In Love With the Manhunter

“All fighters fall back we are retreating! I repeat fall back we are retreating!” Madwick screamed over the radio.

“Slate squadron fall in!” I said as I disengaged from a fighter.

“Coming boss.” Velvet said

“Right away, falling in.” Veronica said as their ships fell behind mine as we flew toward the Dremora ship. All of the hanger bays on the ship opened a light blue shield covering their entrance. Suddenly a yellow laser flew at the Dremora ship destroying one of the hangers.

Fires were burning from multiple places on the warship, but it seemed to still be in somewhat good shape, “This is gold leader we are under fire we-” The mature male voice was cut off as two ship exploded.

“These Bastards, they’re shooting us as we run!” a mature female voice said.

“Slate two and three head for the hanger I’ll join you shortly.” I said breaking formation.

“Bo- Ryder what are you doing?” Velvet asked

“Covering you now go!” I said as I shot an enemy fighter destroying him.

“You're not doing this alone.” Veronica said following me.

“You’re not leaving us this time.” Velvet said also following me.

“Go that’s an order.” I said shooting a rocket hitting a fighter blowing it up.

“You don’t really have authority over us anymore since you not really a Dremora soldier any more so-” Veronica said

“So you can’t tell us what to do.” Velvet finished as they fell in formation.

“Touché.” I said as we flew shooting down enemy fighters. We moved as a unit destroying any enemy fighters we saw, “Veronica get me a head count of how many of your ships still need cover.” I said as I shot down an enemy fighter as it spun out of control smashing into another enemy fighter as they exploded together the orange flames mixing together.

“Got it.” Velvet said as she broke formation flying toward the Dremora warship.

“Veronica keep it tight we're getting close some frigates.” I warned as fire from the frigates began to target us along with any fighters tailing or aiming in our direction. Keep it tight here we go!” I said as we got inches from the frigate flying near its gun turrets. I shot a shot to my wing. It bellowed out smoke.

“Lateral controls now have sever feedback lag.” a female voice said as my HUD began to flash red.

“Ryder you alright?” Veronica asked concerned.

“Yeah, j-just a scratch.” I said trying to keep the controls steady. In dealing with my struggle I glossed over an enemy locking warning as a small missile hit one of my engines.

“Engine three is down, engines two and one are severely damaged. Loss in speed will be heavy.” the female voice said as Veronica began to pass me. I got hit again in the same wing, however this time the wing blew off entirely, “Lateral controls lost.”

“Maybe more than a scratch.” I said as the jet began its death spiral.

“Ryder?” Veronica asked worry in her voice.

“I know.” I said as I unbuckled myself. I punched a black and yellow striped button but nothing but a faint whine and click reached my ears. I reached under the seat pulling a lever only discovering the same outcome, “Oh of the love of-” I was cut off as the jet shook as the over wing blew up as it took on fire. I drew one of my pistols shooting out the cockpit glass.

“Warning cockpit breached. Warning cockpit breached.” The voice warned as I punched the now weaken glass as it shattered. I pulled out a metal back pack as I was sucked out into space.

I flew out as another missile hit my jet destroying it completely the blue flames swallowing the jet completely. I spun a little as I attached the white and red pack to my back with a muffled click, which I could barely hear. The two tubes leading to my helmet were torn out as I was thrown from the jet so I was not gasping for air, which there was none for my lungs to take. One of my hands went to my throat as the other tried in a vain attempt to remove what was left of the tubes connected to my helmet, “I hate this- helmet!” I gasped out to myself as one of the two tubes was disconnected. Darkness began to form on the edges of my vision as I tore out the other tube. All of a sudden the noise of air being compressed sounded as I took in greedy gulps of air, “Oxygen do you ever fucking leave me again!” I said to myself as the darkness began to dissipate leaving my vision.

“Ryder!” Veronica screamed.

“Jesus christ woman!” I yelled back trying to cover my ears, which I could not do due to the headset for the radio were in my helmet, “I’m still here, and maybe now partially deaf.” I said as I saw her fighter rebound back, “No no no!” I said as I used the jetpack I had on to barely miss being sliced in half by Veronica’s fighter. Before her fighter was out of my reach I shot a grappling hook connecting to her fighter as I was pulled with. I flew behind being dragged by my right arm. I pressed a button on my gauntlet as I slowly made my way to her fighter.

“Ryder you're not dead, oh thank the stars!” Veronica said relieved.

“Yeah and I was almost cut in half by your wing.” I said as I reached her fighter’s haul as I magnetized my boots to her fighter. I pressed three buttons on my gauntlet as my grapple retracted and my gloved palms became metal. I pressed them against the ship as they magnetized.

“Are you climbing on my fighter?” She asked as if it was impossible.

“Yes.” I said as I reached the middle of the fighter crouching as I locked myself down now laying on my stomach, “I got your six.”

“Don’t scratch my fighter!” She said as he rolled dodging enemy fire.

I purposely dragged my metal palm over the ship. I lifted my hand to see a scratch in the fighter, “Oops.” I said a small grin crossing my face.

“Ryder you sack of shi-”

“There must be over a billion scratches on this fighter from this battle, I highly doubt this little one will matter.” I said as I pulled out my assault rifle, “Now I may not be perfect cover, but I will try my best to take out any fighters that trail you.”

Then Velvet’s bomber flew behind the fighter began to chase us blue lasers taking them down. “Veronica where’s Ryder?” She asked worry clear in her voice.

“I’m here on her fighter.” I said waving at her.

“Yeah what he said, and he scratched my ship.” Veronica said

“Oh yeah I see it, it’s not that big just throw some paint of it and you’ll be fine.” Velvet said

“How the hell can you see that?!” I asked in shock.

“A little bird told me.” Velvet said giggling a little

“Oh har har har.” I said know what she meant, “What’s the headcount?”

“All fighters are in we should dock in the warship their beginning to leave.” Velvet reported as she dodged a glacier.

“Alright Veronica you heard her.” I said tapping the fighter a muffled metal clang sounded as I did so. We flew toward the warship as I saw it’s engines light up as the ship began to pull away. Fire ravaged the ship blue and orange flames spewed out of multiple areas.

The guns on the ship tried to return fire as best as it could as it took each enemy shot like it was going to blow, “Punch it!” Velvet said as her bomber blasted past us. I banged on her fighter as she blasted off following her. I began to fire trying to hit the cockpits as best as I could while being shook at each movement Veronica made. One of the red bolt flew and broke through the glass as the fighter began to spin before smashing into another fighter. I empty the clip shooting another enemy pilot as the ship flew off hitting a glacier. I put in a new one as the spent one flew off into space.

When my assault rifle was ready to fire again a red blot flew at me as I pressed myself against the fighter as much as I could as a loud bang erupted from behind me as black smoke totally blinded me. I coughed and wheezed as the smoke was not filtered out. I pressed a button on my helmet as I heard high pitched fan turn on as my lungs were now supplied with clean air. I let out one cough as felt the ship shake a little. I looked behind me to see the bolt had struck the cockpit. I got up slowly as I did not want to be thrown off into space. I slowly made my way to the cockpit as the fighter began to spin. I looked up to see us level with a hanger, however we were losing altitude fast. If we stayed on this course we would crash into a gun missing the hanger completely, “Veronica are you there? Veronica?!” I heard Velvet calling her name as her bomber flew into a hanger. I demagnetised one of my boots as I began to stomp on the fighter’s cockpit as the glass began to crack. I shot the weak glass with my rifle as it blew away. I saw Veronica in the cockpit slumped over the controls. She was in a midnight purple flightsuit as I pulled her out of the cockpit. The belts holding her in the fighter broke away as I pulled her out. I held her in my arms as I waited for the fighter to put us upright as I jumped.

I flew into the hanger as the blast doors shut destroying the jet pack I had on. I slammed into the ground hard sliding across the metal floor. I wrapped myself around Veronica shielding her from the floor. She only had on was a nomex flight suit, which would not protect her from this sliding. I smashed into a fighter’s landing gear back first, we stopped dead I could feel the heat from my armor as it slowly died away. I let go of her as I could not move. I tried to flew my finger, move my leg, turn my head, but I couldn’t, “I- I’m paralyzed, damn it! Shit I- I ca- can’t be! Not again...” I growled trailing off through gritted teeth. I still tried to move as if just one movement from some limb would help. My head was put in a way that I was nearly touching Veronica's helmet and see her torso, but from everyone else I could only see their feet. I saw boot running around, and some stopped around me.

People were speaking to me and others, but the just came heavily muffled and far away. I looked at Veronica seeing no movement. Not a twitch, no words came out of her mouth, not even a breath. Then Veronica was pulled out of my arms and someone propped me up looking me over. My head slumped to the side as I could see Veronica lying there still not move or breathing. Two medics in white and red armor as other medics opened her flight suit and took off her helmet. Her blond hair spread out across the metal floor, which was scratched badly from our entry. They were pushing on her chest and putting an oxygen mask on her in an attempt to save her. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Velvet run toward us kneeling next to Veronica as she tore her helmet. She was beginning to cry as the medic said something, but I could not hear them. One of them rushed over with a defibrillator. A voice yelled something as Veronica’s body jumped before falling limp. Another yell and her body jumped again. On the third try her body jumped before falling limp again. They removed the defibulators. Velvet covered her mouth as tear began to fall down her face. When the medics moved she grabbed Veronica holding her close to herself. She cried even more as the cries turned into full sobs of misery. Soon I began to get my hearing back as Velvet’s sobs hit my ears, “Big sister. Please big sis don’t die please. I need you.” Her sobs broke her words as she slowly placed her sister on the ground crying over her as she laced her head into Veronica’s chest, “No, no no no...” Velvet trailed off still crying.

“Hey you still with us? Hey?!” a male voice said as my head was shifted over face his helmeted face, “Medic get over her I think he’s still alive!” The man said waving his hand frantically, “If you can hear my voice do or say anything.”

A woman came over in the white and red armor as she searched through her back pulling out a device. She placed it to my neck removing my helmet. It clanged against the ground as out of the corner of my eye I saw Velvet look up toward me. The device that was on my neck let out a series of beeps, “Hey Ryder can you hear me? Ryder can you move?”

“I can’t…. Move.” I said softly as my eyelids were becoming heavy, “I feel cold so cold.” I said as my eyes began to close the beep becoming louder and long in between each one.

“Ryder stay with me, stay with me.” She said as she turned on a light on the side of her helmet, “Get the defibs ready!”

Then my vision was nothing but black, and I saw nothing but a black, empty, endless void of black. Is this how I die? Failing to save a life and being mocked by death? Is this truly how my story ends with a whimper?