-picked out of the finest aces from every branch with fighter aircraft, and trained to know every system and every limit of their individual spacecraft."
The pilots lined-up and saluted Nolan as he approaches them, a young female pilot stepped forward from the line and salutes. "Black Ace's reporting for duty sir" Nolan returned the salute and the four pilots stood at attention, "At ease Colonel. I trust you had smooth skies?"
"Aye sir, no trouble. We are ready to deploy anytime, sir."
Nolan gave a sly smirk and turns to Cromwell, "Mister Cromwell, may I introduce your pilots.", Nolan motioned to the young pilot, "Colonel Valerie 'Valkyrie' Grey..." he then motioned to an equally young male pilot. He is a strong built man, in his late twenties, "Major Henry 'Razor' Kingston..." Nolan moved his gesture to a female pilot, early twenties with a big smile, "Major Kimberly 'Kaze' Uzumaki..." The last pilot was a male also in early to mid-twenties, bright natural red hair and a cocky grin, "And Major Patrick 'Dragon' McCarthy." Cromwell gave a respectful nod to each as they were introduced, "I'm honored, and thrilled to be working with you all!" Cromwell then turned back to Nolan, "Captain Nolan. I had dinner prepared and I would be honored if you could attend." Nolan dismissed Valerie and walked out of the hanger with Mr. Cromwell going on about the dinner he prepared.
The pilots relaxed as the doors to the hallway closed behind Nolan. Patrick gave a smirk, "So that's Captain James Nolan huh. He doesn't seem so great."
"I heard he shot down five MIGs in one sortie over Russia." Kimberly said as she leaned closer to Patrick which scoffed, "Whatever, I heard ten. Nothing but rumors cause everyone knows he got Discovery because of daddy."
"Dragon! Kaze! Stow it!" Valerie ordered, driving her face right into Patrick's, "He's our CO, and don't forget it. De-brief in fifteen so I suggest you do your post flight checks."
Patrick and Kimberly snapped to attention giving an "aye ma'am".
***
Nolan and Leanne sat contently eating the lavish spread of roast beef, potatoes, various vegetables, and assorted sides and breads as well as drinking very fine wine. Cromwell all the while spoke of various things to pass the time.
"You enjoying the roast?" Cromwell asked.
"Yes, very much so. It has a unique flavor." Nolan replied, "Never had a roast beef so well prepared."
"Why thank you, it's cooked with my family's special recipe."
"I would love to have it, if it's alright of course." Leanne asked.
"To anyone else I would refuse, but since your family has done so much for me in the past I can part with the recipe. I'll have the cook send it to Discovery this evening." Cromwell replied graciously which Leanne gave her thanks.
After the main course an ice cream sundae was served in a tall glass as desert and the conversation turned more business. "So, what's the plan with the inaugural flight of Discovery?" Cromwell asked with genuine interest,
"Basic system tests and calibration mostly." Nolan said plainly, "Then weapon test firings and the debut of A.L.I."
"That's the artificial intelligence Leanne developed right?"
"Yes, the last bit of hardware for the system is being installed as we speak," Leanne interjected, excited.
"It's not part of the main computer?" Cromwell asked thoroughly interested,
"No, the software requires a far more complex and powerful computer then the main computer aboard Discovery. I also developed a 128bit parallel processing matrix, that process and store data simultaneously. The result is a computer that rivals the human brain in its processing capacity and holds one point five petaflops of data." Leanne paused to take a sip of wine, then continued. "Such a matrix was necessary to run the learning and multitasking aspects of the program fast enough to respond to threats in an instant while running engines, weapons, and monitor the ship's sensors to anticipate future threats. See I..."
"She has had enough wine for the evening." Nolan interrupted Leanne, who got the hint and agreed, "It's getting late, we should get back." Everyone rose and Nolan shook Cromwell's hand, "Of course, please come and visit again." Cromwell said a little disappointed. "Of course, we'll be back in a few days to refuel." Nolan replied as he and Leanne exited.
***
A convoy of large freighters lumber toward the Lunar Station. Convoys of such craft was not uncommon, the big corporations often used bulk freighter convoys of twenty to fifty vessels, running the trade lanes between Sol's various mining outposts, colonies, and fueling stations scattered throughout the system. The station's controllers verified the registration codes, which the vessels passed, and calculated a schedule for the forty or so vessels to dock three at a time and lazily lend back in his chair. His nine-hour shift was over and he was exhausted, yawning he left his station for the night shift, thinking nothing of the unscheduled convoy. A few minutes passed before the night shift controller clocked in and sat down, but in that time the convoy spread out into a semicircular pattern. She saw the odd formation, puzzled she was about to call her supervisor, when the weapons lock alarm went off.
***
Patrick cheered as his soccer team made a goal, chips and beer trickling down from the table. He sat back down into a spare ejection seat staring at the 40" screen in the common area surrounded by several of the hanger crew. The maintenance checks took an hour as the pit crews had to get organized for the patrol shift of the 1st Aerospace Squadron, Flight 1 Black Aces had scheduled on the station as Discovery did her shakedown. After which the permanent flight would take over once more fighter crews were trained and the Black Aces could get back to Discovery and train the four flights in the squadron yet to be assigned, or rather built, as the F-64 was just recently deployed and much of the ordered spacecraft was queued to be constructed. "Hey Kaze, can you get me a beer?" she gave him the stink eye, "Get off your lazy Irish ass and get one yourself Dragon." Patrick feint a shocked expression, "I take offense, I'm not lazy. I'm conserving energy." Henry tossed a football which bounced off of Patrick's head, "My ass, it's not a live feed. You can pause it, and besides soccer is lame. You need to play a game of real football." Patrick gave a dismissive grunt, "Whatever Razor, you Americans need pads and helmets like pussies." Henry laughed, "We need those pads and helmets or they could die. They hit each other with enough force to put those lanky soccer emos in the morgue."
The attack Klaxon wailed and the lighting turned a shade of red. The Black Aces scrambled, hastily grabbing gear as the station lurched under them, the steel vibrating and groaning from a missile hit. The battle stations alarm blared and the pilots scrabbled to the lockers to get their gear. "What the frak was that!" Kimberly shouted over the klaxon and the pre-recorded loop to battle stations, "It's frakking Santa Claus, what the hell do you think it is Kaze?" Patrick snidely retorted.
"Stow it!" Valerie ordered, "bicker later, now get your gear on and be in your cockpits in two minutes! I'll phone on-high and see what the frak is going on!"
***
James Nolan stumbled as a missile strike shakes the deck wildly, he was returning to Discovery after scheduling tomorrow's resupply, but it seems that there are bigger issues. He pulled out his encrypted comm, "Halsy! Report!" Nolan looked out the windows and spotted several freighters launch a missile barrage, "We're under attack Captain! A dozen retrofit freighters and a squadron of late model Russian built fighters, probably a few Chinese built as well, all of them have the red crescent on their tails." Nolan stiffened 'Marduk', Nolan thought darkly, "On my way Commander!"
***
Valerie entered the upper hangar deck where the rest of her squadron waited, "Attention!" She ordered and her squad mates lined up and stiffened to attention, "The Red Crescent pirates are attacking the station, our orders are to defend the station and mining colony on the surface. We'll have support from the station's patrol craft, but I wouldn't rely on them. This is our moment, let's get the job done, mount up!" The squad saluted and ran to their fighters. Engines spooled up as the ground crews evacuate the deck. The fighters seal their cockpits as they run through the fast start checklist. Valerie mumbles as screens come to life. The fighters roll on their landing gear motors and prepare for a hot launch. "Aces roll-call!" she orders and her squad mates confirm their ready status. "Control, Black Aces ready for a hot-launch, clear to open the hatches," it seems like ages before hanger control confirms the hanger is clear, "Rodger Black Aces, hot-launch in ten, nine, eight…" the hanger light turns blue and yellow beacons splash the deck with color as the air is pumped out from the space to minimize the decompression, "seven, six, five, doors opening…" the hanger door start to open almost painfully slow for Valerie, the flash of condensation as the remaining air was explosively evacuated from the hanger and she pushes the throttle forward. Her brakes strain silently against the power of the fighter's engines, "three, two, one. Launch!" The squadron release their brakes and launch into the battle.
***
Captain Nolan entered Discovery's bridge with a razor focus, "Status!"
"Engines are preheated and point defenses are active, but have limited fields of fire docked. About 70% of the crew are on board," Commander Halsey said, "We should be ready to go in a few minutes."
"No", Nolan interrupted, "We go now! The crew left on the station will have to wait, right now Discovery is needed to fight! ALI."
"Yes captain?" ALI said calmly as her avatar materialized in the holo-pedestal. "Notify the crew still on the station we are departing and if they can't board immediately they are to assist the station and help defend it if necessary." Nolan turned to Halsey, "Commander, take us out!"
Halsey hesitated for a moment, his thoughts on the crew he was leaving behind, but it lasted only for that single moment however. His sense of duty to his ship and captain not allowing more time to second guess an order. "Helm! Emergency undocking! Switch to internal power and seal the hatches!" At his orders the bridge became organized chaos as the crew went to work as the heavy blast doors slide into place protecting the large forward view screen which switched to full AR mode. The docking clamps holding Discovery release with a plume of trapped atmosphere and the ship quickly veers away from the station. The dozen point-defense lasers blazing invisibly into the melee, striking missile and enemy fighter alike.
Valerie tracks one pirate fighter, they spin and weave through the battle, dodging cross fire and the station's superstructure. "Come to momma." She says under her breath as computer narrows down a firing solution, the rapid beat of her heart syncing with beep of her console, and just before lock the fighter sprays flares, blinding her. "Shit!" she curses as she banks hard away from the space station. She narrowly missed wreckage of a civilian freighter before getting her fighter back under control, "Damn it! Razor I lost him!" She swore as she scanned the chaos erupting around her, "Tallyho on your bandit, he's below you. Shit! Jink right!" Henry shouted, Valerie threw her stick to the right without hesitation, and narrowly dodged a stream of cannon fire. She continued the roll till she spotted the pirate fighter. She pitched over and put on the throttle, the pirate ducked left toward the station attempting to evade. "Got him Razor, watch my six!" Razor's fighter eased into formation, "Rodger that, at your four." Valerie did a split-S and again got a bead on her prey, dodging crossfire projected on her Augmented Reality (AR) canopy, from other fighters and the station's gun batteries whizzing by her inches from her hull. "Frak this fur-ball. Dragon! Kaze! Cover us!" she ordered.
"Rodger, Kaze engaging!" Kim said over the radio, as she and Patrick fired their forward thrusters and flipped around to aid their flight leader. They dodge an enemy fighter who whipped by at tremendous speed and disappeared into the chaos, "Shit! Kaze do you ever watch your six?"
Patrick yelled annoyed. She smirked as she barrel rolled dodging a missile and twisted her craft around to face her attacker. The stubby converted yacht launched two more missiles and Kim dodges them with flashy twists and stomach-churning maneuvers plowing headlong toward the pirate at full speed. The missile boat starts to veer away as Kimberly nearly cuts the craft in half with gun fire then it explodes just as she plows through with a battle cry.
Valerie intercepts her prey, Henry following close behind. The enemy fighter spins and twists through the station's modules and superstructure with Valerie close behind, locked on her prey like a guided missile. The fighters dip and weave down the space elevator and into the refinery complex. "You aren't getting away that easy you terrorist bastard." Valerie punches the throttle and follows the fighter into the maze of piping and processing tanks. "Watch yourself Lead, one stray round and the whole place can go up." Valerie was focused on her prey however and scoffed, "Just watch top-side Razor! I can handle him down here!" Henry paused, worried about his Lead, her competitiveness is legendary in flight-school, but she is also one of the top 1% of the best 1% in the world. Henry sighed and resigned to trust his flight leader, "Roger that, good hunting!" Valerie smiled as she tracks her prey into a section of the refinery where pipes whiz by above them as well, boxing them in without escape. She gave a smirk and squeezes the trigger, unleashing hypersonic rounds into the enemy fighter's right nacelle separating it from its fuselage and both halves explode as the vented oxidizer and fuel ignites in a flash of flame and torn and twisted metal.
She gives a victorious yell, but as the debris clears she sees that the corridor of pipes ends. Fear ran like ice water in her veins, the endorphin high instantly replaced by a sobering shot of adrenaline, "Shit!" She pulls back on the throttle and gave full reverse thrust, her fighter began to shake and wobble as it decelerated from full speed. The wall coming closer and closer, she looks above her but sees only a tight weave of piping and the battle far above. Her face fills with terror as she works to keep her fighter stable as it decelerates. "Razor, I'm sorry." she says as closes her eyes, "Valkyrie! What's wrong!?" The collision alarm sounds and the thrusters' strain, "Val!" Razor cries in a panic as he snap turns his fighter circling the complex desperately looking for Valerie's fighter.
The wall before Valerie's fighter inches closer and closer until the nose of the Switchblade taps the wall, crimping her nose cone but then begins to reverse. Valerie opens one eye, and watched the wall as it eases away. She smiles and mouths "Thank you God" as she looks heavenward. She neutralizes the throttle and her fighter stops. Her breathing is shallow and her hands shake as the after effects of the adrenaline kicks in. "I'm ok Razor, I just had a scare that's all." She said shakily. "Shit. You could've fooled me. What's your six?" Henry replies relieved. "I'm at the north end of the complex. Dragon. Kaze. You cover Discovery. Razor and I will be right behind you." She orders, her voice firmer this time, "Roger lead." Kim replied, and Valerie gave a deep sigh shaking off the last of the adrenaline, "Good hunting!"
***
Discovery glides through the fray, laser turrets firing. The large ship rolls protecting the less armored tower from a group of pirate fighters strafing its hull, with the lighter armed security ships pursuing. A missile streaks in and impacts the heavy armored sections of Discovery's hull. The ship shakes violently as Lieutenant Jack Bennett white knuckles the flight controls, "Shit, where did that come from" he says under his breath. His co-pilot didn't make it aboard before Discovery undocked from the station, and the loss of her support is felt dearly. Another missile strike rocks the ship, "Outer hull at eighty-five percent, damage to K-Deck." ALI says in a maddingly calm voice. "Communications! Can you trace down which ship is commanding the others?" James ordered as he sat strapped down in his chair along with the rest of the bridge crew. The terrified ensign scanned her console, "I can try sir!" James looked over to the holo pedestal in front of him and off to the right, a design choice he's glad didn't get cut, "Do it! ALI! Get the primary guns ready to receive coordinates!"
ALI's avatar nodded, "Acknowledged. Readying main guns."
Kimberly and Patrick chase a pair of enemy fighters through the battle. Weaving through the chaos with practiced ease, "This guy is going nowhere!" she said with a wicked grin, "Just don't get yourself K-I-A!" Patrick chided. Kimberly just bared her teeth, this is what she lived for, what she trained for. The dance of dogfighting is in her blood, her great grandfather flew ZEROs in the second world war, her grandfather flew Phantom IIs in Vietnam, her father flew F-22 Raptors in the Terror Wars, and now she's continuing her family's legacy in a F-64 Switchblade in orbit around the moon. Her mind focused, her touch light on the stick, her breathing controlled. In a flash she sensed a tell in her prey, "Watch and learn dragon man!" She said with a Chester cat grin. She punches her throttle, the after-burners fire and her switchblade accelerates. As she passes the trailing enemy she cuts her engines and spins the fighter in a 90-degree angle, guns aimed at the enemy pilot who has a look of fear and terror rarely seen. Her guns fire and the enemy fighter explodes.
Patrick smiles, "Yea very nice kill Kaze, but I'll check your three o'clock." Kim's fighter is rapidly approaching a docking arm of the station. She smiles and twists her fighter around, throttle her engines, and tracks Patrick upside down and gave him a flirtatious wink. Then she accelerates to catch up to her next victim. Patrick follows suit, "I can't have you have all the fun Kaze. This one is mine!" Kimberly smirks, Patrick and herself share this game in and out of the cockpit, a competition only they share, "Whatever, all yours Dragon man." Patrick banks away and locks in on his prey. He moves in controlled movements and seems to glide into a clear firing position despite the erratic movements of his prey. Like Kimberly he loves the dogfight, the thrill of the deadly dance is more addictive than any drug, and the friendly competition keeps him sharp. He sees an opening and eases behind his prey to launch two missiles, they streak in an arc as the enemy fighter tries to bank away, but both hit their target and the enemy fighter vaporizes. He reorients himself, "Kaze. Form up, I'm heading to Discovery." Kimberly eases into wing-man formation with him, "Roger. I'm at your seven o-clock."
Discovery approaches the pirate fleet, it's hull covered in pot and scorch marks. It rolled and banked dodging as many missiles as possible, two hit the thick armored hull while dodging three others. Captain Nolan watches the pirate fleet of converted freighters and yachts come ever closer, analyzing their formation, watching each as Discovery closes, "Communications! Where's my target!" He orders as the communications officer works her console frantically, "Almost sir!" Discovery lurched violently as another missile strikes her hull, "Just give me what you got!" Nolan orders. The ensign's eyes are wide as she fights through her fear, "Aye, Sir! I got it narrowed down to these three sirs." Three of the pirate ships blinked red on the ship's HUD. "I'll have it exact in five minutes sir!" The ship shook with another missile hit. Jack Bennett struggles with the helm controls to keep the ship on course, "We can't take much more of this sir!"
Nolan makes his decision, "ALI! Target those three ships and let loose with everything you got!" ALI nods impassively, "Aye sir. Firing." The primary guns lock on their targets, the diamond shaped barrels split revealing the cooling fins to the massive electromagnetic rails, and the muzzles spark blue lightning as the rail-guns charge. Then the muzzles flash, and 20lbs of steel jacketed depleted uranium shells, moving at .001c slice two of the pirate ships in half in a white-hot flash of released kinetic energy of the impact, and expanding gases. Discovery banked, exposing the missile bays. A volley of missiles launches from the forward missile bay. The missiles finish off the hulks. The last ship, the smaller of the freighters veers away with unnatural maneuverability. Dodging the rounds and missiles launched from Discovery.
***
Commander Marduk Hussein stares at Discovery with fear and anger in his face, "Get us out of here! Use the emergency maneuvering thrusters!" The crew scrambles to work the jury-rigged consoles, "Yes sir!" One of the crew shouts, probably his first officer who is bracing himself just behind his vision, "Should I order a retreat sir?" Said his Religious Peace Officer, the RPO was a coward, but Marduk's ships and most of his crew were sponsored by the Meccan Caliphate and his RPO was a requirement to make sure he towed the "good" Muslim line. However, at this moment he couldn't allow weakness to shatter his command authority, as tenuous as it was, so with satisfaction he drew his pistol and shot the coward between his beady condescending eyes. Then turned to his shocked bridge crew and mustered all the rage and authoritative assertion as he could muster, "No Retreat! We lure the infidels into a place of our choosing and defeat them! Tell the fleet to jump to base, that should be enough bait for our trap!"
***
Valerie and Henry fly at full speed into the battle, but the pirate freighters and yachts start to disengage from the station. "They're retreating!" Henry exclaimed, but something was off, "No Razor, I'm getting power buildups on my thermal. It's just like... Shit!" She hit her afterburners, "Like what?" Razor asked confused also hitting his burners to keep pace with her. She looks nervously at her sensor displays, "Remember when we covered Discovery on its plugs-out test a month ago? I got the same heat buildup when they test charged the warp drive!"
***
"They're what!" Nolan exclaims, not believing what he just heard, "Thermals and gravimetric sensors indicate they are charging a warp drive." ALI continued in her usual calm. "Which ones?" Nolan asks as he brought up the sensors on his right display, "All of them sir." ALI said with certainty.
***
Valerie and Henry made a straight shot to the nearest pirate ship. It was a passenger liner converted into a pocket battleship, it has two-inch laser cannons where the windows were, along either side like a 17th century tall ship. Smaller Vulcan gun turrets spray point-defense fire from along the top and bottom of the hull as its engines burned brightly trying hopelessly to out run the more agile fighters. Henry was the first to line up to strafe the ship, with Valerie close behind. He fires a burst and peppers the length of the ship, and destroys a Vulcan gun turret. Valerie destroys two more turrets while narrowly dodged fire from one of the side mount cannons. They fly clear to arc around for another run when Valerie's proximity alarm sounds and tracers punch through Henry's right wing from above. "Razor!" she screams, frantic she looks up and around till she sees the pirate gun boat fire again, this time barely missing Henry's crippled fighter. "May Day! May Day! I'm hit! I'm Hit!"
Henry calls over her radio as she kicks her fighter around to face the small craft, "I got him! Engaging!" She punches her throttle and banks hard toward the gun boat and empties her guns into the ship. Orbiting till every round has been through its rusting hull. It breaks up and explodes. She rolls her fighter till she sees Henry's fighter heading toward the station, venting gray and white gases, and small debris into space. Then an enemy fighter lines up on his six. "Razor! There's a bandit on your six, break off!" His fighter wobbles a bit, "Primary maneuvering system is down! Going to backups!" Henry said more frantically, Henry's fighter weaves and twists lazily, narrowly avoiding fire. Valerie banks toward Henry and hits the throttle, "Shit! I'm sluggish on one side, my fuel lines for the hot thrusters must be leaking! I'm losing control of them! E-M thrusters offline!" She glances at her distance to target on her HUD as panic rises up in her chest, "On my way Razor! ETA twenty seconds!"
"I'm losing it!" his cry tightens her chest, she can't lose him. "Hang in there Razor! Almost on his six!" she yells in helpless panic as she swoops into the rear of the enemy fighter, and switches to missiles. The missile lock tone drones and she launches a missile but halfway it veers sharply away and the master alarm sounds. Her missile guidance radar is misaligned. "I could use some help right about now!" Henry grunted as he fights his ever-sluggish controls. Valerie frantically tries to solve the problem, "Frak! My missile guidance system is down! Trying backups!" She switches to backups, gets a tone and fires again and missile flies wildly and the pirate fighter easily avoids it.
She is in full panic, "No, No, No!" she chants under her breath, "No good the whole thing is shot! I'll try to…"
"Negative! I can still make it! Don't get yourself killed trying to save me! Just keep him worried about you, and I'll get there!" Henry interrupts stunning her, "Roger." Was all she could say, all she has now was to focus on her prey, and pray it's enough to distract the bastard long enough for Henry to escape. She got above him and lowered her fighter till her engine exhaust began to melt the enemy's stabilizers. The pirate fighter broke off, and banked a wide arc around and got into an intercept position and fired a missile. Valerie punched her throttle and by some buried instinct tries desperately to shield Henry but the missile flies pass millimeters from her fighter's crumpled nose. "Shit! Incoming!" she cries as she kicks her fighter around to line up on the pirate fighter, "I can't avoid!" Henry yells frantically, "Yes you can! Bank hard!" she said panic clutching her heart again, 'There has to be away!' she said to herself as she watches helplessly as the missile streaks ever closer to Henry's broken and bleeding fighter,
Henry slumps, his controls dead, "I can't! My maneuvering thrusters are dead." He looks to the highlighted speck that is Valerie's fighter and chuckles, "That was stupid, you know? Don't blame yourself about this. I know you Val. Make them pay!" He said with a assertive calm, accepting the inevitable, "Razor!" she cried, tears running down her face, "Punch out!" she yells in a desperate plea.
Henry struggles with the ejection handle and notices a bit of steel lodged through it, an entry hole opposite venting atmosphere. He sits back and silenced his warning alarms and gazes at the battle, the flashes of light and the streaks of tracers casting a beauty he hadn't noticed before, "I can't. Shrapnel fused the release." Tears well up in his eyes, "I love you Val." The missile hits and the switchblade explodes. Valerie gives a cry of pain and hits her throttle and heads for the pirate. She retches on her controls, her fighter's movement became primal and vicious, once she got missile lock tone she launches missile after missile till her hold was empty and continues to press the button as the fighter's computer repeating a munitions exhausted message. The cloud of missiles moves erratically, two missiles collide the rest flies mostly on target. The pirate tries to avoid but there were too many and four hit the pirate fighter destroying it and everything left over. Then the pirate fleet jumps away with a flash of light leaving only wreckage and disabled ships behind.