Captain Scarlett, Martian Envoy
Copyright© 2024 by Duleigh
Chapter 24
Mars, March 7, 2162
Lake Jezero Martian Self Defense Force Base
“Raptor one this is home plate,” said the radar scope monitor.
“Go ahead home plate,” said Eris Cameron from the pilot’s seat of an F-733F. She was rapidly approaching orbital altitude. Raptor 2 was on her right wing, manned by a pair of retired Navy fighter pilots who answered Roy Clark’s call and showed up to fly. Today’s mission, reach a surveillance satellite, then go fuck with Eastern Bloc ore thieves.
“I have a small, fast ship inbound from ... it ... we can’t determine where it came from.”
“Lets look, give me a vector.”
Radar control gave her the heading and speed, and Eris plotted an intercept. Within minutes Eris found herself on the tail of a delta winged speed demon, an RC-8. It was an unarmed reconnaissance spacecraft. They were fast, and they had skins that could change color for camouflage, but this one remained an easy to see white. Eris was descending and had a gravity boost. “I have radar lock!” she cried, and suddenly the white ship’s landing gear came down. The ship was surrendering ... now what? Alan never covered that.
“Hold your fire,” called Radar Control. “I got a call from an admiral who said to hold up.”
“Who is he?” demanded Eris.
“He says he’s your brother-in-law,” said Radar control, not believing what he was hearing on the other radio. “Switch to guard, channel four.”
Eris turned to her trainee, who was both thrilled beyond measure and terrified. “Radio control over there, bottom left knob, Pull it out, turn it two clicks to the left then push the knob back in.” With a click, she heard Radar control chatting calmly with someone else.
“She’s on frequency Photobird,” said Radar control.
“Raptor one, this is Photobird One One.”
Eris heard the woman’s voice and immediately didn’t trust her. “You don’t sound like Admiral Scarlett.”
“He’s busy in the front seat,” said the woman. Eris dropped from her behind/high position and pulled up alongside of the unusual little ship. She looked, and the person in the front seat turned and waved to her. It was Alan Scarlet. She would recognize that weird bionic eye anywhere. She watched as he flipped down his eyepatch covering the bionic eye.
“I would like you and Raptor two to join me for dinner,” said Alan. He opened up his throttle and climbed into a higher Mars orbit.
“Raptor two this is Raptor one, let’s go eat.” And the two F-733F Gunslingers climbed with the Photobird. It seemed like it was forever, but finally they met up with a large white ship in geostationary orbit above the Antoniadi Crater. It made sense to Eris, because the Bradbury Canal, Alan’s birthplace, was near there.
They followed Alan, who called out, “Big Freda, you have three children to bring aboard.”
“Aye aye skipper, one at a time please,” called the hangar deck supervisor on the ship.
“Remember how to do this, Red?”
“Roger Al. Raptor two, watch me, then follow me in. Start with your landing gear extended.” Eris pulled up alongside the big ship and eased up to the big side door. “Gentle side taps on your attitude joystick, will get you in.”
“I think we have it Raptor One,” called Raptor Two. When they got the go ahead, they slid in easily and parked their ship right where the hangar deck supervisor guided them.
“Come on in Photobird.”
“Roger that,” said Alan and he slid into the hangar and parked under the crane that would hoist his ship up into the maintenance bay.
Eris didn’t see where Alan went to. She ended up in Life Support with her navigator, Anne McClusky, and Raptor two was right behind them. After cleaning up and changing into flight suits, they were escorted to the Admiral’s mess, where they were greeted by the Captain of the NSS Friedensbringer. “Welcome aboard, I am Captain, Cayson Fulton, this is the chief of the boat, Master Chief Gunnison. Admiral Scarlett will be along later.”
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