Authors: Taylor Anderson
Firestorm (44 page)
“Halt!” he roared. “Stop the retreat! Now is the time!
Now!
Jindal, where are you? Bugler!” He caught hold of a man still clawing his way upslope as if the noise from below were something directed at them. “Bugler! Sound ‘recall and reform’!” Chack didn’t know if there was a call for that, but recall should be sufficient. “Mortars!” he screamed upslope, hoping someone heard him. “Blair! Mortars,
now
!”
Now!
Jindal, where are you? Bugler!” He caught hold of a man still clawing his way upslope as if the noise from below were something directed at them. “Bugler! Sound ‘recall and reform’!” Chack didn’t know if there was a call for that, but recall should be sufficient. “Mortars!” he screamed upslope, hoping someone heard him. “Blair! Mortars,
now
!”
The retreating Marines, confused by the chaos and suddenly conflicting orders, began to pause. Many shouted at comrades still trying to do what they’d been told before. The night attack by the entire force had been carefully detailed and prepared, but now that was “in the crapper” too. There could be no delay; the time was at hand. Drums thundered on the summit above. Either Blair had heard Chack’s cries, or he’d figured it out for himself—probably the latter. Flashes lit the uneven peak, and more than a hundred mortar bombs lofted into the sky, aimed for the carefully ranged enemy position. Airplane engines still rattled by below, followed by more mushrooms of flame, and Chack hoped they wouldn’t hit any planes. Most of his Marines had stopped now, quickly re-forming to either side of him in the gathering twilight, lit by the inferno below.
Gas-bombs,
he thought, and shuddered. He’d always hated fire weapons, and though nobody had a problem using them against Grik he knew there’d been talk of
not
deploying them against the Doms.
Well, talk is easy when all goes as planned.
Fortunately, the enemy hadn’t known about, or had discounted the arrival of
Maaka-Kakja
and her Naval Air Wing.
Gas-bombs,
he thought, and shuddered. He’d always hated fire weapons, and though nobody had a problem using them against Grik he knew there’d been talk of
not
deploying them against the Doms.
Well, talk is easy when all goes as planned.
Fortunately, the enemy hadn’t known about, or had discounted the arrival of
Maaka-Kakja
and her Naval Air Wing.
“Chack!” came Blair’s voice behind him, just as Blas appeared at his side. He turned to see his Imperial friend trotting toward him, his whole force advancing down the mountain to join Chack’s and Jindal’s troops. Mortars still thumped from the crest above, showering the plain below.
“Major Blair,” Chack greeted him.
“I suppose if we must forever be reacting to things, it’s better that they be advantageous distractions caused by
our
people for a change!” Blair laughed.
our
people for a change!” Blair laughed.
“I agree entirely,” Chack said.
“See here, Chack,” Blair continued, “your fellows have been hanging out here in the breeze all day. Won’t you let my boys spearhead this advance?”
“By all means, Major Blair. Mine may still be somewhat confused at any rate. We’ll advance as your reserve, but let us move quickly! We must hit the enemy on the tail of this surprise hard enough to break them; then they’ll
have
to move more troops to stop us. That will give Sor-Lomaak his chance! Pray only he takes it!”
have
to move more troops to stop us. That will give Sor-Lomaak his chance! Pray only he takes it!”
“He can’t have missed the signal! Such a show!” Blair stopped and looked at the sky. A “Nancy” was burning, plummeting toward the sea. “Terrible!” he said.
Chack looked into the gray-gold sky in time to see another plane, its right wing shredded, spiraling down. A bizarre shape detached itself from the falling “Nancy” and darted off into the darkness. “Something is destroying our planes!” he said in alarm.
“What can it be?”
“I don’t know, but those poor pilots have done their duty. We must do ours. Advance!”
USSMaaka-Kakja
“Something’s taking out our planes!” Orrin Reddy said, entering the bridge from the flight comm shack that overlooked the flight deck.
Maaka Kakja
was the first carrier to have the separate compartment, as well as the first to have an alternate frequency capability. First Fleet would have it as soon as the new equipment was delivered or the more talented “signalmen” made the simple modifications to the equipment already deployed. Orrin had been listening on the new, dedicated “air” band.
Maaka Kakja
was the first carrier to have the separate compartment, as well as the first to have an alternate frequency capability. First Fleet would have it as soon as the new equipment was delivered or the more talented “signalmen” made the simple modifications to the equipment already deployed. Orrin had been listening on the new, dedicated “air” band.
“What is it?” Lelaa asked, blinking concern, looking up from a just-delivered fleet report.
“That’s just it! They don’t know! Some kind of flying things, like giant lizard birds, are jumping them out of the dark, and tearing hell out of the planes. Nobody ever said there were giant lizard birds on New Ireland! And why would they go after
our
guys? They can’t even fight back!”
our
guys? They can’t even fight back!”
In the midst of his alarming report, Lelaa noted Orrin had used the term “our” a couple of times, for the
first
time, since he began performing the duties she’d set him aboard. She shook her head.
first
time, since he began performing the duties she’d set him aboard. She shook her head.
“How many have we lost?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to get them to make individual reports, but four for sure. Some may have lost their aerials, but others are damaged and don’t think they can make Glasgow. I told them to try for the fleet, either north or south. If they’re over the island, I told them to make for that big lake by Waterford—if they can find it in the dark! Damn communications! If we could get through to anybody, we could get the guys in the town to light some fires!”
“I cannot contact anyone in the town, but there are plenty of fires in Waaterford, Mr. Reddy. The enemy has begun his assault there, and I’m informed by the Imperial Navy off the coast that the remaining troops at Cork have moved to reinforce.” She turned. “Pass the word for the signalmen to ask any Imperial commander they can contact what those ‘lizard birds’ are and what to do about them. If anyone expected them and didn’t tell us, I want him
arrested
!”
arrested
!”
“But . . . that’ll leave the guys from Cork cut off with everybody else!”
“It may, for a time. Until we get there. You may have noticed we’ve increased speed.” Her tail swished agitatedly. “That creature, that
mouse
, Gilbert Yaa-ger,
ordered me
to come to the engineering spaces and see the murder
I
was doing to
his
engines!” She sniffed.
mouse
, Gilbert Yaa-ger,
ordered me
to come to the engineering spaces and see the murder
I
was doing to
his
engines!” She sniffed.
Orrin stopped. “But . . . will we make it? I mean . . .”
“Of course. Even Yaa-ger allowed as much, reluctantly. We have never truly done a full-speed trial, and it’s past due. He’s merely protective of the youngling engines.”
“Well . . . but we’ve got to
do
something!” Orrin insisted.
do
something!” Orrin insisted.
“What more
can
we do?” Lelaa demanded. “We can’t send another air attack, it’s long past dark. We will put Colonel Shinya’s army ashore at dawn, and it will march to the relief of Waaterford. Major Chack has broken into the outskirts of New Dublin, and the Dominion troops that stopped him there were unable to prevent the landing of almost five thousand Imperial Marines in the harbor! One of the forts has been taken already.” Lelaa paused thoughtfully. “Apparently the Dominion cannot use their ‘giant lizard birds’ against ground troops. I suspect the creatures don’t distinguish friend from foe, individually.”
can
we do?” Lelaa demanded. “We can’t send another air attack, it’s long past dark. We will put Colonel Shinya’s army ashore at dawn, and it will march to the relief of Waaterford. Major Chack has broken into the outskirts of New Dublin, and the Dominion troops that stopped him there were unable to prevent the landing of almost five thousand Imperial Marines in the harbor! One of the forts has been taken already.” Lelaa paused thoughtfully. “Apparently the Dominion cannot use their ‘giant lizard birds’ against ground troops. I suspect the creatures don’t distinguish friend from foe, individually.”
“But what about Waterford?”
“The troops there, even with the reinforcements from Cork are in trouble,” Lelaa admitted. “They amount to only a few hundreds and as your ‘recon’ flights suggested, they face several thousands. Apparently, there were
many
more enemy soldiers in Bel-faast than we expected.”
many
more enemy soldiers in Bel-faast than we expected.”
Orrin was looking at the chart. “Almost as if they stuck them way out there knowing we’d ignore it.”
“As I now suspect.”
“My guys bombed the column, but it was still strung out, and it didn’t do much good—no lizard birds got after
that
flight either. . . .”
that
flight either. . . .”
“What are you thinking?”
“Captain Lelaa!” interrupted the signalman. “We get dope on ‘lizard birds’!”
“What’s the story?” Orrin asked.
“They not from here! They like ‘draa-gons’ Im-peer-aals hunt as food-sport critters, but these big draa-gons only ever seen in Dom country! They baad—attaack ships sometimes, but nobody ever know they do for Doms! They prob’ly here to pester ships, laand-een boats, up north!”
“Has Sor-Lomaak reported any such incidents?”
“Mebbee so,” the signalman said uncertainly. “They go in with dark and gun smoke. Some few reports say see boat Maa-reens shoot at sky. Mebbe same monsters get planes, then jump on boats—nobody see good.”
“They’ve been keeping the damn things at New Dublin!” Irvin Laumer said, hearing the last as he came onto the bridge.
Lelaa looked back at Orrin. “You were saying?”
“Okay, I
do
have an idea. First, I get every plane not already committed for New Scotland to make for the lake at Waterford. I take the Tenth Pursuit straight to Waterford now, no bombs, just gas—and weapons for the spotters! We refuel the planes that make it there and rearm them with mortar bombs—they’re the same thing, anyway. That’ll give us airver Waterford, and you can still support the landing with the bombers left aboard here, plus any that refuel and rearm at Glasgow!”
do
have an idea. First, I get every plane not already committed for New Scotland to make for the lake at Waterford. I take the Tenth Pursuit straight to Waterford now, no bombs, just gas—and weapons for the spotters! We refuel the planes that make it there and rearm them with mortar bombs—they’re the same thing, anyway. That’ll give us airver Waterford, and you can still support the landing with the bombers left aboard here, plus any that refuel and rearm at Glasgow!”
“Flying at night is too risky, especially now with those ‘draa-gons’ out there!”
“Captain, I probably have more night flying time than anybody on this world, next to Lieutenant Mackey. I can get there, and the rest of the squadron can follow me in.”
Lelaa hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“Sure I’m sure. And besides”—he tossed his last ace on the table—“with the planes there, we’ll have communications!”
“Very well, then. How will you defend against the monsters?”
“How many modern weapons are aboard?”
“We brought everything we had with us to get the submarine,” Laumer said. “Two tommy guns, a few Springfields and Krags, and a couple of 1911s.”
“That’s it?”
“Afraid so. There were some Jap rifles and pistols left on
Mizuki Maru
, but Okada kept them.”
Mizuki Maru
, but Okada kept them.”
“It’ll have to do. Muskets with buckshot are probably just as good. The pursuit squadron will fly top cover for the bombers and try to keep the lizard birds off them. They won’t need the best spotters, just the best marksmen.”
“I can outshoot anyone here with a pistol,” Sandra said suddenly from the opening to the bridgewing. Her new “orderly,” Diania, stood beside her, the expression on her face betraying the contrast between knowing she probably shouldn’t be there, and daring anyone to send her away. No one had noticed them till now, but they’d clearly caught most of the conversation.
“I’m sure of it,” Captain Lelaa agreed, “but this time
I
command, and you cannot go. Besides some rather obvious reasons, we will likely need your medical skills quite badly very soon.”
I
command, and you cannot go. Besides some rather obvious reasons, we will likely need your medical skills quite badly very soon.”
Silva suddenly popped his head around the corner, just above Sandra’s. Diania instinctively recoiled. “Well
I
damn sure ain’t goin!” Dennis boomed. “Flyin’ in the dark? With wingy Grik birds chasin’ us? My beloved ass!”
I
damn sure ain’t goin!” Dennis boomed. “Flyin’ in the dark? With wingy Grik birds chasin’ us? My beloved ass!”
CHAPTER 16
USS
Walker
Walker
I
t was still dark when
Walker
steamed into “Saint Francis” Bay in the wee hours of January 4, 1944, and they met nothing but a few brightly lit, anchored ships, probably waiting for the morning tide. They were not challenged by so much as a picket boat, and neither guns nor whistles brought them a pilot. Even when they crept through the shockingly narrow “Golden Gate”—with leadsmen on the fo’c’sle—beneath the guns of the twin forts situated on what should be “Fort Point” and “Lime Point,” there was no challenge to their passage.
t was still dark when
Walker
steamed into “Saint Francis” Bay in the wee hours of January 4, 1944, and they met nothing but a few brightly lit, anchored ships, probably waiting for the morning tide. They were not challenged by so much as a picket boat, and neither guns nor whistles brought them a pilot. Even when they crept through the shockingly narrow “Golden Gate”—with leadsmen on the fo’c’sle—beneath the guns of the twin forts situated on what should be “Fort Point” and “Lime Point,” there was no challenge to their passage.
“They ain’t got a clue,” the Bosun snorted from the port bridgewing.
“He’s right,” Jenks declared disgustedly. “Low fruit, ripe for the picking. Obviously, the dispatch vessel we sent never arrived, but there’s no excuse for this degree of complacency, ever. Had we been the Doms, the war would be over before those here even awakened.”
“Well, you’re the only one who’s been here before,” Matt said, lowering his binoculars. “You’re our pilot. Where now?/font>
“The governor’s residence is some distance south, beyond the North Point, in the West Bay portion of the city, but I believe our first stop should be Colonial Naval Headquarters just a few miles ahead, to starboard.” Jenks fumed. “From the look of things, that will likely become
our
headquarters after I relieve the incompetent fool in charge there.”
our
headquarters after I relieve the incompetent fool in charge there.”
“It is disconcerting,” said Bradford, “and rather . . . achingly . . . peaceful.” He glassed the bay in all directions and saw sleepy, predawn lights everywhere. “Even now I can tell this may be the largest city we’ve seen; yet it slumbers so blissfully unaware.”
“It’s almost as big as New London and Plymouth together, on New Britain Island,” Jenks said, “though not as densely populated. Less congested too. More space to expand. There, Captain Reddy”—Jenks pointed—“you can just make out that empty stretch of dock with the large buildings beyond. That’s where the dispatch sloop would be had she arrived. We’ll tie up there ourselves; there’s no time to lose! Feel free to make all the noise you want. The guns of the fort will no longer bear, so we needn’t worry about some fool waking up and touching one off in a panic. Perhaps we might at least awaken someone for your crew to throw their lines to!”
Matt turned to the bridge watch. “Take her in, Mr. Kutas,” he said. “We’ll sound general quarters and honk the horn, if you please.” He chuckled. “Is there a specific window we should shine the spotlight in?”
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