Flash - Kalis - "With Enough Thrust..." (Closed)
Sept 28, 2012 20:20:20 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2012 20:20:20 GMT -5
It was supposed to be another quiet patrol through the starry night skies over Kalis.
Air Raid listened incredulously to the voice of the Kalis terminal air controller in his audials, transmitted over his internal comm. "Long range radar is picking up a flight of seven aircraft, three tactical bombers and their escort of four jets. They're currently about one hundred kliks out and closing in fast. Tactical is predicting that their intented target is the Beaming Transmitter."
He thought quickly. That big radio transmitter. The Decepticons had already sent ground troops in once in an attempt to knock it out of commission, only to be routed at the last minute by an Autobot unit stationed nearby. No surprise they might now try to bomb it off the face of the planet instead.
"And you want me to stop them all on my own?" he said. "No wingman?"
"That's right." The voice grew tense. "There are no other aerial units we can spare at this time. You're the only one in the sky over the southern districts right now. I understand you are concerned about tackling such a force alone, seeing as it goes against all procedure-"
Concerned? Concerned? He was stoked!
"- but there is no alternative. Reinforcements from Iacon won't arrive soon enough to engage, and at this time of night the anti-aircraft guns will be at their least effective. Make the bombers your primary target. Engage and scatter them as best you can. They won't risk running out of fuel this close to Iacon and should turn back without reforming if prevented from arriving over their destination."
With effort, Air Raid kept the glee from his voice as he began a banking turn towards the south. The red running lights on his wingtips carved trails of light into the night sky while the twin red engines of his Cybertronian jet form roared to life.
"Check remarks, terminal," he said. "Engage and disperse. No problemo."
"Steer one-eight-five for intercept. Continue to monitor this frequency. Do not switch to Aerialbot air-to-air or to sector en-route. Call in before you begin your attack."
"Check remarks."
The voice in his audials went silent. Air Raid pointed his nose to the stars and climbed hard for altitude, his engines blasting. Out of sheer giddiness he did a roll on his way up. A seven-ship Decepticon raiding party! No wingman! Any kills scored this night would be his own. That would surely put him well ahead of Slingshot on the scoreboard. Seven more notches on his guns and no one would be touching him for a long time. And for once Silverbolt would say, 'well done, Air Raid,' instead of, 'this recklessness stops now or I will own you, Air Raid.'
The dark landscape stretched out beneath his wings, wide and glittering with lighted spires. A column of red-tinged smoke continued to rise from the fires burning on the M-14 motorway. The Decepticons had shelled it early that day in an attempt to knock out the skybridge between Iacon and Kalis. If he zoomed in magnification he could still make out the rubble, twisted metal and warped glass, melted into slag from the inferno. Beyond it, the city of Iacon shone like a galaxy on the horizon.
The sight of it made Air Raid quickly sober. All right. No more fooling around. Time to get to work.
At altitude he levelled out and internalized his displays, cycling through radar modes. He was so high he could see the satellite moon over Altihex now, see the mesh of light that was faraway Protohex. And now his air-to-air radar saw blips moving inbound from the south, seven of them, flying in loose formation. A vic for the bombers, a neat finger-four for the jets.
Not for long, he thought. Hit 'em fast, before they see you too.
"Kalis terminal, this is AB201 - I have the bounce, engaging enemy fliers," he said tersely over his comm. Without listening for a reply he waited for his cue as targeting data skeined across his neural net - there's lock and there's tone! - and sent a missile hissing off his port rail.
It shot off into the darkness, dragging a trail of vapour behind it. There was a long period of silence. And then, far in the distance, a pinpoint explosion of red and yellow light.
One down, crowed Air Raid silently as he winged over and dove for the scattering Decepticons.
Air Raid listened incredulously to the voice of the Kalis terminal air controller in his audials, transmitted over his internal comm. "Long range radar is picking up a flight of seven aircraft, three tactical bombers and their escort of four jets. They're currently about one hundred kliks out and closing in fast. Tactical is predicting that their intented target is the Beaming Transmitter."
He thought quickly. That big radio transmitter. The Decepticons had already sent ground troops in once in an attempt to knock it out of commission, only to be routed at the last minute by an Autobot unit stationed nearby. No surprise they might now try to bomb it off the face of the planet instead.
"And you want me to stop them all on my own?" he said. "No wingman?"
"That's right." The voice grew tense. "There are no other aerial units we can spare at this time. You're the only one in the sky over the southern districts right now. I understand you are concerned about tackling such a force alone, seeing as it goes against all procedure-"
Concerned? Concerned? He was stoked!
"- but there is no alternative. Reinforcements from Iacon won't arrive soon enough to engage, and at this time of night the anti-aircraft guns will be at their least effective. Make the bombers your primary target. Engage and scatter them as best you can. They won't risk running out of fuel this close to Iacon and should turn back without reforming if prevented from arriving over their destination."
With effort, Air Raid kept the glee from his voice as he began a banking turn towards the south. The red running lights on his wingtips carved trails of light into the night sky while the twin red engines of his Cybertronian jet form roared to life.
"Check remarks, terminal," he said. "Engage and disperse. No problemo."
"Steer one-eight-five for intercept. Continue to monitor this frequency. Do not switch to Aerialbot air-to-air or to sector en-route. Call in before you begin your attack."
"Check remarks."
The voice in his audials went silent. Air Raid pointed his nose to the stars and climbed hard for altitude, his engines blasting. Out of sheer giddiness he did a roll on his way up. A seven-ship Decepticon raiding party! No wingman! Any kills scored this night would be his own. That would surely put him well ahead of Slingshot on the scoreboard. Seven more notches on his guns and no one would be touching him for a long time. And for once Silverbolt would say, 'well done, Air Raid,' instead of, 'this recklessness stops now or I will own you, Air Raid.'
The dark landscape stretched out beneath his wings, wide and glittering with lighted spires. A column of red-tinged smoke continued to rise from the fires burning on the M-14 motorway. The Decepticons had shelled it early that day in an attempt to knock out the skybridge between Iacon and Kalis. If he zoomed in magnification he could still make out the rubble, twisted metal and warped glass, melted into slag from the inferno. Beyond it, the city of Iacon shone like a galaxy on the horizon.
The sight of it made Air Raid quickly sober. All right. No more fooling around. Time to get to work.
At altitude he levelled out and internalized his displays, cycling through radar modes. He was so high he could see the satellite moon over Altihex now, see the mesh of light that was faraway Protohex. And now his air-to-air radar saw blips moving inbound from the south, seven of them, flying in loose formation. A vic for the bombers, a neat finger-four for the jets.
Not for long, he thought. Hit 'em fast, before they see you too.
"Kalis terminal, this is AB201 - I have the bounce, engaging enemy fliers," he said tersely over his comm. Without listening for a reply he waited for his cue as targeting data skeined across his neural net - there's lock and there's tone! - and sent a missile hissing off his port rail.
It shot off into the darkness, dragging a trail of vapour behind it. There was a long period of silence. And then, far in the distance, a pinpoint explosion of red and yellow light.
One down, crowed Air Raid silently as he winged over and dove for the scattering Decepticons.