Hell's army officers

by Andrew Komarowski

  ... Cyclops attacked the system Arlina... — he waited until link Semenov will sit on the landing tables and will be connected to elevators of artsclub, said Victor. And in an hour burned a quarter of the Seventh fleet...

  — When attacked? asked Schwartz.

  — Forty minutes later than Lagos... — In the voice of Vika felt so tired, Ira's heart ached.

  — How many sides? — joined the conversation Hasek, Ford and Schwartz.

  — One hundred and seven... five Keys...

  — Forty minutes? Why announced so late? asked Orlov.

  — This winder was the seventh. The system is blocked. To leave do not give anyone...

  — It is clear. What do we do? — busily asked Ford.

  — What about Helen? — with a question answered Vic.

  — I'm fine... — barked Williams. — Tantrums and never will be. I stepped. Vic! Just giving me a "cocktail" is extremely unpleasant recoil, and I try not to take it. That broke...

  — Are you crazy? — angry wolves. — Do you know what they need?! By the way, why I have shows that your BK-ashka right?

  — I've slightly adjusted the control program. Long time... — admitted Ellen. — Didn't think possible for such a breakdown. Vic! I... stupid! Ricky was killed because of me...

  — Then. About him THEN! interrupted her, Victor. So, seventy of the ships here. We have. One hundred and seven — Arlina-four. Don't you think it strange?

  — What? — asked Ira.

  — If you believe Intel, in the system of Shannara was more than two hundred and fifty boards. Where are the others?

  — Do you think Quinti? — Orlova went cold.

  — Yeah... it would be Foolish to climb on Arlene, not finishing off the half-destroyed Twelfth fleet. Don't you think?

  — Well... — said Semenov. — But if you're wrong, the link, which will jump to Kweli will lose almost two days to then get to Arlina... And the three cars there will be VERY hard...

  — Can throw off the calculations Zabrodina, I with it have consulted. So, the probability that the Cyclops are Quidly is, is eighty-three percent... — grimly said Victor. — Well, what do we do?

  — Tell someone where to jump, Vic! sigh Semenov. — You still have already decided everything. By the way, recharging and refueling is over...

  — Igor! You are to remain here. Do not go on the rampage. And take care guys...

  — What about me? — anxiously asked Helmut. — I usually Semenov...

  Remains a staff of three. Igor, you and wolf. Link Williams jumps to his Kweli. If it's clear, goes to Arlene. I'm with Ira and Marc — just go. By the way, Ellen, flying without the "cocktail" ban...

  — I understand it, Vic! I had Ricky. True...

  The fact that two of the three managers leave the Sixth fleet realized at once: the first third of the boost trajectory Vik paved past the cruiser Cyclops, and the first minute after the explosion in the General channel was something unholy. Manager Tower shouted so that my voice, and some of captains laughed hysterically. After mark put "Piranha" in the lonely fighter, the cries became even louder. However, the cost of "Merlin" to get up on the accelerating rate as in the air reigned a dead silence.

  I'm the Leader of the six! — drowning out the alarmed cries of feeling defenseless people, growled the Iron Joe. Cyclops attacked the system of Arlina. Two units of Demons coming for help...?

  — And we? — a frightened woman's voice rang in the air, sounded so plaintive that Orlova was not myself.

  — Yes, they get left? — overly cheerful voice tried to calm her down Semenov. — Less than thirty cars! Manage...

  And don't you leave? Manager Tower civilian spaceport to calm down was not going to.

  — No. I promise you... — promised Igor, and at this point, "Merlin" Irene went into the transition.

  He waited until the mild nausea that usually accompanies the transition, and he rose from the pilot's seat, Irina slightly stretched the stiff from sitting too long limbs, then forced myself to eat and realizing that their own do not sleep, have taken advantage of the BK-ashka...

  ...A glance at the tactical screen, Irina nearly howled in anger — for the day have passed since the invasion of the Seventh fleet remained little more than forty ships. Mainly cruisers and destroyers. Apparently, instead of working from the defense, the ships of the Confederation tried to fight books. That is built the attacking orders and heroically counterattacked the ships of the Cyclops, vymenivali them beyond the reach of weapons systems orbital fortresses. And also died heroically, turning the space into a new asteroid field.

  At the moment when her "Merlin" had emerged from Hyper, machine VKS just choked in another counter-attack and tried to retreat. Without much success with flicking tails of the combat of the two fighters Cyclops.

  Sensing that Vic took control of the engines of her car, Ira habitually connected to the management of shield generators and, having tested all three, entered the General channel:

  — I'm ready...

  — Ready... — immediately said mark.

  — Then go...

  The first RAID on the rear of the attacking order of the Cyclopes proved to be no worse than its counterpart in the system of Lagos — the relaxed feeling of impunity commanders of cruisers responded to the emergence of three new ships of the Confederation with a fairly long delay. The first three deuces Cyclops, withdrawn from the battle with the Seventh fleet, reached the orders of their heavy machinery only when the link of the Demons, dodging attacks two nearby destroyers, finished off the third cruiser. Of the four that were in the system.

  I see you decided not to waste time on trifles? — posting astern of "Merlin" Volkova surround a minefield, smiled Gomez. — Of course, well on those fighters! Will throw something heavier...

  — A second chance to attack the cruisers, I'm afraid we will not be... — seriously replied Victor. Now they realized it and gave us that will not find it...

  — Unknown ships! I am the Key to two! Identify yourself!!! — after hearing a panicky scream Manager orbital fortress, Ira smiled wryly:

  — Vic! Make some noise! They'll punish you...

  Key-two! I am the Demon five! Profit... started the wolves, and... switched to a common channel mileslas: — Well, what am I supposed to say? "Came to the rescue"? "Be under your command"?

  Let them speak for themselves... — muttered Gomez and reacting to the appearance before the car Irene stern fighter Cyclops drove him into nozzles "Piranha." — And we will work...

  The demon five! I am the Leader of the seven! — cutting off the voice of the Manager, howled the commander of the seventh fleet. — Why only three ships? Where are the others?

  — A part of Lagos, the link — Kweli... — oklemavshis after a maneuver at the limit of their capabilities, heavily exhaled Vic.

  What?!! I required all ten sides!!! — choking on saliva, yelled the commander. — Who gave that order?

  — I gave the order, the senior Lieutenant Volkov. The unit commander Demon. On the basis of the operational-tactical situation in the above... — take the machine very close to the nearest orbital fortress, very well said Victor.

  What? I order...

  — Help file with RECOMMENDED building the remaining part of your fleet, Colonel! — suddenly mad wolves. — Enough for nothing to ruin your people! But yelling at me is not necessary — better make sure that my car provided fuel and ammunition on demand!

  In line... — hissed the commander.

  — Yes? Then I shot all of my ammunition and we sit on the planet. As long as the queue does not remain ONLY MY SHIPS.

  — I'll court martial you, Lieutenant!!!

  — Better build machine as described in the resulting file. And we will work according to his plan...

  ...The next two days Irina remembered the bad: the body, tormented prohibitive overloads, constant exposure to the "cocktail" and disable sleep turned into an appendage of the generators of force fields. Sometimes, in those rare mom
ents when around machines of its management was not enemy ships, no torpedoes, no warhead, Orlov caught myself thinking that actually stopped to think. And feels the surrounding space through Victor. Moreover, disappeared the fear of making a fatal mistake, not leaving it all the time the battle of Lagos. And he was replaced by icy calm.

  However, part of her consciousness, not involved in the work with shields, automatically trying to assess what is happening with the "Merlin" her Vic, And, interestingly, from the perspective of "beautiful-ugly". Openwork pattern of seemingly chaotic movements of the "Krechetov" relative to each other and the attacked ship sometimes froze "points" — moments when all three machines have formed a building required to create the resonance of the interference field in the selected Volkov area of space. And every time before the mind's eye was woven in the space of the painting, the girl was breathtaking. From the realization of the harmony of the creation of the Master...

  — If our machines lasted contrails, their intertwining would be insanely beautiful... — she whispered in the common channel of mileslas during recharging...

  — What about "nice" — I do not know wearily said Gomez. — I can barely focus. See Board or nozzles — shoot something that gets. And rejoice if you manage to get...

  — Even so? — anxiously asked Victor and receiving an affirmative answer, switched on the personal channel Orlova: — how are you, baby?

  — While holding on, my love... — he smiled, and Irina suddenly felt in her tears.

  — What's wrong with your voice?

  — Cry... — she sobbed. — Nothing special. Seems to be just a "cocktail" hitch stopped. Tired...

  Right... well, the wolves paused and suddenly snapped into a common channel: — Tower! I Demo-five! Give the boarding corridor. My people need to rest...

  Demon-page! I am the Leader of the seven! Landing forbidden!! I was left with only eleven ships!!! — hearing the hysterical cry of the commander of the Seventh fleet, Irina felt that he flies into a rage: this is a great strategist, having tested at the Lagos working schemes of defensive builds that had the audacity to ignore them. And all two days of the battle lost one Board to another...

  — Fuck you... — without waiting for a response Manager. Victor raised "Merlin" with the boarding Desk and threw them to the atmosphere...

  — Vic, son! How are you guys? — The voice of the Iron Joe rang in the helmet, forced Irina to frantically look at his tactical screen and saw a scattering of new labels around the orbit Arlina or two, incredulous smile: where in the system could take the ships from the Sixth fleet?

  Wow! I see you here time was not wasted...

  — What about my boys, Colonel? — Meanwhile, all three "Merlin", in obedience to the command of Volkov, ceased to decline. And his sharp turn, rushed toward moving to Arline ships.

  — They're all right, Vic. Any minute now. Just went to disperse the last... Get on the planet, they will bring...

  — What's going on in Kweli?

  — I don't know... let's Deal with Cyclops here and find out...

  — What about Lagos? finally believing that the voice of the Colonel, she did not dream, asked timidly Orlov.

  — Got out... took only eight cars... and here is the link Semenova! Everything calmed down? So I can go to sleep...

  ...The impact of plastobeton was so hard that Irina fearfully opened his eyes: "Merlin", balancing on the landing legs, shook from side to side as if it were planted not the best pilot in the unit, and snotty freshman, for the first time trapped in the cockpit of a fighter. Scanned the readings, the girl bewildered unlock the locks of the chair, barely forced myself to get up and, horrified flashed in mind, stormed out of the cabin.

  To get to the "Gyrfalcon" Volkov took her about twenty seconds. And the same amount that would unlock the hatch, wait until equalize internal and external pressure, and be inside the ship. Squeezing between the pilot's chairs, Ira, turning cold, we tried to look into the darkened visor of the suit tightly, but saw nothing.

  — What about him? — asked fearfully emerged at the back of the chair Volkova Gomez.

  Orlov silently fell into the copilot's seat, joined iskino "Merlin" and scanned the sensors life support systems, sighed with relief:

  Nothing. Just sleeping...

  The first days after emergence in the laboratory Cyclops hardly worked. Instead of go about their business, the entire staff, including security personnel, did not come off from the screens holovision. However, it is unlikely on the planet there would be at least one person of conscious age, who would be busy doing something else. Despite the presence in the system of two fleet HQs, each of the inhabitants of Quinti understand that their death was only a matter of time...

  Looking at a scattering of points, indicating the position of the fleet Cyclops, Ben frantically tried to figure out how to evacuate from the system the scientists, finished products, equipment and database. And cursed last words of the one who came up to build a Laboratory on the Outskirts.

  "It was idiocy! he repeated almost every minute. And threw it a thankless task only after the death of five high-speed binderow, trying to get away from the system under the guise of several ships of the combined fleet HQs.

  — We're not leaving, boss... — getting out of the cockpit fearfully murmured the pilot of the ship. — "Ninu" burn in the first minutes of the dispersal! She's at half the speed of the winder! Believe me — it's suicide!

  — Can I stay here? — clutching his head, asked Groner. Did you see how many ships?

  — Did you see boss! But here at least there is some hope up there... — he pointed at the hanging over the Laboratory building clouds. I know for sure...

  — OK, loading is not to force, but the ship should be ready to take off at any moment... sighed Ben in the hearts of spitting on plastobeton, walked rapidly into his office...

  Cyclops squadron, consisting of eighty-one ship, in a hurry: hanging in front of the Key-one, she concentrated fire on its protective fields, and after fourteen hours after his ascent finished off the orbital fortress was not rebuilt after the last invasion. Ships VKS did what I could: throw in the suicide attack, tried to close the fortress with its buildings, groups tried to counter-attack among them flying the enemy fighters and even went to the RAM. However they managed to destroy all six fighters. Over the three days. That is not much impact on the morale of the Cyclops: at this point, they blew up a Key three and almost finished off a Key or two.

  ...Appearance in the system of three "Krechetov" said managers of the Tower and three are still intact fortresses. Apparently, automatically reacting to the sensor signals early detection. However, after ten minutes after seeing pictures of the death of the first Demons on the path of the destroyer Cyclops, the entire population of the planet in unison and ran out into the streets. And from that moment all the advertising holo screens Kweli showed only pictures of fighting this crazy trio.

  Each successful hit was met with such cries of joy that already five hours after the appearance of Demons on the planet, not a single person is able to speak normally. However, broken throat nobody bothered — improved spirit of the civilian population did not leave the streets even in the night side of the planet, And plowshare, sang, danced and hugged with strangers, but become native citizens. The laboratory team responded to the victory of the Demons is exactly the same as everyone else. Just being in their offices However, knock each subsequent they became harder and harder. First, cost fearless trio to leave the landing tables of the orbital fortresses, and how they began hunting. Regardless of losses, the Cyclops tried at all costs to get at least one car. Second, the space between the combined fleets and a squadron of the enemy began to resemble the asteroid belt, and Ben could hardly understand how pilots manage to not crash into the insane amount of debris dotting this sector of space. Third, attack the Demons themselves became less dangerous, apparently, was tired, and all three modificare thought it best not to risk it. However, by this time the ships of the fleet HQs is
more or less comfortable with the new tactics and started to burn the Cyclops. Though not as fast as this trio, but their assistance was useful...

  The moment when a squad of Demons has lost a single ship, Ben missed dinner, trying to figure out how to use vs Kharitonov the information requested for phase II of the Project candidates operating officers of divisions of the Werewolves. And heard the frightened cry of the commentator news portal, almost scalded myself with tea. Throwing away the Cup, Groner, swearing, poked with wet fingers in the sensors of the remote control holovision and zoom in, rewind it back:

  — ...the ship has lost one engine! See what makes it comrade! This is incredible!!! ...Hurray!!! Look, he took the pilot and now goes to afterburner!!! And not bothering him!!!

  The moment the crazy jump of the pilot of the downed "Falcon" flying towards to it the car in the image was not visible. But the little flare nozzle jet pack blue stripe rendering, painted with iskinom Studio, and it generates the same image looked prohibitively scary. Especially for someone who knew the tempo was moving both of their ship.

  "I wonder how the overload impeded his partner? — flashed in my head. — No, definitely, those who taught them — genius. We also need such..."

  ...The next three hours after the loss of one of the ships, the Demons did not fly. At all. During this time, the news channel of "El tri" has received more than twenty million interactive questions from the terrified inaction of their audience. Despite the presence of Galante hundreds of commercials, which could be considered tacky, "Merlin", still stood on the landing table of Key-four, the population of Kweli demanded information on the fate of the pilot of the downed ship. Rumors about his death and the severe injury of two other Demons multiplied with such speed that even had an impact on the morale of the combined fleet HQs: ships of the line went into a defensive stance, and fighters and mine layers, before scurrying between them, moved to the orbital fortresses. And the command of the combined fleet staged a mini-press conference.