The GEVs halted as word came down from command that the next turn would be a deadly one. Strogg armored vehicles and tanks were setting up, preparing to make a push. Lieutenant Sharpton clicked on the communications to command.
"C2, requesting CAS and artillery bombardment on the street around the corner from us. Over." The lieutenant said, hoping for a response.
"Affirmative, Raptor. CAS inbound on your location. Negative on artillery. They are too preoccupied with enemy forces to comply with your request. Over." The operator from command said.
The Marines awaited and soon heard the roar of jet propulsion engines. The Marines then saw the bombers. They came down and carpet bombed the entire street while a second squadron strafed the area with their machine guns. Once the fire cleared up, the convoy began to move. Sergeant Meyen got on the GEV turret and began firing, killing any remnant Strogg within the area.
"Chalk One, this is Kilo Two-Eight. I am back in business and staying on station. Over." The pilot said.
"Affirmative, we need another MEDEVAC. Over." The lieutenant said.
Before the pilot could answer, the communications blared to life with the sound of the command operator. The situation must have gotten worse.
"All units in the Detroit AO, retreat. The Strogg have planted a tactical explosive within the city and have set the timer. The U.S. Army has sent in an EOD team to attempt to disarm the explosives. C2, out." The operator said.
The lieutenant cursed under his breath. It looked as if they would be leaving quicker than expected. The drop-ship soon swerved down into the street and touched down. The back ramp lowered and the pilot came out.
"Chief Warrant Officer Five Jonathan Kofsky at your service. And for your information, no, I am not full Russian. My grandfather was full Russian. I am only part. Now, climb aboard. Oh, and please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. Thank you and have a nice day!" The pilot said, introducing himself, "Oh, and call me Joker."
The Marines boared, some laughing. Hoot was carried in and Mr. Death walked in and sat down. The Marines strapped into their seats and the back ramp rose. They were leaving soon. They heard the engines roar to life and the drop-ship began to shake, it was ascending into the skies. Suddenly, the communications' blared to life.
"Kilo Two-Eight, you have a bogey on your six O'clock. One Strogg Flier. He's tryna get a lock on ya!" A forward observer said from the ground.
"Roger that, I'll shake the Squib. No worries!" Joker said, and the Marines felt the drop-ship sway.
They could hear machine guns erupting as they fired on the drop-ship. They suddenly felt the pull of gravity and gees on them as the drop-ship attempted to do a barrel roll. This was a difficult feat and took only the most skilled and most insane drop-ship pilots to do. The afterburners had been initiated as well, which would strain the ship due to the amount of gees being brought down on it. The Marines prayed to whomever they believed in that they survived.
The drop-ship had completed its first barrel roll and it was nearing the cloud cover. It would mess with the ship's sensors while in the cloud cover, giving Joker the advantage he was looking for.
"Hope ya got the balls to follow me into the clouds, Squib!" Joker yelled, then pulled up.
"Kofsky... don't do what I think you're gonna do when we get out of the clouds..." Chief Warrant Officer Thompson said cautiously, fear in his voice.
"Oh, shut the hell up, ya Swabby."
The drop-ship entered the cloud cover, the Strogg Flier close behind. Kofsky shut off the afterburners and the ship began to slow down as momentum took its toll. This did not matter. The Strogg fighter was attempting to locate the drop-ship, which gave Joker the time he needed to fulfill the details of his plan. The drop-ship exited the cloud cover first and was speeding up into the atmosphere.
"Shut off all systems. Now." Kofsky ordered.
"Wha-what? Why?"
"Just do it." Kofsky said.
The Space Navy co-pilot of his complied relunctantly. He began to shut off all critical systems, then secondaries. The ship powered done completely. This would mean they were off the Strogg's radar and would not be detected. As the engines shut off, momentum took its toll. The ship began to fall back, towards the cloud cover. Plummeting closer and closer to it. The Strogg Flier zoomed out of the clouds and narrowly avoided the drop-ship. Two Space Marine Corps starfighters flew out of the clouds.
"Turn 'em back on, now!"
The two turned on all systems and jumpstarted the ship. It pulled up, narrowly avoiding the clouds. They began to ascend into the atmosphere. The Strogg Flier was ripped to pieces by the friendly starfighters.
"Kilo Two-Eight, we just saved your ass. We'll provide protection. Over."
"Saved my ass? I am the best pilot in all the Space Marine Corps and you say you saved my ass? Nah. You just took care of a little snag in my ultimate plan to escape." Kofsky said with a grin.
Lieutenant Sharpton entered the cockpit and grabbed firm hold of the head rest of Joker's seat to keep him firmly planted in his place. He looked out into the darkness of space. Explosions appeared along the etches of space and ships engaged eachother. The reinforcement fleet had arrived. They were obliterating the Strogg fleets with relative ease, losing few of their ships.
"Fuck! Kilo Two-Eight, you have a squadron of Squibs inbound. We'll distract 'em. Good luck, buddy." The pilot of one of the starfighters said.
"Roger. God bless you, boys."
The Marine piloted the ship with amazing skill and precision. He avoided the anti-spacecraft fire with relative ease. Suddenly, two Strogg Fliers began to fire on it, tailing it.
"These dumbasses never give up, do they?" He said, then hit the afterburners, turning the ship while doing so.
The ship headed towards a Strogg carrier. The lieutenant glanced over at the pilot as if he was insane. Entering a Strogg hangar to attempt to lose two Strogg Fliers was almost a suicide mission. He prayed to the Lord he would survive.
"Joker... what are you doing?" Lieutenant Sharpton inquired.
"Just havin' a little fun." Joker said, grinning.
The drop-ship entered the hangar through the shield wall used to deflect AA fire. The two enemy fighters' entered, hot on the trail. The drop-ship swerved past many obstacles in the way. It narrowly avoided a crane carrying a Strogg Flier that was preparing to launch. The first Flier avoided it and the second crashed into it, exploding. The drop-ship flew out of the hangar, on the opposite end of the ship. The Flier hot on their tail.
Joker only grinned. He had hoped to see how skilled the enemy pilot was. This would help him find a way to trick the bastard. He hit the afterburners once more and sped towards the U.S.S. Normandy, which was engaged in a ship-to-ship battle with a Strogg frigate. He turned on the communications' and spoke into his microphone.
"Normandy, this is Kilo Two-Eight. Alert your AA operators that we have a Strogg Flier on our tail and to open up on the bastard as soon as we are clear." Joker said.
He shut off the communications' channel before a response could be made. As he began to close in on the enormous carrier, he steered the ship downwards, then pulled up. The Strogg piloting the flier could not react fast enough and was torn apart by AA fire. The drop-ship was inches away from colliding into the hull of the Normandy and then cleared it, doing several barrel rolls before heading towards one of the many hangars in the Normandy. The ship deaccelerated and slowly touched down. The back ramp lowered and everyone, including the pilots left the ship.
"Never do that again, Joker..." Thompson said.
"If you don't like it, you can float your way down to the planet, Squid." Kofsky said, chuckling, "Or... you can help flatface over there in finding some replacement legs. Ones that aren't cybernetic. Though, I don't think your one for surgery."
Tomala turned and flipped the pilot off. He just burst out into laughter. Flatface? Something told him that would be his official nickname soon. Why, he did not know.
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