Stirring the Hornets' Nest
Athena felt a calm sensation wash over her as the group drew closer to their destination. "Look alive, people!" she said to the formation. "Time to get nasty."
"Copy that," said Inferno.
"Acknowledged, Colonel," said Fyvve.
"On my mark," began Athena. "Inferno, break port with your wingmen. Fyvve, break starboard with your wingman. Kitten, stay on my starboard wing and follow me up the alley."
"Acknowledged, Colonel," said Kitten.
"Affirmative", Colonel," said Inferno.
"Copy that, Colonel," said Fyvve.
"Sixkiller and Houdini," said Inferno. "Tighten up on my wing and break with me once we've got the go ahead."
"Copy that," said Sixkiller.
"Roger," said Houdini.
"Runway," said Fyvve. "Keep to my dorsal starboard once we disperse."
"You got it," said Runway.
Athena switched her COMM to signal the Black Widow wing that was with them. "Charlie Leader," she said. "Please reduced speed by one-third while we accelerate so that we can create some distance between one another."
"Affirmative, Wolf Leader," said Charlie Leader. "Reducing speed. We'll move in with the SWACS once the fireworks starts."
"We'll keep 'em busy and off your tail!" said Athena. "If things get tense, give us a call."
"Roger that, Colonel," said Charlie Leader. "Enjoy your flight!"
"We will!" replied Athena. She then switched her COMM back to the channel her squadron was on. "Okay, Valkyries, let's do this! On my mark, accelerate to attack speed and break formation."
"Let's see how annoying we can be to those Bugs," said Inferno.
"Challenge accepted," replied Fyvve.
Athena looked at her display and narrowed her gaze. "Mark!" she signaled.
Inferno instantly drifted away from Athena and accelerated her Vampire to attack speed with Sixkiller and Houdini staying right behind her. Fyvve peeled off as well and accelerated while Runway followed suit. Kitten closed with Athena and matched her as she accelerated and charged forward. Within moments, they were all in the midst of the asteroid field. For a few surprising seconds, they were alone amongst the floating rocks and debris, but then their HUD's lit up with dozens of enemy contacts.
"Here comes the welcoming committee!" said Houdini.
"I wonder if they're here to surrender," Kitten said jokingly.
"I highly doubt it," said Fyvve.
"One can always hope," said Runway.
"Curb the chatter," ordered Athena and everyone went silent and serious.
Inferno banked again with her wingmen to put more distance between her group and Athena's in an attempt to spread the enemy out further. "Time to say, 'Hi!'," she said to Sixkiller and Houdini.
"I hear that," said Sixkiller.
"Let's make magic!" said Houdini.
About a minute later, the three groups were in the thick of a swarm of Nephilim ships. Fyvve fired a missile at a Lamprey and cut hard to her starboard. The missile impacted hard on the Lamprey's port side and it pulled sharply upwards, which allowed Runway to open up on it with her guns and destroy it a few seconds later.
"Got 'em with the one-two punch!" shouted Runway.
Athena opened fire with her guns and blasted the shields of a Manta. It cursed at her over the open COMM and returned fire. Athena skillfully dodged its attack and came back around. Within moments, she locked onto the Manta and fired a missile. The Manta tried to evade, but was hit securely in the bow. After shaking and shuddering for a few seconds, it exploded.
"Good shooting, Colonel," complimented Kitten.
"Thank you, Kitten," returned Athena.
A swarm of Morays opened fire on Inferno, Sixkiller, and Houdini to break up their formation. The three of them went in three separate directions and the Morays gave chase. Sixkiller's missile lock alarm suddenly went off. Without hesitation, she popped a decoy and then barrel rolled to port. To her relief, the missile followed her decoy and she was safe, for the moment. Seconds later, her starboard shields were lit up by laser fire. "Right in the shit," she said. "Can anyone help me out?"
Houdini looked at her rearview camera and smiled. She had picked up a Manta. "Give me a few ticks to work my magic," she said to Sixkiller. "I need to make sure this Bug stays on my ass."
"Stays on your ass?" asked a confused Sixkiller.
"What do you have planned, Lieutenant?" asked Inferno. "Don't do something stupid."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Major," responded Houdini confidently. "Sixkiller, just duck and dodge for a bit. I'm headed your way."
With that, Houdini began to casually run from the Manta on her tail. The Manta kept up the pursuit and fired at her with its lasers. With a wide arc, she then headed for the Moray that was bothering Sixkiller. Once she had the Moray in her sights, she opened fire with her lasers. "Abracadabra," she said as she depleted its shields and let go of two decoys to distract the missile the Manta fired at her. Then she hit her afterburners and sped directly at the Moray. A few moments later, her collision alarm went off.
"Hocus pocus," she said as she pulled sharply up on her flight stick in barely enough time to avoid smashing into the Moray. The Manta, however, did not pull up and collided with the Moray, severely damaging both. Houdini came back full around and lit up both with her guns. In a matter of seconds, both were destroyed. "And Alakazam."
"Thank you, Houdini," said Sixkiller with a sigh of relief.
"Don't mention it, Khen," said Houdini casually.
Elsewhere, Fyvve strafed a Skate cluster and broke it apart by destroying the first piece with her guns. As the two remaining parts of the cluster dispersed, Runway zoomed in, locked onto one of the parts with a missile, and fired. A few seconds later, the missile hit home and the second piece of the cluster was destroyed. The final piece got off a few shots in an attempt to scare them both away, but Fyvve casually avoided its fire, locked onto it with a missile, fired, and blew it from the stars.
Athena's COMM crackled. "This is Charlie Leader," came the voice over the COMM. "The SWACS has located the base. Alpha and Bravo Wings have been alerted and are moving in for the kill. Keep up the fight for another three minutes then break off all engagements and get out of there."
Athena breathed a sigh of relief and switched her COMM to the main channel.
"Acknowledged, Charlie Leader," she said. "T-minus three minutes before bug out."
Athena pressed a button on her control panel and began the countdown. Her part, and her squadron's part, in this mission was almost over. "This is Athena to all Wolfpack Squadron members," she said after once again switching to her squadron's channel. "T-minus two minutes and forty-five seconds until we drop what we're doing and we get the hell out of here. And when I say drop everything, I mean it. I don't want any of us caught in the killzone."
"Affirmative, Colonel," replied Inferno as she destroyed a Devil Ray.
"Copy that, Colonel," said Fyvve as she dodged fire from a Manta.
"Acknowledged, Colonel," said Kitten.
"Roger that, Colonel," said Sixkiller.
"Acknowledged, Colonel," said Runway.
"Affirmative, Colonel," said Houdini as she fired on a Moray and caused it to swerve into an asteroid. "We certainly have done some damage here."
Athena smiled despite herself. "We certainly have, Houdini," she said. "Drinks are on me back at the homestead."
"The Colonel's buying," started Kitten. "We must've done a good job."
"Don't let it go to your heads," said Athena.
"Booze always goes to my head," replied Fyvve.
They all had a good laugh at Fyvve's statement. The remaining time passed slowly. During that time, they continued to fly and fight like the clock wasn't ticking. Eventually, Athena's countdown timer reached zero. "Okay, Valkyries," she said. "Break off and get clear. Things are about to light up around here."
One-by-one, they all acknowledged Athena's order and sped away from the scene to the rendezvous point outside the asteroid belt where they were supposed to meet up with Black Widow Squadron and the SWACS. A couple of minutes later, the various wings from Black Widow Squadron were seen speeding out of the asteroid belt at top speed. They had barely made it out when a large explosion suddenly went off in the distance.
"Mission accomplished," said Charlie Leader to everyone. "Diamondback Squadron, it's your turn now. With any luck, there won't be much left to mop up. Good luck!"
"Acknowledged, Charlie Leader," came the voice of Diamondback Squadron's leader. "You can make it up to us by buying the booze back at the ranch."
"Deal," said Charlie Leader. "Okay, everyone, let's go home."
Every pilot in both Black Widow Squadron and Wolfpack Squadron signaled their acknowledgement. Then they all fell back into their travelling formation and programmed their NAV computers to take them back to the Eisen for a well-deserved celebration.
"This is a good group," Athena said aloud to herself. "We might just pull this whole thing off."
To be continued…