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matt…decks and the ground crews locked them tight in their cockpits。
“Check back；” Jagdea voxed。
“Two； here。 Four…A。”
“This is Eight。 Ready for go。” Marquall felt his heart rate climbing。 He reached out and stroked
the edge of the main instrument panel。 “This time； you hear me； Nine…Nine？” he whispered。 This
time； no games。 No jinx。 Just Vander Marquall and Double Eagle！
The last cues were chopping out from Operations over the vox。 The nets began to crank back。
Buzzer。 Five seconds。 The last of the fitter crew ran to the cover of the blast fences。 Marquall sat
his thumb on the “rocket fire” stud。
“You are go； Umbra Flight；” the vox announced。 Marquall squeezed the stud and gravity
slammed him back into his seat。
Over the forests； 19。30
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They climbed into the dusk； their burners the brightest things in the air。 The sky was violet； streaked
with three…tenths clouds ten kilometres to the west。 Below； the forest sprawled； almost black。
“Make your height nine thousand； cruising；” Jagdea called。 “Track is four…four…two。”
“Understood； Lead；” said Blansher。
“Received；” Marquall answered。 For the first thirty seconds of the flight； he’d been watching the
board； waiting for a malfunction light to flash on。 Nothing。 Even the engines sounded sweet。
In the east； against the darkest part of the sky； stars had begun to rise。 Visibility was so good that
Marquall could make out distant flashes against the undercast in the far north…west； hundreds of
kilometres away； a display like sheet lightning that he knew was pattern bombing。
They flew south for fifteen minutes； then tracked gently west。 After another slow twenty
minutes； Marquall heard Blansher’s call。
“Contact。 Strong； inbound； twenty kilometres。”
He sent the signal to the other Bolts； and their auspex systems tracked the lock。
“They’re under us； four thousand。 Two groups；” Jagdea’s voice said。 “Stay at this height； turn
onto them。 Operations； are you seeing this？”
“Copy； Umbra Lead； but with no more detail than you’ve got。”
“Closing。 Weapons live。 Flight； stay tight。”
Another pause。 Just the mighty throb of the engines and the hiss of the air…mix。
Marquall stared down into the darkness of the forest twilight。 The contacts should have been
coming into visual； but it was all too black。 Wisps of night cloud were forming at five thousand like
banners of smoke。
“I have transponder tracks；” Blansher called。 “Clean signals。 It’s Waldon； and at least one of the
Lightnings。”
“Umbra Nine； Umbra Nine； this is Umbra Leader high…side and inbound。 Do you copy？”
A squeal of static disrupted the channel； then they heard Waldon’s voice。 Even with the
distortion； there was a note of fear in it。 Fear； or pain。
“Umbra Leader； Umbra Leader； this is Nine。 Say again。”
“Coming in on you； Nine。 What is your situation？”
“Assistance； assistance！” another voice cut in； blotting Waldon out。
“Identify； user；” Jagdea called。
“This is Spyglass Four； Umbra。 Requesting immediate assistance。”
One of the Lightnings。 The pilot sounded petrified。
“Situation please；” Jagdea called again。
Both the Lightning pilot and Waldon attempted to answer at the same time； and the result was a
mangle of signals。
Marquall was still peering down。 He saw a glint； a faint trace of thruster flame。 Then； against the
blackness； several tiny little streaks of light； there and gone。
“Lead； this is Eight。 Their situation is they’re under attack。 I see weapons fire； repeat； I see
weapons fire。”
“Stoop and sting！” Jagdea called。
The three Thunderbolts banked over and went into a power dive。 As they closed； the jumbled；
merging auspex returns resolved。 There were four machines below them。 Waldon； flying close cover
behind a Lightning； and two unidentifieds running after them。 Waldon was sweeping his machine
from side to side。
They came in。 The sky lit up with gunfire traces。 Marquall saw the Lightning。 It had been shot
up； and was trailing long streamers of hot smoke that had blurred the auspex track。 Waldon was at
its six。
About seven hundred and fifty metres behind them； two Locusts were closing in； weapons
pumping。
112
Waldon’s bird took several hits。 Metal spalled off it in a spray that caught the last of the
daylight。 Marquall couldn’t believe what he was seeing。 Waldon was actually trying to use his
better…armoured machine to shield the struggling recon plane。 He had never seen anything so
selfless and—
Espere。 Espere had done the same for Marquall。
“Waldon？” Jagdea yelled。
“Ammo gone； Lead。 Losing hydraulic pressure。”
Ammo gone。 They must’ve been in a hell of a fight。
Blansher and Jagdea had the lead； and screamed down into the path of the bats； which both
broke immediately。 Blansher viffed out on a good guess and began to climb after one of the soaring
Locusts。
Unusually； Jagdea misjudged； and the other bat went under her。 It was tight； but Marquall
managed to pull a break…turn and spill into its roll。 He fired。 The forks of las…shot were incredibly
bright in the low light。
The Locust evaded and turned high。 Marquall followed it。 He was concentrating hard； but not so
hard he missed the call from Jagdea。
“More contacts； closing； ultra…fast。”
Marquall tried to look everywhere at once。 Where were the new ones？ What angle？
The Locust tried to throw him with a chandelle； but Marquall nursed over on vector thrust。 He
stood Nine…Nine on its end； let the tail slip out； and turned a tumble into a swing…over。
The Locust was going for Waldon and the Lightning again。
A bright flash lit the sky and； for a second； his instrumentation sobbed with electromagnetic
interference。
“Bat down；” Blansher called。 He’d blown the other one out of the sky。
“Eight？” Jagdea called。
“I’m on it！” Marquall executed a barrel…roll and swept down after the Locust； which； against the
dark shroud of the forest； he could see only on the auspex and by the light of its engines。 He pulled
in； chasing hard； saw its engine flare slide through his gunsight； corrected； and got a lock tone。
He fired。 He hit something； because there was suddenly shrapnel in the air。 Where was it？
“It’s going high！ It’s going high！” he heard Waldon yell。
Marquall looked up； and saw the Locust powering up into the violet sky on a vertical track；
suddenly visible as a sharp silhouette against the pale light。
It was trailing smoke。 He’d hit it； at least； and driven it off。
The vox crackled。 “Umbra Lead； Umbra Lead； is that you？”
“Copy that。 Larice？”
“Affirmative。 We are inbound to your position； converging。 Be advised： bats； bats； bats。”
Marquall heard Jagdea curse。 He pulled up and round； and saw the sky above and to their south
full of specks and sparkles of light。
Larice and Zemmic； running for home； with ten…plus machines on their heels。
“Eight and Two； with me！” Jagdea called。 “Four； we are crossing to intercept。 Can you
commit？”
“Negative； Lead。 Zemmic and I are nil ammo； repeat nil ammo。”
“Understood。 Burn for home。 We’ll deal。”
Marquall saw two hot lights flare up to his port side as Blansher and Jagdea hit the burners and
blasted towards the incoming formation。 He opened his own throttle and soared in after them。
Zemmic and Asche； cooking at full； streaked past under him； rocking Nine…Nine with their jet wash。
The three Thunderbolts scorched into the leading edge of the Locust pack。 The air went wild
with dazzling streamers of crossfire。 As the bats fired； it seemed like a whole constellation of
flashing stars had come out。
113
Marquall felt the shudder of near…misses； and then a flat slap as something kissed across his port
wing。 He squeezed the gun…stud； then rolled hard； getting into grip position instinctively as he pulled
four and a half negative。
There was a vast fire…splash to starboard； and Marquall was dazed long enough for him to almost
collide with a Locust coming fast the other way。 From the whoop on the vox； Blansher had
evidently scored again。
The bats had broken high。 Marquall gunned Nine…Nine and began a climbing turn。 His auspex
display was just a mass of confused green blobs。 He couldn’t make anything out。
Something went by him； turning higher and wider than him。 He reckoned it was Jagdea。 A
Locust streaked down past him； guns clattering。
He rolled around and spotted Blansher powering low over the forest； chasing two bats with
another pair mobbing at his heels。 Marquall put his nose down and streaked after the pursuers。
“Eight！ Break； break； break！” That was Jagdea。
Marquall had already heard the whining of the lock alarm。 He punched over left； then rolled
back right； and fluttered his speed brakes。 The tone ceased。 Something went over him； turning。
More throttle again； climbing now。 The bats Blansher had been chasing had split； and he was
alone with Locusts firing at his tail； stuck tight。
“Break； Two！” Marquall yelled。 “Break！”
“They’re too tight！ Riding me！”
Nose up； Blansher’s machine shuddered and yawed as las…shots chewed into its tail fin。
In desperation； Blansher executed a vector brake； but up rather than down； so that the two bats
whipped under him。 By then； Marquall was tight on them； and he went under Blansher too。 Blansher
had braked too hard； and was now trying to recover airspeed before he stalled。
One bat disappeared； pulling out so suddenly； Marquall couldn’t tell if it had gone high or low。
He came in on the other； emptying his batteries； and then toggling to quad…cannon for a second
lengthy burst。
The Locust suddenly spluttered out a gout of flame； which flared rapidly into a wide； spiralling
fireball and ignited propellant。 The bat’s doom was so savage that Marquall had to break off to
avoid the blast。
He had made his second kill。
Jagdea banked over； lined up and ripped a Locust out of the air as it attempted to swing under
her。 It went over； shaking like an autumn leaf； and caught fire。
Another two streaked past her； but Blansher was on them； firing like a maniac。 One blew out；
becoming a cloud of sparks that sailed on； slowed； and then began to fall。 The other broke south。
Something lined up on Jagdea’s bird so fast that the lock tone surprised her。 She took three hits
that kicked the tail of her Thunderbolt high and caused a mass of alarm runes to light her display。
She fought the stick； stiff with diving speed； and kicked the rudder out to port； piling on the G。
She grunted with effort； bringing the nose round。
And there was a banking Locust； moving a touch too lazily； like a gift from the God…Emperor
himself。
She was set on quad already。 She fired； a sustained burst； enjoying the way the shudder impaired
Zero…Two’s stable flight。
Mortally wounded； the Locust dipped its nose and began to dive。 A long； steady curve of firetrail
marked its passage from air to ground。 There was a vivid flash amongst the trees below。
“They’re breaking！” Blansher voxed。
She banked wide； checking her auspex。 “Confirm that； Two。”
The remaining bats were fleeing south in a loose line。
“Pursuit？” asked Marquall。
The boy’s blood was evidently up。
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“Negative； Eight。 Turn for home。”
They cruised back through what was now night； each pilot isolated in the darkness。 Nine
kilometres from Gocel FSB； a large area of forest was ablaze。
In the darkness； the nets were back and the lumin barrettes were lit。 Umbra One； Two and Eight
followed the shine down and settled perfectly on their mats。
Lake Gocel FSB； 21。02
Racklae hauled Marquall out of his machine。 The fitters were running in for after flight。 Vapour
fumed the pad。 Already； the shimmer netting was closing； the barrettes had been killed； and stealth
lighting resumed over the base。
Marquall pulled off his helmet。 The night air smelled good。 Insects were screaming in the
thickets and under the dark trees。
“Okay； pilot？” Racklae asked。
“About time I started a tally；” Marquall said。 Racklae grinned。 It wasn’t done for a pilot to stripe
up a single kill。 But once it was more than one…
“How many should I put； sir？” Racklae asked。
“Keep it modest。 I got another one； Racks。”
“Number two！” Racklae yelled； and the ground crew began jumping around and cheering。
Several ran up to shake Marquall by the hand。
“There was a fire in the forest；” Marquall said； t