7/25
It seemed that there was still a bit of fighting down in the city, the disabled tower had likely been abandoned or destroyed by now, even if it hadn't those within would likely have been taken into custody. He dropped down over the city after one of the Coalition troops was dropped by a sniper. While he personally had no issue with just strafing through the shanty town in a grid pattern, he got the distinct impression from those around him that such an action would not be looked upon kindly by most. There was always the possibility of collateral, though incidental casualties and friendly fire incidents. Why did these things have to get complicated.
He leaned back in his seat as he started a sensor sweep over the area to check for any hidden pockets of resistance or other nasty surprises. This was something he did at half throttle, allowing the sensors to gather as much data in one sweep as he could. Looked like this place was devoid of anything other than burning wrecks of former shacks and the occasional crispy pirate corpse. There were casualties from the Coalition as well, but they seemed to be far more spread out than the pirates. He listened to the comms chatter quietly, not having anything to add at this point in time. He switched the sensor data and other vitals to the MFD's and a specialized projector that put up vital flight information on the cockpit glass in view of the pilot. He unsealed and removed his helmet, placing it next to him and grabbed a flask from his belt.
There was enough time for a quick drink in memory of those who were lost in the raid today. Those on both sides had fought hard, and some made the ultimate sacrifice, whether for what they called home, or to put a dent in piracy in the sector. As for him, he had come for his own reasons. Partly to help the faction that had welcomed him and Raylia as their own and partly to prove to both himself and others that the ideals of Aquila Squadron still lived on. In the background of the comms chatter there was a repetitive beeping. The indication that he had received a personal message. Sender was unlisted so it wasn't anyone he knew most likely. Might as well check it while there was a relative lull in the action, so he queued up the message as he took a quick swig from his flask before capping it and putting it back.
As he finished resealing the helmet to his suit and transferring the display data back to the HUD, he played the message. His eyes narrowed as he heard what seemed to be a familiar voice...from long ago. The voice was difficult to place, but as he listened it soon became clear. And it sent a chill down Kurayami's spine.
::So you managed to make it out of Aquila alive, eh 13? Haven't seen that paint scheme in a long while. In case you can't remember back that far, I was your biggest fan and greatest competition for lead after the death of Erich. He always did like you, ya know. Said you had a natural talent for this stuff, the right mix of passion, ruthlessness, and compassion. He had requested that you be transferred to the head of another squad who had lost their lead a few missions before, Reaper or somethin' like that. He wanted to fly with you as his equal or fight you to see who was better in the end. It didn't matter much though did it?
You know why he took that hit for you don't you? He saw you in a dogfight during training, with Four next to you. Your damned dogged determination to protect your squadmates, even at your own peril. You remember her, right Bloodborn? Amara? She asked to be on your wing. Erich was supposed to take his legend to the grave with him, but she fought for you to carry on the legacy of the feared Aquila 13 callsign. Had she not, you'd have gone down as Aquila 21, but she knew that if the enemy heard that 13 was leading us into battle they'd run. Many did, and I gotta say, I came to respect her decision. You proved that you took his values and lesson's to heart, Erich had chosen the one who reminded him of a younger version of himself. Today you made sure that legacy was firmly in place, by the time this reaches you I won't be able to respond. My time has come, but remember the words of Erich when he described you in that final request that you were" Unstoppable, a true combat professional, blessed by the goddess of war. He was always cool-headed and knew when to show mercy." Oh and Amara's words when she wanted you to take up his legacy, "It was hell to keep up with him. For me it wasn't about ideals, it was about making a difference, as his wingman I knew I could do something great." She looked up to you, but you already knew that, huh Kurayami. We all knew you loved her, not in the sense of a lover, but as a sister. And it was a mutual feeling. She took pride in being your wingman and that you always saw her as your equal.
Glad to see you here on the field of battle again, even if I am on the wrong side this time. It was a paying job, high paying too. I never left merc work behind. It'll be an honor to fight you one more time. I know the outcome, but I don't hold anything against you, we are both but soldiers doing what we were born to. See you on the other side brother...::
The message ended, far longer than he had thought it would be. He pulled up the time of reception. It had been sent during the dogfight with the two 95's earlier. The only way that could have happened was if he had been in one of them...now it made sense. The one who managed to keep up with him, the one who took out his own wingman. This must have been recorded on the way to the battle, not during. It was good to hear the voice of an old friend once more, and yet it pained him to know that he was for sure, the last surviving member now. War was funny that way sometimes. He located the wreck of the second 95 from earlier, and set down nearby. He headed towards the site of the impact, most of the debris was charred beyond recognition. There. He knelt down and picked up a small piece of the craft and sure enough there were faded markings of the squads old paint scheme. the number had mostly faded, but it was definitely his old rival, Aquila 008. There was no body that he could see, so he took a moment to bury the piece of wreckage a small measure to show respect for a worthy foe. Making his way back to his fighter he climbed in and set off again. He saved the message and sent it over an encrypted Holonet thread to his home. It was a reminder of old times a small smile crossed his features as he thought back, those Corellians had been his brothers and sisters in arms for many years, and finally they had all found rest. All had gone down fighting he knew that much.
