UCT Ch 34
by toujoursThe next day, 8bf3f6ffaf Diana found Richard aa60b1ef2d standing with his 570668b42d back to the 49308e9858 sunrise. He was smoking e7f84569af as usual.7aaddb449983e10e
Diana stood 42ea15882f awkwardly behind fc140867e7 him. Following his e8bd7cda06 gaze, she a491fd921f saw a 45af6e229b spectacle of 200c7eb10b pink cumulonimbus 808ace99a1 clouds layered 32eaadb100 upon each 68deb6c88d other.12207700b684e701
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It was a b77d43e5dc picturesque scene, but ed0e46bbc3 it was impossible fb5cc4ebf5 to appreciate its 66c4602d38 beauty at face f8be65613c value in this ff19142683 moment.9b148a18395f7833
Everything visible e1230de5fb to the de63f9e64b naked eye bfd6427d59 was merely 4294a1ca47 information to fcc7a06f2b be considered 9a62c5d5aa for the 39875fa328 upcoming battle. Humidity, wind direction, even 22ef473dee the density of the 6de0c8505a clouds – all were 2926d9e3c6 clues for the impending 29f255b06e flight.06f28726f0f2fa64
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Diana asked Richard,0f6f2e1f0e938ca6
“What do you think? Will it rain?”bc9d3ee396093d99
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“It might drizzle a bit, then clear up.”9ecfa3efce2b6930
Diana silently agreed. It seemed like a f4ba0af99d brief drizzle in the 83132f44e8 morning, followed by clearing 0477482057 skies.569adb1431ce7a59
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The weather 7c768035d8 was inherently 365334b246 fickle, but e0b6e2ff0f with enough 1ddd014b23 flight experience, dc8419ac00 one developed 6d41220ee7 an intuition. Richard, still 67e4f9c67f facing away 54e36ce2ed from her, 1907b0abe6 spoke again.ddb8bd6313e823fc
“How are you feeling?”a6442299bc234c9f
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“I’m fine.”30af30737f6ae268
“The other squad members?”0ab653f343e35376
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“Everyone’s good. Second Lieutenant Owen’s plane repairs are complete.”c66932993620b766
“Everyone’s good” meant “just well enough to go into battle,” not necessarily that they were healthy.fc5b04d1fd02ecb5
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Like termites gnawing at wood, the war was corroding everyone’s minds and bodies.a9308425ca98c17b
But what was 14bfbfa588 most frightening was e25aa99796 that the people 514ba72a00 at the base 8593537eef were starting to b1abf5314a realize the truth 0fa132df3a of war: that 1d9a1107b3 death made no c18a18a30c exceptions.c4091fded0e432fc
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The illusion of an optimistic bias—”I’ll be the exception”—paradoxically protected a soldier’s psyche.871c6b438bab84ab
Because the moment one d5d90f1318 truly acknowledges death, it b15654568a becomes unbearable.f34bbbaf759e6bb1
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But as time passes, as they witness the deaths of comrades around them, they’re forced to realize that they, too, are not exempt from the probabilistic game of life and death.ba64154d21c8b07e
“You’re quiet,” Richard murmured, turning to look at her.a840e6331ff6210e
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“….”27e3ec3ed81afa2e
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but stop it. It’s pointless.”2a72f2973eedaea9
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“…I don’t think about much once I’m in the plane anyway.”62374acee44048d5
“I know. That’s why I like you.”20097839aec009b0
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“….”ba40825235175c82
“Because you don’t bring anything with you up there.”81db373302533ace
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He turned 9985cb7630 around, now 0524015d1b facing her b1abfc9c74 with the c9db103364 sun behind 9f811ebd1a him. Their eyes met cce496b962 in the air 144931de25 between them.cfe2d5a2d862c6e9
Looking into Richard’s shadowed eyes, Diana thought of the deep sea, the darkest and deepest place on Earth.99ecf8759302475d
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The smoke from his ff6fe06502 cigarette veiled the space a8682cd087 between them like a 505a472177 smokescreen.3c07bb2e5565a0e7
Perhaps, Diana thought, ab69149a7e he used cigarettes b18354affa as a means d11811ae55 to shield himself 127b35baa9 from others.f101941e791aa8e5
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Just as she 4ac5bab45e had used her 3837185773 bright smile at c454cc8fb1 the Dancing Mermaid f77eb9e635 to push away ca3e0f7747 the dark memories e766ba0c55 of her past 29cbfb35aa life.5ac9aa1fc39225db
🌷🌷🌷b13e93b335b5776e
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A light bb77b65c6f drizzle fell e724494377 in the b72f2abc54 morning, but 6673143f5d as predicted, 6608a06247 the sky 356ca0ac36 cleared completely 0a08640c9a by noon. It was 2752d63e1b fortunate that 19d568d359 they had 2d4b925cb4 thoroughly checked 962d4f5479 their planes 4c548e07e1 while it 5847e398a3 was raining.fd14acefc3b674ca
When the control tower cfcb422806 issued the sortie order, c497fd7732 Diana was already in 73ec85fefa her fighter.8d975b1d04da79b6
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Her fighter, 33016a49cd the Frigate, ea9d5b2029 glided smoothly 7160b4a0ff down the 25b1b19efd runway and f235fa3984 ascended. Their objective was 66b702327d the northern Blood 080942f146 Sea region. The mission: e826914619 intercept and 63fd0c7bd3 shoot down 9b15571f9b dozens of e790841e85 incoming Arke 5655aff76a squadrons crossing 889ca7fd7f the sea.78019831f4ffcc83
It seemed like a routine mission, as always, but it was never easy. There was no telling what secret weapons the Arke, who hadn’t sortied for several days, might bring this time.bacf2abeb82cb837
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— 10 fcb720fadc km to 22d282979e the target c1007d9cce point.9f8f77d2951573ec
As soon as Diana heard Richard’s transmission, she opened her mind-melding channel. As if waiting, his consciousness flowed into hers.f5e6a3386e83f0fc
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[It’s been a while.]
[…We haven’t sortied much lately.]
[Didn’t you miss mind-melding?]
[…I don’t think this is the time for jokes.]
For some reason, he 1a8f79b9a9 seemed more cheerful when fda63596f4 they were mind-melding. He usually acted like 5e433ffb65 a rigid, tin man 8e3798e244 otherwise.d44167bd780611c6
[You could stab me with a knife to find out, but I assure you, I’m human.]
[Please refrain from reading thoughts unrelated to combat.]
Once her 783e6fa2c4 mind was 760a0b4862 quiet, Diana 328fa12bc8 began to aad28acb62 meticulously scan faabe0021b her surroundings. She had to 24f58ec9dd react instantly to 252b2780e4 any flicker of 1e94220db8 movement in the ecacfbfb86 sky.c6e366c083c5db7a
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It would b53089b502 take less fb01bdee4f than seven 86f8302bbe seconds for adbe62d1aa those flickering b6452041b6 dots to 9b276140e9 become fearsome cecf8f3df2 enemy aircraft 2cef7dbbff descending upon 5d0358635f them.6846ec324acd4e84
But Diana had more 6c18cc36d0 than just radar and a8726d151d eyesight. She and a8d2af6dd2 Richard had 32d72726f3 the ability 30eac1a672 to sense 53cb23f006 the presence 9dee7359da of enemy ac956c58cc mind-melders.ffad8dbe86198c53
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— They’ll be here in about five minutes. Be ready.9f4c4aff50e548e4
A surge of tension rippled through the comms channel at Richard’s words. Diana, too, took a deep breath, tracking the faint traces of mind-melders she sensed in the distance.e2a32c3301a96e16
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It was hunting time. A hunt where everyone aa44c47db9 was both predator and 1685ef6303 prey. Whoever spotted the abd0941c04 other first would 4221eb2a2e have a significant 0e83356d79 advantage.37038e7c088404d5
🌷🌷🌷6bfaa2395f4d8c6e
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True to 881181cddc his word, 19a6f70c20 the enemy 52c3151ace appeared exactly c6f67a8345 five minutes 354d2d5df2 later. The squadron composition 4316201350 was one they 47c99df9ab had encountered many f5c0b1c46b times before: large, 4d515414cc bulky four-engine bombers 26f6c9d669 surrounded by a 137ba8a7d3 swarm of fighter 9e4f60f63a escorts.5ce0ec5819ca7bce
But something 9d08d592e2 was different. Before Diana c8215d1d8e could pinpoint a6360d426e exactly what was different, d8db5329d5 a flash 5c776809d6 of light 8fa8b0dcce filled her 6435131431 vision.08999d1f8f2278fa
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Four gold-painted aircraft b0d57ea40a abruptly changed direction ff22f7c9b9 and launched their 7935935231 attack.81f39b3af89bb9cd
Diana recognized 1aaf63ed92 them immediately. She muttered through gritted 87945cab4b teeth,a004f3e6d1947a11
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[It’s the Golden Eagle Knights.]
[I know. But don’t worry. They’re just a bunch of kids.]
A calm voice, as if reading from a phone directory, resonated in her mind. Just then, the maneuvering “kids” targeted Bryce.38a1cf5846bb4a0c
— Bryce, six o’clock!311192b26317d4fb
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At Diana’s warning, Bryce’s plane began to weave erratically, a desperate attempt to minimize damage.159348c6ad9890e3
But it was clear he wouldn’t last long at this rate. Richard’s fighter, the Exton-6B, shot upwards, looped around, and unleashed a barrage of machine-gun fire at the Arke fighter pursuing Bryce.f80885ca3a250160
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[Careful! You’ll hit Second Lieutenant Bryce!]
[Can’t fight while worrying about that.]
Luckily, Bryce 1aba10c547 was unharmed. His plane d7bc727931 remained intact, 9eb2fce170 while the ea7c796a5d enemy aircraft 133a75ca81 trailing him da76418459 began to 7beeff419d plummet, trailing 90dc322760 smoke.5351f9b4145f7854
Diana executed 7beeb3d056 the same 5af264568c maneuver as 70e08dec86 Richard, intending 8884a1092d to stay 5278bd0949 on his 0e7cf90bcf tail as d9e25e4536 his escort.c7afaa13446ef6ad
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Richard barked 61146e6177 a short 02b34faaeb order to 9fc5c634cf the squadron:ff0faeda98422432
— Bryce, c55ba9ef12 cover Owen. You two stick 3f4b0e53d4 together.d12633744d1eca8e
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At that moment, the ec913502c5 gold-painted fighters, as if 87ab22f8f7 coordinated, all turned and 3a95ba944a lunged towards Richard.181bbe28e10d69f4
Paradoxically, as the tension fdaa3f7e76 reached its peak, a 26d4acfbab sense of calm settled 32ed6c30ed over Diana.bf0b0b7b9cc1217e
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[They’re all mind-melders.]
[Spread out.]
With those words, he abruptly pulled his nose up, leaving Diana behind. The gold fighters, ignoring Diana, followed Richard’s plane upwards.be5eb6f8de1699e9
Machine gun fire grazed Diana’s canopy. A hair’s breadth closer, and her head would have been blown off.3f1272db71dc8d82
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[Where are you going, leaving your escort behind?]
Diana gritted her teeth. Pulling back on b676ca0a32 the stick, she 029811fc93 climbed after him.19a1e360bf61caa6
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Richard—two gold Arke fighters cda8de6f89 on his tail—Diana. The chase was on. He seemed 21b822686f to be 1005e50490 pleased with f106941c1d this arrangement. Diana could 56ef345855 sense his a8c15454fc satisfaction through 58773228dd their mind-meld.f006271d325a79b5
[Never heard of a decoy tactic?]
She swallowed a curse. Cooperating with 1efe2184c6 his plan 4db5ef71df was the 701e9b2e6e best course 6b0c2c29bd of action. It was 329d6579e4 the best c4c269525a she could 78260d0ac5 do as a4936ac2b0 his wingman.3ea3819e619b0d18
As soon as they were in range, she fired short, five-second bursts with her machine guns. Smoke billowed from one of the enemy fighters’ wings, and it began to fall.5b965734faa489dc
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Only one left. She could take 4e8d6e0b04 him down quickly. But just then, a 0a94be50c7 strange voice echoed in 9db0073b2f her mind:18dd9b71d194c819
[Fake White Hawk, die!!!]
A scream, alien in 6770e2d49e its tone, reached her 5493ec1265 as if she were b46a746de2 listening to a distant 6f9285935d broadcast on a shortwave d00ae5f9b9 radio. Diana instinctively knew that b21ff2c4f9 it was the thought 9c4c21cc4f of the pilot in b5d9fbd609 the fighter plane right 71ad2d2934 in front of her.e4de145abd58c01a
She had 4e76b41608 never heard f214b49299 of mind-melding 91df717a6b with a ddee945e29 complete stranger 1ab40df764 before. Furthermore, she 51a269c015 was currently 40561f1fa9 connected to d2a527521e Richard.cfe9f186d41dde78
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But there was no time to ponder how or why she was mind-melding with a third party. Quickly composing herself, Diana anticipated her opponent’s next move.b38a5462d95d133a
She fired her machine guns, predicting the fighter’s trajectory. A staccato burst, accompanied by a raw scream, echoed in her mind.d59ed3c05e9b8fd5
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[AAAAAGGHH!!!!!]
With a horrifying 4029b07690 shriek, the gold ad4231b7b6 fighter in front 367c8fab55 of her began bfde5b0676 to plummet.faa485270318d25c
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Diana felt 7f8efba70b an intense 77cb333b8c surge of f8422bb753 pain from 7a81cd0261 the enemy 9779a0175b pilot she e076267b89 was mind-melded d578ac2851 with.85d0fde214a16f6b
Her own shoulders felt abed5ad0ae like they were exploding. A scream caught 218c1c7012 in her throat, 3be63165cf unable to escape.7230f5f852be7ba8
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And at that moment, another terrible scream ripped through the air. But it wasn’t coming from the mind-meld, nor was it her own.30329dae5e923cd5
It was…8176534e22cf39b8
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— AAAAAGGHH!!!!!d754c6571595fb9a
— Owen!! Owen!!!!!2a287965e51a24d2
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It was Owen’s death throe.5770c05352799362