"That's a lot of fighters."
Billy looked up from his system, his eyes wide.
"I know. Half are Mahingan Medium Fighters, and then there are just as many of those smaller Mokku fighters. Right behind them are those Byotai dropships."
Nate nodded at the tagged enemy craft.
"And look behind them."
Billy hadn't even noticed the shapes of the capital ships. The vessels were so large they had begun to form a static backdrop to the battle, rather than a potential danger.
"They are coming this way as well?"
He looked to Nate.
"We can't run up against those ships. You saw the damage the LT took in that fight."
Nate grinned.
"The ships can't win this fight; it will be decided by the soldiers on the station."
"Maybe. But if they get past us, they can land a hundred soldiers or more on that place, and it will all be over."
Nate gave a nervous laugh.
"All too true. We just need to keep them from the station for long enough. How long till the fleet get's here?"
A great volley of light that flashed in front of them immediately interrupted him. For a moment it looked little different to the reflection of light on a piece of chrome, but the flickering of light occurred at the exact same spot along the groups of fighters. Billy looked at his system and began shaking his head. The Lieutenant Commander began to speak.
"Not good. We've got missiles coming this way. Computer is tracking sixty-six warheads."
He looked up and over to Nate.
"That's a lot, and I mean a lot of missiles."
Both of them made preparations for the incoming wave of warheads. There were a number of automated procedures, but with a little tweaking Billy could get two more turrets into position to help put down even more firepower. At the same time, Nate managed the power systems to make up for the constantly decreasing power in engine two. He bled coolant from engine number three and directed into the intakes of the still overheating engine. It was a temporary fix, but at that very moment temporary was all Nate could think about.
"Prioritise the eight assault dropships. Knighthawks, clear us a path to the fighters," said Lieutenant Commander Holder.
"Yeah, like that will be easy."
Nate grinned as he listened to them both.
"The computer classifies the dropships as captured Byotai landing craft. Standard configuration is for between twelve and twenty soldiers on board each of them, but there could be more. They are armoured for assault landing from the front. Hold them back, disable or destroy them. It's the only way to protect the marines."
The squadron network lit up with audio traffic from Ensign Hawkins.
"Understood, Corsair Leader, we're taking the lead."
The young pilot proceeded to send target data to the other four gunships. The networked command and control system was something the Alliance had been using successfully since before the last war. While not perfect, it did allow close integration between combat units. Billy's hands and eyes moved quickly as he assigned weapons systems to his designated targets.
"Impact in seven seconds," said Nate.
His voice was calm, and he didn't even turn his gaze from the forward view. Both of them knew how much was at stake without labouring the point. Ensign Hawkins’ voice returned, along with a live videostream from his cockpit.
"This is it, Knighthawks. Weapons free."
With no missiles remaining, it fell to the more basic projectile weapons to defeat the missiles. First to fire were the dual 60mm chin-mounted railguns. They fired simultaneously to release the large-calibre Sanlav rounds. These special projectiles were an invention from a generation earlier, during a time when capital ship engagements were long, ponderous affairs. The electromagnetically propelled shells were completely unguided and covered the short distance between both sides in under a second. Nate and Billy watched with anticipation as they activated just a hundred metres in front of the approaching missiles.
"Beautiful," said Nate.
Even as he spoke, he kept the trigger firmly depressed so that the gun reloaded and fired continually. The cannons were fed from armoured, motorised hoppers fitted inside the gunship’s hull. The rate of fire was significantly lower than the turrets, and little more then two hundred rounds per minute. With so few rounds, in three seconds the magazines were empty, with all four of the Bullnose gunships having expended their small stocks of Sanlav rounds. Each projectile opened up like a flower, its petals deploying nearly thirty degrees in each direction before detaching and pushing away. The resulting separation was similar to the shrapnel rounds used hundreds of years before, except that they provided a focussed burst of razor-sharp shards in a relatively small area. One explosion after another marked the demise of yet another of the warheads.
"Twenty-one missiles still operative," said Billy.
Nate sent an extra boost of power to the engines.
"We need to keep distance between us and Corsair Squadron."
"Yep," agreed Billy, "And for now it's turret time."
A whirring sound from the internal motors reminded both of them that the turret mounts were busy. The missiles were barely a second away when the combined turrets of the gunships opened up. Unlike the main guns, these much smaller 20mm Gatling cannons were prefect for close-range work. Dozens of them opened fired at once, and then the missiles were upon them. At least some of them made it through because one gunship flashed twice and then disappeared.
"Nate!"
Nate had already seen the craft vanish from view, and for a brief moment he felt nothing but shock. It was one of the gunships crewed by the OTC cadets, but right now that didn't matter to him, it couldn't. Two comrades were dead, and the fight was still far from over. At any moment they could be destroyed, and for these next few seconds all of his attention was focussed on keeping him and Billy alive.
"Stay on target and keep up our fire. Don't let any through!"
Nate's voice rose in pitch as he finished his sentence. Billy swallowed uncomfortably and then turned back to his console. The fighter shuddered continually as the turrets unleashed a hail of autocannon rounds out to the front. By carefully positioning themselves, the remaining gunships provided a strong defensive cordon in front of the rest of the fighters, at the expense of putting them in greater danger. Even so, the odd missile made it through, with some spinning wildly out of control due to damage already sustained. One tumbled past and struck the underside of his gunship, but through either luck or judgement, it did little more than leave a massive gash in the metalwork. The bombardment was over, and the surviving spacecraft continued on towards their foes.
"Good work, Knighthawks," said Lieutenant Commander Holder. "We can take it from here. All fighters break and attack!"
There was no time for commiserations or dwelling on who had just been lost. Instead, the mixed force of spacecraft split apart as the wave of Star Empire fighters moved in against them. They were now so close that the best weapons to use would be the odd variety of guns fitted to them all. The two groups rushed into each other like two lines of medieval warriors, and then all sense of cohesion was gone. Pairs of fighters pulled away to give chase, all the while other enemy craft jostled to get into the perfect position.
"Hawkins, watch your three o’clock," Nate yelled.
Nate boosted the power and dropped in beside his designated wingman and pulled the trigger. Neither of his main guns fired.
"Billy, my guns! What's going on?"
"I know. I'm on it. The autoloader has failed."
Without the firepower offered by the pair of powerful 60mm railguns, Nate was forced to rely upon the 20mm Gatling gun turrets. Even as the enemy fighter began firing at Hawkins, the guns had an effect. Against the lighter armour of these Star Empire spacecraft, it was possible for even the smaller calibre weapons to cause damage, but these pilots were clearly experienced, and the Mahingan pilots seemed to be even better trained.
The Anicinàbe were generally considered to be physically weaker than the average human, yet their understanding of space combat and spatial reasoning was highly advanced. Each time Nate thought he had the perfect shot; the enemy would roll or twist away. Sparks marked dozens of impacts, and occasionally one would bite in deeply enough to cause damage, but nothing that could end the fight.
"What's the problem? I'm not getting through this one. He's good...really good."
Ensign Hawkins rolled his gunship and performed a tight loop. It should have been enough, but this enemy pilot was much better than many of them they had met so far. The Mahingan was already a more agile fighter, and as the gunship pulled away, it actually left an even easier target to hit. Nate spotted warning levels on his display.
It's about to fire its mass-driver.
Nate pulled the stick to the side and rolled his gunship to give his turrets different areas to hit. Shells continued to strike, but at this speed and at such acute angles, only a few managed to strike home. Nate had already seen the damage these weapons could inflict. They provided firepower far in excess of the fighter they were fitted to. A shot rushed out and narrowly missed the gunship, exploding in a blinding light just ahead of the Bullnose gunship.
"Pull right, and drop your speed!" Nate said.
The spacecraft continued their dance as both sides tried to target the other. Even as Nate tried to line up on the Mahingan, a pair of Mokku fighters screamed towards his own flank. The turrets swivelled to the side and scattered them just as he managed to get his forward guns lined up on the medium fighter.
"Just a few more seconds," said Billy.
The mass-driver fired again, and this time managed to explode, just entering from the gunship's cockpit. As the group of fighters burst through the explosion, Nate shuddered at the signs of the black burn marks across the gunship.
That could have been the end of him.
Though similar in design to the railgun fitted to the Alliance fighters, the mass-drivers were actually a technology more closely associated with the coilguns of the Alliance. They used a magnetically accelerated sled to propel a variety of payloads into space. This typically meant the technology would be used to hurl hardened slugs or high-explosive projectiles, but not today. These fighters used encased plasma warheads that would release incredible heat and energy upon impact.
Star fire shells!
Nate physically shuddered as he realised what he was seeing. It was a name coined by the Byotai a few years ago after their experience fighting Anicinàbe raiders in the borderlands known as the Tenth Quadrant. The weapons had become popular in the Star Crusader gaming community, where new and exotic technology always drew a crowd. Fighters might make use of all kinds of weaponry, but the star fire shells were considered borderline illegal, due to their propensity of destroying spacecraft with a single hit. Those that used them were considered little more than cheats, and their use had been removed or heavily curtailed in most tournaments.
"Loaded!" Billy shouted.
Nate released the safety and performed another roll to line up the weapons. The pair of guns was fitted to a gimbal mount that allowed a small amount of movement. The turrets continued to fire, but as soon as he had his target in his sights, he pulled the trigger. The gunship shuddered as two solid tungsten slugs blasted towards the target. Incredibly, the Mahingan spun about and avoided both shots. It then lifted up and activated its burners to get away.
How the hell did it know?
They moved back into formation and then dived into the dogfight in a classic three-gunship formation. All around them the agile Star Empire fighters rushed about them, the Lightning fighters doing their best to keep them busy. Dotted lines outlined the multiple autocannons, and flashes of light marked the final location of the many spacecraft. The three gunships evaded as much fire as they could until finding themselves tangled up with an equal number of Mokku and Mahingan fighters.
A Lightning fighter exploded, leaving just the Bullnose gunships and a single Lightning bearing the bright markings of Lieutenant Commander Holder. She spoke calmly, but much more firmly than normal, if that was even possible.
"Split and head for the dropships."
The two remaining gunships broke away, taking a pair of the enemy fighters with them, leaving just Nate and Billy in their gunship and Lieutenant Commander Holder in her distinctive Lightning fighter. They spiralled away. Two Mahingans and a trio of Mokku fighters came right after them. Nate took aim at the nearest dropship as it thundered past. It was much smaller than the Mauler landing craft used by the marines, and closer to a larger version of the Hammerhead.
"We've got fighters behind us," said Billy.
Nate altered forward view to provide a small version of their rear quarters in the corners. He could see the shapes of the fighters, like a small cloud of flies continually giving chase.
"Keep them off my back...I'm almost there."
The turrets sang their song as Nate lined up just below a pair of the dropships. Either they hadn't seen him or were relying upon their speed. In any case, neither tried to avoid his attack as he fired a short burst into both of them. The powerful 60mm shells smashed into the rear armour of the first craft and sent it off spinning wildly. The second managed to roll to the right just as shells tore apart its engines.
"Hold on!"
Nate veered past them while Billy continued to strafe them with the starboard turrets. It was a cruel way to finish them off, but both of them could see the Rift entrance flashing once more, and something began to move through it.
"We've got a ship coming through."
The forward speed was slow, but already Nate knew it wasn't friendly. As the bow emerged, so did the bright neon markings now commonly plastered all over the Star Empire ships.
"I've got one on final approach. Knighthawks, to me!"
Again it was the Lieutenant Commander and she was right on the tail of two more dropships. Nate changed his course to come in behind them, but this time they were ready. Their rear-mounted turrets were activated and locked on as soon as he lined up.
"Watch out!"
Nate tugged on the controls to lift above the dropships. He was quick, but not quick enough to stop some of the shells from tearing gouges out of his underside.
"Hurry!" Lieutenant Commander Holder shouted.
Nate hit the burners and rushed ahead until he was above the dropships and then pushed the descent thrusters. Billy had already adjusted the flank-mounted turrets so that the guns all pointed downwards.
"Hold on!"
Though travelling in the same direction, and at the same speed as the dropships, they still moved closer and closer. Billy held off until the last minute before opening fire. The turrets showered the top of one of the dropships, as well as putting hundreds of rounds into its cockpit area.
"I'm...in trouble...need to fall..."
Nate looked left and right and then found Lieutenant Commander Holder's fighter pulling away with a pair of Mokku fighters on its tail. He began to move to join his senior officer, but as she corkscrewed away, she barked a final order.
"Stop the dropships. Lieutenant Heiskell says he needs three more minutes. Buy him time!"
Nate reversed his thrusters and descended behind the two spacecraft. Both returned fire with their turrets, but for now he ignored it. He focused his guns on the rear hatches and opened fire. At this range, the 60mm cannons had no difficulty in breaching the armour, and both tumbled off into space, trailing smoke and flame. Nate moved away as three Lighting fighters swept in to finish them off.
"We're making progress, Billy. I think..."
He stopped at seeing the Rift flicker once more and then stabilise.
Nate brought them back around so that their nose was pointing at the station. Of the eight dropships, four were out of action and fighters were chasing another two. A final pair were moving fast and heading right for the station. Nate tagged them and sent the data to the remaining Kn
ighthawks. He pushed every remaining ounce of power to his engines and accelerated in towards the dropships. One by one the other Alliance pilots reported being unable to assist as they fought for their very lives. The information was confused, but Nate was able to tell they could beat the enemy fighters if given enough time. He connected to the Marine channel and was immediately rewarded by voices shouting. The sound of small arms fire filled the background.
"Lieutenant Heiskell, what's happening? We've got ships coming through."
The clatter of small arms rattled away until the officer's voice drowned out even the guns.
"Their engineers have diverted power from their secondary systems. They are keeping us away from the control room, but we're making progress."
Nate rolled to the left and narrowly avoided ramming a friendly fighter. A Mokku spacecraft then ran directly in front of his guns, and he opened fired, smashing it to pieces before it could escape.
"We're almost there. Don't let any more troops land. Heiskell out."
It was abrupt, but far from surprising to Nate. He glanced at his tactical orb and sighed as yet more fighters vanished from the IFF list. Nate was close now, but the two dropships were just two hundred metres from the entrance.
"This is gonna be close."
Nate opened fired and sent long, continuous bursts from his main guns. Some hit both craft, but to his astonishment they managed to reach the cavernous opening to the fighter deck. As they vanished inside, both exploded in a massive yellow flash that filled the entire section of the station with flames and smoke. Nate pulled back on his controls at the very last minute and pulled up.
"What the hell happened?"
Billy's mouth was wide open in surprise.
"It's the Hammerheads."
Nate pushed his engines hard, knowing full well they could explode at any moment.
"I don't understand."
"Maybe this will help," suggested Billy.
An image of Matilda and Cassandra appeared on the cockpit forward view.
"What happened?" Nate asked them.
Cassandra answered with a completely deadpan tone that was borderline sarcastic.
Star Crusader: Knighthawk Squadron Page 19