It was at an altitude of about two thousand meters where I found Yuri and the last shadow entangled. As I had expected, the one-on-one match between a shadow and a Shooter was a pretty even match. I had the slightest impression that Yuri might be getting knocked around more. The shadow tended to keep finding his way behind Yuri’s Shooter. If you had to ask, I would say that Yuri was on the defensive.
I came from below at full throttle. I aimed for the shadow’s back. If I could pull it off perfectly, the shadow would be smack between Yuri’s and my blasters.
I let loose with the blasters to create a screen, and in one breath I was caught up at the same altitude. My plan was unfolding perfectly. Seeing me appear from out of nowhere, the shadow appeared obviously confused. He apparently didn’t know that his two partners were now just a couple of memories. In a haphazard attempt to shake us, the shadow started to climb higher in the sky. Don’t even try it, bub! Take a hint. You aren’t going anywhere.
Yuri turned her Shooter around. She was pointed at the shadow across from me, our enemy right between us. This was perfect. No matter what, it’s over.
Yuri and I had the shadow pinned. It was a showdown from two directions, and we were slowly closing in on the shadow rotating in a spiral.
The kill was only a matter of time.
If possible, I wanted this one alive. I had a little time to think about it.
Then something happened.
The last thing I needed at that moment was about to interrupt us.
“Kei!” Yuri called to me through the communicator. It sounded desperately urgent.
“They’re coming up from below!” Yuri more screamed than said.
“The Danp Yu Air Defense!”
Eep!
I tried to look under the Shooter. Holy… she wasn’t kidding. Their timing couldn’t have been worse.
Flustered, I glanced at the radar.
“!”
I lost my voice.
They were coming up.
What looked like a squadron of Air Defense fighters was making its way up through the sky. There were twenty blips—no, make that thirty blips. You idiots, if you all come together in a group like that then I can’t use my blasters.
Lyonesse is a WWWA planet, so there is no real organized police department. Instead they use United Space Force troops as Air Defense and station them at major space ports. If something happens on Lyonesse, the TCs at the WWWA Headquarters or the Air Defense take care of it. Somehow the Air Defense got a tip for the WWWA HQ, and without confirming it with us, sent their fighters here. In reality, they were just going to get in the way. The weak Air Defense fighters wouldn’t even be able to see the damn shadow. Before one of them could respond if he caught a glance at it, the shadow would be gone, off in a different direction. This was simply bad luck, and before these guys could get their heads screwed on straight, they would all be toasted metal strewn on the ground.
I was about to hail the Air Defense commanding officer, and scream at him to turn his troops around and get away from here.
But I didn’t get the opportunity.
The shadow noticed the Air Defense fighters approaching.
Instead of trying to escape in a zigzag pattern, the shadow flew down directly toward them.
In a moment’s time he had disappeared from my field of vision.
Chk. He definitely saw them coming.
Yuri and I pushed down on our respective levers. The Air Defense had no right to complain about whatever happened next. For now, we needed to catch up to the shadow. Just as we had him, now we had to send our Shooters down to chase him again. Plunging toward the earth, we made our pursuit. I was just a little closer than Yuri to the shadow. Nothing more than a targeting check, I pressed the trigger button. I never do anything just halfway. If I couldn’t bring the shadow down before he used the Air Defense forces as a shield, then he would surely get away.
Several fireballs skimmed the shadow. None of them were a killing blow. Not only were we still too far off, another problem was that the targeting sight was off. I was hoping for a lucky shot, but it wasn’t happening. That wasn’t the right approach to taking the shadow down, anyway.
The Air Defense fighters were drawing close to the shadow. Not good. Soon I wouldn’t be able to fire my blasters.
“Move! You’re in the way! Go home!”
I could hear Yuri’s angry rant rattle through the communicator. Since I was busy flying and firing my blasters, Yuri had taken over my usual role of delivering the angry tirade.
But the fighters acted as if they couldn’t hear us. The formation then spread out, trying to entrap the shadow. At a snail’s pace. Hey! You are too slow!
The shadow was so fast that by the time they saw him, he was already within their weapons range.
In unison we took an almost right angle turn.
The Air Defense fighter ships would not be able to follow these movements. With a slip the shadow blew past the fighters and us in the opposite direction. The shadow climbed straight back to a higher altitude. I wasn’t able to fire any longer. If I did it was more than likely I would be knocking Air Defense fighters out of the sky. I actually didn’t have a problem with that, but the punishment wouldn’t have been worth it.
Now what? The Air Defense fighters began turning around.
Yuri and I tried to contact them on the wireless, but got no response. Without releasing any fire, they turned to begin to follow the shadow again. Couldn’t they see they were just in the way?
The shadow eased up on his speed. He could see that the Air Defense was trying to follow him. Without dropping from the high altitude, he was luring the Air Defense up. Dammit. As worthless as they were, he planned to use the Air Defense as a shield. It was quite a distance from the ground, so Mugi wouldn’t be able to help.
“Kei!” Yuri called to me.
“The space port fuel base is five kilos away.”
Wha—?!
All the hair on my body stood on end. Could it be, was he trying to lure them there?
“I think he’s figured out that he can’t just get away,” said Yuri. Her tone sure was calm. You know, her panic level never seems to match the situation.
“Yuri…,” I said.
“I am almost out of fuel, but I will get him. I will pass up the Air Defense at full speed and, if I have to, slam into him. I gotta get this asshole. The rest I’ll leave to you.”
“Kei!” Yuri shrieked.
I turned the main engine power up to MAX.
The Shooter accelerated up like a bolt shot from a crossbow.