The Drasin pods slammed into the Earth from point to point, and then quickly cracked open to disgorge their occupants into the world while valiant and desperate defenders scrambled to respond. The long, slow boil that had typified the war for Earth so far now exploded into action that, if any survived to remember it, would go down in history as the single largest battle ever fought on a planet.

It seemed clear to everyone by this point, on both sides, that this was the last hand and all the chips were now in the middle.

In the skies over New Mexico, the light show was spectacular, violent, and far, far too close for the comfort of those who could see out of the heavy lifter transport headed for the spaceport facility.

“Holy shit!” the pilot snarled as he jumped as much as he could, being strapped into the seat, at the near miss of a SAM heading skyward for a meeting with the descending Drasin. “Watch where you’re shooting, you crazy bastards!”

The big CM-powered transport was fast as greased lightning, even in atmosphere, but it had nothing on the high-velocity rockets and ballistic pods that were so deeply intent on wreaking havoc around them.

The colonel swore again, but there was little he could do, and turned to his copilot. “You better let them know that we’re minutes to the port and I’m not waiting for clearance. This heap is touching down in a hurry, so they better strap the hell in.”

“Yes sir.”

Flying through a hostile sky was never any fun, even when the hostility wasn’t directed specifically at you. The colonel nudged the throttle up and the nose down, looking to get as low as he could in an effort to use some of the terrain as a blocker from the explosions he knew were coming.

The transport wasn’t a fighter craft by any stretch, but it did have a CM power plant and fuel to spare, so the speed was there to be tapped. He kept it under one thousand feet, running just on the edge of hypersonic as the spaceport came into sight.

“Flight Niner Five Niner, Spaceport Earth, we have you on an inbound track. Please confirm.”

“Roger that, Control. This is Niner Five Niner with cargo for DARPA Hangar. Request immediate emergency clearance.”

“We’ve had one runway cleared and waiting for you for the last hour, Niner Five Niner. Adjust course three degrees south by southwest and come in on runway ninety-one.”

“Roger that,” the colonel said calmly as another explosion lit the sky above him. “Nine One. Please note, we are coming in hot and heavy. Request fire crews on standby.”

“They’re already on the tarmac. Are you damaged?”

“Not yet. Niner Five Niner out.”