by Ricky Sides
Next, the peacekeepers had to decide how to respond to the threat of the armada of invaders. They could permit them to land and begin to disassemble their deck guns for transportation reasons. This would make them much more vulnerable to attack from the air, and certainly, it would make defeating them a simpler prospect in some ways. However, it would also subject the population of the area in which they landed to an incredible amount of danger. There was also the possibility that the cartel would unleash the plague if they landed and found a healthy population.
Maggie advised the council that the threat of that plague being unleashed again in the United States was reason enough to attack the invaders at sea.
The council was also aware that permitting the armada to make landfall in America before battling them would leave them vulnerable to a scenario in which the invaders could take Americans captive to use as human shields and hostages. The council found those scenarios unacceptable.
They did know that the armada planned to enter from the Gulf of Mexico. The question remained just where they planned to come ashore. There were numerous options. It was also possible that they might actually split their fleet to arrive in multiple locations simultaneously. That was the worst-case scenario for the peacekeepers.
They established plans to have their fighting forces assemble in Key West, at the International Airport located there. Peacekeeper flight leader Jeff Brown had reported that the island was deserted in the wake of the disasters. At least there was no sign of a large population of people remaining on the island. It was possible that some few inhabitants remained. They also made tentative plans to utilize Fort Jefferson, in the Dry Tortugas, if it became strategically advisable to do so. The peacekeepers would fly patrols from Key West south to within twenty miles of the Cuban border. The primary duties of the fighters prior to the opening shots of the war would be in providing the notice that the armada was approaching.
They were planning to commit one hundred fighters to the sea battle but something would have to be done about the deck guns before those fighters could be effectively employed.
The one drawback to their laser cannon system was that it was a relatively close range system. They had to be within one thousand yards of the target for the red pulse that rode down the laser to be effective. Otherwise, it would lose the power it needed to punch through heavy armor plating. That was about half the range capability of the fifty caliber deck guns, so in this department the enemy had a distinct advantage over the peacekeeper fighters. The blue laser beam itself would inflict the normal damage at a much greater distance, but it was the red pulses, which added the real explosive punch. Past the one thousand yard mark, those pulses lost their cohesion and began to dissipate. It was a problem which Malcolm Tidwell, the original developer, had not lived to correct.
The Constitution would be the main battle platform in the coming conflict. She would soften up the targets before the main fighter force moved in for the attack. The ten drones of the battleship would go in first, as they were unmanned. The drones of the Peacekeeper would also be committed to that task, as would the twelve drones of the patrol ships committed to the engagement.
The Peacekeeper would be separated from the battleship module during the battle. The battleship module could take the fifty-caliber retaliation of the armada but the Peacekeeper couldn’t. The front fifteen feet of the Peacekeeper protruded from the superstructure of the battleship module, with only the bottom of the ship resting on its surface. This would leave that portion of the Peacekeeper vulnerable to the fifty-caliber firepower of the Armada.
The gist of the plan was for the drones, the battleship Constitution, and the battleship module to take out as many deck guns as possible, and then the Peacekeeper, the six patrol class ships, and the fighters could join the battle. The council was under no illusions that they would be able to win this war without losses to their side, but with careful planning, it was their hope to limit the casualties to the drones. However, the odds against this being possible were staggering. Still they would be fielding an impressive array of twenty-four drones to a battle in the middle of the Gulf.
When the council opened the table for suggestions, Namid spoke up immediately. She said, “I’ve been thinking the matter over for months, and it seems to me that what we need is some first hand information on the composition of the enemy fleet.”
“We plan to send a pair of drones for that very reason, Lieutenant,” Pete replied to her comment.
“That’s what I thought you’d say, sir, but with all due respect, I believe that to be a mistake,” Namid said.
“The use of the drones will remove the risk of losing a human pilot my friend,” Pol pointed out reasonably.
Nodding her head the pilot agreed with that assessment but then she said, “Pol, I have the utmost admiration for your drones. They are superb machines. But they are not as good as a pilot for some missions. When it comes to gathering critical intelligence, the pilot has a visual perception advantage. A pilot can see things with their peripheral vision that would be out of the field of vision of the camera of a drone. A pilot can then react to that additional intelligence by altering course or panning the camera. We are also faster, and can climb higher than the drones,” Namid stated indisputably.
“Your points are noted, Namid. We’ll take them into consideration,” Jim said and Namid frowned. Seeing this response, Jim asked, “Was there something else that you wanted to add, Lieutenant?”
“Yes, sir, there is. I would just like to remind you that by risking a single pilot you will gain better intelligence, and that differential may well save a considerable number of lives in the coming battle. In my opinion, sir, the risk is justified, and I volunteer to fly the mission.”
Jeff Brown got to his feet and said, “Not alone you won’t.” Turning to the council the pilot said, “I agree with Namid’s assessment. The drones are wonderful, but she is right about the visual perceptions, altitude and speed factors. There is also the fact that our fighters are better armed should there be a need to attack a target during the mission. I will fly the mission with her as her wingman. She’ll need someone to watch her back, so she can concentrate on gathering intelligence.”
Namid smiled and thanked Jeff, but then she said, “I can handle the mission alone. There is no need to risk a second pilot and fighter.”
“Absolutely not,” Tim spoke up. It was rare for Tim to exercise his authority as a councilmember publicly. He generally preferred to let Jim or Pete make most of the public statements and provide his input more privately. But in this case, he was adamant when he said, “There is no way that you can convince me you can watch your back and do as good a job at gathering the intelligence, Lieutenant. And I know you, Namid. You’d ignore the risks and gather the intelligence with little thought to your own safety until you’d accomplished the mission.” Shaking his head Tim said, “It’s a two pilot run or a drone run and that’s my final word on the matter.”
Namid smiled ruefully, and said, “I stand corrected.”
Jim said, “Sorry, Pol. I know there are times when drones are the better and the safer option. But the points that our two pilots have raised are valid. There is too much at stake not to attempt to get the best intelligence possible. I think we should accept the plan to send two pilots on the mission. Namid and Jeff are two of the best pilots we have, and stand a good chance of pulling this off.”
“I agree, with the condition that two good pilots make the attempt,” Tim stated conditionally.
“You two will take no unnecessary risks on the mission,” Pete stated firmly, committing himself to the plan.
“I think I can upgrade the camera systems on both fighters. We have acquired a few cameras of better quality since the original packages were installed on the original run of fighters,” Pol volunteered.
“Then you aren’t ticked off that I suggested pilots instead of the drones?” Namid asked.
“No my friend. Your points were indeed valid, b
ut if you are going to do this let us make certain that both you and Jeff have the tools needed to perform the task as efficiently as possible,” Pol replied.
“The gear is at Base One?” asked Jim.
“Yes. It is in storage. I can have my assistant gather the units and everything we need. If a fighter can be dispatched to deliver the systems here, my assistant can place them in a travel container made of scrap alloy and attach it to the fighter behind the cockpit. The container can be removed once the items are delivered, and thus restore the aerodynamics of the fighter,” Pol explained.
“How long will it take to install and test the cameras?” Pete asked.
“About two days. I can begin work on removing the old units while the materials are in transit and finish the installation when they arrive. I can have them installed by tonight and they can be tested tomorrow, and tomorrow night. I am assuming that you will be flying the mission under the cover of darkness.”
“Yes,” stated Namid, and Jeff nodded his agreement.
“Make the call to your assistant personally, Pol. I want to avoid a situation in which we only get part of the materials needed in the delivery. That would delay the upgrade,” Jim explained, and then he added, “We need to relocate to the Key West airport by the end of the week to be certain that our forces are in place prior to the launch of the invasion forces.”
***
Jim, Tim, and Pete were standing outside the Peacekeeper staring in the direction of the fighter section of their temporary base at the Key West International airport. Twelve days had elapsed since the last plague vessel had been located and destroyed. Jim stared into the night sky and noted that the cloud cover must still be heavy because he could see no sign of the moon or stars. He knew that the weather would work in their favor but he was concerned about the two pilots who were about to leave for their dangerous reconnaissance mission. For all practical purposes, they would be flying blind and relying almost totally on their instruments. All peacekeeper pilots were trained in instrument flight, but it was discouraged unless it was absolutely necessary. The low ceiling cap restricted the altitude of the fighters and made them more vulnerable to accidents when flying by instruments.
“There they go,” Tim said to Jim’s left. Jim saw the little fighters rising into the air. Taking off vertically, they climbed straight up until they disappeared into the gloomy darkness. Jim checked his watch and the luminous hands proved that the pilots had taken off dead on schedule. It was 10:00P.M. “They’ll go to altitude until they are certain they’ve cleared the island and then they’ll drop down to fly in at two hundred feet at a flight speed of two hundred miles per hour,” Tim said.
“We’d better get inside the ship in case they try to radio us,” Pete said though he knew that it would take the fighters thirty minutes to reach Cuba.
In her cockpit, Namid set the course and soon came down to an altitude of two hundred feet. To her right she could barely make out Jeff’s fighter as he flew beside her fifty feet away. They had meticulously plotted the course and both knew the route quite well. They were flying on a southwesterly heading that would bring them to Cuba at the mouth of Havana bay. They planned to enter the harbor there, and seek out the armada. That was the top priority of this mission, but if they had the opportunity, they were to try to gather intelligence on El Morro.
El Morro was an old fort originally built in 1589 by the Spanish. Sergeant Ramon Marino was reasonably certain that this would be the fortification that would be utilized by the invaders. The cartel planned to leave a garrison to occupy Cuba when the main invasion force moved to invade America. La Cabana was another fortress built behind El Morro when the British defeated the Spanish and captured El Morro in 1762. The Spanish lost that conflict because the British were able to seize the high ground behind El Morro. La Cabana was later built by the Spanish to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster. The council thought it likely that Ramon was right and the garrison would be stationed in either El Morro and or La Cabana.
The flight to Cuba proved to be uneventful. Both pilots checked their instruments constantly to ensure that their flight level was trim and that they remained on course at the appropriate altitude and speed. As they approached the island, they climbed to three hundred feet and slowed to a flight speed of forty miles per hour.
At the mouth of the harbor, they saw a large speedboat patrolling the waters just off the coast. The speedboat was using a powerful spotlight, which the crew used to illuminate the shoreline. Namid speculated that they were seeking people trying to escape Cuba. She was glad that they were concentrating on the shoreline and not the sky overhead. Though she could easily swing wide around them, the thought of her fighter being exposed by a random sweep of that powerful beam of light made her skin crawl.
Namid and Jeff had just entered the harbor when they saw the first ship. The ship appeared to be a fishing vessel of some sort, but the deck contained two machinegun emplacements.
Both Namid and Jeff activated their cameras but only Namid sent the feed to the Peacekeeper. Jeff’s footage was being shot because it was possible that studying his footage would reveal something not noted in Namid’s. However, his primary job was to watch their backs while Namid concentrated on the filming. The footage from his camera would be taken from the fighter when they returned to the Key West Base. It would then be poured over by the council and those selected to assist.
They had worked out in advance that once they approached a vessel they would slow their forward speed, try to remain concealed in the darkness and get the best footage possible. Powerful work lights illuminated the deck of the fishing vessel that they were approaching. If one of the pilots let their fighters cross into that circle of illumination there was a good chance that the bottom of their fighters would become visible to the men onboard the ship. To prevent this from happening, Namid adjusted her course to the east sufficiently that Jeff would also have the space required to avoid that pool of radiance. Neither pilot noted any other weaponry beyond the deck guns in evidence on the first ship.
When they were well clear of the first ship they had encountered Jeff shifted his fighter back on their preplanned course. Namid imitated his move so closely that the untrained observer would have thought that the same pilot controlled both aircraft. Less than half a mile further into the harbor, they came to a very large vessel. Namid thought that it was a medium sized cargo ship. Like the fishing boat they had encountered, this ship also had the deck illuminated. Men worked on the deck of that ship securing crates of cargo. On the deck of the ship, Namid saw three machinegun emplacements, and some sort of harpoon gun mounted in the bow of the ship. Namid wondered if they were pirates who had thrown in with the invaders. Pirates who used the harpoon to attack smaller ships and then reel them in like a whale. She documented that ship as closely as possible and then moved on seeking the next vessel. Aboard the Peacekeeper, the council had reached the same conclusion about the pirates.
The next three ships all seemed to be small to mid sized cargo vessels. Aboard each of these three ships, men were working to make what Namid assumed were last minute preparations for a voyage. The smallest of the three vessels was armed with two heavy machinegun emplacements. One vessel had three deck guns and the third actually had four deck guns. Namid painstakingly filmed everything she even remotely thought the council would need to see.
The heavy overcast worked in their favor and Namid fervently hoped that it would remain overcast for the next few minutes. As they proceeded slowly through the bay, they came to a fork. Namid was surprised to see the lights of ships packed closely on the western side of the bay as she flew above the right hand channel. Inside that section of the bay, she counted twelve ships. She stopped and hovered in place and then she slowly took her fighter to its ceiling cap of four hundred feet to reduce the possibility of any of the busy deck hands spotting her. “You just shoot your footage, Phoenix, I’ve got your back,” Jeff said quietly.
“Will do,” Namid rep
lied and began to document the various ships methodically.
Most of the ships were the small to medium size. Three were fishing vessels and all but one of the others was cargo ships of various sizes. All were armed with two to four heavy machineguns on their decks. However, one of the ships appeared to be an old warship, and that ship was armed with heavy guns. Namid didn’t even try to identify the weapons. She just filmed the ship from stem to stern as she had done with the others, which was carefully and methodically. As she gathered the intelligence, Namid admitted to herself that Jeff’s presence greatly simplified matters.
Namid finished filming the starboard side of the warship and then she moved her fighter past the ship to shoot footage of the port side of the vessel. She thought it odd that the ship was sitting with its stern facing the dock, but she saw men ashore using a small crane to load steel drums near the stern.
Moving further down the channel, Namid documented two more of the medium sized cargo vessels. Men aboard the vessels seemed to be preparing to put to sea, as had been the case with all of the other ships in the bay. The rest of the vessels in that section of the harbor did not seem to be associated with the cartel.
They followed the flight plan and cut across the strip of land separating them from the other two lesser channels to the east. There were a few of the fishing vessels in the small center channel, which seemed to be part of the armada. As the other ships previously documented, these were armed with deck guns.
Once the two fighters had conducted their search of the center channel, they emerged back out into the main channel and made their way into the easternmost of the three channels. What they found in this channel alarmed Namid. “Peacekeeper,” Namid breathed into her microphone.
“We see it, Phoenix,” Pete replied immediately. “Document it please. We’ll be working on your next set of orders on this end,” he instructed in a calm tone of voice. Inside the Peacekeeper, the scene was anything but calm as they viewed the Namid’s footage of the submarine. They could not permit a submarine to leave the bay and attack America. For all they knew the sub could contain some of the disease organism in weapon form, but it didn’t have to be in weapon form to devastate America. They could easily approach the country undetected and send a landing party ashore in any of the hundreds, if indeed not thousands of locations where it was possible to beach a small craft. That landing party need only infect one person to begin the chain reaction. But if they contaminated a water supply or food crop, then millions of Americans could lose their lives. Pete knew one thing with certainty. That sub could not be permitted to leave Havana Bay.