Veterans of the Psychic Wars by Wayne Gerard Trotman

In the desperate battle for space superiority, the outnumbered Talisians in their sleek Noorstrum Sun Mark IX Starfires offered stiff resistance to the Karellans and their slower but more heavily armed Koroba RA-97 Raiders. There were heroes on both sides as humans, clones, Saurians and androids engaged in the bloodiest space battle of the Psychic Wars. Against the odds, veteran starfire pilots, Majors Kong Garee and Tohm Salahee, call signs Chigaru and Bulta, survived five hours of sustained fighting and continued to lead what remained of their respective squadrons.

In the hands of such seasoned war veterans, the new starfires with their superior speed, range and manoeuvrability had so far won the day against the older Karellan raiders and their relatively inexperienced pilots. But, as the grim events of the sixth hour of the battle of Miru unfolded, a mysterious Karellan raider launched a dramatically distinguished sortie. This lone raider did not broadcast a transponder signal and had no escort. Curiously defiant and recklessly isolated, the fighter destroyed all opposition within thirty seconds of engagement, quickly invoking Talisian fear and earning Karellan admiration. Repeated calls by Karellan Fighter Command, for the unregistered raider pilot’s identification, got only comm-static. Within just half an hour of battle, the lone raider gained nineteen kills and assumed a relentlessly daring flight-path, on an apparent suicide mission, towards the heavily protected bridge of the Starcarrier Shor.