43
“I’m hit!” Nubern’s voice strained, crackling over the gamma wave. “I’m going down!”
“Pull up!” Moving away from his burning target, Austin searched the sky for Nubern’s Trident. “On my way!”
“Too late! I’m—”
The gamma wave screeched.
Banking left, Austin brought his fighter to an ascending angle and viewed the Pacific Ocean littered with burning scrap. Through the deadly furball of mismatched Tyral fighters and F-18 Hornets, he watched Nubern’s flaming fighter skip across the ocean’s blue surface. He flinched.
Nubern.
“Talon, this is Rock. Do you copy?” He paused before whispering, “Talon, come in.”
A warning bell blared in his earpiece. Enemy fire dissipated his rear shields. He yanked the stick, forcing the fighter into a stomach-churning downward corkscrew. The G-force press
