Days quickly stretched into weeks. Chris could almost find the daily routine boring, despite the constant danger. Every day the Swords flew at least one mission, generally a convoy raid. Shivan resistance was still fierce, but the Swords became better and better at what they did, which was too fight. There was a growing feeling of invincibility among the GTVA personnel that could only lead to trouble.
Two weeks after their evacuation of the Repair Yard, in the early morning, the alarm sirens begun to wail. Chris rolled out of bed and quickly pulled his flight suit on. He half-ran, half-stumbled, out of his quarters and down to the briefing room with the other Swords. The only one who was a awake and alert was RaNah.
As the Swords and the Ravens filed into the briefing room, they quickly noticed that their Vasudan counterparts in the 135th were missing. Chris was about to ask Anya about it when the Base Commander entered, running.
"Pilots, we have an emergency situation on our hands." The Commander spoke quickly. "Only minutes ago, we received a distress call from the 135th. They have been ambushed at one of the relay points back to the base. They are completely pinned in...."
"Just send us the coordinates," Chris stated. "We'll rescue them. Everyone to the flight deck."
"The Saber and the Pirate Killer are already prepping to make the jump, we have Myrmidon fighters ready and waiting for you in the hanger."
"Swords, Ravens, let's go!" Chris shoved his helmet over his head and bolted for the hanger, along with all the other pilots. He quickly climbed into one of the fighters and activated the emergency startup procedure.
The Myrmidon responded with a loud bang and then the gentle humming of it's four main engines. Chris checked the squadron status display and noticed everyone else was ready. "Swords, let's go." He yelled into the fighter's communications system.
As he did this, he rammed the throttles to full and raced out of the hanger. He quickly received the coordinates for the 135th and transmitted them to the rest of his squadron. The Swords then entered subspace, with the Ravens right behind them.
Meanwhile, at the relay point, the 135th continued to fight heroically. No matter how much they were tried to stem the tide of Shivan fighters, they were unable. The Shivans continued to pour reinforcements into the engagement. The 135th had already lost six pilots and two more were without power and drifting.
The Saber and the Pirate Killer entered the area just seconds before the Swords and the Ravens appeared. Blue anti-fighter beam cannons lashed out from all over the Saber and the Pirate Killer. Meanwhile, the Swords and the Ravens charged into the fighter, catching the Shivans unprepared.
As Chris raced toward his target, he fired a group of Hornet missiles and laced a Shivan Mara fighter with his Prometheus cannons. The Mara exploded instantly, as did it's wingman when Anya blasted it apart. Chris shot through the debris, ignoring the banging on his hull from the tiny chunks and targeted another Mara. He also destroyed it easily.
Then he was through the pack of Shivan fighters. He and Anya whipped their fighters around and then came at the Shivans again. This time however, the Shivans were ready. Chris only managed to destroy a single Mara fighter in this pass. He didn't continue for another slashing attack, but instead changed his tactics.
He targeted another Mara fighter and brought it into his sights. He opened fire, his shots turning the Mara's shield opaque before they collapsed. However, Mara then pulled another of the crazy evasive maneuvers that only Shivan ships could do. He continued to fire constantly as he frantically tried to keep the Mara in his gunsight.
The instant the Mara came out of it's crazy spin, Chris scored a direct hit, just as another Shivan Mara began to pound on his rear shield. He rammed his throttles to full reverse and the Mara went racing past him. As the Mara pass in front of his gunsight, Chris released another group of Hornets and fired his cannons. The Mara's ventral shielding collapsed instantly and the Mara exploded.
Suddenly, Chris heard a scream from the comm system. "We just lost Gamma three." Nick yelled in response. "Nicole, rejoin me!"
"I can't find you." Nicole replied.
Chris quickly targeted Nicole's damaged Myrmidon and turned towards it, just as a Shivan fighter blasted it apart.
"DAMN IT!" Nick yelled. "Come here you bastards."
Chris quickly dispatched of the Mara that had killed Nicole. He then noticed that the indicator for Beta 4 was blinking red. He quickly targeted and turned toward Alex's fighter. Alex had a Mara fighter almost point-blank behind him. Alex was throwing his fighter into a frantic dance of evasive maneuvers as he struggled to get the Mara off his tail.
Chris used his afterburners to quickly get behind of the Mara and open fire. The Mara did have any remaining shield strength in it's rear quadrant so Chris's shots went right through it. The Mara exploded in a fireball. He caught a glance of Alex's fighter as he passed. Alex's fighter was missing on of it's wings and one of the engines was dark.
Chris pulled hard to bring his fighter around, just as a Mara hit him head on. Chris's mind couldn't make sense out of the mess that followed. Every alarm siren in his cockpit started to wail and the system diagnostics display was lit up with mostly red lights, indicating that he had massive system failures.
Chris had lost most of his combat systems, including his shields, but his engines were still showing green lights, and his secondary Prometheus cannon bank was still working. He set the repair priority to the shields before he turned back into the fight. He instantly saw a Mara fighter coming up behind Alex's fighter. "Alex, behind you!" He yelled.
It was too little, too late. The Mara fighter released a massive group of Hornet missiles, punching through the Alex's weakened shields and ripping through the already heavily damaged hull. Chris rammed his throttle to full and got behind the Mara. He quickly dispatched of the Mara as the battle drew to a close.
Chris checked his sensors as the Mara exploded, there were no Shivan fighters left in the area. "Saber, status?" He asked.
"Both the Saber and the Pirate Killer are in reasonable condition." The commander of the Saber replied. "However, we only have one surviving pilot from the 135th. The Ravens are down four pilots and you're short three pilots. This was a costly victory."
"You're telling me." Chris replied. He blinked back the tears that were coming. There was no ejection system in a space fighter. If the fighter was destroyed, the pilot was killed too. He could hear Amy sobbing over the open squadron channel. He could hear combinations of swearing and sobbing from everyone else. "Swords, we're heading for home. I'll see you there."
Only an hour after they returned, the Swords assembled on the observation deck of the Asteroid base. Chris opened a bottle of alcohol and poured a cup for everyone. "To absent friends." He stated as he raised his glass. He them quickly downed it.
"They were so young." Anya stated as she broke into tears. She put her arms around Chris.
Amy threw her glass to the ground. "Damn it! The Shivans have taken everything from me." Amy collapsed to the ground and began to sob uncontrollably.
Louis was by her side instantly. He dropped to the floor and put his arms around her. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her.
Amy put her arms around him. "I know."
Chris was struggling with his own feelings. The loss of the three youngest pilots in the squadron would be a blow that the squadron would not easily recover from. That much was clear. It was then that he noticed Nick fuming just beyond the group. He walked over to him, taking Anya with him.
"It's all my fault," he was saying.
"No it's not." Anya stated, brushing her remaining tears away.
"Don't you get it." Nick was yelling. "I failed them, just like I failed my last squadron in Capella."
"Your beating yourself up over something that wasn't your fault." Chris replied.
"Not it is my fault, those kids were my responsibility, they were too young to die, they didn't deserve it. They deserved to live a better life, they deserved so much more."
"Then don't dishonor their sacrifice by blaming yourself." Anya replied.
Amy then surprised everyone by standing up and saying, "she's right Nick. I don't blame myself for my brother's death. I'm just going to get even with the Shivans for this." Amy's eyes were very red, but given the tone of her voice, icy cold, they looked like someone who had just been push beyond the edge. "We have a duty. And we're going to do that. Now we even have a reason to do it. In every battle from here on out, we will make the Shivans pay for their killing on this day. They will pay for their crimes against humanity."
Hours later, Chris was summoned to the Base Commander's office, which was little more than a converted closet. Chris entered and offered a crisp salute. The Commander motioned for Chris to sit. "Commander." The Base Commander stated. "You've suffered the least losses, so that's why I'm having this conversation after the others."
"I understand." Chris replied. "But that doesn't make the losses any easier to take."
"I know it doesn't. I've lost more officers and pilots under my command than I can count. I've been a soldiers since twenty-three. Our resistance has been really battered down."
"I know sir. Eighteen pilots are dead, out of thirty-two. That leaves you with only fourteen pilots to use."
"Let me offer some consolation for those losses. In that last battle alone, the Shivans lost sixteen fighter squadrons. Add to that all your kills from previous missions. We have destroyed twenty-five Shivan convoys, forty Shivan fighter squadrons, and an assortment of capitol ships, including the Vesan and the Ravana your squadron destroyed at the Repair Yard. Believe me, they didn't die in vain."
"That still doesn't make their losses any easier to bear, especially for Amy." Chris paused. "She lost her brother for god's sake."
"I know, I know." The Commander paused, then shook his head. "I'm still going to need you and the Swords. You're the only remaining fighter squadron with enough pilots to continue active operations. I want you to try and get some sleep."
"I'll try." Chris stood up and walked out of the room. He started to walk towards his quarters.
"Commander." Sydney shouted at him from down the hall. "I need a word with you."
Chris waited for her to catch up, then began walking again. He braced himself for another round of consolations. "What is it Chief?"
"I'm joining the Swords."
Her statement was a complete surprise. He stopped in his tracks. "What?"
"I'm joining the 77th, effective immediately."
"But you're an engineer."
"I'm also a competent pilot. You're going to need me if you plan on, and believe me I know you are, attacking the Shivans for this."
"Denied, I'm not losing another rookie."
"I'm no rookie. I graduated flight school at the top of my class."
"That doesn't mean anything. I need veterans, not hotshots who'll just get themselves killed."
"Don't give me that hotshot crap."
"See what I mean. You have no idea what you're getting into. And we won't be there to always bail you out."
"To bad, I'm going anyway. I'm not asking you to babysit me."
"That's exactly what your doing. You won't survive a day in combat."
"Try me."
"Fine, let's get to the simulators, me versus you." He walked down to the simulators that were on the base and loaded up a simple dogfight scenario. He climbed into his simulator and strapped down the helmet. He was flying a Perseus fighter, armed with Subachs and Tempests.
A second later, another Perseus appeared. "Ready when you are commander." Sydney stated, her voice icy.
Chris rammed the throttles forward and shot towards her fighter. Sydney copied the maneuver. In less than a second, they passed each other at maximum speed. He then turned to follow her around the turn. However, she actually bounced off his shields and fired a pair of shots into Chris's rear shields.
Chris swore and then rammed his afterburners, causing his ship to vibrate. He then braked, and swung his nose around, firing as he went. He completely missed Sydney, who was coming around in a spiral. She hit him with a group of Tempest missiles before he got away.
Chris raced after Sydney as she accelerated away from him. Chris slowly gained the distance he needed on her and right when he was prepared to fire, she stopped her fighter quickly and pulled up. Too late to change course, Chris realized that she had him. The simulator rattled as Sydney blew Chris away.
Chris yanked himself out of the simulator just in time to see Sydney swagger over. She played with a small amount of her blond hair as she smiled. "So, do I get to join the Swords?"
"Yes, you do." There was neither annoyance or pride in the statement. "But I'm telling you now, that our chances of survival are slim, especially since we lost all those pilots yesterday. You're Beta 4, welcome to the Swords."
Only an hour later, the alarm sirens began wailing again. Then a voice over the station intercomm stated. "The GTVA is coming, all combat personnel report to action stations. All pilots to the briefing room. Repeat, the GTVA is coming."