Minimal CasualtiesShadow Hunter
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Looking at his scanners confirmed what the tact ops had informed Flight Lieutenant Bladen and
the other pilots before they left. The alien ship was still not aware of their presence; Orange wing
would protect the bombers until they were ready to deliver the killing blow to the capital ship.
Closing on the craft through the swirling nebula, the ship was almost within visual range; today
the alien scum would pay for their raids. After reports of several alien attacks in an area with no real military protection, Battle Group Pacificus had been sent in to cleanse the area of any further threat. The attacks had started as small raids on Agri worlds mostly, but they were getting more frequent and the forces were reported to be growing in size. It was decided to strike now to hopefully stop the raids before they grew too strong. This area of space was somewhat remote, and not many military ships were available. Therefore, a large-scale engagement had to be avoided, and casualties kept minimal. Early investigations of the sites already attacked revealed very little about the foe. All that was known was that they did not appear to be accepting surrender on any level. The bodies of man woman and child were scattered all around. Often still in their dorms, with no weapons at hand, indicating that they themselves were not fighting; yet still killed. There was no trace of any alien bodies, if any had even been killed. Despite sending scouting ships out on patrol in a non-stop sweep of the sector, the alien ships had completely escaped detection. Still attacking where the Imperial ships had either just left, or had not yet reached. It was as though they knew the Imperials intentions before they did themselves. It had now been a month since they arrived in the sector, and still no sign. The attacks continued, everyone butchered down to the last child. The pilots had started getting restless. Endless patrols with no outcome, no chance to exact revenge, and no chance to cleanse this area from the aliens that polluted human territory. Now the moment they had all been waiting for had finally arrived. With the Battle Group moving to the next location, and passing near a nebula on route, a freak ion storm had silhouetted the outline of a capital ship. The ship was slowly moving in the opposite direction, back from where the group had just come. Obviously, the ship was going to attack the system they had just left, and was using the nebula as cover. Without delay, the group launched all attack craft. The carrier spewed out a full 10 bombers and 40 fighters. These raced into the Nebula, the small size of the craft, and the inference being caused by the storm, meant that they would be able to get extremely close before they would be detected. Meanwhile the escorts, two Swords and a Firestorm, followed the perimeter of the nebula ready for when the alien ship would emerge out the far side. The carrier and cruiser would shadow the path of the alien ship in case it changed course. If all went to plan, they would catch the alien ship in a deadly crossfire. With the Escorts striking as soon as it emerged, the attack craft behind if it decides to retreat, and the cruisers coming in from the side. As the pilots got deeper into the nebula, and therefore the storm, the scanners began going haywire. Bladen and the other pilots had already expected this, so there was no need to break silence. They knew the last position of the Cruiser and its vector. They would sit behind the alien ship just out of visual range until it emerged out of the nebula and then strike. It would not be long now. With the storm still raging in the nebula, every now and again a vague silhouette would appear on the scanners of the cruiser's screens. It wasn't enough to determine the class, or indeed the race of the ship, but there was already an understanding that it was the Eldar. Only they could be outmaneuvering the Imperial Battle Group so easily without being detected, and would have done it again had it not been for the sudden storm. Using the limited information gained from the scanners about the vector of the alien cruiser, the computers had predicted the course and hence the point at which it should emerge from the nebula. It was almost time to strike. With a final check of weapon systems, Bladen and the other pilots began to increase speed. If they had timed it right, they would catch the Cruiser as it left the nebula. Looking over his shoulder, he checked the formation of his wing. Everyone was in place, with the bombers to their right. Just past them was Spindles wing, he was a young pilot, but had proven himself time and time again. Bladen was just about to look ahead when the rear most bomber exploded into a huge fireball, that fizzled out as quickly as it had started due to the lack of oxygen. "Break, break, the scum are behind us!" Bladen called to Orange Wing. He pulled on his stick to do a loop so that he was facing the other way, whilst doing it he checked his scanners, they were still disrupted. How long had they been following, he wondered. Once facing the other direction, the full picture emerged. About 20-30 Eldar fighters were closing fast. If this wasn't enough, following them were three escorts. They were Nightshades, this he knew. Every pilot knew about them, and what they could do to Imperial ships. Their deadly torpedoes able to evade turret fire by the holofields until they struck home. The Eldar fighters flew straight through their formation at an amazing pace. Explosions and laser fire surrounded Bladen's craft and he retaliated by squeezing the trigger on his stick. The fighter vibrated as the craft fired its deadly armament at the Eldar craft passing. He clipped one of the Eldar fighters and it spun wildly, just missing his own craft. All the Eldar fighters were behind him again already, and he pulled on his stick once more, noticing that the Escorts had kept back. Turning his ship round his heart sank, half of the squadron had already been destroyed and only one bomber remained. The Eldar had themselves only lost a few craft at best. These now began a deadly dogfight with the Imperial ships. They were now already outnumbered, and each Eldar ship was destroying three imperial fighters to every loss of theirs. This was not good. He squeezed the trigger again, and again, and again. As soon as the Eldar fighters were in his sights, he'd fire, only to see the fighters dodge and weave through the fusillade with amazing accuracy. It took several bursts before he finally hit his targets. Ammo was now extremely low, yet the alien fighters still swarmed all around. The last bomber detonated to Bladens left, with a grimace he turned his craft onto the tail of his next victim. Trying desperately to stay with its wild path, laser beams began to pass from behind, they were on his tail too! He knew he'd be a sitting duck but decided to try to take this last one out. Trying to keep his bursts to a minimum, he fired at the fighter in front, expecting the Eldar fighter behind him to get him first. Suddenly the shots stopped, and he saw Spindle at his three O'clock firing behind his position. Sighing deeply, he concentrated on the Eldar fighter, finally delivering the fatal blow. With a smile, he pulled on the stick and, everything went extremely bright. The Eldar fighter flew straight through the debris left by the Imperial fighter, the pilots alien eyes scanning for its next target, that one was too easy, he hadn't even seen him coming. The two Swords and Firestorm moved forward, the Eldar ship should really have already appeared. "Gunners report all stations at the ready" reported the firing control. The Captain nodded in acknowledgement, but continued to stare at the screens. The Nebula was spread out directly in front of them. It seemed very still. Too still. The storm had stopped! The Cruisers were now closing on the Escorts location. They had shadowed the path the Eldar cruiser was taking all the way, but they hadn't received a location on the ship for a couple of minutes now. They too had noted that the storm had stopped but with any luck that the Eldar ship won't have changed its course. Luck was not on their side. In fact, luck was never an issue. Appearing from the nebula behind the two cruisers, an Eclipse and a Shadow class Eldar cruiser emerged, with three Nightshades to their sides and waves of bombers ahead. They themselves had created the storm, using whatever foul technology they had at their disposal. The impact alarms barely had time to ring when the first of the Eldar torpedoes struck into the rear of the Imperial carrier. The bombers closed on the other cruiser as energy beams raked the thrusters of the ships. Casualties were kept to a minimum after all. The Eldar only lost 12 Eldar fighters, 4 Eldar bombers and one of the Nightshades during the battle that took place. And the raids continue… | ||
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Top of Page Date: 12/04/2002 Author: Shadow Hunter |