Double Eagle(科幻战争)-第61部分

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its　length　with　quad　rounds。
Kaminsky　came　up　out　of　his　long　stoop；　and　locked　a　Locust。　“Fire。”
Nothing。　His　las　batteries　were　exhausted。　“Switch。　Fire。　Fire。”
The　quads　burst　off　at　empty　sky。　Kaminsky　soared　around；　and　found　a　bomber　right　ahead　of
him。　“Fire。　Fire。　Fire。”
The　bomber　tilted　and　began　to　come　around。　Several　engines　out；　it　was　turning　back　for　home
“Fire。　Fire；”　Kaminsky　said。
The　stricken　bomber　went　down；　suddenly　encased　in　a　shroud　of　its　own　burning　fuel。
Bats　blazed　up　past　Kaminsky。　He　rolled　over　to　greet　them。
Two　Thunderbolt　wings　and　a　formation　of　Lightnings　had　now　converged　on　their　air…brawl。
Jagdea　had　taken　a　hit　to　her　rudder　and　Zero…One　wasn’t　steering　very　well；　but　she　tanked　out　of
the　fusillade　three　Locusts　were　laying　on　her；　bent　right　and　hammered　another　Tormentor　to
fragments。
Her　fuel　load　was　getting　low。　The　rest　of　Umbra　would　be　the　same；　unless　they　hadn’t　been
doing　their　jobs　right。
“Umbra　Flight；　prepare　to　turn　for　home。　Refuel　run。　Rearm。　Come　back。”
Del　Ruth；　Cordiale　and　Zemmic　quickly　acknowledged。　Then　Darrow；　Scalter　and　Van　Tull。
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Viltry’s　affirmative　came　in　a　moment　later。
“Umbra　Two？”　she　called。
“Heard　you；　coming　out；”　Blansher　replied。
“Umbra　Five？　Kaminsky？”
“Understood；　Leader。　Fuel　is　low。　Breaking　off。”
“Umbra　Twelve？　Umbra　Twelve？　Ranfre？　Copy　me！”
She　looked　around；　scanning　the　packed　sky　for　some　sign　of　Ranfre。
Far　below；　unseen　by　Jagdea；　a　Thunderbolt　descended。
Ranfre’s　bird　had　sailed　through　the　shot…storm　of　the　bomber　pack。　Every　bolt　round　blasted　out
by　the　turrets　had　missed　it；　except　the　one　that　had　shattered　its　canopy　and　burst　Ranfre’s　skull。
His　Thunderbolt；　uncontrolled；　slowly　dropped　away　and　hit　the　sea。
Lucerna　AB；　08。13
The　flight　came　in　through　the　south　entry　of　the　hangar。　Del　Ruth’s　machine　was　making　smoke
and　Jagdea’s　rudder　was　flapping　like　a　weather　vane。
“Refit；　rearm　and　refuel！”　Jagdea　yelled　to　the　fitter　crews。
Power　loaders　and　tank　trucks　were　already　spurring　forward　the　vapour…swathed　machines。
“Where’s　Marquall？”　Jagdea　yelled　to　Racklae　over　the　noise。
“He　was　here；　ma’am！　We　fixed　him　up！　He’s　gone　up　again！”
Promethium　jetted　out　of　a　hose　poorly　fitted　to　Cordiale’s　machine。　Racklae　ran　towards　the
problem；　cursing　his　crew。
Jagdea　looked　up　out　of　the　hangar　mouth　at　the　sky。
Marquall　was　alone　out　there。
Over　the　Midwinters；　08。45
The　sky　was　lit　up　by　the　fight。　Marquall　took　a　deep　breath。　It　was　amazing。　He’d　never　seen　so
many　air　machines　in　combat　before。
He　put　Nine…Nine　into　a　dive　and　came　in　on　a　pack　of　Locusts；　thirty　strong。　He　didn’t　care。
Effortlessly；　he　rolled　into　them　and　fired　the　moment　he　had　a　tone　lock。
One　of　the　small　Archenemy　fighters　bucked；　then　flew　apart　in　a　dazzle　of　heat。
“Three！”　Marquall　whooped　to　himself。　“Three！　Frigging　three！”
The　Locust　pack　broke　and　looped。　Suddenly；　they　were　all　over　him。
He　took　three　holes　in　the　port　wing；　two　in　the　starboard　and　four　through　the　tail。
Gasping；　Marquall　turned　out　high；　trying　to　evade。　The　Locusts　swarmed　after　him。
He　saw　a　flash。　A　passing　glint。
Eight　Thunderbolts；　painted　cream；　sneaked　down　past　him　into　the　Locust　swarm。　The
Apostles。
Throne　of　Earth；　the　Apostles！　“Larice？”　he　whispered。
Holy　Terra；　those　Apostles　were　punishing　the　Locusts　hard。　Perfect　riming；　perfect　formation。
They　blitzed　into　the　pack　and　killed　most　of　them　in　one　pass。
So　fast。　Marquall　felt　almost　stationary；　even　though　the　speed　gauge　said　he　was　topping　eight
hundred。
“Larice？　Larice　Asche？”　he　called。
“Who’s　that？”　snapped　a　hard　voice。
“Umbra　Eight；”　he　said。
“Marquall？　Emperor’s　teeth！　This　is　no　time　for　reunions。　Get　your　arse　out　of　here！”
“Copy　that；　Larice。　I’m　going。”
“Get　the　hell　gone。　And　don’t　call　me　that。　I　am　Apostle　Five。”
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Over　the　Midwinters；　09。18
Blansher　led　up　the　first　four　Bolts　that　were　ready：　Van　Tull；　Cordiale；　Scalter　and　Zemmic。　The
others　would　follow　under　Jagdea　the　moment　her　rudder　was　fixed。
Blansher　turned　them　south…west；　in　the　direction　of　Theda。　Another　wing　of　eight　Thunderbolts
that　had　just　turned　round　at　Lucerna　launched　and　fell　into　step　with　them。
Ahead；　it　seemed　like　a　great　storm　had　slid　down　across　the　horizon。　There　was　a　wide；　brown
cliff　of　smoke　along　the　sea；　extending　as　far　as　Blansher　could　see；　filled　with　sparks　and　flashes
like　lightning。
As　they　closed；　the　cliff　began　to　resolve。　What　he’d　been　seeing　was　the　glare　distortion　of
thousands　of　exhaust　plumes　and　engine　fires；　ribboned　into　a　lattice　across　the　sky；　so　dense　that
from　a　distance　it　seemed　solid。
They　passed　several　Imperial　machines　limping　for　home。　Blansher　kept　calling　for　Marquall。
The　vox　was　still　burbling　with　hundreds　of　intersecting　transmissions。　According　to　Operations；　the
massive　clash　they　were　prosecuting　here　was　matched　by　a　vast　battle　over　the　Sea　of　Ezra；　and
another　near　the　east　coast　approaching　Ingeburg。　Other　reports　said　that　bomber　streams　had　got
past　the　Midwinter　line；　and　were　beginning　to　hit　Zophos　and　even　the　northern　shore。　Every
available　Imperial　machine　was　now　aloft　on　at　least　its　second　sortie　of　the　day。
Contacts　were　closing。　A　large　pack　of　Hell　Talons　cruising　north。
“Umbra　Flight；”　he　ordered。　“Engage！”
Over　the　Midwinters；　09。50
It　had　taken　an　age　for　the　fitters　to　fix　Jagdea’s　rudder。　Even　now；　Hemmen　had　warned；　it　wasn’t　a
solid　repair。　She　ascended　at　maximum　speed；　tailed　by　Del　Ruth；　Kaminsky；　Viltry　and　Darrow。　It
was　no　longer　a　matter　of　getting　track　instruction　from　Operations。　The　sky　above　the　archipelago
was　loaded　with　machines　everywhere　she　looked。
They　picked　up　a　quartet　of　Marauders；　all　damaged；　that　were　being　harried　by　a　formation　of
nine　blue　Locusts。　The　bats　seemed　to　move　as　one；　skilled　and　disciplined；　as　if　they　were
somehow　controlled　by　one　fierce　mind。
Jagdea　rolled　the　wing　into　them。
One　of　the　Marauders　was　finally　overwhelmed；　and　went　down　towards　the　atolls。　It　was　hard
to　keep　a　focus　on　the　brawl　at　hand。　Parts　of　other　dogfight　clashes　kept　impinging；　as　the　edges　of
one　skirmish　overlapped　another。　Umbra　was　rolling　with　the　blue　Locusts　when　seven　Lightnings
blundered　into　their　fight…zone；　tumbling　around　three　pairs　of　Razors。　Jagdea　found　herself　having
to　deal　with　one　of　the　Razor　pairs　which　switched　from　the　Lightnings　they’d　been　chasing　onto
her。　Any　semblance　of　strategic　formation　in　Umbra　vanished。
Darrow　turned　tightly　over　one　of　the　ailing　Marauders　and　locked　onto　a　yellow　Hell　Razor　that
seemed　to　be　either　confused　or　suffering　from　vector　damage。　He　led　his　shot；　expecting　it　to　break
left；　but　it　didn’t；　or　it　couldn’t。　As　a　result；　Darrow’s　first　burst　missed。　He　banked　to　the　right；
floating　the　machine　into　his　reticule　and　fired　again；　killing　it　instantly。
Kaminsky　and　Viltry　had　been　forced　to　the　eastern　part　of　the　skirmish；　separated　from　the
others　by　the　Razors　going　through　their　midst。　They　found　themselves　mugged　by　all　nine　of　the
blue　Locusts。　Both　of　them　began　turning　and　firing；　and　the　blue　bats　danced　away　like　a　shoal　of
fish；　triggered　by　a　single　impulse。　They　switched；　and　came　around　again；　almost　in　line。　Kaminsky
broke　hard；　and　Viltry　executed　a　savage　vector…assisted　turn；　representing　so　the　Locusts　were
almost　head　on　to　him。
He　got　a　good　but　momentary　lock　on　the　lead　plane　and　fired　his　quads；　leaving　his　thumb　on
the　stud　so　that　the　salvo　would　rake。　The　first　Locust　blew　out　and　because　they　were　running　tight；
in　line；　Viltry’s　target　lock　carried　his　bombardment　onto　the　second　one；　which　also　disintegrated。
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Then　Viltry　had　to　bank　abruptly　to　avoid　the　others。　Something　blinked　past　over　his　canopy
and　he　saw　Kaminsky　coming　in　on　a　barrel　roll　into　the　thick　of　them；　forcing　the　Locusts　to　lose
cohesion　for　the　first　time。
Kaminsky　hit　one；　then　damaged　a　second；　and　hunted　a　third　round；　at　its　six。　The　blue　bat　was
so　eager　to　avoid　the　Thunderbolt　on　its　tail　that　it　ran　blindly　across　Viltry’s　field　of　fire　and　he
stung　it　with　his　lascannons。
Kaminsky　and　Viltry　scissored　past　each　other。　Their　pack　cut　in　half；　the　Locusts　pulled　out。
Over　the　Midwinters；　10。10
Blansher’s　element　flew　out　of　their　tangle　and　enjoyed　a　brief　respite　of　quiet　air　before　a　vast　swirl
of　fighting　planes　engulfed　them　from　above。　They　were　forced　low；　then　lower　still。　Burning
engine　parts；　wing　fragments　and　pieces　of　elevator　rained　past　them　from　craft　destroyed　in　the
upper　levels　of　the　brawl。　One　large　fragment　bounced　off　Scalter’s　nose；　destroying　his　las　battery
and　stripping　the　cover　plating　off　his　starboard　turbofan。　He　cried　out　in　alarm　and　fought　with　the
controls　to　steady　the　plane。　Peering　forward；　he　could　see　energy　from　the　split　las…cables　crackling
and　sparking　on　the　dented　nose。　He　deactivated　the　power　magazine　and　switched　to　quad。
“Umbra　Seven！　Pay　attention！”　Blansher　yelled。
Scalter　had　been　so　intent　on　his　damage　that　he’d　been　flying　straight　for　too　long。　A　mauve
Hell　Talon　came　sweeping　down　out　of　the　frothing　smoke　w