You were destined for this job, one only you can do and one only you signed up for. No other independent would risk their life in a jury-rigged AC like this. Almost at the drop point you boot up your AC into combat mode early. The soft hum of the engine is interrupted by several warnings blaring and beeping which you quickly silence. Even in normal operation this thing was barely functioning.
You feel a jolt as the floor beneath your opens up to reveal beautiful clouds, the weather was on your side today. With a last check over of your systems you determine that it'll at least get you to the target. A loud clunk shudders through you as you're silently dropped over the target. The feeling of the freezing air rushing past your AC fills your mind, your actual body was warm and fine inside the cockpit but the neural interface was overriding that. For once, you knew this feeling of adrenaline wasn't just the usual neural feedback, that couldn't get you shaking like this. You break through the clouds, the target right below you, a watchpoint. You feel your stripped down AC suddenly being watched by hundreds of greedy eyes then hear and see the conformation as fire control radars pinpoint your location and smoke trails take off in your direction. With a deep breath you calm your nerves and push your AC into a full assault boost straight down. Your AC's thrusters scream with a power you've never known before, the feeling is incredible and one you need to feel more of. The first missiles fired from below finally start to come into range and bare down on you, with a flick of your control stick your dangerously bare AC easily rolls out of the way of the oncoming threat. The feedback from your link to this AC had to be jacked up, that felt incredible. Powerful lasers start lancing from the earth up to target you now that they're elevated, it seems the PCA was tipped off about your arrival but not the direction. With their most powerful weapons baring down on your and your altitude dropping rapidly you start making evasive manoeuvres that push you hard into your chair and send blood rushing to your brain and legs repeatedly. Even with the augmentations this wasn't safe but it was just so addictive. This feeling was unrivalled, you and your AC as one, the lingering heat from the path of dodged laser shots keeping you warm at this altitude. A large string of missiles comes from one of the heat signatures targeting you. Both your body and the mechanical one you control strain to move and alter course toward it. The internal computer catches up with your intuition and identifies the craft as your target.
AAP07. The lasers are getting close to hitting now, you can't keep the dodging act up for long and now kinetic weapons are in range too. Your heavy breathing from the strain of the manoeuvres gets mixed in with the hundreds of target lock warnings. Finally within your terminal phase you cut your assault boost short. With shaky hands your uncage your reactor and hear it start to spin up high and higher. The feeling of the power increasing inside of you takes over your mind. With the kinetics starting to hit and plink off your AC the rest of your body starts to go numb, making the building feeling intoxicating. You're brought back to reality by a horrible pain and searing heat that takes over your right arm as it's burnt off by a laser that only just grazes you. The enemy was right there. This was it. In the final moments of your flight you thrust your left arm forward, igniting the pulse blade it holds. Flicking a couple tacked on switches in the cockpit, you reroute power from the soon to activate assault armour into your pulse blade. The blaring warnings from start up return now, just louder and with more company. Your whole body shudders from the feedback as the energy channels to your left arm, pumping it all through the small pinhole that is your weapon. Your heart races inside your chest, the fake and real feelings being sent to your brain sending your body into overdrive. A glorious white light extends out in front of you, your eyes widen as the target in front of you engages it's shield just for it to be pierced cleanly through from one side to the other. A blinding blast takes over your view. Your cameras black out while your neural interface practically fries your brain with the feedback from it all. Before it manages to your reactor finally gives out, your AC completely shuts down as you fall. A sudden extremely loud crunch rings in your ears as you're slammed forward in your cockpit. You wake up, dangling from your seat, ears ringing, body aching and covered in sweat. A smile forms on your face. Nothing will ever feel that good again.