Black Hole Heartbeat

Lavell - 83

Lavell sent their sharp-fighter careening down and away as the Krei shuttle

bit at their ankles.

"*Static*! I had them in my sights!" "And we were in theirs..."

"Coward."

Lavell continued with her plan. The Krei sharp-fighters were fast and

durable, but their streamlined design gave them reduced visibility. If she

could roll away into a blind spot, Serpe would only need two or three good

shots. She had told Serpe all this, of course, and had even received a curt

nod of agreement. This apparent agreement did not limit Serpe's complaints.

Lavell feigned dipping then rose swiftly. The pilot read her and surged

upwards too. She cursed her own cleverness. Continuing with the dip

would've given Serpe a shot. A quick barrel roll gave her room to

manoeuvre again. The shuttle rattled as Serpe fired off a clean shot the Krei

ship's wing.

"Didn't think we had enough room for that," Lavell said.

"A Jahlder wouldn't."

Lavell ignored her. She felt a tingling in the back of her neck. Like she was

trying to know something.

Smoke billowed from the Krei wing. Minimal, cosmetic. Still, the smoke

would reduce their visibility even further. The smart choice – the right choice

– was to lead it around and see if it could handle turning with a damaged

wing. But her hands weren't interested in the right choice. Her fingers

gripped tight, starting to burn. She drove forward, through the dark clouds,

Kamikaze-style. Shrouding her ship in smoke, she left the other shuttle

sightless. They were inches away as the black vapour parted. Close enough

to see the dust around the boltheads. She yanked the wheel, hoping her

reactions were quick enough. She wasn't brave enough to look. They caught

the edge of the ship, metal kissing metal. Lavell opened her eyes just in

time. A second energy wave obliterated the Krei sharp-fighters nose.

Gracelessly, the shuttle spiralled downwards, spewing sparks.

"We could have died you *static* Jahlder *static*!" Serpe shouted.

"We didn't though," she said.

Perhaps she had raised Serpe's view of the Jahlder with her aggressive, Krei

like tactics.

"The risk was not worth the reward. We were doing just fine without your

foolishness."

A sparkling hit the corner of Lavell's eye. The dissolving fizzle of a camo

shield. The sixth ship. She recognized it instantly. A Jahlder fleetmaster. The