Page 23 of Blightfall

Sadie and Gilaf met the oncoming ships, destructors filling the air with death. Sadie took out one ship’s shields and Gilaf finished it off, sending the wreckage hurtling downward, toppling nose over tail. They focused on another ship, but the third broke away, heading straight toward Orator.

I positioned myself between Orator and that oncoming ship, providing covering fire for Sadie and Gilaf.

“Amphi!” Alanik shouted over the radio. “Those ships ahead circled around. They’re coming at Orator from three o’clock.”

Scud. Orator was unprotected from that side. There wasn’t much we could do about it, few in number as we were.

“I’m coming back,” Sadie said, using her light-lance to pivot around a piece of debris. It was small enough that she destabilized its orbit in the process, and let go at the right moment to send it flying at the enemy ship just as Gilaf finished taking down its shield. The resulting crash sent shards of rock and metal spiraling in all directions.

“Four more ships,” I said.

The third ship in Sadie and Gilaf’s group reached me, and I rolled away from its destructors. Instead of chasing me, it headed for Orator.

“Ferret, you’re surrounded!” I shouted. This wasn’t working. They were going to pick us off one by one until there was nothing left. Our only prayer was to hyperjump lower in the atmosphere. “Orator, full speed toward the planet. Once we break free of the inhibitor, we’ll request a hyperjump.”

I wasn’t completely sure we’d be able to—many things about this planet were not as they seemed—but trying was our best hope.

“Copy, Amphi,” Ferret said. He slammed on his boosters, weaving around debris. He couldn’t hit overburn without risking a large piece smashing through his shields, but at least he was making progress.

“Angel,” I said, “stay with Orator. We need Bob free of the field to request hyperjump.”

“On it,” Alanik said.

I turned my ship with an overwing twist and cut below Orator’s flight path, heading off the ships that Alanik had warned me about. I slammed on my destructors, not aiming at the ships specifically but laying down cover fire.

It worked. The two ships engaged with me, giving Orator and Alanik time to outpace us and hopefully clear the inhibitor field. They might not be able to leave the planet once they did, but at least they could gain some distance while we figured out what the hell was going on.

I kept firing on the enemy, chasing them back around a chunk of debris bigger than Platform Prime, with a beam of metal sticking out of the side that might once have been the corner of a large building. The ships stuck with me, and I suffered a hit to my shields. I used my light-lance to cut a quick ninety-degree turn, tearing a chunk of the building clean off. My GravCaps mitigated the forces, then cut out abruptly and my body slammed to the side of my cockpit. Naga squeaked in her sling beside my seat.

“Sorry, girl,” I said, throwing us into a barrel roll to avoid the fire of the two ships as they rocketed around the debris behind me, still hot on my tail.

“Amphi!” Alanik said. “More ships ahead!”

“Angel, dodge!” Gilaf shouted over the radio.

If I went to help Alanik protect Orator, I’d kite both drones with me. “Ghost, Sentry, can you back up Angel?”

“Not yet,” Sadie said. “Have to get this last—”

“I’m going,” Gilaf said.

I glanced at my monitors. Gilaf had some debris to weave around, but he was moving in Alanik’s direction. Sadie had a ship on her tail and seemed to be doing the same thing I was: trying not to lead it toward the others. We could only entertain so many enemy ships apiece before they’d overwhelm us.

I could see Alanik’s ship staunchly positioned directly in front of Orator, and imagined the diplomats inside the larger ship, powerless to protect themselves, relying on us to keep them safe. One of the drones behind me cut to the side and sped up, no doubt ready to head me off and restrict my movement. I went into a twin-scissor, avoiding their fire.

“Amphi!” Alanik shouted, “Orator’s hit!”

I couldn’t take it anymore. Yes, if I took off for Orator, I’d be leading these ships right to them, but if I stayed here, Alanik and Gilaf faced an unknown number of oncoming ships alone. I checked my proximity monitors, studying the debris between me and Alanik. I charted a straight shot, used my light-lance to pivot around one last piece of debris, and catapulted myself toward Orator and Alanik. I hit overburn, leaving the two ships in my wake. It wouldn’t take them long to change course and catch up, but I needed to reach Alanik before she was overwhelmed.

Alanik and Orator were pushing toward the planet, and I decelerated as I reached them but still overshot as I slowed, preparing for a dogfight. I knew there were too many enemy ships to engage on my own, but the more I pulled toward me, the fewer would target Alanik and Orator while they raced for the edge of the inhibitor field.

There were six ships coming at us and another three behind, if Sadie hadn’t taken care of hers. Stars, she’d been quiet for a while. For once, I didn’t like her silence. “Sentry, sitrep?”

“Target down!” Sadie said. “On my way to you. You’ve got two tails, though. Want me to distract them?”

I didn’t want to leave her behind to get caught between the ships I’d left and the ones coming at us from the planet side. “Negative. All ships, fly toward the planet.” Our speed would be limited when we entered atmosphere, but it was the only place we might escape these drones.

“Copy, Amphi,” Sadie said. “Coming toward you.”