Chapter 12David gasped as he got a glimpse of the battle going on in front of the SDF-1. There seemed to be enemy pods everywhere, streaking in all directions at once, firing indiscriminately. There were no Veritechs to be seen. Heavy ack-ack fire from the SDF-1's close-in weapons systems were knocking out pod after pod, but the sheer number of enemy mecha would surely prove overwhelming. "This is Sergeant Marshall of Black Squadron!" he announced over the net. "Any Veritechs in the area please respond!" <Please let there be someone here. PLEASE!> "This is Black Sixteen!" called a calm, masculine voice. <That would be Sergeant Nielsen.> "We're approaching from vector two six six three. What's your position?" David glanced around quickly. "We're passing in front of the command tower now! Heading towards the Prometheus!" "I got you on radar." Nielsen responded. "ETA thirty seconds." "Are they the only ones coming?" Tony asked, his breath coming short and fast. "Slow down, don't hyperventilate." David said. "And I hope not." He checked his displays again, then saw the three Veritechs of Omega Wing approaching fast from down near the SDF-1's feet. He also saw a formation of enemy mecha closing in on the approaching wing. He switched over to the NightHawk's personnal frequency. "Twelve to Sixteen! Watch out for that formation at one fiver four one!" "I see 'em!" Nielsen replied. "Can you assist? We've got company!" David saw what he meant. Nine pods were chasing the Veritechs of Omega Wing, pouring an incredible amount of fire in their direction. David performed a text-book kick turn and armed all of his remaining missiles. The lock-on came quick, and he loosed the missiles. "Heads up, sixteen! Fire coming at you! Don't flinch!" The missiles flew true, and six of the nine pods erupted into flaming globes. The remaining three kept on coming, though. Suddenly, an Officer's Pod came out of nowhere and lined up behind the three Veritechs from Omega Wing. "Scatter! Trouble behind you!" Tony shouted, clumsily rotating his Veritech through a complete circle, picking off two pods that were trying to sneak up on him. Two of the fleeing Veritechs banked hard left, the other started to the right, but never made it. Particle beams from the officer's pod touched the port engine, and the Veritech erupted into a crimson flower. David checked his IFF. <Damn! That was Harrington!> "Break hard right, Sixteen! Bandit's still behind you." "Roger!" Nielsen replied, rolling his Veritech hard. David mentally crossed his fingers and unleashed a stream of cannon fire at the Officer's Pod. He missed, but it had the desired effect. The Officer's Pod veered away and vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Black Eighteen closed in on David and Tony's position, piloted by Chris Rice. Her Veritech was scorched and pock-marked, but seemed relatively unharmed. She switched to guardian mode and stopped beside David's Veritech. "Welcome to the party." David said tiredly. "Thanks." she replied, her voice a bit shaky. "Helluva party. Don't care for the gate crashers, though." "Break!" Tony shouted, and David threw his battloid in a hard right spin, bringing his gun pod around as he did so. Rice changed to fighter mode and shot upwards, over top of the alien pod that was pouring fire in David's direction. She kicked her Veritech in a 180 degree turn and fired a burst of cannon fire into the pod, which exploded. David smiled. "Nice shot. Thanks!" "No problem." Corporal Rice replied. "Do the same for me some time. And look out behind you!" David spun and fired blindly, most of his rounds going wide. Several struck the mark, however, and the attacking pod fell back, leaking smoke and fire. It exploded a moment later, punctured by fire from Sergeant Nielsen's Veritech. "Interesting maneuver, Marshall. It helps if you aim, though." "Funny guy." David said. He spared a quick look around. The enemy mecha had pulled back, but were massing for another attack on the edge of the radar's range. "We're too exposed out here." "I'll agree with that." Nielsen replied. "Head over towards the bridge tower." "Don't look now, but here they come again." Tony groaned. No sooner had he said that then a trio of enemy pods shot past them, seemingly coming out of nowhere, directing their fire towards the large "bubble" that surrounded the front of the bridge. "SHIT! Nail those suckers!" Nielsen shouted. All four Veritechs laid down streams of fire, and the three pods were destroyed in a matter of seconds. No sooner had they been destroyed than four more came up to replace them, also heading for the bridge. They, too, were quickly dispatched by concentrated fire. "Is it just me, or is there a pattern to this?" Rice asked, dodging enemy weapon's fire. David thought about this for a moment, hosing rounds towards a group of enemy pods, hitting one. "It's a logical choice! Crack the bubble, wipe out the command crew!" Tony swore heavily as hit Veritech took two hits to the left arm. "I'm alright!" he shouted. "Watch out for that group at one fiver fiver three!" "We've got to protect the bridge!" David yelled, performing an acrobatic sommersault to avoid some enemy fire, switching from battloid to guardian in the process. "I'm with you, let's go!" Sergeant Nielsen cried, turning towards the bridge.
The four Veritechs danced frantically in front of the bridge of the SDF-1, dodging enemy fire, picking off targets of opportunity, their gun pods firing again and again at waves of enemy mecha that kept coming.. So far they had been effective in fending off the alien's attacks against the battle fortress's bridge, but they were all beginning to run low on ammunition. Their missiles were long since used up, and they had all taken hits. It was beginning to look bad for the SDF-1. David keyed the comm line. "SDF-1 control, this is Black Twelve. We are in dire need of reinforcements. We're running low on ammunition. We need help, and soon!" It was the fourth request that they had made, and he fervently hoped that the reply would be different this time. He sprayed cannon rounds at an approaching pod, missed, and cursed. Corporal Rice, whose battloid was behind him and to the left, blasted the pod. "Got to work on that aim, Sergeant!" she said calmly. Her initial panic had subsided, and now she was calm, deadly. "What do you think I'm doing now?" he called back, his tone light. "Best training money can buy!" Commander Hayes hailed David. "This is SDF-1 control to Black Twelve. The rest of your squadron is engaged with enemy forces. Delta and Theta Wings are awaiting an opportunity to launch, but are pinned down by heavy enemy fire. They are attempting to break free. Over." "I wonder why they haven't fired the main gun yet?" Nielsen asked, dancing his battloid away from a particle cannon shot. "I don't know." Tony answered. "But they'd better do something soon. We're gonna have to use these guns for clubs here, soon." Commander Hayes was back on the comm line. "Black Twelve. Enemy missiles approaching. Stay alert!" "As if I'd fall asleep out here." David muttered. "Head's up, gang! Missiles on the way!" No sooner had he said it then aflurry of speeding projectiles appeared on radar, racing towards the SDF-1. They fired at them, missed most of them, but managed to destroy a handful. "What the hell?" Tony said, and David half-turned to look. Large greenish-white circles of light were moving across the hull of the SDF-1, intercepting nearly all of the missiles as they reached the ship.The glowing disks seemed to be absorbing the damage. David blinked in surprise, then returned his attention to the enemy pods around them. An officer's pod swooped down towards David's battloid, it's arm cannon blazing. "Damn! Everybody scatter!" he shouted, kicking in the afterburners, rocketing upwards, almost colliding with an enemy missile. Someone was screaming over the comm net, and David turned to see Nielsen's battloid take several hits along the right side. The mecha twisted and spun slowly, unmoving. Nielsen's gun pod spun off into space. "Sergeant Nielsen!" David shouted, "Luke!" "I'm okay. I'm alright." Nielsen replied, his voice tight. "But all my maneuvering systems are fried. I'm dead in the water!" "David! He's going for the bridge!" Tony shouted. David looked. He was high above the bridge, and could see perfectly well what was happening. The officer's pod was closing in on the bridge, angling so that it would be centered in front of the massive "bubble." <Oh, dammit!> "Tony! Do you have a shot?" he asked, already knowing the answer, reaching for the mode selector. "I'm out of position!" Tony shouted. "I'm not close enough!" "Same here!" Rice said. "And there are more bandits closing!" David swore again. "I'll get him! You two help Nielsen! And keep those other pods occupied!" He switched to fighter mode, kicked the Veritech over, and hit the afterburners. He checked his ammunition counter. <Forty four rounds. Let's hope it's enough.> He pressed the firing stud, and the gun pod roared to life. The cannon rounds sprayed all around the alien mecha, several impacting along the upper left side, but doing no significant damage. The gun pod ran empty in moments, and David cursed. <Out! What now? Think, dammit! Think!> An idea formed in his mind. <Crazy. But it just might work.> David continued to accelerate, closing in on the alien pod at maximum speed. He sealed his helmet, reached out for the mode selector, and muttered a brief prayer. <Ever play football, you ugly mother?>
Vanessa glanced up from the threat display in time to see an enemy Officer's Pod line up in front of the bridge and take aim with all it's weapons. She jumped to her feet and pointed, shouting "Oh, my God!", bringing an immediate reaction from the rest of the bridge crew. They all turned, saw the threat, and knew that they were facing their deaths. There was no time to reach the escape pods. Suddenly, almost too fast to follow, a green-detailed Veritech in battloid mode streaked down from above the bridge and tackled the enemy mecha in a shower of sparks and debris, driving it down, away from the vulnerable bridge.
The impact was far greater than David had anticipated, throwing him violently against the seat harness as a deafening metallic screech filled his ears. There was a muted snap, and his pressure suit tightened around him. <Lost the cockpit seal!> He kept the throttle at maximum, driving the alien mecha down, away from the bridge, towards the deck below. The two mecha crashed into the deck in front of the command tower, the shock of the impact throwing them apart. David's Valkyrie tumbling to the right, the alien pod rolling left. Artificial gravity from within the mighty fortress kept the two combattants from spinning off into space. David sat there for a moment, stunned. Spots of light flashed before his eyes, and his ears rang. <Dammit! Can't stay still! Got to move! MOVE!> He twisted the controls, rolling the battloid over onto it's belly. Numerous indicators were flashing baleful red eyes at him, but he ignored them, slapping the manual overrides, engaging back-up systems. The alien pod was already on it's feet, turning towards him, bringing it's arm cannon to bear. David feinted left, then ran right, but the alien pod didn't fall for it, and he felt something impact his Veritech. He fought to keep the battloid upright as even more indicators began flashing red. <Boy, this seems familiar.> He fired his back thrusters, bringing the Veritech up, over the enemy pod, which was trying to track him. David brought the empty gun pod to bear, pulling it from where it had been secured. He raised the gun pod over his head and brought it down like a sword, bashing the officer's pod with all the Valkyrie's mechanical strength. The long-barreled cannon on top of the officer's pod snapped in half, even as the gun pod itself shattered. The officer's pod was driven to it's knees, hesistated a moment, then rose back up. "Dear God, what does it take to knock you down?" David asked rhetorically. He brought the Veritech's fists to bear, punching the officer's pod over and over, hoping that he could keep the enemy mecha off-balance, knowing that if he failed, it would blast him with all the weaponry at its disposal. The barrage of mechanical fists damaged the left arm and the tiny cannon muzzles sticking out of the pod's front. Suddenly, the Officer's Pod swung it's good arm at him, and David felt more than heard the impact that knocked his Veritech backwards. The Veritech toppled over, landing hard on its back, and David gasped in surprise and pain as he slammed into the seat. He heard Tony shouting something over the comm circuit, but it sounded muffled, distant. David shook his head, trying to clear his mind, then realized that he was a sitting duck. "Move! MOVE! MOVE!" he shouted at himself, wrestling with his Valkyrie's controls, which seemed sluggish and unresponsive. The Veritech moved, however, and David rolled out of the pod's line of fire. He brought the battered Veritech to it's knees, and he saw that the officer's pod was turning away from him, exposing it's left arm, which had been damaged by David's brawling assualt. "Oh, no you don't!" David growled, activating the head laser. The thin red beam lanced out danced across the left side of the Pod, barely scorching the armor plate, before coming to rest on the Pod's already-damaged left arm. Sparks flew, and there was a bright flash, and the pod's arm separated from the main body in a brilliant explosion. The pod turned back to face him, leveling it's one good weapons' arm at him. David swallowed, staring down the twin barrels of the alien mecha's hand. David sat there, waiting for the fatal shot, a sudden sense of calm settling over him. <Welp, game over.> The alien pod sat there, unmoving. "What are you waiting for?" David asked incredulously. "C'Mon! Get it over with!" The alien hesitated, raised it's right arms haltingly, as in salute, then turned away from him and began walking away. "What the hell is this?!" David shouted, his entire body beginning to shake. "Why didn't you..." He gasped as he saw the pod's right side. It was badly marred, exposed wiring and internal components spitting sparks and flame. <His weapons are out!> he realized. <Sucker's in as bad a shape as I am.> David quickly checked the Veritech's systems. Life support functional. Transformation circuitry destroyed. Gyroscope damaged. Comm system functional. Reactor systems damaged - the generators were threatening to overheat. Servo motors in the right arm damaged. <Boy, I'm really a mess.> A female's voice came over the comm system, and David didn't recognize it at first due to the ringing in his ears. Then he placed the voice - it was Lieutenant Landers. He glanced up at the static-filled viewscreen and saw that the rest of Black Squadron had finally arrived, and were giving the alien ambushers a run for their money. "Sergeant Marshall! Where are you? Report!" she was saying. David flipped the comm line open. "I'm here, Lieutenant. I think. Beside the bridge tower." "I see you!" she replied. "We're coming in. Wait there!" David's eyes widened as he saw the Lieutenant's Veritech slow to approach him. "No go, Lieutenant! There's an officer's pod here somewhere! Don't risk it!" Her reply was drowned in static as a particle beam narrowly missed the Lieutenant's Veritech. She switched to Guardian mode and spun out of the line of fire. The enemy pod appeared again, stepping out into the open and training it's remaining weapon's arm on her Valkyrie as it retreated. <Guess his weapons aren't out after all! Bastard!> David urged his battered Veritech forward. "NO YOU DON'T!" His Valkyrie stumbled forwards, and he picked up the pod's discarded left arm. He closed the distance quickly, coming up beside the enemy pod, bringing the severed arm up like a club. Then there was a sickening crunch from somwhere and he knew without having to look that the right arm servo motors had given out, freezing the battloid's right arm in a half-extended position. "NUTS!" David shouted, hitting the afterburners, jumping high above alien pod, which had turned and was following his line of flight with it's still-functioning arm. "David! Behind you!" He heard Tony shout. "Look behind you! A gun pod!" David turned his battloid around and saw what Tony was talking about. A lone gun pod, spinning slowly in space, drifting towards the ship. "It's Nielsen's! IT'S LOADED!quot; he cried. David had to kick the thrusters several times before they responded, propelling him towards the orphaned GU-11. He reached out with the battloid's left hand and grasped the gun pod. He quickly armed it and turned around. Twenty rounds were left in the gun pod. <Not enough rounds to hose him with, not with my aim. What now?> David saw the Lieutenant's Veritech streak by, laying several well-placed rounds into the pod's back. Still, it didn't fall, and fired a particle beam at the Lieutenant. David couldn't tell if it connected. "You damned idiot!" he shouted, wrestling his Veritech around and diving back down towards the enemy Pod. "Don't you know that you're supposed to die when you get shot?!" He fired several rounds, all of which went extremely wide. <Damn!> His mind raced, and he realized there was only one thing to do. <Oh, man, this is gonna hurt.> he whispered silently, dropping down directly in front of the alien mecha. He landed hard on the deck, and his battloid's left leg gave way. He fought desperately to regain his balance before the enemy could react. The battloid rose, began tilting forward. He brought the gun pod to bear, and shoved it into the eye-like opening on the front of the Pod. "Smile for the birdie, sucker!" David shouted, and pulled the trigger, sending fourteen depleted trans-uranic slugs into the pod's cockpit. The Pod staggered back, it's remaining arm flailing, sparks and electrical discharges dancing across it's hull. <Finally decided to die, huh?> David pulled his battloid back several steps. <It's about time.> "Marhsall!" The Lieutenant called. "Get your crazy ass out of there! It's gonna blow!" <Uh, oh.> David thought, realizing that she was right. He engaged the throttle, but there was no response. He tried again, with the same lack of response. He looked around furiously - the primary electrical generators had shut down due to overheating. <DAMN!> The enemy Pod detonated with a tremendous blast that picked David's battloid up and hurled it against the side of the bridge tower, barely denting both the tower's armor, all but smashing David's battloid. David was shaken like a rag doll, his head snapping back, his ears filled with metallic clangs and shrieks and snaps and sounds he knew he shouldn't be hearing, his vision tinted red from all the warning lights flashing in the cockpit. <Charter's gonna be pissed. I scratched the paint.> he thought, and passed out.
Forward to Chapter 13.
Return to the David Marshall contents page.
|
|
Easy-find
|
