There was a slight pause as Forst checked his instruments and location. “We’re just behind you as planned,” he reported. “Draw their attention and do what damage you can. Between us we’ll erase any signs the Kthpok parasite ever existed on Main Hive.” All five groups of aircraft converged on the target from five different directions with different timing.
Just before reaching missile range the two decoy groups ramped up their electronic jamming to confuse the targeting scans from the defenses. As they did, missile batteries inside the Kthpok base launched. Trails of white smoke speared towards the attacking craft.
An alert sounded in Rian’s helmet speakers. He glanced down at his radar screen to see the incoming missile and keyed his transmitter. “Decoy Flight, fire chaff rockets!” the Lieutenant ordered. “Hold launch of assault missiles until we clear the chaff.” That last order was unnecessary. All his pilots were experienced enough to know the metallic strips would block their own targeting scans as well as those of the Kthpok.
Small rockets detached from under wings to race ahead. Then a series of explosions several miles in front of the aircraft created clouds of small metal pieces. About a third of the incoming Kthpok weapons lost their lock and detonated sending shrapnel in all directions. The remaining two-thirds sped past the slowly dissipating cloud of metallic strips, and bored straight in. Aircraft went into evasive maneuvers, firing off heat flares to distract the missiles from their targets. Cries and grunts were cut off as missiles ignored the flares and electronic countermeasures to blot aircraft from the sky. Then, the surviving ships of the decoy groups blew past the missiles and flashed through the chaff clouds.
“In range!” called Rian to the pilots under his command. The other three flights were still less than a minute out. “Launch when your target is acquired.” As he worked his equipment the close range defenses of the base opened fire; more missiles were launched and pulses of light raced outward. Ignoring the danger he examined the base laid out before him, searching for his main target. Grunting in satisfaction, Rian adjusted his course slightly. More alerts were flashing across his instruments but the Lieutenant concentrated on centering his target indicator on a particular building. Then he keyed for his weapons to identify.
A flash lit up his cockpit. Looking up and back Rian saw a black cloud receding behind his craft which signified the death of a wing mate. An insistent beeping in his helmet speakers brought his attention back to the incoming danger. Instinct wanted him to maneuver his aircraft so he could evade the pulses and missiles heading his way but he had to hold steady until the electronics confirmed a lock. “Come on,” he muttered. “They’re coming. Confirm lock. Confirm!”
The weapons systems in the Iidx craft were designed for rapid recognition. But the designers of Kthpok weapons were aware that during battle everything was time critical and created their weapons accordingly. Time seemed to stretch as Rian watched pulses and missiles speed at him. More flares were released but additional chaff packets couldn’t be fired because the metallic cloud would interfere with his targeting. After what seemed hours but was actually less than two seconds the tone confirming lock sounded and Rian reacted. He keyed the trigger and felt his missiles detach. They sped away from his fighter leaving lines of white smoke.
The Lieutenant didn’t wait to see the results of his launch but fired off more flares and swept his craft into a dive with a sharp right turn. As the turn began he looked back to see if any other pilots in his group had launched. Then his view was cut off as his ship swung around. Kthpok pulses swept through the air where he would have been.
The missiles targeted on Rian veered to follow his maneuver and the proximity alert sounded. He reached out with a true-hand and triggered decoys then concentrated on evasive maneuvers. One missile was lured off course by the counter measures and detonated. Two others continued after Rian and exploded just short of the tail of his craft.
Shrapnel tore into the rear stabilizer, control surfaces of the right wing and right drive. Alert signals flashed in Rian’s cockpit and a shrill tone came over his helmet speakers. Red lights began flashing across his control panel. A quick glance back revealed his fuel reservoirs had been punctured letting precious fuel escape. A line of black smoke trailed behind his craft as the fire started by the missiles was moving forward.
Almost of its own accord a middle false-hand flew up to hit the eject button. The canopy release blew, propelling the canopy away just before the fire reached the fuel reservoir. Small solid-fuel rockets blasted the pilot out of his stricken craft. Vapor inside the reservoir ignited which in turn set off the fuel load. The explosion destroyed Rian’s craft and sent the pilot tumbling higher into the air.
As the ejection saddle arced through the air the Lieutenant had a moment to watch the last of his fighters blown out of the air. As far as he could see there were no other ejection saddles or parachutes in the air. Then, at the peak of his arc, his parachute deployed, jerking him hard against his restraints and stopping the tumbling.
Looking down Rian saw that the course of his craft, the arc of his ejection saddle and a slight breeze would drop him beyond the outer security fence of the Kthpok base. Since he had a few minutes before reaching the surface he looked back at the base to see how effective his strike had been.
A large ball of smoke and flame roiled skyward from missile impacts. Rian took another look around the sky then began cursing. He’d lost every craft in the two groups; twelve ships and pilots, in an engagement that had lasted seconds. And for what? One hit! In fact, it appeared he was the only pilot to’ve launched missiles.
Watching, he saw flames appearing in the smoke of the damaged building. Then the flames began to spread. A moment later the entire building was engulfed in flames and smoke. “Why isn’t someone trying to put the fire out?” Rian wondered and saw the fire spread to an adjacent structure.
Sonic booms crashed causing him to look around to see eighteen more aircraft streaking in from three directions. Captain Forst and the other groups had begun their attack run. “Go on!” shouted Rian, “Blast those long necked, tailed…” His cheers were cut short when he saw one of the attacking ships explode. Maybe the defenders weren’t as distracted as Captain Forst planned.
Floating beyond the perimeter fence the downed Iidx pilot neared the ground of the cleared security area. He released the saddle he’d been resting on and watched it fall into the grass below. Anticipating the landing, Rian got a firm hold on his survival pack, released his chute restraints early and dropped to the ground. Sensors around the Kthpok perimeter noted Rian’s arrival and activated more defensive systems. Laser pulses stitched a pattern of explosions as the Iidx scuttled towards the jungle.
Captain Forst adjusted the trim of his craft as he came around for another attack. Laser pulses streaked past the tail of his craft, searing the air between him and his wing mate. Keeping formation the two craft swung around with streams of pulses trying to keep pace. Other pulses came from another area of the base, leading the two aircraft but were starting to adjust. Forst increased speed and flew away from the danger but his wing mate didn’t react fast enough. The craft was blasted from the sky.
Missiles and pulses filled the sky. Aircraft climbed, dived, and turned as decoys and chaff packets were launched. Some succeeded in evading destruction but others didn’t. Explosions dotted the air and then missiles began to hit the Kthpok facility. More pillars of smoke rose skyward as additional buildings burned.
Forst triggered his remaining missile at the Kthpok command building. Without waiting to see the effect of his launch the Flight Leader made a sharp left bank to head for the ocean, away from danger. As his craft swung around a false-hand reached out to key the recall sequence. All surviving aircraft were to form up on him for the return trip.
A quick check of his ships computer revealed that of the thirty ships which began the assault only seven were moving into formation behind the Captain’s aircraft. He turned around on his saddle to
look behind and saw billows of smoke rising from the Kthpok base. The facility hadn’t been obliterated from Main Hive as he’d planned but it had sustained severe damage. Those fires would burn and spread until it stopped by a heavy rain or put out by a very good fire brigade. If or when the Kthpok returned they’d have to put their surface base back together.
A flashing light on his instrument panel and a soft chiming coming over his helmet speakers caught Forst’s attention. He swung back around to query the aircrafts computer. “That’s interesting,” he muttered. “I’m getting signals from an emergency beacon. That mean’s…” Forst glanced out his front viewscreen at the horizon beyond. “That means someone who’d been shot down survived!”
The Flight Leader went to key his radio to order a rescue mission but stopped for a moment to think. There was something on the edge of his antennae, something about the Kthpok defenses that was odd. Forst shook his head; there wasn’t time to figure it out now. He touched the transmit key on his control yoke. “Claw Flight to Claw Nest,” he called. “Flight to Nest.” After receiving an acknowledgment Forst continued. “Claw Flight is returning to nest. Seven are flight worthy. One pilot is down.”
“We confirm,” replied the Lieutenant from the Base Command Room back on the mainland. “Seven in incoming flight, one pilot is down. We’re receiving the beacon ourselves, Flight Leader. A pickup team is being prepared. They’ll be in the air before you get back. Any sign of Kthpok retaliation?”
Forst glanced down at his radar screen. “Negative Nest. Screens show only my flight.”
“Very good, Claw Flight, use standard approach and transponders.”
Forst went to acknowledge his instructions then realized what was odd about the Kthpok defenses. “Contact the Colonel!” the Captain ordered. “I need to speak with him before the SAR leaves. Get him on the link, now!”
The remnant of Claw Flight streaked over the beach. Several hundred feet below were the blue waters separating Tarren Island from the main land. Forst checked his fuel level and distance to home. It’d be close, he decided, but they’d make it.
Less than a minute after asking for the Colonel a new voice came over Forst’s helmet speakers. “This’s Colonel Levron,” the Iidx announced. “What’ve you got, Captain? What happened?”
“There are no Kthpok on Tarren,” announced Forst without any preamble.
“From what I can see you lost about two thirds of your command,” replied Levron. “That doesn’t seem to indicate empty defensive positions. What damage did you do?”
“They are empty, Colonel!” repeated Forst with confidence. “The defenses are automated, run by computers and software. I have to admit the software’s very effective,” he added. “As I flew over the Kthpok base there were buildings burning from the first attack. No one was out fighting the fires.”
There was silence from the other end of the link. Then Colonel Levron suggested, “Perhaps all the Kthpok not in their Space Swarm were in shelters or defensive emplacements blasting your flight instead of fighting fires.”
Forst shook his head. “Sir, they weren’t fighting fires because they weren’t there!” he insisted. “I tell you, Colonel, everything’s automated! The buildings we hit were considered vital to the Kthpok and that includes their administration center. I can’t see them letting those facilities burn. This is an opportunity to get an observer team on the island without the Kthpok being aware.”
There was another hesitation; this time such a long one that Forst began to wonder if the transmission had been cut off. He was reaching to check the connection when his speakers crackled again. “Your observation tracks, Captain,” Levron said. “We’re working to get a team ready. That’s why it took me so long to get back to you. At the same time we drop the observation team on the island we want to pick up our downed pilot.”
Forst made a slight adjustment to his aircraft’s trim then replied. “I can see that, Colonel. How soon are we looking at?”
“That’s the problem,” Levron replied. “We can’t have the team properly outfitted until tomorrow. Our pilot will have to wait until them for pickup.”
Rian moved through the undergrowth of the jungle with ease. Large trees grew throughout the area and their upper limbs interlaced to create a thick green canopy that blocked most of the light from reaching the floor. He ducked under a low hanging branch, slid past a moss-covered rock then jumped a rotting log. The pilot knifed through a clump of bushes startling a few small creatures sheltering there.
His training as a pilot stressed evasion after being shot down and the best way to do that was hiding in the jungle away from the bad guys. Rian’s survival equipment included rations for several days and a beacon. That beacon would make it easy for the team sent to make pickup. All they’d have to do was follow the homing signal to wherever he was.
The downed pilot crashed to a halt in a dark mass of ferns as a thought came. He quickly reran the logic that’d stopped him, checking its validity. His training had him using the jungle as a shield. The Kthpok shouldn’t be able to find him in the jungle but the SAR could because of the emergency beacon. This was when he came to the problem. Because of all the Kthpok excursions into secure Iidx facilities there was the possibility the Kthpok had obtained the frequency for the Iidx emergency beacons. If the Kthpok knew the frequency they’d come right to him regardless of where he was just like the SAR.
Stripping off his abdomen pack Rian settled down in the ferns. He smoothed out a small place next to him in the vegetation then undid the fastenings of the bag, lifted the flap and looked inside. Rations and other survival necessities were removed and piled in the cleared area until he reached the beacon.
Taking the device in a true-hand Rian stood and went to throw the transmitter into the bush. Once again he stopped. While it was only a possibility the Kthpok had the frequency it was a certainty the pickup team did. So when the SAR arrived they’d go to where the beacon was expecting to find the downed pilot. And if the Kthpok had the frequency they could set a trap for the SAR.
Antennae drooping in confusion, still holding the beacon, he settled down in the ferns to think. There was no way he could prevent the Kthpok from ambushing the SAR if they had the frequency. But the pickup team was trained to handle situations like that. What he had to do was find a way to keep the Kthpok from finding and killing him while giving the SAR a way to locate and rescue him.
Noises from various creatures were heard coming from the branches overhead and the surrounding dense undergrowth. An especially loud call startled Rian and he looked up. Then, after placing the beacon with the rest of his items, he scrambled to his feet knowing what he could do.
It took a few minutes of rooting around in the underbrush for him to locate what he was looking for. Rian took a moment to examine his find to make sure it would be safe for him to proceed. Then, antennae quivering with amusement, he carefully placed the beacon next to the small hole. With that done he rearranged the shrubs and ferns to reflect their pre-disturbed state. “There,” he said standing back to look over his handiwork. “When or if the Kthpok come looking for me they’ll get a little surprise.”
If the hole really was the entrance to a Pertan warren the lizards would get more than a surprise. The creatures were sensitive to heavy vibrations and would swarm out of their nest to attack anything that disturbed them.
“That takes care of that problem,” muttered Rian. “But it creates another.” He began looking around for an answer. “I have to let the pickup team know where I’m going. But…” he paused and looked up at the canopy of foliage, “where am I going?” In the dim light he saw the bole of a large tree nearby. “That should help,” the Iidx pilot said and swarmed up the trunk.
A moment later his valentine shaped head poked through the leaves of the canopy into the sunlight. The roof of the jungle rippled in waves as a slight breeze swept across the island. Looking around Rian examined the surrounding area. There didn’t appear to be anything close wh
ere he could hide so he looked further away. In the distance he saw a mountain rising out of the uniform green of the jungle. Rian gave a shrug of his antennae as he gauged the distance. It appeared to be a two maybe three days journey but it was doable. He’d’ve preferred something closer but he had to work with what he was given. There might even be a cave he could hide in while he waited for the SAR to find him.
After checking his compass to make sure he had the direction to the mountain firmly in mind Rian headed down the tree into the dark, humid jungle. He left a piece of paper wrapped in film hidden near the beacon. On the paper he’d written ‘mountain’. Once again he restored the vegetation to its pre-disturbed stated. Satisfied with his preparations Rian shrugged on his pack with its items repacked. He checked his compass then slid through the bushes for the mountain.
A day later the downed pilot had just crossed a small stream and was starting up the bush covered bank when he heard a noise. Rian froze, antennae questing for information. That sound was different from what he’d been listening to for the last day which is what caught his attention. After a moment, when the strange cry wasn’t repeated, he continued up the bank and slid through the bushes at the top with only a rustle of branches.
At mid-day Rian stopped to eat. His survival training had provided him with knowledge of what local fruits were available to eat. As he’d made his way towards the mountain he’d picked and eaten fruit to supplement his rations. That helped him maintain a quick march. He could eat and walk. But this time he wanted a rest. Besides, his quick pace had brought him nearer the mountain than he’d first anticipated.
The place he’d chosen to stop in was a small area clear of trees while covered by the ever-present jungle canopy. Even the bushy undergrowth was lacking. Of course, there were the ever present ferns and grasses. He scuttled over to a tree and hung his pack on a convenient limb. Then he picked some fruit from a nearby tree and settled down in the soft ferns to eat.
Betrayal Page 35
