x
"I got one!" Lyra called out.
"Good work, Lyra!" Ronan replied. "Now that leaves us with…" His Viper shot over the enemy formation. "Damn!" He smacked his fist against the console.
"Viper 1 to Viper 2," Deputy Oberon's face appeared on the screen. "We've taken out two squadrons with this tactic. We can improve it using asteroids."
"It took us twenty minutes just to gather a collection of space debris," Ronan said. "We don't have time to round up asteroids."
"Every Viper is equipped with retrieval cables for long-distance objects," Oberon said. "I had the professor install them last year, and now they might just save us. It takes less than five minutes to secure an asteroid."
"Then let’s do it," Ronan said.
"Viper 1, out," Oberon confirmed.
"I’ll give it a shot," Lyra said. "Viper 3, out."
The dynamic between Oberon and Ronan had shifted. Ronan had always been the hopeful one, the problem-solver, while Oberon had been the realist. But now, their roles were blending in an unsettling way. For Oberon, if this battle ended badly, he took solace in knowing he was fighting alongside skilled pilots—and he was honored to do so.
The cables shot forward, latching onto the drifting asteroids near the Exodus. Ronan secured a small asteroid, while others swung into position like primitive slingshots. On their screens, the image of Voss appeared.
"Give up, Ronan!" Voss sneered. "Your little resistance is over. The legacy of the arkangel Exodus ends today!"
"No," Ronan shot back. "It won’t. We’re one squadron out of thousands."
"You are a stubborn man," Voss said, chuckling. "I almost admire it. I’ll miss that about you."
Ronan released the asteroid, sending it hurtling toward the enemy fleet.
"You won’t have to miss me, Voss," Ronan said. "Hopefully."
"Don’t be so sure," Voss replied. "You’ve made quite the enemy."
The asteroids tore through the formation, colliding with enemy ships like battering rams. The battlefield became a chaotic mess of crashing vessels and explosions. Ships careened into one another, their impact sending fireballs and debris in all directions. Those who dodged the initial wave opened fire on the Vipers.
Voss’s laughter echoed through Ronan’s comms as his ship was rocked by enemy fire. His Viper spun wildly, losing part of its stabilizers. Sparks erupted from the console, burning his hands as he instinctively shielded himself from an explosion. Smoke billowed from the side panels. His seat buckled under the force, flinging him to the floor near engineering.
The scene shifted to Oberon, watching helplessly as Lyra’s and Ronan’s damaged Vipers drifted away, powerless. They were getting further and further out of reach.
"Bridge, we have a Battle Control emergency," Oberon called urgently. "Repeat. Battle Control."
"Battle Control?" Fenn's concerned face filled the screen. "That’s bad news."
"Voss's command battleship is incoming with an entire fleet," Oberon said grimly. "What happens next is in your hands. You must decide how this plays out."
"And if I don’t want to be the one to decide life or death?" Fenn asked as Oberon's Viper took another hit. "Commander!"
"Get Commander Gampu!" Oberon ordered. "We don’t have much time!"
"Oraco," Fenn muttered, his voice tense.
Another blast struck Oberon's Viper, and the transmission to Command Control cut out.
The camera zoomed in on Fenn's stricken face as he stared at the monitor, watching the Vipers drift toward the enemy fleet.
"Oh, Ronan…" Fenn whispered.
