Skyfire Avenue

The cost of laser guns were not cheap. Although they were reusable – unlike missiles – they had to be practical in function otherwise they were just decoration. How much energy did they require? At the North’s current level of technology equipping their drones with two laser weapons was already pushing the upper limit. Continuous use of both drained their energy reserves quickly, making returns to the bastion for resupply more frequent. On average, a drone needed thirty minutes to charge their stores back to full capacity. That was thirty minutes away from the action.

Drones weren’t just used for harassing the enemy, either. They performed well at causing interference, which meant the longer they could remain on the field the more effective they were.

Four laser guns looked impressive, and they could probably cause some damage, but how many shots could you get off? They were sitting ducks once their energy stores were exhausted without missiles to back them up, making them essentially useless. Half the time they’d spend docked on the bastion, charging.

Middle Heaven had shocked the commanders of other vessels again and again throughout the war. Yet despite this Northern military officers scorned these new drones. The East was the East, they joked to one another, ever inferior. These fancy drones were little more than a ploy to trick the public into thinking they were strong.

Their derisive comments would change, however, as the fight unfolded.

As the three bastions released their cloud of drones they spread out to the armada’s periphery. The ships were small, but were superior in both speed and maneuverability to their larger counterparts. As they burst passed the defensive line they didn’t rush in for direct conflict against the aliens, and instead swung wide around their edges. Their goal was to harass and distract the enemy to protect the rest of the fleet.

Numbering in the tens of thousands it was unwise to disregard even these tiny drones. Before bastions they were the forefront of military conflicts. After all, a million ant bites could bring down an elephant. A single drone couldn’t do much, but a wave of them could be devastating.

Drone pilots were carefully screened. They were among the highest trained, with their best surpassing god-ranked mecha pilots in skill. They couldn’t capture a battlefield on their own, but a solid pilot could give the assistance needed to win the day.

Three sets of colorful drones darted among the enemy, each with their own style. The sky-blue ships from Tyrannosaurus charged in, spreading out in all directions at the last moment like a blooming flower. Then, like a giant blanket, burned ahead to meet the encroaching alien forces.

Tyrannosaurus’ secondary weapons systems went live, firing beams of light into the enemy. Fleet vessels nearby lent their firepower to the frontal assault as well.

But the aliens were determined to fight and die for their home worlds. They pushed ahead into the deadly barrage with complete disregard to their individual safety. Fighting at a distance was not their specialty, they had to press in close in order to destroy these pesky human ships.

The first line of aliens were shredded beneath the hail of laser fire from Tyrannosaurus and its entourage. But the creatures were not foolish, the creatures at the fore of their charge were ones most suited toward defense. They were pummeled by the salvos but pushed ahead a good while before succumbing to their wounds. As they did, the beasts behind them picked up speed, desperate to close the gap.

Tyrannosaurus’ fighter drones began to show the aliens their strength. All at once the two thousand drones leading the charge fired their antimatter rockets. Northern training was on full display as the attack was executed in almost perfect synchronicity. Only their targets were varied, to spread the destruction of their missiles over a wide area.

Space lit up as the missiles found their marks. The sudden, intense blast flew the oncoming alien horde into chaos as the sturdier beasts fled to avoid the aftermath.

Another thousand drones moved in from the rear and began peppering the enemy with laser fire. Attacks were coming from all sides and the aliens weren’t sure which way to turn. The tactic was simple but effective; hit the enemy hard then use superior speed and maneuverability to escape out of range. Meanwhile the main human fleet was still tearing through swaths of foes, and Tyrannosaurus was turning to position its main gun while spraying fire from their secondary cannons. The bastions and its surrounding ships punished the creatures with the full might of their weapons, stopping the charge.

Poseidon was even more effective. It was larger than the North’s former flagship, Terminator, and was equipped with a plethora of secondary weapon arrays. The rays of energy it spat were a deep blue, as though it were spouting torrents of sea water at the enemy.

Aside from its main weapons, Poseidon was also equipped with twelve auxiliary heavy cannons. They were strong enough that one blast was enough to rip apart aliens three thousand meters long. The dense bombardment from their secondary weapons systems and railguns also outstripped Tyrannosaurus.

Their drones’ fighter style was also unique. They arranged themselves in circular formation around Poseidon, creating a defensive perimeter. When the aliens got close those stacks of rings ring expanded and released its laser payload. Round after round of burning energy tore through the enemy ranks to create a perfect cover for the Group’s home vessel and forced the monsters back.

Poseidon’s main weapon was yet to be employed. Compared to Tyrannosaurus, it was holding back the tide of aliens with ease. The preponderance of resources available to the Poseidon Group was on full display as their bastion’s remarkable capabilities were revealed.

But it was Middle Heaven that was under the greatest pressure, for they didn’t face the lesser breeds of monsters. The East’s flagship was the focus of the twelve titanic fiends and the twelve avatars that rode them. Their goal was to destroy Middle Heaven and strike a blow at the heart of the human armada. Middle Heaven was the core of human resistance, and its command center. If they didn’t hold the line, it would spell the armada’s destruction.