Nate nodded as though the others could actually see him. Though it was perfectly normal, right now they were operating on a closed loop audio network.
"Definitely, I can do this. I promise."
As he deactivated his audio, he glanced to the left at the profile image of the Hawkins.
We have unfinished business.
"Launch!" Commander Higgins gave the order.
All ten heavily laden gunships blasted away from their launch rails and out into the warm air over Prime. Each of the four powerful engines was more than capable of propelling the crafty forward, but with all of them on full burn, the acceleration was intense. They formed up in a staggered line, with two of the gunships pulled back to provide an extra layer of defence. Rex was in the centre, and as usual took the lead for the squadron. Matilda spotted the change in the enemy's positions almost immediately.
"They've split up into two groups. Two fighters are staying back to guard the base, and three are heading for ours."
She paused for a moment before identifying the specific spacecraft.
"Hawkins and the two weakest pilots are in the lead formation and are heading for our base."
Nate heard her speak and gnashed his teeth at hearing the news.
"Not good. Hawkins could pick us off while we try and take out the weaker ones," said Rex.
Nate altered his pitch controls to maintain formation alongside the rest of the squadron. Rex had already slightly altered his course to bring his gunship back to protect their base.
"I'll head for their base on an elliptical course. Crusader Six, stay with me. We'll move into a wide elliptical pattern. Crusader Three, you get Hawkins’ attention. Four and Five, head directly at Hawkins. As soon as you have him, the rest of us will take out his wingmen."
The small group of five gunships split apart, two looking as though they were heading to the OTC cadets’ base. The other three made for Hawkins’ small group of fighters. Hawkins had selected a good route that allowed him to fly between two large pyramid towers. Due to their massive size, he was well shielded at the flanks, and made it difficult to track them.
"Follow me," said Nate.
The three gunships rolled lazily to the right and into position above their prey and about a kilometre behind them. Nate glanced to his left and noticed with amusement that an automaton style bot sat there controlling the weapons system.
"Okay, lock onto Hawkins and follow me in...now!"
The three gunships altered their engine levels and dropped down on a pursuit course. The front turrets swivelled about to target the distant enemy spacecraft, while the chin-mounted railguns powered up.
"Remember, survive the first pass and let me get his attention. Don't pursue until the others arrive to help."
"Affirmative," said both Billy and Cassandra.
They were now travelling at barely nine hundred metres from the ground, and Nate was stunned to find wide bridges and arches in their path. As they approached each of them, the three lead gunships would alter their height at the last moment. It made the pursuit deadly to both sides, and even the simplest misdirection would send them crashing into a tower or bridge.
"He's good. I'll give him that."
Up ahead the small formation of gunships still moved closely together. Unlike other spacecraft in the Alliance arsenal, these were very well armed and armoured at the rear. Additional turrets moved continually, checking for approaching targets.
"We're in the zone. Light 'em up before they reach our base!"
They tagged the pair of flanking gunships and opened fire. At the same time, their targets returned fire so that the space behind the two formations filled with small projectiles. The turret-mounted Gatling guns were capable of a high rate of fire, each burst automatically calculated by the onboard targeting computer. Nate was surprised to see a triple warning as a burst of fire ripped apart the cowling on one of his port engines.
What?
He tugged on the controls and rolled to the right, but it was much less agile than the Lightning fighters they'd been using. Three more metal slugs ripped into the cockpit and knocked out the several redundant systems behind him.
"Come on, hit them."
Nate ignored the incoming fire. He concentrated his aim at the gunship to the right and depressed the trigger for his primary guns. The chin-mounted, double-barrelled railguns shuddered as they spat out the hypersonic projectiles made from chunks of hardened metal. The first burst missed, but the second glanced the rear hull of the middle gunship. One more burst was all it took for the formation to separate nearly a hundred more metres apart. Nate hit his burners and diverted all power to the four engines.
"I'm going in!"
With so much power moving to his engines, the gunship became sluggish, and in seconds he was right behind the group of three enemy spacecraft. All of them opened up with their rear turrets, but even as the projectiles struck his armour, he was past them.
Go on, you know what to do.
For a second it looked as though he had made a mistake, and then it happened. The formation of three fighters lifted their noses and moved into a tight roll to bleed off speed. At the same time they deployed a series of flaps, and in that one moment, Nate was past them and directly in their sights.
"Done it! Now he's mine."
Keeping the engines on full, Nate dropped his nose and made for the three kilometre wide bridge that spanned between two giant structures. Shots rushed past him, but he was now moving at such a rate they were finding it difficult to land a single hit. One began to pull away, and Nate noted with satisfaction that Hawkins was in pursuit.
Now to draw him in!
"Hawkins, nice to see you can roll. Question is...can you fly?"
At that moment, he rushed below the bridge, performed a half roll, and then veered off to the right. Hawkins was right behind him, and all of his forward turrets continued to fire. Every few seconds the main railgun cannon would fire, but with their more reduced movement, it was much harder to track the fast moving gunship.
"Crusader Three, you've done it," said Cassandra.
As Nate rolled past a tall tower antenna, he laughed. His audio was off, so nobody could hear him, but already he was starting to get the hang of controlling this overweight Hammerhead variant. Gunfire continued to strike around him, but he was so close to the buildings, Hawkins was now causing more damage to the them than to anything else. The two wingmen had little chance of continuing the attack, and they split off and changed their angle approach to move them back towards the base.
"Good work, Crusader Three. It's time to turn up the heat," said Rex.
A quick glance to the tactical overlay on the navigation orb showed the other gunships were closing in on his position.
Awesome.
Rex's voice came back, and Nate was pleased to hear that he was back to his normal, cocky self. Whatever negative attributes the teenager might have, his skill in leading fighter pilots into combat wasn't one of them.
"Move in from positions four and nine. Hit them with crossfire, and take them out of the fight. Crusader Three, can you keep Hawkins busy?"
"Yeah. For now, just get a shift on."
It took another thirty desperate seconds, and while Nate and Hawkins circled even closer around the buildings, the rest of the gunships moved into position. By the time Rex was above the two enemy spacecraft, Hawkins must have realised what was happening. He pulled away from his pursuit of Nate, but it was too late.
"Dive and attack!" Rex said.
The two pairs of gunships moved in from both flanks at high speed and took aim. Instead of relying on the rapid fire of the turrets, they kept their fingers off the triggers until the very last minute.
* * *
Commander Higgins watched the action unfold from inside the Fighter Control Suite. He could hear the moans and groans from the youngsters all around him, but nothing could tear his eyes away from what was about to happen.
"Incredible," he
said quietly.
"What is incredible?"
Commander Higgins turned to his right and found Captain Cornwallis right there, looking right at him. His hand went up, and after the niceties were completed, he pointed to the moving objects over the pit.
"Crusader Squadron has managed to separate the best pilot from the OTC cadets away from the others. Four of the Crusaders pilots have a pair isolated."
"I see."
Both watched with interest as Crusader Squadron pursued the pair of gunships like wolves hunting a wild beast. Icons popped up as damage was taken, and then one vanished from view. The second soon follow it, and then came the groans of complaint. He looked to the far end of the room where three of the OTC cadets had removed their helmets. One started talking loudly, so the Commander lifted a hand.
"Silence. You will not discuss the operation until the battle is over. Either come to the pit or wait at your pods."
The OTC cadets wandered over and waited impatiently as the rest of the battle unfolded. With two of them knocked out, and another pair still back at their base, it left Hawkins on his own while three gunships chased after him. The OTC pilot exhibited incredible skill as he did just what Nate had done; dropping down to use the low lying buildings, bridges, and towers to mask his position. The battle raged for more than three minutes, with no further casualties on either side, until by either luck or judgement, Billy managed to clip a tower and knocked out two of his engines. His gunship lost height, and he was forced to head back to base, with a long trail of black smoke belching from behind.
"What is he doing?" Captain Cornwallis asked.
The officer pointed at the single gunship as it edged closer and closer towards Hawkins. He tapped the three-dimensional model, and an image of its pilot, along with battlefield score and stats moved alongside it.
"Rex Hampel. He'll crash if..."
On cue, the gunship struck the left wing of Hawkins’ gunship and sent both of them into a spin. A flash of white indicated the crew of Rex's gunship ejected safely, but there was little chance of escape for Hawkins. He flew directly into a supporting pillar of the nearest bridge and exploded in a bright explosion.
"Three against two now," said Commander Higgins.
The Captain shook his head and sighed.
"I've seen more than enough, Commander. End the scenario and collate the scores. You've got twelve cadets that are more than capable of flying in combat. Whether they'll survive their first engagement with the enemy is another thing."
The sound of whispering voices increased in volume, and when he looked back, he found a number of sweaty, tense faces looking right back at him. Unlike Commander Higgins, he was not familiar with any of them in particular.
"Cadets, you've shown me what you can do. Your skills are...impressive, but you are far too focussed on the mission, at the expense of equipment and lives. In this mission, one side lost track of the other team, while the other found it acceptable to sacrifice gunships to eliminate the top gun on the other side."
A groan came from further back, but the Captain either chose to ignore it or failed to hear the voice. He did however turn his attention Nate.
"The fact that some of you chose to perform additional assessment and reconnaissance prior to the mission shows original thinking, and that is no bad thing."
He rubbed at his upper lip; the twelve cadets waited on tenterhooks.
"Against my better judgement, I am using the authority granted to me by Admiral Churchill in times of crisis to activate disbanded units."
Billy and Cassandra looked over to Nate. Rex and Matilda continued to watch the Captain. Billy's eyes widened with excitement, and Cassandra looked positively stunned. Nate gave a subtle nod back towards the Captain and tried to ignore them.
"Every one of you, civilian or military, OTC or Academy cadet, is to be offered a temporary field rank of Ensign in the Alliance Navy Reserve. This temporary rank will also accord you Flying Officer status."
Nate almost choked as he heard this. Both he and his friends were cadets in the Academy, civilians on board a military ship. The Naval Reserve, much like the Marine Corps Colonial Guard was something of a joke back home. Regional units were raised in most major colonies to act as a form of home guard, as well as an emergency reserve in times of war. What they lacked in modern equipment and training, they made up for in numbers.
"As you will undoubtedly already know, the Reserve is no country club. It makes you a temporary member of the Navy's reserve units, an organisation that is there to augment and reinforce active Naval forces in time of war, planetary emergency, or contingency operations. This may be your only ever active posting, but you are making a commitment to the military."
He looked at each of them, including those from the OTC.
"Each of you must choose now. You will remain aboard Relentless no matter your choice, but if you choose to accept this position, you will be unable to leave until this squadron is disbanded, and that will take place as and when the commanding officer of the military district decides it."
He paused, and as he waited, the tension inside the room seemed to increase by the second.
"This should happen by the end of this current operation. But I must be frank, in the past, some Reserve squadrons have remained active for the duration of an entire war."
He then tapped the Secpad bracelet on his left wrist. A model of a squadron's insignia popped up. This was no recent creation, but something from the distant past.
"For those of you that sign up to the Reserves, you will take on the name Knighthawks. It is a deactivated squadron with a history aboard this ship dating back to the Great War. It is a squadron with a heritage, and taking that one requires each of you to show the deepest commitment."
The Captain looked to Commander Higgins who then took over.
"Corsair and Thunder are experienced fighter pilots, and they will take over active CAP and strike duties. You will be something...different."
Nate could feel his heart racing. They had been a mishmash before, a kind of cobbled together unit that was never expected to last. He was still quite frankly shocked that he'd ever been given the chance to command a drone, let alone a live, manned fighter. Now it looked like he would be able to join an actual fighter squadron, one he could read about.
I could be part of that squadron's history.
It was an incredible feeling, and not something he'd ever expected, not even in his wildest dreams. For all the excitement, there was also a real sense of fear. They would be fighting not out of desperation, but as a matter of course, the same as any of the other pilots.
"You will fly whatever surplus Bullnose, Hammerhead, and Lightning spacecraft are not being used by Corsair and Hammer Squadrons, and as the mission requires it."
Billy began to cheer, but a withering look from Matilda quickly stopped him. Nate looked back at the two officers and noticed the look coming at him from Hawkins. They were only a few metres apart, and already Nate could tell he'd just made himself a new enemy. He tried to smile back, but it ended up as something closer to a smirk. Billy shoved him gently, and he turned his attention back to Captain Cornwallis.
"Thunder and Corsair squadrons will retain their role as the active duty fighter squadrons aboard Relentless, but I need your reserve unit ready. We have a mission, and everybody has a part to play."
His expression softened.
"Out of interest, what do you have in mind for the Knighthawks?"
Commander Higgins smiled.
"I have a couple of prospects in minds."
CHAPTER SIX
Kuba City, Nozu-Kuba Gas Mines
Trinity Sector
Prince Kratha lifted his head up from the shattered wall and looked across the central trade district. Just weeks before this had been a thriving city, where traders from a dozen colonies came to trade everything from ore and raw materials to food. Now most of the buildings were damaged, with chunks of masonry littering the streets. Dozens of burnt
out vehicles were a reminder as to the peaceful past of the city.
"Get down!"
Three shots ran out as metal slugs struck the wall. A rocket whistled overhead and then vanished as an interceptor battery destroyed it. As Prince Kratha looked back, he could see their position, and how hopeless it might look. This was the trade bureau, a massive single storey structure that covered an entire city block. The ceiling had mostly collapsed, yet the outer walls remained, if only partially. An Imperial flag hung proudly at the wall, its material punched with dozens of holes.
We can hold, can't we?
Prince Kratha was a proud individual, but he was also no fool. The planet was supposed to have been his strongpoint. And now he'd lost control of the sector and had been forced to withdraw to the urban areas just to survive. An Imperial Guard moved to his side and pointed to the direction of the gunfire. Dozens more of his comrades checked their weapons or pulled on additional body armour plates.
"Prince Kratha. Drones show three columns coming from the North and the East. The Star Empire has put down hundreds of zealots. We have to withdraw."
The young noble turned from the battle and to the senior officer.
"What about my reinforcements?"
The old soldier grimaced as he asked the question.
"Few have made it past the enemy blockade. A single ship of regulars landed fifteen kilometres to the South. They are making for the spaceport."
"Prince, here they come!"
This time it was the loud, booming voice of General Honorius. Prince Kratha looked to the aged soldier who leaned against what little remained of the inner wall. They shared a momentary look, but though the General was able to command, he was still weak from the wounds he'd sustained. Prince Kratha hesitated before giving the order. He knew they were well dug in, but if they were completely surrounded they would eventually lose. Survival was everything. General Honorius seemed to understand his predicament, even without having to say anything.
"Prince Kratha."
He winced and moved a little to reduce the pain. His armour kept his body upright, but could do little stop the pangs of sheer, stabbing pain that continued to ripple through his body.
Star Crusader: Knighthawk Squadron Page 11
