Interloper-360°: Expanded Version

Angel Stardust 12: The Final Assault

My stomach rolls when I see Titan's ship go full-speed through the portal. We all push our thrusters to the limit, and behind us, Paxes Defense Force does the same, even the slow freighters drag themselves towards the gate.

We enter first and join Titan, and the battle jets waiting around the Angel freighters begin to move on us. We almost get swarmed, but Paxes battle jets coming through force the fliers to back off and engage in squabbles with them.

Titan (Group): "Head off to the right! Let Paxes deal with the fighters as much as you can. Only take easy targets!"

We all fly off of the center battlefield and let the Paxes jets swarm inside and overrun the Angels. A couple of them fly right between us and we split off from each other. The last thing I want is for us to lose ourselves in this massive killing space.

Me (Group): "Hey, careful about splitting up!"

Knight (Group): "No good, it's too hectic to fly in formation!"

Our ships wobble and sway as missing photon blasts whiz by us. There isn't a choice anymore, I pull my throttle to head off in a different direction, my teammates do the same.

My crosshairs run over some jets duking it out, and I fire a charged shot at the pure white one. They combust, and my brain sets its thoughts on firing at distracted Angels. I begin to coast through the battlefield, everytime a pursuer gives chase they're shaken off by a Paxes flier.

Cheq (Group): "Guys, their Oxy-Gate uses the same codes as the ones built in our galaxy. My programs can work on it. I'll break the security on the freighter to the left!"

I catch a glimpse of Cheq's work. His ship flies dangerously close to the freighter that constantly pours out new Angel jets. He only hovers around for a few seconds before zooming away, the Oxy-Gate glitching into different shades of blue.

I'm not sure who told them, but Paxes squads head straight for the breached freighter and begin landing several jets inside the hangar. The pilots jump out and switch to ground combat; the first ones in taking the full defensive measurement in under a second. They do not make it.

They don't stop, and eventually, they're able to establish themselves and fight back. The entire battlefield becomes a bigger mess as Angels are called back to defend the freighter, on their way, getting blasted by Paxes troops with our help.

Some jets still pursue, and Paxes numbers begin to drop fast. I desperately search my radar to count all Ucelli, so far none of us are taking a deep freeze nap in the stars.

Me (Group): "What's the goal here, complete extermination?"

Titan (Group): "The goal is to take out the one singing gospel to all Angels."

Me (Group): "Is there really only one person in command of the entire Vanguard? Don't militaries have delegations?"

Titan (Group): "You want to pretend to know how a different military works? If not, there has to be someone in charge of those freighters, right?"

Cheq (Group): "I'll unlock the second freighter, Titan!"

Titan (Group): "Got it, I'll get on the horn and let Paxes know."

Cheq flies on ahead and hovers over the Oxy-Gate of the second freighter. The same glitch happens to the gate, but as Cheq begins to fly away, a different jet, pure black with a pair of white-painted angel wings bursts through the gate.