Dogfights

Chapter 2

The vox speakers blared out, "Scramble all fighters, scramble all fighters," Sakura ran out to her fighter secure on a mat pad, it was pretty short notice, some fitters and ground crew were scrambling in all directions, to the thunderbolts of Snow Fall, the lightings of the White Tigers and the Avalanche wing. She actually saw Vanessa trip on her way to the hanger where they were refitting her fighter which took a few shots from hell razors. Sakura gave a thumbs up to her head fitter, Lonitor Suek; he nodded and ran off to another fighter. She came off of the pad and turned on her vox and auspexs. "Operations, what's the meaning of this?" she asked, "White Tiger 33, we're reading 150 plus aircraft on what seems to be a bombing run on the land forces." Sakura punched in the throttle. "150 plus aircraft, all bombers, this should be easy!"

Visily ran out to the Marauder Destroyer, Interceptor, where his crew was waiting for him, he jumped in. "All engines are go, beginning taxi." 'It pays to be qualified for flying all four-engine aircraft. He led his flight in the air into an intercepting formation. Sam gazed at the auspex; the huge formation of bombers formed a large splotch of red, compared to the friendly fighters among them. "We have a visual, Holy Throne." Visily said as the large formation of tormentors came into view, "All Marauders report status." "This is 32, Four-A," "32A, all clear," "33, all lights green," "33A, awaiting, further instructions commander," Visily sped up Interceptor beside Sakura's lightning and looked over to her, she looked back, they both made the sign of the aquila to each other and nodded. Visily gazed at the lead bomber wing, the bombers began cracking bolter shots at them. Visily flipped up the gun switch, "Let's get some kills."

Sakura made a head on attack into the bombers; she gazed over at the Interceptor, which disappeared in to the fray. She trained her sights onto a hell talon and fired a few bursts of las at it; the hell talon lost a wing and spun into a nearby tormentor. She gazed at the two burning aircraft; she picked up another hell talon from the same formation as the other. Sakura dived and came up from beneath it, and fired a burst at it; the shot ignited the explosives in the bombing bay. She saw Vanessa zoom by chasing down a hell talon which was attempting to shake her off. Tara flew up in front of Sakura and destroyed a tormentor above them. The lead thunderbolt of Snow Fall wing, Malersin Frotonya, destroyed an Onero sized bomber. Sakura trained her sights on one of the Onero bombers and laughed as she watched explode in flames.

Visily and his group fell on top of a formation of tormenters, autocannons blazing. As they passed by, he heard the top turret and rear open up behind him. He pulled an inverted turn to come back at the formation, tracers flew past his cockpit, 'Those shots were las!' he thought he looked up, a formation of 30 hell razors were descending on top of the fight, "Bats! Bats! Bats! Coming in vertically upon us watch yourself!" he yelled through the vox as he dodged one of the razors. 'Shit! My aircraft aren't designed to take on fighters!' Visily thought to himself as he banked sharply left, he found another bomber, lock tone, fire. The bomber exploded shaking the aircraft beside it, "Visily! We've got three razors on our tail!" Visily was too concentrated on the fighters in front of him, "Scare them off! Fire the tail gun for thrones sake!" Macartan yelled back in frustration, "I've got no damn ammo!" Visily cursed and dove. "White Tigers I'm in need of assistance!" "Copy that Winter Bird 31."

Tara and Geren found 31 and began taking out the razors behind the Marauder. "Winter Bird, bank a sharp right." 31 did as he was told and the two swept in to take the aircraft down. Sakura flew in too to take down the last one. Her warning beacons began to light up, low fuel. She was pretty sure the others were about the same. "Alright guys, lets head home to refuel and refit." They all broke off combat and followed her in. They've done their job well, now it was the boys and girls from Astorina MAB west to finish them off.

Sakura hopped down and yelled, "Refuel and refit! Now!" She saw them scramble back and forth, yelling orders and slang. She saw Visily's bird, the Interceptor coming in wobbly and shaky. She yelled at them even though she knew they couldn't hear her, "Bring your cradle down! You're coming in too fast!" She ran in front of the aircraft and waved her hands back and forth, until Vanessa tackled her, "Get down or you'll be run over!" The Marauder zoomed past over their heads, "Visily!"

Visily struggled to pull the cradle down, "Shit," he said as he gave up and grabbed the stick. "Brace for emergency landing!" he brought in the aircraft and began to slow down their speed, which he knew was already to late. He felt the aircraft scrape against the hard rockcrete. It bounced up and down and the Gs destroyed the canopy, shattering the glass, he screamed in pain as a sharp piece of glass cut his shoulder, he took a quick gaze over and he swore he saw the white of his bone when the aircraft squealed to a stop. They climbed out with dazed looks about them, the Marauder was a wreck behind them, and they were all bloody, with either their own or a comrades blood. Visily walked over, clasping his shoulder, when he took it off, his hand was covered in blood. Macartan was shivering, his face covered in blood. Nitaliya was holding Tim up, who seemed to be unconscious, and Sam was clutching her side, blood trickling between her fingers. Sakura ran over, "We need a medicae over here!" She looked at Visily and he gave her a weak smile.

Visily winced as they bandaged the wound on his shoulder, he heard Sam and Macartan wouldn't be flying for a good while, the medic pat his back and Visily was allowed to walk around. He walked out to the hanger to gaze at the Interceptor, it was a terrible mess, he rubbed its nose, "Thanks, you saved our lives." He didn't notice one of the fitters standing by, "Well, she may have saved your life, but it'll take a long time before she's airworthy again." Visily nodded and shook his hand, "Thanks for working on her though." The fitter nodded and walked over to get a rotator from his toolbox. Visily walked out so that the cool winter air could blow against his face, Sakura was standing beside him, he looked over and they both smiled. It felt almost romantic to him seeing Sakura's hair flow in the wind and her silver-blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, "Lunch?" she asked as she grabbed him by the arm, apparently he didn't have a choice.

Sakura sat Visily down in the barracks at an empty table between the hustle and bustle of the others clattering their trays, yelling at each other, etc. The sat at a quiet table off to the corner, "I was worried about you," she said as she handed him a piece of dry bread and a cup of joiliq, "I could probably have guessed that myself, Sakura," He said as he took a sip, "For throne's sake, you were almost my nose decoration!" They laughed, "How long before you're flying again?" she asked as she took a sip from her cup, "Maybe a day or two, but Sam and Macartan are going to be out for a few weeks." The room grew quiet as they heard the distant chatter of hydra platforms, the both of them ran out, they saw green tracers in the sky along with formations of locusts and hell razors, Visily slapped her on her back, "Go get'em Tiger."