Chapter 36: Strange Dance
Ahead, highlighted by his tactical display, flew twenty-four enemy Z-44C Hornets, all more heavily armed than their own Z-40s. The Z-44Cs had heavier cannons and a larger complement of ship-to-ship missiles. Yet, they did not have a hummingbird boom like their own Z-40s. This would be their only advantage.
Reece felt no fear. He did not even feel tense. After the recent deaths of his pilots—Tash and then Eddie—his life did not matter anymore. He felt destructive, like he could kill everything in sight. Although he knew that ultimately the UEP did not kill Eddie, they did kill Tash, and both their actions and inaction indirectly aided Daniel Chin.
“Okay, boys,” he said over the conference. “I think we have a score to settle with these wankers.”
“Ya got that right!” Taffy responded. “Let’s do this for Tash and Eddie.”
“No,” Reece said. “Not for Eddie. This one is for Tash. The next one, once we get out of this and find that A.I., that one is going to be for Eddie.”
They all ballyhooed at that one.
“Slow approach,” he ordered. “Remember the captain has something planned for them.”
“This sure is going to be one major Charlie Foxtrot,” Cronin said.
“Got that right,” Taffy said. “Would have liked to have gotten my palette wet one last time before this cluster fuck.”
“Pickings are rather slim,” Cronin said. “Nothing female on that boat… unless you count that pain-in-the-ass queen.”
“Ahhhh,” Taffy said. “But I bet that queen packs one wild ride in the bunk. Maybe I’ll try to find out when I get back.”
“Cut the chatter!” Reece said. “And stay away from Laina. She’s off limits. Got it?”
“All right, mate, easy. Was just joking,” Taffy said.
“There be a problem here, mates,” Mac interrupted. “A grave one.”
“What is it, Mac?” Reece asked.
“Not, Mac—Stogie! And that’s the problem. If this’ll be the last time we do this, I want to make sure we die with call signs, so I’m naming all of ya. Reece, you’re Scruffy from now on, because you never shave and it’s an abysmal mess. Sorry to be the one tellin’ ya that.”
“Scruffy?” Reece said. “I’m not a fucking dog!”
“You been drinking again, Stogie?” Taffy said.
“Depends on what ya define as drinkin’, Deadeye. Oh, that’s you: Deadeye, as you are the best marksman in the group. Cronin… Ehhh, I’m going with Bugeyes on this one. You’re always on th’ damn terminals.”
“Bugeyes?” Cronin shouted.
“And if’n you don’t use the call signs I just gave ya, I’m going to eject out of my fighter right now. Got it, mates?”
As Mac finished speaking, Reece saw specks of light shooting from the Sea Wolf toward the formation of enemy fighters. The barrage of munitions splattered the space ahead of them, sending a wave of blasts across their paths.
A pair of explosions followed, taking two of the hostiles out. The remaining fighters began to scatter out of their delta formations and make evasive maneuvers to avoid further hits. The action slowed their approach and they broke off their vectors.
“Fine,” Reece said. “Stick with the call signs. Two bandits down. Prepare to engage.”
He scanned the way ahead; the tactical showed they would now be within weapons range in less than two minutes. The barrage of fire suddenly stopped, and the enemy squadrons realigned their trajectories toward Wolf Squadron.
“Reece,” Garval’s voice came on the conference, “we are now engaging the battlecruiser. Get ready.”
Reece acknowledged him, then adjusted his onboard imaging to get a look. The Sea Wolf charged toward the enemy battlecruiser, its trajectory appeared to be somewhere beyond its dorsal hull. As it approached, a barrage of fire erupted from the enemy, pummeling the Sea Wolf.
Reece winced.
She was taking a lot of damage, a ship that was already marred from countless battles and never fully recovered from the last one. Reece had heard that Julius always managed to pull through with some brilliant plan or just plain luck—but this looked bad. He and the pilots would have to really help out on this one.
An unexpectedly brilliant explosion erupted from the aft of the battlecruiser, just as the Sea Wolf strafed past it. It happened too quickly for Reece to see how Julius did it, but it was a significant blow.
He glanced at the tactical. A large group of the Z-44Cs broke off from their intercept of Wolf Squadron, and went on new vectors—toward the Sea Wolf, as hoped. This left only ten of them to tackle. They obviously underestimated Wolf Squadron.
“Maintain acceleration, weapons free and clear to engage. Good luck, boys. Let’s make it count.”