The barracks aboard The Eternal were a stark contrast to the chaos of the battlefield. Dim lighting cast soft shadows over the clean but spartan quarters, where Zeta Squadron had gathered to relax. The squadron’s leader, Zeta, reclined in a battered chair at the center of the room, a holographic map of the mission zone flickering beside her.
“Alright,” Zeta began, her voice calm yet commanding, “we’ve been given a juicy target today. Dominion airfields to the north. Command wants them neutralized before the Knights deploy. That means it’s up to us to punch a hole in their air superiority.”
The room was filled with murmurs of approval, but the tone remained light. Zeta Squadron was the best, and they knew it.
“More like they want us to babysit the ground forces again,” muttered Rain, Zeta’s second-in-command. He lounged on a bunk, a toothpick dangling from his lips.
Zeta shot him a mock glare. “Careful, Rain. Babysitting missions can get you shot down.”
The others chuckled, but the camaraderie quickly turned to focus as Zeta’s tone shifted. “Alright, jokes aside. Our primary targets are the Dominion’s Stormwing Fighters and Ironclaw Bombers on the ground. Their airfields are fortified, so we’ll have to hit hard and fast. No room for mistakes.”
“Just another day in the skies,” said Hale, the squad’s sniper and sharp-eyed scout.
“Right,” Zeta said, standing and motioning to the display. “Gear up, squad. We launch in twenty.”
---
The hangar bay buzzed with activity as the squadron prepped their Raptor-Class Interceptors for launch. Sleek and deadly, the Raptors were built for speed and precision, their design optimized for dogfighting and surgical strikes. Ground crews hurriedly loaded munitions while Zeta Squadron donned their flight suits.
Zeta paused at her fighter, her gloved hand brushing against the hull. The weight of command was always heaviest before a mission, but she didn’t let it show. Turning, she spotted Rain strapping into his cockpit, a grin plastered across his face.
“Rain,” she called out, “don’t make me regret putting you on my wing.”
“Never, boss,” he shot back. “I’m the best wingman you’ve got.”
“Debatable,” muttered Hale, climbing into her own fighter.
Zeta smirked, then turned her focus forward. With a final nod to the ground crew, she climbed into her Raptor, sealing the canopy.
“This is Zeta One,” she said over the comms. “All systems green. Squadron, sound off.”
The other pilots confirmed readiness one by one, their voices steady. The tension of the moment was palpable, but Zeta Squadron thrived under pressure.
“Alright, Raptors,” Zeta said, her voice firm. “Let’s show them why they fear the skies.”
---
The Raptors screamed through the air, their engines leaving faint contrails against the stormy sky. Below them, the Dominion airfields sprawled like a fortress, bristling with anti-aircraft emplacements. The first wave of Stormwings scrambled to intercept, but Zeta’s squadron met them head-on.
“Contact, two o’clock high!” Rain called out, his fighter banking sharply to engage.
“I see them,” Zeta replied, locking onto the lead Stormwing. A volley of laser fire erupted from her Raptor, the enemy fighter exploding in a burst of flames.
“Focus on the bombers!” Hale shouted. “We can’t let them launch!”
“Rain, on me,” Zeta ordered, diving toward the airfield. The pair weaved through a hail of anti-air fire, their Raptors unleashing precision strikes on the parked Ironclaws. Explosions rocked the ground as the bombers were destroyed, one by one.
“Zeta Three, break left!” Hale warned as enemy fighters swarmed. She picked off one with a well-placed shot, but the skies were thick with opposition.
“I’m hit!” came the panicked voice of Maks, the squad’s youngest pilot. Smoke trailed from his Raptor as he struggled to regain control.
“I’ve got you,” Zeta said, swinging her fighter around. With calculated precision, she blasted the Stormwing on Maks’s tail. “Head back to base, Maks. You’re done for today.”
“But—”
“That’s an order,” Zeta snapped.
Reluctantly, Maks peeled away, his damaged fighter limping back toward The Eternal.
“Boss, their AA is still active,” Rain called out. “We won’t last long up here.”
“Understood,” Zeta replied. “Hale, cover us. Ryn, with me. We’re taking out those emplacements.”
The Raptors swooped low, skimming the ground as they targeted the anti-air guns. Precision strikes silenced the defenses, clearing the way for the rest of the squadron to mop up.
Within minutes, the tide had turned. The Dominion’s airfield was in ruins, their fighters scattered. Zeta Squadron regrouped, their formation tight as they headed back to The Eternal.
“Mission accomplished,” Zeta said over the comms. Her voice was calm, but a hint of pride crept in. “Good work, Raptors. Let’s go home.”
---
The hangar was a flurry of motion as Zeta Squadron returned. Ground crews swarmed the Raptors, inspecting for damage and preparing for the next sortie. Zeta climbed out of her fighter, her muscles aching but her mind sharp.
“Not bad for a day’s work,” Rain said, tossing her a lopsided grin.
“Not bad,” Zeta agreed, though her gaze lingered on the empty space where Maks’s fighter would have been.
Hale approached, her expression serious. “We’ll need to tighten our formations. Maks almost didn’t make it.”
“He’s young,” Zeta said. “He’ll learn.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Hale asked, her tone pointed.
Zeta didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she turned to the rest of the squadron, her voice steady. “We’ve proven why we’re the best today, but the fight’s not over. Rest up. We’ll be back in the air soon enough.”
As the squadron dispersed, Zeta allowed herself a brief moment of reflection. The skies had been theirs today, but the Dominion wouldn’t give up easily. The war was far from over, and Zeta knew that every mission carried its risks. But as long as she led Zeta Squadron, the Eternal Fleet would remain a force to be reckoned with.
End of Chapter Eight
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Eternal. (A Star Wars Story.)
Ciencia Ficción"They stood with us, side by side, Fighting through battles as the nights got colder. Their blades once lit up the battlefield, And their voices were strong-but now, it's quiet. I can still remember the way they laughed, The way they'd charge into t...
