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Kilrathi pilots jumped into the fray. Even though they flew as individuals,
they were still a team determinedly pressing their Terran opponents.
"
Enemy coming into range, Colonel
!" Flint warned. "
What's your pleasure
?"
"Stick close, Flint," he said, powering up his weapons and locking his
targeting array on the nearest Dralthi. "And watch my back. Things are going
to get pretty damned rough out here in a second or two!"
His target chased a Thunderbolt, the two fighters circling each other,
attempting to find some type of advantage. Now, as Blair and Flint appeared,
the Dralthi broke off and rolled left, dodging and juking as it tried to gain
some distance.
"Not this time, fuzzball," Blair said, lining up the crosshairs and opening
fire with his blasters. The energy bolts raked along the top of the enemy
fighter, hitting directly behind the cockpit, between two large,
forward-sweeping bat-wings. The Kilrathi fighter seemed to stagger and
wrenched away to port as the pilot tried to evade. Blair used his thrusters to
spin his ship in flight and lined up on the Dralthi again before the
Kilrathi could finish his turn.
His fingers tightened over the firing stud, and the blasters tore through the
weakened shields and armor. The fighter disappeared in a ball of flame and
spinning debris. "Got him!" Blair said. He checked his sensor monitor for a
fresh target.
"
Thanks for the assist, Colonel
," said the pilot of the fighter he had rescued. It was Lieutenant Mitchell
Lopez, Vaquero, who had been Mad
Max's wingman.
"
Welcome to the battle, my friend"
Ralgha said. "
Will you take over the command
?"
"I relieve you, Hobbes," Blair told him. "Gold Squadron, from Blair.
Reform on me! You're getting too damned spread out. Repeat, reform skirmish
line around me. Hobbes, what's the story?"
"
One Thunderbolt and two Hellcats destroyed, Colonel
," Ralgha said formally. "
And Lieutenant Jaegers Thunderbolt is severely damaged
."
"Right. Jaeger, disengage. If you think you can make a safe landing, get back
to the carrier. Otherwise pull back and we'll help you in later. Who's your
wingman?"
"
Cobra, sir
," Helmut "Beast" Jaeger responded.
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Okay. Vaquero, Cobra, you're teamed now. Cover Beast's withdrawal and then
get back in formation. Got me?"
"
Understood
," Vaquero replied.
There was a pause before Cobra spoke up. The tactical display showed she was
still engaged with a Darket, but her opponent suddenly vanished from the
screen. "
I'm on it, Colonel"
Lieutenant Buckley said at last. "
Let's do it, Vaquero, so we can get back in there and kill us some cats!"
The three Thunderbolts peeled off, while the rest of the Terran craft began to
take their positions around Blair and Flint& all except one.
"Marshall!" Blair rasped. "Maniac, if you don't get your tail back here
I'll open fire on you myself!"
"
Coming, Mother
," Maniac responded, unabashed.
The fighting was still going on, and Blair restrained himself from flinging
himself into the action as he issued orders and studied the tactical
situation. By now the battle had moved close enough to the
Victory for the carrier's big guns to join in the defense, and that was
forcing the Kilrathi force to be cautious. Their casualties were heavier than
the Terrans', but they still outnumbered Blair's command slightly, and more of
their ships were comparatively fresh and undamaged. The odds still didn't look
too good.
Blairs mind raced, grappling with the tactical picture on his screen.
Somehow the Terrans had to take the initiative, force the Kilrathi to battle
under conditions favoring the defenders.
Victory's guns would go a long way toward redressing the balance. So would the
four interceptors, but they were still at least six minutes away, and after
the initial surprise of their arrival they could not sustain a long-term
advantage under these circumstances. What they needed was a way to maximize
all of the Terran assets in one thrust, something the Kilrathi would not see
coming.
He found himself smiling grimly under his helmet. There was one maneuver that
just might work&
"Kennel, Kennel, this is Watchdog Leader," he said urgently. "Come in,
Kennel."
"
Reading you, Colonel"
Rollins replied.
"Go to tight-beam and scramble," he ordered, switching the circuits on his
comm system. A moment later a green light shimmered under the comm screen,
indicating that Rollins had set up a tight laser-link between
the carrier and his fighter. The system was excellent for secure
communications between large ships or between the carrier and an individual
fighter, but it was inefficient for ship-to-ship transmissions between
fighters due to their smaller size, higher speeds, and unpredictable
maneuvering.
But what Blair wanted to do now must be kept secret until his trap was sprung.
"I want you to pass the word to each fighter, lieutenant," Blair said without
preamble. "New orders for all ships. On my mark& "
Hunt Leader
Tamayo System
Flight Commander Arrak gave a snarl of triumph as he listened to the computer
Page 39
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
translation of the Terran command frequency radio broadcasts.
"
We can't take any more of this
!" the human commander was saying. "
All ships, break off and tvithdraw! Break off while you still can
!"
That was what Arrak had been waiting to hear. The Terrans put up a good fight,
but they were outnumbered and outgunned, and he knew they would be stretched
too thin sooner or later. This was his chance.
"They are beginning to withdraw," he said, the battle madness singing inside [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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Kilrathi pilots jumped into the fray. Even though they flew as individuals,
they were still a team determinedly pressing their Terran opponents.
"
Enemy coming into range, Colonel
!" Flint warned. "
What's your pleasure
?"
"Stick close, Flint," he said, powering up his weapons and locking his
targeting array on the nearest Dralthi. "And watch my back. Things are going
to get pretty damned rough out here in a second or two!"
His target chased a Thunderbolt, the two fighters circling each other,
attempting to find some type of advantage. Now, as Blair and Flint appeared,
the Dralthi broke off and rolled left, dodging and juking as it tried to gain
some distance.
"Not this time, fuzzball," Blair said, lining up the crosshairs and opening
fire with his blasters. The energy bolts raked along the top of the enemy
fighter, hitting directly behind the cockpit, between two large,
forward-sweeping bat-wings. The Kilrathi fighter seemed to stagger and
wrenched away to port as the pilot tried to evade. Blair used his thrusters to
spin his ship in flight and lined up on the Dralthi again before the
Kilrathi could finish his turn.
His fingers tightened over the firing stud, and the blasters tore through the
weakened shields and armor. The fighter disappeared in a ball of flame and
spinning debris. "Got him!" Blair said. He checked his sensor monitor for a
fresh target.
"
Thanks for the assist, Colonel
," said the pilot of the fighter he had rescued. It was Lieutenant Mitchell
Lopez, Vaquero, who had been Mad
Max's wingman.
"
Welcome to the battle, my friend"
Ralgha said. "
Will you take over the command
?"
"I relieve you, Hobbes," Blair told him. "Gold Squadron, from Blair.
Reform on me! You're getting too damned spread out. Repeat, reform skirmish
line around me. Hobbes, what's the story?"
"
One Thunderbolt and two Hellcats destroyed, Colonel
," Ralgha said formally. "
And Lieutenant Jaegers Thunderbolt is severely damaged
."
"Right. Jaeger, disengage. If you think you can make a safe landing, get back
to the carrier. Otherwise pull back and we'll help you in later. Who's your
wingman?"
"
Cobra, sir
," Helmut "Beast" Jaeger responded.
Page 38
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Okay. Vaquero, Cobra, you're teamed now. Cover Beast's withdrawal and then
get back in formation. Got me?"
"
Understood
," Vaquero replied.
There was a pause before Cobra spoke up. The tactical display showed she was
still engaged with a Darket, but her opponent suddenly vanished from the
screen. "
I'm on it, Colonel"
Lieutenant Buckley said at last. "
Let's do it, Vaquero, so we can get back in there and kill us some cats!"
The three Thunderbolts peeled off, while the rest of the Terran craft began to
take their positions around Blair and Flint& all except one.
"Marshall!" Blair rasped. "Maniac, if you don't get your tail back here
I'll open fire on you myself!"
"
Coming, Mother
," Maniac responded, unabashed.
The fighting was still going on, and Blair restrained himself from flinging
himself into the action as he issued orders and studied the tactical
situation. By now the battle had moved close enough to the
Victory for the carrier's big guns to join in the defense, and that was
forcing the Kilrathi force to be cautious. Their casualties were heavier than
the Terrans', but they still outnumbered Blair's command slightly, and more of
their ships were comparatively fresh and undamaged. The odds still didn't look
too good.
Blairs mind raced, grappling with the tactical picture on his screen.
Somehow the Terrans had to take the initiative, force the Kilrathi to battle
under conditions favoring the defenders.
Victory's guns would go a long way toward redressing the balance. So would the
four interceptors, but they were still at least six minutes away, and after
the initial surprise of their arrival they could not sustain a long-term
advantage under these circumstances. What they needed was a way to maximize
all of the Terran assets in one thrust, something the Kilrathi would not see
coming.
He found himself smiling grimly under his helmet. There was one maneuver that
just might work&
"Kennel, Kennel, this is Watchdog Leader," he said urgently. "Come in,
Kennel."
"
Reading you, Colonel"
Rollins replied.
"Go to tight-beam and scramble," he ordered, switching the circuits on his
comm system. A moment later a green light shimmered under the comm screen,
indicating that Rollins had set up a tight laser-link between
the carrier and his fighter. The system was excellent for secure
communications between large ships or between the carrier and an individual
fighter, but it was inefficient for ship-to-ship transmissions between
fighters due to their smaller size, higher speeds, and unpredictable
maneuvering.
But what Blair wanted to do now must be kept secret until his trap was sprung.
"I want you to pass the word to each fighter, lieutenant," Blair said without
preamble. "New orders for all ships. On my mark& "
Hunt Leader
Tamayo System
Flight Commander Arrak gave a snarl of triumph as he listened to the computer
Page 39
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
translation of the Terran command frequency radio broadcasts.
"
We can't take any more of this
!" the human commander was saying. "
All ships, break off and tvithdraw! Break off while you still can
!"
That was what Arrak had been waiting to hear. The Terrans put up a good fight,
but they were outnumbered and outgunned, and he knew they would be stretched
too thin sooner or later. This was his chance.
"They are beginning to withdraw," he said, the battle madness singing inside [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]