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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/Pacobell1245 on 2024-09-15 10:14:01+00:00.

“Grandpa now that we’re at the park bench please tell me the rest of the story!” The grandson said.

“Alright I will since I can tell it means that much to you.” The grandpa said with a slight laugh.

After we reverse engineered their ships we started production of our own. Not American or Russian or even Chinese. These ships were human. Every nation on earth worked together and win a year we had Thousands. We launched our first attack during the first minute of the year 2035! It was glorious to take to the stars.

“All hands to battle stations!” The captain yelled over the PA systems. I ran to man my fighter. I was one of the Humans who got lucky in the selection. “Pilots on my signal launch all craft!” The captain told us. I was nervous. My stomach was down making small talk to my nuts. No matter how many fights you get in the next one can always be your last. Though with my gunner and best friend Marquez I knew where were going to make it!

“Launch!” The captain ordered. We launched our craft out into space already hitting mach in mere seconds. The dampeners working double time! For the briefest of moments, I got to admire space. It’s one thing to get to stare at the stars from the ground, it’s a whole other thing to see them from space.

“Bogie closing in 4 o’clock!” Marquez said snapping me out of the trans! I hit the thrusters, and we dusted his ass. Marquez locked onto the bogie while it was hot on our tail. I cut the back thrusters and turned the front ones on full blast. The Hanlani fighter shot by us, and right as he did Marquez launched a sidewinder at him.

“Clean hit!” I yelled out. I put my hand over my shoulder and we high fived. It was our first kill in space! I turned back on the back burners, and we lurched forward into the fray. It still sends shivers down my spine. There was explosions on both sides. Missiles flying along with Hanlani plasma! Thousands of fighters locked into combat!

“All fighters clean up and focus on the destroyers. Do bombing runs where you can! Captain Andrew out!” Captain finished his orders, and we did as we were told. I took us into the fray heading straight for the destroyer closest to us. I flow through debris zipping around using wreckage as shielding! They were larger than what I was prepared for.

“Look alive Billie PD lasers are alive!” Marquez yelled out. I started juking and jiving around in space. Most of that time narrowly dodging the lasers. Luckily for me they had a little tell tell sign they were about to fire. Right before they fired you would see for a brief second a buildup of heat in the cannon. I used that to my advantage devastatingly well, The moment I spotted it I would move just enough that I wouldn’t get hit. The Hanlani had mistakenly only used one rapid fire PDG. It was like they never expected swarm tactics to be used against them.

“I’m locked on with a nuke tip!” Marquez yelled out. The moment he fired that shot I turned that fighter around! I like to be warm on a summer day not burned alive by a nuke. I looked back and seen that destroyer blow clean in two. I still like to imagine the look of horror on those bastards faces!

“I’m taking us back to the hanger rearm!” I told Marquez.

“Negatory we still have enough ammo to take care of some fighters or take out some PDG on other destroyers!” Marquez told me.

“Alright let’s take care of the fighters to help our fleet out.” I said. I fired up the engine and we went full speed into a dog fight. I spotted one of our fighters trying to shake a Hanlani fighter. I thought that would be the best place to start.

“Marquez can you get a lock on that Hanlani before our friend over there meets space Jesus?” I yelled jokingly

“It would be just a bit easier if you could actually fly worth a shit!” Marquez said while laughing. I fake gasped in indignation.

“Locked, missile out. Clean hit.” Marquez said while the once tic tac shaped fighter exploded. We tried to catch another fighter off guard when we came under fire from a Hanlani corvette!

“Marquez, we need to unfuck ourselves! Do we have enough ammo left to cripple that corvette?” I asked.

“Affirmative Big Billy we do. Though we won’t have enough ammo for anything else. Maybe a few slugs of RA.” Marquez told me.

“That sounds good enough to me.” I yelled out as I took us in for a strafing run against the corvette! I let loose with the only weapon I had control of which was the rail gun. The first few shots bounced harmlessly off of the shields. Then the shields went down, and I got lucky when a round pierced far down its PDG and blew up the power source for the lasers it shot. Then the missiles from Marquez blew up the bridge and the engines. It’s not a total wipe out of the ship, but it did make it combat ineffective.

“I’m taking us back, were low on fuel and I only have one RA left!” I told Marquez and he agreed. I took us back to the carrier UHV Hell Hath No Fury. I set our course and set auto pilot. I then sat back to catch my breath. It was exhilarating, though combat can cause much fatigue. While relaxing I looked back towards the battle. It was clear to anyone who looked at it who was winning. We caught the Hanlani totally off guard. They hadn’t noticed the rapid loss of materials or did but couldn’t figure out where it was going. Most of their token occupation fleet had been destroyed. What had not been destroyed was being harassed by the other fighters. I knew this because the lasers of the Hanlani PDG were firing wildly!

“Fighters return to bays and rearm and refuel.” Captain Andrew ordered. I thought to myself that I was already on the way anyway. When we made it to the ship I landed and got out. I struggled to stand or walk for a brief moment. It always happened to me for the first few minutes after I got done in space and returned to artificial gravity. It happened to many other pilots too. I stopped to look out of the bay to watch the rest of the fight.

The remaining Hanlani battleship was taking on UHV Carnage. It was a battleship. The Carnage had 100 mounted railguns and while I’m not for sure, I was told 1000 missile launchers. Needless to say there is a reason it was called the Carnage. It was firing all of its rail guns one after another. The Hanlani battleship was taking massive damage, but it was putting up one hell of a fight. I was watching the two behemoths fight and it reminded me of watching two heavy weight fighters. The Carnage had shield and a massive amount of armor. The plasma weapons were strong against the shields, but it was having trouble with the 100 feet of steel. The Carnage launched a volley of missiles. I have no idea of how many there was in the volley but easily 500 missiles were heading for the Hanlani battleship! Its armor deflecting and absorbing much of the damage. Sadly, for the crew of that battleship some missiles went into the holes from the rail guns. The ship exploded one section at a time.

“Marquez, I think that we did it. Our people are free once more.” I told him. We hugged each other and cried tears of joy. He was like a brother to me after all we had been through, and we both lost so much. Heck he is your great uncle too since I married his sister.

“Grandpa you’re getting off topic I knew Uncle Marquez before he passed.” The Grandson said.

“You’re right.” Billy said.

After losing so much earth was free. My grandpappy was avenged and so was Marquez’s family. We however knew that the fight was far from over! It was only just the beginning. We would get our people back and bring them back home. Then in order for Earth to be truly safe the Hanlani would need to be eradicated.

“Follow me.” Billy told his grandson.

“Where too grandpa?” The grandson asked.

“Somewhere special. I think there is something you should see.” Billy replied.

Thank you for reading this installment of Never Again! The Hanlani War Chronicles. I truly hope that you enjoyed this chapter!