Mothership

The mothership hovers above the Human outpost, it’s fleet mind guiding each of its children, sixteen drone fighters in each wing, and six wings in total into the combat arena. Their metal skins bare against the cold vacuum, naked but ready to face the enemy fire. Each weaving one around another, with the sheer joy at waking fresh and ready to do their duty.

Every nerve ending aligned all synapses wired and ready to control the drone's thrusters and artillery, the children mingle with and open fire upon their opposite number. The human fighters, seeming much more clumsy, are piloted by grown men and women fully trained but still detached from the mechanics of their ships. Their reactions control their own bodies which in turn manipulate artificial controls, an interface that costs them every time they make a decision.

Each of the drones hears the fleet minds thoughts, knows the brothers and sisters around it. Like a tiny glowing candle they can see the pinprick of mental activity in every enemy fighter. The drones swoop through the ebon battle field, more manoeuvrable, smaller and harder to target, more in tune with the chaos of war that surrounds them, and more than a match for any two Terran fighters.

The fleet mind watches as four earth fighters close in on a pack of six drones. The drones rotate in formation like the cylinder in a pistol, seemingly unaware as they press on closer to the outpost ahead. The Terran pilots struggle to keep a hold on their chosen targets as three drones spin to face them and both sides open fire. Driving the earth ships apart the remaining three drones pull out of formation and give chase each after one enemy while the first three simply strafe at the other. With a hail of munitions fire the earth fighters are lost. And these drones break apart and hunt down more enemies.

A sting is felt by the fleet as one of the drones is taken down. Each feels the fleet mind’s sorrow and acknowledges the loss of a brother. The fleet commands and the drones comply; each drone closes and completes its assigned task as the last of the enemy’s fighters are destroyed. The mothership recalls her children and dispatches boarding vessels. Another outpost has fallen, and the wasteful humans aboard it will be harvested. Their protein will feed her children.

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400 words