The Earth forces have met the aliens in space, the FIM fleet is prepared to fight to defend their home. Even though the odds are very much against them. In the end the FIM ended up contributing with one of the biggest forces in the space battle, only the superpowers had fleets that were bigger. The moon bases were quickly destroyed however it was discovered that the aliens were completely unprepared for missiles. This has given the main force hope.

Written pre /r/worldpowers reset

[1200h May the 16th 2063]

"What name have they given this operation?" Jack asked over the intercom.

"Nouméa HQ is calling it 1st orbital engagement." 1-2 answered.

Leave it to the FIM to find the most boring name possible. "And the others?" Jack asked, while he looked around at the space outside his cockpit.

"The DFE, the Middle Kingdom and the Solarians seem to have agreed on 'The Battle in the Heavens' or something along those lines. I'm not sure about the SA and the UN." 1-2 answered.

"Heh leave it to the imperials to find the most pompous name possible." Jack had never been able to take all these new empires seriously. "Well it might have been done in consideration of all the religious groups they have." 1-2 said. "Oh yeah, religions I guess they're good for one thing." Jack joked, he had also never understood the religious masses around the world. But living in the FIM he had never actually met a seriously religious person, so he didn't need to.

"Would you guys shut up? We'll be getting orders any time now." 1-1 said irritated. "Sir, yes sir!" They both barked over the intercom. There was silence for some time before 1-2 interrupted with a question.

"SL, can I ask a question?" "Speak up 1-2." 1-1 responded. "Who will we be fighting with other than the empires and SA?"

"The UN has a few fighters, then Indonesia made some Planet Defenders I also think some people are launching a satellite. Oh and the CSSA has sent a considerable fighter fleet." She explained. "The CSSA? So the 5th is back together." Jack joked. "1-3, this is hardly the time for joking." 1-1 barked. Jack decided to keep his mouth shut.

"Alpha squad are you reading me?" The intercom sounded, as a transmission came in from SA command. "Loud and clear command." 1-1 responded. "Good, you're going to be tasked with providing cover for Planet Defender 2, do you copy?" "Solid copy, Alpha squad moving out." 1-1 closed the line to command. "Everyone follow my lead." "Roger." They all responded.

"LASER ON OUR SIX!" 1-1 shouted over the intercom. Jack rolled the Mosquito over on it's side, and boosted. "I'M HIT!" 1-4 screamed over the intercom. "MY ENGINE IS HIT I CAN'T MANEUVER." He again screamed over the intercom, before his Mosquito was struck by another laser, and disintegrated. "Let's get away from this ship, follow me." 1-1 said and turned the Mosquito around, the rest of the squad soon followed.

Suddenly the proximity alarm on his Mosquito sounded, the AI took over, and dodged away. "I have a dominion fighter on my tail. Engaging." Jack announced over the intercom as he stopped the Mosquito, boosted up, and turned the his nose down to look at the top of the Dominion fighter. It was a carbon black thing made out of two triangles with a single orange window at the front, he couldn't see any weapons anywhere and he concluded that they were hidden. "You didn't expect that did you, green little shit!" The Mosquito registered the target in front it, and the M12 sprayed an inferno of bullets. The Dominion fighter tried to loose him, it flew in between ships and dodged around the sharpest corners. But it's hard to get rid of someone that is literally flying sideways. The enemy fighter tried to dodge the bullets with small erratic movements, but the Mosquito's nose gun mercilessly followed the movements, and almost every bullet hit home.

Soon gas started leaking from the enemy fighter. Jack saw the opportunity, and launched a Coyote missile. The fighter tried one last attempt at dodging the missile but it was not enough. The missile hit right at home, and the fighter spun out of control and crashed into one of it's own ships.

"Bandit down!" Jack announced triumphantly over the intercom. "Good job 1-3, now get the hell back to the rest of us." An angry 1-1 said. "Roger." Jack said.

"Who are you?" Jack asked as he opened a link to another fighter close to him. "Red Warrior, I'm with the CSSA. What about you?" The F-60 pilot responded. "1-3, I'm with the TTRO under the FIM." He was also the new actual after 1-1 had crashed into a Dominion ship. "So a former 5th nation? Well my squad is mostly gone, do you want to team up?" Someone who maybe appreciated his humor, he couldn't pass this chance down. "Why the hell not, command isn't responding anyways. We'll need a squad name though." The test to see if this guy wanted to joke.

The F-60 pilot responded, and Jack could nearly hear his grin over the intercom "What about 'Space Commies: Utah's biggest fear'?" He did wonderful. "That's a good one. Let's use it."

They flew around a bit looking for some targets. It seemed like they had both gotten away from the fighting. Until the F-60 pilot saw something. "What the hell is that ship doing?" "What ship?" Jack asked confused. "The Thermopylae, it's heading straight towards a Dominion ship!" Jack had the Mosquito find the Thermopylae, and just as the F-60 pilot had said he saw the ship heading straight towards a Dominion ship. Then he was blinded by an explosion from in front of the Thermopylae. When he opened his eyes again his jaw dropped. There was a massive hole right through the Dominion ship. He changed course, and headed for the hole.

"What are you doing?" The F-60 pilot asked. "I'm going inside that ship. I want to see those fuckers up close." Jack responded as he pushed the Mosquito forwards. He was running out of ammo, but his last few bullets were going to terrify the aliens. "You're crazy. But I'm gonna go with you. For the workers of the world." The F-60 pilot said as he boosted to catch up to him. "And all the others." Jack added.

The hole was massive when they got to it. There was no time to wait. Every single gun on the Mosquito fired. The M12 sprayed it's inferno of bullets. Coyote missiles flew everywhere hitting anything that wasn't friendly. His Hornet cannons fired away ripping everything they hit apart. The Mosquito nimbly danced around anything trying to hit it.

Then he heard a scream over the intercom. He looked to his left and saw that the F-60 pilot had been hit. "You bastards that was only because he had a sense of humor I bet!" His ammo was running low and he knew what to do. He pushed the control stick forwards. "This is for Earth you miserable bastards!"

No one of the just over 200 soldiers, pilots and crew members the FIM sent up returned, or anyone else sent up.