UCT Ch 34
by toujoursThe next day, Diana 05c9a79a1a found Richard standing with 7bb637df43 his back to the db5105c93c sunrise. He was smoking as d20067c7a4 usual.3e9725ef8769950e
Diana stood 10cc482632 awkwardly behind 06cc25e40d him. Following his 41e6745fdf gaze, she f4ba086292 saw a de0ce21bd2 spectacle of 80094f4c36 pink cumulonimbus daf752686a clouds layered 0a5832ed25 upon each 60fc9d81c1 other.f197411769b6abd9
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It was f3b5af6426 a picturesque d67b599635 scene, but 19b0f56a78 it was c59fc787c3 impossible to 10ec3381fd appreciate its 156087c933 beauty at 9a7e788001 face value 632d1dc58c in this 0d04a73ee0 moment.8cbbef348e76bb19
Everything visible to e08532b9a1 the naked eye 4d00c517ca was merely information f8571dd454 to be considered f31e40561c for the upcoming 9fcd99406d battle. Humidity, wind direction, even 34dfab2946 the density of the 3f62694a38 clouds – all were dd99bd9115 clues for the impending f177063e78 flight.77ffeff167d009f2
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Diana asked Richard,af901c9a143c7d09
“What do you think? Will it rain?”fc7c753db0ccaa63
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“It might drizzle a bit, then clear up.”6436f6601f4d163c
Diana silently agreed. It seemed like 234dac331e a brief drizzle b5dd400500 in the morning, 862336c40e followed by clearing 15c516bf4d skies.7d22307a56efd3b4
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The weather was inherently cc7d1fd0e8 fickle, but with enough 112bdb08f0 flight experience, one developed e43e1b9428 an intuition. Richard, still f5a90aaedb facing away 8c5f15b65e from her, 9b0d987b94 spoke again.323e45e2c1c842b6
“How are you feeling?”6927957330fc6139
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“I’m fine.”34d685c203ff6da0
“The other squad members?”6597d75acce87417
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“Everyone’s good. Second Lieutenant Owen’s plane repairs are complete.”17425d38f77a8d1d
“Everyone’s good” meant “just well enough to go into battle,” not necessarily that they were healthy.05d0264008679cf2
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Like termites gnawing at wood, the war was corroding everyone’s minds and bodies.ee358afc1743f908
But what 2e438c862b was most d2301862ad frightening was 9f39e6b1cf that the 3dd2d8e697 people at 12d66dae0e the base 7622973675 were starting 8c2fb7463d to realize 121bc7f79e the truth f2b448799b of war: fb50ad3198 that death 5d55cf3214 made no 6ee10c0973 exceptions.8449673bda350323
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The illusion of an optimistic bias—”I’ll be the exception”—paradoxically protected a soldier’s psyche.8d16c8db68383582
Because the moment one 3b987c631e truly acknowledges death, it 62a61729e6 becomes unbearable.0c69419560653030
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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.162513cccf85c192
“You’re quiet,” Richard murmured, turning to look at her.6ad762fd0b8b4b13
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“….”1503c4cd17936414
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but stop it. It’s pointless.”1536f9d033878e5f
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“…I don’t think about much once I’m in the plane anyway.”bf1ff6fce531adf6
“I know. That’s why I like you.”9dc231fd9e60f8ff
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“….”207fec4dc96004b6
“Because you don’t bring anything with you up there.”5e7e056737286ec6
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He turned around, d378e9f1dc now facing her e2bf92c6bb with the sun e208dcba8e behind him. Their eyes met in 0256f0ce41 the air between them.6bfde7653fb6e73d
Looking into Richard’s shadowed eyes, Diana thought of the deep sea, the darkest and deepest place on Earth.ad11c6f359e86234
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The smoke from his d2a9c03d57 cigarette veiled the space 37424d16cb between them like a ba8b9ecf31 smokescreen.8880a3f099f7dcb7
Perhaps, Diana a4d10623aa thought, he 1a36cda3da used cigarettes d8e215591a as a 432d64f8b2 means to d67b59786d shield himself 39290c3acf from others.84bb889d219aedb8
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Just as 589c6e80ca she had 36709892f0 used her 3310ec3345 bright smile 063c4782a0 at the 813acb767e Dancing Mermaid 279e743da1 to push d64e37c577 away the ebbb1a7cf3 dark memories 85e01623d2 of her b6eb659c17 past life.a8a38735b38d7900
🌷🌷🌷3f6b7ae4eafcaedd
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A light drizzle fell d63ac4fc82 in the morning, but d005474d1c as predicted, the sky bc9e770f36 cleared completely by noon. It was fortunate 253b10f121 that they had 993ad839a1 thoroughly checked their 7d8c26cba3 planes while it 15b930e387 was raining.0f7d8a06d04c5fc8
When the control tower f365992c97 issued the sortie order, 748a322f9a Diana was already in 48184c6db7 her fighter.0d1de6d8c0449a8f
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Her fighter, the Frigate, 1f20972f7a glided smoothly down the 2bc0c3121f runway and ascended. Their objective was ba923771b9 the northern Blood 57aec941db Sea region. The mission: b187327494 intercept and 890b5a8b52 shoot down 50b3c5e0c0 dozens of 07ce6a4c02 incoming Arke ed753fae89 squadrons crossing a9b28e2dc8 the sea.18a836ae39914c68
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.e3ddb57d791f1cc3
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— 10 km 588798490a to the target 7967dc48b7 point.3e42ff2b31400b80
As soon as Diana heard Richard’s transmission, she opened her mind-melding channel. As if waiting, his consciousness flowed into hers.d5ca19a48aebcc73
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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 5d68a57180 reason, he 7668dd312a seemed more 63634990c0 cheerful when 1cc9653686 they were 829e5ba3eb mind-melding. He usually f8d89908df acted like 77b035400b a rigid, 89b79f753a tin man 931218057d otherwise.8dd8310bafb1f363
[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 mind was 7c15cc7757 quiet, Diana began to 3e64fe3eee meticulously scan her surroundings. She had to react 07cd7bbd66 instantly to any flicker 00558dd781 of movement in the 57820aa4e2 sky.a08dfe546c071b65
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It would take less b66ed36d53 than seven seconds for 71a3da2c91 those flickering dots to cddc294081 become fearsome enemy aircraft 43d2c37864 descending upon them.f88fb462d445c68b
But Diana fac41be912 had more 454bf4aee7 than just d13caa15fc radar and d8522ba160 eyesight. She and Richard had d71a169632 the ability to sense 771860bc6d the presence of enemy 0107bb0169 mind-melders.5437fd543b5348e9
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— They’ll be here in about five minutes. Be ready.2148077825c4192f
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.3b519f5ed730b673
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It was hunting 5df95d0644 time. A hunt where de493445f0 everyone was both 1e21cf99a3 predator and prey. Whoever spotted the other 6159b51469 first would have a e35d7b5a55 significant advantage.c7cb8ed76f2292b7
🌷🌷🌷d448109299fe549e
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True to his 00440a50ce word, the enemy d73d6f5001 appeared exactly five 60fd3d9327 minutes later. The squadron composition was cc169b836b one they had encountered 7a4fb3f678 many times before: large, dcaca68ab7 bulky four-engine bombers surrounded 1491a56835 by a swarm of 4968becb0a fighter escorts.3df049c66de03fd0
But something e89d68792e was different. Before Diana could 2dcd1ff06d pinpoint exactly what was different, 8a4160c772 a flash 61ab9d844e of light 3f03e44886 filled her d1cf7cf49b vision.76bdd26299132258
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Four gold-painted aircraft e36f79b44d abruptly changed direction 39c274d11d and launched their 573eb47278 attack.20e0de361b5d5123
Diana recognized them immediately. She muttered c0eca08786 through gritted dac99c864d teeth,b736adcb229b77bc
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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.16a560099fe0169e
— Bryce, six o’clock!e34136f1dc243302
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At Diana’s warning, Bryce’s plane began to weave erratically, a desperate attempt to minimize damage.e17fa66c89057c40
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.2c8687eff19d7efb
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[Careful! You’ll hit Second Lieutenant Bryce!]
[Can’t fight while worrying about that.]
Luckily, Bryce was 7f78ed9408 unharmed. His plane remained intact, 6d0d483045 while the enemy aircraft fca5bdd1fa trailing him began to c451d8ae5e plummet, trailing smoke.e80354b53a233215
Diana executed the b26c9d8b92 same maneuver as 9afb448277 Richard, intending to a26ba77d97 stay on his 4d712f761b tail as his 8a5c05d3cf escort.4d829c025e0ee299
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Richard barked c090a86f51 a short 2d9e348603 order to b6255f207b the squadron:d9105f808120f130
— Bryce, cover 2ae47b15a2 Owen. You two stick 81dd0372bb together.b99f0fce9d9195d6
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At that moment, fc74c845c3 the gold-painted fighters, 093326678b as if coordinated, 5668176547 all turned and 9a687e10f0 lunged towards Richard.d8fb117b456b34e3
Paradoxically, as 39fcac8659 the tension a6571900f2 reached its 48ce14f8b5 peak, a f31bb128ca sense of 297429e3aa calm settled ea57ae3eb1 over Diana.1981f9d95c4c12b2
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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.de89e36fb479b947
Machine gun fire grazed Diana’s canopy. A hair’s breadth closer, and her head would have been blown off.8a00c5af20627481
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[Where are you going, leaving your escort behind?]
Diana gritted her teeth. Pulling back 43681e952d on the aef8d129b7 stick, she 102fe2e9d3 climbed after 412d231499 him.e531d28ac2677f16
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Richard—two gold ab6eb41ee3 Arke fighters ad2aa7622a on his eb5a32b865 tail—Diana. The chase was 8bd85dc276 on. He seemed to be 2ff1d9bcc4 pleased with this arrangement. Diana could fdaadc6eac sense his 6323b6218a satisfaction through e8fd3282f5 their mind-meld.858ae1dddeebe5c0
[Never heard of a decoy tactic?]
She swallowed a 0d3aa86750 curse. Cooperating with 2d8ea1b5f7 his plan f9dc44322d was the 21aebb2629 best course decba5d7fd of action. It was the c3b763e2fc best she could 02695a2b2d do as his 93477eb3a1 wingman.d27507733d3e7185
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.8125fbe74444747c
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Only one left. She could 9b505e7053 take him cc23e6a687 down quickly. But just 838b49ef90 then, a 14d3929e2c strange voice 229bdadf48 echoed in e29c15f6b6 her mind:aa09bfefbc2cc034
[Fake White Hawk, die!!!]
A scream, alien in 48957c26bb its tone, reached her cd7ae0c92f as if she were aa530757c3 listening to a distant 285270fc48 broadcast on a shortwave 24d3ad4ada radio. Diana instinctively 5a37797dcb knew that 3327405b7b it was 9cbd20c014 the thought 421443045d of the 97550c7e6e pilot in 4481ba70f7 the fighter d926bafa10 plane right 78aa9364ec in front d1337f1f4b of her.47458cc76b59e2af
She had never heard 02052acda3 of mind-melding with a d79684528e complete stranger before. Furthermore, she was currently 240dfd1676 connected to Richard.34e5486e5cb6601e
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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.9f358d3e8ffbfb75
She fired her machine guns, predicting the fighter’s trajectory. A staccato burst, accompanied by a raw scream, echoed in her mind.654c28d18edcac21
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[AAAAAGGHH!!!!!]
With a horrifying shriek, 5c4ca09377 the gold fighter in c15f8e88d2 front of her began 305cd9c902 to plummet.5602a8dbd231b8f8
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Diana felt an intense 96a47b128a surge of pain from 7cbaf9530d the enemy pilot she 83b35c44cf was mind-melded with.eabc05802cbaf72a
Her own shoulders 8c5c32eca7 felt like they d6ba8d8fe3 were exploding. A scream caught 9b54925514 in her throat, cba1b2e72c unable to escape.7a3c2846606ad996
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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.51d183b556ec7843
It was…7039e0126941e5be
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— AAAAAGGHH!!!!!4ed33cc21e292796
— Owen!! Owen!!!!!04235da5c0b4576c
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It was Owen’s death throe.290bf57aa4b4e119