Double Eagle(科幻战争)-第63章

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Buzzers　sounded。　Blansher’s　element　came　in　at　last；　shrieking　down　through　the　north　entry。
Darrow　leapt　up。　He　saw　immediately　how　damaged　the　snout　of　Scalter’s　plane　was。
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Scalter　himself　seemed　all　right；　but　dazed。　Jagdea　ran　out　to　inspect　the　damage。
“Las　systems　completely　shot；”　said　the　lead　fitter。　“It　will　take　hours　to　mount　in　a　new　system。
We　can　replace　the　plating　quick　enough；　but　if　you　want　him　up　again；　he’ll　have　to　make　do　with
quads。”
“Then　he’ll　have　to　make　do；”　Jagdea　said。　She　glanced　round　as　Blansher；　Van　Tull　and
Zemmic　plodded　across　from　their　machines。
She　froze。　In　her　concern　for　Scalter　and　his　bird　she’d　missed　the　obvious。
“Where’s　Cordiale？”　she　asked。
Milan　Blansher　shook　his　head。
Over　the　Sea　of　Ezra；　13。16
The　second　wave　rolled　in　an　hour　after　noon。　Though　the　day　was　bright；　the　pollution　of　the
morning’s　combat　had　now　stained　the　sky　with　a　strange；　yellowish　opacity。　Volcanic　columns　of
smoke　rose　from　Theda；　Ezraville　and　Limbus；　visible　for　hundreds　of　kilometres。
Umbra　was　already　up。　So　were　all　the　other　wings　from　Lucerna；　Viper　Atoll　and　the　other
Midwinter　bases。　The　techmages　had　blessed　their　craft　and　sent　them　on　their　way。
Umbra　climbed　high；　to　about　fifteen　thousand；　and　formed　two　packs。　Jagdea；　with　Viltry；
Darrow；　Del　Rum　and　Marquall；　and　Blansher　leading　Scalter；　Kaminsky；　Zemmic　and　Van　Tull。
Once　again；　the　ominous　track　on　the　auspex　showed　the　ride　of　Archenemy　airpower　rolling　north。
Jagdea　had　heard　a　flight　controller　estimate　that　at　the　peak　of　the　morning’s　activity；　the　Imperial
planes　had　been　outnumbered　eleven　to　one。　She　wondered　how　the　kill　rates　had　compared。
Reserves　had　been　added。　Commonwealth　units　were　mobilised　now　after　the　morning’s
surprise；　and　had　their　machines—mostly　pulse…jets　and　reciprocating…engine　birds—standing　ready
in　fields　along　the　northern　coast；　a　last　ditch　defence。　Those　old　craft　wouldn’t　stand　a　chance
against　the　Archenemy’s　vector　planes；　Jagdea　knew。　The　point　was；　if　the　enemy　wave　reached　the
north　coast　in　any　numbers；　nothing　mattered　any　more　anyway。
That　morning；　despite　terrible　losses；　the　Navy　wings　had　denied　the　bulk　of　the　enemy　wave。
The　north　coast　had　been　hit；　but　not　with　the　full　fury　the　onslaught　had　threatened。
Now　it　was　round　two。
Tactics　had　changed。　Now　spearhead　groups　of　fighters　were　storming　ahead　of　the　bomber
strings　to　disrupt　the　Navy　interceptors　and　prevent　them　from　flushing　the　bombers。
Jagdea　saw　condensation　nails　crawling　out。　The　bats　were　clocking　in　at　maximum　thrust；
lashing　forward　to　meet　the　Imperial　line。
Air　flashes　lit　up　to　east　and　west。　The　first　contacts　had　been　made。　Operations　traffic　suddenly
became　frenetic。
Umbra’s　scopes　showed　a　fighter　group；　nearly　thirty　strong；　coming　in　at　twelve　thousand。
“They’re　moving　bloody　fast；”　muttered　Zemmic。
“Let’s　slow　them　down；”　said　Jagdea。
In　the　paired　packs；　Umbra　stooped；　and　began　to　fire　as　soon　as　the　racing　bats　were　in　range。
They　were　a　squadron　of　Locusts；　some　maroon；　some　yellow；　some　gold；　and　they　broke　upwards
into　Umbra’s　attack。
Viltry　killed　a　bat　head　on；　but　Jagdea　picked　up　two　that　refused　to　let　her　go。　Darrow　and　Del
Ruth　almost　converged；　and　managed　to　smack　las　shots　into　the　same　hostile；　chopping　it　into
fragments。　Marquall　avoided　getting　his　tail　shot　off　in　the　first　pass；　then　climbed　hard　again　to
help　Jagdea。
The　two　maroon　Locusts　had　locked　down　on　her　despite　her　violent　slips　and　turns。　Any　tighter
and　she　risked　a　high…speed　stall。
“Can’t　shake　them！”　Jagdea　snarled；　gripped　tight　against　the　lousy　G。
“Umbra　Leader！　Speed　brakes　and　drop　out！”　Marquall　yelled　as　he　came　howling　in。
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Vision　closing　into　a　grey　tunnel；　Jagdea　deployed　the　speed　brakes　into　the　slipstream　and
slammed　violently　back　out　under　the　still…turning　Locusts。　Immediately；　she　started　to　recover　with
vector　thrust。　Marquall　came　in　over　her　guns　firing　and　the　Locusts　swung　out　of　his　way　with
some　haste。　One　darted　up　out　of　sight；　but　the　other　went　into　a　dive　and　Marquall　committed　after
it。
The　pilots　in　Blansher’s　half　of　the　flight　all　made　kills　within　twenty　seconds；　though　Van　Tull
was　himself　hit　and　took　wing　damage。
“You　okay；　Three？”　Blansher　called。
“Four…A；”　came　the　expected　response。
Blansher　could　hear　Kaminsky　distinctly　over　the　link。　“Fire。　Fire。　Fire。　Switch。　Fire。”
As　he　came　up；　mushing　off　speed；　Blansher　looked　up　and　saw　Kaminsky’s　plane　flick…roll；
quads　firing；　and　make　his　second　kill　of　the　sortie。
The　remaining　bats　retreated。　Marquall　came　back　up　from　his　chase　empty…handed。　Umbra
reformed；　and　immediately　sighted　the　front　edge　of　the　bomber　wave；　low　and　south　of　them。　They
scoped　more　fighter　escorts。　They　began　their　attack　run　anyway。
Over　the　Sea　of　Ezra；　14。02
The　batteries　of　the　mass　formation　opened　up　as　the　fighters　stooped　in　amongst　them。　In　the　flat；
yellow　light；　the　bombers　looked　like　a　mezzotint　image。　Four　Thunderbolt　wings　were　now
attacking　this　gigantic　string；　and　two　more　were　duelling　with　its　Razor　escorts。
Viltry’s　anti…bomber　expertise　earned　him　two　stings　straight　off　and　Jagdea　followed　his
example；　damaging　a　heavy　raider　that　Del　Ruth　polished　off　in　her　wake。　Darrow　found　a
Tormentor　and　blew　away　part　of　its　engine　assembly。　It　hung　in　the　air　for　a　second；　then　pitched
away　as　if　it　had　fainted。
Del　Ruth　did　a　split…S　then　swooped　onto　a　super…heavy　that　was　dark　red；　like　carrion。　Chains
fluttered　out　behind　the　huge　machine　and　Del　Ruth　realised　they　were　strung　with　human　skulls。
She　banked　in；　not　even　waiting　for　the　sights　to　lock。　It　would　have　been　difficult　to　miss。　She　put
eight　pulses　of　lasfire　into　the　swollen　flank　and；　as　she　pulled　away；　saw　the　aluminoid　skin　shred
and　burst　as　fuel…air　explosions　blew　it　apart　from　within。
Even　as　the　giant　craft　died　and　burned；　its　turrets　kept　firing。　Del　Ruth　felt　her　bird　shudder　as
something　hit　the　underside　of　her　nose　with　huge　force；　tearing　the　stick　out　of　her　hands　for　a
moment　and　knocking　the　plane’s　attitude　through　twenty　degrees。
She　recovered　control。
“Six；　are　you　okay？”
“Yes；　Leader；”　Del　Ruth　responded。　She　checked　her　instruments　and　saw　two　warning　lights　lit；
indicating　damage　to　the　starboard　autoloaders。　“Hit；　but　not　critical。”
Kaminsky　and　Zemmic　had　both　taken　out　bombers　on　the　first　pass；　but　Blansher；　Scalter　and
Van　Tull　were　intercepted　by　the　Razor　escort　before　they　could　do　any　harm。　Van　Tull　had　to　fly　an
almost　complete　figure　of　eight　before　he　shook　a　purple　Razor；　then　almost　immediately　got　the
drop　on　another；　chequered　black　and　white；　that　had　lined　up　on　Scalter。　As　the　chequered　hostile
vaporised；　Scalter　peeled　away　towards　a　heavy　bomber；　firing　on　it　from　its　seven。
The　purple　Razor　that　Van　Tull　had　shaken　reappeared；　swooping　steeply　and　opening　fire　on
Scalter’s　machine。　Bolt　rounds　sliced　down　into　the　starboard　engine；　the　midsection；　and　the　tail；
shredding　part　of　the　rudder。　The　impacts　destroyed　Scalter’s　auspex；　ruptured　his　coolant　system
and　crazed　the　side　screens　of　his　canopy　white。
“Umbra　Seven！　Umbra　Seven！”　Van　Tull　yelled。
Dazed；　Scalter　heard　the　voice　and　looked　around。　The　air　of　his　cockpit　was　full　of　blue　smoke。
He　stared　at　the　shattered　instruments。　The　few　panels　still　functioning　were　a　mass　of　warning
lights。　Overheat；　leak；　pressure　loss；　power　failure…
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“Scalter；　can　you　hear　me？”
Scalter　looked　down　and　let　out　a　sob。　At　least　one　of　the　rounds　had　gone　clean　through　his
lower　torso。　He　couldn’t　believe　the　bloody　mess　was　anything　to　do　with　him。　He　couldn’t　feel　his
legs。　He　couldn’t　feel　anything　much　at　all。
“Scalter！”
“Four…A…”　he　whispered。　“Taken　a　little　damage。”
“Seven；　if　you’re　not　flyable；　eject　for　Throne’s　sake！”
With　effort；　Scalter　touched　the　stick。　It　was　dead；　slack；　all　control　gone。　His　ruined　machine
was　just　flying　straight。　He　looked　down　again。　There　was　no　way　he　could　eject。　No　point；　either。
He　looked　up。　The　heavy　bomber　he’d　been　targeting　was　still　ahead；　cruising　on。
Scalter　put　his　hand　on　the　throttle。　“For　Enothis　and　the　Emperor；”　he　murmured　and　pushed
the　throttle　open。
Umbra　Seven　accelerated　in　a　straight；　unswerving　line　and　hit　the　heavy　bomber　in　the　port
ribs。　A　huge　halo　of　flames　engulfed　them　both。
“Seven’s　gone！　Scalter’s　gone！”　Marquall　could　hear　Van　Tull　yelling。　Negative　G　was
preventing　him　from　replying。　He　was　cranking　round　in　a　murderous　loop　with　a　mauve　Razor　on
his　back。　He　felt　hits　skinning　off　his　armour。　He　banked　hard—a　bone…shaking　shudder—and
managed　to　force　the　Razor　to　fly　past　under　him。　Now　he　was　behind　it。　It　would　break　at　any
second；　Marquall　knew。　But　which　way？
Which　way　would　you　go？　Jagdea　had　always　told　them。　Marquall　went　right；　and　the　Razor　did
just　that　in　the　same　instant。　Target　lock。
Marquall　was　screaming　as　he　fired。　He　knew　it　was　a　kill　before　Double　Eagle　had　even　started
firing。　The　mauve　Hell　Razor　started　to　spin；　then　spiralled　away　like　a　leaf。
Marquall　hoped　someone　had　seen　that。　He　dearly　hoped　t