The next morning, the Boltus pilots entered their Knights and prepared to launch from The Cairo. As Andres and his Knight were lifted to the launching platform, Kara spoke with him.“Mmm, it’s too early!” She whined.

  Andres raised an eyebrow. “Don’t like waking up early, Kara?”

  “It’s not that! I mean…I don’t, but we won’t see the moon while we’re out today.”

  “Why does that matter?”

  “Because I love the moon, it’s my favorite. But I can’t see it since I’m always in the hangar.”

  “I see, well—”

  “Minions of the Hawks squad, are you ready for launch?” Bella interrupted through the Comms.

  “We’re ready, Bella.”

  “You’re clear for take off, boys. Good luck, and keep communicating.”

  “Understood. Before we go, this is our first step to bringing peace back to the continent. Let’s give our best and have each other’s backs.” Marcus encouraged his team.

  “Absolutely!” Kobe replied. “May I pray for us before we launch?”

  “Please do,” Andres said. Santos and Marcus agreed as well.

  “God in Heaven, thank you for our lives and your blessings. Give us the strength to bring peace back to your world. Protect us and bring us back home.”

  “Thank you, Kobe,” Santos said as he moved his hand in a cross motion over himself.

  “Thanks, Kobe. Hawks squad launching now!” Marcus announced as the Cairo’s flight deck launched the four Knights. As the Hawks neared the walled enemy base, they flew low to evade the anti-air cannon.

  Marcus came on the Comm channel. “Heads up, we have company!”

  Two Elerian MAVs appeared from the north to intercept.

  “Santos, cover Kobe so he can get close with his shoulder cannon and destroy the AA emplacement!”

  “Roger!” Santos and Kobe boosted toward the enemy base’s wall, using it for cover. Santos' Knight, armed with gauntlet-mounted shotguns and retractable spikes that extended on impact, was built for brutal close combat. With a swift ascent, he soared onto the wall and effortlessly tore through the defenses.

  Kobe followed close behind as Santos carved a path through enemy Leopard-type MAVs, tanks, IFVs, and defensive emplacements with his devastating gauntlets. Adding a few well-placed rifle bursts, Kobe kept pace as they glided toward their objective. Once positioned behind the massive AA emplacement, he braced himself, his shoulder cannon firing a powerful round that shattered the gun into pieces.

  Meanwhile, Andres and Marcus prepared to face their opponents. The enemy MAVs were armed with machine guns, round shields, and swords.

  “Bella, the Empire has a new type of MAV, similar to our Knights,” Marcus said.

  “Acknowledged, proceed with caution.”

  “Too bad there’s only two of them, it’s not a fair fight!” Both sides exchanged fire, but were ineffective as their shields protected them from the bullets.

  “They aren’t coming down! We need to get in close for melee combat, but we can’t fly with the AA cannon still operational!” Andres called out to Marcus as they dodged and blocked the bullets with their shields.

  Kara chimed in. “If I focus, I can detect incoming fire from those cannons and warn you! So you can take the fight to them!”

  “Do you trust her, Andres?” Marcus asked.

  “I do. She’ll steer us right.”

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  “I’m in, just say when!”

  “Ready, Kara?” Andres asked.

  “Locking onto AA cannon location… got it!”

  “Let’s go!” Andres boosted his Knight toward the closest enemy MAV as Marcus took on the other.

  “We’ll fight as one, Andres! I’ll guide you between fire!” Kara encouraged.

  “Just let us know when to move and we’ll handle the rest!” Andres swung his sword at the enemy, but he countered with his shield.

  “Move down and to your right, Andres! Marcus, move up and to your left! In three…two…one…Now!” Kara instructed them. Both pilots did as she said. They moved just in time as the kinetic spike flashed past them. This AA cannon was a specialized railgun, designed to destroy the Republic Embers.

  Andres, Kara, and Marcus repeated this process multiple times, trying to knock out the enemy MAVs. Finally, off in the distance, there was an explosion. Kobe and Santos destroyed the cannon.

  “Now we can move freely!” Marcus cheered as he began using his lance like a jouster. He covered himself with his shield and flew as fast as he could, straight at his opponent. The enemy dodged Marcus twice, but panicked. Marcus impaled him on the third pass.

  At the same time, Andres locked swords with his opponent and used his boosters to bring him down to ground level. He kept the enemy on the ground with an aggressive onslaught of sword swings. Finally, Andres raised his shield for cover and dipped under his opponent, tackling him to the ground. He hacked away relentlessly, destroying the enemy’s arms and head before flipping him over to disable his boosters.. Andres left the pilot alive but unable to retaliate.

  Bella came on the Comm Channel. “Good job, boys. Enemy MAVs and the AA cannon are destroyed. Regroup and prepare for extraction.”

  “We’re going, Bella,” Marcus responded. “I told you we needed you, Andres. You’re a real force out here.”

  “I’m just glad I can contribute,” Andres replied as they flew towards the transport ship to rendezvous with Santos and Kobe.

  Marcus gave a thumbs up. “You’re doing more than just contributing, let’s keep it up, man.”

  “Right.” Andres nodded.

  “You’re surprisingly adept at combat, Andres,” Kara commented.

  “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

  “It is, considering I know you’ve been holding back. You’re being careful not to hurt anyone.”

  “I figure I shouldn’t force you to see people die.”

  “Aww! Are you always thinking of me, Andres?” Kara teased.

  “Is that what you’re hoping for, Kara?”

  “Um…What? I-” Kara was interrupted by Kobe and Santos, who greeted Andres and Marcus as they met up to extract.

  ***

  Meanwhile, beneath a cloudless sky, the Falcons soared over the rough sea, spotting their target in the distance, dozens of anchored naval ships and fortified coastal defenses. As they closed in, warning sirens blared across the port, signaling their arrival.

  “Okay, Rachel, use your sniper rifle to take out some of their defenses so we can get close,” Akari ordered.

  Rachel’s fox avatar responded. “Caaaan do!”

  “Mai and Julius, once Rachel has made a path for us, we’ll swoop and make a strafe run west to east.”

  “Understood!” they replied.

  Rachel began shooting the coastal batteries overlooking the port. After she destroyed five of them, she targeted some of the anti-air units dotted throughout the target area.

  “Let’s go!” Akari instructed.

  Akari, Mai, and Julius swooped in from the west, unleashing a strafing run on the naval vessels while Rachel provided cover. They weaved through the sky, twisting and turning to evade the relentless defensive fire from the Elerian fleet. Their armor-piercing rounds and Julius’ chain gun tore through the hulls with ease, some shots striking ammunition depots and triggering massive explosions that ripped the ships apart.

  Upon completing the first pass, Akari gave new orders. “Mai and Rachel, finish off their navy. Julius, there’s a ground counter-attack coming from the west, take care of them!”

  “What are you gonna do, sis?” Mai asked.

  “I’m gonna keep our guest company.”

  “Guest?”

  “He’ll be gone before you know it; let’s wrap this up quick. Bella, do you copy? It seems the Empire has a new type of MAV.”

  “Yes, the Hawks encountered two at their objective. Engage and eliminate it,” Bella instructed.

  “Will do!”

  The Imperial MAV sped south toward the port. It was equipped with a massive body shield, a machine gun, and a long spear attached to the shield. The enemy MAV wasted no time, opening fire on Akari. She swiftly dodged to the right, then to the left, expertly avoiding the barrage of gunfire. “Missed me!”

  “Kneel before your new masters, girl! The Empire will rule the south!”

  “Not happening!” Akari exclaimed as she returned fire, but the enemy shield was too thick. She instead drew her sword and closed the distance.

  After expending his bullets firing at Akari, the enemy pilot landed and drew his spear, confident that he could win a close combat duel as long as he kept Akari in front of him. “You’ll never break this shield, girl!”

  “I don’t need to!” Akari used her Knight’s agility to dodge the enemy’s spear thrusts, darting in zig-zag movements as she tried to get behind her opponent. The Imperial pilot, weighed down by his heavy equipment, grew increasingly frustrated trying to keep Akari in front of him. Finally, he mistimed a spear thrust. Seizing the opportunity, Akari boosted quickly to his left and drove her sword right underneath his side. She pulled back just in time to avoid the explosion as his MAV erupted.

  “Woah! You trashed that guy, sis!” Mai exclaimed, coming up from the port with Rachel.

  Rachel’s fox cheered. “You’re amazing!”

  “Thanks. Let's get out of here. Bella, objective complete.”

  “Great work. Rendezvous with the transport ship to the south.”

  Julius was still fighting a few enemy units. “Hey! What about me?!”

  “Hurry up, Julius!” Mai scolded him.

  “Geez! You could at least help me!” Rachel sighed and fired a few rounds from her sniper rifle, offering some distant support to Julius. With the enemy forces mopped up, the Falcons extracted and regrouped aboard The Cairo, where Bella debriefed them.

  “I must commend you for your work today. The Republic’s position in the war has vastly improved due to your efforts. You adapted quickly to the battlefield circumstances. You should be proud. There should be enough time for us to enjoy Halloween before we receive another sortie.”

  “I love Halloween!” Akari gushed. “We can all celebrate at our place!”

  Mai perked up. “I can’t wait! Are you gonna be a fox, Rachel?”

  Rachel looked up with a determined face. “Mm. Mm.” She nodded in agreement, which caused the others to smile and chuckle. The pilots took some time to unwind and discuss their plans for the upcoming Halloween celebration as the Cairo made its way back to Troya. Between missions and constant battles, moments like these were rare. They joked, teased one another, and shared ideas for costumes, each one trying to outdo the other with creative (and often ridiculous) suggestions.