FicWad

They'd arrived at Azul a few hours earlier, intent on crushing the Sphere's strangle hold and heading back to Angkor. The Sphere ships had put up a decent fight, but it was nothing the pirates couldn't handle, and the battle was soon over. Cortes was taking the injured back to Angkor on the Saint Nazaire, and Marcus was planning to follow soon, and maybe even catch up. Mila was due any day, and he didn't want to be away. But there was always time to celebrate, and Marcus was steering the Hyperion towards Azul's dock when his radar began to bleep at him like crazy. It was a circle of Sphere ships, mainly the prototype S-22s, surrounding the block and coming in fast from all directions. Marcus Farell knew a trap when he saw one. He pulled hard on his ship's controls, leading it into a steep climb, intending to swoop down and attack. Far below, his fellow pirates were quickly stirring their ships to life, some already following his example. But then every single Sphere ship closed the circle and opened fire, and the block exploded beneath him.

The Sphere had destroyed an entire fleet of their own ships, Brigs, and human pilots, and they considered it worthwhile if it meant eliminating the rebellion. It was insane, and desperate, and Marcus Farell had never seen it coming.