Assault by John Walker

Author:John Walker [Walker, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-02-13T22:00:00+00:00

***

Mickey’s scope lit up, indicating they were closing in on their targets. Several of them, seemingly heading away. The conflict would take place over the valley, totally void of civilian structures or people. Fire remained a possible rusk but falling debris would not hurt anyone at least.

And it seems like it’s pretty wet down there. We should be okay.

“Six bogies on scope,” Dino said. “We engaging?”

“We are,” Mickey replied. “Shields up. We can finally put these babies to the real test.” He’d been feeling out the ship in that planet’s atmosphere, veering left and right to understand the differences between that and Earth. Visually, it looked so similar it was hard to remember that it was not.

Wind movement felt mostly the same, enough so that it didn’t matter. Gravity was also so close, the contrast was negligible. Even so, their engines were supposedly powerful enough to handle dramatic changes in pressure and turbulence. Some of those they hadn’t been able to test. He wondered what types of places they might visit that would push those limits.

“Visual contact,” Donna said. “Twenty miles out. They seem to be turning.”

“Close the distance,” Mickey ordered. “Engage while they’re preparing an attack run.” He plunged his throttle forward until the afterburners kicked on. The sudden rush pressed him into his seat, the force holding him firmly in place. A year ago, it would’ve been too much to handle but their training prepared him for a more punishing flight style.

The enemy ships appeared to be fixed wing with guns extending from the tips of each. They terminated in a point, the cockpit resting roughly eight feet from the nose. Two large thrusters provided the primary source of propulsion. Mickey would’ve bet money they lacked maneuverability until he saw them practically turn on a dime.

“Great,” Torry said. “They want to play chicken.”

Scans hadn’t told them what sort of weapons to expect. Even if they knew what the basic model of ship tended to carry, criminals tended to make modifications. They were shielded, that much was obvious and considering their maneuverability, meeting them head on didn’t make a lot of sense.

“Break formation,” Mickey said. “I’ll head straight, you guys go for a flank. Test their tactics. Go.”

The other fighters broke off, leaving Mickey to question his decision. Their six opponents didn’t immediately respond. He wondered about that. Agency pilots were trained to pair off with enemies, pick one to mirror and take out when the time came. What sort of advanced tactics did the aliens utilize?

Or did they simply not care? They could be daredevils, total wild people with no regard for their own safety or survival. Mickey fought in a number of wars, flying against some of the best and worst trained pilots Earth had to offer. From terrorists to first world countries, he’d seen a wide range of styles.

Energy blasts interrupted his thoughts, red beams that made the humidity in the air sizzle, turning it to mist. The first few shots cleanly missed but two connected with his shields, making the whole ship tremble.

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