Sleep,
as good as it seems, was short lived as Knight was shaking me. "Sir
its time to go to the briefing."
I silently curse. "Be there in a second." I run into the
shower and clean off, then get dressed and rush to the briefing
room. I enter the briefing room and drop into a seat in the back.
"So nice of you to join us Mr. Blair."
Replied the CAG. "Now maybe we could get started?"
"Yeah sure sir," I reply feeling slightly like an idiot.
"Ok people we have a mission before us. The Kilrathi are
sending through a supply convoy so that they can try and reinforce
their deteriorating position. Confed Intel believes that they
are coming in through our system. 102nd it will be your mission
to come in and destroy this convoy so that the Kilrathi can't
reinforce their position. We're going to use that same trick used
to destroy that kitty carrier. You will come out of cloak at the
last possible minute and destroy them from behind.
"You have your mission orders, now lets get to it."
***
The other squadrons leave. Some heading to
their planes, the others heading to their barracks. The 102nd heads
down to the flight deck and climb into the waiting Excaliburs. One
by one they power up the fighters and roar down the flight deck
out into open space. Sixty minutes later they arrive at the ambush
point and cloak waiting for the prey to enter the trap that has
been laid before them.
For fifteen minutes the Wildcards waited
and then they saw a jump point open in the distance. The prey
has arrived. Sitting patiently the 102nd waits for the Kilrathi
Convoy to pass over their position. Unfortunately right after
the lead fighter past overhead Jen decloaked and engaged him,
giving away our position. Silently I wonder what the hell she
is doing when all hell breaks loose. The Kilrathi had an ambush
plan of their own. The 3 Dralthi fighters took after Jen's fighter
and at that I point I had enough.
"Hunter and Knight you're with me. We're
going to get those fighters off of her. Lightning, you take Blazer
and Knife with you. Destroy those transports. The rest of you
stay under cloak and wait to see if we need any help. I don't
want to give away any more than I have to." I gave the orders
and decloaked with Hunter and Knight to engage the fighters hounding
Jen.
Diving down from on top of them, we opened
fire with full guns. And damaged the 3 fighters that were hounding
her. Then my threat display lit up with a missile lock light.
Without thought I dropped decoys and broke hard right. Taking
a glance at my radar I noticed 4 more enemy blips. The thought
then hit me that those were Strakha the kilrathi cloaking fighters.
"Look out people we got kitty cloakers here. Wildcards...decloak
and deal out some punishment."
The remaining Wildcards decloak and start
to hammer the Strakha, who seemed surprised that we ambushed the
ambush that they setup...even if we didn't plan it that way. I
guess that is why they consider us the best. On the other front
we finally dispatch the Dralthi on Viper's tail. While this was
going on the other Wildcards took out the Kilrathi transports.
Two minutes later the remaining Strakha are vanquished.
"Alright guys lets cloak and head back
to the barn, our mission is accomplished." I order. With that
the all of the 102nd cloak except Viper, who apparently has had
a nervous breakdown thanks to that incident.
Silently I curse. "Wildcards head back to the barn, I'll
stay back here and deal with the queen. Knight you have lead."
Unseen the Wildcards head back to base as I decloak to deal with
Viper.
"Viper come in." No answer. "Viper can
you hear me?" I know she has her COM on as I can hear her breathing
heavily. "Jen...answer me...please."
"I...I...can't." she responds.
"Of course you can. Just stick right on my wing and follow
me back to the Midway. I'll stay right next to you."
Still a bit startled she replied "Yes sir." She slowly
pulls up to my wing and follows all the way back to the Midway.
Exiting the fighters I join the rest of the 102nd waiting for
us to return, meanwhile Jen leaves her fighter and heads directly
back to her barracks. By the time she is gone the unspoken question
became spoken.
"Colonel do you think she'll be OK to
fly again?" asked Mark "Avenger" Jackson.
Without taking my eyes off of her departing figure, I said
"I hope so. If not...we're going to have to make her ready again."