The shattered edge

[arvg]

It was turning into a very bad day.

The XKR shuddered as the triple boosters hurled it at an impossible speed through the pack of drone missiles chasing Commander Brooks' fighter, looping up as the missiles locked onto the XKR's highly prominent heat signature.

He was giving it everything the prototype fighter had, and then some more, but the missiles were still inching ever closer towards him.

His afterburners were ticking down 20%-19%-18%... when it hit zero, he would be very dead.

"Hello, Poosie-cats! You looking for a nice fat mouse for deenner?" He murmured between clenched teeth.

15%

If he was going to do anything about his situation, it would have to be done quickly.

Throwing the XKR into a sharp bank, he looped around the missiles, the drones following him. His hands already punching the cruise engines.

The afterburners kicked out, as the ship shuddered, power suddenly being diverted to the powerful and energy thirsty cruise engines.

The missiles were closing... proximity alerts blaring. He needed a few more seconds as power built up in the cruise capacitors. Every moment meant the missiles gained on him, and every moment he was that much closer to becoming vapour.

WARNING the Computer supplied helpfully in big red letters across his BDI HUD.

The ship leapt into cruise, throwing the pilot back into his seat as the massive G-forces of the thrust washed over him. Experience had taught him many things, and the most important of those was, he without a Cruise Disruptor was royally screwed.

"Excusa! Esta too mucho rapido for the eyes to follow?" He yelled back at the missiles that were trying to cruise to catch up to him. "I'll show you in el slow motiono."

The XKR's shields and thrusters were climbing back into the safe zones, as El.Coyote turned the fighter back, nimbly dodging the trio of drones that were too slow and unable to match the XKR's maneuverability at such high speeds.

He looped them again.

"Fuel, ese, I have lots, how about you?" He called into the night. "Santorini, you and Brooks make for BAAL, I shall keep the last of these busy, si?"

He flipped the XKR into another series of spiral dances, weaving into and out of the paths of the drone missiles. As long as they were chasing him, they could do no harm, and it had been a long time since he'd had fun with a fighter in cruise.

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