Eve's piloting skills were legendary; praised even by Vayne. He had admitted it more than once.
"I'm just a good pilot, Eve, she's the Phoenix in the sky."
Back in the days, when she served Saiyaran army, her skills as a pilot often came handy. In fact, "Major Eve" was the only commander who not only led troops on the frontlines but also flew starfighters into battle.
When Mira rescued her from Thelarians, and she just found out now she had a spaceship. She continued flying spacefighter through her early missions.
The squad wasn't formed yet.
After Eve Squad, Vayne become heart of sky maneuvering. Eve rarely found time for the skies—besides, Nomad had hundreds of pilots.
Once she rose to High Space Commander, commanding fifty warships under her wing, Eve barely touched a cockpit again.
Seeing Eve stride down a launch strip became a rare and awe-striking sight.
This was one of those rare instances.
And this was one of those moments.
Team Alpha, Bravo and Charlie fought the battle. Nomad was flying in the Orbit.
The situation: Zanari planet. Attacked by Thelarians armies guided by Thelarian general. And if a Thelarian general in the sky. It always means planet-wide invasion.
Zanari rarely asked for help. Let alone the Intergalactic Committee. But Nomad was the closest ship and Zanari forces were being overwhelmed.
Mira received the distress call. She deployed forces without asking Eve, who was in stasis chamber on days long sleep. Three days.
Mira never awaked her.
When Eve finally awoke, she was briefed on the crisis.
Nomad had the skies under control—until the Thelarian general himself entered the scene.
He was flying a energy shielded spacefighter, flanked by hundreds of Thelarian strikecrafts and he was giving Nomad. Even polished spacefighter like Vayne repeatedly called out for back up, "Commander Mira, do something. Running thin here."
Eve's starfighter roared from Nomad's hangar and launched into the black.
She joins the Soul Drifter. Her ethereal voice buzzed the comms around the squadron, "Eve Online!"
New life breathed into Nomad's forces. Vayne beamed, "glad you are on six commander, welcome to the party."
"Leave the Thelarian boss to me, you handle the rest," Eve responded.
"Careful commander, his energy shields are impenitratable."
"I'm not going to need blasters for the bastard."
Eve had already taken down fifty spacefighters.
"You know, Vayne… she makes you look like a child," Zara remarked from the cockpit.
Anya added, "It's not his fault. Eve's peripheral vision surpasses our focal windows. She calculates trajectories and maneuvers at speeds we can't even comprehend."
Vayne exhaled, diving the Soul Drifter and blasting two more fighters. "She's so normal to be around, I almost forget… she's artificial intelligence in her brain."
"But if the Soul Drifter can't penetrate those shields, Eve's spacefighter's won't be able to do much damage, I gotta upgrade a spacefighter for Eve for times like these," Anya muttered, eyes fixed on the viewport.
"Do remind me to assist you, I have a few ideas," Kai added.
"Count me in," Dr. Salam commed from Nomad. "My plasma diffuser's nearly ready. Prototype stage—but Anya's seen it work."
"Right back at ya, Doc!" Anya grinned.
Then Eve's voice cut sharp through comms. "Vayne, guns won't cut it. I'm trying something else. Give me a window."
She was right behind the Thelarian general.
She was already on his tail.
"You got it... alpha squadron, cover fire formation, let's give our queen a breathing window," Vayne comm-ed surrounding Nomad spacefighter's after answering Eve.
Thelarian general felt the heat. He tried to tail Eve. That's exactly what she wanted.
She locked her fighter on autopilot and ejected. Her Exosuit's thrusters ignited, propelling her straight into the viewport of the enemy commander's craft.
Smashing straight into the cockpit, breaking through its crystal canopy.
He got up, unfastening his seatbelt, scrambling for his pistol.
Eve lunged, clamping her hand around his throat, lifting him up. "Guess your shields aren't human-proof."
He growled, "you lab-rat!!"
She smirked behind her visor. "Not your lab rat."
Her other fist clenched and blew the space out of his face. His body shot straight through the broken viewport canopy, out of the ship.
Eve comm-ed Vayne, "sending you the package."
"Locked on commander!!" Vayne roared. Soul Drifter's canon's blazed. Thelarian commander Evaporated into the voice.
Eve seized control of the Thelarian commander's ship. "Mira, how's it looking down there?"
"Thelarians are retreating. Cesnas and Bravos are sweeping the field. Our victory ETA… already!" Mira shouted.
Eve smiled, "Salam, I also have a gift for you."
"Can't wait to get my hands on that Thelarian junk. Give me a week or two—I'll replicate the shielding-tech."
Anya tapped her comm mute and whispered to Vayne, "She's bringing back space booty."
Vayne chuckled. "I see what you did there."
"You only muted your comm, Anya—you're saying it right into Vayne's ear. Talking about my space booty in front of the Nomad crew."
Dr. Salam and Mira burst into laughter at the command center. Mira added, "Anya, next time write it on a note. The proper term is spoils of war."
"That only makes it worse," Eve intercepted, "Alright enough talk about my junk. I'm coming home. Vayne if you need any help, last call."
"See you on Nomad commander," Vayne responded.
Hundreds of Thelarians fighters were still in the orbit; some fighting, some fleeing.
Later at Dinner. The squad couldn't shut up about Anya's Booty comment. Eve finally shut them up, "boys, if you don't like my suit, just ask, I'll be happy to get rid of it."
Jax and Kai crossed eyes. Nadia's rolled. They straightened up.
Moments later, the hall erupted as Vayne raised his glass high: "To the greatest pilot in the galaxies… to Sky Commander, Eve!"