warships, and the entire American formation scattered and reformed multiple times a second. A destroyer slid by overhead, gravitic cannon firing in time with the fleet, and three missiles smashed into it, sending it spinning away, spewing debris and atmosphere. A frigate simply disappeared under five missiles and another Avenger exploded off to the side.
More missiles engulfed a cruiser and Jack focused enough to bring up the name. Washington , the only other Los Angeles -class in the fleet, writhed under the assault of missile after missile penetrating her point defense grid. Adams and Hancock threw every missile and laser they had at the incoming missiles, desperately trying to save her from destruction. But one of the missiles must have found Washington’s magazines because one second she was there, taking fire gamely, and the next she came exploded without warning. Jack averted his eyes from the death and destruction, and weaved to starboard without thinking.
“That was Snake’s ship!” Betty shouted as a missile tore at their port deflection grid, missing them by meters.
“I know,” Jack said, pushing the throttle down to send them under another quartet of missiles.
“Snake’s gone !” Betty shouted again.
That got Jack’s attention. He scanned the displays, looking for the right one, and gritted his teeth as he saw it. That empty hole in the squadron display should have had Louis Mattioli’s fighter on it. For a second, he didn’t know what to do, the weight of losing another Cowboy freezing him in place. Then he let out a long breath, sucked it in, and let it out again. This was no time for grieving. And Snake’s cyber was going to need something to keep her going right now.
“Jasmine,” he said, and her holoform came to attention on the display. “Get Natalie and keep her in the game,” he ordered. Jasmine nodded and he looked back to the displays showing their remaining fighters. Another Avenger came apart and he winced. “Better yet, bring her into our formation.”
He looked at Betty. She nodded in approval.
“I’m on it,” Jasmine returned and Jack pulled hard to the left, barely in time to miss another missile that would have torn them apart.
A display blinked. He saw five Avengers slide into formation around Los Angeles and nodded in approval. They spat death at the incoming missiles, slotting into the point defense network with ease, and he suppressed a worried look as Natalie’s holoform appeared on his console. She looked like she wanted to bolt.
“There’s still bad guys that need killing out there, Natalie,” he said, looking into her eyes and gauging her current mental health. Her eyes didn’t want to meet his and he felt her desire to leave. “I need you,” he added and pulled up on the throttle as he had another vague feeling that he really wanted to move. This time, six missiles passed underneath him and Los Angeles’ point defense took them apart. Natalie looked shaken, but she licked her lips in response to his statement. “Do I need to make it an order?” he asked and saw her wince.
Her pilot was dead. She was technically released from her enlistment, though that officially didn’t take effect until the end of the battle. But not all cybers had waited that long in the past, and he had personally seen entire squadrons come apart when the cyber just cracked. He didn’t think Natalie would but her eyes betrayed a nervous terror. Her world had ended with Snake’s death but she nodded.
“I’m good,” she said in a strained voice. It was a lie of course. She was anything but good, but he was willing to take it one step at a time.
“Then let’s kill us some Shang,” Jack said.
“Yes, sir,” Natalie answered, a dangerous anger in her eyes.
That situation taken care of good enough for now, Jack’s attention returned to the larger battle. Point defense lasers and missiles struck out at
More missiles engulfed a cruiser and Jack focused enough to bring up the name. Washington , the only other Los Angeles -class in the fleet, writhed under the assault of missile after missile penetrating her point defense grid. Adams and Hancock threw every missile and laser they had at the incoming missiles, desperately trying to save her from destruction. But one of the missiles must have found Washington’s magazines because one second she was there, taking fire gamely, and the next she came exploded without warning. Jack averted his eyes from the death and destruction, and weaved to starboard without thinking.
“That was Snake’s ship!” Betty shouted as a missile tore at their port deflection grid, missing them by meters.
“I know,” Jack said, pushing the throttle down to send them under another quartet of missiles.
“Snake’s gone !” Betty shouted again.
That got Jack’s attention. He scanned the displays, looking for the right one, and gritted his teeth as he saw it. That empty hole in the squadron display should have had Louis Mattioli’s fighter on it. For a second, he didn’t know what to do, the weight of losing another Cowboy freezing him in place. Then he let out a long breath, sucked it in, and let it out again. This was no time for grieving. And Snake’s cyber was going to need something to keep her going right now.
“Jasmine,” he said, and her holoform came to attention on the display. “Get Natalie and keep her in the game,” he ordered. Jasmine nodded and he looked back to the displays showing their remaining fighters. Another Avenger came apart and he winced. “Better yet, bring her into our formation.”
He looked at Betty. She nodded in approval.
“I’m on it,” Jasmine returned and Jack pulled hard to the left, barely in time to miss another missile that would have torn them apart.
A display blinked. He saw five Avengers slide into formation around Los Angeles and nodded in approval. They spat death at the incoming missiles, slotting into the point defense network with ease, and he suppressed a worried look as Natalie’s holoform appeared on his console. She looked like she wanted to bolt.
“There’s still bad guys that need killing out there, Natalie,” he said, looking into her eyes and gauging her current mental health. Her eyes didn’t want to meet his and he felt her desire to leave. “I need you,” he added and pulled up on the throttle as he had another vague feeling that he really wanted to move. This time, six missiles passed underneath him and Los Angeles’ point defense took them apart. Natalie looked shaken, but she licked her lips in response to his statement. “Do I need to make it an order?” he asked and saw her wince.
Her pilot was dead. She was technically released from her enlistment, though that officially didn’t take effect until the end of the battle. But not all cybers had waited that long in the past, and he had personally seen entire squadrons come apart when the cyber just cracked. He didn’t think Natalie would but her eyes betrayed a nervous terror. Her world had ended with Snake’s death but she nodded.
“I’m good,” she said in a strained voice. It was a lie of course. She was anything but good, but he was willing to take it one step at a time.
“Then let’s kill us some Shang,” Jack said.
“Yes, sir,” Natalie answered, a dangerous anger in her eyes.
That situation taken care of good enough for now, Jack’s attention returned to the larger battle. Point defense lasers and missiles struck out at
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