Captain Scarlett vs. the Scrapper

“Commander! Commander Scarlett!”

Alan opened his eyes. Research Station Sigma Kai was under attack by Eastern Bloc fighters, the big, barrel shaped “Babylon style” station had no defensive weapons to fight off the bastards. Their task force arrived soon after the distress calls were received. Their carrier NSS Fettman was still running at two G acceleration when the Strike Force Berserkers launched without clearance from the Space Boss. “Bravo flight, take the right, Charlie flight, take the left. Delta Flight, cover Berserker Shield. Alpha flight on me!” said Commander Alan Scarlett and the F-724 single-seat fighters leaped from the NSS Fettman, and the Strike Force Berserkers tore into battle, their first skirmish since being formed under a young Navy Commander. He trained them. He designed their tactics. He taught them how to make their outdated fighters do things they were never designed for.

Until the “Mad Martian” was given an entirely new squadron, fights in outer space tried to emulate atmospheric aircraft, swooping and diving, trying to get on each other’s tail. “You are not birds of prey,” said Alan confidently. “You are flying artillery. When you fly past an enemy, you turn your ship and keep your guns trained on him the entire time. Let your wingman watch where you are going, you take out the target. Take advantage of everything and shoot him in the back. Learn how to lead your shots. Let your enemy maneuver, maneuvering will only bring them into your sights. You can turn in all directions when traveling, so the enemy is never behind you.”

There’s been far better pep talks, but until 2148, none have been more effective in outer space combat.

The Berserkers charged into the fray, not trying to steer or change course, each fighter was assigned a target by the flight coordinator, call sign Berserker Shield, running the show in a huge old FB-719 fighter bomber converted to do nothing but observe the fight from a distance. Berserker Shield was surrounded by delta flight who was ready to vaporize anyone that got close. The Berserkers plunged into the crowd of Eastern Block “Flagstaff” fighters nicknamed “Forklift” by the Western Alliance Navy fliers because of their odd antenna that projected from under the nose.

Half the Flagstaffs were hit by precision laser fire from the Berserkers even before the Berserkers appeared on their radar screens. Scarlett’s fighters plunged through the Eastern Bloc formations and spun one hundred eighty degrees and continued to fire as they shot past the faster and more capable Flagstaffs. Of the two dozen fighters that attacked Research Station Sigma Kai, sixteen were floating dead in space, and the remaining eight were running. The Berserkers took on an enemy with a two to one advantage and the Forty-Third didn’t suffer a single casualty. They were now the Fighting Forty Third.

Bravo flight chased the eight remaining eastern bloc ships as far away as they dared while Alan and Alpha flight stopped in tight formation at the crippled station’s main airlock. “Get me a support ship over here fast, this thing is falling apart,” called Alan into the open radio circuit.

“NSS Marshburn will be on scene in one five mike,” replied Berserker Shield. The Marshburn was a clunky old logistics freighter, but it was fully pressurized and could carry hundreds of people in the cargo bay if needed.

“Roger, thanks Berserker Shield. Berserkers One and Two are entering Sigma Kai to coordinate evacuation.”