Remember the Starfighter by Michael Kan

she asked.
    “Just keep striking at the enemy, but concentrate your fire on its forward flank,” he replied, determined and focused.
    “I’m detecting an opening,” he added. “The enemy’s shields are so weak it’s completely rotated its defensive fields forward to absorb the Abenon’s attacks. But the enemy has left its aft totally exposed.”
    “Yes, but you don’t have enough firepower to do any damage,” Nalia said. “Your plasma guns are out.”
    Although she could hear Julian’s voice, it was fading in an out as the interference came back in. “I know,” he said, finally breaking the static. “But if I get close enough, I should have clean shot to hit it with an anti-matter bomb.”
    “But Julian, the distance, it’s too close. You won’t be able to evade the enemy’s weapons. You’re going to get yourself killed!”
    The static came back in once again, breaking the communication link. Nalia called while trying to adjust the frequency. “Julian,” she said. “Can you hear me?”
    She checked the ship’s sensors. Julian’s fighter craft had just dropped off the grid. “No,” she said. “Dammit!”             
    All that replied back was a long pause, followed by intermittent static. Nalia closed her eyes, fearing the worst. “Julian,” she said. “Where are you?”
    Breaking the static, his voice resurfaced.
    “Sorry, too much interference,” he said. “Don’t know if you can still hear me Nalia. But trust me, it’ll work. Just as you said before, the enemy won’t know what hit it. Julian out.”
     

***
     
    He was close now. Closer than he had ever been before. Or at least in a long time.
    From the display screen he could see it — the enemy vessel a behemoth in space. His own fighter craft was but a speck against its massive body. The computer showed it to be more than a mile in a diameter, its shape resembling that of a giant saucer. In spite of its size, somehow it moved as if it weighed nothing, jumping from one position to the next at sub-light speeds. As always, scans showed no indication of engines, weapons or even windows on the enemy vessel. It was pure energy, powered by technologies that exuded destruction.
    Once again, he could feel the weapons fire trying to target the shields. Bolts of raging power surged all around him, trying to slice into his vessel. The cockpit began to shake, the turbulence building.
    Julian’s fighter craft was so close to the Endervar ship that there was little chance he could evade its weapons. His ship’s own shields would not last long against such firepower. At this range, it was simply suicide.
    To survive, Julian had to cobble together a way to absorb the attack. He did so, using what was left of his fighting forces. Ahead of his fighter craft were the remaining sentry drones, all eight of them flying in front, with their energy shields fully extended. Julian would rely on them to endure the Endervar bombardment as he came in close to launch a clear shot.
    Julian’s bold ploy, however, had not gone unnoticed. The Endervar vessel fired another burst from its particle beam, drilling into the makeshift barrier protecting Julian’s fighter craft. One drone, then another, exploded, overwhelmed by the impact. The six remaining sentries compensated for the loss, reorganizing their formation to maintain the field. 
    “Keep trying to distract on their flanks,” Julian said to his squad mates. “Do your best draw its fire away. I’m almost there.”
    Julian only needed to press on forward as he continued to trail the Endervar ship. With each passing second, the distance between him and the opposing vessel was closing. Just a little longer, and the enemy would be no more. In his right hand, Julian held the weapons control, placing his thumb on the launcher. Targeting system was locking on. The payload: an anti-matter bomb.
    Encased in a long missile under his fighter craft, it was the most powerful weapon his ship carried.