Andromeda's engines flared with teal fire, the afterburn igniting the void as we surged forward. With a swift motion, his emerald sword detached from its shoulder mount, splitting in two with a mechanical click. The twin blades shimmered as we sped after Jason's ship, carving a path through the chaos.
The first jet-drone shot toward us—fast, but not fast enough. One freezing sweep of Andromeda's blade cleaved it in half. The two glowing halves spun away before igniting into a silent explosion.
Another squadron closed in.
A rapid zig-zag—Andromeda twisted and dove between them, the green light of his swords slicing through hulls before they could react. One after another, they shattered in brilliant bursts of flame and debris. Seven more fighter drones, gone in mere seconds.
"Jason, I've taken care of the fighter team," I reported over the intercom, adjusting Andromeda's systems for the void climate. "Head to the allied cruiser! I'll follow your six and keep you covered!"
"Copy!"
Jason's ship weaved through the battlefield, using floating debris as cover from the insurgent warships. He broke away toward the lone allied cruiser—its hull painted in orange and black—while the three enemy warships, massive and looming in dark blue and green, loomed like wolves on the hunt.
"Andy, can you get me in contact with the captain of that cruiser?"
"I'll handle it!" Nicole's voice cut in. "You just focus on keeping our asses alive while I explain who we are to them!"
"Alright! Follow my lead, Andy!"
Andromeda rocketed forward, manoeuvring through the battlefield of flak and cannon fire. We wove between enemy bursts, our movements seamless, untouchable. The jet-drones in pursuit barely had time to react before they were cut down, their burning wrecks swallowed by the endless black.
A missile screamed toward us.
Spinning, Andromeda evaded at the last moment—the projectile slammed into a floating chunk of wreckage, sending a shockwave that knocked us forward. The impact sent us barrelling through another enemy fighter, which promptly detonated.
[Status check—no damage.]
No time to pause.
Explosively, we boosted to the next cluster of drones. The void lit up with bursts of blue fire as Andromeda's twin swords carved through their ranks, slicing apart jet after jet in rapid succession. The battlefield blurred around us—a ballet of destruction.
Twelve missiles fired from Andromeda's back—each one streaking toward its target.
Twelve direct hits. Twelve bursts of fire in the empty abyss.
"Nearly there, Firefly!" Nicole shouted. "We've been granted access to board—just keep us covered!"
For a brief moment, I glanced toward Jason's ship. The turret mounted on top was firing relentlessly, suppressing the jets trying to close in on me. But they were too slow. In the void, Andromeda and I were untouchable.
Andromeda darted through the chaos, each movement leaving a trail of destruction. More explosions followed in our wake as we carved through the battlefield—until—Knights.
Freiheit insurgent knights and Nymphas military knights clashed amid the drifting metal graveyard. The moment I spotted them, a voice crackled over an open frequency—designated JK-6533.
"Don't know where the hell you came from, CK-14, but that doesn't matter right now! My men and I are carrying enough explosives to send two of those cruisers back to hell. We're pinned down—can't get through! Need you to take out the enemy knights pinning us down!"
I checked Jason and Nicole's progress—already aboard the allied warship.
"We're clear! I repeat—we are clear!" Jason echoed. "Open reign, Firefly! Do what you have to!"
"Copy that." Flashing Andromeda's twin swords, we blitzed forward, engines burning white-hot.
The enemy knights barely had time to react before we were upon them. One sweep—an insurgent knight was bisected at the waist. A quick thruster boost—Andromeda flipped, driving both blades through another knight's cockpit. In bursts of blue flame, we moved from one enemy to the next—shattering through their formations in mere moments.
"Knight designated JK-6533,*" I called over comms. "CK-14 of Rogue Raven Battalion—codename Andromeda—is ready to escort you to your target."
"Perfect!" The voice responded. "Call me Joker 1-1 for now, Andromeda."
I turned Andromeda to face them. A squad of 23 knights—led by one with strange, curved armor—rocketed toward my position.
"You take the vanguard," Joker 1-1 ordered. "Keep jets and enemy knights off us. My platoon will split into two squads to breach and enter targets alpha and bravo. Think you can manage?"
For a moment, I admired the odd design of Joker's knight—its form lacked the sharpness and rigid angles of most models.
Andromeda spoke before I could. [Certainly, Joker 1-1. My pilot and I will handle all hostiles. Focus on avoiding their cannon fire.]
"Got it, Andromeda." Twisting mid-air, the samurai-like mech turned to his squad. "You heard the CK, Joker Platoon! Whatever you do, don't stop moving—head straight to your targets! They'll watch our backs!"
"Ooh-rah!" With synchronized precision, the 23 knights ignited their spatial jetpacks, accelerating into the fray.
[pilot, focus back on the battle.]
A cannon shot slammed into a wrecked hull near us, hurling it directly into Andromeda's side.
"I am focused," I gritted out, correcting our trajectory to dodge the debris. "Just never seen a knight model like that. I'll have to ask about it after this." Pushing on the cockpits controls Andromeda shot forward.
Knights and jet-drones swarmed us, but they were nothing more than targets in my HUD. One by one, they fell—explosions scattering their remains into the void.
Joker Platoon flew through the wreckage, unchallenged, making a direct course for the three cruisers.
And us? We cut through the battlefield like an azure comet—unstoppable.
***
"Captain, your two guests!"
"Thank you, officer. Back to battle stations."
The moment the sweating captain dismissed his officer, the entire cruiser shuddered from a heavy impact. Yet he spoke as if nothing had happened, his focus unwavering.
"I'll be quick. What branch are you with, and what's your mission?"
"Rogue Raven Knight Battalion," Jason answered swiftly. "We've been off-grid for the last two months, hunting spy commanders across the third sector. Our final target is in a nearby star system within this sector." He exhaled. "We came through the warp tunnel hoping for—well, honestly, this situation."
The captain's hand drifted toward his gun, his face turning sharp. "...Explain."
I shot Jason a warning glance and hissed under my breath, "Explain better than that, you idiot."
Clearing his throat, Jason realized his mistake. "We knew we'd be flying into a warzone, no matter which tunnel we took. Due to operating in dead zones and moving only after our target list, we haven't been updated on war movements. Nor could we afford to be. If any of the spy networks caught even a whisper of us, our entire mission would've been compromised. We cut ourselves off from the military entirely to stay undetected."
The captain pondered for a moment, then grinned. "So that's why the bots suddenly got so desperate last month. They lost their eyes on our supply lines." His expression hardened. "Well, I've got good news and bad news. Good news: we're winning this war. Bad news: you walked right into an ambush."
"It did seem like something bad was going on," I joked, only to receive a grave nod in response.
"We called for reinforcements an hour ago, but apart from you? Nothing. Not even a damn response." The captain's fingers tightened against the war desk, watching the battle unfold on the holographic display. "The warp tunnel is still active, so retreat is an option. But we'd rather die than let those steel bastards take this strategic point."
"Sir, yes, sir!" The crew echoed, their determination palpable.
Jason and I exchanged a glance. There was no hesitation in their voices. No fear.
The captain exhaled, placing both hands firmly on the war desk. The live battlefield map flickered—a lone golden dot cutting through the swarm of red, moving with terrifying precision, erasing enemy units in rapid succession.
"If you hadn't come with the Constellation Knight..." The captain shook his head. "I would have ordered a tactical withdrawal. But from what I've heard, she's already made contact with the knight platoon I sent out. She's assisting them with EMP bombs, helping them infiltrate the cruisers."
"Sir! First team has breached an enemy cruiser!" an officer reported. "Second team is gathering now—CK-14 is providing cover!"
"Good! Divert port-side cannons 21 through 28 to focus on the other cruisers!" The captain's gaze snapped back to us, eyes intense. "Once we're clear of this, I promise to assist you in any way to reach your final target. But right now, I need that Constellation Knight to turn this battle around. Can you connect me through to oversee operations?"
Jason was about to respond, but I stepped in first, wearing a very nervous expression. "Sir, you should probably know something."
The captain frowned. "What?"
I hesitated. "...Firefly's only been in service for five months. Today is her first time in a zero-gravity battle."
The captain's eyes flicked to the battlefield.
Andromeda flashed across the screen, tearing through fighter jets with graceful, lethal precision. The twin emerald swords sang through the void, severing mechanical knights in a blur of motion. A beat later, he was on an enemy cruiser, carving through its side cannons with ruthless efficiency before detonating sections of its surface with targeted strikes.
Then—missile locks targeted him. Andromeda twisted, jetting off the warship's hull, leaving behind a streak of blue-green flame. The missiles chased, but he weaved between wreckage, darting through the battlefield like a predator in open space before all missiles had detonated against garbage.
The captain snapped around to face us, eyes wide. "That—THAT is a fresh star pilot from this year's batch?!"
Jason merely shrugged. I chuckled.
Over the last two months, one thing had become annoyingly clear—Firefly wasn't just built for war. She was war's predator.
And when paired with Andromeda? Practically nothing could stop them.
***
"Joker 1-1, what's the second team's status?"
"Just breached Target Bravo, Andromeda! Joker 2-1, how's your team holding up?"
"Heavy resistance as expected, boss, but Team-2 is nearly at the warship's reactor!"
My eyes glanced down at the targeting display within Andromeda. Seven heat-seeking missiles trailed him in the zero-gravity void of space.
With a flick of the controls his thrusters burned, luring the missiles toward the nearest cruiser, weaving through its flak cannons. As they closed in, he launched a burst of flares from his thighs, causing the missiles to detonate just behind him. The explosions obliterated four of the cruiser's artillery guns in a fiery cascade.
"Whoa! Was that you, Andromeda? The whole damn cruiser just shook!"
"Target Alpha's starboard artillery is down," I reported. "Moving to Target Bravo."
"Trigrata's sake, Andromeda. Chill out and leave some fun for the rest of us!"
Andromeda's thrusters burned blue as he darted through the void, deflecting ricocheting laser fire off his armour. He twisted and wove between the heavier bursts, using the enemy's own fire against them, making them shoot each other in the chaos. Landing hard on the secondary cruiser's hull, he gripped a flak cannon and, with a bone-straining effort, tore it clean off its base.
Jamming his arm into the exposed compartment, I found a squad of werewolf-bots staring up in shock. Without hesitation, I commanded Andromeda with a thought and he unleashed a torrent of fire into the opening, flames flooding the compartment. A heartbeat later, the flak cannon's ammunition stores erupted in a massive fireball.
"Femaga! The whole damn ship just tossed me into a wall, Andromeda!" one of the Joker platoon soldiers shouted.
"You wanna let the Ishimori get destroyed before we plant the EMP, dumbass? Stop whining and hustle!"
As Andromeda shot out of the inferno under my piloting, his internal HUD in the cockpit tagged the Ishimori—our warship's name. It was Andromeda silently advising me on what they were talking about.
Cutting through another wave of enemy flak cannons, I continued disabling the weapons aimed at the Ishimori before diving into the empty void, slicing through insurgent jet-drones, and covering allied fighters.
"Team-2 has set the EMP charges! We're pulling out! Head back for the hangar!"
"Team-1 is set as well! Two minutes to detonation—clear the blast radius now!"
Andromeda fired his thrusters, curving around the first cruiser at breakneck speed. Slamming through the hangar's electric shields, he landed in a blast of fire, disintegrating all defenses on impact. Right on cue, Team-2's knights sprinted into the burning hangar.
"Damn, Andromeda! That was one hell of an entrance!"
"Thanks for the escape assist!"
The eleven knights launched into space, jetting away from the EMP's kill zone leaping out the hangers gravity to zip out into space.
"Dammit! We're pinned down outside the second hangar! We need a rescue, Andromeda!" Joker 1-1 shouted over comms.
"Just pulled Team-2 out. I'm on my way—thirty seconds, 1-1."
Shooting out of the burning wreckage of the hanger, Andromeda curved around the cruiser at hypersonic velocity, streaking toward the second hangar. His camera display zoomed in—I saw the incoming crossfire, a swarm of jet-drones unloading a relentless barrage on the hangar entrance.
A drone lunged to ram us. I spun Andromeda's blade in a tight arc, slicing it in half before we shot through the electric shield again of the second cruisers hanger.
The moment we breached, every drone locked onto Andromeda. His armour sparked under the sheer volume of laser fire.
Condensing fire in his fist, Andromeda punched the air—a wave of searing energy detonated outward. The blast annihilated the drones, sending burning wreckage careening into the walls and ceiling.
"Go, go, go! Fifteen seconds until detonation! Get clear or be dead in space!"
Joker 1-1 led the charge, his squad bolting from the hangar.
"Argh!"
A jet-drone, barely clinging to life, collapsed onto a knight, pinning him under its wreckage. The knight raised his rifle and emptied his entire magazine into it, killing it for good. He struggled to rise, but his legs buckled.
"Dammit! My knights legs are ruined—jetpack's fried, too!"
"1-5! I'm coming back!"
"Don't! You'll lose life support if you get caught in the EMP!" I yelled into comms. "I'll get them to safety."
Sprinting across the burning hangar, Andromeda reached him, hauling the ally knight up and slinging his arm over Andromeda's shoulder under my control.
"I've got him! Extracting now!"
"Time's up! Andromeda, MOVE!" Joker 1-1 roared.
The first EMP blast erupted, frying all technology aboard the cruiser. A second later, the second charge detonated, sending a shockwave of electric force slamming into Andromeda's back.
"Andro—!"
Everything went black. My cockpit screens died. The helmet battery flickered once—then nothing.
[Pi—pilot...] Andromeda's voice glitched, barely audible over the residual static. [S—spirit sur—ge should—restart sys—systems... Ally—doesn't have... mu-much time-e...]
I didn't hesitate. Flooding spirit energy into Andromeda's core through tubes connected to my body, the cockpit flared back to life. The constellation drive hummed as systems rebooted.
[Power restored. Cold fusion core cycling. Systems restarting.]
Lifting from the burning debris, I forced Andromeda forward, carrying the injured knight toward the exit.
[Comms re-established. Link online.]
"I'm going back for them!"
"1-2, aerial fire is too heavy, and the EMP field is still up! Don't play hero just to get yourself killed!"
[All callsigns, this is Andromeda.] Andromeda spoke over the knight comms, cutting through their panic while I focused on moving him. [My pilot has retrieved the deactivated knight. Joker 1-5 has minutes of oxygen left before asphyxiation. Requesting covering formation—returning to the Ishimori for immediate medical aid.]
"Copy that, Andromeda! We can't get closer—lingering discharges are still active. Can you still fly?"
A collective sigh of relief echoed over the comms.
Reaching the hangar ledge, Andromeda's thrusters ignited once more.
[Affirmative. Proceeding to Ishimori's Portside Hangar-4.]
Pushing the controls Andromeda shot into the void, navigating through the electric field. I kept Andromeda's grip firm on the wounded knight. No cockpit fractures and no suit breaches hopefully.
Clearing the EMP's effective range, the entire Joker platoon greeted us, forming a protective perimeter around Andromeda as we carried the broken knight toward the allied cruiser.
"Hey! The final cruiser is prepping for slip-space!"
I looked up into a side-screen in Andromeda's cockpit. The Freiheit warship pivoted, its bow tilting away. A moment later, it blinked out of existence, retreating into the abyss with a silent boom of energy. The battle was over.
"Hahaha! Yes!"
"We live to die another day, fellas!"
"Alright, can it, you lot!" Joker 1-1 barked. "Let's get Andromeda and 1-5 back aboard before celebrating."
He flew closer, his knight nodding in gratitude.
"Thank you, Andromeda. Without you, my men and I would never have made it past the debris field."
[Thank pilot Firefly,] Andromeda corrected. [She was the one in control of my operations.]
Joker 1-1 chuckled. "I'll be sure to. But I prefer my thank-you's face to face, mind you!"