Clouds Last Run

Gudersnipe

“De opresso Letum, to free from death.”

Hunter watched the mighty Gudersnipe carrier Ruben James surrender itself to the heavens in a burning inferno against the hull of the Ogre. The Kamians had fought hard, but his unit had fought harder.

In the end the Gudersnipers just wanted it more. The Ogre had spat over two hundred fighters from its launch bays, while the Ruben James carried only four wings of eight fighters each.

Worse: the Kamian Troll fighters had the Gudersnipe Interceptor Harpy out classed and out gunned. The interceptors were designed for versatility and fleet-guard defense, while the Troll was a sheer attack vessel. The Kamian Yowai ships didn’t make it any easier, biological weapons designed to whip out planets. Wraithguard wasn’t an important planet as far as Gudersnipe was concerned; but there were six billion people living on the surface.

That was enough reason for Hunter to fight to the death.

They had fought so hard, and had gotten so far. Over a hundred kills but the Yowai’s had escaped with two groups of fighter escorts. One had taken only fifteen or sixteen fighters and fled into deep space; the other survivors of the Ogre had set a course for Wraithguard with the Yowai. Hunter was the most senior officer left, though he hadn’t been commander on this mission. The flag would have passed to him anyway, but the troops followed him regardless of his stripes.

Now was the time to decide. He had nineteen ships left counting the Saratoga, all in good order and more or less half armed. The Kamians had split their forces; he and his wing had no choice but to do the same.

It wasn’t hard to decide really. Send few ships after the small group and take most of his unit after the larger one. The Interceptors had no long-range communication abilities, so whoever he sent would be on their own. Gudersnipe had a small base and GATE facility on Wraithguard, but it had only planetary forces, and the planet itself had no defensive fleet. That meant it was up to Hunter’s remaining squadron to take them out. At least if they could get both tenders, the planetary forces could handle the fighters before they could kill to many civilians. Either way people would die, there job was to keep that number as far down as they could.

“Hunter,” Cloud signaled over the COM. “My wing is ready to pursue the smaller group, if you think—”

“They’re heading into deep space,” Hunter interrupted. “Your life support won’t last forever.”

“If you give us the order, we will go.”

Hunter considered Cloud’s words. He knew it, and Cloud knew it. People were going to die, and the Gudersnipe soldiers were ready to do whatever they had to protect them. Hunter didn’t like giving deadly orders, but he had no other choice. In this moment, it was Do or die.

“Chase them into the night,” Hunter ordered. “Gung Ho.”

“Aye sir,” Cloud replied confidently.

“Cloud,” Hunter said before killing the frequency. “God speed.”

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