“They shouldn’t have died Commander! Fifty people died today! How many more must die that way?!!â€? Zakk paced back and forth. His red and black flight suit was stained with dried sweat.

“You can’t save them all, Zakk, and you could have died out there too. Be glad that you’re alive, lieutenant! Their systems are too advanced – they’re from a different solar system for God’s sake!” the Commander said.

“Today I had 6 swarmers and 3 mutants on my 6. I picked them up on my scanner and saved 2 citizens after dropping a well placed smart bomb. The Z-84 can do more than defend, sir. We can wipe them out. All of them! Maybe it will take new weaponry, or more pilots, but if that’s the answer – let’s find a way. Too many good people are dying. And only God knows what happens when they mutate…â€?

“The pods, Zakk? The landers? And what about the briters? Our starships are just outclassed. Our mission is to defend and nothing more.