Snippet #1946084

The rest of Aerionelle's squad noticed around the time she did. Several black shapes had appeared on the horizon, and were coming in fast.

"We've got fighters!" She exclaimed. "Head for cover! Our evac Dracos can't make it to us here! You'll have to take your chances on the ground!" Powering up her jump pack, she launched herself forward, outstripping her squadmates and shooting ahead of them.

"Aeri, what about you?" One of her comrades asked, concern evident in his voice. Aerionelle just grinned beneath her helmet.

"Do you need to ask? I'm going to provide a distraction. You guys get some distance. We'll meet back up at the rendezvous point."

"Whatever you say, Aeri. Just don't die on us. After that bet we made this morning, you still owe us all drinks once we make it to Holygrounds."

"I don't intend to."

And with that, the blue bullet shot away from the rest of her squadron. They'd been flying lower than her, which meant that they were probably out of the incoming Stratian fighters' view. Once she pulled away, she was pretty blasted sure those fighters would follow. Her jump pack had enough special modifications that it could keep her in the lead for about 30 seconds. After that, she'd be in range of their guns. That meant she had that long to lose them.

Leaping across a road, she landed on a tall office building across the way, rolled over the roof, and then dropped straight down for the street below, igniting her jump pack after a few seconds of falling and barely pulling up in time to launch her way through a parking garage across the way. Crashing through a glass door, she didn't even slow down, breaking out a window and dropping into a small alley below. Kicking in her jets at the last second, she slowed herself down enough to make the landing, and crashed into the ground below, the shock absorbers in her armor's legs sparing her bones from being turned to dust by the force of the impact. Bounding forward with a rocket assisted jump, Aerionelle darted into a small alleyway, then threw herself down under a pile of rubble. Her 30 seconds were up, but she'd like to see those jets find her after that insane little stunt. She dropped her armor's power levels, hoping to thus avoid detection by the Stratian pilots' scanners. She just hoped her team had made it safe and sound.