Shadow Squadron (Space Force Book 1) by Aleister Davidson

Author:Aleister Davidson [Davidson, Aleister]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Mantis Press LLC
Published: 2018-10-07T06:00:00+00:00

17

Shadow Squadron regrouped behind the cover of the shattered Republic destroyer Eisenhower. The bombing run they’d enacted across the dark fleet’s battleline had a devastating effect on the enemy’s morale. More than simply destroying several enemy vessels, the detritus and wreckage provided more essential cover for the Kentucky. As per Admiral Drex’s orders the Squadron began its return to the battleship.

And when the squadron was clear of the carrier’s line of fire the Kentucky lit up the enemy battleship with as many ship to ship positron missiles as it could launch. From starboard one hundred and twenty missile batteries prepared to launch four hundred and eighty anti-matter rounds. Admiral Drex’s voice came over the squadron comms.

“Shadow Squadron, follow our ordinance in for the kill. Make sure as many payloads are delivered as possible. You’re job is to knock out their anti-missile defense systems. If we can knock out that battleship, we might win this fight.”

It was standard procedure. Launch a salvo of homing missiles to take the brunt of their anti-missile defense systems. Followed by the heavy ordinance, assisted by a squadron of Spartans. With Miller and Tova gone the squadron command fell to Lieutenant Germana, callsign Shakedown.

“Roger that, Kentucky,” Germana replied. “We’ll give ‘em the ole one two.”

Shadow Squadron made a wide arcing turn in unison, keeping tight formation beneath the hull of the Kentucky, and pushed their ion engines to the limits of what they could do. In moments they caught up with the anti-matter ordinance as it careened toward the enemy battleship. The deck lit up in a mighty display of beautiful lights as the deck guns blasted, the missile defense satellites launched, laser batteries tracked incoming targets and fried them. The first salvo of a thousand homing missiles was only a few hundred meters out from the battleship when they detonated en masse. Not designed to damage, or to destroy the enemy systems, these missiles released millions of pieces of chaff into the vacuum of space. Chaff that confused the anti-missile systems.

“Shadow Squadron, pick your targets. You’re free to engage,” Germana said as he unleashed a devastating blast from his wing-mounted plasma canons at the closest pod in the battleship’s missile defense system. It may have seemed like overkill, but it just added to the debris, and to the confusion.

“Shakedown, hit ‘em and hit ‘em hard, one pass. Then I want you to double back, and do it again. We just launched another salvo,” Commander Crom’s voice came over the squadron channel.

“Roger that ,Kentucky. Any other birds make it off the ship?”

“Not yet. The ship’s still under seige, but Reaper Squadron is preparing to launch,” Crom said, proud. He’d been a member of Reaper before being promoted to commander.

“I thought they were pinned down,” Shakedown said as he blasted the next pod.

“Drak marines relieved them. Those bastards are fierce in a fight,” Crom said.

“You don’t have to tell me.”

The comms channel went quiet as the Spartan of Shadow Five, Rockstar, erupted in a bright flash, then was simply gone.

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