Team Foxtrot was the greatest fighter squad in the H.A.D. air force. They were skilled in many things. Flying their custom made fighters, organizing team strikes that almost always cripped the opposition, their fantastic cooking skills, and their killer poker games were just a few of their talents. And at the moment, they were demonstrating another one of their talents.

Harmonized snoring.

The warning lights that were attached firmly to the wall lit up, filling the dark room with an eerie red light. "All team Foxtrot members please report to Fighter Bay Delta," a female voice called out.
There were a set of five groans. "Just when we were getting some decent sleep too," a female voice complained. "Why do they always call us when they need fighters?"
"Don't remind us Fyre," a male voice responded. A figure sat up, his black and white striped tail rising up from behind his shirtless body. "Please, just don't."
A second, also topless figure sat up, her bushy tail wrapping itself around her as best it could. "What is it this time?"
"They're probably calling you up on charges for being a cockteaser," a second male voice responded. Fyre turned to see the hawk lying in the bunk next to hers. He was on his side, looking at her, a smile on his beak. "Must you sleep in the nude like that?"
"But it's comfy!"
He laughed. "Eventually, Raz and I are going to have to have to bang you." The skunk chuckled, shaking his head.
"I don't know why you even bother taunting her like that," yet another voice retorted. "You know that she'd enjoy it as much as you two."
The hawk rolled over to look at her. "You're just as bad, my dear."
The otter smiled as she stretched, lifting her sheets up with one knee. "Yeah. But what's your excuse, Glyde?"
"Same thing as mine, Seastar," the fifth and final voice responded. "Hmrr...these sheets are so god damn soft. High command tortures us by giving these to us." His long, orange and black striped tail slunk off the bed, across the short distance, and batted itself against her back. "I think we're all exempt, since we all do sleep in the nude."
Seastar smiled and rolled over. "You're right, Rhazor."
"C'mon," Fyre said. "Let's get dressed so HC doesn't get pissed."

Fyre was strapped into her cockpit pod. "So, any clue to what we're killing this time around?" she asked. She played with a few of the controls, just to make sure the electronics were okay.
"Dunno yet," Raz's voice answered over the communications device. "HC never said."
"There's a rumor that it's the carrier we've been hunting down for the last month or so," Rhazor responded. "Mhrr...if it is, and we kill it, we can finally get a little fuckin' sleep."
"Think so?"
"This is High Command," the speakers blared. "We have confirmation. The carrier is transporting some high explosive planetary bombs. Team Fox, we need that son of a bitch destroyed."
"On it," Raz said. "Guys, choose what you need. We're going in, guns blaring!"
"Aye Raz!" She looked to her crew, which was a mixture of humans and animals, and nodded. They backed away. She played with the controls, causing her pod to move. It went forward to the Foxtrot parking lot, a large selection of chassis designed for them and them alone. "Computer, access and activate Raver chassis beta." The pod moved over to the appropriate frame and lowered itself into a small, round impression in the metal. She felt the pod jerk as it connected into the chassis' electronics systems. The engines hummed to life. "Ready when you guys are."
"I'm ready," Raz said.
"Systems online," Seastar responded.
"Let's kick it!" Rhazor added.
"Oh yeah!" Glyde cried triumphantly.
"Team Foxtrot secured," she heard one of the techies down below shout. "Immediate launch!" She flipped a few switches and slammed the throttle. Everything - the chassis, the pod, her - went from zero to fuck in less than a second.

"Form up," Raz called. Fyre played with the control stick and flew the fighter into position. "Okay, systems check. What do we have to work with people?"
"Raver beta," she called in.
"Scythe delta," Rhazor said next.
"Demon alpha," Seastar reported.
"My little deuce coupe," Glyder finished with a chuckle.
"Good," Raz said.
"What are you flying?" Fyre asked.
"Fireball."
"WHAT?!" She accidentally jerked the control stick, causing her fighter to move erratically. Everyone followed, hoping not to break the formation. "You mean with the incerator beam?"
"Yep."
"Raz," Rhazor said. "Dude...what part of 'high explosive' did you NOT understand?"
"I know what I'm doing."
"Well," Seastar demanded. "Care to share this little revelation with the rest of us?"
"Easy. If I can get in and fire this thing, I can cause enough internal damage to disable the ship."
"Hmm...all right."
"Look, just distract the gunners."
"Gotcha."
"Roger," Fyre said.

The carrier was huge. It was typical of Aragian ships: round, lumpy, and dark in color, like a flying piece of shit. It lumbered along slowly, completely unaware of their approach.
"Okay people," Raz said. "I'm gonna give them a warning shot. When they start shooting, distract the gunners and open me a hole."
"Understood," Glyde said. They watched Raz's fighter, which was at the head of the formation, fire it's main weapon, the incinerator beam, at the carrier. The orange beam struck the side of the ship, causing a huge explosion. They watched as gun turrets appeared all over the surface and started firing. Raz pulled his ship back.
"Hit it!" Fyre shouted. She slammed her controls, causing the entire ship to dive at the carrier. Green blasts of energy flew past her, missing completely. She yanked the control sticks, leveling off with the harsh, metal surface. She pushed a few buttons on her control panel. A pair of missiles detached from the underside of her ship, dropped for a few feet, and rocketed off, slamming head on into one of the gun turrets. It exploded in a satisfying green blast.
"Yeehaw!" she heard Glyde cry. That usually meant he was pulling off a roll and releasing some of the explosives that sat atop his "little deuce coupe". She peeled away just in time to see the boxes crash into the surface and explode, sending a pair of fireballs dancing across the surface.

The four pulled away and readied for another, lateral pass at the ship. The were just in time to see Raz fly over, firing off his incinerator beam. The orange burst of energy tore a massive hole into the hull, causing a huge explosion in his wake. A chunck of the Aragian ship blew off and flew out towards the closet planet, in this case, a moon.
"WHOO!" Raz cried enthusiastically.
Fyre chuckled. "Yeah, you're the big hero, Raz."
"Clear me another path," he responded. "I ain't through yet."
She laughed. "Boy, you really want to earn your love for tonight. C'mon guys. Let's go."

They flew along the length of the ship, firing at a few of the towers as they passed. They were busy frying things when she spotted it. It was tucked away in a little metal cavern, but it was easy to identify. "Guys, break and reform outside of their range," she said.
"What?" Seastar demanded.
"Trust me. Just do it."
"All right." The remaining three jets broke and flew away. She aimed her flare gun and fired a small, glowing device into the bridge. She pulled up just before she would have gotten nailed with laser fire. "Raz, fire at the beacon."
"What? Why?"
"That's the bridge I just pointed out for you?"
"Shit." He flew in, following their path of destruction. She watched as he fired his beam right into it. He peeled up just in time to avoid the explosion. "Let's move! This son of a bitch is going up!" They all slammed the controls and flew away at top speed. When they heard the rumble, they stopped and looked back. The explosion started at the back, about where the bridge was, and ran it's way along the entire ship, igniting every creature, system, and explosive along the way, before reaching the tip and causing a cataclysmic explosion...

They all trudged back into their bunk, alive and tired. Their uniforms hit the floor quickly. "Mission complete," Raz muttered as he crawled into bed with Fyre. He put an arm around her and sighed. "Wake me when the war is over."
"I wish it were that simple," Seastar moaned. "Rhazor, come here and rub my back."
"Hmrr..." he said. "I can't do that right now. But..." He climbed in behind her and hugged her. "I'll snuggle with you if you want, lover." She giggled a bit.
"That mission was bitchin'," Glyde said as he stretched in his bunk. "Wasn't it Fyre?"
He would get no response from her.
She had fallen asleep.

End

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