Operation Hellfire Read Online Free

metre.
    "Punch out! Get out of..."
    The last moment seemed to slow down as the missile rushed at the fighter. No movement, spin, or stratagem could shake the weapon now. As soon as its onboard computer knew it was close enough, it sent the signal to its warhead, and that was it. The fighter exploded in a bright yellow blast as the missile detonated just three metres behind the engines. Molten metal and plasma tore into the fragile craft, ripping it apart with ease and filling space with broken metal and exploding ordnance.
    "No!" Nate screamed.
    He pulled his stick to the left and rolled away to avoid striking the wreckage while keeping his eyes on the impact zone. Several sections of shattered fuselage, as well as an almost intact wing section continued forwards on their previous trajectory. Then came another blast as fuel or a warhead ignited, finally destroying anything that remained. Images of Cassandra filled his thoughts, leaving him dumbfounded and almost completely incapable of acting.
    No, no, it can't be!
    "I'm okay," said a familiar voice.
    Nate looked left and right, but he had to rely upon the computer scanner to find and tag the tiny pod that had burst out from the front of the spacecraft.
    She made it.
    Nate almost choked at seeing his friend was alive.
    "How the hell did you do that?"
    "Cut the chatter, Knighthawk Leader," said Commander Higgins.
    As usual, the man's voice was both calm and stern.
    "Form up on the perimeter. We've got company. Keep them busy a little longer. Cardigan Bay needs six more minutes."
    Nate checked the navigation and tactical orb and found the newly identified threat. It was much closer than it should have been, and he shook his head at what he could see. It was a single Achilles II Class heavy cruiser, and a design much older than anything being used in the fleet, apart from Relentless. Behind it was an equally large ship, one that appeared to be a standard Byotai Class armoured transport. It was almost completely black, making it hard to identify against the blackness of space. The engine pods hung down low, and long insect like wings extended out above it, each filled in with pale green material.
    "I don't understand, Relentless. IFF flags her as hostile. Isn't she Alliance?"
    As if to answer his question, a whole series of warning lights flashed on. The first was the active radar scan that showed the ship was using its long-range Doppler radar to check the area. More followed, but the ones that really worried him were weapon lock warnings.
    "She's recorded as Jaeger, Byotai flagged, and one of the decommissioned cruisers we exchanged with the Byotai a decade ago."
    Nate's eyebrows rose as he listened. He had no idea the Alliance had sold old ships to the Byotai, and he doubted anybody back then thought they might be used against them in the future.
    "Knighthawks, keep away from them, and watch for bombers."
    The onboard database already showed the name of the Alliance ship as previously being ANS Defiance, a ship Nate had never heard of. He had not seen an Achilles II before, but had come across the previous design many times in simulated engagements. It was one of the old front-line ships, little different in size and capability to the later Crusader design. An Achilles II was powerful and carried more weapons than the previous design, as well as better engines and substantially thicker armour. She was more than a match for two smaller Alliance ships, even if she did lack the particle weapons and artificial gravity generators of the newer Crusader Class.
    "The Star Empire must have brought her into service to bulk up their forces in this area," said Commander Higgins, "Keep your eyes open."
    Nate nodded to himself and then pushed his throttle settings.
    "Okay, people, form up, and follow me."
    The two fighters moved into position on each of his flanks. Nate quickly saw they bore the emblems of the two Foss Brothers painted down the side of the fighters' noses.
    "We've got your