Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller Brandon Ellis (ebook reader for comics txt) 📖

Jaxx pressed adjusted his craft to forty-five degrees for atmosphere entry, then followed Rivkah and Fox into Taiyo’s upper atmosphere.

Jaxx’s craft shook. Gravity suckered him onto his seat, like a limpet. His craft rocked and vibrated, but he was in control. “Butts in buckets,” as Rivkah would say. The entry’s friction illuminated the nose of his craft in yellows and reds, like a fireball doing its best to lick him into oblivion. He squeezed his control stick to keep his craft steady. A moment later the fire died down, then faded to nothing. He was in Taiyo’s lower atmosphere. He leveled out into a glide.

He glanced over his wing again, seeing Rivkah several starfighter lengths away, though close enough for him to see her in her cockpit.

She gave him a thumbs up.

Fox was on the other side of her. He didn’t acknowledge either of them.

“Descend quickly,” ordered Fox.

“Aye, Captain,” Rivkah replied.

Jaxx pushed his control stick forward, zooming toward the earth below. When the altimeter met one thousand feet, Fox and Rivkah started to level out.

Jaxx did the same. His mouth fell open.

In the distance was a vast city over a lake. The lake was clear, and so translucent, so unsullied it appeared that it had inner glow, all azure hues and Mediterranean blues. Easily midday, the sun shone down on the city, which sparkled like a glittering work of art; unlike anything he’d ever seen. The outer rim had small domes which, if he was estimating their distance accurately, were probably equivalent to the size of three or four-story buildings. Attached to each dome was a fully-covered walkway or roadway that attached to larger domes toward the city center. The closer to the center, the bigger the domes. The largest dome directly in the middle.

Crafts flew above the city, some entering through openings in the domes, others exiting. They didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Neither did they seem alarmed that Jaxx, Rivkah, and Fox approached like hellfire in their SF-13 Air Wings.

To the west of the majestic city, rivers flowed into a massive lake. Green valleys below, lined with hills covered with unfamiliar trees, some with purple elephant-ear fronds reaching into the sky; others made up of turquoise feathers that fluttered and hummed as Jaxx zipped by. On the plain, lion-like horses galloped alongside gargantuan land-fish. Creatures worked the fields, and watched the starfighters pass overhead. It was peaceful, magical. Jaxx jaw hit his chin.

He let his eyes roam the lush and verdant land, taking in these new and unusual sights. A magnificent mountain range towered behind the already towering city, and that’s where Jaxx first saw them. A dozen enemy starfighters flying over the lip of the range and headed his way.

“Incoming,” warned Rivkah.

“They’re coming in hot. Ready your weapons,” ordered Fox.

Jaxx flicked off the safety fastened to his control stick, exposing the trigger. Beauty turned on its head and became the devil. Gobs of moisture ran down his sides. He wasn’t cut out for this, no matter what Rivkah said.

“The Taiyonians are here to party,” Fox howled. “Let’s give them a show.”

Fox let loose a few Air to Air Intermediate Missiles, AAIM-5 Darts. He followed with a volley of cannon fire.

The Taiyonians fired back, hitting the missiles and blowing them apart, then twisted away from the cannon blasts like dancers in ballet practice.

“How did they do that?” said Rivkah.

“Stay focused,” Fox demanded.

The Taiyonians split off. Some right, some left.

“Target locked. Firing.” Fox spat two Darts directly at the city, then pulled up.

Rivkah followed suit.

Jaxx didn’t.

“Jaxx, fire you son of a bitch! Fire!” yelled Fox.

Jaxx kept his finger off the trigger and pulled up. Explosions filled the city, domes arched to the side, tumbled over, and crumbled into the gloom of rising smoke.

This isn’t right.

Jaxx banked left, following Rivkah, then heard a beep, then several more. A bandit had Jaxx in weapons lock.

And then it happened, as unexpected as it was welcome. A pull came over his body, and then a pop as Jaxx felt his consciousness expand. His vision was no longer inside the cockpit, his arms no longer by his side. His confidence soared and his fear vanished. It took his breath away, but not for long.

Beeps filled his cockpit, accompanied by several bursts of weapons’ fire behind him. He told his body and his craft made a sharp descent. The shots missed but the bandit followed after him.

Jaxx lifted his craft and leveled out for a moment, then pulled a short loop, and skimmed a bogey’s topside. A darkened window covered the cockpit. He still didn’t know what the Taiyonians looked like.

He pulled in behind the enemy. Jaxx intuited that the bogey would pull a hard wingover left, attempting a small turn radius into a quarter loop allowing the enemy to go into an eventual vertical climb. He didn’t know how he knew this, but he did.

Jaxx adjusted his crosshairs just left of the bandit. He pulled the trigger, letting out plasma blasts. In the same instant Jaxx touched his trigger, the bandit pulled left, just as Jaxx predicted.

A dozen hits, and the bogey erupted in smoke and fire.

Jaxx flew through the flames.

“I have two bandits on me, locked and loaded,” screamed Rivkah. “Need assistance, need assistance.”

Jaxx pulled around, several fighters on his tail.

Fox downed an enemy near the mountain range. He circled around and dove in for another pass at the city.

“I’m coming, Rivkah,” Jaxx responded, twisting and evading more weapons fire.

Within seconds, he spotted Rivkah, dancing her Air Wing in every direction possible, avoiding what looked like red-tracer rounds sliding past her wings.

Predicting the enemy’s flight movements, he zeroed in on an empty space in the sky, knowing this would be the trajectory of the bogey, and shot a AAIM-5 Dart. An moment later, the enemy entered the predicted space and blew into flames.

The bandits following Jaxx were nearing target lock. Any second now they’d pull their triggers, ending Jaxx, turning him into a blaze of splendor. Jaxx hoped he’d