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others　would　follow　under　Jagdea　the　moment　her　rudder　was　fixed。
Blansher　turned　them　south…west；　in　the　direction　of　Theda。　Another　wing　of　eight　Thunderbolts
that　had　just　turned　round　at　Lucerna　launched　and　fell　into　step　with　them。
Ahead；　it　seemed　like　a　great　storm　had　slid　down　across　the　horizon。　There　was　a　wide；　brown
cliff　of　smoke　along　the　sea；　extending　as　far　as　Blansher　could　see；　filled　with　sparks　and　flashes
like　lightning。
As　they　closed；　the　cliff　began　to　resolve。　What　he’d　been　seeing　was　the　glare　distortion　of
thousands　of　exhaust　plumes　and　engine　fires；　ribboned　into　a　lattice　across　the　sky；　so　dense　that
from　a　distance　it　seemed　solid。
They　passed　several　Imperial　machines　limping　for　home。　Blansher　kept　calling　for　Marquall。
The　vox　was　still　burbling　with　hundreds　of　intersecting　transmissions。　According　to　Operations；　the
massive　clash　they　were　prosecuting　here　was　matched　by　a　vast　battle　over　the　Sea　of　Ezra；　and
another　near　the　east　coast　approaching　Ingeburg。　Other　reports　said　that　bomber　streams　had　got
past　the　Midwinter　line；　and　were　beginning　to　hit　Zophos　and　even　the　northern　shore。　Every
available　Imperial　machine　was　now　aloft　on　at　least　its　second　sortie　of　the　day。
Contacts　were　closing。　A　large　pack　of　Hell　Talons　cruising　north。
“Umbra　Flight；”　he　ordered。　“Engage！”
Over　the　Midwinters；　09。50
It　had　taken　an　age　for　the　fitters　to　fix　Jagdea’s　rudder。　Even　now；　Hemmen　had　warned；　it　wasn’t　a
solid　repair。　She　ascended　at　maximum　speed；　tailed　by　Del　Ruth；　Kaminsky；　Viltry　and　Darrow。　It
was　no　longer　a　matter　of　getting　track　instruction　from　Operations。　The　sky　above　the　archipelago
was　loaded　with　machines　everywhere　she　looked。
They　picked　up　a　quartet　of　Marauders；　all　damaged；　that　were　being　harried　by　a　formation　of
nine　blue　Locusts。　The　bats　seemed　to　move　as　one；　skilled　and　disciplined；　as　if　they　were
somehow　controlled　by　one　fierce　mind。
Jagdea　rolled　the　wing　into　them。
One　of　the　Marauders　was　finally　overwhelmed；　and　went　down　towards　the　atolls。　It　was　hard
to　keep　a　focus　on　the　brawl　at　hand。　Parts　of　other　dogfight　clashes　kept　impinging；　as　the　edges　of
one　skirmish　overlapped　another。　Umbra　was　rolling　with　the　blue　Locusts　when　seven　Lightnings
blundered　into　their　fight…zone；　tumbling　around　three　pairs　of　Razors。　Jagdea　found　herself　having
to　deal　with　one　of　the　Razor　pairs　which　switched　from　the　Lightnings　they’d　been　chasing　onto
her。　Any　semblance　of　strategic　formation　in　Umbra　vanished。
Darrow　turned　tightly　over　one　of　the　ailing　Marauders　and　locked　onto　a　yellow　Hell　Razor　that
seemed　to　be　either　confused　or　suffering　from　vector　damage。　He　led　his　shot；　expecting　it　to　break
left；　but　it　didn’t；　or　it　couldn’t。　As　a　result；　Darrow’s　first　burst　missed。　He　banked　to　the　right；
floating　the　machine　into　his　reticule　and　fired　again；　killing　it　instantly。
Kaminsky　and　Viltry　had　been　forced　to　the　eastern　part　of　the　skirmish；　separated　from　the
others　by　the　Razors　going　through　their　midst。　They　found　themselves　mugged　by　all　nine　of　the
blue　Locusts。　Both　of　them　began　turning　and　firing；　and　the　blue　bats　danced　away　like　a　shoal　of
fish；　triggered　by　a　single　impulse。　They　switched；　and　came　around　again；　almost　in　line。　Kaminsky
broke　hard；　and　Viltry　executed　a　savage　vector…assisted　turn；　representing　so　the　Locusts　were
almost　head　on　to　him。
He　got　a　good　but　momentary　lock　on　the　lead　plane　and　fired　his　quads；　leaving　his　thumb　on
the　stud　so　that　the　salvo　would　rake。　The　first　Locust　blew　out　and　because　they　were　running　tight；
in　line；　Viltry’s　target　lock　carried　his　bombardment　onto　the　second　one；　which　also　disintegrated。
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Then　Viltry　had　to　bank　abruptly　to　avoid　the　others。　Something　blinked　past　over　his　canopy
and　he　saw　Kaminsky　coming　in　on　a　barrel　roll　into　the　thick　of　them；　forcing　the　Locusts　to　lose
cohesion　for　the　first　time。
Kaminsky　hit　one；　then　damaged　a　second；　and　hunted　a　third　round；　at　its　six。　The　blue　bat　was
so　eager　to　avoid　the　Thunderbolt　on　its　tail　that　it　ran　blindly　across　Viltry’s　field　of　fire　and　he
stung　it　with　his　lascannons。
Kaminsky　and　Viltry　scissored　past　each　other。　Their　pack　cut　in　half；　the　Locusts　pulled　out。
Over　the　Midwinters；　10。10
Blansher’s　element　flew　out　of　their　tangle　and　enjoyed　a　brief　respite　of　quiet　air　before　a　vast　swirl
of　fighting　planes　engulfed　them　from　above。　They　were　forced　low；　then　lower　still。　Burning
engine　parts；　wing　fragments　and　pieces　of　elevator　rained　past　them　from　craft　destroyed　in　the
upper　levels　of　the　brawl。　One　large　fragment　bounced　off　Scalter’s　nose；　destroying　his　las　battery
and　stripping　the　cover　plating　off　his　starboard　turbofan。　He　cried　out　in　alarm　and　fought　with　the
controls　to　steady　the　plane。　Peering　forward；　he　could　see　energy　from　the　split　las…cables　crackling
and　sparking　on　the　dented　nose。　He　deactivated　the　power　magazine　and　switched　to　quad。
“Umbra　Seven！　Pay　attention！”　Blansher　yelled。
Scalter　had　been　so　intent　on　his　damage　that　he’d　been　flying　straight　for　too　long。　A　mauve
Hell　Talon　came　sweeping　down　out　of　the　frothing　smoke　wash　above　and　started　to　fire。
Scalter　sat　down　in　his　armour　plating；　flinching　as　the　shots　went　by。　He　seemed　to　have　frozen。
Blansher　was　too　committed　to　a　pair　of　Razors　to　help　him。
Cordiale　came　out　of　the　north；　firing　heavily。　The　Talon　took　a　hit　or　two　in　its　rear　armour　and
forgot　all　about　Scalter。　It　dropped　low；　towards　the　sea；　running　to　escape。　Cordiale　stormed　after
it。
They　went　across　the　water　at　less　than　ten　metres；　kicking　up　wash　and　spray　with　their
thrusters。　The　Talon　slipped　back　and　forth；　around　atolls　and　cliffs；　determined　not　to　climb　and
thus　make　itself　a　target。　Cordiale　stuck　to　it；　banking　as　it　banked；　slicing　around　islets　and　surface
rocks。　They　came　around　a　tall；　sheer　cliff　in　a　hard　turn；　the　noise　of　their　engines　reflecting　oddly
off　the　cliff　face；　and　immediately　had　to　leap…frog　two　mass…barges　lying　at　anchor　in　the　cove。
Cordiale　missed　the　vox　masts　of　the　big　tubs　by　centimetres。　The　Talon　rushed　low　across　the
basin；　chased　by　Hydra　batteries　along　the　beach；　and　bent　right　around　the　shoreline　of　the　atoll。
Cordiale　steered　after　it；　standing　his　plane　on　its　starboard　wing。　He　laughed　as　he　saw　that　their
passing　rush　had　caused　seabirds　to　take　off　in　panic　out　of　the　rocks。
The　Talon　twisted　to　port；　skimming　over　a　pattern　of　low；　semi…submerged　islets。　Following；
Cordiale　heard　the　lock　tone　and　fired。
The　Talon　lurched　and　plunged　nose…down　into　the　rocks；　detonating　with　huge　force。　Cordiale
shot　past　it；　glancing　back　at　the　fireball　gleefully。
Travelling　at　seven　hundred　kilometres　an　hour；　his　plane　tore　into　another　flock　of　startled
seabirds　erupting　from　the　low　rocks。　Each　one　weighed　a　kilo　or　more；　and　they　shredded　his　nose
cone　and　front　plating　like　jack…hammers。　Two　annihilated　his　right　engine；　and　one　punched
through　his　canopy；　shattered　the　gunsight　and　hit　him　square　in　the　face；　driving　his　goggles　into
his　skull　and　snapping　his　neck　instantly。
Umbra　Eleven　hit　the　outer　line　of　the　rocks　and　disintegrated　in　a　blizzard　of　hull　plates；　cables
and　machine　parts。
Over　the　Midwinters；　10。45
Swinging　wide　for　home；　Jagdea’s　flight　had　come　up　on　a　Tormentor　wing　that　had　broken　from
the　thicker　fighting　and　was　heading　towards　the　Sea　of　Ezra。　They　harried　it　until　their　tanks　were
too　low。
185
Gaining　altitude　for　Lucerna；　they　sighted　Marquall。
“Umbra　Eight；”　Jagdea　voxed。　“Where　the　hell　have　you　been？”
“Not　really　sure；　Lead；”　Marquall　responded。　“But　wherever　it　was；　there　was　an　awful　lot　of
planes　there。”
Lucerna　AB；　11。30
“Turn　them　around　as　quickly　as　you　can！”　Jagdea　said　as　she　jumped　down。　Her　four　had　brought
Marquall　back　with　them。　According　to　Operations　chatter；　Blansher’s　element　was　five　minutes
away。
“Yes；　ma’am！”　Racklae　replied。　Smoke　was　coming　out　from　under　Kaminsky’s　machine；　and
Racklae　yelled　at　a　deck　crewman　to　get　it　doused。　Turning　back　to　Jagdea；　he　indicated　the　trolleys
of　ammunition　at　the　hangar　side　waiting　to　be　load