rdmAug 19, 2025

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Hitomi watched the universe turn inside-out around her fighter, there was a brief pause, and then the universe righted itself.
"Chimera report!" Ava's voice came across the radio.
"Bird check - four thousand metres 230 degrees, plus 250 metres to Paper" Hitomi responded, giving her location relative to Ava. The jump engines never quite kept the formation together, and they always had to regroup after emerging. Estelle called in and they formed up into a tight "V". As a group they dived to a mere 5000 metres above the Varan base.

"Drop packages!" Ava ordered, and they each released the four canisters they were carrying. Ava waited just long enough for her belly camera to spot the parachutes opening and then "Jump!"
Hitomi hit the button and the universe turned inside-out again, only this time there was no pause.

They had spent less than five minutes in Varan airspace, during which time the energy used to rip a hole between dimensions had been bleeding into heatsinks all over the tiny fighter. But not enough time for it all to discharge. Nowhere near enough time.

#CerianAndVaranWar #IAmWriting #tootfic #SF #SFF #SciFi #MilSF

https://rdmasters.lympago.com/p/cerian-and-varan-war-story-in.html

Cerian and Varan War - A story in development

The setting (from several hundred thousand light years away) An Explanation Through late 2022 and most of 2023, an author, E.W.Paris , on t...

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The moment Hitomi hit the jump key, another massive rush of power flooded the ship's skin, ripped a new hole in spacetime, and then poured back into the fighter.

The capacitors intended to buffer and bleed the energy had not had time to bleed off even half of the first jump. The second was too much, and they shorted out, sending power surging through the circuits of the craft.

The quadruply redundant systems, intended to survive multiple shrapnel hits were no match for the massive electrical spike that followed.

Hitomi heard almost every alarm her craft trigger as she dropped back into Cerian airspace. As she glanced down, she could see the circuit breakers trip, and then sparks leapt across them and fused them to solid lumps of metal. Smoke from burning insulation filled the cockpit, and then the alarms stopped.

Hitomi only had a second to realize that the alarm circuits had also fused before her hands automatically reached down and pulled the lever that linked to the one circuit that was completely independent of the rest of the fighter. The only one still working.

The canopy blew off, and a giant kicked the base of her spine as her seat ejected.

She watched as her tiny ship tumbled away and then exploded as the fuel systems had their turn to be adhoc energy sinks.

Then there was a crack, and another giant slammed her back into her seat. The parachute had opened.

Looking around she searched for the rest of her flight. There was Ava. Where was Estelle? Wait, there she was - above her. Two parachutes. Plus her own. They had made it. She waved, and saw the others wave back.

They were still a few minutes from the ground when she spotted the Search and Rescue floater circling.

Hitomi stretched her wings, and tried to look for a clearing to land in. Her wings might not be enough to glide with, but she could still use them to steer.

She was not going to let Tannis down by messing up the landing.

#CerianAndVaranWar #IAmWriting #tootfic #SF #SFF #SciFi #MilSF

https://rdmasters.lympago.com/p/cerian-and-varan-war-story-in.html

Cerian and Varan War - A story in development

The setting (from several hundred thousand light years away) An Explanation Through late 2022 and most of 2023, an author, E.W.Paris , on t...

Aug 19, 2025 at 11:37amWeb