Knight Squadron - The Intimidator

"None, sir. They're in full retreat."

"Affirmative. How many fighters do you have left, Apache Four?"

"Ten, sir. Including myself."

"Circle the Intimidator, and await further orders."

"Aye, sir."

Degas shook his head. "Red Squadron, all fighters report in."

"Red Six, here, sir."

"Red Three, ready."

"Red Ten, all systems go."

"Red Nine, ready."

"Red Four, ready."

"Red Five, on line."

"Red Sixteen, all systems operational."

"Red Twelve, a little cooked but okay."

"Red Eight, here."

"Red Seventeen, go."

'Eleven fighters. Not good,' Degas thought to himself. Then his comm crackled.

"Apache Leader, Red Leader, come in."

"Red Leader here," Degas responded.

"Red Leader, this is Knight Leader. We need you and Apache Group on the planet, now."

"Aye, sir. Preparing for descent. Did you hear that, Apache Four?"

"Copy that. We're on the way. Close your wings and prepare for planetary descent."

On the planet, Aiden Hunt and Knight Squadron were in trouble. The M35s were wreaking havoc among the Junkers. Almost a third of them had been shot down.

"Damnit! Where'd they come from?" another voice called Aiden looked left and right, seeing his wingmen, Knight Two and Four.

"Hang on, Aztec Nine. Hanson, Zeke, you two with me?"

"All the way, Commander," a voice replied. They dove to where a Junker was frantically dodging fire from five M35s. Aiden opened fire as they neared, striking three down. Hanson and Zeke took one out as they neared.

"Thanks, Knights. I'm clear!" the Junkers pilot called as he lined up for his attack run on the depot. Bombs dropped from the starfighter, completing the destruction of the fourth of five surface depots. Aiden risked a look around. The skies were empty, except for the Junkers of Aztec and Silver Squadrons and the Valkyries of Knight Squadron.

A female voice crackled over his radio set. "Aiden, it's Kas. I'm on the other side of the planet, by the fifth mine. Three more squads of M35 Interceptors appeared!"

"Damn. Knights, close wings and move to the last mine. Red Leader, Apache Leader, come in."

"Red Lead here."

"Red Lead, this is Knight Leader. We need you and Apache Group on the planet, now."

"Aye, sir. Preparing for descent. Did you hear that, Apache Four?"

"Copy that. We're on the way. Close your wings and prepare for planetary descent."

Aiden's own wings were closed as the planet turned to a blur beneath him. He knew the

Junkers would be far behind him, but they needed to eliminate the Interceptors before the Junkers could release their bombs on the last depot.

"Hang on, Kas," Aiden said as he opened his foils, engaging and destroying two Interceptors that were hot behind Knight Three. The other Knights were engaging the Interceptors, having caught them at somewhat of a surprise. Beside Aiden, Hanson dove and began to chase three Interceptors just above ground level.

"Argh! This is Knight Five, I need assistance!"

"Hang on, Fenn!" Aiden called, accelerating and climbing, so he was flying straight for the endangered Valkyrie. "Break right on my mark!"

"Your right or my right?"

"Your right! Mark!" Fenn peeled away and Aiden's four cannons spit death into the two Interceptors that had been chasing him.

"Knight Leader, this is Red Leader. You have three bandits on your six."

Aiden looked over his shoulder. "Copy that, Red Leader. Care to swat some flies for me?"

"My pleasure," Degas said as his foils locked in attack position. He fired and destroyed the lead M35 as the other two opened fire. Aiden easily dodged.

"Amateurs," he said on a Jaheem frequency just as Red Leader finished both them off. "Nice shot, Red Leader. Form on my wing."

"Copy that, Knight Leader." Together they dove and eliminated four more M35s as the Junkers arrived on scene.

"Not too late for the party, are we?" a course voice said.

"Of course not, Aztec Leader. Knock yourself, or some Jaheems, out."

The Junkers climbed to bombing height and began to drop death into the compound. Apache and Red Squadron finished off the last of the M35s as they arrived from orbit, and soon Aiden was giving an order. "Well done, men!"

"And women."

"And women. Let's return to the Intimidator." The Valkyries and Junkers began to accelerate and climb out of the atmosphere.

***

On the Intimidator, Captain Diente was scratching his head. "Get me Commander Hunt," he ordered Commander Fallon.

"Channel open, sir."

"Commander Hunt, the shield is still up. We cannot go to gravity-drive until the shield has been disabled."

"Our Junkers are out of ordinance, Captain, and we didn't bring extra bombs along. We lost too many bombers in an ambush on the surface, and our Valkyries don't have the firepower to eliminate the shield generator."

"Copy that." Diente turned to the tactical Lieutenant. "Lieutenant, are the planetary bombardment batteries operational?"

"No, sir. We disabled them to get extra power to the deflectors."

"Power them up. Target the shield generator. Navigation, drop us into a lower orbit."

"Aye sir."

"Aye sir."

The planet passed faster below as they were in a lower orbit, having less distance to travel. "Shield generator on the horizon, sir. All bombardment batteries on line and ready for action."

"Take us to just below the shield, navigation. Open fire."

Massive cannons on the underside of the Destroyer opened fire, devastating the planet wherever they touched. However, they were not very accurate. The generator had almost passed to the rear of the planet before; "Direct hit! Planetary shield is down!"

"Captain Diente, all starfighters are reporting they are ready to go to gravity-drive. All damaged craft have docked."

"Very well. Navigation, set course for the Solaris system."

"Sir? We're not returning to New Haven?"

"Admiral Raeder's orders were to rendezvous with the fleet in the Solaris system. Transmit the coordinates to the fighters."

"Coordinates transmitted. Setting course."

"Go to gravity-drive." The Destroyer and its fighter escorts accelerated and left for Solaris.

***

Wilkes Gibson and Yang Degas sat in a bar on the Kriegsmarine command ship, drinking silently. Neither of them knew what was happening, but the entire fleet had never massed like this before. It made it too easy for the Jaheem to ambush them. The doors to the bar opened, and Aiden Hunt and Hanson St. John entered, approaching the two men from Red Squadron.

"These seats taken?" Aiden asked. Degas shook his head in a negative and the two senior pilots sat.

"Sir," Wilkes said, unable to hold it back any longer, "What are we going after?"

Aiden looked at the young pilot. "Hanson, do you think he's good enough?"

"Definitely. I'll take him." Hanson stood up and took Gibson by the arm, leading him off to speak with him in private.

"Yang," Aiden began as soon as they were alone. "I need a number two pilot in my squadron."

"Isn't Commander St. John your second-in-command?" Degas asked.

"For the coming attack, all fighters are being split into four groups. I'm leading Red Group, and Hanson's leadingApache Group. Jarro Fenn is in Silver Group, and Zeke and Kas have been assigned to Aztec Squadron. You're a damn good pilot, and I want you on my wing."

Yang nodded, then looked up. "What are we hitting?"

Aiden leaned close and whispered in his ear. "Another Base Star." Yang looked at him in silence. There was nothing to be said.

***

In the conference room on the Command ship, Captain Diente and Admiral Raeder were having a discussion.

"Sir," Diente was saying, "I don't understand why you don't want the Intimidator in this campaign."

"The Intimidator is a good ship, and has a good crew, but the appearance of a Destroyer in our ranks may give away the knowledge that we have control. After we make our attack, information on the loss of the Intimidator may be lost, allowing us to use it again."

"What's the target?" Diente said as the doors opened and men and women began to fill the hall.

Raeder motioned to a seat in the circular room, as Anna D'Arc herself entered. "Have a seat, Captain."

***

The End!