The shattered edge

[arvg]

BDI helmet on, Alvarez was immersed in data. Weapons status, TADS, fuel, HUD, IVWR, it was as if he were one with the fighter. It was the thrill of the new XKR fighters, that edge of oneness that came from man and machine finding a symbiosis that found previous iterations of Coalition fighters lacking.

His leather gloves flexed on the controls of the fighter, duel sticks, pedals, everything was set.

He gave his nod to the cat, and the XKR dropped away from the Kerimov, into space where it could prowl.

The engines growled menacing, the Hessian designed Tokamak reactors feeding power through the sturdy frame. It was a culmination of Doctor XiaoBei's finest work. Hessian engines, BWT-frame, Gallic alloys, Order interface, and Coalition construction. It was designed to mate all of the disparate technologies into the Coalition's Third Generation space superiority fighter. The VHF armoued booster packs, sitting like a trio of beehives on the wings, gave additional function to an already lethal design.

Like some kind of caged jungle cat, the XKR was all muscle and agility, coiled ready to pounce.

He applied throttle, and the fighter screamed away from the Kerimov and into cruise.

"Coyote to Bobcat and Hare, form once in range," he called, the IVWR indicating the two Odin Hybrid fighters, the design predecessors of the fighter he was flying.

"Confirmed Lead," Santorini called, echoed by Brooks a moment later. The two Hybrids breaking off their simulated combat exercise, looping around to slot into formation on the stockier XKR. Their engines bubbling up to full thrust as they accelerated to match his speed.

The trio of fighters swept through the night, curling down towards the location indicated by the Kerimov. El Coyote leaning forward in his seat as he searched the darkness for something his onboard sensors were telling him, just wasn't there.

"I got nothing Lead," Brooks called through the TAC-link.

"There has to be something, holmes," Alvarez said, calmly. "Signals don't just materialize out of thin air. Keep your eyes peeled."

The IVWR suddenly lit up with warning alarms, "incoming bogies!" Coyote called, "break, break, break!"

Six small, agile shapes cut through the darkness, weapons blazing as they split up, two per fighter, his BDI feeding the XKR's sensor data into his HUD. Detailing that the things chasing them were automated armed missiles. And for Alvarez, that was like take the worst of two nightmares and mating them together into a major pain in the ass.

"Drone Missiles," he called over the TAC, as he pulled the XKR into a stomach wrenching series of evasive maneuvers to avoid the weapons fire. "Don't let them get too close!"

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