Chapter 24
White Sands Flight line, Wraiths Operational area.
Terresa walked the line of twenty FB-11A2s. All but two were carrying a single weapon in the ground attack pods. When Terresa gave the order to find her something to kill the Amazon dropships wasn’t expecting Lieutenant Kindra ‘Ratchet’ Stone to come up with these. Hell, Terresa wanted to know where the woman got her hands on the weapons. As far as Terresa knew these weapons were a thing of legends. Not seen since the time of the first War of Succession. For there to be eighteen of them in storage here on New Texas just floored her. Chief Daily had spent the enter night rigging up a delivery harness for the weapons.

Terresa had asked for ship killers and Kindra had delivered. The Mark 48 aerial drop torpedo was the real deal. These babies were known for destroying whole dropships with a single strike. Two was an almost assured kill, three or more. Chalk up a ship kill for the unit. In two hours, they would be putting those numbers to the test. Her squadron had been given the task of destroying the dropships that held the Amazon clones. These were no ordinary dropships. These were three Monolith class dropships. Only the Ogre class was any bigger.

“They’ll get the job done Colonel. My boys and girls went over those babies with a fine-tooth comb. You pull the trigger and send them on their way. They hit and BOOM! No more Monolith dropship.” Chief Daily’s voice brought Terresa out of her dark thoughts.

“I hope like hell you’re right Chief. Because once those babies are dropped we don’t have nothing else that’ll get the job done. I barely have enough to ensure that we get the job now. It’s bad enough that we’re having to mount drop tanks on the Eagles to give them the range to cover our asses until after the bomb runs.” Terresa spat out as she looked over at what was left of the 628th and 401st squadrons. They had been combined into a single unit by orders from General Davenport following the loses of Shaggy, Little Red, Snow, and Prison Bitch. Until now the two units had enough members to keep their identities, that was no longer the case. They had lost the other three when they went hunting River Sluts, without orders, following the death of Shaggy. If it hadn’t been for Terresa getting Scooby drunk there was a good chance his name would be among the others.

“They’ll get the job done ma’am. What I would like to know is why aren’t the Navy blasting those ships from orbit?”

“Too high of a chance at collateral damage, Chief. Those massive Naval Guns can get the job done. Only one problem with orbital bombardment. What happens when something crashes down from orbit? Where does all that kinetic energy go? What does a fifty-pound titanium slug become on impact at supersonic speeds?” Terresa’s rapid fire questions had Chief Daily thinking hard and fast. “I’ll give you the answer Chief. BOOM! Big time boom. Like a nuke central boom only without the radiation fallout. All the destruction and none of the shitty stuff. We hit those ships with these torpedoes and the civilians get to live. Mission accomplished, and everybody gets to pat each other on the back for a job well done.”

“Damn, Colonel. you really have thought about this. I never thought about the threat to the civilians. All I saw was a way to save pilot lives.” Terresa had always known that Chief Daily cared for the pilots. She just had no idea that he would put the lives of civilians ahead of theirs. “I can see what you’re getting at though.”

“Trust me Chief, this isn’t all politics. It’s about trying to keep the collateral damage down to a bare minimum. I’m sure that there will be some shrapnel but nothing like what we would get from orbital bombardment.” Terresa looked at her bird for a few minutes before asking the one question that had been bugging her. “Okay Chief, why are Spider and me the only ones without Mark forty-eights?”

“Not enough to go around ma’am. As for why you and your wingman not carrying a forty-eight those are Spider’s orders. You two have been setup for escort duty only. Just like the Strike Eagles. Those orders came down from General Nakatoma himself, ma’am. He said something about giving you an honest shot at the Black Witch for revenge. Not that I’m going to stand in your way for getting that. She has too many Jolly Rogers for our boys.” Chief Daily gave Terresa a stone-cold look. “You get that bitch in your sights ma’am. Kill her frack ass.”

Terresa gave her Ground Crew and Maintenance Chief a look that said it all. “She dies today Chief. We know that the River Sluts have pulled all of the KV-81 units back to Huston Spaceport. She’ll either have to let us blow those Monoliths to kingdom come or come out and face us down. Either way she loses.”

Chief Daily smiled and handed her, her flight helmet. “Time to mount up Colonel.”

Terresa activated her bio-armor and stripped off her now useless flight suit. Quickly climbing the crew ladder Terresa dropped into the cockpit of her Claymore. As she strapped herself in Chief Daily hooked up her helmet. After settling her helmet Chief Daily dropped to the ground and removed the crew ladder. Performing one last walk around double checking that all ‘remove before flight’ flags had indeed been removed. Stepping around to the front of the aircraft Daily signaled for Terresa to start engines. Even as the two Pratt & Whitney R-4360-31 cyclone engines with duel thrusters slowly turned over Terresa felt the power of the chained demons that would propel her fighter through the skies.

With the sun first rays of sunlight painting the skies a bloody red the rumble of thirty-eight more such engines filled the earlier morning air. The heavy rumble of her squadron’s engines was joined by the growl of the twin turbines of the sixteen remaining Strike Eagles. I slowly eased Reaper’s Blade out of her bunker. Lilly came up on the internal speakers as soon as she linked up with the fighter’s AI. With the well-practiced timing of a seasoned pilot Terresa eased onto the hammerhead.

As they waited their turn in line for takeoff Lilly pointed out the upcoming problems with the mission. “Terresa, I think you should know that the other Wraiths are going to be extremely exposed out there. Those Mark forty-eights are going to really screw with their flight performance. Until they release them on target our squadron is going to have to flight straight and level.”

“Oh frack! Let’s just line up our people in a shooting gallery. And the only thing standing between their deaths and the target is me, Spider, and what’s left of the Strike Eagles. Talk about a no-win situation.” I bitched.

“It’s worse than that sister. I’ve run the odds for this little mission. Unless you can down fifteen KV-81s within the first twelve minutes the odds of success are nine-thousand-eight-hundred-eighty-six to one.”

As Lilly gave me the odds I knew that I had to even them out somehow. Then I had a very brilliant idea. I might not be able to kill that many in the air. But I can get that many on the ground. “Lilly, how much slower are the Claymores carrying the Mark Forty-eights to the Strike Eagles?”

“Maybe two to three-hundred knots over-all. Why?”

“That would give us about a ten-minute window between a strafing run on the port and the arrival of the others. If we time it right.”

“More like five minutes Terresa. It won’t be enough time to clear the field. Let alone even out the odds with a strafing run. Have you forgotten about the ADA.”

“Trust me Lilly I haven’t forgotten about the ADA. I’m actually planning on the ADA. For this to work their ADA radar needs to overwhelm their flight control radar. We get that to happen and the rest of the squadron can drop those torpedoes free and clear. We’re the cheese in this rat trap.” The icy cold need for revenge was crushed by Lilly’s response to Terresa’s idea.

“And we leave them undefended while the KV-81s swarm them. Terresa, your squadron is depending on you to provide them cover to deliver those torpedoes.”

“Damn. You’re right Lilly. I was just thinking out load. How long until we reach enemy airspace?” Terresa asked as the last of the Strike Eagles cleared the runway.

“After taking everything into account. We have a two-hour window until we see the first of the Amazon response.”

“Sounds about right. Add in another hour until we reach Huston Spaceport and you get six hours of nonstop shit storm. I guess we won’t be coming back from this one Lilly. If we don’t make it out, it’s been nice knowing you.” Terresa pushed the throttles forward and eased off the brakes. The fighter slowly started to roll down the runway quickly picking up speed. Soon the roar of the air rushing passed gave way to the first feelings of lift as the Claymore leaped for its natural element.

“It’s not over yet, sister. We still have a long way to go. Like the Prince is so fond of saying. Never tell me the odds.” Terresa just giggled at her AI’s very blunt usage of James’ favorite saying.

Emily Calisto’s privet quarters, Huston Spaceport
Emily stood looking out of the fourth-floor window to the hotel that had been secured for their use. Even though the runway was more than a quarter mile away Emily could still see the two squadrons of KV-81s clear as day. Well most of them. Two aircraft from each squadron was currently flying combat patrols over the Spaceport. Taking a slow sip of the brandy in her hand, Emily contemplated the sudden turn of events of the last few days.

All but two of their carriers now sat at the bottom of the New Gallous sea. Sent to the depths of that sea by attacks from just two of the Death Dealer Super Carriers. Admiral Klaus refused to listen to anyone and sent his battleships to attack the Shinigami battle platform. Eight battleships should have been more than a match for the beast. Only Klaus forgot those monsters never travel alone. The Amazon battleships never got past the Death Dealer battleships. The Hero Class battleships tore through the Amazon ships like they were made of paper. Emily could still hear the screams, in the common room, of the dying Captains for those ships.

All of Von Bencher’s plans were slowly torn to shreds by the Death Dealers and their relentless march to retake New Texas. Even now just seven days after their landing the Combat Division have retaken over eighty percent of the planet. Out of twenty-eight divisions and fourteen mercenary regiments the Amazon forces have been cut down to nine heavy divisions, three light divisions, and eight mercenary regiments. Despite everything she and the other pilots had done to slow the advance of the Death Dealers they just kept coming. More than anything those damned Strike Eagles were blasting their fighters out of the skies. That doesn’t even touch what those Claymores have done to their fighters and bombers.

Emily sighed as she looked down at the pitiful remaining number of fighters and bombers at her command. If only Von Bencher and Klaus had listened to her. She would still have more than enough squadrons to slow the advance of the Death Dealers. At least slow them down long enough for the Cloning ships to get off planet. That was nothing more than a hopeless dream now. Emily had already come to the conclusion that the Warrior Class of Amazons would die here on New Texas. The reports coming out of the home worlds pretty much confirmed this. Even as the combat divisions were spreading out across New Texas the Home Guards were dying to the last man as they faced off against ten full Battle Groups. That is one-hundred-and-eighty Combat Divisions not counting the support fleet. And unlike her commanders the High Lords and Ladies in charge of those Battle Groups had no problems with orbital bombardment. They sat in high orbit and destroyed every last cloning factory on the home worlds before ever touching down. Emily had warned Von Bencher that this would happen.

After that the combat divisions just touched down and spread out like wildfire. Nothing the Home Guards could do stopped their unrelenting charge. Suicide charges, booby traps, fortified trenches, hardened pillboxes, nothing worked. The Death Dealers were truly living up to the fearsome reputation they had earned over the last four-hundred plus years. The battle cry of Death is dealt by our hand was sounding across battlefields all through the Amazon Home Worlds. Much as it was here Amazon forces could do nothing to stop or turn the tide of battle.

Emily Calisto knew that her time was also running out. Just like the Warrior Class she too would soon face her death. She only hoped that it would be in the air facing that bitch Terresa Cole one last time. Emily knew that she won’t get away with getting in close and staying again. Terresa Cole was just too damn good to let that happen again. “I wonder what she will come at me with next time? Cole is just too damned smart and too damned good of a pilot to mot make the needed changes to her fighter.”

With a sigh Emily downed the last of the brandy in her glass then poured another glass full. Reaching over she picked up the pack of Empire Black cigarettes. She had recently started smoking to help with her nerves. As she stood there looking out at the runway smoking and drinking Emily let her thoughts return to the last encounter with the egomaniac Terresa Cole. By all rights Emily should never have survived that engagement. If it had not been for luck, and the sacrifice of her wingman, Emily knew that Terresa would have killed her. If she had not pulled that reverse Ingram roll and dropped to the deck she would have never escaped. The truly scary part was Emily had come to respect the woman. Emily no longer despised that Terresa was a Claymore. The woman had earned her respect as both a pilot and a warrior. Something Emily’s superiors couldn’t understand. How could she as the product of the finest bio-engineering minds in the universe respect a freak of nature. The very atheist of all that the Amazons hold true. Emily knew the truth of those beliefs now. That truth tasted as bitter ash in her mouth.

Even now those truths were being shown for the lies that they were. Here and on the Home Worlds. Even now the 19th APS Division was in a last stand battle to the death. Trying to hold back a single Death Dealer APS Regiment from breaking through on the coast road south of the spaceport. Taking a deep drag off her cigarette and a drink from the brandy Emily looked towards the horizon with longing.

“Where are you? Come on bitch. What’s taking you and your squadron so long to get here? I know you’re coming. Quit making me wait so long for our final dance.” Little did Emily Calisto know that her wish for Terresa Cole was just minutes from being fulfilled by that very deadly young woman. Hot on her pretty heels was two squadrons worth of combat blooded pilots, all seeking revenge. Revenge for dead friends and fellow pilots. Revenge for the four cities destroyed in a senseless attack to discredit the rebels. Today it was not two squadrons of aerospace fighters that would attack the Huston Spaceport. Today it was a horde of speed demons howling for the blood of their enemies come straight from Hell on wings of death and destruction.

Pirate jump point just inside of the second moon.
The blackness of space was split by the unseen edge from a sword of light. The unmistakable ripple of a jump gate opening lit up the dark side of the small moon. Through this rip in time and space slowly came the prow of a nightmare war machine. At one time there had only been six of these beats, then only one. That was no longer the situation. For every Battle Group there was one Shinigami battle platform but this one was especial even among their number. Only this God of Death carried the Royal House and Couple. The Royal crest proudly marked its bridge and prow. Ryuk and the Royal Battle Group had arrived in the New Confederate system without ceremony or fanfare. He had brought his Empress to the battlefront.

Slowly moving away from the moon Ryuk and his crew prepared for battle. If the Amazons were to try his weapons they would find nothing but their deaths. Admiral Marian White stood behind her command chair staring out the forward view screen. As the last of the battle group arrived Marian called out to her Tactical Officer. “Guns give me a full sweep and count.”

Answering to the ages old name for his position Lieutenant Markus Gray called back. “Everyone made it through ma’am. We have clear space. Nothing between us and the surface, Admiral. I would suggest that we warn the Katsumi though.”

The rich and cultured voice followed the chuckle that sounded in the bridge area. “I have already warned my baby sister to not fire on us Lieutenant. I have come to like this time that I serve in now.”

The bridge crews had become used to the ancient AI popping up like this from time to time. More than a few of them had become fast friends with Ryuk over the years. The crews of the Shinigami Battle Platforms often signed on for just one tour of duty only to request permanent assignments. Ryuk for his part often helped these young men and women who came aboard through the trials of youth. The ancient AI looked upon his crew as his students. Just as a Professor would in any college.

“Thank you, Ryuk. Have you informed the Empress of our arrival yet?” Marian asked into the air.

“The old goat let us know before we broke space norm Admiral.” Maiha said as she entered the bridge. Then with a causal wave of her hand. “At ease! As you were.”

Maiha’s simple orders had stopped the bridge from jumping to attention and allowed them all to continue with their duties. “Are we in time to prevent the River Rats from escaping their skinning ship Admiral?”

“I believe that our presences is going to be nothing more than a reinforcement of the obvious for the Amazons, Empress.” Marian said with a chuckle.

“Oh. Why do you say that?” Alice asked from her place next to Maiha.

“If I may be blunt, Princess Alison. The Twenty-second Battle Group has driven the Rats into a two-hundred mile stretch of land on the eastern coast of the western continent. In a matter of days, not weeks, they have done the impossible.”

“Any idea of how this came about Admiral?” Maiha asked.

“To be honest your Majesty, no. I can only place the sudden reversal of fortune for the Amazons at the feet of the pilots on New Texas. It seems that those pilots have not only kept the River Sluts at bay during the Siege of White Sands but once reinforced took the air and kept it. Outside of that I haven’t a clue.” Maiha was shocked by the Admiral’s blunt answer.

“Ryuk open a channel to Joker and the Wild Cards, please?” Maiha called out. A few second later the face of the Crown Prince appeared on the forwards view screen. Maiha could tell right away that he was in his White Tiger APS. “I see that you are out pounding on our friends Joker.”

“No more than what you would have done Wave Dancer. I’m merely carrying on the family tradition of pounding flat those that push.”

“I told you giving him that Suit was a bad idea.” Alice quipped from behind Maiha. “Where is the front-line trace Joker? We’re in need of current Intel.”

“Koneko Mistress you’ll have to get with Lady Saris for that. Sorry but right now I am a little busy trying to reign in an out of control and pissed off APS regiment.”

That got Maiha’s full attention. “What the hell is going on down there Joker? What do you mean an out of control and pissed off APS regiment?”

“We’ve been coming across towns and villages that are totally empty, Wave Dancer. We found out the reason this morning. The River Sluts have been clearing them out systematically. Before we just had to keep our troops from killing the Amazons that fought back. Now we’re fighting to keep them from killing the ones that surrender.”

Maiha wasn’t expecting to hear this. In fact no one was expecting to hear it. “Have you been able to figure out where those missing civilians are, Joker?”

“Shipped out in the holds of cargo class dropships to the Amazon Home Worlds.” James gave his mothers a look that said he didn’t want to say more over the open connection. Both women understood and nodded their heads. “Admiral, Transfer this conversation to our war room please.”

With that Maiha led Alice through the bridge to the war room at its rear. Once the door was locked and sealed Ryuk reopened the connection. “Okay James, we’re secure.”

“The Amazons were stripping this planet of the civilian population for raw cloning material mom. And from what I have been able to squeeze out of the two Army Group Commanders. They’ve been doing these on every planet they’ve taken over in the last thirty years. They move in and clear out the population replacing it with clones.”

“Thank you, James. You just filled in the one hole that I have been unable to.” Maiha sighed. Then turn back to the business at hand. “I take it that our ground troops have thrown the rule book out the damned window.”

“We threw that out a month ago mom. This has been one dirty, nasty, bloody, fight from day one. With no mercy given or taken by either side. Not that I blame the locals or our troops. The River Sluts brought this on themselves with questionable tactics from the get go. They’ve used band weapons left, right, and center. It’s like they don’t care, so long as they win.”

“That’s because for them it has been a winner take all from the start, James. They knew going in that this would bring down the full weight of the Impearl Military.” Alice quickly told her son.

“I know that mom. I just never expect to have to fight this type of war within our own boarders. Sure, I can see taking on the Cheese heads and Wingnuts in this type of war. Hell, I can even see going head-to-head like this with the Pinks of the Union. Not our own citizens.”

“I had hoped that you never would have to fight this type of war, James.” Maiha sadly told her oldest son. “We’ll be planet side shortly. I’ll take over for you once I’m on the ground.”

“No, you won’t mother. I’ve busted my ass to lead these troops through this war. I’m not about to turn it over to you or anyone else at this late date. These are MY Death Dealers and we have a score to fracking settle. Joker out.”

Before Alice or Maiha could say anything else the connection went dead. “I’m sorry, my Empress, but it seems that the Crown Prince has cut our connection. Shall I get him back?”

“Forget about it, Ryuk. James will do as he pleases for the moment. Not that I blame the man. He has earned his right to finish this war at the head of a RCT.” Maiha sighed and turned to walk out of the war room. “Come on love. We need to go wake up the girls. We have a date with Death on a battle field.”

“I don’t believe that we’ll be needed this time kitten. Did you not see the look in our son’s eyes?” Alice stopped Maiha in her tracks.

“What look are you talking about Alice?”

“He has the same look in his eyes that you get when you’re ready to kill. James has come into his heritage on this world.” Maiha looked at her wife of over thirty years and tried to understand what she was getting at but failed. Alice took mercy on Maiha. “He has stepped forward and picked up the mantle of the Man Called Death.”

Maiha had to grab the back of chair as Alice’s words hit home. Once again, there would be someone who walked the battlefields more feared than the Grim Reaper. Someone more hated than Thanatos. The man who would kill Death with his bare hands. Only this time he shall not be alone. Death will have a wife. One that wields a blade just as deadly as his own scythe. This time Death travels with Tisiphone, the Fury of vengeful destruction. The thought slammed into Maiha like a dropship on a combat burn for a hot LZ.

“You have only missed one thing love.” Maiha said with a smile. Then giggled at the look of confusion that spread across Alice’s face. “This new Death walks the battle with a wife. A winged Fury called Tisiphone.”

Ten minutes from the Huston Spaceport.
I leaned back in my seat and adjusted the harness one last time. I knew what my duty was this time. I’m still waiting for a response from the River Sluts to show. There’s no way in hell that they’re just going to let us fly in unmolested. They have to come up and play sooner or later. I know it, Scooby knows it, Spider knows it, and the squadron of F1-5E Strike Eagles knows it. I double check my systems to make sure that we’re not running a jamming program. By all rights their ground control radars should have picked us up twenty minutes ago. Something was off, and I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“DAMN IT! WHERE ARE THEY?” I pound my fist into the wall of my cockpit.

“Terresa, relax. They’ll be here shortly. They cannot just let us fly in without some kind of response. They will have to send up something to protect their dropships. They can’t rely on the ADA batteries of the dropships alone.”

“Yes, they can Lilly. Those Air Defense Artillery batteries can cut down whole Flights of super heavy bombers. Let alone blowing a few trifling fighters out of the skies. Once we get over the target area if we don’t have the Amazon fighters mixing it up with us we could very well get our asses handed to us.” I didn’t want to get into the fact that if we didn’t face those fighters going in we’ll be facing them on the way out. I know it was worthless but still scanned the skies.

“Well unless you want to send Emily Calisto a personal challenge I doubt you’ll get them to come out and die.” I had to do a double take at Lilly’s suggestion.

“Open a broad band broadcast Lilly.” I know it was crazy but I didn’t have much else. Like the old saying goes. When Lilly didn’t open the channel. “Lilly did you understand the command? I said open a”

“I heard you Terresa. I just don’t know if that is wise. Are you sure you want to do that? I mean just who the hell are you going to talk to?”

“You gave me the idea. You know exactly who I’m going to talk to. Open the channel. Now, Lilly.” This time I didn’t give her a choice. “That’s an order.”

“Um… Terresa I don’t need to channel four-eight-four is Emily Calisto broadcasting an all-out, no-holds barred, death match challenge for one Terresa Cole.”

I didn’t even think twice I punched in the channel and waited for the repeat. When it came I almost shit myself with glee. “Terresa Cole, this is Emily Calisto. I know that you’re up here. I have ordered my remaining squadron members to hold north of Huston. The skies over Huston belong to us, and only to us. Shall we dance? Over”

“Emily Calisto, this is Terresa Cole. I am more than willing to meet you in the skies over Huston Spaceport. I am sending my wingman with the escorting squadron to engage your squadron north of Huston. Is this acceptable? Over”

“What of the second squadron ten minutes out Cole? Will they join the others to the north? Over” I was surprise that Emily answered me directly.

“They have their own mission Calisto. I will not interfere with their orders. Over”

A few seconds later Emily responded. “Understood, Cole. This is between us. I will not interfere with their mission so long as they do not interfere with our fight. Agreed? Over”

I reached down and pushed the throttles to the stops even as I key my radio one last time for Calisto. “AGREED! Time for one of us to die bitch! Over”

“I couldn’t agree more. Bring it on slut! Out” the radio went dead after that and knew the fight was now on. I flipped back over the squadron frequency. “Eagle flight, Spider, head to three-five-five and engage hostile targets. Over”

“Where you going boss? Over” Spider asked me quickly.

“I going to kill an honored enemy, Spider. Cover Scooby’s ass for me brother. Over” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I stood as good a chance of dying as I did of living. Emily Calisto was no pushover, and neither was her fighter.

“Good hunting and come back to us Glinda. We need our Good Witch of the South. Spider, Out”

I just chuckled at Spider calling me Glinda over the air. Then started scanning the skies over Huston Spaceport for my only enemy. I knew that if Emily Calisto was drawing me in for a one-on-one fight the ADA and dropships won’t be getting on this fight. I also knew that if I could draw the fight out long enough my Wraiths could get in close and blast the Monoliths to kingdom come. “Come on bitch. Where are you? I know you’re here.”

The glint of the afternoon sun off the canopy of the KV-81 was all the warning that I got to her presences. I feel the smile slowly grace my lips as I turn into her nine o’clock. “Time to see who the real apex predator is, bitch.”

Emily Calisto’s private quarters. Thirty minutes earlier.
Emily was in the middle of smoking a fourth cigarette and starting on her third glass of brandy when the thirty-minute warning alert sounded through the base. Throwing the cigarette over the rail of her balcony Emily stood up downing the brandy. “Finally, they have come to me.”

Unlike the rest of her squadron Emily had taken to wearing nothing but her flight suit. Grabbing her helmet Emily was out the door to her rooms and headed for the elevator before any of the others even had on their suits. By the time Emily cleared the lobby the rest were just now leaving their rooms. By the time they reached the lobby Emily would have reached the Spaceport gates. By the time they reached the gates she would have reached the flight line and her KV-81 Sturmgewehr. Even as Emily was performing her walk around the rest of her squadron was just reaching the flight line. With her checks done Emily walked the line double checking her pilots and their aircraft. She was leaving nothing to chance. Not today.

Today she had a plan that would bring the Silver Eyed Witch to her. Today, Terresa Cole would die. Her plan would see to that. As she approached the last two aircraft in line Emily Calisto’s smile turned treacherous. The H6-8Hs Hammerheads were deep strike stealth fighters. They were prefect for what was to be done today. Emily looked at the two pilots and knew that they would die in the pursuit of their orders. AS much as she hated the Home Guard clones their loyalty was unflagging. “Do you understand your orders?”

“We do, Flight Leader Calisto. You are the cheese to lure in the rat while we are the cats. Terresa Cole will not survive our encounter again.” The first clone answered her with pure loathing for Terresa.

The slap to the clone’s face fast and hard. “DON’T get cocky, boy. That woman has killed over seventy pilots in this war. That we know of, we have no way of knowing how many she has actually killed. She is faster, than both of you put together. Her skills are only matched by mine. In her first engagement she killed fifteen of our pilots in less time than it took her to get a hard lock on a cup of coffee. Disrespect her at your own peril.”

Both pilots bowed deeply to Emily. The one who was slapped apologized. “Please forgive this unworthy one, Flight Leader. I had not realized just how deadly our foe truly is. Would it not be better to face her with more fighters?”

Emily sighed and fought to control her anger. Home Guards were capable fighters but lacked any true insight. “If I had more H6-8Hs Hammerheads I would use them. You two are the last of your kind on this planet. All your brothers have been shot down or blasted from the skies. Now, do as you’re told.”

Emily turned and walked away as the two clones bowed to her disappearing backside. “I just hope like hell those two worthless pieces of gene scum can get the drop on Cole. Because if they can’t then we’re all dead.”

Emily would never know just how prophetic her words would become as she returned to her aircraft. It may have been painted to match her beloved Marybelle, but it was not her Sturmgewehr. That aircraft had died at the hands of Terresa Cole. The only consolation she had in the loss of her Marybelle was the destruction of the Silver-eyed-Witch. Sadly, that had not been enough to stop Terresa Cole from completing her mission over the Franklin Mountain Passes.

With the two Hammerheads and her Sturmgewehr she should be able to finally kill that Silver Eyed bitch once and for all. There was only room in the skies of the universe for one Witch. Emily Calisto was here first. She is the Black Witch.

With the first of the enemy force just fifteen minutes out Emily had her squadron take off. After giving the order for the rest of the squadron to loiter north of the spaceport Emily double checks to ensure the Hammerheads are staying just above the spaceport flying nap of the earth. Once she was sure that the cats were where they were supposed to be Emily relaxed. The cheese was in the box, the rat was on her way, and the cats were set to pounce. All she needed to do now was to draw the rat into the trap alone. Opening up a broad band transmission channel she keyed the mike. With a silent prayer to the thankless gods Emily send out her challenge.

“Terresa Cole, this is Emily Calisto. I know that you’re up here. I have ordered my remaining squadron members to hold north of Huston. The skies over Huston belong to us. Shall we dance? Over” Emily waited for five minutes before repeated her challenge to Terresa. “Come on Cole. Answer me. I know that you’re out there.”

After the fifth time and close to giving up Emily was surprised to hear the voice of her enemy for the first time. “Emily Calisto, this is Terresa Cole. I am more than willing to meet you in the skies over Huston Spaceport. I am sending my wingman with the escorting squadron to engage your squadron north of Huston. Is this acceptable? Over”

“What of the second squadron ten minutes out Cole? Will they join the others to the north? Over” Emily had spotted the slower moving squadron on her radar. She had no desire to face down a full squadron with just three aircraft.

“They have their own mission Calisto. I will not interfere with their orders. Over”

Emily understood that the other squadron would not be turning away. But they won’t be interfering with their fight. “Understood, Cole. This is between us. I will not interfere with their mission so long as they do not interfere with our fight. Agreed? Over”

Emily was surprised by the venom in Cole’s voice as got her answer. “AGREED! Time for one of us to die bitch! Over”

“I couldn’t agree more. Bring it on slut! Out” Emily switched off the radio and started to scan the skies for the trademark silver and black twin-tailed devil of Terresa Cole. There was no way that woman would show up with anything else. When the purple and black twin-tailed devil appeared on the horizon Emily was confused. She became even more confused when the fighter drove on the two H6-8Hs Hammerheads. Then without warning the fighter opened fire on the two Hammerheads. “HOW THE HELL DID SHE KNOW THEY WERE THERE?”

Opening her radio again. Emily was greeted by a cackling laugh. “You really didn’t think I would fall for that did you Calisto?”

“How did you know, bitch? What gave them away?” Emily hissed between grinding teeth.

“I knew you just had to cheat bitch. Do you really think that I would come in here without a plan for dealing with your playmates? Get fracking real, bitch. This is between just you and me. Remember?”

Emily ground her teeth to the point her jaw popped. Terresa Cole was not acting the way a real pilot should. The woman had gone after the support fighters first. Emily was forced to watch in seething rage as first two then four heavy missiles streaked away from Terresa Cole’s fighter. Then to her horror the two Hammerheads were destroyed by the lethally aimed missiles. Emily could not believe her eyes as what was left of the two fighters rolled over slowly and ahead for the ground in a fiery wreckage. The pilots never knew what hit them. They were dead long before the wreckage that was their fighters ever hit the ground. Terresa Cole had once again shown Emily Calisto just how blood thirsty she truly was in combat.

“You have no honor Cole! There was no need to involve those patrol pilots in our feud.” Emily knew that the lie won’t fly but had to try. If nothing else than to cover her ass for history.

“Please, bitch. We both know those two Hammerheads were not on CAP duty. You sent them out here to ambush me. Sorry to disappoint, but I have no intention of dying today. I do hope that you have your affairs in order, Calisto. I have made my piece with my maker and placed my affairs in order. Because today one of us dies.”

Emily Calisto could not believe hear ears. Here was a woman that according to the spy reports had won the heart of the Crowned Prince. A woman that had everything to live for. Who wasn’t a conditioned clone like Emily. A woman who could truly give the gift of life to another human. A woman who had no hope of passing on her greatness through her genetic material other than natural birth. Terresa Cole could live a life of luxury, but was out here just to fight her in a one-on-one battle to the death. Emily Calisto felt something that she had never expected to feel.

Respect. True unadulterated respect for the woman known only to her as Terresa Cole. “Come oh hated Mistress. I have courted you long enough. If I must join you this day. Then let it be at the hands of this woman whom I have come to respect.”

Keying her mike one last time Emily Calisto called out to Terresa Cole. “Terresa Cole. For all the wrong I have done you. I apologize. Let’s us battle as equals?”

“Emily Calisto, I accept your apology. I too owe you an apology. As a boon I will let you know that the rest of my squadron have orders to destroy the Monolith dropships. They will be within rage of their weapons in five minutes.”

“I accept your apology Cole. AS for the rest of your squadron. That is their mission. They have no impact on our fight. I shall only use the information if I win.” Emily took a deep breath. “Shall we begin?”

“Let death come for the loser on swift wings.” The pause over the radio let Emily know that Terresa was climbing to her altitude. “Begin.”

The cockpit of the Grim Reaper’s Scythe
If it had not been for the glint off the cockpit canopy of the Hammerhead I would have been a sitting duck. The words of my trainers have been ringing in my ears from the first day of the war. Keep your head on the swivel. Never fly in a straight line in a combat zone. Turns and banks make you a harder target to track. Never get too cocky because there is always someone luckier than you are out there. But the one that has stood out in my mind the most was the most important. Sooner or later death comes for us all. Until now, I have been able to hold that cold hearted bitch at arm’s length. Even as I climb to reach Emily’s altitude I know that one of us will die today. It will all come down to a matter of luck, and who is quicker on the trigger. She has the advantage in armor, I have the advantage in firepower. I have the advantage in speed, she has the advantage in maneuverability.

This will be a knife fight in the skies. I let the specs for the KV-81 Sturmgewehr fill my mind one last time. I know that Emily hasn’t had time to modify her bird. So, this will all come down to luck. I take a deep breath key my mike. “Begin!”

-----tbc-----