A high-octane aerial combat story, Cavan Scott’s Doom Flight sees Sergeant Kerikus of the Doom Eagles piloting his Stormtalon gunship in battle against the orks in the skies over the embattled Imperial world of Quadcana. Facing appalling odds after losing his entire squadron to the guns of the greenskins’ ramshackle dakkajets, the dour Kerikus is determined to sell his life dearly and make his death count for something. When hope returns and the opportunity arises to complete his mission after all, Kerikus prepares to strike a telling blow against the orks even if the prospect of survival remains unlikely.
Scott’s Space Marines are a little more human than we often see, which along with his streamlined prose gives this story a slightly different feel, a little less gothic and gloomy but no less impactful for that. Kerikus is dour, almost arrogant, but somehow still relatable and even drily amusing at times; his hatred of the orks in particular manifests in a couple of great moments. Scott makes no attempt to delve into the background of the Doom Eagles, content to let Kerikus’ actions speak for themselves, and in marrying the aerial action to a grim sense of inevitability manages to both capture the essence of the chapter and provide a satisfying, enjoyable story.
Click this link to buy Doom Flight as an e-short.
Click this link to buy the On Wings of Blood anthology which features this short story.