~10 Years Later~
"Cassidy I swear to Christ…" Commander Wynn threatened over the comms. "If you don't get back to base this instant I will have you personally executed for treason before the entire galactic court."
"Relax." Atlas chuckled, rolling his ship to avoid a charging ketch. It grazed the bottom of his craft, a horrible screech permeating through the rabble of guns and violence outside. "Well that ain't good..."
He maneuvered his way through the swarm of fallen ships, destroying them with ease as he flew through the battlefield.
"If the Kell's ketch goes down…" Atlas continued. "The Fallen will scatter."
"How in the hell are you planning on grounding a Kell's ketch?" The commander asked.
Atlas shrugged, and scoffed. "Haven't decided yet.
"I haven't lost a rookie in 30 years!" The commander screamed. "I don't plan on starting now. Get your ass back here!" His smoke filled lungs sounded ready to burst with anger. Atlas' grin grew larger at his superior's rage.
"Sorry, sir. I got a war to win."
"You don't know war! This isn't a simulation back at the tower. This is real life!"
"Oh I know. That's exactly why I ain't sittin' back at base muddlin' through papers and charts like you. I'm enactin' a course of action."
"You're an idiot Cassidy! If your mother could see you now…"
"With all due respect, commander if my mother could see me now it would be on the victory parade at the tower because this war would already be done with." Atlas circled the top of the Kell's Ketch, spotting the Kell himself posted at the helm.
"Who the hell do you think you are, kid?!" He demanded.
"Atlas Cassidy. Son of the meanest bitch to walk the stars, and a Grade A certified lunatic." With that, he gave a loud shout of excitement, and wrenched his controls southward. Laughing manically as he began the pile drive into the cockpit of the ketch. At the last second before impact, Atlas crammed on his helmet and ejected from his ship and let it crash into the waiting Kell below. The sweet sound of an explosion signaled Atlas' descent, as tumbled through the broken cockpit window and rolled across the floor. Smoke and flame filling the air, Atlas coughed as he tried to catch his breath.
The Kell gave a scream, barrelling out from beneath the wreckage. Enraged, he started charging towards the stunned Atlas. Atlas fumbled at his back, reaching for his gun. He unloaded a full clip into the Kell, barely phasing him. On instinct alone, Atlas pulled back his fist, and with all his strength delivered a bone-shattering punch to the growling mouth of the Kell. Atlas swore, cradling his hand, as the Kell fell to the ground and chattered angrily in the strange fallen language. Spewing blood from his cavernous mouth, the kell once more screamed at Atlas.
Again, atlas punched at the kell. Even more furious, The Kell threw himself at the young soldier, only to have his target side step, leaving the kell to crash through the broken window. Atlas scrambled to the controls, pushing them as far down as they would go. The Bow of the ketch dipped towards the ground, The Kell sliding down it's metal surface. Cursing as he went, the kell went flailing off the end of the ship, doomed to splatter on the hot Venus soil below.
Atlas clambered atop the falling ketch, stabbing the rusted metal with his tactical knife. Planting his posterior on the metal, Atlas gripped the knife lodged firmly into the ketch, and awaited the ride of his life.
"I lost comms with him." Commander Wynn growled, chewing his cigar as he flew into fallen territory to confirm the death of the young soldier. "If I can recover the body I will." He shook his head, already seeing the remains of fallen ships below him. "What a fucking idiot…" he mumbled.
The commander turned the corner, two squad ships flanking him, and what he saw made him drop his precious cigar.
Utter chaos. Guns fired every which way, fallen dregs fled like the devil was on their tail, and flames enveloped the field.
And in the midst of it all…
The Kell's ketch was diving bow first to the ground, billowing smoke, with the remnants of a ship buried in the cockpit.
Sitting atop the rusted front of the ship with one hand gripping the metal and the other waving in the air was Atlas Cassidy; riding the crashing starship to the ground like it was a wild bull.
"What is he doing?!" One of the squad pilots yelled.
Commander Wynn could only stare in amazement, and shake his head. "Winning a war." He said solemnly.
"What happened to the Kell?" Someone else asked.
Upon closer inspection, the Kell was seen writhing on the ground below the ketch. As the squad flew closer, a voice crackled on to the comms.
"Eat metal you four armed bastard!" Atlas screamed, and his insane laughter filled the frequencies as the Kell's Ketch made contact with Venus, and what remained of the Kell.
The entire ship exploded on impact, spreading debris and bloodied bits of fallen every which way.
Commander Wynn sighed heavily, almost sad to see the fool go. "Alert the base. Call Cassidy's next of kin. He died a hero. An idiot..But a hero nonetheless."
"Yes, sir." One of the squad members said solemnly. The comms crackled, and a chest cracking cough sounded over the radio.
"I ain't dead yet, commander." Atlas wheezed.
"You have got to be kidding me…" The commander whispered.
Sure enough, a figure crawled from the wreckage, and limped forward with a fist held high in the air. His armour was falling off him, and his helmet was shattered. He struggled to breathe the toxic venus air. He wouldn't last another few minutes.
"One of you get down there and slap a mask on him." Wynne said, hand to his temples. That kid would be the death of him. And everyone else if he wasn't careful.
"Maybe it's just my busted comm...But I didn't hear a 'thank you', commander." Atlas teased between breath's.
Wynne couldn't help but smile, and curse the rookie. "You're crazy, Cassidy."
"You're welcome." he replied, and Wynne could see his cheeky grin from behind the oxygen mask.