*David Chambers looked nervously towards the blue orb of Manhattan, just coming into view as the last vestiges of the vast Jersey debris field passed behind his vessel. New York was just a little too close to the fire for him, but then he'd never truly rejoiced in combat.*
"Allright boys, form up tight." Leo Mathew's voice squaked from the CB radio bolted to his bomber's dash. No decoders or fancy gear here, just ancient tech and shortrange radio. "We're gonna do a hit and run on the Manhattan Bush lane. Bring 'er down, tear the face off the first pig to fall into our laps then we light up the burners and geton out." the other two pilots in the wing, Rath Tolan and Datrian Perrone tapped their mikes in quick succession to mark their copy.
"Roger that Leo, riding in at 5:30 5 high." David returned. Looking out the window of his beaten Taiidan towards Manhattan once last time David gave into the butterflys in his stomach and reached for a music disk. It was bad form and the noise was surely a distraction, but some tunes always made it easier to focus on something other than the knots in his gut. Slapping a mini disk into the player sitting aside the shortwave he pressed play and settled back. In New York, the fight could always go either way.
"Tradelane 2k out. Davey, drop on outa cruise and bring 'er down!" Leo ordered.
With that, the shot was fired and the operation begun. The tradelane was desynchronized and disengaged itself. Would only be moments before the first vessel fell into their laps.
It could always go either way in Liberty.
I'm back in baby's arms; How I missed those loving arms. I'm back where I belong, Back in baby's arms.
He didn't even have time to settle into his seat before the patrolling cruiser fell into their laps. Two more seconds and the vessel would have flown on by.
"Leo! Rath! We've got company! Fire fire fire!"
There was no way they'd be able to flee the Cruiser as a group, this was bad. Moments before it began to fire off blasts of plasma at the four Xenos it sent out a distress signal. The clock was ticking now, and with that David fired off the second shot of the day. Everything erupted into chaos.
Don't know why we quarreled, We never did before. Since we found out how it hurts, I bet we never quarrel any more.
"David! We've got incoming! Ah, Jupiter Guild repair ship, nevermind him! Keep firing on the Cruiser!" Raths voice overtook at this point "Guys! Incoming Gunboat! It's the Hampton Roads!"
David clenched his jaw and concentrated on evading the fire of the new gunship, this is always how it happened in NY. The four of them were giving the Cruiser's shields a run for their money, despite the firepower it was producing. Rath's fighter was doing a good job of harrying it, but with the arrival of this gunboat they mi "Harvester Cruiser!" Datrian's voice cut in. "We've got a second cruiser on us, some nutjob in a fight... "Nevermind all that!" David interrupted "Shaddap and take down that cruiser! If yer not breakin' yon beastie's back yer wrong!"
David grinned as the Cruiser's shields failed and fire began to erupt from its hull, wouldn't be long now. The Hampton was doggedly pursuing him, but dodging its fire while hitting the relatively enormous bulk of the cruiser was a simple task.
I'm back in baby's arms; How I missed those loving arms. I'm back where I belong, Back in baby's arms.
"Ah, boys, we've got problems. Its the Blakely and Niagara falls." Rath spoke with a surreal measure of calm. "If we're gonna make it outa here, we need to drop th, oh, there she goes! Yeeeeeeeeehaw!" The Liberator's core ejected at that point, exploding a distance away from the burning Cruiser, now jettisoning escape pods in every direction. "Caller even then! Allright everyone! On the Hampton!"
Thought I didn't need his love, 'Til he took it away. Now I'm back where I belong, And in my baby's arms I'm gonna stay.
David kicked the throttle and spun around to face the remaining opposition. Two fighters, a cruiser, two gunboats and the guild member. The Jupiter Guild had begged neutrality in the past and it didnt look to be interfearing none right now. Zoner as it was, the Harvester wasnt like to be its fir,POD AWAY POD AWAY Sunbeams voice cut through as his bomber exploded, fire from the the Viper and the Harvester cruiser cutting through the Preagles hull. David watched with grimly as the escape pod spiraled away, flushing decoys as it spun into the black
On the Harvey, on the Harvey! Big target to go down!
He let loose with the first cannon blast, fire from the two gunboats rushing away as the cannon fire from the cruiser rushed towards. It was a maelstrom of light to which his bombers shields did not seem to enjoy playing party.
I'm back in baby's arms; How I missed those loving arms.I'm back where I belong, Back in baby's arms.
He pulled every stunt he knew to keep in the fight, circling around the cruiser pounding into its hull time and time again. Its shields dropped, then recharged, dropped again, and again, and again. He finally scanned the ship to find it dry, and looked on with satisfaction as Leo managed to pop the vessels bubble one final time. Thats it Leo! Shes dry! Time to start pummeling hull! with no small amount of satisfaction he brought his cannon to bear one final time As the Cruisers shields came back up.
Leo! Dammit! That damn Zoners feeding the Harvey! Grimacing he took another round from either the two gunboats, cruiser or the Viper, he couldnt tell anymore. Thats it, Im done. Im out. Ships falling to pieces and its time to bolt. I gotta split!
With that the ship went dark and another salvo ripped through his port wing, reducing the disruptor mounted there into so much burning detritus. With a curse he pulled a lever and returned the ship to manual flight, off-lining the fly by wire.
The radio was dead, half the thrusters werent operating, as his ship descended into a irrecoverable spin David screamed and pulled the ejection lever. The canopy flew away and he was packed into a quick forming bubble But remained strapped into his cockpit.
Looking up with a wild eye he saw the small fleet turn slowly into view, burning trails of plasma lancing towards his naked face.
Back in baby's arms.
Back in baby's arms.
Back in baby's arms.