The Spectrals

Chapter 4

Axel's mind was traveling a million miles a second. The raw power he had just witnessed from what seemed like a young and ordinary girl shocked him. He needed to focus, just like his father taught him many years ago.

"In through the nose and out through the mouth, let the thoughts flow out of you. Clear your mind." 

He vividly remembered his father's calming voice. His father would be proud. He couldn't wait to kill Reaper and join the ranks as a General for the Blackwatch. He opened his eyes, buttons surrounded him in the small cockpit of Shadows starfighter. Below him sat the Executive General herself, flying their fighter with a couple others following.

"We've got another ship entering the atmosphere!" A voice called over the radio. Then in the distance, Axel saw a ship emerging from the clouds. It's lights illuminated the night sky.

"That's the Dreamcaster, open fire." Shadow commanded the other squadron.
Suddenly bright explosions began appearing through the clouds, then a fighter plummeted to the ground, followed by another. Shadow and the other fighters flew into the clouds and began taking fire from the Dreamcaster.

"The cargo ship is taking off." Another pilot radioed.

"Focus fire on the Dreamcaster!" Shadow ordered. She fired on the Dreamcaster, but her plasma bolts did nothing to the shielded frigate.

"Axel, you still with me?" She asked her passenger. A missile flew above as Shadow pitched downwards, narrowly missing it.

"I'm with you." Axel replied calmly.

"I need you to lock on to their engine's for me." Axel's computer beeped as he was given direct control over the missile system. He used his own joystick to turn the camera towards the engine bay. By now they were fast approaching the atmosphere. Another Blackwatch jet was shot down by a missile, plummeting to its doom below. Axel found the engines and hit the 'lock' button.

"Target locked." Axel's stern voice was barely audible over the numerous explosions and machine gun fire.

"Copy that." Shadow replied and pressed another button, Axel heard the hydraulic whine of the missile bay opening. Shadow aligned them behind the Dreamcaster as it flew towards the atmosphere. The exhaust smoke from the engines of the Dreamcaster blinded them. Shadow throttled down to get some distance from them, by the time they could see again the Dreamcaster and the cargo ship had reached the upper atmosphere.

"Fighters, pull back." She put her hand on her head in frustration.

"What's going on? We had them!" Axel didn't understand why she was giving up.

"The other fighters are all atmospheric, they'll stall before they reach the atmosphere. Without them we're on our own."

"Shadow are you there?" It was Calhoun calling over the radio.

"Yes Calhoun we're here."

"I'm here."

Shadow throttled up and followed the two ships at a much safer distance. The computer's AI began warning them of a ship coming out of warp.

"Incoming Capital ship." It repeated, showing exactly where it was warping to. The location was directly in front of the two ships.

"Good work Calhoun." Shadow said to herself. Suddenly the void in space opened up and the massive capital ship climbed through, The Arbiter.

"Hold on, I'm being told to give them a warning before engaging." Calhoun sounded frustrated. The Arbiter released the signature battle horn of the Blackwatch, but before it was finished the Dreamcaster and the stolen cargo ship activated their warp drives and disappeared.