A Steampunk Tale of Wonder – Last Flight of the Phoenix, Part Two
The Victoria screamed out of the Arc Royal, and bobbed, waved and then flew straight as the air-wing burst into open air. The sight that greeted Annie almost overwhelmed her, she has never seen so many ships and wings in one place. Her hands started to shake, she could feel the panic start to take over her body and her mouth grew dry. It took more than a few seconds for her training to kick in and she could then take stock of the situation. The Dominion fleet hadn't started to launch its air-wings yet, and training her eye on the silhouettes of the enemy ship it looked like only a two or three of them were carriers, not counting whatever the Leviathan was carrying behind its screen of escorts. Squinting she could see the enemy picket wings turn towards them, but they were pitifully few and not a threat to waves of air-wings the Europa fleet were launching. A plan formed in her head, if they could get close enough they might just do some serious damage to the Dominion fleet here.
She searched the sky around her for friendlies, hoping her launch hadn't pushed her too far ahead of the main wings, when her tin speaker crackled into life and the distorted, but familiar voice of Carol burst out of it, "Are we going to try to hit the big whale?"
"Roger C, keep close and tight… If we get hit, we break off," she replied.
"Roger A, no sense giving the paymaster a bonus today," said Carol.
Looking to her upper left, she caught sight of Carol's Air-wing, a sleek Victoria like her own painted with bright red fox markings of an air-wing ace. Already her friend was pulling back to take up position on Annie's wing, and as one they dipped their right wings slipping away from the protection of the Arc Royals guns, putting themselves into a shallow dive towards the Leviathans picket ships. The Victoria's newton increased power as Annie eased it into combat speed, just behind her Carol did the same catching her just before they hit the Dominion Pickets.
"C, drop smoke, rapid bursts, and then drop the chargers we want to scatter them and punch through," said Annie rapidly her voice going off pitch as her adrenaline coursed through her.
"What if they follow?"said Carol her voice almost giddy too.
Annie risked a glance behind her and could see the tell-tale signs of the charger dropping on her newton as flames licked out of the air-wings exhaust and leapt down the fuselage.
"I'll see if I can get us some help," said Annie.
She twisted the dial on the her wireless, and tried to ignore the static blasting through the tin speaker.
"Phoenix one, request assistance Dominion Fighters squared."
A moment of static filled silence and the tin speaker burst into life with faint call signs as other flights answered her.
"Roger Phoenix one, Rupert two and four are on your six."
"Fox one and five as well, Phoenix one, good hunting wot? Save us something… Tally Ho!"
Annie smiled as she confirmed the flights calls, and then pulled the toggle out of her fire button. Counting down from ten she dropped the charger on her Newton, and felt the Victoria kick her in the back as it surged forward. The enemy fighters before her started to become much more real.
"C, drop smoke now!"
Annie pulled the launch lever and felt, more than heard the smoke canisters drop from her wing, she then stabbed the fire button, watching the tracers burst from her twin guns as she tried to keep the closest Dominion wing in her iron ringed sight. For a second she though she saw her shots paint across an enemy air wing, making the return fire go wide of her. She sensed the wing would be an easy kill, that the Pilot was inexperienced and she had to fight the urge to dog him until they were brought down.
"Calm Annie, all the wing kills will mean nothing if that Leviathan cannot be stopped."
Flicking the charger lever up to extend the burst on her Newton, she pitched her Victoria and dove hard at the Leviathan, ignoring the picket ships entirely.
Suddenly blank flashes filled her vision, and it wasn't until the dull frump sounds of air bursts hit her ears did she register the Dominion fleets anti-air-wing guns had opened up. Moments later the first fleet-to-fleet barrage started, and the air grew heavy with the smell of sulphate and cordite. Annie jinked her wing from left to right, more in hope of dodging the exchange of fire, than actual design.
Finally her Victoria swept over the line of picket ships, and she had to fight down the feeling of vertigo as the immense size of the Leviathan filled her vision. Guns studded the top, and sides of the warship like metallic warts. The guns were huge ship to ship cannons, and the anti-air-wing fire seemed virtually non-existent.
"That is odd?" thought Annie.
She checked her flight area and couldn't see anything other than Carol's Victoria near her. She turned her attention back on the huge warship in front of her.
"Could they be this arrogant, that they think a mere air-wing can't hurt it… Well we'll show them."
Almost instantly Annie saw a flaw in the Leviathans design, there was a low trench running down its center, and if she took her Victoria low enough the gun crews wouldn't be able to bring their guns low enough to hit her. The trench looked just about wide enough for her to avoid any small arms fire.
"C, cut to combat speed and follow me in," said Annie quickly.
She barely heard Carol's acknowledgment as she throttled back, then dove the wing down toward the Leviathans hull like a diver, she launched several quick bursts from her guns, watching almost distractedly as the shells bounced over the ships hull. Pulling up, she found herself in the artificial landscape and she started her strafing fun down the ships length.
