45
“They’re right on me!” Skylar screamed, her voice creating static in Austin’s earpiece.
He squeezed the trigger, discharging a volley into the rear of a pirate craft. It collided with the ocean’s surface, fragments skipping across the water as a plume of white mist erupted high into the air. He banked, barely avoiding the spire of water.
“I’m coming, Cheetah,” he said, bringing the Trident around. “Where are you, Bear?”
“Busy,” he said, his voice straining. “Be there when I can—they’re all over!”
Austin risked a glance as he made for higher altitude. The situation had evened out; the pirates no longer outnumbered the combined forces of the U.S. Navy and the Legion. Skylar scrapped with a pair of pirates far from the main battle. Two pirate craft stuck close to her tail, firing a tr
