Double Eagle(科幻战争)-第57章

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“This　bird　isn’t　equipped　with　an　auspex。”
“Oh　frigging　great！”　Jagdea　began　craning　her　head　around；　turning　as　far　as　she　could　to　scan
out　of　the　Cyclone’s　bubble　nose。
“Locust！　Eleven　o’clock！”　she　yelled。
She　got　a　brief　glimpse　of　a　bright　red　bat　stooping　in；　cannons　lit；　then　Kaminsky　turned　the
Cyclone　over　in　a　suicidal　bank。
“Kaminsky！　Kaminsky！”
“Will　you　shut　up；　woman？　Will　you　ever　shut　up？”　The　sea　rushed　towards　them。　Kaminsky
suddenly　leaned　on　the　throttles　and　rolled　the　Cyclone。　“Guns；”　he　stammered。
“Uhh！”　Negative　G　was　slamming　at　her。　“What？”
“Guns；　dammit；　Jagdea！　I　can’t　press　the　gun　stud！　I　don’t　have　a　thumb！　You’ll　have　to　do　it。”
She　wrestled　over；　all　her　blood　in　her　feet；　fighting　against　the　centrifugal　force　of　the　turning
Cyclone。　She　clamped　her　fist　over　his　dead；　prosthetic　hand。
“Tell　me　when！”
“Wait！”
He　feathered　the　Cyclone　up　on　a　corkscrew　and　then　wafered　it　down　violently　as　the　Locust
slipped　under　them。
“How　the　hell　did　you　do　that？”　she　yelled。　“You　just　out…danced　a　vector…thrust　machine！”
“Shut　the　hell　up　and　shoot；”　Kaminsky　replied。　“Fire！　Just　fire！　Fire！”
He　rolled　the　Cyclone　hard　and　Jagdea　heard　the　sudden；　sweet　sound　of　target　lock。　She
clamped　her　hands　around　the　grip。　Around　his　plastek　hand。
Flame…flash　blitzed　from　the　Cyclone’s　gun　ports。　The　Locust　banked　out；　rising　hard。
Then　it　ignited　and　blew　apart。
“Holy　hell！”　Jagdea　whooped。
“Got　him；”　hissed　Kaminsky。
“Yes　you　did；”　said　Jagdea；　as　Kaminsky　banked　the　Cyclone　east。　“Yes；　you　damn　well　did。”
150
OPERATE　TO　DENY
THE　MIDWINTER　ISLANDS
Imperial　year　773。M41；　day　267　…　day　269
151
DAY　267
Lucerna　AB；　12。30
Marquall　was　dozing　in　his　flightsuit　when　the　hooters　started　their　strident　blaring　throughout　the
base’s　deep；　rock…cut　hallways　and　buried　decks。　He　jumped　up　out　of　his　seat；　grabbed　his　helmet；
and　ran　out　of　the　dispersal　room；　down　the　narrow　companionway　onto　the　floor　of　the　hangar　bay。
Zemmic　and　Ranfre　were　close　behind　him；　and　Van　Tull　followed　them；　though　more　slowly。　Van
Tull’s　airline　had　taken　a　hit　during　the　exit　from　Theda；　causing　an　intermix　fault　that　had　allowed
carbon　dioxide　to　leak；　undetected；　into　his　supply。　By　the　time　he’d　reached　Lucerna；　he’d　been
suffering　from　borderline　hypoxia　and　had　only　just　made　it　down。
Marquall　paused　and　let　Zemmic　and　Ranfre　go　by。　“You　okay？”　he　asked　Van　Tull。
“Four…A；”　said　the　older　pilot。　He　was　over　the　worst　effects；　or　so　he　said。　But　he　was　now
suffering　with　bleeding　gums　and　sinuses；　and　kept　dabbing　at　his　mouth　and　nose　with　a　folded
handkerchief；　like　a　consumptive。　“Sure？”
“I’ll　be　fine　once　I’m　up；”　Van　Tull　said　flatly。
They　hurried　across　the　bare　stone　floor　onto　the　rigid　deck　plating。　The　entire　air…base　had　been
hollowed　out　of　the　island’s　rock。　Hangar　three；　assigned　to　Umbra；　was　a　gigantic　rectangular　cave；
its　floors　and　walls　smoothed　by　industrial　mason…cutters。　Both　ends　of　the　cave；　north　and　south；
were　open　to　the　sky。
The　Thunderbolts　of　Umbra　Flight　waited；　lined　up　in　three　ranks　facing　the　south。　Fitter　teams
were　disengaging　the　last　of　the　cables　and　fuelling　lines；　and　whirring　elevator　platforms　carried　the
empty　munitions　trolleys　down　to　lower　levels。
Cordiale　and　Del　Ruth　were　already　with　their　planes。　Blansher　ran　out　across　the　gratings　of　the
deck；　reading　a　wafer　of　printout　paper。
“Air　cover；　evac　protection！”　he　shouted。　“Immediate　launch；　track　six…nine…two；　no　higher　than
two　thousand。”
There　was　a　chorus　of　acknowledgements　and　the　pilots　dropped　into　their　cockpits。　The　chief
fitter　of　each　plane　crew　made　sure　his　pilot　was　secure；　closed　the　canopy　then　signalled　to　the
primer　technician　to　start　as　he　jumped　off　the　wing。　Each　primer　cart　fired　and　the　Thunderbolt
engines　began　to　turn　over。　Within　moments；　the　engine　noise　in　the　enclosed　space　was　so　loud　that
it　drowned　out　the　screeching　hooters。
Deck　crews　with　goggles　and　ear　protectors　took　up　position　in　front　of　the　formation；　directing
with　lumin　paddles。　Signal　to　go。
In　the　front　rank　were　Blansher　and　Ranfre。　Behind　them；　Marquall；　Cordiale　and　Del　Ruth。　The
third　rank　was　Van　Tull　and　Zemmic。　The　flight　rose　up　in　a　swaying　hover　almost　simultaneously。
The　deck　chief　swung　both　his　lumin　paddles　together　and　pointed；　then　dropped　down　onto　one
knee；　head　down　in　a　braced　position　as　the　front　rank　rushed　out　over　him；　swiftly　followed　by　the
second　and　the　third。
They　came　out　into　the　open；　exiting　the　hangar　through　a　rectangular　slot　in　the　sheer　cliff　face。
The　sea　was　two　hundred　metres　below　them。　The　seven　machines　immediately　started　to　turn　and
come　onto　their　track。
The　sky　was　greenish…blue　with　two…tenths　of　long；　wispy　cloud。　The　sea　was　a　richer；　more
intense　green。　Lucerna　Island　dropped　away　behind　them；　a　plateau　of　craggy　pink　granite　jutting
out　of　the　water。　Marquall　could　see　the　AA　defences　nested　in　the　cliffs　and　on　the　headlands。　Two
more　flights　of　Thunderbolts　were　coming　up　after　Umbra　from　other　hangar　mouths。　Far　below；　he
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could　see　the　masses　of　shipping　and　barges　that　had　been　arriving　at　the　island’s　jetties　for　the　last
twelve　hours。
They　climbed　higher；　steady。　Marquall　adjusted　his　nitrous　mix　carefully。　He　watched　the
formation　around　him；　and　kept　his　eyes　on　the　auspex　returns　of　the　other　Thunderbolt　wings　that
were　running　below　and　behind　them。　From　this　altitude；　he　could　see　out　across　the　range　of　the
Midwinter　Islands；　an　archipelago　of　pink　atolls　that　filled　nearly　seven　hundred　thousand　square
kilometres　of　ocean　at　the　eastern　end　of　the　Zophonian　Sea。　It　was　to　the　larger　of　these　islands；
places　like　Lucerna　which　had　airbases　and　ports；　that　the　majority　of　the　planes；　transports　and
extraction　barges　from　Theda　had　fled。
The　islet…speckled　sea　below　him　was　full　of　shipping；　powering　east　towards　safe　ports　in　the
island　chain。　The　auspex　was　also　alive　with　air　contacts。　A　few　Imperial　machines　were　still
heading　in　from　the　mainland　retreat；　but　the　rest　of　the　activity　was　Navy　wings；　coming　back　out
of　their　new　island　bases　to　guard　sea　convoys　or　hunt　for　Archenemy　intruders。　Marquall　could　see
the　patterns　of　a　large　dogfight　going　on；　twelve　kilometres　south　of　them；　and　another；　more
condensed；　nineteen　kilometres　to　the　south…west。　To　the　east；　there　was　a　progressive　intercept　on　a
bomber　formation；　and　another　large　air…brawl；　down　at　low　level　amongst　the　islands。
Visually；　the　southern　horizon　line　was　a　smudged　belt　of　black；　at　odds　with　the　clarity　of　the
clean　sky　and　the　sparkling　sea。　That　was　the　smoke　line；　the　vapour　of　death　and　destruction　that
crowned　the　Thedan　coast　for　hundreds　of　kilometres。　The　filthy　mark　of　the　Archenemy；　branded
across　his　newly…taken　territory。
Blansher　called　them　to　focus。　They　were　closing　on　the　designated　target。　A　convoy　of　thirtyseven
mass…barges　and　VTRPs　out　of　St　Chryze　was　moving　up　one　of　the　archipelago’s　clear…water
channels；　under　attack　from　enemy　raiders。
“Brief　said　sixty…plus　bats；”　Blansher　voxed。
“I　have　visual　on　the　convoy；”　reported　Ranfre。
“Copy　that。”
Down　through　the　clouds；　the　mighty　vessels　were　now　in　plain　view。　Some　were　staining　the　air
with　trails　of　exhaust　smoke　from　their　turbines；　but　others　were　pouring　out　cones　of　black　and
white　smoke。
“Auspex　contacts；”　Del　Ruth　reported。　“Two　groups　of　hostiles。　One　high　at　six　thousand；
circling；　the　other　low；　crossing　the　convoy。”
Marquall　checked　his　own　auspex　screen　and　got　a　similar　report。　Multiple　contacts　were　milling
around　the　surface　vessels　like　flies　around　a　wound。　He　could　even　see　them　now；　lime　flitting　dots
against　the　sea；　catching　the　sunlight。
“Umbra　Leader　to　other　flights。　The　contacts　showing　high　could　be　a　second　wave　of　attack
planes　waiting　their　turn　to　come　in；　or　they　could　be　top　cover。　Suggest　Umbra　and　Sabre　go　in
after　the　raiders；　Cobalt　stays　high　to　watch　for　fighters。”
The　split　made　sense。　Sabre　Flight；　part　of　the　333rd　Navy　wing；　was　short　four　machines；　and
so　under…strength　like　Umbra。　Cobalt；　also　part