Double Eagle(科幻战争)-第58章

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so　under…strength　like　Umbra。　Cobalt；　also　part　of　the　333rd；　was　twelve　strong。
“Umbra；　this　is　Cobalt　Lead。　Acknowledged。”
“Umbra　Leader；　Sabre　will　comply。”
“Stoop　and　sting；”　Blansher　ordered。
The　two　flights　committed　down；　rolling　off　from　the　front　of　the　formation　to　the　rear　in　a
formal　cascade。　Marquall　tried　to　keep　his　breathing　even　as　the　power　dive　began。　He　switched　on
the　targeters　and　lit　his　gunsight。　Guns　on；　las　selected。
The　glittering　water　was　coming　up　fast。
He　saw　the　great　black　hulks　of　the　convoy　vessels；　trailing　wakes　of　white　water；　and　the　tall；
thin　spurts　of　foam　around　them　where　detonations　were　hitting　the　sea。　And　there　were　the　bats；
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streaking　in　on　horizontal　approaches　against　the　sides　of　the　ships；　attacking　with　rockets　and
cannon。
They　were　Hell　Talons；　painted　in　various　red；　black　and　coral…pink　shades。
The　Thunderbolts　tore　into　the　mob　of　them。　For　a　second；　there　were　aircraft　and　gunfire　tracks
going　in　all　directions　around　Marquall。　He　pulled　the　stick　back　slightly　and　brought　Nine…Nine　up
level。　A　Talon　swept　by；　heading　across　onto　one　of　the　barges；　and　Marquall　banked　around　after　it。
It　started　to　fire；　churning　up　a　track　of　impacts　across　the　water　towards　the　barge’s　hull；　and
Marquall　opened　fire　too。　He　missed；　but　the　Talon　broke　off　to　starboard；　trying　to　get　out　of　his
cone　of　fire。
Marquall　didn’t　manage　to　turn　as　tightly　and　overshot　the　barge；　passing　briefly　through　the
clouds　of　smoke　it　was　emitting。　He　turned　the　plane’s　nose　and　saw　the　Talon　climbing　furiously；
so　did　likewise。
Two　Thunderbolts；　wearing　the　combat　blue　of　the　333rd；　shot　past　him；　both　chasing　Talons。
Then　a　red　Talon　swept　in　and　Marquall　had　to　roll　out　stiffly　to　avoid　it。　A　wash　of　bright　tracers；
snaking　and　rippling　like　a　wind…blown　streamer；　crossed　past　his　right　wing　tip。　Marquall　rolled
again　and　saw　a　black　Talon　zip　under　him。　He　inverted；　falling　after　it；　and　dropping　low　to　bob
back　up　on　its　tail。　The　Talon　tried　to　turn　but　he　stuck　with　it；　watching　its　ducts　for　the　tell…tale
swivel　that　announced　a　sideslip　viff。　The　Talon　rolled　left；　then　right；　but　it　couldn’t　shake　him。　He
got　a　lock…tone　but　before　he　could　fire；　two　machines　went　past　in　the　opposite　direction；　so　fast　he
had　no　time　to　identify　them；　so　hard　their　jet　wash　rocked　him　out　of　line。
More　throttle。　The　Talon　was　extending　slightly。　It　tried　a　little　viff　but　Marquall　held　on　right。
Lock…tone　for　the　second　time。　He　fired。
He　hit　it。　Buckled　pieces　of　plating　flew　off。　But　it　wasn’t　a　clean　kill。　The　Talon　rose；　finding
speed　in　desperation。
“No　you　don’t…”　said　Marquall。
Suddenly；　the　air　lit　up　around　him。　A　rain　of　las…fire。
“Umbra　Flight！　Break！　The　bastards　are　above　us！”
It　was　Blansher’s　voice。　Marquall　broke　high；　somehow　coming　out　of　the　blizzard　of　shots
unscathed。
“Umbra　Flight；　Umbra　Flight！　Bats　at　eleven。　Climb　like　hell！”
Marquall　looked　about　desperately　and　saw　twenty　or　more　Hell　Razors　diving　in　through　the
dogfight。　Either　Cobalt　Flight　had　screwed　up　completely　and　let　them　through；　or　these　were
newcomers　to　the　brawl。
Marquall　came　up　fast；　gripped　by　the　heavy　G。　He　couldn’t　even　see　the　black　Talon　any　more
and　cursed　his　own　luck。　He’d　come　so　close。
He　saw　Zemmic　diving　past；　nose　cone　lit　up　in　a　blaze　of　gunfire。　The　Talon　he　was　after
started　to　spin　and　then　lost　something—probably　coolant—in　a　gush　of　fluid。　It　fell　into　the　sea　like
a　stone。
Marquall　looped　and　saw　two　green　Razors　turning　out　wide　over　another　of　the　barges。　He
knew　if　he　pulled　away　they’d　be　after　his　tail；　so　he　went　straight　in　for　a　frontal　attack。　Coming
head　to　head；　the　closing　speed　was　alarming。　Marquall　fired　and　saw　shots　burning　back　his　way。
The　Razors　shook　past。　He　had　no　idea　if　he’d　hit　anything。
To　the　west　of　him　there　was　a　blue　Thunderbolt；　one　engine　on　fire　descending　slowly　on　a
long；　lazy　curve。　A　brief　puff　of　white　erupted　as　it　hit　the　water。
A　glance　right。　Del　Ruth　and　Ranfre；　locked　in　a　barrelling　acrobatic　tumble　with　three　Razors。
The　machines　kept　trying　to　turn　in　under　each　other；　jockeying　to　get　on　the　six。　Ranfre　was　firing
and　his　chosen　target　viffed　out　of　the　tangle　so　frantically　it　rammed　its　wingman。　The　colliding
machines　exploded　in　the　air。　Del　Ruth　and　Ranfre　broke　and　blasted　on　past。　The　remaining　bat
screamed　out　the　other　way。
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Marquall　was　on　it　immediately。　He　came　round　on　its　seven；　let　off　a　burst；　then　a　second。　The
bat　plunged。　For　a　moment；　Marquall　thought　he’d　stung　it；　but　it　was　simply　viffing　out　hard　to
switch　onto　his　tail。　Nine…Nine　shuddered　and　bucked　as　it　was　hit。　Marquall　pulled　a　violent
evasive　turn。　The　bat　shot　past　and　away。
“Umbra　Eight。　Are　you　okay？”
Marquall　checked　the　instruments。　No　critical　warning　lights　had　come　on。　“This　is　Eight。　I’m
okay。”
“Eight；　this　is　Lead。　You’re　trailing　fluid。　I　think　it’s　hydraulics。　Break　off　and　head　for　home；
do　you　copy？”
Marquall’s　heart　sank。　“Copy　that；　Lead。　I　am　breaking　off。”
By　the　time　he　began　his　approach　to　Lucerna；　Marquall　could　feel　the　damage　by　the　way
Double　Eagle　was　handling。　He　lined　up　on　the　transponder　signal；　and　made　a　good　landing　in
hangar　three　via　the　north　entry。
Racklae　got　him　out。　The　chief　fitter’s　head　was　bandaged。　The　transport　that　had　got　him　out　of
Theda　had　been　attacked；　and　he’d　been　sliced　by　shrapnel。
They　inspected　the　damage　to　Nine…Nine。
“Superficial　mostly；”　said　Racklae；　“but　you’ve　taken　a　hit　to　the　hydraulics。”
“It　didn’t　show　on　the　instruments。”
“Sometimes　it　doesn’t；　sir。　But　I’ll　check　your　critical　indicator　too。　Any　luck；　by　the　way？”
“No；”　said　Marquall。　He　didn’t　have　the　heart　to　admit　he’d　come　so　close　on　two　only　to　lose
both。　“Still　shaking　off　the　jinx。”
Lucerna　Processing；　16。30
“Put　simply；”　said　the　Munitorum　senior。　“You’re　dead。”
“Well；　I　hate　to　fly　in　the　face　of　facts…”　Viltry　began。
“Don’t　worry；”　said　the　senior。　“I’ll　just　run　it　again。　Could　you　check　the　details　as　I　have
them？”
Viltry　looked　over　the　data…slate；　and　handed　it　back。　“That’s　correct。”
The　senior　began　to　enter　the　codes　in　the　large；　brass…levered　cogitator　that　dominated　the
chamber。　Robed　clerks　hurried　in　and　out　of　the　room；　collecting　data…slates　or　depositing　scrollcases
in　the　alphabetised　pigeonholes　along　one　wall。　Viltry　shrugged　apologetically　to　the　man
waiting　in　the　doorway。　He　was　at　the　head　of　a　long；　slow…moving　queue　that　stretched　right　back
down　the　hallway　of　the　Munitorum　complex　and　out　down　the　stairs。　Viltry　had　already　spent　two
hours　in　it。
The　dirt…stained　windows　of　the　chamber　looked　down　onto　one　of　Lucerna’s　giant　docks。　The
scene　was　artificially　lit　by　frosty　blue　lumin　spheres　because　it　was　inside　a　giant　sea　cave；
protected　by　the　overhang　of　the　island　cliffs。　There　was　a　hum　of　industry　outside。　Hoists　clattered；
men　shouted。　The　wharfs　were　lined　with　extraction　barges；　disgorging　hundreds　of　men　and
machines；　crates　and　equipment　onto　the　docks。
“It’s　coming　up　the　same　again；”　the　senior　said。　“Viltry；　Oskar。　Listed　as　killed　in　action　on　the
260th；　along　with　the　rest　of　his　crew。　I’m　afraid　as　far　as　the　records　are　concerned；　you　don’t
exist。”
“And　yet；”　said　Viltry。
“Quite；”　said　the　senior。　“We’re　getting　this　a　lot；　I’m　sorry　to　say。　War　is　not　conducive　to
competent　record　management。　And　the　withdrawal　from　the　Peninsula；　well…　let’s　just　say　whole
sections　of　the　data　archive　are　missing　or　inaccurate。　You　didn’t　fly　in　with　a　unit；　did　you？”
Viltry　sighed。　He’d　been　through　this　four　times：　once　to　the　wharfinger；　once　to　a　junior　clerk
in　the　downstairs　annexe　who　was　running　a　kind　of　logistical　triage　on　the　influx　of　refugees；　and
once　already　to　this　man。
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“I’ve　been　detached　from　operations　for　over　a　week　since　my　flight　went　down　in　the　desert。　I
made　it　back　to　the　coast　as　part　of　a　retreat　column　and　then　reached　Theda。　I　just　got　on　a　barge。
Whatever　was　available。　Things　were　pretty　wild。　I’m　travelling　with　a　woman。”
“Your　wife？”
“No—”
“Fianc