start of chapter 1

Three Viper-Simpson Hawk interceptors tore into the atmosphere of Hades Planet without even bothering to slow down to what anyone would call an acceptable approach speed. There force shields popped on automatically braking the craft against the anvil of air they were diving through and discarding an impressive display of static electricity through the sky. At 45,000 feet above the surface of Hades the friction of the air had slowed the craft enough to allow the force fields to be withdrawn which also made it possible for the 21st mobile defense battery of his Imperial highness George the Great to lock on to the unidentified craft and launch a 36 missile salvo. 3 craft acting as one went into an immediate death dive above the Devils Blood veins, a series of tightly formed canyons that wove and twisted into often dead ends before a few select veins opened onto the Great Hades desert. With wingtips only inches apart the triangle of interceptors dove into the darkness of the canyons. The interceptor missiles circled and zigzagged in an effort to regain their target lock, often running into each other causing magnificent explosions of reds and oranges above the clear blue desert sky as reaction fuel mixed with Tritrillium war heads.