***
Dave watched as the battle settled down into a mop up operation. The Mad Dogs Squadron concentrated its firepower on the remaining enemy ships, ripping the heart and guts out of them with accurate and deadly shots. A fifth Mad Dogs ship went dead, but it was the last major casualty that he would see in the battle. The fighters concentrated on the engines of the enemy vessels while the major ships of the Mad Dogs Squadron were grinding the enemy ships between its own network of criss-crossing fire. With each enemy ship that went silent, more firepower was concentrated on the remaining enemy ships, thus hastening their demise.
For the first time in a while, Dave was able to learn that there were heavy losses among the fighters. Fully a third of the fighters had been lost. Though the battle had been quick and costly, there was only about an hour left before he expected the second wave of enemy ships to arrive and attack. Certainly Dave knew that they wouldn't be surprised like the first wave had been, except for the fact that his defenses had proven stronger than the Malakins most likely expected. He didn't bother to remind Majel about seeing to her squadron's repairs. Instead he went over, took the handset, and simply spoke, "This is Admiral Oden. Well done, Mad Dogs!" Then he handed the handset back to the communications officer and went back to sit back and relax as best he could in his command seat to await the arrival of the second wave like everyone else.
***
Susan's fighter returned to the carrier. For the first time, she was able to fix a count of the other fighters around hers. She saw that there were a number of new friends who weren't returning. She put the thought out of her mind as she congratulated her crew on their work in the battle and concentrated on what would need to be checked out on landing.
She wasn't even out of the fighter before her maintenance personnel swarmed all over the fighter. By the time her feet hit the deck, one of the engine recharger panels was off and being replaced to keep her engine fully capable of sustaining high speeds at all times. If her ship had carried hydroponics and waste recycling, she could have travelled almost anywhere in her tiny craft. But something had to be taken out to have a versatile fighter craft. The lack of those two items were the only things that kept her ship attached to the carrier.
She also carried fewer tools for self-repair. If her craft was ever seriously damaged and had to seek out a planet to land on, there would probably be no taking off afterwards. She and her crew would be stranded there until rescued. A rescue had better take place within a week as well, because the fighter carried only enough travel rations, or Trats, to last the four crew members that long. If the fighter was unfortunate to land on a totally barren planet, they could plan on starving to death or perishing from dehydration if they weren't found inside of two weeks.
Dining hall personnel were standing by with something fresh for her and her crew to eat and drink. Susan accepted some coffee and felt the hot liquid bring some life back into her groggy mind and sore throat. She settled down on a nearby seat as her crew was already doing and then quickly answered a few debriefing questions on the computer pads next to them. Most of the questions were multiple choice, leaving her with little to input unless something highly unusual happened and needed to be remarked about. It took less than two minutes to finish up the administrative reports on the sortie before she could let herself sit back and totally relax. The sortie light was green and turned amber a moment later, casting a glow on the work area.
As the captain's voice came on over the intercom system, the mechanics continued their work, which was nearly complete. "All fighters will leave and form up as soon as their repairs are completed. You'll be moving to attack point Mary. That should shield you from their sensors and give you a first shot at their engines before they have a chance to know that they're even under attack. Fighter wing five is merged in with fighter wing four. Fighter wing six is merged in with fighter wing one. Fighter wing four is now under the command of Lieutenant Thompson in F45. Lieutenant Moore of F13 is to assume command of fighter wing one. You all did a swell job out there. Admiral Oden has called already and said ,'Well done, Mad Dogs,' and he's right. I'm proud of each and everyone of you. I'm sorry that some of our friends didn't make it back. You and I will all miss them. They knew their jobs and did them well. I'm sorry that they're not here to celebrate this first victory with us. Good luck to each and everyone of you. Give 'em hell! That's all for now."
The last panel snapped back into place on the Attack Butterfly. The maintenance team moved out of the way. As soon as Susan saw the mechanics finish, she got up wearily and went to her fighter, followed by her crew. As she got into the fighter, her mind resumed running at full speed with the realization that she was now responsible for leading four other fighters into battle. Her crew got into position and the hatch clanged shut. She strapped herself in and said simply, "Launch."
The fighter left the carrier and sped out into space.
"This is Attack Butterfly, fighter 45. Wing four assemble on my fighter. Report in when you're in position."
Her fighter slowly orbited the carrier. Within five minutes, the other four fighters took up position and reported in.
"Follow me!" she said over her communications.
Her fighter kicked into high speed and went quickly to point Mary where the fighters would be hidden from view and sensors until it was too late for the enemy to react. Once there, it would become a waiting game.
***
The second enemy wave came in three lines of warships and presented a broad front. They weren't in a globe formation like the first wave was caught in. They were deliberately spreading themselves out to force the Union Navy to spread itself extra thin, giving the enemy the opportunity to concentrate fire and not the Union Navy. If the Mad Dogs kept close together to keep their own firepower concentrated, the enemy could bend its line just past them and envelop them in a cross fire.
Dave listened to communications as Commodore Majel Remm asked for recommendations. "Tell her to charge as soon as the fighters start their sweep. Maybe we can make them get cricks in their rigid necks from trying to watch two directions at the same time."
The communications officer repeated the instructions, chuckling some as she ended.
Over at the pilot's seat, Sylvia was in position and ready to take part in the battle. She watched Rendall during the first battle as his maneuvers turned out to be unnecessary because the battle wandered out into deep space. She wondered if it would turn out that way again as the enemy fleet warily approached the near space of Beulah.
***
Mike watched as the Ape-oid warships suddenly burst up from the planet. The guns on his destroyer opened up on them with a hail of fire while they were still trying to gain space and velocity. They were only too easy to hit as the Union Navy destroyer remained in an easy orbit that gave it a commanding view and fire zone over half the planet.
No one was concerned that some of the shots were misses and hit whatever lay below on the planet's surface. The launch of illegal warships was an act of war by the Ape-oids and, as such, meant that everything below was fair game. The Ape-oids couldn't launch the ships fast enough to provide so many targets that some of them would gain the refuge of space by being missed by the guns of the overhead destroyers. As soon as the telltale signature of a warship was spotted rising up from any of the previously secret, hidden bases, gunfire was directed at it.
Mike was sure that some of the misses were hitting the bases guilty of launching the ships. He watched as his gunners took careful aim and shot down warship after warship that the Ape-oids sent up.
The count reached thirty and the Ape-oids kept coming. Any doubts that some of the officers in the old tub had about being able to hold their own were well on their way to being completely dispelled. Nothing yet had reached the safe confines of space from the planet's surface. It was an old-fashioned turkey shoot. The Ape-oids weren't even in a good position to return fire. The shooting was almost completely one way in direction. Only occasional
ly did Mike spot an Ape-oid ship trying to reach up with its weapons in an attempt to defend itself. Not one of those shots even came near the old destroyer.
Time after time, he watched the wreckage of an Ape-oid ship tumble back to the planet's surface. The ships were usually engulfed in flames and spinning wildly out of control. He knew there wasn't a chance in a million that any of the Ape-oids would survive that fire and fall. It sickened Mike to think of all those brave beings trying to reach space, even if they did intend him and his people harm. Somehow it just didn't seem right or fair to shoot them while they were unable for the most part to even defend themselves. He knew that it would be a different story if his destroyer and the one on the other side of the planet had to face all those ships in a pitched space battle. Then he would be more in the mood to see everyone of the enemy die.
"This is the captain speaking. A Navy minelayer is on her way here to seal off the planet. When she finishes, we will be escorting her to her next mission to shut down some of the approaches that the Malakins can use. Malakin forces are currently attacking our territory. One attacking wave of eighty-one warships has already been destroyed by the Mad Dogs Squadron off of Beulah within the last three hours with a loss of ten fighters and five warships. Another battle is finishing up near Echo. As soon as we eliminate the threat posed here, we will be rejoining the main defense effort in protecting the Union. Keep up the good work."
Beulah was under attack by the Malakins? Mike wondered what in hell was going on. This seemed too coincidental now. The Ape-oids had chosen the same day and time to try to place an armed force back in space as the Malakins had picked to attack Beulah. Were only Beulah and Echo involved? Was this why only two destroyers had been sent to the Ape-oid home world of Bragh? Was the Navy concentrating its forces elsewhere to counter a threat that someone had seen coming? For the moment, Mike forgot his sympathetic feelings for the doomed Ape-oids still trying to leave the planet in spite of the overhead destroyers.
Still, the Ape-oids continued to launch warships. Still they were doomed to destruction.
Chapter 5
Susan watched as best she could through the debris of the Malakin first wave that was primarily what made point Mary so attractive. The four wings of fighters were tucked in among the destroyed warships and hidden naturally from detection. The enemy would expect their sensors to indicate metal and ships because their first wave was mostly here to give off those readings. The location was deep enough in space that they would have plenty of maneuvering room once they emerged from cover and attacked. The Mad Dogs Squadron was partly visible just behind a moon. Doubtless, the Malakins would pass the destroyed fleet and then their sensors would pick up the Mad Dogs. If the Malakins were suspicious at all of the debris, the sensor readings they got on the Mad Dogs, once they were close enough despite the stealth technology used in Navy ships, would force the Malakins to turn their heads around to look. As soon as the Malakins moved in on the squadron, the four fighter wings would emerge to snap the Malakin heads back around again. The fighter command would rake the tail feathers of the Malakin ships so neatly lined up in nice rows and approaching in a stacked array. Not one enemy ship should be lucky enough to avoid getting hit once or twice. With luck, the fighter command could establish some early kills again and lessen the odds as they did against the first wave.
***
Dave watched the three stacked rows of Malakin warships approach cautiously towards the scene of the last battle. Doubtless, they were impressed with the danger presented by man, if they hadn't been before. He wondered if they would fire a few pre-emptive shots into the debris to see if they could startle someone into moving prematurely. It's what he would have done if presented with the same situation. The Malakins didn't.
Then Dave noticed the first change in their forward motion as they swung to present their front to the now discovered Mad Dogs Squadron. Come on, Dave thought, charge! It's time to charge with the fighters!
Almost as if his mind was being read, the fighters suddenly emerged from the debris. They swept along the back of the rows of neatly aligned enemy warships. If ever there had been a time for sloppiness on the parts of the Malakins, that was it, but their rows were almost perfect. Not one ship was out of alignment as they presented a perfect target for the twenty fighters attacking them. Had one enemy ship been lagging just a little, half or more of the Malakin fleet might have been spared or given a few more precious moments to react.
***
"Yeeeee-haaawww!" Susan shouted with a rejuvenated voice as her fighter led her wing out of cover and onto the tails of the passing Malakin warships. Immediately she was firing at the first enemy warship in her sights and scoring more hits. Around her, the other fighters were doing the same as they swept at top battle speed along the backside of the three rows of enemy craft, each of them spitting out shots from their Mark VI's.
Reports were already being passed along furiously to the squadron on the hits and damage they were causing. Over her communications, Susan heard the Commodore announce the charge. She knew that the big boys would be mixing it up shortly with the Malakin warships. Likely, they would punch a hole through the formation and then split up into groups to take on the surviving Malakin warships from behind or wherever they saw an opportunity.
***
Everette heard Commodore Majel Remm shout charge as her order was carried over the intercom while being sent to the other ships. His gunners were already firing as the ship suddenly picked up speed. It charged at the oncoming Malakins whose attention was now focused on the brave little fighters that jumped on them from behind. He had already observed from one gun position that an enemy vessel had ruptured in space and floated away from the battle.
The first wave of Malakin ships caused only slight damage to his ship. Everette felt confident after the results of the first encounter that his squadron could defeat this enemy fleet as well, despite the earlier loss of five ships from the squadron. Just like during the first battle, someone in communications was keeping them posted on the progress of the battle. So far, three enemy ships were out of it and the fighters were only halfway along the rear of the enemy formation. Reports were still coming in fast.
Everette felt a shudder in the ship, but the power remained on and the ship was still under control. As well, communications was still giving the score to keep everyone on board posted. Everette moved from gun station to gun station to check on his people and let them know that he cared and wasn't hiding somewhere or in a lounge drinking coffee. When he chanced to see a gun crew score a hit, he commented richly on it to the gunners, unsure if they even heard him in the excitement or not. Still, he did his best to encourage them to do their best.
Everette reached a hatch where a red light was on. Beyond was a part of the ship that had taken a hit. He now knew where his ship had been struck. He had to make his way along the edge of the damaged area until he reached his other gunners. Everette determined that the hit had come in between gun stations.
"Ensign Dixon reporting damage to compartment A-four-one."
"Acknowledged, Ensign Dixon."
He was glad that he hadn't lost any of his personnel or guns. They were all good men and women and he knew it. Most of them had asked him before what he thought of Admiral Oden and whether he had met the man. Everette had replied with pride that he had personally chatted with the admiral on no less than four occasions and even been given fishing tips by him. He even let them in on the place that the admiral had suggested he take his fiancee where Everette and she discovered that they had to undress in order to fish. The men and women had gotten a kick out of that. They seemed to like him even more when he admitted that he and his fiancee went ahead and undressed to go fishing. The men and women then seemed to open up even more to him and they were all getting along well. Somehow, none of them ever asked him if he or his fiancee managed to catch any fish. Had they asked, Everette would had shaken his head no.
***
Susan's wing
reached the end of the line formation of Malakin warships. She led them into a tight loop that reversed their course to rake the Malakin engines once more. Already, six enemy warships were destroyed or out of action. Quickly, the massive engines of a Malakin warship filled her sights again. She pressed the trigger, watching her shots smash into the engines, tearing them apart. Her pilot was flying by the seat of his pants as he maneuvered the Attack Butterfly into position so that Susan could aim and fire on another Malakin warship. As they worked their way back towards point Mary, Susan spotted one of their fighters drifting dead. The results hadn't been without cost, she noted. It was only a glance that she caught. There was no way for her to figure out whose wing the fighter belonged to. She only knew that it wasn't from hers.
Her ship suddenly experienced a smacking vibration near the underside of the nose. She sensed the protective internal shields snapping into place around her and the other crew members of the Attack Butterfly. Her gun failed to respond. She looked through the clear shields at her crew only to discover that they were all dead. Susan's hands danced on the panels in front of her as she fought to take control of the fighter and get back into action. There was no response. She was heading away from the battle and unable to do anything about it. She tried her communications and only hoped that she could still transmit. She called out, "This is Attack Butterfly. Ship damaged and out of control. Next fighter in wing four lineup is now in command." Then she resumed working at the panels in front of her as she tried desperately to regain control of the fighter and return to the carrier for repairs.
Attack Butterfly (Rust Bucket Universe) Page 6
