Aboard Die Himmelstadt, 47th of Ash, 124
No sooner had the 175th Squadron finished disembarking their aircraft, the the airship’s alarms blared, reverberating across the cavernous hangar bay of Die Himmelstadt. The urgency of the klaxon was unmistakable. He exchanged a tense glance with Claudia.
“Shit” both of them said in unison before scrambling to the operation control room in the hangar.
A junior officer sprinted into the control room. His uniform soaked from the relentless rain outside.
“Lieutenant! We’ve just received a distress signal from the 88th Squadron. They were ambushed ten klicks east of our position while returning from their patrol. They’ve taken heavy losses and are trying to evade pursuit.”
Axel’s blood ran cold. The 88th Squadron was by no means green. Their roster was filled with veterans, some of them who flew with him during the siege of Vlaikgas.
“Who hit them?” Axel demanded.
The officer hesitated, his face pale. “Zythura pirates, sir. A large group. We suspect they’ve been lying in wait under the storm’s cover.”
The words hit Axel like a physical blow. Memories surged to the forefront of his mind. Vlaikgas, the blackened skies over the Zythuran coastal city, and the nightmarish battle that had decimated their squadron during the siege. His mentor, Captain Faulker, had been shot down in those skies. So had Adrian, Axel’s best friend since academy days.
“That crazy fucker,” Axel muttered as he rushed to his aircraft. He stopped and looked at his fellow pilots that had re-assembled. “175th, we’re going back out. Full loadouts. Have the reserve ready in case things went sideways. Inform the other fighter squadron that’s available to be on standby.” He looked straight at the junior officer who delivered the message, “You, relay this to Commander Garrick: This might be that person. Razhek.” He ordered.
Axel climbed back into the cockpit of the PX1-567. He adjusted his helmet and flipped switches on the flight panel. “PX1-567, ready for launch,” he reported, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions inside him. Fuck, fuck, fuck. There’s only one group crazy enough to fly in this kind of storm. He thought to himself, his fingers drumming nervously on the flight panel.
The squadron launched into the storm once more, their formation tight and purposeful. The storm, as if enraged by their defiance, battered them with even greater ferocity. Rain obscured visibility, and violent gusts of wind threatened to scatter the aircraft. Axel pushed the PX1-567 harder than he ever had before, its enhanced stabilizers keeping it on course where lesser craft might have faltered.
Claudia’s voice cut through the static. “We’ve got the 88th’s last known coordinates. They’re trying to stay low near the Eredwin Range, but they’re heavily outnumbered. Keep your eyes open.”
Axel glanced to his right, where Vivian Neumark’s PX1 gleamed faintly in the flashes of lightning. He couldn’t help but admire her composure. The storm began to yield glimpses of the chaos ahead. Explosions lit up the darkness like brief, cruel stars. Below, jagged mountain peaks loomed, treacherous and unforgiving.
They spotted the 88th first, or what remained of them. Five PX1s streaked through the rain, their movements desperate and erratic as they evaded a dozen enemy aircrafts. The pirates were flying the Daggerhawks airships, sleek, angular craft marked by blood-red trim. They ha encountered a few Daggerhawks during the siege years ago, but no this many. Axel recognized the colors immediately,
“Benji it’s them.” He said into the relay. It was the same group that they fought during the siege of Vlaikgas.
“Dammit, of all times.....” Benji’s voice trailed off.
A voice broke over the relay, raw with desperation. “Mayday, Mayday. This is Lieutenant Grev of the 88th! We’re down to five aircraft. Requesting immediate support!”
“This is the 175th. We’re engaging.” Axel responded. His orders came swift and precise. “Formation Delta! Break the engagement net and draw their attention. Claudia, Vivi, you’re with me. We’ll hit them hard and fast. The rest, with Benji.” Axel throttled forward, the PX1-567 surging ahead. His grip on the control stick tightened.
The squadron split into two groups. Axel’s team dove straight into the heart of the pirate formation, while the rest of the 175th circled wide, cutting off potential escape routes. Axel’s target came into view. A Daggerhawk weaving toward one of the 88th’s remaining aircraft. His thumb hovered over the trigger for the PX1-567’s enhanced dual-linked autocannons, their barrels glowing faintly with stored dragonshard energy. “Eat this, fucker” He exhaled sharply, then squeezed the trigger. The autocannons roared to life, spitting a deadly stream of tracer fire. The rounds found their mark, tearing through the Daggerhawk’s left wing. The pirate craft spiraled downward, a trail of smoke marking its descent.
“Confirmed hit,” Vivi’s voice rang over the relay as she banked hard to intercept another enemy fighter.
Axel barely had time to respond before another Daggerhawk dropped in behind him. Red tracer rounds zipped past his canopy, too close for comfort.
“Got a tail!” Axel called out, jinking hard to the left. The PX1-567 responded instantly, its agility surpassing anything Axel had ever flown. The pirate stuck close, undeterred by Axel’s evasive maneuvers.
“Hold on, Axel, I’m coming!” Claudia called out.
Axel dove toward the mountains, the Daggerhawk in hot pursuit. Rain lashed against the canopy as he pushed the PX1-567 to its limits, threading it through the narrow gaps between peaks. The pirate stayed stubbornly on his six, matching his moves with unnerving precision.
“Anytime now, Claudia!” Axel growled, sweat slicking his brow.
A flash of light streaked past his cockpit as Claudia’s PX1 screamed into view. Her cannons tore through the Daggerhawk’s fuselage, sending it exploding into a fireball.
“Thanks for the save,” Axel replied.
No sooner had the 175th Squadron finished disembarking their aircraft, the the airship’s alarms blared, reverberating across the cavernous hangar bay of Die Himmelstadt. The urgency of the klaxon was unmistakable. He exchanged a tense glance with Claudia.
“Shit” both of them said in unison before scrambling to the operation control room in the hangar.
A junior officer sprinted into the control room. His uniform soaked from the relentless rain outside.
“Lieutenant! We’ve just received a distress signal from the 88th Squadron. They were ambushed ten klicks east of our position while returning from their patrol. They’ve taken heavy losses and are trying to evade pursuit.”
Axel’s blood ran cold. The 88th Squadron was by no means green. Their roster was filled with veterans, some of them who flew with him during the siege of Vlaikgas.
“Who hit them?” Axel demanded.
The officer hesitated, his face pale. “Zythura pirates, sir. A large group. We suspect they’ve been lying in wait under the storm’s cover.”
The words hit Axel like a physical blow. Memories surged to the forefront of his mind. Vlaikgas, the blackened skies over the Zythuran coastal city, and the nightmarish battle that had decimated their squadron during the siege. His mentor, Captain Faulker, had been shot down in those skies. So had Adrian, Axel’s best friend since academy days.
“That crazy fucker,” Axel muttered as he rushed to his aircraft. He stopped and looked at his fellow pilots that had re-assembled. “175th, we’re going back out. Full loadouts. Have the reserve ready in case things went sideways. Inform the other fighter squadron that’s available to be on standby.” He looked straight at the junior officer who delivered the message, “You, relay this to Commander Garrick: This might be that person. Razhek.” He ordered.
Axel climbed back into the cockpit of the PX1-567. He adjusted his helmet and flipped switches on the flight panel. “PX1-567, ready for launch,” he reported, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions inside him. Fuck, fuck, fuck. There’s only one group crazy enough to fly in this kind of storm. He thought to himself, his fingers drumming nervously on the flight panel.
The squadron launched into the storm once more, their formation tight and purposeful. The storm, as if enraged by their defiance, battered them with even greater ferocity. Rain obscured visibility, and violent gusts of wind threatened to scatter the aircraft. Axel pushed the PX1-567 harder than he ever had before, its enhanced stabilizers keeping it on course where lesser craft might have faltered.
Claudia’s voice cut through the static. “We’ve got the 88th’s last known coordinates. They’re trying to stay low near the Eredwin Range, but they’re heavily outnumbered. Keep your eyes open.”
Axel glanced to his right, where Vivian Neumark’s PX1 gleamed faintly in the flashes of lightning. He couldn’t help but admire her composure. The storm began to yield glimpses of the chaos ahead. Explosions lit up the darkness like brief, cruel stars. Below, jagged mountain peaks loomed, treacherous and unforgiving.
They spotted the 88th first, or what remained of them. Five PX1s streaked through the rain, their movements desperate and erratic as they evaded a dozen enemy aircrafts. The pirates were flying the Daggerhawks airships, sleek, angular craft marked by blood-red trim. They ha encountered a few Daggerhawks during the siege years ago, but no this many. Axel recognized the colors immediately,
“Benji it’s them.” He said into the relay. It was the same group that they fought during the siege of Vlaikgas.
“Dammit, of all times.....” Benji’s voice trailed off.
A voice broke over the relay, raw with desperation. “Mayday, Mayday. This is Lieutenant Grev of the 88th! We’re down to five aircraft. Requesting immediate support!”
“This is the 175th. We’re engaging.” Axel responded. His orders came swift and precise. “Formation Delta! Break the engagement net and draw their attention. Claudia, Vivi, you’re with me. We’ll hit them hard and fast. The rest, with Benji.” Axel throttled forward, the PX1-567 surging ahead. His grip on the control stick tightened.
The squadron split into two groups. Axel’s team dove straight into the heart of the pirate formation, while the rest of the 175th circled wide, cutting off potential escape routes. Axel’s target came into view. A Daggerhawk weaving toward one of the 88th’s remaining aircraft. His thumb hovered over the trigger for the PX1-567’s enhanced dual-linked autocannons, their barrels glowing faintly with stored dragonshard energy. “Eat this, fucker” He exhaled sharply, then squeezed the trigger. The autocannons roared to life, spitting a deadly stream of tracer fire. The rounds found their mark, tearing through the Daggerhawk’s left wing. The pirate craft spiraled downward, a trail of smoke marking its descent.
“Confirmed hit,” Vivi’s voice rang over the relay as she banked hard to intercept another enemy fighter.
Axel barely had time to respond before another Daggerhawk dropped in behind him. Red tracer rounds zipped past his canopy, too close for comfort.
“Got a tail!” Axel called out, jinking hard to the left. The PX1-567 responded instantly, its agility surpassing anything Axel had ever flown. The pirate stuck close, undeterred by Axel’s evasive maneuvers.
“Hold on, Axel, I’m coming!” Claudia called out.
Axel dove toward the mountains, the Daggerhawk in hot pursuit. Rain lashed against the canopy as he pushed the PX1-567 to its limits, threading it through the narrow gaps between peaks. The pirate stayed stubbornly on his six, matching his moves with unnerving precision.
“Anytime now, Claudia!” Axel growled, sweat slicking his brow.
A flash of light streaked past his cockpit as Claudia’s PX1 screamed into view. Her cannons tore through the Daggerhawk’s fuselage, sending it exploding into a fireball.
“Thanks for the save,” Axel replied.
