Avenger (Sovereign Stars Book 1) by Blair C Howard

Author:Blair C Howard [Howard, Blair C]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2022-06-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

Overwhelmed

The Avenger

Battle Space

Pricus System

Danis had her fighters grouped together in two arrowhead formations of three, one behind the other with the shuttle following close behind. She was preparing to enter Tor’s atmosphere when her screens lit up. She was flying without her co-pilot, Zilvo, as were all the other pilots, so there was no early warning.

“Three marks coming in at three five,” Ranger Seven said.

“Stars, those things are fast,” someone else said.

The blips appeared at the edge of her targeting screen, moving fast.

“Ranger One to Ranger Seven. Break off,” Danis said. “Stay together. Divide them up. Protect the shuttle.”

Danis and her two wingmen turned hard to starboard. One of the Swarm fighters broke formation and chased after her.

“On my mark,” she said, “reverse thrusters and take it head-on, line astern. You know the drill.”

She streaked away at full throttle, Rangers Two and Eight close on her tail, the enemy fighter following, gaining fast.

“Steady…” she said quietly, “steady… Mark!”

She slammed all four of her thrusters into reverse, flipped the F32A end-over-end, and slammed the throttle forward. Her targeting computer locked on and she fired her first pair of missiles almost at point-blank range. She had no time to see if they hit. She made a hard turn to port, reversed her thrusters again, spun the fighter and fell in behind Ranger Eight just as Sheva in Ranger Two fired his first salvo, and she watched as they slammed into the wallowing Swarm craft. In less than the blink of an eye, Sheva turned hard to port and Ranger Eight followed him in. Two more missiles hit the enemy craft. She gave it no time to recover. She hit it with two more. The blue craft rocked, its halo dying as it continued on like a meteor into Tor’s atmosphere.

“Domino to Avenger,” Danis snapped. “We’re under attack. Prepare to receive the shuttle. We’re heading home.”

“Received and understood, Domino,” the hangar chief replied.

She was down to two missiles. Her two wingmen had four each. One more, she thought. We can take one more. Five, seven and… should be able to handle the other one.

It was only then she realized she didn’t even know the Mariposa pilot’s name.

Oh hell! she thought as three more enemy fighters appeared on her screens, then three more. Where the hell are they coming from?

“Rangers Two and Eight,” she yelled. “Sheva, we’ll take the one to the right. Ranger Seven, you take the other one, then we get the hell out of here and back to Avenger.”

Avenger turned, presenting her starboard side to the oncoming enemy fighters and fired a broadside of sixteen Mark 47 Saber missiles at the six incoming enemy craft.

Four of the missiles missed their targets, but twelve hit home, taking out three of the enemy fighters. A second broadside took out two more.

Sheva locked onto his target and fired his second pair of missiles. Danis throttled back, watched them hit home, then followed Seven in. She launched her final pair, turned hard to starboard,

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