I whipped Darcy off my back. The weapon tucked into my shoulder with the scope lining up. I could paint the target and unleash tracing rounds. However, I didn’t need to discharge those expensive munitions because I knew exactly what was happening.

The captain of the frigate was screaming at his interceptor for help. If our shuttle was webbed and slowed by a tether, the missiles would have popped the ship into a spray of debris. Instead, Gale ruined their shields with a surprise volley and the captain grew scared.

It was a two on one after and he sought safety.

I didn’t fault them for trying to team up on us and failing. This is what happened when you didn’t have an experienced officer and a veteran crew.

Their minimal training went out the window when their assholes puckered and death knocked on their door.

The interceptor burned at full speed directly for my shuttle. My scope tracked the velocity, helping me adjust for my lead angle.

I waited, watching the small ship zooming toward the shuttle Gale piloted.

The seconds passed like hours as I focused intently.

When the point of no return happened, I grinned mischievously.

The velocity capped, stabilized, and became consistent.

I exhaled, caressed the trigger back, and unleashed four quick rounds.

There wasn’t time to watch the rounds hit. “Fly direct at me, hard turn, and Gale, don’t get blown up.”

“Their shields are down. Turning,” she grunted through the maneuver barely twirling through the seekers.

Two collided as they narrowly missed her.

The shuttle rocked from the explosion and I feared I wouldn’t see Gale again when an engine sputtered. A flare of exhaust kicked out and the engine roared back to life. She sent the ship surging towards me.

Lady Luck shines bright. Atta girl.

I focused on the two trailing seekers. “Straight flight for three seconds. Start… Now!”

I shouted into my helmet. Even after thousands of missions, countless near-deaths, and daring excitement - a surge of adrenaline coursed through me. The shuttle was only going to miss me by a few feet and I kept on grinning.

I lined up the shots on the seekers. They weren’t evading, not expecting me either because of programming or -

A dazzling bright light erupted from up and to my left.

The interceptor exploded.

I must have hit something critical and it took a moment to detonate. I remained focused on the missiles. The wash of that force would screw my aim in mere seconds, forcing me to hurry.

I sighted the first seeker.

The carbine jolted in my arm, pushing me back. Tiny back jets countered the movement so I could fire from a steady position.

I sighted the second when the first exploded, detonating the second in a chain event.

“Bonus. Alright. I got it from here, great work Gale,” I said, activating my jets toward the frigate on an intercept vector.

“I didn’t do anything,” she said.

“You stayed alive, that is far more than they are doing. Keep it up and get some distance.”

Six squelched into my ear piece, the static unnecessary. “There is only a three percent chance you pull off this mission. It is recommended you retreat. Luck has been your -”

She could fuck right off. And now you’re on mute.

I deftly moved Darcy onto my back magnetization. The instant she locked into place I yanked my plasma shotgun to the ready. The whole process of me leaving the ship, waiting, and firing at my targets was less than thirty seconds.

My boot thrusters triggered into action, driving me right for the frigate that chased the shuttle. The captain would have to break tether with the transport to keep up with her pace and it didn’t seem like he thought the prize was worth losing to chase the shuttle.

The distance between the frigate and me closed faster than I would have liked. I was definitely coming in hot. I fired a wad of plasma when I could make out the flicker of the recharging shields.

The reddish-orange goop splattered onto the blue shielding before missing the frigate. The clingy material shorted whatever minimal shields the small ship managed to get back online.

The moment of truth came and passed; I made it through the shielding instead of bouncing off. I lined up my right arm and a tether blasted out.

As the ship threatened to zip by, my device sunk into the hull. I grunted from the pain of the tether yanking me towards the speedy ship. I raced toward the middle of the ship’s exterior at incredible speeds.

The anti-ship cannons tried to track the sudden threat, not being able to line up in time.

I indented the trigger, welling up a blast that poured every ounce of plasma into a single shot. My aim didn’t need to be perfect.

A frigate’s exterior was thin. It relied on a heavy powercore for shielding, staying light to remain nimble. This ship was built to close the distance and to avoid heavy fire.

My plasma could turn metal to slag and this was a perfect application. I let go of the trigger when the shot was a guaranteed hit.

When the glop slapped against the hull, the two materials created a glowing flare so bright my HUD dimmed. The molten metal bubbled before open an ever growing hole. A gush of vented air erupted into space. Any of the crew without helmets on would be suffering.

All part of the plan.

I released my tether with a simple mind command to my HUD. I was only a dozen feet from the widening hole, waiting for the right moment. The plasma rapidly cooled, its job complete. The opening called to me and I rushed to enter the ship.

The plasma gun latched onto my chest and the twins fit into my palms to do Eden’s work. I soared into the compartment, eager to start gunning down my foes.

Eight enemies, three friendlies.

Of all the crew, only the captain got his helmet on in time. The seven others fought to secure their helmets. The captain struggled to help his adjunct.

The jacket wearing lasarin never saw me coming. I twisted, lined up the shot, and seduced the triggers back. Twin beams of energy lanced across the confined space. Pockets of blue formed in his chest before red oozed out the front and blasted out the back.

A lucky lasarin managed to seal her helmet on right as I neared. She gulped in air in relief, her eyes widening as I loomed over her. I blew holes in her wrists to protect myself more than anything.

With her out of the fight, I spun in a tight twirl. My pistols tracked the others. The six lasarin crew struggled and one by one, they died from asphyxiation. I watched them die, kicking a helmet out of desperate hands.

I reached a helmet that floated in the main cabin, hurrying to the three humans who desperately held their breath. When I tried to save the mother she pushed me away and toward her son. Her hazel eyes pleaded in desperation, her final request was to save her son.

“Fine,” I grumbled, sliding the helmet over her teenager.

The young man sucked in the suit’s generated air desperately. The moment he realized he lived, he panicked and rushed to save his parents.

The reality was, all three of them should have been dead. His survival in and of itself was miraculous. I fetched two helmets, securing them on the dead before he could even find one. I knew what he was thinking and the fighting was over so I gave them the best chance they could. The suits fought, shocking their occupants with emergency measures.

The jolting bodies never recovered, and for that, I was sympathetic.

This was the best I could do for him.

I unmuted Six. “Come in, Veteran Oland.”

“What?” I barked.

“You made it!” Gale cheered. “Hell ya. Why the fuck did you take three percent odds?”

“A. Yee of little faith. B. Don’t listen to the mindless robot.”

Six dryly said, “I was right. You failed in your mission.”

I stared down at the two bodies the teenager wailed over. “Wrong.”

“The mission was to recover the asset and preserve the life of the crew. Most of the crew died.”

I scoffed. “Eden’s needs supersede the needs of the individual. Or did that motto change too?”

“It has not been removed, but it is also not actively said,” Six replied.

“Like I give a fuck about your semantics. Six. You’re to immediately shut down. Orders from Gee Oland,” I said.

She didn’t argue, the ship did remove herself from my chat options.

About fucking time.