Double Eagle(科幻战争)-第33章

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ident　cuff。　Divisio　Medicae。
“I’m　Ayatani　Kautas…　I　also　happen　to　be　serving　medicae　at　this　FSB。　Take　your　filthy　hands
out　of　my　drug　store。”
Asche　jumped　back；　causing　boxed　packets　to　scatter　on　the　grille　floor。
“What’s　the　problem？”　the　priest　snapped。
“Uh；　scop　bites；”　said　Marquall；　starting　to　turn　to　show　the　practitioner　his　blisters。
Kautas　strode　past；　ignoring　him。　He　picked　up　two　tubes　of　salve　and　threw　them　at　Marquall。
The　boy　caught　them；　just。
“Twice　a　day！”　he　snarled。　“Don’t　come　back　unless　you　get　crotch…rot。”
“Thank　you；　father…”　Marquall　began。　“Piss　off；　looters。”
“What　was　all　that　about？”　Asche　said　as　they　walked　away。
“I’m　not　sure；”　Marquall　said。
“Oh；　who　cares？”　Asche　smiled　at　him。　“So；　killer；　what　are　you—”
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They　both　jumped　as　their　tags　went　off；　zapping　their　wrists　and　flashing　the　red　rune。
“Shit！”　cried　Marquall。　“Who’s　on？　Are　you　on？”
“No；”　said　Asche；　and　pulled　him　towards　the　nearest　shelter。
Jagdea　was　already　in　her　Bolt　when　the　thrill　hit　her　arm。　On　matt…decks　east　and　west　of　her；
Blansher　and　Cordiale　stood　by　in　their　own　machines。
Her　chief　fitter　closed　her　hood　and　gave　her　the　sign　of　the　aquila。
She　sat　in　her　machine；　angled　seventy…five　degrees　towards　the　sky　on　a　hydraulic　fast…launch
ramp。　The　base　had　three；　all　of　them　ready　to　answer　a　snap　call　at　any　time。　Above；　all　she　could
see　was　sunlight　playing　through　shimmer　net。
Her　thumb　rolled　over　the　red　toggle…cover　and　rested　on　the　“rocket　fire”　stud。
She　waited；　sweat　trickling　down　her　face　onto　her　mask。
Silence。　Heat。　The　distant　stir　of　the　forest。
“Umbra　Leader…”　the　vox　began。
Above　her　bird’s　elevated　nose　cone；　the　shimmer　nets　were　suddenly　drawing　back　and
daylight　spilling　in。　She　knew　the　order　before　it　was　given。
“…you　are　go　for　launch。”
Her　thumb　stabbed　down。
With　a　terrible　punch　and　a　roar；　she　left　the　world　behind。
The　Cicatrice；　06。50
“You’re　okay。　You’re　okay。　Trust　me。”
“What’s　the　use；　sir？”　asked　Matredes。　“I　think　he’s　gonna　die。”
“No；”　said　LeGuin。　“I　reckon　he’s　just　thirsty。　Give　him　some　water。”　Matredes　and　Emdeen
looked　at　him；　unhappy。
“We’re　down　to　the　last　recyc；”　Emdeen　said。
“I　know；”　said　LeGuin。
“I　think　we　should’ve　just　left　him　where　we　found　him；”　Matredes　said。
“We’re　not　leaving　anyone；”　said　LeGuin。
“Damn　it；”　sighed　Emdeen；　and　moved　forward　to　dribble　water　from　his　flask　into　the　prone
man’s　cracked　mouth。
“Greta；”　he　moaned。　“Greta…”
“Who’s　Greta？”　Matredes　wondered。
“His　girl？”　suggested　Emdeen。
“What’s　his　name？”　asked　LeGuin。
Emdeen　reached　into　the　man’s　scorched　flight　coat　and　pulled　out　a　set　of　clinking　Imperial
tags。
“Viltry；”　he　said。
Over　the　forests；　07。00
The　forest　canopy　was　like　a　vast　green　rug　that　had　been　rolled　out　over　the　top　of　boxes　and
furniture　to　form　a　soft；　undulating　mass。　The　three　Thunderbolts　skimmed　as　low　as　possible；
following　the　contours　of　the　tree　mass；　trying　to　keep　below　any　ranged　sensor　cones。　Their
aftershock　rocked　and　roiled　the　canopy　like　an　angry　sea；　and　flocks　of　disturbed　avians　and　other
flying　creatures　regularly　mobbed　out　into　the　air　like　bursts　of　gaudy　shrapnel。
Blansher　and　Cordiale　kept　their　birds　tucked　close　to　Jagdea’s　lead。
“Umbra；”　Jagdea　voxed。　“Turn　zero…six…two　west。　Contacts　presenting　at　nineteen　kilometres
and　six　thousand。　Wait　for　my　order　to　rise。”
“Read　you；　Lead。”
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Jagdea　had　a　feeling　something　was　not　quite　right；　and　it　wasn’t　just　the　markedly　different
terrain。　They　were　a　good　few　minutes　into　the　flight　when　she　realised　it　was　her　own　Bolt；　the
parts　of　the　nose　and　wings　she　could　see　from　the　cockpit。　She　wasn’t　yet　used　to　the　fact　they　were
green。　The　crews　at　the　FSB　had　sprayed　them　with　a　lime…green　wash　to　aid　concealment。　She　was
so　used　to　a　grey　shape　encasing　her。
Up　in　the　cloudless　blue；　she　caught　a　flash；　a　glint　of　sunlight　on　metal。　A　second　later；　she
resolved　tiny　dots　against　the　glare；　and　traces　of　white　contrail。
“Umbra　Two；　Lead。　I　see　vapour　trails　at　three。”
“Got　it；　Two。　The　bastards　are　coming　across　above　us。　Weapons　live；　flight。　Get　ready　to　climb
like　hell。”
Five　specks。　No；　six。　Small。　Razors；　perhaps。
“On　my　mark…　three；　two；　mark！”
The　three　pilots　opened　their　throttles　and　heaved　on　their　sticks；　swinging　the　heavy
Thunderbolts　up　and　away　from　the　forest　hood　into　the　clear　sky。　Jagdea　could　see　the　hostiles
plainly　now。　Six　Locusts　in　cruise　formation。
Umbra　was　climbing　as　hard　as　their　turbofans　would　allow；　pressed　firmly　back　in　their　seats。
The　bats　appeared　not　to　have　seen　them　yet；　but　that　would　change　very　soon。　Jagdea　settled　her
hand　around　the　stick　grip；　placing　her　thumb　carefully　on　the　fire　stud。
Intercept　in　ten　seconds；　nine；　eight…
Suddenly；　startled　like　the　birds　that　their　jets　had　scared　out　of　the　treetops；　the　bats　broke；　their
formation　exploded。
But　Umbra　was　already　committed。
“Divide　and　conquer；”　Jagdea　instructed。
She　went　straight　up　into　the　heart　of　the　splitting　pack；　choosing　a　Locust　that　was　vivid　amber
and　striped　with　gold。　It　was　already　turning　out；　but　she　had　fine　lead　time。　She　banked　slightly　and
let　it　fly　into　her　sights。
Squeeze。
Electric　blue；　the　las…bursts　zapped　away　from　her　nose　cone。　She　let　off　three　pairs　of　shots；　and
it　was　the　second　that　caught　the　Locust　squarely。　Pieces　of　its　hull　flew　off　in　a　puff　of　smoke；　and
it　flopped　over　on　its　back。　Fire　began　to　rush　out　of　its　underbelly；　and　it　described　a　long；　laboured
dive　down　into　the　rainforest。　Jagdea　saw　a　flash　deep　beneath　the　thick　canopy；　and　smoke　and
steam　broiled　up　out　of　the　trees。
Blansher’s　chosen　target；　a　bright　blue　machine　with　vile　yellow　insignia；　evaded　his　first　blasts；
and　managed　a　fine　power　dive　under　Blansher’s　trajectory　that　Umbra　Two　couldn’t　hope　to
follow。　Blansher　swung　around　and　started　to　chase　a　copper…coloured　Locust　that　was　fleeing
south。　He　came　up；　but　the　Locust　was　extending　fast。　The　small　enemy　machines　had　a　terrific　turn
of　speed　and　climb　rate。　Blansher　cursed；　broke　off　and　rolled　back　into　the　brawl。
Cordiale　was　locked　onto　a　crimson　bat　that　was　trying　to　shake　him　by　diving　towards　the
forest。　Accepting　the　invitation；　Cordiale　stooped；　chasing　the　red　speck　into　the　green　bosom　of　the
forest。　Levelling　out　at　the　tree…tops；　the　bat　began　to　jink　and　switch；　and　Cordiale　had　to　stand　his
plane　on　one　wingtip　and　then　the　other　to　stick　fast。　He　punched　off　a　shot；　missed；　corrected　and
fired　again。
Another　miss。
“Tricksy　little　bastard…”　Cordiale　muttered；　wrenched　back　and　forth　by　the　centrifugal　force　of
the　constant　turns。
Above　him；　Jagdea　was　hunting　down　her　second　scalp。　She　had　her　eyes　on　a　yellow　bat　that
was　breaking　west；　but　abruptly　rolled　out　as　she　heard　a　shrill　lock　warning。　The　blue　Locust
Blansher　had　lost　on　his　first　pass　was　on　her　back。　It　fired　twice；　gleaming　streamers　of　bolter　fire；
but　she　dodged　out　of　line　each　time　and　finally　managed　to　throw　it　by　hitting　her　speed　brakes　and
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viffing　almost　to　a　standstill。　The　blue　hostile　ripped　by　under　her　starboard　wing；　realised　he’d　been
dummied；　and　broke　right　and　high。　Jagdea　screwed　over　to　follow　its　climb。
The　yellow　bat　had　decided　not　to　run　after　all；　and　had　executed　a　vector　turn　high　above；
dropping　in　like　an　arrow　to　find　a　target。　It　had　missed　its　chance　with　Jagdea；　so　it　went　for
Cordiale；　who　was　still　locked　in　the　chase　at　the　leaf…line　with　the　crimson　Locust。
It　hadn’t　even　seen　Blansher。
Umbra　Two　fell　on　it　from　above　and　behind；　quad　cannons　alight。　The　Locust　shuddered
painfully；　its　hull　deformed　by　the　stresses　of　the　multiple　impacts；　and　then　blossomed　like　a　flower
into　bright；　radial　petals　of　burning；　expanding　gas。
At　about　the　same　moment；　a　thousand　metres　higher　up；　Jagdea　managed　to　pull　off　the　most
perfect　Ziegner　turn；　witnessed　by　no　one；　and　came　in　true　on　the　blue　bat　as　it　attempted　one　final
slice…roll　to　port。
Her　grouped　shots　ripped　out　its　nose；　then　wrenched　off　a　wing…section。　As　it　began　to　wobbl