//------------------------------// // Clash in the Clouds // Story: Interceptor: Storm Warning // by EroPony1000 //------------------------------// The drones fell upon them fast, and immediately their formation was broken by evasive maneuvers, the pilots trying to avoid being decimated by an opening salvo of swarm missiles. Without warning one of the drones folded its wings and dropped down on RD from above, crashing into her with incredible speed. She flared her wings and fired the afterburners, pushing back against the dark metal machine and bringing their sudden descent to a halt. Drawing up her legs toward her chest, Dash latched onto the drone’s waist with her metallic hind-claws. She kicked off, carving rending wounds in either side of its torso and putting some distance between the two machines. RD managed to plant a few rounds from her repeater bracelet into the drone’s weakened torso, disabling the sensory regulator, with a couple more striking the machine’s armored chest and assailing the changeling pilot with waves of unstable bio-feedback, causing it to awkwardly cup its sleek, metallic breasts and exhort a dull moan that Dash found somewhat disturbing. Trying to seize the moment, Rainbow closed the gap again with a quick burst from her thrusters, slamming her fist into the drone’s head, but not before it could drive its knee between her legs. After making contact it discharged a kinetic pulse from its semi-functioning plates and sent a modified feedback signal to Dash’s suit, stimulating her body with more pleasure than pain. Rainbow Dash let out a short breath with a slightly sultry intonation, then was sent backward by a desperate shove, the swarm drone pressing against her drake’s breasts where the bio-link was not dampened by her under-suit. Its palms sent another wave of altered bio-feedback that pumped a dull sensation to the swell of her breasts beneath her armor and a sharp one right to her nipples, rousing them until they strained against the needles, forcing them to adjust. Stimulated as she was, it only helped her focus on the moment. Gritting her teeth, she fired off one thruster and angled her wings to deliver a harsh roundhouse kick that drove her interceptor’s heel-spike into the swarm drone’s midriff, tearing into it and sending it spiraling to the clouds below. Back up above, the others were exchanging fire with the drones, dodging the acidic projectiles of their cocoon-cannons and peppering them with luminescent repeater fire. Fleet-Foot tormented her opponent, keeping them at range and never slowing down enough for the ponderous projectiles to hit, but soon she began to settle into a rhythm, and her mind wandered. The changeling seized this chance to change up their strategy, putting all their power to thrusters and closing in.. The pony pilot managed to avoid a collision, but it was a close thing; close enough for the changeling to hit her with a blast from its cannon, though it had to completely let down its guard to pull this off, and was swiftly dispatched afterward as its peculiar weapon did not immediately take Fleet-Foot out of commission. The ancient tech that allowed the pilots on either side to interface with their machines so completely also ensured that they could feel the impacts against the receptive armor plates. Hard impacts were dampened to protect the pilot while still warning them of damage, but the slightly acidic slime from a drone’s cocoon-cannon remained on the plates, overloading the sensors and torturing the pilot with constant, itching stimulation. “Ew, it’s sticky. I can’t get it off! Ah—ahh!” Fleet-Foot was breathing heavily, her transmissions becoming little more than sighs and moans. “Fall back for now!” said Dash, her cheeks flushed. “As soon as you are in range, let the Captain know you’ve been hit.” “Copy that, Ah-Alpha Lead!” replied Fleet-Foot, withdrawing and leaving High-Winds and Rainbow-Dash with one final opponent. High-Winds was holding her own, but her opponent was quick and evasive. Now and again they would clash, claw against claw, then separate again, an arc of repeater shots drawing a bridge in the sky. Dash added her own shots to her wing-mate’s, the weight of fire forcing the changeling to pull away. Outnumbered and outmatched, the swarm drone chose to retreat rather than risk annihilation. “We can’t let it get away! If the Storm-Nest is alerted it’s all over!” shouted Dash. The two of them fired their own missiles, the homing-enchantment leading them to the drone just as it entered a cloud-bank. Twin detonations like artificial lightning lit the clouds from within, revealing foreboding dark shapes that began to stir. “Is that the Storm-Nest?” asked High-Winds. “Did we wake it?” “We woke something.” said Dash. “If it were the Storm-Nest we’d know. This is just a pocket of sleepers, meant to activate if a large enough ship sails too close.” The sleepers wouldn’t rouse the hive unless it became necessary, and lucky for them the drones still thought that they could easily manage the two Interceptors. It seemed even a hive-mind could still be stupid. The two interceptors made a fighting retreat, dodging shots and firing grazing volleys at the swarm-like formation of the enemy pilots. Aggravated by the evasive tactics, the drones fired off all their swarm missiles at once, a terrible corona of dark needles blooming, then darting for the ponies at great speed. “Fall back!” shouted Dash as she herself advanced, flaring her afterburners. “What are you doing?” asked High-Winds, watching in horror as the needle-like missiles converged on Dash like a grasping hand. “Just keep your distance and watch.” she said confidently, her tone putting High-Winds at ease a little bit. At least she knew Dash didn’t intend to sacrifice herself. She did as she was told, watching as Dash sailed toward the enemy formation, the missiles turning inward like a funnel and following her as she nimbly dodged and weaved through cannon-fire. Dragging the missiles behind her she speared through the heart of the enemy formation, the projectiles in-tow slamming into the mass of swarm drones. A terrible moaning erupted from them then that did not go unheard.