Chapter 13: Bring it on more!

Scott stared at the tactical board and the video feed as Mac put his latest surprise attacks into action. Those around him in the Operations Room were clearly nervous, but excited too. Scott's reputation amongst them was growing and growing and they were expectant about what he had up his sleeve next. The first attack by the troopers on the rear of the iLOX force was almost too quick for the eye to take in. They saw shadowy figures appear and then disappear. Then, on the screen, they saw the iLOX craft began to crackle and finally explode.

Once more there were cheers around the room. Scott wasn't cheering, he was staring at the tactical board, realistic about how many assault craft remained to be dealt with. He knew it wouldn't be long before his next 'trick' came into play. No one else in the room knew what he had cooked up with Mac. They were only now beginning to realise that, although the attack that had just taken place had been effective, it had barely dented the iLOX numbers. The number of blinking lights on the tactical board sobered the mood somewhat.

They watched as the ground under the leading assault craft literally disappeared and barely caught the troopers appearing to throw more nets, they were so fast. The explosions in the pit were very dramatic and it was almost as if they could feel the pressure wave in the air wash over them there in the Operations Room.

Scott looked up at the counter on the tactical board and saw that it still read over nine thousand. Mac and his troopers had performed miracles, but there were still over ninety percent of the iLOX assault force intact. It was of small comfort for Scott to remember that there were still thirty thousand troops and droids dug in and waiting for the iLOX. At least Mac had reduced the odds a little and there was still time to reduce them further before the two sides met. He hoped and prayed that Mac and his Special Forces were either lying low until the iLOX had moved on or they were making themselves scarce.

Scott knew that things were getting desperate and he played his last throw of the dice for the moment.

"AI, put me through to the Fife and the Fortrenn please," he asked.

"Comms established, your Grace."

"Gentlemen, I have to ask you to launch your fighters and have them target the remaining iLOX assault vehicles. They have no air cover up at present and everything looks quiet up there beside you. I know it's a risk, but we have to take it," Scott said, looking into the eyes of both captains.

"We wondered when you were going to let us join in the fun, your Grace. We've been watching it all up here and feel quite left out. Fighters are launching even as we speak sir."

One of the screens switched to show the United States fighters leaving the two Broadswords. They were sleek birds; shaped like silver darts and they carried the United States emblem on the fuselage. The tactical board began winking to indicate their location. Four hundred of the lethal machines were now streaking for the surface as fast as they could.

"Helfe, Helfe, something's stirring up the iLOX birds," whispered Peter.

All four of them crowded round the computer screen and watched as the iLOX fighters prepared to take off. The activity around the fighters suggested to the team that this was a panic launch rather than a pre-planned raid.

"I hope that means that their friends on the ground are in a world of hurt!" said Kurt.

The other three agreed and then they looked up as the fighters took off and soared skywards.

"This is clan leader, attack formations please gentlemen. Squadrons with odd numbers, I want you up here watching our tails, even numbers follow me in sequence and let's live a little!"

The US fighters swooped down out of the sun and loosed their missiles immediately. Computers spoke to each other to ensure there was no double targeting and the first iLOX assault craft were exploding just as the lead squadron pulled out of its dive and began to climb once more.

Wave after wave of US fighters dropped on the iLOX and on the ground everything was in disarray. The ground commander was screaming into his communication mic, demanding to know where his air cover was, while all around him his force was being blown to pieces.

"This is clan leader, I have bandits at ten o'clock. Let's light up our little present from the Ard Righ and splash a few gentlemen."

The clan leader flicked a switch in front of him and a red light began to flash on and off. The switch controlled a piezoelectric emitter and his fighter was now blaring out an ultrasonic signal, somewhere close to 22,000 Hz, as he climbed to try and get above the iLOX fighters. He couldn't hear a thing, as the noise was too high a frequency for his middle ear, but he immediately saw that it was having a marked effect on the aliens.

"This is clan leader to the Commander in Chief, whistles are working a treat sir!"

On the surface, Mac was watching the destruction with glee. He saw the assault craft suddenly begin to veer and spin erratically and thought the iLOX were trying to take avoiding action in the face of another wave of US fighters, but when he looked up he could see the fighters were all preparing themselves for an air battle. He looked again at the assault craft and still they were spinning crazily.

Mac grabbed his videophone and punched in the hot key for the Operations Room in Inveraray. His face, covered with cam cream and looking more than a little frightening, appeared on one of the screens and he immediately began addressing Scott.

"Scott, tell me you haven't? Tell me you haven't tried the crazy scheme you tried to sell me?"

Scott was laughing so hard there were tears streaming down his face. It took him a few moments before he could even respond to Mac. At last he controlled himself.

"Well met to you too, Mac. It works, I know it's crazy, but it works. You should have taken some of them with you, I'm having some transported to you now."

"You crazy, crazy bastard!"

"Careful, Mac, that could be construed as treason. Well done to you and your men by the way, you have every right to be immensely proud of their action today."

"Remind me again, never, ever to pick a fight with you, your Grace. Mac out."

In the skies above the Chinese/Russian border, the US fighters continued to emit their electronic 'dog whistles' and it was clear that the iLOX pilots couldn't think straight to fly and fight. The US fighters were picking them off easily and it wasn't long before the iLOX turned tail and tried to scoot.

"This is clan leader, we follow as far as the iLOX shield. Try to take as many of these jokers down as you can, every one we get now is one less to fight in the future. Squadrons three, five and seven, see if you can't toast some more of the ground critters."

The race back to the iLOX camp was littered with more alien fighters being brought down before the US fighters eventually had to break off and head back to the Broadswords.

The three squadrons left to continue the attack on the iLOX ground forces continued to transmit their ultrasonic emissions as they used their pulse cannon on the assault craft. It didn't take long before these too decided it was time to head for home and they about turned and sped back over the border as fast as they could.

Mac switched the tactical channel on his radio.

"Clan leader, my compliments and thanks for the save. The uisge beatha is on me the first time I get to meet you and your fly boys," Mac said.

"The pleasure was all ours General and I can't take your whisky! Hey, I watched your boys taking those wolves on with not much more than their bare hands. Alba gu Brath - I think I witnessed the essence of what that really means for the first time today. No, General, the first time we meet the uisge beatha is on me. Clan leader out."

Helfe and her team watched the bedraggled iLOX fighters, or at least what was left of them, limp back to the base. It was clear that they had sustained a mauling, with more than half their numbers missing.

"Well, I guess that's one less target for us tonight," she said

The other three members of the team wore broad smiles and they immediately began to plan their incursion for that night, their choice of targets now easily confirmed as being the command tent and the communications tent.

Helfe would use the mini parasites to once more create an opening in the shield so they could pass through. Urql and Kurt had charges made up and they had reviewed the visuals on the computer to identify where to place them to cause maximum damage. They had even spotted some metal boxes that they could drag into place to help focus the blasts in the direction they wanted. With any luck, the boxes would create a little bit of extra shrapnel too.