"WOO HOO!!!"

Avat's heart raced as he tore through space in the Drakon II, his brother and the rest of their squad behind him. He ran his fingers along the control pad and the shuttle rotated quickly until he was "upside down" relative to the others. "Easy there Hot Shot," Vish chided. "This isn't a race. The controls just need a light touch."

Avat cursed under his breath. "Understood," he said louder and easily righted his ship. The Drakon, named for its resemblance to the beast of ancient mythology, and moved effortlessly in the vacuum of space, sending data directly into Avat's neural implant as the six other ships closed the gap. They quickly paired off, a pilot and wingman soaring through the sky on previously agreed upon courses. "Wish the weapons were hot," Avat said to his sibling.

"Nothing out here to..." Suddenly, there was a bright flash and the sound system in the ships gave the impression of a laser strike against a ship's hull. In seconds other reports came, and one shuttle exploded....